Neither USA Nor Russia Able To Hold Armenia And Turkey From Establis

NEITHER USA NOR RUSSIA ABLE TO HOLD ARMENIA AND TURKEY FROM ESTABLISHING RELATIONS: TURKISH EXPERT SAYS

ArmInfo
2009-04-29 11:59:00

Neither USA nor Russia able to hold Armenia and Turkey from
establishing relations. Moreover, only Turkey and Armenia should
be interested in the negotiation process between our states, Bulent
Aras, Professor, Dean of Isik University Department of International
Relations, senior fellow at the SETA, Ankara-based think-tank,
told ArmInfo.

‘Armenia’s image in the European part of Turkey has become more
positive recently. Nevertheless, the greatest part of the regions
in our country prefers Azerbaijanis as people closer to Turks. But
Armenians are also close to us’, he said.

As regards the possibility of Turkey’s recognizing the Armenian
Genocide, Bulent Aras said that in the years of the World War I not
only Armenians but also other nations including Turks were killed in
the Ottoman Empire.’The past should be left for Armenian and Turkish
historians to study, we should live in the present’, he said.

Turkish president A. Gul visited Yerevan at the invitation of Armenian
president Serzh Sargsyan to watch Armenia vs. Turkey match on Sept
6 2008. For his part the Armenian President accepted the proposal
of his Turkish counterpart to watch a return match on October 14
2009. The two countries lack diplomatic relations and their border
has been blocked since 1993.

Genocide of Armenians has been recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France,
Lithuania, the Lower Chamber of Italian Parliament, the majority of
American States, the Greek, Cyprian, Argentinean, Belgian Parliaments,
the Parliament of Wales, the National Council of Switzerland, the
House of Commons of the Canadian Parliament and Polish Seim. Turkey
denies the genocide of 1,5 million Armenians in 1915-1923.

ANC Coordinator: We Have Not Yet Noticed Withdrawal Of ARFD From Rul

ANC COORDINATOR: WE HAVE NOT YET NOTICED WITHDRAWAL OF ARFD FROM RULING COALITION

ArmInfo
2009-04-28 16:10:00

‘We have not yet noticed withdrawal of ARF Dashnaktsutyun party from
the ruling coalition’, coordinator of the Armenian National Congress
Levon Zurabyan said at today’s press-conference. Commenting on ARFD’s
statement on withdrawal from the coalition and its reincarnation into
an oppositional force, Zurabyan said one statement is insufficient
to become a real opposition. ‘One may publish a statement about
withdrawal, however the right to become a real oppositional force
should be deserved’, ANC coordinator said.

Along with it, he said, ARFD’s statement may be considered the ‘first
swallow’ on the way of its formation as an opposition, and this fact
has proved once again that the current regime is nonviable.

According to Zurabyan, withdrawal of ARDD from the coalition also
testifies that there will be further developments in the internal
political life of the country.

Talking about a probability of ANC’s cooperation with ARFD, L. Zurabyan
emphasized: ‘When we see it is already a real opposition and open
for cooperation with us, we shall be ready for that’.

49 Armenian Artists To Be Exhibited In France

49 ARMENIAN ARTISTS TO BE EXHIBITED IN FRANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2009 22:30 GMT+04:00

49 Armenian Artists will exhibit about 400 artworks in the lounges
of the Palais de Bondy in Lyon, France. Artists coming from France,
Europe and Armenia, they will once again show the variety of their
cultures on a bottom of common origin.

The artworks will be presented in the framework of exhibition titled
"Tha ArtShow of Armenian artists".The event organized by ADCARLY
(Association for the Developpement of Armenian Culture in Lyon)
and the CLFA (Lyon’s Circle of Armenian Women).

ANKARA: Turkey Summons US Ambassador In Ankara To Express Discomfort

TURKEY SUMMONS U.S. AMBASSADOR IN ANKARA TO EXPRESS DISCOMFORT OVER OBAMA’S SPEECH

Anadolu Agency
April 27 2009
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) – 27.04.2009 – Turkey summoned the U.S. Ambassador in
Ankara, James Jeffrey, and expressed discomfort over U.S. President
Barack Obama’s statement on the occasion of the "Armenian Remembrance
Day" on April 24. Jeffrey was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on Saturday and Turkey’s reaction, and views were communicated
to him, said sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Obama’s statement on April 24, "Armenian Remembrance Day" stirred
wide reaction and drew severe critism from Turkey’s top officials
and politicians on the grounds that it was biased.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul was the first to criticize Obama. He
told reporters the following day that not only Armenians but hundreds
of thousands of Turks and Muslims had lost their lives during the
events of 1915, adding that pain and suffering of all people who lost
their lives in 1915 should be remembered.

Gul said statesmen and politicians could not pass judgement on events
in the history, adding that it was time to look to the future and
give a chance to diplomatic efforts for solution of issues between
Turkey and Armenia, and Armenia and Azarbaijan.

Gul was followed by Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan who argued that
Obama’s statement was related with a pledge he made to Armenian
lobbies during his election campaign.

"Such a sensitive issue requiring expertise, which should in fact be
left to historians, is continuously being used as a tool for politics
and exploited by lobbies every year, and this prevents normalization of
relations between people and countries," Erdogan was quoted as saying.

Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan also criticised Obama’s statement and
said such statement on events of 1915, seriously harmed the process
for normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkish Foreign Ministry regarded Obama’s statement unacceptable in
a press release issued Sunday, noting that history could be construed
and evaluated only based on undisputed evidence and documents. (OZG-AO)

Nato Deputy Secretary General In Yerevan

NATO DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL IN YEREVAN

Arminfo
2009-04-27 19:29:00

The delegation headed by NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador
Claudio Bisogniero is arriving in Yerevan today.

As press-service of Armenian Foreign Ministry reported, over the visit
he is going to meet President Serzh Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran
Sarkisyan, speaker of the parliament Hovik Abrahamyan, Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan and Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan. Armenia-NATO
relations as well as the process of Individual Partnership Programme
fulfillment will be discussed over the meetings.

EuroVision Song Contest: Armenia: Inga and Anush talk to esctoday

esctoday.com
April 26 2009

Armenia: Inga and Anush talk to esctoday

Just before departing for Moscow, Inga and Anush this year’s
Eurovision Song Contest contestants for Aremina talk with esctoday’s
Zavan Shegrikyan. In this exclusive interview we hear how the sisters
lives have changed since being selected to perform in the contest,
details of their promotional tour and their plans to release a new
album immediately after the contest.

esctoday.com: So, dear Inga and Anush, esctoday.com last interviewed
with you a few months ago after you had just been chosen to represent
Armenia in the contest with your song Jan Jan. I would like to know
what has changed in your life since becoming the Armenian hopefuls in
the Eurovision Song Contest 2009? How have these last few months
changed your life, what new things did you discover during the promo
tours and visits to other countries?

Inga: We are really excited about all this both as artists and
representatives of our country.

Anush: It’s definitely an incredible chance for us ` young artists, to
gain professional experience and acknowledgement. And at the time we
feel a huge portion of responsibility to lift our country’s name on
height.

esctoday.com: You have visited several countries during these months,
can your share your experiences share with us? What did the promo
tours give to you?

Anush: We are enjoying the promo-tours a lot!!! Feels like this is the
joyful first part of something even more fascinating ` the contest
itself.

Inga: The most precious moment is when you see that people of
completely different cultures understand what you wanted to deliver by
your song and simply have fun while you sing.

esctoday.com: As we know you have visited Amsterdam and Brussels this
month. Any other destinations planned? What will you be doing after
the concerts in Amsterdam and Brussels?

Inga: Our visit to Amsterdam will be followed by a concert in
Almelo. After we plan to sleep only when we wake up, we’ll think about
the further destinations.

esctoday.com: Can you share with us with your thoughts concerning your
work with Fresh Art? How will your final appearance during the
concerts look like? (Fresh Art are Alexandre Siradeghiyan (Armenia),
Aslan Ahmadov (Azerbaijan), David Gevorgyan(Armenia) a famous fashion
trio in Russia. The boys work with famous Russian singers and models
including the former Eurovision participants Philipe Kirkorov, Alsou,
Angelika Agurbash and Natalia Podolskaya. Fresh Art are renowned for
extraordinary, naughty, scandalous and always fresh sense of style.)

Anush: The guys from Fresh Art are just cool!!! While working with
them you feel that in parallel to the world of business, money and
problems there’s another world of creativity, where art knows no
borders.

Inga: Our appearance will be something like a hot mix of the
characters from Fresh Art’s photo session and our music video.

esctoday.com: During an interview with the Russian First Channel,
Fresh Art talked about the so-called element-WOW! We know it’s still
kept in secret but can you reveal some little details from your stage
performance?

Anush: Hmm, you’re trying to dig into the secrets.

Inga: One thing we promise – it is going to be a great show.

esctoday.com: As You know the voting system has been changed this year
and we will not only have the televoting but also points from jury. Do
You like the new voting system?

Anush: We don’t really think much about the voting system. We
participate in the contest to bring joy to people, we sing for sake of
singing.

Inga: The most important opinion for us ` is the opinion of our fans
and the ordinary audience but at the same time it’s very pleasant when
your work is appreciated by professionals.

esctoday.com: What other plans do you have after the Eurovision Song
Contest? Will there be an album released?

Inga: Bingo!!! You’ve guessed right. Our new album will be released
right after the contest.

esctoday.com: And finally what would you like to say to our readers?
Any wishes and greetings?

Anush: We would like to send the same message as our song does: be
cheerful, forget about your daily problems and dance. We love you,
Europe!

13797

http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/

ANCA: Nothing Should Ever Stand In The Way Of America’s Willingness

ANCA: NOTHING SHOULD EVER STAND IN THE WAY OF AMERICA’S WILLINGNESS TO CONDEMN THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OR ANY GENOCIDE

ArmInfo
2009-04-24 11:43:00

ArmInfo. Political considerations – whether Turkish threats, prospects
for Turkey-Armenia dialogue, or in any other form – should never stand
in the way of America’s willingness to condemn the Armenian Genocide,
or any genocide, and to stand up for the truth, says the statement
by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian regarding upcoming April
24th U.S.

presidential statement marking the Armenian Genocide.

As President Obama so appropriately stated at the Holocaust
Commemoration in the Capitol Rotunda earlier today, "We have the
opportunity… to commit ourselves to resisting injustice, intolerance
and indifference in whatever forms they may take, whether confronting
those who tells lies about history or doing everything we can to
prevent and end atrocities like those that took place in Rwanda,
those taking place in Darfur."

‘We look forward to President Obama’s lifting America’s response to
the Armenian Genocide – and all genocides – to the level of American
values by honoring his pledge to fully and properly condemn and
commemorate this crime against all humanity’, A. Hamparian says.

President Sargsyan’s Message On The Day Of Commemoration Of The Arme

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN’S MESSAGE ON THE DAY OF COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

armradio.am
24.04.2009 14:14

Dear compatriots, Today we bow down before the memory of the innocent
victims of the Armenian Genocide.

94 years ago the Ottoman Empire organized and perpetrated the Armenian
Genocide on the state level. A huge part of our people was coolly
annihilated. Today the Genocide in not only a past reality, but also an
integral part of the present and the destiny of the Genocide survivors,
their heirs and all Armenians.

The crimes against humanity have no statute of limitation either in
people’s memory or before the court of history. The international
recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is an issue
of restoration of the historical justice for the Armenian people and
the Republic of Armenia.

The Armenian nation is not lonely in pursuing the condemnation of
the crime of genocide. At this time of remembrance we express our
heartfelt gratitude to the states, organizations and individuals who
support us in our quest for condemnation and prevention of this crime
against humanity. We support those Turkish intellectuals who struggle
for historic justice, who share our pain.

We have said numerous times that the process of recognition of the
Armenian Genocide is not directed against the Turkish people and
recognition of the Genocide by Turkey is not a precondition for the
establishment of bilateral relations.

At the time the lessons of the Armenian Genocide were ignored. During
the last decades sophisticated mechanisms against the Genocide denial
and denunciation of the recognition process have been developed. To
deny Genocide means to through into oblivion this crime against
humanity and to pave the way for new similarly ferocious crimes. Today,
when the world faces new instances of hatred, nationalism, and
intolerance, a united and unanimous response of the human kind to the
crimes against humanity becomes of crucial importance. As President
of the Republic of Armenia, I wish no other nation ever goes through
that tragedy again.

Dear Compatriots,

Every one of our innocent victims has a name, family and story. The
committed crime has concrete culprits – those who planned it and
those who executed. Many of those tragic stories have not been told
yet. Even though a huge amount of work has been conducted, the world
is yet to see abundant evidence testifying to the fact of the Armenian
Genocide, testimonies, and documented facts.

Centuries-long Armenian history has many heroic pages, pages of losses
and pages of creation. Today, when we are building our new statehood,
when we shape new biography of our freedom we prove that we ourselves
can be the guarantors of our security and eliminate any possibility
of the repetition of similar crimes in the future.

Talaat’s Black Book Documents His Campaign Of Race

TALAAT’S BLACK BOOK DOCUMENTS HIS CAMPAIGN OF RACE
Ara Sarafian

Azg
April 23 2009
Armenia

Extermination in 1915-17

"Talaat stated that they had already disposed of three quarters
of them [Armenians], that there were none left in Bitlis, Van,
Erzeroum, and that the hatred was so intense now that they have to
finish it. . . . He said they would take care of the Armenians at
Zor and elsewhere but they did not want them in Anatolia. I told
him three times that they were making a serious mistake and would
regret it. He said, "We know we have made mistakes, but we never
regret."" August 1915 diary entry of conversations between Talaat Pasha
and U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, United States Diplomacy on the
Bosphorus: The Diaries of Ambassador Morgenthau, 1913-1916, comp., ed.,
and intro. Ara Sarafian (Princeton and London: Gomidas Institute, 2004)

A handwritten black book that belonged to Mehmet Talaat Pasha, the
Ottoman minister of interior in 1915, was published in facsimile form
in the end of 2008. It is probably the single most important document
ever uncovered describing the destruction of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire in 1915-17. The Black Book draws on Ottoman sources no longer
available to answer many questions about what those sources showed.

Looking through the Sifre Kalemi or cipher telegram collection at
the Prime Ministry Archives in Istanbul some years ago, I was struck
by the number of telegrams in 1915 from Talaat Pasha ordering the
deportation of individual communities, inquiring about the state
of convoys, and giving instructions for further deportations. What
emerged was a picture of a ruler obsessed with the progress of his
signature program. Much of the responses to Talaat’s inquiries were
not available. What the Black Book does is to summarize the data
he collected.

Ottoman archives

Turkish state intellectuals in recent years have insisted that the
1915 deportations of Ottoman Armenians were not part of a genocidal
exercise, but an orderly population transfer and resettlement. They
have insisted that Ottoman archives in Turkey today support their
contention. Yet, between them, they have only managed to cite an
amalgam of official deportation and resettlement regulations, certain
reports related to deportations, and no substantial account of what
actually happened to deportees.

Indeed, no historian working in Turkish archives has managed to present
a coherent picture of the deportation and resettlement of Armenians
from any region in the Ottoman Empire based on Ottoman records. This
is because Ottoman records do not support the official Turkish thesis
on the Armenian Genocide.

While there is broad agreement between Turkish archives and other
sources that thousands of Armenians were removed from their homes in
1915, there is no solid account of what happened to these deportees
in Ottoman records. However, foreign archives, such as the consular
records of the United States, give a better qualitative assessment
of actual developments than the available Ottoman documentation.

This absence of Ottoman records could seem perplexing, because
according to Ottoman regulations, Ottoman officials had to keep
detailed records of the deportation of Armenians, as well as an
inventory of their properties, as well as details of the final
settlement of the people concerned. The total absence of such registers
in Turkish archives today is therefore remarkable.

A handwritten book

The recent facsimile publication of Talaat Pashas Black Book may well
answer many of questions with the authority of Ottoman records. At 77
pages, the book includes a substantial section on the deportation of
Armenians in 1915-17. The book and its content were never disclosed
in Talaat’s lifetime, including in his posthumous memoirs published in
1921. After his assassination in 1921, the book was kept by his widow
and given to the Turkish historian Murat Bardakci in 1982. Mr. Bardakc
made parts of the booklet public in Hurriyet newspaper in 2005. The
full account was not published until the end of 2008.

The significance of the Black Book lies in the authority of the owner,
the fact that its content was drawn from Ottoman administrative
records no longer available to historians in Turkey, and the actual
data that it gives about the deportation of Armenians. Neither the
book nor the data it yields bear clear dates, though Mr. Bardakc
thinks that the figures refer to 1915-1916 though I think that could
be the end of 1916 or even the beginning of 1917.

The state perspective

The data presented in this book can be considered to be a view of
the Armenian Genocide from the perspective of the state. This state
perspective still needs to be evaluated critically, which I am doing in
a separate study. The purpose of this article is to introduce the core
data that informed Talaat Pasha about the actual state of Armenians.

The statistics regarding the destruction of Armenians in the Black
Book are enumerated in four categories covering for 29 regions
(vilayets and sanjaks) of the Ottoman Empire.

These statistics are supposed to reflect: The Armenian population
in each region in 1914 Armenians who were not deported (presumably
1915-16) Armenians who were deported and living elsewhere (1917)
Armenians who were originally from outside the province they were
living in (1917)

>From these statistics, we can also have an idea of the number of
Armenians who were deported but not accounted for in 1917. Some of
these missing Armenians undoubtedly fled the Ottoman Empire, such
as those in the province of Van (where there was fierce resistance)
or parts of Erzurum (which fell under Russian occupation after the
Ottoman offensive collapsed in the east). However, very few Armenians
were able to flee in such a manner, and for our discussion today,
we will assume that the vast majority of the missing Armenians in
1917 were killed or died during deportations.

Questions answered

The figures from Talaat Pasha’s Black Book are invaluable because they
answer some fundamental questions about the Armenian Genocide. Two
such questions concern the nature of the actual deportations of 1915,
and the specific fate of those deportees as they were pushed into the
deserts of Der Zor, one of the main areas identified for resettlement.

Talaat Pasha’s information contradicts the official Turkish thesis
that deportations were an orderly affair governed by Ottoman laws and
regulations, or that deportees were actually successfully settled in
Der Zor. Interestingly, Talaat’s Black Book also shows the number of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire to have been were much higher than
supposed by official figures.

Talaat Pasha’s figures confirm that most Ottoman Armenians outside
Constantinople were indeed deported, and most of these deportees had
disappeared by 1917. On average, 90 percent of provincial Armenians
were deported, and 90 percent of those deported were killed. The number
of people who went missing was over 95 percent for such provinces as
Trabzon, Erzurum, Urfa, Diyarbekir, Mamuret-ul-Aziz, and Sivas. These
figures clearly show that deportations were tantamount to a death
sentence, and they give credence to United States consular reports that
said as much, especially for those deported from the eastern provinces.

The Der Zor massacres of 1916

The data at hand also tells us about the scale of the Der Zor massacres
of 1916. There is general agreement that hundreds of thousands
of deportees were sent into this desert region in 191516, the main
resettlement zone according to Ottoman decrees. Ottoman sources yield
little information on what happened to these deportees. Survivor
accounts and sources outside Turkey (such as those in United States
archives) attest to the fact that deportees in the Der Zor region
mostly wasted away.

By 1917, even those Armenians who had been able to settle in this
area, mainly because of the efforts of the provincial governor Ali
Suad Bey, were taken away and massacred after a new governor, one of
Talaat Pasha’s henchmen, was sent. Deniers of the Armenian Genocide
who do not have adequate records from Turkish archives cite United
States records to argue that up to 300,000 people were sent into
this area omitting the fact that practically none of them survived
to 1917. Talaat Pasha’s records show 6,778 Armenians in this province
in 1917.

Population totals

The Black Book also gives interesting insights into the number of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire circa 1914. While these figures are
still smaller than some statistics cited outside Turkey, Talaat
Pasha’s dataset contradict the figures cited by deniers of the
Armenian Genocide, who minimize the number of Ottoman Armenians as
part of their strategy.

The Black Book cites official figures from the 1914 Ottoman population
survey, with a note explaining that this figure, like the figures for
Armenians registered in 1917, should be increased by a factor of 30
percent to account for undercounting.

The note thus increases the main Apostolic (or Gregorian) Armenian
community from 1,187,818 to 1,500,000 people before deportations. The
note also mentions the figure for Catholic Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire as 63,967 (which could also be revised upward to 83,157). There
is no figure given for Protestant Armenians. These figures bring the
number of Ottoman Armenians, based on official figures, close to
1,700,000 people. According to these figures, the total number of
Armenians who were missing in 1917 was around 1,000,000 people. If
one discounts those who might have fled to Russia, the number of
missing Armenians was still in the region of 800,000 to 900,000 people.

Talaat Pasha’s Black Book gives us invaluable insights into the type of
bureaucratic control Ottoman officials wielded over Armenians and the
type of information they gathered as a matter of course. The existence
of such information in Talaat Pasha’s Black Book again raises the
question of what happened to the archival trail that underpinned
his data. The Black Book also provides actual details about the
apparent destruction of Armenians in 191516, and it dismisses the
official Turkish assertion that deportations were an orderly affair
in moving and resettling people between 1915 and 1916. Indeed, the
image painted by the Black Book validates the more impressionistic or
passing accounts of atrocities against Armenians reported throughout
the Ottoman Empire by foreign observers and survivors between 1915
and 1916.

Ara Sarafian is an archival historian specializing in late Ottoman and
modern Armenian history. He is the director of the Gomidas Institute,
London. This article is a summary of a broader project on "Talaat
Pasha’s Black Book and the Armenian Genocide".

Panel Discussion On Turkish-Armenian Relations Held At NY City Hall

PANEL DISCUSSION ON TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS HELD AT NY CITY HALL

Asbarez
/2009_1
Thursday, April 23, 2009

NEW YORK, N.Y. (A.W.)–On April 17, a panel discussion on
Turkish-Armenian relations was held at New York City Hall. Hosted by
the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New York, the panel discussion
featured Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian, California Courier
publisher Harut Sassounian, scholars Bilgin Ayata and Dr. Taner Akcam,
and ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian. Over 250 member of the
New York and New Jersey Armenian community attended the event, which
was co-sponsored by Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-29th District),
who has been a staunch advocate for the Armenians in her district.

Opera singer Haig Mardirossian opened the event, with the "Star
Spangled Banner" and "Mer Hairenik." ANC-NY chairperson Raffi
Mahserjian then invited Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, the Prelate
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern Prelacy) to
offer prayers.

In his remarks, Mouradian talked about the recent attempts at dialogue
between Turkey and Armenia. "The exchange of ping-pong players in
the early 1970’s between China and the U.S. that paved the way for
President Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing in 1972 became known as
%218Ping Pong Diplomacy.’ When the Armenian president in 2008 extended
an invitation to his counterpart to visit Yerevan and attend the soccer
match, the media started referring to the Turkey-Armenia dialogue as
%218Soccer Diplomacy,’" he explained.

"While such a term could be fitting to the rapprochement between two
powerful countries like the U.S. and China, a similar description
for Turkey and Armenia is misleading because it assumes that Turkey
and Armenia are %218competing’ on a level playing field. In the
latter case, not only is there a glaring power asymmetry, but that
power asymmetry is largely a result of a genocide perpetrated by
one of the sides against the other." Mouradian also said that the
"Turkish-Armenian dialogue" is a misnomer, because what is going on
between the two states is simply Turkey-Armenia dialogue and, as such,
does not encompass all the elements that are crucial for a just and
lasting solution.

Mouradian then introduced Sassounian, who said, "Turkey has so far
brilliantly executed all of its sinister objectives." After providing a
background to the negotiations between Turkey and Armenia, he added,
"As it became clear in late 2008 that Barack Obama would win the
presidency and possibly keep his promise to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, the Turkish government launched a major campaign to convince
the international community that Armenia and Turkey were engaged in
delicate negotiations which would be undermined if third countries
acknowledged the genocide."

Clearly, Sassounian noted, the Turks were not sincere in their declared
intentions. "Had they been serious, they could have opened the border
in a matter of days, not months or years!"

To counter the Turkish and Azeri ploys, Sassounian said that Armenia’s
leaders should: start playing hardball with Turkey and Azerbaijan;
stick to Armenia’s long-avowed position of no preconditions for
opening the border and establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey;
resist pressures from Russia, the U.S., and Europe; and consider
setting Oct. 7 as a deadline for opening the border. He also said
that the Armenian Parliament should safeguard Armenia ‘s national
security–long in advance of any border accord–by prohibiting all
foreigners from purchasing land in sensitive border areas and making
investments in strategic resources and industries.

Ayata spoke next. "It is very instructive to look closely at the
developments in the Kurdish conflict when one is concerned with
the Armenian Genocide, and vice versa," she said. "This delivers
important insights on how at present the Turkish state manages to
slowly move away from the politics of denial without arriving at a
politics of acknowledgment."

Talking about the recent apology campaign launched by some Turkish
intellectuals, Ayata said, "While on the one hand, the intent
for apology is very honorable and certainly a step into the right
direction, the ambivalent wording of the statement, its limited
scope as well as the use of the term %218Great Catastrophe’ instead
of %218genocide’ casts doubts on the very intent of apology. The
choice of the term %u218Great Catastrophe’ reveals a great ignorance
towards those to whom the apology is extended to. To me, the campaign
looks like an act of appeasement instead of an apology that has taken
the sensitivities of the Turkish state more into account than the
sensitivities of genocide survivors."

She gave the example of a Kurdish intellectual who stands in stark
contrast to the apology campaign. "Berzan Boti is a Kurdish political
activist and author from Siirt who contributes regularly to Kurdish
debates that take place on the web. He spent 11 years in the infamous
Diyarbekir prison. A few years ago, he found out that the land owned
by his family had actually belonged to Assyrians that used to live
in his village. During the 1915 genocide, the Assyrian families were
killed and deported, and his forefathers confiscated the land of an
Assyrian family that was killed. In 2007, Berzan Boti approached
the Seyfo Center in Sweden that struggles for the recognition of
the genocide and told them that he wanted to return the land to its
rightful owners. Since they were no longer alive, he gave it to the
Seyfo Center."

Dr. Taner Akcam spoke about issues of national security and the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He said, "Pitting national
interests against morality as mutually exclusive is wrong. Any security
policy in the Middle East that excludes morality cannot ultimately
work. Eventually it comes to undermine national security.

Indeed, if one knows Turkey and the Middle East, one would easily
recognize that history and historical injustices are not just dead
issues from the past; the past is the present in the Middle East. There
is a strong interconnection between security, democracy, and facing
history in the Middle East."

Akcam noted that if the United States declares what it believes
to be the truth and stands behind it, "not only will it gain some
self-respect on the subject, but it will liberate both Turks and
Armenians and itself in the process."

He concluded, "I believe that we will enter a new era where morality
and realpolitik will not be considered mutually exclusive–if President
Barack Obama should put an end to this lingering problem and liberate
everybody in the process by an official acknowledgment of genocide."

Aram Hamparian said it was a privilege to be part of the panel
discussion with "Taner Akcam, a truly historic figure, with Bilgin
Ayata, who represents a bridge of understanding between Kurds and
Armenians, and, of course, Harut Sassounian, who, for decades has
been a moral compass and a teacher to a generation of Armenian
American activists."

"America’s stand against genocide should not be treated as a political
commodity to be bartered or retreated from under pressure," he said,
"but rather as a core American moral value, one to be advanced
regardless of the political cost. This is the type of nation we should
be, one that understands that our willingness to confront genocide
cannot be traded for basing rights, overflights, and energy pipelines."

"No, we are better than that," he added. "Stronger, more principled,
and committed–as a matter of true national security–to standing tall
among the nations of our world, earning the respect of all countries
through the defense of our values."

He concluded by saying, "Our movement is not simply an Armenian one,
but rather an American one destined to change America, to lift–through
great sacrifice and literally decades of effort–the United States’
response to genocide to the level of our values. This represents
a great service by our community to America and the world, one
that will help reassert American moral leadership and help prevent
future genocide." The event concluded with a lengthy and lively
question-and-answer session.

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