Armenian Weekly - Sassounian: Despite Lavish Public Praise, US Deeply Troubled by Erdogan‏

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Tuesday, July 02, 2013 Recent Articles from the Armenian Weekly... Sassounian: Despite Lavish Public Praise, US Deeply Troubled by Erdogan Local Richmond Church Celebrates ANC Anniversary ANC-RI Holds Dinner Meeting with Congressman Langevin ANCA Summer Internship Kicks off 2013 Season Photo Exhibit Depicts Personal Stories of Tumo Youth Café Anoush Reopens for the Summer Ahnert to Present Book at ALMA An Armenian Named Talaat Search Armenian Weekly Sassounian: Despite Lavish Public Praise, US Deeply Troubled by Erdogan Some months ago I wrote a column titled, “Obama Is Exploiting Turkish Leaders’ Craving for Flattery,” explaining that the U.S. president is able to persuade Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to do his bidding by taking advantage of his weakness for lavish praise! Those aware of Erdogan’s authoritarian streak—on full display during the recent brutal attacks on protesters in Istanbul and other Turkish cities—have been deeply troubled by U.S. officials’ repeated mischaracterization of the prime minister’s dictatorial regime as “a role model for the Islamic world.” The insincerity of such assessments was exposed when WikiLeaks made public thousands of confidential diplomatic cables from the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, indicating that American officials’ real opinion about Erdogan is the exact opposite of what they have been stating in public. The embassy dispatches, published by the German magazine Der Spiegel, described the Turkish prime minister “as a power-hungry... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Local Richmond Church Celebrates ANC Anniversary RICHMOND, Va.—The 67th annual Richmond Armenian National Committee (ANC) picnic, sponsored by the ARF Gomideh, took place on June 23 at St. James Armenian Apostolic Church to celebrate the chapter’s anniversary with Armenian kebab and a live band. A scene from the picnic Two elected American officials were present at the picnic: Councilman Jonathan T. Baliles of the Richmond City Council, and Virginia Delegate and Minority Caucus Secretary Betsy B. Carr of the Chesterfield and Richmond counties. The ANCA’s Leo Sarkisian interns from Washington, D.C. also joined in on the daylong festivities. The Armenian community in Richmond prides itself on being among the initial areas of colonial settlement, as well as one of the first sites of Armenian immigration to the United States. The community has been in existence since the 1890’s, when men from the Ottoman Empire came to work and send money back home; after the genocide, however, many could not return, so families settled down... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • ANC-RI Holds Dinner Meeting with Congressman Langevin The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Rhode Island has begun a “summer district outreach” initiative to reach out to its federal delegation. On June 24, a dinner meeting with Congressman James Langevin and representatives of the ANC-RI took place on Providence’s Historic Federal Hill. Langevin, a Democrat, represents Rhode Island’s second district, and has been a long time supporter and friend to the Armenian community. He has received the ANC-RI’s endorsement in every election since being elected in 2000. He is a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, and serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The June 24 discussion centered on U.S. recognition of the genocide, including H.Res. 227—the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution, currently before the House—as well as aid to Armenia and Artsakh. The ANC-RI briefed the Congressman on the committee’s upcoming initiatives and programs, and preparation for the 2014 election... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • ANCA Summer Internship Kicks off 2013 Season Armenian Weekly Launches Summer Journalism Fellowship Knarik Gasparyan WASHINGTON—Bright, energetic, and committed to the Cause, the 2013 Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) “Leo Sarkisian” interns are taking on Washington with the pride and purpose exemplified by the late ANCA leader whose legacy of service inspired this unique youth training program. “With a proven track record of academic excellence and local involvement, this year’s Leo Sarkisian Internship team has embarked on an eight-weekHai Tahd boot camp, in preparation for a lifetime of community leadership to advance the Armenian Cause,” said ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian. “Like the hundreds of alumni before them, the 2013 participants will serve as ANCA’s ambassadors, both in their academic and professional lives, representing the views of our community and the values of our Cause.” Each of the interns was selected following an intensive... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Photo Exhibit Depicts Personal Stories of Tumo Youth YEREVAN—Having recently wrapped up a four-week, intensive workshop with two highly acclaimed Armenian-American photojournalists, students at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies publicly unveiled their photos in a special exhibition this past Saturday. Photographer Scout Tufankjian rejoices with students at the opening of the exhibit. A total of 43 participants in workshops led by award-winning photographers Scout Tufankjian and Eric Grigorian were on hand to showcase their stories and speak with a capacity crowd at the opening of the exhibit. The photos will be on display at Tumo until July 6th and are open for public viewing. “So much about photography is how you see and about learning to see things in a new way,” explained Tufankjian as she reflected on her experience working with the students over the past month. “I think the most important thing to take away is how interesting the world is and how you can see the world in different ways.” Both Grigorian and... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Café Anoush Reopens for the Summer WATERTOWN, Mass.—On Thurs., July 11, Café Anoush will reopen its doors for the summer season. Held on Thursday evenings through August 29, the café has become a place for community members to gather and socialize over dinner. It is located in the courtyard of the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC), on 47 Nichols Ave. in Watertown. The ACEC, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, has served the community for decades. In turn, the organizers hope members of the community will show their support to the center, while enjoying a traditional Middle Eastern and Armenian menu that includes a variety of kebabs (losh, beef, and chicken), pilaf, hommus, tabbouleh, tahn (yogurt drink), and complimentary coffee. It is also offering a rich dessert menu, including khadayif, ice cream, sorbet, and strawberry shortcake. For more information or to make reservations, call (617)-926-6067.      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Ahnert to Present Book at ALMA WATERTOWN, Mass.—On Wed., July 17, Armenian-American author Margaret Ajemian Ahnert will discuss her award-winning book, The Knock at the Door, at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) in Watertown. Author Margaret Ajemian Ahnert Growing up, Ahnert heard her mother’s terrifying stories about her deportation from Amasia, Turkey, during the Armenian Genocide. Separated from her family at age 15, her mother, Ester, lived through traumatic events, but eventually escaped to America. The Knock at the Door explores this journey through darkness, as well as mother-daughter relationships, and presents an intimate view of family life and the inspiration Ahnert took from her mother. Ahnert has an MFA from Goucher College, a BA from Goddard College, and is a graduate of the Barnes Foundation. She has produced television documentaries, lectured as a docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and taught art appreciation through the “Art Goes... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • An Armenian Named Talaat Talaat is the son of an Armenian Genocide survivor. I first met him on a cold January day in Lice (pronounced Leejeh), a district perched on layer upon layer of violence—first against the Armenians, then the Kurds. It was a day before my scheduled speech at a conference in Ankara. His family gave us a warm welcome. After all, I was friends with Talaat’s brother, who had recently changed his Muslim name to Armen, and was taking Armenian language courses in nearby Diyarbakir. I do not remember how long I sat on the sofa in their quaint living room, at loss with words, sipping my tea, and thinking about identity, while my friends conversed with the family, diluting the awkwardness of my silence. The ruins of an Armenian church, with Lice in the background. (Photo by Khatchig Mouradian) Talaat’s father, Hovsep, was born in 1910 in an Armenian village in Lice. His family was butchered during the genocide when he was five, but somehow, he survived, and was taken in by a Muslim... Read More »