LOUSSAPATZ The Dawn - 2013-975-3-16.‏

ԹԻՒ 975 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 16 ՄԱՐՏ 2013

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ԾԱՆՕԹԱՆԱԼ ՀԱՅ ԳԻՏՆԱԿԱՆՆԵՐՈՒ

Armenians in Science

Inventor of concrete mixing truck Stephen Stepanian

Armenian American inventor and owner of numerous patents

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Նամակ Քարվաճառ տեղափոխվելու մտադրություն ունեցողին

04.Փետրվար.2013 - 10:09 http://times.am/?p=17996&l=am

Բարեւ, Անկեղծ ասած` ես չգիտեմ, թե ով է այս նամակի հասցեատերն ու որտեղ է ապրում: Բայց ես

հաստատ գիտեմ, որ նա կա:

Երբ մոտավորապես մեկուկես տարի առաջ ես ու ամուսինս (այն ժամանակ դեռ ամուսնացած չէինք) որոշեցինք տեղափոխվել Քարվաճառ, հարցերն ու կասկածները շատ-շատ էին: Մի կողմից հասկանում էինք տարածքի զարգացման անհրաժեշտությունը, մյուս կողմից` այդքան մեծ փոփոխություն: Այստեղի հնաբնակները (նրանք, ովքեր տեղափոխվել են սրանից 10-13 տարի առաջ) մեզ ասում են, թե հիմա Քարվաճառում ապրելը խաղուպար է, դուք պետք է մի տասը տարի առաջ եկած լինեիք, որ իմանայիք, թե դժվարությունը որն է: Հիմա այստեղ լույս կա, ջուր կա, հեռուստատեսություն, խանութներ, տրանսպորտ` լավից, վատից, անգամ համացանց կա: Իհարկե, այդ ամենը ճիշտ է: Բայց մենք այսօր թողել ենք Երեւանը, որտեղ թատրոններ կան, համերգասրահներ, պատկերասրահներ, խանութներ` հազար ու մի տեսակի, ու որ ամենակարեւորն է` մեր մտերիմ մարդիկ: Ինչու՞ եմ սա ասում. որպեսզի պարզ լինի, որ այսօր էլ այդ տեղափոխությունը համարյա նույնքան դժվար է, որքան եղել է 15 տարի առաջ, քանզի 90-ականների վերջին Հայաստանի մյուս բնակավայրերում էլ ամեն ինչ իդեալական չէր:

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Վերջնական տեղափոխումից առաջ այստեղ եղել եմ երեք անգամ: Ու ամեն երեկո քնելուց առաջ մտածում էի` արդյո՞ք ես կկարողանամ այստեղ ապրել: Մի երեկո պատասխանը դրական էր լինում, մյուս երեկո` անորոշ...

Սակայն երբ վերջնականապես տեղափոխվեցի այստեղ' հաջորդ օրն իսկ հասկացա, որ կասկածելու ու մտածելու ոչինչ չկար. հենց այստեղ ես պիտի ապրեմ ու վե ́րջ:

Ասեմ քեզ, որ այստեղ ապրող մարդիկ սովորական են, բոլորի նման, շատերն այստեղ են տեղափոխվել կարիքից դրդված` նախորդ բնակավայրում հաջողության չհասնելով, ու Քարվաճառը նրանց կյանքը նորից սկսելու մի հնարավորություն է տվել: Կան նաեւ փախստականներ Հյուսիսային Արցախից: Թեեւ քիչ թվով, բայց կան մարդիկ, ովքեր Քարվաճառում են տարածքի զարգացման կարեւորությունը գիտակցելով միայն:

Միգուցե գալուց առաջ պատկերացումները մի քիչ խորհրդավոր ու միստիկ լինեն, ես հիմա դրանք չեմ ցրի, բայց կզգուշացնեմ միայն, որ սա ամենեւին էլ արկած չի, եթե որոշել ես վերջնական տեղափոխվել: Պետք է պատրաստ լինես դժվարությունների` կենցաղայինից մինչեւ հոգեբանական: Ոչ բոլորն են քեզ այստեղ սպասում. նոր եկող ընտանիքների համար տներ չեն կառուցվում: Բայց դա երբեք չի նշանակում, որ դու չպետք է գաս: Եթե հաստատ որոշես գալ, մինչեւ քո սեփական տունը կառուցելը քարվաճառցիները քեզ դրսում չեն թողնի: Հասկանում եմ` ուրիշի տանն ապրելն իր դժվարություններն ունի, բայց դրանք անհաղթահարելի չեն ու ժամանակավոր են: Ասեմ, որ մեր բախտն այս առումով բերել է: Մենք այժմ հոյակապ մարդկանց տանն ենք ապրում:

Բարեկամուհիս, ով ապրում է Ռուսաստանում, իմանալով Քարվաճառ տեղափոխվելու որոշմանս մասին` իհարկե, լավ չհասկացավ, թե դա ինչ է նշանակում, թե ես ուր եմ տեղափոխվում, բայց հասկացավ, որ ինչ-որ մի տարօրինակ բան եմ անում: Ասում է` Ռուսաստանի օրինակով բացատրի, ասենք, Մոսկվայից ու՞ր ես գնում: Մտածեցի, մտածեցի ու հասկացա, որ չեմ կարող բացատրել: Ասում եմ` Ռուսաստանում չկա էդպիսի բան: Զարմացել է` այդ ի՞նչ է, որ Ռուսաստանում չկա, բայց Հայաստանում կա: Բա, ասում եմ, էդպիսի բաներ էլ են լինում, որ Հայաստանում կան ու Ռուսաստանում չկան: Ասում եմ`այդտեղ պատմության ընթացքում դարեր շարունակ հող կորցրած ու պետականությունից զուրկ մի ազգ չկա, որ մեկ էլ հանկարծ դարավոր կորստից հետո հող է ազատագրել իր արյունով, իր երիտասարդ կյանքերի գնով... Այդտեղ հայ զինվորի արյունով ազատագրած սրբազան հող չկա, որին տեր կանգնել է պետք: Հասկացա՞ր, ասում եմ, որ դու ինձ չես հասկանա...

Իսկ դու, հուսով եմ, հասկացար, թե ինչու է անհրաժեշտ չնայած բոլոր դժվարություններին, մեծ ու փոքր խնդիրներին, գալ ու ապրել հենց այստեղ: Ինչու՞ է անհրաժեշտ գիտելիքներդ ու կրթությունդ տալ այս տարածքի զարգացման ու ոտքի կանգնեցման համար:

Գիտես, ամեն օր երբ արթնանում եմ ու նայում եմ շրջապատող լեռներին, լեռների կատարների մեջ կորած ամպերին ու հեռվից հպարտ կանգնած Մռավին' հասկանում եմ, որ պրիմիտիվ ու անիմաստ են շատուշատ հարցեր, որ կա մի ավելի մեծ ու հզոր ուժ, որ օգնում է տարածքի բնակիչներին ապրել ու հաղթահարել ամեն մի փորձություն, հասկանում եմ, որ այս հողը վաղուց է կարոտ հայի ու որ իր զավակներին գրկաբաց է ընդունում...

Միգուցե սա քեզ հիմա պաթետիկ թվա, բայց սա ես առանց որեւէ պաթոսի զգում եմ ամեն օր, ամեն անգամ քարվաճառցի փոքրիկների հետ ներկայացման փորձ անելիս, հարցազրույցի գնալիս, մարդկանց հանդիպելիս ու շրջանի գյուղերն այցելելիս

Քարվաճառի բնակիչ Թամարա Գրիգորյան

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ՄԱՐՄԱՐԱ

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ՊԱՆԴՈՒԽՏ ԵՐԳԵՐ ԲԱԳՐԱՏ ԷՍԴՈՒԳԵԱՆ

140 ¿ç, 13x19.5 ëÙ. ISBN 978-605-5753-36-8 ·ÇÝ` 13 ÂÈ

Արաս հրատարակչութիւնը լոյսին ընծայեց Բագրատ Էսդուգեանի հայերէն պատմուածքները, ամփոփելով կոկիկ հատորի մը մէջ: Պանդուխտ Երգեր վերնագրով գիրքը կը բովանդակէ 11 պատմուածք, մեծ մասամբ հայ իրականութեան զանազան դրսեւորումներու հետ առընչուած: Էսդուգեանի պատմուածքները շրջապտոյտ մըն է Պոլիսէն դէպի Նիւ Եորք, Երեւան, Մոսկուա, Սպանիա, ուր պարզ ու սահուն ոճով մը ներկայացուած տարբեր ապրումներն ու մարդկային բարդ իրավիճակները կը պարուրեն ընթերցողը, մերթ առաջացնելով յուզումնախառն ցնցումներ:

Արա Կիւլէրի խօսուն մէկ լուսանկարով զարդարուած կողքի պատրաստութիւնը կատարած է արուեստագէտ Արէտ Կըճըր:

ԲԱԳՐԱՏ ԷՍԴՈՒԳԵԱՆ (1953)

Բագրատ Էսդուգեան ծնած է Իսթանպուլ, Ռումէլիհիսար՝ 1953-ին: Մանկութիւնը անցած է Թաքսիմ թաղի Ֆէրիտիյէ

փողոցը, որու հայկական դիմագիծը խորապէս ազդած է իր վրայ: Յաճախած է թաղին Էսաեան եւ Մխիթարեան ու ապա Կեդրոնական վարժարանները: Հիմնադիրներէն եղած է Պոյաճըգիւղի Սայաթ Նովա դպրաց դաս երգչախումբին: Պատմուածքները լոյս տեսած են «Նոր Սան» եւ «Հօպինա» հանդէսներու, «Մարմարա» եւ «Ակօս» թերթերու մէջ:

Էսդուգեանի նախապէս զանազան թերթերու մէջ լոյս տեսած բազմաթիւ պատմուածքներէն ընտրանիի մը թրքերէն թարգմանութիւնը «Հայ հիքայէլեր» խորագրով հրատարակուեցաւ Իսթանպուլի մէջ 2011-ին: Էսդուգեան ամուսնացած է, ունի երկու որդիներ եւ կ'աշխատակցի «Ակօս» շաբաթաթերթի հայերէն բաժնին:

ARAS YAYINCILIK İstiklal Cad. Hıdivyal Palas 231/Z. Tünel – Beyoğlu İstanbul T: (212) 252 65 18 F: (212) 252 65 19 info@arasyayincilik.com www.arasyayincilik.com

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Inventor of concrete mixing truck

Stephen Stepanian (Armenian: Ստիվեն Ստեփանեան) was an Armenian American inventor and owner of numerous patents including the Elevator and Conveyor, Compound Tool, and the Wrench. He is also accredited as the inventor of a self-discharging motorized transit mixer that was the predecessor of the concrete mixer truck. Stephen Stepanian is often called the "father of the ready-mix concrete industry.

Life

Armenian descent, Stephen Stepanian moved to Grandview Heights, Ohio in 1906. He resided on Glenn Avenue near Bluff. Stepanian became president of Marble Cliff Quarries and the Central Ohio Concrete Company. Eventually, Stepanian founded the Arrow Concrete Company, a company that is still in service today. He was elected as an honorary member of the board of directors for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

Stepanian was honored by the 1954 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association annual convention which named him an honorary lifetime member.

In 2004, Stepanian was selected as one of the Top 100 Transportation Private Sector Professionals by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

Stephen Stepanian invented a self-discharging motorized transit mixer that was the predecessor of the concrete mixer truck and applied for a patent in 1916. However, the patent was rejected in April of 1917 by the patent office because it was believed that a truck cannot support the weight of a concrete mixer on top of it. The patent office also noted that there was no previous patenting information that proves integration was possible with both the mixer and the design of the truck. Other sources however suggest that the patent was rejected due to the fact that Stepanian was not an American citizen.[2]

However in December 21, 1928, Stepanian reapplied for the patent and received approval on November 21, 1933.

Formoreinformation:http://www.concreteconstruction.net/images/Ready%20Mixed%20Concrete_%20Th e%20First%20Fifty%20Years_tcm45-348455.pdf

17

Raffi Hovannisian Declares Hunger Strike Until Sarkisian Resigns

YEREVAN -- Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian declared a hunger strike on Sunday in front of thousands of supporters at Liberty Square in Yerevan, pressing his demands for President Serzh Sarkisian's resignation.

In what he called his “most responsible speech” to date, Hovannisian warned Sarkisian against being sworn in for a second term at an inauguration ceremony scheduled for April 9. “If Mr. Sarkisian takes the false oath of office on the Holy Bible and the constitution and if His Holiness [Catholicos Karekin II] thus desecrates the Bible on April 9, they will do that on my corpse,” he declared.

“Until Mr. Sarkisian withdraws [from the presidency] for the sake of the homeland, his grandchildren, my grandchildren and children, I will stay in Liberty Square, will not eat and will not accept lies and fraud from anyone,” he said.

Hovannisian also made clear that he will hold more rallies in the square during the hunger strike. He scheduled the next demonstration for March 15.

On Monday, March 11, the Armenian Constitutional Court started hearing the case of Raffi Hovannisian’s claim against the Central Election Committee to nullify the official results of the February 18 election.

On Wednesday Hovannisian condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leader of a coalition of Europe’s main conservative parties for welcoming President Sarkisian’s disputed reelection as he continued his hunger strike in Yerevan .

Hovannisian threatened to pull his Zharangutyun (Heritage) party out of the European People’s Party (EPP) in protest.

“Mr. Putin is mistaken,” he said in Russian at another improvised news conference held in the city’s Liberty Square.

He was reacting to Putin’s opening remarks at a meeting with Sarkisian held near Moscow on Tuesday. Putin again congratulated Sarkisian on his “convincing victory” in Armenia’s February 18 presidential election, saying that it testifies to “popular trust” in the Armenian leader.

“This is not how strategic partnership is done,” Hovannisian told journalists. “The Armenian people are demanding a real strategic relationship [with Russia] that is not based on lies, fraud fear and theft of the people’s vote.”

Hovannisian also commented on Sarkisian’s upcoming trip to Brussels during which he will attend an EPP summit in his capacity as the leader of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). Both the HHK and Zharangutyun are affiliated with the pan-European grouping. Sarkisian is scheduled to meet with EPP President Wilfried Martens on Thursday.

Martens was one of the first Western leaders to “warmly” congratulate Sarkisian, saying that he prevailed in an election that was “mostly in line with international standards.” “I am confident that the country’s democratization process will be further enhanced under the leadership of President Sarkisian,” Martens wrote on a February 19.

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Sarkisian Holds Talks With Putin In Moscow

MOSCOW -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Putin praised Russia’s “special” relationship with Armenia and hailed his Armenian counterpart’s “convincing” victory in last month’s presidential election during their fresh meeting held on Tuesday.

The two men met in Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo residence for talks that were expected to clarify the future of Russian-Armenian relations. They made no public statements or sign any documents after the talks.

Their press offices said last week that they will discuss “development of integration” processes in the former Soviet Union, an apparent reference to Armenia’s possible membership in the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

They did not mention this issue in statements issued after the talks. The Kremlin said only that Putin and Sarkisian discussed “pressing issues of bilateral interaction.” A separate statement by the Armenian presidential press service said the two leaders talked about ways of stepping up Russian-Armenian cooperation “in the political, economic and humanitarian fields.”

The two official sources also publicized Putin’s and Sarkisian’s opening remarks at the meeting. “I want to again congratulate you on the convincing [election] victory: more than 60 percent of the vote is a very good result that testifies to popular trust and enables you to implement all plans which you made when starting the election campaign,” Putin told the Armenian leader.

“We have special relations with Armenia,” Putin said. “They know this well in both Armenia and Russia. It must be said that on the whole they are developing successfully despite certain difficulties in the world economy.”

Putin went on to praise a 20 percent rise in Russian-Armenian trade last year and again emphasized the fact that his country has been Armenia’s leading foreign investor since the Soviet break-up. “We have big, promising, good joint investment plans,” he added.

Sarkisian, for his part, said it is only “natural” that he chose Russia for his first trip abroad after reelection. “Russia is our strategic partner and ally, and this pretty much says it all,” he said.

Sarkisian thanked Putin for “good progress” in the close Russian-Armenian military ties which he said has been made since their last meeting in December. He pointed to recent visits to Armenia by Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and top military commander, General Valery Gerasimov.

“I agree with you in that there is also progress in the economy. Of course there are issues here but we hope for Russia’s support and assistance,” Sarkisian added without elaborating.

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Armenian Ambassador Addresses Letter to UN Secretary General

NEW YORK, NY -- Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Karen Nazarian has addressed a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon connected with the Azerbaijani propaganda on Khojaly events. The letter notes, in part, that “Azerbaijan manipulates the Khojaly events to strengthen its anti- Armenian propaganda both inside the UN and outside its framework.”

Referring to the posters in New York City reading “Khojaly genocide: Human tragedy in Azerbaijan: Help Azerbaijanis and Armenians reach peace,” the Ambassador notes that “this terrible initiative financed by Azerbaijan bear xenophobia and hatred and

endanger the aspiration of nations to reach lasting peace based on truth and justice.”

“Azerbaijan constantly distorts the Khojaly events of 1992, which, according to different international organizations and the Azerbaijani leadership, including then President Ayaz Mutalibov, were organized by the opposition “Popular Front” movement.”

Ambassador Nazaryan added that “by taking such steps Azerbaijan is trying to conceal its crimes, escape from the responsibility of militarizing the Nagorno Karabakh issue.”

“If Baku really wants to help Armenians and Azerbaijanis to reach peace and settlement of the issue, it should direct efforts towards constructive participation in the negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,” Karen Nazarian wrote.

Lawsuit Filed Against Renowned Istanbul-Armenian Linguist

ISTANBUL. – Another lawsuit was filed against renowned Istanbul-Armenian linguist and journalist Sevan Nisanian.

The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office finished examining the petition of complaint by fifteen people and, as a result, a lawsuit was filed against Nisanian, Ensonhaber website of Turkey reports. Nisanian is charged with insulting Prophet Muhammad in one of his blogs.

To note, in his blog Nisanian had written that there are no legal provisions that protect people who have died a long ago from being ridiculed and insulted.

“If I can speak against Julius Caesar, logically, you can do the same against Muhammad, or Jesus. Unfortunately, my views on Islam are not positive. And I believe I have the right to express those views of mine anywhere and in any language I please,” Sevan Nisanian had wrote in his blog.

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City of Ani Attracts More Visitors

KARS (Hurriyet Daily) -- The ancient Armenian city of Ani in the eastern province of Kars continues to attract more tourists each year. In 2012, a total of 43,657 people visited the site close to a third of the visitors are from foreign countries, according to tourism officials. Experts expect to see more visitors in 2013.

Dubbed ‘City of 1,001 Churches,’ Ani stood on various trade routes, and its many religious buildings and fortifications were among the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the

world at the time, according to specialists. Tourists are beating an evermore well-worn path to Ani, an ancient Armenian city in the eastern

province of Kars that has long been regarded as one of Turkey’s most impressive tourist sites, according to newly released tourist numbers.

Some 43,657 visitors went to the ancient city in 2012, a rise over the figure of 23,400 for the previous year. Close to a third of the visitors are from foreign countries, according to tourism officials.

Speaking to Anatolia news agency, Kars Culture and Tourism Manager Hakan Doganay said there were a total of 21 main cultural treasures in Ani. “In fact, we call Ani an iceberg because we know there is a lot to discover and excavate at Ani.”

Experts know that Ani was a trade center in the past, said Doganay, adding that the ancient city was a cultural mosaic. The cultural manager further said that if excavations were completed at the site, it could become one of the country’s leading tourism sites.

The planned excavation work will involve creating a detailed map of the site, which was once the center of a powerful Armenian empire and possessed a population of between 100,000 and 200,000 over a millennium ago, making it one of the biggest cities in the world at the time.

Ani was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey. Ani is protected on its eastern side by a ravine formed by the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor Balley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Aras River and forms part of the current border between Turkey and Armenia.

City of Churches

Dubbed the “City of 1,001 Churches,” Ani stood on various trade routes, and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were among the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world at the time, according to specialists. The site occupied 78 hectares of land and was surrounded by 4,500-meter-long ramparts. In addition to its numerous churches, the site also features the remains of an inn, a public bath, one of the first mosques in Anatolia and other buildings. The site was located on the historic Silk Road and formed the first gate connecting the Caucasus to Anatolia before a sea route was discovered. “[The city] declined in importance after [sea routes gained prominence]. And it was destroyed by periodic earthquakes. Between 1965 and 1966, a professor named Kemal Balkan launched the first excavation work on the Ani ruins. Then between 1989 and 2005, excavation and cleaning works were done. Between 2005 and 2009, the excavation work was halted,” Doganay said. Ani was placed on the World Cultural Heritage List thanks to an application by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, he said, adding that it was an integral part of the region. “Ani is a city of universal religions. We call it a world city since people from all nations, cultures, and races live there,” he said. “It is essential to bring this world city to light and give it to the world as soon as possible. Our work is ongoing in a planned and systematic way.”

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Renowned Painter Hakob HakobyanDies at 90

YEREVAN -- Renowned Armenian modern painter Hakob Hakobyan passed away on Friday evening. He was 90.

A People’s Artist and a holder of the State Prize of Armenia, Hakobyan was born to a family of Armenian immigrants in Alexandria, Egypt. At age nine, he was admitted to the Melkonian Armenian School of Cyprus, where he studied for ten years with intervals. He later continued his education at the Cairo High School of Fine Arts and the The Académie de la Grande Chaumière (academy of the large thatched cottage) of Paris.

He moved to his ancestor’s homeland in 1961 and settled in Leninakan (Gyumri) a year later.

In 1967, Hakobyan was elected a member of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Armenia. In 1977, he was honored with State Award of Armenia and the People’s Artist

title.

The canvas Spring (1971) brought the artist a gold medal at the first Trans-Caucasus Biennale in 1986.

In 1987, Hakobyan was awarded with the USSR State Prize for a series of watercolor paintings that stood out with a high degree of artistism.

His most prominent pieces include Park Near St. Hripsime Temple, Echmiadzin (1976), Vineyard in Winter (1979), In Artist’s Studio (1980), Forlorn Corner (1980) and Garni Gorge (1980).

Hakobyan's art is currently part of a new exhibition of Soviet and contemporary art from Central Asia and the Caucasus that opened just four days before his death at the Sotheby’s auction house in London called “At The Crossroads: Contemporary Art From The Caucasus And Central Asia.

According to Sotheby’s catalogue notes on Hakobian written by Sabina Sadova. “Hakobyan introduced a new facet to Armenian art, a facet that makes him powerful from colorists.”

Sotheby’s catalogue also notes: “His palette is calm and dominated by muted ochres and brown hues. His linear, mostly vertical calculated compositions convey feelings of displacement, nostalgia and muteness. Hakobyan’s motifs contain none of the traditional Armenian elements as established by Saryan, though the feelings expressed by his works intimately reflect the feelings of Armenians towards their land and their turbulent past. His works exude a very contemporary feel.” “...there is a language of symbols that the artist develops in order to construct his own version of Armenian national identity. The road is a symbol that carries a special meaning to the Armenian people. It illustrates the history of frequent and forced resettlement that shaped Armenian identity. The mathematical precision of Hakobyan’s art is perhaps as important for its understanding as the symbols he uses. The road and the pole are present in most of Hakobyan’s landscapes in both his early and late periods.”

Yerevan-Van Flights to Commence on April 3

After years of preparatory work, the Yerevan-Van-Yerevan flights will commence on April 3, the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia (UMB(E)A) informs.

Direct flights between Yerevan and Van will be executed twice a week, the tickets will cost $250; a 20% discount will be offered in the first week.

Tourist packages for 3, 4 and 7 days will be offered, and will cost 180 thousand AMD and above. The flights have been organized by the Armenian Narekavank Tour and Turkish Bora Jet Companies. The flights will be conducted with ATR 72-500 European-production airplanes and will last for 40 minutes.

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ANI Issues Armenian Genocide Poster Exhibit

W ASHINGTON, DC -- The Armenian National Institute (ANI), the Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA), and the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) issued a joint statement upon the release of WITNESS TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: Photographs by the Perpetrators' German and Austro- Hungarian Allies, a digital exhibit that the three organizations are making available for display without charge.

The newly-created digital display instructional posters are being released in advance of the month of April as a public service to educational institutions and the worldwide Armenian community. The poster set may be downloaded from

the ANI, AGMA, and AAA websites and printed in any size suitable for instructional, exhibit, classroom, and public education purposes. Designed to be printed in a full-size poster format of 24" by 36" or bigger, the publication is also legible and usable at the 8.5" by 11" standard letter-size format in booklet or flyer mode.

The ten-poster set includes an introductory page, a detailed timeline, a color-coded map geographically matching the photographs with their location, and seven pages displaying 34 captioned historic photographs. The color-coded map in the exhibit is based on the previously-published ANI map of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire illustrating the three prevailing aspects of the Genocide: the deportations, the massacres, and the concentration camps.

Photographic evidence on the Armenian Genocide is extremely rare. Although Imperial Germany and the Ottoman Empire were military allies during World War I, the Ottoman Turkish authorities responsible for the Armenian Genocide prohibited taking pictures and closely watched anyone suspected of owning a camera. Despite the threat of a court martial, several German civilians and other German military officials assigned to the Ottoman Empire during the war disregarded the ban and secretly photographed the mistreatment of the Armenian population.

The exhibit is the product of years of research in European archives conducted by Dr. Hilmar Kaiser. Many of the photographs in the exhibit were uncovered for the first time after decades of neglect. The photographs showing Armenian deportees are matched with diary entries, reports, and memoirs of the photographers and in so doing documenting their authenticity. The photographers represented include Hellmuth von Mücke at Der Zor, Victor Pietschmann who witnessed the deportation of Armenians from Sushehri, Max Erwin von Scheubner-Richter, the German Vice-Consul in Erzerum, and Armin T. Wegner in Aleppo and surrounding refugee camps.

As part of their ongoing program to promote the teaching of genocide and human rights and the lessons of the Armenian Genocide, ANI and AGMA recommend utilizing the poster set in conjunction with the recently-released fourth edition of Centuries of Genocide: Essays and Eyewitness Accounts, by Samuel Totten and William S. Parsons, a textbook widely used in college and high school courses, that includes an extensive chapter on the Armenian Genocide.

As part of its continuing service to educators and to coincide with the release of the poster set and Centuries of Genocide, ANI previously announced the launch of its expanded Resource Guide and other sections of the Education component of the ANI website. Dozens of resources selected for their instructional value are listed for the benefit of students and teachers. Educators interested in teaching about the role of American humanitarianism and involvement in responding to the Armenian crisis can also benefit from the recently issued fact sheet summarizing The United States Record on the Armenian Genocide: A Proud Chapter in American History, prepared by the Armenian Assembly of America.

As a preview to the digital exhibit, the introduction to the posters is reproduced below:

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The German Military Mission to the Ottoman Empire was established in 1913. German officers served on the Ottoman General Staff in Constantinople, and some were in leading positions with the Ottoman armies on various fronts during World War I. These men became eye-witnesses to the Armenian Genocide.

As a rule, German officers followed a policy of non-interference in what was claimed to be an internal affair of the Ottoman Empire. On the other hand, numerous officers tried to mitigate Ottoman policies and a few, in defiance of military regulations, even took part in clandestine activities to help the victims. Together, these officers, German consular staff, missionaries, and administrators of the Deutsche Bank-owned Anatolian and Baghdad Railways played a critical role in the creation of a humanitarian resistance network that included American missionaries and diplomats, surviving Armenians, and even some Ottoman officials.

Ottoman Martial Law prohibited taking photographs of the Armenian deportees. Thus, documenting the crime by photographing the reality of the deportations became an act of resistance. Many photographs were lost due to the interception of Ottoman intelligence services at the time and later destruction in Germany during World War II. Many of these photographs had been forgotten for decades and remained hidden in dusty drawers, files, and private collections.

The Armenian Genocide was a planned campaign by the Young Turk government to annihilate the Christian Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire. Embarked upon in 1915, during WWI, the deportation and decimation of the Armenians across Anatolia, modern-day Turkey, continued until 1923. The campaign resulted in the complete destruction of Armenian society across the region and in the greater part of its historic homeland.

New Pope Urged Turkey to Recognize Genocide in 2006

Pope Francis addresses thousands from St. Peter Basilica after being elected 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church W ednesday

Seven years ago, the newly-elected Pope Francis urged Turkey to unconditionally recognize the Armenian Genocide.

During events marking the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Buenos Aires, then Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Mario Bergoglio urged Turkey to recognize the Genocide as the “gravest crime of Ottoman Turkey against the Armenian people and the entire humanity.”

On Wednesday, after what is viewed as a short conclave, white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel heralded that a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope, choosing the first pontiff from the Americas to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

The 76-year-old pope will be called Francis, the 226th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and the first member of the Jesuit order to lead the church and the first none-European pope in more than 1,200 years.

“I would like to thank you for your embrace,” the new pope, dressed in white, said from the white balcony on St. Peter’s Basilica as thousands cheered joyously below. “My brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am,” reported the New York Times.

“Pray for me, and we’ll see each other soon,” the pope told the crowd of more than 100,000 gathered at St. Peter’s Square.

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so pure and innocent young lives.

By Bea Smith

It is a curious thing to observe the success of a novelette in 2012 that was written back in 1958 and 1959 — and in its simplicity and tragedy — has survived so many years of major changes.

The changes, in history, geography, humanity and emotional stability throughout the span of more than 52 years, can certainly unbalance the original ideas and plots of the book’s author.

However, it doesn’t appear to mar any part of “The Dark Glow of Destiny,” which was written in French, “Les Lueurs Sombres de la Destinee,” by Ambear of Belleville, published last year by Edilivre Editions APARIS, and this year, translated into English.

The story begins in Aleppo, Syria, where cultural differences tragically separate a young man, Mikayel, and his Marria.

Mikayel works in a silk factory, has a talent for dance instruction, and an undying love for Marria, a beautiful young woman. Marria is so in love with Mikayel, but her aristocratic family intervenes. The passion of people are so obstructed that a fatal tragedy is destined to unearth both

Fifty Years Later The Story Remains the Same

The characters of Mikayel and Marria are so delicately unraveled that a reader is bound to be moved by their destinies. And then there is Mikayel’s loyal friend, Tahvit, who tries his utmost to secure happiness for the couple, but becomes involved in his own personal problems and must find his way into a new world.

Ambear, whose real name is Rosemarie Malijian/Akian, has written an interesting book for summer reading. But her goal was much more important than a mere summer read. Years after she wrote “The Dark Glow of Destiny,” she had the book published so that it could be sold in order to raise funds to conquer a rare progressive disease, Ataxia Telangiectasia, which her grandson, Avedis, had contracted.

“What is my message with this book?,” Ambear asked during a recent telephone chat. “It’s a message of peace, love and partnership based on an unshakable faith of the individual following his destiny anywhere, anytime and anyhow.” She explained that “if I can hear the world sing, ‘let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.’ I know that sounds familiar,” she mused, “but I’m also an amateur opera singer; I belong to the Verismo Opera group and a church choir at Holy Family in Nutley. And I paint as an artist, too.”

The fact that she was born in Aleppo, Ambear is so familiar with its surroundings that everything seems to come natural with her. Thus, she presents a living, thriving site for the background of her story, and throughout, also offers highlights of Beirut, Lebanon, where she attended the College of Des Peres Saint Sauveurs to study philosophy.

Actually, it was after completing her Baccalaureate at the College of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Aleppo in 1958 that she was coerced into writing this book featuring a silk factory that her father actually owned in the cosmopolitan city of Aleppo. It took her three months to write the book and 53 years to publish and translate it. In between those years, she was married, had children and grandchildren.

“You see, my siblings really talked me into writing the book,” Ambear admitted.

“I had two brothers and three sisters,” she recalled. “I was the youngest. They thought I had the talent of writing, and it was at that time when Francois Sagan wrote ‘Bonjour Tristesse.’ I was an avid reader, and one day, my brother said, ‘I brought a gift for you.’ It was the Sagan book. My brother said, ‘Look. She’s a 19-year-old girl just like you. She wrote a book and became famous.’

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‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll write a book.’ So, I made up a story of a happy girl with a family that loved me. Every night I wrote a paragraph or two, and was encouraged by my brother.

I finished the book in three months. Even hough the book was fiction, I felt I would never be able to face my neighbors, they would discover my personal life, so, I refused to have it published.”

She sighed. “When Syria was starting to nationalize European schools, I was obliged to go out of the country. I went to Beirut in Lebanon for my education and received a degree in philosophy. Wherever I went, I took the manuscript with me,” she said. “I used to keep it in a shoe box.”

Ambear came to America with her parents and siblings in 1961 and lived in Newark “in a beautiful building.” She was married to a man from Istanbul, Turkey, in 1967, “and every two years,” she explained, “I had a baby. I have four children, two boys and two girls. I had to stay home with the children, and when they were able to be by themselves, I went to work as an accountant.”

She kept putting off publishing her book. “But it bothered me. You know? I believe in destiny. After my children got married, one day, I pointed to the book and decided now was the time. You see,” she explained, “my third grandchild was a boy, healthy, handsome. In 2009, when he was five years old, he was diagnosed with a terrible disease, and the whole family panicked. He had been a very good student, but he was changing daily. I wanted to find a cure for him, and I thought, if I published the book, and the book would sell, people could have funds to do research for the disease.”

She had the book published in Paris, France, in 2011. Then Ambear spent six months translating it into English. “My brother, who is an artist, wanted to prepare a cover for the book. But the publishers used their own cover.”

And in addition, after more than half a century, and whether or not, she realizes it, Ambear has begun a new career. “The Dark Glow of Destiny” has found a permanent home on the shelf of this reviewer’s bookcase. It may be destined to succeed in helping to find a cure for a cruel disease. And if not, its author, Ambear, has another book — “in the planning stage right now.” And a reservation for space set alongside her first book.

Land and Culture Organization Renovating 16th

Century Shikahogh Village Church

PASADENA, CA - - On February 15-17, the Union International de Organisations Terre et Culture (UIOTC)/ Land and Culture Organization (LCO) chapters from France, the United States, Armenia, and the United Kingdom held this year’s annual meeting at the Armenian Center of Sourp Hagop Church in Geneva, Switzerland. The board discussed the successful completion of its 2012 projects and plans for the upcoming 2013 campaigns. Also during the weekend, members of the Swiss Armenian community attended a fundraising dinner and cultural program at the Armenian Center for a presentation about the OTC/LCO mission and its projects.

During the 2012 summer campaign, over 50 volunteers from Armenia, Canada, England, France, and Nagorno Karabakh worked on two sites. One group went north to the Shirakamut village, near the epicenter of the 1988 earthquake, to work on the renovation of the historic 7th Century Tchitchkhanavank Monastery, and another group went south to finalize work on the 1771 Sourp Astvatzatzin Church near the pagan era caves in Old Goris as part of the Goris-Vienne sister city

project which started in 2009.

Renovated Sourp Astvatzatzin Church near Goris

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This summer LCO will launch a new project in the village of Shikahogh (sheg hokh/red soil) in the southern Syunik region near the city of Kapan and near the Armenian-Azeri border. It is located by the dense Shikahogh State Reserve, Armenia’s second largest forest reserve. Volunteers will live in the village while renovating the 16th Century Sourp Stepanos Nakhavegah Church which has inscriptions from the 13th Century. The church is in a state of collapse from years of neglect during Soviet era. Work will also continue at the Tchitchkhanavank site.

This summer’s campaign dates will be July 22-August 18. As LCO volunteers experience first- hand living in a rural Armenian village setting, they work on the historical restoration project during the week and discover historical Armenian sites on the weekends.

For over 35 years, LCO has been one of the earliest volunteer groups in Armenia and Karabakh working to restore, renovate, and rejuvenate the historical monuments and sites of our nation. It has performed this mission through its summer campaigns, by volunteers of every age from the Diaspora and Armenia. To learn more about LCO or join in our summer volunteer program, you may reach us at www.lcousa.org.

MANGA MESSIAH

The Bible Society in the Gulf has launched the Manga Messiah Scripture comic in Armenian. Based on the popular Japanese Manga comic format, this publication has proved a huge hit around the globe and has been translated into more than 20 languages, including Danish, German, Russian, Norwegian, English, Spanish, French and Armenian.

Manga Messiah is an account of the life of Jesus based on the four Gospels and told in 288 colour pages. It includes a map of Galilee, Samaria, Judea and illustrated character profiles of the 12 apostles and other key people in the Bible.

The Armenian Missionary Association of Canada, (AMAC) is proud to offer this highly engaging, cutting-edge publication which presents the Scriptures so appealingly to young people. The Manga Messiah in Armenian is published in 2012, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Armenian Book printing.

Our ultimate goal is Evangelism. We aim to reach out to young Armenians able to read Armenian, in an ever-changing and challenging time with the message of the Gospel in an attractive and compelling format.

The Manga Messiah ($10.00 /copy) can be ordered from the Church Office 2600 14th Avenue, Markham Ontario. Tel: 905-305-8144, E-mail: aectoronto@yahoo.com or from the

Bizarre Court Verdict: French-Armenian Guilty of Defaming a Turkish

Denialist!

By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier

The Empire Strikes Back, not in a science fiction movie, but in a French court!

For several years, the French-Armenian community has been trying to pass a law to penalize Armenian Genocide denial, similar to the law that sanctions Holocaust denialism. Even though the French Parliament and Senate have approved such a law, and both Pres. Hollande and former Pres. Sarkozy have supported it, the Armenian efforts have been aborted by powerful Turkish political and economic circles.

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Turning the proposed law on its head, Sirma Oran-Martz, a French citizen of Turkish origin, had filed a lawsuit in France against Laurent Leylekian, a French-Armenian, for defamation of character. Leylekian, former editor of "France-Armenie" magazine and former executive director of the European-Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, had written a sarcastic editorial titled, "Martz Attack" in the magazine’s website, denouncing attempts to transplant Turkish denialism to French soil. Ironically, Oran-Martz is daughter of Prof. Baskin Oran who resides in Turkey and acknowledges the facts of the Armenian Genocide without using that term because Turkish law penalizes those who recognize the Genocide.

In a shocking verdict last month, the court found Leylekian guilty, ordering him to pay a total of 7,500 euros ($10,000): 4,000 euros to Oran-Martz for moral damages, and 3,500 euros for court costs, despite her evasive and irrational testimony during the proceedings. She had lost an earlier court case after suing Jean-Paul Bret, the Mayor of Villeurbanne, who had requested that she acknowledge the Armenian Genocide before agreeing to include her in his party’s candidate list. She refused and withdrew from the race. In that verdict, the court referred to the Turkish state’s "vast program of denialism -- powerful, perverse, and sophisticated" -- a sentence later quoted by Leylekian in his editorial.

Three prominent individuals testified in court on Leylekian’s behalf: Francois Rochebloine, a French Parliamentarian; Yves Ternon, renowned expert on genocide and denial; and Hilda Tchoboian, former Chairwoman of the European-Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy. Oran-Martz was accused by Leylekian of taking part in a protest by the Turkish extremist Grey Wolves group against an Armenian Genocide Monument in Lyon, France, and signing a petition against the law on genocide denial. Testifying on behalf of Oran-Martz were: Murat Erpuyan, director of Paris-based ATA Turquie Association; Maxime Gauin, a French researcher working at a denialist Think Tank in Ankara; Alain Mascarou, a retired French teacher who knew the plaintiff in Ankara; and her husband, Jean-Patrick Martz.

Hopefully, Leylekian would be vindicated when he appeals this outrageous guilty verdict. Clearly, the judge has made a mockery of French justice by siding with a genocide denialist, while punishing a descendant of Armenian Genocide victims. By condemning Leylekian for ostensibly defaming Oran-Martz in an editorial, the judge has chosen to deny him free speech, especially a journalist’s right to express his views in an opinion column. Surely, the French judge knows the difference between an opinion piece and a news item! Furthermore, the judge ignored the public prosecutor’s request not to file criminal charges against Leylekian and to refrain from sentencing him.

It is ironic that while the French-Armenian community is trying to penalize genocide deniers, an Armenian is being sued by a denialist Turk. This topsy-turvy state of affairs makes the best case as to why the French government should pass a law banning genocide denial.

While Oran-Martz gave incoherent answers in court, frequently irritating the judge, Leylekian provided clear, concise, and convincing arguments in his defense. This is why his guilty verdict was completely unexpected. Could it be that the long arm of Turkish influence peddling has reached into the French judicial system?

After losing her first lawsuit against the Mayor of Villeurbanne three years ago, Oran-Matz vowed to continue her legal battle by announcing that this was "only the first round." It is imperative that the verdict against Leylekian be reversed through an appeal filed by a competent, high-powered lawyer in order to right this miscarriage of justice and put a stop to more anti-Armenian lawsuits by Turkish denialists.

The French-Armenian community should not remain silent, but express its outrage in the strongest possible terms against this unjust verdict and demand that the judge be disciplined for violating French laws and insulting the memory of genocide victims.

It is high time Armenians show some resolve to defend their rights in France and elsewhere, particularly on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide!

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Three Powerful Men Decide Turkey's Future

By: Kadri Gursel for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse.

Turkey’s future is to be decided by the nation's three most powerful men, by the equilibrium they shape among themselves and by deals they forge with each other.

The first and the most powerful is already at the zenith of political power: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is also the most powerful, most capable civilian leader after the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. His colleagues who know from his younger days speak of him as “reis,” [''president'' in formal usage and ''chief'' colloquially]. The people who joined him at his current post call him “patron” [the boss]. In official bureaucratic milieu, among party members and businessmen close to him he is “beyefendi” [sir or esquire]. Not only is he the most powerful man of Turkey, but because he enjoys exercising his power and doesn’t want to share it with anyone else, he is a personality that instills fear in his party AKP, in the state structure and the society.

The second most powerful man is serving a life sentence and has been in prison for 14 years: Abdullah Ocalan, who founded the separatist, armed Kurdish organization, the Kurdistan Workers Party [PKK] in 1978 and who personally led it until 1999 when he was apprehended in Kenya and handed over to Turkey. Since his imprisonment the PKK has changed drastically. The Kurdish issue became politicized and regionalized and has become a mass movement. Among many political and societal variables the key issue that hasn’t changed in the Kurdish movement has been the loyalty to Ocalan’s historical leadership. This is why the Kurds close to the PKK say “Honorable Ocalan’’ or in brief “the Leadership” when they speak of him. Ocalan is a figure that unites Kurdish nationalists.

The AKP rule and their media use a code for Ocalan that is derived from the name of the island where his private prison is: Imrali.

Those in the power, to avoid perceptions that they are in a dialogue with Ocalan through intelligence officials, refrain from using his name and prefer to say “Imrali.”

The third powerful man is a Sunni religious leader living in voluntary exile in the United States for 14 years: Fethullah Gulen. Gulen, who started out as a mosque imam, is the founder of an Islamic socio-political movement that is now spread worldwide. He is its spiritual leader. The movement has several labels: “Gulen Movement,” “Service” or the most popular version in Turkey, “Cemaat” [a congregation or faith community]. Their followers are known as “Gulenists.” Those who admire Fethullah Gulen call him “hocaefendi” [a scholar esquire].

Those who don’t like him call him ‘’Pennsylvania’’ after the state he moved to in 1999 when he left Turkey because of military pressure. Some call him “Across the Ocean.”

The main engine of the Gulen Movement that has long become globalized is education. They have close to 1,000 schools in more than 120 countries, including universities.

In Turkey they have a nationwide school and student hostel network with tens of thousands of teachers and hundreds of thousands of students. Vast majority of their students are on scholarships. The revenues that turns the wheels come from their capitalist ventures and donations collected by a network of organizations of powerful businessmen. The movement also has a strong media network with daily Zaman and Samanyolu TV channels as its flag ships.

But the most extraordinary political power attributed to the Gulen Movement is the network it has reportedly built inside the state mechanism, especially in judiciary and security sectors.

Today, many impartial observers agree that the current neo-Islamist rule of Turkey has been able to eliminate in just three years the military-bureaucratic tutelage power centers that saw themselves as the guardians of the Ataturk Republic with police actions and judicial procedures mainly thanks to harmonious work of the Gulenist cadres in the police and the judiciary.

Although their statures are widely divergent, there are commonalities in the leaderships of Erdogan, Gulen and Ocalan that render them powerful and consequential.

All three are extremely charismatic, all three have exceptional influence on their constituencies, all three are visionaries and finally all three have alternative societal projects. All three with their visions and leaderships carried changes they brought about to outside of Turkish borders.

And there is no fourth man who has similar attributes.

Until recent past, chiefs of general staff used to be counted among the powerful figures of the land but not anymore. Turkey has changed and will change more.

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The change in Turkey now proceeds on two axes: Erdogan’s overly personalized authoritarian president project, and peace with the Kurdish movement.

What Turkey’s new regime will look like and status of Turkey’s relations with the Kurdish reality in the Middle East will largely be determined by the interaction between these two axes.

To make is clearer and more concrete we must say this: Although there was no cause-and-effect relationship, the a la carte presidential model Erdogan wants for himself and settlement of the Kurdish issue became linked to the peace negotiations at Imrali. Despite efforts to keep them under wraps, it is now known that the negotiations between Turkish intelligence officials who represented Erdogan’s authority and Ocalan have been going on since last October.

The negotiation platform of a “new constitution” on which the presidential system and peace issues were debated was in a format of give-and-take.

For the presidential system Erdogan desires, a constitutional amendment is required as well as for the settlement of the Kurdish issue. To meet the equality demands of the Kurds a neutral definition of citizenship that doesn’t require “Turkishness,” education in the mother tongue and partially fulfilling the demand for autonomy by empowering local administrations are all required constitutional adjustments.

If progress is wanted in the peace process, then the constitution has to be amended to meet these Kurdish demands. Erdogan’s AKP doesn’t have enough parliamentary seats to submit a constitutional draft to a public vote. AKP can negotiate only with the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party [BDP] for a presidential system. Other parties are categorically refusing to negotiate for such a system.

A reality emerged when the daily Milliyet on Feb. 28 published the minutes of the meeting three BDP parliamentarians held with Ocalan at Imrali a few days earlier. The topic of BDP supporting the presidential system was on the agenda of the Imrali meeting and Ocalan, despite some reservations, was amenable to support Erdogan’s presidency.

Nevertheless, it will not be easy for the Erdogan government to market a "AKP-BDP constitution” to majority nationalist conservative Turkish public unless the PKK military forces leave Turkey before a possible constitutional referandum in the fall and for Turkey’s 30-year terror question to be considered as done with.

An interesting feature of the “’Imrali Minutes” report was the harsh accusations of Ocalan against the Gulen Movement. Ocalan claimed the summons by the specially authorized prosecutor of Hakan Fidan, the undersecretary of National Intelligence Organization for questioning on Feb. 7, 2012, was “”actually a coup attempt” and implied it was the Gulen Movement behind it. Ocalan went as far as to claim that the objective of the summons was to arrest the prime minister on charges of treason and labeled the Gulen Movement as new “counter-guerrilla.”

We will perhaps understand better in the future why Ocalan made such severe accusations against the Gulen Movement. The Gulen media since 2009, especially after 2011, have been increasingly supportive of police operations that resulted in arrests of thousands of Kurdish activists, there has been a perceptible antipathy against the Gulen Movement in Kurdish public opinion. But this is not enough to explain Ocalan’s outburst.

What is definite is this: The crisis that began Feb. 7, 2012, with the summons for questioning of Hakan Fidan, the MIT undersecretary who happens to be one bureaucrat Erdogan trusts most, culminated in ending the de facto partnership for power between the Gulen Movement and the AKP.

It is true that the Gulen Movement, with its media assets, its undeniable influence over conservative voters and its potential power within the state, is a key actor. But what is apparent is that the movement has not yet decided its final position on Erdogan’s presidency and the peace process with the PKK and that they are somewhat undecided with these issues.

The Gulen Movement has adequate power to influence these processes this or that way once it makes up its

mind.

The clarification of the interaction among “the three” also depends on the Gulen Movement to determine its inclination.

Kadri Gürsel is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor's Turkey Pulse and has written a column for the Turkish dailyMilliyetsince 2007. He focuses primarily on Turkish foreign policy, international affairs and Turkey’s Kurdish question, as well as Turkey’s evolving political Islam. He joined the Milliyet publishing group in 1997 as vice editor-in-chief of a newly launched weekly news magazine, Artı-Haber, and was Milliyet’ s foreign news editor from 1999 until 2008. Gürsel was also a correspondent for Agence France-Presse between 1993 and 1997, and in 1995 was kidnapped by the PKK, an experience he recounted in his book Dağdakiler (Those of the Mountains), published in 1996. He is also chairman of the Turkish National Committee of the International Press Institute.

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Syria’s Armenian minority flees from conflict

Armenian-Syrians are fleeing to other countries — as their families once fled to Syria for sanctuary after the 1915 Ottoman genocide.

A picture shows an Armenian cemetery in Al-Yaqubia in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib on February 6, 2013. The Christian village of Al-Yaqubia may have escaped the full ravages of Syria's civil war but it could not avoid the plundering of the fighters.

By: Olivia Ward Foreign Affairs Reporter, Published on Mon Feb 25 2013

Explore This Story

Growing up in the 1960s, Sarkis Assadourian felt safe and sheltered in Aleppo’s buzzing Meidan district, in what was then Hafez Assad’s Syria.

“It was a shopping area, like a village, and 90 per cent of the people were Armenian,” said the former MP for Brampton and Don Valley North. “Nobody bothered us. The Muslims called us ‘our Armenian brothers.’”

But now Aleppo has fallen into the flames of a vicious civil war, with thousands of Armenian-Syrians fleeing to other countries — as their families once fled to Syria for sanctuary after the 1915 Ottoman genocide.

With a death toll of about 70,000 Syrians since the uprising began almost two years ago, life for minorities is becoming increasingly perilous. Last Thursday, more than 60 people died and hundreds more were wounded in bombing attacks in the capital Damascus. Syrian warplanes later struck targets near the Damascus International Airport.

Although Christian Armenians represent only 120,000 of Syria’s 22 million people, they are some of the most highly educated professionals. Threats, kidnappings, killings and the bombing and burning of Armenian churches have driven thousands to abandon their businesses, homes and life savings.

Read More: The Star in Syria

But many who have left the country blame Islamist rebel groups as much as President Bashar Assad for the bloodbath that has engulfed them. Their plight adds to the apprehension of Western leaders over the future if and when the opposition takes power. Canada has refused to recognize the Syrian opposition unless it rejects extremism and endorses inclusion of minorities.

“Assad was wrong,” said Assadourian in an interview. “He used a cannon to kill a fly. But what will happen if fundamentalists take over? Christians are losing ground throughout the Middle East. In Syria, there will be very few left.”

Armenians, as well as other Christians and Assad’s own Alawite minority, may not embrace his regime, but they fear new rounds of persecution and killing at the hands of extremists. They also fear the all-against-all civil war that brought neighbouring Lebanon — similarly ethnically and religiously divided — to its knees after 15 years of strife that began in 1975.

That’s a far cry from the tolerant Aleppo of Assadourian’s childhood memories. The majority of Syria’s Armenians lived in the thriving commercial centre, which is now in ruins.

“Our teacher was a Sunni Muslim, and she adopted an Armenian orphan. There was no hatred toward our community.”

Although the older Assad ruled with an iron fist, brutally crushing rebellions and torturing and murdering thousands of suspected opponents, he understood his own vulnerability as a member of a minority. He secularized the country, railed against “odious narrow-mindedness and loathsome bigotry,” and tried unsuccessfully to change the constitution so that non-Muslims could be president.

Now thousands of Armenians have joined the more than 600,000 Syrians who have fled as refugees, some of them anxiously hiding in the country they once feared most, Turkey.

At least 6,000 have been taken in by struggling Armenia, which has given them aid, medical care and expedited residency and citizenship in spite of its strained budget. Some have headed for even poorer Nagorno- Karabakh, a disputed territory controlled by Armenia, but also claimed by Azerbaijan.

Many look back at Syria with longing, but fading hope that they will be able to return. Ultimately, says Assadourian, flight of minorities like Armenians won’t help a post-Assad Syria become a democratic society.

“Whoever is in power must understand that if you are going to run a country, you have to widen your base.”

Achilleas Zavallis / AFP/Getty Images

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Turkey helping Syrian Armenians

Posted: 09 Mar 2013 04:52 AM PST

Re: Syria’s Armenian minority flees from conflict, Feb. 27 Syria’s Armenian minority flees from conflict, Feb. 27 This article does injustice to the burden borne by Turkey regarding the Syrians seeking refuge in the

neighbouring countries. Turkey, contrary to its portrayal as a country that Syrian Armenians are hiding in and as a country they once feared most, has provided and will continue to provide a safe haven for those in need without any discrimination as to their religion or nationality or any other aspect whatsoever.

Turkey also has a non-rejection policy for the refugees at the border. That applies to the Syrian Armenian community as well. Turkey is helping them by letting its airspace open to transfer them to Armenia. Turkey is ready to help them in Turkey and/or in Syria through relevant agencies if there is a request on their part.

Currently, the number of Syrians in the 17 camps built in Turkey is above 185,000, while another 100,000 are living with their own means or with relatives in Turkey. The national spending in this regard is approaching $600 million.

It is also worth mentioning that before the crisis erupted in Syria, Syrian Armenians regularly visited Turkey and also many of them used Turkish Airlines for their travels around the world, including to Canada.

Turkey also rejects the characterization of the events of 1915 as “genocide.” Our position on the issue is well known; accusing a nation with “genocide” is a serious allegation that needs to be substantiated with historical and legal evidence.

Dr. Tuncay Babali, Ambassador to Canada, the Republic of Turkey Toronto Star.

Re: Turkey helping Syrian Armenians, Online Letter March 8

Published on Mon Mar 11 2013 Turkey helping Syrian Armenians, Online Letter March 8 I, as an ordinary Armenian, not an ambassador, am obliged to respond to my colleague from Turkey, who,

surprisingly, hasn’t come across any “substantiated historical and legal evidence” on Armenian Genocide during his distinguished career. I do not wish to go into the details of the Genocide, which has been overwhelmingly documented, but honestly believing to my colleague’s lack of knowledge I’ll just point out few directions where Dr. Tuncay Babali may replenish his academic reservoirs with certain facts.

In 2002 the New York-based independent International Center for Transitional Justice concluded that the Ottoman massacre of Armenians “includes all of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the Genocide Convention.” Moreover, in addition to Canada, where my Turkish colleague is accredited as an ambassador, there are more than two dozen states and several international organizations — amongst them the most renowned International Association of Genocide Scholars — who have recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide.

Another fact-finding mission is to simply travel through western Armenia, which was conquered in 11th century by Turkish nomads from Altay Mountains, and suddenly stumble upon thousands of Armenian monuments, churches, fortresses, entire cities that Turkish government didn’t even bother to rename. Ask yourself — where is the indigenous population of these cities, where are the Christian parishioners of the empty churches, how could 1,5 million people simply disappear from the face of this earth.

I think you will find a little bit of historic evidence that still lies in the land of Noah, the Cradle of Civilization that Young Turks’ government so brutally raped and desecrated. Have dignity and courage to recognize, like bright Turkish novelist, Nobel Prize winner, Orhan Pamuk. Have respect towards 10 million Armenians that still mourn their terrific losses. Have courage!

Armen Yeganian, Armenia’s Ambassador to Canada TORONTO STAR

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