Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN DIASPORA SEEKING RECOGNITION FROM TURKEY

Today’s Zaman (Turkey)
December 1, 2013 Sunday

The head of an Armenian diaspora organization based in France is
seeking recognition from Turkish civil society to overcome problems
between Turkey and Armenia. Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, Garen
Mikaelyan, the deputy chairperson of the National Congress of Western
Armenians (NCWA), says the main purpose of their organization is to
represent and defend the rights and interests of Western Armenians,
the descendants of citizens of the Ottoman Empire of Armenian origin.

The NCWA, an international nongovernmental organization which was
established during the third Western Armenian Congress, held in Paris
in 2011, is subjected to French laws.

Mikaelyan believes that the role of Turkish civil society as a mediator
is essential to “re-establishing the rights of Western Armenians”
and the organization is trying to initiate continuous dialogue
with different institutions in Turkey. According to him, the ongoing
democratization reforms in Turkey “would create an atmosphere of mutual
understanding as well as the establishment of trust and justice.”

In response to a question about their expectations from Turkey,
Mikaelyan says the Armenian question has three focuses as far as
Turkey is concerned: The establishment of diplomatic relations between
Armenia and Turkey and the opening of borders without preconditions;
the elimination of all forms of discrimination of both Christian
and Muslim Armenian citizens in the Republic of Turkey; and the
recognition by Turkey of the rights of the descendants of Armenians
from the Ottoman Empire currently living outside Turkey and the
restitution of these rights by the Turkish authorities.

In addition to these extensive demands, Mikaelyan is also seeking to
officially register the NCWA as a civil society NGO in Turkey.

“Turkish society must rid itself of the long-lasting prejudice
introduced and encouraged by ultra-nationalist Turkish circles,”
Mikaelyan said, adding that Armenians are portrayed as “enemies of
the Turkish state who allegedly betrayed their country.”

Stating that the contributions of Armenians to the Ottoman Empire are a
“historical fact,” Mikaelyan says the involvement of a few Armenian
organizations in “anti-Ottoman activities does not justify the mass
annihilation and deportation of Armenians.” Mikaelyan believes that
Turkish civil society is ahead of the authorities as far as the
acknowledgment of the “truth” is concerned.

Responding to a question about how they define themselves, Mikaelyan
says, “We consider ourselves the descendants of the people subjected to
annihilation,” noting that the population of Western Armenians around
the world is around 7 million. He says that the grandparents of these
people were admitted as refugees in the Middle East, the Americas,
Europe, Russia and the Republic of Armenia.

Asking Turkey to accept ‘crimes of Young Turks’

When asked about their demands, Mikaelyan says the “issue of
compensation can be raised once the damages caused as a result of
‘Medz Yeghern’ [ ‘Great Tragedy,’ in reference to 1915] have been
identified and quantified.” He adds that NCWA specialists are trying
to gather the necessary data based on political, historical and
judiciary documentation and present quantifiable demands to the
Turkish authorities.

Expecting the Turkish public and the authorities to accept the
“criminal acts of the Young Turks leading to the annihilation of
Armenian Ottomans,” Mikaelyan is also seeking the necessary legislative
changes to “re-establish the loss of rights of their descendants,”
including the rights of citizenship, the right to restitution and/or
compensation for confiscated property and other losses, the cancelation
of laws and decrees referring to “abandoned property” and the right
to return and live in peace and security in their historic homeland
if they so desire.

According to Mikaelyan, after the Hrant Dink murder in 2007, the
democratization process in Turkey created “conditions conducive to
an improved pragmatic and true understanding of 1915.”

As far as the Armenian perceptions of Turks are concerned, Mikaelyan
says “Armenians cannot understand the reasons for the Turkish
authorities not having the courage to condemn the crimes of the
Young Turks.” However, he notes that some Armenians are developing a
“pragmatic and optimistic approach” toward Turkish people. “There
is a slowly emerging belief that the time will come when hate and
animosity will be replaced by mutual tolerance and understanding,”
the president of the NCWA stated, underlining the importance of
dialogue with Turkish civil society.

TURKEY CONNECTS NAKHCHIVAN TO AZERBAIJAN WITH RAILWAY, NATURAL GAS PROJECTS

Today’s Zaman (Turkey)
December 1, 2013 Sunday

Stuck between Iran and Armenia and located far from its national
homeland of Azerbaijan, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will be
better connected to Baku thanks to the Turkish rail line that will be
built between Igdir and Nakhchivan and natural gas transfer projects
announced by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

During a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
in Ankara in November, Erdogan underlined Nakhchivan’s importance to
Turkey and said Ankara will work to improve the country’s difficult
position. He explained about natural gas and railway projects involving
Nakhchivan that are about to commence, stressing that Turkey is
dedicated to the continuation of its plans for the isolated region.

“Nakhchivan is of considerable importance to Turkey. … Natural
gas [transfer] from Igdir to Nakhchivan and constructing a rail
line between Igdir and Nakhchivan [that will be connected to the
Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway] were also discussed. The research on these
[projects] is beginning,” he said. Erdogan also underlined Turkey’s
commitment to the projects, stating, “We are taking these steps
determinedly.”

One of the projects to improve the autonomous Nakhchivan’s connection
with Azerbaijan is the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, expected to be
completed in 2014. When operational, the railroad will unite the rail
networks of Central Asia, the Caucasus and China with those of Turkey
and Europe, facilitating the movement of cargo between the Asian and
European continents. With an additional rail line from between Igdir
to Nakhchivan, an eastern Turkish city bordering Nakhchivan, the
land-locked region will benefit from the increased economic activity
through Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan after the completion of the
main railroad.

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies’ (ORSAM) Eurasia advisor,
Sureyya Yigit, told Sunday’s Zaman that Turkey seemed to display the
importance it places on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan at
the same press conference.

“Turkey wants Azerbaijan to regain the territories it lost and
re-establish its territorial integrity. And Nakhchivan is a part
of Azerbaijan. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway has the potential to
increase economic development in the region. If the railway project is
finalized [with an additional rail line between Igdir and Nakhchivan],
Nakhchivan’s economy will improve considerably. The region will
provide more employment for its citizens and enjoy the increasing
trade activity in the region,” Yigit said.

The territory linking Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan became part of Armenia
under the Soviet leadership of the early 1920s, thus separating
the autonomous region from the rest of Azerbaijan. All railways and
highways connecting the two regions were closed after Azerbaijan and
Armenia fought over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Since then,
air travel has been the most frequently used form of transport between
Azerbaijan proper and Nakhchivan.

A land connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan is important
for both sides, as apart from 15-kilometer border with Turkey,
Azerbaijan’s decades-old enemy Armenia and Yerevan’s close ally Iran
enclose most of the autonomous region. Relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia suffered greatly when they experienced a crisis over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region in the early 1990s, and Nakhchivan is still
affected by the conflict as Karki, an exclave of the autonomous region,
is still under Armenian occupation. Although Baku uses Iran to access
its province, Iran’s stance, which changes according to Tehran’s
interests, jeopardize a strong connection between Baku and Nakhchivan.

Kamer Kasim, vice president of the Ankara-based International
Strategic Research Organization (USAK), said that as Nakhchivan’s
economy is dependent on Turkey, the trilateral connection between
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan will help to decrease the autonomous
region’s isolation.

“The only way out for Nakhchivan is Turkey, in terms of its connection
with Azerbaijan. With the help of Turkey, it will be more connected
to its home country,” he told Sunday’s Zaman, referring to the fact
that among the neighboring countries, Turkey is the only door that
is open to the autonomous region.

Among the topics discussed between Erdogan and Aliyev were steps on
transferring gas from Igdir to Nakhchivan, another project that will
help strengthen the connection between Azerbaijan and its region. In
a display of solidarity with Azerbaijan on the Nakhchivan issue,
Turkey announced in 2010 that it would transport Azerbaijani gas to
Nakhchivan without asking any payment in return.

PUTIN ARRIVES IN ARMENIA TO DISCUSS TRADE, ECONOMY, CULTURE AND HUMANITARIAN AID WITH ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Voice of Russia
Dec 2 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday is arriving in Armenia on
a state visit. Central streets and squares of the country’s capital
Yerevan are decorated with state tricoloured flags of the two countries
that maintain allied relations.

Russia and Armenia are currently tied by close co-operation in the
political, economic, military and humanitarian spheres.

“The volume, depth and level of allied strategic interaction between
Armenia and Russia speak for themselves, but we can and should achieve
more,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.

According to him, “such an intensive political dialogue is natural
between countries-allies.”

“Armenia and Russia have signed more than 200 treaties and agreements,
the bilateral regulatory framework is being permanently improved,”
the minister said. “In terms of the trade-economic relations Russia
is our number one partner, half of the total foreign investment in
Armenia is made by Russia.”

“More than 1,300 enterprises with Russian capital work in our country,”
Nalbandian said. “Economic relations in such spheres as communications,
transport, energy, including nuclear energy, information technology,
the mining industry, agriculture are successfully developing.”

“The intergovernmental commission for economic co-operation, the
military-technical co-operation commission, inter-parliamentary
commission are working effectively,” the minister said.

“We pay considerable attention to the development of interregional
contacts: all Armenian regions and more than 70 subjects of the
Russian Federation are involved in this work,” Nalbandian stressed.

The humanitarian relations are on the rise.

“We intend to continue to exert efforts aimed at further raising
efficiency of foreign political coordination,” Nalbandian said. “We
seek to continue fruitful cooperation within the framework of
international organisations based on respect for mutual interests.”

Yerevan has great expectations of the country’s participation in
Eurasian integration. “Armenia is linked with the Customs Union
countries by thousands of threads, one-third of our exports go to
Russia,” Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at a plenary meeting
on the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in
Strasbourg on October 2.

Putin to pay State visit to Armenia

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a State visit to Armenia
on Monday, the Kremlin press service reported.

“The tour will begin with the city of Gyumri where Putin together
with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will visit Russian Military
Base 102, and attend a 3rd Russo-Armenian interregional forum,”
a press service official pointed out.

Then Russia-Armenia talks at summit level will be held in Yerevan.

The agenda includes key items concerning bilateral cooperation,
including that in trade-and-economic, cultural-and-humanitarian fields.

“The sides are expected to exchange views on the implementation of
accords reached as a result of Sargsyan’s visit to Moscow on September
3, as well as discuss further steps towards Armenia’s accession to the
Customs Union and the Common Economic Space of Belarus, Kazakhstan,
and Russia,” a Kremlin source pointed out.

A number of joint documents are to be signed as a result of the talks.

PARTICIPANTS OF ANTI-RUSSIAN MARCH IN YEREVAN MARCH UNDER UKRAINIAN FLAGS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 2 2013

2 December 2013 – 4:56pm

Participants of a march against the visit of Russian President
Vladimir Putin to Armenia, opposed to Armenia joining the Customs
Union, marched under Ukrainian flags.

At the moment, the march consists of about 200 people.

The initiative group Arzhanapativ Hayastan (“Honorable Armenia”)
has organized the rally.

Turan Information Agency, Azrbaijan
November 29, 2013 Friday

US company to become owner of biggest cascade of hydraulic power
station in Armenia

Baku/28.11.13/Turan:

Yesterday the Commission for Public Services Regulation approved the
deal to sell state-run closed-type joint stock company (JSC) Vorotan
Cascade hydraulic power station to the daughter company of US Contour
Global, Contour Global Hydro cascade JSC.

The Commission reported that Spandarian hydraulic power station (two
blocs 76 MWt each), Shamb (two blocs 171 Mwt each) and Tatev (three
blocs 157.2 Mwt each) with all infrastructure, which are a part of the
cascade, will be expropriated.

Even with the worn out equipment the cascade generates about 1 billion
KWh of power a year. This makes about 15% of power generated in the
country every year – about 6 billion kwh.

The cascade was the state property, but since 2003 it was removed from
the list of the objects liable to privatization. Once in several years
the Commission has increased cost of power generated by the stations
up to the current 6.8 dram per 1 KWh.

Big power consumers, such as mining enterprises, are located near the
Vorotan cascade and they are isolated from the centre of the republic
by the difficult relief. Being located close to the Iranian border,
the cascade plays a significant role in mutual overflow of power
between Armenia and Iran.

According to the Armenian Ministry of Energy, cost of construction of
1 MWt capacity in Armenia costs $1-1.5 million. Considering this fact,
cost of Vorotan cascade must total as minimum $400 million, which is a
very good source of replenishment of state budget.

Contour Global Hydro cascade company has expressed readiness to invest
$180 million into the cascade. – 0 –

Interfax, Russia
Nov 29 2013

Armenia refuses to initial EU-Armenia Association Agreement due to new
int’l obligations – declaration

YEREVAN. Nov 29

Yerevan considers the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius as an
important stage to develop relations with the European Union at more
informed and realistic grounds, Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
said.

“The expectations of this summit are great. We consider it as an
important stage in developing the relations with the EU at more
informed and realistic grounds. Namely in this context we consider the
final document of the summit and the declaration being signed between
Armenia and the EU,” Sargsian said when speaking at the Vilnius summit
on Friday.

The declaration confirms the readiness to give new impetus to reforms
being held in the country, Sargsian’s press office said citing the
president.

“Armenia is decisive regarding continuing institutional reforms, which
are the basis of the relations with the EU. Building Armenia’s
nationhood and enhancing it under the European model is our willful
choice and this process is irreversible. Our main goal is to form
efficient mechanisms with the EU, which, on the one hand, reflect the
deep character of our social, political and economic relations and, on
the other hand, match other cooperation formats,” Sargsian said.

The declaration, signed between Armenia and the EU in Vilnius on
Friday, stipulates that the parties have completed talks on the
Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area,
however will not initial the document because Armenia has new
international obligations, the Armenian Foreign Ministry press office
told Interfax.

The parties agree that it is necessary to modernize the European
Neighborhood Policy Action Plan between the EU and Armenia, the
declaration said.

At the same time, Armenia and the EU have confirmed obligations to
develop cooperation in improving the court system and democratic
institutions, in stimulating human rights and supremacy of the law,
effective management, enhancing the civil society and refining
investment environment.

The EU and Armenia have emphasized the common aspiration to turn to
bilateral relations on the grounds of existing cooperation frames, the
declaration said.

ez

Approach toward Armenia pushes Turkey and Iran away – Russian
political scientist

November 30, 2013 | 13:00

On the one hand, Turkey and Iran are countries which have grounds for
dissatisfaction and, on the other hand, they aspire to become leaders
in the Muslim world.

CIS Institute Director Konstantin Zatulin told the abovementioned
toArmenian News-NEWS.am, as he commented on Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani’s forthcoming visit to Turkey.

Zatulin added that the Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh issue pushes
Turkey and Iran away from one another because Iran develops friendly
relations with Armenia, whereas Turkey continues its blockade imposed
upon Armenia.

`Hence, in the case when their approach toward Israel brings these
countries closer, their approach toward Armenia, in all probability,
pushes them away [from each other].

`[But] I do not believe that Iran would change its approach toward
Armenia for the sake of some rapprochement with Turkey,’ Konstantin
Zatulin concluded.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Armenian Activist Considers Ombudsman a Senior Police Advisor (VIDEO)

11.30.2013 01:15 epress.am

Activist Vardges Gaspari henceforth will regard Human Rights Defender
Karen Andreasyan as a senior advisor to the police and decide
accordingly which questions he will raise and which he won’t, he
declared in conversation with Epress.am today.

On Thursday, Gaspari declared a one-day hunger strike at the Human
Rights Defender’s Office. Earlier, Gaspari had contacted the office,
informing staff of an incident on Aug. 23 whereby he was picked up by
police outside city hall and detained for several hours. He wanted to
know from the Ombudsman’s Office why he was detained without proper
documentation.

The activist also contacted the Human Rights Defender on Aug. 24,
asking him to confirm that he was, indeed, at the police station and
the Ombdusman is aware of this. Not receiving any answers, Gaspari
sent an additional three written appeals to the office.

Today Gaspari presented the same demand to the staff, asking for an
explanation as to why the Human Rights Defender’s Office didn’t
respond to the incident in a timely manner. A representative of the
office said that appeals are responded to only after the case has been
studied.

Another employee cited the police saying that at the police station
Gaspari was presented with a written protocol which he refused to
sign.

“Excuse me, at the same time that a person is being tortured, you are
saying that you responded after 3 months. I want to confirm: did you
tell me at that time that the police gave me protocols which I
allegedly refused to sign? Confirm or deny it – you don’t have to show
me the police decision. How can I prove 3 months later that they
didn’t present me with any documents? In that case, why did I contact
the rapid response team – just for the sake of recording the fact?
While you failed to taken note of the breach of human rights,” Gaspari
said to the Ombudsman staff.

According to him, the Human Rights Defender is refusing to present to
him the fact of the crime of which he is aware. “Isn’t 3 months enough
time for the Human Rights Defender to answer a question that doesn’t
depend on any other state agency? What else can I expect from the
human rights defender?”, he said, implying that he has no other
expectations from this office.

The Vilnius Summit as assessed by political scientists

15:41 30.11.2013

Armine Gevorgyan
Public Radio of Armenia

The joint declaration adopted between Armenia and the European Union
in Vilnius was a political achievement, political scientist Sergey
Shakaryants says.

Speaking at a press conference today, the political scientist said
President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech was also a success, especially
considering that it covered issues related not only to the Association
Agreement, but also Armenia’s blockade by Turkey and the Nagorno
Karabakh issue.

As for the general assessment of the Vilnius Summit, Shakaryants says
it was a complete failure. He believes Russia has not pressured either
Armenia or Ukraine. `The Russian authorities have openly clarified
what will happen to the economies of the countries if they open their
customs borders to Europe.’

`Both Armenia and Ukraine were clever enough not to commit a political
suicide,’ he said, adding that the two would sign the Association
Agreement had the EU refrained from requiring unilateral concessions.

Political scientist Levon Shirinyan considers that Armenia was trying
to conduct a balanced policy before September 3, but made the decision
to join the Customs Union because of the lack of security guarantees
on the part of Europe.

Mother of Armenian sent from Ukraine to Azerbaijan demands
compensation for moral damages

November 30, 2013 | 00:09

YEREVAN. – Anush Khachatryan, the mother of Asatur Khachatryan, 22,
who was mistakenly sent from Ukrainian capital Kyiv to Azerbaijani
capital Baku, demands that the airline in question pay compensation
for their moral damages.

Asatur’s mother told the above-said to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Anush Khachatryan noted that they have not been given any
compensation, nor has anyone contacted them in this respect to this
day.

In turn, Asatur’s father, Syoma Khachatryan, said his son had gotten
married upon returning from Kyiv. Incidentally, Asatur Khachatryan had
been engaged before heading to the Ukrainian capital city.

Asatur’s mother earlier had told Armenian News-NEWS.am the following:
`They had written 601 instead of Flight [No.] 611. When he boarded the
plane, he realized that he was flying to Baku. They said: `No problem,
go to Baku, [then] we will send you to [Armenia’s capital city]
Yerevan.’ Thank God, all this ended well with direct assistance by the
Red Cross.’

AnalitikaUA.net informed several days ago that the Kyiv Regional
Prosecutor’s Office had exposed all the guilty in this incident and
specified the measures for bringing them to justice.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am