MELKONIAN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF CYPRUS

ANNOUNCEMENT

Hands off the Melkonian!

The Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus is obliged once again to issue an announcement as it continues to be the target of false reports and malicious rumours circulated by certain parasites in Cyprus and elsewhere who have a vested interest in keeping the Melkonian Educational Institute closed with a view to disposing of the Melkonian estate and other assets.

We reiterate our commitment to the struggle to help save the Melkonian and reopen the historic school in its present location as the only boarding high-school in the Western-Armenian speaking world.

We did not join the struggle by choice, but were forced into it following the treacherous action of a handful of people at the helm of the AGBU who sought to close the school in the name of “azkabahbanoum” and wipe out the education prospects of future generations.

Following the conclusion of the Cyprus parliamentary elections on May 21, the fund raiser organised by the California based Melkonian Alumni & Friends on May 21, and the May 22 Appeals Court hearing in Nicosia on the injunction order, the Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus would like to make a number of clarifications regarding the events of the past month and set the record straight as some people have used and continue to abuse the Melkonian name for their personal gain.

The legal case
The Armenian Patriarch of Bolis, being the original trustee of the Melkonian Trust, has filed a case in Cyprus Courts seeking to block and overturn the decision of the AGBU Central Board to close the Melkonian Educational Institute in Nicosia, Cyprus and dispose of the Estate.

The Patriarch is represented in Cyprus by three of the most distinguished law firms (Velaris & Velaris, A. Markides & Co. and P. Sarris & Co.) and is supported by the Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus and the Melkonian Alumni & Friends based in Los Angeles, California.
 

Main case
In the main case, the Patriarch is challenging the AGBU’s interpretation of the contents of the Melkonian Brothers will, according to which the AGBU claims it has the right to do as it pleases with the Melkonian school and estate. The last hearing on the case was held on May 15, 2006.

Injunction
In a parallel case an injunction order secured on February 3, 2006 was made permanent, by which the AGBU is prohibited from selling, leasing, mortgaging or renting the Melkonian property.

The AGBU has appealed against this order and on May 22, 2006, the panel of the Nicosia Court of Appeals instructed the AGBU to draft and submit within 45 days its written arguments on why the injunction order should be reversed, after which our lawyers will have 45 days to reply.

Delaying tactics
Since the legal cases were initiated, the AGBU lawyers in Cyprus have resorted to endless objections – some on technical grounds and some simply ridiculous -- in an attempt to raise the fees that they charge the AGBU, cause frustration among the Alumni and weaken our financial position.

Their delaying tactics however, failed to weaken our resolve and since the AGBU has not produced anything of substance, this has boosted our morale and determination to fight on.

We hope that the injunction process will enter its final stage after September 2006, while deliberations on the main case could drag on for quite some time depending on the developments.

Interference in Cyprus affairs
Before and during the month of May, we saw a number of individuals, both in Cyprus and abroad, use the Melkonian for their own benefit and we believe the time has come to set the record straight.

California visit to Cyprus
In early May, a three-member delegation from the Melkonian Alumni & Friends of California made up of its Chairman Raffi Zinzalian, and members Mego Godjamanian and Garen Avedikian had a meeting with the Patriarch in Crete on May 1-2 and later arrived Cyprus.

While they advertised the visit as related to the court case, it soon became clear, even by the admittance of Garen Avedikian, that the intention was to boost the election campaign of then-incumbent Dr. Vahakn Atamyan who was being supported by the AGBU, the Ramgavars, the Communists and the Hunchaks.
Their arrival was heavily promoted by Dr Atamyan’s election committee who were hoping for an election boost from “imported” Melkonian alumni.

In the meantime, former Melkoniantsi Puzant Nadjarian, a personal friend of Mego Godjamanian, arranged with the trio to visit the AYMA Club of the ARF Dashnaktsoutioun where they would explain the Melkonian case to their members who, according to Mr. Nadjarian, were not being properly briefed on the Melkonian case.

It is obvious that Mr. Nadjarian arranged the meeting, not because of his concern for the Melkonian, but to balance the impact that the presence of the trio at the Atamyan pre-election reception cocktail would have to the election hopes of challenger Vartkes Mahdesian, who was supported by AYMA and the Dashnaks.

Upon their arrival in Cyprus, the trio were told by Atamyan’s group that their meeting with AYMA was a serious mistake and that they should find an excuse to get out of a difficult and potentially damaging situation for Atamyan.

They then decided to ask for the advice of the Cyprus Alumni to which we responded that first of all, they should not have been involved in the internal affairs of the Cyprus Armenian community.

One person present at the same meeting argued that this whole situation was potentially damaging to Atamyan’s re-election, while another person suggested that since the meeting had been arranged, it would be better to visit AYMA and have the meeting in order to dispel any notion that the Melkonian fight was an internal Parekortsagan affair, and to convince the Dashnaks that it is a pan-Armenian issue.

The trio eventually decided to cancel their meeting at AYMA and instead held a gathering inviting all Cypriot Armenians to the Hilton Park Hotel, claiming that since news emerged that they were holding a private meeting at AYMA, all other Armenian organisations also wanted to be briefed. This of course is not true and was an alternate solution proposed by another Melkoniantsi who wanted to give an honourable opt-out to the LA team from this situation.

The Cyprus Alumni objected and stayed away from the meeting, on the grounds that the Californian Melkonian alumni should limit their activities and fund raising to LA and the rest of the U.S. where 700.000 Armenians reside and leave Cyprus to the Cyprus Alumni.

Despite our protest, the meeting went ahead and was attended by about 25 people, some of whom had never shown any interest in any Melkonian events in the past. According to a report in the Azad Tsain, no concrete explanations were given regarding the legal case.

This, as we have explained on numerous occasions, should have been the situation, since nobody but the Patriarch has the right to divulge information, strategy and tactics about the legal matter, as has been repeatedly suggested to us by some members of the California Alumni. This is also why the Cyprus Alumni has kept a low profile on this matter, based on the principle that no discussions should be held in public while the case is still in progress.
 

We are sure that our brothers and sisters in California have by now realised the mistake they were dragged into and will stay out of the internal affairs of other Alumni, especially Cyprus.

We deliberately delayed issuing this statement in order to allow California Alumni & Friends to hold their fund raising function on May 21, without any interference from our side.

We are happy to note that the event was a success, as always, and a record sum was collected, highlighted by the auction of a painting by Vartan Tashdjian.
 

Dirt campaign
While in Cyprus, the trio also made other unfortunate comments, reported by the Azad Tsain paper that did not bother to check with the Cyprus Alumni, leading to the publication of a highly inaccurate article, especially as regards “the absence of the Cyprus Alumni” from the new meeting, despite a lengthy briefing to the paper’s editor the previous night.

The paper also quoted the Californian Alumni as stating, “we are against those who use dirt campaign against the AGBU Central Board members, including those pictures of Setrakian that appeared on the UK based savemelkonian.org web site.”

This is the view of two people and does not represent the opinions of the worldwide alumni.
Our California friends are forgetting that while they were still being organised, the savemelkonian.org web site was the only source of disseminating news rapidly and made a terrific job of highlighting the AGBU Central Board decision to close the school by rallying worldwide support for our common cause.

Those pictures, and even stronger slogans were used when the large public demonstration was held at the Melkonian, attended by many leading figures including Greek Cypriot MPs as well as hundreds of Armenians, which served our publicity campaign. If need be, they shall be used again.

Other interference

The Cyprus elections also saw a strongly-worded statement issued by Proeducatio, which contained many inaccuracies, especially with regard to serving the injunction orders against Gordon Andersen and for its interference in the course of the Cyprus elections, whereby Proeducatio and its Spokesman Dr. Vartan Ozinian called on Cypriot Armenians not to vote for the incumbent.

It is unfortunate that Proeducatio, which should have spearheaded a major campaign in European capitals, at the European Court of Justice and raised the Melkonian issue internationally, has resorted to issuing statements telling others what to do.

We expected greater cooperation from this organisation that opted to drop out of the legal fight to help save the Melkonian from the early stages as it did not want to be publicly seen challenging the AGBU in court.
For the information of Dr. Ozinian, one of the reasons why Atamyan lost the elections is because of a highly flawed campaign directed by AGBU/ Setrakian agents in Cyprus who are actively working for the closure of the Melkonian.

We also did not understand the reasoning behind another Proeducatio statement calling on the Patriarch to refute articles published in the English language press in Cyprus, which erroneously said the Alumni has given up the legal fight.

Surely, the Patriarch cannot be expected to comment on every report and publication in the press. The Cyprus Alumni responded immediately to the news reports, with a correction published two days later in a daily newspaper and an extensive report appeared in another newspaper the following week.

Melkonian land

Many of our supporters are puzzled why the Cyprus Alumni executive committee is often ignored, snubbed and insulted by others.

The answer is simple. Some people, even a handful of Alumni members in the US are angry over why our committee successfully petitioned the government of Cyprus to declare 60% of the Melkonian property (2 main buildings, villa, forest and current dormitories) as protected and as a “national heritage site”.

This means that the AGBU or whoever gets hold of the Melkonian will never be able to change the purpose of the buildings or make changes to the protected areas.

If these lands were not declared as protected, they may not be standing there today, since the court injunction order preventing the AGBU from selling the land and buildings was secured a year after the passage of the preservation order.

Despite this achievement, which has caused extensive damage to AGBU’s plans to dispose of the Melkonian estate, the Cyprus Alumni continue to be surprised by the actions of certain California Alumni who insist on searching legal ways to overturn the government preservation order “if” we win the case.

Reopen Melkonian

The proper question that should be asked is “when we win the case, how are we going to reopen our beloved Melkonian.”

People far away from Cyprus have not yet realised that the Cyprus Alumni, backed by the Alumni in Lebanon and other neighbouring countries and the crushing majority of Cypriot Armenians and all Cypriots insist that the Melkonian should stay at its present location.

We did not get involved in this struggle to wrest control of Melkonian from Setrakian and Co. in order to give it to others to sell and relocate somewhere else, in Cyprus or elsewhere.

Our struggle is to reopen the Melkonian at its present location, to bring back our exiled children and open new educational opportunities for Armenians in Cyprus and all over the world. This is the objective of our cause initiated by Haigashen Ouzounian, and this is the fight that we pledged to continue at his memorial.

For God’s sake, never believe the lies spread by Setrakian’s agents in Cyprus that the Alumni was offered a compromise by the AGBU to keep open a day-school using one of the historic buildings. That offer was made by Andersen to the Board of Nareg, who rejected the proposal for being inconclusive.

We also urge you to ignore the mud thrown against us by people who are on the AGBU payroll in Cyprus, who claim that we want to take power when the Melkonian is saved.

Our rescue plan on how to reopen the Melkonian does not foresee any executive position for us, but instead calls for the appointment of a non-Armenian Principal in the initial stages to ensure that all new hiring of teachers and administrative staff are done objectively and not because of favouritism with past, present and future Alumni leaders, whether in Cyprus, California or elsewhere.

Who is the real Turk?

It is unfortunate that the California delegation and the Azad Tsain reporter have not read the insulting court affidavit filed by the law firm of L. Papaphilippou & Co., who upon the instructions of the AGBU, claim that the Armenian Patriarch of Bolis, being a Turkish national and born in Turkey has not been freely elected as Patriarch, but has been appointed in 1998 by a committee made up of Turkish citizens and Armenian Turkish clerics residing in Constantinople.

In essence, the AGBU affidavit claims the Turkish government has effective control over the Patriarch and the financial affairs of the Patriarchate. (They forget to mention that the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Constantinople is elected the same way.)

The AGBU affidavit goes on to describe how Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and ever since has occupied the northern areas, implying that if the Cypriot judge rules in our favour, it would be as if he is siding with a Turkish national.

Since the legal case started, the Cyprus Alumni has refrained from personal attacks against Setrakian and his cronies. But in court documents filed on April 26, 2006, the AGBU is conducting a cheap lowly dirt campaign against the Patriarch, accusing him of being a Turk and a Turkish agent, identical to the wording of the dirty campaign by the Ramgavars a year ago.

Is this the standard of the once glorious Armenian organisation that has stooped so low to insult a humble man who works to serve mankind? Perhaps the AGBU leadership should learn a lesson or two from this kind person.

We leave Armenians to judge as to who is using cheap tricks and low standards and who is engaged in throwing dirt at the most patriotic person among the Armenian nation, who refuses to withdraw from the Melkonian case, despite tremendous financial difficulties and pressure, at a time when other Armenian clerics, political parties and establishments have sold their souls for a few lousy dollars.

Shavasb Bohdjalian  , Chairman                 Masis Der Parthogh, Vice Chairman

Nicosia - May 31, 2006