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| PROTOCOLS SIGNED,
PROTESTS CONTINUE |
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| PROTEST GATHERING AGAINST THE PROTOCOLS ORGANISED BY THE THREE ARMENIAN POLITICAL PARTIES IN CYPRUS
SD Henchagian Party - ARF Dashnaktsoutiun - ADL Ramgavar Azadagan Party |
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| WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER, from 8:30-9:30pm
GENOCIDE MONUMENT ON ARMENIA STREET
(Images of the event can be viewed on our Facebook Page) |
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Editorial
RIGHTLY SO by Jean Ipdjian |
|  During the recent debate regarding the infamous Protocols, which were finally somehow signed on Saturday in one of the halls of the University of Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland and under the supervision and watchful eyes of Mrs. Hilary Clinton fulfilling the role of the almighty overseer, an important point was raised by a number of people as to whether diasporan Armenians had the right to “interfere” in the affairs of the Republic of Armenia, as they are not nationals of that State.
Technically, the president of Armenia and the members of the parliament in that country are only responsible to the people of their country who have lawfully or otherwise elected them to their office.
The issue here of course is not the manner in which they were elected nor is it whether the elections are fair or any other such considerations. Armenia is one of the countries in the world where there are more ethnic Armenians living outside Armenia, generally referred to as the Diaspora, than there are in Armenia itself. And in difference to other such cases in the world, diasporan Armenians whatever their nationality and wherever they happen to live, have very close spiritual links to that, to their mother country, Armenia. Even during Soviet times this bond, this spiritual and moral bond was considered to be so important that it was carefully nurtured to grow and prosper. The Soviets had even created a special department whose job was the management and administration of this bond. In the last years of the Soviet Union, when Armenia was hit by a devastating earthquake which destroyed hundreds of villages, tens of towns, most of the city of then Leninakan, which had left hundreds of thousands of people homeless, the then authorities had amply harvested the result of their efforts by the unprecedented drive of aid that poured into the country from Armenian communities all over the world and from countries who knew of Armenia and its plight mainly because of their Armenian communities. Later on, during the war of independence of the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabagh - Artsakh in Armenian - the same kind of assistance was readily available from the Diaspora and happily accepted.
Until the last very few months there was not a speech uttered by ant official whether from the Armenian government, or from organisations based in Armenian nor from the Diaspora where the need to further strengthen Armenia-Diaspora ties were not stressed.
And rightly so.
Rightly so, because the absolute majority of Armenians both in Armenia and the Diaspora had the illusion that their fate and long-term wellbeing hinged on that bond and relationship, since one of the most important characteristics of the majority of Armenians is the preservation of their national identity, the perseverance of their ethnicity as long as possible with the utopian aim of one day seeing the rest of their motherland freed and returned to them where they would eventually end up living. Today this ideal seems utopian. Earlier I used that word consciously, because if a mere twenty years ago someone had suggested that today we were going to debate whether the independent Republic of Armenia should sign a treaty or not, he would have been considered a hopeless dreamer.
Rightly so, because a century ago our nation was subjected to the horrors of the Genocide, whose international recognition as Genocide was actively sought for by Armenian organisations in the Diaspora and till the last change of government in Armenia was one of the main objects of her foreign policy.
Therefore, the question whether diasporan Armenians have the right to interfere in whether such a momentous agreement is entered into or not goes beyond technicalities. The signing of the Protocols as they stand today do not concern only the Republic of Armenia and her inhabitants, but it concerns the whole of the Armenian nation in its entirety regardless of nationality and residence. Armenians in Diaspora have that right, because they are the result of the occupation of their homeland by Turkey, because they are the result of the persecution and Genocide committed by that country and because Armenia is part of their homeland.
And rightly so.
London - 2009
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| Editor of Gibrahayer emagazine interviewed on PanarmenianNet |
| PRICE FOR SIGNING PROTOCOLS IS TOO HIGH FOR ARMENIA |
|  Saturday 10 October 10 pm - Over its whole existence of the Diaspora, we have fought for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide single-handedly, and signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols - although affects our work - changes things very little in our agenda, Editor-in-chief of "Gibrahayer" e-magazine Simon Aynedjian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter from Nicosia, Cyprus.
Commenting on the three hour delay for the signing of the Protocols, Aynedjian said that the last minute glitch did not affect the general process of normalisation of the Armenian-Turkish relations - something that was engineered not only with the present administration but with government officials much before, even behind the scenes.
Aynedjian also said that before signing the Protocols, the Armenian authorities should have consulted the representatives of Armenian communities across the globe, since the Protocols affect the Genocide recognition process, and the Armenian Diaspora is a direct consequence of the genocide. "The President of Armenia began his Diasporan tour when everything had already been decided. So, these meetings in essence had no bearing and could not serve real purpose. It was done for PR purposes by the Armenian government and echoed as such, in the Armenian Media" the Editor-in-Chief said.
Aynedjian stressed that our compatriots in Armenia - and Turks for that matter - have the impression that the Armenians in the Diaspora are against normalisation of Armenia-Turkey relations. "We are not against peace and normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia. The question is, what will be the price of these relations with these Protocols, and I am certain that with the signing of these specific Protocols, unfortunately for Armenia, the price will be very high " Simon Aynedjian concluded.
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| TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK: |
| - How many protest demonstrations were held in Turkey against the Protocols? |
| News in Brief by Sevag Devletian |
- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday urged Armenia to withdraw troops as soon as possible from Karabakh, over which Armenia and Azerbaijan have territorial disputes, as Turkey and Armenia move to normalise ties.
- Azerbaijan said on Sunday a peace deal between Armenia and Turkey could threaten security in the region and "cast a shadow" over its relations with Ankara.
- The United States was interested in seeing the border opened primarily to create a new supply line for Afghanistan, U.S. State Department official told Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity.
- Turkish president Abdullah Gul, and Nicolas Sarkozy, his French counterpart, have vowed to boost business and diplomatic ties although Gul failed to dent French opposition to his country's bid to join the European Union.
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| CYPRUS CONCERT |
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| Letters to the Editor |
| Hello Simon,
It really amuses me to see and read about the antics of the ARF.
They are demanding the resignation of the Armenian foreign minister concerning the Armenian-Turkish protocols but are not demanding the resignation of the Armenian president. Why? It is the Armenian president that is determining the foreign policy of Armenia regarding reconciliation efforts with Turkey. The Armenian foreign minister is only implementing the policy of his “boss” - the Armenian president.
If the ARF is really serious and concerned about the proposed protocols with Turkey it should start demanding the resignation of the Armenian president.
Also it took over a year after the 1 March 2008 events before the ARF finally quit the Armenian Coalition Government. Despite the clear violation of human rights in Armenia during that period the ARF continued to serve in an Armenian Government the legitimacy of which has been under a cloud since the disputed presidential elections.
Regards, Hagop Tchamkertenian, B.Ec (Hons)
Dear Simon,
A day late and a euro short, the perpetual story of the diaspora. The protocols are the result of the inability of the Armenians in their homeland establishing and creating governmental institutions that a viable country should have. But worst in our case, a country that has a large diaspora, the lack of our diaspora leadership and institutions that do alienate their native countryman and do not really stand for a meaningful cause or pursue their initial goals in any shape or form. The result is very plain. A country run by a group of people with questionable personal interests or professional expertise, and a reactionary diaspora that is indifferent in all aspects with non existent leadership interested only in their personal glory, speeches and petty bickering.
Physically, some of us survived the genocide, but the Turks were successful in destroying Armenians. We unfortunately are the last characters of that chapter and at some point, we have to come in terms with reality. Sincerely, Hratch Der Stepanian
Keep up the pressure!!!
After watching the signing of the Armenia-Turkey Protocol on October 10th on TV it made me think even more about it.
We have agreed with Turkey to sit down and discuss about very important issues that have divided us for years. Generally, I believe that the protocols are “a set of guidelines” that will govern the talks and if one side doesn’t adhere to one or more of the points then the talks should be halted. Also the protocols are written in a generalised manner so each side can interpret it according to its interests.
I believe that as long as Serzh is committed on his Karabagh stance then Turkey will not ratify the protocols because otherwise it will anger Azerbaijan even more. So the KEY here is not to make any concessions on the Karabagh issue so that Turkey would have constant pressure even within.
I also believe that the worldwide demonstrations should continue because it can be an “indirect support” to Serzh and he can show everyone involved in the talks that ALL Armenians are involved in this so he cannot make concessions easily. And I believe Serzh realises this point because he mentioned this in his speech on the day of the signing.
We, in the Diaspora or in Armenia, should keep the pressure on Serzh so that he can justify our stance on the 3 main topics that are the most important to us: Armenian Genocide, Western Armenian lands and Karabagh.
And remember that Russia, the US and the EU don’t want to see a very powerful Turkey so KEEP UP THE PRESSURE!!!!
Harout Der Bedrossian - Nicosia |
| CYPRUS MINISTER REAFFIRMS WISH TO PRESERVE MELKONIAN |
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| The Minister of Education of Cyprus, Dr. Andreas Demetriou, received a delegation of Armenian Diaspora and Melkonian Alumni organisations to whom he expressed the Government’s wishes to preserve the historical Melkonian Educational Institute.
“It is my intention and this government’s intention to have the school preserved. When a school closes down everyone becomes poorer,” the Minister told the delegation, representing the Melkonian Action Group.
Representatives of the Diaspora organisations briefed the Minister about the historical achievements of the school and its graduates and the Institute’s significant contribution to culture, the arts and sciences, as well as towards the survival of Armenian communities, up until its closure in June 2005 against the wishes of the Diaspora.
Members of the delegation also ensured the Minister of the viability of reopening the school with financial and other support pledged by individuals and organisations from around the world.
They also reminded the Minister of the recent recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the protection of minority languages, that “encouraged the [Cyprus] authorities to take appropriate steps” in this direction.
Dr. Demetriou said that he would facilitate efforts, in close cooperation with the Armenian Representative Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian and any other public officials, to seek ways to reopen the school.
The delegation members said they will support any mediation effort initiated by the Minister that would lead to a favourable outcome and ensure the school would reopen. |
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Finally ... a step forward.
For you who think we will just give Artsakh away... think again!
For you who think any of this will change the fact that the Ottoman Empire, the Turks, committed a genocide against Armenians... think again.
This is just for the best for our country right now. |
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The hostile politics being engineered by the West and Turkey against Armenia and Cyprus is part and parcel of the same process and not unrelated to each other.
Yesterday, the first part to free Turkey of guilt and obligations was passed successfully, with the signing of the Protocols.
The first attempt to do the same in Cyprus in 2004 had failed with the people's rejection of the Annan Plan referendum by 76%..
We in Cyprus, are now waiting for the new serving before December 2009.
Our compatriots on the east side of Turkey ... have failed utterly.
Hopefully we on the south, will be wiser and stronger. |
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| Gibrahayer Calendar every week |
- Every Friday 5.30 - 6.30 pm at Utudjian Hall - Armenian Dance lessons for children 6-10
- Every Friday and Saturday evening - Marie-Louise Kouyoumdjian sings at ENALLAX with the resident Band
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| Sports News from Sevag Devletian |
- The national football team of Armenia was defeated 1-2 by Spain in the World Cup 2010 qualifier on October 10. In Bursa tonight - at a game that was attended by Presidents Gul and Sargsyan, as well as UEFA President Michel Platini - Armenia lost 2-0 to Turkey, finishing at the bottom of the fifth group.
- The tickets for the Turkey-Armenia national team match in Bursa were free of charge and it was banned to wave Azeri flags in the stadium, Turkish e-source Ajanspor informs.
- “Killer Queen” Susi Kentikian (26-0, 16 KOs) successfully defended her WBA and WIBF belts and added the vacant WBO title by outworking previously unbeaten WIBF junior flyweight Turkish champion Julia Sahin (20-1, 2 KOs) over ten rounds.
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- Women's FIDE Grand Prix drew to an end in Nanjing, China. Armenian Grandmaster Lilit Mkrtchian played a tie with Zhu Chen of China in the last 11th round and was placed 4th in the tournament.
- In the fifth round of the European Club Cup underway in Ohrid, Macedonia, Armenia's chess champion Mika suffered its first defeat, losing to Saratov's Economist by the score 2,5:3,5. After the defeat, Mika shares 4th to 9th places of the tournament table.
- The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) released a new top list of football clubs which traditionally is led by Manchester United Football Club. Spain’s Barcelona is number two, and London’s Chelsea is number three. Armenian Champion Pyunik which seeded 262nd before, now lost his position and is seeded 290th.
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| Cyprus Futsal by Sevag Devletian |
- AGBU Ararat FC eased to a 7-3 win against SPE Strovolou in the first game of the Cyprus Futsal 1st division.
- Homenmen's toughly fought 5-2 win this week against Achilleas Kaimakliou showed that the team has big ambitions for the course of the season in the Cyprus Futsal 3rd division.
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| Armenian Premier League - Match-Day 24 Results and Standings from Sevag Devletian |
| - There were no matches this week due to the World Cup 2010 qualifiers
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