Author: Andres-Papazian

ZHOGHOVURD: POPULATION AGING AND DECREASING IN ARMENIAN VILLAGE

08:48 21.08.13

The paper has addressed the demographic situation of Bashgyugh,
a remote depopulated village in the north-western region of Shirak.

Citing the community’s governor, Volodya Movsisyan, it says the last
child in the village was born six years ago. What’s even more, the
paper continues, the community turns out to have only three school-age
children who attend the secondary school in the neighboring village.

“We have school premises; that’s a normal building, but the children’s
number has decreased. We had 15 schoolchildren several years ago. But
there are no births now; the last child was born six years ago,”
Movsisyan was quoted as saying.

He said further that the village has a total of 67 residents, whose
main source of income is cattle-breeding. “They hardly make ends meet.

A couple of young people have left for Russia as employment migrants.

The others engage in cattle-breeding. There’s absolutely nothing in
the village; not even a person. Most are aging residents, with the
young leaving the village due to the shortage of jobs,” the governor
told the paper.

From: A. Papazian

REVUE DE PRESSE N1 – 21/08/13 – COLLECTIF VAN

Publie le : 21-08-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance
Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] vous propose une revue de presse
des informations parues dans la presse francophone, sur les thèmes
concernant la Turquie, le genocide armenien, la Shoah, le genocide
des Tutsi, le Darfour, le negationnisme, l’Union europeenne, Chypre,
etc… Nous vous suggerons egalement de prendre le temps de lire ou
de relire les informations et traductions mises en ligne dans notre
rubrique Par
ailleurs, certains articles en anglais, allemand, turc, etc, ne sont
disponibles que dans la newsletter Word que nous generons chaque jour.

Pour la recevoir, abonnez-vous a la Veille-Media : c’est gratuit !

Vous recevrez le document du lundi au vendredi dans votre boîte email.

Bonne lecture.

A paraître : l’Autobiographie de Raphael Lemkin Info Collectif VAN –
– “Les horreurs de l’Holocauste avaient contribue
a preparer l’opinion mondiale en faveur de la cause defendue par
Lemkin. Il insistait alors – depuis les persecutions de Chretiens
de Neron, jusqu’aux massacres mongols du treizième siècle en Europe
orientale – sur le fait que des genocides avaient ete commis de
nombreuses fois au cours de l’histoire. C’est grâce a son insistance
que la definition des Nations Unies a englobe tous les cas – passes,
presents ou futurs – dans lesquels un groupe ethnique ou religieux
est cible pour etre detruit.” Le Collectif VAN vous invite a lire
la traduction de Gilbert Beguian d’un article en anglais de Yascha
Mounk publie sur le site The Wall Street Journal, mise en ligne sur
le site de NAM (Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine) le 19 août 2013.

Genocide armenien : la fuite au Caucase Info Collectif VAN –
– ” De la frontière turque a Igdir (première
localite russe), tout le pays est entièrement rempli de refugies. Plus
loin, d’Igdir a Etchmiadzine, tous les jardins et toutes les vignes
sont remplis d’Armeniens fugilifs. A Igdir, première station d’arrivee,
sont agglomeres 20.000 refugies ; a Etchmiadzine 45.000 ; de ces
deux centres ils se dispersent par bandes en d’autres regions. A
Etchmiadzine, l’on a installe l’hôpital, bains et hospice pour les
orphelins. D’Igdir a la frontière turque, des cavaliers vont a la
recherche des enfants et des malades disperses et procèdent a la
relève des cadavres. Il arrive environ 50 orphelins par jour a Igdir ;
on en garde une partie ici les autres sont envoyes a Etchmiadzine. ”
Le Collectin VAN vous invite a lire cette information publiee sur le
site Imprescriptible.

Egypte: Israël est derrière la destitution de Morsi (Erdogan) Israël
est derrière la destitution du president egyptien Mohamed Morsi par
l’armee, a declare mardi le premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan
lors d’une reunion hebdomadaire de son parti.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan : “Israël est derrière la destitution de Morsi”
Lors d’une reunion de son parti l’AKP, issu de la mouvance islamiste,
le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a affirme qu’Israël
etait derrière la destitution par l’armee du president egyptien,
Mohamed Morsi.

Egypte : 82 eglises chretiennes brûlees en 2 jours par les Frères
Imaginons ce que ce serait, si 82 mosquees avaient ete detruites
par des chretiens devenus enrages… Ici en Europe, la simple
arrestation legale d’un delinquant multirecidiviste dans son quartier
embrase voitures et commissariat durant des jours. Ceux qui crient a
l’islamophobie dès qu’apparaissent les multiples problèmes societaux
lies a l’immigration sont etonnamment muets lorsque des chretiens
sont discrimines, attaques, massacres, et lorsque les eglises sont
incendiees rageusement.

Sarkissian soutient la reelection d’Aliyev ” Nous avons traverse
une periode de negociations longue et difficile, le chemin vers la
resolution du conflit est presque acheve, le peuple a effectivement
approuve l’instauration des règles proposees par le groupe des
co-presidents de Minsk. Nous avons activement negocie avec eux durant
les quatre dernières annees. ”

Egypte. Washington s’indigne des propos d’Erdogan sur le rôle d’Israël
Les Etats-Unis ont condamne, ce mardi, les propos du Premier ministre
turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan qui a accuse le gouvernement israelien
d’avoir organise en sous-main l’eviction du president egyptien Mohamed
Morsi par l’armee.

Egypte: Erdogan (Turquie) accuse Israël Le Premier ministre islamiste
turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a accuse aujourd’hui Israël d’avoir en
partie manigance le renversement par l’armee du president egyptien
Mohammed Morsi, des allegations qui pourraient nuire aux efforts
d’Ankara pour ameliorer des relations bilaterales tendues.

Une journaliste russe interdite d’entrer en Azerbaidjan en raison
de son nom armenien La journaliste russe Anna Sahakian, s’est vue
refusee son entree a Bakou en raison du nom de famille armenien de
son mari. Anna n’a jamais ete en Artsakh et n’est pas incluse dans la
“liste noire” du ministère azeri des Affaires etrangères.

Retour a la rubrique

From: A. Papazian

LE BERGER TURC AVAIT PRECEDEMMENT ATTAQUE LA FRONTIERE ARMENIENNE SELON LE JOURNAL TARAF

TURQUIE

Les autorites turques ont termine l’enquete sur l’incident lie a la
mort du berger turc Mustafa Ulker qui a franchi la frontière armenienne
le 31 Juillet dans la soiree et a ete tue par des gardes frontaliers
russes. Le journal turc Taraf sur la base des resultats de l’enquete
a publie que ” le berger turc avait attaque la frontière deux fois”.

Le journal ecrit que, conformement a l’enquete menee par les autorites
turques, la partie armenienne avait averti la partie turque sur le
problème du franchissement des troupeaux de la frontière. Les gardes
frontaliers turcs auraient averti les bergers turcs de ne pas passer
la frontière armenienne. Malgre ces avertissements, les villageois
ont continue a faire paître leurs animaux sur le territoire armenien.

C’etait la raison pour laquelle les gardes frontaliers armeniens et
russes ont confisque une partie des troupeaux turcs. Les animaux de
Mustafa Ulker figuraient parmi les troupeaux confisques.

Les villageois ont demande aux gardes frontaliers turcs de les aider
a recuperer leurs animaux. La partie turque a entame des negociations
avec les Armeniens. A la suite des negociations la partie armenienne
a renvoye les animaux en Turquie. Certains des animaux retournes
avaient ete blesses et Mustafa Ulker a decide de se venger. Il a mit
un uniforme d’un soldat turc et a franchi la frontière armeno-turque
dans la soiree et a ouvert le feu sur la barrière de la frontière. A
cette epoque, il a reussi a s’enfuir. Il a traverse la frontière une
deuxième fois le 31 Juillet et a ete blesse a la tete et est mort.

L’identite de Mustafa Ulker a ete definie après sa mort. Les
gardes frontaliers armeniens ont d’abord pense que les soldats turcs
attaquaient la barrière de la frontière et que c’etait la raison pour
laquelle la partie armenienne avait lance l’alarme sur la frontière
armenienne.

mercredi 21 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI TAKEN HOSTAGE BY ARMENIAN FRONTIER GUARDS FACES CRIMINAL CHARGES

APA, Azerbaijan
Aug 20 2013

[ 20 August 2013 15:30 ]

Baku. Victoria Dementyeva – APA. Armenia has launched a criminal
case on Azerbaijani Allahverdi Palangov, the citizen of Georgia,
over the charge of illegally crossing the border without document,
says a special statement of Armenia’s Ministry of National Security,
APA reports quoting Armenian media.

The statements says that criminal case has been launched on the
Georgian citizen of Azerbaijani origin detained near Chochkan village
of Lori province on August 18 under the 1st part of article 329 of
the Criminal Code. This article envisages fine 100-200 times higher
than the salary or 3-year imprisonment.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN WOMAN ASSAULTED IN FERIKöY

BIAnet.org, Turkey
Aug 20 2013

A solitary-living Armenian woman (80) has been assaulted in Istanbul’s
Ferik̦y neighborhood Рa reminder of assaults on elderly Armenian
women in Samatya around December 2012.

Ä°stanbul – BIA News Desk 20 August 2013, Tuesday 17:09

A solitary-living Armenian woman (80) has been assaulted in Istanbul’s
Ferik̦y neighborhood Рa reminder of assaults on elderly Armenian
women in Samatya around December 2012.

Last year’s assaults resulted in the death of Maritsa Kucuk and several
injuries among others. At the end of an investigation, police captured
Murat Nazaryan in suspicion for perpetrating the assaults.

According to an article by Uygar Gultekin on Agos.com.tr, Markırıt
Camkosoglu (80) has been assault in he apartment in Feriköy’s SavaÅ~_
Street. Camkosoglu counted her story as follows:

“On Saturday [August 17] I went to the supermarket. On my way back
to my apartment, there was a man in the building. Moderate in height,
he was a dark ugly one. He was standing by the staircase. I thought he
was going upstairs. I don’t know who the heck is ever visiting this
massive building. As soon as I unlocked my front door, he assaulted
me. I fell on the floor. He climbed on top of me and started hitting
me in the head. He attempted to murder me. He didn’t say a word to
hide his identity. I had my purse on the table. There was 70 liras
inside. He ran away with the purse. I have been living here for 50
years and this kind of incident has never occurred me before. ”

The aggressor knew about entrance hours of building-dwellers,
neighbors say. They express their concern, saying that the aggressor
knew that she was living on her own and he chose the calmest hour of
the building.

Advocated previously demanded a broader investigation

Previously, Murat Nazaryan has been arrested for perpetrating attack
in Samatya around December 2012. Standing trial twice already,
Nazaryan claimed that he didn’t remember what happened. In response,
Maritsa Kucuk’s lawyers demanded the court panel to launch a broader
investigation on the issue. (NV/BM)

From: A. Papazian

THE FINE ART OF ARTHUR SATYAN

The Daily Star, Lebanon
Aug 21 2013

August 21, 2013 12:03 AM
By Chirine Lahoud

BEIRUT: Armenian jazz composer and musician Arthur Satyan first came
to Beirut in 1996 for the grand opening of the Casino du Liban. He has
performed in many venues around the country in the last 17 years and
become a stalwart member of Beirut’s small but robust jazz community.

At the end of last month Satyan released his second album “ARTology”
at Sin al-Fil’s Nova. Satyan spoke to The Daily Star about his new
album and his long career in Lebanon.

Q: When did you start playing?

A: My whole family is composers. So I had no choice. If you go to
Armenia and say “Satyan family” everyone knows them. It’s like the
Rahbanis here but we are more into classical music. I started playing
at a young age. My father used to do jazz music and my brother also. I
knew lots of jazz names and music when I was 2 or 3 years old. I had
no choice when I was a kid. I was surrounded by musicians.

I know lots of instruments and how to play them. This is how I studied
in Armenia. The education there was fantastic and [teachers were]
coming from [the] Russian school. You had to play violin. I was also
a musical member in Armenia’s Chamber Theater. I was conducting the
music there. I was studying saxophone, bass and drums. I was the
music director for five, six years. But I’m more into composition.

Q: How was the jazz scene when you started playing in Lebanon? And
how is it now?

A: The jazz scene was not super. They were more into fusion than
traditional jazz. They were playing but it was not like it is now.

There are some musicians who were in my class. They have an
international level. They play be-bop, and different styles. So,
there is a huge difference between before and now. Nowadays, it is
much better. Definitely. You have drummers and guitar players …

international stars are coming and playing with them and they say
“Wow!”

Now it is perfect. We have good musicians. The scene is small,
you know.

Q: How many albums have you released?

A: This is my second album. I was a bit lazy with that. I was
playing a lot. It’s not only about playing compositions; it is a
whole repertoire of music. [For example,] you have to know a whole
repertoire for piano. Same with jazz, you have to know around 300
classics in order to play jazz music. You put a lot of your life
[into] learning how to play jazz and I’ve realized that I’ve done
it a lot so why don’t I release some of my compositions? And now I
think it’s time to produce my music.

This is the first album comprised of my [compositions only.] [My record
“Art for Art’s Sake,” released in 2003] had some of my tunes and some
jazz standards as well, that I had it recorded in 1998. The difference
between the two albums is so huge that nobody believes that this is
me playing. This music is pretty old but it happened that I released
it now. Plans are really to stress on my music now.

Q: What are your views on Lebanese jazz?

A: Jazz is not only music. It is the way you live. You wake up
different, you live different. I can wake up in the middle of the
night and compose music. My family is not surprised at all. It is
very normal for them.

You don’t sleep at night, you might come back home at 5 a.m.

It’s way better than before. Now [jazz] has a pretty good level. We
have good musicians that sound like any professional. We have few
bass players, few drummers who play way better.

Q: Do you have any upcoming concerts or projects?

A: I’m planning on doing a concert of the album. I didn’t do it for the
launch. It will be either in AUB or Beirut Souks. I haven’t decided
yet. But I’m playing at Nova, a pretty rock place. Now they’re doing
these jazz [sessions] Monday evenings with nice people [coming.]
You have Razz’zz in Clemenceau. And that’s it. We have like two or
three places which play jazz music.

Q: Why did you decide to release “ARTology” at Nova. How do you draw
the link between jazz music and the other arts?

A: I always [link] these two words. ART as in arts, and ART as in
my name. I’m trying to play around with that. I like composing maybe
more than playing.

Some compositions [on the new record] are brand new. Some of them
are pretty old. I wrote some of them in Armenia but I didn’t have the
proper gear keyboard to record the music. Now in Lebanon I have this
beautiful equipment with me and I have my own studio so I can record
my music anytime I want. That’s a good opportunity.

I’m finding inspiration in the music, and I have some jazz idols. We
all steal. Everyone steals from each other. Some great musician like
Matt Powell, Weather Report, their sounds are in your head. Some people
tell me when they listen to this album that the Weather Report’s spirit
is flying all over the music. I have my own style in composition but
there is influence of [others.] I don’t deny it.

The [session] musicians are from Lebanon, Armenia and Syria.

Q: Are there any jazz musicians that you think are promising?

A: All of them! These people who came out from my class are very
talented. There is Raffi Mandalian, Fadi Farah on piano. They studied
with me. People from the old generation are also masters, and teaching
their students. The scene is better.

“ARTology” will soon be available at select music outlets and Virgin
Megastore. At present it’s available at Razz’zz, Nova and at Instrument
Garage.

From: A. Papazian

BORDER SHOOTING INFLAMES ARMENIA-TURKEY TENSIONS

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #968
Aug 20 2013

Death of Turkish civilian worsens an already troubled relationship.

By Tigran Hovhannisyan – Caucasus

Tensions have flared between Yerevan and Ankara after a Turkish
shepherd was shot dead after straying over the border.

Mustafa Ulker, 35, was killed on July 31 in an incident which
highlights both Armenia’s hostile relationship with Turkey and its
reliance on Russia for security.

The story is complicated by the fact that the soldiers accused of
shooting Ulker were from Russia, not Armenia. Under a 1992 treaty,
frontier guards from Russia’s FSB security service patrol Armenia’s
southern borders with Iran and Turkey.

Turkish media reported that Ulker was up in the hills tending his
animals, and had just crossed the border to retrieve one of them when
border guards opened fire on him.

Sergei Grechin, the FSB’s spokesman in Armenia, said the agency was
conducting an investigation and would make a full announcement when
it was sure of the facts.

Turkey’s foreign ministry sent a protest note to Armenia describing
the incident as “inexplicable” and saying the border guards killed
an innocent civilian who crossed the border by accident.

The note had to go via the Armenian embassy in Georgia, as Ankara and
Yerevan do not have diplomatic relations. Turkey closed its border
in 1993 because of the war in Nagorny Karabakh, which pitted Armenian
forces against Azerbaijan, a Turkish ally.

The Armenian government did not respond until three days after the
incident, when the foreign ministry issued a statement regretting
the incident and hoping nothing of the kind would happen again.

A few years ago, Armenia and Turkey began tentative steps towards
unfreezing their relationship.

In 2008, President Abdullah Gul and his Armenian Serzh Sargsyan
famously attended a football match between their two national teams
in Yerevan. This, the first such visit, initiated a process dubbed
“football diplomacy”, which continued in the face of widespread public
mistrust in both countries.

The two governments signed a roadmap for better relations in 2009,
but the process has since stalled. Neither side appears ready to move
on substantive issues – Turkey accuses Armenia of occupying Azerbaijani
territory, while Yerevan is demanding that Ankara formally acknowledge
that genocide took place in 1915.

Political analyst Stepan Grigoryan, head of the Analytical Centre
for Globalisation and Regional Cooperation, said the border shooting
would set the process back still further.

“Ankara will now deliver a proportionate response to the killing of
the shepherd,” he said. “It may be that Armenian illegal immigrants
who are earning money to feed their families will be deported.”

Tigran Hovhannisyan is a reporter for the Izvestia newspaper in
Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

SCR CSJC: FLOOD ALERT MAY HINDER UNINTERRUPTED RAIL FREIGHT OPERATIONS FROM GEORGIAN PORT POTI

by Alexander Avanesov

ARMINFO
Tuesday, August 20, 15:01

As of August 20 there were no delays of the rail freight operations
from Poti port to Armenia, but delays are possible over Poti flood
alert, Vahe Davtyan, Spokesperson of the South Caucasus Railway CJSC
told ArmInfo.

He said specialists of the company regularly monitor the situation in
Poti – the biggest sea port in Georgia. Floods have seriously damaged
hydro system on the River of Rioni that protects the town from floods
and serves as a bridge. Specialists say most part of Poti and the
port will be totally flooded unless immediate measures are taken to
restore the hydro-system facility. The local authorities, in turn,
say that immediate repair of the hydro-system will cost 18 million
lari and they are currently working to find the necessary sum.

V. Davtyan said that many citizens of Armenia who earlier booked
tickets to the resort towns of Ureki and Kobuleti began changing
their final destination to Batumi.

From: A. Papazian

NEW BRANCH OF AGRICULTURE TO BE FOUNDED IN VAZASHEN IN TAVUSH REGION

16:39 20/08/2013 ” ECONOMY

With the support of the Orange Foundation from here on the inhabitants
of the border village of Vazashen in Tavush region will have a
possibility to get involved in a new branch of agriculture and have
sustainable source of income as a result. This village used to have
about 1500 hectares of grape yards with around 2000 tons of harvest
yearly and a long history of viniculture. However, since 1990s these
lands have not been serving their purpose due to the danger of sniper
fire. As a result, the inhabitants of this village have been deprived
of their main business. In the scope of the agricultural projects
of the Orange Foundation, 7 households received beehives and bees
and were trained in bee keeping, thus having a possibility to get
involved in this new and promising branch of agriculture.

The project has been implemented in the scope of the special program
launched by the Orange Foundation last year, which aims to give a
possibility to Orange Armenia employees to lead philanthropic projects
on their initiative. The grant for implementation of this agricultural
project was awarded to Orange Armenia employee Mihran Babayan from
Finance Department, who spends part of his free time supporting the
“Armenian Santa Clause” NGO . This is already the 4th project in a
row financed based on proposal of Orange employees.

To participate in honey extraction process Vazashen village was also
visited by a group of Orange Armenia volunteers. Though for most of
them the participation in honey extraction process was the first such
experience, they participated in the works with great enthusiasm.

As a reminder, with the support of the Orange Foundation small,
but sustainable development models of agriculture have also been
implemented in Berdavan village of Tavush region and Karmir Aghek
village of Lori region.

For implementation of this project the Orange Foundation has invested
2,960,000 AMD.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

ISRAEL USES TALKS WITH PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY FOR EXPANSIONISM

Mon Aug 19, 2013 4:43PM GMT

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the
territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip
and are demanding Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian
territories.”

Related Interviews:

‘Palestinians achieve nothing from talks’ Israel plays ‘peace game’
with Palestine

Related Viewpoints:

Quds Day; cornerstone of resistance

Palestinian leaders are warning that Israel is using the US-led talks
with the Palestinian Authority as a political cover for expanding
its illegal settlements, Press TV reports.

“The PLO Executive Committee considers the unprecedented settler
decisions which were announced by the occupation government as
conclusive proof that Israel’s first and last option remains
expansionism, Judaization and theft of Palestinian land, and not
ending occupation and implementing the two-state solution on the
basis of the 1967 borders,” Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
said in a Monday statement.

The PLO Executive Committee issued the statement during a meeting
headed by acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas in the
West Bank city of Ramallah.

They committee said it sees poor prospects for the negotiations as
Israel unveils plans to build new settlers units in the occupied
Palestinian territories.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements
built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of
the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) in 1967.

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the
territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip and are
demanding Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories.

Tel Aviv, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is
unwilling to discuss the issue of al-Quds.

Much of the international community regards the Israeli settlements
illegal because the territories were captured by the Tel Aviv regime
in a war in 1967, and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions,
which forbid construction on occupied lands.

PG/SS

From: A. Papazian