Friday, February 2, 2017 Armenia Defends French President Against Turkish Criticism FRANCE -- French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian before a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, January 23, 2018 Armenia on Friday denounced Turkey's angry reaction to French President Emmanuel Macron's latest statement on the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Addressing prominent members of the influential Armenian community in France earlier this week, Macron pledged to assign an official day of commemoration for some 1.5 million Armenians massacred by the Ottoman Turks during the First World War. France formally recognized the massacres as genocide with a special law passed in 2001. Macron also signaled support for another French law that would criminalize public denials of the genocide. The French-Armenian community has been actively campaigning for such a measure. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, described Macron's remarks as "populist." "Genocide is a legal, not political term # If France is committed to the law it must not bring up such issues," he said. Ankara has always denied a premeditated government effort to exterminate Ottoman Turkey's Armenian population. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian rejected the Turkish criticism of Macron in written comments to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "Instead of labelling those who recognize the Armenian Genocide as populists Ankara needs to abandon the dangerous populism of its denialist policy and have the courage to face its own past," he said. France - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (L) meets with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian in Paris, 22Dec2017. Nalbandian argued than among the two dozen nations that have officially recognized the genocide are Germany and Austria, the Ottoman Empire's allies during the 1914-1918 war. He also cited the position on the subject of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. "The historical record on the Armenian Genocide is unambiguous and documented by overwhelming evidence," the association said in 2007. Macron made his comments just days after meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian in Paris. "France will always be alongside Armenia," the French leader said after the talks, citing "profound links" between the two nations. Media Groups Concerned Over Government Transparency . Sargis Harutyunyan Armenia - Prime Minister Karen Karapetian chairs a cabinet meeting in Yerevan, 25May2017. Armenian media associations expressed concern on Friday about government plans to reduce the transparency of weekly cabinet meetings in Yerevan after Armenia becomes a parliamentary republic in April. Under a new bill on the Armenian government's structure and powers approved by ministers on Thursday, journalists will no longer be able to watch those meetings live. The prime minister could only make "a part of a meeting" open to the press, it says. The bill also bars government members from publicizing details of any issue discussed by the government without the premier's permission. The chairman of the Yerevan Press Club, Boris Navasardian, described the proposed legislation as "yet another step" towards withholding more information about the government's activities from the media. "I don't exclude that it is connected with the transformation of the government system because obviously when the prime minister's powers increase and essentially equal the current president's authority more serious issues will be discussed and solved at government meetings," said Navasardian. "In that regard, they find the presence of journalists unnecessary." "I wouldn't say that this is an extraordinary development," he added. "It's just a continuation of a general trend, inertia." "In essence, not much is going to change," Satik Seyranian, the head of the Armenian Journalists Union, said for her part. Seyranian, who is also the editor of the "168 Zham" newspaper, argued that many cabinet meetings watched live by reporters have often been mere "formalities" that rubber-stamped government decisions made prior to them. "I am more concerned about the fact that government members will not be allowed to release any information without the prime minister's permission," she told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "It means that there will be censorship within the government and the work of journalists will get harder." Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian defended the planned restrictions on Thursday. He said he does not know of any other country where cabinet meetings are open to the media. This openness has discouraged Armenian ministers from voicing critical opinions about decisions or policies proposed by their colleagues, claimed Harutiunian. Armenian Mining Giant Announces Mass Layoffs Armenia - A newly constructed ore-processing plant at the Teghut copper mine, 20Dec2014. Three weeks after suspending production operations at a massive copper mine in Armenia's northern Lori province, an Armenian mining company said on Friday that it has decided to lay off hundreds of workers. The company, Vallex Group, sent many of its 1,215 employees working at the Teghut deposit on indefinite leave on January 12. It attributed the move to "planned prophylactic repairs" of the mine's waste disposal facilities. In its latest statement to the press, Vallex said it will fire most of the workers due to what it expects to be a "prolonged stoppage" of mining and ore processing at Teghut. The company claimed that the stoppage is necessary for the realization of its plans to significantly increase its output. It said it needs to hire Armenian and foreign consultants for "scientific research" to be conducted for that purpose. That will take some time, the statement added without elaborating. The Armenian government did not immediately react to the announcement. Nor had government officials in Yerevan commented on the recent suspension of mining at Teghut. The Teghut mine is one of the largest employers in the unemployment-stricken region. The mass layoffs will therefore deal a major socioeconomic blow to the local population. Vallex said almost all employees of the mine will receive notices about the impending termination of their contracts. It promised to provide some of those workers with jobs at other enterprises owned by the mining giant. They include a copper smelter in the nearby town of Alaverdi and metal mines in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Liechtenstein-registered company resorted to the layoffs despite reporting a 32 percent surge in its combined operating revenue, which totaled $358 million last year thanks to increased international prices of copper and other non-ferrous metals. The Teghut mine generated over 42 percent of that revenue. The Teghut operator already announced in August plans to increase copper ore extraction at Teghut. These plans met with strong resistance from some residents of two villages close to the mining site. They said that higher pollution levels have had negative effects on their fruit orchards. In recent months, environment protection groups have repeatedly reported toxic leaks from Teghut's waste disposal dump contaminating a nearby river. The company has denied those reports. Saakashvili Book Presentations Cancelled In Yerevan . Marine Khachatrian UKRAINE -- Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili gives a press conference before the appeal hearing regarding the Kiev district court that ruled to release him from custody at a courthouse in Kiev on January 19, 2018. A bookstore in Yerevan has cancelled a planned presentation of the Armenian translation of a memoir written by Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia's former president who is now an outspoken opposition figure in Ukraine. The book recounting Saakashvili's political activities in Georgia and Ukraine was due to be officially released in Armenia on February 7 with the event planned at the Noyan Tapan bookstore. The shop manager, Luiza Berberian, said on Friday that she called off the presentation because she does not want to see any "political material" on sale at Noyan Tapan in principle. "Anyone can come here and offer books to our employees," said Berberian. "[One of the shop assistants] didn't realize what he is doing. A copy of the book accidentally ended up on my desk and I thought it's interesting material. But when I flipped through it I thought `sorry but this is not for our bookstore.'" "Nobody put pressure on me," she added. The book presentation was originally planned at the state-run literary Museum of Yeghishe Charents. The museum director also cancelled it, citing "technical reasons." She denied receiving any orders from the Armenian Culture Ministry. The book's Armenian translator, Mikael Nahapetian, believes, however, that the Armenian authorities are behind the cancellations. "It's evident that there was pressure," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). An Armenian human rights activist, Vartan Harutiunian, also saw political motives, saying that the authorities in Yerevan do not to displease the Russian government which has long been extremely hostile to Saakashvili. Saakashvili, who governed Georgia from 2004-2013, likewise alleged "Moscow's intervention" when he reacted to the event cancellations on Facebook. "Interestingly, in Georgia Russian agents spread rumors that I am an ethnic Armenian while in Armenia they say that I am anti-Armenian," he wrote. Saakashvili t is also at loggerheads with the current governments of both Georgia and Ukraine. On January 5, a court in Tbilisi found him guilty of abuse of power in connection with a 2006 murder case and sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison. The ex-president rejects the charges as politically motivated. In Ukraine, prosecutors have accused Saakashvili of abetting an alleged "criminal group" led by Ukraine's pro-Russia former President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia after his ouster in February 2014. Ukrainian authorities also claim that protests led by Saakashvili in Ukraine are part of a Russian plot against the government in Kyiv. Saakashvili on January 3 accused Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) of being involved in the fabrication evidence presented against him by Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv's ongoing criminal trial against him. Press Review "Haykakan Zhamanak" reacts to reported cancellations by public and private institutions in Yerevan of an official presentation of a book written by former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and translated to Armenian. "Is Russia's intervention the reason for that, given the high degree of Russian influence on various segments of Armenia's population?" asks the paper. It goes on to suggest that Moscow was not behind the cancellation. "Saakashvili's image is deeply unbearable for our government elite," it claims. "Having become Georgia's president only 12-13 years ago, Saakashvili managed to radically transform Georgia # And that was happening in front of our eyes. Tens or even hundreds of thousands of Armenians visiting Georgia could see that a whole country can be reformed in a very short period of time." "Chorrord Ishkhanutyun" brands President Serzh Sarkisian a political "juggler" who skillfully manipulates Armenia's government institutions and political system to extend his rule. The paper claims that he is making sure that Armenia's police and National Security Service are "removed from parliament control and directly subordinated to the prime minister." It also argues that despite Armenia's transformation into a parliamentary republic the parliament speaker will no longer sit on the national Security Council. "This is a real magic," it says scornfully. The pro-opposition daily also blasts a government bill that will prevent journalists from watching cabinet meetings live. "Meetings of the next government to be formed in April will be held behind the closed doors," writes"Zhoghovurd." The paper ridicules the official rationale for this measure which was given by Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian on Thursday. "In this country journalists are to blame for everything," it says tartly. (Tigran Avetisian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Author: Vatche Chakhmakhchian
AYF Burbank To Host Citizenship Clinic in Partnership with USC
Burbank AYF to host citizenship clinic
BURBANK, Calif. — The Armenian Youth Federation Burbank “Varak” chapter, in partnership with the USC Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic and the ACF Burbank Youth Center, will be hosting a Citizenship Clinic in order to provide free assistance to those interested in completing their naturalization applications.
“Obtaining citizenship is an important step for all immigrants because it opens doors to civic participation and allows engagement in the political process,” said Nazeli Khodabakhsh, a member of the Armenian Youth Federation Central Executive and student at the USC Gould School of Law. “We are excited to provide free assistance in applying for naturalization because we want to give all eligible individuals the opportunity to take full advantage of resources in their communities,” she continued.
The Citizenship Clinic will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2018 from 9AM to 4PM at the ACF Burbank Youth Center, located at 75 E. Santa Anita Ave, Burbank, CA 91502. Appointments are required, and those wishing to schedule or request more information must call (213) 821-9627, or email [email protected].
To qualify for naturalization, individuals must have been lawful permanent residents (meaning they have held a green card) for at least 5 years. The benefits of citizenship include increased economic stability, the ability to vote, and greater freedom to travel and access community resources. Individuals who are unsure if they quality for naturalization should call (213) 821-9627.
Founded in 1933 with organizational structures in over 17 regions around the world and a legacy of over eighty years of community involvement, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.
Armenia to host global forum on genocide prevention in December
ArmenPress News Agency , Armenia Monday Armenia to host global forum on genocide prevention in December YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. The peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh remains one of the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy, foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said during a press conference in response to a question from ARMENPRESS, mentioning that Armenia will continue efforts with the co-chairing countries in 2018. “Armenia has become a pioneer in the efforts of preventing crimes against humanity and new genocides. 2018 is the 70th anniversary of adopting the Genocide Prevention Convention. On this occasion, Armenia is presently putting efforts for a new resolution to be adopted in the UN circle – in the human rights council”, Nalbandian said. He reminded that in 2015 – the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide – Armenia succeeded in adopting a resolution which received serious endorsement from everyone. The minister emphasized that nearly 70 countries became co-authors of the resolution, however it was adopted with a consensus, meaning that nobody risked to oppose it. “This year we have initiated and are currently working for a new resolution to be adopted on this occasion. In December of 2018 we are planning to hold a new global forum on prevention of genocides. We plan to hold it in December, when at our initiative, the UN General Assembly declared Genocide 9 as a commemoration day of victims of all genocides”, the minister said. Reminding that Armenia is already chairing in the ministerial conference of La Francophonie, the summit of the organization will be held in Yerevan in October, and from December of 2017 Armenia is chairing in BSEC, the minister mentioning that there are many tasks to do. “We will continue efforts in terms of developing, strengthening bilateral relations, as well as in the frames of various international structures – responding to regional and international challenges”, he said.
Azerbaijan’s actions question its credibility as negotiating side – Armenian MFA sums up 2017
Categories
Politics
Region
The Armenian foreign ministry has released the 2017 annual report.
The report, regarding the Karabakh conflict, in particular states that Armenia, together with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – Russia, US and France, continued the steps aimed at creating respective conditions for moving forward the settlement process of the Karabakh conflict by exclusively peaceful means.
“In the beginning of the year, the Azerbaijani side, violating the 1994-1995 trilateral termless ceasefire agreements, initiated new wave of provocations and sabotage actions along the entire length of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh and the border with Armenia which resulted in casualties also among civilians. By grossly violating the international humanitarian law the Azerbaijani side targeted civilian objects. Baku continued its actions to deploy its military bases in the Azerbaijani settlements and their neighboring settlements and to initiate provocations from there, and this behavior should be strongly condemned”, the report says.
The report also touched upon the May 18 addressed statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs which was issued due to the constant actions by Azerbaijan aimed at escalating the situation in the line of contact and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
In 2017 five meetings were held between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan – February 16 in Munich, April 28 in Moscow, July 11 in Brussels, September 23 in New York and December 6 in Vienna.
“The meetings between the ministers and the Co-Chairs’ practical mediation efforts enabled to hold a meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 16, 2017 in Geneva after 16 months of pause within the frames of which, nearly after a four-year pause, a joint statement of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs was adopted for the first time which mainly highlighted the agreement reached, that is to intensify the negotiation process and take additional steps to reduce the tension in the line of contact, the same steps mentioned in the statements made in the Vienna and St. Petersburg 2016 summits and to which Armenia has repeatedly expressed its support. However, committed to its style of action, Baku immediately after the summit restarted his groundless accusations and militaristic rhetoric”, the report says.
According to the report, Baku didn’t implement numerous other agreements, and these examples question Azerbaijan’s credibility as a negotiating side.
Last year 14 statements at the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format were adopted, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs made three regional visits on March 27, June 10 and October 6 within the frames of which the Co-Chairs in Yerevan were received by the Armenian President, meetings were also held with the foreign minister.
The provision of supporting the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the three principles of international law proposed by them as a base for the conflict settlement is enshrined in the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between Armenia and the European Union on November 24.
Stepwise approach cannot exist in Karabakh settlement today – Nalbandian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 29 2018
Some 20 years ago, it was perhaps possible to raise the question whether the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would be settled by the stepwise or package variants, however the step-by-step settlement approach cannot exist today, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told a news conference on Monday.
“Today the [OSCE Minsk Group] Co-Chairs have announced on numerous occasions that the conflict needs to be resolved on the basis of the elements presented to the parties as a whole, i.e. as a package. Setting aside one provision will make the conflict settlement impossible,” he stressed.
According to the top Armenian official the package solution has been offered by the Co-Chairs, and it has repeatedly been announced also at the presidential level.
Edward Nalbandian highlighted Azerbaijan’s approach towards the Artsakh conflict settlement process not only contradicts to the position of the Armenian side, but also that of the international structures.
Reflecting on the famous ‘black list’ of Azerbaijan, the Armenian foreign minister reminded he has repeatedly stated the visit flows to Artsakh will grow following blogger Alexander Lapshin’s case, which came true. Citing Lapshin’s several disclosing statements over his stay in Baku, Nalbandian highlighted the times to forcibly restrict people’s rights to free movement are long gone.
“If we believe Baku’s claims that those who visit Nagorno-Karabakh are victims of the so called Armenian propaganda and they regret after returning their countries, that list would not increase to include 600 people. Azerbaijan’s claims have nothing to do with the reality, especially when those included in that list have felt honoured to visit Artsakh,” he added.
Sports: Wenger exploring ways to include Mkhitaryan in Arsenal’s starting XI
Pan Armenian, Armenia
Jan 27 2018
– 14:32 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed he may resort to playing new signing Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan out of position in order to accommodate him in his starting XI, The Independent reports.
Mkhitaryan completed his transfer to the club last week, with Alexis Sanchez moving to Manchester United in exchange.
The Armenian was cup-tied for Arsenal’s recent win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg, but is in line to feature against Swansea next week.
However, Wenger admitted he is not yet certain on how to fit Mkhitaryan into his team, and said the playmaker could even feature in a “box-to-box” role.
“I think Mkhitaryan can play in all positions in midfield,” Wenger said on Friday. “In a box to box role, certainly not a defensive role or as a holding player, but all the other positions are not out of reach.
“Until now he has played in a wide role but he can certainly absorb that role in a kind of winge r or playmaker. I don’t rule it out for him to become a box to box player.”
Wenger added that he did not sign Mkhitaryan as a replacement for Mesut Ozil, whose Arsenal contract expires at the end of the current season, and instead wants the pair to play together in his team.
Eurovision: Armenia: Depi Evratesil 2018 song release dates unveiled
ESC Today
Jan 12 2018
ArmeniaNews
by
Three days to go until we get to hear the first 5 songs of the upcoming Armenian Eurovision national selection, Depi Evratesil, with the remaining songs to be unveiled over the days to follow!
The 20 Depi Evratesil 2018 participants were unveiled to the public last month, with many of the confirmed participants having since revealed small details regarding their bidding entries. It’s really heating up in Armenia!
But now it starts to get even more exciting as from the 15 January, AMPTV is set to unveil the 20 bidding entries set to compete in Depi Evratesil 2018, with announcements taking place over a total of 4 days.
From the 15 January and over the 3 days to follow, the selected Armenian national selection entries will be officially published via the Depi Evratesil YouTube channel.
Earlier today via the country’s national selection Facebook page, the official release dates for each of the bidding artists were revealed, with 5 songs set to be unveiled over the days to come.
The entries are set to be unveiled over the following days:
- 15/01: Amaliya Margaryan, Hayk Kasparov, Nemra, Suren Poghosyan, Tamar Kaprelian
- 16/01: Alternativ, Angel, Kamil Show, Sevak Khanagyan, Tyom
- 17/01: Arman Mesropyan, Asmik Shiroyan, Gevorg Harutyunyan, Mger Armenia, Zhanna Davtyan
- 18/01: Gata Band, Lusine Mardanyan, Maria’s Secret, Mariam Petrosyan, Robert Koloyan
Depi Evratesil 2018 will kick off from the 3 February and will consist of 3 stages: the qualifying rounds, the semi-finals and the grand final.
The winner of the Armenian national selection will be determined via a 50/50 public vote and international jury vote, with the crowned act set to represent the nation at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in the host city of Lisbon.
http://esctoday.com/156174/armenia-depi-evratesil-2018-song-release-dates-unveiled/
The 20 Depi Evratesil 2018 participants were unveiled to the public last month, with many of the confirmed participants having since revealed small details regarding their bidding entries. It’s really heating up in Armenia!
But now it starts to get even more exciting as from the 15 January, AMPTV is set to unveil the 20 bidding entries set to compete in Depi Evratesil 2018, with announcements taking place over a total of 4 days.
From the 15 January and over the 3 days to follow, the selected Armenian national selection entries will be officially published via the Depi Evratesil YouTube channel.
Earlier today via the country’s national selection Facebook page, the official release dates for each of the bidding artists were revealed, with 5 songs set to be unveiled over the days to come.
The entries are set to be unveiled over the following days:
- 15/01: Amaliya Margaryan, Hayk Kasparov, Nemra, Suren Poghosyan, Tamar Kaprelian
- 16/01: Alternativ, Angel, Kamil Show, Sevak Khanagyan, Tyom
- 17/01: Arman Mesropyan, Asmik Shiroyan, Gevorg Harutyunyan, Mger Armenia, Zhanna Davtyan
- 18/01: Gata Band, Lusine Mardanyan, Maria’s Secret, Mariam Petrosyan, Robert Koloyan
Book: Beshlian’s Memoir A Shirt for the Brave Recently Published
Mirror Spectator
Jan 4 2017
In the Introduction of this trim but powerful 100-page memoir, A Shirt for the Brave by Dr. Hagop K. Beshlian, I acknowledged my gratitude to Dr. William V. Beshlian one of the author’s sons, for allowing me to read and use the manuscript while doing my preliminary research about Armenian immigrants who came to the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. In addition, I extended my appreciation to Bob Beshlian one of Dr. Beshlian’s grandsons, for allowing me to write the Introduction, and the editor, Ara Sarafian of the Gomidas Institute, for its publication in 2017.
Dr. Beshlian wrote his memoir after his retirement as a physician in New Jersey, circa 1957. The text was based on his memory, and not the historical dimensions of all the events between the 1890s until his subsequent immigration to the United States. He described it in his own words as “a story of terror and bloodshed, of heartaches and setbacks, of strange and fear-ridden experiences.” His memoir was intended to inform his children and family of his story for their knowledge and remembrance. He referred to his abiding fate as “Good Providence,” which was the power of his survival.
The scope of the memoir was divided into twenty-two short, unnamed chapters. Beshlian included early photos of himself, his immediate family, and a hand-drawn map of the Ottoman Empire including areas of ancient Armenia occupied by the Armenians. The new publication does not include the original photographs due to their poor quality for reproduction. Bob Beshlian provided photos of his grandfather and members of the Beshian family. The new publication included a timeline with some of the key events during Dr. Hagop Beshlian’s lifetime in Turkey from his birth until his escape in 1922.
The writer gave a vivid description of the milieu in Turkey from his youth to his adulthood. He described the hostilities endured by the Armenian populous and mentions those who assisted him in very difficult situations. He referred to the crimes of the Sultan Abdul Hamid prior to the advent of the Young Turk revolution and their focus on removing the Armenians. During the Hamidian atrocities against the Armenians and the development of the Medz Yeghern (Catastrophe/Armenian Genocide), Beshlian focused on the place of his birth, the city of Urfa, where he was the first Armenian physician. Its name was changed to Sanliurfa in the second half of the twentieth century; however, it was known in the ancient world as Edessa. In the ancient world Edessa was where St. Thaddeus cured the Armenian King Abkar and his family converted to Christianity before the Armenians adopted the religion in 301 C.E. as the first Christian nation.
Urfa was where Hagop grew up as a boy and returned from medical college as a physician. He was orphaned together with other Armenian children and educated by an American missionary. Her name was Corinna Shattuck. He wrote about how she assisted hundreds of Armenian orphans after the Hamidian massacres. Historians have not highlighted the humanitarian efforts of this heroine. She had witnessed the “cathedral holocaust” where Hagop’s mother perished during the era of Hamid. The huge Armenian cathedral was named after the Holy Mother of God.
Hagop’s father had been killed in the defense of his community while Urfa was pillaged by the Turks. Shattuck had great empathy for the orphans since she was orphaned as a child also. She was the “mother surrogate” of the children who were left without parents. A friend wrote about Miss Shattuck with great admiration that “the ascetic simplicity of her life would have surrounded her head with an aureole and her memory with legend…” She served as a missionary in the Ottoman Empire from circa 1873 to 1911 but departed due to personal illness.
This memoir has now become public, and others could gain insight from Dr. Beshlian’s experiences and decisions. Some have not agreed with him or his views. He faced great dangers in his youth, and after he became a physician and while he was drafted into the Turkish Army. Moreover, he continually faced adversity from the Turks, especially Turkish officers in the armed forces. He came close to death several times. The record showed not many Armenian physicians, pharmacologists, dentists, or medical students survived during the Armenian Genocide or after it.
The memoir is a personal account of his experiences and is rare since he chose to reflect on them in English years later. He discussed the division of the Armenian political groups and their views in dealing with the Turkish triumvirate. Dr. Beshlian had chosen his course to survive with the “fate of Good Providence.” He assisted and helped those in need of medical attention and to save his immediate family.
Historians who have written about the Armenian Genocide were able to rely on archives of several nations in World War I, missionary accounts, diplomatic correspondences, world news articles, memoirs, and other sources. The memoir may be incomplete in its historiography, but it can lend more documentation to an understanding of the horrific treatment and hardships of a people who were the primary victims of the “Mez Yeghern “ or Armenian Genocide. Dr. Beshlian reveals the names of those non-Armenians who assisted his survival and of others who are often forgotten.
Kulhanjian is a social historian and educator. He specializes in Armenian immigration to the United States and Genocide/Holocaust education. He was appointed formerly by three New Jersey governors to the Commission on Holocaust Education representing the Armenian community. He has taught at several academic levels. Presently, he lives in California.
Culture: Armenian-Japanese center Hikari plans multiple cultural projects in 2018
News.am, Armenia
Jan 3 2018
Armenian-Japanese center Hikari plans multiple cultural projects in 2018 Armenian-Japanese center Hikari plans multiple cultural projects in 2018
18:44, 03.01.2018
YEREVAN. – Next year, Armenian-Japanese Scientific, Educational and Cultural Center Hikari will continue multiple programs that have been already underway.
The students will make and send piece lanterns to Hiroshima on August 6, the head of the center Karine Piliposyan told Armenian News – NEWS.am.
“We want to make contribution towards preserving world peace and to protest against what has happened," said Karine-san, adding, “We are waiting for Mrs. Yamada’s visit in spring. We will have great days, studying ikebana and sumie in the center.”
The traditional film festival is set for next autumn in Armenia. “We will definitely celebrate Japanese holidays. Among the favorites is tanabata. We invite everyone to visit the center and write wishes on strips of paper to hang them on a tree. It's so nice to hear that the wish has come true,” said Karine.
Children and adults can get acquainted with the culture and language of Japan in Scientific and Cultural Center Hikari.
Turkish press: Turkey cannot bribe or blackmail the Council of Europe
By BARÇIN YİNANÇ[email protected]
Turkey is a founding member of the Council of Europe, which remains one of the strongest institutions anchoring Turkey to Europe.
Ankara accepted the right to individual petition to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 1987. Turkey is therefore committed to abide by universal (not just European) democratic standards. This is one of the most important assets and symbols distinguishing Turkey from other third world countries, mainly the autocracies and dictatorships of the Middle East.
However, Turkey recently informed the Council of Europe that it will withdraw from being one of the six major donors to the European body.
The ostensible justification for the move is unease over an award given to a suspected member of the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), believed to have orchestrated Turkey’s July 2016 coup attempt. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) recently awarded the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2017 to Murat Arslan, the former chair of the Judges and Prosecutors Union (YARSAV), who has been arrested since 2016 over links to FETÖ.
However, experts familiar with the issue believe that Turkey was mainly reacting against PACE’s decision to bring Turkey under monitoring again. PACE voted in April last year to reintroduce (for the first time in 13 years) the monitoring process for Turkey, arguing that constitutional amendments significantly expanding the powers of the presidency “do not comply with the fundamental understanding of democracy.”
The declaration of the state of emergency, the state of emergency decree laws, and the detentions of MPs and journalists have all paved the way to the reinstitution of the monitoring process.
I cannot blame PACE for reinstituting the monitoring process on Turkey, though I must say that I find its decision in the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize highly controversial.
But ultimately we cannot judge the Council of Europe and its institutions based on our liking of its individual decisions. We cannot applaud, for instance, the ECHR’s ruling against Switzerland for its law criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide claims while also denouncing it when it rules against Turkey over long trials and detention times.
It is therefore tremendously unfortunate for Turkey to withdraw from being one of the major donors of the Council of Europe. The Ankara government should not shape its approach towards the Council of Europe based on Europe’s approach to Turkey, but rather over the Council’s main mission of overseeing that its 47 members abide by democratic standards.
After all, the Council of Europe is one of the multilateral organizations used by Turkey to fight against growing racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia in many European countries. Indeed, prominent Turkish academic Gün Kut has since 1996 served as member of the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and was also from 2004-2007 a member of the Management and Executive Board of the EU Monitoring Center (EUMC), representing the Council of Europe. What’s more, the ECHR has also served as a legitimate international remedy to address rights violations against people of Turkish descent in Europe, as we have seen in the case of Greece.
More importantly, it is unethical to decrease funding in an act that appears to be an attempt to bribe or blackmail the Council of Europe. A move that could be read as saying “I’ll pay up if you don’t criticize me but won’t pay up if you do” is very damaging in terms of Turkey’s credibility and reputation.