Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF BURBANK ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENTS
BY CRAIG SHERWOOD

FEBRUARY 5

The Armenian National Committee of America-Burbank (ANCA-B) has issued
its endorsements for City Council, Board of Education, City Clerk and
Measure S- a school bond, for the upcoming all-mail elections and
separate March 5 election for the bond.

“We are proud to continue our two decades of participation in
Burbank’s elections. It is part of our efforts to integrate the
growing Armenian community in town with all other parts of Burbank’s
polity”, said Gaidzag Shahbazian, Electoral/Political Chair.

For City Council Bob Frutos, David Gordon, and Jess Talamantes are
endorsed in the February 26 Primary election. A total of six
candidates are vying for three seats on the Council.

Dr. David Gordon, an optometrist, is a seven-year incumbent and was
endorsed by the ANCA four years ago when he ran for reelection as. He
has been the strongest, on the current city Council, in supporting
issues of concern to the Burbank Armenian community.

Jess Talamantes, a retired firefighter, lifelong Burbank resident, and
incumbent, has also been helpful when the community needed matters
addressed, and actively reached out seeking the community’s support.

Bob Frutos, a law enforcement professional who has served on Los
Angeles’ bomb squad, has worked with Armenian community members on
issues of concern. He was endorsed by the ANCA two years ago when he
first ran, and failed to get elected by a slim margin.

Larry Applebaum and Armond Aghkhanian are endorsed in the Board of
Education race. A total of five candidates are vying for two seats
on the Board.

Larry Applebaum is a two term incumbent, a former pharmacist, builder,
and electronics businessman who has earned the ANCA’s endorsement
every time he has run. He has been helpful countless times to the
Armenian community, particularly when Homenetmen has needed facilities
for its athletes to use.

Armond Aghkhanian is himself an ANCA activist, educator, and has long
been politically active. He brings the passion of a recent father who
wants great schools for his child and will serve as a strong voice
for the Armenian community’s needs.

Zizette Mullins is endorsed for City Clerk. A contested election for
City Clerk does not often occur. This time there are three candidates,
since the previous Clerk retired several months ago. In short time
she has served, the appointed incumbent, Mullins, demonstrated that
she is supportive of our minority community’s needs through her
helpfulness. This is a carryover of her actions from when she served
in the Glendale City Manager’s office.

For all these positions- City Council, Board of Education, and
City Clerk -the endorsed candidates might get elected outright, or,
depending on the vote tallies, move on to the April 9 General election.

Measure S, a proposed bond to pay for Burbank schools’ modernization
is also being endorsed, though it will be on the March 5 ballot.

Because of a legal quirk, Measure S will be voted on during a separate,
regularly scheduled election on March 5, when Burbank residents will
vote for Los Angeles community College Board members.

This election is a traditional, polling place election.

Measure S is a proposal that will help bring the best of modern
technology, whether in the form of computer systems or solar panels,
to Burbank’s schools. By doing this, it will reduce some the operating
costs, allowing funds to be allocated to other pressing needs. All
this will come at a cost of just over a dollar and a half per month
for the average Burbank homeowner over the next 25 years.

“As a parent, I’m proud that we’re endorsing two strong candidates
for our School Board and supporting an important bond measure that
will improve conditions for all Burbank students. This continues
our tradition of supporting matters important to Burbank, much as
we did with Measure L in 2003 to support our libraries,” said Zareh
Khachatourian, ANCA Burbank activist.

GDF ABSORBERIA COSTOS POR ESTATUA DE ALIYEV

El Economista, Mexico
29 Enero 2013

El secretario de Gobierno del Distrito Federal, Hector Serrano,
señalo que la embajada de Azerbaiyan acepta la posibilidad de que el
gobierno local cubra la inversion realizada en las reparaciones de
la Plaza Tlaxcoaque y el Parque de la Amistad.

Explico que la embajada de ese país entrego un documento en el que
se admite esta posibilidad, para lo cual se tendría que revisar cual
es el costo de esta obra y esto sería solo en el caso de que no se
llegue a un acuerdo final ya que la mesa de dialogo continúa abierta.

En entrevista, el funcionario indico que en dicho documento se
manifiesta la intension de ese país a poder colocar la estatua del
expresidente Heydar Aliyev en un recinto cerrado, que reúna diversas
características, y en donde se pueda difundir la cultura de Azerbaiyan.

Agrego que se analizan las características que se solicitan, así
como las zonas en las que pudiera localizarse el inmueble como son
Polanco, Del Valle, Condesa y Roma, a fin de generar “una especie de
casa de cultura”.

El funcionario del Gobierno del Distrito Federal (GDF) señalo que se
analizaran los costos para tomar una determinacion sobre el caso.

Aclaro que el Parque de la Amistad continúa bajo el mismo nombre,
al igual que el mapa de Azerbaiyan, por lo que se mantiene el respeto
del gobierno hacia ese país.

Recordo que las condiciones que surgieron fueron a partir del reclamo
social en el que intervinieron diversas instituciones y un jefe
delegacional, por lo que esto no tiene que ver con el pueblo.

IL COMUNE DI BARI: “CI FU GENOCIDIO ARMENO”

La Repubblica
26 gennaio 2013
Italia

la Turchia ora minaccia ritorsioni

Pronta una delibera per riconoscere le “marce della morte”.

L’ambasciatore turco scrive al sindaco Emiliano: “Soprassedere per
non rovinare le relazioni tra i due Paesi”di SERENA RUSSO e VINCENZO
CHIUMARULO

“Trattandosi di una questione molto delicata, il console ha bisogno
di tempo per rispondere: vuole pesare ogni parola” per evitare il
rischio di incidente diplomatico. Reagisce così il consolato turco in
Puglia, quando apprende che il Comune di Bari vuol riconoscere come
“genocidio armeno” i fatti accaduti tra il 1915 e il 1916 nell’Impero
turco-ottomano, quando circa 1,2 milioni di armeni furono massacrati
nelle cosiddette “marce della morte”. La delibera comunale è depositata
in Presidenza e attende di essere iscritta all’ordine del giorno dei
prossimi Consigli.

La notizia, appena giunta alle orecchie dell’ambasciatore turco
a Roma, Hakki Akil, ha prodotto i primi effetti: una lettera al
sindaco Emiliano, cortese ma con una richiesta decisa: il Comune
deve soprassedere, “questa decisione spetta solo a un Tribunale
competente”. Akil è “profondamente colpito” soprattutto “in un
momento in cui le relazioni tra Turchia e Italia sono eccellenti”
ma che potrebbero rovinarsi se Palazzo di citta perseverasse nel suo
intento: “La risoluzione in fase di approvazione dal suo Comune –
scrive – ostacola gli sforzi per l’instaurazione del dialogo tra le
due comunita”.

L’incidente diplomatico, insomma, è dietro l’angolo. E l’ambasciatore
invita Emiliano a non “agire come alcuni membri della diaspora armena
che, invece di concentrare i loro sforzi sulla ricerca scientifica dei
fatti effettivamente accaduti, preferiscono adoperarsi per l’adozione
di alcune risoluzioni con l’appoggio di politici che, con la speranza
di guadagnare voti, ignorano oppure non sono in grado di valutare i
diversi aspetti della questione”.

Opinioni personali a parte, la storia documenta che, mentre infuriava
la prima guerra mondiale, il governo dei ‘Giovani Turchì accusò i circa
due milioni di armeni che vivevano ai confini delI’Impero Ottomano,
di essere alleati della nemica Russia. Per questo, nella notte tra il
23 e il 24 aprile 1915, cominciarono i primi arresti e le deportazioni
di massa degli armeni verso l’Anatolia: molti morirono di stenti,
molti altri furono massacrati lungo la strada.

TOP COE OFFICIAL SAYS TURKEY MUST WORK ON PRESS FREEDOM

President Abdullah Gul (L) shakes hands with Council of Europe
Secretary-General Thorbjørn Jagland at Cankaya Palace on Tuesday.

(Photo: President’s Office)

5 February 2013 /AYDIN ALBAYRAK, ANKARA

Citing a large number of cases pending against Turkey at the European
Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that involve freedom of expression,
Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjørn Jagland said in
Ankara on Tuesday that Turkey should take more steps to address the
shortcomings.

He said that despite steps taken by the government in past years to
expand the boundaries of freedom of expression, there seem to be more
steps, especially mentality-wise, adding that Turkey should make an
effort to comply with the Council of Europe’s standards given that
the number of cases pending against Turkey in the ECtHR in the field
of freedom of expression stands at 450.

“This is simply too much,” commented Jagland, speaking at the High
Level Conference on Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Turkey
on Tuesday, referring to the high figure.

At the conference in Ankara, which was held as part of a joint
project Turkey and the Council of Europe started more than a year
ago to enable Turkey to raise its standards in judicial verdicts
regarding freedom of speech and media freedom, Jagland underlined in
his opening speech that freedom of expression is the founding pillar
of democracy and that the need for action is evident in Turkey.

This is still a major issue for Turkey, considering that two-thirds of
all cases in which the ECtHR ruled against Turkey so far are related
to freedom of expression.

Since a previous conference, held 14 months ago in Ankara, Turkey
and the Council of Europe have started working together to address
the main challenges in law and in practice related to freedom of
expression identified by the court in its judgments concerning Turkey.

Jagland, who also praised Turkey’s efforts to bring the country’s
legislation in line with CoE standards, expressed his hope that
the fourth reform package — which Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin
affirmed at the conference would be brought before Parliament soon —
would include the necessary legislative amendments. “What is needed
is a complete overhaul of the Counterterrorism Law [TMK] as well as
amendments to the Turkish Penal Code [TCK],” the secretary-general
added.

Some of Turkey’s cases before the court refer to the offence of
“praising a crime or a criminal” and “disseminating propaganda on
behalf of a terrorist organization” while other cases relate to
punishing defamation against certain national values and state bodies.

Referring to a previous judgment of the court, “Freedom of expression
may offend; it may even shock,” he noted.

For Jagland, protecting journalists and freedom of expression is
protecting democracy. Noting that according to the case law of the
court, politicians should accept that their words and actions are open
to a higher degree of scrutiny by both journalists and the public at
large. “They should therefore be cautious when they initiate criminal
or civil defamation cases. This can have a serious chilling effect
on freedom of expression and the media,” he cautioned, seemingly
in reference to statements by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
targeting some media outlets.

However, as noted by the secretary-general, the common challenge is
not just about the changing of laws to achieve greater freedom of
expression but also about raising awareness of those who interpret
the laws. That is why, in the framework of the project, the Ministry
of Justice has been carrying out a project in cooperation with the
Council of Europe. Turkish judges and prosecutors now regularly visit
the Strasbourg court to familiarize themselves with its case law in the
area of freedom of expression. Study visits are also being organized
to member states, including the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany.

The efforts seem to have started bearing fruit. For example,
the Supreme Court of Appeals in a judgment dated last December,
annulled the conviction of an applicant who had said during a public
demonstration that conscientious objection is a right, considering
that non-violent opinions supporting conscientious objection should
be protected by freedom of expression.

Justice Minister Ergin emphasized in his opening speech, defending the
amendments effected by the government so far to expand the boundaries
of freedom of expression, that putting a ban on the expression of an
opinion would — in contrast to popular belief — bestow on the idea
banned an undeserved edge over other ideas, as the natural course of
ideas competing with one another freely is tampered with.

Ergin made it clear that he found the reports published by some
international media associations about Turkey unjust. Noting that the
Committee to Protect Journalists said in its report that 76 journalists
were under arrest in Turkey in 2012, Ergin said, “However, the figure
for the year 2011 in the committee’s report is eight.”

Noting that 70 people who are included in the committee’s report of
Turkish journalists under arrest for 2012 have been under a judicatory
process, they are unable to understand how those people who were not
previously considered as journalists were considered as journalists
in the report for 2012.

Jagland talks with top officials, visits Syrian refugee camps

Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland made high-level
contacts in Turkey. Following the conference on Tuesday morning, he was
received by President Abdullah Gul at the Cankaya presidential palace,
and came before the press with Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin. On a
separate occasion he joined Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arınc. On
Wednesday the secretary-general will pay a visit to two refugee camps
located in Hatay province near the border with Syria.

INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS MAY EXERT FINANCIAL PRESSURE ON ARMENIA BECAUSE OF THE LAW ON GMO

ARMINFO
Tuesday, February 5, 20:41

International corporations may exert financial pressure on Armenia
because of the law on genetically modified organisms (GMO), Head of
the Association “For Sustainable Human Development” Karine Danielyan
told ArmInfo.

The expert said that large international companies are behind the GMO
propaganda, and the issue should be discussed at the political level.

So, if the bill is adopted, the international corporations may exert
financial pressure on Armenia. Danielyan pointed out the lack of
surveys saying whether GMO seeds were imported to Armenia or not. “We
can only make our suggestions, as untypical sorts of tomatoes have
appeared in our market. One should not forget either that Armenia
received a great quantity of soybeans as a humanitarian aid, and 90%
of soybeans in the global market is genetically modified”, she said.

She added that the law on GMO is a necessity for Armenia. The bill
implies a ban on importation and use of genetically modifies seeds.

Thereby the law will allow maintaining the endemic plants of Armenia.

“If we look at the issue from the environmental point of view, our
republic is the place where a number of species of plants originated.

If the seeds prove to be genetically modified, we’ll lose our endemic
plants, and this will be not only our loss, but also a global loss”,
she stressed. According to the environmentalists, the bill has already
been submitted to the Parliament.

VAGHARSHAK HAROUTIUNYAN: WE HAVE CHANGED THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION IN THE REGION AND ARMENIA’S IMPORTANCE IS BASED ON THIS VERY FACTOR

ArmInfo’s interview with Leader of the National Revival Party, former
defense minister of Armenia, Lt.General Vagharshak Haroutiunyan.

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, February 5, 20:50

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and Secretary General of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization visited Armenia in late
January. Why, in your opinion, did they visit the country at one and
the same time?

The recent visits by the Russian military and political leadership
to Yerevan bear no relation to the upcoming presidential election
in Armenia. After signing the Agreement extending deployment of the
Russian military base in the territory of Armenia in 2010, the tasks
of the base have significantly changed. In addition, Russia assumed
responsibility to provide the Armenian Armed Forces with up-to-date
compatible arms. The Military-Technical Cooperation Agreement to be
signed by Russia and Armenia is part of the provisions of the Agreement
signed in 2010. In 1995 when the base was established, its task was to
provide security and protect the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian
borders, as Georgia and Azerbaijan were CIS members then. Nevertheless,
now Russia agreed to provide security of Armenia also on the border
with Azerbaijan. One should understand what it means.

If you please, I would formulate the question more simply: if tomorrow
Azerbaijan starts a war, will Russians troops get on their feet in
Noyemberyan, Goris or Ijevan?

Of course, they will. After signing the above Agreement, Russia and
Armenia developed a plan of joint use of force. The plan implies
use of Armenian and Russian Armed Forces in case of relevant threat,
including by Azerbaijan.

One more example: all the units of the 102nd base have an assigned
mission in case of a threat on the Armenian-Turkish border. All the
exercises Russia conducts in the territory of Armenia in peacetime
pursue one scenario – to rebuff aggression and make counter attacks.

We have a special air squadron at Erebuni Airport that provides
security of Armenia’s airspace alongside with the divisions of S-300
air defense systems. These aircrafts are standing alert. If an unknown
aircraft approaches the border, the staff will be announced ready
automatically. So, in case of a threat by Turkey and Azerbaijan,
the command of the base will not have to wait for instructions from
Moscow because it has an assigned mission to rebuff any aggression.

There is an opinion that the new military-technical cooperation
agreement between Armenia and Russia proves that Russia is turning
its face back towards its key ally after having sold S-300 systems
to Azerbaijan.

This is a general practice in the world. There have been such cases in
the Middle East for example. The Russian S-300 air defense missiles
sold by Moscow to Azerbaijan upgrade the combat efficiency of the
Azerbaijani army, indeed. Those systems contribute to the offensive
capabilities of Azerbaijan. From the political point of view those
missile systems increase the probability of another aggression by
Azerbaijan. In addition, Azerbaijan has enough funds to acquire similar
long-range missile detection systems also from other countries. So,
selling S-300 to Azerbaijan Moscow strived to increase its military-
political influence on Baku through military-technical cooperation,
I think. Sale of S-300 is accompanied with sale of spare parts
and retraining of servicemen. I think, the given issue was to be
coordinated with Yerevan considering the Collective Security Treaty
requires the signatory-states to refrain from any actions that may be
directed against other signatories. I don’t rule out certain corrupt
actions by the Russian Defense Ministry, because the situation at
that structure is not good after dismissal of Anatoly Serdyukov. The
cost-effectiveness of that acquisition of Azerbaijan against Armenia
is not successful. To fight our aviation Azerbaijan has enough
medium-range missile detection systems Osa, Oka and others. So,
I think that Baku wasted hundreds of millions of dollars.

Yes, but there is also a missile component…

When it comes to neutralization of our missile potential, the situation
is different. S-300 missile systems have various missiles.

In order to use the given systems for ballistic-missile defense,
Azerbaijan will need special missiles, because the existing ones are
not efficient for the given purpose.

In other words, the S-300 systems will not help Azerbaijan to protect
its oil and gas facilities, like the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline,
will they?

No, they will not. To do it, they will need relevant missiles.

What will be the military expediency of the launch of Stepanakert
Airport?

To ensure delay-free delivery of military cargoes to the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, both an airport and reliable overland communications
are required. An operating airport is a very important factor for
military aircrafts in case the Karabakh conflict escalates.

In particular, the arrival time is cut and the air efforts in
increased. So, we can settle the same task using much less aircrafts,
which is very important. besides the given problem, there is another
issue on agenda i.e. civil aviation. The population of Nagorno
Karabakh cannot wait until Azerbaijan wants to settle the issue that
has been protracted for 20 years. Therefore, I am more than sure that
the Stepanakert Airport will operate despite threats. No one in the
world will understand Azerbaijan if it ventures to hit civil planes.

Many in Armenia stress the need to restart the Abkhazian railway. In
what a way can this project be carried out and if carried out won’t
it change the existing geo-political status quo in the region?

The Abkhazian conflict and closed communications are, first of all, in
favor of Turkey, Azerbaijan and the forces not interested in Russia’s
strengthening and integration of Caucasus and Russia. Hillary Clinton
has already made statements confirming that and their motivation
is clear. Ankara is currently trying to refocus Georgia and Armenia
at Turkey with all its consequences. Closed Abkhazia is in favor of
Azerbaijan as well, because that factor weakens Armenia and Georgia.

Tbilisi will become directly dependent on the Turkish-Azeri alliance.

It is not in favor of Armenia, Russia, Georgia, and Abkhazia.

Unfortunately, because of various ideas countries are not always
guided with their own interests when making important decisions.

Ivanishvili made a very important statement announcing an intention
to open the road with Abkhazia. If he is consistent in that issue, we
will have quite different situation that will be within the interests
of Georgia as well.

What is the problem then? It is for Moscow, Tbilisi and Sukhumi to
decide, isn’t it?

It is senseless for Georgia to keep closed the Abkhazian
communications, because Abkhazia has direct sea and overland
communication with Russia. Therefore, keeping the railway closed means
to get rid of the boat captain by means of drowning him. However,
Ankara, Baku and some Western states exert serious pressure on
Georgia in the given issue. Therefore, Armenia, Russia and Abkhazia
should exert genuine efforts to help Georgia in the issue of opening
the railway. I am sure that opening of the Abkhazian section of the
railway will change the geopolitical situation in the region with all
its consequences. Iran and China are also interested in that. That is,
the issue is of global importance.

It seems that the restart of the Abkhazian railway will bring Armenia
and even Georgia into the customs and later Eurasian unions…

The talk that it is not promising for Armenia to join the Customs
Union for lack of common borders is groundless. For communications
with Russia we have ferry in Poti, a short haul distance via Upper
Lars, a total of 200km. In the meanwhile the EU member-states are at a
distance of thousands of kilometers from Armenia. So, proceeding from
the logic of the people who say that Armenia’s joining the Customs
Union is unpromising, we should forget about the EU.

Many people in Yerevan believe that Armenia can combine its security
partnership with Russia with economic cooperation with the West. Can
it?

This is not serious. The military-political cooperation is aimed at
protection of economic interests, because there will be no economy
without security provision. Economic development depends on security.

It was the army that brought Armenia’s biggest achievement in terms
of 8,000sq/km territory. These are trillions. We have changed the
geopolitical situation in the region and Armenia’s importance depends
on this very factor.

To forecast is a thankless occupation. Still, what impulses do you
expect in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process?

The Karabakh conflict cannot be settled today, as there are no
conditions and pre-conditions for that. Armenia is not going to cede
Karabakh. For its part, Azerbaijan is not going to recognize Karabakh.

The force option will not result in settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, taking into consideration the combat effectiveness of
our army. Moreover, Russia’s presence hinders interference of other
countries. Russia’s president and foreign minister said about it,
as Moscow is not interested in it. The refusal of the Gabali radar
station and new obligations taken by Moscow in the context of providing
Armenia’s security are evidence of the fact that Moscow will not
let resolving of the Karabakh conflict by means of force. For this
reason, Azerbaijan cannot settle the conflict by means of force. And
if Turkey helps, it will lead to CSTO-NATO confrontation. At present
it is impossible to involve Nagorno-Karabakh in the conflict around
Iran. Such a scenario is possible only after falling of the Asad’s
regime in Syria.

There are certain defense borders in the military sphere as well as
in the sphere of policy. Within the frames of this logic, China and
Russia will strongly protect Iran. If in case of Libya there was one
approach, and quite another one in case of Syria, in case of Iran,
Beijing and Moscow will make quite another steps. Losing of the
Iranian oil and gas will deal a strong blow on China’s development
rates and China will do everything possible to protect its interests.

The first step in this direction was a military ship sent by China
to Syria’s costs. So, one cannot wait for hot phase of the Karabakh
conflict from the southern side either. I think that at present not
external but internal threats are more dangerous for Armenia. And our
ability to confront external threats and our future depend on their
effective and fast settlement.

GEORGIAN WINE AND MINERAL WATER SET TO BE BACK TO RUSSIAN MARKET: IVANISHVILI

YEREVAN, February 5. / ARKA /. Former Georgian authorities artificially
limited exports of Georgian products to the Russian market, but now it
is opening up for us and soon our wines and mineral water will begin
flowing back to Russia, Georgian prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili,
told a news conference in Tbilisi, RBC reported.

“At first stage we will resume exports of wines and water, then
vegetables and fruits. The talks to this end are in full swing and
I think they will end successfully “, he said.

After coming to power in the autumn of 2012 Ivanishvili appointed
Zurab Abashidze as a special representative for the normalization of
relations with Russia, who had already meeting with a deputy Russian
foreign minister Grigory Karasin.

“The signals from Russia, in terms of restoring relations are very
positive. According to my analysis, we have the opportunity to
normalize relations with our big neighbor. This will not happen
quickly, but we’ll make it. We will spare no effort for this,”
he stressed.

However, the country’s foreign policy remains unchanged, the prime
minister said. “Our foreign policy course is integration with
the European and Euro-Atlantic association. We have not made a
single step back, and the criticism of our opponents is completely
incomprehensible,” Ivanishvili said.

Speaking on resumption of export of wines to Russia he said Georgian
specialists will strictly control the quality of the wine to be sold
to Russia.

“The Russian market will not be as simple as before. Wine producers
should be serious about it, they will have a lot of competitors there.

We should only send high-quality organic products,” he said.

He said Georgian experts will control the quality of products not only
in the country but also in the Russian market, so that fake products
are not sold there as Georgian.

According to Georgian prime minister, Russian business is interested in
coming back to Georgian market. He found this out during his meetings
with Russian businessmen at Davos economic forum.

Ivanishvili urged also Georgian businessmen working in Russia to
invest in their homeland.

According to preliminary information, the export of Georgian wine,
discontinued by the Russian embargo in 2006, will resume in full by
autumn. -0-

AZERBAIJANI INTELLIGENTSIA DEMANDS TO BURN EYLISLI’S WORKS: YOU HAVE TO BE IMMORAL TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH ARMENIANS

18:13 05/02/2013 ” SOCIETY

Azerbaijani national writer Ekrem Eylisli, author of the book “Stone
dreams” which is about the massacre of Armenians is still being
haunted. In Baku, they seriously call on to deprive him of his state
awards and citizenship and to deport him from the country. The MPs
call on to cut off his ear and the pro-governmental intellectuals
suggest burning all the works of the author publicly.

Murad Kohnagala writes in Kulis.az, “Our image as barbarians is forever
engraved in the memory of the Armenians. They can never be friend to
us. They are our eternal enemies. This feud will end only with the
end of the planet. We cannot make friends with the Armenians with
the help of such humanistic works like Ekrem’s. It’s also wrong to
give Armenians autonomy in Karabakh and allow them to live on these
lands. We should occupy the lands by arms and to drive them all out
of there. One must be immoral to be friends with the Armenians.”

The so-called Union of Refugees issued a statement in which they
suggest to exclude from all the school textbooks the works written by
Ekrem Eylisli. “We do not want to bring our children up by the works
of Armenian writer,” Modern.az quotes the statement. The statement
also says, “Let’s give Eylisli, who is so delighted by the “spiritual
values” of his own people, to Armenians. From now on, let everyone
call him not Ekrem Eylisli, but Aram Aguletsi.”

Source: Panorama.am

WOUNDED ARMENIAN CANDIDATE WILL NOT DELAY PRESIDENTIAL VOTE

By Hasmik Lazarian
YEREVAN | Tue Feb 5, 2013 1:25pm GMT

(Reuters) – An Armenian presidential candidate who was shot last
week will not seek a postponement to this month’s election to avoid
the risk of further instability in the former Soviet republic, his
lawyer and other backers said on Tuesday.

Paruyr Hayrikyan, an outsider in the race in which President Serzh
Sarksyan is widely expected to win a new five-year term, was shot in
the shoulder on January 31 near his home in Yerevan.

He could have asked the Constitutional Court for a two-week
postponement of the February 18 vote, which would have raised the
prospect of instability in republic in the volatile South Caucasus
region that carries oil and natural gas to Europe.

Hayrikyan did not want to let that happen, a spokesman said.

“The goal of the attack was to kill Hayrikyan and organise a new
elections. Taking that into consideration, we want to make sure they do
not attain their goal,” Karo Yeghnukyan, a spokesman for the candidate,
told a news conference.

Stability is vital to the nation of 2.3 million to woo investors and
boost an economy struggling with regional isolation and the effects
of a war with neighbouring Azerbaijan in the 1990s.

Violence flared after Sarksyan’s election in 2008, leaving 10 people
dead when police clashed with supporters of former president and
opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan who protested for days on
the streets of the capital.

The government imposed a state of emergency during the unrest in the
landlocked nation that borders Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran and Georgia.

Hayrikyan’s lawyer, Levon Baghdasaryan, confirmed that he would let
the election go ahead as planned despite difficulties in continuing
his campaign.

“Regardless of the fact that as a result of the assassination attempt
insurmountable hurdles have arisen, Hayrikyan will not appeal to the
Constitutional Court with a demand to postpone the day of presidential
election,” he said.

Doctors have removed the bullet and said Hayrikyan’s life was not
in danger, but he remained in hospital on Tuesday. Police have not
named any suspects.

Hayrikyan, a pro-Western former Soviet dissident, said hours after
the shooting that he suspected a foreign secret service and suggested
he was referring to Russia, which is Armenia’s main ally and has a
military base on its territory.

Its relations with Azerbaijan have been severely strained since a war
over Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in Azerbaijan that is controlled by
ethnic Armenians, which killed some 30,000 people before a cease-fire
in 1994.

Relations with Turkey have also been fraught after Ankara closed its
border with Armenia in 1993 in support of ethnic kin in Azerbaijan.

Armenia wants Turkey to recognise mass killings of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks in 1915 as genocide.

Hayrikyan, 63, leads a moderate opposition party, the National
Self-determination Union and ran for president in 2003.

(Writing by Thomas Grove; Editing by Alison Williams)

FUNERAL FIRM CONFIRMS US VICTIM’S HEAVY WOUNDS AS FAMILY AWAITS BODY

ISTANBUL – Hurriyet Daily News

Sarai Sierra’s body was taken to a morgue at an Armenian church,
Surp Yerrortutyun, before being sent to the U.S. AA photo Vercihan
[email protected] Sarai Sierra, a New York
City woman found dead in Istanbul while on a vacation, had suffered
serious wounds to her head and face, the local funeral company that
is helping to send her remains to the United States has confirmed.

The news matched preliminary reports published in the Turkish press.

Sierra’s body was taken to the morgue of Surp Yerortutyun (Holy
Trinity), an Armenian church in central Istanbul, on the evening on
Feb. 4.

Manuel Manukyan, owner of the Nevzat funeral company, told the
Hurriyet Daily News that he was in contact with the U.S. consulate
on the issue and had also informed the family about the costs.

He said he saw the preliminary forensic report before taking the body.

Some wounds were clearly seen, he said. “There are serious blows,
particularly to her head and face.”

The company is waiting for authorization papers from the U.S., but
the timing of the delivery of the body remains unclear, Manukyan said.

Sierra’s parents, Betzaida and Dennis Jimenez, said at a press
conference at the home of a family friend on New York’s Staten Island
on Feb. 4 that the family’s immediate concern was repatriating Sierra’s
body to the U.S.

Sierra’s body was found in Sarayburnu, 13 days after she went
missing on Jan. 21. Her jewelry had not been removed, but her tablet
computer and smart phone had been stolen. A blanket was found nearby,
suggesting Sierra may have been taken from another crime scene to
Sarayburnu. Police have been searching for the tablet and the mobile
phone with detectors in the surrounding area.

FBI involved

The FBI is playing a significant role in the investigation into the
death of Sierra, a U.S. congressman said during the press event.

Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, said U.S. investigators had been
invited by Turkish authorities to assist as they try to find out what
happened to Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two.

Sierra’s body taken to Armenian Catholic Church Sierra’s husband,
Steven Sierra, and brother David Jimenez, are still in Istanbul
after coming last week to aid in the search. Steven Sierra intends
to accompany her body back to New York, but the family is still
determining how to fund the transport. Their church and friends
are working to raise money to help defray the costs, The Associated
Press reported.

On Feb. 4, police with sniffer dogs scoured the area where the body
was found for clues, it said. According to media reports, a forensic
lab will examine samples from Sierra’s fingernails as well as hair
and other samples from a blanket found near her body. It said some
nail scrapings suggest she may have tried to fight off at least
one attacker.

The trip to New York was Sierra’s first trip overseas alone after
her childhood friend, Magdalena Rodriguez, backed out. At the news
conference in New York, Rodriguez fought back tears as she said she
wished she had not changed her plans.

“I wasn’t working at the time and I didn’t have the money to go,”
The Associated Press quoted her as saying.

Family and friends described Sierra as a devoted mother to her 9- and
11-year-old sons who volunteered at their school and worked part time
so she would be available for them after school. “Every time I saw
her, she was always with her family,” said another longtime friend,
Dulce Arroyo.

Arroyo ran across Sierra on a shopping trip two days before she left
the U.S. and said traveling alone did not appear to be a frightening
prospect. Her friend was looking forward to an exciting adventure
and spent most of their conversation talking about the murals and
architecture she planned to photograph.

“She was perfectly OK with taking this trip on her own,” Arroyo said.

“She was thrilled.”

Body of missing US woman found in Istanbul Dennis Jimenez said Sierra
tried to calm any fears by emphasizing that she would be in regular
contact via video calls and text messages.

“I didn’t want her to go, but she wanted to go,” he said. “Turkey
was a land rich in architecture and ancient history, and she was very
fascinated by that.”

He said she shared her photos online and checked in frequently. “You
could tell that she was happy.”

Grimm said Turkish police still had hours of video footage to review
as they piece together Sierra’s last movements. A special unit of
Turkish police that was set up to locate Sierra has an image of her
at Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul’s Golden Horn waterway and
where she went on her last day to take photos.

The trip also included preplanned excursions to Amsterdam and Munich.

Betzaida Jimenez said her two grandsons did not know what happened
to their mother. They only know their father went to get her after
her vacation, The Associated Press also reported.

February/05/2013