Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- [Here is another Armenian response to the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission set up by the Turkish government and the US State Department. This is all part of the State Departments attempts to gloss over the crimes of its Turkish allies and forward a racist pan-Turkic program in the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asia.] In a message dated 05/08/01 13:15:57 Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Subj: AYF Action Item: Stand Up for the Armenian Cause > Date: 05/08/01 13:15:57 Eastern Daylight Time > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Friends of the AYF) > > ******************************************************************* > Armenian Youth Federation > Eastern and Western United States > Action Item > ******************************************************************* > > Urgent Action Requested > 8/5/01 > > TAKE A STAND FOR THE ARMENIAN CAUSE > > The New York Times, in its July 10th edition, revealed the > existence of a ten-member group of Turks and Armenians who have > been meeting secretly in recent months to discuss the issue of > Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. This group, known as the "Turkish- > Armenian Reconciliation Commission," includes six Turks and four > Armenians. > > The Turkish participants are all tied to the Turkish Government and > several have been among the most aggressive deniers of the Armenian > Genocide: > > * Gunduz Aktan > * Vamik Volkan > * Ustun Erguder > * Sadi Erguvenc > * Ozdem Sanberk > * Ilter Turkmen > > The Armenian participants in this "Commission" are: > > * Van Krikorian > * Alexander Arzoumanian > * David Hovhannissian > * Andranik Migranian > > According to press accounts from Ankara and Washington, the group > was formed at the initiative of the Turkish Government and the U.S. > State Department as a result of the near passage last year of the > Armenian Genocide Resolution in the U.S. Congress. Turkey's well- > founded fear that an Armenian Genocide Resolution would be passed > by Congress this year was subsequently heightened by our victories > over Turkey's Armenian Genocide denial in France, Italy, the > European Parliament and the Vatican City. In light of this > progress, Turkey needed to find a way to block further steps by > Armenians in securing international recognition of the Armenian > Genocide. > > They recognized, however, that they could no longer rely entirely > upon their traditional tactics of threats and intimidation against > Western governments. So instead they turned to a more calculated > strategy of shifting the Armenian Genocide from a political issue > into a historical matter. The "Terms of Reference" agreed to by all > ten of the Turkish and Armenian participants makes no mention of > the Armenian Genocide, confirming fears that the Turkish side has > already succeeded in framing this "reconciliation" dialogue in a > way that allows them to avoid responsibility for acknowledging and > coming to terms with the Armenian Genocide. This represents a > serious danger to the Armenian Cause. > > In the final analysis, the problems separating Armenians and Turks > do not stem from a lack of dialogue, but directly from Turkey's > denial of the Armenian Genocide, blockade of Armenia, and anti- > Armenian positions on Nagorno Karabagh and other regional issues. > > Any meaningful dialogue toward reconciliation between Turks and > Armenians should directly involve the Government of Armenia and > include the active participation of all significant political > forces, in Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh, and the Diaspora. The only > basis for this discourse can be Turkey's full acknowledgement of > the Armenian Genocide and its contemporary political implications. > > ======================================================== > SUMMARY: > ======================================================== > > The motivations of the Turkish interests behind this Commission, > the unrepresentative composition of its membership, and the > secretive nature of its operations all point to the conclusion that > its formation serves the Turkish Government's interest in: > > * Derailing our progress toward Armenian Genocide recognition > > * Destroying the Armenian Genocide as a political issue > > * Dividing the Armenian People > > * Denying justice to the Armenian nation > > ======================================================== > WHAT YOU CAN DO: > ======================================================== > > The Turkish Government can only succeed if Armenians, like you, > remain silent. Here are some suggestions for how you can take a > stand against the Turkish Government's attempts to manipulate the > Armenian people: > > ======================================================== > 1) Learn more about this "Commission" > and Turkey's Denial of the Genocide > ======================================================== > > Take the time to learn more about this "Commission" and research > the vital issues at stake for all Armenians. Read about Turkey's > denial of the Armenian Genocide on the Internet by visiting: > > * The Turkish Embassy - http://www.turkey.org > * The Assembly of Turkish American Associations - > http://www.ataa.org. > > Read about the Armenian reaction to this group by visiting: > > * http://www.asbarez.com/TARC/Tarc.html > > Ask your friends and colleagues about Turkey's ongoing campaign to > erase even the memory of the first genocide of the 20th Century. > > ======================================================== > 2) Call on Armenia's Foreign Minister to Clarify his > Role in the Formation of this "Commission" > ======================================================== > > Ask the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, to clarify > the Foreign Ministry's involvement in this undertaking and to > immediately discipline any Foreign Ministry officials who have > misrepresented the Armenian Government's position on this issue of > vital concern to all Armenians. > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Tel: 011-3741-52-35-31 > > ======================================================== > 3) Contact the "Commission's" Armenian Participants > ======================================================== > > Share your views with the four Armenian members of this group about > the serious damage this undertaking is inflicting upon the Armenian > Cause. Contact them > c/o the Armenian Assembly: > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Tel: (202) 393-3434 > > Mail: > Armenian Assembly > 122 C Street, NW Suite 350 > Washington, DC 20001 > > * Van Krikorian > (Chairman, Armenian Assembly) > > * Alexander Arzoumanian > (Chairman, Armenian National Movement - ANM) > > * David Hovhannissian > (Former Armenian diplomat) > > * Andranik Migranian > (Political analyst from Moscow) > > ======================================================== > 4) Share your Thoughts about the Commission with > other Armenians via Internet Discussion Groups > ======================================================== > > Exchange views on the dangers of this "Commission" with other > Armenians from > around the world on: > > * http://www.armeniadiaspora.com/agnes/splits/splits.html > > * http://www.armeniancafe.com/ > > * http://www.armenians.com (visit Hye Forum) > > *Other bulletin boards, chat rooms, and discussion groups > > ======================================================== > 5) Send a Letter to the Editor of Armenian Newspapers about > the Dangers this "Commission" Poses to the Armenian Cause > ======================================================== > > Armenian Int'l Magazine: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Armenian Life: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Armenian Mirror Spectator: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Armenian Observer: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Armenian Reporter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Armenian Weekly: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Asbarez: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > California Courier: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Groong (letters): [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ======================================================== > 6) Email your Friends and Family > ======================================================== > > Share your views about the dangers of this "Commission" in emails > to your relatives, friends and colleagues. The more Armenians learn > about this undertaking, the less the Turkish Government will be > able to manipulate this issue of vital concern to all our people. > Please forward this document to your email list. > > ======================================================== > > 7) Send us your Comments about this "Commission" > > Email us with your opinion about the motivations behind this > "Commission," its members, and its activities. > > Our email addresses are: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > Distributed by the: > > Armenian Youth Federation - Western United States > 104 North Belmont, Suite 306 > Glendale, CA 91206 > Tel: 818-507-1933 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Web: http://www.ayfwest.org > > Armenian Youth Federation - Eastern United States > 80 Bigelow Ave. > Watertown, MA 02472 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Web: http://www.ayf.org > > > *********************************************************** > This message was distributed to friends of the Armenian Youth > Federation (AYF). If you received this message in error or > would prefer not to receive similar items in the future, > send an e-mail with "Please Remove" in the subject heading > to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Our sincere apologies for any > inconvenience this may have caused. > > Please forward this message only to individuals who you know > are interested in this issue. > *********************************************************** > > ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
******************************************************************* Armenian Youth Federation Eastern and Western United States Action Item ******************************************************************* Urgent Action Requested 8/5/01 TAKE A STAND FOR THE ARMENIAN CAUSE The New York Times, in its July 10th edition, revealed the existence of a ten-member group of Turks and Armenians who have been meeting secretly in recent months to discuss the issue of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. This group, known as the "Turkish- Armenian Reconciliation Commission," includes six Turks and four Armenians. The Turkish participants are all tied to the Turkish Government and several have been among the most aggressive deniers of the Armenian Genocide: * Gunduz Aktan * Vamik Volkan * Ustun Erguder * Sadi Erguvenc * Ozdem Sanberk * Ilter Turkmen The Armenian participants in this "Commission" are: * Van Krikorian * Alexander Arzoumanian * David Hovhannissian * Andranik Migranian According to press accounts from Ankara and Washington, the group was formed at the initiative of the Turkish Government and the U.S. State Department as a result of the near passage last year of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the U.S. Congress. Turkey's well- founded fear that an Armenian Genocide Resolution would be passed by Congress this year was subsequently heightened by our victories over Turkey's Armenian Genocide denial in France, Italy, the European Parliament and the Vatican City. In light of this progress, Turkey needed to find a way to block further steps by Armenians in securing international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. They recognized, however, that they could no longer rely entirely upon their traditional tactics of threats and intimidation against Western governments. So instead they turned to a more calculated strategy of shifting the Armenian Genocide from a political issue into a historical matter. The "Terms of Reference" agreed to by all ten of the Turkish and Armenian participants makes no mention of the Armenian Genocide, confirming fears that the Turkish side has already succeeded in framing this "reconciliation" dialogue in a way that allows them to avoid responsibility for acknowledging and coming to terms with the Armenian Genocide. This represents a serious danger to the Armenian Cause. In the final analysis, the problems separating Armenians and Turks do not stem from a lack of dialogue, but directly from Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide, blockade of Armenia, and anti- Armenian positions on Nagorno Karabagh and other regional issues. Any meaningful dialogue toward reconciliation between Turks and Armenians should directly involve the Government of Armenia and include the active participation of all significant political forces, in Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh, and the Diaspora. The only basis for this discourse can be Turkey's full acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide and its contemporary political implications. ======================================================== SUMMARY: ======================================================== The motivations of the Turkish interests behind this Commission, the unrepresentative composition of its membership, and the secretive nature of its operations all point to the conclusion that its formation serves the Turkish Government's interest in: * Derailing our progress toward Armenian Genocide recognition * Destroying the Armenian Genocide as a political issue * Dividing the Armenian People * Denying justice to the Armenian nation ======================================================== WHAT YOU CAN DO: ======================================================== The Turkish Government can only succeed if Armenians, like you, remain silent. Here are some suggestions for how you can take a stand against the Turkish Government's attempts to manipulate the Armenian people: ======================================================== 1) Learn more about this "Commission" and Turkey's Denial of the Genocide ======================================================== Take the time to learn more about this "Commission" and research the vital issues at stake for all Armenians. Read about Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide on the Internet by visiting: * The Turkish Embassy - http://www.turkey.org * The Assembly of Turkish American Associations - http://www.ataa.org. Read about the Armenian reaction to this group by visiting: * http://www.asbarez.com/TARC/Tarc.html Ask your friends and colleagues about Turkey's ongoing campaign to erase even the memory of the first genocide of the 20th Century. ======================================================== 2) Call on Armenia's Foreign Minister to Clarify his Role in the Formation of this "Commission" ======================================================== Ask the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, to clarify the Foreign Ministry's involvement in this undertaking and to immediately discipline any Foreign Ministry officials who have misrepresented the Armenian Government's position on this issue of vital concern to all Armenians. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: 011-3741-52-35-31 ======================================================== 3) Contact the "Commission's" Armenian Participants ======================================================== Share your views with the four Armenian members of this group about the serious damage this undertaking is inflicting upon the Armenian Cause. Contact them c/o the Armenian Assembly: Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: (202) 393-3434 Mail: Armenian Assembly 122 C Street, NW Suite 350 Washington, DC 20001 * Van Krikorian (Chairman, Armenian Assembly) * Alexander Arzoumanian (Chairman, Armenian National Movement - ANM) * David Hovhannissian (Former Armenian diplomat) * Andranik Migranian (Political analyst from Moscow) ======================================================== 4) Share your Thoughts about the Commission with other Armenians via Internet Discussion Groups ======================================================== Exchange views on the dangers of this "Commission" with other Armenians from around the world on: * http://www.armeniadiaspora.com/agnes/splits/splits.html * http://www.armeniancafe.com/ * http://www.armenians.com (visit Hye Forum) *Other bulletin boards, chat rooms, and discussion groups ======================================================== 5) Send a Letter to the Editor of Armenian Newspapers about the Dangers this "Commission" Poses to the Armenian Cause ======================================================== Armenian Int'l Magazine: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Armenian Life: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Armenian Mirror Spectator: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Armenian Observer: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Armenian Reporter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Armenian Weekly: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Asbarez: [EMAIL PROTECTED] California Courier: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Groong (letters): [EMAIL PROTECTED] ======================================================== 6) Email your Friends and Family ======================================================== Share your views about the dangers of this "Commission" in emails to your relatives, friends and colleagues. The more Armenians learn about this undertaking, the less the Turkish Government will be able to manipulate this issue of vital concern to all our people. Please forward this document to your email list. ======================================================== 7) Send us your Comments about this "Commission" Email us with your opinion about the motivations behind this "Commission," its members, and its activities. Our email addresses are: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------- Distributed by the: Armenian Youth Federation - Western United States 104 North Belmont, Suite 306 Glendale, CA 91206 Tel: 818-507-1933 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.ayfwest.org Armenian Youth Federation - Eastern United States 80 Bigelow Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.ayf.org *********************************************************** This message was distributed to friends of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF). If you received this message in error or would prefer not to receive similar items in the future, send an e-mail with "Please Remove" in the subject heading to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please forward this message only to individuals who you know are interested in this issue. ***********************************************************
