Tribute: Azg Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The staff of the newspaper decided not to retreat one iota, and appealed for assistance to various organizations, including those outside Armenia. Many political parties, influential bodies and intellectuals immediately positively responded, declaring that “at this fateful moment for Azg…they cannot remain indifferent, and joining with the staff of the newspaper, they announce their decisive protest against what has happened.” After the May 8, 1996 decision of the Spandarian District People’s Court to restore the rights of the old staff of the council of founders, beginning on May 14, the real Azg newspaper recommenced publication with its former regularity. This is what the newspaper wrote in the editorial titled “Azg Returned to the Nation:”

“Justice in Armenia recorded its most important — and we hope irreversible — step; it created a precedent when the People’s Court annulled a decision of a section of the executive power, in this case, its administratively superior ministry.” The neo-Azg group did not quiet down even after this. There were even efforts to seize control of the newspaper by force. Twice efforts were made to set fire to the editorial offices, while employee Armen Baghdasarian and editor Hagop Avedikian were beaten. An article in the newspaper titled “An Attempt at a Violent Blow against the Executive and Office of the ADLP ” and dated July 3, 1996 said, “on the evening of July 2, a group of individuals from the former republican executive of the ADLP illegally entered the office of the ADLP republican executive and occupied it, declaring themselves to be the “Coordinating Council” of the political party, to which full powers had been given until the convening of the republican representative assembly to manage the party’s property, financial resources, office, seal and archive.” This proved that despite the court’s decision, perhaps passions had not subsided, but this was in vain, as justice had irreversibly triumphed.

During the 20 years of its existence, Azg was one of those exceptional periodicals appearing in Armenia which continually remained faithful to its principles, never yielding to the often false turmoil, never carrying out orders from “those above,” nor from outside or inside. Instead, it firmly followed the people’s concerns and sorrows, and became the most well-balanced periodical in Armenia, always standing out with the professionalism of its presentation of material, objectivity as much as possible and a refined approach to language and the choice of themes. Turning into a modest national and spiritual herald, the newspaper attempts to “melt,” to remove that huge barrier, developed upon the instructions of the Soviet system, which for 70 years continually disrupted the construction of a uniform and unified portrait of our people, worthy of appearing on the pan-human boulevard and leaving behind the best trail appropriate for it. It is not a coincidence that in nearly all its issues Azg reflected on the issues of the diaspora, illuminated the life and lifestyle of our compatriots living in different countries and attempted to aid the work dedicated to the nation of the preservation of Armenianness. Many notable intellectuals, both of the diaspora and the homeland, continually assisted the newspaper in this endeavor through their active publications. At the same time, we can record with a calm conscience that Azg truly has no rival in the sacred task of maintaining and fostering Armenian- diasporan relations at their best through its reflections on the diaspora. In our opinion, it is possible to divide the path Azg has traversed into three main stages: 1) 1991-1996 formation and stabilization; 2) 1996-2000 Azg as the leading periodical of the Republic; 3) Azg today.

Azg turned into a unique school for many newly discovered journalists and editors, and in this, editor- in-chief Avedikian’s journalistic and intellectual role is undeniable. Eleven to fifteen journalists and three or four analysts always worked on the staff; of these, five later founded their own newspapers and monthlies, and a few went on to work in diplomacy. Unlike many other periodicals, when a colleague is fired or goes to another job, in the case of Azg, the former employee’s tie is never broken with the editorial office. Furthermore, he often continues to correspond or participate in other ways in the work of producing the periodical. At present, Azg has a print run of 3,000.

The basic departments of the newspaper have not changed from the day of its inception. The current, political, economy, reflection, international, education, culture, athletic and other headings are fully consonant with the Azg mentality and express its cherished desires. The themes of Azg, what it has to say, deal above all with the spirit and woes of our nation, political events, our historical vicissitudes, the advancement and fortification of Armenian statehood and a number of other vital issues. The themes raised by the newspaper are always varied, while the diverse types of news it communicates are new, fresh and accurate. Remaining true to its principles, Azg presents topics in an objective manner and provides unbiased interpretations. It was the first of our [Armenian] papers to introduce the style of presenting short topics — short, but meaningful.

From the materials printed under the heading of “current,” it is obvious that the newspaper always feels the pulse of events and attempts to provide truly interesting news to its readers which excites the majority of the public. At the same time it decisively keeps its distance from the bad custom of obtaining an audience through cheap and false sensationalism, which today has become fairly common in our press. We saw Azg thus during the unfortunate days of October 1999, the national tragedy of March 2008, the period of Armeno-Turkish warming and during other shocking and ordinary events. The headings “politics and economy” are among the most important in Azg. Our life became very politicized beginning in 1985, while in 1988 politics penetrated into all spheres of our life, and in tandem with this, the population’s standard of living declined. This decline in the period of the third Republic of Armenia turned into a rapid fall. Azg, the chronicler of the life of the newly independent republic, could not remain indifferent to all that. Turkeylogist Hakob Chakrian provided the best presentation of processes taking place in Turkey, the Kurdish question and Armenian-Kurdish relations, and frequently appeared with mature, profound and multifaceted analyses. The fundamental issue of Mountainous Karabagh is always present in the newspaper. Irrespective of the dimensions of the negotiations and the directions adopted by the sides and mediators, only the principle of national self- determination remained acceptable for Azg. There is one other issue for the paper which is never subject to negotiation. That is the Armenian Genocide, our demands, the necessity for the preservation of national memory, educating the young in an Armenian fashion and completely removing the widespread denialist’s nonsense on this issue. It is praiseworthy that the periodical obtains news about all developments taking place about this matter in the various countries of the world. This includes the pro- Armenian position issued from the lips of the president of France, the setting up of placards stating “Join us, recognize the Armenian Genocide” in the United States, pressure by Europe to open the archives, pan-Armenian visits to the monuments dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Genocide, evenings of commemoration, masses performed in churches and symphonic concerts. The newspaper through its correspondents and friends or supporters follows developments connected with the Armenian Genocide and presents them with the greatest conscientiousness in an attempt to contribute its modest assistance to this important work.