Foreign Affairs Committee Urges EU Commission and the EU National Governments to Formally Suspend the Accession Negotiations with Turkey Without Delay

BRUSSELS, Belgium (A.W.)—Turkey’s European Union (EU) accession talks should be suspended if the proposed changes to the constitution go ahead, the Foreign Affairs Committee Members of European Parliament (MEP) recommended on June 20.

Turkey’s EU accession talks should be suspended if the proposed changes to the constitution go ahead, the Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs recommended on June 20.

The resolution on Turkey was adopted by 51 votes to three, with 14 abstentions. The full House is scheduled to vote on it during the next plenary session in Strasbourg in July.

Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs noted in their annual assessment of Turkey’s reform progress that 2016 was a difficult year for Turkey as a result of the war in Syria, the influx of refugees, a string of heinous terror attacks and a coup attempt. They condemned the coup attempt and expressed their solidarity with the people of Turkey.

The resolution recognized the importance of good EU-Turkey relations and maintaining a constructive and open dialogue, which is key for addressing common challenges, such as migration, security, and terrorism. MEPs proposed upgrading the EU-Turkey Customs Union, by making human rights and fundamental freedoms part of a new agreement.

However, MEPs said that measures taken in response to the coup attempt are disproportionate, regretting the large-scale dismissal of civil servants, the closing of media outlets, the arrest of journalists, judges and human rights defenders, and the closure of schools and universities.

Taking note of the outcome of Turkey’s recent referendum and the expansion of presidential powers, the Foreign Affairs Committee called on the EU Commission and the EU national governments “to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if the constitutional reform package is implemented unchanged.”

Committee MEPs are concerned about Turkey’s backsliding in the rule of law, human rights, media freedom, and the fight against corruption. In a June 20 statement, they condemned the repeatedly declared support for the reintroduction of the death penalty by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which would put into question Turkey’s membership in the Council of Europe and lead to an immediate end of EU accession talks.

“Despite all internal differences, the European Parliament speaks with one voice when it comes to condemning human rights abuses in Turkey. The continuation of the state of emergency has disproportionately negative effects on Turkish society and the arbitrary arrest of thousands of citizens, including parliamentarians and mayors, is of utmost concern,” said Dutch politician and MEP Kati Piri.

“As the proposed constitutional reform package is not in line with EU membership criteria, the report calls for the formal suspension of the accession talks if the constitutional amendments are implemented unchanged. We expect the government to take the Venice Commission recommendations seriously, as well as the fact that half of the Turkish population voted against it in the referendum,” Piri added.

YEREVAN (A.W.)— Armenian law enforcement authorities have reduced the criminal charges against former Artsakh Defense Minister and Army Commander Samvel Babayan, who was arrested in March.

Samvel Babayan (Photo: Photolure)

On June 20, Babayan’s lawyer Avetis Kalashyan revealed that he no longer stands accused of smuggling weapons into Armenia and is now accused of illegal arms “circulation” and money laundering.

According to an RFE/RL Armenian service report, Babayan could face up to 11 years in prison if found guilty of the revised charges. The initial criminal case against him carried up to 13 years imprisonment.

The former Defense Minister was arrested on March 21 after Armenian’s National Security Service (NSS) claimed to have confiscated a Russian-made surface-to-air rocket system. The NSS alleged that Babayan paid two other men to smuggle the shoulder-fire Igla systems from Georgia.

Babayan’s lawyer added that the trial is expected to begin soon, since the criminal investigation into the case has been completed.

In addition, Babayan’s longtime friend and Artskah War veteran Sanasar Gabrielyan, a second suspect charged in this case, also had his charges reduced.

Gabrielyan’s lawyer Karapet Aghajanyan stated that Gabrielyan is charged with the illegal acquisition, carrying, and transporting of weapons instead of being charged with smuggling weapons. Aghajanyan noted that Gabrielyan had intended to purchase the weapons for the Armed Forces of Armenia.

“He wanted to acquire weapons for the army by legal means,” said Aghajanyan. Aghajanyan added that his client was mislead during this process.

Babayan’s arrest was condemned by members of the opposition now defunct Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian (ORO) bloc—a political alliance that participated in the April 2 Armenian Parliamentary Elections. Babayan has been very critical of Armenia’s leadership and was thought to be very close with the leaders of ORO.

Last week, I wrote about a dozen public relations and lobbying firms the Turkish government had already hired. In recent weeks, the Republic of Turkey added two new such firms: Ballard Partners and Burson-Marsteller.

Ballard Partners and Burson-Marsteller were recently hired by Turkey

Turkish officials don’t seem to realize that having more than a dozen lobbying firms not only is a waste of money due to unnecessary duplication—it is also a waste of the valuable time of several Turkish Embassy officials in Washington, D.C. These officials have to spend a lot of their time giving detailed instructions to these firms, reading their reports, commenting on them, meeting with them, forwarding their reports to the Foreign Ministry with lengthy explanations, and taking corrective action based on Ankara’s reaction. Unless such an intense and elaborate effort is made in working with so many lobbying firms, Turkish officials are simply wasting their country’s money!

I am happy that the Turkish government has decided to waste more of its money by agreeing to pay Brian Ballard’s firm, Ballard Partners, $1.5 million from May 15 to May 14, 2018. According to Ballard’s registration with the Justice Department, the firm will provide the Turkish government “with advocacy services relative to U.S.-Turkey bilateral relations.” The lobbying activities include “advising, counseling, and assisting [Turkey] in communications with US Government officials. Maintaining U.S. relations with this important NATO partner.”

Brian Ballard is the longtime lobbyist for President Donald Trump as the representative of the Trump Organization in Tallahassee, Fla. He raised $16 million for Trump’s presidential campaign while serving as his state finance chairperson and later as vice chairperson of the President’s inaugural committee.

Ballard issued a statement asserting that he “still speaks to Trump on occasion.” Susie Wiles, who was introduced by Ballard to Trump during the campaign, served as Trump’s Florida campaign manager. She is now working for Ballard Partners.

Ballard also hired former Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) to be in charge of the Turkish lobbying account. As co-chair of the Congressional Turkey Caucus, Congressman Wexler actively lobbied and voted against a proposed House Armenian Genocide resolution on Oct. 10, 2007. His new job is his reward for staunchly supporting Turkey in Congress for years!

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Ballard’s first interaction with Trump occurred several years ago when he wrote a letter to Trump after reading his book, Trump: The Art of the Deal, and Trump answered. Ballard wrote back stating: “if you ever have any issues in Florida, please don’t hesitate to call.” Trump called him after purchasing Mar-a-Largo in 1985, and paid Ballard at least $460,000 from 2013 to 2015 for lobbying work. Trump personally called Ballard asking for his help when he launched his presidential campaign. Ballard is now organizing a fundraising banquet for Trump on June 28. The cost is $35,000 per person and $100,000 to join the host committee.

Ballard makes no secret of his special connections with President Trump. “I would imagine if Hillary Clinton were elected I wouldn’t be here,” he told the Tampa Bay Times. Ballard said, “He doesn’t discuss how he works or his contacts with the president. He’s been spotted at the White House, however, and Trump maintains phone relationships with allies.”

In addition, the Turkish Embassy in Washington signed a contract with Burson-Marsteller for $1.1 million for the period May 1-Dec. 31. Ironically, from 2012 to 2015, Burson-Marsteller was doing lobbying work for the Alliance for Shared Values, a group tied to exiled Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen whom Erdogan opposes and seeks his extradition from the US to Turkey. The Turkish government reportedly threatened Burson-Marsteller’s operations in Turkey if the firm continued to lobby for Gulen.

Burson-Marsteller is supposed to provide “integrated public relations services to support the [Turkish] Embassy’s communications objectives in the United States. Activities include media outreach, monitoring and analysis; event support; stakeholder engagement; social media counsel; and support for Turkish consulates in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York.”

It is noteworthy that despite the millions of dollars spent by Turkey on more than a dozen high-powered lobbying and public relations firms, they could not counter the large number of news articles and wide TV coverage critical of the Turkish government for the attack on peaceful protesters by President Erdogan’s bodyguards in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in D.C., on May 16. This fact reinforces my firm belief that Turkey is wasting millions of dollars annually trying to cleanse its image in the U.S., which is further tarnished by the Turkish government’s brutal policies both at home and abroad.

WASHINGTON (A.W.)—American-Armenian repoussé metal artist Norik Astvatsaturov will be one of nine 2017 National Heritage Fellowship recipients, who will each receive $25,000 and be honored in Washington, D.C. in September.

Norik Astvatsaturov (Photo: Inforum)

On June 19, the National Endowment for Arts (NEA) announced names of the recipients in a press statement.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to honor these individuals for artistic mastery, as well as a commitment to sharing their traditions,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Our nation is a richer, more vibrant place because of these artists and the art forms they practice.”

An example of Astvatsaturov’s metal art (Photo courtesy of Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte)

Astvatsaturov was born in Baku in 1947. “I learned to carve wood and stone, using traditional designs that my father’s father would bring back after traveling to different villages via donkey cart. My father also brought stones for me to carve. Traditional art was always around me,” Astvasaturov explained in a 2010 teacher’s guide to his art, published by the North Dakota Council on the Arts in 2010. “Then when I was about 10 years old, I learned metal repoussé from an old Armenian artisan in Baku named Goga. He taught me all the old techniques: how to work both sides of the metal to create depth, volume and detail using nothing but a hammer and nail punch: how to read different kinds of metal-gold, silver, bronze, copper, how to polish and affect the color with just sand and water. Everything is done by hand.”

Another example of Astvatsaturov’s metal art (Photo courtesy of Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte)

Astvatsaturov and his family escaped the atrocities taking place against the Armenians in Azerbaijan in the late 1980s. They found refuge in Armenia and later the United States.

“We were given the green light to come to the U.S. two and a half years after becoming refugees, when my father was 44 and my mother 38. Throughout these events that shaped us, I was a quiet and shell-shocked girl who watched them with a curious eye. I was privy to the details of what happened, but it is hard to understand just how we got to where we are today,” recounted Astvatsaturov’s daughter, Armenian-American writer, lecturer, activist, and politician Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte in an Armenian Weekly article published earlier this year. “As a 38-year-old mother of two, it’s now unimaginable to me the sheer depth of the sacrifices and suffering her and my father accepted for the well-being of their children.  It is also impossible to imagine the amount of strength it took them not only to make it out alive through the atrocities of Baku, but the ingenuity to survive in Yerevan as refugees along with the drive to succeed and propel their children and grandchildren forward in U.S.”

Norik and Irina Astvatsaturov

Since arriving in the U.S., Astvatsaturov has worked tirelessly to teach and share his traditional art and its message with Americans and the Armenian Diaspora regionally and nationally. He has taught, given workshops, presented at folk festivals, exhibited regionally and nationally, and is a recipient of fellowships from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, the Fund for Folk Culture, and the Bush Foundation.

For a complete list of 2017 NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipients, click here.

The NEA will celebrate the 2017 National Heritage Fellows at two events this fall in Washington, D.C., both of which are free and open to the public. The NEA National Heritage Fellowships Awards Ceremony will take place at the Library of Congress on Sept. 14, at 5:30 p.m. and the NEA National Heritage Fellowships Concert will take place on Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium.

The concert will also be webcast live at arts.gov.

The National Heritage Fellowships recognize the recipients’ artistic excellence and support their continuing contributions to our nation’s traditional arts heritage. Including the 2017 class, the NEA has awarded 422 NEA National Heritage Fellowships, recognizing artists working in more than 200 distinct art forms, such as bluesman B.B. King, Cajun fiddler and composer Michael Doucet, sweetgrass basketweaver Mary Jackson, cowboy poet Wally McRae, Kathak dancer and choreographer Chitresh Das, and gospel and soul singer Mavis Staples.

Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.

YEREVAN—This spring, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) planted another 87,724 trees at 113 sites across the country and established a new public park in Ashtarak.

Students from New Jersey’s Hovnanian School and Yerevan’s European School
planting trees together in a new public park established by ATP in Ashtarak (Photo: ATP)

However, rejoicing in the season was difficult when there was widespread “deep pruning” of trees and reports of continued logging. The public was left dumbfounded from scenes of headless and wounded mature trees around Yerevan.

In addition, the media shed light on tree cutting in protected areas. One of the places where logging was reported was Dilijan National Park, where several healthy trees were chopped down and an investigation is pending.

“At this rate we need to act without delay and work together for any hope of saving our homeland from grim springs in the future,” said Executive Director Jeanmarie Papelian. “By end of spring, the total number of trees we’ve planted since 1994 is 5,304,224! That’s 5,304,224 expressions of hope in Armenia’s future. It’s something we can all be proud of, and it will deliver benefits locally and globally for many years to come.”

ATP’s Community Tree Planting division planted 23,617 at 110 sites in every region including Artsakh. From the total, 3,456 were fruit trees which are always popular at public sites.

On Earth Day, a major planting event was organized at Zvartnots Cathedral, where participants made pledges to help save the environment. A new public park was also established in Ashtarak, near Karin Village where ATP’s flagship tree nursery is located. The park was inaugurated by students from New Jersey’s Hovnanian School and Yerevan’s European School, who planted the first trees along the boundary of the park.

“The park in Ashtarak is the first of its kind for us. We’ve planted groves, forests and even helped green parks before but this will be our first new park in the very sense of the word,” explained Deputy Director Arthur Harutyunyan. “We’re going to install benches, walking paths, a roundabout and even a bike stand. The park will give us the opportunity to concentrate trees in one place where they can be named and gifted, while providing a recreational area for the new community that will shape around the park.”

ATP’s Forestry department had a productive season with favorable weather conditions allowing the team to plant 64,107 trees. The plantings took place in the northern towns of Tashir and Stepanavan. About 40 residents, who were provided with temporary jobs, came to ensure their descendants would have green spaces and clean air to breathe.

“I worked with my hands, I put my sweat and my heart into it. It’s like this forest is my own,” said Viola Kazarov, one of the planters in Tashir.

“This fall, our Forestry and CTP teams plan to plant another 150,000 trees, so there’s lots to be done in terms of site selection, training of local tree planters, and preparing sites with fencing and irrigation to make sure the trees will have a strong survival rate,” added Papelian.

“Going green and sustainability have become popular buzzwords and are a way of life for many of us. By supporting ATP, you are riding the wave of environmentalism that respects life on our planet today, and into the future,” she concluded.

LOS ANGELES, Calif.— The official music video for multi-Grammy Award-winning, Golden Globe nominee Chris Cornell’s song “The Promise” was released on June 20 by Survival Pictures.  “The Promise” was Cornell’s last release prior to his passing on May 17.

Multi-Grammy Award-winning, Golden Globe nominee Chris Cornell’s official music video for his song ‘The Promise’ was released on June 20 by Survival Pictures.

“Chris Cornell was not only a dear family friend for many years, but he was also a once-in-a generation talent who is missed more than words can convey. It was such an honor to collaborate and partner on The Promise over the years, said Eric Esrailian, Producer of The Promise and Co-Manager for Survival Pictures.  “His music and lyrics will not only shine a light on the Armenian Genocide and the human rights crises of modern times, but they will also inspire people and provide hope for years to come.”

Esrailian added, “Although it is bittersweet because Chris filmed his performance in Brooklyn, N.Y. shortly before his passing, he wanted his video to be released on World Refugee Day, and he was passionate about helping people through this project. True to Chris’s charitable spirit, he made a commitment to donate all of his proceeds from “The Promise” to support refugees and children, and to further the conversation about the refugee crisis the world continues to endure.”

The video can be seen below via Chris Cornell’s official YouTube page.

The video was directed by Grammy Award winning director Meiert Avis (Audioslave, U2) and Stefan Smith (Madonna, Sting). “The Promise” is Cornell’s last music video performance.  It also includes media donated by Academy Award nominated director Evgeny Afineesvky (HBO’s Cries from Syria), UNESCO Prize for Peace Recipient SOS Méditerranée, Freshwater Films (Ross Kemp’s Libya’s Migrant Hell), Keo Films (Exodus:  Our Journey To Europe), Nazik Armenakyan (Survivors), Human Rights Watch, Refugee Rescue, and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

The video features scenes from the worldwide refugee crisis as well as shots from Armenian Genocide justice rallies in California.

The video features scenes from the worldwide refugee crisis as well as shots from Armenian Genocide justice rallies in California.

At the time of the song’s release Cornell said: “’The Promise’” to me is mainly about paying homage to those we lost in the Armenian Genocide, but it’s also about shining a light on more recent atrocities. The same methods used in the Armenian genocide were used to carry out crimes against humanity in Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda and right now in Syria on multiple fronts, contributing to a massive global refugee crisis. Unfortunately, the words ‘never again’ seem like just words when we recall these mass executions of the twentieth century, as well as renewed racism and prejudice around the world. Even in the US, the warning signs—isolating groups based on race and religion – are evident. We really need to tell these stories and keep telling them in as many different ways as we can. As humans, we have a tremendous capacity to trudge ahead in our lives and not look at the difficult and challenging moments… but I think it’s important. Educating ourselves on the past is the best way to understand the present and avoid future atrocities by understanding and intervening. We must educate and stand as one to combat this fear and violence, and as citizens of the world, work to protect each other’s human rights.”

In April 2017, Cornell and his family toured refugee camps in Greece and it was there that they decided The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation would focus its efforts on child refugees and the issues affecting them including education, health and human trafficking.

Cornell died in Detroit on the night of May 17 at the age of 52.

OTTAWA, Canada—In a letter addressed to Canada’s Minister of Global Affairs and other high-ranking personnel within the Canadian governments’ executive and legislative branches, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) strongly condemned Azerbaijan’s latest ceasefire violations and called upon the Canadian government to immediately condemn the unprovoked violence.

Protesters demonstrating at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ottawa in 2016 (Photo: AYF Canada)

In the letter addressed to the Honorable Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Global Affairs, ANCC President, Shahen Mirakian said, “We strongly urge you to support the peace process by immediately condemning this act of aggression by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s regime and making it clear that Azerbaijan will be held to account for any further violence.”

“The failure by Canada and the rest of the international community to make any statement on this incident would further empower the Aliyev regime and it could serve as a catalyst for further violence and destabilization in the region,” added Mirakian.

Over the past week, Azerbaijan continued to violate the internationally brokered ceasefire, using newly introduced long range grenade launchers and other highly sophisticated and destructive weaponry. Azerbaijan’s latest aggression has also targeted internationally commissioned Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe OSCE monitoring personnel, while claiming the lives of four Armenian servicemen.

What is more troubling, however, is the fact that latest violations come shortly after Baku’s refusal to lead the OSCE monitoring mission to the line of contact, something for which Armenia has shown full compliance.

“Monitoring exercises are important confidence building measures, for which Azerbaijan has consistently failed to cooperate,” said Mirakian.

The latest monitoring exercises on the Armenian side were conducted in accordance with the agreed schedule. While no violation of the ceasefire regime was registered on the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani side refused to lead the OSCE mission to its front-line positions, clearly indicating its noncompliance with the international efforts aimed towards the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

It turns out that the capital of Turkey, formerly known as Angora, has given its name to a variety of domestic rabbit.  I learned this while snooping around the internet preparing this article, seeking some way to convey the utter ridiculousness of the latest developments in Ankara.

‘Take a good look at the rabbit’s face…’

Take a good look at the rabbit’s face.  Don’t you see a resemblance to Turkish President Recep TayyipErdogan?  Now remember that pouty-looking Angora rabbit as you read this article.  That’s the level of silly inanity Ankara, Erdogan, and Turkey’s Foreign Ministry have stooped to.

When I read that Turkey’s foreign ministry had summoned the U.S. Ambassador to convey its dissatisfaction with issuance of arrest warrants for the thugs who beat up protestors on May 16 across from the residence of Turkey’s Ambassador to the U.S., I was flummoxed.  Really, I didn’t know how to verbalize my bemused astonishment.  When the incident first occurred, we heard ranting about how it was the protesters’ and local police’ fault!  But now, it’s formal.  The Turkish government has used official diplomatic channels to accuse the victims and law enforcement of being culpable.

Erdogan himself has already made his typical, blustering, declarations about the situation, with The Guardian reporting he said, “They have incarcerated our citizens. How is that possible? … What type of legislation is this? What type of law?”  This is Erdogan, the “wanna-be sultan”, preaching about law… Think of the rabbit’s face…

Imagine, something as obvious as what is visible in the videos of the brutal attack by Erdogan’s bodyguards is now being described as defensive action.  All we have to do is take a look at Erdogan’s words, again as reported by The Guardian: “Why would I take my guards to the United States if not to protect myself?”  Think of the rabbit’s face…

Turkey’s governmental leaders may be many things, but stupid and blind they are not.  So what are they thinking.  Why this roaring attack?  Is it the “best defense is a good offense” approach?  If so, they’re failing because… it’s not even a good offense.  It’s just inscrutable to me, unless it’s a manifestation of how merged the Turkish state and Erdogan’s massive ego have become.  Think of the rabbit’s face…

So while we have a rabbit roaring, the good news is that two of the assailants have already been arrested (in New Jersey and Virginia), another two are in Canada if I’ve understood correctly, twelve are actually part of Erdogan’s presidential security detail (and I would guess are) in Turkey, and some others have not yet been identified by the Washington D.C. police department.  Pictures of the unidentified thugs are being released in an effort to determine who they are.

While I don’t have much hope that the goons in Turkey will ever be brought to justice, this whole incident is developing well in other ways.  Erdogan is burning bridges through his behavior and defense of the indefensible.  The world is being treated to a first-hand view of a very minor version of the experiences of Alevis, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Kurds, Yezidis, and anyone else who has had to or still must live under Turkish misrule or confront Turkish aggression.  The reputational loss being suffered by Turkey is immense.

Let’s keep pushing for justice and hope for the best.  Perhaps a tiny advance in accountability for the May 16 incident will crack ajar the door to larger issues being resolved.

And, think of the rabbit…

BRUSSELS, Belgium (A.W.)—The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) welcomed today’s vote in the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on the draft report on the 2016 Commission Report on Turkey.

The European Parliament’s debating chamber (Photo: David Illif)

“Today’s vote didn’t come as a surprise to us, and we are glad to see that the Foreign Affairs Committee is united in defending Universal Human Rights values in Turkey and condemning Turkish President Erdogan’s destructive policies, both domestically and internationally,” EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian told the Armenian Weekly. “It’s the right thing to do to call for the halt of EU accession talks, should Erdogan acquire more powers with the proposed constitutional changes,” Karampetian added.

Committee MEPs harshly condemned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his autocratic regime, which has polarized the Turkish society and alienated neighbors and allies. The main message to Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party of Turkey (AKP) was that Turkey’s EU accession talks should be suspended if the proposed changes to the constitution go ahead.

The resolution on Turkey was adopted by 51 votes to three, with 14 abstentions. The full House is scheduled to vote on it during the next plenary session in Strasbourg in July.

One of the amendments calls on the Turkish government to respect and fully implement the legal obligations, which it has undertaken relating to the protection of cultural heritage, and in particular to conduct in good faith an integrated inventory of Greek, Armenian, Assyrian, and other cultural heritage that was destroyed or ruined during the last century.

It also calls on Turkey to ratify the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and to cooperate with relevant international organizations, especially the Council of Europe, in preventing and combating illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage.

Another amendment calls on Turkey and Armenia to work on the normalization of their relations and stresses that the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border could lead to improved relations, with particular reference to cross-border cooperation and economic integration.

“We are also glad to see that amendments calling on Turkey to have good neighborly relations with its immediate surrounding countries and open its closed borders, as well as to respect and fully implement the legal obligations which it has undertaken relating to the protection of minorities’ cultural heritage, and particularly the inclusion in the references to the Armenian Genocide centenary resolution of April 2015″ added Karampetian. The EAFDJ President also noted that the organizations is looking forward to seeing the resolution adopted in July, with the same spirit that was discussed in the Foreign Affairs Committee”.

Criticizes SBS for Mischaracterizing the Armenian Genocide

CANBERRA, Australia—The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) has written an open letter to Head of Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS), Michael Ebeid, slamming his mischaracterization of the Armenian Genocide during Federal Senate questioning last month.

Head of Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service Corporation, Michael Ebeid (Photo: SBS)

This letter, from the foremost global historical authority on genocides, pours cold water over SBS’s editorial policy not to refer to the Armenian Genocide as “genocide,” saying: “Genocide denial is not history: it is ideological. And we are disappointed that a reputable organization, such as SBS, has chosen this route.”

During Australian Parliament’s Senate Estimates in May 2017, Ebeid was grilled on the broadcaster’s unacceptable editorial position on the Armenian Genocide during an Australian Parliament Senate Estimates hearing by Greens Senator, Scott Ludlam.

Ludlam, who is the Foreign Affairs spokesperson for the Australian Greens, asked Ebeid to shed light on a May 15 article in The Australian, which claimed: “…SBS News and Current Affairs has a specific policy on referring to the Armenian genocide that prohibits its reporters from naming it as such. Instead reporters are instructed to refer to the event not as a genocide but as a ‘mass killing of Armenians considered by many to have been a genocide, which Turkey denies’.”

Ebeid responded: “We at SBS refer to it as ‘mass killing of Armenians considered by many to have been a genocide’ and I think that way we make sure that our viewers understand that this is a matter of contention that historians the world over dispute…”

Below are parts of the IAGS open letter, signed by its President, Professor Andrew Woolford.

“During this hearing, you were asked by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam about SBS’s policy regarding the naming of the Armenian genocide, which you called the ‘Armenian situation.’ This is akin to calling the Holocaust the ‘Jewish situation.’

“The Armenian Genocide is also referred to as ‘mass killings,’ which, of course, was the intent of the genocide, but framing any genocide in terms of the perpetrators’ intent, ignores the people that Senator Ludlam argues you are offending: the survivors and generations of victims. Genocide is about destruction, which continues for decades after the event, especially if the genocide is continually denied,” the letter went on.

“Your reasoning behind SBS’s policy is threefold: that a) the Australian government does not recognize the genocide, b) the UN does not recognize it and c) that historians “world over dispute” the genocide and there is a “lot of debate” regarding the existence of the genocide.

“The sticking point for SBS is a) – that SBS would probably “change our stance” if the Australian government officially recognized the genocide. Does this apply to all Australian government policy, such as the difference between migrants and refugees, which the Australian government often muddles for political purposes?

“The sticking point for us as genocide studies scholars is your argument that academically recognized historians dispute the genocide. This is a falsity. There are a handful of historians who deny the genocide who are not recognized as scholarly academics by the majority of genocide studies scholars.

“We enclose the official IAGS policy on the Armenian Genocide to counter SBS’s damaging denial claims and ask you to reconsider your policy. We also thank Senator Ludlum for his recognition of the genocide.”

Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) Managing Director, Vache Kahramanian thanked the IAGS for their support.

“Denial of the Armenian Genocide is based on the myth that historical consensus has not been achieved on this matter,” Kahramanian said. “There is no greater global historical authority on genocides than the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and SBS will recognize that they have erred in their judgment when determining this offensive editorial position.”

Kahramanian also said that the ANC-AU hoped the SBS can admit this error by correcting it. “[W]e will continue to make that case on behalf of Armenian-Australians and all who have suffered from genocide.”

The Ebeid hearing can be viewed below.

By Herant Bablanian

Special for the Armenian Weekly 

My parents Khanem (Poladian) and Hovhanes Bablanian were survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Sadly, my parents’ history is not unique. Ask almost any Armenian and they will share similar tragic stories told to them by their parents or grandparents. It would be a great dishonor to their memories if we remained silent.

1921, Aleppo. Hovhanes and Khanem Bablanian’s wedding photo (Photo courtesy of Herant Bablanian)

I am lucky enough to have tape recordings of my parents Khanem and Hovhanes telling—in their own voices—what they experienced during the genocide. Below are the summaries of their stories, which were tape recorded in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1964.

***

The Story of my Mother Khanem (Poladian) Bablanian, in Her Own Words

I was born in the town of Urfa, the historical city of Yetesia, and was one of seven children in my family.

I was orphaned at the age of eight. I lost everyone in my family except for my twelve-year old brother, Garabed. He was able to flee and was saved by an Arab family. He finally ended up in Aleppo. My father and eldest brother Nerses were taken away and killed by the Turks.

Most of the Armenian women and their children were gathered and ordered to leave their homes without taking a single one of their belongings with them. The Turks claimed this was “temporary relocation,” but a huge caravan of Armenian women and children were deported south to the harsh Syrian desert, accompanied by the armed Turkish Gendarme (officer).  We marched for days and my grandmother could not walk any further due to the pain in her legs. She was falling behind and the Turkish Gendarmes were impatient. Eventually, they shot her.

My mother also grew tired, she couldn’t carry the sick baby anymore. She knew that the child would die soon because she did not have enough milk to feed her. Mother kissed the small bundle, held it tight to her heart and later put her down on the side of the road. Soon afterwards, my mother became so weak due to exhaustion and illness.

One night, I was awakened by my mother crying out “Khanem, Khanem, cover me please, I am so cold.” I said, “But mother, I have nothing to cover to cover you with!” Then, I threw myself upon her. But there was not enough warmth left in either of us.

The next morning, as I pulled myself off of her, I realized she was dead. I was left alone with my little brother and sister Haygazoon and Paylazoon. I was crying, confused, and bewildered and somehow lost them in the crowd.  I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find them.

Until now, I can’t forgive myself for losing them. I hope they are still living somewhere. Finally, the caravan made it to Deir ez-Zor (Der Zor), where I was taken in by a well-known and respected Arab family—the Al-Matroud family. They looked after me and treated me well.  At last, the war was over, the Allies won, the Turks were defeated. An American orphanage was opened in Deir ez-Zor. The Armenian orphans were gathered and admitted to the orphanage. There I stayed until my brother Garabed found me and we went together to Aleppo.

The Story of my Father Hovhanes Bablanian, in His Own Words

I was born in Urfa and had five siblings. Only two of my brothers survived. During WWI, at age of 20, I was taken away by the Turks in the Labour Battalion. Fortunately, I was able to flee, escaping the death that was premeditated for the rest of the Armenian Labour Battalion.

In Aleppo, I was arrested by the Turks for being a deserter. However, I was able to convince them that I was sick and was left behind by my regiment. I was admitted into a Turkish military hospital, and was given the job as assistant in the kitchen. When the head chef disappeared, I became known as the new chef, Chef Aziz. I held this job until I suddenly found my eldest brother Sarkis, who was also a deserter.

We ran away to a safer area. By then, it was almost the end of the war and the Turks were defeated. Sadly, I learned that my sister Markrid threw herself in a well to avoid being captured by the Turks. Unfortunately, I do not know what happened to my youngest sister Yester. My brother Haroutyun managed to stay alive and ended up in Jerusalem, while my youngest brother Hagop stayed in Urfa, joining the Armenian Resistance of Urfa—the Herosamart—fighting against the Turks, was killed and martyred as a freedom fighter.

***

In Search of Long Lost Relatives

Once the war was over, my mother and father were introduced to each other by some friends and were married soon after. Afterwards, they moved back to Urfa, pushed out again to Syria, and later ended up in Iraq. They had four sons: Hagop, born in Urfa, Nerses and Boghos born in Damascus, and myself, Herant, born in Kirkuk, Iraq in 1931.

1932, Kirkuk. Hovhanes and Khanem Bablanian’s children Hagop, Nerses, Boghos, and Herant (Photo courtesy of Herant Bablanian)

Through the years, I have never stopped searching and looking for relatives—long lost as a result of the genocide. My search was more fruitful and rewarding than I could have ever imagined.

First, I followed my mother’s story. In 2008, we traveled to Aleppo and Der Zor, and finally found the children of the Al-Matroud family who looked after my mother.

Two of the brothers I met were medical doctors, and their family name is still well known in Deir ez-Zor. They were very excited to see us, and quite surprisingly, were aware of my mother’s story as well. They all treated us kindly—like family—and showed us the house where my mother used to live. Since this visit, we have stayed in touch with each other.

The author, Herant Bablanian with Dr. Mouayad Matroud in Der Zor where 8-year-old orphan Khanem (Meriam) was saved by the grandparents of the Matroud family. They lived in this home. (Photo courtesy of Herant Bablanian)

On the first-year memorial of my late son Ara at the Armenian Church of Toronto in 2005, an elderly lady I did not know approached me. She explained that she couldn’t help herself after hearing my family name.

She told me that I had relatives in Aleppo and Australia and provided me with details and telephone numbers. Thanks to this “angel,” we found cousins in Australia in 2005. There, we met almost 200 Bablanians! Our family tree was confirmed and we are now in touch and visit each other often.

2005 articles in the press (Armenian and English) about the united Bablanians (Photo courtesy of Herant Bablanian)

In 2008, we met more cousins in Aleppo, and while in Yerevan, thanks to the Armenian telephone operator there, I met more Bablanians in Yerevan and was told that there are more in Shatin village near Noravank.

Now, more than a century after the Armenian genocide began, family members all over the world are united—Bablanians in Toronto, Sydney, London, Aleppo, Beirut, Yerevan, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Dallas, Baghdad, Kuwait, Amman, and maybe in some other places we have not discovered yet.

The 27th Homenetmen Eastern U.S. Navasartian Games – Providence, R.I. July 1-4

The anticipation is real. The Homenetmen Providence chapter is ready to host the 27^th annual Eastern Region United States Homenetmen Navasartian Games on July 1-4.

The Homenetmen Providence chapter is ready to host the 27th annual Eastern Region U.S. Homenetmen Navasartian Games on July 1-4.

The hotel has been sold out for months, over 450 athletes will be participating, a multitude of ads have been placed in our ad book, and hundreds of dance packages have been sold.

Our steering committee has put in countless hours to prepare for the event and I would like to personally thank them prior to all of the craziness of the weekend.

I am writing this to ask all those attending to come ready to enjoy a great weekend in Providence—a community, which prides itself in being a great host. We want to remind everyone that these games would not be successful without all of you supporting our efforts.

This year, we decided to try and cater to the younger generation, to draw back the crowds of past, and to reignite the excitement of the Homenetmen games. Dance tickets are affordable, ads were reasonably priced, the merchandise is new and stylish, but best of all, it was all put together by the youth. A steering committee comprised of 17 people, 12 of which are 35 years old and younger, truly exemplifies the “Year of Renewal” message proclaimed by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

It is time for our younger generation to step up and take the leadership of our organizations and events. Let us shape the future and continue the great work of not only Homenetmen, but all of our community organizations.

See you all in Providence on July 1!

Yeghpayr Garo Tashian

STEPANAKERT, Artsakh (A.W.)—On June 21, the Artsakh Defense Ministry dismissed the news of a captured Armenian serviceman that was reported by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry published a video of what they claimed to be an Armenian soldier who was captured following an attack on Azerbaijani positions (Photo: Azerbaijani Defense Ministry)

Earlier in the day, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry published a video of what they claimed to be an Armenian soldier who was captured following an attack on Azerbaijani positions. Azerbaijani media were quick to share and spread the news.

The video shows an interrogation of a disheveled man, speaking broken Armenian. The man in the video claimed that his name was Zaven Karapetyan, born on Nov. 16, 1974, in the village of Dovegh in Armenia’s Noyemberyan district. He added that he currently resides in Dovegh.

The man in the video also “confessed” that he was a serviceman, who allegedly participated in the diversionary attack the day before.

“The Defense Ministry of the Artsakh Republic announces that the defense army did not participate in any said actions,” read part of the Defense Ministry’s statement. “By disseminating such information, the Azerbaijani forces attempt to create the allusion of another ‘victory’ in their alternate reality,” it continued.

According to Armenian news outlets, Armenian Army spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan also refuted the Azerbaijani claim and said that it was just a part of typical false Azerbaijani propaganda. Hovhannisyan stated that the person in the video was clearly a civilian, since his appearance does not resemble those who serve in the Artsakh Armed Forces.

Armenpress reported that according to the official voters’ registry in Armenia, the address of a Zaven Karapetyan is noted in Vanadzor, Lori and not Dovegh.

Dovegh Mayor Samvel Gorginyan also assured Armenian news outlets that an individual named Zaven Karapetyan does not reside in the village.

Meanwhile, Vanadzor’s Mayor Mamikon Aslanyan confirmed that Zaven Karapetyan is an Armenian citizen who has been previously convicted and suffers from a mental ilness. According to the mayor, he was registered at an elderly home to receive a passport, but did not have a specific place of residence. Aslanyan was certain that Karapetyan was not a military man.

Contrary to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s statement, it was also reported that an Azerbaijani social media user Khasim Masimov posted on Facebook that a 50-year-old Armenian civilian had crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. According to Masimov, the Armenian civilian, who crossed the border near the village of Kerimli, was discovered by locals, who then notified the military. Masimov said that the Armenian civilian was then taken away by authorities to be presented as an Armenian saboteur.

Armenpress later reported that other Azerbaijani social media users responded to Masimov’s post and mocked it, saying that the Azerbaijani government would not have done such a thing to the Armenian civilian and would have instead glorified him as a part of a peace platform. Masimov deleted the Facebook post shortly after.

The Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Society Central Committee recently announced the passing of the longtime Director of the “Nshan Palandjian” Lyceum (Djemaran) Kindergarten, author of several Armenian kindergarten schoolbooks, and  former Principal of the Hamaskayin Lyceum (Djemaran) of Marseille, France, Lousin Malikian.

Lousin Malikian

Malikian passed away on June 17 in Marseille.

DAMASCUS, Syria (A.W.)— On June 21, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly of the Syrian Arab Republic (Parliament) Hadiyeh Abbas affirmed the importance of strengthening the relations between Syria and Armenia and the need to promote them in order to best serve the interest of the two countries.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Syria Arshak Poladian met with the speaker as well as members of the Syrian-Armenian Parliamentary Friendship Association, which is headed by Nora Arissian (Photo: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia)

Armenia’s Ambassador to Syria Arshak Poladian met with the speaker as well as members of the Syrian-Armenian Parliamentary Friendship Association, which is headed by Nora Arissian, reported Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, Abbas greatly appreciated the Armenian support for Syria during the Syrian Civil War, pointing out the importance of the work of the Syrian Armenian Friendship Association. She also noted the numerous contributions of the Armenian Embassy in Syria in strengthening and deepening bilateral relations.

For his part, the Armenian Ambassador said that Syria has become a home for Armenians, in which they have lived successful lives and integrated into Syrian society. He also added that the launch of flights between Damascus and Yerevan will surely enhance communication between the two countries.

Poladian explained that the people of Syria were of great help to the Armenians during some of their most difficult times, including the Armenian Genocide. He also mentioned Syria’s assistance during the 1988 Spitak earthquake.

Arissian, the head of the Syrian-Armenian Friendship Association, stated that the one of the purposes of the meeting was to discuss matters of mutual interest between the two countries, especially fostering parliamentary relations between the Armenia and Syria.

On June 20, the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) also welcomed Armenia’s very receptive approach toward persons displaced from the Syrian conflict, especially by the Armenian government’s and the population.

UNHCR noted with appreciation that the new Prime Minister has repeatedly and publicly acknowledged the value of the displaced population for Armenian economic development, sending a clear message of welcome to the population.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – The Armenian National Committee of America-Orange County chapter (ANCA-OC) recently commended Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) for his principled leadership in calling national attention and securing broad bi-partisan condemnation of the May 16 brutal beating of peaceful protesters by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security forces in Washington.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

During a June 16 meeting, Rep. Rohrabacher, who serves as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats, told ANCA-OC members that, “The government of Turkey is proving itself to be not just a threat to Armenians, but a threat to freedom loving people everywhere. President Erdogan is a tyrant and radical Islamist. It’s time for the United States to give serious consideration to adjusting our priorities and alliances in that part of the world.”

Immediately after the attack on protesters, ordered by Turkish President Erdogan and carried out just feet in front of him, Rep. Rohrabacher held public hearings, inviting representatives of the Kurdish, Yezidi and Armenian communities to share their eyewitness accounts of the assault. ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, whose video footage of the attacks was shown by major media outlets throughout the world, offered powerful testimony during the hearing.

During the House Foreign Affairs Committee consideration of H.Res.354, condemning the Turkish attacks and calling for perpetrators to be brought to justice, Congressman Rohrabacher was adamant. “He [Erdogan] is not welcome in this country if he is going to think that he can attack Americans for expressing their opposition to his policies.”

Following unanimous committee passage, the resolution was adopted by the House of Representatives by a vote of 397-0. US law enforcement has since arrested two Turkish Americans in connection with the attacks and issued arrest warrants for 12 members of Erdogan’s security detail, as well as two Turkish Canadian citizens.

The ANCA-OC’s open and frank conversation with Congressman Rohrabacher also focused on H.Res.220, the Armenian Genocide Prevention Resolution, Armenia and Artsakh’s difficult geo-political challenges, Turkey’s destabilizing role in Syria and the region, the key contributions of the Kurdish community, as well as other issues important to the Armenian-American community in the U.S. and specifically in Orange County.

ANCA-OC leaders also urged the Congressman to oppose a pending sale of U.S. semi-automatic guns to Turkey, targeted for use by Erdogan’s security detail.

The productive meeting concluded with ANCA-OC and Congressman Rohrabacher agreeing to continue working together in Washington and locally in Orange County.

WASHINGTON—Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and nine of his Congressional colleagues from California sent a letter this week to California State Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin De León in support of California Assembly Bill 1597, which would divest California’s public pension funds from investment vehicles that are owned, controlled, or managed by the Turkish government.

Congressman Adam Schiff

“California has acted in the past to prohibit new investments by its pension funds in sectors that are inimical to our state’s values, such as the 2015 state law mandating divestment from coal companies,” the Members wrote in the letter. “The narrowly drafted AB 1597 proposal is an appropriate use of that authority, blocking future investments directly owned by the Turkish Government, such as government bonds.”

Rep. Schiff sent the letter along with Jackie Speier, Anna G. Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, Grace Napolitano, Tony Cárdenas, Brad Sherman, Ro Khanna, Salud Carbajal, and Jim Costa.

“Given the recent assault on peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C. by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s personal security forces, as well as Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide, divestment by California is an appropriate response,” the members wrote in the letter.

AB 1597 passed the California State Assembly on June 1, by a vote of 67-0, after being introduced and championed by Assembly member Adrin Nazarian for the past two years.

“We are so grateful to Congressman Adam Schiff who upon learning from us of the Divest Turkey statute pending in Sacramento, immediately took the lead in drafting this powerful letter of support for AB1597 and securing the support of his colleagues from California’s congressional delegation. We thank him and each Member of Congress who signed the letter for their recognition that long-standing public policy calling for justice for the Armenian Genocide is inconsistent with State investments in the Turkish government which enable it to continue funding its multi-million dollar denialist campaign,” said Nora Hovsepian, Esq., chairwoman of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR).

“Now that AB1597 has passed by a vote of 67-0 in the State Assembly, we look forward to successful passage in the State Senate and then to the Governor’s signature. We call upon all members of our community, especially public employees whose pension funds are invested in the Turkish government, to make their voices heard with their elected officials in Sacramento that their money should not fund Turkey’s PR campaigns in the US and that AB1597 should be enacted as a safeguard,” added Hovsepian.

The Armenian Youth Federation Western US Central Executive, in a statement issued Wednesday, thanked Rep. Schiff and his colleagues for advancing this important issue, which has been a focal point of the AYF’s activities in the past two years. Working with Armenian Student Association chapters on college campuses, the AYF has spearheaded the passage of divestment resolution by student governments on all University of California campuses.

“The support for AB 1597 from all across the state has been steadily increasing, showing that our calls to divest from the government of Turkey have become more crucial and relevant than ever. California must not be complicit in Turkey’s crimes, and divestment is an important way to ensure that Turkey is held accountable for its policies and actions that are in such stark opposition to those of this state,” said the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Western U.S. Central Executive.

“With the grassroots call for Turkish divestment now echoing from the halls of the United States Congress, we must push with renewed vigor to pass AB1597 and end the State of California’s $500 million dollar risky investment in Turkey’s failing economy, genocide denial campaigns, and human rights violations. We want Turkish Dictator Erdogan to know that we will relentlessly pursue divestment on local, state, national, and international levels until Turkey is brought to account and justice is realized,” added the AYF.

Full text of the letter is below.

***

Dear Mr. President:

We write to voice our strong support for AB 1597, which would divest California’s public pension funds from investment vehicles that are owned, controlled, or managed by the Turkish government. This legislation passed the Assembly on June 1st by a vote of 67-0. Given the recent assault on peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C. by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s personal security forces, as well as Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide, divestment by California is an appropriate response. We hope that the State Senate takes up and passes this legislation as soon as possible.

As you are aware, the once dynamic and relatively open Turkish democracy has slid towards authoritarian rule by President Erdogan. With the recent passage, beset by voting irregularities, of a constitutional referendum, Erdogan has amassed dictatorial powers. Turkey has become the world’s leading imprisoner of journalists, suppressed free speech, and has engaged in a brutal campaign to stamp out political dissent.

They have recently brought that campaign to the United States. On May 16th, members of Erdogan’s security detail brutally attacked a peaceful protest outside of the Turkish Embassy, causing serious injuries. Videos show Erdogan speaking to his security forces immediately prior to the attack, and observing from a distance as his armed security beat peaceful protesters. The House of Representatives recently passed H. Res. 354 unanimously, condemning this assault and calling on the Administration to hold Turkey responsible and take appropriate actions against those who carried out the attack.

Finally, Turkey has engaged in a decades long campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide, expending millions of dollars to lobby against recognition of the historic fact of the extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915-1923. California has been a leader in the United States in speaking frankly about the genocide, serving as a home for tens of thousands of Armenian-Americans whose families survived the genocide to build new lives in the United States.

California has acted in the past to prohibit new investments by its pension funds in sectors that are inimical to our state’s values, such as the 2015 state law mandating divestment from coal companies. The narrowly drafted AB 1597 proposal is an appropriate use of that authority, blocking future investments directly owned by the Turkish Government, such as government bonds. The investments make up a small portion of the pension funds’ holdings, and reallocating these resources in an orderly fashion will have no measurable impact on their fiduciary duties.

We hope that the Senate acts quickly on AB 1597, and that it can be signed into law as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Adam B. Schiff
Jackie Speier
Anna G. Eshoo
Zoe Lofgren
Grace Napolitano
Tony Cárdenas
Brad Sherman
Ro Khanna
Salud Carbajal
Jim Costa

cc: Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian

WASHINGTON (A.W.)—Acclaimed Armenian-American novelist Chris Bohjalian will be delivering the 21^st annual Vardanants Day Armenian Lecture at noon on Sept. 1 at the Library of Congress.

Acclaimed Armenian-American novelist Chris Bohjalian will be delivering the 21st annual Vardanants Day Armenian Lecture at noon on Sept. 1 at the Library of Congress.

The lecture entitled “Echoes of Anatolia: An Armenian-American novelist discovers his literary DNA at mid-life,” will take place at the Library of Congress’ Northeast Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Building. The event is free and open to the public.

The Vardanants Day lecture series is sponsored by the Near East Section of the African and Middle Eastern Division. It is named after the Armenian holiday that commemorates the battle of Avarayr (451 A.D.), which was waged by the Armenian General Vardan Mamikonian and his compatriots against invading Persian troops who were attempting to re-impose Zoroastrianism on the Christian state. As a religious holiday, it celebrates the Armenians’ triumph over forces of assimilation.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both onsite and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Chris Bohjalian is the author of 19 books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Sandcastle Girls, The Night Strangers, Skeletons at the Feast, and The Double Bind. His novel Midwives was a number one New York Times bestseller and a selection of Oprah’s Book Club. His work has been translated into more than 25 languages, and three of his novels have become movies. Bohjalian’s most recent novel, The Sleepwalker, was published in Jan. 2017.

Bohjalian’s awards include the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for The Sandcastle Girls, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for The Night Strangers; the New England Book Award; Russia’s Soglasie (Concord) Award for The Sandcastle Girls; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Trans-Sister Radio; a Best Lifestyle Column for “Idyll Banter” from the Vermont Press Association; and the Anahid Literary Award.

YEREVAN—Yerevan City Council recently announced a competition for the creation of a public monument dedicated of the Founding Father of Armenia’s Independence, Aram Manoukian.

Aram Manoukian

The monument will be erected in a space adjacent to the intersection of Aram Street and Nalbandian Street in downtown Yerevan.  Details about the specifications of the monument can be read in Armenian here.

Manoukian’s bust currently stands at the Armenian Police headquarters in Yerevan.

Manoukian’s home is currently located at 9 Aram Street—a street that was renamed in Manoukian’s honor after Armenia’s second independence. Manoukian lived in the house—which is currently on the list of protected monuments of Armenia—from 1917 to 1919.

Since Armenia’s re-independence in 1991, several people in Armenia and the Diaspora have criticized the state of the building, which has drastically declined over the years, as a result of neglect and indifference.

In a March 2016 op-ed, longtime Armenian activist and former ANCA Chairman Garo Armenian called for an immediate restoration of the building, to ensure that it is ready to open its doors to the public in time for the Centennial of the First Republic in 2018.

Manoukian’s bust currently stands at the Armenian Police headquarters in Yerevan. (Photo: Armine Aghayan)

“Many years ago, this national shrine, along with the adjacent city block, was hastily privatized by the then-government of Armenia and was allowed to sit there in total oblivion waiting for the ‘Hin Yerevan’ city mall to be conceptualized and take shape. While the original intent seemed to be to restore the building and to turn it into a museum as part of the architectural concept of the future ‘Hin Yerevan’ shopping center, with its occupants gone, the building incurred substantial decay over the years—to the point that it now exists only in the form of a skeleton at No. 9 Aram Street, recognizable only by the barely legible commemorative plaque on its outside wall, placed there decades ago not by the present but the pre-independence authorities of the country,” Armenian wrote in his piece entitled “This House Is the People’s House.”

The building currently has a commemorative plaque on its outside wall that states that Manoukian once inhabited the house. (Photo: Rupen Janbazian)

A public event was organized on Jan. 29 in front of what is left Manoukian’s home. The event was organized by a group of Armenian youth who sang, danced, and presented the works and activities of Manoukian to the public, in honor of the 98th anniversary of his passing and to bring awareness to the current state of the building and to issues pertaining to the preservation of cultural and historic monuments in Yerevan.

Armenia’s Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan was present at the event. While speaking to reporters, Amiryan expressed hope that these sorts of events will bear fruit and achieve their intended goals. “This building remains part of the ‘Old Yerevan’ Project, which, when implemented, can once again make the building what it once was,” said Amiryan.

“Some believe that certain rooms could be turned into a museum, but I think a functioning, living building will make for a better museum rather than a [traditional] museum building,” added Amiryan. “The important thing is to reconstruct the building to create an atmosphere similar to the years of the First Republic.” He assured that the building cannot be destroyed because it is protected by law.

Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Parliamentary Faction secretary and ARF Supreme Body of Armenia member Aghvan Vardanyan, who was also present at the event, stressed that the government needs to find a solution to this issue, especially when they have agreed to reconstruct it.

“Aram Manoukian is a symbol of the First Republic of Armenia yet there is no statue or monument dedicated to him or his work,” said Vardanyan. “The reconstruction and work for this building has not progressed and the result is the current status of the building.”

The building currently has a commemorative plaque on its outside wall that states that Manoukian once lived there.

Born in the village of Zeyva, in Kapan, Zangezour, Aram Manoukian attended parochial schools in Shushi and Yerevan. He joined the ARF at a young age and became an organizer among laborers in Batumi, in 1901, and then in Gandzak and Kars, where by 1903–04 he had already become a highly valued leader.

In 1904, he crossed into Iran, then to Van, where for four years he was the central figure. After the traitor Davo informed Turkish authorities about the location of ARF arms caches, Manoukian was arrested and tortured. He was eventually released during the Ottoman Constitutional Regime.

He attended the Fourth World Congress in 1907. He was a teacher for a time in Ordu. He then went to Geneva for a year to visit Rouben Ter Minasian, then returned to Van.

In 1915, after Vana lshkhan and Arshak Vramian were assassinated, Manoukian was left alone to face a catastrophic situation. He led and became the symbol of the heroic Battle of Van in April 1915, and was appointed governor of free Vaspourakan.

He accompanied the people of Van in their exodus toward the Caucasus. In 1916–17, in Tiflis, Manoukian was active in the affairs of the ARF Bureau, the Armenian National Council, and Western Armenian refugees.

As the National Council’s special envoy and plenipotentiary representative in Yerevan, Manoukian was proclaimed “dictator” of the Ararat region in May 1918 and led the resistance against the invading Turks. He was the symbol of the victory in the Ararat plain and was considered by the population as the founder of the Armenian Republic.

In the Republic’s first government (under Hovhannes Kachaznouni as Prime Minister), Manoukian was Minister of the Interior and Minister of Supplies. He contracted typhus, which was wreaking havoc at that time, and died at age 40, on Jan. 29, 1919.

State Department: People of the Region Deserve ‘Lasting Peace;’
EU: Recent Violations a stark Reminder That the ‘Status Quo is Unsustainable’

WASHINGTON (A.W.)—The United States is deeply concerned over the recent violations of the Artsakh ceasefire, which have resulted in multiple casualties on the Line of Contact (LoC) over the last week. In a statement released on June 21 by U.S. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert, the State Department urged sides to avoid escalation and encouraged “immediate consideration of measures” to reduce tensions along the LoC and the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenian and Artsakh Armed Forces holding joint military exercises at a training ground near the town of Tigranakert, Artsakh, in 2014 (Photo: AFP)

Citing an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group statement released on June 19, the State Department said that the Minsk Group Co-Chairs underscored that negotiations are the only way to bring a lasting peace to the people of the region, “who expect and deserve progress toward settlement of the conflict.”

“The United States continues to engage intensely with the sides. Our longstanding policy, shared by the Minsk Group co-chairs, is that a just settlement must be based on international law, which includes the Helsinki Final Act, in particular the principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity, and self-determination,” read a part of the statement, which did not target one party as the sole aggressor.

A day later, on June 22, the European Union (EU) announced that it expects de-escalation and restraint in the conflict, “in deeds as well as in words.”

“Recent violations of the ceasefire resulting in further fatalities on the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict zone are a stark reminder that the status quo is unsustainable,” read a part of the EU statement, which reaffirmed the Union’s support of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

“The European Union fully supports the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and joins their appeal of  June 19, for immediate consideration of measures to reduce tensions in the conflict zone and at the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as re-engagement of the parties in negotiations on substance, in good faith and with the necessary political will,” concluded the statement.

On the same day, the United Nations Secretary General’s spokesperson released the following statement in support of the Minsk Group’s appeal:

“We take note of the June 19 statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group following their recent travel to the region. We share the Co-Chairs’ concern over the recent cease-fire violations, which have resulted in regrettable casualties in the Line of Contact.  We echo their appeal to the parties to avoid further escalation and to consider measures that would reduce tensions.

“We also join the Co-Chairs’ in urging the parties to re-engage in negotiations on substance, in good faith and with political will. The United Nations stands ready to support such efforts if needed.”