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AlAhram, Egypt
25 October - 31 November 2012
Issue No. 1120
Aleppo's little Armenia
The first plane carrying relief supplies from Armenia to Syria landed
safely in Aleppo last week after a six-hour inspection in the Turkish
city of Erzurum, writes Nora Koloyan-Keuhnelian
Ever since the Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Turks in
1915, which led to the deportation and massacre of the majority of the
Ottoman Armenian population, there have been around 120,000 people of
Armenian descent living in Syria.
Many of those killed during the genocide were located in the Syrian
desert of Deir Zor, and Syria did not hesitate to support the
Armenians, along with other Arab countries like Lebanon and Egypt that
also received thousands of fleeing Armenians during and after World
War I.
Syria established diplomatic relations with Armenia soon after the
collapse of the former Soviet Union, and later former Syrian president
Hafez Al-Assad, father of the current President Bashar Al-Assad,
maintained good relations with Armenia, given the large population of
people of Armenian descent in Syria.
During the current uprising against the Syrian regime, the Republic of
Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora have expressed their support for the
Armenian community in Syria. Since July 2012, thousands of Armenians
have fled from the Syrian civil war, trying to find a place in their
motherland Armenia, whose government has been doing what it can to
accommodate diaspora members.
Others have escaped to Turkey and adjacent countries, while thousands
more remain trapped in the land that opened its arms to host them
during the difficult times of 1915.
Suzy Keshishian-Telpian, an Armenian Syrian woman living in Egypt
since 2004, closely follows news about her family based in Aleppo who
refused to leave. "My mother does not want to leave Aleppo. She says
she will stay there forever."
Suzy's sister goes everyday with her family and they spend the night
at her mother's who lives in Suleimaniya district -- a safer place for
the time being. "As for my brother who owns a shop in Al-Midan, a
quite dangerous district, he opens the shop for only a couple of hours
everyday." The Syrian army sirens bellow before any bombardment so
that shopkeepers can close their shops and vacate the area.
Al-Midan or Nor-Kyugh as Armenians name it, is one of those districts
that were heavily damaged. Armenian churches, a school and a hospital
located in this district were partially damaged.
Meanwhile, Armenian-Turkish relations have been strained by historical
and political issues, including the Armenian genocide and the
continuing Turkish attempts at its denial. Tensions between Turkey and
Syria have also escalated since five Turkish civilians were killed
when a Syrian shell hit a Turkish border town three weeks ago.
Last week, humanitarian aid organised by officials in the Republic of
Armenia was sent to Syria through a programme called "Help your
Brother".
International and Turkish media reported that the 14 tonnes of
humanitarian aid sent to Syria included food and medicine collected
across Armenia, but that it had been intercepted and forced to land in
the Turkish city of Erzurum, where it was subjected to inspection by
the Turkish authorities for six hours.
However, Vahan Hovhannissyan, a leading member of the party that had
undertaken the aid initiative, told Al-Ahram Weekly that "the aircraft
was not forced to land in Turkish territory. The landing was
pre-planned, and we were informed about it."
"But the inspection process was very thorough, to a meaningless extent
in fact," Hovhannissyan said. The aircraft carried 1,400 boxes valued
at around 14 million Drams [about $30,000], while the cargo cost 10
million Drams [about $24,000], Hovhannissyan added.
A few hours before the aid flight, the Turkish authorities announced
that they were banning all flights to Syria through Turkish airspace
in a decision backed by the United States.
Spokesperson for the US State Department Victoria Nuland said during a
press briefing in Washington that "we are encouraging all of Syria's
neighbours to be vigilant with regard to how their airspace is used,
particularly now that we have this concrete example."
Nuland was referring to an incident that had occurred days before when
Turkey had forced a Syrian plane travelling from Moscow to Damascus to
land because of suspicions that it was carrying military weapons and
communication equipment.
In another security incident, 17 Russian passengers on another Syrian
plane on its way to Damascus from Moscow were grounded by Turkey in
Ankara.
The Russian passengers were on their way to identify about 300 Russian
citizens believed to be of Chechen origin fighting with Syrian rebels
against the Al-Assad regime. The plane had not undergone a security
check because the 17 passengers were carrying diplomatic passports.
One of the "Help your Brother" campaign's aims is to provide
assistance from the people of Armenia to the people of Syria in
general and not just to those of Armenian origin.
Last week's humanitarian aid mission will not be the only one. "More
aid is on its way in the coming days, and we are trying our best to
ensure that it reaches all sectors of the city of Aleppo -- Muslims,
Christians and Armenians alike. The supplies have been distributed by
the Armenian Apostolic Church of Aleppo and other benevolent
associations," Hovhannissyan told the Weekly.
The first humanitarian aid sent from Armenia last week was received by
the primate of the Aleppo diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, Armenia's consul-general to Aleppo,
Garen Krikorian, and Aleppo Governor Mohamed Walid, who expressed his
gratitude to the government of Armenia.
According to recent reports, more than 30 Armenian civilians have been
killed in Syria, thousands have fled the country, and several hundred
families are living under harsh conditions.
Lala Shamamian-Nigolian is another case in point. Her sister
immigrated to the United States only two months ago while her brother,
father and mother refused to leave though they are considering coming
to Egypt for a short break but the route to the airport is causing a
big problem as it is very dangerous. A ceasefire proposed by UN
Commissioner Lakhdar Brahimi might give them the chance to have a
short break but going back to Syria is inevitable.
The Armenian diaspora has been showing solidarity with the Armenian
community in Syria, with Armenian organisations and individuals all
over the world mobilising to help the community in Syria.
Armenia's minister of the diaspora, Hranush Hagopian, stated a few
weeks ago that so far around 5,000 Syrian-Armenians left Syria for
Armenia since the beginning of the revolution.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2012/1120/re162.htm
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
25 October - 31 November 2012
Issue No. 1120
Aleppo's little Armenia
The first plane carrying relief supplies from Armenia to Syria landed
safely in Aleppo last week after a six-hour inspection in the Turkish
city of Erzurum, writes Nora Koloyan-Keuhnelian
Ever since the Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Turks in
1915, which led to the deportation and massacre of the majority of the
Ottoman Armenian population, there have been around 120,000 people of
Armenian descent living in Syria.
Many of those killed during the genocide were located in the Syrian
desert of Deir Zor, and Syria did not hesitate to support the
Armenians, along with other Arab countries like Lebanon and Egypt that
also received thousands of fleeing Armenians during and after World
War I.
Syria established diplomatic relations with Armenia soon after the
collapse of the former Soviet Union, and later former Syrian president
Hafez Al-Assad, father of the current President Bashar Al-Assad,
maintained good relations with Armenia, given the large population of
people of Armenian descent in Syria.
During the current uprising against the Syrian regime, the Republic of
Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora have expressed their support for the
Armenian community in Syria. Since July 2012, thousands of Armenians
have fled from the Syrian civil war, trying to find a place in their
motherland Armenia, whose government has been doing what it can to
accommodate diaspora members.
Others have escaped to Turkey and adjacent countries, while thousands
more remain trapped in the land that opened its arms to host them
during the difficult times of 1915.
Suzy Keshishian-Telpian, an Armenian Syrian woman living in Egypt
since 2004, closely follows news about her family based in Aleppo who
refused to leave. "My mother does not want to leave Aleppo. She says
she will stay there forever."
Suzy's sister goes everyday with her family and they spend the night
at her mother's who lives in Suleimaniya district -- a safer place for
the time being. "As for my brother who owns a shop in Al-Midan, a
quite dangerous district, he opens the shop for only a couple of hours
everyday." The Syrian army sirens bellow before any bombardment so
that shopkeepers can close their shops and vacate the area.
Al-Midan or Nor-Kyugh as Armenians name it, is one of those districts
that were heavily damaged. Armenian churches, a school and a hospital
located in this district were partially damaged.
Meanwhile, Armenian-Turkish relations have been strained by historical
and political issues, including the Armenian genocide and the
continuing Turkish attempts at its denial. Tensions between Turkey and
Syria have also escalated since five Turkish civilians were killed
when a Syrian shell hit a Turkish border town three weeks ago.
Last week, humanitarian aid organised by officials in the Republic of
Armenia was sent to Syria through a programme called "Help your
Brother".
International and Turkish media reported that the 14 tonnes of
humanitarian aid sent to Syria included food and medicine collected
across Armenia, but that it had been intercepted and forced to land in
the Turkish city of Erzurum, where it was subjected to inspection by
the Turkish authorities for six hours.
However, Vahan Hovhannissyan, a leading member of the party that had
undertaken the aid initiative, told Al-Ahram Weekly that "the aircraft
was not forced to land in Turkish territory. The landing was
pre-planned, and we were informed about it."
"But the inspection process was very thorough, to a meaningless extent
in fact," Hovhannissyan said. The aircraft carried 1,400 boxes valued
at around 14 million Drams [about $30,000], while the cargo cost 10
million Drams [about $24,000], Hovhannissyan added.
A few hours before the aid flight, the Turkish authorities announced
that they were banning all flights to Syria through Turkish airspace
in a decision backed by the United States.
Spokesperson for the US State Department Victoria Nuland said during a
press briefing in Washington that "we are encouraging all of Syria's
neighbours to be vigilant with regard to how their airspace is used,
particularly now that we have this concrete example."
Nuland was referring to an incident that had occurred days before when
Turkey had forced a Syrian plane travelling from Moscow to Damascus to
land because of suspicions that it was carrying military weapons and
communication equipment.
In another security incident, 17 Russian passengers on another Syrian
plane on its way to Damascus from Moscow were grounded by Turkey in
Ankara.
The Russian passengers were on their way to identify about 300 Russian
citizens believed to be of Chechen origin fighting with Syrian rebels
against the Al-Assad regime. The plane had not undergone a security
check because the 17 passengers were carrying diplomatic passports.
One of the "Help your Brother" campaign's aims is to provide
assistance from the people of Armenia to the people of Syria in
general and not just to those of Armenian origin.
Last week's humanitarian aid mission will not be the only one. "More
aid is on its way in the coming days, and we are trying our best to
ensure that it reaches all sectors of the city of Aleppo -- Muslims,
Christians and Armenians alike. The supplies have been distributed by
the Armenian Apostolic Church of Aleppo and other benevolent
associations," Hovhannissyan told the Weekly.
The first humanitarian aid sent from Armenia last week was received by
the primate of the Aleppo diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, Armenia's consul-general to Aleppo,
Garen Krikorian, and Aleppo Governor Mohamed Walid, who expressed his
gratitude to the government of Armenia.
According to recent reports, more than 30 Armenian civilians have been
killed in Syria, thousands have fled the country, and several hundred
families are living under harsh conditions.
Lala Shamamian-Nigolian is another case in point. Her sister
immigrated to the United States only two months ago while her brother,
father and mother refused to leave though they are considering coming
to Egypt for a short break but the route to the airport is causing a
big problem as it is very dangerous. A ceasefire proposed by UN
Commissioner Lakhdar Brahimi might give them the chance to have a
short break but going back to Syria is inevitable.
The Armenian diaspora has been showing solidarity with the Armenian
community in Syria, with Armenian organisations and individuals all
over the world mobilising to help the community in Syria.
Armenia's minister of the diaspora, Hranush Hagopian, stated a few
weeks ago that so far around 5,000 Syrian-Armenians left Syria for
Armenia since the beginning of the revolution.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2012/1120/re162.htm
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress