Month: February 2015

ENTREVISTA CON EL AUTOR DE ‘LA MEMORIA DE ARARAT’

Periodista Digital РEspa̱a
16 de feb. de 2015

Xavier Moret: “La anecdota mas emocionante fue entrevistar a un
superviviente del genocidio de 103 años”

“Hay un contraste muy fuerte entre el país idealizado que cuentan
los armenios de la diaspora y el real”

Periodista Digital, 16 de febrero de 2015 a las 17:47

Xavier Moret, periodista y escritor especializado en literatura de
viajes, presento en Periodista Digital su esperado último trabajo:
‘La memoria de Ararat’. En el se narra un viaje por Armenia, que
coincide con el centenario del genocidio de 1915, mas conocido como
el ‘Genocidio Olvidado’, que se saldo la vida de mas de un millon y
medio de armenios que vivían en territorio turco.

El autor narra la historia de un largo viaje en el ambito de la cultura
armenia y explora a fondo una tierra obsesionada con el Ararat, la
montaña en la que según cuenta la leyenda, se poso el Arca de Noe
tras el diluvio universal.

Sinopsis de ‘La memoria de Ararat’

Esta es la historia de un largo viaje que empieza, de hecho, mucho
antes del viaje en sí, en el ambito de la cultura armenia que, quiza
sin saberlo, todos conocemos: la de Arshile Gorky, Charles Aznavour,
Atom Egoyan, William Saroyan, los integrantes de la banda System of a
Down… Es la Armenia que difunden e internacionalizan los armenios
de la diaspora, que son muchos mas que los tres millones que viven
en la actualidad en ese país milenario.

Partiendo de la capital, Erevan, y pasando por los fascinantes
monasterios de Geghard, Khor Virap, Tatev y Haghpat, así como
por Echmiadzin (el Vaticano armenio), el lago Sevan y el no-país
de Nagorno Karabaj -escenario hace veinte años de una guerra que
se cobro 20.000 muertos-, Xavier Moret explora a fondo una tierra
obsesionada con el Ararat, la montaña en la que, según la leyenda,
se poso el Arca de Noe tras el diluvio universal, principio y fin de
todo lo armenio pese a hallarse -caprichos de la historia- en Turquía.

Pero este viaje es tambien un recorrido por la dolorosa cicatriz,
todavía muy presente, del genocidio que en 1915 acabo con la vida de
un millon y medio de armenios que habitaban en territorio turco. Dos
terceras partes de los ciudadanos de Armenia son hoy descendientes de
víctimas de aquella masacre, que sigue muy viva en la memoria de todos
los que, de un modo u otro, sienten como suya esa mezcla de nostalgia,
orgullo y dolor que es la armenidad.

TITULARES MÁS RELEVANTES DE LA ENTREVISTA

En Armenia se sobreponen muchas realidades que se sobreponen, una de
ellas es la de la ruta de la seda que es mítica. Ellos presumen mucho
de que Marco Polo paso por allí con lo que refuerzan esa imagen de
país acabado.

Tenemos un desconocimiento sobre este país. Quería contrastar la
version de los armenios de la diaspora con la realidad y me di
cuenta que había un contraste muy fuerte entre el país idealizado
que cuentan los de la diaspora y el real que es una ex república
sovietica independientes desde el 91′ con mucha pobreza y pocos
recursos naturales.

Para los armenios el gran símbolo, mas que el Arca de Noe, es el monte
Ararat que curiosamente esta en territorio turco. Ven al Ararat como
un símbolo de eternidad, de permanencia, y de recuerdo de que fueron
en el pasado una gran nacion.

El genocidio de 1915 esta muy presente. Fui a Armenia para escribir
un libro de viajes sobre como era el país y no tenía previsto que el
genocidio jugara un papel tan importante. Coincidio con el centenario
y me di cuenta que no podía hablar de Armenia sin hablar del genocidio.

Cuando se unio la URSS cerraron muchas fabricas y hubo cortes de
suministros, por lo tanto la Armenia de hoy ha quedado empobrecida
y por ello el 40% piensa en emigrar.

Para muchos armenios la diaspora es basica porque consideran que es
la que ha traído el dinero al país.

Se ve un futuro incierto a la Armenia actual porque cada año disminuye
el número de habitantes. Estan en tres millones los armenios que
emigran y siete de la diaspora, y el número se va aumentando cada año.

La solucion es economica o sera difícil tener un futuro claro.

La anecdota mas emocionante fue entrevistar a un superviviente del
genocidio de 103 años de edad. Me emociono ver como un hombre de 103
años tenía tan presente el horror que le supuso el genocidio y como,
al finalizar la entrevista, miraba a sus bisnietos con una mirada de:
Armenia tambien depende de ti.

Xavier Moret (Barcelona, 1952) es periodista y escritor. Ha trabajado
en varios diarios y en television, y desde 2006 es reportero de viajes
de El Periodico, lo que le permite viajar por los cinco continentes
escribiendo sobre lo que ve. En 1998 publico su primer libro de
viajes, America, America. Viaje por California y el Far West, dos
años despues el segundo, Boomerang. Viaje al corazon de Australia,
y en 2002 gano el premio Grandes Viajeros con La isla secreta, en
el que relata un recorrido por Islandia que completaría en 2011 con
Islandia, revolucion bajo el volcan. En Días de Hong Kong (2013)
relato su estancia de dos meses en la metropolis asiatica.

From: A. Papazian

LA IGLESIA RECUERDA A SAN MESROB

Cronica- Argentina
17 de feb. de 2015

Doctor de los armenios que, siendo discípulo de san Narsete y escriba
en el palacio real, se hizo monje. Invento los signos del alfabeto
para que el pueblo fuese instruido en las sagradas Escrituras, tradujo
al armenio los dos testamentos y compuso himnos y canticos (c. 440).

Martes 17 de febrero

Evangelio Mc 8, 14-21

Evangelio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo según san Marcos

Los discípulos se habían olvidado de llevar pan y no tenían mas que un
pan en la barca. Jesús les hacía esta recomendacion: “Esten atentos,
cuídense de la levadura de los fariseos y de la levadura de Herodes”.

Ellos discutían entre sí, porque no habían traído pan.

Jesús se dio cuenta y les dijo: “¿A que viene esa discusion porque
no tienen pan? ¿Todavía no comprenden ni entienden? Ustedes tienen
la mente enceguecida.

Tienen ojos y no ven, oídos y no oyen. ¿No recuerdan cuantas canastas
llenas de sobras recogieron, cuando repartí cinco panes entre cinco
mil personas?”. Ellos le respondieron: “Doce”.

“Y cuando repartí siete panes entre cuatro mil personas, ¿cuantas
canastas llenas de trozos recogieron?”. Ellos le respondieron:
“Siete”. Entonces Jesús les dijo: “¿Todavía no comprenden?”.

Palabra del Señor.

“DER STANDARD”: LOBBYISTS OF AZERBAIJAN PUT IN PLACE IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

19:27 19/02/2015 >> SOCIETY

There’s nothing new in the fact that the authorities in Azerbaijan
have to spend millions of dollars on lobbyists to shape a favourable
image for their country and to prevent criticism against the regime.

Yet, the resources spent are not able to reach their goal, Azerbaijani
newspaper “Azadlig” writes, referring to the article published in
the prestigious German outlet “Der Standard”.

According to the article, Teresa Eder, in her article “How
authoritarian regimes influence on the EU countries” says that the
vice-president of the European Parliament, head of delegation of
the Greens group in the European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek gave a
negative response to the request of the lobbyists of the Azerbaijani
authorities.

“Der Standard” also highlights that, as it is well-known, the European
Olympic Games are due in June in Baku, and that’s the very reason
why the Azerbaijani authorities planned a propagandistic event in the
European Parliament. However, the members of the European Parliament
didn’t let these plans come true.

According to the newspaper, the incident was registered in January
during the discussions of the report proposed by the “Corporate
Europe Observatory”. The report held details regarding the lobbying
organisations’ activities of such authoritarian regimes as Azerbaijan,
Ruanda, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Nigeria and others, in the territories
of the EU countries.

During the discussions of the report, Ivo Ilich Gabara, a British
PR-company strategist, pointed out the fact that if someone can afford
such astronomical sums for their advertising, then there’s no doubt
that the individual in question has many problems.

The author stresses that Ulrike Lunacek, in her turn, touched the
topic of “Eurovision” Song Contest in Azerbaijan in 2012 when the
official Baku invited the European Parliament Members, paying for
their journey and stay.

“At that time many people were expelled from their own homes in Baku
during the Contest,” she reminded.

According to the article, Lunacek also raised her concern regarding
the frequent visits the members of various Committees of European
Parliament pay to Azerbaijan, accepting the Azerbaijani authorities’
offers for their countries lobbying. She said she had herself more
that once received that kind of offers by Azerbaijan.

“I have time and again told them that I won’t allow them to press on
me. I am very well aware of the problems in Azerbaijan and hence,
I can openly speak up about the Azerbaijani political prisoners,”
she concluded.

SYRIA: SPECIAL FORCES FROM TURKEY ATTACK THE SYRIAN ARAB ARMY

February 19, 2015

Yesterday the Syrian Arab Army tried to relief the insurgent-besieged
villages of Nubl and al-Zahraa and to close the corridor between
the city of Aleppo and the Turkish border to the north. The troops
captured three villages and nearly closed the gap in their ring
around Aleppo but were pushed out again in an onslaught by hundreds
of enemies coming from the direction of the Turkish border.

The map shows the areas gained and lost again by the SAA in light
green. (bigger)

A bloody video from the aftermath (now deleted) showed several dozens
of dead Syrian Army fighters massacred in what looked like a well
executed ambush.

This was curious as the usual insurgent groups in the area are not
know for good military planning:

Regime sources say that the defining characteristic of yesterday’s
“ferocious” battle was Turkish support for the armed groups, as
evidenced by the transfer of fighters and military supplies from
inside Turkey to Aleppo’s northern countryside, including Caucasian
fighters who answer directly to Turkish intelligence.

On Twitter one Omer Khãn, who claims to be a Turkish soldier and is
an avid supporter of the Syrian opposition, looks at the gruesome
pictures of the dead soldiers and remarks (1, 2, 3):

Who where these SAA up against in #Mallah ? Shooting only Head is
feat for a Regular Army, much less for #Rebels.

SAA skulls shattered/shot in/bet Eyes. this is only work of special
units, unlikely any Rebel Org.

#Aleppo Whoever killed those SAA was no Mere Rebel, Pro-Reg cry about
Turkish Intervention.

I concur. Whoever attacked those Syrian troops must have had, unlike
the usual insurgents or jihadists, some extensive and professional
special forces experience.

This is not the first time that Turkey actively intervenes in Syria.

Recently released Turkish court documents show that Turkey, on top of
logistic help, gave direct artillery fire support to the insurgents
in several case.

There are new reports that the U.S. plans to give the insurgents
radios and other equipment to call in air strikes especially to the
Kurds. But the U.S. has already given such equipment to a few selected
Kurdish fighters in Kobani for use against the Islamic State. I doubt
very much that these will be given to “moderate rebels” or will be
used against the Syrian army.

I also doubt that the U.S. will really train or further equip
additional “moderate” anti-Syrian fighters. The biggest lobbyist for
such arming was the former U.S ambassador to Syria Robert Ford. He
has now changed course and admits that there are no “moderates”
who could sensibly be armed:

Ford has accused the rebels of collaborating with the Nusra Front,
the al Qaida affiliate in Syria that the U.S. declared a terrorist
organization more than two years ago. He says opposition infighting
has worsened and he laments the fact that extremist groups now rule
in most territories outside the Syrian regime’s control.

Ford said part of the problem was that too many rebels – and their
patrons in Turkey and Qatar – insisted that Nusra was a homegrown,
anti-Assad force when in fact it was an al Qaida affiliate whose
ideology was virtually indistinguishable from the Islamic State’s.

…

“It becomes impossible to field an effective opposition when no one
even agrees who or what is the enemy,” he said.

Ford said the latest U.S. approach of ditching the old rebel model
to build a new, handpicked paramilitary to focus on the Islamic State
was doomed; Syrian rebels are more concerned with bringing down Assad
than with fighting extremists for the West, and there are far too
few fighters to take the project seriously.

…

Ford said the time had come for U.S. officials and their allies to have
a serious talk about “boots on the ground,” though he was quick to add
that the fighters didn’t need to be American. He said a professional
ground force was the only way to wrest Syria from the jihadists.

With Ford’s support lost the Syrian opposition lobbyists and their
friends in the Obama administration will not be able to get the U.S.

support they want.

Ford is right that a professional ground force is needed to “wrest
Syria from the jihadists”. That ground force already exists. It is the
Syrian Arab Army and its allies. But when NATO member and U.S. ally
Turkey sends special forces to support the jihadist in ambushing and
slaughtering those forces without getting rebuffed from Washington
it will take years and lots of bloody slaughters until the jihadists
are finally finished.

Posted by b on February 19, 2015 at 12:53 PM | Permalink

STARBUCKS ENRAGES U.S. ARMENIAN COMMUNITY WITH PR MISFIRE

Social media users claim to have seen the poster depicting women
dressed in traditional Armenian garb under the crescent and star of
the Turkish flag in several Starbucks locations in Los Angeles County,
which is home to a large number of people with full or partial Armenian
ancestry. (file photo)

By Carl Schreck

February 19, 2015

WASHINGTON — An attempt by U.S. coffee giant Starbucks to appeal
to Los Angeles’ sizable Armenian population has backfired after its
coffee shops displayed posters depicting women dressed in traditional
Armenian garb under the crescent and star of the Turkish flag.

The posters were spotted this week in Los Angeles-area Starbucks
locations, infuriating activists and social media users who called the
image offensive in light of what Armenians refer to as the “genocide”
of their people by Turkish Ottoman forces in the early 20th century.

“Why is Starbucks selling coffee using an image of women, dressed
in traditional Armenian costumes, celebrating a Turkish state that
systematically victimized Armenian women during the Armenian Genocide,
and that still denies this crime against all humanity?” the Armenian
National Committee Of America (ANCA) wrote in a February 18 post on
its Facebook page.

Profile ANCA Community Organization · 59,582 Likes · Yesterday at
11:59am ·

â~@ª#â~@~NSTARBUCKSâ~@¬ APOLOGIZES; PULLS OFFENSIVE POSTERS: In
response to an online onslaught of concern regarding its posters
depicting women in Armenian dance costumes with under Turkish Crescent
and Stars, #Starbucks has issued an apology and is removing the
offensive ads. In a statement issued to Asbarez News, and posted
to the ANCA Facebook Page, #Starbucks officials noted: “Thank you
to all who raised this concern to us today. Serving as a place for
the community to connect is core to our business and we strive to be
locally relevant in all of our stores. We missed the mark here and
we apologize for upsetting our customers and the community.

We have removed this art in our Mulholland & Calabasas store in
Woodland Hills and are working to make this right.”

Is the offensive poster in your local Starbucks? Call Starbucks
Customer Service 800.792.7282 to advise them – and post the location
to the ANCA Facebook Page.

Social media users claimed to have seen the poster in several Starbucks
locations in Los Angeles County, which is home to 446,000 people with
full or partial Armenian ancestry, according to 2007 U.S.

Census Bureau datacited by California-based scholar Shushan Karapetian.

As outrage swelled online and Starbucks customer service
representatives fielded angry calls, the company posted an apology
on the ANCA’s Facebook page on February 18, promising to remove the
offending photographs.

“Serving as a place for the community to connect is core to our
business and we strive to be locally relevant in all of our stores,”
a Starbucks representative wrote in the post. “We missed the mark
here and we apologize for upsetting our customers and the community.”

The representative added that the artwork would be removed from a
store in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills and that
Starbucks is “working to make this right.”

It was not immediately clear exactly how many shops displayed the
photograph.

A Starbucks spokesperson told RFE/RL in a February 19 email that the
company is “quickly looking into this to ensure this image is not in
any other Starbucks locations.”

‘Flood Of Concern’

ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian said the group became aware of
the posters from social media users in California early in the morning
on February 18 and that his group believes they were displayed in at
least “two or three locations in Southern California.”

“It became very clear very quickly that this was a very serious
issue for the entire community, because we started getting a flood
of concern,” Hamparian told RFE/RL, adding that Starbucks responded
“very appropriately.”

The photograph, in which one of the women dressed in Armenian garb
is holding a paper Starbucks cup while red balloons embossed with the
Turkish star and crescent float overhead, appears to have originated
with California-based designer Tim Rose.

Rose, who has worked on campaigns for Starbucks and other
multinationals, including Coca-Cola and Nike, featured the photograph
on his website as recently as January 28, according to a cached
version of the site.

The image has since been removed from the website. Rose did not
respond to an emailed request for comment.

Preparations are underway worldwide for this year’s commemoration of
the 100th anniversary of the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman
rule. The tragedy has been recognized as “genocide” by more than 20
countries, including Canada, Russia, and France.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on February 16 recalled from
parliament protocols on normalizing ties and establishing diplomatic
relations with Turkey, accusing Ankara of lacking “political will”
and thwarting the process with “preconditions.”

With reporting by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service

Attachments area Preview YouTube video 19.02.15 / Ô±Õ¼Õ¡Õ”Õ”Õ¶
Õ¬O~@Õ¡Õ¿Õ¾Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ 17:00 19.02.15 / Ô±Õ¼Õ¡Õ”Õ”Õ¶ Õ¬O~@Õ¡Õ¿Õ¾Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶
17:00

PRESENTATION OF BOOK ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN GERMANY

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

20:55, 19 February, 2015

YEREVAN, 19 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. On February 17, Academic Director
of the Lepsius House Research Center, Dr. Rolf Hosfeld presented
his book “Death in the Desert: The Armenian Genocide” at
the Einstein Forum in Potsdam, Germany. As “Armenpress”
reports, the event was hosted by former head of the Institute for
Modern History in Paris, Professor of Modern History at the Free
University of Berlin Peter Schottler. The author answered several
questions concerning the attendees.

Among the participants of the event was Temporary Charge
d’Affaires of the Republic of Armenia in Germany Ashot Smbatyan,
who also answered journalists’ questions after the event.

Reference: In his book “Death in the Desert: The Armenian
Genocide”, the author presents the history, motives and process
of the Armenian Genocide with historical facts and justifications
and with new sources of information.

de-held-in-germany.html

UC BERKELEY STUDENT GOVT. PASSES RESOLUTION CALLING FOR DIVESTMENT FROM TURKEY

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

A scene from Wednesday’s meeting of UC Berkeley Student government

BERKELEY, Calif.- The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
undergraduate student body Senate unanimously voted on Wednesday night
to divest $72.6 million dollars worth of University of California
bonds and investments in the Republic of Turkey for their crimes in
and the continued denial of the Armenian Genocide.

The resolution titled “A Bill in Support of Divestment from
the Republic of Turkey” passed at 11:00 pm at Anna Head Alumnae
Hall at UC Berkeley.

The resolution is part of a larger initiative (#DivestTurkey)
spearheaded by the Armenian Youth Federation Western United States
(AYF), calling on institutions to divest from the Republic of Turkey,

“With the support of not only our Armenian community here at
Cal, but also with the Berkeley community at large, we are so proud
to have been a part of history tonight with the passing of this bill
at UC Berkeley” said Sareen Habeshian, a UC Berkeley student
and Armenian Student Association member.

Raffi Margossian, UC Berkeley sophomore and ASA executive member
stated, “I’m proud to see the ASUC take measures to hold
our Regents accountable. I think it’s outrageous that our
tuition money is invested without student input. This bill sends
a larger message that calls for the need for student voice in UC
investments”

The bill’s passage comes a few weeks after the UCLA student
body government unanimously passed a similar resolution, and just two
weeks after a University of California Student Association (UCSA)
bill that was passed in Los Angeles also demanding divestment from
the government of Turkey.

“I, like so many others, have grown up surrounded by
conversations about ‘Hye Tad’ but it was always so
abstract. What could someone like me do to raise the Armenian Cause,
to move it forward, to fight for it? I am 100 years removed from
the Genocide, I don’t live in the Homeland, I didn’t go
to an Armenian school growing up, yet there has always been a pull
towards something bigger than myself. We, as UC students, were given
the chance to finally raise the Armenian Cause and fight for what
is right and what is just. The Cause doesn’t belong in places
only filled with Armenians. It should permeate every aspect of our
life – our homes, our work place and especially our school – which
is exactly what we did tonight by calling for the divestment of our
tuition from the Republic of Turkey.” said Christina Mehranbod,
UC Berkeley senior and AYF member.

To find out more about the (#DivestTurkey) Initiative contact
[email protected].

STARBUCKS TO REMOVE OFFENSIVE POSTERS FROM STORES

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

This poster appeared in several Starbucks locations around the country
upsetting many customers

Apologizes for upsetting customers

ARA KHACHATOURIAN

While ordering their morning drinks on Wednesday, many Starbucks
customers were shocked to see posters depicting women wearing Armenian
traditional costumes under the Turkish Crescent and Star.

After inquiries from Asbarez, a spokesperson said that Starbucks has
already begun the removal of the offensive posters and apologized
for upsetting their customers.

“Serving as a place for the community to connect is core to
our business and we strive to be locally relevant in all of our stores.

We missed the mark here and we apologize for upsetting our customers
and the community. We have removed this art in our Mulholland &
Calabasas store in Woodland Hills and are working to make this
right,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Asbarez via email. The
spokesperson said that the company was “looking into this to
ensure this image is not in any other Starbucks locations.”

Starbucks did not comment about what prompted the company to display
the posters.

The swift response to this matter can also be attributed to a wave of
protests on social media from Armenians who were insulted and taken
aback by what appeared to be lack of sensitivity from Starbucks, a
company that prides itself on social justice and social issues. The
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region immediately
launched a social media campaign urging followers to document locations
and call Starbucks to complain with #BoycottStarbucks message.

Starbucks was facing a “Venti” debacle, when angry
posts began to circulate on Facebook and Twitter, some calling for
a boycott of the largest coffee retailer in the world. This was yet
another sign of collective grassroots activism on the part of the
Armenian community.

In addressing the issue with Starbucks, Asbarez pointed to many
actions by the Turkish government that were in stark contrast to the
company’s standards of ethics.

“Why would Starbucks promote a country that in the last year
was deemed as the largest jailer of journalists; has shut down Twitter
and YouTube in its campaign to oppress freedom of speech; has jailed
demonstrators for reform; whose president has called for legislation
to categorize women as second class citizens; and continues to deny
the Armenian Genocide, which killed more than 1.5 million people in
1915 among other things, which include calling Israel a terrorist
state,” Asbarez inquired from Starbucks corporate communications.

If readers spot more of these posters, please alert Starbucks customer
service at 800.782.7282.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LE QUARTIER ARMENIEN D’ALEP A NOUVEAU SOUS LES BOMBES

SYRIE

Alep est a nouveau en proie a de violents combats alors que les forces
djihadistes tentent de prendre pied dans la deuxième ville de Syrie,
dechiree entre les forces loyales au regime de Bachar Al Assad et
les rebelles. Les islamistes radicaux, auxquels les djihadistes de
Daech ont prete main forte, ont affronte les soldats du regime sous
un deluge de missiles. Le quartier armenien d’Alep a une fois encore
paye un lourd tribut a ces combats particulièrement violents le mardi
17 fevrier.

Les habitants du quartier armenien, qui se sont constitues en milices
d’autodefense depuis le debut de la guerre civile syrienne, font etat
de victimes et d’importantes destructions. Les premiers bilans font
etat de 8 morts et de 36 blesses provoques par les tirs de missiles,
qui ont aussi cause d’importants degâts materiels. L’envoye special
de l’Onu en Syrie Staffan de Mistura a indique que les forces de
Damas etaient pretes a interrompre les bombardements aeriens sur Alep
pendant six semaines a la faveur d’un cessez-le-feu. M. De Mistura
a precise que la proposition du regime syrien offrait une lueur
d’espoir, meme si les conditions de sa mise en oeuvre sont encore
très imprecises. Le Conseil national syrien, coalition de formations
d’opposition, a estime que le gouvernement serait juge sur ses actes
plutôt que sur ses promesses.

Les forces gouvernementales ne sont pas pretes a relâcher la pression,
alors qu’elles ont deploye d’importants moyens pour tenter de couper
un axe d’approvisionnement crucial pour les rebelles. Une centaine
de soldats et de rebelles auraient ete tues dans la seule journee
du 17 fevrier lors de l’offensive menee par l’armee pour prendre le
contrôle de plusieurs villages au nord de la ville d’Alep.

Par ailleurs, la justice turque elle-meme a apporte les preuves de
l’implication directe de la Turquie dans la guerre civile syrienne,
qui plus est aux côtes des djihadistes de l’Etat islamique (Daech).

Les media turcs se sont en effet fait l’echo du procès de militants de
l’EI accuses d’avoir attaque les forces de securite turques a Nigde en
2014 qui, lors des audiences de la Cour, ont indique que l’Etat turc
ne se contentait pas de livrer des armes et des munitions aux rebelles
syriens, mais leur fournissait aussi un appui en artillerie lourde.

C’est ainsi notamment qu’avec l’appui de l’artillerie lourde turque,
les rebelles djihadistes s’etaient empares de Kessab, une ville
syrienne situee près de la frontière turco-syrienne et comptant une
très importante communaute armenienne. Les djihadistes, qui etaient
encore une force marginale sur le theâtre des operations militaires
syriens, avaient fait la demonstration de leur cruaute, en expulsant
violemment les Armeniens de Kessab et en detruisant leurs maisons
et eglises.

La complicite de la Turquie dans cette attaque qui n’avait pas alors
suscite l’indignation internationale qu’elle meritait, avait ete
suspectee. Les minutes du procès montrent que les rebelles syriens
avaient tenu informes les militaires turcs des mouvements de l’armee
syrienne a Kessab, obtenant ainsi leur aide dans la prise de la ville.

Les forces syriennes loyales au regime devaient reprendre le contrôle
de Kessab en 2014, permettant le retour des habitants armeniens qui
s’etaient refugies en partie au Liban.

vendredi 20 fevrier 2015, Gari (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

HIGH-QUALITY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT PROVIDED TO MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN ARMAVIR

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

18:31 19/02/2015 >> SOCIETY

In 2015, in the frames of joint project by VivaCell-MTS and the British
NGO “BirthLink”, state-of-the-art medical equipment
will be provided to 14 maternity departments, encompassing Ararat,
Aragatsotn, Kotayk, Armavir, Lori regions and Yerevan. Owing to the
equipment provided at the beginning of the year, notable results have
been recorded in Kotayk region and in one of the maternity departments
in the capital. The re-equipment of the other maternity departments
is currently underway, the press service of VivaCell-MTS reports.

The hospital has received equipment for immediate reanimation and
warming of sick and small babies, nasal high flow therapy for newborns
with breathing difficulties, respiratory monitoring, and the provision
of intravenous fluids, which is essential for quality healthcare in
case of complications around the time of birth or complications due
to prematurity. The equipment is necessary not only for adding to
the efficiency of efforts of specialists, but also for increasing
the percentage of saved lives.

“When implementing a program, one takes into account its
results and the possible losses. This is one the laws of the
business. This program is special as it excludes the possibility of
loss, and the results can be seen in the smiling eyes of parents and
healthcare specialists. I am glad for our long-term cooperation with
“BirthLink.” When a human life is at stake, even one
successful case is a victory,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager
Ralph Yirikian commented.

The project commenced in 2008; till now VivaCell-MTS has provided
over AMD 535 million for the realization of the program.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian