RP Online
Donnerstag, 16. Juni 2005

ARMENIEN-MASSAKER
Turkei zitiert deutschen Diplomaten zu sichveroffentlicht

Berlin (rpo). Mit dieser Entscheidung des Bundestags ist Ärger mit
der Turkei vorprogrammiert. Das Parlament hat eine Entschließung zum
Gedenken an die turkischen Massaker an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915
verabschiedet. Die Turkei reagierte emport auf die Resolution. Sofort
wurde ein Gesandter der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara ins
Außenministerium zitiert.
SPD, CDU/CSU, Grune und FDP fordern die Bundesregierung in der
Resolution auf, “dabei mitzuhelfen, dass zwischen Turken und
Armeniern ein Ausgleich durch Aufarbeitung, Versohnen und Verzeihen
historischer Schuld erreicht wird”. In der Resolution macht sich der
Bundestag die Einstufung der Massaker als “Volkermord” nicht
ausdrucklich zu eigen. Der Begriff kommt aber in der
Antragsbegrundung vor. Außenminister Abdullah Gul kritisierte die
Resolution als “verletzend” fur die Turkei und die in Deutschland
lebenden Turken.

Werbung:

Armenien wirft dem damaligen Osmanischen Reich einen gezielten
Volkermord an der armenische Bevolkerung vor, dem mehrere
hunderttausend Menschen zum Opfer fielen. Auch ein Großteil der
internationalen Offentlichkeit stuft die zwischen 1915 und 1917
begangenen Verbrechen als Volkermord ein. Aus Sicht der Turkei
handelte es sich bei den Ereignissen dagegen um die tragischen Folgen
einer Zwangsumsiedlung, die wegen des Krieges erforderlich gewesen
sei. Bei den Massakern und Todesmärschen starben zwischen 300.000 und
1,5 Millionen Menschen. Der Volkermordsstreit verhindert bis heute
eine Normalisierung der Beziehungen zwischen der Turkei und dem
Nachbarstaat Armenien.

Der CDU-Abgeordnete Erwin Marschewski forderte die Turkei auf, sie
solle “die Aufarbeitung des Volkermordes an den Armeniern als Chance
im Demokratisierungsprozess nutzen”. Er verwies darauf, dass
zahlreiche Staaten in Europa die Verbrechen an den Armeniern durch
die “Jungturkische Bewegung” als Volkermord anerkannt hätten und es
dazu auch Parlamentsbeschlusse gebe, darunter der der franzosischen
Nationalversammlung vor vier Jahren. Bei der Entschließung gehe es
nicht darum, die Turkei an den Pranger zu stellen, sondern die
Grundlage fur eine auf historischer Aufarbeitung beruhende Aussohnung
zu schaffen, betonte der Vorsitzende der Arbeitgruppe “Vertriebene
und Fluchtlinge” der CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion.

–Boundary_(ID_L1Kah7ALndavxYsv8zQcpQ)
Content-type: message/rfc822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-description:

From: “Katia M. Peltekian” <[email protected]>
Subject: =?UNKNOWN?Q?T=FCrkei?= zitiert deutschen Diplomaten zu
=?UNKNOWN?Q?sichver=F6ffentlicht?=
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT

RP Online
Donnerstag, 16. Juni 2005

ARMENIEN-MASSAKER
Türkei zitiert deutschen Diplomaten zu sichveröffentlicht

Berlin (rpo). Mit dieser Entscheidung des Bundestags ist Ärger mit
der Türkei vorprogrammiert. Das Parlament hat eine Entschließung zum
Gedenken an die türkischen Massaker an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915
verabschiedet. Die Türkei reagierte empört auf die Resolution. Sofort
wurde ein Gesandter der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara ins
Außenministerium zitiert.
SPD, CDU/CSU, Grüne und FDP fordern die Bundesregierung in der
Resolution auf, “dabei mitzuhelfen, dass zwischen Türken und
Armeniern ein Ausgleich durch Aufarbeitung, Versöhnen und Verzeihen
historischer Schuld erreicht wird”. In der Resolution macht sich der
Bundestag die Einstufung der Massaker als “Völkermord” nicht
ausdrücklich zu eigen. Der Begriff kommt aber in der
Antragsbegründung vor. Außenminister Abdullah Gül kritisierte die
Resolution als “verletzend” für die Türkei und die in Deutschland
lebenden Türken.

Werbung:

Armenien wirft dem damaligen Osmanischen Reich einen gezielten
Völkermord an der armenische Bevölkerung vor, dem mehrere
hunderttausend Menschen zum Opfer fielen. Auch ein Großteil der
internationalen Öffentlichkeit stuft die zwischen 1915 und 1917
begangenen Verbrechen als Völkermord ein. Aus Sicht der Türkei
handelte es sich bei den Ereignissen dagegen um die tragischen Folgen
einer Zwangsumsiedlung, die wegen des Krieges erforderlich gewesen
sei. Bei den Massakern und Todesmärschen starben zwischen 300.000 und
1,5 Millionen Menschen. Der Völkermordsstreit verhindert bis heute
eine Normalisierung der Beziehungen zwischen der Türkei und dem
Nachbarstaat Armenien.

Der CDU-Abgeordnete Erwin Marschewski forderte die Türkei auf, sie
solle “die Aufarbeitung des Völkermordes an den Armeniern als Chance
im Demokratisierungsprozess nutzen”. Er verwies darauf, dass
zahlreiche Staaten in Europa die Verbrechen an den Armeniern durch
die “Jungtürkische Bewegung” als Völkermord anerkannt hätten und es
dazu auch Parlamentsbeschlüsse gebe, darunter der der französischen
Nationalversammlung vor vier Jahren. Bei der Entschließung gehe es
nicht darum, die Türkei an den Pranger zu stellen, sondern die
Grundlage für eine auf historischer Aufarbeitung beruhende Aussöhnung
zu schaffen, betonte der Vorsitzende der Arbeitgruppe “Vertriebene
und Flüchtlinge” der CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion.

__________________________________
Discover Yahoo!
Find restaurants, movies, travel and more fun for the weekend. Check it out!

–Boundary_(ID_L1Kah7ALndavxYsv8zQcpQ)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AMBASSADOR EVANS DESERVES THE AWARD

Congressional Record
June 15, 2005 (House)]

(Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans,
recently received an award from the American Foreign Service
Association for constructive dissent that is intended to “foster
creativity and intellectual courage within the State Department
bureaucracy.”

Last year, the winner was critical of the Iraq war.

Ambassador Evans’ constructive dissent was calling the deaths of 1.5
million Armenians at the hands of the Ottomans in 1915 genocide. Our
national policy towards the 1915 events calls it a tragedy, but
not genocide.

So Turkey was very upset, as were a number of “very serious people”
at the State Department. And this award, intended to encourage dissent,
was revoked.

Obviously, the State Department was concerned about upsetting our ally,
Turkey, though the facts seem to support the ambassador here. The
sad thing is that an award intended to encourage dissent has now
reinforced the powers that be. It seems the State Department is
okay with dissent from the policy of a Republican President in Iraq,
but it opposes dissent from a policy that denies the truth.

So much for intellectual courage.

Time to look to future, not past

Bahrain Tribune, Bahrain
June 16 2005

All wars eventually come to an end. What remains are the painful
atrocity, the shocking massacres and the terrible sacrifices. And also
the attempts to exploit the memory of the war to impose a specific
view and to perpetuate an interpretation of facts.

There is no doubt that dozens of thousands of Armenians were killed
in 1915 and that atrocious massacres had taken place. The question
that has been lingering is whether to call it a genocide or part of
a terrible war.

Either way, it happened 90 years ago and as such it should be dealt
with as if it is something that has just taken place because opening
the wounds of the past will amount to reshaping the world as we
know, geographically, socially and politically. Which could amount
to total chaos.

Can we imagine for fleeting seconds what the world could possibly
look like if we apply the war reparation and compensation to all the
countries that had the misfortune of being occupied? All Third World
countries have suffered from savage colonisation. Examples of abuses
abound in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Arab world.

Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia should press for compensations from
France; the Libyans should ask the Italians to pay for war damages
and the Egyptians should ask both the French and the British to
compensate them.

The logic can be extended further and we can see France annexing
Belgium because it was twice attacked by the Germans from the buffer
state. This would be exactly the logic employed by Israel which has
been seeking buffer areas to avoid direct borders with its neighbours.

While it is always difficult to imagine the scale of atrocities that
people suffer during wars, fostering reconciliation has little chance
when all kinds of pressure are exerted on a country.

The Turkey-Armenia issue has plagued relations between the two
countries and has threatened lately to escalate into international
diplomatic and economic confrontations as the Armenian lobbies are
working overtime to ensure that the world sides with them. Some
governments yielded to the pressure, mainly for domestic reasons,
and endorsed the Armenian viewpoint, further compounding the miasma.

Today, some German lawmakers, eager to embarrass the Shroeder
government and to keep Turkey outside Europe at any cost, are
seeking to show that the Armenians were right and that Ottoman
Empire did commit a genocide. Naturally, the lawmakers will have
a very selective memory, will blame it all on the Ottomans, will
overlook the Kurds~R role in the killing of the Armenians and will
use pompously loaded expressions such as ~Sforgiveness for historical
guilt~T and ~San honest historical review is needed and represents
the most important basis for reconciliation~T. Exactly like some
other European governments had said.

It is a shame that instead of working together for a common good,
some governments and deputies have chosen to take up one side and
impose on the world because it suits their objectives.

Whether the framework will lead to disastrous consequences because it
is sowing seeds of discord and mistrust between Muslims and Christians,
whether it is fuelling feelings of hatred between civilisations,
whether it is insulting all the other countries that at one time or
another suffered the humiliations of occupation is not important. It
becomes important only when things get out of hand, but then it is
too late.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Daily Star – Lebanon, Lebanon
June 17 2005

Ankara blasts German calls to re-examine massacres

Compiled by Daily Star staff
Friday, June 17, 2005

Turkey strongly condemned a German Parliament resolution marking the
killings of Armenians during World War I and warned that the move
would have consequences for bilateral ties between the two allies.
“We regret and strongly condemn the resolution,” the Turkish Foreign
Ministry said in a statement.

“We are saddened to see the German Parliament fail to listen to
Turkey’s warnings that the resolution would deeply hurt the Turkish
people and have a negative impact on bilateral ties,” it added.

The resolution passed by the Bundestag Lower House earlier in the day
marked the massacres of Armenians by Turks in the early 20th century
but stopped short of condemning it as genocide.

The Turkish statement argued domestic political concerns played a
part in the resolution and charged that it was “irresponsible and
narrow-minded to use such a sensitive subject for petty political
calculations.”

Earlier, a diplomat from the German Embassy in the Turkish capital
was summoned to the Foreign Ministry.

The German resolution didn’t mention Turkey’s bid to join the European
Union, but said the Armenian issue was an example of how Turkey needs
to guarantee freedom of speech.

It proposed the establishment of a commission of Turkish, Armenian
and international historians to examine the killings. It complained
that Turkish authorities were stifling debate at home.

The motion also condemned the German government of the time for failing
to try to stop the killings despite “many pieces of information about
the organized expulsion and extermination of Armenians.”

Germany was an ally of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, when
the massacres took place.

“The German Parliament is well aware from its own experience how
hard it is for all peoples to deal with the dark side of their past,”
the resolution said in a reference to Germany’s own Nazi regime and
its murder of millions of Jews.

“It is convinced, however, that an honest appraisal of history is
necessary and the most important basis for reconciliation,” it said.

Around two million Turks live in Germany. A Berlin police spokesman
said a protest was planned in front of the Armenian Embassy in Berlin
on Saturday, but denied a member of Parliament’s claim that up to
50,000 Turks could take part. –

Daily Star – Lebanon, Lebanon
June 17 2005

The Chameleon: Ariane Delacampagne blends into the urban environment

Beiruti-turned-New York photographer unveils her first show in
Lebanon

By Kaelen Wilson-Goldie
Daily Star staff
Friday, June 17, 2005

BEIRUT: Stand long enough on a busy street corner in a bustling city,
any city, and you’ll see a million melodramas in minutia erupting all
around you. The trick, for Ariane Delacampagne, is to catch them with
her camera, to frame them in compositions that later, when reproduced
and hung on an interior wall, will crack open and release the same
energy that was palpable on the street.

Schooled on the work of Gary Winograd and Lee Friedlander,
Delacampagne is a photographer of the urban and the everyday. The
lush and deliberate arrangement of form and color apparent in every
one of her images probably puts her more in line with William
Eggleston (born in Memphis, raised on a cotton plantation in the
Mississippi Delta, widely considered the most influential color
photographer the U.S. has ever seen), who once described his pictures
“like jokes and like lessons,” according to novelist and fellow
southerner Donna Tart. Delacampagne’s style draws strength from
vintage street photography with its embrace of the vernacular, but it
also indulges more formal structures and more weighty conceptual
concerns.

Through June 18, nearly 40 of Delacampagne’s photographs are on view
at Galerie Rochane in Saifi for an exhibition entitled “Villes
Japonaises (Japanese Cities).” The show is her first in Lebanon,
after a handful of group exhibitions in the U.S.

It also comes at a time when she is preparing for an upcoming outing
at the Nimes Fine Art School in the South of France, for which she
has been commissioned to produce a body of work in black and white on
flamenco.

Born Ariane Ateshian in Beirut (Delacampagne’s Armenian maiden name,
she explains with a slow burning smile, means “fire” in Turkish), she
studied political science at the American University of Beirut and
worked for two years in Lebanese television during the mid 1980s. She
now lives and works in Yorkville, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and
considers herself a true New Yorker, though she returns to Beirut
every summer to see her family.

In terms of photography, she explains, “I started professionally, and
seriously, five years ago. I had the opportunity to travel so I took
a camera with me. But I wanted to go beyond pictures you’d take as
souvenirs. I took a class at ICP, the International Center for
Photography in New York. My teacher pushed me toward street
photography. I fell in love with this kind of photography.”

It takes a long time, she explains, because you have to watch and you
have to wait. But if the process requires “patience, tenacity,” then
the reward is an aesthetic that captures “the intensity and vibrancy
of New York. This is the kind of photography I try to apply wherever
I go, whether Vietnam or Lebanon. I don’t like the idea of posing.
This approach suits me best.”

When Delacampagne is taking pictures, she doesn’t tell her subjects
and doesn’t ask for permission. Rather, she enters the city and
enters the crowd and waits long enough to blend in, long enough to
take in the full scope of the scene around her, long enough for her
subjects to notice her and get used to her.

“If I tell them it disrupts the equilibrium. I try to be part of the
crowd, not invisible,” she says, but practically so. “You have to
stay for a long time.”

For the time being, Delacampagne has no plans to go digital and
shoots with a small, traditional camera. Her work consists of
“untouched prints” without manipulation. “What I do doesn’t need it.
Street photography doesn’t really need it. You get raw emotion. I’m
not saying I won’t someday use digital but for now I like the fact
that my camera is discrete.”

To make her point, she lifts one elbow to reveal the case of her
conspicuous black Leica, heretofore invisible as Delacampagne sits in
the gallery at Rochane, clad in pomo New Yorker black with unruly
hair, smart spectacles, and lips stained the red of vintage 1940s
glamour.

“I don’t want to change yet,” she adds. “I haven’t exhausted all the
possibilities.” Still, she adds, “I’m not that much of a purist.”

Delacampagne is drawn to the life pulsing through big cities and big
crowds. “There is always so much happening, even if you stay on one
street corner,” she says. “I would love to go to New Delhi. I would
love to take more pictures in Cairo.”

At present, Delacampagne says, Asian cities are of particular
interest to her.

“There is all this movement and vitality. Japan was very new to me. I
am attracted by large crowds and Japanese cities are wonderful from a
photographer’s point of view.”

Tokyo and Kyoto also made for a nice contrast. “Kyoto is like
Florence – there are so many temples; it seems frozen in time; it is
absolutely pristine. I think one can spend months and years shooting
there.”

One of the things that interested Delacampagne most was the
juxtaposition in Japan between tradition and modernity, something
that extends far beyond any one particular geopolitical location and
finds expression in others, linking, in this case, Japan to Lebanon.

For her first show in Beirut, she explains, “I thought it was a good
opportunity to show something different and quite joyful. Japanese
cities have a joy and exuberance to them. And I was interested also
in how, in Japan after World War II, they managed to build a society
after the war. It is interesting to see how they did that and how
they maintained their traditions.

“Everyday rituals are something I try to photograph in many different
cultures. I’m interested in the relationships men have with religious
rituals. How do we live in modern societies? How do we maintain a
rapport between them?”

At Galerie Rochane, one of Delacampagne’s images captures a foxy,
leggy mom in knee-high stiletto boots, crouched down to arrange her
daughter’s traditional dress for a cultural celebration in Tokyo. In
Kyoto, she pictures a group of students visiting a temple before
their exams to catch water from a sacred source for a gesture of good
luck. In what looks like a typical inner-city greasy-spoon diner, she
frames a young fisherman, taking a rest after the early morning haul,
reading a newspaper in a dining room full of similarly solitary
clientele.

Delacampagne describes her work as spontaneous, but clearly her
approach is more methodological and more thoughtful. Taking the time
needed to blend into a city also involves taking the time required to
absorb it and to get to know its rhythms and customs and boundaries.
But in the end, Delacampagne takes her time to fulfill a more
artistic and aesthetic desire.

“I look for many things at the same time,” she explains. “I look for
movement, color, expression, form, and when they coincide, and always
when there is tension – that’s important – I am satisfied.”

Ariane Delacampagne’s “Villes Japonaises (Japanese Cities)” is on
view at Galerie Rochane through June 18. For more information, call
+961 1 972 238

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baku Today
June 17 2005

Azeri Foreign Minister Meets with Terry Davis

17/06/2005 03:12

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov made a working visit
to Strasbourg on June 15-16, where he met with the leadership of the
Council of Europe.

According to press-service of the Foreign Ministry, during the
meeting with the Secretary General Terry Davis they discussed the
questions on settlement of the Karabakh conflict, pre-election
situation in Azerbaijan, Creation of working group for study the
problem of “political prisoners” with participation of the
representatives of government, parliament and NGO, the actions of the
authorities in the sphere of democratization. Mamedyarov invited
Davis to make official visit to Azerbaijan.

During the meeting Mamedyarov met with the PACE Secretary General
Bruno Haller, and exchanged views on the coming discussing in PACE of
the reports “On functioning of democratic institutes in Azerbaijan”
and “On political prisoners in Azerbaijan”. Besides, they discussed
measures for bringing the coming parliamentary elections in
conformity with the international standards, and providing of human
rights and superiority of law.

Mamedyarov met with the members of Monitoring group “AGO” and the
Committee of Ministers of CE. They discussed the questions on
fulfillment by Azerbaijan of obligations before the CE.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE PROPOSES $67.5 MILLION FOR ARMENIA;
UP TO $5 MILLION FOR KARABAGH

— MAINTAINS MILITARY AID PARITY BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

Washington, DC — The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign
Operations today voted to allocate $67.5 million in U.S. aid for
Armenia for fiscal year 2006, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA). The amount represents a $12.5 million
increase over President Bush’s budget request, but is lower than
last year’s appropriation of $75 million.

The panel also agreed to maintain parity in U.S. military
assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan, at the level of $5.75 million
to each country. The appropriators allotted $5 million in
humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabagh.

“We want to express our appreciation to Congressman Joe Knollenberg
for his advocacy within the Subcommittee, to thank Chairman Jim
Kolbe and Ranking Member Nita Lowey for their leadership, and to
share our gratitude for the support of Steve Rothman, John Sweeney,
Mark Kirk, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Carolyn Kilpatrick, Chaka Fattah,
and our other friends on this vitally important panel,” said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.

“We were, of course, especially pleased to see that, consistent
with the President’s budget request, the Subcommittee contributed
to the continued stability of the Caucasus by appropriating aid
directly to Nagorno Karabagh, and maintaining parity in military
aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. We also appreciate the efforts of
our friends, in the face of overall reductions in aid to the
region, to increase Armenia’s assistance above the level proposed
by the President, and look forward to action by the Senate – and
later in conference committee – to bring this figure to at least
last year’s figure of $75 million,” added Hamparian.

On April 18th of this year, Representative George Radanovich (R-CA)
and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
sent a letter to the leadership of the Subcommittee, cosigned by 43
of their House colleagues, calling for an earmark of at least $75
million for Armenia; maintaining the President’s request for equal
levels of military aid for Armenia and Azerbaijan; an additional $5
million in direct aid to Nagorno Karabagh for fiscal year 2006,
and; keeping in place the Section 907 restriction on aid to
Azerbaijan.

The names of the forty-five signatories are as follows: Gary L.
Ackerman (D-NY), Thomas H. Allen (D-ME), Robert E. Andrews (D-NJ),
Xavier Beccerra (D-CA), Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis
(R-FL), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Michael E. Capuano (D-CA), Dennis A.
Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry F.
Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), David Dreier (R-CA), Anna
G. Eshoo (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Eleanor
Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rush D. Holt (D-NJ), Michael M. Honda (D-CA),
Steve Israel (D-NY), Darrell E. Issa (R-CA), James R. Langevin (D-
RI), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Carolyn
McCarthy (D-NY), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Michael R. McNulty (D-
NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Grace F.
Napolitano (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ),
Collin C. Peterson (D-MN), Linda T. Sanchez (D-CA), Adam B. Schiff
(D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), Clay E. Shaw, Jr. (R-FL), John Shimkus
(R-IL), Mark E. Souder (R-IN), George Radanovich (R-CA), Stephanie
Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Diane E. Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA),
and Jerry Weller (R-IL).

In making the case for increased levels of U.S. assistance to
Armenia, the ANCA has stressed the following points:

1) The impact of the dual Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades:

— The World Bank estimates that these blockade are costing
Armenia $720 million a year. Despite U.S. pressure, these
blockades have remained in place for more than a decade.

— Armenia is making tremendous progress toward a modern, market-
based democracy, but needs continued U.S. help to offset the
efforts of Turkey and Azerbaijan to strangle its economy by
blockading its eastern and western borders.

2) The effectiveness of U.S. foreign aid:

— U.S. Ambassador John Evans, in the fall of 2004, stressed that,
“Since arriving in Armenia, I have been deeply impressed by not
only the breadth and depth of our assistance programs, but by their
high quality and the exacting standards of the U.S. Government
staff and implementing partners who help design, execute and
evaluate these activities.”

3) Armenia’s progress on economic and democratic reforms:

— According to the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic
Freedom, Armenia is the only former Soviet republic, which is rated
“mostly free.” In fact, Armenia is ranked 42nd overall and the
closest former Soviet republic is the Ukraine, which is ranked
88th.

— Armenia is one of only 16 countries to have qualified for the
Millennium Challenge Account and has already submitted its
application. Armenia is clearly on the right path, and it needs
United States assistance to continue on this path and withstand the
devastating impact of the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades.

#####

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
06/16/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Germany Angers Turkey with Resolution on Armenian ‘Massacres’
2) ARF’s Margarian Stresses Armenia Not at A Disadvantage in Karabagh Talks
3) ANCA Launches Response to Erdogan’s Wave of Genocide Denial
4) His Holiness Karekin II Meets with Governor Schwarzenegger

1) Germany Angers Turkey with Resolution on Armenian ‘Massacres’

BERLIN (Bloomberg/DPA)Straining relations with Turkey, the German Bundestag
parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday condemning the massacre of up to
1.5 million ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 90 years ago.
The resolution criticized the current government of Turkey for “neglecting to
address the issue” in a forthright manner.
Turkey’s foreign minister Abdullah Gul denounced the resolution as
“irresponsible, appalling and injurious” to relations between the two
countries.
“We note this decision with regret and we strongly condemn it,” said a
statement released by the foreign ministry. The statement accused the
resolution of being rooted in “domestic politics” and called it “irresponsible
and narrow-minded.”
The extent of the massacres and deportations of Armenians is still being
played down or denied by the modern Turkish government, contradicting the idea
of reconciliation promoted by the European Union, according to the motion,
which was submitted by all parliamentary groups. It stopped short of
describing
the killings as genocide.
“The lower house of parliament regrets that an extensive discussion of events
in the then Ottoman Empire still is not possible and that academics and
writers
who want to look into this part of Turkish history are being prosecuted and
defamed,” the motion said.
Turkey denies allegations that the Ottoman Empire’s treatment of its Armenian
subjects in 1915 was a planned genocide, arguing that an Armenian rebellion
caused clashes and the resulting deaths. The European Union, with which Turkey
is due to start membership talks Oct. 3, has said the dispute with Armenia
clouds Turkey’s bid to join.
“It’s not possible to accept the notion of `genocide’ without relying on
documents and information,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said at
a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon on Thursday. “We are proud of our
history.
Therefore we cannot stand by while this issue is being used as a political
tool, as free political capital by lobby groups.”

‘Abundantly Documented’

Turkey should take responsibility for the deaths because the evidence of
genocide is “abundantly documented,” the Purdue University, Indiana-based
International Association of Genocide Scholars said in a letter to Erdogan on
April 6.
During a visit to Turkey on May 4, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder urged
the Armenian government to accept a proposal by Turkey that scholars from both
countries study the genocide claims.
More than 1 million Armenians died in massacres, on death marches through the
Syrian desert or in camps, the German parliamentary motion said. Acknowledging
the former injustice would help normalize the relationship between Armenia and
Turkey and stabilize the Caucasus region, it said.
The lawmakers said Turkey is showing some positive signs that it is beginning
to address the issue, such as an invitation to Turks of Armenian origin by the
Turkish National Assembly to talk about the crimes, an exchange of documents
between Turkish and Armenian historians and Erdogan opening the first Armenian
museum in Istanbul.
Still, they criticized the cancellation by the Turkish Justice Ministry of a
conference on the subject by Turkish academics that had been due to take place
in May.
The motion also expressed regret that the German government of the time
didn’t
act to prevent the killings even though it was aware of what was happening.

2) ARF’s Margarian Stresses Armenia Not at A Disadvantage in Karabagh Talks

YEREVAN (YERKIR)–Commenting on the current stage of negotiations in settling
the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
Bureau representative Hrant Margarian said during a press conference on
Thursday that it is wrong to create a defeatist environment in Armenia.
He stressed that while there is international pressure on Azerbaijan to
accept
that Karabagh–and probably Lachin as wellshould join Armenia, the same forces
pressure Armenia to accept the return of liberated territories to Azerbaijan.
“I don’t believe there is an Armenian who wants the liberated territories to
be returned,” Margarian said. “I admit, however, that the issue can be touched
on during negotiations, soley for tactical reasons.”
He said that Azerbaijan, even in principal, refuses to consider the issue of
ceding Karabagh to Armenia, and instead of negotiating, resorts to militant
rhetoric.
Pointing to Azerbaijan’s position, he asked, “Why do we then create a
seemingly defeatist mood among our people?”
“This is unwise, to say the least. Our people have paid a big price for the
liberation of Karabagh and will not let anyone surrender territories.” He
added
that concessions should not include Karabagh’s sovereignty, national identity,
and present borders.
Speaking about Armenia’s coalition government, he said that it is
ineffective,
and just beyond a “formality.”
“Let no one cheat anyone else. It is the reality of this country. We must
look
at this reality with open eyes, with courage, and be able to find solutions.
Our new approach is that we will make every effort for the coalition to start
working soon,” Margarian concluded.

3) ANCA Launches Response to Erdogan’s Wave of Genocide Denial

Seven-part Action Alert featured on ANCA website

WASHINGTON, DC–Activists from across the United States, throughout Europe,
and
around the world are streaming to the Armenian National Committee of America’s
(ANCA) website to take part in a seven-part on-line response to Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recently unleashed international wave of
genocide denial.
In recent weeks, Erdogan has dramatically raised the stakes in his
government’s campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide, orchestrating the
purchase
of major media advertisements, applying intense pressure on foreign
governments, and severely cracking down on dissidents within Turkey who
seek to
speak openly about this crime against humanity. Elements of this wave of
denial include:

–Blocking the first-ever Armenian genocide conference in Turkey, which
was to
have taken place in Istanbul this June.
–Spending over $1,000,000 to have Time Magazine include DVDs denying the
Armenian genocide in all of its editions throughout Europe, and placing a
major
genocide denial ad in the Washington Post.
–Pressing the US government to withdraw the American Foreign Service
Association’s “Constructive Dissent” award to US Ambassador to Armenia John
Evans for speaking the truth about the Genocide.
–Pressuring President Bush, during their June 8th White House meeting, to
oppose the Armenian Genocide Resolution before Congress. This legislation
(H.Res.316) was introduced on June 14th by Congressmen George Radanovich
(R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI), and Frank Pallone (D-NJ).
–Twisting arms at the State Department to continue to exclude any mention of
the Armenian genocide in the Department’s official website’s section on
Armenian history.
–Imposing an effective “gag-rule,” silencing any US protests over Turkey’s
new Penal Code provision (Section 305) outlawing even the discussion of the
Genocide.

“The powerful response to our action alert reflects the seriousness with
which
Armenians worldwide are responding to Erdogan’s escalation of his attacks on
the truth, on the memories of genocide victims, and on the very security of
Armenia,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.
“But he will fail–despite all the millions of dollars and vast political
capital he will expend. He’ll fail–because of the powerful grassroots
response he will face from Armenian Americans; because of the moral
indignation
of the American people as they learn more about how his government’s values
stand in stark contrast to those held by the vast majority of Americans;
because he is finding himself increasingly isolated internationally as he
loses
his partners in denial, and – perhaps most importantly – because his years of
hateful lies and deception will collapse under their own weight,” added
Hamparian.
The ANCA website– a seven-part array of action alerts
on issues ranging from the Armenian Genocide Resolution to the Time Magazine
(European Edition) DVD advertisement denying the Armenian Genocide. These
web-based components complement the work of the ANCA’s Washington, DC staff,
regional offices in Los Angeles and New York City, and its network of more
than
fifty chapters and tens of thousands of volunteer activists.

4) His Holiness Karekin II Meets with Governor Schwarzenegger

SACRAMENTO–Senator Chuck Poochigian welcomed His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, to California’s State Capitol on Wednesday, where
he met privately with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and a number of lawmakers
at a reception in his honor.
The Governor and His Holiness spoke about the history of the Armenian Church
and people, the effects of Soviet rule on Armenia, and the condition of the
republic following the devastating earthquake, and collapse of communism. They
also discussed the spiritual growth of the people of Armenia and importance of
the church in the lives Armenians. His Holiness expressed gratitude to the
Governor for signing of SB 424, introduced by Sen. Poochigian, that
permanently
designates the week of April 24 California’s week of remembrance of the
Armenian genocide.

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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

June 16, 2005
___________________

ARARAT CENTER HOSTS SENIOR GROUP

The St. Vartan Cathedral “Avaks” senior citizens group spent three days
at the Diocesan Ararat Center in Greenville, NY, from June 1 to 3, 2005.

This year, 30 seniors made the trip. It was the second year the seniors
group had a retreat at the Ararat Center in the heart of the Catskill
Mountains, and this year’s program was expanded to three days after last
year’s successful event.

The group visited with the senior citizens of nearby St. Peter Church in
Watervliet, NY, before heading to the Ararat Center. During the
retreat, lead by Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral, the
seniors had worship services, Bible study, and watched a movie. They
were also treated to a performance by the Armenian Dance Ensemble from
the St. Peter Church. Part of the program also included a refreshing
tour of the Catskill area.

Joining Fr. Chevian were Fr. Bedros Kadehjian and Dn. Levon Kirakosyan.

“The whole retreat was a wonderful get away from the city,” Fr. Chevian
said. “And the Ararat Center is the perfect place for such a retreat.
It’s good to see groups like our Avaks and others from our parishes
using this resource. It’s beautiful up there, and very contusive to
building fellowship and growing spiritually and educationally.”

The public will have a chance to visit the Ararat Center on August 6,
when it hosts the second annual Ararat Center Festival, a chance for the
Armenian public to gather for fun, music, and food in the
picture-perfect location.

Since it was bought last year, the Ararat Center has been used not only
by the St. Vartan Camp program, but also seniors groups, seminarians
from St. Nersess Seminary, parish organizations, and the Association of
Armenian Church Choirs of America (AACCA).

For more information on renting the facilities or the Ararat Center
Festival, visit the Ararat Center website:

— 6/16/05

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): The St. Vartan Cathedral “Avaks” meet with the
seniors of the St. Peter Church of Watervliet, NY, on Wednesday, June 1,
2005, on the first day of a three-day get away to the Catskill
Mountains.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): About 30 members of the “Avaks” senior citizens
group from New York City’s St. Vartan Cathedral spent three days at the
Diocesan Ararat Center in upstate New York from June 1 to 3, 2005.

PHOTO CAPTION (3): Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral,
and Fr. Bedros Kadehjian lead a morning service for members of the
cathedral’s “Avaks” senior citizens group at the Ararat Center in
Greenville, NY.

PHOTO CAPTION (4): Young dancers from the St. Peter Church of
Watervliet, NY, entertain the St. Vartan Cathedral “Avaks” seniors group
during the seniors’ three-day stay at the Diocesan Ararat Center in
Greenville, NY, from June 1 to 3, 2005.

# # #

German CDU slams EU-Turkey talks
By Nick Antonovics

BERLIN, June 16 (Reuters) – Germany’s opposition said on Thursday
the European Union should not hold full membership talks with Turkey
as it was clear European citizens would oppose its entry into the
25-nation bloc.

“It would be totally irresponsible to negotiate with Turkey over 10
years, holding out the hope of full membership, in the knowledge that
there will never be a majority for such a decision in those countries
which plan referendums (on the matter),” Christian Democrat (CDU)
leader Angela Merkel said.

“That is irresponsible foreign policy which we won’t go along with,”
she added in a speech to the German parliament.

She spoke as the parliament prepared to adopt a separate resolution
condemning the “young Turkish government of the Ottoman Empire” for
the massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians that started in 1915 —
a move that is likely to anger Ankara.

The CDU has long argued the EU should offer Ankara a “privileged
partnership” rather than full membership. It has so far stopped
short, however, of calling into question the Oct. 3 start date for
entry negotiations.

Merkel is favoured to oust German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder,
a strong backer of Turkey’s bid to join the EU, in an expected
September election.

Speaking before Merkel, Schroeder argued that any risks in holding
negotiations with Turkey were outweighed by the potential benefit of
binding an Islamic country to Europe.

“The risks linked to such negotiations are manageable,” he said,
noting talks could be broken off at any time by either party and
there were safeguards to protect Germany’s labour market from unwanted
immigration.

The resolution on Armenia stops shot of describing the killing as
“genocide” — a term Turkey rejects — but has angered Ankara at a
time when it already fears the EU’s constitutional crisis could hurt
its EU membership chances.

Opposition to Turkish entry is widely seen as one of many reasons
voters in France and the Netherlands voted down the EU constitution
in referendums several weeks ago.

06/16/05 11:38 ET