Month: July 2009

SARKISIAN OFF TO CSTO SUMMIT IN KYRGYZSTAN; ALLIANCE SET TO FORMALIZE NEW BASE

Asbarez
to-summit-to-formalize-new-base-in-kyrgyzstan/
Jul y 30, 2009

BISHKEK – Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian is due to arrive in
Kyrgyzstan on Friday to attend a two day informal summit of the
Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, where member
states are to sign off on the establishment of a military base
in Southern Kyrgyzstan to host the CSTO’s newly established Rapid
Reaction Force.

The summit will bring together heads of state from the member countries
for talks on the establishment of the base and on broader regional
security issues in the resort town of Cholpon-Ata, near Lake Issyk Kul.

The new base will serve as a training ground for the post-soviet
alliance’s new permanent military and peace keeping forces.

The CSTO, which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, agreed in early February to set
up the rapid-reaction force, transforming the loosely organized CSTO
into a more NATO-like military alliance, complete with UN-Peacekeeping
responsibilities and armed with modern compatible weapons and military
hardware.

The new forces, which is slated to hold drills in Kazajhstan in
September, will consist of large military units from Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Rapid Reaction Force
has been described by the Kremlin as comparable to NATO forces. It’s
primary role will be to repulse military aggression, provide
peacekeeping operations in conflict zones, conduct anti-terrorist
operations, fight transnational crime and drug trafficking, and
neutralize the effects of natural disasters.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE HALKI SEMINARY AND THE PATRIARCHATE’S EXISTENTIAL CRISIS
By Allen Yekikan

Asbarez
/the-halki-seminary-and-the-patriarchates-existent ial-crisis/
July 30, 2009

AFP reported on Thursday that the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul,
Bartholomew I, was hopeful Turkey would re-open a historic seminary
it shut down nearly four decades ago. The Halki Orthodox Theological
Seminary, located on the island of Halki off the coast of Istanbul,
was the key Patriarchical institution for educating the Greek Orthodox
Community and training its future clergy for more than a century
before it was closed down by the Turkish government in 1971.

The Patriarch was responding to signals last week by Turkey’s Culture
Minister that Ankara is planning to re-open the Greek seminary,
considered vital to the survival of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
in Istanbul.

The Turkish Government forcibly closed down the Seminary under a law
bringing Turkish universities under the state’s control. Another law,
however, made it illegal for anyone to enter the Orthodox priesthood
unless they have graduated from Halki.

Since the closure of the Halki Seminary, the Patriarchate has faced
insurmountable barriers in staffing the Ecumenical Patriarchate
to carry out the Church’s many administrative and spiritual
responsibilities. The only option left for the Patriarchate has been to
bring clergymen and individuals from abroad to work at the ecumenical
patriarchate, often illegally, since the Turkish government does not
give them work permits.

Furthermore, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has no property rights in
Turkey and is taxed beyond excess. Under Turkish law, the General
Directorate of Welfare Foundations has the power to unilaterally
confiscate minority properties.

Along with the Halki Seminary, the Turkish Government has confiscated
(usually secretly) 75 % of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s properties,
including homes, apartment buildings, schools, land, churches,
monasteries, and even cemeteries.

On March 20, 2006 the government erased the name of the Patriarchate
from the ownership deed of the Orphanage of Buyukada, replacing it
with the name of a minority foundation it had seized in 1997. This
move resulted in the effective confiscation of the orphanage.

The Turkish government proceeded with the confiscation despite an
appeal to the European Court of Human Rights by the Patriarchate in
2005. The Orphanage, which is the largest wooden building in Europe,
had been a Patriarchal institution, celebrating 550 years of continuous
service under the care and guidance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
preserving the Orthodox Faith, Hellenic Ideals and Greek Education.

In the eyes of the Turkish government, the Ecumenical Patriarchate
does not exist as a legal entity, and as a result, has virtually
no rights. Although it was established in 451 AD, Turkish
authorities refuse to recognize the Patriarchate as "Ecumenical"
or International. Turkish law has relegated this 2,000 year-old
church, which serves as the focal point of Orthodox Christendom,
to a Turkish institution.

As a result, the Turkish government also controls the process by
which the Ecumenical Patriarch is selected.

Through illegal decrees, the government has imposed heavy restrictions
on the election of the Ecumenical Patriarchs, requiring the Patriarch
and the Hierarchs that elect him to be Turkish citizens. The very
existence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been put in jeopardy as
a consequence of these decrees.

Turkish law requires that even priests must be Turkish citizens. This
excludes eligible clergy from around the world from attending to
Turkey’s Greek community, which now numbers less than 3,000-most of
which are elderly and not eligible candidates.

There are currently roughly 200 Greek Orthodox Clergymen who live
in Turkey and are Turkish citizens. Without the Halki Seminary, the
Ecumenical Patriarchate has been forced to send its future clerics
outside the country for training. Unfortunately, most do not return
home. These restrictions severely limit not only who can become a
priest, but also who can become the Ecumenical Patriarch.

These policies are wearing away at the Christian presence in Turkey
and threaten to eventually wipe out the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
which stands as a 2,000 year-old spiritual beacon for more than
300,000 million orthodox Christians around the world.

Since 1923, successive Turkish Governments have subjected the
Ecumenical Patriarchate to a protracted and systemic campaign of
institutional and cultural repression, squeezing the country’s Greek
minority and its religious institutions to the point of complete
exhaustion and despair.

Despite direct stipulations in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne that
Turkey must legally recognize and protect its religious minorities,
Christian communities in Turkey currently face unfair official
restrictions regarding the ownership and operation of churches and
seminaries. The Turkish Government interferes in the selection of
their religious leaders. Christian education has all but vanished,
while freedom of expression and association, although provided for
on paper, tend to get people killed.

This political climate of religious repression has, for decades,
encouraged extremists to attack the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul
defacing its walls and desecrating its cemeteries.

In 1955, riots broke out in Istanbul and quickly turned into pogroms
against Greeks as 73 Orthodox churches and 23 schools were vandalized,
burned, or destroyed; 1,004 houses of Orthodox citizens were looted;
and 4,348 stores, 110 hotels, 27 pharmacies, and 21 factories were
destroyed. The Greek Orthodox population in 1955 was 100,000. In 1998,
a Greek Orthodox official was murdered at his church, Saint Therapon,
in Istanbul. The church was then robbed and set on fire.

Growing focus on Turkey in recent years and the country’s bid to
join the European Union, has raised awareness and concern about the
fate of the Patriarchate among governments, organizations and people
around the world.

The European Union has long asked Turkey to re-open the seminary in
order to prove its commitment to human rights as it strives to become
a member of the bloc.

The Turkish Government, keen to boost its European credentials as
it seeks EU membership, says it may finally take steps to prevent
the destruction of one of the world’s oldest Christian churches and
its Congregation.

The bitter reality is that the very existence of the Patriarchate has
been threatened by the very government that is now vaguely promising
to save it.

Turkish authorities have been issued such promises for decades.

CAPITAL PERSPECTIVES: GRASSROOTS IS MAKING OUR CAUSE A REALITY
By Nareg Aghjayan

Asbarez
0/capital-perspectives-grassroots-is-making-our-ca use-a-reality/
July 30, 2009

California State University of Northridge, Class of 2011

Let me start off my piece with a disclaimer. I’ve heard for years that
"grassroots makes the difference" – seen ANCA videos making the point,
heard speeches on the topic – perhaps to the point of cliche. And,
for the record, when I get that ANCA email that includes a link to
an action alert urging us to contact our Representative in support of
the Armenian Genocide Resolution, or self-determination for Karabakh,
or aid to Armenia – I click it and send it. It only takes a minute.

But honestly, there is always that little question in the back of
my mind. "Did my phone call REALLY make a difference? Does that
ANCA WebFax I sent to Congress ACTUALLY get to my Congressman or
Senator? And, frankly, do they pay attention?"

So when I arrived at the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship program,
I wanted to get some answers and see first hand how it all comes
together. And, that’s exactly what has happened.

Take for example the latest effort to secure Congressional support
for a letter to President Obama urging him to separate Armenian
Genocide recognition from the current Armenia-Turkey dialogue efforts
(or non-efforts, but that is a different story.) The goal was
simple enough – educate and encourage as many Members of Congress
as possible to support the initiative spearheaded by Congressional
Armenian Caucus co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL)
along with Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA). By
the time we were done, all the components that go into it turned
into an intricate maze and showed the critical role of constituents
participating in the political process.

First there was the Congressional staff from the lead offices sending
"Dear Colleague" letters to Members of Congress alerting them about
the initiative and encouraging them to co-sign the letter. They
have the Congressional e-Dear Colleague system that makes it easy to
distribute. Of course, there are tons of "Dear Colleagues" and emails
in general being sent all the time to staffers (just imagine your
daily inbox times 10). So somehow, your issue needs to be prioritized.

And nothing says "priority" like constituents contacting the office
and urging their Congressman to make it a priority.

So the ANCA had sent out an action alert last week – asking
constituents to email their Representatives to cosign the letter. As
interns, we saw the emails pouring in. And they helped – but we had
to think of ways to get additional attention to the issue. After all,
Congress is in the middle of discussing health care, foreign aid,
Iraq, China, Afghanistan, etc. – all important issues, of course,
but so is ensuring stability in the Caucasus.

So our Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian sent emails to
activists encouraging them to call their Congressman in support of
the effort and let us know how the call went. The interns ended up
fielding tons of calls from activists looking forward to speaking
with Kate to give an update. She fielded just as many emails.

Then, the personal touch. The intern group teamed up with the ANCA
Eastern Region Interim Executive Director Raffi Karakashian and ANCA
Legislative Affairs Director Garo Manjikian and headed to Capitol
Hill to speak to the relevant staffers and pass out fact sheets and
background information on the letter to President Obama.

Staff members were clearly busy – but were willing to take the time
to review the packet.

But the numbers on the letter were still not high enough. So, Garo
tasked the interns to coordinate with our regional offices and local
chapters to call activists in key districts and encourage them to
call their Congressman. We all made call after call – and most folks
were really friendly and appreciative that we contacted them.

And this is where we saw the shear power of grassroots. The number
of cosigners began to expand much faster as the constituent calls
and emails increased. It was no longer just another "Dear Colleague"
letter in the staff email box, but something that actually needed to be
reviewed and a decision taken. And I could tell when constituents had
contacted their Representative, because when I called a Congressional
office and mentioned my affiliation with the "Armenian National
Committee," the staffer’s response was "Are you calling about the
letter?" And when I called an office which had not been contacted by
constituents, I had to start the conversation from scratch – explain
the letter, the history, the deadline, etc. And, I could tell, it
was less likely we would get support from that office.

So there it was right in front of me. The answers I was seeking. Do
phone calls make a difference? Do those emails get someone’s attention?

Yes. Yes they do.

In the end, there were 82 signatories on the letter to the President. A
strong number which would have been even higher with more constituent
support. And that just makes it all the more important to increase
Armenian American civic involvement.

In the end, we all need each other. We need to raise our collective
voices and through our community, grassroots achieve our goals.

TURKEY STILL COMMITTED TO PRECONDITIONS IN ARMENIA TALKS

Asbarez
urkey-%e2%80%98still-committed%e2%80%99-to-armenia -talks-with-preconditions/
July 30, 2009

ANKARA (Combined Sources)-Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said Wednesday the Turkish government is still "resolute" in its drive
to normalize relations with neighboring Armenia, but reiterated that
the Turkish-Armenia border will not open until the Karabakh conflict
is solved in Azerbaijan’s favor, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The top Turkish diplomat told a press conference after his meeting
with visiting Bosnian Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj that the Turkish
government is hopeful about the normalization of ties with Armenia.

"We believe that the most extensive normalization would be seen in
our region in the coming period," Davutoglu said. "But at the same
time, it is important for us to see the same determination from the
international community and especially from Armenia on the conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Davutoglu’s remarks come a day after Armenia’s President, Serzh
Sarkisian, insisted that Ankara must reopen the Turkish-Armenian border
and make concrete steps toward ending its blockade of Armenia before
the stalled negotiations can continue. Sarkisian was set to travel to
Turkey in October to attend a Turkish-Armenian soccer match, which
would continue the so called "soccer diplomacy" begun last October
when Turkish President Abdullah Gul travelled to Armenia in September
2008 to watch 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier match

Turkish intransigence in the negotiations process has brought the
year-long US brokered talks between the two countries to a standstill
as Ankara seeks to convince international mediators that a quick
resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process is the key to saving
Armenia-Turkey negotiations.

Speaking to the Turkish service of RFE/RL on Wednesday, Matthew Bryza,
the American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating the Karabakh
conflict said he regretted that "the activeness we witnessed in the
Armenian-Turkish relations recently, is frozen today,"adding that he
believed the "the existence of the Karabakh conflict exerts a negative
influence on the Armenian-Turkish relations."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WORLD BANK APPROVES ANOTHER ANTI-CRISIS LOAN TO ARMENIA

Asbarez
oves-another-anti-%d1%81risis-loan-to-armenia/
Jul y 30, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-In a further effort to mitigate the impact of the
global recession, the World Bank allocated late Tuesday a new $30
million loan to Armenia aimed at rehabilitating some of the country’s
battered irrigation networks.

In a statement issued after a meeting in Washington of its Board of
Executive Directors, the bank said the concessional loan, repayable
in 27 years, will finance capital repairs on almost 84 kilometers
of canals in the Armavir and Aragatsotn regions. It said the project
will help bring irrigation back to about 7,300 hectares of land and
benefit around 39,000 farmers.

Armenia’s Soviet-built networks of canals are already undergoing
a large-scale reconstruction under a $168 million project financed
by the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation. A lack of irrigation
has been one of the most acute problems facing Armenian agriculture
since the break-up of the Soviet Union and the ensuing degradation
of rural infrastructure.

The World Bank statement said the loan will also result in new jobs
and thereby ease socioeconomic hardship in the unemployment-stricken
areas. "Creating jobs and boosting incomes, particularly in rural
areas where most of the poor live, is critical in the current crisis
environment," Asad Alam, the bank’s director for the South Caucasus,
was quoted as saying. "What is important about this Project is that
this is done in a way that will also help improve long-term growth
and productivity in agriculture."

The latest allocation raised to $200 million the total amount of
anti-crisis loans to Armenia approved by the World Bank this year. They
are due to be used for financing Armenia’s widening budget deficit,
supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, rebuilding rural roads
and implementing reforms of the education sector.

The World Bank pledged earlier this year to lend at least $670 million
to the country in 2009-2012. The total amount of its loans allocated
since 1992 exceeds $1.27 billion.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE GOVERNMENT IS AGAINST

A1+
08:31 pm | July 30, 2009

Official

The RA government did not give its consent to the RA bill on "Making
changes and additions in the RA electoral code" presented by MP Armen
Martirosyan by the order of legislative initiative and explained
its conclusion.

During the session, the RA government was against MP Victor Dallakyan’s
package of bills on making changes and additions in the RA law on "Mass
information" and "Making changes in the RA criminal code", as well as
the bills on making changes in the laws on "Operative-investigative
activities", "National security bodies", "RA Budgetary system" and
explained its conclusions.

The government didn’t make any principled objection to the RA bill
on making changes in the RA law on "Civil Service" presented by the
same parliamentarian and simply proposed to modify it.

The mentioned bills will be presented to the RA National Assembly by
constituted order.

AUTHORITIES WILL BE TO BLAME

A1+
08:18 pm | July 30, 2009

Politics

Leader of the "Heritage" faction Armen Martirosyan is expecting
steps to be taken by Serzh Sargsyan after the letter that he sent
for the immediate release of editor-in-chief of "Zhamanak-Yerevan"
newspaper Arman Babajanyan.

"Every hour in prison could be fatal for Babajanyan and if anything
happens to Babajanyan, the authorities will be to blame."

Martirosyan believes that the issue of releasing Babajanyan is not
a legal issue, but a political one.

"If they weren’t able to maintain his health condition at a normal
level at the penitentiary, they were obligated to release him
immediately and allow him to solve his health problems."

Martirosyan doesn’t understand why Babajanyan is locked up when his
term ends in September and the authorities will be forced to release
him anyway.

Martirosyan believes that the reason for political persecutions
against Babajanyan is the course taken by "Zhamanak-Yerevan".

"Babajanyan was arrested at a time when "Zhamanak-Yerevan" started
becoming popular and printed articles by representatives of the
oppositionists."

Martirosyan finds that if Serzh Sargsyan has any sense of right and
wrong, he must release Babajanyan.

What if he doesn’t? In response, Martirosyan said: "In that case,
Babajanyan will be released on September 15."

Arman Babajanyan is currently at the "Prisoners’ Hospital"
penitentiary. He is diagnosed with a brain tumor, which has an impact
on his eyesight with 35% fall in his right eye and 40% in his left
eye and a hypophisis swelling.

IFC "ENTERED" ARMENIA

A1+
07:58 pm | July 30, 2009

Official

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received today Vice-chairman of
the International Finance Corporation Yurki Koskelo.

Welcoming the entry of the IFC to Armenia, the head of government
expressed confidence that the organization’s programs for Armenia
will be successful. The organization plans to make investments in
the development of the hypothec market and offers cooperation in the
spheres of hydro-energy, restorative energy and finance.

The IFC Vice-chairman emphasized that the corporation has implemented
successful projects in the mining industry, informational technologies
and healthcare.

The RA Prime Minister attached importance to the use of IFC experts’
experience in Armenia and expressed hope that the partnership would
be ongoing and mutually beneficial.

WILL CALL TO COMMITTEE IF HE DOESN’T SUE

A1+
07:48 pm | July 30, 2009

Politics

The ad hoc committee leading the investigation into the events of
March 1 received the third document sent by members of the Fact-Finding
Group Seda Safaryan and Andranik Kocharyan regarding the circumstances
of the death of one of the victims of March 1-soldier from military
unit N1033 of the police forces Tigran Abgaryan, as reported by head
of the ad hoc committee Samvel Nikoyan to "A1+".

The committee will study the document. Presses released information
and according to one of the versions, it was the commander of the
police forces who opened fire against the soldiers and killed Tigran
to prevent the strike of the soldiers who refused to fire at their
own people.

"A1+" asked Nikoyan if the committee found it appropriate to invite
former commander of the police forces Grigor Grigoryan to study this
version, to which Nikoyan said:

"We will wait for Grigoryan’s response. If he doesn’t sue that
newspaper, then we will be interested in that information."

CC TO ACKNOWLEDGE AS ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL?

A1+
07:25 pm | July 30, 2009

Society

Today was the subsequent trial of advocate Mushegh Shushanyan at the
Kentron and Nork-Marash districts’ first instance court in Yerevan.

First, Judge Gayane Karakhanyan presented the decision of the
Constitutional Court and after hearing the decision, Mushegh
Shushanyan’s advocate Hayk Aylumyan filed another petition by
which Shushanyan’s side is planning to appeal the decision of the
Constitutional Court and ask to end the case.

"If the fact that the Ombudsman addressed the Constitutional Court
and the arguments brought up in the appeal are taken into account, it
is not excluded that the Constitutional Court consider the mentioned
norm as anti-constitutional," said Mushegh Shushanyan to "A1+". After
nearly an hour of consultation, the judge announced the decision to
reject the petition and Shushanyan’s next trial will be on August 5.

Shushanyan is charged with showing disrespectful behavior toward
the court.