Author: Andres-Papazian

VOROTAN CASCADE DEAL CLOSE TO COMPLETION, CLAIMS ARMENIAN DEPUTY MINISTER

YEREVAN, November 5. /ARKA/. The Vorotan Cascade hydro power plant
deal is close to completion, Armenia’s deputy minister of energy and
natural resources Ara Simonyan said during the draft budget discussions
at the parliament committees on Tuesday.

On January 29 American ContourGlobal and Armenia’s government signed
an agreement under which ContourGlobal is to purchase and modernize
the Vorotan Hydro Cascade, a series of three hydroelectric power
plants totaling 405 MW on the Vorotan River in southern Armenia,
for a purchase price of $180 million.

The deal is very close to completion, some technical issues and tariff
policies remain to be agreed about, Simonyan said.

The deputy minister said as far as he knows the deal will be finalized
in the near future.

Simonyan also said the buyer is expected to make serious investments
to rehabilitate the cascade. He said the government may attract loans
to relieve load on customers from possible tariff increases. -0–

From: A. Papazian

TREATY ON MEMBERSHIP TO EURASIAN UNION IN CC. PUBLIC PROCESS IS DEMANDED

Lragir.am
Law – 04 November 2014, 00:10

On October 25 the president administration has sent the treaty on
membership to the Eurasian Union to the Constitutional Court which
will soon start discussion. Afterwards, the treaty will be sent to
the National Assembly. According to the law, international agreements
are reviewed by the Constitutional Court by written procedure except
the cases when the given agreement causes a great public interest,
the Union of Aware Citizens announced.

The Union has requested that the chairman of the Constitutional Court
Gagik Harutiunyan discuss the treaty by oral procedure.

The treaty will enable the reporters to cover the discussion of the
matter at the Constitutional Court, the statement of the Union of
Aware Citizens informs.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA AND IRAQI KURDISTAN: WHY DOESN’T YEREVAN HAVE DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION IN ERBIL?

Hrant Gadarigian

10:54, November 4, 2014

The de-jure autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq lies a few hundred
kilometers from Yerevan. Given its pivotal role as a regional player
and burgeoning economy, should we be concerned by the apparent lack
of bilateral contact between Armenia and the KRG (Kurdish Regional
Government.

26 states now maintain some type of diplomatic representation in Erbil,
the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Armenia does not.

During a trip to Baghdad in February of this year, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian announced that Armenia was planning to open
a consulate general in Erbil. Eight months later, this hasn’t happened.

Hetq sent the following questions to Mr. KarwanZebari, Director of
Congressional & Academic Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG) Representation in the USA, regarding diplomatic relations
between the Republic of Armenia and the KRG in Iraq.

Following Mr. Zebari’s responses, we also present the views of several
prominent political analysts on the subject.

1 – 26 states now have diplomatic representation in Erbil, the capital
of Iraqi Kurdistan – Armenia is not one of them. This, despite the fact
that Yerevan and Erbil are a mere 282 miles apart as the crow flies.

During his visit to Baghdad in February of this year, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian announced that Armenia was planning to
open a consulate general in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. To
your knowledge has it done so? Are you aware of any problems delaying
the opening?

I’m afraid I can’t comment authoritatively on KRG-Armenia relations,
as my portfolio is US-KRG. If you want answers to some of your more
specific questions, I would recommend you reach out to KRG Department
of Foreign Relations. They would be able to comment directly on the
issue of an exchange of diplomatic missions.

These are very trying times in Kurdistan. We are fighting a war with
ISIL terrorists, and hosting 1.4 million refugees in our region of 5.3
million people, and for obvious reasons our focus has shifted to these
issues. Given the past delegations, I perceive KRG-Armenian relations
as quite good. It seems that there is about 1 delegation per year to
the region, which from my understanding has always gone very well. I
do not think there is a lack of will or indifference, by any means.

Establishing diplomatic missions is a long, process, and I think that
the situation on ground has dictated the speed with which we can seek
to complete these. Both the KRG and Armenia have always expressed an
interest in having diplomatic mission and I firmly believe we will
see them appear in the near future.

2 – Despite this absence of official diplomatic relations between the
KRG and Yerevan, Armenia does have an ambassador, Karen Grigoryan,
posted in Baghdad. To your knowledge, has Ambassador Grigoryan ever
travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan or contacted any KRG representatives in
an official capacity?

I am unaware of any trip by the current Amb. Karen Grigoryan, though
I do know that the previous Amb. MuradMuradian made at least one trip
to the Kurdistan Region, including one as part of the delegation
from Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Economy, MrTigranHarutyunyan,
in August 2013.

3 – Conversely, has the KRG ever contacted the Armenian government,
whether regarding trade, investment, or any other issue of mutual
concern? Does Armenia enter into the KRG’s foreign policy sphere,
and if so, in what respect?

Given the past delegations, I would imagine our governments are still
in contact, but like I said, I can’t speak authoritatively on this.

Now, with these multiple crises, we are in need of support from our
international partners. This would be an opportune moment for the
Republic of Armenia to show its support for the people of Kurdistan.

4 – Armenians and Kurds, in many respects, have a shared history in
the region. In your estimation, should the problems of the past serve
to hinder prospects for greater contact and possible cooperation in
the future? Specifically, does the KRG have a position regarding the
1915 Armenian Genocide? If so, what is that position?

As Kurds, we understand that the horrors and legacies of genocide. We
have always denounced the events of 1915. The pain of the past should
not hinder our future cooperation; today is a different era, and the
only path is forward.

5 – The KRG’s website lists Armenians as one of the peoples inhabiting
Iraqi Kurdistan. Do you have estimates as to their number? Many are
descendants of Genocide survivors who fled the Ottoman Empire who
have retained their Christian faith. Are they represented in the
parliament of Iraqi Kurdistan?

The Constitution of the Kurdistan Region mandates 1 seat in parliament
be allocated for Armenians. 5 seats are allocated for Chaldean,
Assyrian, and Syriac candidates. The Kurdistan Region is an incredibly
diverse place, a fact that we celebrate. I unfortunately do not have
estimates as to the origin and population of the Armenians.

6 – On July 1, 2014, President MassoudBarzani of Iraqi Kurdistan
announced that “Iraqi Kurds will hold an independence referendum
within months.” Given the region’s booming economy based on oil
exports and the disintegration of the Iraqi central state apparatus,
such a notion might have sounded plausible then. What about now? Has
the ongoing threat posed by ISIL and the U.S. push for maintaining
a federated Iraq postponed such a move for independence?

Although independence is a dream in the heart of every Kurd, today we
recognize that ISIL is a cancer that must be stamped out, and this
drives our policy on this. We do not share more than a 15 km border
with Iraqi Security Forces, the rest of the 1030 km border is shared
with ISIL, a condition that no nation on earth could endure. In short,
we have much bigger issues to solve at the moment, and we recognize
our duty to act to counter this evil.

Gerard Libaridian

The Kurdish Region in the north of Iraq is not only de facto
autonomous, but also de jure autonomous. By and large it is de facto
independent. Whether or not the KRG achieves de jure independence is,
at this time, secondary. We [Armenia] have a number of good reasons
to establish some sort of diplomatic presence in Erbil and a few bad
reasons why not to do so.

Armenia’s foreign policy should be based on a circumspect and
cautious realism. The KRG is only part of the very complex Kurdish
issue. We have talked too much about the Kurdish factor and done
very little about it. It is always advisable to have direct, and
even formal, contact with any state or political entity that affects
its neighborhood.

It is not clear to me why the Republic of Armenia does not, as yet,
have an official diplomatic presence in Erbil that could facilitate
the lives of Armenians in the KRG – both indigenous and refugees from
the rest of Iraq – as well as work with the Kurdish authorities toward
the goal of security, stability and development in the region.

It is possible that we should look at the degree of independence
of Armenia’s foreign policy to explain the failure to establish the
consulate that the Foreign Minister of Armenia promised.

[Historian, political analyst and author Gerard Libaridian served as
Senior Advisor to Armenian President LevonTer-Petrosyan for foreign
and security policies and Ambassador-at-Large with the rank of
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, and Special negotiator
Secretary and Member of the Security Council of the RA from Oct. 1994
– Sept. 1997; First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RA from
March 1993-Sept. 1994]

Vicken Cheterian

Armenian official presence in Erbil is late by some ten years. There
are three reasons for which Erbil, and more generally cultivating
contacts with various Kurdish representations, is important:

As Armenian communities in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East
became victim of radical Islamist repression, Armenians sought
refuge in Kurdish regions. The Republic of Armenia has the moral
responsibility to ensure their safety and well-being.

The Kurdish political factor is emerging in the region. Kurds are
Armenia’s direct neighbors, while the KRG is an indirect neighbor –
just behind Turkey. Anyone, even without having a PhD in International
Relations, by looking at the map could tell you about the strategic
importance of the KRG for Armenia.

Erbil offers enormous economic opportunities, as it has its own rich
resources, plus 17% of Iraqi budget. An Armenian political presence
there could facilitate exchanges between Armenian industries and
service sector.

[VickenCheterian is a journalist and political analyst. He teaches at
Webster Geneva’s faculty of media communications, and is a research
associate at SOAS’s department of development studies. His next book
is Open Wounds: Armenians, Turks, and a Century of Genocide (C Hurst,
January 2015)]

Asbed Kotchikian

Establishing or maintaining diplomatic relations has to be based on
bilateral cooperation (economically and politically).

In other words what does Armenia have to offer to KRG and what does
northern Kurdistan has to offer to Armenia.

Establishing a diplomatic relation might trigger such interactions
but the question remains at what level and for what focused purpose.

Establishing direct flights to Erbil should develop some long term
economic and political prospects for both entities. However there
should be a clear and well-articulated (or at least well thought)
strategy as to what are the expectations from such a relationship.

Having diplomatic relations just for the sake of relations is
counterproductive.

Moreover, considering that there is an Armenian in the KRP (parliament)
and that there is a sizeable Yezidi community in Armenia, those two
factors could become a rallying point for the Armenian government to
at least establish a nominal presence in Northern Iraq/Kurdistan.

Finally the establishment of any diplomatic mission or representations
comes with financial obligations and also a cost/benefit analysis.

Armenian diplomacy, being mostly reactive in the recent decade or
so, is in no condition to embark on such an endeavor unless it is
coordinated with the small Armenian community in northern Iraq and also
cooperating with individuals who have firsthand knowledge of the region
(either by doing business there or having been there many times).

[Prof. AsbedKotchikian is a senior lecturer at the Global Studies
Department at Bentley University where he teaches courses on the
Middle East and the former Soviet space.]

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA TURNS PEOPLES’ SELF-DETERMINATION PRINCIPLE INTO OBJECT OF POLITICAL SPECULATION

Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 3 2014

3 November 2014, 20:00 (GMT+04:00)

By Seba Aghayeva – Trend:

The principle of self-determination of peoples is one of the highest
principles in international law, said the acting head of the press
service of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Hikmet Hajiyev Nov. 3.

He was commenting on the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s
statements on the principle of self-determination of peoples.

Hajiyev said the politicization of international law, in particular
the principle of self-determination of peoples, and its usage for
political speculation is unacceptable.

“Unfortunately, we are witnessing such a practice on the part of
Armenia,” he added.

Hajiyev noted that in the UN charter the right of peoples for
self-determination refers to the non-self-governing and the occupied
territories, struggling against the colonization.

He said the 1975 Helsinki Final Act states that the participating
states will respect the equal right of peoples to self-determination,
acting at all times in accordance with the purposes and principles
of the UN charter and relevant norms of international law, including
those relating to territorial integrity of states.

The acting head of the ministry’s press service also said that,
apparently, the self-determination should not contradict the UN
charter and territorial integrity.

“Regarding the territorial integrity, the Helsinki Final Act says
that the states shall not directly or through violence and military
aggression appropriate the territory of another state. This document
also states that such aggression or appropriation of the territory
will be considered illegal,” Hajiyev said.

He went on to add that amid the occupation and aggression of Armenia
against Azerbaijan, as well as ethnic cleansing, it is inappropriate
to talk about the right to self-determination.

“These actions of Armenia are contrary to the fundamental principles,
the essence and philosophy of the right for self-determination of
peoples,” Hajiyev said.

“Edward Nalbandian either does not know this, or he is deliberately
turning the principle of self-determination of peoples and
international law into the object of political speculations, which
is unfortunate,” he added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

From: A. Papazian

HUNDREDS PACK FRESNO STATE FOR GROUNDBREAKING OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT

Fresno Bee, California
Nov 3 2014

By Rory Appleton

Hundreds of people packed a small outdoor ceremony at Fresno State
to mark the start of construction of the Armenian Genocide Monument,
which will be completed in time to mark next year’s 100th anniversary
of the genocide.

Leaders of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church and Armenian
Genocide Centennial Committee, Fresno joined local politicians, Fresno
State leaders and throngs of community members at the event. The
university set out 40 chairs, but a couple hundred spectators crammed
around the site where the monument will be built.

Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro spoke for the university.

“Our primary mission (at Fresno State) is education, which is also
at the core of this project,” Castro said. “We’ve had a rich history
of involvement by Armenian students, faculty, alumni and friends —
we wouldn’t be a great university without them.”

The primary message of the event was the importance of spreading
awareness of the Armenian Genocide, which Fresno State Armenian Studies
Coordinator Barlow Der Mugrdechian said killed as many as 1.5 million
Armenians from 1915 to 1923. Der Mugrdechian said that on April 24,
1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began arresting and executing
hundreds of Armenian religious, academic and political leaders.

The stone-and-concrete monument will be dedicated on April 24, the
100th anniversary of the beginning of the genocide. It was designed
by local architect Paul Halajian and will consist of nine pillars
representing the six provinces of historic Armenia, Cilicia, the
Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia. An incomplete halo will rest on
top of the pillars, which is meant to symbolize both the damage left
by the genocide and the unity of the Armenian people. It will be the
first such monument marking the genocide on a U.S. college campus.

It will be located on the Maple Mall walkway just south of the
Satellite Student Union on Fresno State’s campus. Fresno State Vice
President for Administration Cynthia Teniente-Matson said this prime
location will allow every single Fresno State student to see and
learn from the monument.

After the leaders addressed the public, bishops from the Armenian
Church and local religious leaders performed a spirited ceremony, in
English and Armenian, to bless soil taken from the Republic of Armenia.

Two Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School students, 11-year-old
Zareh Apkarian and 10-year-old Sevana Vassilian, carried the blessed
soil to the groundbreaking point, where they poured it in with the
native earth. The soil is meant to represent Armenia on the Fresno
State campus.

Levon Minasyan, a representative from the Armenian Consulate in Los
Angeles, offered his gratitude to Fresno State and the local Armenian
community.

“The establishment of this monument in Fresno on the threshold of the
centennial of the Armenian genocide is evidence of the Fresno Armenian
community’s important role in Armenian-American life,” Minasyan said.

Minasyan went on to say that the international recognition and
condemnation of the first genocide of the 20th century has been a top
priority of Armenian foreign policy for almost two decades. Minasyan
told the crowd that, although many states and nations have officially
recognized the genocide, this work will continue.

The recognition of the genocide was a central theme of the event,
with many of the speakers making reference to those massacred and the
lack of recognition of the genocide from countries such as Turkey and
the United States. Among the speakers were Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno,
and Assembly Member Jim Patterson, R-Fresno.

Members of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee, Fresno were
recognized during the ceremony for what Der Mugrdechian called their
tireless efforts over the past year to find a way to honor the 100th
anniversary of the genocide.

The committee is an umbrella association made up of members from the
Valley’s religious, educational, social and political organizations.

Castro said the monument will be one of only about 30 Armenian Genocide
monuments in the United States.

Der Mugrdechian hopes the monument will help heal the wounds of the
genocide while also spreading a message.

“We are witnessing a new period in our history,” Der Mugrdechian said.

“This will be a visual monument to show our spirit.”

From: A. Papazian

EMERGING WRITERS’ FESTIVAL BRINGS ‘AMAZING BABES’ TO SYDNEY

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Nov 3 2014

Books

by Linda Morris

At the height of superstardom, Mariah Carey performed the type of
chocolate box love songs which spoke to a teenager’s yearning for
romance.

Tamar Chnorhokian committed to heart the words of Mariah Carey’s
tracks, writing down the lyrics in an exercise book which carried
scraps of poetry and verse that appealed to the romantic in her.

Alone in her bedroom, the volume of her cassette player set to blaring,
she would sing into a hairbrush as Carey effortlessly zipped back
and forth along four octaves.

Along with Chnorhokian’s Aunty Rita, a writer of Armenian descent,
and an obscure poet, Carey has been a role model for that young girl
who has been able to direct all that teen angst into her first young
adult novel, The Diet Starts on Monday, published last week.

Advertisement

“I must have been 12 or 13 when she brought out Emotions, and the
lyrics just connected with me,” Chnorhokian says.

“She writes all these songs about unrequited love and it’s something
I related to as a teenager when I went through a lot of that. I was
really drawn to her lyrics – I was writing a lot of my own poetry at
the time – and she helped me make sense of what was happening to me.”

Chnorhokian will pay tribute to Carey in Amazing Babes, an event
at the Emerging Writers’ Festival, which travels by train through
regional Victoria to Wagga Wagga and Canberra and arrives in Sydney
on November 6.

Amazing Babes is inspired by Eliza Sarlos’ picture book of the
same name and invites writers to tell an audience of writers about
the women who have made them who they are, festival director Sam
Twyford-Mooresays.

It proved the most popular event of this year’s Melbourne festival. In
Sydney, it will feature on stage Astrid Lorange, Laura Jean McKay,
Pip Smith, Rosanna Beatrice Stevens and Madelaine Lucas.

It was American writer Gertrude Stein who triggered Lorange’s interest
in exploring writing theory. Stein was the subject of her doctoral
thesis and her new non-fiction book, How Reading is Written: A Brief
Index to Gertrude Stein published by Wesleyan University Press.

More recently, she has been reading the essays of female philosophers
Hannah Arendt and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak.

Neither Arendt nor Spivak are household names but Arendt is famous
in her field for her ideas about collective evil and the rise of
fascism in Europe. Spivak is best known for questioning accounts of
post-colonial history.

Lorange says she writes with a self-awareness that “access to education
and publishing” is skewed to disadvantage women, and men and women
write and read in different ways because of those social circumstances.

The Emerging Writers’ Festival is put together by writers to nurture
young talent and first-time authors. For the first time, it has spun
out into an online digital festival. This year’s Melbourne attendance
of 14,000 broke last year’s box office record.

Sydney’s marquee event will be a day of discussions on pop culture,
criticism, mentorship and digital literature at the NSW Writers’
Centre on November 8.

Chnorhokian’s young adult fiction novel has been published by
Sweatshop, the western Sydney writers’ group, with financial assistance
from the Bankstown City Council and the University of Western Sydney.

Her debut tale tells the story of Zara Hagopian, a size 22, who has a
secret crush on the hottest boy in school, who has a skinny girlfriend
named Holly. It’s set in multicultural Fairfield.

Chnorhokian hopes to use her personal struggle with schizophrenia
for her next work of young adult fiction.

Her father’s sister, Rita, a writer in Los Angeles, encouraged a
sense of self belief after she was diagnosed in year 12. She never
got to sit the Higher School Certificate.

“She had an army praying for me. God is a big part of my life, and
it is with Mariah Carey.”

From: A. Papazian

Armenian Hikers Association-LA
200 North Brand Boulevard #B3 & #C3
Glendale, CA 91203
[email protected]

NEWS RELEASE
contact-Robert Assarian
October 27, 2014
818/434-5952

100 km Tribute to Benefit RAA, Practice Hike Start

Glendale, CA – Organizers announced that Research on Armenian
Architecture’s (RAA) new, 36-volume series will receive the funds
raised by the 100km Walk/Ride. The first book sponsored will cover
the region of Mogs.

If larger sums are raised, then the Khnoos and Kghee volumes will be
funded. Each book costs approximately $30,000 to prepare and publish.

“This series of books will present the photographs, documentation, and
research compiled over 41 years of work,” said Jora Manoucherian,
U.S. president of RAA. “We will cover every region of Armenia,
whether or not currently under Armenian governance, to fully present
the richness of our architectural heritage. Each book will be
published separately in Armenian, English, and Russian.”

Details are available on RAA’s website,

The Tribute involves participants walking, bicycling, or motorcycling
100km on Thanksgiving weekend to honor those who perished in the
Genocide. Participants will raise funds through sponsorships.

To prepare for the walking portion, Armenian Hikers Association (AHA)
is organizing a hike each Sunday on the various legs of the journey.
If you would like to join these hikes, details are available on the
AHA Facebook page.

Anyone interested in participating or following developments about the
Tribute is encouraged to visit or check on
Facebook (). The organizers
may be contacted as well: Armenian Hikers Association at
[email protected] or on Facebook
(!/groups/521538567895715/);
Armenian Hiking Society
();
Armenian Cycling Association at [email protected]; Hye Riders
!/hye.riders?fref=ts; or call
818/434-5952.

#####

From: A. Papazian

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 1 2014

TURKEY REPEATS CALL FOR EXPERT HELP TO ANALYZE EVENTS OF 1915

Ahead the 1915 centennial, both Turkish-Armenian communities as well
as the government maintains hopes that Armenia will assist improving
ties by letting experts decide on the tragic events that happened a
century ago

by AyÃ…?e Ã…?ahin

ISTANBUL ‘ As the centennial of the 1915 events approaches, the
Armenian diaspora stepped up its efforts to convince the world to
label the incidents as “genocide” despite serious opposition from
Turkey. On the other hand, Turkey increases efforts to improve
relations with Armenia while it reiterates that the issue should be
analyzed by historians, geologists and other experts.

Turkish-Armenian relations have remained strained for decades due to
Armenia’s constant demand for Turkey to officially accept the Armenian
claims of “genocide.” Tensions peaked in 1993 when Turkey closed its
borders with Armenia in reaction to the war in Nagarno-Karabakh and in
support of its close ally Azerbaijan.

Nevertheless, earlier this year, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an made
attempts to thaw the tensions between the two countries by issuing a
message ahead of the 99th anniversary of the 1915 incidents. In an
unprecedented move, then prime minister ErdoÄ?an extended condolences
to the grandchildren of the Armenians who lost their lives in the 1915
events.

Both Armenian society and international circles have hailed the
message, which read, “It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that
Armenians remember the suffering experienced in that period, just like
every other citizen of the Ottoman Empire.”

Speaking to Daily Sabah, Turkish Armenian intellectual Markar Esayan
suggested that there are various ways to enhance ties between the two
countries, but patience is needed for the ultimate resolution to be
reached since the issue has become increasingly complex following 100
years of apathy. He suggests that there are two “channels” for Turkey
to reach a resolution, one being the official (governmental) channel,
and the other the civilian channel.

The matter is less likely to be tackled lightly in the official
channel, Esayan claims, as the matter has become “over-politicized,”
both in Armenia and within international circles.

“ErdoÄ?an’s message was a significant step towards easing the matter,
but it is far from satisfactory in the official platform.
Nevertheless, he has won the appreciation of civilian society, which
should not be overlooked.”

Esayan suggests that ErdoÄ?an’s move has resulted in relief within
Armenian society and, if repeated, could extend to the official
channel as well. ErdoÄ?an’s attempt to heal relations between both
countries was preceded by Abdullah Gül’s visit to Armenia during his
presidency. Gül attended the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier match in
Armenia upon Sargsyan’s invitation in 2008, which was followed by
Sargsyan’s reciprocal visit to Turkey to watch the return game the
following year.

In addition, during this period of football diplomacy, the two
countries’ then foreign ministers, Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu and Eduard
Nalbandyan, signed protocols to establish diplomatic ties between
their respective countries in 2009 in Switzerland. Mediated by the
U.S., the protocol had presupposed the opening of the border between
Turkey and Armenia. However, the process ended before the Armenian
National Assembly approved the protocol conditions. Although these
attempts deserve credit for normalizing ties between the two
countries, this progress is now obscuring the lack of agreement over
the term “genocide.”

Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies that the
word genocide is an accurate term for the 1915 incidents. Turkey
argues that genocide did not occur, asserting that the death toll has
been inflated, ethnic violence also killed Turks and the Ottoman
government did not “intend” to exterminate Armenians while relocating
them. Esayan notes that since the current ruling party does not see
itself as the successor to the Committee of Union and Progress, whose
leadership is claimed to be responsible for the alleged killings, it
can act more confidently in expressing thoughts on the events of 1915
compared to previous Turkish governments.

“The ruling party considers the committee and its successors as
‘Kemalists,’ who deviated from the Ottoman’s multicultural nature
because their mentality allowed the violation of religious people and
minorities’ rights. Religious people and Armenians are equivalent in
this scenario,” Esayan said.

Etyen Mahçupyan, an Armenian intellectual and journalist, told Daily
Sabah that clear definition of the incident can solve the crisis. He
suggests that the parties could agree to a milder definition of the
term instead of the one determined by the United Nations General
Assembly on Dec. 9, 1948.

DavutoÄ?lu, the current prime minister, previously expressed discontent
over the definition of genocide, suggesting that he could not accept
genocide claims if the ancestors’ genocide is stigmatized alongside
the Holocaust, as one of the two major massacres of the 20th century.

“Genocide is a term that sounds different to both countries. If the
two countries pledge a common and more general definition of genocide
instead of singularizing it, density will be lifted from the word,
which eventually will lead to relief on the part of both countries,”
Mahçupyan said. He even suggested a joint declaration be issued in
which Turkey accepts the large number of deaths that took place in
1915, and Armenia, in a forgiving tone, admits that such massacres
have always taken place in the history of people of every religion.

Another issue that would come as a relief to Armenian society will be
compensation for the losses. Officially accepting the incidents as
genocide would mean having to pay a large amount of compensation to
the relatives of the victims under international law.

Mahçupyan thinks compensation should address Armenian heritage instead
of individuals. “The souls of the Armenian people would be healed if a
great deal of the heritage is preserved by the Turkish government, be
it under the name of compensation or solely as a move to repair ties
with the Armenian people. If the government funds the restoration,
reconstruction and brings into use Armenian cultural heritage, which
dates back to the early ages of the Ottoman Empire, relations between
the two countries will undoubtedly be strengthened,” Mahçupyan said.

So far, various real properties have been returned to Armenian
foundations by the Turkish government in a bid to normalize relations.
For instance, the Beykoz Armenian graveyard has been returned to the
Beykoz Surp Nigogayos Armenian Church Foundation, and the land that
previously belonged to the Kuzguncuk Surp Krikor Lusavoric Armenian
Church has been returned. Moreover, the Beziyen Armenian School has
been recognized as the property of the Kartal Surp Armenian Church
Foundation.

In addition, part of the Büyükdere Armenian Graveyard, which
previously belonged to Apostolic Armenians, has been returned to the
Büyükdere Surp Hıripsimyants Armenian Church Foundation. Also, an old
graveyard in Sarıyer has been returned to the Yeniköy Kud Dido
Asdvadzadzni Armenian Church Foundation and 42,259 square-meters of
land has been returned to the Yedikule Surp Pirgic Armenian Hospital
Foundation. Furthermore, the Armenian Catholic graveyard has been
returned to the ElmadaÄ? Surp Armenian Hospital Foundation, the private
YeÅ?ilköy Armenian Primary School has been returned to the YeÅ?ilköy
Istepanos Armenian Church School and Graveyard foundation and the
Bomonti Armenian Mihitaryan Primary School has been returned to the
BeyoÄ?lu Surp Gazar Armenian Catholic Mihitaryan School and Convent
Foundation.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Aram AteÃ…?yan, the deputy patriarch of the
Armenian Patriarchate based in Istanbul, politely refused to deliver
an opinion to Daily Sabah, while noting that he hoped the wounds will
be healed. “Much to my regret, I must inform you that neither the
patriarchate nor the related foundations make comments on the 1915
incidents. I express sorrow on not being able to lend assistance,” he
said in a statement.

From: A. Papazian

OikoTimes, Greece
Nov 1 2014

The new Armenian video for JESC 2014 is a selfie!

Posted on October 30, 2014 11:00 am by Ghassan Al Kaziri

YEREVAN, ARMENIA – A nice smooth latin tune by Betty will represent
the country in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. If it wasn’t in
Armenian I would think this song is the entry of Spain. So far we had
the video from the national selection. Today we have the official
preview in which Betty gives a totally professional act and makes the
video as if it was a selfie. Enjoy “People Of The Sun”! Not bad at
all!

Watch the video at

From: A. Papazian

BuzzFeed News
Oct 31 2014

Armenian Activists Lose Suit Against Newspaper That Named “Homosexual Lobbyists”

“Hate speech and homophobia [are] highly sponsored by high level
officials of Armenia,” said activists denouncing the decision. posted
on Oct. 31, 2014, at 6:25 p.m.

J. Lester Feder

A court in the Armenian capital of Yerevan dismissed a suit on Friday
against the editor of a newspaper who published an article in May
naming more than 50 “homosexual lobbyists” as part of a “blacklist of
[the] country’s and nation’s enemies.”

The suit was brought by 16 of those named, including Mamikon
Hovsepyan, head of the LGBT organization PINK Armenia. The article
called for the people named to be ostracized and fired from their
jobs. The initial article — which was followed by several others —
came as the Armenian government had decided to withdraw from the
process of affiliating with the European Union and announced that it
would join the Russian-dominated Customs Union.

In a statement denouncing the decision, Hovsepyan suggested that
members of the ruling Republican Party had signalled to the court that
it should rule in favor of Hovhannes Galajyan, editor of the newspaper
Iravunk. MP Hayk Babukhanyan, who founded the newspaper and owns its
parent company, attended the trial and received a medal of honor from
the Armenian president on October 25.

“We believe that high level support of official reflected on the
decision of the Court and this shows once more that hate speech and
homophobia is highly sponsored by high level officials of Armenia, and
this creates atmosphere of impunity, gives floor for hate crime and
fascism in the country,” Hovsepyan said in a statement.

From: A. Papazian