Saturday, August 27, 2011

Majority of Europeans are from Armenia - genetic conformation


THE BRITISH & SPANISH ARE RELATED TO US ARMENIAN.


Majority of Europeans are from Armenia - genetic conformation

August 27, 2011 03:07

A recent study of the origin of the first Europeans recently published in the British monthly Proceedings of the Royal Society reveals that the first men came to Western Europe nearly 40,000 years ago, reports Nouvelles d’Arménie.
These people lived by hunting, fishing and gathering. These early Europeans were oppressed with the arrival of people from Anatolia (Armenian plateau), who were sedentary living people with very different lifestyle from economic and social respects. According to recent studies, characteristic features of these people from Anatolia were present in the chromosomes of 100 million Europeans, particularly those living in Spain, Ireland and Wales.
The researchers also found that the presence of these chromosomes were even stronger in populations of Eastern Europe, close to Anatolia. Thus there would be little difference in the genetic characteristics of populations in Eastern Europe and Middle East. Only downside to the study of British researchers is that they cannot say the precise date for the arrival of these chromosomes from Anatolia (the Armenian plateau) to Europe.
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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Archbishop Barsamian Responds to Ricciardone’s ‘Deeply Offensive’ Statement

Primate Khajag Barsamian sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responding to assertions made by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, President Barack Obama’s recess appointment to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.

Primate Khajag Barsamian
Answering a question from New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, Amb. Ricciardone had said, “Most of the Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 are still operating as churches. Some churches of significance operate as museums. The remaining have fallen into disrepair or were converted to mosques for lack of use.”
Barsamian said, “Ambassador Ricciardone deeply offended Armenian-Americans with his remarks, opening sensitive wounds and potentially setting back the gradual process of healing.” He added, “In all charity, perhaps the Ambassador is simply unaware of certain facts. But mastery of the history of a country, its dark as well as bright chapters, is essential to serving the United States effectively and diplomatically in this important and complex region.”
The full text of Archbishop Barsamian’s letter to Clinton appears below.
Dear Madame Secretary:
My kind greetings and blessings you, as you continue your service to our nation.
As Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, I write regarding the statements made by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, President Obama’s appointment as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, during his confirmation hearing.
Please know that we have been generally supportive of the efforts of the U.S. government to promote a more normal relationship between the republics of Turkey and Armenia. Likewise, we greatly respect and appreciate the productive role you personally have played in such initiatives.
With those efforts in mind, it is difficult to understand Ambassador Ricciardone’s assertions about the status of historic Armenian churches, and other Christian churches, in Turkey. The loss of these many hundreds of churches, their neglect and outright destruction, and the conversion of many of our sanctuaries into mosques, is a matter of intense pain to Armenians: an ongoing reminder of the loss of life and the destruction that we suffered as a result of the 1915 Genocide.
Ambassador Ricciardone deeply offended Armenian-Americans with his remarks, opening sensitive wounds and potentially setting back the gradual process of healing. In all charity, perhaps the Ambassador is simply unaware of certain facts. But mastery of the history of a country, its dark as well as bright chapters, is essential to serving the United States effectively and diplomatically in this important and complex region.
Again, it is our general support for your efforts, Madame Secretary, as well as our desire to see genuine progress made to benefit the entire region, that prompts this letter to you. I am confident that you will give these thoughts all due consideration, as you make decisions about the vital role America plays in Turkey, in Armenia, and throughout the world.
Madame Secretary, you have our great respect and support in all your undertakings. May our Lord strengthen and guide you in your service to our beloved country.
With prayers,Archbishop Khajag BarsamianPrimate

Thursday, August 18, 2011

American Magic Jack views Karabakh as part of Armenia

American Magic Jack Internet based telephone service company put Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in one section, report Nouvelles dArménie.
This provoked the rage of Azerbaijani community in the U.S., whose members have expressed their anger in a letter to Magic Jack, asking “to correct their mistake as soon as possible.”
Earlier Google also drew wrath of the Azerbaijanis when a few weeks ago presented Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Armenia in its Google Voice service.
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, although not recognized by the international community, is a part of Armenia in its daily functions and committed relationship. Politicians in Baku have not yet grasped this fact. Private companies, on the other hand, went beyond political barriers and are not guided by politics.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Why aren’t you satisfied with your own lands? 13-year-old girl from Karabakh wrote letter to President of Azerbaijan

STEPANAKERT. - Today Nagorno-Karabakh is inhabited either by participants of the Karabakh war, the elder generation, or by their descendants, who have inherited the same fervent blood that brought the nation to the victory twenty years ago. On August 8, 2011 a 13-year-old girl from Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Adeline Avakimyan wrote a letter to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
The letter was also sent to Azerbaijani mass media but none of them dared to publish it.
Armenian News-NEWS.am presents unofficial translation of the full text of the letter.
“Mr. President,
My name is Adeline Avakimyan, I am a schoolgirl from Karabakh. I did not tell anybody about my intention to write to you. I have been thinking, should I write or should I not? Eventually I decided to write.
I was born and currently live in Stepanakert. I love my country because Karabakh is my homeland, I was born and I live here, my father and mother were born here, so were my grandfathers and grandmothers. Their grandmothers and grandfathers were also born here (perhaps you know that in the past, when our country was one of the provinces of Armenia, it was called Artsakh). I have a lot of friends and they also love our country… But that is not actually the point of my letter.
Just like many others, I also have problems, which I try to solve to the best of my abilities. When I have free time, I think about many things: about human life, about happiness, about my relatives living far away from me, about their country, which is different from ours. At nights I gaze upon the stars and think, whether there are people living on those far away planets. My grandpa says that in his childhood he also used to look on the starry sky and think about same things. Sometimes I think about people surrounding me, of those who have seen more grief than happiness. I really want everybody to live happily and never have any problems.
Mr. President, every time I watch TV, I read or listen to the stories of elders I get surprised: all the time you speak about Karabakh and war as if you have nothing else to think of. It seems you do not have any other problems or goals and no other issue actually troubles you.
I never saw an Azerbaijani. I do not think about you, about your country and neither do my parents. I do not really understand what you want from our country. I know that you have never been to Artsakh, you have never seen our Gandzasar, Dadivank, Amaras but you always think about capturing our country. Why can’t you be satisfied with your own lands? Why do you want Karabakh? Grandpa told me that before the war, even 50 or 100 years ago, when Azerbaijanis still lived here, they did not bury their deceased here, they took them to Azerbaijan, because people knew that this is not their motherland. That is why we have so few Azerbaijani cemeteries.
My father is a veteran of Karabakh war. I have not seen the war, but I learned from the stories of elders that it is something bad and terrible and I would never like to see it. I am sure that not a single Azerbaijani child would like to see war either. But adults always say that in case of war they will defend their country again. One of my peer friends said that if they do not allow him take arms, he will help the adults to protect our country like French Gavroche did. I will also help my parents as much as I can…
I have heard many stories of how it all happened. Our people went to a peaceful meeting and said that they want Artsakh to join Mother-Armenia, because Azerbaijan is not our country and 70 years ago a chief called Stalin gave our country to Azerbaijan on purpose. In response, your countrymen started killing Armenians in Sumgait, Kirovabad, Baku and other cities, driving them out of their homes. However that did not satisfy your father and he went to war against Artsakh but lost it, although he had much more soldiers and tanks.
I asked my parents, how come he lost being so strong and they said that we were defending our land, whereas Azerbaijanis attacked to capture it, take away our lives and liberty…
If you start new war, whole Armenian nation will rise to defend our land. But tell me, will your children, your relatives participate in this war? You will send ordinary Azerbaijani youth against us. I know that in case of war many of us might die, including women and children, many children might become orphans but many Azerbaijani youngsters will die as well and their children will also be orphans. Do you want this? Is this the reason why you think about war and Karabakh every day?
Why do you always buy guns? You could have used that money to build an easy and happy life for your people (especially those who became refugees after your father started the war). Isn’t it better than sending people to war?
I really want that you respond to my letter and tell me why you want to take my homeland, which does not belong to you. Why aren’t you satisfied with your own lands?
Adeline Avakimyan,
NKR, Stepanakert.
10.08.11

Armenians celebrate first victory over Turkish banks

LOS ANGELES. - Los Angeles Federal Court made the first in history decision regarding the lawsuit of descendants of Armenians who lost their property during Armenian Genocide filed against Turkish government and two Turkish banks - the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey and T.C. Ziraat.
A group of pontiffs headed by Alex Bakalian accused Turkey of confiscating properties and illegal use of lands as a result of the Armenian Genocide, Nouvelles d’Armenie reported.
They demand return of territory which also includes the Incirlik Air Base – air base of US armed forces.
The court ruled that pontiffs’ lawyers were denied access to the bank Ziraat and were provided with false information. Security officials deliberately planned to thwart the process, the court ruled.
It was noted that Turkey was also recently informed of the trial through U.S. Embassy in Ankara and Foreign Ministry. Turkey must submit its conclusions by August 19.
“Banks are trying to complicate the process. Finally, after months of maneuvering and numerous attempts to escape the notification, the U.S. Federal Court demanded that the banks respond to inquiry of the Armenian side,” said Vartkes Yeghiayan, one of the lawyers involved in the case.
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Friday, August 12, 2011

Did Clinton Discuss ‘Wilsonian Armenia’ in Turkey?

MOSCOW—“We—the United States and Turkey—owe Armenia what was promised them by President Woodrow Wilson,” the Moscow-based Regnum news agency quoted Secretary Hillary Clinton as saying during her meetings last month in Turkey, according to the news agency’s “source in the region.”
According to the same Regnum source, during her meetings with Turkish officials last month, Clinton also allegedly outlined a new Middle East and Caucasus map after an envisioned end to the Karabakh conflict. This map, which supposedly not only includes the deployment of peace-keeping forces to the Karabakh conflict zone, also envisions exchange of territories and transport routes.
The Regnum source indicated that aforementioned discussion was about granting Armenia a corridor to the port of Trabizon, following a possible ratification of the Turkey-Armenia protocols.
Regnum also discussed a possible territorial exchange with Azerbaijan, to be overseen by US Ambassador to Baku, Matthew Bryza. The Regnum source said that process would be the creation of a “Greater Azerbaijan.”
Essentially, what this anonymous Regnum news agency source if saying, is that Karabakh would be given back to Azerbaijan, with a guarantee that Armenia would have access to a sea port.
Fact or fiction? It’s food for thought.

Israel’s Knesset to consider Armenian Genocide resolutions in October



Israel’s Knesset to consider Armenian Genocide resolutions in October
August 12, 2011 08:11
YEREVAN.- Discussion of two resolutions on the Armenian Genocide in Israeli parliament (Knesset), is postponed until October after parliamentary recess, coordinator of Jerusalem Armenian Cause (Hay Dat) group Hagop Sevan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.
“We have strong support in the Knesset on behalf of the parliament speaker, leader of the ruling coalition and many of its members. Many are well aware of this issue. The damaged relations between Israel and Turkey also play an important role. In general, we hope that we will succeed, and justice will prevail,” he said.
Asked about the actions that Armenian community of Israel and Hay Dat intend to carry out, Sevan noted a lot of work had been done.
“There were meetings, discussions, agreement was reached. For obvious reasons, I would not like to disclose the details right now,” he added.
The issue on recognition of the Armenian Genocide was introduced in the Knesset Committee on Education, Culture and Sport in May this year by “leftist” party “Meretz” with the support of the “Likud” party, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Before sending it to the Commission on Education, Culture and Sports MPs approved the decision to continue the discussion. They stressed that the relations between Israel and Turkey should not become an obstacle to Israel’s recognition of Armenian Genocide.
A resolution dealing with assigning a memorial day for the Genocide will be considered as well.
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Ricciardone Claims Most Pre-1915 Christian Churches in Turkey are Still Operating

Ambassadorial Nominee’s False Statement Comes in Response to Written Question from Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey

WASHINGTON—Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, President Obama’s “recess” appointee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, in a written response to questions submitted to him by Senator Robert Menendez (R-N.J.), made the patently incorrect claim that “most of the Christian churches functioning [on the territory of present-day Turkey] prior to 1915 are still operating as churches,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).


Ricciardone
“Ambassador Ricciardone’s demonstrably false assertion betrays a callous disregard for Ottoman Turkey’s wholesale destruction of Christian churches, and for the fate of the millions of Christian faithful, who worshipped in their homeland within these holy sites until their genocidal annihilation,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “Whether his response is due to a truly remarkable lack of awareness or, instead, to a willful distortion of the facts of history to fit Ankara’s genocide denial narrative, this nominee has clearly shown he’s unable to effectively advance U.S. interests or American values as our nation’s representative in Ankara.”

The historical record shows that of the over 2000 Armenian Churches that were functioning on the territory of present-day Turkey in 1915, less than 50 operate today.

Whitewashing Religious Freedom Abuses in Turkey

Ambassador Ricciardone’s response fits into a pattern of statements glossing over well-documented and far-reaching religious freedom abuses in Turkey. Earlier this year, during his July confirmation hearing, in response to Delaware Senator Chris Coons’ question as to what steps he had taken to promote religious freedom in Turkey, Amb. Ricciardone offered this evasive answer: “…very interestingly, they [the Turkish Government] follow our debates about personal freedom and religious freedom and they say ‘Here is how you can understand this, American Ambassador. In your country, you have in recent years made a distinction between freedom of religion and the concept of freedom from religion. For too long in our modern republic we focused on preventing the intrusion of religion in our national life and political life. We are quite comfortable to be observant Muslims, please don’t call us Islamists, by the way,’ they tell us, ‘but to the extent someone is praying as a Christian or a Jew, it really doesn’t bother us at all – why should it? It’s no threat to the state, on the contrary, we are rather proud of our diversity and we happy to have them do it. As to their property issues, let us take a fresh look at this and make sure they get justice.’”

This assessment is sharply at odds with reports by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which raised the following alarm in its 2011 report: “The Turkish government continues to impose serious limitations on freedom of religion or belief, thereby threatening the continued vitality and survival of minority religious communities in Turkey.”

Reservations about the Ambassador’s willingness to accept the Turkish government’s talking points on religious tolerance at face value echo concerns expressed last fall by then Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), who, during the last session of Congress, placed a hold on Ambassador Ricciardone’s nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. In an August 16, 2010, letter to Secretary Clinton, Sen. Brownback voiced disapproval of Ricciardone’s tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, noting, among other things, that “he quickly adopted the positions and arguments of his Egyptian diplomatic counterparts.”

In the wake of Senator Brownback’s hold, President Obama circumvented Senate objections by issuing a “recess appointment” of Amb. Ricciardone. The Senate must approve his nomination in the upcoming months, if Ambassador Ricciardone is to continue to serve in Turkey for more than one year, of the usual three-year ambassadorial term. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will likely take up his nomination upon their return from the August Congressional recess.

The written exchange on this subject between Senator Menendez and Ambassador Ricciardone is provided below:

Sen. Menendez: “To the best of your knowledge, approximately how many of the more than 2,000 Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 on the territory of present-day Turkey are still operating today as churches?”

Amb. Ricciardone: “Most of the Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 are still operating as churches. Some churches of significance operate as museums. The remaining have fallen into disrepair or were converted to mosques for lack of use.”

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Jeffrey: Protocols to Have ‘Profound Effect’ on Turkey-US Relations

The fate of the Turkey-Armenia protocols will have the most “profound effect” on the Turkey-US relations, said former US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey in a 2010 State Department cable released by WikiLeaks.

The fate of the Turkey-Armenia protocols will have the most “profound effect” on the Turkey-US relations, said former US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey in a 2010 State Department cable released by WikiLeaks.
In discussing US expectations vis-à-vis Turkey’s follow through on the UN or US-imposed sanctions on Iran, Jeffrey, in a January 2010 cable said: “This [the Iran issue] will have a profound effect on [US-Turkey] relations second only to the fate of the Armenian protocols over the next year.”
After Turkey refused to sign the dangerous Turkey-Armenia Protocols, the US was quick to say that the proverbial ball was now in Turkey’s court. That statement first received much attention, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Armenia and made the statement at a press conference there.
State Department circles and officials have publicly, and privately, reiterated that point, firmly believing that the ill-conceived protocols were—and are—the only way to address the centuries-old Turkish-Armenian question, including the Armenian Genocide.
Jeffrey also says that “Major challenges with us [the US] in the coming months include the direction of Turkish-Israeli relations, the fate of the Protocols with Armenia, and the Turkish posture vis-à-vis Iran.”
In a very frank tone, Jeffrey delineates the obstacles and challenges facing US-Turkey relations as the AKP party fortifies its positions and lever within the Turkish government and society.
Jeffrey acknowledges that Turkey is pursuing “Neo-Ottoman” policy and cites a speech delivered by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Sarajevo at the end of 2009, in which Davutoglu claimed that the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East were better off under Ottoman rule.
“We will re-establish this (Ottoman) Balkan,” Jeffrey quotes Davutoglu from his Sarajevo speech.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Cafesjian Family Foundation to continue construction of Armenian Genocide Memorial Museum in Washington

Armenian News-NEWS.am presents a short version of the article by Appo Jabarian, published in Nouvelles d`Arménie.
Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF) announced its decision to finish the laudable project of construction of Armenian Genocide Memorial Museum (MMGA), three blocks from the White House by April 24, 2015, the day of the 100th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, says a press release dated July 26.
The project was previously put on hold because of legal battle between former partners, the FFC and the Armenian Assembly. The court issued its decision in January.
In February, Harut Sassounian, publisher of the California Courier, wrote:
"The most important result of this long process is the decision of Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to say ‘valid and applicable’ to the clause for the return of the assignment agreement. This means that CFF is entitled to repossess the property previously given to the Armenian Assembly. In addition, the Court decided that the CFF reserves the right to designate one of the four directors to the Board of Directors the MMGA. "
Sassounian noted that for the first time in a federal court history Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly began the 190 pages of her trial with the frightening words of Adolf Hitler, "Who, after all, still speaks of the extermination the Armenians?" She continued by explaining that Hitler referred to "largely successful efforts of the Ottoman Turkish government to eliminate the Armenian population living on its land during the historic First World War, an event known today as the Armenian Genocide." The Judge further added: "The Armenian Genocide is widely known for being the first genocide of the twentieth century. From an estimated 2.1 million living in the Ottoman Empire on the eve of World War I, nearly one and a half million were killed and hundreds of thousands deported. During this period, Armenian people were subject to deportation, expropriation, forced conversions, abduction, torture, massacre and starvation."
I join therefore to the members of the Armenian American community to call Hovnanian, Mathevosian and Krikorian, the leaders of the Armenian Assembly, to hear the voice of tortured victims of the Armenian Genocide, put aside their dispute with Cafesjian and to unite with the rest of the community in realizing this project. Otherwise, their stubborn opposition to this project of full merit, driven by petty vengeance against Cafesjian and the FFC could one day come back to haunt them.”

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Sassounian: Erdogan Inadvertently Publicizes Armenian Territorial Claims from Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s hysterical outburst at Armenia’s President last week had the salutary effect of publicizing to a worldwide audience Armenian territorial demands from Turkey!
By distorting and exaggerating Pres. Serge Sarkisian’s remarks to a group of schoolchildren in Dsaghgatsor, Armenia, on July 23, Erdogan created a gigantic mountain out of a molehill! Anyone who reads the Armenian President’s actual words would find it hard to believe that they could be the cause of Erdogan’s foaming at the mouth!
Krikor Hampartsumian, a Shahumian Middle School student from the Ararat Region, asked Pres. Sarkisian: “…I would be interested in knowing whether our future would be reminiscent of a German diplomat’s description of the Batum Agreement—they gave us enough room to swim in Lake Sevan, but not enough room to dry up—or a future that would see the return of Western Armenia along with Ararat?”
Pres. Sarkisian calmly responded: “It all depends on you and your generation. I believe my generation fulfilled its task when it was necessary in the early 1990’s to defend a part of our homeland—Karabagh—from enemies. We were able to do that…. My point is that each generation has its own task, and it must be able to carry it out, and carry it out well. If you and your peers spare no effort, and if those older and younger than you act the same way, we will have one of the best countries in the world. Trust me, a country’s clout is not always measured by its land mass. The country should be modern, secure, and prosperous. These are prerequisites that allow a nation to sit along with prominent, strong, and reputed nations of the world. We should all fulfill our duties, be active, industrious, and engage in good deeds. And we can accomplish that very easily. It would not be the first time in our history that we achieve it. I have no doubts about it, and I don’t want you to have any doubts either. We are a nation like a Phoenix that always rises from the ashes.”
This simple exchange between the President and the young student was blown out of all proportion by Azeri and Turkish officials. Journalists in both countries tried to outdo each other in their hysterical attacks on Armenia, accusing Pres. Sarkisian of “urging Armenian youth to occupy Mt. Ararat and Eastern Turkey.” Insulting adjectives were hurled at Armenia’s President by Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinch, Minister Egemen Bagis, Pres. Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and the Foreign Ministries of both countries. To incite the masses, protests were organized in Turkish cities where photographs of Pres. Sarkisian were burned!
Incredibly, Erdogan had the audacity of demanding an apology from Pres. Sarkisian. The Turkish Prime Minister’s score on failed demands for apology from the leaders of Israel, Germany, and Armenia now stands at 3 to 0. Erdogan should not hold his breath waiting for Armenia to apologize! Before making such an outrageous demand, Turkish leaders must first apologize for the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide, and return all confiscated Armenian properties, including Western Armenia and Mt. Ararat, as suggested by this erudite student who deserves to be honored by Armenian organizations as a role model for the young generation.
What was the real cause of the Turkish and Azeri hysteria? Did Erdogan have a bad translator or simply bad intentions? It is probably the latter. He delivered his outrageous remarks while standing next to Pres. Aliyev during a press conference in Baku last week. Erdogan may have wanted to impress his “junior brother” with his anti-Armenian zeal and provide a false justification to the international community for not keeping his word on the Armenia-Turkey Protocols and refusing to open the border with Armenia. He may have also intended to be excessively harsh so that no Armenian official would ever again hint at territorial claims from Turkey.
This episode demonstrates that papering over historical injustices by pressuring Armenia to sign defeatist Protocols will not eliminate the deeply-held grievances of a victimized people. The Armenian-Turkish confrontation will not be resolved until justice is done to the Armenian nation. Pursuing justice is the task of all Armenians, this generation and the next. There will be no peace for Turkey without justice for Armenians!
In addition to their gratitude to the impressive youngster and Pres. Sarkisian, Armenians should be thankful to Prime Minister Erdogan for his hysterical overreaction which helped bring Armenian territorial demands to the attention of the international media and the world community!