Hopes for peace to bloom with fest
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Vercihan ZiflioÄŸlu
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Haziran 29, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - As part of an Armenian peace initiative, an Azerbaijani prisoner of war is set to meet with an Azerbaijani committee visiting the country for the Flower Festival. Besides Azerbaijan, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Georgia and also Iran will attend the festival this year.
Flowers for peace are the inspiration for next month’s Flower Festival, an Armenian initiative to end regional conflict. As an opening move by Armenia, an Azerbaijani prisoner of war, who was taken during the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, will meet with an Azerbaijani committee visiting the country for the Flower Festival.  Â
Aşod Cobanian, president of Interflora Armenia and the owner of the country’s biggest flower firm, Brabion (peace flowers), has visited Turkey in recent weeks for official meetings and to invite Recep Gedik, president of Interflora Turkey, to Armenia. Cobanian, also the organizer and financer of the festival, spoke to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review about the festival and its goals. The festival will be held from dusk to dawn on July 6.
Positive responses
Cobanian said the official talks for the Azerbaijani committee to meet the war prisoner were being carried out by the festival committee and added that he was happy to receive positive responses from authorities. "This was the biggest wish of the Azerbaijani clergy. I wanted to do everything I could in the name of friendship and peace. I hope this turns out to be a first step and that we will get the chance to meet with the six Armenian prisoners of war that Azerbaijan is holding, too." The Flower Festival has been organized and financed by Brabion since 1994 and is likely one of the most prized festivals in the world as it brings countries in conflict together. Besides Turkey and Azerbaijan, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Georgia and Iran will attend the festival this year. The festival board has announced to the Turkish press: "We are ready to host you all. We expect all of you to come to Yerevan with flowers of peace."
This year’s surprise guest to the festival is Turkey. Interflora Turkey has not attended the festival despite being invited for five years. Gedik said they would attend this year for the first time with a committee of 20 and the diplomacy traffic between the two countries in recent months has been a factor in their decision. "As the Turkish committee, we will be holding flowers representing love, peace and friendship during our visit to Armenia." The committees of the attending countries will each include an ambassador, an army officer, a clergy and an artist. Only the Turkish and Azerbaijani committees will not feature as the two countries do not have diplomatic relations with Armenia. The festival of this year, like in previous years, will hold many surprises.
The most interesting of them is soldiers who were assigned to pick a thousand flowers from the mountains. With the special permission of the Armenian army, 60 soldiers will head to the mountains at dusk and pick a thousand flowers to dress up a 2 meter high tank and bring it to the festival area. The festival will be held in the Opera Square at the center of Yerevan. Countries at war will sit side by side at long tables. There will be a giant baby stroller at the square alongside six deep cauldrons for the attending countries to put flowers in. The last country will the shape flowers in the cauldron and six giant bouquets will be prepared to be sent to the first ladies of the countries. The bouquets for the Turkish and Azeri first ladies will be sent through the embassies at Russia.
"I wanted to make countries at war fight with flowers, not with guns" said Cobanian, indicating that war does not benefit the winner or the loser. "Look at Armenia. We have won the war but we are surrounded by four sides. Only peace would eliminate borders," said Cobanian. Cobanian’s original name is "Arşalyus," meaning dusk. Arşalyus is a woman’s name, but Cobanian uses many names, including Aşod. The identity of Cobaian is one of the most speculated issues in Armenia as nobody there knows whether the organizer is a man or woman. Cobanian has never been photographed by the press. "It does not matter who I am," said Cobanian, adding: "I enjoy living as if I am a character from a fairy tale and struggle for peace."
Aşod Cobanian, president of Interflora Armenia and the owner of the country’s biggest flower firm, Brabion (peace flowers), has visited Turkey in recent weeks for official meetings and to invite Recep Gedik, president of Interflora Turkey, to Armenia. Cobanian, also the organizer and financer of the festival, spoke to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review about the festival and its goals. The festival will be held from dusk to dawn on July 6.
Positive responses
Cobanian said the official talks for the Azerbaijani committee to meet the war prisoner were being carried out by the festival committee and added that he was happy to receive positive responses from authorities. "This was the biggest wish of the Azerbaijani clergy. I wanted to do everything I could in the name of friendship and peace. I hope this turns out to be a first step and that we will get the chance to meet with the six Armenian prisoners of war that Azerbaijan is holding, too." The Flower Festival has been organized and financed by Brabion since 1994 and is likely one of the most prized festivals in the world as it brings countries in conflict together. Besides Turkey and Azerbaijan, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Georgia and Iran will attend the festival this year. The festival board has announced to the Turkish press: "We are ready to host you all. We expect all of you to come to Yerevan with flowers of peace."
This year’s surprise guest to the festival is Turkey. Interflora Turkey has not attended the festival despite being invited for five years. Gedik said they would attend this year for the first time with a committee of 20 and the diplomacy traffic between the two countries in recent months has been a factor in their decision. "As the Turkish committee, we will be holding flowers representing love, peace and friendship during our visit to Armenia." The committees of the attending countries will each include an ambassador, an army officer, a clergy and an artist. Only the Turkish and Azerbaijani committees will not feature as the two countries do not have diplomatic relations with Armenia. The festival of this year, like in previous years, will hold many surprises.
The most interesting of them is soldiers who were assigned to pick a thousand flowers from the mountains. With the special permission of the Armenian army, 60 soldiers will head to the mountains at dusk and pick a thousand flowers to dress up a 2 meter high tank and bring it to the festival area. The festival will be held in the Opera Square at the center of Yerevan. Countries at war will sit side by side at long tables. There will be a giant baby stroller at the square alongside six deep cauldrons for the attending countries to put flowers in. The last country will the shape flowers in the cauldron and six giant bouquets will be prepared to be sent to the first ladies of the countries. The bouquets for the Turkish and Azeri first ladies will be sent through the embassies at Russia.
"I wanted to make countries at war fight with flowers, not with guns" said Cobanian, indicating that war does not benefit the winner or the loser. "Look at Armenia. We have won the war but we are surrounded by four sides. Only peace would eliminate borders," said Cobanian. Cobanian’s original name is "Arşalyus," meaning dusk. Arşalyus is a woman’s name, but Cobanian uses many names, including Aşod. The identity of Cobaian is one of the most speculated issues in Armenia as nobody there knows whether the organizer is a man or woman. Cobanian has never been photographed by the press. "It does not matter who I am," said Cobanian, adding: "I enjoy living as if I am a character from a fairy tale and struggle for peace."