Prof. Akçam Muses on Turkish- Armenian Relations and Genocide
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
JULY 21, 2012 THE ARMENIAN Mirror -Spe ctaItn Ouor Mirror -Spe ctatror 80th Year Volume LXXXIII, NO. 1, Issue 4246 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 By Nancy Kalajian Cardinal Discusses Special to the Mirror-Spectator ‘Brotherly Ties’ with Prof. Akçam Muses on Turkish- Armenian Church ECHMIADZIN (RFE/RL) — A high-ranking envoy Armenian Relations and Genocide of Pope Benedict XVI called for the strengthening of “brotherly relations” between the Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches during tion of his book, A Shameful Act , in 2006. a visit on Monday. By Aram Arkun The appearance of this book led him to Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Catholic Mirror-Spectator Staff become the target of an organized hate Congregation for Eastern Churches, met with campaign coordinated from Ankara by the Catholicos Karekin II, the supreme head of the paramilitary semisecret organization Armenian Church, at his official residence in NEW YORK — Dr. Taner Akçam, in an Ergenekon. This in turn seems to have Echmiadzin. interview with the Armenian Mirror- helped dissipate fears and suspicions about “Cardinal Sandri … addressed the Roman Spectator after receiving the Man of the him within Armenian communities in the Catholic Church’s brotherly relations with the Year Award from the Knights of Vartan in diaspora. Armenian Church, expressing hope that they will on July 7 (see story below), expanded on Akçam said that of course he also has become even closer and deeper,” read a statement some points of his speech and made inter - changed in the past 20 years, especially issued by Karekin’s press office. It said Sandri, esting new observations on the course of politically. He gave an example of how he is whose congregation oversees Catholic communi - Turkish-Armenian relations and the now more open and relaxed than before: ties in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, passed Armenian Genocide. Akçam is the Robert “When I first came to the United States, in on Benedict’s “warm greetings” to the top Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian, and Stephen 2002 or 2003, an Armenian group in New Armenian cleric. and Marion Mugar Chair in Armenian York wanted to give me an award. I Karekin, for his part, spoke of his “brotherly Genocide Studies at Clark University. declined. I was scared. Also, I was very care - love” for the pontiff and “particular warmness” He said that the turning point in his rela - ful not to make certain political demands, between the two “sister churches.” “His Holiness tionship with Armenians was the publica - such as the recognition of the Armenian Dr. Taner Akçam receives the Man of the emphasized with satisfaction the importance of the Year Award from Dr. Dennis Papazian. existing productive cooperation between the [Armenian] Mother See and the Vatican in the edu - Genocide by the Turkish government. … I cational and social spheres,” said the statement. was cautious and scared because of the Sandri was scheduled to meet with Foreign NAASR Founding Chairman attacks against me. I tried not to be a pub - Minister Eduard Nalbandian on Tuesday. The car - lic intellectual but a simple academic as dinal was accompanied by Archbishop Rafael much as possible.” Minasian, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Manoog Young Dies see AKÇAM , page 9 Catholic minorities in Armenia, Georgia and Eastern Europe. BELMONT, Mass. — Manoog Soghomon Young of Belmont, the founding chairman of the National Association for Armenian Knights Honor Taner Turkey PM Calls Syria Studies and Research (NAASR) and its chair - Akçam, Ragip Zarakolu at man until 2001, died on Tuesday, July 3, at Massacres ‘Genocide’ the age of 94. New York Convocation ANAKARA (AP, DPA) — Turkey’s prime minister He is survived by his wife of 49 years has warned Syrian leaders that the Syrian people Barbara (Johnson) Young, children Armen will “make them pay” for massacres like the report - Young of Littleton, Mass., and Adrina Young By Florence Avakian ed killing of dozens in a farming village by govern - Gobbi of North Billerica, Mass., and grand - Special to the Mirror-Spectator ment forces this week. children Jake and Mariah Gobbi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls the killings an Christopher and Lauren Young. attempted “genocide” and says such acts of vio - NEW YORK — For the first time in its Prof. Gerard J. Libaridian has aptly called lence are “the footsteps of a regime that is on its nearly 100-year history, the Knights of Young “the father of the Armenian Studies way out.” Vartan honored two internationally distin - movement,” and this begins to give a sense of World leaders have heaped criticism on President guished men of Turkish origin — Dr. Taner Young’s role in ushering into existence the Bashar Assad’s regime for the mass killings Akçam and Ragip Zarakolu — with the field of Armenian Studies in America and his Thursday in the village of Tremseh. “Men of the Year” awards. This unique half-century working to advance it. One of Activists say they have confirmed the deaths of event took place at the conclusion of the the founders of NAASR, which led the effort more than 150 people at the hands of regime Manoog Young in 1995 94th annual Knights of Vartan Grand in the 1950s and 1960s to establish perma - forces. Many more remain missing. The government Lodge convocation in the ballroom of New nent programs in Armenian Studies at says 50 were killed but denies its troops caused the York City’s Marriott Downtown Hotel dur - American institutions of higher learning, starting with Harvard University, Young deaths. ing a banquet on Saturday, July 7. served as chairman of the Board of Directors from its inception in 1955 until 2001. Also on Saturday, opposition activists reported The gala event capped the almost week - During these decades both NAASR and the field of Armenian Studies continued that at least 12 people were killed Saturday when a long convocation of the Knights and to evolve and expand. car bomb exploded in central Syria. Fifteen others Daughters of Vartan, under the General see YOUNG, page 6 were injured in the attack, which occurred in the Chairmanship of Antranik Platyan. Among district of al-Karameh in the central province of see CONVOCATION, page 9 Hama, they added. Hayrapetyan Resigns from Parliament INSI DE Following Death of Beating Victim 65 Years YEREVAN (Hetq) — Parliament member back. But I can’t,” said the tycoon, who has Ruben Hayrapetyan announced his resig - the nickname Nemetz Rubo, in his public Of Service nation from parliament last week out of a resignation from the parliament. sense of “moral responsibility” he feels over The move comes after a wave of public Page 5 the June 17 beating of military physicians protest, both in the streets and on the inter - at the Harsnakar Restaurant he owns on net, charging Hayrapetyan with creating an the outskirts of Yerevan. environment in which such a savage attack The army doctors were beaten by restau - was possible and demanding that he resign. rant employees and a personal bodyguard There is an on-line petition calling on INDEX of Hayrapetyan. One of the physicians, UEFA and FIFA to call for Hayrapetyan’s Arts and Living . 10 Vahe Avetyan, never regained conscious - resignation as the president of Armenia’s Armenia . 2, 3 ness and died in a hospital a few days later. Football Federation. Community News. 5 “I would give everything to have been “I should have prevented such a tragedy Editorial . 14 International . .4 there on that terrible evening and stopped but wasn’t able to. Such incidents should the tragedy with my own hands. I would not be possible in establishments owned by Ruben Hayrapetyan give everything to be able to turn the clock see RESIGNATION, page 3 2 S ATURDAY , J ULY 21, 2012 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Golden Apricot Film Festival in Full Swing present their films, features six full- and has arguably not been fully appre - By Gayane Mkrtchyan length feature films, five short feature ciated in our own days either. Karagheusian films and 15 documentaries. In addition to the competition pro - Arsen Gasparyan, one of the film - gram, the festival also presents films in Foundation Director YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — A week - makers participating in the festival, pre - other “non-competitive” categories — long international film festival that sents a short film called “New Jugha: To Yerevan Premieres, Retrospective Receives Medal began on Sunday is presenting a total Be… .” The film tells about the rich cul - Screenings and Tribute. STEPANAKERT — On May 27, Dr. Walter of 170 features, short feature films and tural heritage of Nor Jugha (New Julfa), The Book and Film program imple - Bandazian, executive director of the Karagheusian documentaries, with 65 of them includ - Foundation, received, on behalf of the ed in the competition program. Karagheusian Foundation, the Medal of Gratitude, Prizes at the ninth edition of the in recognition of the foundation’s many years of Golden Apricot will be in four sections providing health, medical and social assistance to — feature films, documentaries, short the children in Karabagh. films (a category called Stone) and President of Karabagh Bako Sahakian presented Armenian films (Armenian Panorama). the medal. Present were Dr. Sergei Movsessian, On July 7, many representatives of minister of health, and former minister of health, the cinema world who had arrived in Dr. Zoya Lazarian. Dr. Gamo Ter Petrossian, the Yerevan for the festival attended the foundation field director in Armenia, accompanied most spectacular part of the opening Bandazian. ceremony — the blessing of apricots at St. Zoravor Church. The red-carpet ceremony for the offi - Nansen Museum cial opening of Golden Apricot later that day took place in Yerevan’s Charles Construction Worries Aznavour Square near the Moscow Environmental Activists Movie House — the main festival venue.