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Diyarbakır court sentences Turkey’s youngest mayor to over four years in jail

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DİYARBAKIR – Doğan News Agency
Turkeys youngest mayorThe 25-year-old student became Turkey’s youngest ever mayor after winning the March 30 elections with fellow co-mayoral candidate Harun Erkuş with a record 91 percent of the votes. DHA Photo
Rezan Zuğurli, who was elected as co-mayor of Diyarbakır’s Lice district from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) a month ago, was sentenced to over four years in prison May 7 for participating in three rallies in 2010 and 2011.

The 25-year-old student became Turkey’s youngest ever mayor after winning the March 30 elections with fellow co-mayoral candidate Harun Erkuş with a record 91 percent of the votes.

The Diyarbakır 2nd High Criminal Court found Zuğurli guilty on charges of committing crimes “on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)” even while admitting that she was not a member of the group.

Prosecutors were demanding up to 35 years in prison, although the court ultimately sentenced her to four years and two months in jail.

A previous ruling sentencing Zuğurli to five years in prison on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” was overturned by the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals, prompting her release after 13 months of detention.

Zuğurli, who is currently studying at the Communications Faculty of Dicle University in Diyarbakır, had also worked in a women’s shelter in the southeastern province.

During her campaign, Zuğurli had told constituents that despite being new to formal politics, she had lived within politics due to the judicial imbroglio in which she was involved.

“Being a candidate was not something that I planned for but after giving it thought, I felt like I could achieve things,” she said, adding that her family supported her in her decision.

“Sometimes the biggest politics is telling about what you have seen and been through. I may be new in politics, but am not raw at all,” Zuğurli said.
May/07/2014

Sayat Nova’s works to be published in Turkey

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For the first time, works of famous Armenian writer and composer Sayat Nova will be published in Turkey, in Armenian and Turkish, on the initiative of the Turkish Ministry of Sayat NovaCulture, SonDakika.com reports.

It will be the first time when an Armenian-language book will be published in Turkey with state sponsorship. There is already an agreement with Armenian translators. The preparatory works will be over soon and the book will be released in June.

It is noteworthy that Turkish media present this initiative as the next step by Ankara, following the message of condolences issued by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 23.

Source: Panorama.am

The Turkish Historical Society (TTK) presented its latest publication

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The Turkish Historical Society (TTK) presented its latest publication on the Armenians, prepared by 350 scholars and entitled “Turks and Armenians in history.”

arton99388-480x323The Chairman of the TTK Dr. Metin Hülagü said that the book was about “solidarity Turks and Armenians.”

“The book discusses the unity of Turks and Armenians. The combat is a last resort in our culture. The recent statement by Prime Minister [on the events of 1915] also highlights the humanitarian sentiments, “said Hülagü.

He added that the Armenian historians have not been included in the book, despite the fact that the TTK had appealed for their participation.

“We announced to the world that we were preparing this book and the documents were accepted. But we did not have contributions from abroad. We have not been able to receive the contribution of all Armenians, “said Hülagü.

Lack of time

He suggested that a “lack of time” could be a reason for the lack of foreign participation in their project.

The book of 10 volumes of TTK includes articles with titles including “Armenians of the First Age and the Middle Ages”, “The culture of living together”, “socio-economic”, “Armenians in areas rural and urban “,” Population and Migration “,” The Armenian population and the Church “,” missionary activities, “The emergence of the Armenian Question” and “foreign countries.”

A document entitled “The mission of the church taking the Armenian issue to the international agenda,” argues that the Armenian Church has played an important role in the realization of the Armenian question and the question genocide to the attention of the international community.

Hurriyet

Turkey’s statements set limit with no expectations beyond it – Vahram Ter-Matevosyan

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In response to Tert.am’s question about the possibility of Turkey reopening its border with Armenia on the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, without any preconditions, to prove Vahram Ter-Matevosyansomething to the world – which, in fact, would be far from realpolitik – expert in Turkic studies Vahram Ter-Matevosyan said:

“If we speak of a hypothetic scenario, we could expect not only such a step by Turkey, but also subscenarios. I do not think it [the border] will be reopened without the establishment of official diplomatic relations. It is needed to settle some issue.”

In commenting on Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu’s article in The Guardian, Ter-Matevosyan said: 

“The wordings in Davutoglu’s article should be viewed in the context of the statements by the Turkish PM and government members on April 23 and during the following week. But we should also consider the fact that the elections scheduled for this August and next May and June are both opportunities and challenges for Turkish political forces. Of course, statements will be made, with many to take advantage of them. Nationalists will try to gain the best advantage of possible statements.

Following his statement on April 23, the Turkish premier denied the Armenian Genocide in his interview with PBS TV, saying: “If such a Genocide occurred would there have been any Armenians living in this country?”

“He has never admitted the fact. An important thing should be considered: previous and further statements set the limit beyond which any further expectations can never be held not to be disappointed. And this limit means offering condolences rather than apologies. That is, moral consequences rather than legal or political consequences are implied. We should take into account the fact that Turkey’s elite is not prepared for doing it, offering condolences, nor is it prepared for making statements of legal or political nature.”

Source: Tert.am

Turkish PM Erdogan condolences, Pure tactics’ before presidential election, Baydar

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16976235Baydar: Dark memories will not disappear

The conciliatory statement by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to Armenians signals a departure from the country’s previous position on a difficult chapter of its history. Experts view it partially as an election tactic.

The statement came as a surprise to Turks and the international community. The text of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was circulated in nine languages, including Eastern Armenian, the official language of Armenia, as well as Western Armenian, the language of many Armenians in the Diaspora.

“As with all citizens of the Ottoman Empire, it is a humane duty to understand and share with Armenians their memories of the suffering they enduring during this period of time,” Erdogan said.

‘Inhumane consequences’

The imposed deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, which began on April 24, 1915, had “inhumane consequences,” Erdogan said. He extended his condolences explicitly to the descendants of the victims. Never before has a high-ranking Turkish politician come so close to making a formal apology for the crimes.

At the same time, however, Erdogan made it clear that while modern Turkey tolerated the genocide accusations, the county did not share them. In his statement, he emphasized that “various opinions and thoughts about the events in 1915 are freely expressed in Turkey.”

Just a few years ago, Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk was put on trial for calling on the country to recognize genocide.

Ankara’s new position

Nearly 1.5 million Armenians died in the death marches and massacres between 1915 and 1917. Turkey, however, refuses to classify these crimes as genocide. Erdogan’s statement marks the first time that the country recognizes the inhumanity of the 1915 deportations and the suffering of Armenians, without partially blaming the victims for their own suffering. This had previously been the official line.

Erdogan’s text now defines the Turkish position, independent of the prime minister’s motives, according to the well-known Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar, co-founder of the independent media platform P24 in Turkey. “What was said can no longer be unsaid,” he told DW.

Baydar said he views Erdogan’s initiative as a mixture of a fundamentally new beginning in the Armenian issue and tactical considerations. “An optimist would say that the statement stands for a slow path toward recognizing genocide,” he said. “A pessimist would say Erdogan is playing a clever game of tactics to reduce the pressure on Ankara ahead of the centennial. I think it’s both.”

‘Pure tactics’ before presidential election?
Baydar said Erdogan was fully aware that international demands for recognition of Turkey’s genocide would significantly increase in advance of the 100th anniversary in 2015. “The dark memories won’t go away – and Ankara knows this.”

Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, a political scientist from Greece at the Kadir Has University in Istanbul, said Erdogan has not only the international community in mind, but also domestic Turkish politics.

“Although it’s good he said this, I believe it was purely a tactic,” Triantaphyllou told DW. “It’s likely that with the gesture, he sought to broaden his voter base ahead of the presidential election.”

The Turkish public generally expects the 60-year-old Erdogan to run for the highest public office. To attain success in the first round, he would need a simple majority – more than the 45 percent that his AK party received recently in local elections. The votes of liberal Turks and 80,000 Armenians could make an ample contribution toward this goal.

Nationalists incensed

The nationalist party MHP, which is still seeking its own candidate for the presidential election, reacted with outrage to Erdogan’s Armenia statements. MHP head Devlet Bahceli called the text unpatriotic and said the wording was reminiscent of descriptions of Turkish ethnic diversity made by imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) reacted more cautiously, while still accusing Erdogan of wanting to exploit Armenian topics. With an eye on the presidential election, CHP politician Faruk Logoglu said it was suspect that although Erdogan has acted as prime minister for 10 years, he only this year made this public declaration.

Kurd party BDP, among others, called on the prime minister to go a step farther: They would like to see the Turkish state officially apologize to the Armenians.

Source: DW.com

Davutoglu Says Let’s ‘Bury our Common Pain’

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In a patronizing op-ed piece published on Friday in The Guardian, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu comments on Turkey-Armenia relations, and after expressing support for the April 23 “condolence to Armenians” statement by SYRIA-CRISIS/TURKEYTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the foreign minister says: “Turks and Armenians – we must follow Erdoğan’s lead and bury our common pain.”
“In offering condolences for the 1915 Armenian massacre, Erdoğan has presented the chance for reconciliation. Let’s take it,” adds Davutoglu.
The “common pain” rhetoric is a notion being advanced by official Ankara ahead of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide in a feeble attempt to defray attention from the true crime of the Genocide.
This repackaged denial does not serve the interests of the Turkish government, which attempting to distance itself from the Genocide. But, instead of facing its Ottoman past, the government of Turkey is sounding more denialist and insincere.
Davutoglu, also advances a notion he articulated some years past that any ethnic group that used to live in the Anatolian region—including Armenians—constitute a larger Turkish Diaspora. It seems Turkey’s top diplomat needs to become better versed about the definition of Diaspora.
Below is the text of Davutoglu’s opinion piece from The Guradian.
Turks and Armenians – we must follow Erdoğan’s lead and bury our common pain
BY AHMET DAVUTOGLU
From The Guardian
History is replete with squandered opportunities. The challenge for those in power is to assess in real time the risks of missing these moments. I had a sense back in 2009 when I was traveling to Zurich to sign an agreement with the government of Armenia that we were heading towards such a critical juncture.
The agreement would normalize Turkey-Armenia relations and have a significant and positive impact on the whole of the Caucasus. Some unexpected difficulties threatened to derail the whole process at the last moment, and had I been able to share my thoughts at the time I would have underscored the same principles set out last week by Prime Minister Erdoğan in his historic message on the events of 1915, concerning the relocation of the Ottoman Armenians. With this in mind, I believe we now have the opportunity to recapture the engagement and conciliation that eluded us in 2009.
Relations between Turks and Armenians date back centuries. As the Ottoman Empire expanded, Turks and Armenians interacted in a multitude of ways. Armenians were among the best integrated communities in terms of enriching the social, cultural, economic and political life of the empire, and added untold value to the empire’s development throughout cycles of war and peace.
The influence of Ottoman Armenians in intellectual and artistic circles cannot be overstated. Works of many Ottoman musicians might not have survived had not the Armenian musician Hamparsum Limoncuyan introduced a style of solfége musical teaching. Tatyos Efendi, Bimençe, and Gomitas are all well-known classical Armenian music composers who also made outstanding contributions. Edgar Manas, another Armenian, was one of the composers of the Turkish national anthem.
Ottoman architecture of the 19th century was marked by works commissioned by the Ottoman sultans to Armenian architects, most notably builders of the Balyan family. Well known landmarks of Istanbul, such as the imperial palaces of Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi, are attributed to the Balyans, as are several significant mosques along the Bosphorus. One of my predecessors, Gabriel Noradunkyan, served as foreign minister of the Ottoman Empire from 1912-13 and was a prominent Armenian figure in international affairs.
The power of the Ottoman empire declined continuously in the 19th century. The loss of the Balkan provinces was a striking defeat which resulted in mass atrocities, expulsion and the deportation of Ottoman Muslims. A series of ethnic cleansings in the Balkans pushed millions eastward, transforming the demographic structure of Anatolia and leading to the destabilization and deterioration of communal relations there as well. Approximately 5 million Ottoman citizens were driven away from their ancestral homes in the Balkans, the Caucasus and Anatolia. While much of western history tells of the suffering of the dispossessed and dead Ottoman Christians, the colossal sufferings of Ottoman Muslims remains largely unknown outside of Turkey.
It is an undeniable fact that the Armenians suffered greatly in the same period. The consequences of the relocation of the large part of the Armenian community are unacceptable and inhuman.
What is also true is that the dispute over why and how the Armenian tragedy happened, sadly, continues to distress Turks and Armenians today. Communal and national memories of a pain, suffering, deprivation and monumental loss of life continue to keep the Armenian and Turkish peoples apart. Competing and seemingly irreconcilable narratives on the 1915 events prevent the healing of this trauma. What we share is a “common pain” inherited from our grandparents.
National memories are important. However, could Turkish and Armenian narratives not come closer together, could a “just memory” not emerge? Believing this can happen, Turkey proposed a joint commission composed of Turkish and Armenian historians to study the events of 1915. The findings of the commission, if established, would bring about a better understanding of this tragic period and hopefully help to normalize our relationship.
Offering condolences to the descendants of Ottoman Armenians with compassion and respect is a duty of humanity. An almost century-long confrontation has proved that we cannot solve the problem unless we start listening to and understanding each other. We must also learn to respect, without comparing sufferings and without categorizing them.
Addressing my ambassadors few years ago, I called for a change to Turkey’s “concept of diaspora”. I told them that all diasporas with roots in Anatolia – including the Armenian diaspora – are our diaspora too, and should be treated as such with open arms. Though many of our diplomats still mourned their friends and colleagues taken by terrorists from Asala (the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia), I am proud to say that they welcomed these instructions with enthusiasm and without any wish for revenge. They knew that we would better cherish the memories of the dead if we could bury hatred altogether.
Everybody can become partners in this, and for our own part we see clearly that unless justice is done for others it will not be done for us.
I appeal to everyone to seize this moment, and to join us to reconstruct a better future for Turkish-Armenian relations. The statement by Prime Minister Erdoğan is an unprecedented and courageous step taken in this direction. I believe now is the time to invest in this relationship. But we can only succeed if this endeavor is embraced by a wider constituency intent on reconciliation. Turkey stands ready.

AGOS: ‘I want to return to my roots’

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nm_550_berge_photo_hamasyan_copy_JPG_1110World-renowned jazz pianist Tigran Hamasy next year, in various regions of Turkey is preparing to give concerts in churches. Hamasyan with family-Kars to Ani’s dream, Diyarbakır Surp Giragos Church, Van Ahtamara, the churches in Istanbul and Armenian songs give life to.

MARAL Dunk
is maraldink@agos.com.t

PHOTO: BERGEN ARABIAN

World-renowned jazz pianist Tigran Hamasy next year, in various regions of Turkey is preparing to give concerts in churches. Hamasyan with family-Kars to Ani’s dream, Diyarbakır Surp Giragos Church, Van Ahtamara, the churches in Istanbul and Armenian songs give life to. In 2006, the jazz world’s most prestigious award ‘winning the Thelonious Monk Hamasyan’l to 26-year-old great talent, come to a concert in Istanbul, where negotiations have opinions.

  • Life and art begins in Gyumri, is not it?

I was born in Gyumri. I went to three different music schools. I studied classical music for 10 years. Emigrated to the U.S. when I was 16 we moved to Los Angeles. My dad rock music, my uncle was a jazz fan. Dad’s Deep Purple, Queen, Led Zeppelin collections grew up with. I grew up in a wide variety of music. I studied jazz piano. Vahakn Hayrabety was the teacher. Then I was all alone. I have written, I have composed.

  • How did you have a life in Gyumri?

Not only in Istanbul, in Ani in Kars, Van Ahtamara, the Diyarbakır Surp Giragos in the Church, at least seven different places I want to play songs in Armenian.

Give life to this church, which formerly vivacious people, cultures want to give the soul.

 

Family with heavy … We have a huge difficulty. I was born in 1987, a year after the war began. There was an earthquake. Soviet disbanded. Very difficult years began. Our light, we did not burn. My dad gets up at 5 am, would enter the breadline. I have a brother who’s five years younger. He also artists. My father jewelery, designer clothes, but if my mother was not able to continue their business. Both those days, my life, my art has shaped both. Not only in Gyumri, Yerevan was also the year my.

  • When did you meet with the piano?

Whether musicians in Armenia is in everyone’s house piano, every action is accompanied by music, everyone sings. I grew up in my grandfather’s house. I started touching note three years, a year later, the song was playing now. When I was 10 we moved to Yerevan. There are various festivals, I have given concerts. I’d say a few groups. At the age of nine appeared on the scene and a song from the Beatles did. Then we have a family emigrated to the U.S.. My father was there I thought I could develop further. Armenia was not common in jazz. If you are rich you can direct your children to music, but it is really very difficult for a poor family. For this reason, some talented musicians, as well as doing work.

  • You’re living in Yerevan for over a year. Why did you come to Armenia?

Because it gives me more of a sense of home, there myself feel happier. This is not just something related to culture. There I am in spiritual wealth. Armenia, myself, to the world where I feel most connected. My family in Los Angeles. I go twice a year to the sides.

  • Does Yerevanl family?

Both my mother, my father’s family as well as Kars. After 1915 came to Gyumri. I learned how to escape the Holocaust was a child. My father’s grandfather and grandmother in Gyumri, met in an orphanage. Grandmother’s two brothers were sent to the United States. We have not heard from them.

  • Should be the relationship between politics and art do you think?

Politics, art and music mixing do not think that’s right. The art of politics can influence but should not inspire. I love art and still be affected by art. In general terms, the policy was influenced by music when I was doing but it does not provide an in-depth me to create something that I noticed and I walked away from that point soon. My culture and my identity with my music, my comments represent with Armenian folk songs.

  • Difficult to interpret traditional songs for a jazz musician, right?

I discovered Armenian folk music at the age of 13-14. In the beginning I was very bad reviews, arrangements remained superficial. A culture thousands of years old which is not easy to get to the bottom of the music. Folk music, and I try very hard to understand what happened when I discovered I loved, he opened the door and went inside. I learned to learn languages ​​such as music. Language was in my blood. Just to jog sense, supposed to evoke.

  • In memory as a child listening to lullabies was there?

My my lullaby, Black Sabbath songs. When I learned Armenian lullabies, I’m not a kid anymore.

  • In the mother tongue do you feel about making music?

Language paramount. Language, culture. Sad to see that people care about the protection of the language. Learning a new language is very exciting but it would be a pity if you lose your mother tongue. It’s roots come from. Bedros TURYAK can be an exciting thing to read in their mother tongue? This sequence of TURYAK, Charents I’m reading, my mind turns. Nonverbal, I’m making an album consisting of only the melody. My biggest inspiration, their poems.

  • Latest album ‘Shadow Theater (shadow theater) Where did the name come from?

Shadow theater people themselves and to understand something about life and monitors. There are only shadows on the stage, not colors. Fake love the idea of ​​an understanding of reality through something. Shadows fact that many hosts. Those who listen to the album, the songs I wanted to explore the story behind themselves, I left it to their imaginations. Traditional Armenian shadow play has also inspired me. I have friends who do it in Yerevan. After recording the album met with them. They did shadow play at a club, then we improvise together on a few songs. It was incredible.

  • What are you doing improvisations inspired by?

To improvise, to think, to imagine, but about being yourself. Impossible to describe music without music. The body, the soul, the mind must be in music. All of them, in a balance, improvisation is leading.

  • What is the first time you came to Istanbul? How did you feel here?

In 2012, I came to the festival. Tunisian musician Dhafer to Youssef’l stole. Political propaganda was confusing me. Honestly, I thought I’d leave here a moment ago. I did not want to talk to anyone. However, when people tanıştık, how cultures are intertwined and I noticed that I started to feel different. Istanbul, is a combination live, a city that opportunity to communicate. But, of course, where the Turkish nationalism, religion I see the propaganda. Armenians in Turkey were damaging to this land; On the contrary, they built, they did, they set up. Van, Kars, as refer to the regions inhabited by Armenians. Oralardaki structures, would protect culture, would boast, as did the Armenians are trying to destroy. A people, to destroy a culture … they label themselves as religious but how to go against God’s will, I do not know. In a land where my roots are sad to see a trace of myself. Return to my roots, I want to give a concert there.

  • Like what you listen and musicians from Turkey Have you?

Hosni Şenlendirici and Erkan Ogur know. I played with Ahmet Egyptians.

  • When you give a concert in Turkey?

Next year. Anatolia Kültür’l and talked to Patrikhane’yl. Not only in Istanbul, in Ani in Kars, Van Ahtamara, the Diyarbakır Surp Giragos in the Church, at least seven different places I want to play songs in Armenian. Give life to this church, which formerly vivacious people, cultures want to give the soul. This will be a personal journey for me at the same time.

  • Agos readers what you want to say?

Necessary to have wished. Armenian read, write and speak very important. Language, lose, lose identity becomes. Also, where we want to get in touch with the Armenians more. Armenia was attached to the Soviets; Would you live in a state of Turkey. Different grows, we are influenced by different cultures. ‘Diaspora’ even my word hurts. Diaspora, why? However, they were unable to have our own country … not a problem. We are all one, our roots a. Should meet more often, deeper ties should be established. A politically incorrect look at everything from the frame. Policy will die eventually. To the end, it is important that we understand how each other will be.

serjtankianSerzh Tankian’l duet

“I was amazed System of a Down. Serj Tankian live in Los Angeles. Around that everybody knows each other. Wanted to make an experimental jazz album. He knew me, she did. We played a few songs together. You want to have a piece on the album were from midas’ Garuna chose. Tankian’s vocal accompaniment on the piano in that song would. “

Armenia is far ahead of Azerbaijan in press freedom according to Freedom House ratings

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The human rights organization Freedom House has published its annual report assessing the level of press freedom in 197 countries around the world in 2013.
FreedomThis year Armenia received 62 points and took the 134th place in the rankings. Azerbaijan received 84 points, along with Vietnam, China and Laos and is on the 183rd place.

“In Azerbaijan the repressive media sphere has experienced a further decline due to the increased surveillance of Internet and telephone correspondence of the journalists and bloggers by the government; blocking site that hosts the image, which was associated with the leak of documents from the state security; and, according to the available information, state intervention in the satellite broadcasting radio “Free Europe”/radio “Liberty”. As a result, the country’s rating deteriorated from 82 to 84 points,” reads the statement.

Note that Georgia is on the 93rd place, Russia – 176th, Iran – 190th and Turkey – 134th.

In general, 63 (32%) countries were rated as free, 68 (35%) were partly free, and 66 (33%) were rated as non-free.

“We see a decline in media freedom globally which is driven by the support of the governments to control the information and to punish those who transmit it,” stated Karin Karlekar, the director of the project report.

Congressman Engel: Turkey must acknowledge crimes of its forefathers

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May 2, 2014 – 13:42 AMT

178536Upon his return from Armenia which marked the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel wrote a letter to The Riverdale Press.

The letter said, “I just returned from Armenia as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation and had the opportunity to mark the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan. This horrific chapter in the bloodiest century in history, which began in 1915, resulted in the slaughter of 1.5 million innocent Armenians.

These murders were a terrible tragedy for the Armenian people. They still bear the scars today, and the barbarity inflicted on the Armenians also led to a century of genocide and ethnic-cleansing.

When Hitler sneered, “Who after all speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?,” we see the link between indifference to the Armenians and the murder of six million Jews. This same mindset has influenced too many thuggish leaders over the past century —leaders convinced that they can kill and brutalize their peoples with impunity.

“We owe it to history and to humanity to remember the victims of the Armenian Genocide – for their sake, and for the sake of all of us.”

Turkey needs to, at a minimum, apologize to Armenians and acknowledge the crimes of its forefathers. By offering his condolences for those who died, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken a welcome step forward — but his words fall far short of an official apology.

Turkey owes that to itself, too, for Turkish society will be stronger for having acknowledged the truth.

I want to express to the Armenian people my great sorrow and deepest condolences. And I say to them, as we say regarding the Holocaust, “Never again”,” the Congressmen stressed in his letter.