Author: Badalian Vardan

THE PACE MONITORING COMMITTEE IS DUE TO ADOPT THE REPORT ON THE FUNCTIONING OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN ARMENIA

Mediamax
Sept 2 2011
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The PACE Monitoring Committee is due to adopt the
report on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia at
Paris session.

The report is worked out by the PACE Monitoring co-rapporteurs on
Armenia John Prescott and Axel Fischer, Mediamax reports.

Mediamax recalls that co-rapporteur Axel Fischer was on a 3-day visit
to Armenia on July 19-21 and met with the country’s leadership and
representatives of the opposition.

Summing up the results of the visit, Axel Fischer hailed “the dialogue
being formed” between the coalition and the ANC and that was “what the
PACE has desired for a long time”. He also stressed the importance
of forthcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia noting that the
new Electoral Code will ensure a solid basis for the holding of
democratic elections.

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY STATEMENT ON TURKISH GOVERNMENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT TO RETURN CONFISCATED MINORITY PROPERTIES

AZG DAILY
03-09-2011

The Turkish government’s announcement of its decision to abide
by the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights to return
long-ago confiscated properties of minorities comes as a step in the
right direction. While it remains to be seen how the government will
implement this new measure, the policy holds the promise of restoring
the rule of law for minorities long discriminated against in Turkey.

The announcement comes in the wake of a series of developments in
Turkey resulting in increasing civilian oversight of several branches
of the Turkish government previously controlled by the military. Some
of these reforms stem from Turkey’s aspirations for membership in
the European Union.

However, with the increasingly Islamist policies of Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party and a recent
turnabout for the worse in its relations with the Kurdish population
in Turkey, we hope the timing is not just another effort to burnish
the government’s image as a reform-minded administration.

The timing of Erdogan’s new policy on minority properties also
coincides with the fact that the Turkish Parliament failed to act on
the Armenia-Turkey protocols to establish diplomatic relations and
open the border, despite its international commitments to do so.

Turkey’s failure to enact the protocols reflects a continued pattern
of nonperformance, including its existing obligations under the
Treaties of Kars and Moscow guaranteeing Armenia access to the Black
Sea. Instead, Turkey, in solidarity with Azerbaijan, maintains its
illegal blockade of Armenia and seeks to isolate Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh.

As far as the Armenian minority in Turkey is concerned – after a
century of violent persecution, official discrimination, and public
racism – the decree to return some of the confiscated properties is a
welcomed development, but cannot begin to redress the magnitude of the
damage inflicted. This indirect admission that Turkey discriminated
against minorities for over three quarters of a century does nothing
to reverse the lasting consequences of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey
has shown no evidence that it is prepared to deal with the legacy of
the Armenian Genocide.

Designed to undermine the remaining minority institutions in Turkey,
the confiscation of properties mostly deeded to minority endowment
dates to the 1930s when Turkey ramped up its discriminatory practices
under the influence of Nazi racial policies. These practices of the
Kemalist regime followed upon the earlier policies of the Young Turk
Committee responsible for the Armenian Genocide and continued with
punishing taxation policies specifically targeting the Armenian,
Jewish, and Greek minorities remaining in Turkey.

Turkey never redressed the result of its official policies dating from
that era. Instead, it sustained pressure on minority communities by
continuously denying or depriving community-based institutions and
endowments that support schools and churches from legally registering
the donation of properties. The policy, as a result, succeeded
in reducing the presence of minority groups to a mere fraction of
their former numbers. In a country with a population of 78 million,
the total minority presence of Christians and Jews in Turkey numbers
less than 100,000.

The decree also does nothing to protect the Armenian architectural
heritage in Turkey represented in countless monuments, many
of a religious nature, that have been subjected to vandalism,
deliberate neglect, if not outright destruction. The sorry state of
the antiquities in the historic city of Ani that sits astride the
border with the Republic of Armenia remains a constant testament
to offenses committed in denying the Armenian Genocide as Turkish
officials continue to drag their feet about salvaging what little
remains of the medieval capital city.

After 75 years, the announcement demonstrates the need for Congress
to adopt the Royce-Berman legislation calling for the safeguarding
of the Christian heritage in Turkey. It was precisely these issues
that noted Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink raised publicly
for the first time in Turkey, and as it turned out tragically, at
the cost of his life. Much more can and should be done to address
the concerns of minorities in Turkey.

TURKOLOGIST: RETURN OF PROPERTY TO CHRISTIANS – A PROPAGANDA STEP

ARMENPRESS
14:40, 2 September, 2011

The decision of Turkey to return the property of the communities of
Christian minorities of Turkey is more of propaganda significance,
Turkologist Hakob Chakryan told a news conference today.

The Turkologist noted that this order relates to the return of the
property belonging to the communities in 1936-1974. He also drew
attention on the quantitative change of ethnic minorities in Turkey.

“The mentioned property has passed from hands to hands and returning
it today will be a rather complicated process. Their return will be
very expedient for Turkey as there are neither the recipients nor
the dominators”, Chakryan pointed out.

Turkologist Artak Shakaryan said there are many sues against Turkey
in the European Court of Human Rights demanding the return of the
forcibly taken territories. “Besides, in October the report on Turkey’s
membership to the EU will be published and Turkey tries to create
positive impression”, Shakaryan said, expressing conviction that the
decision made by that country is agreed with the wish to close the
eyes of ECHR. “Nevertheless it is a positive decision and creates a
good prerequisite but it is a drop in the ocean”, he stressed.

AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY “STUDIES” CONGRATULATORY LETTERS TO NKR PRESIDENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 2, 2011 – 20:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry is “studying”
congratulatory letters former Prime Minister of Slovakia Jan
Carnogursky and ex-Speaker of the Slovak National Council Frantisek
Miklosko addressed to NKR President Bako Sahakyan on 20th anniversary
of Artsakh independence.

Azeri Foreign Ministry claims the letter, praising outstanding
patriotism of Artsakh people, to contain “provocating statements”.

“They won a well deserved victory, protecting their families and
lands,” the congratulatory letter, considered “suspicious” by
Azerbaijan, said.

YEREVAN SENDS PRESENTS TO STEPANAKERT

Tert.am
18:24 02.09.11

On the occasion of the 20t anniversary of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
independence, the Yerevan city hall has presented the necessary
equipment for municipal services, as well as furniture, to the
Stepanakert city hall.

The Yerevan city hall press service reports that Stepanakert’s only
operating library, Muratsan library has received 1,000 pieces of
belletristic literature. Schools and kindergartens received gym
equipment.

The Yerevan city hall has also provided a new emergency management
system to the Stepanakert municipality. A similar system is to be
installed at the NKR Ministry of Emergency Situations.

A delegation of experienced doctors from Armenia visited
Nagorno-Karabakh and gave numerous consultations. NKR Minister
of Health Sergey Movsisyan held a meeting with the delegation and
thanked the doctors for their high-quality services. He stressed the
importance of cooperation with Armenia’s leadng medical institutions.

EDGAR HOVHANNISYAN: AZERBAIJAN SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO ARTSAKH FOR ITS OWN INDEPENDENCE
Alisa Gevoryan

Radiolur
02.09.2011 18:03

“Not only must Azerbaijan recognize the independence of Artsakh,
but must also be grateful to the people of Artsakh, since Azerbaijan
gained independence as a result of the Artsakh movement of 1988,”
Deputy Director of the Armenian National Archive Edgar Hovhannisyan
told a press conference today.

Edgar Hovhannisyan quoted Andrey Sakharov as saying: “The Karabakh
Movement was the touchstone that accelerated the collapse of the
Soviet Union.” Therefore, according to him, it would be quite logical
for Azerbaijan to be grateful to the Artsakh Movement for its own
independence.”

According to political scientist Sergey Minasyan, although the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic is not recognized internationally, it is
more full-fledged than a number of UN member states, and all elections
held in Artsakh ever since independence are enough to prove it.

TURKEY MAY PAY BILLIONS TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ DESCENDANTS

Tert.am
02.09.11

A few days ago the Los Angeles circuit court met a claim lodged by
three Armenians against the Turkish authorities. By court order,
official Ankara is actually obliged to act as defendant.

However, the Turkish side will not “appear in court”, and the U.S.
Department of State addressed a diplomatic note to official Ankara,
demanding that it act as defendant, reported the Turkey-based Vatan
news website.

Last December, a group of U.S. Armenians lodged a claimed against
the Turkish government, Central Bank of Turkey and Agriculture Bank
of Turkey.

The claimants, a lawyer’s wife among them, demand that the Turkish
government and banks pay restitution, U.S. $63.9m, for their
grandfathers’ lost property. Moreover, the claimants demand to be paid
part of the incomes from the lease of the U.S. air base in Incirlik.

The claimants’ fathers owned 49.5 hectares in Adana, part of which is
now occupied by the air base. The lawyer Vardges Yeghiayan represents
the claimants’ interests.

“Thus, Turkey, which is refusing to act as defendant in the trial, is
facing the risk of paying U.S. $100 m to the Armenians as restitution,”
the website reports.

This July, a group of U.S. Armenians lodged a claim against the Turkish
government, Central Bank and Agriculture Bank. The Armenian Genocide
victims’ descendants demand billions of U.S. dollars from Turkey as
restitution for the lost movable and immovable property, as well as
for bank accounts. The initiative belonged by Gabris Davoyan from
Los Angeles and Hrayr Turabyan from New York.

FAR-SEEING DECISION OF THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES

Experts’ club

Sept 1 2011
Georgia

On August 27th the Government of the Republic of Turkey issued a decree
about the return of assets to communities of religious minorities that
were confiscated in 1936 and following years. Assets were returned to
Greeks, Armenians and Jews of Turkey. If their properties were sold
and they already have other legitimate owners then the authorities are
obliged to pay their former owners relevant compensations. The list
of assets that the Turkish government decided to return to Christian
and Jewish communities include former monasteries, buildings of former
hospitals and schools, cemeteries, etc.

The process of confiscation of assets from religious minorities began
in 1936 and all non-Muslim communities were told to present full
information on their assets. According to the decree of 1974 these
communities were categorically prohibited from buying new properties.

Despite the fact that Parliamentary opposition of Turkey and their
supporting other forces spoke against this decision of the country’s
government Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the
following speech at the traditional dinner (Iftar) which was dedicated
to the end of the holy month of Muslims – Ramadan and which took place
in the Central Museum of Istanbul on August 28th and was attended
by representatives of countries political and religious circles as
well as over 150 non-Muslim religious and public figures: “pressure
on individuals for their ethnic origin, faith, different lifestyle is
now a thing of the past. In Turkey all citizens are equal before the
law and the Constitution and no one stands above others. Everybody of
the 74-million population of our country is of first-grade. We are in
Istanbul where mosques, churches and Synagogues co-exist peacefully
side by side and this makes us different from other countries.

Provocateurs can interfere into legalized relations no longer “.

The leader of the country issued a decree for specially created groups
to examine and study register and fond archives in the following 12
months in order to start instituting measures stipulated in the new
decree in real life. A list of those important objects that are to
be transferred in the near future has already been specified.

Despite the fact that it’s only been several days since the Turkish
government announced about this far-seeing decree coming into force a
large number of people assessed and unanimously welcomed this humane
step that is directed at restoration of hisotrical justice and which,
first of all, will become one of guarantees of further progress of
the Turkish state and the Turkish society.

The European Union also welcomed this historical decree. The EU had
previously recommended Turkey to abolish laws that limit rights of
non-Muslim population of the country of 74 million. This non-Muslim
population amounts to less than one percent of the entire population
(only 120 000 Christians and 25 000 Jews).

This decision will be perceived as a new impulse for descendents of
those Muhajirs that were expelled from their homeland and robbed
multimillion diasporas of which today live in Turkey and dream of
their return to their historical homeland.

This decree should give food for thought to those imperial forces
that are artificially creating ethnic and confessional problems in
the North Caucasus and which is a reason for destruction of tens of
thousands of people.

This precedent must be a good lesson for the Russian authorities and
the new leadership of the separatist Abkhazia that are so deeply
engaged in seizure and distribution of properties of those three
hundred thousand Georgians that were expelled and robbed that they
do not even want to hear anything about resolving this issue. And
delays in resolving this issue may even result in another irreparable
confrontation.

It is clear to every reasonable person that resolving this issue
has no alternative and that is why the international community is so
persists in demanding restoration of historical justice and timely
restoration of rights of the afflicted population.

YEREVAN TO HOLD ARMENIA-DIASPORA ALL-ARMENIAN FORUM

news.am
Sept 1 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Yerevan will hold Armenia-Diaspora All-Armenian forum on
September 19-20, Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan told
at a government session on Thursday.

A total of 300 people will participate in the forum. Armenian MFA will
ease the visa granting regime to all the participants. It was initiated
by the Ministry of Diaspora. Armenian government approved the decision.

ARMENIAN SOCIETY INDIFFERENT TO DECISION BY ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE – WIKILEAKS

news.am
Sept 1 2011
Armenia

Armenian media outlets have not played up the recent decision by
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to recognize the Armenian genocide,
says the cable published by WikiLeaks website.

In a cable as of August 28, 2007 U.S. Charge d’Affairs to Armenia
Rudolf Perina says that all television stations reported the news in a
brief, straightforward manner, while the newspapers carried the news
in short articles on the front page. The Armenian Government itself
has had nothing to say on the matter.

“The low-key coverage of the ADL decision reflects the fact that
“genocide” affirmation is hardly newsworthy here. The facts are
self-evident to most Armenians, and they tend to be much less
emotionally invested in following each twitch of the “genocide” debate
abroad than either their Turkish neighbors or the Armenian-American
community.

As Armenia has only a tiny Jewish population and practically no history
of anti-Semitism, this low-key reaction in the Armenian press and
public may also be attributed, in part, to an overall unfamiliarity
with the ADL, and why its opinion on the issue should be of interest,”
the document reads.