Month: September 2013

U.S. TO REMAIN PARTNER OF ARMENIA IN SPITE OF ITS WISH TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION – AMBASSADOR

Interfax, Russia
September 18, 2013 Wednesday 11:59 AM MSK

YEREVAN. Sept 18

The Armenian authorities’ decision to join the Customs Union will have
no effect on Armenian-U.S. relations, U.S. Ambassador to Yerevan John
Heffern said.

Armenian-U.S. relations rest on a mutual interest in Armenia’s success,
he said in an interview with the Radio Liberty Armenian service. The
United States has other interests in that region, as well, such as
the Karabakh peace process and Armenian-Turkish normalization, the
ambassador said, adding he could not see how the decision pertaining
to the Customs Union could influence the aforesaid regional problems.

The main question is about a possible effect on Armenia’s internal
reforms, the diplomat said. In his words, the Armenian leaders assured
the United States and the European Union in private conversations and
publicly they intended to carry on the reforms. The U.S. will continue
to encourage and support that process as much as it can, he said.

The diplomat expressed an opinion that Western partners could be of
use for Armenia. He said he was confident that the course towards
the EU could be the force to guide Armenia along the right path of
democracy and supremacy of law. On the other hand, Armenia chooses
a path on its own, and there is nothing in the Customs Union to
hamper Armenia’s implementation of the reforms publicly pledged by
the Armenian president and prime minister,” Heffern said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian told his Polish counterpart
Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw on Tuesday that Yerevan intended to develop
comprehensive cooperation with the EU but not at the expense of its
relations with Russia.

Te mk

ICONS TAKEN FROM CYPRUS IN 1975 TO BE RETURNED

The Toronto Star, Canada
September 18, 2013 Wednesday

Valued at $200,000, the 16th-century paintings portray the four
apostles

The Dutch government seized four icons looted from a monastery in
northern Cyprus and will hand them to Cypriot authorities Wednesday,
according to Walk of Truth, an organization that campaigns to preserve
cultural heritage.

The 16th-century icons portraying the four apostles, valued at about
$200,000, were taken from the medieval Antiphonitis monastery in 1975.

Legal efforts by the Church of Cyprus to recover the icons failed
in 2002 after seven years. A change in Dutch law in 2007 allowed the
government to seize the artworks, said Tasoula Hadjitofi, the founder
of Walk of Truth.

“We have heard that the icons will be delivered to Cypriot authorities
within 48 hours,” Hadjitofi told delegates at a Sept. 16 conference
in the Hague. “The Netherlands should be congratulated for this.”

The Cypriot government says that as many as 100 Greek Orthodox and
Armenian churches in northern Cyprus were looted or vandalized after
the 1974 Turkish invasion. It estimates that more than 15,000 icons
are missing. Some objects have been recovered in western Europe and
the United States.

The four looted icons of the saints were bought by an elderly Dutch
couple from an Armenian dealer who visited their Rotterdam home. When
the couple tried to auction the icons in the 1990s, employees of
Christie’s International warned that they may have been stolen.

Litigation to recover them began in 1995.

A district court ruled that the Dutch purchaser bought the icons in
good faith and was therefore the rightful owner.

The Court of Appeals found that the claim was time-barred under
statutes of limitations in 2002, according to Rob Polak, the
Amsterdam-based lawyer who represented the Church of Cyprus in the
legal process.

Questions about the ruling were raised in the Dutch parliament, and
in 2007, the Cultural Property Originating From Occupied Territory
Act was passed.

The law bans the import and ownership of cultural property originating
from a territory that was occupied in an armed conflict after 1959,
and allows the Minister of Education, Culture and Science to seize any
such property. In cases where the owner is deemed to be a good-faith
buyer, he may receive compensation from the Dutch state.

OBITUARIES; RICHARD C. SARAFIAN, 1930 – 2013; Director of ‘Vanishing Point’

Los Angeles Times
September 19, 2013 Thursday

by Steve Chawkins

Richard C. Sarafian, a Hollywood director best known for the
speed-addled saga of squealing brakes and existential angst chronicled
in the 1971 cult film “Vanishing Point,” died Wednesday. He was 83.

Sarafian was recovering from a broken back when he contracted
pneumonia, family members said.

He directed numerous films and, earlier in his career, TV shows that
included episodes of “Gunsmoke,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Batman.” He
also acted, appearing as hitman Vinnie in the Warren Beatty satire
“Bulworth” and gangster Jack Dragna in Beatty’s “Bugsy.”

In “Dr. Doolittle 2,” he did a comic turn as the voice of the God
Beaver, a don of the dam who ran the forest like a Corleone with
buck teeth.

But it was “Vanishing Point,” the story of a tough guy named Kowalski
and his frenzied road trip from Denver to San Francisco, that proved
to be Sarafian’s most enduring work.

“I had absolutely no idea that this thing would survive all these
years,” he told the website movieweb.com in 2009. “We worked hard in
the hot sun and we partied at night. You just hope, like everything,
that you blow the audience a few kisses and try to fulfill your vision
of what it’s about … freedom, an endless road, and let the cards
fall where they may.”

In Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof,” the director gave Sarafian a
“special thanks” credit, a bow to the influence of “Vanishing Point.”

Its impact has also been felt outside the industry. In 1997, Scottish
rock band Primal Scream paid tribute to Sarafian by naming an album
“Vanishing Point”: “It’s always been a favorite of the band,”
leader Bobby Gillespie explained. “We love the air of paranoia and
speed-freak righteousness.”

In the film, ex-cop, ex-racer and Vietnam vet Kowalski, played by
Barry Newman, bets his drug dealer he can deliver a supercharged 1970
Dodge Challenger to California in 15 hours. The reasons for the wager
are unclear, but it triggers 90 minutes worth of screaming police
cruisers and an excited, crash-by-crash radio narration from Super
Soul, a blind disc jockey played by Cleavon Little. Kowalski also
encounters desert hippies, a rattlesnake wrangler and an alluring,
naked blonde woman on a motorcycle.

Over the years, critics have been puzzled. “Kowalski would be a
contemporary Lone Ranger but for one thing,” wrote Danny Peary. “He
forgets to do anything heroic.”

Sarafian was undeterred. “The beauty of ‘Vanishing Point’ was that I
met the challenge to physicalize speed,” he told Turner Classic Movies.

Born April 28, 1930, in New York City, Richard Caspar Sarafian was
the son of Armenian immigrants.

He attended New York University but “was a rotten student, drinking
and carousing,” he told the Armenian Reporter in 2008. “To make life
easier, I took a two-point course in writing and directing pictures. I
got an A!”

Serving during the Korean War as a reporter for an Army news service,
he was stationed for a time in Kansas City, Mo., where he met future
Hollywood director Robert Altman.

The two became pals and worked together making industrial films. When
Altman directed a local play, Sarafian acted in it. The director’s
sister came bounding backstage after he appeared, her arms opened wide.

“Richard, Richard!” she exclaimed. “You were adequate!”

They married and had five children. Helen Joan Altman died two years
ago, after divorcing Sarafian and later remarrying him.

Sarafian got his start in TV as Altman’s assistant but quickly
established himself.

The 1963 “Twilight Zone” “Living Doll” episode was one of his more
famous efforts.

After watching the story of the murderous Talky Tina doll, Sarafian’s
son Deran sought comfort from his parents.

“That was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen,” he told them.

His mother sympathized. “By the way,” she told him, “your father
directed it.”

Sarafian also directed “Man in the Wilderness,” “The Man Who Loved
Cat Dancing,” “Run Wild, Run Free” and other movies. His first feature
film, “Andy,” was the story of a developmentally disabled man getting
by in New York City.

In addition to Deran Sarafian, he is survived by sons Damon, Richard
Jr. and Tedi; and daughter Catherine. All work in the film industry.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH POLICE DEPARTMENT OPENS PROBE INTO MISSED SURVEILLANCE DATA

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 19 2013

ANKARA

During this investigation, the Police Intelligence office discovered
a number of clues about the erasing of data, as well as the copying
of some archive information. DHA photo

The police department has kicked-off an investigation into the former
actions of its intelligence service, but has been unable to access
some of the wiretapping and surveillance records, according to a
report in daily Milliyet on Sept. 19.

The department has been undergoing a personnel reshuffle and
institutional restructuring since Engin Dinc, who was reportedly
involved in employing a suspect in the Armenian-Turkish journalist
Hrant Dink murder case as an intelligence provider, became head of
the Police Intelligence office in April.

Within the transition operations, the new department head has also
ordered a wide-scale probe into operations conducted under his
predecessor, Omer Altınparmak.

During this investigation, the Police Intelligence office discovered
a number of clues about the erasing of data, as well as the copying
of some archive information.

In particular, some processes conducted related to technical
wiretapping and surveillance activities could not be reached,
Milliyet reported.

Evidence of data manipulation has been sent to the Internal Affairs
Ministry and the General Police Director Mehmet Kılıclar.

The higher management has ordered a re-examination of the obtained
data by inspectors, who will look to see whether there are any
elements of crimes having been committed among former activities,
and decide on the punishment if necessary.

Two chief police inspectors began to examine the operation records 10
days ago at the Police Intelligence Department headquarters in Ankara.

At the first stage of investigations, inspectors demanded some of the
missing records from the Turkey’s Directorate of Telecommunication
(TÄ°B), which is the sole authority over all of the wiretapping
and surveillance activities of security units. However the TÄ°B is
reported to have given a negative response to the request.

Following Dinc’s taking over of the post in April, most of the branch
chiefs were replaced in May, without waiting for the appointment
season to come. As part of the summer appointments, lower ranking
officials, as well as a number of critically positioned personnel,
were also relocated.

These displaced personnel now appear to be resorting to judicial
measures, claiming that they were unseated “unlawfully.” Some of the
intelligence managers have already earned the right to be reappointed
within 30 days, after a ruling for the suspension of the execution
of replacement decision. Suspension decisions are still subject to
the finalization of a number of legal procedures.

September/19/2013

RAISING THE BAR

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 19 2013

NICOLE POPE

Democratization packages were hotly anticipated events when change
was still in the air, too many years ago.

These days, it is harder to invest much hope in a reform package whose
introduction has been delayed many times, when every day politicians
display attitudes and make statements in sharp contrast with the aims
their policies are meant to pursue.

When the series of reforms is finally unveiled, it will no doubt
include a few positive measures. But one can’t escape feeling that
the government is taking these steps not because it believes Turkey
needs a more democratic environment, but rather because it is forced
to do something — as little as possible — to keep the struggling
Kurdish peace process alive.

As this newspaper pointed out only recently, three years after the
2010 referendum, the legislation has yet to be brought in line with
the amendments adopted, a fact that points to the government’s flagging
enthusiasm for the process of democratization. It is as if Turkey had
gone back to the 1990s, when reforms were seen by the state largely as
a necessary evil — needed at the time because of EU accession hopes,
which provides little pull factor today — rather than as a means to
transform the country and improve the lives of its citizens.

Certainly, when sifting through the daily news, there is precious
little to suggest that the current government has achieved the radical
shift in mentality it had promised, one that would put the needs and
rights of individuals, rather than the state, at the center of the
rulers’ concerns.

This government scored some major achievements in its early years, but
lately it has measured progress mainly in the amount of cement poured.

The authorities were proud that the Caglayan “justice palace,”
inaugurated a couple of years ago, was the largest in Europe, but
they’ve done little to improve the quality of the judicial decisions
delivered in this imposing building.

After six long years awaiting justice, Hrant Dink’s family and friends
appear so convinced that the truth will not emerge, in the absence
of political will, that they have chosen not to attend the retrial of
defendants involved in the murder of the Turkish-Armenian journalist
in January 2007. Their disillusion is shared by all those who were
encouraged by the outpouring of public support that followed Dink’s
shocking assassination.

The fate of this particular case is only one indicator that Turkey’s
rulers have opted to maintain the status quo. Most projects recently
unveiled by the government involve superlatives — the biggest mosque,
the biggest airport, the biggest court — but ambitions about the
exterior are not always matched by a similar attention to the content.

How about aiming instead to develop the best judicial system in
Europe or just trying to avoid being top of the list of countries
most often condemned by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
for their flawed judicial decisions and human rights violations?

Time and time again, the state is protected while little respect is
shown for the rights of individuals. Investigations launched against
police officers accused of using excessive force during the Gezi
protests resulted in disciplinary measures taken against 43 officers
but the penalty — loss of seniority benefits for six to 16 months
— can hardly be seen as a deterrent, especially when compared to
the government’s harsh attitude toward protesters. And what about
the policeman in Mersin who thought it amusing to encourage children
playing in the street to hit each other? When they didn’t comply, he
hit one so severely that the 8-year-old child had to be hospitalized
with internal injuries. We can only hope that the officer will get
more than a slap on the wrist for such unconscionable behavior.

Can the government still pull a surprise out of its hat, with
significant changes such as education in Kurdish, a major softening of
the anti-terror legislation, a lowering of the 10 percent electoral
threshold and the reopening of the Halki seminary? Nothing would be
more welcome. Based on recent experience, however, such a positive
leap forward appears unlikely.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A POLITICAL MURDER CASE LEFT TO ROT

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 19 2013

YAVUZ BAYDAR

Certainly, one should never compare tragedies. But neither should
anyone deny the symbolic magnitude of the tragedy that struck our
dear colleague the late Hrant Dink and scarred his family forever.

The dark date of Jan. 19, 2007 carved a deep wound on all of us. When
that heinous murder took place, this newspaper was only three days
old; it is no wonder its bold history is also defined by the powerful
probe for justice and its lifeline closely linked to the sense of
closure this case still demands, day after day.

So, it is no wonder that these days we have the utterly bitter taste
of lies, deceit and, well, nothingness. The murder trial that began
in July 2007 with high hopes for justice has now been moved back to
square one. A litmus test for democratization for Turkey has, many
argue, failed; underlining all the reform that has stalled and been
delayed since then.

The retrial began some days ago in Ä°stanbul, after the Supreme Court
of Appeals in May overturned the lower court’s ruling of Jan. 17, 2012,
dismissing the involvement of an organized criminal terror network
in the murder. This means the trial will have to start from scratch;
going through all the same procedures, while even less evidence may
be valid, witnesses may have a less reliable memory and it will be
under different political — and, perhaps, judicial — circumstances.

For all those who have made their own studies of “How to destroy
the investigations of critical human rights violations and political
murders,” the sense of helplessness is already out in the open.

The Dink family is now in full rebellion. Hrant’s loved ones issued
a public letter a few days ago that should not go unnoticed, simply
because by its tone it reveals what the case has been reduced to. Do
let me share some parts of it:

“As the Dink family, we will no longer be an instrument in the game
of the state mechanisms that tease us; we will no longer attend the
re-hearings of the murder case. For the sake of not getting ourselves
filthy, we will no longer enter those courtrooms where lies are
drunk like water; tyranny is eaten like bread; the right to life,
human rights, fairness, honesty, justice and law are stepped on.”

“Since the slaying of Hrant Dink on 19 January 2007, the system
in Turkey — along with its judiciary, law enforcement, military
and civilian bureaucracy, and political institutions — have merely
mocked us. While appearing as if it was seeking justice, the criminal
alliance called the state recommitted the murder day by day, hearing
by hearing, over and over again. This alliance is itself the criminal
organization that planned the murder and then covered it up.”

“In this lawsuit, the only thing necessary to reveal the state’s murder
mechanisms and he criminal alliance was political will. Despite all
the pledges to the public, the political power persistently refrained
from manifesting this political will. Far from manifesting will power,
it promoted the state officials who had played a role in the murder
or who had praised the murderers; it appointed them to be security
directors, undersecretaries, governors and as the public ombudsman;
and they admitted some of them into their own structures and made
them parliamentary deputies or ministers. Rather than turning this
murder that was committed while they were in power into a matter of
“honor,” the political power has chosen to use it as a trump card;
to try the offenders only when the gun is pointed at them; and to
brag by saying ‘During our term, there have not been any murders by
unknown assailants,’ ignoring the murder of the only Armenian during
the republican history who has struggled for human rights with a
strong voice.”

“We are no longer in this show. … Where there is the state behind
or in front, we do not expect anything.”

We are now stuck between very low hope and despair. For all those
who are interested in the case, I would highly recommend a new
book titled “I Feel Ashamed” by Fethiye Cetin, the Dink family’s
attorney. Reading like an alternative indictment, shedding light
on all sorts of alleged cover-up and demonic intrigue, it deserves
translation to other languages.

MINORITY SCHOOLS IN TURKEY LACK STUDENTS, REPORT SAYS

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 19 2013

19 September 2013 /Ä°PEK UZUM, Ä°STANBUL
A lack of students in Turkey’s minority schools is leading them to
close down, according to a Thursday report by the History Foundation.

The report, released at a foundation press conference, says that the
steady decline in Turkey’s minority populations, a rising preference
among minority students to study at non-minority schools and enrollment
limitations applied by the state have drawn student populations
at minority schools down so far that many have had to close. The
surviving Armenian and Jewish schools seem to have reached stable
enrolment levels, but low enrolment remains the single biggest problem
facing Greek schools in Turkey. In the 2012-13 academic year, 3,137
students attended Armenian schools, including 67 Armenian citizens;
230 students attended Greek schools (including students of Greek
nationality) and 688 students attended Jewish schools.

“The number of students attending these schools may be increased
and the schools may be saved from closure if students who are not
Turkish citizens or who do not belong to the same minority [group]
are allowed to enroll,” the report says.

One of the biggest problems the report mentioned is the ambiguous
status of Turkey’s minority schools, which are officially considered
neither private schools nor foreign schools. However, minority schools
are still associated by the public with private and foreign schools,
and are subjected to the legislation regulating private schools —
including a rule that prevents them from accepting students above
a quota allocated by the ministry of education, which causes major
financial problems and often makes it difficult for minority schools
to survive on their budgets.

The report goes on to suggest the drafting of separate laws and
regulations specific to minority schools. “A framework regulation can
be developed to cover all minority schools, taking into account the
differing characteristics of each community’s schools, or separate
regulations can be prepared for the schools of each community.

“It is suggested that legislation be developed through dialogue to
bring a permanent solution to their [minority schools’] problems
while taking into consideration the texts drafted by the minority
schools concerning possible legislation,” the report says.

Another problem the report mentions is the reciprocity principle
and minority schools. Though minority schools are affiliated with
foundations managed by Turkish citizens and attended by Turkish
citizens, the principle of reciprocity is imposed on the development of
legislation governing these schools and in defining their rights and
obligations. For example, if a Greek school in Turkey wants to hire a
teacher who is a Greek national, the Turkish government will require
Greece to hire a Turkish teacher to teach at a school in Greece.

According to the report, this reciprocity principle equates minorities
with foreigners, offending them and forcing them to deal with a large
number of bureaucratic and political problems. The report suggests
dropping the principle of reciprocity when preparing legislation
governing minority schools.

Yet another challenge minority schools face is a lack of trained
teachers as Turkish universities do not offer specialized education
in this field. The History Foundation suggests the establishment
of special departments for each minority group’s schools in Turkish
universities.

No public authority or private institution is responsible for preparing
the textbooks and education materials needed by the minority schools of
the Armenian, Greek and Jewish communities, the report says. “Schools
should also be provided with support for the translation and printing
of textbooks. It is suggested that a special unit with a suitable
budget and employing an adequate number of qualified employees be
set up to develop textbooks and educational materials for minority
schools in Turkey. This unit should be financed by the state.”

J. GASANLI : ON TOP OF CORRUPTION ILHAM ALIYEV HIMSELF

Turan Information Agency
September 18, 2013 Wednesday

Baku/18.09.13/Turan : In an atmosphere of recrimination passed on
September 17 the first public television debate of presidential
candidates in the presidential election on October 9.

However, many candidates did not lashed out at the authorities and the
opposition. The candidate of the government, the current president
Ilham Aliyev on TV debates did not appear and was represented by
its executive secretary of the ruling party “Yeni Azerbaijan” Ali
Akhmedov .

Of all the candidates with sharp criticism and denunciation to the
authorities made ??the candidate of the National Council of Democratic
Forces of Jamil Gasanli .

He noted that the main issue is not handing out promises from election
to election , but also to provide a report on the implementation of
these promises.

“Ilham Aliyev should participate in the debate . He does not want
to be together with the other candidates, disrespects them, is not
accountable to the people. Ilham Aliyev should answer the questions of
the people. He should answer the questions on what money he bought in
Dubai 5 villas that cost $ 75 million to his then 11-year-old son. He
should answer the question. About this the Washington Post wrote.

Only because of this fact in a normal country, the government would
have taken down. There are documents about his (Aliyev’s) companies
in the Virgin Islands, the withdrawal from the country of 48 billion
dollars. These funds are more than the state budget.

He should talk about his family’s companies in Panama.

The son of the minister of agriculture has property for $ 26 million
in London. This is only one minister . Should be disclosed information
about a property abroad and other ministers , “- said Gasanli .

He drew attention to the low level of salaries and pensions of the
population.

“Azerbaijan is an oil country . Azerbaijan experienced a peak in oil
revenues . But look what salary? Those who take out billions abroad,
do not give a normal salaries, pensions or normal . Pensions are so
small , that the meetings of the government authorities are ashamed
to talk about them in local and express them in dollar terms. At the
head of corruption in the country is itself Ilham Aliyev . Why voters
should vote for this government ? Look how paltry are salaries and
pensions that they are missing out on medicines prescribed in just
one prescription,” said Gasanli .

Authorized representative of Ilham Aliyev, Ali Akhmedov , in turn ,
called the speech by Gasanli fiction, “newspaper materials that are
not based on documents and do not have proof.”

He further stated that Gasanli 2 years ago early retirement in order
to receive an increased parliamentary pension. According to Akhmedov ,
the option of early retirement or have mothers with many children ,
or people with disabilities.

“But you do not look sick . You are either a crook or must prove your
disability ” – Akhmedov said .

“No, I’m not sick – Gasanli retorted attack from Akhmedov. – Sick
are those who have brought the country into a difficult position. On
the exam in their native language 42 percent of the students received
“two” .

Sick are those who take out the people’s money abroad , arrest
believers , tossing them drugs,” said Gasanli.

Independent nominee , MP Zahid Oruc more talked about ways to fight
the opposition, criticized it and personally Gasanli.

According to Oruc, accusations of Ilham Aliyev in the foreign media
came after he spoke out against opening the border between Turkey
and Armenia .

Leader of Umid , MP Iqbal Aghazadeh said that the authorities do
not solve the country’s problems . According to him , voters do not
believe the current government .

Most voters are dissatisfied with their lives. The life of doctors ,
teachers, pensioners has become worse.

Aghazadeh is for change in the country. ” Where there is no change,
there is violation of human rights . Where there is a change ,
there’s a development,” said Aghazadeh .

In his view, power should be also subject to recall.

According to him, the Presidents of the United States and Europe
change not because they poorly manage, but namely because no change
worsens the situation.

“The conduct of Azerbaijan’s courts , the police, the government is
so unbearable that if you do not change them, they will change your
life for the worse,” Aghazadeh said , referring to the voters .

In his view, people often worry that a change would be violated
stability. “Stability can be saved and 20 years. However, when, after
such a long period of stagnation suddenly the processes of change, it
is accompanied by major disasters. An example is the Middle East. To
avoid this in the future, change is needed, ” said Aghazadeh .

The representative of the head of the Justice Party, MP Ilyas Ismailov,
Mutallim Rahimov focused on the big statist experience of the candidate
, who in the days of the Soviet Union occupied high posts .

According to Rahimov , none of the other candidates do not have
such experience.

The head of the party Modern Musavat Hafiz Hajiyev accused the National
Council of cooperation with the Armenians and criticized Jamil Gasanli
. Hajiyev at the same time said that being a follower of Elchibey ,
he had more right to be the only candidate from the opposition.

The leader of the Movement of National Revival Party , MP Faraj Guliyev
promised to return to the country the oil money contained in foreign
banks. He also proposes land plots and housing for youths returning
from the army.

Guliyev also accused the members of the National Council of connection
with the Armenians.

The Democratic Party leader Sardar Jalaloglu drew attention to the
fact that Azerbaijan according to the UN report is the 17th in the
number of people leaving the country.

Azerbaijanis have reached even Australia, on the far outskirts of the
Russian Azerbaijanis live , even in places where there are no Russian .

The reason for that is poor socio -economic status , and lack of rule
of law.

“My main goal is to build social and legal state,” said Jalaloglu.

The leader of the Social Democratic Party Araz Alizadeh considers
that the motherland has three supports – the mother , the teacher
and the military .

Mothers have to raise their sons and therefore are worthy of a
prosperous life. Teachers give all education and deserve a high
salary. Army protects the homeland, and therefore must be professional
and and prosperous.

However, Alizadeh said that repeated election of one candidate as
the president can not lead to disaster.

However, he said that for 16 years Helmut Kohl was Chancellor of
Germany, Thatcher ruled for many years and it did not lead to
authoritarianism. “When changes occur on the model of the Arab
Spring , it all ends in bombing . Let us recall the fate of Mursi,”
said Alizadeh.

He also opposed the National Council and the statements by Jamil
Gasanli .

The leader of the Popular Front of United Azerbaijan Gudret Gasanguliev
called for a transition to a parliamentary republic .

He also suggests to rename the Republic of Azerbaijan to North
Azerbaijan Republic , for three quarters of Azerbaijanis liveg in
South Azerbaijan, Iran.

He criticized the scientific works by Gasanli and opposition leaders
represented in the National Council . -03B06-

ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS DISCUSSED AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

APA, Azerbaijan
Sept 19 2013

[ 20 September 2013 07:37 ]

Baku-APA. Armenian-Turkish relations and the opening of the border
between the two countries are discussed at the European Parliament,
four years after the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols,
APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

This time the European MPs had come to listen to the presentations
by Turkish journalist Cengiz Aktar and Armenian political analyst
Richard Giragosian.

Aktar noted that the Azerbaijani factor continues to play a huge role
in Turkey.

“The Azerbaijanis’ position on this matter is clear: Turkey
shall not normalize relations with Armenia unless Armenia gives
Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Turkish journalist stated.

Selim Yenel, Turkey’s Ambassador to the European Union, told that
Armenia needs to take concrete steps in the Karabakh issue.

To the query as to why he is confident that Armenia will stand to
gain from the normalization of relations, Yenel responded: “We all
gain from this. We need positive changes, and we can start from this.”

And to the question as to whether he agrees with the claims that
the Azerbaijani authorities have a great impact on Armenian-Turkish
relations, the Turkish diplomat responded: “Turkey and Azerbaijan
may be two different countries, but we are one nation. We cannot
disregard Azerbaijan. We see that they were treated unfairly, and we
await Armenia’s steps to correct it.”

UK EMBASSY IN AZERBAIJAN: “THE MPS VISITING NAGORNO-KARABAKH DOES NOT REPRESENT THE GOVERNMENT”

APA, Azerbaijan
Sept 19 2013

[ 19 September 2013 18:18 ]

“The UK does not recognize the de-facto “Nagorno-Karabakh authorities”
or their declaration of independence”

Baku. Anakhanum Hidayatova – APA. The UK Embassy in Azerbaijan has
commented on the visit of two MPs from the British Armenian All Party
Parliamentary Group to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The
Embassy told APA that this visit has been arranged by the Armenian
authorities: “They met a wide range of contacts as part of their
visit including a meeting with representatives from the de-facto
“Nagorno-Karabakh authorities.” UK parliamentarians are free to meet
with whoever they wish. They do not represent the British Government
and any meeting with the de-facto “Nagorno-Karabakh authorities” does
not represent a change in UK policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The UK does not recognize the de-facto “Nagorno-Karabakh authorities”
or their declaration of independence. The UK supports Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and the OSCE Minsk Group-led peace process.

Finally, we encourage Azerbaijan and Armenia to accelerate efforts to
achieve a negotiated settlement based on the principles of refraining
from the threat or use of force, territorial integrity and peoples’
right to self-determination.”

Members of the British Armenian All Party Parliamentary Group Stephen
Pound and John Wittingdale paid a visit to Nagorno Karabakh on
September 18.