Author: Badalian Vardan

FOR ANKARA, IS MASSACRE A POLICY OPTION?

VoltaireNet
Oct 27 2014

by Thierry Meyssan
Translated by: Roger Lagasse

Is the new alliance between Turkey and France concerned only with
economic issues, to wit entry into the European Union, or is it purely
political? In this case, must Paris provide cover for Ankara whatever
the policy? Does this support go as far as genocide?

or the second time, the Obama administration has called Turkey into
question for its support of the Islamic Emirate (Daesh). First, October
2, Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, in a speech at the
Kennedy School at Harvard. [1] Then on October 23, Deputy Secretary
of the Treasury, David S. Cohen, before the Carnegie Foundation
[2]. Both accused Ankara of supporting the jihadis and selling the
oil they steal in Iraq and Syria.

In the face of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s denials, Biden had
apologized. The Turkish government had allowed the PKK to come to the
aid of Kobané Syrian Kurds besieged by Daesh. Alas! the behavior of
Ankara was not convincing and Washington renewed its accusations.

Turkey and the issue of ethnic cleansing

I do not think that what is at issue is the support for jihadists.

Turkey does not act in their regard other than in accordance with
the US plan, and, at least until mid-October, Daesh has remained
controlled by the CIA. But Washington cannot admit that a member of
NATO is visibly involved in the massacre that threatens the people of
Kobané. The policy of the Obama administration is simple: Daesh was
created to do what NATO cannot do, ethnic cleansing, while members
of the Alliance must pretend to have nothing to do with it. The
massacre of Syrian Kurds is not necessary to Washington politics and
the involvement of Turkey constitutes a crime against humanity.

The attitude of Turkey appears as involuntary. And that’s the problem.

Turkey is a revisionist state. It never admitted that it committed the
massacre of 1.4 million Armenians, 200,000 Assyrians and Christians of
the Greek rite and 50,000 Assyrians in Persia (1914-1918) and again
of 800 000 Armenians and Greeks (1919-1925) [3]. Far from closing
this painful chapter in its history, the condolence message sent
by Erdogan, on April 23, has instead demonstrated the inability of
Turkey to acknowledge the crimes of the Young Turks. [4]

Ankara has tried in the past to liquidate the Kurdish PKK. Many have
fled to Syria. President al-Assad gave them Syrian nationality at
the beginning of the war, and armed them so that they could defend
the national territory. On the contrary, for Ankara, killing them
would be good news, and Daesh could do this dirty work.

Turkey’s involvement in recent ethnic cleansing

During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995), the Turkish Army
supported the “Arab Legion” of Osama bin Laden who ethnically cleansed
the country by massacring quantities of Orthodox Serbs. The fighting
jihadists survivors have joined armed groups in Syria, including Daesh.

In 1998, the Turkish Army participated in the military training of
the KLA, whose attacks were repressed by the Yugoslav government,
justifying the intervention of NATO. During the war that followed,
Hakan Fidan (current head of the Turkish secret service MIT) was
the liaison between NATO and Turkey. Ultimately, the KLA drove out
the Orthodox Serbs and desecrated their places of worship. In 2011,
Hakan Fidan sent jihadists to Kosovo to be trained in terrorism by
the KLA and to attack Syria.

During the occupation of Iraq, the United States officially relied on
Turkey and Saudi Arabia to rebuild the country. The policy was then
to provoke civil war and conduct systematic massacres, of mostly
Shiites and Christians. As explained by the former adviser to the
White House for Homeland Security, Richard A. Falkenrath, this policy
was designed to encyst jihadism, use it on the spot and make sure it
does not come to the United States [5].

In September 2013, hundreds of jihadists from the Free Syrian Army
(supported by France and bearing the flag of the French colonial
militia), supported by elements of Al-Nusra Front (Syrian branch of Al
Qaeda) arrived in Turkey to take the village of Maloula, raping its
women, killing its men and desecrating its churches. Maloula offers
no strategic military interest. The attack was only a way to visibly
persecute Christians of whom Maloula has been the Syrian symbol for
nearly two thousand years.

In March 2014, hundreds of jihadists of Al-Nusra Front and the Army of
Islam (pro-Saudis) arrived in Turkey, supervised by the Turkish Army
to sack the city of Kessab. The population managed to flee before
being slaughtered. When the Syrian Arab Army came to the rescue,
Turkey opposed it and shot one of its planes. Kessab is of strategic
interest to NATO, because of the proximity of a Russian radar base
that monitors the Alliance’s Turkish base of Incirlik. The people of
Kessab are Armenians whose families fled the massacres perpetrated
by the Young Turks.

Does today’s Turkey allow genocides?

We must therefore ask the question: by denying that the massacre
of Armenians in general and of diverse mainly Christian minorities,
which occurred from 1915 to 1925, was organized by the Committee of
Union and Progress, isn’t Turkey saying that genocide is not a crime,
but a policy like any other?

The policy of the current Turkish government is based on the “Davutoglu
doctrine,” named after the current Prime Minister.

According to this political science professor, Turkey must restore
its influence of the Ottoman era and unify the Middle East on the
basis of Sunni Islam.

At first, the Erdogan administration advocated the resolution of
conflicts left in suspense since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, which
he called a policy of “zero problems” with his neighbors. Seizing
the rebound, Syria and Iran then negotiated a free trade zone that
caused an economic boom in the three countries. But in 2011, during
the NATO war against Libya, Turkey abandoned its conciliatory attitude
to emerge as a belligerent power. Since then, it has been again angry
with all its neighbors, with the exception of Azerbaijan.

French support for Turkey

During the war against Libya and against Syria, Turkey and France
have come together to forge a genuine pact, in the line of the
Franco-Ottoman alliance desired by Francis I and Suleiman the
Magnificent; an alliance that lasted two and a half centuries and
ended only with Napoleon Bonaparte, then resurfaced briefly during
the Crimean War.

The new alliance was ratified by the French Foreign Minister, Laurent
Fabius, who, in February 2013, lifted the French veto on the accession
of Turkey to the EU and is now engaged in promoting its entry.

Thus, Francois Hollande and Laurent Fabius, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Ahmet Davutoglu sponsored a joint operation to assassinate President
Bashar al-Assad and his foreign minister Walid al-Moallem by cleaning
staff of the presidential palace, but the operation failed.

In the summer of 2013, Turkey organized the chemical bombardment of
the ghoutta and accused Syria. Supported by France, she sought to
involve the United States in bombing the capital and in overthowing
the Syrian Arab Republic. Both countries tried to return Washington
to its initial project of overthrowing the Syrian Arab Republic.

A document submitted to the United Nations Security Council, certifies
that after the secret vote by the US Congress in January 2014,
arming and funding Syrian rebels to ethnically cleanse the region,
France and Turkey continued secretly to arm all the al-Nusra Front
(that is to say, al Qaeda) to fight against Daesh. The idea was always
to bring Washington back to its original project.

We note in passing that it is not only Turkey but also France, who
armed jihadists who attacked the Christian towns of Maloula and Kessab,
raping their women, killing their men and desecrating their churches.

The corruption of French leaders by Turkey

While the press often refers to the corruption of the French ruling
class by Qatar, it is silent on the Turkey’s huge investment in
French politicians.

The proof of this corruption: the silence of the French officers on
domestic developments in Turkey (world record for the imprisonment
of journalists, lawyers and senior officers) on its support for
international terrorism (Turkish Justice has established that
Erdogan met the Al Qaeda banker 12 times, Turkey has four al-Qaeda
camps and organized the transit of tens of thousands of jihadists),
on the pillage of Syria (thousands of factories were dismantled in
the district of Aleppo and transferred to Turkey) and its massacres
(Maloula, Kessab, and soon perhaps Kobané).

In 2009, the Turkish employer class – faithful allies of Erdogan
– created the Bosphorus Institute responsible for promoting ties
between the two countries. [6] Its scientific committee, co-chaired
by Anne Lauvergeon, [7] includes the cream of French politicians (UMP
Jean-Francois Coppe [8] and Alain Juppé [9]), the Socialist Party
(Elizabeth Guigou [10] Pierre Moscovici [11]), many very close to
President Hollande (Jean-Pierre Jouyet [12] and Henri de Castries
[13]), and even former communists, to name a few.

It is certainly not in the spirit of these figures, some of which are
honorable, to approve of the massacres committed by Ankara. That is
nevertheless what they are doing.

By allying herself with Turkey, France has become and active accomplice
of its massacres.

FRANCE HOSTS KARABAKH TALKS AS RUSSIA PLAYS ‘DIVIDE AND RULE’

Agence France Presse
October 26, 2014 Sunday 2:52 AM GMT

TBILISI, Oct 26 2014

French President Francois Hollande hosts leaders from Armenia and
Azerbaijan Monday as Europe makes a fresh push to end the festering
conflict over Nagorny Karabakh.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited both
countries last week after a sharp escalation in violence over the
disputed region in recent months as war raged in Ukraine.

Although few expect a breakthrough after more than two decades of
bloodshed, it is “important to bring the two presidents together,
to call on them to work together, to get back to the table to reduce
tensions,” a French diplomatic source said ahead of the summit.

Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized the mountainous region,
which is mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians, from Azerbaijan in a
war in the 1990s that left some 30,000 people dead.

Despite years of internationally mediated negotiations since a 1994
ceasefire, the two sides have not yet signed a final peace deal on
Karabakh, still internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

Oil-rich Baku, whose military spending exceeds Armenia’s entire state
budget, has threatened to take back the region by force if negotiations
do not yield results.

Armenia — heavily armed by Russia — says it could crush any
offensive.

– ‘Moscow holds key to solution’ –

Last August saw a dramatic surge in violence across the countries’
border and along the Karabakh frontline as more than 20 troops died
in the deadliest clashes since the ceasefire.

Tensions between Azerbaijan and Moscow-allied Armenia have escalated
as Russia confronts the West over Ukraine, where government forces
are battling pro-Russian separatists.

“What happened in Ukraine has had a direct impact” on the conflict,
a source in Hollande’s entourage said, adding that Russia’s annexation
of Crimea “exacerbated the climate”.

Azerbaijani analysts say an increasingly assertive Russia is pursuing
a divide-and-rule policy and has an interest in keeping the Karabakh
conflict in a frozen state to retain its influence over its Soviet-era
vassal Caucasian states.

“Moscow holds the keys to the conflict’s solution, but is intentionally
not using its levers as it has an interest in keeping the status quo,
in maintaining its influence over Azerbaijan and, especially, Armenia,”
Shahin Abbasov, an independent Azerbaijani analyst, told AFP.

Abbasov said that by hosting talks in Paris, Hollande “aims at
depriving (Russian President Vladimir) Putin of his role as an
exclusive arbiter” in the conflict.

A French diplomat admitted that Hollande will face an uphill battle
in his efforts to facilitate the Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue.

“It would be extremely surprising to have concrete progress. But there
is a will from President Hollande to make progress with both parties,
to have a dialogue,” the diplomat said.

Hollande will hold separate meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Armenia’s Serzh Sarkisian.

– Political prisoners –

During his talks with Azerbaijan’s strongman Hollande will also have
to deal with Baku’s poor human rights record.

Rights groups say there are dozens of political prisoners in the
tightly-controlled Caspian Sea country and the government has clamped
down on opponents since Aliyev’s re-election to a third term last year.

Prominent rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif have been
held and accused of spying for Armenia — charges denounced by the
couple and Human Rights Watch as “bogus”.

The ailing 57-year-old activist’s three-month pre-trial detention
was extended by four months on Friday, despite protests from France
and the United States.

The couple’s daughter, Dinara Yunusova, has urged Hollande to ask
Aliyev to free her parents.

“I would like to ask President Hollande to ask President Aliyev to
free my parents and all other pro-democracy activists still in prison
in Azerbaijan,” she told AFP.

burs-im/am/fg/pvh

IRAN: 350TH ANNIVERSARY OF VANK CATHEDRAL

Eurasia Review
October 26, 2014 Sunday

By Firouzeh Mirrazavi

A ceremony was held in Isfahan capital city on Monday (20th October,
2014) to mark the 350th anniversary of construction of the Holy Savior
Cathedral also known as Vank Cathedral. Vank Cathedral, also known as
the Church of the Saintly Sisters, is the most visited cathedral in
Isfahan. Vank means “cathedral” in the Armenian language. The ceremony
was attended by Armenian Church Leader His Holiness Aram I, Archbishop
of Isfahan province and southern parts of Iran Babken Charian and
a group of Isfahan’s Armenian residents and officials. During the
service, Archbishop Charian recited Prayers of Lament and holy bread
was distributed among worshipers.

Vank Cathedral, Armenian Quarter, Esfahan, Iran. Photo by Mike Gadd,
Wikipedia Commons.

Following the Ottoman war of 1603-1605, Armenians began to arrive
in Iran in search of a new life under the Safavid King Shah Abbas
I. Shah Abbas I, who settled tens of thousands of them in the Iranian
provinces south of Aras River, also relocated Armenians, who had fled
from the Ottoman massacre in Nakhchivan to Iran.

Nakhchivan suffered a lot during the 14th to 18th century wars between
Persia and the Ottoman Empire. The city fell under Safavid rule in
the 16th century. In 1604, when Shah Abbas I realized that the lands
of Nakhchivan and its surrounding areas might fall into Ottoman hands,
he decided to force the entire Muslim, Jewish and Armenian population
of the city to leave their homes and move to Iran. The Armenian
immigrants settled in Isfahan, the capital of the Safavid Dynasty,
and populated the city’s New Jolfa district, which was named after
their original homeland in today’s Azerbaijan Republic.

Upon entering Iran, Armenian refugees started building churches and
monasteries to continue their religious activities in their new home.

The first monastery in Jolfa was built in 1606 and included a little
church called Amna Perkich, which means ‘All Healing.’ The little
church was later expanded and turned into the magnificently designed
Vank Cathedral, which was built 50 years later under the supervision
of Archbishop David. One of the largest and most beautiful churches of
Iran, the cathedral was completed in 1664. It includes a bell-tower,
built in 1702, a printing press, founded by Bishop Khachatoor,
a library established in 1884, and a museum opened in 1905.

The architecture of the building is a mixture of the 17th-century
Safavid style with high arches and an Islamic-style dome. The cathedral
has greatly influenced the architecture and decorative treatment of
many churches in Iran and the Mesopotamian region. The main entrance
of the cathedral is a large wooden door through which visitors enter
the courtyard of the building. Upon entering the courtyard, one
encounters two rooms that were once used as administrative offices,
which helped Armenians process their paperwork. A large freestanding
belfry stands in the cathedral courtyard and towers over the graves
of Orthodox and Protestant Christians who have been buried along the
wall before the entrance.

Built 38 years after the main structure, the belfry leads into
the nave.

On the right side of the belfry there is a large blue inscription
surrounded by crucifix stones. The stones have been collected from the
ruined churches of the Jolfa quarter. On a raised area to the left,
a memorial has been set up in memory of the victims of the Ottoman
massacre. Every year on April 23 Armenians gather by the memorial to
light candles in honor of their martyrs. At a corner of the cathedral’s
courtyard, rooms and halls have been built to accommodate guests,
the Isfahan archbishop and his retinue, as well as other Armenian
religious authorities in Iran. Across the courtyard and facing the
cathedral is a building, which houses the Vank library and museum.

The library contains more than 700 manuscripts and hard-to-find sources
on Armenian and medieval European languages and arts. The Vank museum
houses unique and priceless collections of various types of items
gathered from across the Armenian world. Built in 1871, the museum
contains numerous objects related to the history of the cathedral and
the Armenian community of Isfahan, including the 1606 edict of Shah
Abbas I establishing New Jolfa and prohibiting interference with,
or the persecution of, Armenians and their property and affairs in
the district. Exquisite Bibles are also part of the museum’s dazzling
collection. A seven-gram bible displayed at the museum is believed
by some to be the world’s smallest written text in seven languages.

Safavid costumes, tapestries, European paintings brought back by
Armenian merchants, embroideries and other valuable items from
the Iranian-Armenian trading heritage are also part of the museum’s
unique archive. The Vank museum also houses an extensive collection of
photographs, maps, and Turkish documents related to the 1915 massacre
of Armenians by Ottoman kings. Vestments, monstrances, chalices and
other sacramental objects have also been displayed at the museum.

The Vank printing house is known as the first of its kind in Iran and
the Middle East. The first book published at Vank was about the lives
of Armenian priests and monks, a few prints of which are now kept at
the Vank museum. The early printing machine, which was built by Bishop
Khachatoor, was replaced by a new one brought from Amsterdam in 1647.

Later in 1844, an Armenian resident of Jolfa brought a printing
machine from Europe, which is also housed at Vank Museum. The first
book printed by the machine was the Psalms of David, which is now
kept at Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

The interior of the Vank Cathedral. Photo by ZhuPix, Wikipedia Commons.

The dun-colored brick exterior of the cathedral gives way to a stunning
combination of Persian tiles, Byzantine gold and European-style frescos
inside. The modern and plain exterior has a striking contrast with
its gloriously decorated interior. The entrance ceiling is adorned
with floral motifs and the top of the walls are covered with murals
depicting events from the life of Jesus. The interior is adorned
with paintings, gilded carvings and eye-catching tilework and the
pendentives bear painted images of a cherub’s head surrounded by folded
wings. On the northern wall of the cathedral paintings of Judgment Day
can be seen with heaven depicted above and hell below. The bottom parts
of the interior walls are covered with paintings depicting Armenians
being tortured by the Ottoman Turks. The double-layer brick dome is
beautifully gilded and adorned with paintings and floral patters in
its azure interior.

The paintings depict the Biblical story of the creation of the
universe and man’s expulsion from Eden. Eight windows surround the
dome with biblical scenes painted between them. The creation of
Adam and Eve, eating the forbidden fruit and the death of Able are
among the stories painted between the windows. The narthex is also
adorned with four paintings, which are surrounded with floral patterns
and show tortures inflicted upon holy figures. The birth of Jesus,
the Last Supper, the crucifixion of Jesus and the Ascension of Jesus
are also among the biblical stories depicted in the paintings inside
the cathedral. The paintings have been inspired by both old and new
testaments and have been painted by Armenian masters and three monks,
namely; Havans, Stepanus and Minas.

After the death of Shah Abbas I, his successor Shah Abbas II also
paid close attention to Armenians and New Jolfa, which is located on
the banks of the Zayandeh River and still houses a large part of the
Iranian-Armenian community.

Iran’s Armenian community grew in number as until 1933 immigrants and
refugees continued to flock to Iran from the Soviet Union. They built
churches, schools and various cultural, artistic and sports centers
across the country and eventually became Iran’s largest Christian
community. Today, Iranian-Armenians have two seats in the Iranian
Parliament (Majlis) and are the only minority with official observing
status in the country’s Guardian and Expediency Councils. Armenians
also publish books, journals, periodicals, and newspapers, including
the daily Alik. Many Armenians served in the Iranian army, and many
died in action during the Iran-Iraq War. Due to Iran-Iraq War the
number of Iran’s 250,000 Armenians further decreased to its current
150,000. Today in Iran there are about 120,000 – 150,000 Armenians
left. Half of which live in the Tehran area. A quarter live in Isfahan,
and the other quarter is concentrated in Northwestern Iran or Iranian
Azarbaijan. In addition to having their own churches and clubs,
Armenians of Iran are one of the few linguistic minorities in Iran
with their own schools.

Firouzeh Mirrazavi

Deputy Editor of Iran Review

ANNIVERSARY HELD FOR ARMENIAN CATHEDRAL IN ISFAHAN

The Iran Project
Oct 21 2014

October 21, 2014 2:32 pm

Isfahan, Oct 21, IRNA – A ceremony was held in this ancient provincial
capital city on Monday to mark the 350th anniversary of construction
of the Holy Savior Cathedral also known as Vank Cathedral in Isfahan.

Vank Cathedral, also known as the Church of the Saintly Sisters,
is the most visited cathedral in Isfahan.

Vank means “cathedral” in the Armenian language.

The ceremony was attended by Armenian Church Leader His Holiness Aram
I, Archbishop of Isfahan province and southern parts of Iran Babken
Charian and a group of Isfahan’s Armenian residents and officials.

During the service, Archbishop Charian recited Prayers of Lament and
holy bread was distributed among worshippers.

Vank Cathedral was one of the first churches to be established in the
city’s Jolfa district by Armenian deportees settled by Shah Abbas I
after the Ottoman War of 1603-1605.

The monument is a symbol of coexistence among divine religions and
an artistic architectural masterpiece.

Its construction is believed to have begun in 1606, and completed
with major alterations to design between 1655 and 1664 under the
supervision of Archbishop David.

The cathedral consists of a domed sanctuary, much like a Persian
mosque, but with the significant addition of a semi-octagonal apse
and raised chancel usually seen in western churches. The cathedral’s
exteriors are in relatively modern brickwork and are exceptionally
plain compared to its elaborately decorated interior.

VANK CATHEDRAL 350TH ANNIV.

Financial Tribune
Oct 21 2014

The ceremony to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Vank Cathedral’s
establishment will be held in Isfahan on October 21.

The prime minister of Armenia and researchers from the USA, Armenia,
and Lebanon are among the guests who will attend the ceremony,
according to Iran Daily.

Archbishop Babken Charian, the archbishop of Isfahan and southern
parts of Iran, said: “This ceremony is one of the major events of
Christian society. Therefore celebrated personalities such as Aram
I Keshishian head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
from Lebanon is attending”.

The Christians of Isfahan have always made tremendous effort to
neutralize the western propaganda against Iran, he asserted.

He further added that the 4-day ritual is a continuum to that effort.

Holy Savior Cathedral or Amenapergichý, also known as Vank Cathedral
and The Church of the Saintly Sisters, is a cathedral in Isfahan,
Iran. Vank means “monastery” or “convent” in the Armenian language.

It is considered as a symbol of peaceful coexistence between
monotheistic religions and a masterpiece of art and architecture in
the Jolfa district in Isfahan.

‘ORPHANS OF THE GENOCIDE’ NOMINATED FOR REGIONAL EMMY AWARD

Monday, October 27th, 2014

‘Orphans of the Genocide’ by Bared Maronian

“Orphans of the Genocide,” a documentary by Bared Maronian, has been
nominated for a 2014 Regional Emmy Award by The National Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences, Suncoast Chapter in the documentary –
historical category. This is the 38th Annual Suncoast Emmy Awards,
which three years ago nominated the 7-minute version of the Orphans
of the Genocide for a Regional Emmy Award.

“Orphans of the Genocide” weaves historical archives with interviews
and memoirs of Armenian orphans to establish irrevocable proof
of the Armenian Genocide. An emotional, visual journey through
never-before-seen archival footage and memoirs of orphans who lived
through the last century’s first, fully documented and least recognized
genocide in 1915, “Orphans of the Genocide” features insightful
interviews with such prominent figures and scholars as British
journalist Robert Fisk, Clark University’s Director of Strassler
Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Professor Debora
Dwork, and Armenian-American Dr. Jack Kevorkian among others.

Over the last two years, “Orphans of the Genocide” has been broadcast
on PBS stations nationwide, reaching over 12 million viewers.

Additionally, the documentary has been invited to participate at
various events and film festivals throughout the U.S., Canada,
Europe, as well as in the Middle East and South America, earning
numerous awards.

DAUGHTER OF YUNUS APPEALS TO THE FRENCH PRESIDENT

Monday, October 27, 22:26

ArmInfo-Turan. Prior to the Paris meeting of the presidents of France,
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Dinara, a daughter of the arrested human
rights activists Leyla Yunus, sent an open letter to Francois

Hollande, in which she asked the French President to facilitate the
release of her parents.

In her message Dinara recalled that in May of this year during a
visit to Baku Hollande met with her mother, a knight of the Legion
of Honor of France, and recognized her merits in the field of human
rights protection.

“Unfortunately, your recognition means nothing to the Azerbaijani
authorities, and in summer my mother was arrested with absurd
accusations, she was sent to Baku detention facility N1,” writes
Dinara Yunus.

Leyla Yunus is being exposed to “inhuman treatment in the detention
facility.” “The greatest concern is the fact that the prison officer
brutally attacked my mom. He hit her on the head with his fist,
dragged by the hair, causing her great pain, risking blindness. My
mother suffered two serious operations on her eye, it implants in both
eyes … Is France a blind eye to such injustice?” further notes Dinar.

She asks Hollande to demands from the President Ilham Aliyev to
immediately and unconditionally release her parents, as outlined in
the recently adopted resolution of the European Parliament.

“My parents need your high support now, because tomorrow it may be
too late,” wrote Dinara Yunus.

MINISTRY OF NATURE PROTECTION CONSERVES AND CLOSES 107 ILLEGALLY OPERATING ARTESIAN WELLS IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, October 27. / ARKA /. Armenia’s ministry of nature protection
has conserved and closed a total of 107 illegally operating artesian
wells, saving 11,333 liters of water per second, up from 243 litters
of water per second saved in 2013, according to deputy minister of
nature protection Khachik Hakobyan.

Speaking at a news conference the deputy minister said on July 16
the minister ordered to set up a special working group to monitor
over 200 artesian wells.

He said 63 of the closed or conserved artesian wells were run by
fish farms, 8 by the Armenian Water and Sewerage Company and 36 by
Yerevan Jur, a French company operating Yerevan’s drinking and waste
water systems.

The illegal water users were fined a total of 6.4 million drams,
said the deputy minister adding also that the ministry has started
a large-scale inspection of Armenian Water and Sewerage Company and
Yerevan Jur. The deputy minister also recalled a string of legislative
changes enforced this year to improve the monitoring and control of
artesian wells.

He said the ministry is going to launch a pilot program designed for
continuous monitoring at water intake points.

“If the program is successful, we will extend it both to fish farms,
communities and water consuming companies,” he said.

The Armenian government has allocated 71 million drams for the
management of artesian basin in 2014 and 2015. The deputy minister
said ‘until September 2015 we will have a complete concept of a plan
how to effectively manage these resources.”

According to government figures, about 50% of underground water
resources are concentrated in the Ararat artesian basin. Over the past
decades numerous deep wells were dug there, many of which illegally.

In 2013 July the government began charging for use of artesian water
– 15 drams for a cubic meter of deep water and 5 drams of surface
water. Before that these waters were used illegally and for free.

According to government estimates, conservation of a well will require
about 4 million drams. -0-

ARMENIA’S STATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY ORGANIZES FIRST EVER JOB FAIR IN GERMANY’S FRANKFURT

YEREVAN, October 27. / ARKA /. Armenia’s State Employment Agency
organized October 11 the first job fair outside the country in
Germany’s Frankfurt, which has the largest Armenian community. The
job fair was part of an EU-funded Targeted Initiative for Armenia
program designed to encourage Armenian labor migrants in Europe to
return to their homeland.

The job fair featured nine Armenian employers, Garik Sahakyan, deputy
chief of the State Employment Agency, an affiliation of the Ministry
of Labor and Social Affairs, told a news conference today.

He said Armenian employers presented 30 vacancies available in
Armenia’s tourism, ICT and agriculture sectors to 75 beneficiaries.

Garik Sahakyan said also similar job fairs are planned in France
and Russia.

According to Dagmar Bot, head of the Armenian office of the German
International Cooperation (GIZ), this program introduces new methods
that will encourage the return of Armenian specialists in ICT,
tourism and agriculture working outside the country back to Armenia.

The job fair was organized in cooperation with the Armenian ‘Return to
Armenia’ fund, the Foundation for Protection of Wildlife and Culture
(FPWC), the Commerce and Industry Chamber of Armenia and private
companies.

The Targeted Initiative for Armenia “Strengthening Armenia’s
migration management capacities, with special focus on reintegration
activities in the framework of the EU-Armenia Mobility Partnership”
is an EU funded project signed in December 2012. The project is being
implemented by a Consortium of 8 European Union Member States (Belgium,
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland
and Romania) under the lead of the French Office for Immigration and
Integration (OFII).

The implementation period of the project is 3 years. The target
groups are Armenian central and local authorities, Diaspora, local and
international organisations, potential migrants, Armenian migrants in
the EU, returning migrants in Armenia and the Armenian general public.

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FPWC
Foundation for the Presevation of Wildlife and Culture
Nr. 5, Byron Street
Yerevan
Republic of Armenia
375009
Tel: 00374 10 529340
Fax: 00374 10 564484

27 October 2014

Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC)
Contact: Syuzanna Petrosyan
[email protected], +374 77 933772

7th Pan-Armenian Painting Day

`The purpose of the Painting Day is to encourage children to pay
attention to their immediate environment and to think about the many
environmental issues that our country faces,’ said Ruben Khachatryan,
Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural
Assets (FPWC).

On 25 October 2014, the Yerevan Zoo was transformed into an open
painting studio for the 7th Pan-Armenian Painting Day with the
attendance of approximately 3000 children. FPWC, which planned the event
in cooperation with its General Partner VivaCell-MTS, invited children
from all parts of Armenia to paint their favorite nature paintings in
the zoo. The day is part of the Pan-Armenian Painting Contest held
annually, which invites Armenian children living in Armenia and abroad
to submit their best nature painting for various prizes.

`This is the 7th time I am participating in the Painting Day and
contest. This is a very special and memorable day for me and my family.
New colors, new people, sun, nature, festivities, and friends are some
of my favorite things about today,’ says 13 years old Edmond Gevorgyan.
`I also appreciate the message of the day, which is to keep our
surroundings clean. But most of all I appreciate the opportunity to
paint amongst many others under the clear sky.’

In addition to painting, zoo guests enjoyed live music, break-dancing
performances, martial arts presentations, and participated in specials
games and contests.

The deadline for participating in the 7th Pan-Armenian Painting Contest
is November 30th. Paintings can be submitted electronically at
Bicycles, video cameras, and many more
gifts will be awarded to the winners.

About FPWC
Established in 2002, FPWC works towards raising local and international
awareness for the preservation of Armenia’s unique natural heritage.
FPWC implements environmental projects with the help of professionals in
the fields of ecology, environmental law, wildlife protection, film
making, as well eco-tourism and regional development. In all its
projects FPWC emphasizes mutual respect between human beings, the
natural environment, and cultural heritage, as these are indispensable
conditions for the positive development of Armenia and the whole South
Caucasus region.