Author: Andres-Papazian

RUSSIAN POLITICAL ANALYST ABOUT NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE AND OTHER REGIONAL QUESTIONS

Times.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

In connection with the recent visits of Russian president Dmitry
Medvedev to Armenia and Azerbaijan political analyst Viktor
Nadein-Rayevsky, a senior fellow of the Russian Academy of Sciences’
Institute of World Economy and International Relations assessed
geopolitical situation in the region and gave his opinion on the
ambitions of other regional powers – Turkey and Iran, Ria Novosti
reported.

Answering to the coorespodent’s question about Russia’s geopolitical
interests in the South Caucasus, the analyst said.

“Russia views the Caucasus security as an important issue.

Consequently, we display caution on Nagorno-Karabakh issues and try to
relegate them to the concerned parties, without dictating anything to
anyone. Of course, we would like to see equitable and well-balanced
international cooperation here. External influence should not upset
the current balance because disruption could lead to unpredictable
consequences. And nobody needs a new war. At any rate, Russia does
not need such a war”.

Nadein-Rayevsky also spoke about strengthening positions of some
countries at this region.” I don’t want to directly accuse any Western
governments of this. But, judging by the actions of some non-regional
players, it appears that their policy was aimed at upsetting the
balance. At any rate, this is true of the developments in Georgia.

Similar attempts are possible with regard to Azerbaijan”.

The analyst also assessed the role of the two other countries of the
region, Iran and Turkey.

“Both countries have recently become visibly active in their own way.

Previously, the Turkish policy could be perceived as a continuation
and sharp point on the NATO “sword” in the eastern Mediterranean
region. But the situation has now changed. The Republic of Turkey has
long been formulating its policy in line with its national interests.

The West, which is not used to this, frequently disapproves of
various Turkish actions. In some cases, they even mention a veritable
Russian-Turkish alliance which, of course, amounts to idle talk.

Naturally, any strategic military alliance is also out of the
question. These countries have different interests and goals.

Nevertheless, there are common venues of cooperation, including the
stabilization of the Caucasus”.

He estimated turkish-iranian relations mostly as economical.

“Turkey also prioritizes relations with Iran because it receives
natural gas from them. This does not always go smoothly, and acts of
sabotage have taken place. Moreover, Turkey is seriously interested
in developing Iranian mineral deposits. Although the United States
reproaches and even threatens Turkey, Ankara invests in Iran”.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN SCHOOLS ARE DISSOLVED IN GEORGIA

Times.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

The Armenian community of Georgia is alarmed by disbanding of N95
Armenian school and Armenian departments at N146 and N110 schools
in Tbilisi.

In a letter sent to the Georgian Education Minister, the Armenian
community requested to name the reasons, which made the Georgian
Educational Ministry make such a dessicion.

“The Armenian cultural and education institutions functioning in
the territory of Georgia are in focus of the Armenian community and
any action regarding them, should it be disbanding or reorganization,
affect the community closely,” the community said in a letter obtained
by Times.am.

The Armenian community expressed hope that the Ministry of Education
and Science, as a state democratic body, respects the rights of
national minorities, including the right to get education in native
language and to preserve national culture.

Georgian government has closed armenian schools and other
national-cultural and educational institutes at its territory for the
last few years. This attitude is very obvious already for some years.

The famous graveyard of armenians, the Khojivanq was destroyed some
years ago. Here were buried many of armenian famous writers.

Armenian churches are also destroyed in Javakhq and other places of
Georgia. Some armenian monuments are being “disappeared” periodically.

And only the individums try to do something against this unbloody
massacre.

From: A. Papazian

D. BABAYAN: A DEMOCRATIC STATE CANNOT BE ANNEXED WITH A TOTALITARIAN COUNTRY IN MODERN WORLD

Times.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

“We draw several conclusions from the report; it is the first-ever
unbiased document on the situation in Azerbaijan mentioning that
Azerbaijan is an oligarch-clan state, a country peculiar to east
monarchy. And it is praiseworthy,” spokesman for Artsakh Republic
President David Babayan told a panorama.am correspondent commenting
upon the International Crisis Group (ICG) Report on Azerbaijan.

“Meanwhile I must say that the very International Crisis Group has
already made several similar documents on Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict
which support Azerbaijan’s position. And now, when they present an
unbiased report on the situation in Azerbaijan, they must introduce
respective changes on the resolution of Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict,”
Artsakh official said.

According to Babayan, a democratic state cannot be annexed with a
totalitarian country in the modern world.

“Unless ICG reconsiders its approaches on the Karabakh-Azerbaijan
conflict I think it will be a serious blow to democratic ideas,
and in general, human rights,” presidential spokesman said.

From: A. Papazian

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALTERS DATE OF DISCUSSION ON DRAFT RESOLUTION ON SITUATION IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN

Today

Sept 7 2010
Azerbaijan

UN General Assembly altered date of discussion on a draft resolution
“The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” in a plenary
meeting of the 64th session.

Earlier the discussions were scheduled for September 7, but it
was postponed until September 9, APA reports quoting UN’s official
website. The draft resolution is item 18 on UN General Assembly’s
agenda.

In the draft resolution “The situation in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan”, the General Assembly reaffirmed the continuing
applicability of all relevant norms of international humanitarian
law and international human rights law to the situation concerning
the conflict-affected territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh
region; also reaffirmed the commitment to ensure the inalienable right
of the population expelled from the conflict-affected territories in
and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region and their descendants to return
to their homes, and stressed the necessity of creating appropriate
conditions to this end; determines that the return of the population
expelled from the conflict-affected territories in and around the
Nagorno-Karabakh region will create favourable conditions for taking
confidence-building measures and encouraging people-to-people contacts;
stressed the need to ensure the protection of cultural heritage and
sacred sites in the conflict-affected territories in and around the
Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The UN General Assembly invited relevant special procedures of the
Human Rights Council, the United Nations human rights treaty monitoring
bodies and other United Nations entities, as appropriate, to address
in fulfilling their respective mandates the issue of observance of
international humanitarian law and international human rights law in
the conflict-affected territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh
region.

It also requested the Secretary-General to prepare, in collaboration
with United Nations entities and international and regional
organizations and arrangements, as appropriate, and to submit to the
General Assembly at its 65th session a comprehensive report on the
implementation of the present resolution.

From: A. Papazian

WOULD ARMENIA DARE TO PROVOKE NEW WAR IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH?

Today

Sept 7 2010
Azerbaijan

Interview with member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
(Parliament) from the ruling Justice and Development Party, deputy
chair of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security of the OSCE
PA Canan Kalsin.

Armenian side has stepped up provocation on the contact line of
Armenian and Azerbaijani troops lately. What are the chances of a
war and what steps will Turkey take in this case?

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s moving to the phase of full-scale armed
conflict threatens to destabilize situation not only in the South
Caucasus, but also neighboring regions up until the Balkans. Turkey
seeks to resolve the conflict, while it, so to speak, is “frozen”.

Provocations by Armenians along the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact
line aim to increase tension in the region. There are forces in
Armenia who do not want peace. In addition, majority of Armenia’s 3
million citizens are outside the country. Armenian economy is entirely
dependent on the assistance of compatriots abroad, many of whom are
very nationalistic. But I am confident that Armenia would not dare
to provoke a war.

Armenian diaspora intends to raise wave of lawsuits in the European
courts against Turkey on the so-called “Armenian genocide”. In your
opinion, does this move aim to force Ankara to make concessions
under pressure?

Turkey has long opened all the historical archives. But as you know,
the Armenian side refuses to open its archives. Turkey’s position is
that the issue of “genocide” should be dealt with by international
organizations and historians. Turkey believes that no genocide took
place and offers historians to conduct a research into this issue. Why
is this study has not yet been carried out is a question to be answered
by the Armenian side.

Can the Turkish-Russian rapprochement give a positive impetus to the
settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict?

You’ve got to remember that at the dawn of the Karabakh conflict,
Russia strongly armed, trained Armenia and thus predetermined the
further course of events in this confrontation. However, I think that
the rapprochement between Turkey and Russia will create a favorable
atmosphere in the settlement of frozen conflicts. The fact is that the
tension in a particular region causes a reaction in other regions and
countries under the principle of contagion. For example, the results of
the war in Iraq still have a negative impact on neighboring countries.

Does Turkey face pressure to open Turkish-Armenian border? Is this
problem related with the settlement of Karabakh conflict?

Turkey pursues an independent foreign policy, and do not think that
it will open its border with Armenia under pressure. When Armenia
declared its independence in the early 1990s, Turkey was the first
country to open borders and air space with the country. But after the
Armenian authorities begun to pursue radical nationalist policies,
we were forced to close the border. A lot of Armenian citizens are
illegally working in Turkey. The economy of this country to some
extent is dependent on Turkey.

The border between Turkey and Armenia can be opened on mutually
acceptable terms and it will have a very positive impact on the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. At the same time, opening the
border creates opportunities for restoration of the Armenian-Turkish
rail link, which connects the South Caucasus region with Central Asia.

This railway is of particular importance in terms of integration
of Turkic states. Opening of Armenian-Turkish border will step up
Ankara’s role in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. However,
the only condition for this is progress is the liberation of occupied
Azerbaijani territories.

From: A. Papazian

MORE IRANIAN STUDENTS AT ARMENIAN HIGHER SCHOOLS

news.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

The Iranian Minister of Education is to be on a visit to Armenia
September 22-23.

RA Minister of Education Armen Ashotyan reported that the Iranian
delegation is to visit a number of Armenian higher schools, as the
recognition of their certificates encountered problems in Iran. Among
them are Yerevan State University, Yerevan Medical University and
Yerevan Engineering University.

Minister Ashotyan expressed hope that more Iranian students will
study at Armenian higher schools after the Iranian Minister’s visit.

From: A. Papazian

DISCUSSION OF AZERI RESOLUTION PUT OFF AT U.N.

news.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

The discussion of Azerbaijan’s resolution on occupied territories at
the U.S. General Assembly is to take place on September 9, the U.N.
official website reports. The document was to have been discussed on
September 7.

Talking to NEWS.am, Vice-Speaker of the RA Parliament, RPA Board
member Samvel Nikoyan pointed out that any forecasts concerning
the documents are too early to make now. Votes on resolutions are
often spontaneous at international institutions. “Many delegations
do not even examine the document they vote on,” Nikoyan said. He
stressed that Azerbaijan will certainly try to enlist the support
of the members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
– or have already done so. “These states’ position is conditioned
by their religious identity,” Nikoyan said. The Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is not a religious problem, but that of peoples’ right to
self-determination. “In this context, many of the OIC member-states
were and are actively involved in recognizing the Palestinian and
Kosovo peoples’ right to self-determination. So it is not yet clear
what will be the OIC member-states’ final decision,” Nikoyan said.

Official Yerevan is doing its best to block the Azeri resolution
at the U.N. “I must say, however, that the organization has adopted
several resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh since 1992, but none of them
was implemented. So the new one will only join the list of failed
documents. But even in this case, the approval of one more resolution
not in the Armenian side’s favor is undesirable,” Nikoyan said.

The Azeri resolution points out the necessity for return of Azerbaijani
refugees and the unacceptability of destruction of cultural monuments
“in the occupied territories.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN SIDE SHOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN TURKISH SHOW, RPA MEMBER SAYS

news.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

If a cross is not installed on the dome of a church, it cannot be
considered a church, Mkrtich Lazarian, an MP from Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA), told journalists today, commenting on the Turkish
authorities’ disgraceful step to put off the cross installation.

According to the MP, the Armenian side should not play into Turkey’s
hands, as Turks try to show the world Turkey is a democratic state.

“We should show the world there are truths to be accepted. However, to
show itself to the world by such a step is not evidence of democracy,”
the MP said. Lazarian emphasized the Armenian Patriarchate of
Constantinople must participate in the religious service, as it
operates in Turkey. “If the Patriarchate makes extreme steps, it will
lose a right to organize any event,” Minasyan said.

The parliamentarian confessed he would attend the religious service
only if a cross is installed on the dome of Surb Khach Church.

From: A. Papazian

ON AZERI LEADER’S “FLAG DREAMS”

news.am
Sept 7 2010
Armenia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev is still cherishing dreams of
hoisting an Azeri flag over Nagorno-Karabakh. As the parliamentary
elections scheduled for November 7 draw near, Azerbaijan’s
authoritarian leader has more frequent “flag fits.”

This time, during Iftar (the meal eaten by Muslims to break their fast
after sunset every day during Ramadan) held by the Aliev clan’s best
fiend, leader of the Caucasian Muslims Allahshukyur Pashazade, Mr.
Aliev had “another vision” of the Azeri flag over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The State News Agency of Azerbaijan reports that, speaking of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, “President Ilham Aliev expressed
the confidence that the problem would be fairly resolved within
international legal norms and the country’s territorial integrity.”

According to the Azeri leader, the hoisting of the Azerbaijani flag
over Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of “the fair solution.”

However, the Azeri leaders are far from being a success in this
matter. Of course, they are “modestly” silent on the fact. But the
fact remains: the hyped-up and well-paid action widely covered by world
mass media – the hoisting of the largest Azerbaijani flag to a record
height – proved an ignominious failure. Every day Baku residents can
see there is no flag fluttering on the highest point of Azerbaijan’s
capital, but the Aztv TV channel goes on, with pathological idiocy,
reporting that “Azerbaijanis throughout the world were greatly proud
to see it hoisted in National Flag Square.”

Mother Nature, however, revolted against that pomposity. The gusty
Caspian wind tore a hole in the huge flag, “a symbol of might and
unity” of Azerbaijan, which was lowered on September 3 morning. So Mr.

Aliev had better think of finding a way out of this awkward situation
rather than cherish dreams never to come true. He had better raise a
flag over his own country’s capital instead of threatening with war
and new ethnic cleansing to Nagorno-Karabakh.

As regards the flag to wave over Stepanakert, it was decided there
long ago.

From: A. Papazian

ISTANBUL’S YESILKOY, FEELING THE BREEZE OF THE MARMARA SEA

Today’s Zaman
Sept 7 2010
Turkey

Yesilkoy, part of the Bakirkoy Municipality, is situated along the
Marmara Sea, about 15 kilometers west of Istanbul’s old city.

For most travelers to Istanbul the first encounter with Yesilkoy is
from the air, for it is close to Ataturk Airport, which was named
Yesilkoy Airport before its modernization in the ’80s. Under this
name it figured in the James Bond movie “From Russia with Love.”

Due to how near it is to Ataturk Airport, Yesilkoy is connected to
aviation in many ways. It is where Turkish aviation was born. In 1912
the first hangars, landing/takeoff strips and other facilities for
aviation were built here. Six years later the YeÅ~_ilköy Airplane
Center became a school for pilots of the Ottoman Air Force, the
predecessor of the current Turkish Air Forces. Since 1951 YeÅ~_ilköy
has been the home of the Turkish Air Forces academy. Nearby is the
Aviation Museum, which opened its doors for the first time in 1985,
after having been moved from Izmir. The aviation museum exhibits a
range of historical airplanes and can be visited every day from 9
a.m. till 4 p.m., except on Monday and Tuesday.

Ties with aviation are also reflected in YeÅ~_ilköy’s two major
hotels.

Popular among aviation personnel is the Polat Renaissance Hotel, which
dominates the skyline of YeÅ~_ilköy with its 23 floors. The view from
the upper floors is magnificent. One can even see the bridge over
the Golden Horn in the distance. Next door to the Polat Renaissance
Hotel is the Cınar Hotel, one of Turkey’s first five star hotels.

As is often the case in Istanbul, the history of YeÅ~_ilköy is quite
interesting. Initially it was called Ayos Stefanos, after St. Stephen,
one of the first Christian martyrs. According the Acts of the Apostles
in the New Testament, St. Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob
due to an accusation of blasphemy. His remains were at first kept in
Jerusalem, but under Emperor Theodosius the younger, they were moved
by sea to Constantinople. However, according to legend the ship was
hit by a storm just before it reached the city, forcing the crew to
go ashore at the current YeÅ~_ilköy. The bones of St. Stephen were
temporarily kept here, giving the area its name.

Of course the question is how much of this legend is true, but that the
three churches in YeÅ~_ilköy are dedicated to St. Stephen is a fact.

Every year on Dec. 27 a special ritual is held: A priest throws a
small cross into the sea, after which it is brought back to shore by
young men of several religions. The day before, which is dedicated
to St. Stephen, an animal is sacrificed. This custom refers to the
food that was given by shepherds to the crew of the ship carrying
the remains of St. Stephen.

In 1203, after the Fourth Crusade the Christian army disembarked in
San Stefano, to conquer Constantinople a year later. It was quite
a while before the village again made its mark in Turkish history;
in the 19th century San Stefano and the adjacent Florya and Ataköy
became the property of the powerful Armenian Dadyan family, a present
from the sultan who was happy because of the gunpowder the Dadyans
supplied to the Ottoman Empire.

During the Crimean War (1853-1856), when France, Great Britain and
the Ottoman Empire went to war against Russia, YeÅ~_ilköy became
the base of the French army. The French military left a lighthouse
behind, the Ayastefanos Fener, located near the Polat Renaissance
Hotel. Nowadays it is the fish restaurant Fener, which treats its
guests to the only lighthouse museum in Turkey.

When the Russians tried to regain what they’d lost in the Crimean
War during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), their advance stopped
at YeÅ~_ilköy, after which the Treaty of San Stefano was signed by
Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The exact location was the beautiful
home (still standing) of the Simeonoglu family.

In 1909 the decision to banish Sultan Abdulhamid II to Thessaloniki
was taken by the Committee of Union and Progress in YeÅ~_ilköy. A
law in 1926 forced villages and cities to choose a Turkish name, so
San Stefano was renamed YeÅ~_ilköy (green village). The new name
emerged from the thoughts of the writer Halit Ziya UÅ~_aklıgil,
who lived here.

Beyond any doubt he felt inspired by the many trees in YeÅ~_ilköy. The
park between YeÅ~_ilköy center and the marinas is named after
UÅ~_aklıgil.

He wasn’t the only well-known Turk who lived in YeÅ~_ilköy,
however. In the 1940s six members of the Cingas family came from
Albania to Istanbul. They set up a popular place in YeÅ~_ilköy that
was frequented by many writers, musicians and poets. Vangel Cingas,
who later became know as Ancelo, read poetry here. His place became
so popular that reservations had to be made days in advance. Later
on the singers Ayten Alpman and Å~^ecaattin Tanyerli, as well as the
TV announcer Ugur Dundar, lived in YeÅ~_ilköy.

In the 19th century the population of YeÅ~_ilköy was a mixture of
Turks, Greeks, Armenians, French and Italians. An Armenian school is
a reminder of those days. It was a favorite sea resort for Istanbul’s
elite then, who also came to hunt. Nowadays Greeks, French, Italians
and hunting have disappeared. But YeÅ~_ilköy is still a popular
sea resort due to the beautiful wide beaches and many exquisite fish
restaurants. Its cozy center is filled with bars and restaurants.

Tourists from Holland will be surprised to find the van Gogh
restaurant, with several reproductions of paintings by the famous
Dutch expressionist.

Istanbul’s elite are also still present, along with many luxurious
examples of modern architecture and magnificent 19th century wooden
villas, which contribute to YeÅ~_ilköy being one of Istanbul’s most
splendid areas. But YeÅ~_ilköy is not only for the elite. It is a
popular destination for many, causing it to be especially crowded
on hot summer evenings — if there is a chance for a cool breeze in
Istanbul, it is in YeÅ~_ilköy.

YeÅ~_ilköy can be reached from Eminönu by train and by bus number
81. Or from Taksim Square by bus 72T, or dolmuÅ~_.

From: A. Papazian