Author: Andres-Papazian

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 29 2015

Any journalists to slaughter?

GÃ`NAL KURÅ?UN
March 29, 2015, Sunday

In the cartoon, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an is seen asking whether
officials at the new presidential palace in Ankara have prepared `any
journalists to slaughter,’ referring to ritual sacrifice in Islam, to
mark his inauguration. This is a cartoon from the popular Turkish
satirical weekly Penguin, a counterpart of France’s Charlie Hebdo.
Cartoonists Bahadır Baruter and Ã-zer AydoÄ?an have been sentenced to 11
months in prison because `it [the cartoon] constitutes an insult to
the president.’

Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, one of ErdoÄ?an’s most beloved politicians,
first tweeted to Cem Ã-zdemir, a Turkish-German member of parliament
from the Greens, asking if there were Armenians in Ã-zdemir’s family
tree. Hayko BaÄ?dat, a Turkish-Armenian journalist, answered this
racist question over Twitter with a hashtag, stating that Gökçek is
Armenian and `they’ve [officials]’ given the capital to an Armenian.
Through this, BaÄ?dat tried to highlight what Gökçek is trying to do.
In Gökçek’s mind, being accused of being Armenian or having Armenian
roots is an insult. When BaÄ?dat reflects the accusation on Gökçek, it
looks like the mayor got mad and filed a case against BaÄ?dat. In the
preliminary statement, Gökçek stated that `Armenian’ is a word used to
imply disgust; therefore, he was insulted by BaÄ?dat and asked for
punishment and compensation.

I’ve written this maybe a hundred times. There is an extreme need for
understanding the limits of freedom of expression for Turkish
politicians, especially for ErdoÄ?an and the president’s men. At the
same time, they need to understand what racism is. ErdoÄ?an and his
family members have filed hundreds of cases against journalists in the
last 10 years.

In violation of the standards provided by the European Court of Human
Rights (ECtHR), ErdoÄ?an is still filing cases against those who
criticize his actions and operations. If a president acts in this way,
it is not surprising if his men tweet racist sentiments and file cases
against those who only reflect their racism.

In the Castells v. Spain case, the ECtHR highlighted that `freedom of
expression ¦ constitutes one of the essential foundations of a
democratic society and one of the basic conditions for its progress.
Subject to [legitimate restrictions] it is applicable not only to
`information’ or `ideas’ that are favorably received or regarded as
inoffensive or as a matter of indifference, but also to those that
offend, shock or disturb. Such are the demands of that pluralism,
tolerance and broadmindedness without which there is no `democratic
society’.’

The court states that politicians must stay open to any kind of
criticism, as they’ve chosen this profession. `In a democratic system
the actions or omissions of the Government must be subject to the
close scrutiny not only of the legislative and judicial authorities
but also of the press and public opinion. Furthermore, the dominant
position which the Government occupies makes it necessary for it to
display restraint in resorting to criminal proceedings, particularly
where other means are available for replying to the unjustified
attacks and criticisms of its adversaries or the media,’ reads the
decision.

`I am very concerned about reports from Turkey indicating an increase
in the number of criminal cases for alleged insults against the
president of the Turkish Republic. In this connection, I condemn the
recent sentencing of cartoonists Bahadır Baruter and Ã-zer AydoÄ?an,’
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muiznieks
said in a written statement released last Thursday.

If Bülent Arınç, deputy prime minister and government spokesperson,
was right about Gökçek when he said that he has sold government land
as if they were his, we will see lots of real criminal proceedings in
the future. American journalist Doug Larson says, `Instead of giving a
politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the
locks.’

From: A. Papazian

Rome Reports
29 marzo 2015

La historia detrás de la cruz armenia de los Museos Vaticanos

2015-03-29

Hoy en día es difícil imaginar el Vaticano sin la plaza de San Pedro.
Sin embargo, así fue durante siglos. Los peregrinos viajaban a Roma
para venerar los restos de San Pedro, cuando no había ni ‘Columnata’
de Bernini y mucho menos la cúpula de San Pedro.

Entre los peregrinos eran miles los que provenían de Armenia. Tanto es
así que hasta había una casa en donde muchos de ellos se hospedaban.

MIKAYEL MINASYAN
Embajador de Armenia ante la Santa Sede
“El sacerdote encargado de esta casa puso una cruz de piedra en la
entrada. Era una cruz diseñada con los rasgos típicos de las cruces
del país”.

La casa de los armenios desapareció pero la cruz fue descubierta
siglos después y ahora se puede encontrar en los Museos Vaticanos. En
septiembre de 2014 el presidente armenio viajó hasta allí para su
colocación.

MIKAYEL MINASYAN
Embajador de Armenia ante la Santa Sede
“Además de las letras en armenio, también había un escrito en latín
que dice: esta cruz está consagrada”.

Armenia fue el primer país en adoptar el cristianismo como religión
oficial aunque fue uno de los más castigados por el gobierno del
Imperio Otomano hace 100 años cuando el genocidio que llevaron a cabo
se cobró la vida de millón y medio de personas.

El Papa Francisco celebrará el 12 de abril una misa para recordarlo.
La cruz armenia se ha convertido en símbolo de la fe y la
perseverancia de todo un pueblo.

MIKAYEL MINASYAN
Embajador de Armenia ante la Santa Sede
“Esta cruz fue situada en un área donde los armenios podían pararse a
rezar antes de visitar la tumba de San Pedro. Ahora la cruz está en
los Museos Vaticanos. El 12 de abril los armenios estarán aquí otra
vez para honrar a los mártires, víctimas del genocidio armenio”.

Se calcula que la cruz de piedra es del año 1246. Está situada en la
galería del Papa Urbano VII, a pocos metros de la Capilla Sixtina.

From: A. Papazian

Eggs and stabbing during Gyumri rally

17:46 | March 28,2015 | Politics

There was an incident during the rally in Gyumri. When it was
announced that Zhirayr Sefilyan would make a speech, some young men
threw eggs at the participants of the rally. The provocation had no
influence and the action went on. Former Commander of Shushi unit
Zhirayr Sefilyan noted that they would wait until April 24 and
wouldn’t answer. He announced that nothing is possible to change in
our country through elections.

He explained why they invited people to come out into the streets on
April 24. Sefilyan says that on that day all we unite and become
serious. We must understand that there was also our guilt in 1915 as
we didn’t have statehood and we must do everything to preserve the
present statehood.

By the way, during the rally the Founding Parliament member Hrachik
Mirzoyan was stabbed. Fortunately, the injury isn’t serious.

After the rally a woman blamed the organizers for disturbing people of Gyumri.

Photo from Levon Barseghyan’s Facebook page

From: A. Papazian

Ciao Viva la Culture
27 mars 2015

Thétre / LE CERCLE DE L’OMBRE.

En 1933, l’auteur allemand Franz Werfel publie un roman sur le
génocide arménien: Les quarante jours du Musa Dagh. [Montagne située
dans la province de Hatay en Turquie. Il a été un lieu de résistance
arménienne au moment du génocide au début du XXème siècle] Dans une
version romancée d’un événement réel Werfel raconte la résistance de
plusieurs villages arméniens à la déportation.

Deux chapitres de ce roman traitent des essais désespérés du Pasteur
Allemand Johanes Lepsius de sauver des Arméniens par la voie
Politique. Hovnathan Avédikian, avec l’aide de l’ historien Bruno
Precioso, a fait de ces deux chapitres une pièce de thétre, Le cercle
de l’ombre.
C’est cette étonnante pièce qui est à l’affiche du TNN jusqu’au 1er
avril. Etonnante parce que cette pièce ne se livre pas au premier
abord. Elle est construite autour du principe de la rencontre de trois
arts, l’art du texte, l’art de la musique, l’art de la danse. Je
dirais même que ce spectacle superpose trois trames : Celle du
narratif avec la parole, celle du symbole avec la danse, celle de la
métaphore avec la musique.

Affiche Cercle de l’OMbre

Tout d’abord, un point d’histoire. Le génocide arménien a lieu d’avril
1915 à juillet 1916. Les deux tiers des arméniens qui vivent alors sur
le territoire actuel de la Turquie sont exterminés au cours de
déportations et massacres de grande ampleur. Il est planifié et
exécuté par le parti au pouvoir à l’époque, le comité Union et
Progrès, plus connu sous le nom de >, dirigeant l’Empire
Ottoman et engagé dans la première guerre mondiale.
Revenons à ce > Le danseur sur scène, plus qu’un
symbole, de fait, est une métonymie de l’esprit arménien: sa
gestuelle, son élégance, l’audace de sa chorégraphie en fait un
véritable phoenix. La musique, c’est celle du violoncelle d’Astrig
Siranossian, et nous devons avoir vivace à l’esprit que ce splendide
instrument est celui qui pour moi exprime le mieux une vérité
intérieure, il est le plus troublant. Cette musique devient la
métaphore de l’exil arménien. Donc, dans le >, comme l’a été Jan Karski. Ce dont la pièce nous parle,
populations déplacées, territoires sacrifiés… heureusement n’existe
plus de nos jours.
Jacques Barbarin.
Le cercle de l’ombre, mise en scène et adaptation Hovnatan Avedikian,
avec Jean Baptiste Turr, Joris Frigéro, Jérôme Kocaoglu, Jérémias
Nussbaum et Astrig Siranossian. Le Cercle de l’ombre est une
production du Thétre de Nice.
TNN salle Michel Simon, 04 93 13 90 90, samedi 28 mars 20h30, mardi 31
mars 20h, mercredi 1er avril 20h30
Illustrations :
-Joris Frigerio (L’esprit) en équilibre sur piano à coté du
violoncelle virtuose d’Astrig Siranossian

From: A. Papazian

Armenia, EU likely to sign political document in Riga – experts

13:14 * 29.03.15

Political scientist Levon Shirinyan and political analyst Styopa
Safaryan talked to Tert.am about the Eastern Partnership Summit to
take place in Riga, Latvia, on Mat 21-22.

Although Armenia is part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the
signing of a political document in Riga is not ruled out.

“It is obvious, that after September 3, 2014, Europe does not want to
deny cooperation to Armenia,” Mr Shirinyan said.

He forecasts qualified success at the Riga Summit.

“I have no doubts about political success. The level of political
cooperation with Europe will remain unchanged and may even be raised.
Favorable preconditions for economic cooperation with Europe will be
created as well,” Mr Shirinyan said.

He is inclined to think that by cooperating with Russia Armenia could
become a window Russia needs very much. If Russia is able to perform
this function, he hopes Armenia will succeed.

Armenia should counterbalance its security problems with relations
with the West and Europe.

Speaking of Armenia’s expectations about the planned Riga summit, Mr
Safaryan said that the only problem is whether Brussels and Yerevan
are ready to sign a document that would restore Armenia’s cooperation
with the European Union (EU) in humanitarian, human rights protection,
democracy and other areas.

“In this respect it is clear that no issues of paramount importance
can be negotiated now. Armenia and the European Union negotiated and
agreed on much deeper documents. I mean the Association Agreement and
the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement,” Mr Safaryan
said.

However, the Russia-West confrontation was not so serious when Armenia
was negotiating the Association Agreement.

“So I fear that whether we can sign a soft-language document without
predicting Russia’s reaction,” Mr Safaryan said.

He is for a document to be signed because Armenia has lately voiced
its discontent with Russian-Azerbaijani military cooperation and is
not only trying to establish a legal framework for its relations with
other partners – China, the European Union – but is well aware of the
need to ensure its own security in the international relations system.

“Armenia is highlighting resumption of relations with Brussels on a
new basis,” Mr Safaryan concluded.

From: A. Papazian

L’Est Républicain
Samedi 28 mars 2015

Lilit Grigoryan au piano: Concert Dimanche à Delémont
Sur votre agenda

La jeune artiste Lilit Grigoryan donnera un récital de piano, dimanche
à Delémont (Suisse).

Lauréate de nombreux concours internationaux, elle se produit
aujourd’hui sur les scènes et dans les festivals les plus prestigieux.
En août 2014, elle a fait sensation dans le cadre de sa première venue
à Piano à Saint-Ursanne dans son interprétation des Variations
Goldberg (ovation debout) et lors de la Nuit du concerto.

Elle s’accomplit brillamment dans une déjà remarquable carrière
internationale. Assurément l’un des grands talents de demain.

Lilit Grigoryan interprétera des oeuvres des prestigieux compositeurs
Scarlatti, Ludwig van Beethoven et Prokofiev.

Lilit Grigoryan née en Arménie en 1985, est assurément l’un des grands
talents de demain. DR

From: A. Papazian

La Règle du Jeu
28 mars 2015

De l’actualité du génocide des Arméniens

Ara Toranian

2015 s’annonçait comme une année décisive pour la connaissance et la
reconnaissance publique du génocide arménien. Et si l’on procède au
bout de ce trimestre à un premier bilan d’étape, elle est en train de
tenir ses promesses. Rien qu’en France, pas moins de 60 livres sur la
question ont été publiés depuis un an. Le président de la République
s’est personnellement impliqué dans ce combat. Plusieurs oeuvres de
fictions cinématographiques et documentaires ont déjà été diffusées ou
sont en cours de préparation. Les conférences se multiplient sur tout
le territoire et un grand colloque international, de dimension
exceptionnel par le nombre d’intervenants et leur qualité est organisé
depuis le 25 mars dans les plus prestigieuses universités de la
capitale : Sorbonne, EHESS, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Mémorial
de la Shoah.

Sur le plan européen le Parlement de Strasbourg a adopté le 17 mars
une résolution enjoignant tous ses États membres, et notamment la
Turquie à reconnaître le génocide. Aux États-Unis, on voit également
naître une mobilisation sans précédent, autour d’initiatives qui
réunissent les plus importantes autorités morales du pays, comme Élie
Wiesel, ou ses figures les plus populaires, à l’instar de l’acteur
Georges Clooney, très engagé dans les causes humanitaires. Le 18 mars,
39 élus du Congrès américain ont appelé à une reconnaissance pleine et
entière du crime par le Président Obama. En Russie, Vladimir Poutine a
d’ores et déjà fait savoir qu’il se rendrait à la commémoration
internationale du génocide qui aura lieu le 24 avril à Erevan. Une
cérémonie qui s’annonce comme le point d’orgue des manifestations du
souvenir, mais non comme un point final de la mobilisation. Tout
indique en effet que les événements vont prendre encore plus d’ampleur
durant l’année, à commencer en France par la grande exposition au
cours de laquelle, pendant deux mois et demi, la Mairie de Paris
accueillera le mémorial du génocide de Dzidzernagapert. Sans compter
d’autres initiatives qu’il serait prématuré d’évoquer.

Tous ces éléments tendent à montrer non seulement la mobilisation du
monde arménien à l’occasion de ce triste anniversaire, mais également
une certaine prise de conscience internationale quant à la nécessité
de revenir sur le génocide de 1915, à l’heure où une actualité
régionale récente a remis au centre de l’attention des crimes dont le
modèle plonge précisément dans cette expérience. Et ce, tant au niveau
de la sauvagerie de leur mode opératoire, que de leurs soubassements
idéologiques. Djihadisme aujourd’hui, panislamisme puis panturquisme
mtiné de fanatisme religieux hier, il s’agit dans tous les cas de
totalitarismes, qui trouvent leur ancrage dans un même socle
dogmatique et qui conspirent avec la même obsession à l’abolition de
toute forme de différence spirituelle ou culturelle dans leur sphère
d’influence – a fortiori à l’égard d’entités aussi hérétiques à leurs
yeux que peut l’être l’Arménie.

Il ne se passe plus un jour sans que l’on ait à déplorer les
conséquences dramatiques de ces doctrines sur les chrétiens d’Orient,
les Yézidis, les Kurdes, les Juifs les forces démocratiques. On en
retrouve également la trace dans les stratégies d’étouffement visant
cette petite aire d’altérité qui résiste, vaille que vaille, entre
Erevan et Stépanakert. Ces boucheries qui puisent aujourd’hui leur
source dans un djihadisme échevelé, lui-même objectivement encouragé
par les velléités ottomanistes des autorités turques actuelles,
donnent une résonance particulière à la commémoration du génocide.
Elles montrent qu’en cent ans, rien n’a hélas beaucoup changé dans
cette zone : les mécanismes qui ont conduit à l’éradication des
Arméniens, des chrétiens, des Yézidis ou des Juifs sont toujours à
l’oeuvre. Et, faute d’avoir instruit en temps et en heure le procès de
ces idéologies criminelles, comme on a réglé le sort du nazisme après
la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, ou comme les ex-peuples soviétiques ont
fait celui du Stalinisme, elles continuent à produire leurs effets
dévastateurs. Pas seulement au Moyen-Orient. En témoigne la vague de
terrorisme sans précédent à laquelle doivent faire face les
démocraties.

Ce qui est en train de se jouer, avec ce centième anniversaire du
génocide de 1915, n’a pas seulement trait à la justice – ô combien
tardive ! Рpour le peuple arm̩nien, au besoin imp̩rieux de rattraper
le temps perdu ou au combat pour la dignité humaine. Les enjeux sont
aussi liés à la défense de ces poches d’exception culturelle, dont
celle du Haut-Karabakh, qui n’ont pas encore été englouties par le
fléau du totalitarisme religieux et de l’expansionnisme, en
particulier dans ses versions actuelles, qu’elles soient ottomanistes
ou djihadistes. Il s’agit, en filigrane, de réactiver une résistance
démocratique susceptible de faire barrage à une barbarie multiforme,
qu’on n’a pas voulu éradiquer il y a cent ans et qui ressurgit
aujourd’hui, sous d’autres masques.

From: A. Papazian

NRANYAN: EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION PROCESSES MAY BECOME IMPETUS FOR ENSURING STABILITY IN 2015

YEREVAN, March 27. /ARKA/. Processes in the Eurasian Economic Union,
including also those related to Kyrgyzstan’s accession to it, may serve
as an impetus for ensuring stability in 2015, which is thought to be
not an easy year, Ara Nranyan, a member (minister) of the Eurasian
Economic Commission’s board, said in an interview with the Russian
Federal Customs Service’s Tamozhnya (Customs Service) magazine.

he said.

More than that – it should be taken into account, he said, that the
region is under crisis pressures now, and this is not only political,
but also economic background of the crisis -from oil price to
devaluation of national currencies.

Nranyan said that although budget revenue is very important, but it
would be wrong to rely only on it.

he added.

He said that at a session of the Supreme Economic Council of the
Eurasian Economic Union the countries’ presidents have said about
the reached agreement, in accordance with which Kyrgyzstan will get
1.9 percent of the union’s total customs revenue.

It was set on January 1, 2015 that the customs revenue will be
distributed among the Eurasian Economic Union member countries in the
following way: 86.97 percent for Russia, 7.25 percent for Kazakhstan,
4.65 percent for Belarus and 1.13 percent for Armenia.

Nranyan said in his interview.

The Eurasian Economic Union Treaty, signed by Russia, Belarus and
Kazakhstan on May 29 in Astana, took force on January 2, 2015. Armenia
signed its accession agreement on October 10, 2014. Kyrgyzstan is
expected to join it in May. —0——

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH INTELLECTUALS WHO HAVE RECOGNIZED THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: MEHMET POLATEL

By MassisPost
Updated: March 27, 2015

By Hambersom Aghbasian

Mehmet Polatel is a Turkish historian focusing on the late Ottoman
history and early Turkish republic. His research interests are in
the fields of power, state formation, social change, nationalism and
genocide. He has conducted research on the fate of Armenian property
in the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. Currently he is
a PhD candidate at Bogazici University and a research assistant at
the History Department of Koc University in Istanbul. He is also a
researcher at the International Hrant Dink Foundation.(1)

“Confiscation and Destruction: The Young Turk Seizure of Armenian
Property” by Ugur Ungor and Mehmet Polatel is the first major study of
the mass sequestration of Armenian property by the Young Turk regime
during the 1915 Armenian genocide. It details the emergence of Turkish
economic nationalism, offers insight into the economic ramifications of
the genocidal process, and describes how the plunder was organized on
the ground. The interrelated nature of property confiscation initiated
by the Young Turk regime and its cooperating local elites offers new
insights into the functions and beneficiaries of state-sanctioned
robbery. Drawing on secret files and unexamined records, the authors
demonstrate that while Armenians suffered systematic plunder and
destruction, ordinary Turks were assigned a range of property for
their progress.(2)

The Argentine capital of Buenos Aires was host to the International
Congress on the Armenian Genocide, held from April 9 to 11, 2014. The
event was organized by the National University of Tres de Febrero
(UNTREF), Argentina’s Center for Genocide Studies, and the Memory
of the Armenian Genocide Foundation, with the collaboration of the
Armenian National Committee of South America (CNA) and the Luisa
Hairabedian Foundation (FLH) as well as the sponsorship of the
Armenian Embassy in Argentina and the Archbishop of the Armenian
Apostolic Church of Argentina. The opening day featured important
speakers like Chancellor of UNTREF Anibal Jozami, Director of the
National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism Pedro
Mouratian, Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice Eugenio Zaffaroni,
President of the General Audit Office Leandro Despouy, and Director of
the Center for Genocide Studies Daniel Feierstein, along with Nelida
Bulgourdjian, coordinator of the Congress. Dr. Richard Hovannisian,
Gabriel Sivinian, from the University of Buenos Aires, Historian
Heitor Loureiro, and many others participated in the Congress. Mehmet
Polatel, from Bogazici University in Turkey, presented a detailed
report on property confiscated by the Turkish state and individuals,
that was appropriated from the victims of the Armenian Genocide.(3)

“A History of Destruction: The Fate of Armenian Church Properties
in Adana” is Mehmet Polatel’s article in which he examines the fate
of religious buildings in Adana after the Armenian Genocide of 1915,
in a process of destruction that aimed to erase the proof of Armenian
existence in the region. According to him “The motivation behind the
genocidal processes is always related to the destruction of a certain
group of people. However, the idea of the community is also related
to shared values, everyday routines, culture, literature, and religion.

Thus, genocidal processes not only target certain groups of people,
but also the symbols, buildings, and monuments that belong to them.”

He added “Following the deportation decision, the Committee of
Union and Progress (CUP) carefully controlled the state of Armenian
properties then allocated them to immigrants from the Balkans and
Caucasus. The CUP aimed to de-Armenize the Adana province, which
included the plain of Adana, Mersin, Sis, and Tarsus, and fill them
with Muslim immigrants from the Balkans and Caucasus. Armenians were to
be “deported without exception” (bilâ-istisna teb’id), and according
to Talat Pasha’s own notebook, 699 buildings were confiscated in
Adana province.”(4)

In her article entitled ” What do people mean in Turkey by Armenian
Genocide recognition?”, Burcin Gercek wrote on 3 November, 2014 in
“REPAIR”, “In spite of many initiatives to develop awareness of the
Turkish society regarding what happened in 1915 and appeals to ask
for official forgiveness, a deeper reflection needs to be carried
out in Turkey about how to render justice a hundred years after the
genocide.” she continues then about “Facing 1915, the growing awareness
of Turkish civil society” then about “Requesting State recognition” and
finally about “Asking for justice and reparations” where she mentions
that “Taner Akcam, Umit Kurt, Mehmet Polatel, Sait Cetinoglu and
Nevzat Onaran are some of the few researchers working on the subject
of properties belonging to Armenians which were confiscated during
and after the genocide. As for the government, its sole proposal for
“reparations” has so far consisted in granting a right of return to the
country and citizenship to the descendants of the genocide victims.(5)

According to AUA Newsroom, “On February 4, 2015, the American
University of Armenia (AUA) hosted a talk by Turkish Historian
Mehmet Polatel on ‘Armenian Property Confiscation During and After
the Genocide.’ The lecture was part of AUA’s 1915 Centennial series.

Polatel’s presentation covered the seizure of Armenian property in
three main ways: transfer of ownership by the Ottoman State, extortion
and abuses by civil servants and military personnel, and the seizure
and looting of Armenian properties during the massacres. Throughout
the presentation, Polatel utilized historical documents and texts,
including the notebooks of Talaat Pasha and other archival materials,
to analyze the process and mechanisms underpinning the seizure of
Armenian churches, monasteries, cemeteries, lands, and other goods
during the genocide.” Polatel also stated that ” The seizure of
properties was not just a transfer of ownership; it was a crucial
part of the genocide policy for the destruction of Armenians and
Armenianness.”(6)

—————-

-1- 2-

3-

4-

5-

6-

From: A. Papazian

Sevak Sarukhanyan: Concerns about possible emergence of ISIS in
Azerbaijan focus Tehran’s attention on Baku

ArmInfo’s Interview with Sevak Sarukhanyan, Fulbright Scholar at
Georgetown University (Washington)

by David Stepanyan
Saturday, March 28, 09:22

The energy sector of the Armenian SSR developed with due regard for
the presence of some 1,400 industrial enterprises in the republic,
which were unique throughout the former USSR. Today, Armenia keeps
developing its thermal and nuclear power stations with Russian
investments and neglects the development of alternative power
engineering. These processes are going on amid the standstill of all
the largest enterprises of the country and minimum export of energy
resources to the neighboring countries. Why should Armenia keep
developing its energy sector?

The main reason for this development is that the Armenian energy
industry will be facing serious problems and challenges in the coming
years. The problems are to be solved only by developing new power
capacities. The problem is that the main power capacities – Metsamor
NPP and Hrazdan TPP are rather old. These capacities will sooner or
later (probably, sooner than later) break down. That is why Armenia
needs new sources of energy production. Armenia prefers thermal power
to alternative energy resources due to the gas cheapness. The price
will not increase in the coming years. The raw materials for
alternative energy resources are to be expensive so that the
alternative energy production can give the TPP a run for its
production. Armenia will not be facing that threat in the near future.

Moscow and Yerevan have signed an agreement for a $300 million loan
for extension of the Armenian NPP’s service life for another 15 years.
Does it mean that Armenia has finally given up the idea of
construction of a new power unit?
Although there is no official refusal from construction of a new
nuclear power unit in Armenia, the chances for construction are
miserable. The reasons are financial: there is neither investor nor
sales market. The new power unit will have a 2.5- fold higher capacity
than the operating one. What to do with the surplus and expensive
electric power that will be generated? Nothing. Georgia does not need
it. Iran will not pay 15 cents for 1kWh of electric power. The border
with Turkey is closed. Even it if opens, I see no reasons for Turkey
to invest dozens of millions to create in its territory a ‘power
island’ that will depend on the electric power generated by the
Armenian NPP. Armenia can consume the electric power to be generated
by the new NPP for domestic purposes, but then what to do with the
electric power generated by the operating thermal and hydro power
plants. I think the new plant, if built, must have a capacity of some
600-650MW, but such reactors are not produced in Russia. Russia, as
the only country that may have some political interest in construction
of a new power plant in Armenia will hardly fund construction of a
French reactor.

According to ArmInfo’s information, the Iranian side has already
transferred 85 million USD to one of the Armenian commercial banks
under the agreements on construction of the third Iran-Armenia power
transmission line. Though Iran has fulfilled part of its obligations,
the project is still far from being implemented. Why?

I do not doubt the implementation of that project. Despite some
technical problems related to the power capacities through which the
energy is to be exported to Iran, I believe the project will be
implemented for it has certain economic feasibility.

The project of the Iran-Armenia railway construction is still on the
agenda of the Armenian-Iranian relations. In the meantime, the issue
of linkage of the Iran-Azerbaijan railway systems through construction
of the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara branch line has already been included in
the Tehran-Baku agenda. Why do you think Tehran is playing such a game
and what prospects do the two projects have, given the lack of the
Armenian-Iranian project among Iran’s railway projects?

The project is delayed for a range of problems. The major reason is
lack of investors, while the project is estimated at $4- $6 billion.
The second reason is that the railway is not necessary. If it is part
of the North-South transport corridor, it duplicates the
Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway through which cargoes from the Persian
Gulf will be transported to the Black Sea via the territory of
Azerbaijan and Georgia and to Russia and North Europe via Azerbaijan
and through the Russian ports in the Baltic Sea. If they are building
one railway, there is no sense in building a similar one. The point is
that construction of the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway was to be
completed yet in 2010. It is not clear either if the Abkhazian section
of the Russian-Georgian railway will be reactivated. If no, so why do
they build the railway from Iran to Armenia? If they do it to link the
Persian Gulf with the Black Sea, it does not cost $6 billion.
Furthermore, the plans to expand Tabriz-Erzrum road and develop
railway communication in Turkey are enough to settle those tasks. It
is unreasonable to focus on the given project. Armenia just should
properly complete the construction of the North-South transport
corridor which will settle a range of strategic tasks.

Washington’s rather serious concessions in the US-Iran talks on the
nuclear problem demonstrate the enhancement of Iran’s geopolitical
capacities. Iranian experts speak of Tehran’s striving to extend its
presence in the South Caucasus geopolitics. Do you expect any impulses
here?

Tehran’s policy in the South Caucasus has been focused on Azerbaijan
over the past two years. This is proved by Aliyev’s visit to Tehran
and Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Baku, by a number of important documents
signed in the course of those visits, and unfortunately by a
declaration pointing out that there is no alternative to the Karabakh
problem settlement through observing the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan.

Rouhani seeks to minimize the discrepancies with the neighbors while
Tehran is holding active negotiations with Washington. So, today Iran
is playing a “big game” and does not want to abstract from it. Given
that Iran had serious discrepancies with Baku, the Azeri agenda of
Iran is quite active today. It should be noted that Tehran has taken
advantage of the crisis in the Baku-Washington relations and started
feeling comfortable with respect to Baku and this has been reflected
on the interstate relations. One should not neglect the ISIS factor
either. The fears that this factor may emerge in Azerbaijan will focus
Tehran’s attention on Baku, because the emergence of the ISIS in the
South Caucasus is a direct threat to Iran’s security.

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From: A. Papazian