Author: Badalian Vardan

Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands FAON
Address: Weesperstraat 91
2574 VS The Hague, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31704490209
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: M. Hakhverdian

PRESS RELEASE

Critical Questions by the Dutch Parliament on the Turkish rally inciting
hatred against Armenian Genocide Memorial

The Hague, 10 June 2014 ­ Written questions by Dutch MP Pieter Omtzigt (CDA
– Christian Democratic Appeal) are the first factual response from Dutch
side to the Turkish rally in Almelo on 1 June 2014. The written questions
are submitted also on behalf of the Socialist Party (SP), the Christian
Union (CU), the Reformed Political Party (SGP) and Party for Freedom (PVV).
The rally, officially directed against the word “genocide” on the recently
unveiled memorial on private property of the Armenian church in Almelo,
turned into an event of genocide denial with a multitude of anti-Armenian
slogans and chants.

FAON believes that such a hatred inciting rally can not remain without a
sharp reaction and consequences and thanks the five factions at the Dutch
Parliament for their critical questions. A fast response from the government
would be preferable, especially as video clips of the rally not only are
still circulating on the Internet, but are also regularly repeated on
Turkish TV channel.

The questions of the five Parliamentary factions are addressed to the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
(including Integration portfolio) and the Minister of Security and Justice,
as these ministers have involvement in this issue.

With regard to the manner of organising the rally, the Ministers are asked
if they are aware that the rally is organised from Turkey, e.g. free bus
transportation was arranged by Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs of
Turkey), that UETD (Union Europäisch-Türkischer Democrats), a lobby group of
the ruling AKP party of Prime Minister Erdogan was involved, and it was
urgently summoned in the mosques to take part in the rally.

Regarding the content of the rally, the submitted questions highlight the
offensive and inflammatory slogans stirring up hatred and the intimidating
setting with Ottoman costumes and equipment with military music. Speakers
often grossly expressed the denial of the Armenian Genocide, in the same way
as the Turkish government. The anti-Armenian intention appeared also by the
fact that, in addition to the purpose of demonstration, other themes such as
the question of Nagorno Karabakh were brought up and the organisors and the
participants were lashed to chant (in Turkish) ³Karabakh will be the tomb of
the Armenian”.

The questioners ask whether there are grounds for the Public Prosecution for
an investigation into the slogans and statements made at the demonstration.
They also ask what steps the Minister of Foreign Affairs intends to take and
whether he will discuss this matter with his Turkish counterpart. The
Ministers are also asked whether they are willing to disassociate themselves
from the nature and tone of the slogans used at the rally.

Comments by FAON
The rally on June 1st in Almelo was announced as a protest to the word
Genocide on the Memorial at the Armenian Church in Almlo, but degenerated
into a complete anti-Armenian, racist rally. It was further Ottoman music
played by a band in historical Ottoman army attire, a direct reference to
the time and the perpetrators of the Genocide. Internationally the
historians and genocide experts of renown already for the long time and
based on abundant research material agreed that there was Genocide and many
countries have recognised the Genocide. In the Netherlands, the highest
political body, the parliament, has recognised the Armenian Genocide
unanimously in 2004 (Motion by Rouvoet).

FAON protests against these actions on June 1st in Almelo and requires
urgent attention from the government and expects action, both regarding the
content of the rally, as well as for the fact that the Turkish government is
behind it. The denial of the Armenian Genocide goes hand in hand with racism
and anti-Armenism, as in the case of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism. It
is also clear from the method of organisation and the content of the rally,
how Turkey is worried, and is preparing by means of denial and anti-Armenian
propaganda for the year 2015, the year in which worldwide the centenary of
the Armenian genocide will be commemorated.

The activities of FAON for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide are not
directed against Turkish people wherever in the world, but against the
denial of the past by the Turkish government. Only with recognition by
Turkey the reconciliation between the peoples can in time be realised. It
should be menitioned that already major changes have taken place in the
minds of Turks on the Armenian Genocide. Turks both in Turkey and in the
Netherlands, who are well informed about the Armenian Genocide, and
recognize these events as Genocide also have major problems with its denial.
It is known that they are experiencing problems from the nationalist Turkish
population, once they express themselves on this issue.

The pressure from Turkey is also still present on the Dutch government,
which therefore avoids to speak in all clarity about the Armenian Genocide.
FAON believes there is no justification for this attitude of the Dutch
government, especially since the Dutch governement claims a leading role in
the world on suppression of issues on human rights, racism and genocide.

L’ANNONCE DU PROCUREUR GENERAL GENE LES JOURNALISTES

ARMENIE

Une annonce du bureau du Procureur general a cree l’inquietude dans
les medias et des risques d’etouffer la liberte d’expression.

La semaine dernière, il a ete annonce que la publication non autorisee
de renseignements preliminaires dans le cadre d’une enquete pourrait
entraîner des sanctions allant jusqu’a un an de prison pour le
contrevenant.

Le procureur general d’Armenie a clarifie l’avertissement de
l’accusation concernant la publication de donnees preliminaires
d’une enquete que les militants des droits de l’homme et les
organisations des medias ont vu comme une menace, a tente de dissiper
les preoccupations des journalistes, en disant que l’avertissement
est d’abord dirige vers la personne ayant diffuser l’information .

Le Centre de la liberte d’information d’Armenie (FOICA) a reflechi sur
l’annonce du Procureur general, a son tour, exprimant sa preoccupation
et compte tenu de l’annonce problematique. Le centre a dit qu’une
telle loi va restreindre la liberte de la presse.

Lors d’une conference avec des journalistes le procureur general
Gevorg Kostanyan a assure aux journalistes qu’ils n’etaient pas vises,
mais plutôt la source des fuites lors d’enquete.

>, a declare le
procureur general, ajoutant que si le journaliste utilise son / sa
droit et ne revèle pas sa source d’information, une autre procedure
est prevue par la loi, lorsque le journaliste doit reveler sa source
dans les cas d’affaires criminelles graves ou particulièrement graves.

Le president du Comite de defense de la liberte d’expression (FCP),
Ashot Melikian a dit a ArmeniaNow que le Procureur devrait se
surveiller lui-meme plutôt que de menacer les journalistes.

> dit Melikyan.

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN

ArmeniaNow

mardi 10 juin 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LE GOUVERNEMENT ANNONCE D’AUTRES REAMENAGEMENTS DANS LA CAPITALE ARMENIENNE

ARMENIE

Evoquant la necessite de se debarrasser des > le gouvernement armenien a affecte des
zones supplementaires dans le centre-ville a des promoteurs prives
pour les besoins d’une reconstruction.

La decision sur la base de la legislation permet au gouvernement
de designer les terrains pour divers projets urbains et d’autres
construction au nom de .

Pendant ce temps, les residents de la zone donnee approches par le
service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.com) ont dit qu’ils ne savaient
rien a ce sujet. L’un d’eux, Karine Manoukian, a dit qu’elle avait
appris la decision dans les medias. Avec sa famille de six membres
cette femme vit dans une maison de deux etages renovee qu’ils ont
achete il y a environ 40 ans.

> a-t-il dit.

Hakobian a declare que des dizaines de familles qui ont ete expulsees
de leurs maisons selon des decisions similaires dans le passe ont
plus tard decide d’emigrer du pays.

Le gouvernement prevoit d’achever le processus d’alienation des
proprietes relatives aux zones nouvellement designees au 1er Janvier
2015.

mardi 10 juin 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

NIKOL PASHINYAN: NORTH-SOUTH ROAD CORRIDOR PROVED IN THE FOCUS OF THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES STRUGGLE INSIDE POWER IN ARMENIA

by Ashot Safaryan

Tuesday, June 10, 00:05

Construction of the North-South road corridor proved in the focus
of the behind-the-scenes struggle inside power in Armenia, MP Nikol
Pashinyan said in the course of the parliamentary discussions on
additional $170 million loan for construction of the road corridor,
Monday.

“I’d like to congratulate Serzh Sargsyan on this jubilee loan –
Armenia’s foreign debt exceeded $4 billion,” Pashinyan said adding
that as parliamentarian he has always voted against new credit
agreements. He said every new loan paves a way to new embezzlements,
corruption schemes and siphon off money by the top leadership.

“The first thing Gagik Beglaryan did immediately after taking the
office of the minister of transport and communications was to fire
Ara Hovsepyan from the post of the investment program director. The
latter is the right-hand of Serzh Sargsyan’s son-in-law, whose
‘political clan’ from time to time ‘attacks’ the project. Actually,
there is severe right for new loans,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, the country’s foreign debt grew thrice under
Serzh-Sargsyan-Tigran Sargsyan tandem, amid 10% growth of poverty
and population decline by 200,000 people. “What the raised loans were
spent on and why the people living under poverty level have to redeem
those loans, that is the question,” the parliamentarian said.

According to ArmInfo’s expert calculations based on the official
statistics, the debt burden per capita grew from $1400 to $1500 in
2013, while foreign debt per capita grew from $1200 to $1300. In
the crisis year 2009, this indicator was only $550. Considering the
large-scale migration from the country, the number of the population
is much lower than official data (from 3.027 million people in 2012
to 3,107 million people in 2013), the foreign debt burden per capital
grew even higher. The share of the foreign debt in GDP of Armenia in
2009-2012 was 35%-38%, growing 26% in absolute term amid slackening
GDP growth rates (given the 14% decline in 2009).

} By statistical data, 87% or $3.395 bln of the foreign debt is the
share of the government, with the remaining 13% or $508.3 mln being the
share of the Central Bank. Armenia’s total state debt as of Jan 1 2014
was 1.9 trillion drams or $4.6 bln with a 1.2% growth for December and
a 5.5% growth for Jan-Dec. The share of the internal state debt is 15%
or 277.7 bln drams ($684.7 mln) with a 0.6% growth for December and
8.7% growth for Jan-Dec. The share of the government bonds in the
internal state debt for 2013 grew from 97.7% to 98.5% with a 9.7%
year-over-year growth of the absolute indicator. The share of trade
loans fell from 1.9% to 1.2% with a y-o-y decline of the absolute
indicator by 33%. The remaining are guarantees that fell from 0.4%
to 03% with a y-o-y decline of the absolute indicator by 10.5%.

As of Jan 1 2013, the state debt of Armenia was 1.8 trillion drams
of $4.4 bln, including 1.5 trillion drams or $3.7 bln was the foreign
debt and 255,5 bln drams or $633 mln – internal debt.

One of the key issued scheduled on
His Holiness agenda was The Armenian Genocide

During his three day official visit to the Vatican, His Holiness Aram I
emphasized the importance of the recognition and the reparation of the
Armenian Genocide. His Holiness asked Pope Francis, both in His private and
public meetings, to give His support to the Armenian cause.

The issue of Armenian Genocide was present also during His Holiness
meetings with the Vatican state secretary Cardinal Parolini and with the
president of the Vatican’s Eastern Churches division Cardinal Sandrini as
well as the press.

In His sermon, In St. Egidio church, the Catholicos spoke of the
theological and spiritual meaning of martyrdom and linked it to the Armenian
Genocide.
PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

“The Catholicosate of Cilicia is a Vocation and a Mission,” declares
His Holiness Aram I during the concluding dinner with the Armenian
Delegation

Antelias – On the last evening of the official visit to the Vatican, His
Holiness Aram I, the accompanying clergy and the delegates held a festive
dinner.

After joyful singing, recitation of poems and thanksgiving, the Catholicos
addressed the delegation and described the visit as a positive step in
ecumenism and in giving visibility to Armenia and the Armenian cause.
Referring to the Catholicosate of Cilicia, he said that the people were at
the heart of its mission. He then acknowledged the urgency of the
reformation of the Church, and announced that the two Catholicoi had agreed
to make the issue as their priority.

In his conclusion, His Holiness urged the delegates and through them the
people in their dioceses to be involved in the life of the church and to
give concrete expression to its vocation and mission.

The evening closed with the singing of the Cilicia anthem and the final
blessings of Catholicos Aram I.
##

Agence France Presse
4 juin 2014 mercredi 12:58 PM GMT

Le président suisse rejette un “statu quo” sur le Nagorny-Karabakh,
veut des progrès

Erevan 4 juin 2014

Le président de la Confédération helvétique Didier Burkhalter, qui
assure aussi la présidence tournante de l’Organisation pour la
sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE), a rejeté mercredi tout
“statu quo” dans le conflit opposant l’Azerbaïdjan à l’Arménie sur la
région du Nagorny-Karabakh.

“Le statu quo n’est pas vraiment une option. Nous devons aller vers la
paix peu à peu”, a-t-il déclaré lors d’une conférence de presse à
Erevan, appelant les deux pays à relancer les négociations pour mettre
fin à un conflit de plusieurs décennies.

Affirmant que la Suisse était prête à aider à trouver une issue
pacifique au conflit, Didier Burkhalter a réitéré son soutien à une
proposition de rencontre à Paris entre les présidents des deux pays
ennemis.

“Nous sommes prêts à soutenir l’amélioration de l’environnement
pacifique (…). Nous sommes prêts à un soutien et une contribution
suisses dans ce processus”, a-t-il déclaré, estimant que “la nouvelle
rencontre entre les deux présidents devrait être le point de départ
d’une nouvelle phase de négociations”.

A Erevan, le président suisse a achevé une visite de trois jours dans
le Caucase du Sud qui l’a d’abord mené en Azerbaïdjan lundi, puis en
Géorgie mardi. A Bakou lundi, il avait déjà appelé les deux pays à
accentuer leurs efforts pour un règlement pacifique du conflit sur le
Nagorny-Karabakh.

Rattachée à l’Azerbaïdjan à l’époque soviétique, le Nagorny-Karabakh,
une région séparatiste en majorité peuplée d’Arméniens, a été l’enjeu
d’une guerre qui a fait 30.000 morts et des centaines de milliers de
réfugiés entre 1988 et 1994.

Un cessez-le-feu a été signé en 1994, mais Bakou et Erevan n’arrivent
pas à se mettre d’accord sur le statut de la région, qui reste une
source de tensions dans le Caucase du Sud, une zone stratégique située
entre l’Iran, la Russie et la Turquie.

Les violences meurtrières se sont intensifiées ces derniers mois le
long de la frontière entre l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan et sur la ligne
de front au Nagorny-Karabakh, les deux parties s’accusant mutuellement
de déclencher des attaques.

Les négociations de paix sur le Nagorny-Karabakh sont conduites sous
les auspices du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE (Russie, Etats-Unis,
France).

Turkey opposition leader asks for Kurdish parties’ support in
presidential elections

13:54 ¢ 08.06.14

Turkey’s main opposition leader has called on the Peace and Democracy
Party (BDP) and its sister party, The Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP),
to provide support in the presidential elections against the ruling
party candidate, marking a first concrete appeal to reach out to
Kurdish voters, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

`The resolution process should rely on mutual trust. But there is
currently a picture in which both sides don’t trust each other. The
only party who will refresh mutual trust and solve the issue with
determination is us. This is why we are seeking their votes,’
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal KılıçdaroÄ?lu told daily
Hürriyet on the sidelines of a visit to Germany on June 7.

KılıçdaroÄ?lu vowed that the CHP, which has long been criticized for
its lack of plans for a resolution regarding the Kurdish issue, would
endeavor to give new momentum to the stalled peace process.

`I would like to tell the HDP-BDP voters that democracy and freedom is
not a rule only valid for the west. It has also to be valid for the
east and the southeast. We have to defend democracy and freedom in
equal terms for all the regions in Turkey,’ said KılıçdaroÄ?lu,
responding to questions before his first ever rally abroad in the
heart of the industrial belt in Essen.

`There is pressure in the whole country. Don’t we want a country where
thoughts are expressed much more freely, devoid of all pressure? If
that’s the case, they should lend their ear to the voice of a social
democrat party, therefore the CHP,’ he said.

KılıçdaroÄ?lu expressed concerns that the number of people trying to
join the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was increasing, while
assuring that the CHP was ready to make efforts to provide a political
resolution to the issue within Parliament.

`We don’t want anyone to be hurt in Turkey. We are a party who
believes that the problem can be solved within the Parliament, in
accordance with democracy and freedom. We don’t know anything about
the negotiations behind closed doors but the number of those going to
the mountains is increasing. However, if the process were healthy, it
would be the numbers coming down from the mountains that would be
increasing,’ KılıçdaroÄ?lu noted.

Prime Minister Recep ErdoÄ?an is said to be poised to become the ruling
Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) presidential candidate for the
upcoming elections in August. The opposition, meanwhile, is in intense
talks to pick their own candidate. KılıçdaroÄ?lu, who conducted talks
on the possibility of a common candidate with the Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a staunch opponent of the peace
process, has nevertheless tried to comfort the Kurdish parties
regarding the future CHP nominee.

`Our candidate will be someone who defends democracy, the rule of law,
freedom and a society with [the right to] free assembly. He should be
and will be someone who supports peace in Turkey and integrating
people without creating more tension. Someone who sees diversity as a
richness. Within this context, we expect that our Kurdish citizens who
form the base of the BDP and the HDP will support the candidate that
will be shown by the CHP,’ KılıçdaroÄ?lu said.

Kurdish voters may become the kingmaker in choosing the first
popularly elected president in Turkey’s history. The election will be
held in two rounds on Aug. 10 and 24

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIE
La compagnie des Chemins de fer du Caucase du Sud a commencé à vendre
des billets pour les trains Erevan-Batoumi

La compagnie des chemins de fer du Caucase du Sud, une société russe
exploitant les chemins de fer d’Arménie, a commencé à vendre des
billets pour ses trains de voyageurs entre la ville de Batoumi, une
station balnéaire populaire sur la mer Noire en Géorgie voisine et la
capitale de l’Arménie.

Les trains quotidiens commenceront à circuler à partir du 15 Juin. Les
billets peuvent être achetés dans les gares d’Erevan, Vanadzor,
Gyumri, Armavir, ainsi qu’en ligne en visitant le site officiel de la
société à Le temps d’un voyage d’Erevan à Batoumi et
retour est d’environ 16 heures.

Le coût des billets n’a pas changé si on la compare à l’année
dernière, a indiqué la compagnie. Elle a également dit que les
voitures de trains de passagers répondent pleinement aux exigences
techniques, sanitaires et de sécurité.

Selon les statistiques, le nombre de passagers transportés par les
trains a augmenté de 532% par rapport à 2008 de 8600 à 46 000 en 2013.

dimanche 8 juin 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

VATICAN
Sa Sainteté le Pape François et Sa Sainteté Aram I se rencontrent

> H.H. Aram Ier

ARMENIE
Discussion : Des militants de la société civile voient des >
dans la composition de l’UEE pour l’Arménie

Une grande majorité des représentants de la société civile active en
Arménie estime que le sommet eurasien d’Astana et les actions
suivantes mettent en danger leur souveraineté arménienne, et que
l’Union économique eurasienne (UEE) considère l’inclusion de l’Arménie
comme un outil pour faire pression sur l’Azerbaïdjan.

Lors d’une discussion sur le thème > le chef du centre Accord,
l’ex-ministre de la sécurité nationale Davit Shahnazaryan a dit que
pendant les 23 ans d’indépendance l’Arménie n’a jamais été sous cette
menace. Selon Shahnazaryan, l’Arménie après le 3 Septembre, lorsque le
président arménien Serge Sarkissian a annoncé la décision d’adhérer à
l’Union douanière, essaie de faire partie d’un nouveau groupe, qui,
quel que soit le nom, est le même élargissement que l’Empire russe.

.

> a dit Larisa Minassian.

Bien que différents responsables avaient été invités à cette
discussion aucun représentant de l’État était présent car comme l’a
expliqué le président du Comité Helsinki Avetik Ishkhanyan, c’est
parce qu’ils ne peuvent s’exprimer eux-mêmes, car ils ne savent pas ce
que le président pense.

Selon Ishkhanyan, ces discussions doivent se poursuivre, le public
doit s’unir et lutter ensemble contre tout cela, parce que non
seulement le Karabagh est en danger, mais l’ensemble de l’Arménie.