Author: Babajanian Karo

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV WAS COMPARED TO A MAFIA CRIME BOSS

ARMENPRESS

MARCH 19, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS: A 2009 U.S. embassy political dispatch
compared Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to a mafia crime boss. An
apt comparison given that Aliyev and the Azeri political elite
have been living under the protection of the Capo Crimini – Israel,
reports Armenpress citing Global Research. Capo Crimini’s protection
is noteworthy. Aliyev, a corrupt dictator who came to power through
election fraud in 2003, managed to make his rounds in Washington in
2006, including a private meeting with President Bush, thanks to the
full weight of the Israeli lobby in Washington . The promotion of
the Azeri cause in Washington by the Israeli lobby (which included
lobbying against Armenians), reinforced the notion that “the way
to Washington leads through Jerusalem “1 while benefitting various
players – to the detriment of some others. Although much of Israel
‘s oil comes from Azerbaijan , Israel was more interested in the
control of the oil.Asim Mollazadeh, first Chairperson of the Party
for Democratic Reforms prominent Azeri opposition candidate, states
that Azerbaijan receives only 10 percent of oil loyalties. He argues
that with 42 percent of the country living below poverty lines, the
oil income does not trickle down.3 A heavy price to pay for Washington
to feign welcome to the Azeri dictator.

POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PASSPORT AND VISA AND TERRITORIAL ELECTION COMMISSION NO.10 CREATING OBSTACLES IN KHACHATUR SUKIASYAN’S WAY TO PARLIAMENT

arminfo
Monday, March 19, 11:59

The Territorial Election Commission No.10 may not register Khachatur
Sukisyan, member of the Armenian National Congress, owner of SIL
GROUP Concern, as a candidate for parliament.

Khachatur Sukiasyan, the owner of SIL GROUP, well-known oppositionist,
has officially announced his intention to run for the parliament of
the 5th convocation. He will run in the single-mandate constituency
No.10, Kentron District, Yerevan.

Armenian National Congress (ANC) told ArmInfo the Territorial Election
Commission No.10 received a letter from the Police Department for
Passports and Visas saying that Khachatur Sukiasyan did not live
permanently in Armenia for the last 5 years. In fact, he cannot run
for the parliament. Nevertheless, Sukiasyan has a relevant reference
from the place of residence saying that he has permanent residence
of Armenia for the last 5 years. It is noteworthy that the reference
was given by the Head of the Passport Department of the Erebuni
Administrative Community. However, the Police Department for Passports
and Visas say the reference in null and void since Sukisyan was not in
Armenia for a period of 10 months and 20 days over the last five years.

Sukiasyan applied to the Central Electoral Commission and the
Territorial Election Commission No.10 saying that his documents are
perfect. He also declared that the law does not stipulate partial
revocation of a reference by the state body. As a result, the
Territorial Election Commission is to recognize the first reference
as due evidence. The issue of Sukiasyan’s registration will be
finally settled till April 1 when the commissions start registering
the candidates.

Sukiasyan was trice elected to the parliament of Armenia: in 1999,
2003 and 2007. Non-party man and the authorized person of the first
president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who is the leader of the
opposition Armenian National Congress, Sukiasyan headed Ter-Petrosyan’s
electoral headquarters during the presidential election in Feb 2008.

After the elections, Sukiasyan was deprived of his deputy inviolability
and put on the wanted-list for open support to Ter-Petrosyan and
participation in the mass days-long demonstrations against the voting
result. On March 1-2 ten people were killed in the clashes with the
police. In the summer of 2009 Sukiasyan surrendered himself to the
police and then was set free. He left Armenia and the criminal case
against him was canceled in Feb 2011.

In addition, after tax inspections at his plant of mineral water
“Bjni”, Sukiasyan was deprived of the plant and was reluctant to sell
also other assets.

The parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 6 2012. The National
Assembly of Armenia comprises 131 parliamentarians: 41 single-mandate
seats and 90 proportional seats.

To note, the Republican Party of Armenia is expected to nominate the
former mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan in the same single-mandate
constituency with Sukiasyan.

AMERICANS TO BE TOLD ABOUT ARMENIAN “CONFISCATED” PROPERTIES BY TURKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 20, 2012 – 14:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Analysis Research & Planning for Armenia (ARPA) NGO
will deliver a lecture in Glendale, CA, on reimbursement of Armenian
movable and immovable property during the Armenian Genocide.

The properties of brutally murdered or exiled Armenians are termed in
Turkish documents as “abandoned.” Those present at the lecture will be
briefed on directives and decisions of the three Turkish governments
from 1914-1930. The documents disclose Turkish policy of plunder and
illegal confiscation of the Armenian property. Researchers translated
the documents from Turkish into English to enable wide range of people
to familiarize themselves with it.

On December 14, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a landmark
religious freedom measure, H.Res.306, calling upon Turkey to return
the Christian church properties it stole through genocide, and to
end its repression of the surviving members of the vast Christian
civilizations that once represented a majority in the territory of
the present-day Republic of Turkey.

On August 28, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree
on the return of Christian and Jewish religious property confiscated
after the 1930s. The properties involved include hospitals, orphanage
and school buildings, burial grounds.

The Turkish government also intends to pay compensation for the
property sold away. The property subject to return includes the former
hospital, orphanage, school buildings, cemeteries, shops, ground area,
as well as all assets of the Fund “Surb Harutiun” (Holly Resurrection).

THREE ARMENIANS KILLED IN BUS ACCIDENT IN IRAN

news.am
March 20, 2012 | 14:19

YEREVAN. – There Armenians were killed in a bus accident in Iran.

All of them were Armenians having Iranian citizenship, spokesperson
for Armenian MFA Tigran Balayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am quoting
Armenian Embassy in Iran.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the bus heading from Iran
to Armenia crashed in northern Iran. Over ten people were injured.

Majority of the passengers were Iranians and ten Armenians. The
accident was caused by the wheel blast.

LE LEADER D’ARMENIE PROSPERE TENTE PAR L’OPPOSITION
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 20 mars 2012

Le leader du Parti Armenie prospère(BHK), l’homme d’affaires
Gagik Tsarukian, a ouvertement critique la politique economique du
gouvernement de coalition auquel son parti est pourtant associe,
alimentant ainsi a nouveau les speculations sur une possible
collaboration avec l’opposition. M. Tsarukian, qui s’exprimait devant
les delegues de son parti ce week end lors du congrès donnant le
coup d’envoi de sa champagne pour les elections legislatives du 6
mai, a souffle le chaud et le froid depuis quelques mois sur les
relations entre son parti et les deux autres partis de la coalition
gouvernementale, en particulier le Parti republicain (HHK) du president
Serge Sarkissian.

Des declarations mais aussi des non-dits ont pu laisser penser qu’il
remettait en cause l’accord electoral qu’il avait renouvele debut
2011 avec le HHK et Orinats Yerkir (Etat de droit), le troisème parti
de la coalition au pouvoir, accroissant les tensions entre les deux
formations, jusqu’a ce le BHK recemmentse livre a un exercice public
d’allegeance au pouvoir.

Les nouvelles declarations de M. Tsaroukian au congrès preelectoral
du BHK devraient raviver les tensions avec le parti du president
Sarkissian. Le leader du BHK a en effet appele a un ” changement
drastique” de la situation socioeconomique de l’Armenie en indiquant
que cela n’etait pas possible avec ” les vieilles methodes”.

Devant des milliers de delegues et un parterre de responsables
politiques representant d’autres formations, dont le president de la
Republique Serge Sarkissian, en qualite de dirigeant du HHK a la tete
duquel il vient d’etre reconduit, M Tsarukian a declare : ” Aujourd
‘hui, nous devons nous poser la question : comment se fait-il que
nos compatriotes travaillant en dehors de l’Armenie reussissent,
obtiennent des emplois et en creent dabs des pays etrangers, mais
ne puissent pas faire de meme dans leur propre pays ? La reponse est
evidente : l’absence d’un environnement propice ” est la cause de cet
echec, a martele le leader du BHK, en appelant a regler le problème
a la racine, en s’attaquant a la pauvrete.

M. Tsarukian s’en est pris tout particulièrement a la facon dont
le gouvernement de M. Sarkissian a repondu a la recession mondiale
de 2008-2009, en deplorant qu’il n’ait pas applique une politique
favorable aux petites et moyennes entreprises.

“Le fait est que les petites et moyennes entreprises ont ete negligees
dans notre pays. Un certain nombre d’entre elles ont dû cesser leurs
activites, et quitter le pays”, a declare le responsable politique
millionnaire avant de regagner son siège, voisin de celui de M.

Sarkissian, dans la plus grande salle de conference de Erevan qui
accueillait le congrès du BHK.

L’ex-ministre des affaires etrangères Vartan Oskanian, qui a rallie
le BHK en fevrier, a ete plus critique encore concernant le bilan
socioeconomique du gouvernement sortant dans le discours qu’il a
prononce juste après, lors de ce show politique qui se voulait a
l’americaine, et qui etait en tout cas la plus vaste reunion d’un
parti politique que la scène politique armenienne ait connue depuis
l’independance, hors manifestation de rue bien sûr.

M. Oskanian a accuse les autorites d’encourager, par leur
poltiique, l’emigration continue des Armeniens fuyant les difficultes
economiques. ” Ils quittent le pays parce qu’ils ont erdu tout espoir
dans son avenir… en raison des injustices… parce qu’ils n’ont
plus confiance “, a notamment declare M. Oskanian. “Contrairement
aux objectifs affiches par l’actuel gouvernment, Armenie Prospère est
le parti de la croissance economique, de la creation d’emplois et de
l’elevation du niveau de vie de chaque citoyen” a ajoute M. Oskanian.

RENOWNED VIOLINIST ANTON SOROKOW TO PERFORM CONCERT AT ARAM KHACHATURIAN CONCERT HALL

Panorama.am
19/03/2012

At the invitation of Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra, famous
Austrian violinist Anton Sorokow will perform a concert at Aram
Khachaturian Concert Hall on March 23.

The concert will feature Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the
Philharmonic Orchestra.

The second part of the concert will feature Mozart’s Symphony No. 36.

The concert will be conducted by Eduard Topchyan.

APA, Azerbaijan
March 17 2012

Turkish PM cancels German trip, protests go ahead

[ 17 Mar 2012 23:18 ]

Baku-APA. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan cancelled a trip to
Germany on Saturday after the death of 12 Turkish soldiers in
Afghanistan, but thousands of protesters went ahead with a rally
against a decision to award him a tolerance prize quoting Reuters.

Erdogan had been due to receive the Steiger Award in the western
German town of Bochum but his office said he had called off his trip
because of the soldiers’ deaths in a NATO helicopter crash near Kabul
on Friday.

Despite the cancellation, an estimated 22,000 people from local Alevi,
Kurdish and Armenian groups who oppose the policies of Erdogan’s AK
party joined a pre-planned protest rally in Bochum in the industrial
Ruhr region.

“Erdogan – wolf in sheep’s clothing,” read one banner. “Erdogan, you
are and remain an anti-democrat,” read another.
“We are foreigners here (in Germany) and in our own land too we are
foreigners. We don’t know where to go, we Kurds and
Alevis,” said one protester, Serpil Aydogan.

The Steiger Award association said the award was intended to mark 50
years of German-Turkish friendship.

Hurriyet, Turkey
March 17 2012

Diyarbakır’s Sur Municipality Offers Courses for Armenian

Saturday, 17 March 2012

The Sur District Municipality in the southeastern province of
Diyarbakır has launched Armenian language courses for both its
employees and other enthusiasts, building upon its earlier initiative
to provide Kurdish courses.

`We want the same for those outside of us as what we want for
ourselves. That is a must for democracy. If I want Kurds to have the
right to education in their mother tounge, then I also want this for
Armenians, Syriacs and other peoples, too,’ said Sur District Mayor
Abdullah DemirbaÅ?. Some 40 people, including children and the elderly,
are currently attending the Armenian language courses that are offered
four days a week by Fikri Ã?alıÅ?, a volunteer teacher dispatched by the
Armenian community in Istanbul.

`We provided Kurdish courses before. Now we [are offering] Armenian
courses, and we are thinking about giving Syriac courses later on,’
Mayor DemirbaÅ? said.
The courses were jointly organized by the Diyarbakır Armenian
Community Foundation and the Kurdish Language Research and Advancement
Association (Kürdi ` Der).

It would strengthen Turkey’s unity to receive education in different
languages, Mayor Demirbaþ said, adding that they would continue
providing multi`lingual municipal services.

The students are currently attending the courses at a room in a
building owned by Kürdi – Der, according to reports.

Saturday, 17 March 2012

HDN

Kitchener Post, Ont., Canada
March 16, 2012 Friday
ONT Edition

World-renowned pianist to perform with KW Symphony

Canadian conductor Julian Kuerti comes to Kitchener next week to
conduct Emperor, Beethoven’s most famous piano concerto.

He has led numerous orchestras across North America including the
Boston, Houston, Montreal, Toronto, Colorado and Utah symphonies, Los
Angeles Philharmonic, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and a thrilling
last-minute substitution with the Cincinnati Symphony.

Armenian-born pianist Nareh Arghamanyan, winner of the 2008 Montreal
International Music Competition, belongs to a promising generation of
today’s pianists. Arghamanyan is no stranger to the concert halls of
North America and Europe. She has also earned several prestigious
awards, including first prize recipient at the 2007 Piano Campus
International Competition in Valencia.

The program also includes Schumann’s second symphony and Torque by
Gary Kulesha, one of Canada’s most prolific composers.

Kuerti Conducts the Emporor takes place at Centre in the Square March
23 and March 24. Tickets can be ordered at kwsymphony.ca or call
519-745-4711.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 16, 2012 Friday 04:09 PM GMT+4

Karabakh status quo cannot be long – German FM

YEREVAN March 16

The German foreign minister believes that that “the status quo around
Nagorno-Karabakh cannot exist for long.” Guido Westerwelle made this
statement on Friday in Yerevan where he arrived on a working visit
within the framework of a tour of the region.

“Germany promotes in the region the settlement of conflicts that
hinder its development,” the minister stressed. “So, it is necessary
to look for a solution to this problem within the OSCE Minsk Group (on
Nagorno-Karabakh),” he said.

“The German government calls for the restoration of a balance between
territorial integrity and the self-determination principle,”
Westerwelle said. “A peaceful solution is the only thing which we
strive to achieve,” he stressed.

“Unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus hamper prosperous and
peaceful development of the whole region,” the minister said in an
interview with the Armenpress state news agency published here on
Friday. “The status quo cannot have a prolonged status.”

“We need currently need compromise rather than confrontation,” the
minister continued. “Courageous steps and the formation of mutual
trust are needed,” said the German foreign minister.

Today, “the conflict’s peaceful settlement is the priority,” he
continued. “In this regard Germany as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group
provides assistance to the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh chairs
from France, the United States and Russia in their mediation efforts.”

“Simultaneously, we have worked successfully for more active
participation of the European Union (in this settlement),” Westerwelle
recalled. According to him, the conclusions expressed in late February
by the EU foreign policy council and the mandate of the EU new Special
Representative for South Caucasus can serve as “a good basis in this
matter.”

“The European Union’s more active role should be included into the
framework of the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group,” said the minister
who thinks “first of all about the importance of the mutual confidence
building steps.”

“The recognition of Kosovo and South Sudan by Germany cannot be a
precedent for other international recognitions, each case is unique.”

“As for Nagorno-Karabakh, the federal government (of Germany) assists
the efforts to attain the goals of the negotiations conducted by the
Minsk Group,” Westerwelle said. According to him, their aim is “to
strike a balance between international principles of territorial
integrity and the right of peoples to self-determination.”