Month: September 2013

HRANT DINK SHOWED THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO BREAK TABOOS IN TURKEY: HAIKAZUN ALVRTSYAN

12:13, 14 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: The experience of killing a man
under political purposes in Turkey exists since the very beginning
of foundation of that country. “Armenpress” reports that director of
scientific-research center “Study center of Western Armenians’ issues”
Hrant Dink’s friend Haikazun Alvrtsyan during press conference on
September 14 mentioned the meetings with reporters, employees of
“Agos”, Armenian and Turkish intellectuals during his visits to
Western Armenia and especially Istanbul show that Hrant Dink first of
all was their ideological leader. “Hrant changed many things not only
in Armenian cause but also in the way of accepting it in Turkey. He
showed that among Turkish society can be done what was considered as
a taboo for a long time,” said Dinks’ friend.

In his opinion taking into consideration that today 3-4 Armenian
generation living in Turkey or is unaware or came on value system of
a country which implemented Armenian genocide Dink’s contribution was
invaluable who was sure that Turkey can become democratic and his
intellectual friends living in Turkey had the same opinion. While
Turkey for centuries tried toile both to East and West with fake
promises and implement its totalitarian policy.

Alvrtsyan informed that on the eve of 60th anniversary of Hrant Dink
on September 15, 2014 the foundation will organize several events.

Hrant Dink was killed by Turkish nationalists on January 19,
2007. On his funeral day hundreds of thousands people came out to
Istanbul streets with slogans “We are all Armenians”, “We are all
Hrant”. On January 17, 2012 Istanbul court sentenced Yasin Hayal to
life imprisonment for organizing the crime. The killer Ogiun Samast
will spend oin prison 22.5 years. The court decided the murder was
not an organized crime.

On September 15 Hrant Dink would become 59.

From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIA’S PRESSURE ON ARMENIA UNEXPECTED FOR AUTHORITIES – ASHOT MANUCHARYAN

September 14, 2013 | 12:34

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union was made as
a result of huge pressure from Russia, member of Karabakh committee
Ashot Manucharyan believes.

Manucharyan noted that Armenia had been holding serious negotiations
with Europe for over three years and had been talking about European
values, and then everything changed in a while.

“All these facts prove that Armenian authorities were pressed. In
fact, the Customs Union is not an economic union, but a political
and military and political alliance,” he told reporters.

The member of Karabakh committee said Russia’s pressure on Armenia
was unexpected for the authorities, but not a surprise for the U.S.,
since the Armenian government machine is under American influence.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARAM TAMAZIAN TO ACT AS PROSECUTOR GENERAL

Saturday,
September
14

By an order of Armenia’s Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian, in
view of the expiration of the tenure of the prosecutor general and in
accordance with Article 10 part 1 point 6, Article 30, and Article 36
part 1 of the RA Law on Prosecutor’s Office, Deputy Prosecutor General
of Armenia Aram Tamazian will act as Prosecutor General of Armenia,
the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

Yesterday, on September 12, President Serzh Sargsyan received Armenia’s
Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian in connection with the expiration
of his tenure. The president thanked A. Hovsepian for his long service
and contribution to the strengthening of the country’s legal system.

13.09.2013, 18:50

Aysor.am

ZHOGHOVURD: SYUNIK EX-GOVERNOR PLANS TO GET HIS FAMILY OUT OF COUNTRY

Saturday,
September
14

‘Zhoghovurd’ writes citing its sources that ex-governor of Syunik
province Suren Khachatrian intends to move his wife Loreta Barseghian
and his son Tigran Khachatrian to Marseille.

According to the paper’s sources, S. Khachatrian has his own business
in Marseille and he wants his family to spend some time there until
society forgets about the incident that occurred near his house in
Goris this year.

During a talk with ‘Zhoghovurd’, Suren Khachatrian naturally declared
that the information is untrue. “Rumors are spread almost every day.

Do they think I have nothing to do expect respond to all this?” S.

Khachatrian said.

TODAY, 12:40

Aysor.am

FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND MOLDOVA STUDY EXPANSION OF CONTRACTUAL FRAMEWORK

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Saturday, September 14, 12:03

Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian and Deputy Prime
Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of
Moldova Natalya German discussed expansion of the two countries’
contractual framework, the Armenian Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo.

The sides discussed also implementation of the agreements achieved
in the course of the Armenian president’s visit to Chisinau on 11-12
June and the joint steps of Yerevan and Chisinau in that process.

The two ministers touched upon expansion of cooperation at
international organizations, stimulation of cultural exchange, and
cooperation at the international and regional levels.

IF EUROPE WANTED US TO BECOME ITS FRIEND, IT SHOULD HAVE MADE INVESTMENTS – ARMENIAN SOCIOLOGIST

September 14, 2013 | 13:02

YEREVAN. – About 40-50 percent of Armenia’s population has always
been pro-Russian, and 20-25 percent of the population is pro-European.

Sociologist Aharon Adibekyan stated the above-said during a press
conference on Saturday.

In his words, the US comes in third and Iran is fourth, but they have
switched places in recent years.

“Russia has large sums of investment money, [and] it has to take care
of its money. If Europe wanted us to become its friend, it had time;
it should have made investments. And if this territory is risky for
it, let it solve the Karabakh issue,” Adibekyan noted.

The sociologist also stated that the Customs Union is perilous in
terms of the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union, since this will
become a new, super “continent,” which frightens Europe.

“When Russia is alone, it is weak, [but] when it tries to enter with
a metastasis, it gets stronger,” he said.

Aharon Adibekyan added that Europe quietly accepts what Armenia says
now, since it has understood that the country has no other choice.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

HRANT DINK THOUGHT ARMENIAN ISSUE CAN BE SOLVED ONLY IN DEMOCRATIC TURKEY

September 14, 2013 | 12:51

YEREVAN. – The editor of Armenian-Turkish Agos daily Hrant Dink must be
considered not within the scope of his personality and professional
skills, but in the context of Armenian cause and problems of the
Armenian nation, political analyst said.

“A number of events must be organized by the 60th anniversary of
Hrant Dink in order to help understand a man of great thinking,”
political analyst Haykazun Alvrtsyan said.

Turkey, a country trying to look democratic in the eyes of Europe,
always tried to cheat the west, the east and their own people by giving
false promises on equality of nations, speech and religious freedom.

Hrant Dink was confident that the Armenian issue can be settled only
in democratic Turkey, he added.

Hrant Dink, chief editor of the bilingual Armenian-Turkish Agos
newspaper, was killed near his office in Istanbul on January 19,
2007 by Turkish ultranationalist Ogun Samast.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

EUROPE HAS DEFINITELY NOT GIVEN UP ON ARMENIA – STEFAN FULE

September 14, 2013 | 11:35

Europe has definitely not given up on Armenia and Armenian people,
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy
Å tefan Fule said in an interview withRFE/RL Armenian service.

The fact that Armenia turns from the Association Agreement to Customs
Union it does not mean that European agenda, values and principles
will disappear, he said.

“We will be strongly represented here in Armenia and will be working
with civil society. We do not walk backwards, we will go forward,
may be not in such a complex way, but we will go forward,” Fule noted.

EU is ready for new legal framework of relation with Armenia, and
they had informed President about that, he said.

Full interview on website of RFE/RL Armenian service

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST ‘FIX’ INVESTIGATION AFTER CLAIMS VOTES WERE TRADED FOR CASH

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

13 Sep 2013 00:00

An executive who worked on this year’s final has alleged that they
were contacted by several delegations keen to do dodgy deals

  Eclipsed: Bonnie Tyler song was 19th Eclipsed: Bonnie Tyler song
was 19th WireImage

Its scoring system has long been derided as a joke by UK viewers, but
now Eurovision bosses are probing claims some countries bought votes.

An anonymous executive who worked on this year’s final in Malmo,
Sweden, has this week alleged they were contacted by several
delegations keen to do dodgy deals.

Azerbaijan – awarded the maximum 12 points by Malta in 2010, 2011,
2012 and 2013 – stands accused of offering to bribe jury members with
“enough money to live off for a year” in order to get extra points.

The Azerbaijani delegation is also accused of handing out mobile
phone SIM cards to Lithuanian students and paying them to vote.

On the day of the final, Lithuanian website 15min published a
secretly-recorded film which showed youngsters being offered cash by
Russian-speaking men to back Azerbaijan – winner of the 2011 contest.

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, who came 19th out of 26 finalists in May,
told a French newspaper she overheard Russians asking why they didn’t
get the votes they paid for.

Bonnie said: “The next day the Russians were complaining to Azerbaijan
– ‘why didn’t you give us the 10 points we paid for?’

“Excuse me? We paid for? Is this a competition?

“We haven’t won for 16 years so I didn’t expect to win. But it’s too
bad that politics come into it.

“It should be a songwriting competition not who lives next door to
you. Did you see the way they vote? ­Unbelievable.”

Emmelie de Forest of Denmark wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2013
Rate Dane: Emmelie de Forest celebrates her victory in Malmo Getty  

This week’s revelations in Swedish newspaper Skanska Dagbladet
quoted an executive from an unnamed country’s delegation who had been
contacted by several countries keen to do deals in which they would
trade high points regardless of the quality of the songs.

The insider says they were approached by a member of the Macedonian
delegation about a vote-swapping scheme in the week before the
semi-final.

Another incident took place over a coffee with a member of the
Azerbaijani contingent, who first admitted that the country they
worked for was buying votes from other countries and then offered
the source “enough money to live for a year” if they could arrange
high jury points.

The source added: “I know of at least three other countries that
are doing this kind of agreement backstage, even if they have not
contacted me personally.”

Yesterday Eurovision Song Contest Event Supervisor Sietse Bakker
confirmed that the corruption claims were being investigated by the
European Broadcasting Union.

He said: “Our investigation into the allegations towards Azerbaijan
is still ongoing.”

The Dutchman said that if wrongdoing was discovered, action would
be taken.

“We have a very clear policy on such ­speculations. First of all,
we always look into the story. If necessary, we investigate further.

“And if we would find actual proof that the rules have been breached,
we will impose firm sanctions and do everything we can to avoid it
in the future.”

But Eurovision experts are sceptical about anything being done about
corruption.

One said: “There is no doubt that this vote-rigging is going on and
the EBU – whose members are the public broadcasters in the countries
taking part – claims it is conducting a fair investigation.

“Now everyone’s waiting to see what they end up unearthing.

“There are worries that they don’t want to rock the boat and are
as toothless as Fifa when it comes to deciding where the World Cup
should be held.”

[Emmelie-de-Forest-of-Denmark-Wins-1897870.jpg] View gallery AFP/Getty
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[Norways-Margaret-Berger-1897722.jpg] ” Eurovision 2013 View gallery

If this is true it’s a travesty: By Cheryl Baker of Bucks Fizz

You’ll always get people voting for their neighbour, but taking money,
I think that’s shocking, a travesty.

It’s turning a really joyous occasion into something really sordid
and nasty.

Some nations take it more seriously than we do but we shouldn’t come
in the bottom three as we have done so frequently (although whoever
came up with the idea of Engelbert Humperdinck needs shooting).

The ones who have won in the last few years have been good, but if
it’s down to vote-rigging then something needs to be done.

If there is video evidence of people trying to vote-rig, then that
country needs to be banned.

If they sit back and let it happen, it isn’t a competition at all.

The actual show is fantastic, it’s the voting that makes us groan
and lets it down.

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Hrant Dink murder case has regressed, lawyer says ahead of retrial

14:50 14.09.2013

Hrant Dink

The case on Hrant Dink’s murder has not advanced but regressed, one of
the lawyers representing the Turkish-Armenian journalist said, as the
retrial is set to start next week, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“We are currently much further behind of the starting point of the
trial,” Fethiye Çetin told reporters during a press conference on
Sept. 13, arguing that in the initial trial the indictment already
defined the organization as “terrorist” while in the retrial, this
aspect of the case would be reviewed.

Çetin, who published this month a book about the unknown facts of the
case (“Utanç Duyuyorum: Hrant Dink Cinayetinin Yargýsý,” “I Feel
Ashamed: The Judgment of the Hrant Dink Murder”) explained that the
Supreme Court had defined the motive of the organization as
“political” rather than “terrorist” in its verdict that led to the
retrial of the case.

The Supreme Court of Appeals had overturned the acquittals of top
suspects, including Yasin Hayal, who was charged with being the
instigator of the assassination and the “leader of a terrorist
organization.” Hayal and other suspects such as Erhan Tuncel and Ersin
Yolcu will also be retried.

“According to the Supreme Court, this organization was established in
2004 by Yasin Hayal. It comprises Erhan Tuncel, Ersin Yolcu, Ahmet
Ýskender and Ogün Samast, whom they use as the triggerman of the
murder. […] However it is defined as only established with a political
motive, to punish Hrant Dink,” Çetin said. For a murder to be
considered a “terrorist act,” it would have to be committed with a
clear aim against the state of the public order, according to the
Turkish Penal Code.

“The Supreme Court has made a mistake in its definition of the nature
and the aim of the organization,” Çetin said, adding that it could
take the court many years of trial to rule on the “terror
organization” aspect.

Dink, the renowned editor-in-chief of Agos, was shot in front of his
office in Istanbul on Jan. 19, 2007.

Following the convictions of Samast and Hayal for the murder, a high
criminal court had dismissed charges related to “armed terrorist
organization.” Later, the Supreme Court verdict defined the acts of
all suspects in the case under “an organization formed to commit
crime” according to the Turkish Penal Code’s Article 220.

Çetin argues in her book that the killing order was given by the
Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MÝT) via an encrypted
message.