Author: Andres-Papazian

TURQUIE : OCALAN PRESSE ANKARA D’AGIR POUR LE PROCESSUS DE PAIX

TURQUIE

(AFP) – Le chef emprisonne des Kurdes de Turquie Abdullah Ocalan a
averti samedi que le processus de paix engage avec les autorites
d’Ankara ne pouvait pas stagner eternellement et a demande au
gouvernement turc d’agir “rapidement” en adoptant les mesures demandees
par les Kurdes.

“Malgre tous les obstacles, notre volonte de paix demeure aussi forte
qu’au premier jour, mais il faut savoir que le processus de paix ne
peut pas rester eternellement dans les limbes”, a declare le chef du
Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK, interdit) dans un message
rendu public par des deputes pro-kurdes qui lui ont rendu visite sur
l’île-prison d’Imrali où il est detenu, au large d’Istanbul.

“Si la guerre est l’enfer, la paix est le paradis”, a ajoute M. Ocalan.

“Nous avons retire l’un de nos pieds de l’enfer, mais nous attendons
toujours dans les limbes car des obstacles nous empechent de sortir
l’autre pied”, a-t-il poursuivi.

Le PKK avait proclame en mars un cessez-le-feu après des mois de
negociations secrètes avec les services de renseignement turcs.

Mais le processus de paix s’etait enlise en septembre lorsque les
rebelles kurdes avaient annonce une suspension du retrait de leurs
combattants du territoire turc vers leurs bases situees dans le nord
de l’Irak, accusant les autorites turques de n’avoir pas mis en oeuvre
les reformes promises.

En decembre, le gouvernement turc a soumis au parlement une serie de
reformes destinees a renforcer les droits de la minorite kurde.

Mais les Kurdes estiment que ces reformes sont loin de repondre a
leurs attentes. Ils demandent egalement la liberation des prisonniers
kurdes et des militants politiques, le droit a l’enseignement en langue
kurde dans les etablissements publics et l’abaissement du seuil de 10%
des voix necessaires pour entrer au parlement.

“C’est aujourd’hui le moment d’adopter les dispositions legales qui
traînent jusqu’a present pour diverses raisons”, a estime M. Ocalan.

Le chef des rebelles kurdes a egalement implicitement evoque la
crise provoquee par l’enquete anti-corruption qui a eclabousse le
gouvernement du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

M. Erdogan a estime qu’il s’agissait d’un “complot” ourdi par la
confrerie musulmane du predicateur Fethullah Gulen, qui a selon lui
infiltre la police et la justice.

“Les derniers developpements montrent que les forces anti-democratiques
qui recherchent la guerre aussi bien a l’interieur qu’a l’exterieur
vont accelerer leur conspiration, a moins que le processus (de
paix) ne soit finalise, et un pays pleinement democratique edifie”,
a-t-il ajoute.

Les violences liees a l’insurrection du mouvement arme kurde ont
coûte la vie a 45.000 personnes depuis 1984.

mercredi 15 janvier 2014, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

HACOP BAGHDASSARIAN DONATES $250,000 TO CHAMLIAN GYMNASIUM

Tuesday, January 14th, 2014

The Baghadassarian family, three generations of Armenian values

GLENDALE-The Chamlian Armenian School’s Board and Administration
announced a generous donation of $250,000 by Mr. and Mrs. Hagop
and Hilda Baghdassarian towards the Gym construction fund. The
Baghdassarians have a long history of community involvement,
philanthropy, and dedication to Armenian causes in the United States
and, moreover, they have an unwavering commitment to the Republic of
Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh.

The donation announcement was made on Monday, January 6, 2014, during
the Western Prelacy’s traditional “Prelate’s New Year and Christmas
Dinner” celebration. In honor of this generous donation, the new gym
will be designated as the “Hagop and Hilda Baghdassarian Gymnasium.”

The school is very grateful to the Baghdassarians for their continued
support and commitment to the well-being and success of our youth.

Mr. and Mrs. Baghdassarian are the proud parents of two Chamlian
alumni, Gevik and Peter Baghdassarian, and devoted grandparents to
their five children, three of whom are Chamlian students.

“This is a very generous donation and will certainly go a long way in
securing the funding for the construction of the gym” said Principal
Vazken Madenlian. “What makes this touching, is the fact that hundreds
of Armenian children, and perhaps their children, will play and enjoy
themselves in the newly constructed gym.”

From: A. Papazian

HOW AN ARMENIAN WOMAN FROM A MERCHANT BECAME A VILLAGE MAYOR OF CHINESE VILLAGE, WITH POPULATION OF 3 MILLION

January 14 2014

Two days ago, during the meeting with the journalists, Shirak Governor
Felix Tsolakyan, answering the question of why Armenians emigrate
from the country, said that the cause is not social at all, Armenians
appeared in different parts of the globe by all ages, in the 11th,
17th centuries, simply the latter take the risk, and absolutely are
not afraid of being displayed in other places, and cited an example
of the practice of a woman from Martuni location. The woman, married
to a Chinese man and quickly learning Chinese language, in a short
time became the village mayor of her husband’s birthplace. According
to the governor, the village has a population of 3 million. One of the
journalists, after hearing this story, responded as follows, “In fact,
Martuni resident has the status of Serzh Sargsyan in China, she is
Serzh Sargsyan of China.” Though people in Marzpetaran were talking
about this woman from Martuni in pride, however, they don’t remember
her name, as well as the name of the site in China. They just know that
this woman is merchant and led a active trade in China, in the end, she
moved and settled in China, becoming a village mayor. And as to what
Chinese village this woman is the head, we’ll try to find out soon.

Read more at:

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN REVIEW DIGITIZATION PROJECT RECEIVES GULBENKIAN GRANT

By Contributor // January 14, 2014

WATERTOWN, Mass.–The Armenian Review recently received a grant
from the Gulbenkian Foundation of Portugal to support its project
to digitize the entire Armenian Review collection, from 1948 to the
present, in an effort to promote preservation and accessibility. The
goal of the digitization project is to allow readers and researchers
keyword searchable online access to every article published in the
journal’s nearly 200 issues.

The Armenian Review recently received a grant from the Gulbenkian
Foundation of Portugal to support its project to digitize the entire
Armenian Review collection.

The grant of $12,000, coupled with another donation of $5,000 from a
generous private donor, will defray a major portion of the digitization
costs that will create an online index and a searchable database of
the Armenian Review, the leading journal of Armenian studies, which
has published peer-reviewed articles and book reviews on Armenian
history, sociology, political science, and literature.

“The editorial team is excited by this new opportunity provided by
the Gulbenkian Foundation. It will help us get closer to our goal of
establishing a digital footprint and make the Review available for
online researchers. That being said, the challenge is bigger now for
the journal to develop and organize its digital archive by updating
its web platform, preparing abstracts for each articles published since
1948, and generating a solid plan to further expand its accessibility
and overall operations in the coming years,” said Asbed Kotchikian,
the editor-in-chief.

Allowing researchers from across the country and around the world
to use these materials remotely will greatly ease the process of
writing books and articles in the future. For instance, a historian
in Armenia–which had no access to the Review under Soviet rule–will
be able to access 65 years of academic studies on his or her computer.

More broadly, the promotion of the Review’s online access will increase
the visibility of Armenian studies in scholarly research and discourse.

The most recent issue of the Armenian Review contains Rouben
Shougarian’s assessment of Turkish-Armenian Track I and II
diplomacies. In another article, Albert Stepanyan reexamines and
analyzes sections from Moses Khorenatsi’s History of the Armenians.

The third and fourth pieces are a dialogue between Taner Akcam,
and Ugur Umit Ungör and Mehmet Polatel. The dialogue starts with a
review essay by Akcam examining and critiquing Ungör’s and Polatel’s
book Confiscation and Destruction: The Young Turk Seizure of Armenian
Property. The issue also features book reviews and a review essay by
Levon Chorbajian, who reviewed four books dealing with the Armenian
Genocide and its aftermath.

The current issue of the Armenian Review may be ordered by
itself or as part of a subscription to the journal from its
website, All subscription, order, and renewal
inquiries should be addressed to the publisher by either writing
to the Armenian Review, Inc., 80 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA
02472-2012; by e-mailing [email protected]; or by calling
(617) 926-4037. Individuals who would like to contribute to the
digitization project may [email protected].

From: A. Papazian

SYRIA ACTIVISTS FREED FROM JIHADIST DUNGEONS BREATHE NEW LIFE

Agence France Presse
January 12, 2014 Sunday 6:48 AM GMT

BEIRUT, Jan 12 2014

Wide-eyed Seif said his family had lost hope of seeing him again after
jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant snatched him
from his media office in Idlib province.

The 22-year-old was repeatedly beaten by his captors, before being
sentenced to death for his media activism and his parents had already
been told he was dead.

But an offensive against the group, launched last week by other
Islamist rebels outraged by ISIL’s abuses, saved his life.

When Seif was reunited with his family and fiancee, he gained a fresh
lease of life.

“My parents had been told by ISIL I had already been executed. They
couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw me,” Seif from Idlib province
told AFP via the Internet.

Seif thought he would never make it out of his jail after being tried
and sentenced to death by one of the group’s foreign members.

“I was never given a proper trial. The Tunisian (jihadist) judge just
walked into the room and issued his sentence,” Seif said

“He picked the harshest sentence because that’s what he was in the
mood for.”

Seif was kidnapped by ISIL on November 28 and freed on January 6 when
rebels stormed the jail in Dana in northwestern province of Idlib.

The attack was part of the week-long rebel offensive against ISIL
in large swathes of northern Syria that has seen opposition fighters
expel ISIL from some areas.

The group is holding hundreds of captives including rebels from rival
groups, activists and journalists, among them Westerners.

Survivors like Seif say conditions in ISIL jails are “inhuman,
far worse than those of the regime” of President Bashar al-Assad,
where he was also held in 2011.

“Believe me, ISIL’s jails are even more horrific. At least in Assad’s
prisons I got food to eat every night,” said Seif, who was a student
in Aleppo when he joined the anti-Assad revolt in 2011.

“I was given half a litre of water every two days, and only scraps
of food to eat. Because they hate media activists, I was beaten and
sworn at and accused of being a heretic,” Seif said.

He also saw the jihadists executing other prisoners, including a
15-year-old Kurdish boy who was accused of rape and belonging to the
Kurdistan Workers Party, whose Syrian branch has been fighting ISIL
for months.

“He denied the accusations and for five days they beat him. He
eventually broke and ‘confessed.’ They immediately shot him.”

Seif said ISIL was holding two Armenians who had tried to flee Syria
after the jihadists attacked churches, especially in the northern
province of Raqa.

“They showed the Armenians and me the heads of prisoners who had been
executed, to terrorise us,” said Seif.

“The torture was merciless. My forehead was bleeding from the beating
for two days, and I got no treatment. I saw people in their 70s,
who had been kidnapped for ransom,” he added.

“They had many Kurds in their jails, whose release was costing their
families hundreds of thousands of Syrian pounds,” said Seif.

Rights groups have said that ISIL has kidnapped hundreds of Kurds in
recent months in Aleppo province.

Narrow escape from mass execution

Milad Shehabi had been working as a citizen journalist for Shahba
Press, a grassroots network, when jihadists stormed his Aleppo office
in late December.

“They said I should learn how to speak about ISIL,” Shehabi told AFP
over the Internet.

Shehabi had been visiting neighbouring Turkey before he was captured
by ISIL, but was determined to return to Syria even though he had
received threats.

Unlike Seif, Shehabi was not put on trial. He did not even know he
was being held by ISIL until several days after his capture.

“For 13 days, I was blindfolded and held in solitary confinement,”
he said. “I couldn’t see anything. I only heard sounds.”

Shehabi was being held at a children’s hospital in Aleppo used by
ISIL as its heaquarters in the city.

This week rebels overran the base and freed dozens of captives,
including Shehabi, hours after ISIL had reportedly executed at least
nine prisoners “in cold blood”.

“I heard the gunshots when they were executing people. There were so
many bullets I thought there were clashes outside,” said Shehabi.

Like Seif, Shehabi felt lucky to have escaped with his life.

“They asked me for 200,000 pounds ($1,300) ransom. I only had 15,000,”
he said.

“I asked them whether I could inform my family of my whereabouts. They
forbade even that.”

Reporters Without Borders describes Syria as the world’s most dangerous
country to report on.

From: A. Papazian

GIORGI GVIMRADZE: IN TBILISI THEY TAKE PARTNERSHIP WITH ANKARA AS PART OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

ArmInfo’s Interview with Giorgi Gvimradze, expert at the Strategic
Research Institute (Tbilisi)

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, January 14, 18:24

During a conference in Yerevan, one of the Russian experts said in
your presence that Russia would very soon “get direct communication
with Armenia by taking up the matter of the South Ossetian borders
with Georgia”. To what extent do such statements meet the recent
trends in the Georgian-Russian relations?

Unfortunately, such statements are made quite often. In practice,
however, such projects are unexecutable. Therefore, it would be
wrong to comment on them. In fact, the Georgian-Russian relations
are gradually improving.

According to International Alert’s survey, the restoration of the
Abkhazian railway will require $277.5 mln, which will pay off no
in some 100 years. It is noteworthy that according to the official
conclusions of Abkhazian experts, $350-400mln is needed, whereas
Georgian experts think that the project will require no more than
$73 mln. What is your opinion about that?

I think we can spend $30 million needed for restoration of the
Abkhazian railway section controlled by Georgia. In fact, according to
the survey of International Alert, restoration of the railway through
Ankhazia will bring no benefit. On the other hand, the project will
be undoubtedly a positive one in the political sense, from the point
of view of establishment of both Georgia-Abkhazia relations and
Georgia-Russia relations. The government of Georgia has expressed
readiness to discuss the issue on opening of the Abkhazian section of
the railway. However, we still have no strict response of the Russian
government on the matter. Meanwhile, as Russian experts say, Russia is
very much interested in opening of the railway, but the government is
still silent. As far as I know, our proposal was welcomed in Yerevan.

But Abkhazia has certain concerns in the matter.

Many people in Georgia blamed the former president Mikheil Saakashvili
for his excessively pro-Turkish policy running counter to the
Georgians’ interests. What trends do you observe in the Turkish vector
of the new authorities’ policy?

In Tbilisi they take the partnership with Ankara as part of the
European integration, as the new authorities of Georgia still seek
integration with the West. Europe and USA are very important actors
for Turks. Western sales markets are also important for Ankara. In this
light, both Georgia and Tbilisi look at the West. It is important that
we consider Turkey as a strategically important, serious economic
partner. The transit gas and oil pipelines stretching along our
territories give us a brilliant opportunity to have ties and, hence,
relations with Europe. Many Turks live and have their own business
in Tbilisi. In small Adjara their number has reached 25,000 people,
which is a big percentage of the total population. At the same time,
I am sure that the Georgians will be able to digest the number of
Turks in case of a policy meeting the interests of the vast majority
of the population of Georgia.

For the moment, nearly 400,000 people live in Adjara, and 25% of them
are Muslims. Around 40,000 Turkish citizens are at the same time
citizens of Georgia due to Turkey’s economic expansion in Georgia
and, first and foremost, in Adjara. Are the 0.5 mln Georgian Muslims
a problem from the political point of view?

Indeed, almost 15% of the Georgian population is Muslims. However,
they are not a political factor given their factionalism and low
integration into the public and political life of Georgia. Muslims of
Georgia are divided into different groups, religious currents. They
are low educated and practically do not speak Georgian, staying aside
from the public life in Georgia. Therefore, we do not take Turkey’s
activity as an expansion, despite regular statements of some experts
on quite opposite trends.

From: A. Papazian

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI RECEIVES GOLD MEDAL OF YEREVAN MAYOR

January 14, 2014 | 17:58

YEREVAN. – Mayor of the Armenian capital Taron Margaryan on Tuesday
received world-renowned Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki.

Famous composer arrived in Armenia for 80th birth anniversary concert
series to be held from Monday to Thursday within the framework of the
“Yerevan Perspectives” International Music Festival.

Noting composer’s contribution to world music, Yerevan Mayor
underscored importance of his concerts in Yerevan. Margaryan touched
upon cooperation between Yerevan and Warsaw, noting that last summer
the capitals signed a memorandum of intention providing for development
of friendly ties between the cities.

Krzysztof Penderecki was awarded a gold medal of Yerevan Mayor.

Famous composer expressed gratitude for the award and assistance to
“Yerevan Perspectives” International Music Festival.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

LOOKING FOR MOSCOW’S CANDIDATES

If Serzh Sargsyan expected that he would get away from the Russians
with the Customs Union, he lacks understanding of prospects. Why would
the Russians stop and be limited to anything if the Armenians have
thrown Armenia under Russia’s feet and colonization is considered as
a respectable action?

Russians would want an evident exemplary and demonstrative sacrifice,
namely appointment of a prime minister who would be head to toe devoted
to them. In addition, the notion of prime minister or president is
from now on something relative, they are nominal subjects, and the
procedure of consultations with Moscow is established on not only
political but also minor economic issues.

The question is why the Russians need micromanagement? To establish
colonial order, of course. Now the appointment of a Russian marionette
to the post of prime minister is the priority. In addition, the
worse this person is perceived in the West, the better, so the best
candidate in this context is Robert Kocharyan. Robert Kocharyan is
OK in terms of internal problems as well. There are no problems,
and diehard opposition parties hurry to demonstrate their loyalty to
the future manager of the state budget and other finance.

It should be noted that Robert Kocharyan is not the worst candidate for
Moscow in retrospect. Formerly, a pseudo-billionaire with aspirations
to the post of president and head of the pan-Armenian mafia, an
innkeeper with a philosopher’s and some other ambitions, a person
who instructively subdued the Armenian organizations in Russia to his
operatives with the major’s title, as well as a desperate scoundrel
who stole when the people was in poverty.

There are also other more interesting candidates, such as a bisexual
in sexual relationships with high-ranking officials. The only position
to which Moscow hoped to appoint a more or less worthy person was
the post of the minister of defense who was supposed to be one of the
Russian generals with experience of the war in Chechnya. They would
have agreed to this as well but the idea was thwarted thanks to the
position of the military circles of Armenia.

Such agency of Yerevan awaits not only Serzh Sargsyan but entire
Armenia which preferred the easy way instead of normal human politics.

Russia will not limit itself and will conduct a policy of total
clearance of everyone who had the least relation to the pro-Western
policy. Therefore, Tigran Sargsyan is obsolete. As soon as Robert
Kocharyan was refused a good position in Moscow, Serzh Sargsyan
understood what awaits him.

The Russian government which lacks a normal political team and is a
criminal gang heading the state without a foreign political strategy
and planning for at least two years has understood that it has run
into a quite strong reaction of the Western community with determined
consolidation of all the leading states of the West. Now in Moscow
nobody can deny that the Russian government has led the country into
international isolation.

The Russians do understand that it would be desirable to agree their
policy on Eastern Europe and Central Asia with the West. But who can
or rather who is ready for endorsement? The United States and the UK
finally stand a unique chance to block Russia and have no reason to
agree anything with Russia. Reluctant to enter into a confrontation
with Russia, France understands that Russia’s policy indicates loss
of European prospect for the Eastern European states, and would not
like to be part of this absurdity. Germany is left. However, Germany no
longer needs to agree its plans on Eastern Europe with Russia. Germany
is the first European power, and in an alliance with France it may
deal on equal terms with both Russia and the United States.

This is the “big enlargement” of visual surfaces. The paradox is that
both the United States and the EU and the leading European states
did not have any motives or reasons to enter into a confrontation
with Russia not because they did not have any relevant goals and
purposes but because confrontation with a state doomed to isolation
is meaningless. Confrontation is a challenge, and they intended to
leave Russia as a “thing-in-itself”. Now Russia is interested in a
confrontation to be able to escape the current situation in which
it appeared after the collapse of the Soviet state. The West cannot
help reacting to this but that would hardly lead to a dialogue or
endorsement. It would rather end up in more isolation, which is,
by the way, facilitated by developments in Asia.

Russia would gladly agree with the West not only on Ukraine with which
it always reaches agreements but on less significant issues, such as
Armenia, because in this case there would be agreement on a lot of
issues relating to the South Caucasus. But is the west interested in
reaching agreement with Russia on Armenia? Will the West resist the
Kocharyan and Co project? Both yes and no. Most probably, the West
will use Robert Kocharyan’s appointment to a responsible position to
lead the situation into a complete scandalous absurd, demonstrate
Russia’s inability to resolve problems with such a small state as
Armenia. Hence, Robert Kocharyan is a “protracted construction project”
developed in Russia and implemented in other places.

Is agreement possible at all? Politics does not reject anything. There
might be a situation where Russia would have to build on its relations
with the West under stage-by-stage surrender of its position in the
regions which cost it high to keep. Therefore, a nightmare awaits
Armenia, and the country will become an exemplary and demonstrative
arena for the collapse of the contemporary Russian policy.

Interestingly, several weeks ago some major Russian researchers
working for institutes that prepare recommendations for the Kremlin
were inspired by the developments in Ukraine and Armenia and dared
draft a weird note on where this meaningless policy will lead Russia.

These researchers represent three generations of scholars, and one
cannot suspect them of lack of patriotism and imperial nostalgia
(at least, some of them). The president’s administration had this
note published and read appropriately within the administration.

Hence, the expression brought in by a group of intellectuals in Moscow
“Kiev is not Russia, and is Makhachkala Russia?” will be uttered not
as a question but as an affirmation: “Kiev is not Russia, Makhachkala
is not Russia either.”

Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst 17:13 14/01/2014 Story from Lragir.am
News:

From: A. Papazian

ONLY 5,000 CHILDREN IN THE US WEST COAST ATTEND ARMENIAN SCHOOLS

14:30 14.01.2014

Lilit Sedrakyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Los Angeles

With a message highlighting the imperative for a national agenda to
collectively elevate the Armenian Nation, a capacity crowd gathered at
the Glendale High School Auditorium to celebrate the 123rd anniversary
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF).

The program featured a keynote speech by ARF Western US Central
Committee chairman Dr. Viken Hovsepian. He spoke about the challenges
of the past year and the shortcomings in their resolution. He touched
upon the issues of Armenia, Artsakh, the Syrian Armenians, the solution
of which requires the nation to flock around a common ideology.

Viken Hovsepian noted that the Armenian community of the West Coast
has considerably increased, while the community organizations have
not been active enough to turn the quantity into quality and the
words into deeds.

Our nation can do miracles when united around a common national agenda,
he said. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation urges all Armenians
to unite irrespective of party affiliation and promises to be on the
frontline of this unification.

There are about 100 thousand Armenian schoolchildren living in the
West Coast, but only 5 thousand get Armenian education. Bringing the
Armenian young people close to their roots and uniting them around
a national agenda is among the priorities of the ARF.

From: A. Papazian

AIVAZOVSKY A ISTANBUL

TURQUIE

Le Musee naval d’Istanbul continue sa serie d’exposition intitulee
“Peintres selectionnes” avec le peintre russe d’origine armenienne
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, qui est considere comme l’un des plus
eminents artistes russes et l’un des plus grands artistes marins du
19ème siècle.

L’exposition Aivazovsky qui a ouvert le 1er janvier 2014 presente
ses ~uvres de peinture a l’huile sur toile.

Aivazovsky est ne en 1817 dans la ville de Theodosie, en Crimee, dans
une famille armenienne. En 1845, il est alle a Istanbul a l’invitation
du Sultan Abdulmecid I. Pendant son long sejour a Istanbul, Aivazovsky
a recu une commande pour un certain nombre de peintures comme un
peintre de la cour par la sultans ottomans Abdulmecid, Abdulaziz et

From: A. Papazian