Monthly Archives: June 2013
The Armenian Past of Taksim Square
Taksim Square, like Tahrir Square and Zuccotti Park before it, is just another space in a city: it could have been one more spot to meet friends, or to read a book under a tree. But Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, decided he’d like to replicate the Ottoman-era Taksim military barracks on the site, […]
Armenia to Launch Its First Satellite
The ex-Soviet republic of Armenia will launch its own satellite into the orbit, a governmental official said Friday. A newly created company called Armcosmos is currently busy registering an orbital position for the upcoming satellite, said Gagik Grigoryan, a senior official with the Transportations and Communications Ministry. The price tag for Armenia’s space program is […]
Intellectual bullying
I recalled Rafi, the Canadian-Armenian whose introductory remarks to me were: “I hate you – because you are Turkish!” Rafi who would later become a good companion in Yerevan… I also recalled the Turkish blogger who, many years after Yerevan, would write of me: “No doubt about it. After having his [my] photo enlarged and […]
Remembrance, forgiveness, transformation: the Armenian Genocide
Every year, Armenians the world over gather to commemorate the memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished during the First World War. This is an event all serious commentators agree was the twentieth century’s first genocide. The date itself (24 April) is symbolic. Ninety-eight years ago on that day, the Turkish authorities of Ottoman […]
Akcam: The ‘Foreign Connection’ is Me
Commenting on the Gezi Park events, Prime Minister Erdoğan said, “There are internal and external connections. Our intelligence work is ongoing.” Confession time: The foreign connection is me. Anyone who’s got doubts, take a look at my entry and exit dates: I entered Turkey on May 28 and it all started. I was in Taksim […]
Air Arabia Starting Yerevan Services
Air Arabia will begin twice weekly services between Sharjah and Yerevan from August 16. Flights will depart from Sharjah International Airport on Tuesdays and Fridays at 0830, arriving at Zvartnots International Airport at 1115. Return flights will leave Yerevan at 1235 and arrive in Sharjah at 1540. Armenia is an emerging leisure destination with its […]
Pope plans to attend 2015 ceremony in Armenia amid Ankara’s genocide protest
Leader of the world’s Roman Catholics Pope Francis has stated that he wants to make a visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events, despite criticisms from Turkey after the pope had earlier labeled the events as “genocide” last week, Today’s Zaman reports. The Turkish Foreign Ministry released […]
In a Turkish town that had 10,000 Armenians, now there is only one
Chris Bohjalian is the author of 16 books. His new novel, “The Light in the Ruins,” comes out on July 9. A woman I met last month in southeastern Turkey is going to die, probably sometime soon. Asiya’s death will not be covered by any news service, and for all but a few people in […]
Royal visit to Armenia highlights preservation of heritage
Yerevan – Two ancient cultures came together to celebrate tradition and heritage when the Prince of Wales made an historic visit to Armenia. Prince Charles, who is the heir to Queen Elizabeth II, became the first senior member of the British royal family to travel to Armenia. His three-day visit was at the invitation of […]
Of Ruins and Renovations: Documenting Cultural Destruction in Turkey
I recently returned from my fourth trip to Western Armenia in the last 18 months. These journeys are emotionally draining. I am not sure I could make these trips alone; it is critical to have good people, good friends, with you. Fortunately, that was the case for me again this time. There are several reasons […]
The Case Against Legitimizing Genocide Deniers: Scholars Speak Up
[The] willingness to ascribe to the deniers and their myths the legitimacy of a point of view is of as great, if not greater, concern than are the activities of the deniers themselves. —Deborah Lipstadt WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)— The participation of a number of Armenian studies and genocide studies scholars in the conference “The Caucasus […]
Graves in the Park: Notes from the ‘Bolis’ Uprising
I haven’t had time to digest what I saw this past week on the heels of my first journey to the womb of Armenian civilization: Van/Vaspurakan. Dikranakert. Kharpert, the fabled green villages of Bitlis, and the hinterlands of Palu and Sakrat. My fellow travelers, now brothers and sisters for life, trekked across these majestic and […]
Baku Declares Renowned Opera Star ‘Persona Non-Grata’
STEPANEKERT, BAKU—As world-renowned opera star from Spain soprano Montserrat Caballe performed Groung by Komitas at the Gandzasar monastery in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, she was being declared persona non grata by Baku for her visit to Artsakh. The Azerbaijani Embassy in Spain announced to journalists on June 6 that a special note had been sent to […]
Armenia’s survivors
In northeastern Turkey stand the ruins of what was once one of the world’s largest and most imposing cities. In the Middle Ages, Ani was the “City of 1,001 Churches,” the capital of Armenia’s mighty Bagratuni dynasty which held off both the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Arab Caliphate. The Bagratid kingdom is long gone, […]
Հարևանություն. բոլոր հայացքներն ուղղված են դեպի Թուրքիան, մինչ Թաքսիմ հրապարակի բողոքի ակցիան ավելի է տարածվում
Հայ քաղաքական վերլուծաբաններն ուշի ուշով հետևում են Թուրքիայում տեղի ունեցող դրամատիկ իրադարձություններին, քանի որ հարևան երկրում, որի հետ Հայաստանը թեև դիվանագիտական հարաբերություններ չունի, քաղաքական փոփոխությունները կարող են իրենց անմիջական և լուրջ ազդեցությունը թողնել ողջ տարածաշրջանի, այդ թվում` նաև Հայաստանի վրա: Թուրքագետ Ռուբեն Մելքոնյանը շեշտում է, որ Թուրքիայում անցյալ շաբաթ երիտասարդ բնապահպանների կազմակերպած ինքնաբուխ և փոքրաթիվ […]
Charny Dismantles Gunter’s Deceptive Genocide Denialism
As the centennial approaches, Turkish officials and their cohorts are searching for more subtle approaches to deny the Armenian Genocide. Realizing that their past practice of outright denial is no longer credible, they have initiated a more sophisticated campaign that intends to raise subtle questions about the genocide, sowing seeds of doubt among uninformed masses. […]
Turkeys Coming Home to Roost?
The parallels seem deliciously endless in number and category. A week’s worth of unrest in Turkey, spreading from Constantinople (Bolis) to other cities, could go to unpredictable places, both good and bad. Already, I’ve heard that the AKP’s (ruling party) youth wing is tussling with others. What does this suggest? Is it an indicator that […]
Հռոմի Պապը վերահաստատել է Հայոց ցեղասպանության իրողությունը
Հռոմի պապ Ֆրանցիսկոսը Կիլիկիայի Հայ կաթողիկե եկեղեցու առաջնորդ Ներսես-Պետրոս 19-րդ պատրիարքի հետ հանդիպման ժամանակ վերահաստատել է իր` Հայոց ցեղասպանության ճանաչման վերաբերյալ ավելի վաղ արտահայտած տեսակետը, հաղորդում է Asbarez.com-ը: Այցի ընթացքում, երբ պատվիրակության անդամներից մեկը նշել է, որ ինքը Հայոց ցեղասպանության զոհերի հետնորդ է, Հռոմի պապը նշել է. «20-րդ դարի առաջին ցեղասպանությունը Հայոց ցեղասպանությունն է»,- այդպիսով […]
Samantha Power to be Named UN Ambassador
WASHINGTON — A White House official said President Barack Obama will name former aide Samantha Power as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, reported the Associated Press. Power will replace Susan Rice, who will take over as Obama’s national security adviser. The official says Obama will announce both appointments from the White House Wednesday […]
The Ontology of Genocide Against Minorities in the Ottoman Empire
The metaphysics of the relationship between the unit and the multitude have long been contested in scientific, political, historiographic, and other contexts. Even the terms we use to refer to different tensions often unavoidably commit us to favor one or the other term: the atom and the molecule, the part and the whole, the one […]
