Armenian News

RFE/RL Report
U.S. Jewish Groups `No Longer Opposed' To Armenian Genocide Recognition
The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
14.06.2010
Harry Tamrazian

Turkey can no longer count on the backing of the powerful Jewish lobby
in the United States in its efforts to block a congressional resolution
recognizing the Armenian genocide, according to a Washington-based
journalist.


Eli Lake, a national security correspondent for `The Washington Times,'
believes that Ankara's furious reaction to the deadly Israeli raid on a
Gaza-bound international aid flotilla will help Armenian-American lobby
groups trying to push such a resolution through the U.S. Congress.

`In 2008, the major Jewish organizations decided they would no longer
quietly push Congress to block a resolution commemorating the Armenian
genocide,' Lake told RFE/RL's Armenian service on Monday. `This was a
reflection in some way of deteriorating ties between Israel and Turkey.'

`One of the prizes of the Turks in their relationship with Israel was
support from the American Jewish community in Washington. After the
flotilla incident, I would say that that support for now has dried up,'
he said.

Last March, a key committee of the U.S. House of Representatives
narrowly endorsed a draft resolution describing the 1915 mass killings
and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide and
urging President Barack Obama to do the same. Opposition from the White
House prevented further progress of the bill.

The leading Armenian advocacy groups in Washington are expected to again
try to bring it to the House floor for a vote ahead of the November
mid-term elections in the United States.

`I would say that they will certainly not be an obstacle to the bill,'
Lake said, referring to the more influential Jewish-American groups.
`It's possible that some groups may end up supporting it because there
is a kinship, of course, between what happened to the Armenian people in
1915 and what happened to the Jewish people in the Holocaust in
1939-1945.'

Still, the journalist cautioned that this alone would not guarantee the
resolution's passage. `You still have plenty of other interests that are
looking to make sure that such a resolution would never be passed by the
House and that is mainly in the U.S. defense establishment, that still
considers Turkey a major NATO ally,' he said. `You probably would end up
having an executive branch that would say that this complicates our
relationship with an important ally in the Mediterranean.'

Lake argued that despite its growing unease over Turkish policy towards
the Arab-Israeli conflict and Iran, the United States still has `very
deep ties' with Turkey. Washington could reconsider them only if Ankara
`orients itself towards Iran,' he said.

Akdamar Surp Haç Church in Turkey to host service, but remain museum
Saturday, June 19, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
VAN - Hürriyet Daily News


The Surp Haç Church in Akdamar island near the Eastern citys of Van is
getting ready for the readying for the first religious service in many
decades. The preparations for the service are conducted in
collaboration and peace with Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the chief of the
spiritual committee of the Armenian Church in Turkey, says Van Gov.
Münir Karaoğlu. The church's opening for the religious service will
be temporary, he says.


The centruies-old church was renovated in 2007and re-opened as a
memorial museum. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜREL
Van province in eastern Turkey is ready for the first religious
service in many decades at the Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island on
Sept. 19.

Security measures have been implemented and the church is awaiting
sanctification by the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey. Before the
service a cross will be mounted on the dome, but the bell tower will
remain empty.

The centuries-old church was renovated in 2007 and re-opened as a
memorial-museum. As part of the project, solar-powered lighting was
installed and starting the night of the service the whole island will
be illuminated.

Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Van Gov. Münir
Karaloğlu said the church’s opening for a religious service was
temporary. “The fact that it is open to a religious service once a
year will not change its quality as a memorial-museum.” The governor
added that the idea showed respect and was introduced by the Patriarch
Mesrop II.

“No museum is allowed to be open for religious service for a whole
year, and nobody could expect us to do that. The Ministry of Culture
made a great gesture.”

Karaoğlu said the preparations for the service were conducted in
collaboration and peace with Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the chief of the
spiritual committee of the Armenian Church in Turkey. Answering a
question about whether they had contacts with Armenia about the
preparations, Karaoğlu said: “We had no contacts with Armenia. This is
the Foreign Ministry’s business.” Hoping Sept. 19 can be a turning
point between the two countries, Karaloğlu said: "Something happened
in the past. It is no use to keep on scratching the crust of the
wound. Now it is time to build a new future between the two
countries.”

Some 5,000 people are expected in Van on the service day. The island
has limited space, but LED screens and a sound system will be
installed around the island for everyone to witness every minute of
the service. There will be a private pressroom for members of the
press from Turkey and abroad. To prevent any problems with the live
broadcast, 3G technology will be used.

According to figures stated by the governor, hotels in the city are
already fully booked. To overcome accommodation difficulties, the
governor said, they decided to open all the guesthouses owned by
public offices and even university dormitories. Karaoğlu said the
number of those willing to open their houses to Armenian visitors has
already reached 1,500. "We are meticulously conducting security
investigations on these families. There will be no problem with
respect to security.”

Karaoğlu said there would not only be a religious service on Sept. 19,
but also Turkish-Armenian Culture Day celebrations would be held, and
these would continue for 10 days after the service in the indoor
stadium in the city center.

“Our greatest ambition is to turn Van into a center of religion
tourism. The historical Armenian Church on Çarpanak Island, and the
Varakavank Armenian abbey in Bakraçlı will both be renovated in the
near future.” Answering the question of whether the abbey complex
around the church on Akdamar Island will also be renovated, Karaloğlu
said there were no plans for the time being. “We will preserve it as
it is for now.”

GrowingTurkish Influence in Middle East
Leads to Restrictions in Armenian Rights
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Turkey's growing influence in the Middle East, even before the naval
confrontation with Israel over Gaza, had prompted some Arab countries to
restrict the political rights of local Armenian communities.
It is feared that the latest Gaza conflict, which catapulted Prime
Minister Erdogan to a heroic stature throughout the Islamic world,
would result in further limitations on Armenian activities deemed to
be"anti-Turkish."

In recent months, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria have taken specific actions
to place some restrictions on the activities of their Armenian citizens
either out of concern for a backlash from Turkey or under direct
pressure from Turkish authorities.

A case in point was the Jordanian government's cancellation of AGBU's
Middle East Young Professionals Forum that was to take place in
Amman,June 3-6. Talin Suciyan, reported in The Armenian Weekly that
Jordanian authorities had expressed reservations for the gathering of
150 young Armenians from various parts of the world. Suciyan, who was
invited to speak on the"Legacy of Hrant Dink" and the Armenian
community in Turkey, stated that the organizers were informed the night
before that the forum was canceled by orders "from above." Some
observers attributed the cancellation of the AGBU forum to the
agreement to set up a Free Trade Zone, which was to be signed between
Jordan, Lebanon, Syria,and Turkey,on June 10. A commentator pointed
out the irony of Armenian conferences being allowed to take place in
Turkey,but not in Jordan!

Earlier this year, when a Lebanese TV crew was about to enter Syria to
record footage on "the Armenian killing fields" in Der Zor, border
guards refused to admit them,even though they had secured the
necessary filming permits from the Syrian authorities in advance. This
incident took place shortly after CBS aired in its"60 Minutes" program
a segment on the Armenian Genocide. The program depicted the protruding
bones of Armenian Genocide victims from the desert sands of Der
Zor. Turkish officials lodged a complaint with the Syrian government
for allowing CBS to film an "anti-Turkish" program in their country.
The third incident,unexpectedly, took place in Lebanon,home to one of
the most influential Armenian communities in the Diaspora. In
a surprise move, government officials banned the airing of
Eileen Khatchadourian's music video, "Zartir Vortyag," a genocide era
song calling for resistance against oppression. Even though the song
makes no reference to Turkey,Lebanese authorities were concerned that
it would negatively affect Lebanese-Turkish relations.
These are troubling examples of blatant interference with Armenian
citizens' right to free expression. In all three countries, Armenians
have long enjoyed the most cordial relations with their respective
governments and are viewed by them as loyal citizens.Local Armenian
community leaders must strongly protest such arbitrary violations of
their basic rights as citizens of these countries. They should consider
carrying out a campaign to educate their fellow citizens about
the extensive damage Turkey has caused to Arab interests for decades, as
a close military ally of Israel.

Armenians should point out that, despite Erdogan's blistering
anti-Israeli rhetoric, he has not canceled any of the 16 agreements
with Israel,including the exchange of intelligence, according to
Today's Zaman newspaper.Sedat Laciner, head of Ankara-based
International Strategic Research Organization, told Hurriyet that the
military leaders of the two countries had also signed several secret
agreements. According to the Middle East magazine,the intelligence
agencies of Israel and Turkey have cooperated "since the 1950's in the
fight against radical Islamist groups and Iranian clandestine
operations in the region." Furthermore, Turkey was reported to have
allowed Israel "to monitor Syrian military maneuvers from Turkish
soil." In addition, Turkey awarded$1.8 billion in military contracts
to Israeli companies. The total trade turnover between the two
countries reached $2.5 billion in 2009. More than 900 large Israeli
corporations have been operating in Turkey and over 1,000 small
Israeli exporters have established commercial ties with it.
Erdogan has cleverly capitalized on the political vacuum created by the
inaction of Arab leaders regarding the plight of the Palestinian
people, thus raising his own as well as his party's political rating in
advance of the September 12 referendum on constitutional amendments,
and next year's crucial parliamentary elections. It is a pity that Arab
leaders have totally abdicated their own responsibility,allowing an
outsider to claim the mantle of Arab leadership!
Prior to Prime Minister Erdogan's scheduled visit to Lebanon next
month, where he might receive an undeserved hero's welcome by some
Lebanese, Armenians must expose his hypocritical show of solidarity
with Palestinians, and convince their fellow citizens that he is acting
in his own, rather than Lebanon's, best interest.

This website is about Islamised and Kurdishised Armenians in Turkey (as a result of the Genocide), who left Turkey to Europe around the 60's, and there they went back to their Armenian roots.

http://www.noravank.am/en/?page=analitics&nid=2501