I wanted to share some interesting links, news and articles I found on the Internet.

French Senate passes Armenian Genocide bill by Yerkir Media

Erdoğan: I may not go to France again if ‘genocide’ bill passes by Hurriyet Daily

Urge your Representative to Cosponsor the Armenian Genocide Resolution (take action!) by the Armenian National Committee of America

Dr. Charny Urges Israel to Recognize Genocide by Asbarez news

Turkey boycotts the French kiss, French fries and French words by Comedy Now (a bit old but works here as well)

Turkish Website Hacked By Armenians by Radio Yan

and here’s a video of the Armenians in France who gathered in front of the senate during the vote. They are singing Zartig Lao.

The lyrics of Zartir Lao:

Խուժան ասկեար զօրք է ժողվեր
Եկեր Մշոյ դաշտն է պատեր.
Սուլթան կ՚ուզէ ջնջել մզի
Զարթիր լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։

Խեղճ մշեցին մեռաւ լալով,
Օտար երկիրներ ման գալով,
Մեռաւ թուրքի հարկը տալով,
Զարթիր լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։

Ինչ անիծեմ թուրք ասկեարին,
Որ սպաննեց ջոջ Աբոյին,
Մեր յոյս թողեց օրօրոցին,
Զարթիր լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։

Khoujan asgyar zork eh joghver
Yegel Msho tshdn eh badel,
Soultan G’ouzeh chnchel mzee,
Zartir lao, mrnim kzi.

Kheghdj mshetsin merav lalov,
Odar yergirner man kalov
Merav tourkin harguh dalov,
Zartir lao, mrnim kzi.

Inch anidzem tourk asgyarin,
Vor esbannets choch Apoyin,
Mer houys toghets ororotsin,
Zartir lao, mrnim kzi

Hrant Dink

Hrant Dink was best known for being critical of the Turkish government over issues of Armenian identity and over official versions of history in Turkey relating to the massacres of Armenians in 1915. He was repeatedly targeted for expressing his opinions.

In 2005, he was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for “denigrating Turkishness” in writings about the identity of Turkish citizens of Armenian origin.

January 10, 2007: Death Threats

Hrant Dink was the editor of Turkish-Armenian Agos newspaper

Hrant Dink had been receiving death threats for several months prior to his death. However, no action was taken by the Turkish government to protect Dink. On January 10, 2007; he wrote his last column in the newspaper about the death threats he was receiving.

January 19, 2007: Murder

Hrant Dink's body in front of his office in Istanbul, Turkey

Hrant Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent, was assassinated outside the offices of the Agos newspaper where he was the editor. According to witnesses, the assassin shouted “I shot the infidel.”

January 20, 2007: Capture of the Assassin

Ogun Samast, the alleged killer was identified from CCTV footage

Samast was identified by his father who informed the police after he saw CCTV footage of his son on TV. He was detained on Saturday January 20, the day after the murder, in an operation at the main bus station in Samsun. Samast confessed of the murder and stated that he didn’t regret killing Hrant Dink.

Later the police announced that Yasin Hayal, an ultra-nationalist militant, also confessed to telling Samast to murder Hrant Dink.

Both, Samast and Hayal, confessed that the murder was planned by Erhan Tuncel who is allegedly a police informer.

June 4, 2010: Dink’s Lawyer

Hakan Karadag, Hrant Dink's lawyer

One of the lawyers in the trial of the suspects of journalist Hrant Dink’s 2007 has been found in his Istanbul apartment in what appeared to be suicide. However, no official report on the cause of his death has yet been released.

July 25, 2011: Trial & Conviction

Picture of the murderer holding a Turkish flag inside the police station after 1 day from his capture

Ogun Samast, 17 years old at the time of the murder, was found guilty of shooting Hrant Dink and was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison by a Children’s Court.

He was initially given a life sentence but the term was commuted because he was a minor at the time of the murder.

January 17, 2012: Trial Ends

Turkish demonstrators hold pictures of Hrant Dink days after his death, during a protest in Istanbul, January 2007

Against All Evidence: Turkish court lets 19 co-conspirators off hook with “lone-gunman” conviction of Yasin Hayal for killing Hrant Dink.

While over 100 Turkish Journalists and 40 Kurdish lawyers are still behind prison and treated worst for simply reporting the truth and defending justice, Turkish criminal are set free to continue murdering human right activists.

Even if they murder 100s of our journalists, new ones will be born and we will all be Hrant Dinks.

The Genocide continues!

What a shame for Turkey!

I also tested it and here are the screen shots:

and the result:

I also did one more test to make sure if it’s from the iPhone or Google maps. I searched the same term on google maps web version and ended up google suggesting me if I meant Armenia:

My iPhone’s country is not Armenia so there’s no reason for it to show Armenia and the same applies to the web version.

Anyone knows why is this happening?

update: Just came to my mind that this could be because the internet TLD of Armenia is “AM” and when you search “Where AM I?”, google is understanding it as “Where is Armenia?”

For example try “Where lb I?” where LB is the short for Lebanon.

Here is the results:

click to enlarge

3 days ago I noticed that ABC news has mentioned Nagorno-Karabakh as one of the 7 offbeat places to travel. I was so happy that I tweeted about it.

The text on the website was the following:

“If you’re looking for an adventure, this landlocked autonomous region between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the place to go. It’s the kind of place that’s so contested that not only does it not have an embassy, but its “Office of Permanent Representation” in Armenia doesn’t even ask if you want your visa pasted into your passport. They know you don’t, so they just attach it with a paper clip.

Stay at the recently-built Armenia Hotel in the capital, Stepanakert, and use the city as your base to explore the region. Go hiking through snow-topped mountains and fields of yellow and red flowers. Feast on shish kebob and grilled vegetables. If you’re staying with a local, don’t be surprised if you’re offered homemade mulberry vodka with breakfast.

Don’t miss the Gandzasar Monastery, meaning “hilltop treasure,” built in the 10th century. Visit it at night to see it lit up in the darkness”.

2 days later; while checking Asbarez Armenian news website, they had an article that ABC news removed Karabakh from its travel feature. That was disturbing. They suggested for Armenians to go and comment on ABC news page and ask the reason why Karabakh was removed. Checking now, the comments has started a political online battle between Armenians and Azerbaijani people.

I wanted to contribute to this issue in a different way and decided to post photos of my parent’s safe visit to the region.

If you have photos from your trip and you want to share them here, don’t hesitate to drop a comment and I’ll add the photos under your name.

For more information about Nagorno-Karabakh tourism, you can also check the following website: http://www.karabakh.travel

National Anthem of Nagorno-Karabakh

Filed under: Armenian Politics Tagged: ABC news, Artsakh, Karabakh ]]> http://lebarmenian.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/abc-news-removes-karabakh-from-its-travel-feature/feed/ 2 Sako abc-news-karabakh IMG_0296 IMG_0290 IMG_0293 IMG_0297 http://lebarmenian.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/karnig-sarkissian-in-lebanon-2/ http://lebarmenian.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/karnig-sarkissian-in-lebanon-2/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:07:14 +0000 Sako http://lebarmenian.wordpress.com/?p=194 ]]> A commemoration event dedicated to the 1921 February revolt for its 89th anniversary is organized by Hrayr Maroukhian committee. During this event, Karnig Sarkissian will have his participation.

Details about the event:
Date: Friday, February 12, 2010
Time: 8:00pm
Location: Aghpalian Homenetmen closed stadium (Mezher)

Tickets can be bought from:
- Hamazkayin Library (Shaghzoyan center)
- Discotheque Geka
- Disco Young
- Photo Varouj (Zalka)
- Obelix Library (Antelias)
- Aghpalian Cafeteria

Price: 5000 L.L.

Facebook event