Please take time to look back at the archive...and leave a comment if you wish to do so, I will remind you that any derogatory remark will be a reflection upon you. Of course your views are very important and this is a platform from which you can air them, but I EXPECT a professional level of communication, respect and common courtesy. Remember we are all human!
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FATHER FRANK’S RANTS Rant Number 347 28 April 2009 ‘Out of Egypt I have called My Son’ Hosea 11:1 Easter Sunday in Cairo, Egypt. Late at night in my comfy flat, watching an old black and white movie on a French TV channel. About the life of Bernadette Soubirous. The young girl blessed with 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, near Lourdes - today a famous place of pilgrimage. I went to sleep contented, pleased about Bernadette and her delightful, miraculous story. Little I imagined… The facts are these. I was in Cairo for a three week crash course in Arabic. At the worthy Sibawayh Centre, a school named after a celebrated Imam and grammarian. Week-ends were devoted to exploring the famed city, Umm ad Dunya, ‘the Mother of the World’. One evening last week I was heading back home from downtown in a battered taxi. Somewhere – God knows where, it looked like any poor area – we passed by some women standing by the roadside. A curve made the car slow down a bit. Somewhat apart from the others, a figure stood out. She wore a simple, long dark cloak, similar to the wide-sleeved jalabiyya worn by many Egyptian men. In her arms, close to her face, she held a small child. No, she was not a vision. She was real. As real as my burly, unshaven taxi driver. A tall, slender, graceful silhouette. Oval face amazingly beautiful. Her mien a combination of dignity, melancholy and, yes, royalty. Remarkably, she returned and followed my gaze. Egyptians women do not normally do that. A foreign-looking, vertiginously tall chap like me naturally gets noticed but Egyptians are not starerers. Women especially look away from a male stranger. Not her. She did not avert her eyes. Unostentatiously, naturally, sadly, while holding her child lovingly to her cheek, her eyes and mine became intertwined. She was like a living Madonna stepped out of a Coptic icon…no, forget that, a false comparison. Most icons are stylised, non-naturalistic, and hieratic. Their characters are not like anyone you would ever meet in the real world. Instead, the woman I saw was enchantingly human. Yet more than that. At the same time, she was other-worldly. And regal. She held herself like a film star, a princess or a queen. But there also, I felt sure, something infinitely vulnerable, an imploration, a request, a beggar-like demand in her stupendous dark eyes. Alas, the taxi speeded up and the woman was gone. Yet… could I ever forget her? She has been haunting me ever since. ‘Perhaps… just a prostitute’ some devil later whispered into my ear. ‘With a child? Impossible!’ I answered. One of my teachers at Sibawayh, to whom I related the experience, agreed. Not possible. Who, what was she then? ‘Have you considered whether the Blessed Virgin and Her Son might have appeared to you?’ Father Longin, a Byzantine monk passing through Cairo, gravely put to me. Think me unhinged, arrogant, silly, whatever, I have indeed wondered about that. ‘…behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.’ Thus St Matthew’s Gospel records. And Joseph obeyed. The carpenter, his young wife and child set out from Bethlehem on their foreordained journey. God had willed that Egypt should give refuge to the Saviour who was to bring the Good News of peace and brotherly love to humanity. The Bible is silent as to the particulars of the Holy Family’s sojourn in the land of the pyramids but, providentially, the Virgin Mary later appeared to St Theophilus, a Patriarch of Alexandria, and gave him much information. Today the Coptic Church preserves a rich oral tradition of prodigies and wonders concomitant with the presence of a Heavenly Child in the towns and villages of Egypt 2000 years ago. The district of Old Cairo or Fustat is among the places that gave asylum to the three humble refugees. As idols bowed down and crumbled before Mary’s Son, an enraged pagan prince sought to kill him. The Holy Family then found refuge in a cave, over which stands today the Church of St Sergius & St Bacchus. I thought it appropriate to go and pray there. Ignoring the tourists and their flash photography, I knelt at a side shrine dedicated to some obscure martyr saint. I am a Protestant but I still know how to pray Hail Mary. So I did, again and again, innumerable times. Then I got up, lit a candle and left. Outside a turbaned old man spoke to me in rapid Arabic. I hadn’t a clue but suddenly it felt as if the Virgin was answering my prayers through him. I became convinced I understood his words: ‘You have found the answer to the riddle of your life here in Egypt. The land blessed by the presence of Mary and her Son. The beautiful woman you saw by the roadside was indeed the Virgin. She appeared to you in order to bring you here. Now she has heard your implorations. Continue your work. Be at peace.’ I put a coin into the man’s hand and walked away into the sun, feeling extraordinarily elated. The riddle of my life. A man called Oedipus long ago travelled to Egypt to solve another riddle. That of the Sphinx. He was lucky – or so he thought after answering the riddle. But the Sphinx, a malevolent monster (Abu al-Howl, the Father of Terror, the Arabs call it), deceived him. It did not tell him of the atrocious ordeal that lay ahead. Fortunately for me, the Blessed Virgin is the loving Mother of Believers. (Quite big figure in the Qur’an, by the way.) Through her Son, the merciful, kind, benevolent patron of sinners. She does not lie. And she is on our side. Viva, viva Maria! Sceptics will smile, I know. Joseph, Mary and Jesus journeyed through ancient Egypt as obscure, unrecognised refugees whom nobody noticed. The mysterious woman I saw was no mystery but an ordinary, poor person waiting for a bus. Striking she may have been but so what? The fellow outside St Sergius was just a beggar asking for baksheesh. It is all in my imagination, they’ll say. Huh! How to answer them? Like this: they can keep their Sphinx. As for me, I will keep my beautiful lady. Revd Frank Julian Gelli ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends ,
On the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, please join the Bay Area ANC for a unique film screening and presentation:
"Ravished Armenia"
The first Hollywood Film on the Armenian Genocide
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 6:00 PM sharp
San Francisco Public Library, Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin St. (at Grove), San Francisco, CA 94102-4733
Film historian Anthony Slide will present and discuss the 1919 Hollywood film "Ravished Armenia," based on the memoirs of Armenian Genocide survivor Aurora (Arshaluys) Mardiganian. The film's only surviving 21-minute segment will be played, as well as clips from Slide's audiotape interview of Mardiganian, who also starred in the film. Slide will discuss his research about Mardiganian and the movie, considered one of Hollywood's most sought-after "lost" films. An original poster and photos of the production will also be on display.
“Ravished Armenia” was the personal account by Aurora Mardiganian of the brutal rape and murder of the Armenian people by the Turkish Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1918. During this first genocide of the 20th century, half of the entire Armenian population living on its historic homeland in what is now Turkey was annihilated through forced death marches into the desert, extreme abuse, and murder. Mardiganian's memoir "Ravished Armenia," also known as "Auction of Souls," was first published in 1918, shortly after her arrival in the United States. The film version was produced in 1919, and both the book and movie created a considerable stir throughout the Western world.
The full-length motion picture is believed to be lost, but a 21-minute segment from the full length motion picture "Ravished Armenia" by then well-known film director Oscar Apfel has been recovered. The segment graphically relates the narrative account of a young Armenian girl who survived the 1915 Armenian Genocide, lived to tell about it, and serves as the lead actress in the film.
ANTHONY SLIDE:
Alongside the presentation of the movie's remaining segment, film historian Anthony Slide will discuss Aurora Mardiganian and the production of the film. Slide is editor of the book, "Ravished Armenia and the story of Aurora Mardiganian," (Scarecrow Press, 1997), which reprints Mardiganian's original memoir in its entirety, as well as original documentation on the film.
“I came across the 'Ravished Armenia' book about 30 years ago, and at first, I couldn't believe that there was actually someone who experienced all of those events. I thought the stories might have been an accumulation of experiences of several Armenian women," Slide recently told Bay Area ANC Chairwoman Roxanne Makasdjian. "But, I confirmed that Aurora indeed existed, and I found her in Los Angeles." After several attempts to meet her, Slide eventually succeeded in interviewing Mardiganian, and he will present clips from that audiotape interview.
Slide has authored or edited more than fifty books on the history of popular entertainment. The Los Angeles Times called Slide "a one-man publishing phenomenon." He has served as associate archivist of the American Film Institute, resident film historian of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has produced a number of documentary films on silent screen personalities, and has lectured widely on film history.
---
Armenian National Committee
San Francisco - Bay Area
51 Commonwealth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
Tel: 415-387-3433
Fax: 415-751-0617
mail@ancsf.org
www.ancsf.org
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release April 24, 2009
Statement of President Barack Obama
on Armenian Remembrance Day
Ninety four years ago, one of the great atrocities of the 20th century began. Each year, we pause to remember the 1.5 million Armenians who were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. The Meds Yeghern must live on in our memories, just as it lives on in the hearts of the Armenian people.
History, unresolved, can be a heavy weight. Just as the terrible events of 1915 remind us of the dark prospect of man’s inhumanity to man, reckoning with the past holds out the powerful promise of reconciliation. I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.
The best way to advance that goal right now is for the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their efforts to move forward. I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open, and constructive. To that end, there has been courageous and important dialogue among Armenians and Turks, and within Turkey itself. I also strongly support the efforts by Turkey and Armenia to normalize their bilateral relations. Under Swiss auspices, the two governments have agreed on a framework and roadmap for normalization. I commend this progress, and urge them to fulfill its promise.
Together, Armenia and Turkey can forge a relationship that is peaceful, productive and prosperous. And together, the Armenian and Turkish people will be stronger as they acknowledge their common history and recognize their common humanity.
Nothing can bring back those who were lost in the Meds Yeghern. But the contributions that Armenians have made over the last ninety-four years stand as a testament to the talent, dynamism and resilience of the Armenian people, and as the ultimate rebuke to those who tried to destroy them. The United States of America is a far richer country because of the many Americans of Armenian descent who have contributed to our society, many of whom immigrated to this country in the aftermath of 1915. Today, I stand with them and with Armenians everywhere with a sense of friendship, solidarity, and deep respect.
BREAKING NEWS
U.S. Pres. Obama Twice Uses Meds Yeghern The Armenian Equivalent Of Genocide in His Presidential Statement
By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine
Friday April 24, 2009
Today, U.S. Pres. Obama Twice Used Meds Yeghern The Armenian Equivalent Of Genocide in His Presidential Statement issued in commemoration of the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Several Armenian political observers agree with leading Armenian American activists such as Harut Sassounian that Armenians need to move on and pursue their quest for Justice.
Sassounian wrote on several occasions that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide has already been achieved through the collective hard work by notable Armenian organizations during the past several decades.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times in April 2008, Sassounian stated: “Now the genocide is an established fact. So we're not clamoring anymore about the world ignoring us. And the L.A. Times is the best example of that. The paper is on record recognizing the genocide. So are the New York Times and the Boston Globe. Even recently, Time magazine issued a statement recognizing it as genocide and saying it would be referred to as such.”
He continued: “In 1915 there was a nation living on its own ancestral homeland. They had been there long before there was a Turkey. In addition to losing 1.5 million people, we were uprooted from our homeland.”
He concluded: “Just asking for recognition from the Turks, having them come and say "Yes, 90 or 100 years ago, your ancestors were wiped out," that doesn't do anything. We already know we were wiped out. So what we want, as a right, no matter how impossible the implementation, as a right we demand justice for the Armenian people. For all the stuff that was taken from them we demand just compensation. And that can take many forms. This is where Armenians and Turks should sit down, and have a very lengthy and serious discussion about what can be done.”
Today over fifty thousand Armenians marched in Hollywood where Sassounian delivered the keynote address on the Armenian quest for justice.
Thousands more will join the protest rally in front of the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles at 4PM this afternoon.
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April 24, 2009
PRESIDENT OBAMA RETREATS FROM
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PLEDGE
Send a Free ANCA WebMail to President Obama, Vice-President Biden and your Senate and House members expressing disappointment.
Avoids "Genocide" in April 24th Statement
WASHINGTON, DC -- Despite repeated statements properly characterizing the Armenian Genocide during his Senate career and a clear pledge stating that "As President, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide," President Barack Obama today issued an April 24th statement evading the proper characterization of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian issued the following statement regarding President Obama's April 24th statement:
"I join with all Armenian Americans in voicing our sharp disappointment with President Obama's failure to honor his solemn pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide."
"In falling short of his repeated and crystal clear promises, which reflected a thorough knowledge of the facts, the practical implications, and the profound moral dimension of Armenian Genocide recognition, the President chose, as a matter of policy, to allow our nation's stand against genocide to remain a hostage to Turkey's threats."
"The President's statement today represents a retreat from his pledge and a setback to the vital change he promised to bring about in how America confronts the crime of genocide."
"Genocide must be confronted unconditionally at the level of American values and our common humanity. As Americans, we should never allow the prevention or recognition of this crime to be reduced to a political issue that can be traded away, retreated from under pressure, or used to advance a political agenda, of any kind."
"We urge the President to act quickly to correct his Administration's stand on the Armenian Genocide by properly condemning and commemorating this crime, removing Turkey's gag-rule on its recognition by the United States, and working publicly toward the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution before Congress," concluded Hachikian.
As a Senator and presidential candidate, President Obama pledged repeatedly to recognize the Armenian Genocide and promised "unstinting resolve" to end the Darfur Genocide, stating, "America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President." View his record on the issue at:
http://www.anca.org/change/docs/Obama_Armenian_Genocide.pdf
President Obama's complete statement is provided below.
#####
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________
For Immediate Release April 24, 2009
Statement of President Barack Obama on Armenian Remembrance Day
Ninety four years ago, one of the great atrocities of the 20th century began. Each year, we pause to remember the 1.5 million Armenians who were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. The Meds Yeghern must live on in our memories, just as it lives on in the hearts of the Armenian people.
History, unresolved, can be a heavy weight. Just as the terrible events of 1915 remind us of the dark prospect of man's inhumanity to man, reckoning with the past holds out the powerful promise of reconciliation. I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.
The best way to advance that goal right now is for the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their efforts to move forward. I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open, and constructive. To that end, there has been courageous and important dialogue among Armenians and Turks, and within Turkey itself. I also strongly support the efforts by Turkey and Armenia to normalize their bilateral relations. Under Swiss auspices, the two governments have agreed on a framework and roadmap for normalization. I commend this progress, and urge them to fulfill its promise.
Together, Armenia and Turkey can forge a relationship that is peaceful, productive and prosperous. And together, the Armenian and Turkish people will be stronger as they acknowledge their common history and recognize their common humanity.
Nothing can bring back those who were lost in the Meds Yeghern. But the contributions that Armenians have made over the last ninety-four years stand as a testament to the talent, dynamism and resilience of the Armenian people, and as the ultimate rebuke to those who tried to destroy them. The United States of America is a far richer country because of the many Americans of Armenian descent who have contributed to our society, many of whom immigrated to this country in the aftermath of 1915. Today, I stand with them and with Armenians everywhere with a sense of friendship, solidarity, and deep respect.
GoodSearch: You Search...We Give!
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Search the web with www.goodsearch.com and money from Yahoo advertisers will go to the ANCA without you spending a dime. A penny per search! Use www.goodshop.com for online purchases from hundreds of popular sites and a percentage comes back to the ANCA.
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A tale of faith, love and treachery set amidst the turmoil of the 5th Century
SHUSHANIK
Queen of Armenia
A full-length play
by J.E. Fairweather - based on a true story
She alone stands between the freedom of Georgia/Armenia and the yoke of the Persian Empire.
A Dramatic Reading
Saturday 25th April, 2009
At 3.p.m.
Westminster Reference Library
25 St Martin’s Street
London WC2H 7HP (off Leicester Square)
Admission Free
(A collection will be taken for actors’ expenses)
Bookings: 0207 641 5250 or pcollins@westminster.gov.uk
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APRIL 24, 2009 MESSAGE BY ADLP CENTRAL PRESS COMMITTEE
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Gibrahayer e-magazine www.gibrahayer.com
The largest circulation Armenian e-magazine on the Internet
Circulates every Wednesday - Established in 1999
IN THE NAME OF OUR LANDS
GIBRAHAYER e-magazineSimon Aynedjian - Gibrahayer e-magazine - Nicosia 22 April - Armenians in Cyprus have a singular, complex and fateful mission in these historic lands. Our conflictual history continues on an island that its own turbulent history converges, and blue-prints a common path with its people, with whom we now walk together and face the challenges of tomorrow.
We are not just another community trying to make the next day away from our lands, as our island is littered with "forensic evidence" that is being challenged day-in day-out a century later.
On the eve of the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the historic 2nd pilgrimage to Sourp Magar Monastery on May 10, our community re-evaluates, prepares and declares.
- We are travelling to Sourp Magar Monastery not as tourists but as owners of our land. Owners, not only of the lands that belong to our Church within the property of the
Monastery, but as owners of the occupied lands around it, as Cypriot citizens.
- The effects of the Genocide as well as the invasion of Cyprus are as current as the time they were perpetrated. Time will heal the wounds, only if Genocide and invasion are called with their name, evaluated and addressed as such.
- If the loots of Genocide and invasions are rewarded, we all run the risk of building societies that accept violence and build a future based on it.
- Turkish society is increasingly showing signs of coming to terms with its past. Turkish Cypriots, as witnesses of the influx of the first Genocide survivors of the Armenians in Cyprus and the first society that welcomed the Armenian refugees, have a unique role to serve as a catalyst in assisting Turks in the mainland for reconciling with their past.
The "forensic evidence" must be put on the table.
However, this is not enough.
In order to claim what rightfully belongs to us and to stay as a strong link in the history of the Armenians in Cyprus, we have to stay committed.
- Committed to taking the correct decisions when we run our community affairs, politically, culturally, and most important of all regarding our educational institutions.
- Committed to the process of a Cyprus solution that will recognise the fundamental human rights of all the people of Cyprus, free from military presence and military threats.
- Committed to showing the world that Cyprus can be a model of co-existence between the ethnic and religious minorities in which Armenian and Turkish Cypriots will serve as a model of peace.
- Committed to our history and our link to the past.
- Committed... to our land and in the name of the our lands from which we were forcefully driven away .... not just once.
On Sunday 10 May ...
when we all make our way to Sourp Magar Monastery
when we face the path that brought us here and created our community
when we face and sing "Cilicia" across the sea and the land that our forefathers called "home"
Let us renew our vows and stay committed
in the name of our lands...
PILGRIMAGE TO THE OCCUPIED SOURP MAGAR MONASTERY
Sunday 10 May, 2009
GIBRAHAYER e-magazine
The 2nd Pilgrimage to the Turkish-occupied Armenian Monastery of Sourp Magar
is organised by the office of the Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian
and The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus
Participants are requested to contact the office of the Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian
by telephoning 22-454540 and supplying the following information:
1.- Name, Surname, Birth date and city/country
2.- European Identity Card or Passport Number
3.- Citizenship
The last day to register is Thursday 30 April, 2009 at the Office of The Armenian MP
- The convoy is under the supervision of UNFICYP
- Participation Fee is 10 euros
- Make sure you have your European ID or Passports with you on the day of the Pilgrimage
- Buses leave from The Armenian Prelature in Nicosia at 11:00 am sharp
On Thursday 23 April at 11:10 pm, PlusTV will be airing a documentary on the Armenian Genocide interviewing Screamers film director Carla Garabedian and showing excerpts of the film.
Friday 24th April 2009 at 9:15 pm, For the first time ever, CyBC2 will air the award winning documentary on the Armenian genocide named "Memories" by Italian-Armenian director Avedis Ohanian.
Both The documentary is being made possible by the efforts of The Armenian National Committee of Cyprus (Gibrosi Hay Tadi Hantsnakhoump)
GIBRAHAYER e-magazine
ARMENIAN POLITICAL PARTIES IN CYPRUS ISSUE A JOINT DECLARATION
To read the joint declaration by Armenian political parties in Cyprus - Ramgavar Azadagan Party, Henchagian Party and ARF Dashnaktsoutiun - on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, click here
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Dear Reader
You remember.
Not too long ago, the Armenian Genocide was all but forgotten.
Today the unpunished crime against our martyrs is a lead story for CNN and the New York Times and a red-hot point of contention in U.S.-Turkey relations.
This is the result of your energy and generosity, and the respect we've all earned for our commitment to ending the cycle of genocide.
We're at a truly pivotal moment. Recognition is within our grasp. Justice won't be far behind. We need your help more than ever.
That's why I hope you will take this moment to support the ANCA by clicking the "Donate Now" button, calling (202) 742-8701, or sending in a check to the address below.
Ken Hachikian
Chairman
1711 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918 ~ Fax: (202) 775-5648 ~ anca@anca.org ~ www.anca.org
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TURKEY'S BABACAN TRAVELED TO ARMENIA BUT NOTHING WAS SIGNED
Tatul Hakobyan
The Wall Street Journal
Thursday April 16, 2009
Senior Azerbaijani diplomat in Yerevan for BSEC Council meeting
Yerevan - The Wall Street Journal and other influential newspapers
citing unnamed senior diplomats had reported that on April 16 Armenia
and Turkey "could" sign an agreement to establish diplomatic relations.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan was in fact in Yerevan today,
to participate in the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign
Affairs of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(BSEC), but no document was signed with Armenia.
"I can say that there is no intention to sign today any document
on Armenian-Turkish relations," said Edward Nalbandian, Armenia's
foreign minister, at a press conference following the BSEC meeting,
which he chaired. Armenian-Turkish "negotiations continue. We have
made progress and think that we can really resolve these issues in
the near future," he continued.
However, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia did not even
hold a separate meeting during Mr. Babacan's visit. Instead, taking
the opportunity of being in Yerevan together, Mr. Babacan and the
foreign minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, held a meeting. Of the 12
BSEC member states, only Armenia, Russia, and Turkey participated in
the meeting at the foreign minister level.
Iran admitted as a partner
Among the delegations at the BSEC meeting was one from Azerbaijan,
led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmoud Mamedkuliyev - who is married
to President Ilham Aliyev's older sister. This was the first official
Azerbaijani delegation in Armenia in years. The six-month rotating
chairmanship of BSEC moves on May 1 from Armenia to Azerbaijan;
the ceremonial handoff took place today.
Ambassador Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, who was confirmed as BSEC's
secretary general for a second term at this meeting, noted at the
press conference that two BSEC member states, Turkey and Azerbaijan,
have no diplomatic relations with another member state, Armenia. He
said one of the main decisions of the BSEC meeting was to grant
partner status to Iran.
"Iran is a country that was missing in the area," Mr. Chrysanthopoulos
said. "BSEC will establish cooperation with Iran in different
spheres. In particular, in agriculture, energy, and transport,"
he added.
Favoring linkage
Azerbaijan's deputy foreign minister was asked about his government's
position on Armenian-Turkish dialog. His government announces,
on the one hand, that it welcomes all steps that could lead to
the resolution of existing issues in the region. On the other hand,
Azerbaijan is opposed to the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and
the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia.
"We follow the process with interest, and our position is that the
restoration of relations between Armenia and Turkey can only be linked
to the resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,"
Mr. Mamedkuliyev said in response, after making a ritual claim that
Azerbaijan does not interfere in the "domestic affairs" of other
countries and saying that Baku regards contacts between Armenia and
Turkey to be a matter for the two countries involved.
Mr. Mamedkuliyev said, "The development of relations between Armenia
and Turkey was in time interrupted and the main reason was the
occupation of Azerbaijani territory."
Turkey's role over Karabakh
Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, recently announced that
Turkey is participating in negotiations with Azerbaijan and
Armenia. Mr. Nalbandian was asked about the mechanism for Turkey's
participation. He noted in response that the negotiations are being
mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, and specifically by the U.S.,
Russian, and French co-chairs of the Minsk Group. "That is the format
of the negotiations, and no other format exists. Turkey does not
play a role as a mediator in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," he said.
The Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister said Baku welcomes the efforts
of any country toward the resolution of the conflict. "If there are
specific and realistic proposals, we are prepared to study them. The
continuation of the conflict gives no side an advantage; the conflict
must be resolved within the norms and principles of international
law as it exists. Turkey is a member of the Minsk Group and one of
the most important countries in the region," he said.
The president of Armenia, Serge Sargsian, received the participants
in the meeting of the BSEC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
Armenian leadership
Armenia is one of the founding members of BSEC and is concluding its
six-month terms as chairman-in-office. With Armenia in the chair,
Mr. Nalbandian said, more than 50 documents and two declarations were
signed through the organization.
"Over the past six months Armenia exerted efforts to move BSEC
forward through the growing challenges of the contemporary world in
the condition of deepening financial crisis" said Mr. Nalbandian.
The head of the Azerbaijani delegation said, "regional cooperation
will be successful if there is the atmosphere of peace, stability and
security. Therefore our attempts will go to increase the activity of
our organization to care about existing conflicts in the Black Sea
area. Unfortunately, we are having some situation which is not very
supportive for full regional cooperation," he said.
BSEC was launched as a regionally owned initiative, with Turkey's
lead, in 25 June 1992 at the Istanbul Summit. The idea that stronger
economic cooperation among the Black Sea countries would enhance peace
and stability in the region was the underlying philosophy behind BSEC. ARMENIA, TURKEY ANNOUNCE NO DEAL AFTER YEREVAN TALKS
Gaziantep Haber 27
April 17 2009
Turkey
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan gave no indications of an
impending breakthrough in his country's relations with Armenia on
Thursday as he visited Yerevan to attend a meeting of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation (BSEC) organization 17 Nisan 2009 Cuma 16:24
His Armenian counterpart, Eduard Nalbandian, insisted, nonetheless,
that Ankara and Yerevan may still normalize their historically strained
relations "soon."
Babacan refrained from making any public statements during the one-day
trip which ended with a meeting with President Serzh Sarkisian. A short
statement by Sarkisian's office gave no details of the talks. Babacan
also took part in a separate group meeting between Sarkisian and
participants of the BSEC session.
While in Yerevan, Babacan also met with Russia's Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov and Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud
Mamedguliev.
Recent reports in Turkish and Western media said that the two
governments could use the BSEC meeting to announce agreement on a
gradual normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. However, Turkey's
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ruled out such possibility,
repeatedly stating this month that Ankara will not establish diplomatic
relations with Yerevan and reopen the Turkish-Armenian border before
a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Babacan appeared to reaffirm that linkage as he spoke to CNN-Turk
television on his way to Yerevan. According to "Hurriyet Daily
News," he said the Turkish-Armenian dialogue must run parallel with
international efforts to settle the Karabakh conflict.
"Today we have no intention to sign any document regarding the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations," Nalbandian told
journalists after the BSEC meeting. "Negotiations continue. We have
made progress and believe that we can really be very close to solving
those issues soon."
Nalbandian also made clear that Yerevan remains opposed to direct
Turkish involvement in international efforts to settle the Karabakh
dispute. "Turkey will not play the role of a mediator in the Karabakh
peace process," he said.
The Armenian minister was speaking at a joint news conference with
Mamedguliev, whose country assumed the BSEC's rotating presidency
from Armenia at the Yerevan meeting. Mamedguliev, a rare Azerbaijani
official visiting Armenia, reaffirmed Baku's strong opposition to the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations before Karabakh peace. "Our
position is the following: the restoration of links between Turkey
and Armenia may only be conditional on the resolution of the conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he said.
By contrast, Lavrov welcomed the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. "First
of all, this is the bilateral affair of Armenia and Turkey," he said
after the talks with Babacan. "We welcome all steps leading to the
normalization of relations between any countries of the region." Ex-Ministers Downbeat On Turkish-Armenian Deal
Vartan Oskanian
17.04.2009
Emil Danielyan
Two former foreign ministers of Armenia remained pessimistic on
Friday about the success of the ongoing Turkish-Armenian dialogue,
urging the current authorities in Yerevan to reconsider their
diplomatic overtures to Ankara.
A top U.S. official, meanwhile, visited Armenia in what may have been
an attempt to salvage the faltering talks between the two neighboring
nations. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza met with
President Serzh Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian.
Official Armenian sources gave no details of the talks, and Bryza was
not available for comment.
The diplomat, who is also the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
arrived in Yerevan from Baku where he met Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Washington has been trying to neutralize
Azerbaijan's strong resistance to the normalization of Turkish-
Armenian relations before a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict. U.S. President Barack Obama personally discussed
the matter with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliev, in a phone
call last week.
The vehement Azerbaijani protests led Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to publicly state earlier this month that Turkey will
not establish diplomatic relations and open its border with Armenia
without a Karabakh settlement. Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
appeared to echo that linkage as he flew to Yerevan on Wednesday night.
"We don't say, 'Let's first solve one problem and solve the other
later,'' Babacan was reported to tell Turkish journalists. `We want a
similar process to start between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We are
closely watching the talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.'
Nalbandian insisted on Thursday, however, that Ankara and Yerevan
could still hammer out a ground-breaking agreement `soon.' Two of his
predecessors are far more pessimistic on that score, pointing to the
statements made by Erdogan.
`I don't anticipate the signing of a Turkish-Armenian agreement in
the near future,' one of them, Raffi Hovannisian, said. He was
particularly worried about Erdogan's calls for the UN Security
Council to denounce Armenia as an `occupier' and demand Karabakh's
return under Azerbaijani rule.
Vartan Oskanian, who served as foreign minister from 1998-2008,
likewise suggested that the Turks have no intention to cut an
unconditional deal with Armenia and are instead trying to exploit the
talks to keep the United States and other countries from recognizing
the 1915 massacres of Armenians as genocide. He said they could also
be pressing international mediators to seek more Armenian concessions
on Karabakh in return for an open border with Turkey.
`When you make a Turkish-Armenian dialogue public, the Turks always
take advantage of that because they face the genocide issue, the
issue of European Union membership and the issue of friendship with
Azerbaijan,' Oskanian told a news conference. `So publicity here, if
we let it last for long, is not to our benefit. With every day
passing without border opening or normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations, Turkey finds itself in a more beneficial position than
Armenia.
`The moment that the border is opened, we too will start to draw
dividends. The question is when that will happen.'
`The Armenian side should set a clear deadline for the Turks -- if we
sign an agreement and the border is opened on a particular day, it
will be fine; if not, let us interrupt the negotiations from that
day. Something has to be done,' added Oskanian.
Oskanian also seemed puzzled by President Sarkisian's assurances that
Armenia will `emerge stronger' from the U.S.-backed talks even if
they end in failure. `I hope that there is something that the
president knows but we don't know,' he said.
The former minister, who founded last year a private think-tank, the
Civilitas Foundation, spoke to journalists before an official
presentation of a newly published book containing speeches delivered
by him throughout his decade-long tenure. Among those attending the
event was Kaan Soyak, the Turkish co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian
Business Council (TABC) that has long been lobbying for improved
relations and unfettered commerce between the two neighbors.
Soyak asserted that Erdogan's remarks were `a little misunderstood'
in Armenia and did not wreck the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.
`What the prime minister wanted to say is that the normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey is very important and within the
context of this normalization Turkish diplomats and Turkish foreign
policy advisers will be more active in the Caucasus for the
settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan,' he told RFE/RL.
`He never set a precondition,' said Soyak. `He believes that all the
solutions must be in one package, which includes Azerbaijan and
Armenia, but not necessarily the Nagorno-Karabakh area.'
