Author: Badalian Vardan

HRW CALLS ON AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE RIGHTS FOR ISMAYILLI PROTESTERS

BERLIN. January 30, 2013: The Human Rights Watch issued a press release
calling on the Azerbaijani government to respect the rights of the
people arrested during the Ismayilli protests. Below is the full
text: Azerbaijani authorities should ensure that everyone detained
in connection with riots and protests in the city of Ismayilli has
access to a lawyer and that no one is ill-treated in custody. The
authorities should free everyone detained in Baku, the capital, who
did no more than peacefully protest events in Ismayilli, and ensure
independent monitors enjoy unimpeded access to Ismayilli.

Violence erupted in Ismayilli, a regional center about 200 kilometers
northwest of Baku, on January 23, 2013. A seemingly minor car accident
led to riots and mass protests calling for the local governor’s
resignation. Numerous news media reports described several waves of
clashes between law enforcement and protesters. Police used teargas and
rubber bullets to quash the riots and restore order. In the aftermath,
dozens of people were arrested in Ismayilli, though authorities say
that as of January 30 only 12 remain in custody, facing criminal
charges of looting and organizing riots. Many others have been fined
and released.

“The Azerbaijani authorities have a terrible record of ill-treating
detainees,” said Giorgi Gogia, senior South Caucasus researcher at
Human Rights Watch. “The government needs to make sure that no one held
in relation to the riots and protests in Ismayilli is ill-treated. A
key safeguard against that happening is to immediately allow detainees
confidential meetings with their lawyers.”

Although information is difficult to verify as residents are afraid
of speaking out, Human Rights Watch spoke with three lawyers who
reported several incidents of due process violations and one case in
which a detainee was beaten in custody.

On January 26 in Baku, a large number of uniformed and plainclothes
police rounded up dozens of people who tried to hold a peaceful,
but unsanctioned, rally in the city center to express solidarity with
people in Ismayilli.

On January 29 in Ismayilli, police stopped a group of 20 human rights
defenders monitoring events there. A member of the group said police
took five of them to the police station for questioning, and then
released them, with instructions for the group to leave Ismayilli
because their presence risked “raising tensions.” The group remained
in Ismayilli.

The government should allow human rights monitors and journalists
unimpeded access to Ismayilli to document the events that began on
January 23, as well as assess the treatment of detainees, and whether
the police have engaged in excessive force to quell the riots, Human
Rights Watch said.

The crackdown, and the arrests in Baku, came less than a week after
the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly adopted a report highly
critical of the Azerbaijani government’s human rights record. The
assembly said in a resolution that Azerbaijan’s authorities should
take concrete steps to ensure independence of the judiciary, hold
law enforcement officials accountable for torture and ill-treatment,
decriminalize libel, and ensure freedom of expression and assembly.

The unrest in Ismayilli started during the night of January 23, when
a hotel owner who media reports said is related to the local governor
drove his car into an electricity pole and started to fight with a
taxi driver parked nearby. Based on numerous media reports, dozens
of other people joined the brawl to support the taxi driver, and an
angry mob torched the hotel and two cars parked in the backyard. The
mob then set fire to a car and two motorcycles parked at the home of
the regional governor’s son. The police said the rioting lasted for
about four hours and that they struggled to contain the mayhem.

The next day hundreds of protesters gathered in front of regional
government buildings and demanded the governor’s resignation. The
protesters expressed frustration with poverty, widespread unemployment,
and corruption. Law enforcement officers used teargas, water cannons,
and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, detaining dozens of
protesters.

Human Rights Watch is not in a position to assess whether the
circumstances warranted use of force to disperse the protesters,
nor if law enforcement escalated the use of force in a proportionate
manner. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE), which has a mission in Baku and has carried out police training
programs, should examine whether the use of force was carried out in
accordance with international standards, Human Rights Watch said.

Because rubber bullets may in certain circumstances have lethal
force, they should be treated for practical purposes as firearms,
Human Rights Watch said. The United Nations Basic Principles on the
Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officers state that “law
enforcement officials must not use firearms against persons except
in self-defense or defense of others against the imminent threat of
death or serious injury.”

“A lot of questions need to be answered about what happened in
Ismayilli,” Gogia said. “Was the use of force necessary? Did police
exhaust non-violent methods of crowd dispersal? And if so, was the
force used proportionate to the threat? The authorities should allow
human rights defenders to look into these issues without hindrance.”

Detention and Ill-treatment Police have not yet released official data
on how many people were detained. In Ismayilli, local activists told
Human Rights Watch that at least 150 people were arrested on January 24
and 25, although some media reports cite higher figures. Most detainees
were transferred to nearby districts of Gokchay, Gabala, and Shamakhi,
while some were taken to Baku’s Nasimi district police station.

There have been credible allegations of ill-treatment during
detention and in police custody. “Rufat” (name altered for security
considerations), a close relative of a released detainee, told Human
Rights Watch that the detainee, “Emin,” had been beaten in police
custody to coerce him into signing a false confession that he had
engaged in looting. Rufat said that police beat Emin on his chest
using a rubber truncheon, as a result of which Emin was still having
severe chest pains. Emin was released after a court appearance in
which he was fined.

“Authorities should conduct prompt, thorough, and effective
investigation into all allegations of ill-treatment in custody and
hold those responsible to account,” Gogia said.

Perfunctory Trials Many of the detainees were tried for misdemeanor
violations for participating in unsanctioned demonstrations and
resisting police orders. Human Rights Watch interviewed several lawyers
who had problems getting access to their clients and defending them
effectively and who said trials were short and perfunctory.

One of the lawyers said that despite numerous requests he was not
allowed to meet confidentially with his client, who was detained on
January 25 and is being held at the Organized Crime Unit in Baku.

Police initially denied him access altogether, and later said he
could meet with the client only in presence of an investigator.

“I had information that my client had been beaten in custody and
wanted to have a face-to-face meeting with him,” the lawyer said.

“However, they [police] wanted the investigator to be present there,
so that my client would not speak to me openly. I refused to have
such a meeting altogether.”

Human Rights Watch has previously reported on torture and ill-treatment
at the Organized Crime Unit.

Another lawyer, who requested anonymity, told Human Rights Watch that
police asked him to serve as a defense lawyer for one of the detainees
and instructed him to urge the man to sign a prepared confession and
plead guilty. The lawyer refused.

Another lawyer told Human Rights Watch that trials lasted barely more
than a few minutes. He said he had observed the Gokchay District
Court sentence about 80 detainees under administrative proceedings
in less than 10 minutes.

All detainees have the right to due process, including a right to a
lawyer of their choosing, as well as to an open and fair trial, and
the authorities should guarantee these rights, Human Rights Watch said.

According to numerous media reports, Ismayilli is under effective
lockdown. Several residents described to Human Rights Watch a heavy
police presence in the area, including armored vehicles. While there
is no official curfew, the residents are urged not to leave their
homes after 8 p.m. Reports suggest that police have been using amateur
video footage available online to identify participants in protest
actions and detain them.

Violent Dispersal of Peaceful Baku Protest On January 26, youth
activists tried to organize a protest in Baku’s center to express
support for people in Ismayilli. Starting in early morning, uniformed
and plainclothes police amassed in the city center.

As soon as the activists started arriving, chanting “Freedom!” or
other slogans, police rounded them up, shoving them into waiting
buses and police cars. Numerous amateur videos, as well as Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty live streaming from the protest, showed that the
demonstration was peaceful and that the protesters did not offer any
resistance or use any violence.

“Although the demonstration was unsanctioned, the police should
not have used force to disperse protesters who posed no threat,”
Gogia said.

Police rounded up more than 50 of the Baku protesters. Some were
released after being transported to the outskirts of Baku. Others
were taken into police detention and faced administrative charges for
participating in and organizing an unsanctioned rally. Local courts
sentenced five activists to administrative imprisonment ranging from
13 to 15 days, including the well-known blogger and social media
activist Emin Milli, who is serving a 15-day sentence.

The courts also fined three activists up to 2,500 AZN (about US$3,200)
for organizing an unsanctioned protest, while 17 protesters were fined
between 400 (about $510) and 600 AZN (about $760) for participating
in an unauthorized protest.

Since early 2006, authorities have not authorized a single opposition
protest in the center of Baku and have forced all political
demonstrations into designated zones on the outskirts of the city.

Such a blanket ban on freedom of assembly in the central areas of
Baku goes against Azerbaijan’s international commitments to freedom of
assembly and expression, Human Rights Watch said. As the European Court
of Human Rights has warned, “Sweeping measures of preventive nature
to suppress freedom of assembly and expression … do a disservice
to democracy and often endanger it.”

In November 2012, in a further restrictive move, the parliament
increased sanctions for participating in and organizing unauthorized
protests, establishing fines of up to 1,000 AZN ($1,274) for
participating and 3,000 AZN (US$3,822) for organizing.

Azerbaijan is a party to a number of human rights treaties, including
the European Convention on Human Rights, which imposes obligations on
the government to respect the right of assembly and to refrain in all
circumstances from engaging in prohibited ill-treatment of protesters.

The government also has a duty to investigate and remedy violations.

The Council of Europe assembly’s resolution on Azerbaijan’s rights
record highlighted many outstanding concerns, including violations
of freedom of assembly. The assembly urged the authorities to ensure
freedom of assembly by allowing protest actions to take place in some
areas of Baku city center and called on them to “refrain from using
disproportionate police force against peaceful protesters.”

“Azerbaijan should heed to the Council of Europe’s recommendations and
stop banning peaceful assemblies, release anyone detained for merely
expressing their views publicly, and investigate law enforcements’
actions,” Gogia said (HRW).

NAMES OF THOSE THAT DISAGREE WITH PRESIDENT SARGSYAN ARE REMOVED FROM HISTORY – PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER

NEWS.AM
January 31, 2013 | 12:15

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s presidential candidate, non-party affiliate,
epic poetry specialist Vardan Sedrakyan will kick off his election
campaign on Thursday. Sedrakyan himself informed this during a press
conference on the same day.

Also, he recalled that the MOD held an event Monday on the occasion of
Army Day and “a presidential candidate” (i.e., the ruling Republican
Party candidate, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan) likewise attended
it, not as a presidential contender, but rather as Commander-in-Chief
of the army; and this, as per Sedrakyan, is an overt manifestation
of inequality.

“What is more, they are speaking solely about Serzh Sargsyan’s
heroisms. The Armenian army is formed by the order of the First
President of Armenia. The names of all those people that disagree
with Serzh Sargsyan are being distorted and removed,” Vardan Sedrakyan
added.

TURKEY’S KRG ENERGY PARTNERSHIP

Posted By Gonul Tol Tuesday, January 29, 2013 – 3:07 PM

Only a few years back, the idea of an independent Kurdistan bordering
Turkey would have had Ankara up in arms. Not anymore. Past tensions
have been supplanted by a new energy partnership and Turkey seems far
less worried about the prospect of an independent Kurdistan. In May
2012, Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cut a deal to
build one gas and two oil pipelines directly from Kurdish-controlled
northern Iraq to Turkey without the approval of Baghdad, taking the
rapprochement started between the two in 2009 one step further. If
realized, the Kurdish pipelines will for the first time provide the
Kurds direct access to world markets, bypassing the Baghdad controlled
Kirkuk-Ceyhan (Turkey) pipeline bringing the KRG one step closer to
the long-held dream of Kurdish independence.

Some pundits have argued that for this very reason Turkish approval
of a Kurdish pipeline is a long shot. But the construction seems
to be underway. According to Turkish press, the KRG has already
begun construction on the oil and gas pipelines which are due to be
operational by early 2014.

A couple of factors account for the sea change in Turkey’s KRG policy.

The first being Turkey’s energy strategy. Turkey is an energy hungry
country with a six to eight percent annual increase in demand. In order
to sustain its economic growth, Ankara wants to strengthen its energy
security, ensure diversification of suppliers, and establish itself
as an energy hub between the energy-producing countries to its east
and the energy-consuming countries to its west. Currently, Turkey
relies heavily on imported energy from Russia and Iran. Recently,
however, Iranian sanctions have driven up Turkey’s energy costs.

Moreover, the Syrian crisis has revealed that energy dependence on
Iran and Russia might restrict Turkey’s room for diplomatic maneuver.

This is where the Iraqi Kurdish energy supply comes in handy. The
Kurdish region sits on significant, nearly untapped oil and gas
reserves. The KRG would offer Turkey a high quality low cost energy
alternative to Iran and Russia while Turkey might serve as a conduit
for KRG energy exports to Europe.

There are also geostrategic considerations behind Turkey’s volte-face.

The Syrian uprising has strained Turkey’s once strong ties with
Iran and Syria. In retaliation for Turkey’s support of the Syrian
opposition, Bashar al-Assad has given the Democratic Union Party
(PYD), the PKK’s Syrian offshoot, a free hand to establish itself
in the country’s north. Turkish intelligence reports indicate that
Iran has been providing shelter and logistical support for the PKK
to launch attacks against Turkey as well. The KRG, on the other hand,
has banned pro-PKK political parties, arrested PKK politicians, closed
down PKK offices, and closely monitors pro-PKK activities. Against
the backdrop of shifting dynamics in Turkey’s immediate neighborhood
and mounting PKK attacks, cultivating closer ties with the KRG has
become one of the most important components of Turkey’s anti-terror
strategy and the government’s most recent “Imrali process,” the peace
talks with the PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Yet another intricacy for Turkey’s regional policy has been the face
off with Baghdad. An already strained relationship between Ankara
and Baghdad due to diverging stances over Syria came to a head after
the U.S. withdrawal. In an effort to consolidate his power, Iraqi
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issued an arrest warrant for Sunni
Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on terrorism charges. Turkey granted
refuge to Hashemi and refused to extradite him dealing yet another
blow to bilateral relations. The energy deals Turkey signed with
the KRG are the latest in the Baghdad-Ankara confrontation. Baghdad
is accusing Ankara of meddling in Iraqi affairs by “backing radical
Sunni elements” in the country and signing “illegal” energy deals
with the Iraqi Kurds, while Ankara is charging Maliki of provoking
sectarian tensions and leading Iraq into civil war. Maliki’s growing
tilt toward Iran has only exacerbated the tension.

Facing a host of new challenges including an increasingly antagonistic
Maliki government, growing Iranian influence in Iraq, mounting PKK
attacks, and increasing energy demand, Turkey seems to have found an
unlikely ally in its ordeal.

Strange as it may sound, the United States is not happy about Turkey’s
courtship with Iraqi Kurds. Since the first Gulf War, Turkish-U.S.

relations suffered multiple crises over the latter’s support for Iraqi
Kurds. This time, however, it is the other way around. Last week,
Feridun Sinirlioglu, Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, had a meeting with the State Department in which the United
States reiterated its opposition to the energy deals directly between
Ankara and the KRG fearing that closer energy ties might push Baghdad’s
Shiite government closer toward Tehran and threaten Iraqi unity.

Despite opposition from Baghdad and the United States, there seems to
be little that can stop the ball from rolling on energy cooperation
between Ankara and the KRG. In an interview with Turkish daily Hurriyet
on January 8, Namik Tan, Turkey’s ambassador to the United States,
made it loud and clear: we will not turn our back on the KRG’s energy
resources.

The energy deals foreshadow a major shift in Turkey’s Iraq policy.

Gone are the days when the KRG was seen as part of the problem; it
is now viewed as part of the solution. Turkey cannot only tolerate
an independent Kurdistan but also benefit from it, as long as it
remains dependent economically on Turkey. An independent Kurdistan
could offer a source of energy, a buffer against a hostile Baghdad
and Iran, and an important ally in Turkey’s fight against the PKK.

Yet it is not all roses; risks abound for both parties. The oil
pipeline deal will allow the Kurds to export up to one million barrels
per day, but it might also make reconciliation between Erbil and
Baghdad harder to achieve. If the KRG does not find a constitutional
solution to its dispute with Baghdad over its contentious hydrocarbon
law, the conflict will become regionalized inviting further meddling
in Iraqi politics by neighboring powers. Ensuing instability carries
the risk of scaring away badly needed foreign investment.

Additionally, by bypassing Baghdad in its bilateral agreements with
the KRG, Turkey risks losing investment in southern Iraq which holds
the country’s largest explored oil and gas reserves.

Regardless, Turkey seems ready to take the risk. In light of Turkey’s
long tortured history with the Kurds, such a radical shift seems
nothing short of astonishing.

Gonul Tol is the founding director of the Center for Turkish Studies
at the Middle East Institute.

GENERAL MOTORS
Haik Aramyan

11:05 31/01/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

During the visit of the Russian minister of defense Shoygu and CSTO
Secretary General Borduzha areas and timing of military economic
cooperation were defined. Agreement was reached to produce Russian
military Kamaz truck spare parts in Armenia.

It is remembered that at the end of 1990s General Motors was said to
set up a plant in Armenia. At that time the representative of General
Motors to the CIS was Levon Hairapetyan.

The Russians quickly prevented it. The ex-mayor of Moscow Luzhkov
rushed to Armenia together with the director of Moskvich and signed an
agreement on setting up a plant of spare parts in Yerevan. At that
time, Luzhkov had a tremendous plan of revival of Moskvich cars, even
some new models were produced. However, enthusiasm died right away,
and the agreement remained on paper. After all, it is possible to
revive anything by Moskvich cars.

However, it was the secondary issue because the primary one was to
block the way of General Motors to Armenia with the help of Luzhkov’s
car campaign. It is hard to tell what role each had and how interested
the “participants” were. Eventually, General Motors set up its plant
in Russia, while Armenia suffered both politically and economically.

By the way, General Motors is not just industry but the symbol of the
Western hi-tech civilization. The Russians would never allow this
symbol to Armenia. And Moskvich was used to show the Armenians to
their place.

Kamaz is not Moskvich, of course. Kamaz team wins Paris-Dakar almost
every year but it does not boost serial production and export.

Nevertheless, Kamaz is a good car, the best in the region. If the
agreement on the production of Kamaz spare parts is brought into
being, it will indicate the willingness of Russians to change the
nature of relations with Armenia. These relations are still far from
hi-tech but quite bearable considering the nature of the Armenian
elite. For the time being, the Russians and Armenians are not capable
of more.

ARMENIANS TO ESTABLISH ‘GENOCIDE’ MEMORIAL COMPLEX IN SEVRES

30 January 2013 /TODAY’S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL

An initiative of the Armenian diaspora in France plans to establish
an “Armenian genocide” memorial complex among the buildings of the
Mekhitarist Congregation’s Samuel-Murad School in the Sevres district
of Paris, known as the place where the Ottoman Empire signed a peace
treaty with the Allies in 1920 following the end of World War I.

The project is to be carried out by the Sevres 2015 Association in
Paris and will include a museum as well as a center for research
and lectures.

“The goal of our project is to institutionalize the Armenian presence
and experience in Sevres,” said Jirair Gergerian, the president of
the Sevres 2015 Association.

The project will begin with the establishment of an independent
foundation that will be provided with the congregation’s lands,
located in the Armenian-populated communities of Paris. The memorial
will open on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the so-called
‘Armenian genocide’ in 2015.

Armenians claim that the 1915 killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians
as the Ottoman Empire broke up was the 20th century’s first genocide,
and several European countries have recognized the massacres as such.

Switzerland has convicted people of racism for denying the genocide.

But Turkey asserts that there was no systematic campaign to
kill Armenians and that many Turks also died during the chaotic
disintegration of the empire. It also argues the death toll is
inflated.

L’ENTREE DE CERTAINS OLIGARQUES ARMENIENS AUX ETATS-UNIS SERAIT-ELLE EMPECHEE DEPUIS LES EVENEMENTS DE MARS 2008

Selon les informations de Jamanak, depuis les evenements de mars
2008, les Etats-Unis refuseraient de delivrer des visas d’entree
a certains oligarques armeniens, dont Samvel Alexanian, Rouben
Hayrapetian, president de la federation de football, Mher Sedrakian,
Levon Sarkissian etc. Jusqu’a une date recente, l’entree de Gaguik
Beglarian, ancien maire d’Erevan et actuel Ministre des Transports, aux
Etats-Unis aurait ete empechee. D’après les informations du quotidien,
il n’est pas exclu que, suite aux elections presidentielles, Washington
et Bruxelles etablissent une liste de fonctionnaires et oligarques
dont l’entree aux Etats-Unis et dans les pays de l’UE serait interdite.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 24 janvier 2013

jeudi 31 janvier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

RUSSIE ET ARMENIE PARLENT COOPERATION MILITAIRE

Le ministre russe de la Defense en visite en Armenie Medvedev promet
de soutenir l’Armenie Armenie : la presence militaire russe est voulue
(officiel) Armenie : elargissement de la zone de responsabilite des
militaires russes (president) Caucase : la base militaire russe en
Armenie renforce la paix (experts)

Le ministre de la Defense russe Sergueï Choïgou et son homologue
armenien Seyran Ohanian ont evoque mardi a Erevan la securite regionale
et internationale, ainsi que plusieurs aspects de la cooperation
militaro-technique bilaterale, rapporte le correspondant de RIA
Novosti a Erevan.

“Nous avons egalement etudie plusieurs questions relatives au
stationnement de la base militaire russe”, a fait savoir le ministre
armenien a la presse a l’issue des entretiens.

Il s’est declare persuade que la visite de M.Choïgou donnerait un
nouvel elan au developpement des relations russo-armeniennes dans le
domaine militaire.

Le ministre russe de la Defense, qui se trouve en visite officielle
en Armenie depuis lundi 28 janvier, avait ete auparavant recu par le
president Serge Sargsian. Mardi, M.Choïgou devrait visiter la 102e
base militaire russe situee dans la ville de Gyumri (nord-ouest).

EREVAN, 29 janvier – RIA Novosti

jeudi 31 janvier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

UN MEMORIAL DU GENOCIDE A PASADENA PRODUIRA 1,5 MILLION DE GOUTTES DE LARMES PAR AN

Le memorial dedie au genocide armenien qui sera place a Pasadena
(Californie) et retenu par un comite cree pour l’occasion est le projet
de Katherine Menard. Ouvre empreinte ” d’emotion et convaincante,
elle sensibilisera egalement les jeunes ” dirent les membres du
comite. Le memorial represente une fontaine en pierre surmontee de
trois colonnes reunies a leur extremite et duquel toutes les trois
seconde coule une goutte d’eau representant les larmes. Les larmes des
victimes du genocide armenien. En une annee, 1,5 million de gouttes
de larmes couleront ainsi du memorial. ” L’art doit servir les causes
et mettre a jour les pages sombres de l’Histoire de l’humanite ” dit
l’artiste dont l’~uvre sera placee a Pasadena avant le 24 Avril 2015.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 31 janvier 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

BBC REFERRED TO UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

21:28, 30 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS: BBC has referred to upcoming
presidential elections in Armenia. As reports Armenpress, BBC noted
that there would not be a tough competitiveness during February 18
elections and that incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan is the favorite.

Leader of “Heritage” party Raffi Hovhannisyan is willing to recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh in case of being elected. That could become an
important issue for discussion during pre-elections campaign as
Armenian authorities prefer another country to recognize NKR first.

There are no other disagreements between candidates over external
and internal policies of Armenia. Former Prime Hrant Bagratyan is
paying special attention to economy of Armenia. Therefore, independent
experts have unanimously noted that incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan
is more likely to with elections than any other candidate,” BBC writes.

Afterwards British source presents nominated candidates and reminds
that youngest candidate, economist and businessman Andrias Ghukaysan
has declared hunger strike demanding CEC to eliminate incumbent
President Serzh Sargsyan from presidential race.

BBC reminded that several parties didn’t nominate any candidate,
highlighting absence of candidacy of First President Levon
Ter-Petrosian and leader of “Prosperous Armenia” party Gagik
Tsarukyan. Central Electoral Commission has recorded 8 candidates.

AZERBAIJAN SERIOUS ABOUT AIR SPACE DEFENSE

30 January 2013 – 7:00pm

The recent statements concerning Azerbaijani air space are not jokes,
the country’s defense ministry underlines. That is the body’s official
response to the CSTO chief’s statement.

Nikolay Bordyuzha, the secretary general of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization, said yesterday the statement saying that
Azerbaijan will down planes flying over Karabakh without its official
permission was probably a joke or was misinterpreted.

Azerbaijan is serious about defending its air space, the defense
ministry’s spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu says.

“It is not a joke. We will take all the necessary measures in case
of unauthorized flights over our territory,” he said.