Armenian News... A Topalian... 'Decades of Displacement' - Concert for people in Gyumri
In Armenia, Decades of Displacement
Al Jazeera discussion on repercussions of the
1988 Armenian Earthquake:
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201602040120-0025147
panorama.am
RFE/RL
panorama.am
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201602040120-0025147
panorama.am
Tigran Hamasyan: This place, the environment made me
perform this concert to help the people in Gyumri
27/02/2016
Renowned Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan took away daily worries
27/02/2016
Renowned Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan took away daily worries
of the people of Gyumri and delivered an aesthetic delight through his
marvelous performance.
`I performed old and new works. First, I thought to play only new
works, which would symbolize the mission of the project - to buy new
houses for the families living in the temporary shelters. However,
this place, the environment made me perform this program,' Hamasyan
told the reports, following the charity concert for the homeless
families in Gyumri.
It is noted, that more than 3000 families still live in temporary
shelters in Gyumri 27 years after the devastating earthquake. An
international fundraiser has been launched to collect 190 thousand
USD. If the missions fulfills till March 15, 13 families will have new
apartments.
Earlier, Gyumri Mayor awarded Hamasyan of Gold Medal for his
outstanding contribution to the development of jazz and national
spiritual music, humanitarian and charity activities.
marvelous performance.
`I performed old and new works. First, I thought to play only new
works, which would symbolize the mission of the project - to buy new
houses for the families living in the temporary shelters. However,
this place, the environment made me perform this program,' Hamasyan
told the reports, following the charity concert for the homeless
families in Gyumri.
It is noted, that more than 3000 families still live in temporary
shelters in Gyumri 27 years after the devastating earthquake. An
international fundraiser has been launched to collect 190 thousand
USD. If the missions fulfills till March 15, 13 families will have new
apartments.
Earlier, Gyumri Mayor awarded Hamasyan of Gold Medal for his
outstanding contribution to the development of jazz and national
spiritual music, humanitarian and charity activities.
panorama.am
FIRST PRINTED ARMENIAN BIBLE IS 350 YEARS OLD
26/02/2016
This year marks the 350th anniversary of the first printed Armenian
Bible. It was published in 1666 in Amsterdam with the efforts of
Archbishop Voskan Yerevantsi. Printing began on March 11, 1666 and
was completed on October 13, 1668, according to armchurch.info website.
The Bible by Voskan Yerevantsi consists of 1462 pages presented in two
columns (2924 columns) and 159 images. It was published in 5000 copies.
The basis for the Bible by Voskan Yerevantsi was the one copied
in 1295 by the order of Hethum II, King of the Armenian Kingdom of
Cilicia. Yerevantsi edited this copy according to Vulgate, the Latin
translation of the Bible. During printing he translated and added
several books of the Old Testament missing from the Armenian Canon.
Voskan Yerevantsi asked famous artist-bookbinder Albert Magnus for
a splendid example of the Bible, which he then gave to Louis XVI
of France.
17TH CENTURY ARMENIAN CHURCH ON SALE IN TURKEY
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Feb 25 2016
300-year-old Armenian church has been put up for sale in Turkey for
$1.5 million.
An advert on the property website "sahibinden.com" shows the
ramshackle, three-story building in the heart of Bursa, northwest
Turkey, is located near the tombs of the fifth Ottoman sultan, Mehmed
I, and the 14th century tomb of Bayezid I's adviser and son-in-law.
Estate agent Tayfun Ozengirler said the building in the Setbasi
neighborhood was registered in as a historical monument in 1986.
"The area where the church is situated was once inhabited by
Armenians," Ozengirler said. "You can smell the history on every
corner."
Bursa, the capital of the Ottoman Empire before the capture of
Constantinople in 1453, was a center of Armenian culture and the
Armenian Patriarchate was based in Setbasi before moving to Istanbul.
Ozengirler said he had received a number of queries about the advert.
"No one has agreed the demanded price so far but we will do our best
for the sellers," he told Anadolu Agency.
26/02/2016
This year marks the 350th anniversary of the first printed Armenian
Bible. It was published in 1666 in Amsterdam with the efforts of
Archbishop Voskan Yerevantsi. Printing began on March 11, 1666 and
was completed on October 13, 1668, according to armchurch.info website.
The Bible by Voskan Yerevantsi consists of 1462 pages presented in two
columns (2924 columns) and 159 images. It was published in 5000 copies.
The basis for the Bible by Voskan Yerevantsi was the one copied
in 1295 by the order of Hethum II, King of the Armenian Kingdom of
Cilicia. Yerevantsi edited this copy according to Vulgate, the Latin
translation of the Bible. During printing he translated and added
several books of the Old Testament missing from the Armenian Canon.
Voskan Yerevantsi asked famous artist-bookbinder Albert Magnus for
a splendid example of the Bible, which he then gave to Louis XVI
of France.
17TH CENTURY ARMENIAN CHURCH ON SALE IN TURKEY
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Feb 25 2016
300-year-old Armenian church has been put up for sale in Turkey for
$1.5 million.
An advert on the property website "sahibinden.com" shows the
ramshackle, three-story building in the heart of Bursa, northwest
Turkey, is located near the tombs of the fifth Ottoman sultan, Mehmed
I, and the 14th century tomb of Bayezid I's adviser and son-in-law.
Estate agent Tayfun Ozengirler said the building in the Setbasi
neighborhood was registered in as a historical monument in 1986.
"The area where the church is situated was once inhabited by
Armenians," Ozengirler said. "You can smell the history on every
corner."
Bursa, the capital of the Ottoman Empire before the capture of
Constantinople in 1453, was a center of Armenian culture and the
Armenian Patriarchate was based in Setbasi before moving to Istanbul.
Ozengirler said he had received a number of queries about the advert.
"No one has agreed the demanded price so far but we will do our best
for the sellers," he told Anadolu Agency.
RFE/RL
Report Russia Defends Fresh Arms Deal With Armenia
25.02.2016
Russia dismissed on Thursday Azerbaijani protests against its decision
to sell $200 million worth of more Russian-manufactured weapons to
Armenia.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it has sent a
protest note to Moscow in connection with the arms deal that will be
financed with a $200 million Russian loan allocated to Yerevan last
year.
"We have already made it clear to the Azerbaijani side through
diplomatic channels that Russia is bound by an alliance with Armenia
and is developing with it military-technical cooperation among other
things," said Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman.
"This is a well-known fact, and we are managing that cooperation
without hiding it, in a transparent and open manner. We hope that
Azerbaijan will show understanding for this fact," Zakharova told a
news briefing in Moscow.
"We carry out any supplies of weapons to Armenia as well as friendly
Azerbaijan with a meticulous consideration of the need to maintain the
balance of forces in the region," she added, according to the TASS
news agency.
Zakharova appeared to allude to the fact that Russia has sold more
than $4 billion worth of mostly offensive weapons to Azerbaijan in the
last several years. Those arms deliveries prompted criticism from
Armenia's government, political parties and media. Some of them have
accused Moscow of thereby undercutting Armenia, Russia's main regional
ally, in the dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The latest Russian-Armenian arms deal has been construed by some
analysts as a Russian attempt to placate the Armenians.
The Russian government disclosed late last week a long list of items
which the Armenian military will be able to acquire with the Russian
loan by the end of 2017. They include devastating multiple-launch
rocket systems, flamethrower systems, anti-tank rockets and
communication equipment.
THE WORLD"S SEXIEST NATIONALITIES REVEALED
The New Zealand Herald
February 24, 2016 Wednesday
According to a new poll, the sexiest men in the world are Irish.
The research, carried out by travel dating site Miss Travel surveyed
over 66,000 American women about their taste in foreign men.
The results showed that nearly 8000 women chose Irish men as the
hottest in the world, closely followed by Australians, with Pakistani
men in third place.
Women surveyed said accents were a strong factor in who they considered
attractive.
Popular Irish actors like Colin Farrell, Michael Fassbender, Jamie
Dornan, Aidan Turner and Jonathan Rhys Meyers may have also contributed
to the trend.
The results came just weeks after exclusive dating website Beautiful
People said that fewer then one in 10 Irish men had their profiles
accepted on the site.
Kiwi men did not make the list, but it"s the second year running that
Irish men have come out on top.
The survey also asked 44,873 men about their taste in women, with
Armenians topping the list - most likely due to the influence of
Armenian-American Kim Kardashian.
Unlike their male counterparts, Irish women did not feature on
the list.
Top ten sexiest nationalities for men
1. Irish
2. Australian
3. Pakistani
4. American
5. English
6. Scottish
7. Italian
8. Nigerian
9. Danish
10. Spanish
Top ten sexiest nationalities for women
1. Armenian
2. Barbadian/Bajan
3. American
4. Colombian
5. English
6. Australian
7. Brazillian
8. Filipino
9. Bulgarian
10. Lebanese
25.02.2016
Russia dismissed on Thursday Azerbaijani protests against its decision
to sell $200 million worth of more Russian-manufactured weapons to
Armenia.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it has sent a
protest note to Moscow in connection with the arms deal that will be
financed with a $200 million Russian loan allocated to Yerevan last
year.
"We have already made it clear to the Azerbaijani side through
diplomatic channels that Russia is bound by an alliance with Armenia
and is developing with it military-technical cooperation among other
things," said Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman.
"This is a well-known fact, and we are managing that cooperation
without hiding it, in a transparent and open manner. We hope that
Azerbaijan will show understanding for this fact," Zakharova told a
news briefing in Moscow.
"We carry out any supplies of weapons to Armenia as well as friendly
Azerbaijan with a meticulous consideration of the need to maintain the
balance of forces in the region," she added, according to the TASS
news agency.
Zakharova appeared to allude to the fact that Russia has sold more
than $4 billion worth of mostly offensive weapons to Azerbaijan in the
last several years. Those arms deliveries prompted criticism from
Armenia's government, political parties and media. Some of them have
accused Moscow of thereby undercutting Armenia, Russia's main regional
ally, in the dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The latest Russian-Armenian arms deal has been construed by some
analysts as a Russian attempt to placate the Armenians.
The Russian government disclosed late last week a long list of items
which the Armenian military will be able to acquire with the Russian
loan by the end of 2017. They include devastating multiple-launch
rocket systems, flamethrower systems, anti-tank rockets and
communication equipment.
THE WORLD"S SEXIEST NATIONALITIES REVEALED
The New Zealand Herald
February 24, 2016 Wednesday
According to a new poll, the sexiest men in the world are Irish.
The research, carried out by travel dating site Miss Travel surveyed
over 66,000 American women about their taste in foreign men.
The results showed that nearly 8000 women chose Irish men as the
hottest in the world, closely followed by Australians, with Pakistani
men in third place.
Women surveyed said accents were a strong factor in who they considered
attractive.
Popular Irish actors like Colin Farrell, Michael Fassbender, Jamie
Dornan, Aidan Turner and Jonathan Rhys Meyers may have also contributed
to the trend.
The results came just weeks after exclusive dating website Beautiful
People said that fewer then one in 10 Irish men had their profiles
accepted on the site.
Kiwi men did not make the list, but it"s the second year running that
Irish men have come out on top.
The survey also asked 44,873 men about their taste in women, with
Armenians topping the list - most likely due to the influence of
Armenian-American Kim Kardashian.
Unlike their male counterparts, Irish women did not feature on
the list.
Top ten sexiest nationalities for men
1. Irish
2. Australian
3. Pakistani
4. American
5. English
6. Scottish
7. Italian
8. Nigerian
9. Danish
10. Spanish
Top ten sexiest nationalities for women
1. Armenian
2. Barbadian/Bajan
3. American
4. Colombian
5. English
6. Australian
7. Brazillian
8. Filipino
9. Bulgarian
10. Lebanese
Armenia: Parliament Debates Man-to-Man Kisses
By Giorgi Lomsadze
February 26, 2016
Armenia's busy parliament took a moment this week to address the
"problem" of men kissing men--according to one MP, a concern for both
the country and its national assembly. Neighboring Georgia was blamed
for bringing the smooching whammy upon Armenia.
On the morning of February 23, the world was closing in on 59-year-old
Aram Manukian of the opposition Armenian National Congress. To the
left, right and center, male deputies filled Armenia's parliamentary
hall, exchanging handshakes and kisses -- a popular form of
salutation.
Just to be clear, the Caucasus-style greeting between men involves a
peck on the cheek; thankfully, not a Leonid Brezhnev-style,
mouth-to-mouth embrace. Displays of affection between men, such as
kissed greetings and walking with arms locked, is customary in this
otherwise macho neck of the woods, and accounts for more than one
awkward moment with Western visitors.
But this time around, Armenian lawmakers apparently got a little
carried away, prompting a request from Deputy Speaker Eduard
Sharmazanov to be done with giving love and move on to the pressing
matters of the day, such as getting a show of hands for candidates for
a new ombudsman.
Manukian took the floor. He used the high tribune to call upon Armenia
to stop the man-to-man kisses.
"Do not do this! This is not a pretty sight! Children are watching!"
he pled with his colleagues. Armenian men kiss everywhere these days,
he pointed out -- in parliament, the institutions of higher education,
you name it.
"I forbade guys in our party to kiss every day," he said, without
specifying what rate of kissing was now sanctioned within the Armenian
National Congress.
Perhaps thinking that Manukian was a little too hard on his
colleagues, Deputy Speaker Sharmazanov interceded with a joke that
kissing is fine so long as it is not the "kiss of Judas." Another
representative of the ruling Republican Party, 38-year-old Hovhannes
Sahakian, chimed in to say that he, for one, trusts the men he kisses.
But Manukian was not placated. In a rare display of willingness to
cede cultural primacy in the region to neighboring Georgia, he said
that it was the Georgians who taught Armenian men to kiss.
"Men kiss there all the time," Manukian informed the assembly.
Georgians, as this native Georgian blogger can confirm, do kiss
indiscriminately, but the body of scientific research is scarce as to
when and where the custom originated.
Armenia's parliamentarians did not examine the topic further. They
managed to move past their debate on philematology, and finally
elected as ombudsman Deputy Justice Minister Arman Tatoian.
Chances are, no man congratulated him with a kiss.
aravat.am
German Bundestag again discussed and postponed the resolution
condemning the Armenian Genocide
February 26 2016
Still last year, the resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide in
the German Bundestag was debated today, and once again its adoption
was postponed. Last year in May, the adoption of the resolution was
postponed indefinitely. Our German-based compatriot in charge of the
website on the 100th anniversary of the genocide in Germany, a member
of the Genocide Recognition Committee, Varujan Babakhan, referring to
today's debate in the Bundestag which incidentally was also attended
by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, wrote on his Facebook page,
`Shortly before, the debate on the resolution of the Armenia genocide
recognition submitted by Bundestag Greens in German ended.
Christian-Democrat, Social-Democrat and Christian Union parties did
not agree with the term, stating that it would prevent the European
Union-Turkey summit next week.
All parties have unanimously recognized the Armenian Genocide, no one
denied or doubted, they did not agree only with the terms, they wanted
to reach an agreement with Turkey on the issue of refugees at that
time. Christian-Democrats proposed not to put the resolution to the
vote and reach a common agreement by April 24, 2016 (a bit before or
after) and then debate the common resolution in a more favorable
condition. The resolution was not put to a vote, in other words, it
was not rejected and was postponed for some time. The common
resolution includes: A) A clear recognition of the Genocide and
condemnation by Germany. B) The role of Germany in the genocide, the
adoption. C) Do everything for the opening of Turkey-Armenia border.
Social-Democrats proposed to digitalize archives in Germany pertaining
to the genocide and include them on the Internet with the translation
into different languages: English, Turkish and Armenian.'
After this reasoning, Mr. Babakhan is presenting his personal opinion,
`My personal opinion is this: I consider today's discussion positive,
even though fruitless but the more we have such discussions at the
governmental level, the more ground is prepared for the future
protection of Armenia's interests.'
To the question of `Aravot' whether the resolution submitted by the
Greens party is the same resolution that was submitted in the
Bundestag last year and was postponed, Mr. Babakhan replied, `Yes, it
was the discussion of the resolution, rather say, three parties had
submitted three resolutions, now the Greens party had presented their
resolution for consideration. Now, let us see how the circumstances
would work for the common resolution.'
To my request to further detail the resolutions of the three parties,
Mr. Babakhan explained, `Last year, the three parties submitted their
resolutions. The Greens were clearly talking about the Genocide and
condemnation. So was with the Lefts but they were more focused on the
role of the Germany and condemnation. Christian-Democrats had
formulated the moment of Genocide more vaguely. This was a
disagreement among these three and the issue moved to discussions
which lasted until today. Last week, the Greens leader Cem Ã-zdemir
said, it is enough, we will put our resolution for discussion. During
today's debate, the Christian-Democrats said, `we are openly and
sincerely reaching out our hand to talk about this issue with each
other and agree on it and on the most favorable terms, bring it to the
discussion at the Bundestag so that our interests are not hurt too.'
Ã-zdemir went to talk with Christian-Democrats Secretary General Volker
Kauder, they agreed and this it was postponed'. Our next question of
whether it is possible that the presence of Chancellor Merkel somehow
affected the non-adoption of the resolution in the Bundestag, more
precisely, the postponing, Mr. Babakhan laughed, `Absolutely not. She
joined us in the middle, put her bag aside, called her chief
secretary, went and sat down in a corner and began to talk ¦ about
what, God knows.' Mr. Babakhan also said that after the discussion,
Chairman of the Armenian Genocide Recognition Committee, Tessa
Hoffman, met and talked with the Chairman of the Greens and Cem
Ã-zdemir who presented the resolution.
Melania BARSEGHYAN
ARMENIA MASSACRE: TOO MUCH REGARD FOR TURKEY?
Deutsche Welle, Germany
Feb 26 2016
The timing is provocative: Just two weeks before the EU-Turkey
summit, the Green Party is putting before parliament a resolution
which describes the massacre of the Armenian people 100 years ago
as genocide.
For the governing coalition, the timing of the Greens' resolution
couldn't be worse. Because of the refugee crisis, the government is
trying to avoid being too hard on Turkey and referring to the mass
murder of Armenians a century ago as "genocide."
The government is under pressure to noticeably reduce the number of
refugees coming to Germany. In Chancellor Angela Merkel's strategy,
Turkey has a special role as the most significant transit country
for migrants.
On March 7, important negotiations with Ankara at the EU-Turkey
summit are set to take place. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
is considered to be an irritable negotiating partner and Germany does
not want to get his back up.
According to Armenian accounts, some 1.5 million members of the
Armenian minority community were killed between April 1915 and 1917 at
the hands of their Ottoman rulers in what is present-day Turkey. For
its part, Turkey maintains that between 300,000 and 500,000 Armenians
were killed, and that just as many Turks died during the same period.
Ankara speaks of an atmosphere of civil war and famine. To this day,
the Turkish government reacts with hostility whenever the term genocide
is used to describe the killings.
Everyone on the same page
The governing coalition takes the same view on the issue as the
Greens. At a parliamentary debate in April 2015, parliamentarians were
unanimous in their opinion that the massacre of the Armenian people a
century ago was genocide. German President Joachim Gauck and Bundestag
President Norbert Lammert both used the term to describe the killings.
But what was missing was the passing of a parliamentary resolution
that included the term "genocide." In October, the CDU/CSU, SPD, and
the Green Party finally agreed on its adoption. But the resolution
was brought before parliament as being solely from the Greens. The
draft text says that the fate of the murdered Armenians "stands as
an example of the mass extermination, ethnic cleansing, expulsion,
and even genocide that has so terribly marked the history of the 20th
century." The text also refers to the "uniqueness of the Holocaust"
as well as the "inglorious role of the German Reich" in the massacre
of the Armenian people.
Criticism from the Greens
Green Party leader Cem Ozdemir has accused the governing coalition
of deferring too much to Turkey and pulling back from the common
resolution.
Green chairman Cem Ozdemir says the German government is avoiding
the issue
"The resolution consciously stops short of asking the federal
government to recognize the genocide in order not to make a big deal
of this now," Ozdemir told DW. "You could have easily said, well it's
the parliament, it's not the government."
CDU member of parliament Christoph Bergner clearly stated his
opinion during the debate in April. "I really doubt that we can
present ourselves in a convincing way and take a clear position
in this discussion if we shy away from using the term 'genocide',"
Bergner said. Despite this, he's against the Greens' resolution. "Our
objections refer to the process, not the content," Bergner told DW.
"When you're in negotiations with a partner, you try not to burden
those negotiations," he said with regard to Turkey. He accuses the
Greens of using the genocide issue for a partisan maneuver.
'There is never going to be a right time'
The right resolution at the wrong time? Ozdemir rejects that idea.
"There's never going to be a right time for this issue. It's been
the wrong time for a hundred years now. It's just an excuse."
Even though it's likely that the resolution from the Greens will fail,
Bergner says that doesn't mean the discussion about the Armenian
genocide is over. "I hope that we'll find a better time during this
coalition to agree on a formula,
By Giorgi Lomsadze
February 26, 2016
Armenia's busy parliament took a moment this week to address the
"problem" of men kissing men--according to one MP, a concern for both
the country and its national assembly. Neighboring Georgia was blamed
for bringing the smooching whammy upon Armenia.
On the morning of February 23, the world was closing in on 59-year-old
Aram Manukian of the opposition Armenian National Congress. To the
left, right and center, male deputies filled Armenia's parliamentary
hall, exchanging handshakes and kisses -- a popular form of
salutation.
Just to be clear, the Caucasus-style greeting between men involves a
peck on the cheek; thankfully, not a Leonid Brezhnev-style,
mouth-to-mouth embrace. Displays of affection between men, such as
kissed greetings and walking with arms locked, is customary in this
otherwise macho neck of the woods, and accounts for more than one
awkward moment with Western visitors.
But this time around, Armenian lawmakers apparently got a little
carried away, prompting a request from Deputy Speaker Eduard
Sharmazanov to be done with giving love and move on to the pressing
matters of the day, such as getting a show of hands for candidates for
a new ombudsman.
Manukian took the floor. He used the high tribune to call upon Armenia
to stop the man-to-man kisses.
"Do not do this! This is not a pretty sight! Children are watching!"
he pled with his colleagues. Armenian men kiss everywhere these days,
he pointed out -- in parliament, the institutions of higher education,
you name it.
"I forbade guys in our party to kiss every day," he said, without
specifying what rate of kissing was now sanctioned within the Armenian
National Congress.
Perhaps thinking that Manukian was a little too hard on his
colleagues, Deputy Speaker Sharmazanov interceded with a joke that
kissing is fine so long as it is not the "kiss of Judas." Another
representative of the ruling Republican Party, 38-year-old Hovhannes
Sahakian, chimed in to say that he, for one, trusts the men he kisses.
But Manukian was not placated. In a rare display of willingness to
cede cultural primacy in the region to neighboring Georgia, he said
that it was the Georgians who taught Armenian men to kiss.
"Men kiss there all the time," Manukian informed the assembly.
Georgians, as this native Georgian blogger can confirm, do kiss
indiscriminately, but the body of scientific research is scarce as to
when and where the custom originated.
Armenia's parliamentarians did not examine the topic further. They
managed to move past their debate on philematology, and finally
elected as ombudsman Deputy Justice Minister Arman Tatoian.
Chances are, no man congratulated him with a kiss.
aravat.am
German Bundestag again discussed and postponed the resolution
condemning the Armenian Genocide
February 26 2016
Still last year, the resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide in
the German Bundestag was debated today, and once again its adoption
was postponed. Last year in May, the adoption of the resolution was
postponed indefinitely. Our German-based compatriot in charge of the
website on the 100th anniversary of the genocide in Germany, a member
of the Genocide Recognition Committee, Varujan Babakhan, referring to
today's debate in the Bundestag which incidentally was also attended
by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, wrote on his Facebook page,
`Shortly before, the debate on the resolution of the Armenia genocide
recognition submitted by Bundestag Greens in German ended.
Christian-Democrat, Social-Democrat and Christian Union parties did
not agree with the term, stating that it would prevent the European
Union-Turkey summit next week.
All parties have unanimously recognized the Armenian Genocide, no one
denied or doubted, they did not agree only with the terms, they wanted
to reach an agreement with Turkey on the issue of refugees at that
time. Christian-Democrats proposed not to put the resolution to the
vote and reach a common agreement by April 24, 2016 (a bit before or
after) and then debate the common resolution in a more favorable
condition. The resolution was not put to a vote, in other words, it
was not rejected and was postponed for some time. The common
resolution includes: A) A clear recognition of the Genocide and
condemnation by Germany. B) The role of Germany in the genocide, the
adoption. C) Do everything for the opening of Turkey-Armenia border.
Social-Democrats proposed to digitalize archives in Germany pertaining
to the genocide and include them on the Internet with the translation
into different languages: English, Turkish and Armenian.'
After this reasoning, Mr. Babakhan is presenting his personal opinion,
`My personal opinion is this: I consider today's discussion positive,
even though fruitless but the more we have such discussions at the
governmental level, the more ground is prepared for the future
protection of Armenia's interests.'
To the question of `Aravot' whether the resolution submitted by the
Greens party is the same resolution that was submitted in the
Bundestag last year and was postponed, Mr. Babakhan replied, `Yes, it
was the discussion of the resolution, rather say, three parties had
submitted three resolutions, now the Greens party had presented their
resolution for consideration. Now, let us see how the circumstances
would work for the common resolution.'
To my request to further detail the resolutions of the three parties,
Mr. Babakhan explained, `Last year, the three parties submitted their
resolutions. The Greens were clearly talking about the Genocide and
condemnation. So was with the Lefts but they were more focused on the
role of the Germany and condemnation. Christian-Democrats had
formulated the moment of Genocide more vaguely. This was a
disagreement among these three and the issue moved to discussions
which lasted until today. Last week, the Greens leader Cem Ã-zdemir
said, it is enough, we will put our resolution for discussion. During
today's debate, the Christian-Democrats said, `we are openly and
sincerely reaching out our hand to talk about this issue with each
other and agree on it and on the most favorable terms, bring it to the
discussion at the Bundestag so that our interests are not hurt too.'
Ã-zdemir went to talk with Christian-Democrats Secretary General Volker
Kauder, they agreed and this it was postponed'. Our next question of
whether it is possible that the presence of Chancellor Merkel somehow
affected the non-adoption of the resolution in the Bundestag, more
precisely, the postponing, Mr. Babakhan laughed, `Absolutely not. She
joined us in the middle, put her bag aside, called her chief
secretary, went and sat down in a corner and began to talk ¦ about
what, God knows.' Mr. Babakhan also said that after the discussion,
Chairman of the Armenian Genocide Recognition Committee, Tessa
Hoffman, met and talked with the Chairman of the Greens and Cem
Ã-zdemir who presented the resolution.
Melania BARSEGHYAN
ARMENIA MASSACRE: TOO MUCH REGARD FOR TURKEY?
Deutsche Welle, Germany
Feb 26 2016
The timing is provocative: Just two weeks before the EU-Turkey
summit, the Green Party is putting before parliament a resolution
which describes the massacre of the Armenian people 100 years ago
as genocide.
For the governing coalition, the timing of the Greens' resolution
couldn't be worse. Because of the refugee crisis, the government is
trying to avoid being too hard on Turkey and referring to the mass
murder of Armenians a century ago as "genocide."
The government is under pressure to noticeably reduce the number of
refugees coming to Germany. In Chancellor Angela Merkel's strategy,
Turkey has a special role as the most significant transit country
for migrants.
On March 7, important negotiations with Ankara at the EU-Turkey
summit are set to take place. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
is considered to be an irritable negotiating partner and Germany does
not want to get his back up.
According to Armenian accounts, some 1.5 million members of the
Armenian minority community were killed between April 1915 and 1917 at
the hands of their Ottoman rulers in what is present-day Turkey. For
its part, Turkey maintains that between 300,000 and 500,000 Armenians
were killed, and that just as many Turks died during the same period.
Ankara speaks of an atmosphere of civil war and famine. To this day,
the Turkish government reacts with hostility whenever the term genocide
is used to describe the killings.
Everyone on the same page
The governing coalition takes the same view on the issue as the
Greens. At a parliamentary debate in April 2015, parliamentarians were
unanimous in their opinion that the massacre of the Armenian people a
century ago was genocide. German President Joachim Gauck and Bundestag
President Norbert Lammert both used the term to describe the killings.
But what was missing was the passing of a parliamentary resolution
that included the term "genocide." In October, the CDU/CSU, SPD, and
the Green Party finally agreed on its adoption. But the resolution
was brought before parliament as being solely from the Greens. The
draft text says that the fate of the murdered Armenians "stands as
an example of the mass extermination, ethnic cleansing, expulsion,
and even genocide that has so terribly marked the history of the 20th
century." The text also refers to the "uniqueness of the Holocaust"
as well as the "inglorious role of the German Reich" in the massacre
of the Armenian people.
Criticism from the Greens
Green Party leader Cem Ozdemir has accused the governing coalition
of deferring too much to Turkey and pulling back from the common
resolution.
Green chairman Cem Ozdemir says the German government is avoiding
the issue
"The resolution consciously stops short of asking the federal
government to recognize the genocide in order not to make a big deal
of this now," Ozdemir told DW. "You could have easily said, well it's
the parliament, it's not the government."
CDU member of parliament Christoph Bergner clearly stated his
opinion during the debate in April. "I really doubt that we can
present ourselves in a convincing way and take a clear position
in this discussion if we shy away from using the term 'genocide',"
Bergner said. Despite this, he's against the Greens' resolution. "Our
objections refer to the process, not the content," Bergner told DW.
"When you're in negotiations with a partner, you try not to burden
those negotiations," he said with regard to Turkey. He accuses the
Greens of using the genocide issue for a partisan maneuver.
'There is never going to be a right time'
The right resolution at the wrong time? Ozdemir rejects that idea.
"There's never going to be a right time for this issue. It's been
the wrong time for a hundred years now. It's just an excuse."
Even though it's likely that the resolution from the Greens will fail,
Bergner says that doesn't mean the discussion about the Armenian
genocide is over. "I hope that we'll find a better time during this
coalition to agree on a formula,
panorama.am
"JEWS HAVE NOT FACED SUCH XENOPHOBIC PROPAGANDA":
ARMENOPHOBIA IN AZERBAIJAN
25/02/2016
The English version of the book "Armenophobia in Azerbaijan"
was published. The main aim is to inform wider circles about the
Armenophobic phenomena going on in Azerbaijan. PhD in Political
Sciences Anzhela Elibegova, the co-author of the book, who specialises
in geopolitics of the South Caucasus, told the journalists that the
Russian-language version of the book had been published in 2013. The
response to the book was quite interesting, Elibegova said. The book
has not been criticised at all, as the Azerbaijanis have confessed
themselves that they have not read it.
The book is based on a study of Azerbaijani children's and educational
literature, fiction, and the statements made by officials.
"We have compiled the book by studying the statements made on the
official level, the Azerbaijani media, the websites, and the displays
of Armenophobia spreading inside the society. We have collected
this all and analysed. We are still continuing to collect data,"
Elibegova said.
Armine Adibekyan, the co-author of the book, who heads Xenophobia
Prevention Initiative NGO, informed about the website of the book,
where the users can access Azerbaijani officials' statements left
out of the book. "Had we included everything, it would become an
over-20-volume research," she said.
"Armenophobia in Azerbaijan" was published with the support of the
Information and Public Relations Centre of the Administration of the
President of the Republic of Armenia. Copies of the book have been
handed to the Foreign and Diaspora Ministries, which will forward it
to various international entities in their turn.
The new and refreshed version of the website xocali.net , as well as
the English version of the website azerichild.info were also presented
to the journalists.
Adibekyan said the falsified materials, which the Azerbaijani
propaganda machine uses to spread misleading information, are available
on xocali.net. "The lists presented contradict each other.
The interviews and statements made in 1992 claim one thing, while those
made today another. The events are presented in a totally altered way,
we can observe serious differences," she pointed out.
According to Samvel Martirosyan, specialist of information security,
the English version of xocali.net has been significantly enriched
and more proofs about forgeries have been added.
"The propaganda machine of Azerbaijan has developed the topic of
Khojaly alone for long years, as Armenia did not address it on the
state level. Actually, Azerbaijan has long had a chance to introduce
its own version without any counteraction, issuing an enormous number
of falsifications," Martirosyan highlighted.
The English version of azerichild.info presents Armenophobic examples
of children's educational literature and methodology, where the
Armenians are introduced as monsters, Adibekyan said.
"The website had only Russian version at the beginning because we
were translating the materials from Azerbaijani. Today, it is also
available in English enabling more people to realise who we deal with."
PhD in Psychological sciences Izabella Ghazaryan said a three-year-old
child is taught that the Armenians are evil spirits. Growing up in
this atmosphere, they perceive an Armenian as an evil spirit rather
than a human being.
"They get to know the world in a distorted way. The perception of the
world is formed before a child reaches the age of 12. The Azerbaijani
children perceive a world where the Armenian is an evil spirit,"
the psychologist noted.
Karen Vrtanesyan, a military expert, said the recent decades have
seen establishment of a situation, where the Armenians are considered
guilty of everything bad in Azerbaijan as a result of the propaganda
carried out by Azerbaijan's government.
"The propaganda has reached to a point where we can say even the Jews
in Nazi Germany did not face such xenophobic propaganda as it is in
Azerbaijan now," he stressed.
When asked whether the initiatives of the kind will be ongoing, Armine
Adibekyan said, "Azerbaijan does not give us the chance to stop. They
always provide us with materials which need to be analysed. We will
not remain jobless as long as Azerbaijan is standing on this ground."
She also added that new projects are being worked on. They have
particularly compiled a rich informational database about Azerbaijan's
caviar diplomacy.
According to her, international entities are well aware of what kind of
generation is growing up in Azerbaijan, as well as of the Armenophobic
phenomena displayed there. She said it is because of the politics that
nothing is done about that. "I do not expect any significant change,"
Adibekyan said.
25/02/2016
The English version of the book "Armenophobia in Azerbaijan"
was published. The main aim is to inform wider circles about the
Armenophobic phenomena going on in Azerbaijan. PhD in Political
Sciences Anzhela Elibegova, the co-author of the book, who specialises
in geopolitics of the South Caucasus, told the journalists that the
Russian-language version of the book had been published in 2013. The
response to the book was quite interesting, Elibegova said. The book
has not been criticised at all, as the Azerbaijanis have confessed
themselves that they have not read it.
The book is based on a study of Azerbaijani children's and educational
literature, fiction, and the statements made by officials.
"We have compiled the book by studying the statements made on the
official level, the Azerbaijani media, the websites, and the displays
of Armenophobia spreading inside the society. We have collected
this all and analysed. We are still continuing to collect data,"
Elibegova said.
Armine Adibekyan, the co-author of the book, who heads Xenophobia
Prevention Initiative NGO, informed about the website of the book,
where the users can access Azerbaijani officials' statements left
out of the book. "Had we included everything, it would become an
over-20-volume research," she said.
"Armenophobia in Azerbaijan" was published with the support of the
Information and Public Relations Centre of the Administration of the
President of the Republic of Armenia. Copies of the book have been
handed to the Foreign and Diaspora Ministries, which will forward it
to various international entities in their turn.
The new and refreshed version of the website xocali.net , as well as
the English version of the website azerichild.info were also presented
to the journalists.
Adibekyan said the falsified materials, which the Azerbaijani
propaganda machine uses to spread misleading information, are available
on xocali.net. "The lists presented contradict each other.
The interviews and statements made in 1992 claim one thing, while those
made today another. The events are presented in a totally altered way,
we can observe serious differences," she pointed out.
According to Samvel Martirosyan, specialist of information security,
the English version of xocali.net has been significantly enriched
and more proofs about forgeries have been added.
"The propaganda machine of Azerbaijan has developed the topic of
Khojaly alone for long years, as Armenia did not address it on the
state level. Actually, Azerbaijan has long had a chance to introduce
its own version without any counteraction, issuing an enormous number
of falsifications," Martirosyan highlighted.
The English version of azerichild.info presents Armenophobic examples
of children's educational literature and methodology, where the
Armenians are introduced as monsters, Adibekyan said.
"The website had only Russian version at the beginning because we
were translating the materials from Azerbaijani. Today, it is also
available in English enabling more people to realise who we deal with."
PhD in Psychological sciences Izabella Ghazaryan said a three-year-old
child is taught that the Armenians are evil spirits. Growing up in
this atmosphere, they perceive an Armenian as an evil spirit rather
than a human being.
"They get to know the world in a distorted way. The perception of the
world is formed before a child reaches the age of 12. The Azerbaijani
children perceive a world where the Armenian is an evil spirit,"
the psychologist noted.
Karen Vrtanesyan, a military expert, said the recent decades have
seen establishment of a situation, where the Armenians are considered
guilty of everything bad in Azerbaijan as a result of the propaganda
carried out by Azerbaijan's government.
"The propaganda has reached to a point where we can say even the Jews
in Nazi Germany did not face such xenophobic propaganda as it is in
Azerbaijan now," he stressed.
When asked whether the initiatives of the kind will be ongoing, Armine
Adibekyan said, "Azerbaijan does not give us the chance to stop. They
always provide us with materials which need to be analysed. We will
not remain jobless as long as Azerbaijan is standing on this ground."
She also added that new projects are being worked on. They have
particularly compiled a rich informational database about Azerbaijan's
caviar diplomacy.
According to her, international entities are well aware of what kind of
generation is growing up in Azerbaijan, as well as of the Armenophobic
phenomena displayed there. She said it is because of the politics that
nothing is done about that. "I do not expect any significant change,"
Adibekyan said.
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