ARF Bureau member Mourad Papazian politicizes the Armenian Genocide

There surely is much more in upholding the Armenian Genocide than pursuing in the Diaspora its recognition by states.  Armenians in the diaspora cannot possibly detract from the voting citizens of Armenia the central legacy of the Armenian Genocide, to uphold and perpetuate Armenia and the Armenian culture. For lack of a better word, ARF bureau member Mourad Papazian belittling the Armenian Government and its policies, consequently its Armenian voting citizens, from distant France, is not only uncalled for, but is partisan in its core and anachronistic.

Yesterday, at 10:44 am. I commented to Mourad Papazian's post in the Armenian Weekly. He has titled it, “How can one agree with Nikol Pashinyan?” It’s already 2:50 pm, on the following day - today - as I type this introduction. My comment is awaiting moderation by the editorial staff and, “will be visible after it has been approved." (see below).

More than the twenty-four hours have elapsed and the editorial board of the Armenian weekly has not made its mind to make my comment visible, or not.  It may not. But, even if the editorial board finally makes up its mind and makes my comment visible, not all who may read my blog, subscribe to the Weekly, and thus may not read my comment. I copied my comment - see its screen shot below - and posted. Here it is.   Vaհe H Apelian.

My comment:

“Mourad Papazian is presented to the readers with the commending leadership positions he occupies. But, especially for a man of such claimed stature, I am surprised by his ignorance of the rudimentary of the recent Armenian history. Otherwise, he would have known that the Republic of Armenia, since its inception on May 28, 1918, has not been pursuing the recognition of the Armenian genocide as a state policy, nor laying claims for historical Armenian lands.

Mourad Papazian may be excused for not knowing that the first Republic of Armenia signed the Treaty of Batumi with Turkey, on June 4, 1918, a week after declaring independence, for peace and friendship between the two states, as Turkey recognized the Republic of Armenia (see link 1). He may also not know that a few days later, on June 13, a delegation representing the Republic of Armenia paid an official state visit to Turkey and was hosted accordingly. The delegation stayed there for almost four months and met a list of Turkish dignitaries. The delegation’s first scheduled meeting was, in Avedis Aharonian’s words, “the Grand Vizier Talaat Pasha”, and vouched for the nascent republic’s peace and friendship with Turkey, (see link 2).

Mourad Papazian may be excused for not knowing these and such extraordinary events took place over 100 years ago to safeguard the security, viability and the longevity of the nascent republic. But apparently, even though he is a member of the ARF Bureau, Mourad has no recollection of President Serzh Sargsyan government’s policy, to which the ARF-Armenia was invited and joined in governing Armenia, that pursued a policy of rapprochement with Turkey, the very same policy of not pursuing the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Mourad Papazian criticizes. Serzh Sargsyan, in his official speeches and statements commemorating the Genocide, often used the Armenian term, Medz Yeghern, Mourad Papazian deliberately avoids. 

One more note, as a matter of principle, Mourad Papazian may speak on behalf of the French Armenians. He is claimed to represent them as co-president of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France. But whenever someone has the audacity to speak on behalf of Diaspora, the person simply forfeits credibility or at best comes across attempting to project the person’s views as a Diaspora view. He makes such remarks in his text.

Come April 24, 2027, the PM Nikol Pashinyan and the other principals of his government will pay homage to the memory of the martyred Armenians during the Genocide. Business will be on hold that day in Armenia, as April 24 is a non-working holiday. I, from Diaspora, remain appreciative, if not morally indebted to the citizens of Armenia who from their earnings keep and maintain the Armenian Genocide memorial complex at Tsitsernakaberd for the Armenians world-wide. 

To sum up this lengthy comment and to answer Mourad Papazian rhetorical question for a headline, I continue on supporting the principles of the policies of the government, the citizens of Armenia elected to govern the Republic of Armenia.”  

Link 1: A chronology of Armenia related events between 1915—1923, https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/search?q=Treaty+of+Batumi

Link 2: Republic of Armenia: First official visit to Turkey Report on November 23, 1918, https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/search?q=Grand+Vizier+Talaat+Pasha

 

 

 

My response - Upholding Medz Yeghern / the Armenian Genocide.

There surely is much more in upholding the Armenian Genocide than pursuing in the Diaspora its recognition by states.  Armenians in the diaspora cannot possibly detract from the voting citizens of Armenia in upholding and perpetuating Armenia and the Armenian culture. For lack of a better word, ARF bureau member Mourad Papazian belittling of the Armenian Government and its policies, consequently its Armenian voting citizens, from distant France is not only uncalled for, but is partisan in its core and anachronistic.

Today, at 10:44 am. I commented to a post by Mourad Papazian in the Armenian Weekly. He has titled it, “How can one agree with Nikol Pashinyan?”  My comment is awaiting moderation by the editorial staff and, “will be visible after it has been approved." (see below) Not all who may read my blog, subscribe to the Weekly. They may not read my comment even if the editorial staff agree to make it visible gets visible. I copied the comment I made and posted in this blog. Vaհe H Apelian

My comment:

“Mourad Papazian is presented to the readers with the commending leadership positions he occupies. But, especially for a man of such claimed stature, I am surprised by his ignorance of the rudimentary of the recent Armenian history. Otherwise, he would have known that the Republic of Armenia, since its inception on May 28, 1918, has not been pursuing the recognition of the Armenian genocide as a state policy, nor laying claims for historical Armenian lands.

Mourad Papazian may be excused for not knowing that the first Republic of Armenia signed the Treaty of Batumi (see link 1) with Turkey, on June 4, 1918, a week after declaring independence, for peace and friendship between the two states, as Turkey recognized the Republic of Armenia. He may also not know that a few days later, on June 13, a delegation representing the Republic of Armenia paid an official state visit to Turkey and was hosted accordingly. The delegation stayed there for almost four months and met a list of Turkish dignitaries. The delegation’s first scheduled meeting was, in Avedis Aharonian’s words, “the Grand Vizier Talaat Pasha”, and vouched for the nascent republic’s peace and friendship with Turkey (see link 2). 

Mourad Papazian may be excused for not knowing these and such extraordinary events took place over 100 years ago to safeguard the security, viability and the longevity of the nascent republic. But apparently, even though he is a member of the ARF Bureau, Mourad has no recollection of President Serzh Sargsyan government’s policy, to which the ARF-Armenia was invited and joined in governing Armenia, that pursued a policy of rapprochement with Turkey, the very same policy of not pursuing the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, to which Serzh Sargsyan in his official speeches and statements commemorating the Genocide, often referred to as Medz Yeghern. 

One more note, as a matter of principle, Mourad Papazian may speak on behalf of the French Armenians. He is claimed to represent them as co-president of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France. But whenever someone has the audacity to speak on behalf of Diaspora, the person simply forfeits credibility or at best comes across attempting to project the person’s views as a Diaspora view. He makes such remarks in his text.

Come April 24, 2027, the PM Nikol Pashinyan and the other principals of his government will pay homage to the memory of the martyred Armenians during the Genocide. Business will be on hold that day in Armenia, as April 24 is a non-working holiday. I, from Diaspora, remain appreciative, if not morally indebted to the citizens of Armenia who from their earnings keep and maintain the Armenian Genocide memorial complex at Tsitsernakaberd for the Armenians world-wide. 

To sum up this lengthy comment and to answer Mourad Papazian rhetorical question for a headline, I continue on supporting the principles of the policies of the government, the citizens of Armenia elected to govern the Republic of Armenia.”

 

Link 1: A chronology of Armenia related events between 1915—1923, https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/search?q=Treaty+of+Batumi

Link 2: Republic of Armenia: First official visit to Turkey Report on November 23, 1918, https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/search?q=Grand+Vizier+Talaat+Pasha

 

 

 

A chronology of Armenia related events between 1915--1923

1915 to 1923 is a crucial period in Armenian history and is a very convoluted era. In order to give a structure to that period and facilitate its visualization, I listed pertinent dates in a chronological order to personify. Vaհe H Apelian

1914 – 1915 July 28, 1914,  a Tuesday On this day, World War I formally started, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. February 19,1915,  a Friday On this day, the Gallipoli campaign (also known as the Dardanelles campaign) officially began during World War I when British and French naval forces started a long-range bombardment of Ottoman fortifications in the Dardanelles, located in present-day Turkey. Historian claim that the Ottoman victory at Gallipoli did not cause the Armenian Genocide, but the wartime crisis surrounding the campaign created a climate of fear that the Committee of Union and Progress used to justify the massacres. April 24, 1915,  a Saturday On this day, Ottoman authorities arrested over 200 Armenian community leaders, intellectuals, and professionals in Constantinople, marking the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. 1918 May 28, 1918, a Tuesday On this day, the Armenian National Council in Tiflis, Georgia, declared the independence of Armenia, marking the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia. June 4, 1918, a Tuesday. On this day, and a week after declaring Independent Armenia, the First Republic of Armenia, signed the Treaty of Batumi. Turkey recognized Armenia's impendence. The treaty left Armenia with a severely truncated, landlocked territory, including (10,400 square km) areas like Yerevan and Etchmiadzin. June 13, 1918, a Thursday On this day, and two weeks after declaring independence, a Republic of Armenia delegation, comprised by Avedis Aharonian, Alexander Khadisian, and Mikayel Papajanian left Tiflis on an official visit to Turkey as the Republic Of Armenia’s maiden visitation to friendly Turkey. June 19, 1918,  a Wednesday On this day, the Avedis Aharonian, Alexander Khatisian and Mikayel Papajanian, delegation arrived in Constantinople, where it was received in a manner appropriate to dignitaries representing a state. They remained until November 1, that is, approximately 4 and a half months. https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2025/11/republic-of-armenia-first-official_26.html   August 1, 1919,  a Thursday On this day, the inaugural session of the National Assembly of Armenia convened, while Avedis Aharonian and his delegation were in Constantinople. https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2026/08/august-1-1918-inaugural-session-of.html   October 30, 1918, a Wednesday On this day, Armistice of Mudros was signed. Armenians did not formally participate in the Armistice of Mudros. The agreement was made exclusively between representatives of the victorious Allied Powers (represented by Great Britain) and the defeated Ottoman Empire. It enabled the Allied powers to begin partitioning the Ottoman Empire.  The armistice of Mudros led to the Treaty of Sèvres, the little ally to the allied powers. November 1, 1918, a Friday On this day, The Avedis Aharonian, Alexander Khatisian and Mikayel Papajanian, delegation, having spent almost four and half month in Constantinople, left the capital city Constantinople around November 1, 1918, following the signing of the Armistice of Mudros on October 30, 1918. November 11, 1918, a Monday. On this day, the World War I formally and famously ended on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. 1919-1920 January 18,1919,  a Saturday On this day, the historic Paris Peace Conference of 1919 formally opened on January 18, 1919, though preliminary meetings and arrivals began on January 12, 1919. January 21,1920, a Wednesday On this day, the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 officially ended. August 10, 1920, a Tuesday On this day, the Treaty of Sèvres was signed after the main formal sessions of the Paris Peace Conference concluded, though it was part of the overall peace process. The Treaty of Sèvres promised a post-World War I independent Armenia with a territory on the Armenian Highland, including provinces like Van and Erzerum, and an outlet to the Black Sea. However, this treaty was never implemented because it was rejected by the emerging Turkish nationalist movement led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who waged a war against the Allied Powers and established the Republic of Turkey. Consequently, the Treaty of Sèvres was replaced by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, which made no provisions for an Armenian state and set back the prospects for Armenians. November 29, 1920 Monday On this day, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed by local revolutionaries. December 2,1920, a Thursday The leadership of the First Republic of Armenia (the ARF government) agreed to cede power to the communists. The 4th PM of the first Republic of Armenia Simon Vratsian was in office between November 23, 1920 to December 2 of 1920 when he ceded power to the Bolsheviks. Armenia became part of the Russian dominated Soviet Union. December 2, 1920, a Thursday On this day, the Treaty of Alexandropol, signed on. It was a devastating accord between the First Republic of Armenia and Turkey. For Armenia, the treaty was a capitulation that forced the country to cede over half of its territory, including the Kars region, renounce the Treaty of Sèvres, and accept severe military restrictions that left it a vulnerable, de facto protectorate of Turkey. The treaty was never ratified due to Armenia's Sovietization. The treaty's terms, particularly concerning borders, were largely confirmed by the subsequent Treaty of Kars. 1921-1923 13 October 1921, a Thursday On this day, the signing of the Treaty of Kars took place that established the borders between Turkey and the three Transcaucasian Soviet republics, which are now the independent republics of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The treaty was signed in the city of Kars. June 24, 1923, a Saturday On this day, the infamous Treaty of Lausanne, the “granddaddy” of all Turkish Armenian treaties, took place. The treaty effectively ended the Armenian Cause / Hai Tahd, by abolishing the Treaty of Sèvres, which had envisioned an independent Armenia. While the treaty did not explicitly mention Armenians, it granted amnesty to perpetrators of past crimes, including those related to the Armenian Genocide, and codified the borders of modern Turkey consolidating Turkey's control over the historic Armenian lands and resulting in expulsion of the Armenians and the confiscation of their properties.

August 1, 1918: The inaugural session of Armenian National Assembly.

Today, Tatul Hakopyan wrote that August 1, can be celebrated in Armenia as Parliamentarianism Day, because the first session of the first ever  Armenian National Council/Parliament took place on that day in 1918. Vaհe H Apelian

Courtesy Tatul Hakobyan

I quote Tatul Hakobyan: “The first legislative body in the history of Armenia, the parliament, was formed in the summer of 1918, two months after the proclamation of the First Republic. It was also the first legislative body in the history of Armenia that was formed not by elections, but as a result of political agreement.

The first parliament, which bore the name of Council, was formed by tripling the members of the Armenian National Council, as well as by involving 6 Turks (in today's terminology, Azerbaijanis) and one Russian and one Yezidi, for a total of 46 deputies, of which 38 were Armenians.

The following political forces were represented in the Council: The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenian People's Party (Ramkavars), the Social Democrats, and the Socialist Revolutionaries.

On August 1, 1918, the first session of the Council of Armenia opened in the hall of the Yerevan City Club, which was attended by the entire government, headed by Prime Minister Hovhannes Kajaznuni. (See note 10). Also present at the session were representatives of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Turkey, the consul of Persia, and representatives of the Russian and Muslim national councils. Among the high-ranking Armenian military officers present were Tovmas Nazarbekyan and Movses Silikyan.

The honor of opening the first session of the first legislative body of Armenia was given to Dashnaktsutyun Avetik Sahakyan. Amidst profound silence, Sahakyan took the stage and delivered the opening speech, which was translated into Russian and Turkish on the spot”

Avedik Sahakyan’s speech at the inaugural session:

“Citizens, Deputies of the Council of Armenia.

On behalf of the Supreme Armenian National Council, I have the honor today to open the inaugural session of the Council of Armenia and to declare that from now on this is the only authorized body encompassing the state power of the Republic of Armenia.

This day will become historic for us and will open a new bright era in the life of our young state.

This day will always be memorable and for the reason that for the first time we see realized within our narrow horizons the beautiful dream and cherished desire for self-determination, albeit in impossibly difficult conditions.

Assuming that many of you are not well informed about the issue of our country's independence, I find it extremely important to present to this high assembly the stages through which the idea of ​​independent states in Transcaucasia has passed from its inception to its final formulation.

Our republic, like the others, emerged as independent state from the day the Transcaucasian Sejm declared itself dissolved on May 26 [1918]. On the initiative and proposal of the Georgian Social Democratic faction, Georgia declared itself independent on the same day.

After the collapse of the Transcaucasus, our country was left to its own devices, so the Armenian National Council hastened to take over all the functions of the government.

It was then that the well-known ultimatum of the Ottoman government about new land acquisitions was received and a response was required within 48 hours. The Supreme Council immediately sent a separate delegation to Batumi in the person of Hovhannes Kajaznuni, Mikael Papajanyan and Alexander Khatisyan, giving them extraordinary powers to negotiate with the Turkish delegation. (Note 1)

Our delegation managed to make some corrections to the borders, but was still forced to accept the ultimatum and conclude a peace alliance with Vehib Pasha and Khalil Bey. Here, for the first time, the deputies of the Armenian National Council were officially recognized as representatives of independent Armenia and signed the June 4 alliance [Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the Republic of Armenia and the Ottoman Imperial Government, 1918].

The independence of our state is also known to the allied states of Dajkastan(Turkey): Germany, Austria, Bulgaria. Our second delegation is in Constantinople, which includes Avetis Aharonyan, Alexander Khatisyan and Mikael Papajanyan, who traveled there at the invitation of the Ottoman government to conduct negotiations with Tajikistan and its allied states.

Thus, having comprehensively examined the country's forces and the circumstances in which the Armenian people find themselves, on the one hand, and the political and economic situation created, on the other, the Armenian National Council squeezed its heart and with a merciless conscience decided to finally accept the ultimatum and recognize the independence of Armenia, surrendering itself to the impartial judgment of history.

Yes, our republic is small and with narrow borders, it has been deprived of its most valuable territories and cannot accommodate the entire population within it and, it seems, does not have the conditions for an independent existence. But I believe that the borders of the country cannot remain frozen forever. I believe that the borders of the country will expand with the iron force of life, with the protection of our just and indisputable rights in relation to the occupied territories and with a new friendly alliance with Dajkatan (Turkey) and its allied states, whose representatives are present here. We have chosen the path of agreement and peace, and I want to hope that we are not mistaken.

Until then, we will fulfill our duties arising from the peace alliance with holiness and steadfastness. Let us leave aside future prospects, at least today here, without hesitation and with full determination, we cast anchor on our stateship and lay the foundation of the state building, striving to always improve it for the benefit of all nationalities of the Republic of Armenia, as children of one dear motherland.

I declare the session of the Council of Armenia open.”

Avetik Sahakyan was born in 1864 in Jalaloghli (now Stepanavan). In 1920, when Armenia was Sovietized, Sahakyan moved to Tabriz. He died in 1933 in Lebanon.

***

Note 1: On the 13th of June [1918], An Armenian delegation, representing  the Republic of Armenia, consisting of Avedis Aharonian, Alexander Khatisian and Mikayel Papajanian, left Tiflis and on the 19th of the same month arrived in Constantinople, where it remained until November 1, that is, approximately for 4 and a half months.

May 28, 1918 born during the Great War (World War 1)

 Vaհe H Apelian

Tomorrow is May 28. It is a public holiday in Armenia, one of the 13 non-working holidays. It is called Republic Day and is celebrated to observe the founding of the first Republic of Amenia on May 28, 1918, after being stateless for the previous 543 years, since the fall of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1375.

The Armenian Republic was born in war time. It was born as the Great War or World War I was raging. The war had started on July 28, 1914 and ended on the 11th hour on November 11, 1918.

It is called World War, because the conflict was between major global coalitions. The Allied Powers, consisted of France, Great Britain, and Russia, warring the Central Powers consisting of Germany and Austria-Hungary of the day, allied with the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). The Americans joined the Allied forces in 1917, to help them reverse the losing tide.

The Armenians participated in the World War I, siding  with the Allied Forces and fought both on the Western and Eastern or Caucasian fronts to help the Allied forces defeat Turkey and to have the Armenians establish a state of our own.

On the Eastern Front or Caucasian Front, the  Armenians fought under the Imperial Russian command, until the abdication of Tsar Nicholas in March 1917. Several months later, in October 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, took over the Russian government. The immediate goal of the Bolsheviks was to exit from the devastating war. In December 1917, the Bolsheviks formally ended Russia's participation in the war by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. 

The tsar's abdication and Bolshevik Russia’s exit from the Eastern Front of the Great War became catastrophic to the Armenians. It gave the Turks a free rein to continue on with the Armenian Genocide and cleanse the surviving Armenians from the Armenian highlands, forcing the rag tag survivors of the Armenian genocide flee to Eastern Armenia.

But as Russia withdrew in 1917, Armenian battle hardened volunteer combatants, filled the void and halted further Ottoman advances in 1918 at the decisive Battles of Sardarabad, Bash Abaran, and Karakilisa, paving the way for the Armenians to establish the first Republic of Armenia on May 28, 1918. 

. A week after the founding the Republic of Armenia, the Ottoman Empire and the newly independent First Republic of Armenia, signed the Treaty of Batumi on June 4, 1918. Turkey recognized Armenia's independence but the treaty forced Armenia to cede large territories and submit to a significantly reduced military and restricted sovereignty.

The Great War continued on the Western Front. The Americans had joined the allies in 1917 and on May 28, 1918, U.S. forces fought its first major offensive in Cantigny,  France. That was the first major American offensive, which came to be known as the Battle of Cantigny. After the war was over, a memorial was elected there.

Armenian Americans served directly in the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in Europe, that is to say in the Western Front. Among them notable were Brigadier General Haig Shekerjian, who later became the first general of Armenian descent in the U.S. military, and Major Varaztad Kazanjian, who pioneered reconstructive plastic surgery during the war, and became known as the Miracle Man of the Western Front. 

Armenians from the U.S. also served in The French Foreign Legion. The  French called the formation La Legion Armenienne. These volunteer Armnenian combatants came to be known as Gamavors, the Armenian name for volunteers. The Gamavors fought crucial battles in the Middle  East and helped secure Allied victories in the region, notably the Battle of Arara on September 18, 1918.

The Armenian volunteer combatants, especially on the Western Front of the Great War, were motivated by a French and Diaspora Armenian pact which promised that in return for Armenian military support to the Allied Forces,  against the Ottoman and German alliance, the French and their allies would help the Western Armenians lay the foundation for home rule in Cilicia. But that was not to be.

The First World War ended in  Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920) to establish the formal peace terms and redraw the global map following World War I. Diplomats from victorious Allied nations gathered in France to penalize the defeated Central Powers, establish new national borders, and create the League of Nations to prevent future conflicts. 

The Armenians were also invited to the conference. The conference came with the Treaty of Versailles, that severely punished Germany, and had a portion of Turkey under the mandate of the United State 

Treaty of Versailles, required Germany to accept responsibility for the war, relinquish territory, drastically reduce its military, and pay heavy financial reparations, that crippled the post war German economy and rendered the Germans destitute and gave rise to the Nazis, two decades later.

The victorious powers however were much more lenient to Turkey, although it was complicit with Germany. The Treaty of Sèvres promised Armenians an independent state encompassing vast historic territories on the historic Armenian highlands, recognized the Republic of Armenia and held Turkey accountable for the Armenian genocide. However, the treaty was never ratified.  On the contrary, it was superseded by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which cemented modern Turkish borders and for all practical purposes legitimized the Great Armenian Dispossession because of the Genocide. 

From our tumultuous history, there remains of course the Republic of Armenia and us, as the descendents of the Armenian Genocide survivors turned into a global nation. Tomorrow, the citizens of Armenia will take a day off to attend the festivities marking the 108th anniversary of the founding of the first Republic of Armenia. The rest of us will join them in one way or another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Integrating national values and character

Vaհe H Apelian

AI generated

Vahan Zanoyan needs no introduction. He is an accomplished person and not an indifferent Armenian.  I read in  the Mirror-Spectator, his latest personal article about Ruben Vardanyan and the syndrome of indifference, I imagine his article will likely be reproduced by other Armenian publications. While the article is personal and has to do with the syndrome of indifference, but it sure is part and parcel of a greater whole which is our national values and character. Vahan remains concerned of their erosion under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He wrote: “An Armenia stripped of its national character and values is already defeated, even if in peace with its neighbors, because it would be a sterilized Armenia, a skeleton, just a map without a soul—indifferent to its history, culture, rights, identity and, most of all, to its national dignity. I know there are many who will mock these thoughts, and they will base their mockery on “what did we achieve with 34 years of senseless struggle,” but our history is much longer than 34 years. Our struggle is longer than three thousand years. 34 years is nothing but a blink in the history of nations. Nations prevail because they keep the will to struggle.”

Personalizing it on my end, I will note that Vahan and I are of the same generation, although he is younger than I. Both of us attended the same Armenian school in Beirut. I do not think that there is an Armenian, who will comment contrary to the statement he made. But the issue should not be presented with such a statement.

Armenian Evangelical College High School Science Club

What are our national values and character?  

Our national values and character are matters that cannot be summed up in a paragraph or two. But, for the sake of simplification, I will sum it up in a sentence or two. Our national values and character are hinged on our standing by, and upholding the three Rs: Recognition of the genocide and the historical wrong that was done to us; Restitution of what is historically ours but has been usurped from us; Reparation of what cannot be restituted but compensated to help the Armenian nation recover from the mortal wound. 

To further simplify, it is fair and right to note that the crux of our national values and character has two distinct aspects – what we can integrate into state policy, and what we should uphold and retain as individuals. Both are highly demanding commitments. The state has a responsibility for keeping the Republic of Armenia safe and secure in a tumultuous region. The Armenian as an individual has a responsibility to uphold and retain what has been passed to the person through, no less tumultuous long Armenian history.

Regarding the Armenian state, nothing of substance has changed since May 28, 1918 to this very day. To be more precise, from June 4, 1918, seven days after May 28, when Armenia signed the Treaty of Batumi and not long after went to Istanbul and thanked no other than the butcher himself, Talaat Pasha for making the republic of Armenia possible. These are happenings and not interpretations. 

But what has changed is the public outspokenness of the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for baring to public the stark reality of the Armenia’s policies to secure Armenia and also his outspoken quest for Armenia’s “prosperity”. I do not need to elaborate on the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan blunt outspokenness. Consider it to be blunt pragmatism. The state of Armenia is continuing to do its job from get-go to this day, by not integrating onto the Armenia’s state policies the 3 Rs – the Recognition, the Restitution, and the Reparation.

As to Armenia’s quest for property, it should not be viewed within the context of Western prosperity. Armenia is an impoverished country. Poverty is endemic in Armenia. Armenia needs to provide bread, in the biblical sense - “give us this day our daily bread” - for sustenance, so that Armenians will be able to make a living and get by to stay put in Armenia and not join Vahan and I in far distant lands.

But regrettably, the individual Armenians and the ad hoc groups of Armenian individuals as cultural, athletic, academic and what not organizations, are failing. 

The individual failing is not only with Armenians. The trend of seeking solutions by the state and from the state, is pandemic, if you will allow me the use the term pandemic.

If we are to retain our republic, we have to know the difference between, what the state of Armenia can integrate in its state policy from what we term as “national values and character”; and what the Armenian individual should retain from the same -  “national values and character” - onto itself. Knowledge is at the fingertips of any one of us. 

The wisdom of knowing the difference of integrating national values and character by Armenia and integrating by Armenians, may help Armenia and Armenians from self-destructive politics. 

 

 

 

A "righteous" opposition

Vaհe H Apelian

Armenian presidents Serzh Sargsyan, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharian. meeting 
Turkish presidents Abdullah Gul, Suleyman Demirel

Armenia commemorates the Armenian Genocide on April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, which is a non-working holiday.

I cannot tell whether the self-appointed Armenian righteous opposition in the National Assemby mistrusts the citizens, or is engaged in enraging or amusing Erdogan or attempted to shoot themselves at their feet, by introducing a bill that would criminalize the denial of the Armenian genocide for the citizens of Armenia. After all, it is their leaders, first and foremost, who should be held legally accountable for forgoing the Armenian genocide when they were the presidents of Armenia and set forth a political process that is being carried to this day. Recognition, restitution, reparation of genocide and historical Armenian lands do not factor in the foreign policy of Armenia.

But that is Armenian politics and all political is local. The Armenian citizens will have to sort it, one way or another. But what is disturbing is the Armenian pundits bringing politics in Armenia onto the Diaspora. 

At the cost of repeating myself,  it is about the latter that I will address in the manner Jirair Tutunjian addressed while attempting to come across cool, humorous,  if not sarcastic. 

Yesterday, I read Jirair Tutunjian’s fictional article in Keghart.com titling “Pollyanna Pashinyan”. Pollyana means someone who is excessively cheerful when the person does not have much going for to be so cheerful, especially for Armenians, let alone Armenian leaders, especially Nikol Pashinyan, according to Jirair Tutunjian. 

“It is self-evident", Dr. Albert Apelian wrote in his "The Antiochians" novel,  that "truth must prevail, or we shall all perish! And the truth is to be found everywhere, even in the pages of a work of fiction.”  Indeed, the truth is to be found even in humor and sarcasm and that is what, let us face it, Jirair Tutunjian attempted to do, so will I.

Jirair Tutunjian wrote that “A source close to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s inner cabinet lent to us a copy of the speech Mr. Pashinyan will deliver to the nation next week.”  In the copy of Nikol Pashinyan’s speech Jirair has been privy, he highlighted the following statement Nikol Pashinyan will deliver to NA, saying: “I am happy to report to you that I plan to reduce our defense spending from 665 billion drams a year to 563 billion drams. In dollars that’s down to $1.47 billion. We will also reduce compulsory military service from two years to 18 months.”

In order not to offend any Armenian, I was not going to divulge what my trusted source I cannot name, had told me some 10 days ago. Also, I had thought it is fair that I withhold the information trusted to me because I cannot point divulge the source. Jirair Tutunjian is a journalist, and an editor. After reading his report, I told myself if its good enough for him to report from his unnamed sources, it should be good enough for me to report what my unnamed sources told me, sort of the saying, “what’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.” 

 My trusted source, as I have noted that I cannot name, told me that sometimes during the past 10 days, Erdogan was having a hearty lough during a meeting with his bakanlar(ministers). The ministers had no recollection when it was the last time they saw Erdogan in such a light hearted mood. But none of ministers dared to ask him why he is so amused. It was his askeri bakan (military minister) who took the courage and the following had transpired.

Askeri bakan (military minister): Effendi, what is that amuses you so much?

Erdogan: yan komşumuz Ermeniler (our next-door Armenian neighbors) bickering how to slice their $9.5 Billion state budget to confront our military, whose $47 Billion budget alone is more than quadruple their state budget.

askeri bakan: Effendi, görmezden gelmek (ignore them sir). Önemli meselelerimiz var(we have pressing issues.)

Reading Jirair’s reporting, I checked the internet and realized that Jirair’s figures are figments of his imagination. But Erdogan speaking on Armenia’s state budget in relations to Turkish military budget was right on the money!.

Yes, Armenia’s 2026 state budget to attend to the many needs of the republic, not to mention the overwhelming poverty, the settlement of the Artsakh refugees, is indeed a meager $9.5 billion while Turkey’s military budget alone is $47 billion. 

What was more surprising to me was that Turkey is listed among the nations that have the shortest mandatory military service of 6 months to a year. Russia’s mandatory military service is a one year.

I wondered who came with this magical number of 2 years compulsory military service in for the Armenians. I also thought cutting the length of the service by six months, may help the government better feed the young serving the army and improve the quality of their training for, as Napoleone has said, an army cannot move on a fully filled stomach. 

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Armenians criminalizing the denial of genocide, will have to bring the presidents of Armenia to justice for setting up the modern-day precedent for ignoring the genocide in their dealings with Turkey. 

Armenians criminalizing the denial of genocide will have to render a historical verdict decrying the very founders of the Republic of Armenia who neglected the Armenian genocide and signed the Treaty of Batumi on Tuesday June 4, 1918, exactly one week after Tuesday May 28, 1918, and thanked Talaat Pasha, and others, including the Sultan for having let Armenians declare a Republic on 10,400 sq. Km of their ancient land. 

Armenian history, what a mess!