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I say shame on those bearded people who making themselves Turkish propaganda machine.

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I say shame on those bearded people who making themselves Turkish propaganda machine

n_43928_4Yes go ahead go live under Turkish red bloody flag. It is just amazing how naive these birded people are they are again subjecting Syriacs people to Turkish massacre.

Her is what the Syriacs bearded leaders send letter to Turkish PM.

The letter emphasizes that Syriacs are ready to return as long as the Turkish government guaranteed that it would take the necessary steps.

 

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Following Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik’s call for the return of Syriacs to Turkey, the Syriac Democratic Union (SDU), a Sweden-based organization, has sent a letter to Çelik, requesting the establishment of a commission to work on the practicalities of a possible return.

The letter emphasizes that Syriacs are ready to return as long as the Turkish government guaranteed that it would take the necessary steps.

During his recent visit to Russia, Çelik had suggested that those who had migrated from Turkey in the past could return to their ancestral homes. “Due to faults in the past, some Christians and Jews left our country. We want to tell them that they can return to their country,” he said.

Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News about the letter and the proposal to establish a commission, SDU Deputy Chair Fikri Aygur said Syriacs had strong bonds of affection with Anatolia and they still hoped to return. “As we stated in the letter we sent to Mr. Çelik, in 2001, [Former Prime Minister Bülent] Ecevit’s government made a similar call. It said Syriacs could return under a state guarantee. As European Syriacs, we took that call seriously; there were those who returned, but necessary guarantees could not be provided to them. Our people returned to the European countries they lived in with great disappointment,” Aygur said.

‘Why not the prime minister?’

“We would expect such a call to come from the prime minister or the interior minister, but it still bears importance. All in all, it is important that a minister issued such a call. If the state is sincere, we will respond positively,” he said.

“As the Syriacs who migrated to Europe, we have been living in different countries, away from the country we were born in, for about 30 years. Though the minister made a call, we still do not know whether a basis for it is ready or not … We want to gather, discuss on our problems, and convey our demands in a joint commission that could be formed,” Aygur also said.

“First of all, the things that lead to Syriacs migrating from their hometowns should be resolved. If the government is willing to take serious steps regarding us, we are ready to contribute to [the process] as the SDU. If the required regulations are made, many will want to return,” he added.

Armenian And Greek Americans Challenge U.S.-Turkey Free Trade Deal

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Urge End to Turkey’s Occupation of Cyprus; Lifting of Armenia Blockade as Precondition to New Trade Agreement

WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America and American Hellenic Institute this week urged the United States Trade Representative to require that any new U.S.-Turkahi_anca_logosey trade agreement require that Ankara ends its illegal occupation of Cyprus and lifts its unlawful blockade of Armenia.

In a March 26th letter to acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis, AHI President Nick Larigakis and ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian explained that the two communities welcome, in principal, the Obama Administration “leadership on the expansion of U.S. trade and investment based on a fair playing field and respect for the rule of law,” but stressed that, “in the case of Turkey, however, it is clear that the United States would not advance our national interests, our economic welfare, or our core values in any meaningful or enduring manner by rewarding a nation that so egregiously and flagrantly undermines the integrity of the global trading system by occupying a European Union member state and maintaining the last closed border in Europe.”

President Barack Obama notified Congress last week that his Administration would launch trade talks with the European Union aimed at forging the world’s largest free-trade area.  The Turkish press reported soon after the U.S. announcement that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan immediately had sent a letter to President Obama encouraging him to commence U.S.–Turkey free trade agreement talks in parallel with European Union negotiations.

The full text of the AHI-ANCA letter is provided below.

March 26, 2013

The Honorable Demetrios Marantis
Acting United States Trade Representative
Office of the United States Trade Representative
600 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20508

Dear Ambassador Marantis:

On behalf of our respective communities, we are writing to encourage the Obama Administration to ensure that any future trade measures involving the Republic of Turkey, including both bilateral and European Union-related agreements, require, as a statutory precondition, that Turkey end its illegal economic blockade of Armenia and its unlawful military occupation of Cyprus.

We raise this concern in connection to the White House’s March 20, 2013 notification to Congress of its intent to negotiate a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union, and the Turkish government’s own stated interest in joining this agreement and also in reaching its own Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

We welcome your leadership on the expansion of U.S. trade and investment based on a fair playing field and respect for the rule of law. In the case of Turkey, however, it is clear that the United States would not advance our national interests, our economic welfare, or our core values in any meaningful or enduring manner by rewarding a nation that so egregiously and flagrantly undermines the integrity of the global trading system by occupying a European Union member state and maintaining the last closed border in Europe.

We appreciate your attention to this matter, and would very much welcome both a written response to our concerns and the opportunity to meet with you and your staff to discuss these and other reservations in greater detail.

Sincerely,
Nick Larigakis
President, American Hellenic Institute
Aram S. Hamparian
Executive Director, Armenian National Committee of America

PBS Station To Screen ‘Orphans Of The Genocide’

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Documentary Weaves Historical Archives, Interviews and Memoirs Establishing Proof of the Armenian Genocide

FRESNO—Armenoid Productions– a documentary film production company of dedicated, storytellers of concealed history announced Wednesday that its documentary flyer_frontSMproduction Orphans of The Genocide will be screened by ValleyPBS, Station KPVT 18, in Fresno on April 18 at 7 p.m..

The screening will be part of the ValleyPBS station fundraising drive, which will be hosted by actor Ken Davitian from the Academy Award® winning film The Artist. Donors will receive copies of Orphans of the Genocide DVD and accompanying book with various levels of donations.  Created by four-time Regional Emmy Award winner filmmaker, Bared Maronian, the documentary weaves historical archives with interviews and memoirs of Armenian orphans establishing irrevocable proof of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenians nationwide are asked to contact their local PBS station and urge them to screen Orphans of the Genocide during the month of April.

Orphans of the Genocide is an emotional visual journey through never-before-seen archival footage and discovered memoirs of orphans who lived through the last century’s first, fully documented and least recognized  Armenian Genocide of 1915.  The documentary follows Maurice Missak Kelechian whose research findings unveil the site of an Armenian orphanage located at the present day Antoura College near Beirut, Lebanon  where 1,000 Armenian Genocide Orphans had lived and were forcefully converted and “Turkified” during W.W. I.  In addition to the Antoura site, the documentary unveils numerous other orphanages where Armenian orphans were housed – and profiles one orphan girl who was adopted and later became one of Turkey’s high-profiled national icons as the daughter of Ataturk, the founder of modern-day Turkey.   The documentary traces the lives of many orphans who lived through the horrors of a war, losing parents and being separated from siblings and shipped to various countries.
The documentary also explores the herculean task of the American Near East Relief Foundation in saving, feeding and sheltering over 150,000 documented Armenian genocide orphans between 1919 and 1926 by setting up over 200 temporary and permanent orphanages in Historic Armenia, Turkey and throughout the Middle East. One of these orphanages was built in Gumri, the second largest city in Armenia, and housed 22,000 orphans.

Additionally, Orphans of the Genocide includes interviews with numerous public figures including British journalist Robert Fisk – whose article “Living Proof of the Armenian Genocide” published in 2010 by The Independent included many of the archival proofs – Armenian-American Dr. Jack Kevorkian, as well as revealing testimonials from children of the Armenian Genocide orphans scattered around the world. The Armenoid team offers never-before-seen archival footage weaving stories of Armenian orphans from around the globe.

Individuals interested in supporting the Armenoid projects can make tax deductible donations following the screening or by contacting Armenoid Productions at 954-646-0944 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 954-646-0944 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting or director, Bared Maronian at bared.maronian@gmail.com.

Founded in 2006, Armenoid Productions has produced numerous award-winning documentaries among them Father Komitas depicting the lives and deaths of two major Armenian clergymen’s contributions to the Armenian nation and The Wall of the Genocide a poetic tribute to the 5,000 year-old Armenian History starting from the Noah’s Ark resting upon Mount Ararat to the modern day assassination of outspoken Turkish-Armenian editor of “Agos” weekly newspaper, Hrant Dink. Both documentaries were honored with Telly Awards in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to premiere this powerful documentary on ValleyPBS. As Your Valley Classroom, we continually strive to bring compelling content such as Orphans of the Genocide to residents of the San Joaquin Valley who appreciate quality, educational programs and lifelong learning. This is truly an unforgettable show.” Paula Castadio, ValleyPBS President & CEO

For more information on Armenoid Productions visit http://www.armenoidteam.com or contact 954-646-0944 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 954-646-0944 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting .

“Syrian Fall of the Arab Spring” documentary presented with English subtitles (Video)

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“Syrian Fall of the Arab Spring”, the documentary by Arman Saghatelyan, the deputy head of PanArmenian Media Group, who recently visited Aleppo in Syria Syrian Fall of Arab Springto present to the large audience the real picture of last developments there, is presented with English subtitles.

It goes with no comments but leaves the floor to Syrian Armenians who talk about the current situation they are in and difficulties they face. The film is also about the hope these people have for the future.

Cypriot youth protest as banks stay shut

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By Michele Kambas and Costas Pitas

NICOSIA | Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:12pm EDT

NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cypriots vented anger in the streets on Tuesday and were desperate to learn what would happen to their savings, with the government yet to reveal Students take part in anti-Troika protest in Nicosiadetails of controls it will impose to prevent a run when banks reopen after a painful bailout.

A special administrator was appointed to run the country’s biggest bank, which will take over accounts from the second biggest bank as part of the restructuring package designed to bail out and rein in the oversized financial sector.

Cyprus’s banks were ordered to remain closed until Thursday, and even then will operate under as-yet-undisclosed capital controls imposed to prevent depositors from emptying the vaults.

The Central Bank governor said the controls would be “loose” and would apply to all banks in the country. The restrictions would be “temporary” but he would not say what form they would take or how long they would last. Earlier, the finance minister said they could be in place for weeks.

Cyprus had faced bankruptcy and potential ejection from the European single currency without a rescue deal with international lending bodies. Now that the deal has been struck, it faces job losses and economic contraction.

Reuters journalists estimated up to 3,000 high school students protested outside parliament, the first major expression of popular anger after Cyprus agreed the 10 billion euro ($13 billion) bailout with the European Union.

“They’ve just gotten rid of all our dreams, everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve achieved up until now, what our parents have achieved,” said a student who gave his name as Thomas.

Outside the central bank, about 200 employees of the country’s biggest commercial bank, the Bank of Cyprus, demanded the resignation of the central bank governor, Panicos Demetriades, chanting “Hands off Cyprus” and “Disgrace”.

“We are scared. We were also so proud of the Bank of Cyprus. We worked with a lot of love, not just for the money,” said a Bank of Cyprus worker who gave her name as Anthoulla.

RESIGNATION

Under the bailout, the second largest bank, Cyprus Popular Bank, is to be shut down and its accounts of under 100,000 euros combined with those of the Bank of Cyprus. Accounts of more than 100,000 euros at both banks will be frozen, with depositors, many of them rich foreigners, likely to lose much of their investments.

Dinos Christofides, an accountant and banker, told Reuters he had been named administrator to run the Bank of Cyprus: “It means that from now until further notice I will be running the bank. It could be short term … or it could be longer.”

Bank of Cyprus chairman Andreas Artemis offered to resign on Tuesday, a source at the bank said. His fate was not clear after the bank declined to accept his resignation.

After returning from last-ditch negotiations in Brussels, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said late on Monday that the rescue plan agreed was “painful” but essential.

European leaders said the deal averted a chaotic national bankruptcy that might have forced Cyprus from the euro.

A Cyprus exit from the euro would be “disastrous, politically and economically” and was not to be contemplated, Finance Minister Michael Sarris said.

By protecting state guaranteed deposits of up to 100,000 euros, the bailout reversed a previous deal that would have imposed a levy on small depositors as well as big ones, which had infuriated Cypriots and was vetoed by parliament. Sarris said big depositors could face loses of around 40 percent.

Many Cypriots say they do not feel reassured by the new deal, however, and are expected to besiege banks as soon as they reopen after a shutdown that began over a week ago.

Reversing a previous decision to start reopening at least some banks on Tuesday, the central bank said late on Monday that all banks would now stay shut for two more days to ensure the “smooth functioning of the whole banking system”.

TEMPORARY MEASURE

Little is known about the restrictions on transactions that Anastasiades said the central bank would impose, but he told Cypriots: “I want to assure you that this will be a very temporary measure that will gradually be relaxed.”

Such controls are at odds with the European Union’s ideals of a common market but the government is anxious to prevent any panic that would cause even more disruption to the economy.

The central bank has imposed a 100-euro daily limit on withdrawals from cash machines at the two biggest banks.

Without an agreement by the end of Monday, Cyprus risked becoming the first country to be pushed out of the European single currency – a fate Germany and other northern creditors seemed willing to inflict.

BUSINESS LIFE

The closure of the banks for more than a week has hurt business. Andreas Hadjiadamou, president of the Cyprus Supermarkets Association, said: “It’s had a huge effect on the market. Consumers’ psychology has hit the floor.”

“If they (the banks) don’t open on Thursday we could see supply problems as well as delays in salary payments.”

Maria Benaki, who runs a family silverware business on Nicosia’s biggest shopping street, said she hasn’t had a customer in days.

“The situation is dire. I don’t understand why we bother coming into work at all to be honest,” she said. “What will happen at the end of the month when I need to pay my bills?”

(Additional reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague, Catherine Bremer in Paris; Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by Peter Graff)

Experts meet in Yerevan to strategize for Armenian Genocide Centenary

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Over 40 Armenian Genocide specialists from nine countries met in Yerevan on March 22-23 to strategize on how to devise a legal framework to mitigate the consequences of the Genocide, counter Turkish denialism, and organize genocide studies programs and museum exhibits. The conference was organized by the State Commission Harut Sassounian2coordinating activities leading to the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In his message to the conference, Pres. Serzh Sargsyan expressed regret that the Armenian Genocide has gone unpunished which paved the way for the Jewish Holocaust. He hoped that the 100th anniversary would be an occasion to demonstrate Armenian unity and resolve to alleviate the consequences of the Genocide, secure restorative justice, and pass on to the next generation new methods of struggle and survival. The President welcomed the fact that more conscientious elements of Turkish society are shattering the wall of silence and denialism, and reexamining the revisionist policies of their country. The President asked conference participants to recommend suggestions to the State Commission for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Here is a summary of the comments made by some of the genocide experts participating in the March 22-23 conference:

Israeli scholar Yair Auron criticized the State of Israel for not recognizing the Armenian Genocide, pointing out, however, that a large segment of the Israeli public acknowledges it. Having experienced a similar tragic fate during the Holocaust, Israel should have been the first country to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, stated Prof. Auron.

Historian Richard Hovannisian of Los Angeles urged the State Commission to plan artistic and cultural events rather than academic conferences to reach out to more people around the world. He suggested organizing a pan-Armenian philharmonic orchestra that would tour the world during the months leading to April 24, 2015. He also expressed the concern that the Turkish government is better prepared to counter the Centenary activities than Armenians are in planning them.

Hayk Demoyan, Secretary of the State Commission and Director of the Genocide Museum in Yerevan, presented to conference participants the plans for the expansion of the museum by 2015.

Prof. Vahakn Dadrian of New York commented that when a denialist country is weak, it accepts its crimes more easily. As long as Turkey remains a powerful country, it will not recognize the Armenian Genocide, Dadrian observed.

Researcher Mihran Minassian from Aleppo, Syria, suggested that commemorative events be jointly observed with Greeks and Assyrians. He pointed out that Turkish denialists had not accused members of these two ethnic groups of joining the Russian Army or forming armed bands, yet they too became victims of mass violence and genocide.

Prof. Nikolay Hovannisyan of Yerevan explained that contrary to popular belief, the Ottoman Empire, not Uruguay, was the first country to recognize the Armenian Genocide through court verdicts in 1919-1926. Uruguay’s Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1965.

Vladimir Vardanyan, Head of International Treaties Department of Armenia’s Constitutional Court, stated that the concept of Crimes Against Humanity was first used on May 24, 1915 in a joint declaration issued by Britain, France and Russia, warning Turkish officials that they would be held responsible for the Armenian massacres. Similarly, after World War II, the Nuremberg Tribunal accused Nazi war criminals of committing Crimes Against Humanity rather than genocide. Vardanyan suggested that the Republic of Armenia set up a permanent state body that would research and develop the legal framework for the pursuit of genocide-related demands from Turkey in international courts.

Ragip Zarakolu, a prominent Turkish human rights activist from Istanbul who has been frequently jailed for publishing Armenian Genocide books, spoke about the “growing denial industry in Turkey.” He suggested that denialism encouraged terrorism in Turkey.

As a participant in the genocide conference, I spoke about the need to pursue “justice” rather than mere “genocide recognition,” which has already been accomplished. The concept of justice comprises all Armenian demands from Turkey: moral, financial, and territorial restitution.

I also suggested that before planning any specific activities for the Genocide Centenary, Armenians worldwide first develop a single message and agreed upon set of goals. Otherwise, they would be sending mixed messages to Turkey and the international community as to what they really want and seek to accomplish on April 24, 2015.

Finally, the pursuit of Armenian demands must not end in 2015. They should persist in seeking their just demands from Turkey until they accomplish “justice” for their cause!

Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

CIA helping arms shipments to Syria rebels through Turkey: Report

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WASHINGTON – Agence France-Presse

Arab nations and Turkey, helped by the CIA, have dramatically increased military aid to Syrian rebels in recent months, The New York Times reported Monday.

n_43580_4The US Central Intelligence Agency was helping their efforts, the newspaper added, citing air traffic data and interviews with unnamed officials and the rebel commanders.

The airlift has grown to include more than 160 military cargo flights by Jordanian, Saudi and Qatari military-style cargo planes landing at Esenboga Airport near Ankara, and at other Turkish and Jordanian airports, the report said.

US intelligence officers have helped the Arab governments shop for weapons, including a large procurement from Croatia, it said. They had also vetted rebel commanders and groups to determine who should receive the weapons as they arrive.

Turkey had overseen much of the program, fixing transponders to trucks ferrying the military goods through Turkey so it could monitor shipments, the paper added.

“A conservative estimate of the payload of these flights would be 3,500 tons of military equipment,” Hugh Griffiths, of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), told the paper.

“The intensity and frequency of these flights,” were “suggestive of a well-planned and coordinated clandestine military logistics operation”, he added.

The armed uprising against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sprang up in response to the Damascus regime’s crackdown two years ago on opposition protests.

The Turks now super pass the Israel in control of Washington, PM Netanyahut apologize to Turkish Bully PM

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The Turk dispatch President Obama to go to Israel to force PM Netanyahu to apologize to Turkish Bully Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Israel’s 2010 raid on a Turkish PM and ObamaTurkish ship.

The president’s involvement, a senior American official said, was crucial to both leaders, which is why Mr. Netanyahu scheduled the call before Mr. Obama’s departure from Israel. Mr. Erdogan insisted on speaking to Mr. Obama first before the president handed the phone over to Mr. Netanyahu. In the end, the call produced a win-win for all sides.

A Hamas official said Turkish Premier Erdogan phoned exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Friday, March 22 evening and briefed him on the details of Netanyahu’s apology.

UNHRC adopts Armenia-initiated genocide prevention resolution

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March 22, 2013 – 19:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) unanimously adopted Armenia-initiated resolution on prevention of genocides, according to RA Foreign Ministry’s Facebook page.

151084The Armenian Genocide was masterminded by the Central Committee of the Young Turk Party led by Mehmed Talat Pasha, Ismail Enver Pasha, and Ahmed Djemal Pasha. 98 years ago today, Armenian intellectuals of Constantinople were arrested, the figure reaching 800 during a week. Majority of them were killed in prisons, the others died when being exiled.

In all, from 1.5 to 2 million people were slaughtered in the Ottoman Empire during the WWI. The entire population of six vilayets of Western Armenia was annihilated. Those who survived found shelter in different countries of the world, forming the Armenian Diaspora.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize the Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, majority of U.S. states, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Chamber of Commons of Canada, Polish Sejm, Vatican, European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.