Armenia has welcomed the adoption of a resolution by the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide and other crimes against humanity.
“The resolution adopted by Czech lawmakers along with President Milos Zeman’s statements condemning the Armenian Genocide, are a valuable contribution of the Czech Republic to the prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.
A call to acknowledge Armenian Genocide was made during a commemoration of its 102nd anniversary at Taksim Tunnel, Washington Hatti reports.
As part of the 102nd anniversary of Armenian Genocide, a commemoration at Taksim Tunnel was organized by 24thApril Remembrance Platform. Starting with silent protests, many people including HDP Istanbul MP Garo Paylan participated in the commemoration. A placard with a sign “It’s been 102 years, Face It!” was demonstrated while singing Armenian songs. In addition, another huge banner consisted of 234 Armenian politicians, journalists, judges, artists and intellectuals was rolled out while leaving flowers on it.
‘Life in Turkey has become barren even though we don’t notice’
A news conference took place immediately after the names of exiled scholars following 24th April was cited. On behalf of demonstrators, Murat Çelikkan called to face the genocide by reminding what took place 102 years ago. Murat continued “whether we pay attention or not, life in Turkey has become barren since 24 April 1915. When a section of the public was dismissed with its values, indeed all values of the society were being harmed. While the cultural heritage of a group of people was destructed, the culture of living in together took a big blow. Just like Armenian people, the cultural heritage left behind was being erased. Thousands of historical structures, churches and schools were preemptively turned into ruins. It was portrayed as if they never existed on this soil just like Armenians.”
‘Now is your turn’
By repeating the call made during the commemoration of its 102nd anniversary, Murat went on to say “the call or the struggle to face the genocide is our obligation and debt to Hrant Dink, Sevag Balıkçı, Marisa Küçük and to all those brothers spread around the world as they were forced to leave their homeland. It is a responsibility to our own conscience. All of us owned the pain. Such pain will never heal by time, we apologized and will continue to. We are trying to come to terms with it and will continue to. We will never recess. Now it is your turn. We are done with the words of sympathies, looking for an apology. It has been 102 years. Don’t wait for its 103rdanniversary. Apologize for it!”
The commemoration concluded with applauds by chanting “the struggle for the call to face the genocide will go on for those we lost on 24th April, for Hrant and Sevag.”
The Armenian genocide drama — starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac — opened to just $4.1 million over the weekend in North America, according to the .
The late Kirk Kerkorian’s parting gift to Hollywood was The Promise, a big-budget epic about the Armenian genocide.
Starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, the movie opened to a mere $4.1 million at the North American box office over the weekend. At that rate, the film stands to lose $80 million or more unless it overperforms overseas and in ancillary markets, according to box-office experts.
The Promise cost $90 million to $100 million to make before marketing costs and a distribution fee paid to Open Road Films in North America. Kerkorian, who died in 2015 and was of Armenian descent, fully financed the movie via Survival Pictures, which was created to make the movie and to educate the public about genocide in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The film’s producers say the movie is a victory, its box office notwithstanding, since the intent was never to make a profit. Instead, The Promise was intended to shine a light on the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. And any proceeds from the film will be donated to charity, including to the new The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, which was unveiled last week with a $20 million gift.
The release of the film was timed to the date the genocide began: April 24, 1915. That was the day when Turkey’s Ottoman Empire began rounding up, arresting and deporting Armenian leaders and intellectuals.
“The movie was made as a living museum,” says Eric Esrailian, a partner at Survival who also is a professor of medicine at UCLA. “We made the film knowing it would stand the test of time. And we will give millions away in charity. We wanted to shed a light on the best, and on the state of the world today.”
Esrailian added, “I feel like it is petty to talk about money when we are talking about genocide.”
The Promise premiered Sunday in Armenia at a screening attended by President Serzh Sargsyan.
“It was always going to be tough sell given its period, wartime subject matter,” says box-office expert Paul Dergarabedian of comScore, who is also of Armenian descent. “For myself and many Armenians, it was a strong statement nevertheless and shed light on a period in history that many are not really familiar with. If one person saw the trailer and said to themselves, ‘I’m going to research the events surrounding the Armenian Genocide,’ then it was certainly worth the effort.”
Box-office analyst Jeff Bock is of a different opinion.
“I honestly don’t know who spends $90 million on a historical drama these days without a major distributor in place. This is just failed filmmaking from start to finish,” Bock says. “There’s always a way to tell a story without breaking the bank to do so.”
US President DonaldTrump’s April 24 statement is consistent with those of his predecessors, the White House has said.
“The statement that was put out is consistent with the statements that have been put out for at least several of the past administrations,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told a press briefing.
“If you look back to the language that President Obama, President Bush have used, the language the President used is consistent with all of that,” he said.
“Today, we remember and honor the memory of those who suffered during the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th Century,” on Monday.
“Beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred or marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. I join the Armenian community in America and around the world in mourning the loss of innocent lives and the suffering endured by so many,” he stated.
President Serzh Sargsyan received today the delegation led by the Vice-President of India, Chairperson of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament Mohammad Hamid Ansari.
The President welcomed the guests and expressed hope that the official visit of the Vice-President of India will give a new impetus to the centuries-long Armenian-Indian friendship. Speaking about the Armenian-Indian historical relations, President Sargsyan noted that Armenian communities existed in India back in 17-19 centuries and played an active role in India’s social, political, economic, and cultural life, including in Calcutta where Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari was born.
The parties concurred that the millennia-long Armenian-Indian relations constitute a solid base for the strengthening of the interstate ties and expansion of the cooperation agenda in different areas. President Serzh Sargsyan and Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari stressed the importance of high-level visits and active contacts on different levels, including between the legislative bodies of the two countries.
At the meeting, the Vice-President of India conveyed to President Sargsyan the message of the President of India Pranab Mukherjee with the invitation to conduct an official visit to India to discuss the agenda of the Armenian-Indian cooperation, opportunities and prospects for the deepening of the bilateral relations.
Besides the bilateral relations, the parties discussed also the situation in the region, existing challenges, the NK peace process, as well as pressing international issues.
Hundreds of Armenians marched towards the Turkish embassy in Athens on Monday to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide — the systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman government carried out during and after World War I, according to .
Young protesters waved a huge Armenian flag at the head of the march and held banners reading “Fight-Victory-Vindication.” This year the rally was under the auspices of Attica’s prefecture, with crowds gathering on Syntagma square in the afternoon and proceeded towards the Turkish embassy to deliver a protest statement to the ambassador.
Police kept protesters 300 meters away from the embassy and no delegation was allowed to approach the embassy building, so crowds remained on the junction of Vasilisis Sofias and Rigilis streets, intensifying their slogans against the Turkish government.
“The events of Armenians everywhere after the first century centered, not only on claiming recognition of the genocide, but on asking the Turkish government to restore its consequences,” the president of the Armenian National Committee Serko Kouyoumdjian told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency. “Furthermore, we claim damages for the human lives, our lands, our property,” he added.
Earlier, Armenians held a service at the Monument to the Victims of the Armenian Genocide in Nea Smyrni, where participants laid wreaths. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the European Parliament in 1987.
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a bipartisan resolution in the Senate to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide. The was cosponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.).
“Today, on Armenian Remembrance Day, 102 years after this tragedy took place under the Ottomans, we must call it for what it is: genocide. I believe our continued failure to do so leaves space for barbarism in our present world and I call on my Senate colleagues to correct this shameful oversight,” said Senator Menendez. “This resolution reaffirms in the strongest terms possible that we will always honor the memory of innocent Armenian men, women, and children who were killed or expelled from their homeland, and will always remember this tragedy as a lesson to always stand together against all crimes against humanity.”
Over the course of eight years, the Ottoman Empire deported nearly 2,000,000 Armenians from their homeland, where they had existed for 2,500 years. Of that population, 1,500,000 men, women, and children were killed. In 1915, England, France and Russia jointly condemned this “crime against humanity,” the first ever such charge against another government.
“We want to thank Senator Menendez and his Senate colleagues for introducing legislation calling for an end to U.S. complicity in Turkey’s denials,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). “It’s evident, as the authors of this bipartisan resolution clearly articulate, that any meaningful improvement in Armenian-Turkish relations will require that the Turkish government first acknowledge the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide and then accept a just and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.”
“We deeply appreciate Senator Menendez’s commitment to affirming America’s proud chapter in helping to save the Armenian people during the first genocide of the twentieth century,” stated Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “As we remember the Armenian Genocide today, I am reminded that Christians and other minorities in the Middle East and elsewhere remain at risk. Their plight obligates us to redouble our efforts to prevent further atrocities and restore respect for human rights everywhere.”
Thousands of Canadian Armenians marked the 102 anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey with public gatherings and marches in cities across the country, reports.
The largest event was held in Ottawa where several hundred people gathered at a ceremony on Parliament Hill and then walked down the streets of the national capital to the Turkish embassy to demand that Turkish authorities stop their campaign of denial of the genocide.
Simon Izmirian, an executive member of the Armenian National Committee of Canada and one of the organizers of the march in Ottawa, said as a great-grandchild of a genocide survivor he felt compelled to participate in the commemoration not only to pay tribute to his ancestors but also to demand justice.
“The reason why we are here today and the reason why it’s important for us to be here today is to stand collectively together to fight for a political cause,” Izmirian said in a phone interview from Ottawa.
“That cause is the cause of solidarity where we’re going to stand together to voice our desire for justice and for the perpetrators to be held accountable for what they’ve done in 1915.”
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has voted in favour of re-opening monitoring procedures in Turkey, the Associated Press reports.
The assembly’s monitoring committee raised concerns over constitutional amendments that were approved this month in a national referendum amid a state of emergency.
Turkey rapporteur Marianne Mikko said on Tuesday the amendments, which significantly expand the powers of the presidency, “do not comply with our fundamental and common understanding of democracy.”
She stressed that the monitoring process is not “punishment” but a bid to strengthen dialogue with Turkey.
The committee was critical of the atmosphere ahead of the referendum and of emergency decrees after the failed coup attempt in July 2016.
The committee pointed to the detention of parliamentarians and journalists and the sweeping dismissals of civil servants allegedly linked to the coup.
The Turkish foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the “unjust decision” of a European rights body to put it on a monitoring watchlist, adding that Ankara was left with no choice but to reconsider its relations with the body.
“Deciding to re-open the monitoring procedure on Turkey… under the guidance of malicious circles at the PACE is a disgrace to this organ, which claims to be the cradle of democracy,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that xenophobia and Islamophobia were “spreading with violence” across Europe.
Armenian Weekly – The vow to “keep the promise” was in full effect on Sunday, April 23, as an impressive number gathered in Times Square to remember the 1.5 million martyrs and pay homage to their legacy, proving that the Armenian Genocide commemorations have only gained momentum since the Centennial.
The relevant and inspiring program, organized by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan since 1985, once again attracted thousands of supporters who waved the vibrant tricolor flags of Armenia and Artsakh in the heart of New York City, as the past was remembered and a renewed effort was made to strengthen the Armenian Diaspora and the homeland.
Steadfast supporters of the Armenian Genocide were once again in attendance to speak, particularly committed elected officials, including Congressman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), who acknowledged the accomplishments of the Armenian Diaspora in championing genocide recognition around the world.
“Recognition will happen if all of you continue to march, write letters and take action,” said Pallone, founder of the Congressional Caucus of Armenian Issues, who recently introduced a new resolution for the U.S. Congress to recognize the genocide.
Pallone remarked that conflict in Armenia and Artsakh is ongoing, recognizing the war there last year and warned that although the genocide was over 100 years ago, violence is still being used against the Armenian people.
“Continue your efforts,” urged Pallone. “You being here today helps with genocide recognition and we as a people must speak out against genocide wherever it occurs.”
A fellow member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian issues, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) promised to “confront a stubborn resistance.”
She said all nations have a responsibility to recognize the systemic extermination of the Armenians and that until the resolution is passed to recognize the Armenian Genocide in the U.S., “we will not stop.”
Appearing every year without fail, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is the current Senate Minority Leader, pledged to “stand with all of you in acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and nothing less.”
He praised the energy and collective spirit of Armenians a century after the massacres and hailed the production of the major motion picture, The Promise that “finally shines a light on this story and puts it in the mainstream for all to see.”
Honoring the memory of his late friend Sam Azadian, founder of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Times Square, Schumer said he attends the commemoration every year “because I believe it is our duty to speak out for the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide.”
“The Armenian Genocide was the first Holocaust of the 20th century but not the last,” said Schumer. “These events are a stain on humanity and I stand with all of you today to remember the pain of the past.”
Scholar David Phillips, who worked towards reconciliation with Armenia and Turkey as former chair of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission, said he always believed that “hard problems can be solved through hard dialogue.”
“But dialogue is impossible if one side wants to humiliate the other,” said Phillips, noting the efforts of Armenia’s President Serge Sargsyan towards reconciliation, while Turkey’s then Prime Minister Recep Erdogan reneged on their discussions.
“It takes two to talk,” said Phillips, who is currently the Director of the Peace-building and Rights Program at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. “But Erdogan is not reconciliatory.”
He called then for Washington to investigate Erdogan for war crimes “to lay the groundwork for accountability.”
“Your work and presence here today is so important,” said Phillips. “For the Armenians today in Nagorno Karabagh, for the Yazidis in Iraq, and for all who suffer from crimes against humanity.”
Urging the next generation to take genocide recognition into their own hands, celebrity attorney Mark Geragos told the thousands of young people at the commemoration to “go outside the political process to create a movement to never forget.”
“If you as the next generation don’t keep the promise, we are doomed to repeat it.”
Geragos remarked that Turkey spends millions of dollars to “cover up and perpetuate a lie” and the following generations need to do their part to continue the fight for justice and remembrance.
Knights of Vartan Grand Commander Steven Kradjian and Daughters of Vartan Grand Matron Sona Manuelian recognized and honored Olympic wrestler Migran Arutyunyan and MMA champion Albert Ghazaryan, along with their coach Hayk Ghukasyan with special Knights of Vartan medals for their accomplishments in sports.
Dr. Rachel Goshgarian, Professor of History at Lafayette College and Armen McOmber Esq., New Jersey attorney, ably served as MCs for the program.
Remarks by sponsoring organizations were made by Stephen Mesrobian, Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER); Talin Yacoubian, Armenian Assembly of America; Natalie Gabrielian, Armenian General Benevolent Union; Shahe Sanentz, ADL-Ramgavars; Souren Israelyan, Esq., Armenian Bar Association; Natalie Sarafian, Armenian Council of America; Shant Mardirossian, Near East Foundation; and Rev. Haig Kherlopian, Armenian Missionary Association of America and Armenian Evangelical Union of North America.
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, gave the invocation and Very Rev. Fr. Vazken Karayan, pastor of Holy Cross Armenian Church, representing Archbishop Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), offered the benediction. Other clergy in attendance included Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
The winners of this year’s Knights of Vartan Essay Contest were announced at the program: Raffi Salbashian, 1st place, Stephan Havatian, 2nd place, and Samantha Khorozian, 3rd place.
The Hovnanian Armenian Day School students sang the national anthems of the United States and Armenia, as well as “God Bless America.”
The Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey, led by director Vartan Abdo streamed the event live in video format worldwide, reaching more than 50,000 people, with the assistance of his dedicated volunteer staff.