| ANCA PRESS RELEASE |
| SENATORS BIDEN, BOXER, MENENDEZ FORCE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO DISTANCE UNITED STATES FROM TURKEY’S GENOCIDE DENIAL POLICY |
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| Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approves Ambassador Nominee to Armenia After Last Minute State Department Clarification |
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| WASHINGTON, DC -- In the midst of mounting Senate scrutiny and the prospect of a “hold” on Marie Yovanovitch’s nomination to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, the State Department, today, cleared the way for her approval by retreating from statements calling into question the historical record of the Ottoman Empire’s destruction of its Armenian population, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The Department of State letter – sent in response to sustained pressure from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden (D-DE), and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) – was issued only hours before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was set to vote on her nomination. The Committee confirmed the nomination by voice vote, with Senator Boxer going on record against the nomination, citing the Administration’s reluctance to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide. The full Senate will likely consider her nomination prior to their August recess. “Today’s State Department letter, although clearly falling short of America’s moral responsibility and national interest in recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, did mark a step in the direction of distancing U.S. policy from the dictates of the Turkish government,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “While we, of course, remain troubled by the President’s refusal to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide – as reflected in Ambassador Yovanovitch’s responses – we were gratified to see that, as a result of pressure from Senators Biden, Boxer, and Menendez, the Department of State has retreated from its most offensive and factually unsupportable assertions calling into question the historical fact of Ottoman Turkey’s destruction of its Armenian population.” Last month, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) delayed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s consideration of the confirmation of Ambassador Yovanovitch in response to the State Department’s late responses to the eight sets of written questions submitted to her by members of the panel. In the days leading up to today’s vote, Senators Biden, Boxer and Menendez approached the State Department for further clarification of the nominee’s statements. Facing strong pressure and the prospect of a Senate “hold,” Matthew Reynolds, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, wrote to Chairman Biden to formally affirm that: “the Administration recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire.” The full text of the letter is provided below. During the Committee meeting, Chairman Biden, and Senators Boxer, Menendez, and Ben Cardin (D-MD) spoke forcefully about the necessity for proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, stating that while the State Department’s letter represented progress, the proper characterization of the Armenian Genocide remains a moral imperative and will bolster U.S. credibility in stopping 21st Century genocides. Excerpts from comments by Senators during the meeting are provided below. On March 28, 2008, President Bush nominated Amb. Marie L. Yovanovitch to serve as America's next Ambassador to Armenia. The ANCA spoke to Committee members about the value of carefully questioning Amb. Yovanovitch on the many issues she would face as the U.S. envoy in Yerevan, among them the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey and Azerbaijan's ongoing blockades of Armenia, and the need for a balanced U.S. role in helping forge a democratic and peaceful resolution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. These efforts have been supported by extensive on-line outreach and a national postcard campaign to key Senate Foreign Relations Committee members. During her June 19th confirmation hearing, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) sharply criticized the Bush Administration’s policy of Armenian Genocide denial, dramatically pressing the Ambassadorial nominee regarding the Administration’s refusal to properly characterize Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of its Armenian population as a genocide. President Bush's previous nominee as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Hoagland, was subject to two legislative holds by Sen. Menendez and was ultimately withdrawn by the Administration, following the nominee's statements denying the Armenian Genocide. The ANCA led the Armenian American community campaign opposing Hoagland's nomination, stating that a genocide denier could not serve as a credible and effective U.S. spokesperson in Armenia. The last U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, was fired by the State Department for properly characterizing the Armenian Genocide as ‘genocide.’ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: YOVANOVITCH IN NO WAY SOUGHT TO CAST ANY DOUBT ON 1915 EVENTS PanARMENIAN.Net 30.07.2008 14:17 GMT+04:00 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ On behalf of the U.S. Department of State, Matthew A. Reynolds, Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs sent a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden to comment on questions regarding the process of appointment of Marie Yovanovitch as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. The letter received by PanARMENIAN.Net says, "Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing in response to your concerns regarding responses to questions for the record submitted by you and Senator Menendezregarding the nomination of Marie Yovanovitch as Ambassador to Armenia. Regarding your Question #1, Ms. Yovanovitch mentions an International Visitors Program under consideration that would bring archivists from Turkey and Armenia to the United States for professional training. Our goal is to help archivists protect the evidence of the past so that future generations will have the documentation of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians committed by Ottoman soldiers and other Ottoman officials in 1915. Our goal is not to open a debate on whether the Ottomans committed these horrendous acts; it is to help preserve the documentation that supports the truth of those events. Regarding Ms. Yovanovitch's response to Senator Menendez's Question #8, the Administration recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire. We indeed hold Ottoman officials responsible for those crimes. In her testimony, Ms. Yovanovitch tried to convey her deep empathy with the profound suffering of the Armenian people and in no way sought to cast any doubt on historical facts. We hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Senate Set To Confirm New U.S. Envoy To Armenia By Emil Danielyan The Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate paved the way late Tuesday for congres - sional approval of President George W. Bush's nominee to serve as the new U.S. ambassador to Armenia. The diplomatic post has been vacant since the last U.S. ambassador in Yerevan, John Evans, had his tour of duty in Armenia cut short by the Bush administration last year for publicly describing World War I-era mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide. While acknow- ledging the deaths of more than one million Ottoman Armenians in 1915-1918, Washington has avoided using the politically sensitive term for fear of antagonizing Turkey, a key U.S. ally. Richard Hoagland, another career diplomat nominated to replace Evans, saw his Senate confirmation blocked by one of the senators, Robert Menendez, after sticking to the administration's policy during committee hearings last year. The White House had to withdraw Hoagland's nomination as a result. Menendez, whose New Jersey constituency is home to a large number of ethnic Armenians, joined other Foreign Relations Committee members in recommending Marie Yovanovitch's endorsement by the full Senate despite her refusal to call the 1915 massacres a genocide. His decision not to place a `hold' on Bush's new ambassadorial nominee was in line with the position of at least one of the two main Armenian-American lobbying groups and Armenia's government. While deploring Washington's reluctance to explicitly recognize the genocide, the Armenian Assembly of America has argued over the past year that the absence of a U.S. ambassador in Yerevan is hampering the development of U.S.-Armenian relations. In a statement issued ahead of the committee vote, Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian reiterated official Yerevan's hopes that Yovanovitch will secure congressional approval and assume her ambassadorial duties `soon.' Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, was the only member of the Senate panel to vote against Yovanovitch's candidacy, having already delayed the confirmation process last month. Boxer, Menendez and the committee chairman, Joseph Biden, wrote to the State Department last week, demanding further clarifications of the U.S. policy on the issue. In a written reply sent just hours before the committee vote, the acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, Mathew Reynolds, said the Bush administration `recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire.' The letter was welcomed by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). `Today's State Department letter, although clearly falling short of America's moral responsibility and national interest in recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, did mark a step in the direction of distancing U.S. policy from the dictates of the Turkish government," Aram Hamparian, ANCA's executive director, said in a statement. Yovanovitch, who has until now served as U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, is now expected to be confirmed by the Senate before its August recess. Active Campaign Fighting Denialist Politicians I’m glad to report that, as of just a few minutes ago, 328 individual Armenian Americans have rallied on-line to donate $23,400 to the Tinker campaign. This is on top of a $5,000 PAC donation, and many thousands more sent in by mail. The reason for my note today is to ask you to spread the word to your friends and colleagues. Share with them the basic facts of this race (listed below) and ask them to join hundreds of other Armenian Americans in helping unseat Steve Cohen by visiting: http://www.actblue.com/page/armeniansfornikki Here are the basic facts: 1) First-term Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) is one of the most energetic opponents of Armenian Genocide recognition by the U.S. Congress. 2) He is also among the most vulnerable Members of Congress. 3) His Memphis-area district is safely Democratic. The winner of the August 7th Democratic primary will almost certainly win the November general election. 4) Nikki Tinker, Cohen’s opponent in the Democratic Primary, has pledged to support Armenian Genocide recognition and other Armenian American concerns. 5) There is simply no more powerful message we can send than kicking Cohen out of Congress, and replacing him with a friend of the Armenian Cause. Please explain that, in such a close race, Armenian Americans can make a big difference, sending a powerful message across Capitol Hill that we will not tolerate the denial of the Armenian Genocide. Stress that even a $25 or $50 donation will make a big impact by signaling Washington that our community won't sit still while people lie about our history and undermine the security of our ancient homeland. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
| ANCA PRESS RELEASE |
| SENATORS BIDEN, BOXER, MENENDEZ FORCE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO DISTANCE UNITED STATES FROM TURKEY’S GENOCIDE DENIAL POLICY |
| |
| Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approves Ambassador Nominee to Armenia After Last Minute State Department Clarification |
|
| WASHINGTON, DC -- In the midst of mounting Senate scrutiny and the prospect of a “hold” on Marie Yovanovitch’s nomination to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, the State Department, today, cleared the way for her approval by retreating from statements calling into question the historical record of the Ottoman Empire’s destruction of its Armenian population, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The Department of State letter – sent in response to sustained pressure from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden (D-DE), and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) – was issued only hours before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was set to vote on her nomination. The Committee confirmed the nomination by voice vote, with Senator Boxer going on record against the nomination, citing the Administration’s reluctance to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide. The full Senate will likely consider her nomination prior to their August recess. “Today’s State Department letter, although clearly falling short of America’s moral responsibility and national interest in recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, did mark a step in the direction of distancing U.S. policy from the dictates of the Turkish government,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “While we, of course, remain troubled by the President’s refusal to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide – as reflected in Ambassador Yovanovitch’s responses – we were gratified to see that, as a result of pressure from Senators Biden, Boxer, and Menendez, the Department of State has retreated from its most offensive and factually unsupportable assertions calling into question the historical fact of Ottoman Turkey’s destruction of its Armenian population.” Last month, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) delayed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s consideration of the confirmation of Ambassador Yovanovitch in response to the State Department’s late responses to the eight sets of written questions submitted to her by members of the panel. In the days leading up to today’s vote, Senators Biden, Boxer and Menendez approached the State Department for further clarification of the nominee’s statements. Facing strong pressure and the prospect of a Senate “hold,” Matthew Reynolds, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, wrote to Chairman Biden to formally affirm that: “the Administration recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire.” The full text of the letter is provided below. During the Committee meeting, Chairman Biden, and Senators Boxer, Menendez, and Ben Cardin (D-MD) spoke forcefully about the necessity for proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, stating that while the State Department’s letter represented progress, the proper characterization of the Armenian Genocide remains a moral imperative and will bolster U.S. credibility in stopping 21st Century genocides. Excerpts from comments by Senators during the meeting are provided below. On March 28, 2008, President Bush nominated Amb. Marie L. Yovanovitch to serve as America's next Ambassador to Armenia. The ANCA spoke to Committee members about the value of carefully questioning Amb. Yovanovitch on the many issues she would face as the U.S. envoy in Yerevan, among them the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey and Azerbaijan's ongoing blockades of Armenia, and the need for a balanced U.S. role in helping forge a democratic and peaceful resolution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. These efforts have been supported by extensive on-line outreach and a national postcard campaign to key Senate Foreign Relations Committee members. During her June 19th confirmation hearing, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) sharply criticized the Bush Administration’s policy of Armenian Genocide denial, dramatically pressing the Ambassadorial nominee regarding the Administration’s refusal to properly characterize Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of its Armenian population as a genocide. President Bush's previous nominee as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Hoagland, was subject to two legislative holds by Sen. Menendez and was ultimately withdrawn by the Administration, following the nominee's statements denying the Armenian Genocide. The ANCA led the Armenian American community campaign opposing Hoagland's nomination, stating that a genocide denier could not serve as a credible and effective U.S. spokesperson in Armenia. The last U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, was fired by the State Department for properly characterizing the Armenian Genocide as ‘genocide.’ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: YOVANOVITCH IN NO WAY SOUGHT TO CAST ANY DOUBT ON 1915 EVENTS PanARMENIAN.Net 30.07.2008 14:17 GMT+04:00 PanARMENIAN.Net/ On behalf of the U.S. Department of State, Matthew A. Reynolds, Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs sent a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden to comment on questions regarding the process of appointment of Marie Yovanovitch as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. The letter received by PanARMENIAN.Net says, "Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing in response to your concerns regarding responses to questions for the record submitted by you and Senator Menendez regarding the nomination of Marie Yovanovitch as Ambassador to Armenia. Regarding your Question #1, Ms. Yovanovitch mentions an International Visitors Program under consideration that would bring archivists from Turkey and Armenia to the United States for professional training. Our goal is to help archivists protect the evidence of the past so that future generations will have the documentation of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians committed by Ottoman soldiers and other Ottoman officials in 1915. Our goal is not to open a debate on whether the Ottomans committed these horrendous acts; it is to help preserve the documentation that supports the truth of those events. Regarding Ms. Yovanovitch's response to Senator Menendez's Question #8, the Administration recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire. We indeed hold Ottoman officials responsible for those crimes. In her testimony, Ms. Yovanovitch tried to convey her deep empathy with the profound suffering of the Armenian people and in no way sought to cast any doubt on historical facts. We hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter." Senate Set To Confirm New U.S. Envoy To Armenia By Emil Danielyan The Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate paved the way late Tuesday for congressional approval of President George W. Bush's nominee to serve as the new U.S. ambassador to Armenia. The diplomatic post has been vacant since the last U.S. ambassador in Yerevan, John Evans, had his tour of duty in Armenia cut short by the Bush administration last year for publicly describing World War I-era mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide. While acknowledging the deaths of more than one million Ottoman Armenians in 1915-1918, Washington has avoided using the politically sensitive term for fear of antagonizing Turkey, a key U.S. ally. Richard Hoagland, another career diplomat nominated to replace Evans, saw his Senate confirmation blocked by one of the senators, Robert Menendez, after sticking to the administration's policy during committee hearings last year. The White House had to withdraw Hoagland's nomination as a result. Menendez, whose New Jersey constituency is home to a large number of ethnic Armenians, joined other Foreign Relations Committee members in recommending Marie Yovanovitch's endorsement by the full Senate despite her refusal to call the 1915 massacres a genocide. His decision not to place a `hold' on Bush's new ambassadorial nominee was in line with the position of at least one of the two main Armenian-American lobbying groups and Armenia's government. While deploring Washington's reluctance to explicitly recognize the genocide, the Armenian Assembly of America has argued over the past year that the absence of a U.S. ambassador in Yerevan is hampering the development of U.S.-Armenian relations. In a statement issued ahead of the committee vote, Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian reiterated official Yerevan's hopes that Yovanovitch will secure congressional approval and assume her ambassadorial duties `soon.' Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, was the only member of the Senate panel to vote against Yovanovitch's candidacy, having already delayed the confirmation process last month. Boxer, Menendez and the committee chairman, Joseph Biden, wrote to the State Department last week, demanding further clarifications of the U.S. policy on the issue. In a written reply sent just hours before the committee vote, the acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, Mathew Reynolds, said the Bush administration `recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire.' The letter was welcomed by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). `Today's State Department letter, although clearly falling short of America's moral responsibility and national interest in recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, did mark a step in the direction of distancing U.S. policy from the dictates of the Turkish government," Aram Hamparian, ANCA's executive director, said in a statement. Yovanovitch, who has until now served as U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, is now expected to be confirmed by the Senate before its August recess. Active Campaign Fighting Denialist Politicians I’m glad to report that, as of just a few minutes ago, 328 individual Armenian Americans have rallied on-line to donate $23,400 to the Tinker campaign. This is on top of a $5,000 PAC donation, and many thousands more sent in by mail. The reason for my note today is to ask you to spread the word to your friends and colleagues. Share with them the basic facts of this race (listed below) and ask them to join hundreds of other Armenian Americans in helping unseat Steve Cohen by visiting: http://www.actblue.com/page/armeniansfornikki Here are the basic facts: 1) First-term Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) is one of the most energetic opponents of Armenian Genocide recognition by the U.S. Congress. 2) He is also among the most vulnerable Members of Congress. 3) His Memphis-area district is safely Democratic. The winner of the August 7th Democratic primary will almost certainly win the November general election. 4) Nikki Tinker, Cohen’s opponent in the Democratic Primary, has pledged to support Armenian Genocide recognition and other Armenian American concerns. 5) There is simply no more powerful message we can send than kicking Cohen out of Congress, and replacing him with a friend of the Armenian Cause. Please explain that, in such a close race, Armenian Americans can make a big difference, sending a powerful message across Capitol Hill that we will not tolerate the denial of the Armenian Genocide. Stress that even a $25 or $50 donation will make a big impact by signaling Washington that our community won't sit still while people lie about our history and undermine the security of our ancient homeland. |
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BY THE slimmest of margins, Turkey has averted the worst political crisis in years, perhaps in decades. On July 30th the country’s constitutional court turned down an attempt by state prosecutors to ban the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on the ground that it was seeking to introduce elements of Islamic law in defiance of the state’s avowed secularism.
A majority of six of the 11 constitutional court’s judges had, in fact, voted to shut down the party. But to pass such a measure required the support of seven judges, so the court settled on the minority view of four others—including the chairman, Hasim Kilic—only to impose a fine. This is expected to be the loss of half of AK’s state funding, which amounted to 47m Turkish lira ($40m) last year.
“We think that this political party should take the necessary message from this verdict,” said Mr Kilic, his voice tight with emotion. In parliament, AK deputies embraced and clapped as they watched the judge’s televised press conference. The European Union’s enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, called it “a good day for Turkey and for Europe”.
The verdict should help end the political upheaval that has gripped Turkey since March, when the chief prosecutor asked the court to bar the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan; the president, Abdullah Gul; and scores of other named officials from politics for five years. They were accused of undermining the secular republic created by Kemal Ataturk 85 years ago out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire.
To many, the prosecution was an attempt at “a judicial coup”—perhaps the most serious assault on Turkey’s turbulent democracy since the army seized power from elected politicians in 1980. Despite the subsequent restoration of democracy, the army demanded, and obtained, the resignation of an Islamist-tinged prime minister, Necmettin Erbakan, in 1997.
The army’s hand has been apparent in the latest manoeuvring against AK. But this time Turkey’s meddlesome generals have been humiliated. Despite their displeasure AK was re-elected with an enhanced majority in 2007. The army failed to block the appointment of Mr Gul as president, despite an internet message that appeared to threaten military intervention. Short of such a hard coup, the army has no cards left to play.
That said, the court’s decision is not an outright victory for AK, despite its supporters’ excited chants of “we will continue”. Ten of the constitutional court’s judges agreed that the party was guilty of anti-secular activity; they disagreed only on the punishment.
The verdict should be seen as a stern warning to the party not to push its divisive religious agenda. Earlier this year the party forced through a law allowing girls to wear the Islamic headscarf at university, which was later struck down by the constitutional court. Secular Turks view the headscarf as a symbol of Islamic militancy. Even Mr Erdogan’s allies agree that he should have done more to appease the concerns of secularists.
Within hours of the court’s verdict, Mr Erdogan spoke of the need to strengthen unity and promised to abide by Ataturk’s principles. “The AK party, which has never been a focus for anti-secular activities, will continue to stand up for the fundamental values of the republic,” he said. He also declared that his government would henceforth pursue full membership of the EU. Critics point out that he made the same promises on the night of his electoral victory last year. Having outmanoeuvred the generals yet again, will he abide by his pledges this time?
Sources close to the prime minister maintain that he will. A key test will be whether he reshuffles the cabinet. A first step, say secularists, would be get rid of the controversial education minister, Huseyin Celik, who is accused of seeking to inject Islam into school textbooks and who was among the 70 AK officials for whom the chief prosecutor had sought bans. An even greater test will be whether Mr Erdogan consults the opposition in any future effort to rewrite the constitution, an authoritarian document drawn up by the generals after the 1980 coup.
It will take some time for the country fully to absorb the meaning of this week’s verdict. Until recently it seemed virtually certain that the court would rule against AK. But opinion began to shift over the past month as the potentially disastrous effects of a ban finally seemed to sink in among those pushing for it.
The European Commission had threatened to suspend Turkey’s accession talks had AK been shut down. America made its displeasure known, albeit more mildly. The global credit crunch, moreover, has hit emerging markets. Turkey, with its enormous current account deficit, looks more vulnerable than most.
So for more than one reason, Mr Erdogan has much to gain by focusing on pushing the liberal political and economic reforms that marked his earlier years in office. Mr Rehn said Turkey should now seek to regain the time wasted by the crisis, and “resume with full energy its reforms to modernise the country”.
Some believe the judges’ change of heart may be linked to another, equally sensational, case that has been launched against the so-called Ergenekon conspirators. Prosecutors in Istanbul claim to have uncovered a plot by a group of ultranationalists—among them retired generals, convicted murderers, pro-secular journalists and academics—to overthrow AK, which draws its support from a rising class of pious Turks and frightens many secular ones.
Some 80 alleged conspirators have been arrested. Their purported plan was to incite chaos through a string of assassinations and bomb attacks designed to provoke the army to intervene. There is widespread speculation that Ergenekon may have been behind this week’s bomb attack in Istanbul that killed 17 people, including five children and a pregnant women. But security officials say this was more likely the work of separatist Kurdish guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Either way the incident was a chilling reminder of the potential turmoil that could arise from the lack of a stable government.
The biggest reason for the court’s decision may be rooted in hard parliamentary arithmetic. Even if AK had been shut down and its leading members banned, some 300 of its deputies would have retained their seats as independents, regrouped under a new name and formed a new government alone. Recent opinion polls consistently suggest that AK retains a big lead over its secular rivals.
Hopes within pro-secular circles that the threat of closure would prompt mass defections from the party never materialised. “The secularists appear to have finally grasped that the only way to get rid of the AK is at the ballot box,” notes an European diplomat. If so, that is a huge step forward for Turkish democracy.
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Hi,
Take a look at The Chimes by Setrak Setrakian
http://beta.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=home.score&scoreID=61462
Dear Seta,
One of my Symphonic music published online, It's modern style mixed religion Thema.
Best wishes
Setrak Setrakian
SibeliusMusic.com has thousands of scores by composers and arrangers worldwide -- everything from solo pieces to full orchestral scores.
What's more, you can publish your own music on SibeliusMusic.com for free! For more information, simply visit:
http://www.SibeliusMusic.com">www.SibeliusMusic.com
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| ANORTHOSIS VISIT DZIDZERNAGAPERT
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| CATHOLICOS ARAM I, VISITS TURKISH-OCCUPIED ARMENIAN SITES IN NORTHERN CYPRUS | ||
| His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Thursday visited the old Armenian Prelacy building and Sourp Asdvadzadzin church and the Sourp Magar Monastery in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.
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| GUL STILL UNDECIDED ON ARMENIA SOCCER MATCH | ||
| KARS (ArmRadio)--Turkish President Abdullah Gul was in Kars on Wednesday where he said that he has yet to decide whether or not he will accept President Serzh Sargsyan's invitation to come to Yerevan in September to watch the Turkish and Armenian national soccer teams compete in a World Cup qualifier match, Mediamax news agency reported.
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| GIBRAHAYER ALBUM | ||
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| GOING BACK HOME | ||
| "For many years, it was my dream to see Cilicia and Historic Armenia but I was always afraid of setting my foot in Turkey. Being Armenian, born in Cyprus and with a last name “Aintablian”, I always thought I would have problems in Turkey. Like most Armenians, I did not like the Turks for very obvious reasons and the idea of being surrounded by them, made it very difficult to make my dream come true. I also knew this was going to be a very emotional trip and as much as I wanted it, I was also afraid of facing the emotions. It took me 15 years to finally have the courage to take this trip. What pushed me is the fact that I wanted to be of an age where I would still be able to climb the Armenian castles, and walk long distances in order to be able to see as much as possible. I finally had the courage to make this dream come true in 2008. I joined an Armenian group in Istanbul and toured Kayseri, Hadjin, Sis, Adana, Gaziantep, Hasanbeyli, Kilis, Marash, Zeitoun, Moush, Kharpert, Choumkoush, Van, Kars, Ani and Erzrum. When I decided to join the group, friends and relatives also joined me and made this trip very special.
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| GIBRAHAYER.COM
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| VIEW SIPAN DANCE ENSEMBLE'S VIDEOS,
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| News in Brief - by Sevag Devledian | ||
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| Sports - by Sevag Devledian | ||
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This new, modern space, located on 23d Armenias str. in Nicosia (tel. 22105586) is dedicated to children’s clothing and shoes for the ages of 6 months to 7 year-olds... because style is not just for grown-ups! The main brands imported are Ralph Lauren and Converse.
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| HAPPY HOLIDAYS
THIS AREVAMOUD FROM POMOS BEACH, POLIS-PAPHOS, COINCIDES WITH THE COMPLETION OF GIBRAHAYER'S NINTH YEAR OF WEEKLY CIRCULATION.
WE WISH YOU A PLEASANT HOLIDAY. GIBRAHAYER WILL BE BACK AT VERAMOUD | ||
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| CLASSICAL GREEK TRAGEDY “BACCHAE”(VAKHES)
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| The Greek theatre production of the classical tragedy “BACCHAE” (VAKHES) under the auspices of the Greek ministries of Foreign affairs, Tourist Development, Transportation and Communications, the Organisation for the Promotion of the Greek Culture of the Ministry of Culture is looking for five local actors or dancers, aged 25-35 years old, to be included in the chorus of the tour that will be given in New York on 16 and 17 of September 2008.
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| Letters to the Editor | ||
| Dear Friends,
How did the violin save him Simon? Sounds like there's story there... Ann wrote.
I thought I would answer her question through these pages for the benefit of the rest of the readers. While Vahan Bedelian's family was deported from Adana to Aleppo during the Armenian Genocide, he secured a job as a violin teacher at Aleppo Art School and thus secured a staying permit in Aleppo. All others who did not manage to stay in Aleppo, were deported further into the Syrian Desert and Der Zor, and perished on the way from illnesses, hunger and massacres. There was also an incident in Baron Hotel in Aleppo, still owned by Mazlumian family. Owners, Krikor and Onnig Mazlumian, gave a reception to Shukru Pasha, who was going to Der Zor as the next Governor, and had stopped over at the Baron in Aleppo on his way. They invited young Vahan Bedelian to play a few a-la-turca pieces on his violin, to soften his heart, regarding Armenians. Shukru Pasha was moved by the sensitive playing of Bedelian, and even asked him to follow him next morning to Der Zor, "to teach this art over there". But Bedelian's friends, managed to talk him out of this idea, arguing that they needed him in the Art School of Aleppo, where he taught. This is what he meant when he said the violin saved his family's life. Had he gone to Der Zor with the Governor, his family would have had to follow him as they were all staying in Aleppo due to his staying permit. And only God knows what their fate would have been... Simon Aynedjian |
until 15 August in Sochi. Armenian GM L. Aronyan refused to take part in the first round as it was held in Baku.