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Irvine, California: Mayor Donald Wagner Remove Turkish April 23, Heritage day resolution from city council Agenda

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Irvine Mayor Donald P. Wagner

Statement of Mayor Donald P. Wagner, Regarding Turkish Heritage and Children’s Day,

Beginning yesterday, council members and staff began hearing from members of the Armenian community in opposition to a routine item on the consent agenda for tonight’s council meeting. The item is a resolution commemorating April 23 as Turkish Heritage and Children’s Day. This was the eighth straight year this resolution has come before the council; all seven prior appearances of this resolution were approved unanimously without objection from the Armenian community. For that reason, city staff and I believed the resolution was inoffensive and appropriate for the consent calendar.

Because of what we have heard over the last day, however, it is now clear to me and to the entire council that the choice of date for the Turkish Heritage resolution is deeply troubling to our residents and friends of Armenian heritage. April 23 is the day before the longstanding date for remembrance of the Armenian genocide. I have co-authored six resolutions during my service in the legislature recognizing and remembering the first – but sadly not last – genocide of the Twentieth Century. Neither I nor anyone on this council wishes to ignore or downplay the historical significance of that genocide.

For that reason, I have removed the Turkish Heritage resolution from tonight’s agenda. It is not going to be before us, and I will not sign such a resolution. Instead, staff is asked to work with all stakeholders in this matter to find an appropriate date to recognize Turkish heritage that is also sensitive to the concerns of those among us of Armenian heritage.

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Armenian Genocide recognition on Syrian parliament agenda: lawmakers

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armenian-genocide-agendaDiscussions on the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide are underway at the Syrian parliament, lawmakers from the People’s Council Omar al Arabi and Alan Bakr said Tuesday, November 29.

At a Yerevan-hosted meeting with Armenia’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov, the MPs thanked Armenia for supporting Syria and its people in times of hardships.

Sharmazanov said, in turn, that the Armenian-Syrian friendship has a centuries-old history, which has further strengthened after Syria gave shelter to the thousands of Armenian migrants who had survived the Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Also, the lawmakers dwelled upon the crisis in Syria, with the Armenian MP stressing the country’s position in the struggle against terrorism.

The Charge d’Affaires of Syria to Armenia Essam Nayyal also attended the meeting.

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Pope very rarely has such heavy agenda, say foreign journalists

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JournalistThe foreign journalists accompanying Pope Francis during his trip to Armenia admit that the pontific’s agenda is not normally so busy as now.

Speaking to Tert.am, Andrea Gagliarduci, an Italian journalist and analyst (Catholik News) who always covers papal visits and meetings, said the Pope very seldom has such a busy schedule.

She said they have visited with a full team to attend and cover all the ceremonies and events to be arranged on the sidelines of the visit.  The Italian journalist, who represents a Catholic media outlet, said the current visit is of special significance for them, especially after the 2015 holy Mass in Vatican (when the Pope used the word “genocide” to refer to the World War I ear massacres of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire).

An Associated Press reporter, who is of Georgian descent and whose name is Tako, says journalists’ work is responsible and important.

A Russian reporter said that the global interest in the Pope’s historic visit to Armenia is understandable. He is grateful for favorable working conditions and expressed hope that good conditions will be ensured during the coming two days. Russia’s catholic community would never forgive Russian media outlets for failing to cover the papal visit to Armenia.

“This is a significant event for believers.  The Pope has said you are the first Christian people so it is good such events are taking place here,” says Sergey.

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Nagorno-Karabakh recognition bill not on Armenian parliament’s agenda

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f5739a8e218435_5739a8e21846dThe bill on recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh co-authored by Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan has not been approved by the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Parliament of Armenia.

A vote was announced after the debates, but the committee members did not take part. Hamlet Harutyunyan (Republican Party of Armenia) and Tevan Poghosyan voted ‘for’ and ‘against’ respectively.
Committee Chairman Artak Zarkaryan saud that the bill would not be out on the agenda.

“It is not the right time yet, but the moment will come soon. I agreed with Ms Postanjyan’s motion on recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh. But my no sharing her opinion is that I am deeply convinced that we need patience. We have no grounds to undertake unfounded initiatives. The bill must be universally approved, without any criticism or voting,” he said.

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Turkey: Historians tells ‘open’ the archives (Armenian Genocide)

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By: UYGAR GÜLTEKİN  

uygargultekin@agos.com.tr

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s’ condolence message, one of the most important archives were emphasized. Erdogan message “in the use of all researchers have opened our archive. Today, hundreds of nm_Arsiv_Sitesi_Ic_Calisma_4_1235thousands of documents found in our archives, historians are offered to all, “he said. Historian Prof. And Prof. Taner Akcam. Ayhan Aktar ATASA been unable to archive documents freely accessible underscores.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued on April 23 ‘condolence message, one of the most important archives were emphasized. Erdogan message “in the use of all researchers have opened our archive. Today, hundreds of thousands of documents found in our archives, historians are offered to all, “he said.

Condition is that really so? Researchers in the state archives in Turkey is able to work as they want me? The status of the message archive, then came up again.

Historian Prof. Oktay private, in an article published in Radikal on May 7, as the Prime Minister announced that the archives of the state, he noted. The Department of the General Staff Military History and Strategic Studies, known as ATAS briefly with the following statements drew attention to the importance of archives “of the government, including the Prime Minister is also the public’s need to know. Comes archives theoretically the time of the Ottoman government of the First World War during the War Ministry (Enver Pasha) out of civil-military all units, and particularly the Ministry of Interior of the (Talat Pasha), including all relevant ministries ‘conditions of martial law under’ and relocation applications, including a variety of topics contains all his correspondence. So ‘1915 ‘Archives of the Ministry of Interior and the Prime Minister of Public Safety-counsel with the correspondence of the most important and critical document containing a set of classification, are ATASA this correspondence in the archive. They all work will be done without missing, misleading and one-sided to provide a picture inevitable. Indeed it is happening. Prime Minister’s statement that the relevant critical issues in this archive, literally ‘open’ can not be considered an archive. Because all of the material, the researchers are not freely open to scrutiny. ATASA working as an apartment in the management of the General Staff in the archives to document them directly and freely historians do not reach. “

The two historians Prof. facts about archive ask. Taner Akcam and Prof. Ayhan Aktar private with the Oktay agree.

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‘Off the entire attaché’

Prof. Ayhan Aktar, with the support of the archives. “Archives are meaningless to say completely open,” said Aktar, drew attention to the situation of the archives of the General Staff.

“Foreign Ministry archives külliyen are closed. Chief of Staff ATASA known as archive while on paper is clear. Ataste work is impossible. Herein, documents originals see is not possible. Preliminary inspections are. Want shows that they are. Such archival not. Ben British official archives II . the World War II era prime minister Winston Churchill’s letters, notes read. Nobody told me, ‘No, give it to you do not’ beam. Nobody in Turkey to me, ‘archives’ on to say. Only Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives are open, work well. world’s no national in the archives of everything you will not find. Every time a self-censorship and a screening has. that the percent that is important. ataste the entire closed. Press had taken place: 1915 related shipping documents there but covered. Anatolia in every city, sent Armenians List of delegations given to the head of the gendarmerie. these documents, we know that there are, but they can not reach. “

Taner Akcam: Documents have be settled

  • Which is the most important documents on genocide in Turkey in the archives?

The most important archives, the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives in Istanbul, known as ATAS short of the Archives of General Staff. Other than that, with the State Department’s own archives as well as the Red Crescent, there is another archive.

  • Which archives accessible? Which are classified?

Most regular ones and researchers Prime Minister’s Archives in Istanbul archives are providing good service. Classified in this archive studies, as far as I know, is still pending. For example, issues related to our important documents related to the various departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has new documents are added constantly. General Staff Military Archive (ATAS), the program is practically closed. This archive access is subject to special permission. Until recently did not even have an application form. This archive receive special permission, had the chance to study, some researchers say that this is an incomplete archive of the classification. This archive Archive a moment before connecting to the Prime Minister and gives the same level of service must be rendered.

  • Many documents have been destroyed possible?

The likelihood that the documents have been destroyed, not a reality. After the cleaning was done in 1918 in the archives, was founded in November 1918 after the government said the ministers themselves. Deportation and extermination of the Armenians regarding the lawsuit filed against Unionists in prosecution in the indictment, this article provides answers to the relevant ministries. Cleaning, especially the Ministry of Interior of the documents were made. In 1919, the Minister of Post and Telegraph about the war years, due to the destruction document even have a case opened. I ‘Armenian Question has be settled’ in my book, made in the archives gave detailed information on the cleaning.

Archive cleaning does not belong to a single 1918-19. For example, the cleaning made after 1980 and some documents in the archives of the ATAS ‘to be destroyed’ are separated. To me this story, personally involved in the cleaning business, a historian told him. Perhaps the latest information that can be added is: Prime Archive, orderliness and professionalism in the work of all, in spite of all documents related to our topic of the researcher is to provide services; can not offer.

  • Archives of General Staff, especially the topic of discussion. You can do it whenever you want do research in the archives?

I did not have to apply for work in this archive. I know both are not allowed, as well as working conditions is meaningless to go … this archive and employees entering some scholars, for example, on several occasions Oktay private transfer the experience has been. Topics related to your document when you want, they want you just to bring a few documents are sitting on a strange system … This archive was closed most accurate to say that is a way of expression. Mr. Prime Minister, before the big words for 1915, which is attached to it that allows the opening of the archives if you would have made a very big business.

 

Source: Agos

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