Author: Andres-Papazian

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #746
July 30 2014

Armenia’s Child Nutrition Challenge

Health ministry plans new strategy to tackle high rates of
malnourishment among under-fives.
By Lilit Arakelyan – Caucasus

Almost a fifth of children under the age of five in Armenia suffer
from restricted growth because of malnutrition, and public health
experts say things are getting worse rather than better.

The last comprehensive national survey was conducted in 2010 and
showed that 19 per cent of under-fives had signs of restricted growth.
The figure was worse for rural parts of Armenia, at 22 per cent
compared with 17 per cent in urban centres.

Health experts blame widespread poverty in Armenia, but also argue
that parents are not always aware of proper nutrition.

The national statistics agency says that about a million people –
nearly a third of the population – were living below the poverty line
in 2012.

A study by the Fund for Armenian Relief conducted in 2013 showed that
16 per cent of children aged under six in the northeastern Tavush
region had restricted growth, and 19 per cent had anaemia.

Dr Asya Mardanyan, who heads a family medicine centre and looks after
three villages in Tavush region, told IWPR that the children she saw
were generally undernourished, with anaemia in one out of every five
cases.

“The rate of anaemia among children is huge…. haemoglobin levels
remain low for up to two or three years,” she said. “It’s entirely a
result of people being badly-off. They don’t have the money to buy
meat and dairy products. That’s why children are so poorly nourished.”

Hambardzum Simonyan is coordinating a nutrition programme for 250
families in Tavush for the Fund for Armenian Relief, said this region
presented particular problems since it had higher-than-average levels
of emigration and was blocked on one side by the border with
Azerbaijan.

“It’s very important to prevent malnutrition during the first 1,000
days of a child’s life – i.e. the nine months of pregnancy plus the
first two years,” Simonyan said. “It’s essential to provide the child
with nutrition, otherwise irreparable damage will occur.”

Svetlana Smbatyan, from the village of Tavush, found out that her
six-year-old daughter was anaemic after taking her to a doctor.

“She felt weak all the time. She was falling asleep and she was always
tired. The doctor said low levels of haemoglobin were to blame, and
prescribed polyvitamins. I’ve been trying to raise my daughter’s
haemoglobin levels through a good diet,” Smbatyan said.

She said her husband’s army pay of 365 US dollars a month was barely
enough to feed her and their three children.

“I can only afford meat once a month, to feed children who need food
that’s rich in iron. And I need to economise on dairy products too, so
we buy them just twice a month,” she said.

Liana Hovakimyan, who heads a healthcare and nutrition programme for
the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF, said malnutrition was a
complex problem that required a range of responses.

“The problem of chronic childhood malnutrition in Armenia is gradually
getting worse, so our integrated programme is mainly aimed at
promoting breastfeeding, ensuring the correct and timely use of
dietary supplements for children, improving the knowledge and
counselling skills of health workers, and raising awareness among
parents with regards to baby food,” she told IWPR.

Armenia’s health ministry recognises the gravity of the problem and
has drawn up a programme designed to improve childhood nutrition.

“There’s a lot left to do. We need to invest money effectively and
coordinate our efforts,” Karine Saribekyan, head of the health
ministry’s mother and child department, told IWPR. “The new government
programme acknowledges that the mother-and-child health is a major
problem, and one aspect of the programme focuses on child nutrition.”

Saribekyan said the ministry planned to seek government approval for a
“strategic plan for improving children’s nourishment”.

Lilit Arakelyan is a reporter for the Araratnews.am website in Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

GhanaWeb, Ghana
July 30 2014

Armenian club Shirak FC sign Emmanuel Gyamfi

Armenian club Shirak FC have signed Ghanaian winger Emmanuel Gyamfi on
a one-year loan deal, GHANAsoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

The 20-year-old was announced as Shirak’s newest signing alongside
goalkeeper Gor Elazyan on Tuesday morning.

Gyamfi joins from Ghanaian Premier League club Wa All Stars.

He was a member of the recent Ghana U20 team, the Black Satellites.

The right winger will however be playing for Shirak in an initial
one-year loan deal subject to renewal at the end of this period.

His loan deal will expire on July 31, 2015.

From: A. Papazian

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
July 30 2014

Hidden Europe: The eye-opening spots you’ve never heard of

Travel
DateJuly 29, 2014

Expect the unexpected when you venture to the ancient Caucasus, writes
Isobel King.

I stare at the wizened old leather shoe in the history museum in
Yerevan and lean in again to double check the date: 3500BC. I do the
sums – that’s more than 5500 years old. I was taken by the
mint-condition clay vessels that are 4000 years old and the fully
intact wagons and chariots dug up from the shores of Lake Sevan.

But this little moccasin, sewn from one piece of leather, has me
mesmerised. It’s a lasting reminder of just how ancient, yet
relatively little known, this part of the world is.

Haydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: Getty Images

For me, it’s the final day of an eye-opening tour through Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Armenia, former Soviet republics that are part of a region
known as the Caucasus.

Peregrine Adventures spent a year putting together the 17-day
itinerary and we are on the maiden tour. It’s a group of 13, including
two spirited women in their 70s, and we represent seven different
countries between us, not including Bob, our Russian guide, proving
curiosity has no barriers.

The capital of Baku is the base for most of our four days in
Azerbaijan, where the expedition begins. It’s a city dripping in oil
wealth, with a mishmash of architectural styles that’s oddly
compelling.

Peasant woman sitting on road with dog in Georgia. Photo: Getty Images

There are the majestic buildings dating from Azerbaijan’s days under
the Russian tsars, just blocks away from drab Soviet towers awaiting
“beautification”. The inventive approach is to dress their facades in
stone, attach ornate balconies – et voila, as good as old.

Wandering around the cobbled streets of Baku’s mediaeval walled
centre, taking in the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and other historic
sites, the Dubai-like glass Flame Towers beyond the walls lend the
perspective a science-fiction quality.

The newly completed Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre is a showstopper, an
astounding piece of modern architecture designed by famous Iraqi-born
British architect Zaha Hadid. It’s like a white serpent rising from a
grassy knoll that suddenly livens up the trip in from the airport.

Tsminda Sameba Church. Photo: iStock

Life on the streets of Baku feels similar to a modern city anywhere.
Islamic Azerbaijan is a historically tolerant society. Cafes,
restaurants and shops are buzzing, and in the boulevards and parks by
the waterfront, adjoining the Caspian Sea, the world’s biggest salt
lake, burqa-clad women can be seen strolling alongside young things in
the latest fashion. At night, the city is beautifully lit, reminiscent
at times of strolling around Paris. Hence its name, Paris of the East.

Well, not quite.

We take the hour’s trip to Qobustan, past endless oil rigs, and
clamber up a rocky path in the heat to inspect ancient rock engravings
in nooks and crannies everywhere.

Vardzia cave city, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia. Photo: Getty Images

Civilisation in this UNESCO-protected region has been traced back
40,000 years, and the fascinating on-site museum captures slabs of it
in highly informative and interactive displays. At the foot of the
hill, I stop at a fenced-off rock engraving made by a passing Roman
officer. It dates from AD90. Graffiti spans all the centuries.

On the road north-west to Georgia, as we watch the amazing transition
from dry, salty plains to the first few sprigs of green inland, to the
incredibly lush countryside that abruptly springs from nowhere all in
a matter of hours, we stop in Sheki, visiting the 18th-century Shaki
Khan Palace.

It’s a marked departure from the elaborate mosques and stone tombs
seen earlier. This was the summer palace of the local ruling Shaki
Khans. Its intricate, timber-framed stained-glass windows, still
hand-crafted locally, are apparently popular with wealthy sheiks.
Inside, every room is lined with vibrantly coloured frescoes.

Mtkvari River as it runs through Tbilisi. Photo: Getty Images

The palace and Baku’s mediaeval city are Azerbaijan’s historical
highlights for me.

In our seven days in Georgia, it seems as if we have criss-crossed its
entire 70,000 square kilometres in our little minibus, when in reality
we have managed a select grab bag of highlights, including half a
dozen or so UNESCO World Heritage sites. Georgians adopted
Christianity in the early 4th century, so historic churches and
monasteries are regular stops.

The whole country feels freshly renovated, from cities, to roads, to
hotels, to tourist attractions. Scaffolding and road works are as
etched in my memory as the mountains, rivers, fields of wild flowers
and endless green vistas that have accompanied our travels.

Gobustan mud volcanoes. Photo: Getty Images

The 10-year presidency of pro-western Mikheil Saakashvili, which ended
with the elections last November, has marked the country’s economic
rejuvenation after a decade of chaos.

We have driven through winemaking regions in Georgia’s south and had
our first introduction to chacha, the local rocket fuel, courtesy of
farmer Simon and his family entourage.

In their purpose-built stone cellar in the small town of Sighnaghi, a
stone’s throw from the Azerbaijan border, we are shown a contraption
that looks positively mediaeval. It’s the chacha maker, the “grape
vodka” found everywhere. It’s wincingly potent and sets the mood for a
lively cellar feast. That lunch was our first introduction to
khachapuri, the devilishly moreish flat cheese bread that’s on every
menu.

Wine lovers should note: Georgia’s winemaking tradition goes back 8000
years. An official wine map reveals snaking trails everywhere and a
baffling 437 different grape varieties. If in doubt, the ever-popular
Saperavi reds and Rkatsiteli whites are sound bets.

We have gone north and climbed into the heart of Europe’s highest
mountain range – the snow-capped Greater Caucasus. It stretches for
1200 kilometres, forming the border with Russia to the north.

Our destination for two nights is the remote ski resort of Gudauri,
heaving with skiiers in winter apparently, but a desolate spot in
summer: a scattering of buildings on austere, grassy slopes. The lone
supermarket proves the main social hub on our visit.

At 2196 metres, Gudauri is the highest village on the famous Georgian
Military Highway, an ancient north-south trading route that has been
recently upgraded into a flawless stretch of road.

It’s the launch pad for a day trip to nearby Kazbegi, where a one-hour
hike up the steep, rocky foothills (jeep optional) is rewarded with
hauntingly beautiful views from the remote 14th-century Gergeti
Trinity Church. No invader was going to take this prize easily.

The clouds clear to offer a perfect view of Mount Kazbeg, at 5047
metres, one of the higher glaciers in the Caucasus.

We have gone west as far as Kutaisi, the country’s second largest
city, stopping on the way at Stalin’s birthplace in Gori. His humble
family home lies in the grounds of the Stalin Museum, where rooms of
black-and-white photographs, news clippings and memorabilia document
not just the rise of a dictator, but graphic examples of hardships and
horrors.

And, of course, we have spent time in the charming capital of Tbilisi,
an easily walkable city of 1.2 million divided by the Mtkvari River.
It’s in the final throes of an extensive renovation.

The UNESCO-protected old district has had most of the buildings’
crumbling facades replaced. They contrast with contemporary structures
nearby.

It’s a laid-back city, where most of the action centres around the
main thoroughfare, Rustaveli Avenue and the lively network of streets
in the old town.

The pace has been fast and furious, with a couple of 10-hour days on
the road. Framed by the bus window are watchtowers and forts,
crumbling stone houses and defunct old factories, new buildings with
shiny tin roofs, and the drab, grey apartment blocks that dot the
landscape everywhere in this part of the world, legacies of the Soviet
era.

I’m still prizing the grit out of my hair from a visit to the
12th-century cave city of Vardzia, in the south-west. I conclude that
tunnels, perilously steep steps, low rock ceilings and a power
blackout are not a good combination. The city was carved into a
mountain, stretching across 500 metres, a feat of human endeavour.

Nino, our bubbly Georgian guide, succinctly sums up her country’s
history: “So many times, occupied, destroyed, rebuilt . . . occupied,
destroyed, rebuilt”. She may as well have been talking about any of
the countries we visit. Preserving their architecture against the
constant onslaught has been challenging. Mongols, Persians, Russians
and Ottomans have all fancied their chance in this strategic
crossroads of Europe and Asia. Many of the historic sites we visit
have been rebuilt from ruins.

I have seen so many monasteries and churches that they have merged
into a glorious pastiche of soaring stone structures, frescoes,
brightly coloured icons and priests in black robes going about their
business, seemingly impervious to the coachloads of tourists.

Mostly I tend to remember them by their locations: behind protective
walls, such as the magnificent Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the centre
of historic Mtskheta, where Christ’s robe is allegedly buried; on
remote hilltops, such as the 6th century Jvari Church peering down
over Mtskheta; and in Kutaisi, the collection of beautiful stone
buildings that make up Gelati Monastery, where of one of the greatest
Georgian kings, David the Builder, has his tomb.

The trio of countries was part of the Soviet Union up until their
independence in 1991. The itinerary has been carefully mapped to avoid
any potential hot spots (see trip notes). For us, everywhere we travel
feels safe and welcoming.

Russian is the de-facto second language and English can be patchy
outside the capitals, so although independent travel is possible, I
imagine it could be tricky, once the complication of visas and long
border crossings are taken into account.

On day 11, Armenia greets us across the Bavra border crossing from
Georgia late afternoon with rough roads, thunderous black clouds and
the bleak, barely habitable landscape of this northern region. It’s a
fittingly atmospheric entry to a country that lies in the shadow of
Mount Ararat, where Noah’s Ark is said to have come to rest after the
flood.

En route to the capital, we stop at Gyumri, the country’s
second-largest city, which was devastated by an earthquake in 1988 and
is still struggling to get rebuilt. We park in the main square and
wander through the back streets, past half-crumbling stone buildings
that are still beautiful, but just skeletons now. Some have been
rebuilt, but there’s a long way to go.

The gritty capital of Yerevan, on the other hand, is bristling with
energy and artistic life, with signs of progress everywhere. The
transition from the relative stability of the Soviet period to now has
been rocky. The country isn’t flush with funds, but the large Armenian
diaspora is generous.

The Armenian Genocide Museum is closed until April 2015 for an
extensive renovation. A new mall in the city centre is almost
finished. There are sculptures and statues everywhere, many recent,
that salute famous Armenians.

Edgy bars and restaurants all over the city are packed with chatty,
locals fluent in English, eager to exchange stories.

We take the 20-kikometre trip to see Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia’s
answer to Vatican city. Armenia was the first country to adopt
Christianity as its official religion, in 301AD, and this is its
expansive headquarters: clipped lawns, trees and newly laid paths
leading to an assortment of buildings. The central Mother Cathedral is
covered with scaffolding on our June visit.

Inside, through an arch, we visit the small museum, which houses
sacred relics, including the lance that supposedly pierced the side of
Christ and a petrified splinter of Noah’s Ark. Whether myth or fact,
I’m again enthralled by random fragments of history.

For me, the trip ended in Yerevan, leaving the posse to take the
overnight trip to the mediaeval town of Goris. I would have loved to
explore Armenia more, but this trip has been an absorbing introduction
to a trio of countries geographically close but unique, and all
embracing the tourist wave. I felt lucky to beat the hordes.

The writer was a guest of Peregrine Adventures.

FIVE MORE SIGHTS TO SEE IN THE CAUCASUS

ATESHGAH FIRE TEMPLE, BAKU

A short drive along the Absheron Peninsula, this recently restored
open temple, complete with mannequins recreating temple life, sheds
light on how the fire-worshipping Zoroastrians lived. An
English-speaking guide is essential, as there’s little information on
site.

YANAR DAG (FIRE MOUNTAIN), BAKU

Nor far from the fire temple is this intriguing natural phenomenon.
Even when the snow falls, natural gases from the earth keep these
flickering flames alive.

UPLISTSIKHE CAVE CITY, GEORGIA

A series of caves cut into a mountain are what remain of this small
3000-year-old complex. It’s interesting to scramble around and picture
life as it was then. The museum below is well worth visiting for its
archaeological finds and information.

FINE ARTS MUSEUM, TBILISI

The Treasury section of this small museum holds one of the finest
collections of Georgian icons and crosses, retrieved from churches and
monasteries everywhere.

MASHTOTS MATENADARAN, YEREVAN

This ancient manuscripts museum contains room after room of sublimely
intricate and richly coloured manuscripts, including a whopper
weighing in at 27 kilograms. There’s also maps and other historical
documents to inspect.

TRIP NOTES

GETTING THERE

>From Australia, one option is to fly Emirates to Dubai from where it’s
under three hours to Baku or Yerevan, the start/end points of the
featured trip. Azerbaijan Airlines has regular flights to Dubai-Baku.
Fly Dubai has regular flights to Yerevan-Dubai.

See emirates.com; azal.az.

TOURING THERE

Peregrine Adventures has five departures for the 17-day Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Armenia tour in 2015, the first is on May 10. Tours start
from $3575 a person including a local tour leader, arrival transfer,
transportation, accommodation, some meals and activities.

Phone 1300 854 445; see peregrineadventures.com.

TRAVELLING THERE

Australians require visas for Armenia and Azerbaijan, which can be
applied for online. As there are ongoing tensions in the border region
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Australian government advises
travellers to avoid Nagorno-Karabakh and the military occupied area
surrounding it. In Georgia, the government cautions against visiting
the disputed regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as Pankisi
Gorge north of Akhmeta.

View photos at

From: A. Papazian

Aphrodite bar to be closed

20:05 | July 31,2014 | Social

In response to a letter from Anahit Bakhshyan, a member of the Barev
Yerevan faction in the Yerevan Municipal Council, Yerevan Mayor Taron
Margaryan said that “Aphrodite” bar situated at 35 Khanjyan street in
Yerevan would be suspended starting August 1, 2014.

Earlier, Ms Bakhshyan addressed a letter to the Yerevan Mayor, sharing
residents’ concerns and complaints over ‘special services’ offered in
bars and karaoke clubs, specifically the ‘Single rooms for 1000 AMD’
offer at the Aphrodite. In the letter, Ms Makhshyan asked Taron
Margaryan to put an end to this vicious phenomenon.

From: A. Papazian

APA, Azerbaijan
July 31 2014

Member-churches of World Council of Churches going to recognize
so-called Armenian `genocide’ in 2015

[ 31 July 2014 12:08 ]

Members of council also include churches in Azerbaijan and Turkey

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov ` APA. Member-churches of World Council of
Churches going to recognize so-called Armenian `genocide’ in 2015,
said the chairman of the the International Association to Fight
Unfounded Armenian Allegations (ASÄ°M-DER) Goksel Gulbey, APA reports
quoting Turkish press.

Gulbey said that for recognition of so-called Armenian `genocide’, the
world churches united against Turkey and are going to exert pressure
on Turkey using religious: `For recognition of Armenian `genocide’ and
compensation claims at the anniversary of Armenian genocide, the WCC
member-churches decided to hold international conference in Geneva
with the participation of international organizations, lawyers and
human right defenders, organize prayer ceremony to commemorate
`victims’ of the Armenian `genocide’ in the Geneva Cathedral and
invite WCC member-churches to prayer’.

ASIMDER chairman also said that the churches in Azerbaijan and Turkey
are members of the WCC and will join this conference and called on
relevant state bodies of both countries to warn churches and religious
leaders.

From: A. Papazian

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
July 31 2014

Director Fatih Akın suspends Dink film idea after actors rejected role

ISTANBUL

Turkish-German director Fatih Akın has said he wanted to shoot a film
about assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink but had to
freeze the project after Turkish actors refused the role.

`I planned to shoot a movie about Hrant Dink after `Soul Kitchen.’ I
wrote a scenario based on 12 articles by Hrant Dink which were
published in Agos [Dink’s Turkish-Armenian newspapers]. I don’t know
whether it would have been a good movie. But I could not persuade any
Turkish actor to perform as Hrant. They all found the scenario too
heavy. Then I had to freeze the project,’ Akın told weekly Agos in a
recent interview.

`I did not want any actor to get hurt. But a movie about Hrant had to
be a `Turkish film’ as well. An American or French actor could not act
as Hrant. We have to deal with this issue ourselves. But it means that
the time has not yet come for this,’ said Akın.

Responding to Akın’s comments, two younger Turkish actors both
lamented that they could not fit the role. `If I were the right age, I
would have wanted [to play Dink],’ said actor Rıza KocaoÄ?lu, who is
played in a number of films and series.

`I wish I could play [Dink],’ tweeted another prominent actor, Sarp Akkaya.

Dink, the highly esteemed former editor-in-chief of Agos, was murdered
in broad daylight in front of his newspaper’s building on Jan. 19,
2007, by a 17-year-old Turkish nationalist. The triggerman, Ogün
Samast, was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to 22 years
and 10 months in prison after a two year-trial, but lawyers
representing the Dink family have repeatedly expressed their dismay
over the way the investigations and the trial were conducted.

Akın said he had conducted research about Armenians as he was working
on Dink’s articles, adding that he had another scenario in mind. `A
story about the Anatolian travelers who went to America, a kind of
western. I mixed some parts of the Hrant’s scenario with this film and
then we had `The Cut.”
`The Cut’ is a co-production between Germany, France, Italy, Russia,
Poland, Canada and Turkey, and received funding from the Filmförderung
Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, among others. It is scheduled for release
in Germany on Oct. 16 by Pandora Film Verleih.

Akın said he was influenced by the research of Wolfgang Gust and Taner
Akçam while writing his movie.

In the new Akın movie, Tahar Rahim, a French actor of Algerian origin,
plays an Armenian man living in Mardin, located in the southeastern
part of Turkey, who survived the killings of 1915 and starts a journey
that takes him to America in a search for his two daughters.

Akın said he was also satisfied with the performances of the Turkish
actors in `The Cut.’

`Bartu KüçükçaÄ?layan is in a key role. Bartu acted with passion and
intelligence. At the same time, [he acted] with such innocence¦ My
friend Ã-nder Çakar, who wrote the Turkish dialogue, also performs in
the movie. Also, Turkish actors from Germany such as Numan Acar,
Korkmaz Arslan, Mehmet Yılmaz and a Brit from Cyprus, Akın Gazi, are
also in the film,’ he said, adding that he wanted to cast Gazi as
legendary Turkish-Kurdish actor and director Yılmaz Güney in a future
film.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their forebears were killed in 1915
and 1916 by the forces of the Ottoman Empire in what many around the
world have termed a genocide, which Ankara denies. Turkey also
disputes the figure, arguing that only 500,000 died while denying that
the killings amounted to a genocide, ascribing the toll to fighting
and starvation during World War I.

July/31/2014

From: A. Papazian

Right Side News
July 31 2014

Qatar, and Other American “Allies”, Are Among The Villains In Gaza

Details Published on Thursday, 31 July 2014 19:42

American allies, especially Qatar and Turkey, have been providing
material support to Hamas, which the United States has listed as a
foreign terrorist organization. This support includes financial,
diplomatic, media and even the provision of weapons that deliberately
target Israeli civilians from behind Palestinian civilians who are
used as human shields. It also includes harboring war criminals,
especially leaders of Hamas, who direct their followers from the
safety of Doha. Without the support of Qatar and Turkey, Hamas would
never have started this bloody war that has caused so much human
suffering.

Qatar, which is more of a family-owned gas station than a real
country, regards itself as untouchable because of its oil wealth. Its
residents–they are not really citizens because there are no genuine
elections or freedom of speech or religion–are the richest in the
world. It can buy anything it wants, including the 2022 World Cup,
several American university campuses, some of the world’s greatest
art, Al Jazeera television and other luxuries. It can also buy
terrorist groups such as Hamas. Indeed, after Iran, which is the
world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, Qatar ranks near the top of
this dishonor role of death.

Any individual who provides material support to a designated terrorist
group such as Hamas commits a crime under the United States Penal law
and the laws of several European countries. If Hamas were ever to be
convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, as it may
well be, any individual who was an accessory to such crimes would be
guilty as well. It is entirely fair, therefore, to describe Qatar as a
criminal regime, guilty of accessory to mass murder.

In some ways Turkey is even worse. Its erratic prime minister, Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, has incited anti-Semitism, provoked conflict with
Israel, provided material support to Hamas and undercut efforts to
achieve a realistic end to the Gaza War. He has demanded that his
Jewish subjects do his bidding, telling “our Jewish citizens’ leaders”
that they must “adopt a firm stance and release a statement against
the Israeli government.” He has suggested that if they fail to do so
they will not be regarded as “good Turks,” thus raising the old canard
of “dual loyalty.”

Erdogan also recently said of Israel that “they always curse Hitler,
but they now even exceed him in barbarism.” And he responded to
Americans who complain about the “comparisons with Hitler,” by saying
“You’re American, what’s Hitler got to do with you,” forgetting that
Hitler’s forces killed thousands of American soldiers and civilians.
He also conveniently forgets that Turkey, which remained immorally
“neutral” in the war against Nazism, provided Hitler with the playbook
for his genocide, by its own genocide against Armenians. As Hitler
asked rhetorically when planning his genocide: “Who, after all, speaks
today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” So Hitler matters to
America, as it should to Turkey, which still mendaciously denies that
it committed genocide against the Armenians.

Yet it was Qatar and Turkey to which Secretary of State John Kerry
turned in his efforts to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease
fire. This not only infuriated Israel, which considers these two
countries as accessories to Hamas’ war crimes, but also Jordan, Egypt
and the Palestinian Authority, which also see Qatar and Turkey as
allies of Hamas and enemies of moderate Arab states.

The time has come for the United States and the international
community to reassess the status of Qatar and Turkey. These two
countries have become part of the problem, rather than part of the
solution. A nation that hosts Hamas leaders and finances their
terrorism should not also host the World Cup. Nor should American
universities send their faculty and students to a nation complicit in
terrorism that has taken the lives of many Americans as well as
Israelis.

Turkey’s role in NATO must also be reevaluated. Membership in this
organization entails certain responsibilities, and Turkey has failed
in these responsibilities. They have become untrustworthy partners in
the quest for peace.

It is a truism that we, as a nation, must deal with devils, because
men and women are not angels. I do not fault Secretary of State Kerry
for trying to use Qatar and Turkey to pressure Hamas into accepting a
deal, although the deal they ultimately came up with was a bad one. My
point is that Qatar’s wealth and Turkey’s size should not preclude us
from telling it as it is: Qatar and Turkey are among the worst
villains in the Gaza tragedy. Nor should we reward such villains, and
such complicit in war crimes, by international gifts, such as the
World Cup. Both Qatar and Turkey should be treated as pariahs unless
and until they stop becoming state sponsors, supporters and
facilitators of terrorism.

Alan Dershowitz’s latest book is “Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law”.

by Alan M. Dershowitz July 31, 2014 at 2:45 pm

From: A. Papazian

Fatih Akin: No Turkish actor would play slain Armenian journalist

01:08 01.08.2014

Hrant Dink, Turkey

An award-winning Turkish-German director, Fatih Akin, says he dropped
plans to make a film about an Armenian journalist murdered in 2007
because no Turkish actor wanted to play the lead role in a movie about
the hugely sensitive case, AFP reports.

In an interview with Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Akin said he
instead turned to making another controversial film, “The Cut”, which
deals with the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire
during World War I. Those slaying are seen in Armenia and several
other countries – but not by Turkey – as a genocide.

Akin said he had finished a script based on the murdered Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink — who worked for Agos — but he had to drop the
project after the Turkish actors he approached for the role found it
“too harsh”.

Dink, 52, had campaigned for reconciliation between Turks and
Armenians, but incurred the wrath of Turkish nationalists for saying
the 1915 massacre amounted to a genocide.

He was shot dead in broad daylight by a teenage ultranationalist
outside the offices of the Agos newspaper in a crime that still has
not been fully elucidated.

Akin’s difficulties in making a film about his life and death
underline the continued sensitivity of the case.

“I couldn’t persuade any Turkish actors to play Hrant’s role. All of
them found the script too harsh. That’s why I had to cancel the
project,” he said, without naming the actors.

“I did not want any actor to get hurt. But it was important to make a
‘Turkish film’ about Hrant. An American or French actor could not play
Hrant. We have to deal with this issue ourselves.

“But obviously the time is not yet ripe for it.”

Following Akin’s comments, two popular young Turkish actors took to
Twitter to lament that they had missed the chance to star as Dink.

“If I were old enough, I would have wanted to play Dink,” wrote Riza
Kocaoglu, who stars in the popular Turkish drama series “Karadayi”.

“I wish I could play Dink,” tweeted Sarp Akkaya, who most recently
starred in “Magnificent Century”, another hit Turkish television show.

Akin said Turkey was now ready, however, for a film like “The Cut”,
which tells the story of an Armenian man who survives the 1915
killings and embarks on a journey across the world to find his
daughter.

“For those who are afraid of this film, I tell them: ‘This is just a
film’. But I am now sure that Turkish society, of which I am a member,
is ready for this film,” he said.

“The Cut”, starring French actor Tahar Rahim, will premiere at Italy’s
Venice International Film Festival in late August.

Co-produced by Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Poland, Canada and
Turkey, the film is the latest part of the director’s Love, Death, and
the Devil trilogy, which includes the arthouse hits “Head-On” and “The
Edge of Heaven”.

Dink’s assassination sent shockwaves through Turkey and grew into a
wider scandal with accusations of a state conspiracy. A 17-year-old
dropout was found guilty of the murder but the Dink family have always
insisted that higher forces were involved.

Turkey’s top court however ruled earlier this month that the
investigation into the killing of Dink had been flawed, paving the way
for potential further trials against new suspects.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian FM: Through its destructive stance Azerbaijan hinders the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace progress

by Marianna Lazarian
Thursday, July 31, 15:37

On July 30 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Edward Nalbandian received Herbert Salber, the newly appointed EU
Special Representative for the South Caucasus.

The press service of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry reports that welcoming
the guest Minister Nalbandian congratulated him on his appointment as
the EU Special Representative, and expressed hope that he would apply
the experience received within the OSCE in implementing his mission.

During the meeting the latest developments in the process of the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue were discussed. The
continuous support of the EU to the efforts exerted by the OSCE Minsk
Group Co- Chairs towards the settlement of the conflict exclusively
through peaceful means was highlighted.
Minister Nalbandian drew the attention of the EU Special
Representative to the provocative actions periodically masterminded by
the Azerbaijani side on the Line of Contact between Nagorno-Karabakh
and Azerbaijan and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Foreign Minister mentioned that Azerbaijan continuously rejects
the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries aimed at
confidence-building measures – consolidation of ceasefire, withdrawal
of snipers, creation of a mechanism on investigation of incidents, and
through its destructive stance Azerbaijan hinders the progress in
negotiations.

The sides touched upon Armenia-European Union relations. Minister
Nalbandian stressed that the Joint Statement between Armenia and the
EU issued at the Vilnius Summit of Eastern Partnership in November
2013 reassured the commitment of both sides to develop and strengthen
comprehensive partnership in all possible areas of common interest.

Thoughts were exchanged on a number of regional and international issues.

From: A. Papazian

Armenia’s bailiff service evicts Sports and Concert Complex from building

YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s state bailiff service made a
decision to evict the Sports and Concert Complex (SCC) after Karen
Demirchyan cjsc from the building of SCC, the press office of the
bailiff service reported.

In response to the statements that the debtor was not informed, the
bailiff service says the decision was submitted to the authorized
person of SCC Armine Hakobyan who refused to sign upon receipt. The
detailed information on the case is on
, the service says.

The writ of execution from the first instance court of Centre and
Nork-Marash districts says the Sports and Concert Complex closed joint
stock company has to pay 10,207,755,909.51 drams to the republic of
Armenia budget.

On April 15 2014 the bailiff service decided to commission an expert
evaluation. Experts assessed the property at 25.8 billion drams, and
the bailiff service made a decision on forced sale through an online
auction. The starting price was set at 75% of the assessed value, i.e.
at 19.35 billion drams.

There are other proceedings for enforcement against the Sports and
Concert Complex worth a total of 511,992,968 drams.

Total area of the Complex is 46,335.7 square meters, without
additional premises and the swimming pool. There are 95,595.87 square
meters of dwelling area in the territory. The lot is a secured
property.

The Sports and Concert Complex after Karen Demirchyan was built in
1983. In October 2005, the Complex was sold to BAMO Russian
construction holding for $5.7 million. The holding obliged to
reconstruct the complex. The reconstruction took almost three years
and cost about $42 million.

The Sports and Concert Complex after Demirchyan is considered a
masterpiece of the late Soviet architecture. -0–

– See more at:

From: A. Papazian