Armenian Genocide News
Security tightened at Senedd for Armenian exhibition
Sep 25 2010 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail
SPECIAL security measures have been put in place at the Senedd to protect
an exhibition marking what Armenians describe as genocide committed
against their nation by Turkey nearly 100 years ago.
The exhibition is the first of its kind to be held at any legislature in the world,
and is being hailed by the Armenian diaspora as a major step forward in their
campaign to get international recognition for the genocide claim.
However, many Turks bitterly resent the suggestion that their nation committed
genocide in 1915 and some have resorted to violence against those who make
the claim.
In 2007, Hrant Dink, the editor of a Turkish Armenian newspaper, was
assassinated in Istanbul after writing articles that were critical of what he saw as
Turkey’s failure to come to terms with its past.
A year later, a memorial cross erected outside Cardiff’s Temple of Peace was
smashed the night before a gathering to commemorate the first anniversary of
Dink’s murder.
Today, the photographic exhibition about the dark moment in European history
will be opened on the first floor in the Senedd.
Usually, such exhibitions are unmanned, but because of the perceived threat from
Turkish opponents, those wanting to see it will have to be accompanied by security
volunteers.
The events involved massacres and deportations in forced marches under
conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees. The total number of
resulting Armenian deaths is generally held to have been 1-1.5 million.
It is acknowledged by many historians to have been one of the first modern
genocides, with scholars pointing to the systematic, organised manner in which
the killings were carried out.
It is the second most studied case of genocide after the Holocaust.
The majority of Armenian diaspora communities were founded as a result of what
happened.
John Torosyan, a leading member of the Welsh Armenian community, said:
“There is no doubt that Wales is leading the rest of the UK in the long overdue
recognition for the Armenian genocide.
“That is clearly demonstrated by the unveiling of the Khatckar [memorial cross]
“That is clearly demonstrated by the unveiling of the Khatckar [memorial cross]
at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff – the only monument in the UK on public grounds
– in November 2007, the Holocaust Memorial Day event in January 2010 in which
the Armenians were mentioned for the first time in 10 years, the message of
sympathy we received from First Minister Carwyn Jones in April this year, and now
this exhibition.”
The exhibition, which is sponsored by Plaid Cymru AM Dai Lloyd, has been put
together by Armenian historian Vardan Tadevosyan.
He said: “This is an exhibition about the genocide which took place, but also tells
of the links between Armenia and the UK.”
The exhibition is on show until next Friday.
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
Sept 22 2010
The truly historic religious service in Holy Cross (Surp Khach - in
Armenian) church of Akhtamar Island in eastern Turkish province of Van
successfully took place on September 19, without any unduly incident.
Around 500 policemen with dogs supervised the peace for the worshipers
and pilgrims.
Akhtamar Armenian church, a silent remnant of the Armenian 10th century
heritage on those lands got renovated by the European-oriented Turkish
government of AK party in 2007, months after Hrant Dink was murdered
in front of his newspaper offices. Back then the church was opened
up only as a museum, uncrossed, unhallowed, and exclusively under
jurisdiction of Ministry of Culture. The things remained there for
the years leading to the first-ever religious ceremony in 95 years,
despite earlier hopes to the positive developments.
With this in mind, the fact that this church is renovated is much
better than thousands of those Armenian churches in Turkey still
in ruins.
>From September 20 and onwards the developments around the island
will be of more interest for those who believe in the power of the
so-called "Sevres syndrome". As a nation that lives with its past
side by side, the Armenians - both from Diaspora and Armenia-proper -
will discover the lost lands of their ancestors and, perhaps, the
wealthiest of them will start investing there, paving the way to the
Reconquista. Ironically, if this happens Armenians in Yerevan will be
more negative about border-opening and normalization on the principles
signed in Zurich 2009.
The first signs of this happened just on the ceremony day.
A guy from now-Turkish Mush province, as Turks call those - a donmeh
or an Islamized Armenian - was offering the pilgrims to enjoy grapes
from his hometown, and was quoted by some outlets as "being satisfied
with the sole fact of seeing Armenians smiling".
Another donmeh, a 70-year now-Kurdish Armenian woman who didn't ever
get married and didn't have any heirs, was quoted as saying she "felt
perfect, since she was there in search of her roots". This quote seems
to be quite symbolic since around 1000 Armenians from every corner of
the world went to Akhtamar in search of something on September 19 -
lost home and property, to give a traditional kiss to the land and
drink the water, and, at the end of the day, in search for oneself.
As new groups of Armenians traveling in those territories of Eastern
Turkey - they will have more and more chances to interact with locals,
which, in turn, will have no immediate, but sound consequences in
the years to come.
Written by Hovhannes Nikoghosyan Mr. Nikoghosyan is a research fellow
at Yerevan-based Public Policy Institute.
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