German Parliament Deals Fatal Blow To Turkish Denial Of Genocide

[Gavur]

U.S. Democrat Dean Visits Armenia

By Emil Danielyan

Howard Dean, a former U.S. presidential hopeful who now heads the Democratic National Committee, began a two-day visit Armenia on Friday, meeting with President Robert Kocharian and other senior officials.

Official Armenian sources said his talks with President Robert Kocharian, parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian focused on the current state of U.S.-Armenian relations, the situation in the South Caucasus and international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia’s strained relations with Turkey, a key U.S. ally, were also on the agenda, they said.

Kocharian was quoted by his press service as welcoming the “dynamic” development of U.S.-Armenian ties and commending the United States for its “weighty contribution” to economic reforms implemented in Armenia. Baghdasarian, for his part, hailed Washington’s “great mission to strengthen democracy around the world,” according to a statement by the speaker’s office.

It was not clear if the praise was specifically addressed to the administration of President George W. Bush, of which Dean has been a bitter critic. Dean, who nearly won the Democratic Party’s nomination in the last U.S. presidential election, told Baghdasarian and leaders of the Armenian parliament factions that “development of democracy is the only possibility of progress in Armenia” and that the U.S. has always been ready to support the process. A resolution of the Karabakh conflict and a normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations are also important for the country’s development, he said.

Dean was also reported to note the Democratic Party’s “strong ties” with the influential Armenian-American community, saying that it will continue to support pro-Armenian resolutions in Congress.

Dean’s first-ever visit to Yerevan was organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), an influential party that controls one of the two main Armenian lobbying groups on Capitol Hill: the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). ANCA and other Dashnaktsutyun structures in the U.S. supported the former Vermont governor’s presidential bid in the Democratic primaries. They as well as many other Armenian-American groups later endorsed John Kerry, Bush’s Democratic challenger.

Dashnaktsutyun representatives said that although they arranged the high-level meetings, Dean himself had expressed a desire to visit Armenia as well as Georgia as part of his ongoing tour of Eastern Europe. The prominent Democrat also met on Friday with U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans and is due to visit the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on Saturday.

[Gavur]

Dean Vows Support For Armenian Genocide Recognition

Dean Vows Support For Armenian Genocide Recognition


By Emil Danielyan

Former U.S. presidential candidate Howard Dean ended a two-day visit to Armenia at the weekend with a pledge to drum up greater support among fellow Democrats in the U.S. Congress for legislation recognizing the genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.

Dean, who now heads the Democratic Party’s governing National Committee, criticized the administration of President George W. Bush for its failure to publicly refer to the 1915-1918 mass killings and deportations of Armenians as a genocide. He said Washington should not fear antagonizing the government of Turkey, a key U.S. ally which strongly denies that the massacres were part of a premeditated effort to exterminate the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire.

“The truth is that the Armenian genocide took place 90 years ago,” the former governor of Vermont told reporters after laying a wreath at Yerevan’s hilltop memorial to some 1.5 million victims of the genocide. “Over a million people were killed. There is no question that the United States should recognize this.”

“Sometimes facts are inconvenient,” he said, commenting on the Bush administration’s stance on the issue. “It is true that the Turks are great friends and allies of ours, but every country does things wrong once in a while. Our country enslaved millions of Africans for a long time. So we have to look back at the past. If you want to have reconciliation, you first have to have the truth.”

Dean, who was once tipped as Bush’s most likely challenger in the last U.S. presidential election, pledged to recognize the Armenian genocide during his unsuccessful campaign to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who unexpectedly defeated Dean in the Democratic primaries, gave similar promises and was endorsed by most Armenian-American organizations ahead of his November showdown with Bush.

Dean grinned when asked whether he thinks the U.S. would have already recognized the genocide if Bush had failed to win reelection. “There is no way of knowing that,” he said. “I believe that the Democratic Party has to deal with what the facts are. And the facts are that a genocide occurred. You can’t pretend that it didn’t happen.”

Dean went on to express his support for a draft congressional resolution that calls on Bush to “accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide” in his annual messages to the U.S.-Armenian community. “The Democrats do not control the House [of Representatives] or the Senate or, unfortunately, the White House,” he said. “But when I get home I will be speaking with the Democratic leadership of the House and ask them to support this resolution. And if we get a few Republicans we can pass it.”

The resolution was formally introduced on July 14 and has since been sponsored by 112 congressmen. Many of them are affiliated with the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, the largest bipartisan ethnic coalition in the U.S. lower chamber. Most of the 142 members of the Caucus represent California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Massachusetts -- the traditional Democratic strongholds that have the highest concentration of Americans of Armenian descent.

The Republican-controlled House was already very close to passing similar legislation in October 2000. Its almost certain adoption was effectively blocked by then President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. Some Armenian-American observers say the House majority is even less likely to defy the current Republican administration on the issue.

Dean, who many Democrats hope will help to revive their party’s fortunes, admitted that the existence of the influential Armenian-American community was a key reason for his decision to visit Armenia. His meetings on Friday with President Robert Kocharian and other senior officials in Yerevan were organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), an influential party that controls one of the two main Armenian lobbying groups in Washington. The meetings reportedly focused on U.S.-Armenian relations and the situation in the region.

“It is very important for us in the United States to have a strong Armenia,” said Dean. “We want Armenia to succeed as a democratic state and I think Armenia has done well in the last ten years. There is more that needs to be done, but I’m very pleased by the progress and I hope the progress will continue.

[Gavur]

MFA commends Argentina's Senate for reconfirming Genocide

Armenpress

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY COMMENDS ARGENTINA'S SENATE FOR RECONFIRMING
GENOCIDE CONDEMNING STATEMENT
YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign ministry commended today
Argentina's National Senate for its July 27 resolution that came to
reconfirm its previous resolution condemning the Armenian genocide committed
by the government of the Ottoman Turkey at the beginning of the 20-th
century.
Armenian foreign ministry said the July 27 resolution was the second such
resolution passed by the National Senate in 2005 coming after last April 20
statement that condemned Turkish authorities for their consistent denial of
the genocide.
The April 20 statement was retaliated by a Turkish note of protest that
described it as "irresponsible, " but on May 5 the Turkish note was rejected
by Argentina's lawmakers who said it was 'groundless."

[Gavur]

Turkey can only access EU by recognising Armenian Genocide

PRESS RELEASE

Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands (FAON)
24 April Committee
for the recognition and commemoration of the Armenian Genocide of 1915
Weesperstraat 91
2574 VS The Hague - The Netherlands
Contact: M. Hakhverdian
Tel: +31-704490209
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.24april.nl

Turkey can only access EU by recognising Armenian Genocide

The European framework of negotiation with Turkey must include the
recognition of Armenian Genocide

Armenian Federation presents a petition to the Dutch Parliament

The Hague, 30 August 2005 - 24 April Committee of the Federation of
Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands (FAON) presented today
a petition to the President of the Standing Committee on European
Affairs of the House of Representatives, Mrs. G. Van Heteren. Members
of parliament of almost all parliamentary factions were present. The
24 April Committee calls for the amendment of the proposed negotiation
framework for Turkey¹s accession to EU. In this document, the European
Commission has included the subjects, which must be discussed with
Turkey during the accession negotiations beginning probably from
3 October 2005. The Armenian Genocide and Turkey¹s relation with
neighbouring country Armenia is, however, not mentioned in this
document. This approach has already been received many criticism in
Europe. Hundreds of European organisations want that recognition of
the Armenian Genocide to be a part of the negotiations. The final
negotiation framework will be adopted at European level in the month
of September.

The Dutch House of Representatives has recognised the Armenian Genocide
in December 2004, by unanimously adopting the motion of André Rouvoet
(Christian Union), wherein the Dutch government is requested to bring
up continuously and expressly the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
in the dialogue with Turkey. In the last period in European context the
Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs Ben Bot has persistently submitted
arguments in favour of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by
Turkey. However, since there is no word mentioned on this question
in the proposed negotiation framework, it is, according to 24 April
Committee, the responsibility of the House of Representatives and
the minister to insist on the inclusion of effective agreements on
this point in the document.

Explicit agreements are all the more necessary, because since 17
December 2004, the day that it was decided that probably from 3
October 2005 the negotiations with Turkey for accession to EU will
start, Turkey turned on more intensive denial policy not only at home,
but also abroad and particularly in Europe.

Minister Bot spoke several times at the House of Representatives about
the awareness of Turkey to not be able to join the EU without coming
to terms with the past. However, since such condition is not mentioned
anywhere in the negotiation framework established by the European
Commission, it is not clear how Turkey can be bound to this condition.

For this reason the 24 April Committee urges that the Netherlands
should put heavy pressure for amendment of this document, in the sense
that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide becomes an explicit
component of the negotiation framework. It is obvious that at the start
of the negotiations all Copenhagen criteria must be implemented. Since
normal relations with neighbouring countries belong to these criteria ,
the 24 April Committee expects that in the short term Turkey will open
the border with neighbouring country Armenia and will also establish
diplomatic relations. If it would not be the case, then opening of the
border and establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia has to be
added of course at the remaining conditions for possible negotiations.

[Gavur]

DNC Chair Howard Dean Well Briefed, Upbeat on Armenia

Daphne Abeel
Mirror-Spectator Staff
WASHINGTON ' Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean included
Armenia in a recent trip that also took him to Hungary, the former Yugoslavia and
to a human rights conference in Sarajevo, titled "Pathways to Reconciliation."
In a 20-minute conference call interview last week that included two other
Armenian-American newspapers, Dean responded, to questions about the two days he
spent in Armenia.
"I want to make clear that the time I spent in Armenia was a private visit,"
said Dean. "I went with a friend who is an expert on Russian affairs."
Dean, who appeared well briefed, said he felt Armenia was making progress as
a nation.
"The country is doing well. New constitutional reforms will be voted on this
fall, and the US is keeping up a close relationship with Armenia. Both
President Kocharian and Artur Baghdasarian [speaker of the National Assembly] will be
visiting the US soon."
He continued, "Of course, there are serious problems. The Turkish blockade is
a problem. Turkey needs to recognize the Genocide ' there is simply no
question about that. The Genocide is an established historical fact. I visited the
Genocide monument in Yerevan and laid a wreath there. To be sure, Turkey is a
strong ally of the US, but that doesn't negate the need that they recognize the
Genocide."
He added, "The documentation for the Genocide is clear. [Then US Ambassador
to the Ottoman Empire Henry] Morgenthau saw what was happening at the time. The
Bush policy of closing its eyes to facts doesn't work. We're preparing the
Democratic Party to assume a more active role in the South Caucasus."
Dean praised former Secretary of State Madeline Albright's trip to Azerbaijan
and President Bush's trip to Georgia.
"Russia has recently moved its military base from Georgia to Armenia. We have
no problem with that. Armenia has always had a strong relationship with
Russia, and the US has no desire to confront that," he said.
"At the moment, Azerbaijan is not a democratic country, which is one reason I
did not go there. But I hope, in the future, that Turkey, Georgia and Armenia
will all become members of the European Union. However, we shouldn't expect
that to happen for at least a decade."
He said, "Reopening the Turkish border and resolving the Karabagh status are
at the top of the Armenian agenda."
Dean said he saw the recent meeting between Armenian President Robert
Kocharian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as a positive sign. "There was no
accord as a result of that meeting, but it did happen. There is still no treaty
and the two countries, technically, are still at war. Resolution of the
conflict will take a lot of work, a lot of give and take."
Returning to the subject of the Genocide, Dean stated, "The US is in a unique
position to resolve the Genocide recognition issue. With a Democratic
president, I feel we could bring this about. We need to sit down, develop informal
discussions. The borders need to be opened and there needs to be access for
Armenians to religious sites in Turkey which require rehabilitation."
While in Armenia, Dean met with Kocharian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
and the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin ll. He also paid a visit to US
Ambassador to Armenia John Evans with whom he discussed political and economic
development in Armenia, US assistance to Armenia and issues of democratic
governance.
In response to a question regarding a second possible run for the American
presidency, Dean responded briskly. "Absolutely not a possibility. I made a
pledge, when I took on the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee, that
I would not be a candidate."

[Gavur]

Turkey Has Not Changed And Cannot Enter European Union

AZG Armenian Daily #171, 24/09/2005


Turkey-EU


Participants of a Conference at the European Parliament Sept. 22 Conclude

The conference on the theme "December 2004 - October 2005; Has Turkey
changed?" in the European Parliament in Brussels on September 21 organized
by the European Armenian Federation For Justice and Democracy (EAFJ) and by
the support of European Parliament vice-president Ingo Friedrich gave an
unambiguous "no" to Turkey's EU accession bid saying that it not only has
not changed a bit but also has no desire to change.

Hence, no accession talks should be started with this country. Almost none
of the participants spoke in favor of Turkey's membership but Pierre Mirel
who argued that the start of the negotiation does not mean that Turkey is
ready to join the EU nor that it will join it.

Contrary to this opinion, deputies representing Cyprus, Juanis Kasoulidis
and Kirakos Triantofilidis, pointed out that Turkey by no means can join EU
unless it recognizes the Republic of Cyprus.

Italian deputy, Francesco Enrico Speroni, emphasized on his part that by not
recognizing Cyprus Turkey, in fact, does not recognize part of the EU.
"Turkey has first of all to liberate part of the EU only after that we may
begin negotiating with it", Speroni said.

Founder of Info-Turk Fund, acclaimed publicist Dogan Ozgugen, spoke about
human rights violation in Turkey underscoring that his country really has to
change and live up to the principles of Copenhagen.

The participants did not sidestep the Armenian Genocide issue either.
Chairman of European Hye Dat, Hilda Chobanian, and deputy chairman of
Armenian Parliament, Vahan Hovhanissian, spoke more detailed on this issue.

Talking to media, Mrs. Chobanian said that they work now include the
Armenian issue in the European Parliament's resolution on Turkey coming next
week. Apparently, the resolution will be on launching accession talks with
Turkey. Vice speaker of EU-Turkey delegation, deputy from Germany, Mrs.
Renata Somer closed the conference with words: "Turkey has not changed in
the period from December 2004 to October of the current year. There is no
visible progress. The army is still a major factor in the country. No steps
were taken towards recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the Republic of
Cyprus. Therefore, Turkey cannot have a future without remembering and
acknowledging its past".

By Hakob Asatrian in Brussels

[Gavur]

Eu Demands Turkey Open Armenian Border-gate

AZG Armenian Daily #171, 24/09/2005


Turkey-EU


The European Union demands that Turkey open its border with Armenia and
improve the state of national minorities in the country, Trend agency quoted
member of the Green Party of the European Parliament, Turkish-born Jem
Ozdemir, as saying. Ozdemir stated that this issue will be discussed on
September 28 and that the report includes an article which says "it is
necessary that Ankara takes a decision of opening the Armenian border".

[Gavur]

His Holiness Thanks Bishop Huber For His Support

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.cathcil.org/

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm


His Holiness Aram I thanked Bishop Dr. Wolfgang Huber, chair of the Council
of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) for the brave attitude of the
church towards the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Bishop Huber had staunchly supported the resolution the German Parliament
adopted, recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

The two spiritual leaders also consulted on matters related to the World
Council of Churches during their phone conversation on September 22. EKD has
played an active role in the establishment of WCC and continues to be an
active member of the council.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, http://www.cathcil.org/ The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

[Gavur]

Finland grieves over Armenian Genocide victims

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Sept 27 2005

ALONG WITH ARMENIA FINLAND GRIEVES OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS:
FINNISH PRESIDENT


YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27. ARMINFO. Along with Armenia Finland grieves
over victims of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915, stated
Finnish President Tarja Halonen after laying a wreath to
Tsitsernakaberd, the Memorial of Armenian Genocide victims.

In her words, Armenia and Finland try to build their future together.
Halonen expressed hope that Armenia can resolve its contradictions
with Turkey. She noted that every year they commemorate in Finland
the Day of all Genocides victims.

Director of the Genocide Museum-Institute, doctor of history Lavrenty
Barseghyan presented Halonen some monographs dedicated to the history
of Armenian issue and Armenian Genocide in 1915.

[Gavur]

'Turkey must admit Armenian genocide before EU entry'

By Therese Sfeir
Daily Star staff
Saturday, October 01, 2005


BEIRUT: The central committee for commemorating the passing of 90 years since the Armenian Genocide submitted a petition to Lebanon's EU Ambassador Patrick Renauld Friday requesting the EU demand Turkey acknowledge the Armenian Genocide before being granted membership to the union.

The petition said: "While the 21st century is considered the century of international justice and human rights, the EU has decided to resume discussions regarding Turkey's candidacy to the organization."

It added: "Turkey is still promoting racism against its minorities, including Kurds, Greeks, Armenians and others."

The petition further said: "The EU had urged the Turkish government to acknowledge the genocide in April 2001 and September 2005 and admitted the government's rejection to do so would hamper the approval of its candidacy."

President of the Press Federation Mohammad Baalbaki, speaking during a news conference held at the Federation's headquarters in Beirut Friday, said Armenians have the right to demand the international community suspend Turkey's candidacy to the EU until it acknowledges the Armenian Genocide.

The conference was attended by MP Hagop Pakradounian, former Ministers Alain Tabourian, Sebouh Hovnanian and Jacques Joe Khadarian, secretary general of the Tachnag Party Hovik Mokhtarian as well as representatives of other Armenian political parties.

Baalbaki described the Armenians as "loyal and honest people," and praised them for never siding with one party during the 15 year Lebanese Civil War.

He added Armenians have the right to ask the international community to suspend the candidacy of Turkey to the EU until it recognizes the genocide.

He further said: "The Lebanese press, which represents the Lebanese people's position, expresses its support for the committee and hopes that the modern Turkey will free itself from the burden of this genocide."