Author: Babajanian Karo

BUILDING A WATER DISTRIBUTION NETWORK FOR ARTSAKH’S DRIEST CITY

asbarez
Monday, July 30th, 2012

Construction on the water distribution network

Turpanjian Family Brings Water to Hadrut, Artskah

In January, Armenia Fund launched construction on a 33-kilometer
internal water distribution network for the city of Hadrut-the
administrative capital for Artsakh’s Hadrut Region. It’s been six
months since we began the project, and we’re excited to report that
it’s nearly halfway complete.

The project is funded with the support of Artsakh’s government and
through a major contribution from Mr. and Mrs. Gerald and Patricia
Turpanjian of Los Angeles. The Turpanjians were also the sponsors of
Stepanakert School #11, which we completed in 2010.

Today, construction crews are busily working to ensure we meet our
Spring 2013 completion date. In addition to the distribution network,
we’re also building water distribution and regulation wells, a pump
station and two reservoirs. When the project is complete, the more
than 3,200 residents of the city will have round-the-clock access to
clean drinking water.

Edik Davtyan, the deputy head of the regional administration explains
the situation on the ground, highlighting the urgent need for this
project saying, “Currently, the city uses a water network that was
built durring the 1970s. The corroded pipes often give out, resulting
in several days of service interruption.”

Corroded piping is a very serious health risk that could not only
contaminate the city’s water supply but cause many people to become
seriously ill, very fast, if we don’t do something about it now.

Located on the southern border of Artsakh, the region of Hadrut is
among the republic’s driest and hottest areas. Although the residents
of Hadrut City still grapple with a host of other infrastructure
and economic issues, we believe that a fundamental solution such as
the provision of regular access to potable water will significantly
improve their lives.

We began large-scale efforts to modernize Hadrut’s water infrastructure
in 2008 after finishing construction on a 22-kilometer water pipeline
connecting Arjaghbyur to Hadrut.

Other major projects implemented we’ve implemented in the Hadrut Region
include the construction, in 2009, of the 20-kilometer Togh-Hadrut
gas pipeline, which supplies natural gas to about 5,200 residents
of Hadrut City and seven nearby villages; and the reconstruction,
in 2008, of the Hadrut Regional Hospital, which serves the entire
population of the region, totaling over 12,000 residents.

ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN CANDIDATE TO RUN FOR ARMENIA’S GYUMRI MAYOR

news.am
July 30, 2012 | 19:15

YEREVAN.- ARF Dashnaktsutyun will nominate Hovsep Simonyan for the
pot of Mayor of Gyumir, Armenia’s second largest city, ARFD member
Gervorg Alekyan told reporters on Monday.

Hovsep Simonyan is deputy head of financial economic department of
the Shirak Region administration.

Prosperous Armenia Party has already nominated Samvel Balasanyan. At
the same time, the incumbent Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan is a member of
the Republican Party of Armenia.

Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) has decided to nominate its own
candidate for the mayoral elections in Vanadzor city, too.

In the voting, which is scheduled for September 9, the PAP will
nominate Edik Karakhanyan, who is a Party Political Board member and
Deputy Governor of the Lori Region.

AIRCA HEAD: TURKEY TAKES NO ACTION TO ISSUE VISAS TO ARMENIAN DRIVERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 30, 2012 – 16:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey takes no action as to issuing visas to
Armenian drivers for cargo transfer to Port of Trabzon, chairman of
Association of International Road Carriers of Armenia (AIRCA) said.

Gerbert Hambartsumyan stressed the need for the Turkish side to grant
visas to either on border, or enable Armenian drivers to get them
through the third country.

“We have filed a letter to Georgian embassy, with no reply received
yet,” he said.

In this context he said that only 2 cars belonging to AIRCA got
permission for cargo transportation in 2011. Under the Turkish law,
for transit through Turkey Armenian drivers must receive the visa at
the embassy that Armenia lacks.

“Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement” project director Arthur
Ghazaryan, in turn, noted Port of Trabzon as an alternative to
Georgia’s Poti port, with the use of the opportunity to allow for
$600 cut in transportation expenses.

Turkey’s Port of Trabzon is ready to accept Armenian cargo, the port’s
chief Muzaffer Ermis said.

“Should Turkish government’s agreement be procured, the port will be
ready to service cargo transfers to and from Armenia. Both Turkey
and Armenia will benefit from it,” Gunebakis Turkish website cited
the port chief as saying.

“At present, Armenia’s implementing $7,5 bn worth of imports and
exports via Georgia’s Port of Poti. There’s a railway to Poti, which
functions with lengthy breaks. However, one can get from Yerevan to
Trabzon any time. Also, the port of Trabzon is ready to service the
same volume of cargo transfers that Poti does,” Mr Ermis said.

AZARYAN NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY THE ARMENIAN FLAG DURING THE OLYMPICS

10:48 . 30/07

The organisers of the 30th Olympic Games didn’t allow known Soviet
athlete, triple Olympic champion, four-time world champion, double
European champion, and eleven-time Soviet champion, 83 years old
Albert Azaryan to carry the Armenian flag during the opening ceremony
of the Olympic Games.

NovostiNK informs, the organizers substantiated their decision by the
age of the legendary athlete. Still several months ago, by the decision
of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the National Olympic
Committee, Albert Azaryan was to carry the flag. But in Armenia they
were puzzled that the flag was carried by Arman Yeremyan (taekwondo).

To recall, Albert Azaryan carried the Armenian flag in the opening
Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where Armenian athletes
won 6 bronze medals.

ANCA PROTESTS NBC’S SNUB OF ARMENIA’S OLYMPICS TEAM
by Ara Khachatourian

asbarez
Monday, July 30th, 2012

WASHINGTON-The ANCA joined thousands of frustrated Armenians across the
U.S. and around the world Monday in expressing frustration with NBC’s
short and silent coverage of Armenia’s Olympic team during its coverage
of the 2012 Olympics opening ceremonies in London on July 27th.

In a letter sent to NBC CEO and President Stephen Burke, ANCA Chairman
Ken Hachikian noted “We were troubled by the absence of any commentary
or background – scripted or otherwise – about Armenia, a nation with
a history of thousands of years, and a proud legacy of participation
in the Olympic games. In the place of information, your viewers were
treated to a single line – “Armenia, now walking in” and then nothing
more about Armenia during the very short on-screen time devoted to
broadcasting only a single member of the more than two dozen athletes
on the Armenian team.” The ANCA letter called for an explanation
and apology, as well as a commitment from NBC to provide meaningful
coverage of Armenia and her athletes during the remainder of the games.

The ANCA first voiced the community’s concerns on its Facebook page –
– on Friday, and issued its letter
earlier today. These concerns have been echoed by Facebook and Twitter
posts from around the world.

The full text of the letter is provided below.

I am writing, on behalf of your many U.S.-based viewers of Armenian
heritage, to share with you our disappointment over the very short
and inexplicably silent coverage of the Republic of Armenia’s team
during your broadcast of the opening ceremonies of the London 2012
Summer Olympics.

We were troubled by the absence of any commentary or background –
scripted or otherwise – about Armenia, a nation with a history of
thousands of years, and a proud legacy of participation in the Olympic
games. In the place of information, your viewers were treated to a
single line – “Armenia, now walking in” and then nothing more about
Armenia during the very short on-screen time devoted to broadcasting
only a single member of the more than two dozen athletes on the
Armenian team. The

inadequacy of the coverage provided to Armenia, relative to that
provided nearly every other country, was underscored by the hundreds
of community complaints we continue to field on this matter. NBC’s
dismissive treatment of Armenia was disrespectful not only to the
citizens of Armenia, but to a world-wide Diaspora that includes
over 1.5 million Armenian Americans. Such actions undermine NBC’s
longstanding relationship with its viewers who care about Armenia. We
call upon you to explain and apologize for the shortcomings in NBC’s
broadcast of the Armenian team, and to ensure proper coverage of
Armenia and her athletes during the remainder of the Olympics.

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

Sincerely, Kenneth V. Hachikian Chairman

Hollande recognized France is responsible for deporting Jews

12:12 23/07/2012 » In the world

President Francois Hollande visited the site of the largest
deportation of Jews from Western Europe during the Holocaust, a sign
that France is finally recognizing that collaboration as well as
heroism is part of its wartime history, the haaretz.com reports.

Of all Western European countries, France remains the one where the
gravest anti-Semitic incidents take place. It is also a country where
the dominant intelligentsia prefer to find any word other than
“anti-Semitism” to describe the Jew-hate that remains alive and active
there. A key object of these anti-Semitism deniers is to devalue,
downgrade and diminish the detention, deportation and deaths of French
Jews.

French President Francois Hollande’s decision to speak last week at a
commemoration of the single worst deportation of Jews in Western
Europe during World War II is an important step toward addressing
European anti-Semitism.

Source: Panorama.am

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (Comunicati Stampa)
20 luglio 2012

A bordo della Pobeda

Paolo Martino

Vartuhi è partita da Beirut nel 1946, per raggiungere l’Armenia
sovietica a bordo della nave “Pobeda”. Nella terra di Stalin, però, i
sopravvissuti al genocidio hanno visto il sogno di una patria
trasformarsi in incubo. In viaggio verso il Caucaso sui sentieri delle
migrazioni, quarta puntata del reportage “Dal Caucaso a Beirut”

`Per superare la censura del regime sovietico creammo dei messaggi in
codice. ‘Il pane è buono’ voleva dire che si soffriva la fame. ‘L’anta
dell’armadio è rotta’ significava persecuzione, prigionia. Se in una
foto comparivano persone sdraiate, qualcuno era morto. E così via.’
Nel suo appartamento al centro di Anjar, tremila anime armene tra i
monti libanesi, Angel ripercorre il filo di memorie familiari che
risalgono a più di sessant’anni fa, quando sua sorella Vartuhi lasciò
il Libano per trasferirsi nell’Armenia sovietica. `Fin nelle prime
lettere si parlava solo di pane e armadi, e pian piano arrivarono
anche le foto. Capii che l’Armenia non era il paradiso che i russi
volevano farci credere. E che non avrei più rivisto mia sorella.’

All’indomani della Seconda guerra mondiale la diaspora armena si trovò
di fronte all’ennesima sfida. L’Unione sovietica, decisa a
riequilibrare il vuoto demografico lasciato dai milioni di morti della
guerra, promosse imponenti campagne di ripopolamento. Le comunità
armene americane, europee e mediorientali, ansiose di trasferirsi
finalmente in una `patria’ tutta loro, aderirono in massa. A partire
dal 1946 treni, navi, convogli con la stella rossa trasportarono
migliaia di figli della diaspora armena a Yerevan, nell’Armenia
sovietica. Il 70% degli abitanti di Anjar, tremilacinquecento su
cinquemila, scelse di partire. Tra questi c’era Vartuhi, la sorella di
Angel.

`I primi tempi furono duri. Gli armeni libanesi erano abituati a
spostarsi, a leggere il giornale, a dire quello che pensavano, perciò
finirono subito sotto l’occhio spietato del regime. Molti furono
spediti in Siberia, nei campi di concentramento.’ La memoria di Angel
si muove fluida in stagioni lontane, spaziando nella smisurata
geografia della diaspora come se nessun angolo al mondo fosse alieno.
`Ma gli armeni di Anjar hanno la pelle dura. Piano piano si sono
costruiti una vita, una casa, perfino un villaggio, vicino a Yerevan.’
Interrompo il racconto. `E questo villaggio esiste ancora?’ Angel
sorride: `Certo, si chiama Musa Dagh, come la nostra terra natale. Mia
sorella vive lì.’ Rapita dai ricordi, l’anziana ripercorre gli anni
della giovinezza, delle scelte irreversibili, mentre nella mia mente
un’idea dai contorni sfumati si fa sempre più nitida. Salutando Angel
alla libanese, con tre baci sulla guancia, le faccio una foto e una
promessa: `tornerò a trovarti presto, con una sorpresa.’
Dal mio diario. 3 novembre
Il flusso di memoria che lega il Caucaso al Medio Oriente scorre
appena sotto la superficie della quotidianità. Gli abitanti di Musa
Dagh che nel 1939 lasciano la Turchia per trasferirsi in Libano, otto
anni dopo si mettono in viaggio per l’Armenia. Percorsi a senso unico,
decisioni senza appello, ma ogni spostamento segna il terreno,
tracciando una pista che dal Caucaso porta a Beirut, e viceversa.
Vakif, l’unico dei sette villaggi di Musa Dagh che scelse di restare
sotto autorità turca, tuttora abitato da armeni; Anjar, il gioiello
armeno nella valle della Bekaa, oasi pacifica in una delle zone più
conflittuali del pianeta; la nuova Musa Dagh nella periferia di
Yerevan, ricovero per chi nel 1946, dopo tanta miseria, pensava di
aver trovato finalmente la via del Sol dell’Avvenire. Schegge che si
perdono nella tragedia del genocidio, nei giochi tra potenze, nelle
macerie delle guerre del Medio Oriente e del Caucaso. L’unico modo per
risalire all’elemento umano, per capire le scelte delle tante Vartuhi
e Angel di questa storia, è camminare sui sentieri di quelle
migrazioni, misurarle col metro dei passi, della pioggia, degli
orizzonti monotoni dell’altopiano e del deserto.

`Vado a Yerevan, ho già il biglietto.’ Seduto come sempre davanti alla
saracinesca della fabbrica di scarpe, Rafi soffia il fumo denso del
narghilè senza scomporsi. `Me l’aspettavo che saresti partito un
giorno o l’altro. Sei caduto nella paranoia di cercare una logica
razionale nella storia del mio popolo. Col tempo imparerai che non ne
vale la pena.’ Rafi urla qualcosa in armeno a un ragazzino che in un
minuto ci serve arak, liquore all’anice allungato con acqua e
ghiaccio. Un dollaro di mancia e il ragazzino sparisce, inghiottito
dal caos di Burj Hammoud, il quartiere armeno nella pancia di Beirut.
`Che vai a fare in Armenia?’ Mentre nel vicolo scende la notte, Rafi
ascolta la storia di Angel e Vartuhi, le sorelle separate dalla
Pobeda, la nave che trasportò nel 1946 migliaia di armeni libanesi
oltre la Cortina di ferro. `Voglio ripercorrere quei fatti, sentire la
parte mancante del racconto.’

Rafi ordina altro arak. `Metti a fuoco questo principio: in Medio
Oriente contano i punti di vista, non i fatti.’ Burj Hammoud ora è
vuota, e le parole di Rafi schioccano come pietre. `La storia della
Pobeda, per esempio, ha smesso di esistere da tanto tempo. Al suo
posto rimangono i punti vista di chi aveva interesse che gli armeni
partissero e di chi, al contrario, voleva che restassero. E sopra
tutto questo, l’Unione sovietica.’ L’allusione di Rafi non lascia
dubbi. `Vuoi dire che anche la comunità armena libanese fu spaccata
dalla guerra fredda?’ Rafi è al terzo bicchiere di arak: `fu una
guerra fratricida, che uccise centinaia di persone proprio tra questi
vicoli. A nessuno piace ammetterlo, ma la scia di sangue arriva fino
ai giorni nostri.’

Mentre mi allontano tra i vicoli deserti di Burj Hammoud, il rosario
dei muri crivellati si sgrana sotto i miei occhi. Penso alle parole di
Rafi, all’ambiguità irrisolta delle guerre civili, al monito che
sembra arrivare dalle pallottole piantate nei muri: `Non è stato
l’occupante straniero ad aprire il fuoco, ma il vicino di casa, non
dimenticarlo mai.’ Una scritta fatta con vernice spray pilota le
riflessioni: `PKK’, il partito dei lavoratori curdi. Il movimento nato
in Turchia negli anni ’80 si batte per l’indipendenza del Kurdistan
turco, regione che coincide con l’antica Armenia occidentale. In nome
del rancore anti-turco, i figli della diaspora armena sostengono la
causa curda, pur rivolgendo agli stessi curdi l’accusa di complicità
con l’esercito ottomano durante il genocidio. Il labirinto di questi
vicoli è metafora della storia intrigata di chi li abita.

L’aereo decolla puntuale sul tappeto di cemento di Beirut sud, dove i
quartieri sciiti riempiono ogni spazio fino a lasciar posto al primo
verde sui contrafforti della Montagna. Dal pacco di appunti, e-mail e
carte geografiche che ho stampato in fretta prima di partire sbuca la
risposta che il professore dell’università armena di Beirut,
Adakessian, mi ha inviato poche ore fa:

Dear Paolo,

I wish you the wisdom you need to discern the fine line and make
things better understood. Find the contact of Dr. Demoyan, the
director of the Armenian Genocide Research Insitute in Yerevan. This
is the Middle East, and the Genocide issue is one of the central
ingredients of this intriguing complex.

Regards, A.

Saggezza, discernimento, intrighi complessi. Dove sto andando
esattamente? La notte passata a organizzare il viaggio mi ha lasciato
più dubbi che risposte. E mentre l’immenso blu del cielo e del mare
libanese lascia il posto a paesaggi plumbei, la testa improvvisamente
si svuota e il corpo si rifugia in un sonno profondo.

JEUX OLYMPIQUES DE LONDRES
Pourquoi Albert Azarian fut privé d’être le porte-drapeau de la
délégation olympique arménienne ?

Quelques moins avant les Jeux Olympiques de Londres le Comité national
olympique arménien et le Ministère arménien des Sports et de la
Jeunesse avait décidé que le triple champion olympique Albert Azarian
(83 ans) serait le porte-drapeau de la délégation arménienne lors de
ces 30e Jeux Olympiques. Albert Azarian avait été par ailleurs le
porte-drapeau de l’Arménie aux J.O. de Pékin en 2008. Mais vendredi
soir lors de la cérémonie d’ouverture, c’est le champion de taekwondo
Arman Yeremian qui portait le tricolore arménien. C’est le Comité
d’organisation des J.O. de Londres qui aurait fixé une limite d’ge
(75 ans) pour les porte-drapeau des délégations. Eliminant du coup
Albert Azarian.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 29 juillet 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

JEUX OLYMPIQUES DE LONDRES
L’Arménien Arsen Galstyan champion olympique de judo sous les couleurs
de la Russie

Un Arménien vient de gagner le titre de champion Olympique à Londres.
Il s’agit d’Arsen Galstyan (60 kg) représentant la Russie qui a battu
en finale le favori au titre, le Japonais Hiroaki Hiraoka. Arsen
Galstyan offre ainsi dès la première journée, la première médaille
d’or olympique à la Russie. C’est le premier titre olympique pour
l’Arménien. Le Premier ministre russe Dimitri Medvedev a salué cette
première médaille olympique de la Russie et félicité Arsen Galstyan.
`Je rêvais de cette médaille depuis l’ge de 9 ans. Je dédie cette
victoire à tous les sinistrés de ma région de Krasnodar` dit Arsen
Galstyan. A noter que dans cette catégorie des 60 kg la très belle
performance du représentant de l’Arménie, Hovhannès Davdian qualifié
pour les quarts de finale et qui a échoué de peu aux portes de la
médaille de bronze.

Krikor Amirzayan

L’Arménien Arsen Galstyan champion olympique pour la Russie
La joie du champion olympique Arsen Galstyan
L’or olympique pour Arsen Galstyan

Arsen Galstyan champion olympique de judo
Arsen Galstyan champion olympiquedimanche 29 juillet 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Hurriyet, Turkey
July 27 2012

Get Over Your Kurd Phobia Already!

Interview by Faruk Balikci with Co-Chairman of PYD Salih Muslim in Al-Qamishlo

Co-Chairman of the PYD [Democratic Union Party], which is known to be
close to the PKK [Kurdistan People’s Congress, KGK] Salih Muslim said,
“The Turkish rulers have a Kurd phobia. I beg of you, let them
overcome this phobia.” A graduate from Istanbul Technical University
Department of Chemical Engineering, Muslim explains how he lived in
Istanbul for seven years: “I have Turkish friends; we have a fraternal
bond. Understand us. We do not want bloodshed. We are defending
ourselves in our region.”

PYD Co-Chairman Salih Muslim stated that Turkey had to get over its
Kurd phobia and said, “Understand us correctly.” Muslim stressed that
they were protecting themselves from the war on their borders and that
they wanted to avoid bloodshed. Co-Chairman of the PYD, which is known
to be close to the PKK, Salih Muslim explained that he completed the
Istanbul Technical University Department of Chemical Engineering as a
middling student and that he lived seven years in Istanbul.

We Are Protecting Ourselves

I was not into politics as a student. I only felt sympathy. I used to
look on from afar. I never felt like a stranger. I have Turkish
friends and good relations. I never felt any enmity. The Turkish
rulers have a Kurd phobia. I beg of you, let them get over it. We have
historical, social and fraternal bonds. What we are doing here is not
against anyone. We are acting simply to protect our society from the
war that is pressing on our borders. Tanks have entered Kobani. They
were going to pass through our area and hit the Arabs. The people did
not allow it. They resisted. We are only protecting ourselves in our
region. The people rose up themselves to protect their region. This is
their natural right.

Baath In Barracks, Kurds On Patrol

We Want To Avoid Bloodshed

We do not want confrontation or bloodshed. We do not have the
authority to make decisions by ourselves. We have been organizing the
people for two years and we are now getting results. We want to avoid
bloodshed. Nobody should be disturbed by this, least of all Turkey. We
are a fraternal people. If the Turkish authorities want to discuss
this I will speak with them. We are shouting out what it is we want: a
democratic regime in Syria and recognition of the Kurdish identity. We
want a structure in which the Arabs, the Assyrians and the Armenians
will also be free. Among the Kurds there are those who want autonomy,
an autonomous federation. But that is not our priority. We do not want
Al-Asad’s forces or anyone else’s forces here. There should have been
a democratic revolution in Syria, but that never happened.

How Did It Come To This?

Where Are The Kurds Currently In Control?

We Have No Bond With The PKK

We have no organic bond with the PKK. Not one armed force has crossed
the border. The PKK has a lot of sympathizers among the people in the
border region. However, we make our own decisions. The Kurd Supreme
Council makes the decisions. If there is foreign intervention in Syria
Al-Asad’s Stinger missiles are pointed at Israel. In this situation
Israel would use chemical weapons. However, Al-Asad is going to resist
for a long time in order not to go.

Checks Along Al-Qamishlo Highway

Militants of the People’s Defence Units (YPG) are conducting vehicle
and ID checks at a check point on the Derik-Al-Qamishlo highway. The
militants who are carrying out these checks are unarmed and are
organized into defence committees formed in every neighbourhood inside
the Kurd region. There are defence committees formed by the residents
in almost every neighbourhood in the Kurd region.

[Translated from Turkish]