Author: Badalian Vardan

YEREVAN CANCELS RATIFICATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 26 2014

26 September 2014 – 9:13am

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at the UN General Assembly
that the parliament has cancelled plans for ratification of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols signed in 2009. Alexander Markarov, the
director of the Armenian branch of the Institute of CIS Countries,
explained that it was part of political moves Armenia was making on
the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

The political analyst noted that the region still needed open borders,
especially in the light of the swift-flowing world. He added that
Armenia had found other infrastructure resources and transportation
corridors to solve the problem.

Political analyst Kamer Kasim noted that the protocols remained
frozen at the Armenian government, though they were not violating
the Constitution. He said that Turkey had added formation of a joint
commission of historians to study the events in 1915 as part of the
protocols, but Armenia had refused to join it. The expert explained
that Turkey wanted to normalize relations with Armenia by carrying out
impartial science research. He added that cancelling ratification would
not affect Turkey because the protocols had never been implemented.

Opening borders was not part of the agenda of Turkey, said the
analyst. The borders were open until 1993 and were closed after the
occupation of the Kalbajar District. Overall, Kasim concluded that
restoration of ties and opening the borders with Armenia will never
happen without the deoccupation of Azerbaijani territories.

LET TURKS RULE THE MIDEAST AGAIN

New York Daily News
Sept 26 2014

Readers sound off on the Ottoman Empire, school clubs and political
correctness

Voice of the People for Sept. 26, 2014

Hope, R.I.: Since Iraq and Syria have proven incapable of governing
themselves, perhaps it is time to bring back the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey — stable, Islamic, democratic and 75 million strong — may be
the only power on Earth capable of bringing order out of this bloody
mess to its south.

With the support of the civilized world behind her, Turkey could try to
douse the flames of war. She could promote pluralism and tolerance,
provide autonomy to the Kurds, reopen schools and rebuild roads,
promote the stability needed for business to grow, and then slowly,
with purpose and patience, absorb the long-suffering peoples of Iraq
and Syria into the modern and democratic world.

Yes, Turkish history has its own ugly chapters, as Armenians can
attest. Still, it can be argued that the Turks did a better job of
governing this troubled, polyglot region than the British or French
did — or we ourselves, for that matter. They certainly did better
than the Iraqis and Syrians have done under their homegrown butchers,
Saddam Hussein and Bashar Assad. Anyone got a better idea? Art Hayek

QUATUOR OU TRIO ? : LE BOYCOTT DE LA FRA DE LA PROCHAINE MANIFESTATION SOULEVE DES QUESTIONS

ARMENIE

Les representants de la Federation Revolutionnaire Armenienne (FRA)
Parti membre du quatuor politique non majoritaire ont precise que la
decision du parti de ne pas participer au rassemblement de protestation
prevu le 10 octobre ne signifie pas la dissolution de l’opposition des
quatre partis. Et meme si certains analystes politiques ne voient pas
cela comme une scission, dans les couches sociales actives de telles
opinions sont inevitables.

La FRA qui a toujours pris le parti des reformes constitutionnelles,
a dit qu’elle ne participerait pas a la prochaine manifestation
car le parti a elabore et presente une version de l’ensemble des
modifications.

>, a declare chef de la faction de la FRA Rustamyan
au site aysor.am, ajoutant qu’après qu’ils se joindront a la lutte
des forces non-gouvernementales.

L’analyste politique Yervand Bozoyan considère la position de la FRA
sur les modifications constitutionnelles comme >
et que le gouvernement essaie d’utiliser ce facteur en sa faveur
maintenant.

MOSCOW: ISIS DESECRATED THE REMAINS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

18:10, 25.09.2014

Russia doubts effectiveness of air strikes launched by the coalition
on positions of the terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Foreign Ministry’s
press office said in a statement.

The United States and West preferred not “to notice” terrorist
character of the Islamic State when militants were fighting against
Syrian government, the statement reads.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the efficiency of air strikes is
quite ambiguousm and despite the claims of ‘success’, ISIS terrorists
continue to block a Kurdish town in north-eastern Syria, while the
population will be faced with brutal repression, if not complete
annihilation.

“In Deir ez-Zor, that remains under control of ISIS – also after the
crushing blows by U.S. – the militants blew up an Armenian church,
desecrating the remains of the victims of Armenian Genocide perpetrated
at the beginning of XX century,” the statement reads.

Summing up, the Russian ministry said they stand for consistent and
principal stance on effective countermeasures against terrorism as
an absolute evil.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

FOREIGN PHOTOJOURNALIST DEVOTES NEW SERIES TO SYRIAN ARMENIANS

00:39, 26.09.2014

Photojournalist Gianmarco Maraviglia has prepared his new series,
“Land of Fathers,” which is devoted to the Syrian Armenians who have
fled to Armenia and started a new life in their historical homeland,
The Washington Post daily reported.

“In March of this year, the [Syrian] city of Kessab was attacked
by al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. Christian Syrian
Armenians who had lived and worked in this region were forced to flee,
leaving behind businesses and properties.

“While many journalists covered the refugees who fled to neighboring
Lebanon, photojournalist Gianmarco Maraviglia fixed his lens in
the opposite direction: those who had traveled back to their native
Armenia.

“His series ‘Land of Fathers’ explores the new challenges many refugees
have faced in the months following the conflict, trying to readjust,”
the daily specifically wrote.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

ARMENIA-GEORGIA: DEFENSE CHIEF’S UNANNOUNCED VISIT TO YEREVAN LINKED TO GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

ANALYSIS | 26.09.14 | 10:12

Photo:

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania was on an unannounced visit
to Armenia on September 24-25. He met with his Armenian counterpart
Seyran Ohanyan, but the terse report about the meeting contains only
general words about the intent to “expand military cooperation and
partnership in multilateral formats”.

Georgia continues to abide by its course of EU integration and NATO
membership. At the latest NATO summit early this month, Georgia was
included in the so-called ‘golden list’, which provides non-member
countries with the most favorable conditions of cooperation with
the Alliance. In addition, Tbilisi has strengthened its military
cooperation with Washington and there is even information about the
intention to establish a NATO or US base in Georgia.

An influential U.S.-based magazine, Foreign Policy, reported that
Georgia had allegedly invited the United States to open in its
territory an antiterrorism center that would train servicemen to
fight terrorists in Syria. Georgian officials denied the information
regarding Syria, but no one has either confirmed or denied the
possibility of the establishment of some sort of antiterrorism center
or military base in Georgia.

In Armenia, the Georgian minister’s visit was linked to these events –
in the press assumptions were made that Georgia has offered Armenia
to join the anti-terrorism center. Especially that at the highest
level Yerevan has stated about the dangers of the Islamic State and
radical terrorism for the Armenian community and Armenian heritage
in the Middle East.

It is difficult to say whether Armenia would agree to such a proposal,
but one thing is clear: relations with Georgia should reach the level
of specific agreements. This applies not only to the security sphere,
in which Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey have announced the creation
of military units to protect the pipelines. It also concerns the
economic sphere and the circumstance that Armenia intends to join
the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

Yerevan has confirmed that it intends to join the Russian-led bloc
already this year, but it is still unclear how customs communications
will be implemented between Armenia and the countries of the current
Customs Union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan). Land communication between
Armenia and its future partners will only be possible through Georgia,
and its ambassador to Armenia recently said that if Armenia joins
the EEU, Tbilisi may cancel the current free trade regime with Yerevan.

The text of the Agreement on Armenia’s joining the EEU was published on
Thursday. It has no reference to the order in which the transit will be
made through Georgia. Besides, the only way that is available passes
through highlands and for almost half a year the road stays closed,
while landslides often happen there during the rest of the year. Last
summer, for instance, the road did not function for a durable period
of time because of landslides.

As it became known, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin
said during a meeting with Georgian journalists that “still during
the Soviet times there were projects for the construction of roads
and tunnels on the territory of Georgia that would lead to Russia. I
think that they can become relevant.”

Special representative of Georgia’s prime minister on relations with
Russia Zurab Abashidze said that the matter concerned the construction
of the tunnel in the direction of Russia on the Mljet-Larsi section.

“It is a costly international project and we intensively think about
its implementation. We will be talking about this at our upcoming
meeting with Mr. Karasin,” the diplomat said.

STRONG POWERS COOPERATE WITH ISLAMISTS UNTIL THEY CONTROL THEM – HAROUT SASSOUNIAN

17:15 / 24.09.2014

Publisher of California Courier paper, editor-in-chief Harout
Sassounian speaking to reporters today referred to the developments
in the Middle East.

He said the developments there are serious threat for the whole world,
including Armenians.

“The Armenians are more concerned with these developments as there is
a big Armenian community in Syria. There used to be such community in
Iraq while now it has become very small. On the other hand the issues
we are concerned with do not bother the other countries of the world,
they have their interests,” Sassounian said, stressing that when
the Islamic State terrorists were murdering people, the USA was not
interested in it but when the oil resources became endangered they
started undertaking certain steps.

“Strong powers, including the USA, Russia, France are always trying to
dictate small countries what to do. These countries are cooperating
with Islamists as far as they are under their control, but as soon
as they are out of control, they start doing everything to eliminate
them,” he stressed.

Nyut.am

“REAPPOINT HIM TO HELL”

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 25 September 2014, 23:52

A few hours after Serzh Sargsyan’s “historical speech” at UN GA the
government of Armenia reappointed Surik Khachatryan, a.k.a Liska,
as governor of Syunik.

Khachatryan had to leave the post of governor last year in summer after
the tragic incident, the homicide at his home. His son and bodyguard
were acquitted from murder for a justification of self-defense,
businessman Avetik Budaghyan was killed, and his brother, Colonel
Artak Budaghyan was saved by miracle.

A few hours after sending Turkey to hell the Armenian government sent
the Armenian society and the Armenian army to hell. Reappointment
of Surik Khachatryan as governor is the same as sending to hell
the Armenian army, the society of Armenia and the people of Syunik
in particular.

The Armenian government led by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan did
this. It did it to the army which they used to swear on those August
days when they understood that the army saved them.

In fact, Erdogan will be chilled. Not from Serzh Sargsyan’s speech
sending him to hell. He will be chilled by Liska’s reappointment
because a government that can send to hell its own army is capable of
anything. And a government that is capable of anything is scary indeed.

And where is the Armenian army? Why is Artak Budaghyan in the army
if Liska is already a governor? If Artak Budaghyan is in the army,
what is Liska doing in the office of the governor?

After the funeral of the military doctor Vahe Avetyan beaten to death
in Harsnakar Restaurant Yuri Khachaturov announced “let nobody try
to approach the army”. Liska tried, he approached the army, he killed
an army colonel, an authoritative colonel and now Liska is reappointed.

Where is Yuri Khachaturov now? Let him approach Liska now.

Or do they think the colonel deserved such treatment? If yes, why
aren’t they dismissing the colonel from the army? How can that colonel
fulfill his tasks and mission in the army?

Meanwhile, those who appoint Liska as governor have sent to hell
the army’s and the nation’s problems, mission, challenges and
future. What matters to them are their money and power and their
reproduction. And Liska is needed by them as governor of Syunik to
resolve these problems. After all, they cannot send the system to
hell for a state that has hardly escaped hell.

VIOLATORS OF AZERBAIJANI BORDER RETURN TO ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 25 2014

25 September 2014 – 1:12pm

Sarkis Ananyan (born in 1961) detained in Kemerli (Gazakh District,
Azerbaijan) on August 26 has been returned to Armenia at Bala Jfarli
(Gazakh District) today, Trend reports.

The Azerbaijani state commission for prisoners, missing people and
hostages, the Defense Ministry and the IRCC organized Ananyan’s return
to Armenia.

AYF YOUTH CORPS TO MARK 20TH ANNIVERSARY ON OCTOBER 12

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

GLENDALE–The Armenian Youth Federation will kick off the 20th
anniversary celebration of its successful Youth Corps program with
a reception to take place on October 12 at 5 p.m. at the Pasadena
Armenian Center at 2242 E. Foothill Boulevard. The event is open to
the public.

The reception will bring together past Youth Corps participants,
community leaders and benefactors to introduce the future vision of
the program as it enters its third decade of service to the homeland.

Organizers hope that in addition to celebrating the success of the
program, the community will heed the call to raise much-needed funds
for the expansion of the program, as well as institutionalizing it
in Armenia by opening and staffing an office in Armenia that will
coordinate the efforts on the ground.

The AYF Youth Corps program began in 1994 with nine volunteers
venturing to Artsakh a mere two months after a cease fire agreement
was signed. The volunteers worked in the village of Ashan, in the
Martuni region to refurbish a school gymnasium and soon became an
important part of the fabric of village life there.

In 2008, the AYF decided to expand the program to include running
of summer camps serving local youngsters in Armenia and Artsakh,
thus expanding the foot print of Diaspora Armenians in the homeland.

To date some 200 Youth Corps volunteers from the Western US have
participated in the program, impacting thousands of young Armenians
in Gyumri, Proshyan, Martuni and Stepanakert in Artsakh and for the
first time, in 2014, in the border village of Baghanis.

The key to the success of the program has been the enthusiasm of the
volunteers from the Western Region, the excitement and anticipation
of the children participating in the program in Armenia, as well as
the consistent and generous support of the community.

“True to its mission, the AYF conceived of the Youth Corps program
20 years ago to become a true bridge between the Diaspora and the
Homeland,” said Arpa Hatsbanian, chairwoman of the AYF Western Region
Central Executive. “The volatility of the situation in Artsakh and
Armenia did not deter the AYF from sowing the seeds of this program
and against all odds, our volunteers began a tradition–both here
and in the homeland–that continues to grow with every year.”

“With the October 12 event, we hope to bring together community members
to acquaint them about the Youth Corps and the hard work that goes
into the organizing and coordinating the effort every year,” said
Aida Dimejian, the chairwomen of the Youth Corps 20th Anniversary
Committee. “Our aim is to engage the community so each person can
take ownership of this extremely worthwhile project and to ensure
that the project will grow and impact even more children in Armenia.”

The evening will feature an exclusive performance by 2004 Youth Corps
volunteer Raffi Semerdjian. Semerdjian is well known for his band Palm
of Granite, which performs unique renditions of Armenian folks songs.

He is also an artist and a painter. He recently moved to Armenia,
but will be making a special trip to Los Angeles to be present at
the Youth Corps 20th anniversary event.

Join the AYF in celebrating this important milestone and become a
part of the Youth Corps’s future and ensure that the program will
expand and grow. For more information visit the event Facebook page