Friday, August 23, 2002

A few months ago, I registered Punik Publishing here in Artsakh.

Punik Publishing's mission is to translate to English, French and Russian, out of print and hard to find books that we believe have value and significance to the reader as to help better understand the situation we find ourselves in today.

Punik Publishing is proud to announce the release of what we believe is the most relevant historic writing on the present day Artsakh conflict.

Shahan Natalie's Turkism from Angora to Baku and The Turks and Us were originally published in Armenian as separate volumes in 1928. The present English translation is intended to give today's reader, in one volume and with augmented notes, an insightful analysis of the neighboring Turkic governments' true national interests and desires at the time of writing. It is a forceful and timely reminder that, although the Turkish leaders profess to have changed their posture over the last century, their relentless aim and systematic program to deny the actions of their predecessors, to discredit their victims' claims, and to rid themselves once and for all their "Armenian Problem" has remained the same.

With the conflict in the historic and present-day Armenian territory of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) and the ongoing negotiations for a settlement with Azerbaijan, it is even more imperative for the Armenian people as a whole to understand the consequences of compromise when it comes time to truly talk peace at the negotiating table.

As the government representatives of Armenia and Turkey seek reconciliation, with the aim of normalizing relations and developing much needed mutual economic ties, it would seem that Armenia is once again playing the na�ve pawn to world powers, who, in the interest of their own gains, are encouraging the minority nation of the Southern Caucasus to dismiss her past and look only to the future, while dangerously ignoring the warning that history forgotten will always repeat itself.

For those of you wondering who is Shahan Natalie, it remains for you to read the introduction to The Turks and Us and find out the significant role he played in shaping 20th century Armenian history.

Copies of The Turks and Us can be obtained at http://www.abrilbooks.com/. Books stores can obtain multiple copies by e-mailing thetursandus@snff.org.

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