- Given the existence of the Iranian Islamic Republic and that of the Republic of Armenia, their regional role and significance is unavoidable. Thus it behooves us to contemplate the development of that role and significance as well as the influence of the two parties.

An interesting report that appeared in the 4 November 2008 issue of Milli Gazete, the mouthpiece of the hardline-Islamist Felicity Party, says that the Turkish government plans to enact a “Law on National Archives” with the principal aim of “enabling Turkey to defend itself better” against “Armenian allegations of genocide.”  The report is entitled “Legal Armor Against Genocide.”
 
The Turkish government has indeed prepared a “Draft Bill on National Archives,” but it does not appear to be overtly related to the Armenian genocide.  To the best of my knowledge, Milli Gazete is the only publication that has presented the bill in this light.  In view of the political inclinations (extremely anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, and anti-West) and the very poor journalistic standards of this paper, the report may not be taken seriously.

From the moment that the present rulers came to power in Armenia there were reservations and critical appraisals. Initially that involved the fraudulent presidential election, then the brutal way of silencing the opposition. The most serious matter was yet to come – a course of diplomacy that is at high gears to implement what some call a sell out, including but not limited to lethally compromising decades’ long struggle of the Diaspora for recognition of the Genocide of the Armenians and the security of Artsakh.

Jirayr Sefilyan and Alek Yenikomshyan, members of the “Miatsum Initiative” will respond to questions posed by Hetq readers. We ask that all questions be placed in the “Commentary Section” of Hetq by Monday, 3:00 pm.

You can read more about the “Miatsum Initiative” in the recent Hetq article entitled: “I Will Not Surrender the Holy Sites of Our Nation” – Declares Karavatchar Resident.”

It appears that Turkey’s diplomatic efforts during the past few months have paid off. After an absence of nearly fifty years Turkey will be returning  to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member as of January 1st.

In the summer Turkey hosted the Caribbean Summit, with CARICOM member states, and afterwards the Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit. It made attempts to act as a regional conflict mediator in the Caucasus and Middle East.

At the rally held on October 17th organized by the Armenian National Congress (ANC), opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan (LTP) in essence took an unusual step that we had touched upon in our previous article; “Being one of the most influential forces in Armenia’s political life, the Popular Movement or the Armenian National Congress has an obligation to outline its position in this situation. If you remember, in one of my previous speeches I had stated that in our political struggle we put national and state interests above everything, and that in case of a military threat against Karabakh I would appeal to the participants of the movement and ask them to suspend their activities and take up the sacred cause of the national struggle.

I have already had the opportunity to draw your attention to the unprecedented geopolitical situation in which Armenia has found itself lately, putting special emphasis on the fact that our country has never been as vulnerable to external pressure in the 17 years of its independent existence, as it is today.