Author: Babajanian Karo

LESS TOURISTS VISITED ARMENIA THIS YEAR

news.am
May 02, 2012 | 12:14

YEREVAN.- The number of tourists visiting Armenia in Jan.-March 2012
dropped by 9% as compared with the same period last year.

National Statistical Service reported that 104,400 tourists visited
Armenia in Jan.-March 2012.

Overall 120 thousand Armenian tourists left the country in the same
period this year, the number has increased by 1.9%.

The decline in number of tourists is most likely conditioned by cold
and long winter. The drastic devaluation of Iranian currency – rial –
resulted in decline in number of Iranian tourists who traditionally
visit Armenia during Novrus (Iranian New Year) festivities.

PARK, SARGSYAN AND PARTNERS
Yeghishe Metsarents

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:00:33 – 02/05/2012

It is difficult to say whether the performance in Mashtots Park staged
by Serzh Sargsyan will boost the votes for the Republican Party in
the parliamentary elections.

But it is clear that the statement by civil initiatives fighting for
saving Mashtots Park in which they clearly underline the constitutional
side of the issue and stress the necessity of a legal solution has
put everything to its place and has prevented an attempt to work out
an artistic solution to the issue.

In addition, it is notable that the first hours of the government’s
attempts were quite influential and the social networks were
immediately full of statements accusing the civil initiatives of
a deal with the government. It was Serzh Sargsyan’s second aim. In
other words, the first was to win over votes through the statement
on the necessity to dismantle the boutiques and the second was to
present Mashtots Park events as a “government project”.

It proves that the government understood the real situation in Mashots
Park and realized that it is not a fight against a few boutiques but
a fight for a new quality and logic of the system which is outside
the traditional political system and defied the logic of the game.

Serzh Sargsyan’s visit intended to show that the park is “his” and it
is not out of the traditional political system and rules of the game.

Serzh Sargsyan’s attempt was successful for those who sincerely
thought that the fight is part of the traditional policy and game.

Just from the beginning these people found Mashtots Park a competitor
and Serzh Sargsyan used this opinion successfully.

In this sense, these people with their expression of anti-park hysteria
in answer to his step became Serzh Sargsyan’s partners.

But the answer to the activists stopped this game and showed the
highlights – Constitution and Law.

Serzh Sargsyan’s traditional “partners”, intended or unintended ones,
remained “on the other side of the park”.

CITY HALL IS RESPONSIBLE

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:55:17 – 02/05/2012

Mashtots Park: Municipality Must Obey Yerevan Public

The civic initiatives This City Belongs to Us, Our City, Save Teghut,
Save Trchkan Waterfall and the self-determined citizens of Mashtots
Park state that the mayor of Yerevan is responsible for the illegally
set up boutiques in Mashtots Park and the municipality must obey the
public of Yerevan.

The statement criticizes the inaction of the city hall and the mayor
of Yerevan for 80 days and failure to stop illegal construction and
return the public park to the citizens of Armenia.

The mayor of Yerevan must obey the will of the citizens of Yerevan
rather than the esthetic preferences and opinions of one person,
independent from who this person is, what his position is. Such issues
are addressed in accordance with the RA Constitution and this is a
public domain.

The police actions must be evaluated in terms of the RA Constitution,
protection of public interests, human rights and freedoms. The police
must be condemned for any expression of violence and disproportional
action rather than thanked and their actions hailed as achievements.

Hence, the activists demand that the City Hall repeal the decisions on
illegal construction in Mashtots Park and dismantle all the illegal
buildings and improve the area considering the opinion of the public
and real participation in decision making.

They demand the relevant bodies of the Republic of Armenia to hold
responsible everyone who is responsible for the illegal decisions,
compensate for the material damage to the community, the officials
who violated the legal interests of the citizens of Armenia, and the
policemen who used violence against the citizens.

LE GOUVERNEMENT SOUHAITE DAVANTAGE DE MISE EN LIBERTE CONDITIONNELLE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 2 mai 2012

Les autorites armeniennes ont promis de montrer davantage de
transparence et d’objectivite dans la consideration des demandes de
liberte conditionnelle d’individus emprisonnes pour divers crimes.

Le cabinet du Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian a approuve un projet
de decret presidentiel cense servir ce but.

Selon la loi armenienne, les prisonniers qui ont servi au moins un
tiers de leurs peines de prison peuvent demander a des commissions
speciales d’Etat nommees par le president de la republique de les
liberer en liberte conditionnelle. Les fonctionnaires de police
dominent les commissions.

Les militants des droits de l’homme et des avocats independants se
sont plaints ces recentes annees du manque de transparence dans les
activites des commissions, disant que cela est un nichoir pour la
corruption. Ils disent aussi que ces organismes ne reussissent pas
souvent a justifier leurs decisions.

Le ministre de la Justice Hrayr Tovmasian a dit que les autorites ont
l’intention de s’occuper de ces problèmes alors qu’il presentait le
projet du President Serge Sarkissian de decret aux membres du cabinet.

” Ces changements sont la suite de reformes legales et juridiques
ayant eu lieu dans notre pays ” a-t-il dit.

” Ils nous permettront d’assurer la transparence des activites des
commissions et leur independance interne ” a ajoute Tovmasian.

QUI SONT LES ENNEMIS DE LA MEMOIRE ? AVEC A.TORANIAN, G.BENSOUSSAN, D.GAKUNZI
Ara

armenews.com
mercredi 2 mai 2012

La Règle du Jeu organise le dimanche 6 mai a 11h au cinema
Saint Germain (22, rue Guillaume-Apollinaire, Paris 6ème Metro
: Saint-Germain-des-Pres) un debat sur sur le thème : qui sont
les ennemis de la memoire ? Pour caracteriser les negationnistes,
l’historien Pierre Vidal-Naquet a forge l’expression d'” assassins de
la memoire “. Car si la memoire est une conquete, toujours fragile
et reversible, l’oubli, a l’inverse, decoule de la pente du moindre
effort, qu’il concerne la Solution finale ou toutes les autres
entreprises d’extermination.

L’expression d’ ” assassins de la memoire ” possède un autre merite
: celui de souligner qu’au principe de l’oubli, on ne trouve pas
seulement la negligence ou la distraction, ni la seule evaporation
naturelle des souvenirs, mais la volonte active et deliberee d’effacer
les traces de l’horreur : c’est, au sens propre, un ” archi-mal ” ,
comme l’a qualifie Bernard-Henri Levy, qui consiste a redoubler la
destruction ou la tentative de destruction d’un peuple par le deni
de celle-ci.

La suite sur le lien plus bas.

DIALOGUE WITH ARMENIA OVER KARABAKH

ANS TV
April 20 2012
Azerbaijan

[translated from Azeri]

A weekly talk show programme “Aciq sohbet” (Open Talk) on private
Azerbaijani ANS TV channel discussed Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
between Azerbaijan and Armenia in its 20 April edition.

Prominent talk show host Sevinc Osmanqizi questioned whether engaging
in dialogue with Armenians and attending international events held
in that country serves Azerbaijan’s interests.

The guest of the programme, chairman of the Azerbaijani Karabakh
Liberation Organization Akif Nagi said it was to the detriment of
Azerbaijan to negotiate with Armenians since Armenia is seeking “to
cover the crimes they have committed” and create an image that there
is no problem between the two countries. He said Armenia’s goal was
to make “Azerbaijani society to gradually forget about the occupation
of its territories”. Akif Nagi also slammed Azerbaijan’s participation
at international events held in Armenia.

Another quest of the talk show, chairman of National Revival Movement
Party (Milli Dircalis Harakati Partiyasi) MP Farac Quliyev said
Azerbaijan should not cooperate with Armenia in any way but needs to
attend the international organizations held in that country in order to
raise the issue of Nagornyy Karabakh and seek the adoption of documents
backing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. In response to the comment,
Akif Nagi disagreed, saying that the adoption of documents on Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict was useless, since the four UN resolutions on the
withdrawal of the Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories has
not been implemented.

The guests also spoke about Russia’s “pro-Armenian” stance on Karabakh
conflict. MP Faracov slammed Russia for backing Armenia and said “no
one will be able to force Azerbaijan to make concession to Armenia”.

AZERBAIJANI STATE COMMISSION CLARIFIES TRANSFER OF ARMENIAN POWS TO THIRD COUNTRY

Trend
May 1 2012
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing
Persons made a clarification on the transfer of three Armenian POWs
to a third country.

In their statement to the press, the commission said that three
Armenian POWs kept in Azerbaijan said they did not want to return
home and would prefer to be sent to a third country, head of the
State Commission’s working group Firudin Sadigov told Trend on Tuesday.

“Since they are not considered our contingent, the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees will deal with this issue,” Sadigov said.

Spokesman of Azerbaijani Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees Elsever Agayev, in turn, told Trend that although the issue
of transfer of POWs to a third country is under the jurisdiction of
the Commissioner, its staff does not have the authority to disclose
any information about individuals which is regarded as confidential.

It should be noted that Armenian media outlets reported the transfer
of three POWs by Azerbaijan to a third country. At present, five
civilians who are members of an Armenian family are being kept in
Azerbaijan. There is one Azerbaijani POW in Armenia.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

MORE RETIRED GENERALS ARRESTED IN FEB. 28 INVESTIGATION

Today’s Zaman
April 29 2012
Turkey

Nine retired and active duty military officers, including the chief
of the military’s counter-intelligence unit, were arrested on Thursday.

Thirteen had been detained on Wednesday in the third wave of detentions
that came as part of the investigation into the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed
military intervention, which resulted in the resignation of the
coalition government in June of the same year.

Most of the military officers detained on Wednesday were taken on
Thursday to the Ankara Courthouse, where they testified to prosecutors.

Seven of the detainees are retired officers, while six are currently
on active duty. They are all accused of involvement in the Western
Study Group (BCG), the military clique that staged the Feb. 28 coup.

The arrested include former gendarmerie commander Gen. Fevzi Turkeri
and retired Gen. Yıldırım Turker.

The Ankara 12th High Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants for
the 13 suspects. The operations were carried out by the anti-terrorism
units of the police departments in Ankara, Ä°zmir, Ä°stanbul and Kars.

Among those arrested are five colonels and a senior sergeant.

Specially Authorized Prosecutors Mustafa Bilgili and Kemal Cetin are
conducting the investigation.

During the Feb. 28 coup era, Turker was the head of the General
Staff’s counter-intelligence and security department. He is remembered
for his frequent briefings of the media on what he perceived as the
growing threat of Islamic reactionaryism. Turker served at the time
as head of the personnel department of the General Staff. Currently,
he is head of the military-affiliated private corporation the Turkish
Armed Forces Assistance Center (OYAK).

Police in Ankara also searched the homes of Turkeri and Turker. A
number of CDs, documents and other items were seized.

With these latest suspects, the total number of retired and active duty
officers who have been detained in connection with the investigation
so far has reached 55.

——————————————————————————–

April 21, Saturday

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected charges he sought to
inflame sectarian divisions in Iraq with recent criticism of its
government and accused his Iraqi counterpart of trying to gain
“prestige” in an escalating war of words between the neighbors.

Erdogan added fuel to an escalating war of words between Turkey and
Iraq by slamming his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri al-Maliki, over his
remarks in which he said Turkey is becoming a hostile state in the
region due to its policies, noting that Turkey still has brotherly
relations with all sects and ethnicities in Iraq despite Maliki’s
enmity toward Turkey. “Maliki’s attitude cannot damage our relations
with our Iraqi brothers,” Erdogan said.

Retired Maj. Gen. Erol Ozkasnak, who was arrested as part of a
probe into the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup, testified that the
psychological campaign to discredit the government and the Hizmet
(Gulen) movement during the coup was conducted by the military.

April 22, Sunday

Speaking at a meeting in Erzurum, where the new constitution was
discussed, Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek expressed the country’s
hope that a new constitution will be written by the end of 2012.

The number of young people with disabilities who receive an education
has increased by 144 percent over the last three years thanks to
the positive results of a campaign called Education Enables that was
launched with the support of first lady Hayrunnisa Gul in 2009.

A new document, which was revealed in a search conducted by prosecutors
at the provincial Gendarmerie Command in the northwestern province
of Duzce last week, indicates that in 2011, the military continued
to categorize bureaucrats and civil servants in the province by their
political and ideological beliefs, meaning that ongoing military coup
probes have not changed the coup-era practices of the military.

April 23, Monday

The chief of General Staff has said the military is not hiding
documents or relevant information from a parliamentary commission
tasked with investigating a deadly airstrike on the Turkish-Iraqi
border on smugglers suspected of being members of the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK). Gen. Necdet Ozel told reporters during a
reception hosted by Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek marking National
Sovereignty and Children’s Day that they have submitted all evidence
to Parliament’s Human Rights Commission.

Nineteen years after the death of former President Turgut Ozal, known
for his reformist policies that paved the way for a more democratic
and liberal Turkey, his close friends and aides shed light on Ozal’s
approach to the Armenian issue. When he became prime minister in
1983, the Armenian issue was one of the topics on his agenda. Behind
closed doors, Ozal defended the idea of holding negotiations with
Armenians to settle a dispute that has had great potential to deal a
serious blow to Turkish interests in international politics. However,
he faced tough challenges as the terrorist Armenian Secret Army for
the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) intensified its brazen attacks on
Turkish diplomats abroad in the early 1980s.

Retired Gen. Cevik Bir, currently in jail as part of a probe into the
Feb. 28, 1997 military coup, planned to stage another coup in 1998,
a former captain revealed. Ozcan Tozlu, who spoke to Today’s Zaman,
said Bir was planning to stage another coup and establish a regime
similar to the one established by Gen. Kenan Evren, who is currently
facing trial as the chief perpetrator of the 1980 coup d’état that
led to thousands of disappearances in custody, executions, deportations
and immense pain for many ordinary people.

April 24, Tuesday

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) released a statement
in response to various allegations circulating in the media
that Fethullah Gulen, a well-respected Turkish Islamic scholar,
supported the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed intervention, dismissing such
claims as a major distortion of the truth. The statement, posted
on the foundation’s website, offers an explanation regarding the
recent speculation in the press about the stance and statements of
Gulen during the Feb. 28 period. The statement noted that neither
Gulen nor the Hizmet movement he has inspired claimed to be perfect
in everything they do. It noted that the Gulen community is open to
constructive criticism and has no objection to questions regarding
the movement’s stance in the face of military interventions. However,
such questions should be well-meaning and posed with good intentions.

Amnesty International has said in a new report that highlights
rising discrimination faced by Muslims in European countries that
Turkey violates the freedom of religion and freedom of expression
by maintaining a ban on the headscarf and other religious symbols in
higher education.

Prime Minister Erdogan said that military coups cannot be justified by
blaming them on the mistakes of politicians and people should instead
criticize the military’s intervention in politics. “No matter what
mistakes politicians make, their mistakes do not provide grounds
for a coup. Talking about the [sins] of politicians, not the coup
perpetrators, is a reflection of a pro-coup mentality,” the prime
minister said, speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting.

April 25, Wednesday

Iranian investors, who established a record number of companies in
Turkey last year, have shifted their focus to the finance and banking
sector as Western sanctions implemented because of its controversial
nuclear program have eaten away at its economic maneuverability.

According to information Today’s Zaman obtained from Ankara financial
circles, Iran’s three biggest banks have started to work to become
the newest actors in the Turkish banking sector.

Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders participated in
commemorative ceremonies early Wednesday morning at a dawn service at
Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) Peninsula. The grandchildren
of those who fell at Arıburnu in Canakkale 97 years ago gathered at
Gallipoli for the event. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was
in attendance.

The Ä°stanbul 15th High Criminal Court accepted an indictment of
10 suspects, all of whom are employed by the OYAK Security Company,
which was in charge of security at the Council of State building in
the capital where a gunman killed one judge and wounded four others
in 2006, following prosecutors’ allegations that footage that might
give clues on the shooting had gone missing.

Former national police chief and politician Mehmet Agar, who was
sentenced to five years in prison, was taken to K1-type Yenipazar
Prison in Aydın province. The former police chief was sentenced on
charges of establishing a criminal organization, in a trial concerning
a car accident in 1996 that exposed links between the Turkish state,
the criminal underworld and Turkish security forces, often referred
to as the Susurluk scandal.

April 26, Thursday

Ummet Kandogan, a former deputy from the True Path Party (DYP)
who participated in a failed presidential vote in Parliament in
2007 in spite of a party decision against participating, said that
then-deputies received threats saying they should not attend the
presidential voting if they did not want to undergo the pain of losing
their children.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at claims by
pro-Syrian regime media outlets that Turkey, along with Saudi Arabia
and Qatar, has become the enemy of the Syrian people, saying Turkey
is against the Syrian president’s actions, not the people.

Europe has become home to a logistical support base for the PKK,
according to a new report released by the European Police Office
(Europol). The 2011 report, released by the EU’s criminal intelligence
agency, states that the acts of the terrorist PKK, violent extremism
and solo attacks represent a significant threat to European citizens.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu defended the government’s foreign
policy on Syria as he briefed lawmakers on the latest developments in
the neighboring country and Turkey’s position regarding its uprising,
saying Turkey is determined to lead a “wave of change” in the Middle
East. “A new Middle East is emerging and we will continue to lead
this. Turkey will pioneer this order of peace,” Davutoglu said.

A secret witness codenamed Hisar claimed that Mustafa Duyar, one of
the gunmen involved in the Ozdemir Sabancı assassination, committed
the assassination on orders from retired Brig. Gen. Veli Kucuk,
one of the suspects in the trial against Ergenekon, a clandestine
criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

Turkey began exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), escalating a dispute over who
is entitled to the Mediterranean island’s potential fuel riches. The
move counters an offshore gas search by rival Greek Cypriots in the
island’s internationally recognized nation in the south that has
touched off vociferous protests from Ankara and Turkish Cypriots,
according to an AP report.

April 27, Friday

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arınc said on Friday that a
counter-statement by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
following a military memorandum on April 27, 2007, rendered the
government stronger for it did not bow its head before military
pressure. Arınc said the government acted courageously following
the April 27 memorandum, which was released during the presidential
election process in 2007 because the AK Party nominated then-Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul for president, and the military has doubts
about his secular credentials.

A headscarved student who became a deputy of the Turkish Student
Council became the first veiled woman to take an oath in Parliament.

Parliament has adopted a bill allowing prisoners and those under arrest
to visit close relatives who are seriously ill. As per the amendment
to the Law on the Enforcement of Punitive and Security Measures, which
was adopted by Parliament on Thursday night, prisoners will be able
to get a day of leave, plus enough time for travel, to visit close
relatives, including mothers- and fathers-in-law, who are seriously
ill on the condition that the illness has been formally documented.

The Military High Administrative Court (AYÄ°M), which had earlier
annulled a 2010 Supreme Military Council (YAÅ~^) decision to not
promote three generals over their suspected involvement in a coup plan,
has ordered the Prime Ministry to pay the three suspects compensation
for failing to implement the court’s decision and promote them.

EX-DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE: THREATS IS THE MAIN WEAPON OF ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES AGAINST “DISOBEDIENT” VOTERS

arminfo
Wednesday, May 2, 18:34

The present electoral campaign in Armenia is similar to the campaign
in the countries of Latin America in 1950-80s, ex-deputy director of
Armenian National Security Service, a member of the opposition Armenian
National Congress, Gurgen Egiazaryan, said at today’s press-conference.

He said that in the second half of the 20-th century voters in many
countries of Latin America were forcefully taken to the electoral
meetings of the authorities. “The situation is similar in Armenia
today. The only difference is that here the authorities use another
type of weapon instead of a machine gun, they threat to dismiss
“disobedient” citizens which do not want to go to the meetings with
Serzh Sargsyan”, – Egiazaryan said.

He emphasized that doctors, teachers, workers of kindergartens and
other state organizations are forcefully taken to the meetings with
Serzh Sargsyan and nobody can confront these illegal instructions from
“above”. “Besides these and other fraud, the authorities also create
a false site of freedom of speech and pluralism in the country. But
giving TV air to the Armenian National Congress, at the same time
they order their TV channels to cut those parts of oppositionists’
speeches which contain sharp criticism of the activity of the ruling
regime”, – Egiazaryan said.

Taking into consideration such reality, Egiazaryan thinks that the
forthcoming parliamentary election will become more shameful and
undemocratic than all the previous ones.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: FRONTPAGE COVERAGE IN THE FOREIGN MEDIA EXHIBITION OPENED IN BEIRUT

Panorama.am
02/05/2012

On April 28, a temporary exhibition “The Armenian Genocide: Frontpage
Coverage in the Foreign Media” was opened in the hall of the Capuchins’
church in Beirut.

The opening of the exhibition has been organized with the joint
efforts of the Central Body of Lebanon of the commemoration of the
100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute, and with the support of Beirut Municipality.

“Armash” choir of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia,
headed by Archimandrite Torgom Tonoyan, and “Krunk” choir (choirmaster:
Doctor Edward Torikian) participated in the opening of the exhibition.

The spiritual and secular leaders of the Lebanese Armenian community,
the representatives of its various community bodies and other invitees
were present at the opening of the temporary exhibition “Armenian
Genocide: Frontpage Coverage in the Foreign Media.”

The exhibition includes about 70 Russian, American, Italian, French
and British periodicals of 1860 to 1922, the front pages of which
have reference to the Armenian massacres and its consequences.

Aharon Shkhrtmyan had a speech in Armenian and Arabic on behalf of the
Lebanese Central Body of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide.

Primate of the Armenian diocese of Lebanon, Archbishop Gegham
Khacheryan, noted in his closing speech that 97 years after the
Armenian Genocide, the Armenian nation resolutely moves ahead to
achieve his just rights. “The just right of the Armenian people must
remain ever living in our people’s memory, which the survivors passed
on to their sons. As for collective memory, it should be handed down
from generation to generation,” the Primate stressed, adding that
it is our duty to keep that memory, as it is a holy bequest for us
which we are to transfer to the next generations.

During the Sunday liturgy, the visitors had an opportunity to get
acquainted with these valuable archive documents proving the fact of
the Armenian Genocide.

During 2012 the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute will hold temporary
exhibitions on other subjects relating to the Armenian Genocide in
Denmark, Sweden and the USA.