Azerbaijani And Turkish FMs Criticize Minsk Group

AZERBAIJANI AND TURKISH FMS CRITICIZE MINSK GROUP

July 17, 2013 | 14:30

Azerbaijani and Turkish FMs once again voiced criticism against the
OSCE Minsk Group.

“If the OSCE Minsk Group has not been able to achieve anything
within 20 years, the international community should ask itself –
why 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories are still under occupation?”

Turkish FM Ahemt Davutoglu said during the Wednesday press conference,
APA agency reported.

He recalled that Turkey is a member of the Minsk Group and is ready to
support the peace process, adding that the main matter is “to solve
this conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as soon
as possible.” The type of “support” to the peace process is clear.

Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov shared his Turkish counterpart’s
views, noting that Baku is not satisfied with the OSCE Minsk Group
actions.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Pressures Against Armenian Journalists Have Increased – Committee Fo

PRESSURES AGAINST ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS HAVE INCREASED – COMMITTEE FOR THE PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH

July 17, 2013 | 12:28

YEREVAN. – The violations and pressures against journalists and media
outlets have increased in Armenia, said Chairman Ashot Melikyan of
the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech (CPFS).

During a press conference on Wednesday, Melikyan presented the CPFS
report for April-June, 2013 in Armenia.

“During elections, when the domestic political situation exacerbates,
there is an increasing pressure on the media and the journalists. In
this respect, the recent [capital city] Yerevan Council of Elders
elections were not exception,” he stated, and added:

“Four cases of physical violence against journalists were recorded
in the second quarter of 2013, which is one more than last year. The
pressures upon the media and their employees reached twenty-one in
this quarter, which is eleven more as compared to the same quarter
last year.”

Melikyan further informed that thirteen criminal cases were filed in
Armenia against the media during this time frame, which likewise is
an increase.

In addition, CPFS recorded three violations of the right to receive
and disseminate information in the second quarter of this year, which,
however, is seven less as compared with the second quarter in the
year past.

http://news.am/eng/news/162857.html

‘Liberation’ Of Nagorno-Karabakh Main Condition For Peace In Caucasu

‘LIBERATION’ OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH MAIN CONDITION FOR PEACE IN CAUCASUS – TURKISH FM

14:49 17.07.13

“Azerbaijani and Turkish officials continue regular contacts. Turkish
Foreign Minister visited Baku last month and is on a visit to our
country today. Summit of Turkic-speaking countries will be held
in Azerbaijan next month and we want to see Ahmet Davutoglu in Baku
again,” Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a joint
briefing with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, APA reports.

Mammadyarov said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed at
the meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister: “Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project
was also discussed. This project is one of the routes for withdrawal
of coalition forces from Afghanistan. We touched on the importance
of close cooperation in the energy sector.”

Addressing the briefing Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said
the next meeting of Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation
Council will be held in November.

“Baku and Ankara are the capitals playing the leading role in the
Eurasian region. We hope peace will be established in the Caucasus
in the near future. The major condition for this is the liberation
of Nagorno-Karabakh. These two countries are also supporting each
other in the international arena,” he said.

Ahmet Davutoglu said culture centers of both countries will be opened
in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/07/17/azeri-turkey/

Turkey Always Supported And Will Support Azerbaijan: Davutoglu

TURKEY ALWAYS SUPPORTED AND WILL SUPPORT AZERBAIJAN: DAVUTOGLU

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

t-azerbaijan-davutoglu.html
13:44, 17 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS: Turkey stated that it would support its
“younger brother” Azerbaijan. As reported by Armenpress, quoting the
Azerbaijani Trend Agency, this statement was made by the Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during his visit to Azerbaijan,
emphasizing that today’s Azerbaijan is the success of the country’s
government. According to the Foreign Minister, Turkey observes
the economic growth and development of Azerbaijan. Regarding the
relations between the two countries Davutoglu said that Turkey has
always supported and will support Azerbaijan.

The visit of the Head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Ahmet Davutoglu
started on July 16 and will end on July 17. Earlier the Head of the
Turkish Foreign Ministry did not make any comments in the connection
with the visit. It is reported that according to diplomatic sources,
during the visit Davutoglu was to meet with thehigh ranking officials
in Baku.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/726418/turkey-always-supported-and-will-suppor

Travelling To Goris An Expensive Luxury For Area Village Residents;

TRAVELLING TO GORIS AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY FOR AREA VILLAGE RESIDENTS; AFFORDABLE TRANSPORT LACKING

10:13, July 17, 2013

Elya, a resident of the Syunik village of Khoznavar, says she no
longer travels to the regional capital of Goris because the minivan
company once serving outlying communities has halted service, arguing
that it was operating in the red due to a lack of passengers.

“A taxi costs 5,000 AMD ($21) to make the trip. With that money I can
buy enough grains and sugar to last a week,” says Elya. “Sick people
in the village can’t even get to a doctor.”

The situation is so bad that no company has even filed for the five
tender bids announced by the Syunik Regional Administration to provide
transportation on the Khnatzakh-Vaghatour-Khoznavar route.

Ashot Sahakyan, President of Shahnan Ltd., the company that stopped
operating the route, says that it wasn’t only due to a lack of
passengers but also because illegal taxis had taken a piece of the
shrinking business.

Another tender bid will be announced in October, but no one believes
that the problem will be solved.

Finding affordable transportation from Goris to surrounding communities
is also a problem.

Meri Minasyan says that she used to be able to travel to the village
of Gornidzor on a public minivan for 350 AMD (80cents). The only way
to make the trip today is buy taxi and drivers are demanding 3,000 AMD
for the ride. So what happens is the six people squeeze into the car,
thus paying 500 AMD each.

The same problem faces the villages of Bardzravan, Tegh, Vorotan and
Aravous. Most people wishing to travel to Goris, especially those
with produce to sell, have to use a car. Those without a car are
forced to ask a friend or neighbour that does.

Radik Hayrapetyan, who for many years worked at the Regional Committee
Department of Administration in the Soviet era, says that back then
all the villages were linked by public transport that ran seven days
a week.

“To justify stopping transportation services due to a lack of riders
is wrong. Even one passenger is a human being,” Hayrapetyan said.

;-affordable-transport-lacking.html

http://hetq.am/eng/articles/28159/travelling-to-goris-an-expensive-luxury-for-area-village-residents

Zhoghovurd: Special Group To Investigate Offshore Scandal In Cyprus

ZHOGHOVURD: SPECIAL GROUP TO INVESTIGATE OFFSHORE SCANDAL IN CYPRUS

09:53 17.07.13

According to the newspaper’s sources, the National Security Service
of Armenia sent a group to investigate the offshore scandal that
involves Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and collect the
information on his property in Cyprus.

The group is to report to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on what
actually happened, the newspaper writes.

Armenian News – Tert.am

La Turquie Condamne Les Revendications Territoriales D’un Officiel A

LA TURQUIE CONDAMNE LES REVENDICATIONS TERRITORIALES D’UN OFFICIEL ARMENIEN

DIPLOMATIE

La Turquie a condamne les propos Aghvan Hovsepian un influent
procureur general de l’Armenie qui avaient soutenu dans un discours
des revendications territoriales armeniennes a l’egard d’Ankara.

Lors d’une conference de juristes de l’Armenie et de la diaspora qui
s’est tenue a Erevan le 5 juillet, Hovsepian a affirme que la Turquie
devait indemniser les descendants des quelque 1,5 million d’Armeniens
massacres dans l’Empire ottoman pendant la Première Guerre mondiale I.

Il a egalement mis en doute la legalite de la frontière
turco-armenienne actuelle .

” Je crois fermement que les descendants du genocide doivent recevoir
une compensation materielle, les eglises miraculeusement conservees
sur le territoire de la Turquie et les terrains de ces eglises doivent
etre restituees a l’Eglise armenienne, et la Republique d’Armenie
doit recuperer ses terres perdues “, a declare Hovsepian.

Le ministère turc des Affaires etrangères a declare qu’il deplorait
ces remarques. “Une telle declaration faite par un fonctionnaire
occupant un poste aussi important que celui du procureur general
reflète la mentalite problematique qui prevaut en Armenie au sujet
de l’integrite territoriale de son voisin turc et des relations
turco-armeniennes et contredit aussi les obligations qu’elle a
contractees envers les organisations internationales, dont elle, est
membre, en particulier l’ONU et l’OSCE. Il faut etre bien conscient
que personne ne peut pretendre revendiquer des terres a la Turquie “,
a declare un porte-parole du ministère dans un communique ce week-end.

Hovsepian a eu une influence politique considerable en Armenie depuis
la fin des annees 1990. Mais il a rarement fait de declarations
publiques sur les relations turco-armeniennes et la politique
etrangère en general. Ses remarques controversees dans ce forum a
Yerevan reflètent apparemment son opinion personnelle.

Les gouvernements armeniens successifs ont toujours affirmes de pas
avoir de revendications a l’egard des terres a l’est de la Turquie
moderne- lesquelles etaient principalement peuplees par des Armeniens
avant le genocide de 1915. Cependant, ils ont cesse de formellement et
explicitement reconnaître la frontière existante entre les deux Etats
voisins qui ne disposent pas de relations diplomatiques entre eux.

L’un des deux protocoles turco-armeniens sur la normalisation
des relations bilaterales signees en 2009 prevoit une telle
reconnaissance. Les protocoles n’ont jamais pris effet, cependant,
le gouvernement turc ayant a posteriori subordonne leur ratification
parlementaire a la la resolution du conflit du Haut-Karabakh.

Ankara a egalement proteste contre l’interpretation de la Cour
constitutionnelle armenienne sur ces accords. Le tribunal a juge au
debut de 2010, qu’ils ne devaient pas empecher la poursuite d’une
plus grande reconnaissance internationale du genocide armenien par
l’Armenie.

Les fonctionnaires turcs ont estime que ces conclusions allaient a
l’encontre de la lettre et l’esprit de l’accord turco-armenien. Le
leadership de l’Armenie a ecarte ces allegations, accusant Ankara
de chercher des ” pretextes artificiels ” pour ne pas normaliser
ses liens avec Erevan. Le Departement d’Etat americain a egalement
decrit la decision de la cour armenienne comme un “pas en avant dans
le processus de ratification des protocoles de normalisation ” qu’elle
” ne semble limiter ou requalifier en aucune facon.”

mercredi 17 juillet 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

L’international Turc Nuri Sahin Apprecie L’international Armenien He

L’INTERNATIONAL TURC NURI SAHIN APPRECIE L’INTERNATIONAL ARMENIEN HENRIKH MKHITARYAN AU ” BORUSSIA ” DORTMUND

FOOTBALL

Evoquant l’arrivee de l’international armenien Henrikh Mkhitaryan -des
propos repris par le site goal.com- l’international turc et joueurs du
” Borussia ” Dortmund, Nuri Sahin aurait affirme que ” le ” Borussia
” a acquis un footballeur extraordinaire “. Au sujet de l’arrivee
de nouveaux joueurs au sein du club allemand, il aurait affirme que
” ceux qui tenteront de s’adapter rapidement au jeu de notre equipe
seront extraordinaires. Nous avions joue contre Mkhitaryan et savions
sa capacite d’adaptation très rapide ” dit le milieu de terrain du
” Borussia ” Dortmund. Sur le terrain, au regard des premières
rencontres amicales disputees par Henrikh Mkhitaryan avec le ”
Borussia ” Dortmund, il semble que l’Armenien et le Turc s’entendent
a merveille…

Krikor Amirzayan

mercredi 17 juillet 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=91373

U.S. Congressional Aides: $ 27 Million Spent On Training "Syrian Opp

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL AIDES: $ 27 MILLION SPENT ON TRAINING “SYRIAN OPPOSITION FIGHTERS” IN TURKEY

Jul 16, 2013

Washington, (SANA) – U.S. congressional aides said that $27 million
has been spent on training “the Syrian opposition fighters” so far in
Turkey and over 800 people have been trained as a step that reflects
the U.S. involvement in providing direct support to the armed terrorist
groups that shed the Syrian blood.

Reuters quoted congressional aides as saying a “U.S. program to train
the rebels that started months ago has also been challenged by a U.S.

lawmaker who wants to know more information before another $1.3
million is approved for the project in Turkey.”

The U.S. President Barack Obama reiterated earlier in a statement
issued by the White House Washington’s commitment to supporting the
so-called ” the Syrian opposition coalition and the higher military
council” as the latter is represented by the armed terrorist groups
that exercise acts of killing and destruction against the Syrian
people.

A U.S. official said that “the Obama administration has made progress
in overcoming lawmakers’ objections to its plans to arm Syrian rebels,
but some details remain unresolved.”

“Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee who questioned the wisdom
of arming the insurgents have tentatively agreed the administration
can go ahead with its plans, but asked for updates as the covert
effort proceeds”, a senior administration official told Reuters.

The USA calls the terrorists in Syria “opposition fighters” backed
by it along with other Arab and foreign states despite that the
Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, which is listed by the U.S.

Administration in the list of terrorism, represents the main pillar
of these terrorist groups.

R. Milhem / Ghossoun

http://sana.sy/eng/22/2013/07/16/492573.htm

ANKARA: Traces Of Gezi Park

TRACES OF GEZI PARK

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
July 16 2013

TUBA AYDIN

For a month and a half now Turkey has been feeling the effects of
the Gezi Park protests which began as a sit-in at the park in Taksim
Square to halt the government’s Taksim rejuvenation project and later
turned into frictions across the country due to provocateurs and the
government’s failure to handle the protests.

In a recent development, 15 people who were detained on Friday in the
fourth wave of police operations connected to the Gezi Park protests
were referred to a court in İzmir on Monday. There were detentions in
simultaneous early morning home raids in İzmir, Balıkesir, Manisa
and Bursa. In the previous three operations in İzmir, a total of
37 protesters were referred to court for arrest. Columnists analyzed
the effect of the Gezi Park protests in our country.

According to Taraf columnist Murat Belge, the Gezi Park protests
are among the three largest mass demonstrations in Turkey’s recent
history. The other two include the “One minute of darkness for
permanent light” protest after the 1996 Susurluk incident, a car
accident that exposed links between the Turkish state, the criminal
underworld and security forces, and a march in İstanbul which was
participated by tens of thousands of people after Armenian-Turkish
journalist Hrant Dink was shot dead outside his newspaper’s office
in Å~^iÅ~_li on Jan. 19, 2007. Belge finds the Gezi Park protests
a successful and a righteous movement which was a result of Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s determination to shape Turkish people
according to his norms.

Bugun’s Ahmet TaÅ~_getiren says the Gezi Park protests, whose cause has
now shifted away from environmental concerns, left many shopkeepers
in Taksim economically disadvantaged due to the damage inflicted by
protesters on their shops. TaÅ~_getiren also thinks that some circles
used Islam such as holding fast-breaking dinners and celebrating Lailat
al-Miraj, also known as Mirac Kandili in Turkish, to legitimize their
wrongful actions during the demonstrations and to convince others of
the necessity of violent actions in their protests.

Radikal’s Koray CalıÅ~_kan says the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party), which took a brave step to get rid of the military
tutelage, saw the Gezi Park protests as a threat to Erdogan and could
not successfully manage the crisis after the protests.