Author: Babajanian Karo

TURKEY’S RAILWAY ANNOUNCEMENT ‘AIMED TO APPEASE BAKU’

Thursday, November 14th, 2013

ARF political affairs director Giro Manoyan

ISTANBUL (Hurriyet Daily News)–Giro Manoyan, director of the
international secretariat of the ARF, says Turkey’s consideration
of reopening the railway link between Turkey and Armenia is aimed at
“opening a position in negotiations with Azerbaijan.” Manoyan was in
Istanbul to attend a Socialist International meeting.

“I believe Mr. Davutoglu’s announcement was more like a negotiation
maneuver with Aliyev, rather than with Armenia. I’m not sure what
Turkey is expecting from Azerbaijan, but I think Davutoglu’s not so
secret announcement, which was made during a closed door session in
Parliament, was actually made public for the Turkish side to have a
sort of opening position in negotiations with Azerbaijan,” Manoyan
said on Nov. 12 in an interview with the Hurriyet Daily News.

Manoyan was in Istanbul to attend a council meeting of the Socialist
International (SI), representing the ARF, which is an opposition party
in the Armenian parliament, holding 5 of 90 seats. He was commenting
on recent news reports that Turkey is considering reopening the
Kars-Gyumri section of the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway line, which
has not been operational since 1993, when Turkey closed the border
with Armenia, amid its war with Azerbaijan for Nagorno-Karabakh.

The idea to reopen the railway came as a question to Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu during a closed-door Parliament briefing on Nov. 6.

The minister said opening the border with Armenia and reopening the
railway could be brought to the agenda under the framework of a peace
plan that includes the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia stopped after signing the
protocols in 2009, and there is nothing that has happened since then,
Manoyan said. “So I don’t think what Mr. Davutoglu said has anything
to do with reality.”

“Consensus for moving on from recognition efforts” Manoyan, who is also
a member of the State Commission for the Coordination of the Armenian
Genocide Centennial, expressed his views on 2015 preparations. “There’s
a certain consensus among the Armenian community that they should
move on from efforts to push Turkey to recognize the 1915 killings as
genocide for the 2015 centennial campaign,” according to Manoyan. “That
doesn’t mean there should be no recognition effort,” he maintained,
adding that they “should go further and start presenting claims
regarding Armenian rights.”

“Discussions, studies are going on regarding what reparation claims
should be made and there’s some approach that regardless of whether
Turkey recognizes the genocide or not, there are certain claims which
can be made against Turkey as a state or those who have benefitted
from Armenian properties, et cetera,” Manoyan said.

In further comments on the protocols signed between Armenia and
Turkey in 2009 in an effort to normalize relations, Manoyan reiterated
his party’s position and suggested that Armenia should withdraw its
signatures because “it has already given too much to Turkey.”

Instead, Armenia should put a very short draft on the table, with
three to four paragraphs saying, “The two countries have decided
to establish diplomatic relations, the two countries have decided
to establish land links and develop economic and other ties, and
the two countries have decided to resolve all outstanding issues
between the two countries peacefully, based on international law,”
according to Manoyan. “We should put this on the table and wait. If
there’s ever any government in Turkey that is really in a position
to establish relations with Armenia, without any preconditions, then
they sign it, we sign it and we start. Because the position Turkey
has taken regarding Armenia, especially the blockade, is really,
according to international law, an expression of hostility,” he said.

ARMENIA TO LOSE OUT THREE-FOLD ON CUSTOMS DUTIES BY JOINING CUSTOMS UNION – FORMER PM

November 14, 2013 | 17:14

YEREVAN. – Former PM and opposition deputy Hrant Bagratyan said
Armenia will lose out three-fold on customs duties by joining the
Customs Union.

“If Armenia has decided to join the Customs Union, then it will have
to apply import duties three times higher than in Europe,” Bagratyan
said during the Thursday debates on the 2014 draft budget.

Thus, according to the World Bank, the average import duty for
commodities in Russia in 2011 amounted to 6.97 percent in the EU only
1.24 percent. In Armenia, it was 3.48 percent in 2008 (the latest
available data). Thus, the tariffs on imported goods in Armenia and
therefore the prices will rise more than if Armenia joined a free
trade area with the EU (this does not apply to goods imported from
Customs Union member states).

“We do not see this in the draft budget. So, maybe it would be
appropriate to calculate the budget taking into account accession to
the Customs Union,” Bagratyan concluded.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

THEY THINK A CELIBATE PRIEST MUST HAVE LOVERS

Yesterday the chair of the United Youth League Sevan Hovhannisyan
stated in an interview that Abba Hakob Grigoryan working at the
Mother See is a homosexual and displayed photos in which Abba Hakob is
feeding a boy and is hugging him. Later Abba Hakob Grigoryan said it is
complete slander and the boy in the photo is his brother, his aunt’s
son. He noted that he has requested the catholicos to suspend his
clerical activities for a while. We interviewed Abba Hakob Grigoryan
(his secular name is Arman).

You insist that the boy you are hugging and feeding is your cousin.

Many people say one would not hug and feed one’s cousin that fondly.

If one’s cousin is ten years older than one and one treats him like
one’s younger brother, being caring has nothing to do with being
in love. Anything can be interpreted in any way. Our society is
such. If you post a personal photo on the web, there will be any
comment because today it is not important what the reality is, what
matters is scandals and likes and clicks.

Does this scandal involve the church or your personality?

This scandal involved both me and the church. I don’t think that I
have hurt anyone but I am amazed that young people fighting sects are
attacking the church today. I wonder to what extent they are committed
to protecting the church, supporting the church because as long as
one supports the church, clergymen are part of the church. This is a
matter of hatred, meanness, antipathy, something that surprises me,
they used to be my close friends.

Do you think a person should not be free in their sex life? If I am
not mistaken, you are celibate.

As a priest I share the official opinion of the church. I am sorry
that a person may get some photos in a way and manipulate them and
disturb my family and my friends. I have taken action against that, I
contacted a lawyer, we will go to court and the issue will be settled.

Those guilty will be held responsible. As to the fact of being
celibate, I am sorry that people perceive clergymen as oligarchs, they
think that celibate priests must have lovers or be homosexuals. This
is not the problem of the church but the public perception that no
moral values and standards exist.

Is celibacy wrong?

I cannot tell what is right and what is wrong. For me what the church
says is right.

And what do you think, is it possible that we are seeing more intimate
photos of you?

If my personal and family photos were stolen, they may use Photoshop.

I will sue them. I will get everything clarified. It is slander and
it is a lie.

Do you like women?

Why wouldn’t I like them? What is unusual about it? Liking someone,
getting in touch with someone does not make a church crime.

There is a lot of criticism against clergymen, does every clergyman
share responsibility for strengthening the church today?

Everyone, clergymen and laymen, must strengthen, empower, support
and assist the church. However, one also needs to understand that no
matter how hard a clergyman and a decent believer try, the church may
also undergo attacks because the church has both friends and enemies.

How did you meet UYL? What caused the lack of understanding between
you?

I learned about the United Youth League through Sevan Aghajanyan.

Frankly speaking I haven’t understood the reason, we were so close and
whenever I needed help, I got that help from them and I am grateful
and I always returned their help but I would never think that they
would be so mad with me, I tried to help them with advice. Simply
they are now focused on their PR, they want to feature on the web,
they want people to talk, and God knows who their victims will be.

Do you wish to return to service?

I certainly do.

Recently the gender law has been circulated, and the church expressed
concerns over it. Who would expect that any issue would stir up the
clergymen that much?

In the 5th century or during the war in Karabakh, a clergyman would
pick up arms and fight if there was a need for that. Otherwise, I
wouldn’t have talked to Sevak and Sevan about sects. I saw the need
and I talked to them.

I believe that it is easy for the church to be beside every family,
every individual because of the shortage of priests.

Siranuysh Papyan 16:37 14/11/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

HRAPARAK: YEREVAN TRANSPORT FARE TO RISE 50 PERCENT

11:03 14/11/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

Regional transport fare will not be increased, Armenian Transport
and Communication Minister Gagik Beglaryan told Hraparak daily’s
correspondent in response to his question.

Yet, the Minister left unanswered the question about the legitimacy
of increasing transport fare in Yerevan by 50 percent. According to
the newspaper, rumors say that on January 1 public transport fare in
Yerevan will rise to AMD 150.

/

ARMENIAN COMPANY TO START MASS SALE OF EARTH APPLE

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

earth-apple.html
13:40, 14 November, 2013

[images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQv1IFhBVetQzbmqIc4pf1HkUJMuvf3I1Q0SS0iljhZBTB59E0YjA]

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: The first Armenian company in the
South Caucasus, involved in the mass processing of the earth apple,
completed the harvesting and intends to start the network sale
works. The Director of the CJSC “Agro Corporation” Vahan Shirkhanyan
stated about it in the talk with Armenpress. “We are going to add
another 40 hectares and to make the crop lands not less than 1000
hectares in autumn”, – said the Director. Vahan Shirkhanyan informed
that in 2015 the lands are intended to make 3000 hectares and start
the reprocessing of the earth apple.

Shirkhanyan noted that the harvest of the earth apple is carried out
twice a year, during which about 100 working places are created.

The earth apple will appear in the markets in 15-20 days. 

The Government of the Republic of Armenia is engaged in the activity
aiming to find investments for the realization of the program of the
Armenian-Chinese enterprise of inulin production.

The Head of the Industrial Policy Department of the Ministry of
Economy of the Republic of Armenia Armen Yeganyan stated this earlier
in a conversation with Armenpress. “The Government of the Republic
of Armenia provided resources. We have published the invitation
in an international periodical to find investors,” the Head of the
Department underscored. The preliminary total price of the program
is USD 33 million.

Among other things the Head of the Industrial Policy Department of
the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Armen Yeganyan
emphasized that the Chinese side took the obligation to make an
investment of 5 percent, to provide the relevant technology, and
conduct the installation works. In addition Armen Yeganyan noted
that there is a company from the Armenian side, which is willing to
provide acreage for the cultivation of earth apple.

Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced
by many types of plants, industrially most often extracted from
chicory. The inulins belong to a class of dietary fibers known
as fructans. Inulin is used by some plants as a means of storing
energy and is typically found in roots or rhizomes. Most plants that
synthesize and store inulin do not store other forms of carbohydrate
such as starch.

Inulin is increasingly used in processed foods because it has unusually
adaptable characteristics. Its flavor ranges from bland to subtly sweet
(approx. 10% sweetness of sugar/sucrose). It can be used to replace
sugar, fat, and flour. This is advantageous because inulin contains
25-35% of the food energy of carbohydrates (starch, sugar).

Non-hydrolyzed inulin can also be directly converted to ethanol in
a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, which may
have great potential for converting crops high in inulin into ethanol
for fuel.

Inulin and its analog sinistrin are used to help measure kidney
function by determining the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). GFR
is the volume of fluid filtered from the renal (kidney) glomerular
capillaries into the Bowman’s capsule per unit time. Inulin is of
particular use as it is not secreted or reabsorbed in any appreciable
amount at the nephron, allowing GFR to be calculated. However, due to
clinical limitations, inulin and sinistrin, although characterized
by better handling features, are rarely used for this purpose and
creatinine values are the standard for determining an approximate
GFR. It is also used for rehydration and remineralization following
important loss of water, like diarrhea and diaphoresis. Inulin can
also be used as a vaccine adjuvant.

TURKEY ASKS FOR SWISS MEDIATION IN KARABAKH CONFLICT

World Bulletin, Turkey
Nov 13 2013

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Swiss officials that Turkey
is ready to normalize its relations with Armenia, but he made it
clear that Yerevan should first leave the Azerbaijani territories it
has occupied

World Bulletin/News Desk

Turkey has requested support from Switzerland to help overcome
conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan to open the way for Ankara
to repair ties with Yerevan, which have been cool over the Armenian
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.

During a visit to Switzerland in mid-October, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu told Swiss officials that Turkey is ready to normalize its
relations with Armenia, but he made it clear that Yerevan should
first leave the Azerbaijani territories it has occupied, Turkish
sources told Today’s Zaman. The foreign minister said once Switzerland
convinces Armenia to leave the occupied territories, Ankara will open
its borders with Armenia. The Swiss officials responded positively
to Davutoglu’s proposal.

A bloody conflict erupted between ethnic Azeris and Armenians in 1991
over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous, predominantly Armenian-populated
enclave within Azerbaijani borders. Armenian-backed armed forces
seized 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, killing 30,000 people.

In a display of solidarity with Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue, Turkey closed its borders with Armenia.

Davutoglu, during his recent visit to Switzerland, had pointed out
that relations with Armenia are important for Turkey and that Turkey
is trying to find new ideas and solutions to develop and cover more
ground when it comes to the ties. He hinted that Turkey will increase
its studies for better relations with its neighbor in the coming days.

According to the Foreign Ministry sources, Turkey is particularly
aiming to normalize relations with Armenia before 2015, the centennial
of the so-called Armenian genocide of 1915. Turkey and Armenia had
already created a roadmap when the two countries signed twin protocols
in 2009 in Switzerland to normalize ties, sources say. However, as
Azerbaijan and Armenia have not been able to achieve any results from
negotiations, which started at the same time as the Armenian-Turkish
normalization, this situation also negatively affects Turkey having
better ties with Armenia.

Besides Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia has also occupied seven other
Azerbaijani districts adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh.

In an effort to solve disagreements before the centennial of the
1915 events, Davutoglu gave this message to Swiss officials during
his visit: “If Armenia starts to leave the occupied territories and
does this by presenting a clear timeline of withdrawal that will also
be accepted by Baku, we are ready to put these protocols into practice.

We are waiting for your help to convince the Armenian administration
of this solution.”

The protocols of 2009, which were the first written agreements between
Armenia and Turkey, failed after the two countries did not ratify
the documents.

A senior Turkish official told Today’s Zaman that Turkey had closed
its borders with Armenia not because of Nagorno-Karabakh but because
of the adjacent districts that were occupied. Azerbaijan said it
would not oppose Turkey opening its border with Armenia if Yerevan
were to leave five of the seven adjacent regions. Yerevan also said
it could withdraw from the five adjacent regions.

Azerbaijani president to visit Turkey

Meanwhile, the president of Azerbaijani, Ilham Aliyev, was due
to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday upon an invitation from President
Abdullah Gul.

Gul and Aliyev were scheduled to meet at a dinner given in Aliyev’s
honor at the cankaya presidential palace. Aliyev is expected to hold
talks with top Turkish officials during the two-day official visit
to Ankara.

On Wednesday, Aliyev will come together with Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in a tete-a-tete meeting. The two leaders will attend
the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting later in the day.

Aliyev and Erdogan will speak at a joint press briefing after the
meeting.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT VISITS TURKEY TO BOOST BILATERAL TIES

Xinhua General News Service, China
November 12, 2013 Tuesday 2:55 AM EST

ANKARA Nov. 12

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for
a two-day visit to boost bilateral ties at the invitation of his
Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul.

Aliyev is expected to hold talks with Gul and other top Turkish
officials during his trip.

On Wednesday, Aliyev will hold an official meeting with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two leaders will attend the
High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting later in the day.

Turkey has requested support from Switzerland to help resolve a
territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nagorno-
Karabakh so as to repair its own ties with Yerevan.

During a visit to Switzerland in mid-October, Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu said that Ankara is ready to normalize relations with
Armenia, while stressing Yerevan should first exit from the Azerbaijani
territory it occupied, Turkey’s Today’s Zaman reported on Tuesday.

The foreign minister said once Switzerland convinces Armenia to leave
Nagorno-Karabakh, Ankara will open its borders with Armenia.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have no diplomatic ties and are still
technically at war because of the ongoing territorial dispute.

Content-Type: MESSAGE/RFC822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
From: Katia Peltekian
Subject: Azerbaijani president visits Turkey to boost bilateral ties

Xinhua General News Service, China
November 12, 2013 Tuesday 2:55 AM EST

Azerbaijani president visits Turkey to boost bilateral ties

ANKARA Nov. 12

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for a
two-day visit to boost bilateral ties at the invitation of his Turkish
counterpart Abdullah Gul.

Aliyev is expected to hold talks with Gul and other top Turkish
officials during his trip.

On Wednesday, Aliyev will hold an official meeting with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two leaders will attend the
High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting later in the day.

Turkey has requested support from Switzerland to help resolve a
territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nagorno-
Karabakh so as to repair its own ties with Yerevan.

During a visit to Switzerland in mid-October, Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu said that Ankara is ready to normalize relations with
Armenia, while stressing Yerevan should first exit from the
Azerbaijani territory it occupied, Turkey’s Today’s Zaman reported on
Tuesday.

The foreign minister said once Switzerland convinces Armenia to leave
Nagorno-Karabakh, Ankara will open its borders with Armenia.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have no diplomatic ties and are still
technically at war because of the ongoing territorial dispute.

YEREVAN: BY RECOGNIZING THE NKR’S INDEPENDENCE ARMENIA WILL TAKE THE STRAIT JACKET OFF AZERBAIJAN

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, November 13, 00:29

By recognizing the NKR’s independence Armenia will help Azerbaijan
to get rid of the OSCE Minsk Group and thereby to take off its strait
jacket, Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, said
during today’s parliamentary hearings on the bill on recognition
of the NKR’s independence. To note, the bill was submitted for the
Parliament’s consideration by Heritage Party.

Kocharyan thinks that the de jure recognition of the NKR is inexpedient
now, because Armenia de facto recognized the NKR’s independence long
ago and the two countries’ relations are developing like relations
between two full subjects. The diplomat stressed that Armenia’s key
goal in the Karabakh peace process is to gain international recognition
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. “So, we think Armenia’s recognition
of the NKR is pretimely. We do not want re-occurrence of the Turkish
Cyprus precedent”, he said.

He recalled that the talks are going on in the OSCE Minsk Group format
and that the lack of progress is due to the destructive stance of
Azerbaijan. “The status quo in the Karabakh peace process will be
maintained as long as Azerbaijan uses bravado language, distorts the
history and violates the international law”, said Kocharyan. He added
that the OSCE MG co-chair countries are permanent members of the UN
Security Council and they stress the need for peaceful resolution
of the conflict, which does not meet Azerbaijan’s interests. “This
format is a strait jacket for Baku and Baku is eager to take it off. By
recognizing the NKR, Yerevan will help Baku to do it. Subsequently,
the recognition of the NKR does not meet the interests of the NKR and
Armenia”, he stressed. He also pointed out that Yerevan represents
Stepanakert’s interests in the peace process and is going to take no
decisions running counter to Artsakh’s position.

To note, the Armenian Parliament is discussing the bill on Armenia’s
recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The bill was initiated
by the opposition Heritage Party. Official Baku has already made a
statement saying that the debates undermine the Karabakh peace process.

ARMENIAN SCHOOL BOY KILLED IN DAMASCUS BLAST

November 11, 2013 | 19:39

DAMASCUS. – An Armenian schoolboy was killed and several others were
wounded in a mortar blast in Damascus, Editor-in-Chief of Lebanon-based
Aztag daily toldArmenian News-NEWS.am.

Shahan Kandaharian said the explosion occurred near Bab Shakri bridge,
near the Armenian St. Sargis church and National Armenian “Surb
Targmanchats” school. The blast occurred when the school children
were leaving the school.

Official Syrian media reported about at least five school children
killed in the blast.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

NON-CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS TURNED INTO STATE SECRET IN DINK TRIAL

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 11 2013

11 November 2013 /TODAY’S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL

The Ä°stanbul 2nd Juvenile High Criminal Court, which oversaw the
case of Hrank Dink, who was killed by an ultranationalist teenager in
January 2007, demanded non-confidential documents concerning Dink’s
murder belonging to the National Intelligence Organization (MÄ°T)
that were sent to a parliamentary coup commission in addition to
non-confidential Telecommunications Directorate (TÄ°B) recordings
of telephone conversations around the scene of the murder from the
Ä°stanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office; however, when these documents
were sent to the court, the court asked MÄ°T and the prosecutor’s
office whether the information in the documents was a state secret,
a story in the Radikal daily reported on Monday.

According to a lawyer for the Dink family, this is an effort to turn
non-confidential documents into state secrets, which will block the
shedding of a bright light on the murder.

Dink, the late editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, was
shot dead on Jan. 19, 2007, by ultranationalist teenager Ogun Samast
outside the offices of his newspaper in Ä°stanbul in broad daylight.

Hitman Samast was tried in a juvenile court because he was a minor
at the time of the crime and sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison.

According to Radikal’s story, the Ä°stanbul 2nd Juvenile High
Criminal Court demanded the non-confidential documents concerning
Dink’s murder from the parliamentary coup commission and Ä°stanbul
Chief Prosecutor’s Office at the hearing dated Jan. 31, 2013.

The documents, which fit on 10 CDs, were sent to the court but this
time the court asked the same institutions whether the documents were
in the category of state secrets at the hearing dated July 12.

While Parliament said on Aug. 27 that “it says ‘very confidential’
on the documents but there is no information suggesting that they
are state secrets,” the prosecutor’s office told the court that a
decision had been made for only limited access to the documents.

Despite this, the court again asked Parliament and the prosecutor’s
office whether it should give copies of the documents to the parties
involved in the trial at the hearing on Nov. 5. It also asked MÄ°T
whether the documents it sent to the coup commission include state
secrets.

According to lawyer Hakan Bakırcıoglu, there is an effort to label
the non-confidential documents as state secrets. The lawyer said the
issue of state secrets is frequently seen in such trials, adding that
in order to cast a light on Dink’s murder, all kinds of information
need to be accessible.