Author: Badalian Vardan

TURKEY WILL NEVER MATURE AS NATION IF IT REFUSES TO ADMIT TO EVIL: NUSAN PORTER IN BOSTON GLOBE

14:25, 17 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. It would take a psychiatrist schooled
in political psychology to understand Turkey’s motives. As reports
“Armenpress”, Jack Nusan Porter stated this in his recent article
published in The Boston Globe.

Nusan Porter is a writer, a research associate at the Davis Center
for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, is former
treasurer and vice president of the International Association of
Genocide Scholars and the author of a number of books, including
“Genocide and Human Rights” and “The Genocidal Mind.”

Among other things, the author stated: “Sadly, Turkey has a deep
inferiority complex, especially its leaders, who have brainwashed
their people into believing all this. Germany is a strong country
that knows that you first have to admit an evil to yourself in order
for you to mature as a nation.

Turkey, in short, needs to grow up. Sadly, as it becomes more and more
fundamentally Islamic, it will be less likely to recognize someone
else’s pain.

Worse, the United States and Israel also do not recognize the genocide
because of Turkish pressure. So, in a way, those nations also have
to mature.”

“America and Israel do not need Turkey. They must stand up to Turkey
and put pressure on the country to recognize the genocide. But first
and foremost, they must recognize it themselves.

I feel that, in time, the Turkish people, who I love dearly, will rise
up and get the leaders they deserve, as will all Muslim countries,”
the author concluded.

ZHAMANAK: SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS OF JERMUK PLANT CLOSE DOWN

12:05 17/03/2015 ” DAILY PRESS

Several departments of Jermuk plant have closed down, Zhamanak
reports. The plant does not work at its full capacity for a long time
now, the newspaper notes, adding that simultaneously salary problems
have emerged.

It is rumored, however, that these problems are created artificially
by Jermuk Group owner Ashot Arsenyan, who aims to include Jermuk
plant into Jermuk Group company, which fully belongs to him, the
newspaper adds.

GLOBAL FINANCE NAMES AMERIABANK BEST BANK OF ARMENIA 2015

YEREVAN, March 17. /ARKA/. Ameriabank was named the best bank of
Armenia 2015, the bank’s press office told ARKA News Agency citing the
findings of ‘The World’s Best Emerging Markets Banks’ study conducted
by Global Finance Magazine.

Ameriabank wins this title for the fourth time starting from 2012.

The organizers of the contest say this title was given to Ameriabank
for a number of most important indicators that show the bank’s
activity, particularly asset growth, profitability, establishment
of strategic relations, range of services, competitive price-making
policy and innovative decisions.

Wells Fargo (the United States), ING (Belgium, the Netherlands), UBS
(Switzerland), Sberbank (Russia), TBC (Georgia) and other financial
organizations were recognized best as well.

Ameriabank CJSC is a universal bank providing investment, corporate
and retail banking services in a package. Ameriabank is the first
investment bank in Armenia. It started providing a wide range of
innovative banking services in 2007.

The bank’s assets totaled AMD 399.7 billion in 2014 (26.9% growth)
and liabilities AMD 357.4 billion (29.3% growth). Its capital amounted
to AMD 42.3 billion (9.43% growth) and net profit to AMD 7.1 billion
in 2014 against AMD 6 billion in 2013 (18% growth). ($1 – AMD 480.85).

—0—–

FRANK BOLAND: “ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES GAIN EXPERIENCE IN DIFFERENT THEATERS

Interviews | March 17, 2015 10:08
exclusive

Mediamax interview with Frank Boland, Director of Force Planning,
NATO Defence Policy and Planning Directorate

– Mr. Boland, what is your evaluation of Armenian defense reform in
general and its importance for Armenia’s defense capabilities?

– The defense reform is a continuous process. The fact that Armenia,
which had the Strategic Defense Review (SDR) completed in 2010, has
now decided to institutionalize this as part of regular management
process is extremely important. All of this work takes place against
the background of very little financial resources available, so it’s
important for the Armenian Armed Forces to make the best value from
the money they have. And I do this through addressing management of
the Armed Forces looking at not only the structure of the Armed Forces
(although I know it is difficult to change a military structure when
you are actually engaged in real life operations), but also at the
personal structure.

For example, in a work that is going to effectively transform the
structure of non-commission officers, the middle management backbone
will be provided for the Armed Forces and it is very important in
itself. I should also mention the work on addressing corruption
ongoing within the defense establishment through the NATO Building
Integrity Program.

We do believe this is very much on the right track, and we are happy
to be associated with this.

What is relied on in the long term? A tighter management structure
based on more thought-through objectives, which questioned itself to
see whether it is getting the best value from the recourses that were
put into defense – better training and better education of military
personal. We do believe this is very much on the right track, and we
are happy to be associated with this.

Frank Boland

Photo: Mediamax

– The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia actively
cooperates with NATO to enhance the interoperability of the Armenian
Armed Forces. Last year, within the framework of NATO’s Operational
Capabilities Concept (OCC), the infantry battalion of the Armenian
peacekeeping brigade successfully carried out the 2nd level (combat
readiness) self-evaluation. The NATO OCC 2nd level evaluation will
be carried out this year. How would you assess this cooperation and
what results have been achieved?

– Again, this is a process leading up to the NATO 2nd level evaluation,
where there will be a very detailed look and all of the different
competences, capabilities and procedures of that particular unit. It
is important to prepare properly for this sort of work, and going
through the steps of the 1st level of self-evaluation, then NATO 1st
level evaluation and now the 2nd level of self-evaluation are all
the important building blocks. At the end of this, assuming, as we
expect, the battalion would be deployed as having passed the 2nd level
evaluation — it will be assessed as combat ready for the operations it
is due to take part. But more important than that is how the Armenian
military establishment validates their own training procedures, and
asking them to look at what they are doing against a set of outside
criteria would help them improve the way in which they see the process.

– The 2nd Armenian Strategic Defense Review (SDR) is currently being
conducted. As in the first SDR, the Armenian Ministry of Defense is
given advisory assistance by the UK and U.S. expert group. According
to you, is there a perceivable connection between the 1st and 2nd SDRs?

– I can’t answer that in detail yet, because we don’t know what the
outcome of the 2nd SDR will be. But as I said, this is a process,
and one part of it leads to another one.

This assistance from the UK and U.S. experts is very important,
because, for example, one of the UK representatives, who is a colleague
of mine, is in Georgia and working on the Georgian Defense Ministry
on their SDR. One of the members of the U.S. team is a former advisor
of mine, who is now working independently and he is very experienced
in this sort of area. So I am sure the sort of advice the Armenian
Ministry of Defense is getting from these people is very consistent
with the sort of advisory which, for example, we would give as we
comment on the lessons emerging from the Defense review. But based
on the work of the 1st Strategic Defense Review, I am really quite
confident that there will be a proven result, which clearly is going
to lead to a more professional, better focused and more cost-effective
Armed Forces.

– Based on your experience in different parts of the world, how long
could this process be going on or is it individual?

– Several countries said they are going to implement a Strategic
Defense Review in six months. And whenever I hear that, I respond that
it’s a nonsense and absolutely impossible. To do it thoroughly, you
need at least a year, probably a year and a half, and still better,
two years. But this is a constant process a country has to go through.

The thoroughness with which I think this SDR has been carried out
gives confidence for the future.

Frank Boland

Photo: Mediamax

The third reason is that you cannot have a professional management
system within the Ministry of Defense, if it also engages in corruption
or it does not address corruption.

– Within the frame of the ongoing reforms, along with NATO subdivisions
the Armenian Ministry of Defense attaches significant importance to
the strengthening of building integrity, as well as to the spheres of
anti-corruption strategies and human rights. During the conference
held in NATO Headquarters last year, the First Deputy Minister of
Defense Davit Tonoyan presented Armenia’s experience within the given
fields. How would you assess the level of cooperation between the
Armenian MoD and NATO in this sphere?

– And Deputy Minister of Defense Ara Nazaryan gave a presentation
at the security conference in Washington DC several weeks ago, which
I attended as well. [The event was organized with the joint efforts
of the U.S. Department of Defense and the NATO and was aimed at the
strengthening of good conduct – Mediamax]. Dealing with corruption
is important for three reasons. One is the question of legality
and fairness. The second is the question of getting best value from
the financial recourses you put into defense. The third reason is
that you cannot have a professional management system within the
Ministry of Defense, if it also engages in corruption or it does
not address corruption. This is all part of an overall strategy of
professionalizing management in defense establishment. As an essential
part of it, Armenia is clearly taking it extremely seriously.

– Armenia’s participation in NATO led operations aimed at the
preservation of international security is a key aspect of cooperation
with the Alliance. Our peacekeeping troops pursue their service in
the two main operations led by NATO (Afghanistan and Kosovo). The
representatives of the Armenian Armed Forces also frequently
participate in various courses and training exercises organized by
NATO. What prospects do you perceive in this area?

– The prospects are good. Last year we saw another deployment –
this time not in a NATO, but in a UN-led operation – UNIFIL in
Lebanon. And that too is something NATO welcomes, because secure
international peace and security is in everybody’s interest. Indeed,
the Armenian Armed Forces gain experience in different theaters,
and this experience and those lessons will be drawn into the overall
training and management system.

Aram Araratyan talked to Frank Boland Photos: Mariam Loretsyan

ARMENIAN REPRESENTATIVES TO PARTICIPATE IN MOSCOW VICTORY DAY PARADE

YEREVAN, March 17. / ARKA /. Representatives of Armenia will travel to
Russia’s capital city Moscow to participate in a Victory Day parade
on May 9 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory
over Nazi Germany, Armenian defense minister Seyran Ohanyan said in
an interview with local newspaper Golos Armenii (Voice of Armenia).

He said a special commission is set up in Yerevan to coordinate
Armenian representative’s participation in the Victory day events.

He said a number of events will take place also in Armenia’s second
largest town of Gyumri and in Nagorno-Karabakh because ‘ we mark May
9 as the day of liberation of Shushi in Karabakh.’

According to him, had not our grandfathers and fathers defeated the
Nazi Germany in WWII we would not have had brilliant victories in
the Karabakh war.’

“No matter how much we criticize the Soviet era, it is undeniable
that we received our patriotic education in that period,’ said Ohanyan.

The minister said no military parade will be conducted in Armenia on
May 9. Instead a military parade will be conducted on September 21,
2016, on Independence Day. -0-

BAKU WANTS PEACE FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
March 16 2015

16 March 2015, 16:07 (GMT+04:00)
By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Azerbaijan has once again voiced its willingness to be actively
involved in negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace project, in
an effort to succeed in brokering a breakthrough agreement towards
the resolution of the conflict.

Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan is ready to start
working on a peace agreement in view of solving the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict based on a specific timetable, at a meeting with Rapporteur
of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe, Robert Walter on March 13.

Mammadyarov noted that as a first step towards the conflict resolution,
Armenian armed forces must withdraw from the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan in keeping with international law and UNSC resolutions.

“Armenia continues to demonstrate a non-constructive position, to
carry out an aggressive policy and to protract the settlement of the
conflict,” he noted.

Focusing on the negotiation process attempting to settle the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict via the mediation of
the co-chairs of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Minsk Group, the diplomats exchanged their respective views.

The Minsk Group of the OSCE stands for a mediation role to achieve
an end to the festering Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between the two
neighboring South Caucasus nations. Peaceful settlement of the
conflict is a top priority for the group and an armed attempt to
solve the issue is unequivocally inadmissible in the group’s agenda.

Nonetheless, the Minsk Group has not yet achieved peace, despite over
two decades of acting as a conciliator.

Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador to Baku reiterated the White House’s
support to the efforts exerted by the OSCE Minsk Group toward the
settlement of the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Robert Cekuta emphasized the OSCE Minsk
Group is an important format and that the settlement of the conflict
lies on both actors’ shoulders.

“The parties should have a political will in light of ensuring a
progress in the conflict’s settlement,” said Cekuta.

He added that the U.S., in turn, will keep on supporting all
negotiation endeavors conducted by the OSCE Minsk Group.

The U.S has recently shown more eagerness towards resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in view of violent flare-ups. The White
House made clear it did not view the arrest and subsequent sentencing
of two Azerbaijani nationals by Armenia as a healthy development.

Through both the Minsk Group and its officials, the U.S. called
on Yerevan to surrender both prisoners back to Baku, and end its
aggressive stance towards Azerbaijan. Washington made clear that the
handover of the prisoners is the only acceptable way forward.

Armenia and Azerbaijan remain locked in a bitter territorial dispute
over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenia-backed separatists
seized from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the early 1990s.

Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh territory
was turned into a battlefield and zone of aggravated tensions after
Armenia sent its troops to occupy Azerbaijan’s lands. As a result,
20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory stands
under military occupation. For the past two decades, and despite calls
from the international community, Armenia has refused to withdraw
its troops and retreat within its national borders.

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

OGNI REALPOLITIK HA UN LIMITE. MICA SI PUÃ’ SNOBBARE IL GENOCIDIO ARMENO PER NON DISTURBARE LA TURCHIA, VERO RENZI?

Tempi, Italia
16 marzo 2015

marzo 16, 2015 Renato Farina

All’inaugurazione della mostra sul “popolo dell’Arca” non c’era il
governo. Perche? L’alleanza con Erdogan in chiave anti-Isis è una
ragione seria. Ma sufficiente?

Giovedì scorso si è inaugurata una mostra importante. Per la bellezza,
la forza, ma anche per il dolore che vi è raccolto e trasformato in
oro e in fiori. Si chiama “Armenia. Il popolo dell’Arca”. La sede è
il Vittoriano (fino al 3 maggio, bisogna andarci), dunque il cuore
della memoria patria, se è concesso questo aggettivo solenne in tempi
di disincanto. C’erano le autorita della Repubblica d’Armenia, la
ministra della Cultura di Yerevan, signora Hasmik Poghosyan. Nes-su-no
del governo italiano. Perche?

Quest’anno si celebra il centenario del genocidio del popolo armeno
a opera dei turchi-ottomani. La Turchia ha esercitato una fortissima
pressione perche l’Italia non desse segno di accorgersene: vittoria
turca. Gia nei mesi scorsi una risoluzione per consentire nelle
scuole italiane il ricordo di questo eccidio e l’inserimento nei
libri di testo scolastici di questa persecuzione iniziata sotto il
Sultano gia nel 1895 era stata frenata dal Partito democratico ma
non solo. Si diceva: la Turchia è troppo importante nella guerra allo
Stato islamico per inimicarcela.

Ragioni molto serie. Io mi domando però: se uno nega l’evidenza di
una immane strage di massa riguardante cristiani propri concittadini
(tali erano gli armeni d’Anatolia), al punto da inibirne la memoria
pubblica a uno Stato indipendente e in fondo ancora a maggioranza
cristiana, come si fa a credere che possa lottare con mano ferma con
chi persegue oggi gli stessi scopi del Califfo di allora e anzi li
moltiplica per esibita crudelta?

Mi piacerebbe rispondesse Renzi.

L’anno scorso ho assistito alla Camera a un dibattito in cui un
diplomatico turco, in un convegno dedicato ai genocidi del secolo
scorso, ha tranquillamente teorizzato il negazionismo per quello
armeno, e il giornalista che moderava il dibattito, un inviato
glorioso del Corriere della Sera, ha detto che era un’opinione
rispettabile. Sara perche sono nervoso sulla sorte dei cristiani in
Medio Oriente, ma questa ipocrisia è per me diventata insostenibile.

Lo dico da uno che ama la Turchia, e in passato ha sostenuto la
necessita dell’adesione di questo grande paese all’Europa. Ma non si
può accettare chi nega attivamente la verita sul sangue versato. Non
si può accettare di far torto alle vittime per ragioni di convenienza.

Esistono dei limiti alla realpolitik. Furono un milione e mezzo coloro
che restarono vittime del genocidio, condotto con determinazione
tanto più crudele perche lenta, inesorabile.

Oggi esistono prove gravi del coinvolgimento della Turchia nel
finanziamento del Califfato. Il petrolio di contrabbando arriva in
Turchia a prezzi scontati, con condotte artigianali che attraversano
il confine. Maurizio Molinari nel suo Il califfato del terrore,
scrive:

RECUERDA CARDENAL GENOCIDIO ARMENIO

Siete24, Mexico
15 marzo 2015

mar 15, 2015

Siete24.mx

Mexico, DF.- En su homilía dominical en la Catedral Metropolitana de
la Ciudad de Mexico, el cardenal Norberto Rivera dedico la misa a la
conmemoracion del centenario del genocidio armenio.

Al oficiar la misa, Norberto Rivera reconocio que en un contexto de
“realidades adversas” es difícil encontrar “la alegría” de la vida;
sin embargo, llamo a no perder la fe.

“Gran maldad sufrio el pueblo armenio hace 100 años, pero con la gracia
del Señor el pueblo armenio surgio de la muerte, recreo un país sobre
las ruinas y los vestigios fueron reconstruidos, una patria de luz
y de esperanza, de ciencia, de instruccion y de cultura’, señalo el
Arzobispo Primado de Mexico.

A la celebracion litúrgica asistieron representantes de la Iglesia
Ortodoxa Maronita, así como el obispo armenio catolico para America
Latina, Vartan Boghossian, quien regalo una cruz armenia a Norberto
Rivera, en agradecimiento de conmemorar en la Catedral a los fallecidos
del holocausto en ese país.

Durante la homilía tambien se oro por el segundo aniversario de la
eleccion del papa Francisco y por los cristianos fallecidos este
domingo en un atentado a una iglesia de Paquistan.

HAYQ – ARMENIAN APPLICATION

India Gazette
March 16 2015

ZDNet Monday 16th March, 2015

The application HAYQ – ARMENIAN APPLICATION is created for the
Armenians all over the world, and it aims to bring together the
Armenian people to its historical roots and traditions, as well as
for everyone interested in the Armenians to obtain initial information.

The application is created in Armenian, English and Russian
languages and includes the following sections:~interactive Armenian
alphabet,~sights of Armenia,~Lords prayer, ~remind-me calendar
(significant dates and events),~prominent Armenians,~chronology of
Armenian history,~Armenian genocide of 1915,~Diaspora,~Armenian
music.Open access resources and materials have been used for the
creation of this application. The authors would like to express
their sincere appreciation to all Armenians providing the necessary
information and supporting this i-product promotion.Funds received
from the sale of the application will be partially used for charity
in Armenia, and the application users will be notified about it.

DENIALIST HISTORIANS DENY THE GENOCIDE BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW THE LAW: GEOFFREY ROBERTSON

18:59, 16 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 16 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. In the heart of Manhattan in Times
Square’s Marriot Marquis Hotel, a long-awaited international conference
marking the centennial of the Armenian Genocide opened last Friday
with a presentation by UK human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson,
counsel in a case referring to the Armenian Genocide that went to
the European Court of Human Rights in January.

In his opening presentation, entitled “Responsibility: 100 years of
Human Rights Violations,” Robertson called on Turkey to recognise
the crimes carried out against the Armenians under Ottoman rule as
genocide, in other words intended to target the continuing existence
of the Armenians.

In his book “An Inconvenient Genocide: Who now Remembers the
Armenians,” Robertson argued that the crimes by which more than a
million Armenians lost their lives under Ottoman rule in 1915 be
defined as genocide.

“As historians don’t know the law, it’s quite clear that a number of
denialist historians deny the Genocide. They don’t understand what
genocide means, and they profess no understanding of the law or have
no experience in applying it, so they are not qualified to answer
the legal question” of whether or not these crimes were genocide,
Robertson commented to the Weekly.

He added that denialist historians think that genocide requires proof
of a written order from the central government at the time such crimes
take place to eliminate all members of a particular group or people
professing a particular religion. They may think there must always
be an intention to kill everyone in the group, rather than part of
the group or to create conditions where such killing is inevitable,
he said.

Robertson noted that annihilating a racial or religious group becomes
a matter of international concern if a country like Turkey seeks to
cover up such crimes by blotting them out of school textbooks or by
prosecuting those who allege them, or, worse, if denial takes the
form of an insistence that they were justified in the first place.

“There can never be justification for genocide, even on the
shoulder-shrugging grounds that it occurred during World War I when
life was cheap and ‘military necessity’ or ‘national security’ required
it. Any state that takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of women,
of old men and young children, on the grounds of their race must,
in the absence at least of confession and apology, pay a price,
as long as a century later,” Robertson said.

The Conference includes panels on Armenian Genocide Scholarship,
Building Solidarity, Armenian Genocide in US Policy Circles, Attitudes
in Turkey, Individual and Group Reparations, Islamised Armenians,
Denial, Gender and Genocide, and Genocide and Education.

Among the speakers are well-known figures such as Bilgin Ayata,
David Barsamian, David Gaunt, Guillaume Perrier, Israel Charny, Nancy
Krikorian, Richard Hovannissian, Sarah Leah Whitson, Ruken Sengul,
Khatchig Mouradian and others.

The closing panel, on Art and Expression, will include Alexander
Dinelaris, co-writer and winner of an Academy Award for Best Original
Screenplay for the filmBirdman, Chris Bohjalian, author of 17 books
including ten New York Times bestsellers, Eric Boghossian, author
and actor, and Scout Tufankjian, a photojournalist whose work has
been featured inNewsweek, Le Monde, theNew York Times and other
publications.

It had earlier been announced that British writer and Middle East
correspondent for theIndependent newspaper Robert Fisk would be
among the speakers at the Conference. But Fisk, known for his strong
support for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, had cancelled
his previously scheduled appearance as a speaker at a luncheon only
a day before the Conference started, citing unforeseen circumstances
according to Conference organisers.

However, some said that Fisk had cancelled his participation owing to
objections to the Dashnak Party, the Lebanese chapter of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, which is a member of the March 8 Coalition
led by the Shiite Hizbullah Party.

The Conference was organised by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Eastern US Centennial Committee. “It is about the responsibility of
everybody, whether it’s the Turkish state, whether it’s Armenia, or
whether it’s the international community, to acknowledge past crimes
and to intervene when current crimes are still being committed by the
Islamic State, for example, and to prevent future crimes,” commented
Khatchig Mouradian, head of the Conference organising committee and
editor of The Armenian Weekly.

Committee co-chair Haig Oshagan said that “responsibility extends
to individuals and nations to know their past and their history
and how to understand the present and figure out the future, so the
historical work is a responsibility to explain the Genocide to the
current generation. It’s our duty to understand what happened to our
ancestors and pass it on to the new generations.”

“Our demands for reparations are based on the notion of responsibility;
a nation cannot claim impunity for a criminal, and the opposite of
impunity is accountability or responsibility. This has to do with
everything from recognition to reparations, and the foundation is that
Turkey is responsible for these crimes and we will demand reparations
for them.”