Month: December 2008

Panorama.am

15:13 20/12/2008

LAST FIREWORK OF `ARMENIAN JAZZ 70′

The last firework of `Armenian jazz 70′ will be tomorrow by the
performance of `Shakatak’ group. The members of the group shared with
their experience in a press conference today.

`Our concerts are attended by people from 10-70 years old. Those who
come to our concerts wish to listen to the old hits but we always have
something new for them,’ said Roger Odell.

The group was in Japan lately. `We even could not imagine that there
could be such a big jazz generation there, the same we have noticed in
Armenia,’ said Jill Savard.

Source: Panorama.am

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 20 2008

State says `no’ to apology campaign

The speaker of parliament, the foreign minister and the chief of
general staff added their voice yesterday to Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip ErdoÄ?an’s disapproval of a campaign initiated by several
intellectuals to apologize for the events of 1915 — which Armenians
claim constituted genocide.

The officials decried the intellectuals personally apologizing to the
Armenians, with only President Abdullah Gül taking a different
stance when he suggested that the fact that Turkey can discuss issues
such as this is evidence of a healthy society.

Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan said the campaign is an unjust
act against Turkey. "Those signing it first condemn Turkey and later
apologize for this condemnation," he said, adding that Turkish
diplomats have been killed by Armenian terrorist organizations. "Who
will apologize for their deaths? This is why I think it would be
better to not have this campaign," he said.

Toptan added that since 2005 Turkey has had a state policy regarding
the claims and that this policy suggests establishing a joint
committee of historians to research the claims.

Brig. Gen. Metin Gürak, the head of the General Staff’s
communications department, yesterday in a regular press meeting
described the campaign as "definitely not right." "Apologizing is not
only wrong, it is behavior that can produce harmful results," he said
in response to a question.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said in Brussels that the
campaign may negatively affect Turkish-Armenian dialogue
efforts. Babacan also underlined that he is particularly very
sensitive about the issue since his ministry lost many diplomats in
attacks carried out by Armenian terrorist groups. The Turkish-Armenian
dialogue Babacan referred to is known to include regular, but closed,
meetings between Armenia and Turkey and a recent visit by President
Gül to Yerevan upon the invitation of his Armenian counterpart,
Serzh Sarksyan, to watch the World Cup qualifying game between the two
countries’ national soccer teams.

In addition to the official condemnation and criticism, the campaign
received a further blow following allegations that signatures
collected over the Internet are either fake or intentionally forged.

The AkÅ?am daily yesterday claimed that former Turkish
Ambassador to France Ä°smail Erez, assassinated in 1975 together
with his driver by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of
Armenia (ASALA) terrorist organization, is on the list of those who
apologized. The list of people supporting the campaign has been
inaccessible as of yesterday. It had previously been posted on the Web
site of the campaign, In another case, a state
official complained that his name was added to the list of signatories
without his consent and said that he intends to file a lawsuit against
the campaigners.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman yesterday, one of the campaign organizers,
who asked to not be named, said the Web site has been under
attack. The source claimed that the attackers used three methods to
attack the site, with one being unstoppable.

"The first method was to sign with wrong names deliberately like that
of late Mr. Erez; the second one to sign it with real names in order
to open a court case later. For these two, we are trying to use some
filtering mechanisms but the third one which is impossible to cope
with, that is, sending millions of messages to the address within
seconds and to make it impossible for others to reach the site. On
Thursday our site was practically unreachable due to such an attack,"
he said.

Financial Times claimed yesterday that the computer which was sending
these intensive messages is in the Ministry of Interior. But the IT
experts say that hackers may be mirroring the IP address of the
Ministry of Interior or using a computer in the Ministry through a
Trojan they deployed into the computer.

Criticism towards the campaigners was endorsed by opposition parties,
unions and universities also. Echoing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
leader Devlet Bahçeli’s Thursday remarks that he is ashamed of
the campaigners, Muhsin YazıcıoÄ?lu, the chairman
of the Great Union Party (BBP) condemned the campaign and initiators
of it. "I am condemning those handicaps [özürlü]
that started to this apology [özür] campaign", he said.

He added hat he does not consider the intellectuals who initiated the
campaign as real intellectuals: "Every move of them is to defame
history and support everything against Turkishness," he said.

Because of the campaign the number of those who are suggesting that
Armenians are the ones who have to be apologizing is increasing,
too. The chairman of Union of State Servants (Memur-Sen) who met with
YazıcıoÄ?lu yesterday said that "If there is
something for apologizing for; there are the diplomats killed by
Armenians and the Azerbaijan territory that is still under
occupation."

Another union leader, the leader of the Public Servants Union
(Kamu-Sen) Bircan Akyıldız opposed the campaign and said
that "Turkish Republic is always under attack openly or indirectly by
cooperatives who have been sold."

He made this statement on behalf of a platform which is called as
"Turkish Solidarity Council," an umbrella organization of 96
establishment including Ankara Trade Chamber, Union of
Agriculturalists and Turkey Workers Union (Turk-Ä°Å?).

Not only some unions but establishments like Atatürk University
Senate opposed to the campaign also. The final declaration of the
extraordinary meeting of the University’s Senate was announced in the
Yanıkdere Martyrs’ Graveyard, where Turks who are allegedly
killed by Armenians are buried.

The President of the University Hikmet Koçak read the
declaration personally and claimed that only radical Armenians are
thinking that the campaign is brave and intellectual. "This campaign
is not only a very big disrespectful act against the Turkish nation
but also a betrayal to our martyrs who lost their lives in Armenian
terror," the President of University suggested.

Meanwhile the family of President Abdullah Gül declared
yesterday that they are investigating the possibility of going to the
court against the remarks of Republican People’s Party (CHP)
Ä°zmir deputy Canan Arıtman’s allegations about the
maternal family roots of President Gül. President’s brother
Macit Gül said that there is no court case opened for the time
being but they will weigh the option after receiving the advices of
their lawyers. Criticizing President Gül’s sympathetic remarks
about the campaign Arıtman claimed that the reason of
President’s sympathy would be understood if his maternal roots were
investigated.

Commenting on Arıtman’s hint that the President have Armenian
roots, the President of the Parliament Toptan said that he found these
remarks "extremely wrong and shameful". CHP leader Deniz Baykal said,
yesterday, that the remarks of Arıtman are not binding for them
or the party.

"My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the
denial of the Great Catastrophe that Ottoman Armenians were subjected
to in 1915. I reject this injustice and for my part, I empathize with
the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers. I apologize to them,"
the campaign statement that aroused a heated discussion read.

20 December 2008, Saturday
AYÅ?E KARABAT ANKARA

Hürriyet, Turkey
Dec 20 2008

Opposition figures on trial in Armenia

ISTANBUL – A former Armenian foreign minister and six other opposition
figures went on trial in Yerevan on Friday on charges of seeking to
overthrow the government during protests in March. Ten people died
when protests against the results of presidential elections in the
former Soviet republic turned violent.

Cries from supporters of "We are with you!" greeted the defendants as
they entered a courtroom in the capital Yerevan where they will face
charges of seeking to "usurp state power" when they organized mass
protests in February.

The opposition said the trial of former Foreign Minister Alexander
Arzumanian and his co-accused is politically motivated, and complained
the government has done little to investigate allegations of police
culpability. Rights groups and the Council of Europe voiced concern
after the government imposed a state of emergency and arrested over
100 people after the protests. The opposition said the vote, won by
Serge Sarkisian, was rigged.

Outside the courtroom, dozens of protesters chanted "Free political
prisoners!" and held pictures of the seven accused, reported Agence
France-Presse. Arzumanian, a foreign minister in the late 1990s, was
campaign chief for opposition presidential challenger Levon
Ter-Petrosian.

‘False case’
"The case is sufficiently proven by the evidence of 500 witnesses,
civilians as well as police officers," chief investigator Vahagn
Harutyunian told Reuters. "We have records of telephone conversations,
private video recordings and television footage, and public speeches
by opposition representatives." Ter-Petrosian has not been officially
charged with any connection to the unrest. Arzumanyan’s lawyer said
the case was "false".

"No one among those charged did anything to violate public order,"
Hovik Arsenyan told Reuters.

Armenia — a mountainous country of about three million people wedged
between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey — has seen repeated
political violence and post-election protests since gaining
independence with the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.

Hürriyet, Turkey
Dec 20 2008

Army opposes apology petition

ANKARA – The military became involved Friday in a deepening
controversy over an apology campaign launched by Turkish intellectuals
for the World War I-era killings of Armenians at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire.

"We definitely think what has been done is not right. Apologizing is
wrong and can yield harmful consequences," Brig. Gen. Metin
Gürak, spokesperson for the General Staff, told a weekly news
conference.

The Internet initiative coincides with a diplomatic rapprochement
between Turkey and Armenia to end hostility. In Brussels, Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan, speaking to reporters, said the intellectuals’
initiative could harm the recent process aimed at normalizing ties
with Armenia.

The apology, which was also countered by a declaration from a group of
retired ambassadors, avoids using the word "genocide" and instead uses
the term "great catastrophe."

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Dec 20 2008

Fazail Aghamaly: "The political parties of Azerbaijan and Turkey must
hold a conference in Baku"

20 December 2008 [14:06] – Today.Az

An appeal will be sent to the parties, represented in the Supreme
National Assembly of Turkey, calling them to hold a conference in the
light of strengthening of ties between this country and Armenia",
said Fazail Aghamaly, deputy of Azerbaijani parliament and chairman
of the Ana Veten party.

He said the political parties of Azerbaijan and Turkey must hold a
conference in Baku.

"This proposal was initiated by the Ana Veten party and necessary work
is held in the political structure in this direction.

We want the conference to be held in Baku. Strengthening of relations
between Turkey and Armenia raises many issues, therefore, it is
necessary to clarify all these moments. It is necessary to define what
the strengthening of these relations will bring to Azerbaijan and if
it is worthy to restore ties at all.

This issue is especially urgent and we want it to be clear. Armenia
must return the occupied lands of Azerbaijan", noted Aghamaly.

/Day.Az/

URL:

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Dec 20 2008

Ali Kerimli: "Strengthening of relations between Turkey and Armenia is
not a positive fact in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict"

20 December 2008 [12:39] – Today.Az

"A new situation has established and the strengthening of relations
between Turkey and Armenia is not a positive fact in the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict", said leader of the Popular Front Party of
Azerbaijan and co-founder of the Azadlyg bloc Ali Kerimli.

He said at the initial stage when establishing diplomatic relations
with this country, Turkey set two demands before Armenia – renounce
recognition of the so-called "Armenian genocide" and territorial
claims and return the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

"Presently, we do not hear these statements from Turkey. In other
words, if Turkey is strengthening relations with this Armenia, it
loses the forces of influence.

In particular, if earlier Turkey was supporting Azerbaijan, today, it
is obliged to consider Armenia’s claims. In the result Azerbaijan will
remain one-on-one with Armenia.

I do not think that the resolution of relations between these
countries will influence the soonest settlement of the Karabakh
conflict", noted Kerimli.

/Day.Az/

URL:

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Dec 20 2008

Araz Alizade: "Turkey will agree to ignore Azerbaijan’s interests if
Armenians renounce demands for contributions for events in the Osman
empire in 1915"

20 December 2008 [12:22] – Today.Az

Turkey will agree to ignore Azerbaijan’s interests if Armenians
renounce demands for contributions for events in the Osman empire in
1915, said chairman of the Social-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Araz
Alizade.

"The mentality of Turkish and Azerbaijani peoples is similar. Once
Azerbaijan had a mistaken opinion that after it becomes independent
and gets a right to control its oil revenues as it wishes, the
population of the country will have excellent living conditions.
Present day Turkey also has the mistaken opinion that as soon as this
county joins the European Union, ordinary Turks will sink in
wealth. But as is known in order to become the EU member, Turkey must
recognize "the Armenian genocide" in the Osman empire. It is also
known that in a strife for EU membership President of Turkey Abdullah
Gul attended the football match Armenia-Turkey in Yerevan. During this
match, he got the promise that Armenians will not demand compensations
for 1915 events in Turkey. That is why the Turkish leadership decided
to ignore its people and now it hopes for the EU membership, expecting
the so-called money rainfall, which the accession to this organization
would lead to.

But Armenians will definitely attain from Turkey not only the
recognition of the "Armenian genocide" but also the repayment of a
great compensation", said he.

According to him, in this case despite the numerous statements of the
Turkish leadership that this country does not wish the opening of
borders with Armenia as the latter occupied 20% of Azerbaijani lands,
money is more important.

"If Turkey, which has an external debt of more than $160 bln, will
also be bound to pay contributions to Armenians for 1915 events in
Osman empire, the future of Turkey as a state will be difficult to
imagine".

He said, therefore, it will agree to ignore Azerbaijan’s interests if
Armenians renounce demands for contributions for events in the Osman
empire in 1915.

"I know from my life experience that for the population of Turkey, a
person with the passport of the Turkish citizen in his pocket,
regardless of his nationality, is above all citizens of the world. If
someone in Azerbaijan hopes that Turkey will strive for returning
Karabakh to Azerbaijan, he is deeply mistaken. Karabakh is our land
and we ourselves should do everything possible for its return",
concluded Alizade.

/Day.Az/

URL:

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 20 2008

Member of Parliament from CHP: `Will the apologizers to Armenians call on them to apologize to Azerbaijan for Khojali genocide?’

[ 20 Dec 2008 12:12 ]

Istanbul. Mais Alizadeh `APA. `Such initiative is a great disrespect
to the Turkish people. Apologizing to Armenians for 1915 events is the
inviting Turkey to recognize this calumny.

Such campaigns aim to conceal Armenian occupation policy’, said deputy
chairman of the Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) Onur Oymen
reacting to the campaign started by a group of persons in Turkey for
apologizing to Armenians, APA Turkish bureau reports.

Oymen said Armenia kept 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands under the
occupation for more than 15 years. Oymen called the Khojali genocide
committed by Armenians against Azerbaijani people in 1992 as a tragedy
of the century.

`Do those, who proposed to apologize to Armenians for 1915 events
which has no relation to the genocide, see occupation of 20 percent of
Azerbaijani lands by Armenians and the genocide committed by them in
Khojali?’

The member of the parliament from CHP said if Armenians saw one per
cent of pressure, which Turkey faced to open borders with Armenia,
they would be withdrawn from the Azerbaijani lands. `The world doesn’t
put pressure on the Armenians. Despite numerous statements by the
international organizations, the Armenians didn’t withdraw even from a
village of Azerbaijan. Will those, who invited our community to
apologize to Armenians, demand the Armenians to withdraw from
Azerbaijani lands? Will they call on the Armenians to apologize to
Azerbaijan for Khojali genocide? It is very interesting for me’.

Deccan Herald, India
Dec 20 2008

Srinivas spreads Gandhian message through ghazals

Hyderabad, PTI:

This singer from Andhra Pradesh, popularly known as ‘Ghazal Srinivas,’
who made it to the Guinness World Records by singing in most number of
languages at a single concert, is now on a mission to promote world
peace and propagate Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals…

He is a peace activist of a different kind, who does not hold protests
but spreads Mahatma Gandhi’s message through his Ghazals and songs.

This singer from Andhra Pradesh, popularly known as ‘Ghazal Srinivas,’
who made it to the Guinness World Records by singing in most number of
languages at a single concert, is now on a mission to promote world
peace and propagate Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of truth, non-violence,
peace and satyagraha.

After accomplishing the Guinness record by paying a musical tribute to
Gandhiji by singing in 100 different languages in Vijayawada in June
this year, Srinivas now wants to spread the Satyagraha philosophy
across the globe through his songs.

"The Gandhian philosophy should be made known to the world and I am
trying my bit to spread the Mahatma’s message by singing the songs in
global languages," Srinivas said.

"Gandhiji’s message can guide the younger generation in creating a
peace-loving world. Gandhiji is not the past but the future for the
world," the singer feels.

Srinivas, who himself penned the peace song in Telugu, got it
translated into 100 languages — 56 Indian and 44 foreign.

Srinivas said that he was awaiting a communication from the
Rashtrapati Bhavan where he would render some of these peace songs in
January.

President Pratibha Patil would release an audio CD ‘The Path of
Mahatma Gandhi’ consisting of these peace songs in 100 languages and
also launch a website on the same name during the proposed function,
he added. After this, Srinivas would like to embark on peace concerts
in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran and other Gulf
countries. Besides, he would also sing at peace concerts at the United
Nations and Chicago in the middle of next year.

"I had sung in 100 languages at Vijayawada, but, only 76 languages
were taken into consideration for Guinness record, because the length
of each song should be of at least two minutes as per their
stipulation," he said.

Srinivas, who also composed the music for the songs, would like to
break his own Guinness record by singing in 150 languages at his
native Palakollu in West Godavari district on February 3 next — his
mother’s birthday.

Srinivas said that he worked for about 13 months along with language
experts to get his song ‘Bapuji kanna bangaru kalalu saakaram cheyali
sakala janulu’ (Meaning: All people should realise the golden dreams
that were dreamt by Bajuji-Gandhiji) has been translated into Hindi,
English, German, Arabic, Tibetan and several other global languages.

"I found difficulty in singing in Armenian language due to the
pronunciation of words. It took me almost five hours to record the
song finally," Srinivas recalled.

Despite such difficulties, he does not want to stop here and says he
would attempt to sing in at least 300 different languages.

Srinivas, through his Ghazal concerts since 1986, has enthralled
audiences in countries like US, England, Singapore, Malaysia,
Australia, Dubai and gave over 6,000 performances.

Srinivas also renders Hindi and Urdu ghazals during his performances
and uses only ‘Kanjeera’ instrument as his music accompaniment.

t/Dec202008/national20081220107847.asp?section=upd atenews

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 20 2008

Apology campaign can have negative impact on Turkey-Armenia talks
20.12.08 11:13

Foreign minister of Turkey Ali Babacan sharply criticized apology
campaign, CNNTURK reported.

`This campaign can have a negative impact on the ongoing
Turkey-Armenia talks,’ Babacan said.

Around 200 Turkish academics, writers and journalists launched a
website issuing an apology to the Armenians regarding the 1915
incidents and calling for people to sign on in support. Over 5,000
people have registered on the website, Turkush media reported.

Armenia and Armenian lobby worldwide state that in 1915 the Ottoman
Empire, Turkey’s predecessor, committed genocide against Armenians
living in Anatolia. Armenians striving to make their statements
recognized worldwide have strengthened their propaganda of the
so-called genocide in several countries and have achieved recognition
of the `Armenian genocide’ at several Parliaments.

Babacan said the Turkish Foreign Ministry is especially concerned over
the apology campaign. `A number of Turkish diplomats were victim of
Armenian terrorism. Therefore, Foreign Ministry is sensible in such
matters,’ Babacan added.
From: Baghdasarian