Turkish parliament crafts law to return property confiscated from religious minorities

2008-02-07
PR-Inside.com, Austria
© AP

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's parliament is considering a law that would allow properties confiscated by the state to be returned to Christian and Jewish minority foundations.

The reform appears designed to meet conditions set by the European Union for Turkey's membership in the bloc, but critics say the measure would not go far enough. Parliament is expected to vote as soon as next week on returning property to religious minorities, and the ruling party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has the majority required to approve the law.

Parliament first approved it in November 2006. But the president at the time, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, was a secularist who was often at odds with Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government, and he vetoed it. The country's population of 70 million, mostly Muslim, includes 65,000 Armenian Orthodox Christians, 23,000 Jews, and fewer than 2,500 Greek Orthodox Christians.

The law would allow foundations to recover confiscated properties, but it was not clear if they would be allowed to reclaim property that has been sold or whether they would be compensated for the loss of such properties. President Abdullah Gul, a close associate of Erdogan, is expected to approve the measure.

The Istanbul-based Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation, an independent research center known as TESEV, predicted that Turkey would face more criticism from Europe if the law «does not ensure the return or indemnification of the seized assets of non-Muslim foundations.

Religious minorities have often complained of discrimination in Turkey, which has a history of conflict with Greece, which is predominantly Christian, and with Armenians, another mostly Christian group. Many Armenians accuse Turkish authorities of trying to exterminate them early in the last century, but Turkey says mass killings at that time were the result of the chaos of war, rather than a systematic campaign of genocide.

The law allows foundations to reclaim properties, including churches, school buildings and orphanages, that are registered under the names of saints. The law does not address some types of confiscated properties, such as cemeteries or minority school properties.

The proposed bill said authorities shall consider «the international principle of reciprocity» in implementing it, in an apparent reference to Turkish demands that similar measures are implemented in Greece to expand rights of the ethnic Turkish minority there.

Luiz Bakar, the spokeswoman for the Armenian Patriarchate, an Orthodox Christian group based in Istanbul, expressed concern over uncertainities about how the law would be implemented.

«We are ethnic Armenians, but we are Turkish citizens, we are not foreigners. So, applying the principle of reciprocity to us would amount to discrimination,» Bakar said.

«The inclusion of this provision in the draft law shows that the state is still not regarding non-Muslim citizens as equal citizens,» the TESEV report said.
Turkey seized some properties owned by minority foundations in 1974 around the time of a Turkish invasion of the island of Cyprus that followed a coup attempt by supporters of union with Greece.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

ANCC Condemns Aghtamar Church Restoration as Public Relations Stunt

March 23, 2007
Armenian National Committee of Canada
www.anccanada.org
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian
(613) 235-2622

Ottawa- The official opening of the restored Church of Sourp Khatch (Holy Cross) on the island of Aghtamar is another demonstration of the Turkish Government’s dishonesty and crass political opportunism.

The restoration of the church (built in 921 A.D.) should have been an opportunity for Turkey to express remorse for its 1915 crime of genocide against its Armenian population, and to initiate a genuine reconciliation with the Armenian people. Instead, the Turkish Government is involved in window- dressing and public relations stunts to divert attention from the international community’s increased pressure and rebuke for its denial of the Armenian Genocide, the illegal blockade of Armenia, the suppression of freedom of speech in Turkey, the increased intolerance towards its minorities, and racist educational system.

To add insult to injury, the Turkish Government conveniently forgot to mention, in its invitation, the church’s Armenian nature, and disregarded the request of Turkey’s Armenian community spiritual leader (Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan) to add a cross on top of the church, and to make it a worship place. Instead, the Turkish Government decided to convert the church to a museum to grab tourist money. It is also changed the name of the church to Turkish-sounding Akdamar.

It is ironic that at a time when the Turkish Government is engaged in a massive campaign of public relation to improve its image, over 1,400 Armenian historical monuments and cultural sites (the church of Kayseri turned to a sports center, the Naregavank to animal shelter, the Gaziantep church to a restaurant, the church in Kemaliye to a carpet company, the Armenian Catholic Church of Mush to a garbage dump) have been destroyed by a deliberate policy to erase any record of 3,000 years of Armenian presence in the region.

“We call on the Turkish Government to stop such blatant propaganda campaigns, to seek serious and meaningful dialogue with the Armenians after accepting its responsibility for the Genocide, and to lift the illegal blockade of the Armenian Republic,” stated Aris Babikian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada.

“For Turkey to be part of the civilized world and a respected member of the international community, Ankara should return the Church to its rightful owners and follow in the footsteps of the post-war German governments which have unambiguously recognized the Holocaust,” added Babikian.

Turkey restores Armenian church to show goodwill

March 23, 2007
The Associated Press

AKDAMAR ISLAND, Turkey: An ancient Armenian church, perched on a rocky island in a vast lake, has become a modern symbol of the divisions and fitful efforts at reconciliation between Turks and Armenians whose history of bloodshed drives their troubled relationship.

The Akdamar church, one of the most precious remnants of Armenian culture 1,000 years ago, deteriorated over the last century, a victim of neglect after Turks carried out mass killings of Armenians as the Ottoman Empire crumbled around the time of World War I. Rainwater seeped through the collapsed, conical dome, treasure-hunters dug up the basalt floor, and shepherds took potshots with rifles at the facade.

Next week, the church will showcase Turkey's tentative steps to improve ties with its ethnic Armenian minority, as well as neighboring Armenia. Turkey completed a US$1.5 million restoration of the sandstone building, and invited Armenian officials to a ceremony there on March 29 to mark what Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has called a "positive" message.

An Armenian deputy culture minister and other prominent Armenians plan to go. Armenia's foreign minister welcomed the restoration, but said Turkey mistakenly believed the project would prove that it was dedicated to better ties with its neighbor.

"A positive sign and a move on the part of Turkey ... would be the opening of the border with Armenia and establishment of diplomatic relations," the news agency Armenpress quoted Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian as saying this week. He said the Armenian delegation could reach the church near the city of Van in eastern Turkey by land in a few hours if the border were open, but instead will have to fly to Istanbul, and then take another flight back toward the Armenian border.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 during a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a Muslim ally of Ankara. The move hurt the economy of tiny, landlocked Armenia. Also, Turkey lobbied against a proposed resolution in the U.S. Congress that would recognize the killings of Armenians in the last century as genocide. Some of Turkey's 65,000 Armenian Orthdox Christians say they endure harassment in Turkey, whose population is overwhelmingly Muslim.

Hrant Dink, an ethnic Armenian journalist murdered in Istanbul in January, was apparently targeted by nationalists who detested his commentaries on minority rights and free expression.

Patriarch Mesrob II, the spiritual head of the Armenian Orthodox community in Turkey, has asked the government to mount a cross on top of the church, which used to have one, and to allow religious services to be held there on occasion.

The government has yet to respond, but placement of a cross could be sensitive for the Islamic-rooted government of Erdogan, who plans to attend the inauguration ceremony. The symbolism could upset some Muslims, and a parallel force, Turkey's secular establishment, led by the powerful military, might regard it as a concession to Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.

"It speaks well of the Turkish government that they paid for it and took the initiative to make it happen," said David Phillips, an advocate of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation who helped gather international restoration experts and architects for the church project. But he noted that Turkey views the site as a museum rather than a place of worship.

"It runs the risk of being viewed as an antiquity, instead of a living symbol of Armenian culture and spiritual life," said Phillips, executive director of The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, in New York City.

The European Union urged Turkey in 2004 to consider registering Akdamar in UNESCO's World Heritage List. The EU has also urged Turkey, a candidate for membership, to improve treatment of minorities.

Relief carvings on the outer walls of the Akdamar church depict Jesus Christ, barefoot and bearded, holding the book of Gospels; a sea creature devouring Jonah as he is tossed from a ship; Abraham grabbing his son Isaac's hair and holding a knife as he prepares to sacrifice him; David with a slingshot facing the giant warrior, Goliath; and Adam and Eve, holding the forbidden fruit.

"Akdamar is an extroverted church," said Zakarya Mildanoglu, an ethnic Armenian architect who helped restore it. "It doesn't hide its face."

Reliefs also show the church's builder, Armenian King Gagik I, in an ornate robe and crown, vines and grapes, eagles, bears, a peacock, cockerels, a man killing a lion, and a lion pouncing on a deer. Inside the church, deep blue frescoes show biblical scenes, though many have been destroyed and the walls have big, blank patches.

"Both the frescoes and relief sculpture appropriate Byzantine and Islamic visual traditions; the Abbasid caliphate was of course very strong by this time, and Byzantine art was understood as a visual language of prestige and power," Christina Maranci, an expert on medieval Armenian architecture at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, wrote in an email. The church "presents a very interesting use of both," Maranci wrote.

Renovators replaced fallen roof stones to prevent more damage to the interior, restored the floor, strengthened walls and cleaned frescoes. The church still bears marks of ill treatment, with graffiti scratched next to some carvings.

Akdamar, called the Church of Surp Khach, or Holy Cross, was inaugurated in A.D. 921. Written records say the church was near a harbor and a palace on the island on Lake Van, but only the church survived.

Many local residents supported the renovation because it could generate tourism. Some Turks posted critical articles on the Internet. A leader of an extreme nationalist party said he welcomed the restoration as long as it is not interpreted as a political overture.

"We are not guilty of anything," said Mehmet Sandir, associate chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party. "Why should we be making gestures?"

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Controversy over cross grows amid church’s reopening

23.03.2007
Today's Zaman
BAHTİYAR KÜÇÜK
ANKARA

What right does Turkey have in claiming that they are restoring and Armenian church landmark and showing its pictures to the Congress as an example of tolerance towards Armenians in Turkey, if all that they are doing is restoring it to a museum. This shows to what degree is the Turkey is deceiving the world community.

In advance of the opening of the newly restored Armenian Akhtamar Church on Lake Van, a new controversy has emerged in Ankara over whether or not the church's steeple should have a metal cross placed on it.

Akhtamar Church has undergone restoration that was undertaken at the behest of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Minister of Culture and Tourism Atilla Koc. The church will be reopened to the public at a special ceremony on March 29.

Meanwhile, Patriarch Mesrob II, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Orthodox community in Turkey, has sent a written request to the Culture and Tourism Ministry asking that a cross, prepared by the Armenian Patriarchate itself, be placed on the steeple of the Akhtamar Church. The sentiments in the letter from Partriarch Mesrob are echoed in a similar letter sent by a group of Armenian intellectuals and artists to the ministry.

With no answer yet forthcoming regarding what is to be done about the cross, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has reportedly sent letters to the Foreign Ministry to obtain further views on the matter. Whether or not the cross will be placed atop Akhtamar Church in advance of the March 29 opening appears to depend on the views on this matter expressed by authorities at the Foreign Ministry.

While the Ministry of Culture and Tourism intends for the 1,100-year-old church on Lake Van's Akhtamar Island to be opened to the public as a "museum," the Armenian community is pressing for the church to be available for religious services. On the subject of the placement of the metal cross atop the church, Patriarch Mesrob references past photographs of the historical church as the reason why the ministry should allow the cross to be placed there.

"A cross can be clearly seen on the steeple of the church in all old photographs of it." The official name of the church also arises in the content of Mesrob's letter, with the patriarch referring to the church as " Lake Van's Agtamar Island Surp Hac Armenian Church."

Within this framework, the Armenian patriarch also suggests that annual September Sacred Cross Festival be called the Agtamar Festival, noting that this would have the additional advantage of drawing local and foreign tourists to the area, with choral groups from Istanbul and folkloric dancers from Van adding to the content of the festival.

The patriarch's letter also focuses on the possible religious services that might take place at Akhtamar Church during the Sacred Cross Festival, explaining, "There could be a religious service in the church's old nave, followed by choral groups and folklore groups."

Patriarch Mesrob's letter ends by noting that he is "praying to dear Allah for the continued success" of the ministry's restoration efforts. In a separate letter on the subject, a group of Armenian intellectuals and artists request that Akhtamar Church, which they refer to as "Ahdamar Church," be turned over permanently to the Armenian community in Turkey. They also note that a cross similar to the one found on the church must be placed there again, and that even if the church is not to be opened for religious services, the cross must still be placed there as a part of restoration efforts.

Oskanian defiant

Representing Armenia at the March 29 opening of the restored Van Lake Akhtamar Church will be Armenia's Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Gagik Gurijian.

Speaking Thursday at a press conference, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said that Turkey was attempting to influence the international community by holding a public opening of Akhtamar Church. Oskanian also reiterated that in order for relations between the two countries to normalize, Turkey needed to open its borders with Armenia. Akhtamar Church was built by architect Kesis Manuel on the orders of Armenian King Gakik I between AD 915-921. The church has a central dome with four leaf-like wings coming out in a cross shape. It is made of red "tufa" brick.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

The second chance for rapprochement with Armenians misses

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Today's Zaman

Turkish government decided to keep the inauguration of Akdamar Church low profile since the Armenian diaspora is not eager to participate.

DUYGU GÜVENÇ
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News


The inauguration of Akdamar Church on March 29 will not be an opportunity for the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia and Turkey will miss the second chance for rapprochement after the assassination of Hrant Dink, said sources familiar with the issue talking to the Turkish Daily News yesterday.

In the eve of a resolution proposed to the U.S. House of Representatives for acceptance of genocide claims, Ankara was ambitious for the opening ceremony of Akdamar Armenian Church. Turkey aimed to prevent the acceptance of Armenian claims for evaluating the 1915-1919 events as genocide by the United States with the resolution proposed to the House of Representatives and planned to show the respect of Turkish society to different cultures and religions by opening Akdamar Church.

More than 200 Armenians from New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Ottawa and Paris were invited in addition to the Armenians from Yerevan including the clergymen and representatives of nongovernmental organizations who attended Dink's funeral. The invitations were prepared in coordination with the Turkish-Armenian's Patriarch, Mesrob Mutafyan, said the Turkish sources. In the invitations sent by the Van governor, Turkey excluded the extremist Tashnaks and preferred to invite moderate Armenians. Just a week before the ceremony, Turkey is now suspicious about the attendance of Armenians.

Despite the invitation it is still unclear whether Armenian Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosian will attend the inauguration of the newly renovated 10th century Akdamar Church and Yerevan did not give an answer to the invitation conveyed by the Turkish Embassy to Tibilisi. In response, Ankara adopted a low profile policy on Akdamar, saying, “There is no need to exaggerate, we are opening historical places every year.”

Akdamar Church or the Church of the Holy Cross is a ruined Armenian Church in Van of Eastern Anatolia.

The expectations of Armenians were not realized said Kaan Soyak, the co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian Business Council, talking to TDN. Soyak criticized Turkish foreign policy for being addicted to Azerbaijan and expressed the disappointment of Armenians for not opening the Turkish-Armenian border for inauguration day. He claimed that most of the moderate Armenians who wish to come would prefer to protest in response to Ankara's policies.

Turkish sources on the other hand argued a direct flight between Yerevan and Van airport is impossible saying, “It is not possible to sustain security measures in Van because of technical reasons.”

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations, and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993. Hopes have risen for normalization of Turkish-Armenian ties when the Turkish government invited Armenian officials and representatives of the diaspora to participate in Dink's funeral ceremony. He was shot to death in Istanbul in January. But no visible development in the name of reconciliation between the two countries has been observed since then.

Karakin II did not receive the invitation:

Ankara invited the Patriks and Metropolits of Damascus, Aleppo, Moscow, Bukresh, Beirut as well as the five Orthodox representatives from Yerevan. In that context, head of the Armenian Orthodox Church Karekin II was invited by the governor of Van, Niyazi Tanılır. “Karekin II will not attend because he only got a note for the invitation, the invitation was not sent,” said the sources who are in contact with Yerevan. Turkish sources on the other hand asserted that it is not intentional and it is false.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

No Self-Respecting Armenian Should Accept Turkey’s Invitation to Akhtamar

March 22, 2007
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

The Turkish government has launched a worldwide campaign to exploit, for propaganda purposes, the renovation of the 10th century Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar Island, in Turkish-occupied Western Armenia. Ankara has sent out invitations for “the inaugural” ceremonies to more than 3,000 guests from around the world, including officials from Armenia and Armenians from the Diaspora.

According to the Turkish Zaman newspaper, the Turkish government’s intent is to use the restoration of the church on March 29 as part of its accelerated efforts to counter the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the U.S. Congress.

Last week, when a Turkish delegation came to Washington to lobby against that resolution, Mehmet Dulger, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Turkish Parliament, announced that he had brought with him photos of the renovated Akhtamar Church. Dulger said he would show the photo album published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to U.S. Congressmen and tell them: "See, the Turks, whom you accuse of genocide, have renovated an Armenian Church with taxes collected from Turks. And these photos are the evidence." The Turkish government reportedly spent more than $1.5 million for the restoration.

Zaman reported that the album would be distributed worldwide to all organizations advocating "Armenian genocide claims." Furthermore, "the culture ministers of all countries that have adopted or will adopt Armenian genocide bills… are invited to the opening," Zaman wrote.

To make maximum propaganda use of this opportunity, an official from the Turkish Ministry of Culture even suggested that the long-blockaded Armenian-Turkish border be temporarily opened for guests from Armenia wishing to cross into Turkey. He also spoke about the possibility of a special direct flight from Yerevan to Van on that occasion. However, the Turkish military vetoed both suggestions.

Turkish officials came up with ridiculous explanations when asked why the renovated Holy Cross Church did not have a cross on its dome. Reporters were told that the cross could be the cause of a lightning strike that would burn down the church! Another official ridiculously claimed that he could not find any old photos of the church with a cross on its dome.

Even the date of the planned ceremonies has been subject to much political speculation and a comedy of errors. The Turkish government originally set the date for April 24. But after complaints from the Armenian Patriarch, the date was changed to April 11. When Turkish officials learned that April 11 was in fact the same date as April 24 in the old calendar, they changed it yet again to March 29, hoping that they would thus be able to pre-empt the negative impact on Turkey of the worldwide commemorations of the Armenian Genocide held in April of each year.

Once the final date was set, the Turkish Foreign Ministry immediately instructed its ambassadors and consul generals around the world to extend invitations to Armenians and non-Armenians alike to attend the ceremonies on March 29. Invitations were received by scores of Armenians whose addresses had been provided to local Turkish consulates by a couple of Armenian individuals who do the Turkish government’s bidding apparently for personal gain.

The invitations offend the invitees by describing the Holy Cross Church as the "the Monumental Museum of Akdamar [sic] Church." Even more offensive is the two-page enclosure which states that the carvings of the church walls "show an influence of 9th and 10th century Abbasi art, which was itself influenced by Central Asian Turkish Art."

The invitation indicates that the guests are expected to arrive in Ankara on March 28 and leave for Akhtamar in the early morning of March 29, flying from Ankara to Van by private plane. After the conclusion of the opening ceremony -- which may be attended by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul -- the invitees will be given lunch, taken on a tour of the city of Van, including the historic castle and then depart to Ankara later that afternoon. After asking them to fly to Turkey, in some cases from half way around the world, the guests are expected to be on Akhtamar Island not more than an hour and a half which would include the opening ceremony and a recital by a Turkish pianist.

While it is obvious that the Turkish government is only interested in the propaganda value of this ancient Armenian Church, it is much less clear why any Armenian would want to be a part of its unholy ploy. Why would any self-respecting Armenian, whether from Armenia or the Diaspora, allow himself or herself to be used by Turkish authorities for anti-Armenian purposes, specifically in Turkey’s efforts to counter the recognition of the Armenian Genocide?

Armenians should boycott and denounce this cynical Turkish ploy. If Turkish officials are truly interested in restoring the Holy Cross Church, here are the steps they must take:
1) Designate it as a church, not museum, and open it for Christian worship.
2) Place it under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, not the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
3) Place a cross on its dome.
4) Remove all false references to a non-existent Turkish influence on the architecture of the Holy Cross Church.

World public opinion should be told that Turkey deserves very little credit for renovating this Armenian church. There were thousands of Armenian churches and monuments before the genocide of 1915 throughout today’s Turkey. Most of them were confiscated and converted to non-religious use, abandoned to the ravages of time or outright demolished by Turkish officials. To deserve any credit, Turkey should restore these churches and monuments and return them to the Armenian Patriarchate.
Until the Turkish authorities implement the above four stops, no self-respecting Armenian should in any way assist or support Ankara’s use of the renovation of an Armenian church for Turkish propaganda purposes.

Armenia confirmed participation in opening ceremony of Akhtamar Church

16.03.2007 13:34

YEREVAN (YERKIR) - Armenian delegation will participate in the opening ceremony of Holly Cross Armenian Church in Akhtamar island, Turkey.

Armenian Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosyan told a press conference in Yerevan that a few days ago she had received an official invitation to participate in the opening ceremony of the Church, PanARMENIAN.Net reported.

Poghosyan noted that either she personally or Deputy Culture and Youth Affairs Minister will head the delegation. “Alongside, several NGOs wished to be included in the delegation,” she said. Poghosyan also added Georgian Minister of Culture, Monuments Protection and Sport Giorgi Gabashvili wished to participate in the opening ceremony of the Church in Turkey, “Novosti-Armenia” reports.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia discussing Turkish invitation for Akdamar

Friday, March 16, 2007
Turkish Daily News
By FULYA ÖZERKAN - ANKARA

Armenian official says it is too early to say Turkish move will open dialogue between Yerevan and Ankara but repeats Yerevan's willingness to establish diplomatic ties with Ankara with no precondition

Armenia has not yet made a decision over the Turkish government's invitation for the inauguration ceremony marking the renovation of 1,000-year old Akdamar church, located in eastern Turkey.

“We don't have any answer yet … and we're still discussing the Turkish invitation,” Vladimir Karapetian, acting spokesperson of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, told the Turkish Daily News in a telephone interview.

Turkey has invited Armenian officials as well as representatives of the Armenian diaspora to participate in the ceremony of the renovated church, a development that sparked questions whether Ankara's unilateral move could become a political gesture for normalization of bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries.

The Armenian official, speaking with the TDN, said it was too early to say that the Turkish move would open dialogue between Yerevan and Ankara but made clear that Yerevan was “in favor of establishing normal relations including the opening of the border without any precondition.”

But he said the Turkish side showed no signs of rapprochement with Armenia, apparently referring to Ankara's canceled plans to allow direct flights between Yerevan and eastern the Turkish province of Van for the ceremony.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry recently held a meeting with the participation of relevant authorities to discuss preparations, as well as plans to invite Armenian officials and members of the diaspora ahead of the inauguration of the church scheduled for March 29. An official suggested that Turkey open the gate or allow direct flight between Yerevan and Van just for once to help Armenian guests to cross into Turkey easily to attend the ceremony. But the idea has been shelved for the time being, sources said.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations, and the border between the two countries has been shut since 1993. Hopes have risen for normalization of Turkish-Armenian ties when the Turkish government invited Armenian officials and representatives of the diaspora to participate in the funeral ceremony of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was shot to death in Istanbul in January. But no visible development in the name of reconciliation between the two countries has been observed since then.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Sarafian praises Erdoğan as ‘a man of peace’

16.03.2007
Today's Zaman İstanbul

British-Armenian historian Ara Sarafian acknowledged that there have been positive developments in Turkish-Armenian relations in past years and praised Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for "opening the door for a solution to the problem."

Turkey and Armenia have no formal ties and the border gate between the two countries has been closed for more than a decade. Ankara says relations will not be normalized unless Armenia stops supporting diaspora efforts to win international recognition for the alleged genocide and withdraws its troops from Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan that has been under Armenian occupation since the last decade.

Erdoğan proposed last year establishment of a joint committee of academics to study events of the World War I years, but Armenia declined the offer.

According to Sarafian, "some powers in Turkey" prevent Erdoğan from doing more. "He is a man of peace, but he is restricted in changes he can initiate," he said in an interview with private Cihan News Agency in London, complaining that there are ultranationalist circles in Turkey, while Erdoğan is a liberal man respecting common sense.

"Erdoğan is leading efforts to renovate a Christian church, although he has an Islamic past. This is very interesting and pleasing," he said, referring to the government's plans to reopen the Akhtamar Church in eastern Anatolia later this month following an extensive renovation. Several members of the Armenian diaspora have been invited to attend the opening.

"I believe Erdoğan is part of the solution. Frankly, I think Erdoğan has done everything that the Armenian diaspora could have expected of him. The diaspora should now take more positive steps," he said.

Sarafian also said 90 percent of Armenian artifacts were destroyed and called for government work to restore and protect the remaining 10 percent.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Photos of Akhtamar to be shown to US Congressmen

10.03.2007
Today's Zaman
Ecan Yavuz
Ankara

The article below says that Turkey will show the Congress that it is making efforts to protect Armenian historical and cultural monuments but it is not going to be a productive move by Turkey because it will highlight the contrast in view of "Akhtamar was lucky to avoid the fate of churches in Mush and Kars which were transformed into mosques "here and "On the eve of World War I, there were scores of medieval Armenian churches within 20 km of Akhtamar Island alone, and practically none of them remain standing today. Most of them have been completely destroyed during the life of the Turkish Republic. Today grave diggers enjoy a free hand looting these localities while Turkish state authorities continue to turn a blind eye to these acts of desecration." here.

Turkey has increased its efforts to counter a Armenian genocide resolution that is scheduled to be heard in the US House of Representatives in April.

A Turkish delegation will take photos to the US Congress showing the former and current condition of the Akhtamar Armenian Church in Van.

A photo album recently issued by the Culture and Tourism Ministry on Akhtamar Church will be presented personally by Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Mehmet Dülger during a visit to the US Congress from March 11 to 18.

Dülger said: "I will tell them, 'See, the Turks, whom you accuse of genocide, have renovated an Armenian Church with taxes collected from Turks. And these photos are the evidence.' Also, I will show them a map of Africa and ask them to show me the location of Armenia."

Akhtamar Church will be opened by Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koç on March 15 with participation from prominent artists and art historians from around the world. Culture ministers of all countries that have adopted or will adopt Armenian genocide bills, and senior representatives of the Armenian diaspora are invited to the opening.

The photo album, entitled "Akhtamar Church" and published by Culture and Tourism Ministry Revolving Fund Operations General Directorate, will be distributed at the opening ceremonies. The album contains photos of the church in its former and current conditions. The album will also be distributed worldwide to the groups advocating Armenian genocide claims.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Exact number of Armenian historical monuments in Turkey unknown

09.03.2007
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Akhtamar is a universal property. That is why the Turkish government decided to reconstruct it, historian Samvel Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, the Akhtamar Church has no analogs in the world’s architecture and sculpture. “Akhtamar is unique and the Turkish government will receive fantastic profits from the flow of tourists. The contents of the inscription on the wall of the temple is a question of minor importance for them. Greek, Armenian and Assyrian monuments are being reconstructed throughout Turkey presently and Turks themselves decide whether or not to mention their belonging,” Karapetian said.

The Armenian historian also noted that the exact number of historical and cultural monuments in Turkey in not known. “According to the data furnished by the Constantinople patriarchy, about 2100 churches functioned in Western Armenia in 1912-1913. 3000 out of 8000 villages in Western Armenia were inhabited by Armenians only. Thus, each village had a church, sometimes even two churches. I think we can speak of thousands of Armenian monuments throughout Turkey. Akhtamar was lucky to avoid the fate of churches in Mush and Kars which were transformed into mosques,” Karapetian said.

! Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to «PanARMENIAN.Net».

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

TURKEY'S SHAME: AGHTAMAR ISLAND AND THE DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN CULTURAL PROPERTIES IN TURKEY

3 March 2007
PRESS RELEASE
Gomidas Institute
42 Blythe Rd.
London W14 0HA
England(2 March

Tel: xx 44 20 7603 7242
Web: www.gomidas.org
Email: info@gomidas.org

Contact Person: Roland Mnatsakanyan

For photographs accompanying this press release see www.gomidas.org/press/2March07PressRelease.htm

Over the past two years, Turkish authorities made much of the restoration of a 10th century Armenian church on Aghtamar island in Lake Van. Until recently, it was not clear whether this restoration project was a peaceful gesture to Armenians, or a crude glossover the reality of the Armenian Genocide and the destruction of Armenian cultural properties in modern Turkey.

Today, the head of the Turkish Historical Society, Yusuf Halaçoğlu, commented on the opening of the restored Holy Cross church on Aghtamar Island on April 15th, 2007. We hope his words do not reflect official thinking in Ankara.

According to The New Anatolian, Halaçoğlu stated that "We [Turks] don't have anything to hide... Opening the Agdamar Church will be a gesture to Armenians and the whole world… After the conquering of Anatolia, the Turks didn't damage foreign assets… Nothing was destroyed. In this way, these assets have survived through to today."

Halaçoğlu's words will surely prove to be an embarrassment to Turkey. Should the guests invited to the opening of the church on April 15th decide to look around them, they will see that Aghtamar Island is an exception.

On the eve of World War I, there were scores of medieval Armenian churches within 20 km of Aghtamar Island alone, and practically none of them remain standing today. Most of them have been completely destroyed during the life of the Turkish Republic. Today grave diggers enjoy a free hand looting these localities while Turkish state authorities continue to turn a blind eye to these acts of desecration.

Halacoglu's words only add to Turkey's shame.

For photographs accompanying this press release see www.gomidas.org/press/2March07PressRelease.htm