Author: Tigranian Ani

CONSTRUIRE DES RELATIONS SANS MEDIATEURS EST PLUS CORRECT SELON ARMAN MELIKAYN
Stephane

armenews
5 mai 2010
ARMENIE

L’Iran a ses propres problèmes et l’Armenie n’est pas preparee pour
penser a celles-ci a declare l’ex-ministre des Affaires Etrangères
du Nagorno Karabakh Arman Melikyan lors d’une conference de presse.

" Ce n’est pas la première fois que l’Iran offre sa mediation. C’etait
le cas pendant la guerre : des delegations iraniennes ont visite
l’Artsakh, des reunions entre les presidents armenien et azeri ont
ete organisees dans Teheran. Le fait que l’Iran veut jouer un rôle
plus actif est naturel, mais il est surprenant que l’Armenie n’ait
pas encore repondu a la suggestion de l’Iran" a dit Arman Melikyan.

S’exprimant sur la mediation, en general, Arman Melikyan a dit
etre assure que " des relations sans mediateurs sont meilleures. "
" N’importe quel processus ne s’achèvera avec des mediateurs "
a-t-il ajoute.

En parlant de la possibilite d’une reprise de la guerre, Arman Melikyan
a dit " des actions militaires a grande echelle sont peu probables,
mais des heurts locaux sont possibles. "

" Une nouvelle guerre servira les interets de l’Azerbaïdjan, parce
qu’elle fait chanter la communaute internationale avec ses menaces
de guerre " a-t-il expose.

REAL ESTATE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE IN YEREVAN AND MARZES

Tert.am
05.05.10

Armenian estate market has in the first quarter of 2010 seen a
much-anticipated stability, Arman Petrosyan, Head of Real Estate
Estimation Committee in the State Cadastre, said at a press conference
today.

According to Petrosyan against the backdrop of the same period of 2009
there has been an increase both in the quantity of the deals (27.9%),
struck during the period under discussion, and in the estate price.

The transactions relating to estate have increased both in the capital
city of Yerevan and in the marzes (province): this year 67.8% of
transactions were conducted in the marzes.

The Committee forecasts that this trend of growth in the estate market
will be preserved all year round.

The stability of the estate market, according to Petrosyan, is
accounted for by the fact that the participants of the market
have started to be more active. Another factor supportive of this
stabilization is that there are no more pessimistic expectations
about the estate market.

"The global financial-economic crisis had started to affect our market
negatively since August 2008. The market saw stability since September
2009," said Petrosyan.

In Yerevan the average market price for 1 square meter of inhabitable
houses has increased by 2.8%, while that number in the marzes has
been 1.5%.

Petrosyan also said that 36,499 transactions have been conducted in
the estate market in the first quarter in 2010.

KARO PARISYAN IN TALKS WITH STRIKEFORCE

MMAFighting.com
http://www.mmafightin g.com/2010/05/04/karo-parisyan-in-talks-with-strik eforce/
May 4 2010

Former UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan has been in talks to
fight for Strikeforce, MMA Fighting has learned.

Parisyan has not signed a contract with the San Jose-based organization
yet, but if he does, he could debut as early as June 16 on the
Strikeforce: Los Angeles show, which would make sense since the
Armenian-born fight currently resides in the North Hollywood,
Calif., area.

When contacted by MMA Fighting, Strikeforce officials refused to
confirm or deny any talks with Parisyan.

Parisyan’s final run in the UFC was a tumultuous one. He pulled out of
a UFC 88 fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida hours before the weigh-ins,
citing a back injury. Parisyan had talked openly about battling
depression and anxiety, and many suspected he had been suffering from
those same symptoms leading up to the fight.

Following a victory over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94, Parisyan was
suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for testing positive
for banned painkillers.

After serving his suspension, Parisyan was then scheduled to fight
Dustin Hazelett at UFC 106, but he pulled out the fight a day before
the weigh-ins. UFC president Dana White then tweeted that Parisyan
would never fight in the UFC again. Parisyan has still never publicly
discussed why he pulled out of the Hazelett fight.

Since November 2007, "The Heat" is 0-1 with 1 no contest. His overall
record is 18-5-0 (1 NC).

If he is healthy, the 27-year-old would be a nice addition to
the organization’s 170-pound division. Nick Diaz is their current
welterweight champion.

DIGNITY OF UNIFORM
HAKOB BADALYAN

Lragir.am
03/05/10

It is surprising how such a skillful and experienced police official,
as he says one born in the system, like Alik Sargsyan believed so
easily to the lies of the Charentsavan police officers as if Vahan
Khalafyan, who had been brought there and died, was not tortured. The
question occurs who else can so easily deceive a police official and
whether there were other cases when the Chief of Police was so simply
deceived. Vahan Khalafyan’s case was so scandalous and was revealed
because the latter died. How many were those cases in the police
departments which, fortunately, did not end in deaths and passed
without "superfluous" scandals. The simple and logic question occurs
under these circumstances: whether the Chief of Police Alik Sargsyan
controls the current situation in the system.

In general, quite an interesting idea is formed over the police system
of Armenia. When, for instance, the point is about the economic or
political polices, some oppositional figures state that the prime
minister and the ministers give false information to Serge Sargsyan
which then becomes the reason of the wrong policy. So, Serge Sargsyan
does not control the system and he is factually deceived. Whole this
does not decrease his responsibility for the situation because the
most dangerous thing is when the head of a system does not control
it and can be deceived with such ease.

Otherwise, it is quite a convenient version to blame the co-workers
for each mistake and moreover a crime apologizing and promising to
punish those guilty considering at the same time the case closed. In
addition, it is surprising that Alik Sargsyan does not consider it
necessary to apologize to Vahan Khalafyan’s relatives in public.

And in case Alik Sargsyan has really been deceived by his co-workers,
so being an experienced representative of the system, he had better not
hurry to affirm there was no torture. Perhaps, it was worth waiting
for at least one day, or to state that there was again no torture
but he decided to carry out investigation for a clearer answer in
this connection after which he would present his assessment to the
society. While, Alik Sargsyan, without even citing the Charentsavan
police officials, affirmed there was no torture.

Perhaps, Alik Sargsyan was sure that no such a thing would be ever
revealed. In 2007, when the Police chief was Hayk Harutyunyan, Levon
Ghulyan was brought to the police and died there: according to the
official version, he tried to escape by jumping from the window. No
law enforcement body revealed the case or refused the official
version. Maybe the confidence that the Special Investigative Service
will never "spoil the dignity of the uniform" of Alik Sargsyan came
from the "successful" precedent.

Moreover, it surprised many people that the SIS brought up a case
against the officials of Charentsavan police department and revealed
the fact of torture. A series of other precedents, with regards to
Levon Ghulyan and others with, fortunately, no death outcome, gave
reasons to other thoughts. For example, Sasha Davtyan, arrested and
accused of raping her underage daughter from Talin along with her
two daughters presented through press how they were tortured in the
police departments. But this case did not appear in the center of
the SIS attention and no policeman was charged. While Sasha Davtyan
had given concrete names.

Will the revelation of the Special Investigative Service be a new and
expedient precedent for the country and the society or it will be an
exception affirming the rule of the precedents or an action dictated
by inter-governmental contradictions?

SHUSHAN DOYDOYAN: "IN NEITHER OF COUNTRIES THERE EXISTS EXCELLENT FREEDOM OF PRESS"

ARMENPRESS
MAY 3, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS: Issues on freedom of press have been
discussed today in "Henaran" club. "In neither of countries there
exists excellent freedom of press," head of the Information Freedom
Center Shushan Doydoyan said, adding that if there are rights they must
by all means be in parallel with responsibility. "This issue must both
be examined taking into consideration the right of a journalist to
get information and from the point of view of preserving the dignity
of the informer". She said that UNESCO devoted this year to the
issues of reporters to get information: "As far as reporter cannot
get information and fix it he/she cannot work," she noted. Shushan
Doydoyan also pointed out that reporters must know and protect their
rights. According to her, the reporters must not be accommodated when
their work is being impeded but sue the official and get complete
answer. "The issue is not only getting answer to the question but the
official who will again refuse to give information next time will think
whether he is ready to again get in fuss and victimize his/her image."

Chief editor of Aravot daily Aram Abrahamyan spoke about the applying
of use of force for impeding journalists’ work. "The problem is not
only that those who complain about the publications are trying to
satisfy their revenge by using force but when different means are
being applied to prevent the publication. Such cases take place
particularly in drastic situations, for instance during elections."

According to him, local authorities, members of bodyguard service of
the officials impede the work of cameramen and photo reporters. He
also highlighted the solution of the issue in forensic way.

Chairman of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan said that the
"Time of Free Press" award which has been established five years ago
for already second year will not be given to anyone. "The problem is
not the lack of worthy reporters but the latter to not have opportunity
to display themselves.

Boris Navasardyan said that it is impossible to oversight the internet
in respect of freedom of press and according to him, it is not a
professional environment. Thanks to this available cover the issue
of awareness of the public is being solved but the specialization
of reporter is losing its value. "The issue is not in keeping the
population informed, it is aimed to make an active public," he said.

According to him, the freedom of speech may undergo great changes in
parallel to the development of internet.

Coup in Kyrgyzstan, Drugs from Afghanistan, and the US

en.fondsk.ruÐ?rbis Terrarum
19.04.2010
Anatoly ALIFEROV

While the Kyrgyz interim government was searching for the bank
accounts of ousted President K. Bakiev, and Belorussian President A.
Lukashenko invited him to settle down in Belarus, Moscow bloggers
published a sensational finding: they unearthed evidence that the coup
in Kyrgyzstan was backed by the US and that the whole intrigue
revolves around the transit of drugs from Afghanistan.

On April 18, Oriental Review, an English-language blog based in
Russia, published a text titled «Kyrgyzstan Destined To Become Another
Narco-State?». It points to the facts that drug crops in Afghanistan
surged since the dispatch of the US and NATO forces to the country and
that the neighboring Kyrgyzstan became the key transit hub on the
route – known as the Great Heroine Way – via which drugs from
Afghanistan are delivered to Europe and Asia.

The author of the text wrote: `Most likely the illicit profits
proceeding from narco-trafficking were the main sources of spectacular
enrichment of Bakiev’s clan during his presidency in 2005-2010. There
were numerous evidences that the very arrival of Kurmanbek Bakiev to
power in March 2005 as a result of `Tulip revolution’ was financed and
supported by prosperous international narco-mafia’. The blogger
maintains that in 2010, just as in 2005, `the geostrategic interests
of the US and the international narco-mafia happily merged again… It
was only logical for the US establishment to use the services of
narco-barons to overthrow Bakiev, who demanded from the US more and
more pay-offs for his loyalty¦’. A similar view was expressed by
writer and commentator Alexander Prokhanov in the April 16 broadcast
of the Ekho Moskvy radio station: `The revolution in Kyrgyzstan was…
a revolution organized by the drug business. It replaced Akaev’s
regime with Bakiev’s one, and now Bakiev’s regime ` with the regime of
the notorious Roza. Kyrgyzstan remains the key route of
drug-trafficking to Russia’.

Drug barons are extremely influential in Kyrgyzstan. There are
estimates suggesting that the areas used to cultivate poppy in the
republic are comparable in size to those in Afghanistan. This is just
one of the pertinent circumstances. Another is that Kyrgyzstan hosts
the Gansi Air Base operated by the US Air Force at the Manas airport
in Bishkek. The Base is an important transit point for the supply of
US forces in Afghanistan. The third pertinent circumstance is that
Kyrgyz human rights watch groups have stated a number of times that
the base also serves as a transit hub in a global drug trafficking
network. When one of such statements was made in September, 2009,
China’s People’s Daily cautiously expressed agreement with the view
held by Kyrgyz human rights activists ` it quoted experts as saying
that the Manas base in Kyrgyzstan could be used by the foreign
military to transit drugs from Afghanistan.

The Oriental Review blogger substantiated his claim concerning the
common interests of the US and the international drug mafia in the
case of the coup in Kyrgyzstan by pointing to the fact that remained
unnoticed so far but can actually be regarded as material evidence. On
April 7, Great Britain’s The Daily Telegraph featured a set pictures
taken at the time of the recent bloody riots in Bishkek. One of them
shows an insurgent firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle near a
government building. A striking detail that can be discerned in the
picture is `the HWS (holographic weapon sight) attached to the AK gun
in the hands of an opposition fighter’ which is `the product of the US
L-3 Communications EOTech Corporation, 500 series, retail price 600
USD each one (four average monthly salaries in Kyrgyzstan)’.

A Kyrgyz opposition supporter fires an automatic weapon near the main
government building during a protest against the government in
Bishkek. Picture: AFP/GETTY
Based at the University of Michigan, EOTech has been a supplier of
holographic weapon sights since 1996. According to the US
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), exporting the weapon
requires licenses from the US Department of State and from the US
Department of Commerce. Upon being tested by the army, a number of
such sights were supplied to the forces in Afghanistan and a few more
` to the US police. The device has never officially exported to
Kyrgyzstan or Russia. Therefore, a machine gun with the US-made sight
could not be seized by an insurgent from the Kyrgyz special forces
during the riots. Thus, The Daily Telegraph picture provides evidence
that the coup in Kyrgyzstan was materially supported using a US
military base sited in Afghanistan or in Kyrgyzstan. Naturally, this
had to be a violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations
and of the US arms export regulations. Well, obviously the game was
worth it. Afghanistan’s poppy output rose by a factor of 40 (!) – from
185 to 8,200 tons a year – over the first six years of the US
occupation. It is a safe bet that major developments are brewing at
the Afghan-Kyrgyz direction.

news.am, Armenia
May 1 2010

Karabakh – cornerstone for Erdogan

11:08 / 05/01/2010Turkey accepts the `no preconditions’ concept in
Armenia-Turkey normalization process, but gives priority to peace in
the region, which is impossible without the resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan
stated in his address to the nation.

Commenting on his meeting with RA President Serzh Sargsyan on the
sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, the Turkish
Premier said he informed the Armenian leader of Turkey’s sincere
efforts to normalize the bilateral relations and expect Armenia to
show similar sincerity. Turkey clearly stated its expectations from
Azerbaijan and Armenia and underlined the importance of steps that
would facilitate the resolution of the conflict. However, the
normalization process will end in stalemate if the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict remains unsettled.

Commenting on Armenia’s suspending the ratification process, the
Turkish Premier said it is up to Armenia to decide. But Turkey has not
changed its stance aimed at settling the problem and remained
committed to the letter and spirit of the Protocols, Erdogan declared.

T.P.

RUSSIA: AZERBAIJAN DIDN’T REQUEST TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT IN OSCE MG

Aysor
April 30 2010
Armenia

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Nesterenko denied the
released by Azerbaijan statement and said that Russian Foreign Minister
hadn’t received any proposals from Azerbaijan on Turkey inclusion into
the OSCE MG Co-Chairs group, aimed at the settlement to the Karabakh
conflict, RIA Novosti reported.

"Even if such a suggestion was made, Russia, a Co-Chair of the OSCE MG
on Karabakh talks, hasn’t received any official request. In any case,
in order to turn this proposal into practice, at least the approval
by three parties of the Group is necessary," Andrey Nesterenko told
journalists.

"Taking into account that the process of ratification of the
Armenia-Turkey documents has been suspended, one can hardly expect
such developments in the process," he said.

April 30, 2010
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

IN MEMORIAM
BISHOP NESHAN TOPOUZIAN
(1966-2010)

With deep sorrow we were informed by the Catholicosate of Cilica of
the untimely passing of H.G. Bishop Neshan Topouzian, Prelate of the Diocese
of Azerbaijan (Iran), which occurred in Armenia on Tuesday, April 27th,
following a brief illness.
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and Councils join
H.H. Catholicos Aram I, the Cilician Brotherhood, and the Diocese of
Azerbaijan in mourning this great loss.
Requiem for the soul of the late Bishop will be offered at the
Mother Cathedral of the Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon on Sunday, May
2nd, 2010. By the order of His Holiness, requiem will also be offered in
all the Dioceses of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
The Prelate will preside over Divine Liturgy and requiem at Holy
Martyrs Church in Encino, and will deliver the sermon. We invite our
faithful to join us as we pray for Almighty God to grant eternal peace and
rest to the soul of Bishop Neshan Topouzian.
May his memory remain ever blessed.

PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER OPENING CEREMONY
OF THE 9TH ANNUAL ARS FESTIVAL

The 9th annual Armenian Relief Society Festival will be held this
weekend at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. The Prelate will preside over the
opening of the festival, during which he will deliver the invocation and his
message.
On Sunday, May 16, the ARS will celebrate its centennial with a gala
banquet at the Woodland Hills Marriott. The Prelate will attend the
celebration.

ARMENIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY
25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA BANQUET

On Saturday, May 1st, the Armenian American Medical Society of
California will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a gala banquet at
the Glendale Hilton.
Pastor of Holy Cross Cathedral Rev. Fr. Ashod Kambourian will attend
and convey the Prelate’s blessings.
Proceeds from the banquet till benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Project
in Armenia.

SAHAG MESROB ARMENIAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
30TH ANNIVERSARY BANQUET

The 30th anniversary banquet of Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian
School will take place on Sunday, May 2nd, at Ararat Home "Deukmejian Hall"
in Mission Hills.
The Prelate will attend and convey his blessings.

PRELATE MEETS WITH ANC-WR REPRESENTATIVES

On Tuesday, April 27th, 2010, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, welcomed to the Prelacy Armenian National Committee Western Region
Board Chair Mrs. Aida Dimejian and Government Relations director Mrs. Lerna
Kayserian-Shirinian.
The Prelate and representatives discussed recent developments in our
cause and collaborative efforts between the ANC and the Prelacy, and
reflected on the large number of Genocide commemoration events that were
held in recent days and weeks.
The Prelate commended the dedication of all those involved in the
welfare and progress of our nation, and especially of our youth who are
actively and devotedly working for advancements in our cause.

95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED WITH DIVINE LITURGY AND
COMMUNITY GATHERINGS

In the days leading up to, and including, April 24, 2010, Armenians
worldwide commemorated the 95th anniversary of the Genocide with various
events including Divine Liturgy, requiem, community gatherings, and
protests.
Within the Western Prelacy, joint Divine Liturgy was celebrated
among the Apostolic, Catholic, and Evangelical Churches on the evening of
Friday, April 23rd, 2010, at the North Hollywood Parish. H.E. Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, celebrated Divine Liturgy. He was assisted
at the altar by Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian, Very Rev. Fr. Barthev
Gulumian, and clergy members. Among those in attendance were Executive
Council members and representatives of community organizations.
The Prelate also delivered a message on this occasion, as did Very
Rev. Fr. Andon Saroyan, Rector of the Armenian Catholic Church, and Rev. Joe
Matossian, Minister of the Armenian Evangelical Union of N. America.
In his message, the Prelate exalted the faith of our martyrs and
their sacrifice for faith and nation, and the responsibility of all to
pursue justice and our rights. "We do not remember our martyrs on this one
day only; we remember them each day as we work towards recognition, truth
and justice", said the Prelate. "We remember also our heroes, who fought
and defended our lands, whether 95 years ago or 20 years ago in Artsakh, and
who demonstrate that our struggle will not end until justice is served".
Requiem for the souls of our martyrs followed.
On the morning of April 24th, the Prelate and clergy participated in
a protest rally in Little Armenian organized by the Unified Young Armenians.
The prelate conducted the opening prayer and later delivered his message to
the youth, commending their active role in our cause and urging them to
continue on their path and mission undeterred.
In the afternoon, the Prelate and clergy participated in the
community gathering at Bicknell Park in Montebello, organized by the
Armenian Genocide United Commemorative Committee, which was followed by
requiem service presided over by the spiritual leaders of three Armenian
denominations.
In the days and weeks preceding April 24, the Prelate, clergy, and
Executive Council members also participated in commemorations at the
Sacramento State Assembly, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Glendale City Halls,
and various community-wide events.

TURQUIE. UN TABOU SE BRISE SUR LES MASSACRES D’ARMENIENS
Stephane

armenews
30 avril 2010

Pour la première fois, des Turcs ont commémoré les massacres
d’Arméniens de 1915. Pour le journaliste arménien Pakrat Estukyan,
compagnon de lutte de Hrant Dink, assassiné en janvier 2007, ce qui
s’est passé est un génocide. Istanbul, envoyé spécial.

Â" Quand j’étais enfant, on n’a jamais utilisé le mot de génocide
dans ma famille. On parlait de catastrophe, de massacres, d’exil. Avec
le temps, les choses ont changé. Pour moi, ce qui s’est passé en
1915 est un génocide Â", dit d’une voix tranquille Pakrat Estukyan,
responsable de Agos, l’hebdomadaire bilingue (turc et arménien)
objet des foudres de l’extrême droite nationaliste turque. Â"
Dans l’atmosphère actuelle en Turquie, on n’utilise pas ce mot. Le
sujet est encore tabou. Â" L’utiliser vaut de tomber sous le coup
de l’article 301 du Code pénal turc. L’assassinat du rédacteur en
chef d’Agos, Hrant Dink, le 19 janvier 2007, a deux pas du siège du
journal, rue Halaskargazi, dans le quartier Osman Bey a Istanbul,
est encore présent dans les mémoires. Â" Ca a été un rude coup
surtout pour ses amis et les 60â~@~I000 Arméniens d’Istanbul. Une
grande partie d’entre eux était désespérée.

Nous avons pu surmonter l’épreuve. Le journal a doublé sa
pagination (20 pages en turc et 4 en arménien) et son tirage. Notre
détermination pour faire avancer la démocratie et la vérité en
est sortie renforcée Â", ajoute-t-il. Des portraits du journaliste
ornent les murs du siège et le bureau de la rédaction en chef. Â"
Comme vous voyez, rien n’a changé. Son bureau est resté dans l’état
où il l’a laissé. On se réunit toujours ici pour décider du menu
du journal Â", poursuit Pakrat.

Confiant, le journaliste estime que Â" les choses évoluent, pas
encore au niveau souhaité, mais il y a des signes Â". En effet, fait
inédit, samedi, pour la première fois, des Turcs et des Arméniens
ont commémoré les massacres de 1915. Dans la matinée, une petite
foule d’Arméniens d’Istanbul s’est rassemblée au cimetière de
Baliki autour de la tombe de Hrant Dink et pour commémorer aussi les
premiers massacres commis en 1895 sous le règne du sultan Abdel Hamid.

Ã~@ midi, les choses ont failli tourner au vinaigre quand une centaine
de personnes brandissant des portraits d’Arméniens disparus se sont
rassemblées devant la gare d’Haydarpasa, sur la rive asiatique du
Bosphore, a l’appel de la section d’Istanbul de la Ligue des droits
de l’homme, sous la conduite du président de la Ligue, Eren Keskin,
qui a demandé que la Turquie assume son passé. C’est de cette gare
qu’est parti le premier convoi de 220 membres de l’intelligentsia
arménienne, ce qui avait donné le signal du début des massacres
a grande échelle.

Sur les lieux, des nationalistes brandissant le drapeau turc ont
tenté de perturber la commémoration. Â" Vous mentez, vous êtes
des traîtres Â", criait l’un d’eux. La police, présente en force,
est alors intervenue pour ramener le calme.

En fin d’après-midi, place Taksim, au cÅ"ur d’Istanbul, la tension
était palpable. La police était présente en force depuis le
début de l’après-midi. La foule qui déambulait sur cette place
piétonnière semblait indifférente. Mais ils étaient plusieurs
centaines a avoir répondu a l’appel lancé par des intellectuels
turcs, parmi lesquels Ahmet Insel et Cingiz Aktar, pour exiger
des autorités d’assumer ce qui s’est passé en 1915. Certains
assis, d’autres debout, Å"illets rouges et bougies a la main. Des
contre-manifestants nationalistes étaient tenus a distance par les
forces de l’ordre. Pour ne pas donner de prétexte aux autorités pour
sévir, les organisateurs ont évité le terme de Â" génocide Â",
lui préférant celui de Â" catastrophe Â".

La question fait débat. Pour Fatih Apolat, membre du syndicat des
journalistes de Turquie et membre du parti Emep (Parti du travail
de Turquie), Â" il faut laisser les sociétés civiles des deux
pays régler la question. Les politiques ne doivent pas s’en mêler
Â". Même position pour Maya Arakon, enseignante de sciences politiques
a l’université Yedetepe d’Istanbul, signataire de l’appel au pardon
et en proie aux menaces des nationalistes du fait de ses interventions
a la télévision turque. Â" On a commencé a construire une relation
avec la société civile d’Arménie. Mais tout est tombé a l’eau
quand le premier ministre Erdogan avait brandi la menace d’expulsion
des 100â~@~I000 immigrés arméniens en Turquie Â", regrette-t-elle.

Et les Arméniens de Turquieâ~@~I ? Â" En ce qui me concerne,
je me considère comme un citoyen turc d’origine arménienne Â",
explique Pakrat Estukyan. Â" Quant au reste, si on se réfère a la
Constitution, tous les Turcs de quelque origine qu’ils soient sont
égaux devant la loi. Mais il y a le non-écrit. En fait, il existe un
blocage contre ceux qui ne sont pas musulmans. Un Arménien ne peut pas
être procureur, juge, officier ou diplomate. Il peut être enseignant
supérieur, chercheur, mais pas recteur d’université. En revanche,
il peut être élu. Â" Quant aux relations Turquie-Arménie, il
estime que pour avancer il faut une Â" volonté politique Â" des deux
côtés. Â" Des accusations lourdes ont été portées par les milieux
nationalistes des deux pays contre leurs propres gouvernements. En
Turquie, on a accusé le gouvernement Erdogan de vouloir "vendre la
patrie". Je regrette cependant qu’il ait reculé en conditionnant la
normalisation des relations turco-arméniennes au règlement de la
question du Haut-Karabakh, revendiqué par l’Azerbaïdjan turcophone
(1). Â"

Hassane Zerrouky

(1) Le Haut-Karabakh est un territoire azerbaïdjanais occupé par
l’Arménie depuis 1993.