Author: Badalian Vardan

EURONEST REP CALLS ON VOTING AGAINST RESOLUTION ON CASE OF RAMIL SAFAROV

Azerbaijan Business Center
Sept 10 2012

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The European Parliament plans to debate a
resolution in connection with pardon of officer Ramil Safarov in
Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s representative to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Elkhan
Suleymanov applied to the European Parliament’s members with an appeal
to show once more that they are members of the House of Freedom &
Integrity, and not double standards and inaccuracies.

“I urge you to vote, on Thursday the 13th of September, at 4 pm,
against the Resolution on the Case of Ramil Safarov, as an inaccurate,
incomplete and unfair act,” Suleymanov said.

He pointed out that the selection for this Strasbourg Parliamentary
session of a subject for Rule 122 Urgency Resolutions that does not,
in fact, fall within the competency of this Rule: the case of Ramil
Safarov.

“Indeed, it may seem as a problematic case and, indeed, there are
some who do not agree with the motivations of the parties involved.

Nonetheless, there is nothing in this case that falls within the
scope of Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament.

Finally, there is no breach of the rule of law. All was done in full
respect of the law and to the letter of the law. There can be no doubt,
agree or not with the decision, the law is the law. Therefore, while
the European Parliament can – or more accurately – some members may
disagree, it should first and foremost follow its own internal rules
and regulations accurately,” Suleymanov said.

Agence France Presse
7 septembre 2012 vendredi 2:49 PM GMT

Azerbaïdjan/Arménie: l’ONU “très préoccupée” par l’affaire Safarov

GENEVE 07 sept 2012

Le Haut-commissariat des droits de l’Homme de l’ONU est “très
préoccupé” par l’affaire Ramil Safarov, un officier azerbaïdjanais
condamné en Hongrie à la prison à vie pour le meutre d’un officier
arménien en 2004 à Budapest mais libéré et promu après le retour dans
son pays, a déclaré vendredi un porte-parole de l’instance onusienne à
Genève.

Le lieutenant Ramil Safarov avait été condamné en Hongrie à la
perpétuité en 2004 pour avoir décapité l’officier arménien Gourgen
Margarian. Extradé vers son pays par les autorités hongroises, il a
été grcié aussitôt par le président azerbaïdjanais Ilham Aliev et a
reçu une promotion.

“Notre préoccupation s’explique par le fait qu’il y a environ une
semaine, Safarov a été extradé de Hongrie vers l’Azerbaïdjan, où au
lieu de purger le reste de sa peine, il a été grcié par le président,
couvert de louanges et reçu une promotion au ministère de la défense,
ce qui a abouti à un mouvement international de protestations”, a dit
le porte-parole.

“Des crimes de haine, d’origine ethnique, de cette gravité, doivent
être punis, et non pas être glorifiés par des dirigeants politiques”,
a-t-il souligné.

Le secrétaire général de l’ONU Ban Ki-moon s’est également déclaré
“préoccupé” jeudi par cette grce présidentielle, tout comme les
Etats-Unis, l’Union européenne et la Russie.

BIAnet.org, Turkey
Sept 6 2012

`The AKP Could Never Internalize Democracy’

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has increasingly come
to view an authoritarian approach to politics as a solution to its own
failures, renowned journalist and writer Prof. Mehmet Altan told
bianet.

Ekin KARACA

The “Kurdish Initiative” launched by the incumbent government of the
Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2009 has since then
deteriorated into a tough “statist” rhetoric accompanied by calls for
the re-introduction of the death penalty.

Sadık Yakut, an AKP deputy from the central province of Kayseri,
issued a statement through his Twitter account on Aug. 25, suggesting
the abolition of the legislative immunity of deputies connected to
“terrorism” and the revival of capital punishment.

“Of course, [the death penalty] can be revived if society demands it.
Besides, society is focused on this path. I also believe the ban on
capital punishment ought to be lifted,” he told the daily Hürriyet.

We spoke to Prof. Mehmet Altan, a renowned journalist and a writer,
about the AKP’s ever toughening rhetoric on the Kurdish issue which
occasionally seems reminiscient of the language employed by the
National Security Council (MGK,) a far cry from the days it had
announced its “Kurdish Initiative.”

The AKP never internalized democracy, and once the idea of
democratization lost its currency, failures followed one after the
other, Prof. Altan said, adding that the government then grew
increasingly more authoritarian in consequence.

“They perceive authoritarianism as the sole remedy for mounting failures”

Referring to democracy as a “difficult story,” Prof. Altan said it was
not easy for someone born in Turkey today to internalize a democratic
culture.

“Unless you have an internal democratic guide, and if you think that
democracy is no answer and have no such goal as democratizing the
regime, then you fail to solve the problems and inadvertantly revert
back to the old, bygone methods that you had once been subjected to
yourself.”

“It is because the AKP’s management is so far removed from being a
structure that has internalized democracy that its failures begin to
mount the moment it drops the issue of democratization from the
agenda. As staying in power, rather than democratization, turns into
their first and only aim, they believe they can achieve this by
force.”

“This is a dead end. When you drop the issues of democracy and
democratization, failures begin to mount, and you perceive
authoritarianism as the sole remedy in turn.”

“The AKP attempted to take certain steps during the process of the
[Kurdish] Initiative without internalizing democracy. It was
impossible to reach a solution without first asking whether the PKK
(Kurdistan Workers’ Party) represented a cause or an effect.”

“The U.S. was to withdraw from Iraq, according to the plan. The U.S.
had also desired the mending of ties between Turkey and north Iraq.
The PKK was the only problem there. The prevalent perception was that
they would pull Syrian militants from up [north] with help from north
Iraq and the U.S., and they would thus solve the problem.”

“They did not analyze the [situation to realize that] this issue has a
sociological basis and that it was always a problem throughout
Turkey’s entire republican history. This problem could have been
resolved, however, if they had asked the fundamental question of
whether the PKK constituted the cause or the effect.”

“The AKP is a nationalist, conservative, Sunni and Islamist party”

The AKP began losing the initiative along with its accentuation of
Islamism instead of democratization, leading to a tightening squeeze
with respect to the government’s inability to solve the problem, and
Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek was thus forced to take the initiative
himself to resolve the Kurdish issue, according to Prof. Altan.

We asked Prof. Altan about the prospects of a rupture within the AKP
in light of the negative reactions elicited by Çiçek’s initiative both
from certain AKP members and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an,
despite the amenable response of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP.)

“The AKP has turned into a nationalist, conservative, Sunni and
Islamist party. The AKP wants keep going for the rest of its tenure by
reshaping its coalition, allying with the MHP (Nationalist Movement
Party) and the military brass and [acting like its predecessors.]”

“The presence of an interior minister like Ä°dris Naim Å?ahin is an
indication that the AKP is growing increasingly more similar to the
MHP, rather than democratizing. I believe this situation is a policy
[directly crafted by Prime Minister] ErdoÄ?an.”

“The AKP dreams of replacing secularism with religion”

The AKP’s only goal is to accrue votes and stay in power, Prof. Altan said.

“[The AKP] had received 58 percent of the votes in the referandum when
it had called for change. A new mind-set which aims to come to terms
with Ankara, the military and the status quo following the AKP’s
takeover of the state has come about, however. I do not believe this
will help them muster the [proportion of] votes they desire, or meet
Turkey’s demands. The current shape of things also points in this
direction.”

“The AKP also dreams of becoming a Mustafa Kemal (Turkey’s founder)
[with a twist] by replacing secularism with religion instead. None of
this will yield any results, however. Over a year has passed since the
elections, and this period has also shown that no results will come
about.”

“As the AKP is a highly pragmatic party, they could also turn very
progressive, very democratic, liberal and revolutionary all of a
sudden. But this would entirely nullify their persuasiveness over the
past decade.”

“The issue, however, is not about what the AKP may or may not be; it
is making sure that the reforms which Turkey needs come through. It
would be no cause for surprise if they attempted a very serious
‘initiative’ if they see they are going to lose the government.” (EKN)

Al-Shorfa
Sept 8 2012

Lena Kelekian: ‘My work takes me from science to art’

September 08, 2012 By Nohad Topalian in Beirut

Visual artist Lena Kelekian won the gold medal at the recent Olympic
Fine Arts Exhibition in London, adding a second Olympic gold and the
16th first prize in her career as an artist.

Kelekian is famed as an abstract artist and iconographer. She also
chairs several international art associations, including the Olympic
Fine Arts Association.

Al-Shorfa visited Kelekian at her workshop and spoke with her about
her artwork.

Al-Shorfa: Can you tell us about the painting that captured the gold
medal at the London Olympic Games?

Lena Kelekian: After the International Olympic Committee chose the
title “The Thames, the Great Wall — Embrace the World” for the
[Games’ official] international competition for visual arts this
summer, I did a painting with acrylic, pastels and ink on a
100-centimetre by 190-centimetre canvas. I used my own colours to
depict a complex scene rich with movement and intertwining lines that
show the Great Wall meeting the Thames as they revolve around the
central Olympic stadium [in London].

The painting includes London’s most prominent architectural features
like the Big Ben, London Bridge, the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral,
Westminster Palace, as well as slogans from most of the sporting
events, and the Olympic rings.

Al-Shorfa: Why were you chosen for this competition?

Kelekian: My story with the Olympics began in 2008. I had an auction
for the abstract paintings I did in Sarajevo, whose proceeds went to
help the children of that city. I then received an e-mail informing me
I had been chosen to take part in a competition whose results would
qualify me to take part in the Beijing Olympics’ fine arts
competition.

Out of the 10,000 artists competing in the first stage, only 100
artists reached the final stage and I came back from the Beijing
Olympics with my first gold medal and the Olympic torch for fine arts
in the visual arts [category]. The painting I submitted at the time
was also abstract, which I had painted in my free time during the July
2006 war.

Al-Shorfa: We know you more from your icons and murals. What about
your abstract art?

Kelekian: I specialised in geology, which allowed me to extract colour
from the earth. Because I love painting and art, I specialised in
icons and art restoration for 12 years. I was known as an icon and
mural artist and I did many murals in Beirut, other parts of Lebanon
and abroad, and I also painted many icons. In 1997, however, I turned
towards more international artwork and began doing abstract art, which
has no rules — the opposite of iconography.

My work takes me from science to art and my constant travel and world
experience enriches me with culture.

Al-Shorfa: Are you organising art exhibitions?

Kelekian: I organise many of them abroad, as well as some local
events. Because I chair the Olympia Fine Arts Association, I invited
artist friends from around the world to draw paintings of the
Clemenceau Medical Centre. They sent their wonderful paintings and I,
alone, did 350 paintings of the hospital’s other building.

Al-Shorfa: What about decorating cities with your murals?

Kelekian: I did many of those with my husband in Lebanon, specifically
in Beirut, Aley and Bourj Hammoud. In the last city, my husband and I
created beautiful murals and transformed a place infested with rats
and filled with waste to a public garden — we decorated its walls
with Disney characters. I also designed the benches along the Ain
al-Marisa Corniche.

On the international level, we have murals in Rhodes, Sarajevo and
soon in Jakarta.

Al-Shorfa: What happens after the London Olympics?

Kelekian: My husband and I will participate in the Beijing
International Art Biennale, where I will also give a lecture on
September 28th. Then, I will go to Korea to take part in an art
exhibition in Jeollabuk-do where, seven years ago, I exhibited a
painting of the Phoenician alphabet and my husband presented a
painting of the Armenian alphabet. My sister Hilda showed her painting
of the Fatiha. They are all still on exhibition there.

In Lebanon, the international artwork [I did] was displayed along
Beirut’s waterfront while other paintings of mine were displayed on
the Venezia and Le Vendome hotels to celebrate Queen Elizabeth of
Britain’s Golden Jubilee, the Olympic Games and other such art-related
events. My sister and I will organise an exhibition of all our
previous work from the past 20 years at the end of this year right
before [my] Long Island exhibition in New York.

I am planning a surprise — I will invite a thousand foreign artists
to organise an exhibition in central Beirut March 2013.

Al-Shorfa: What about icons?

Kelekian: I am working on a collection of icons in my workshop at the
same time I am also restoring a large collection of ancient icons from
the Roman Catholic Church in the ancient city of Sidon. These will
form the basis for an icon museum.

Yahoo! News
Sept 9 2012

2,000 Armenians flock to mass in ancient restored church

AFPSeptember 10, 2012, 8:38 am

ANKARA (AFP) – Around 2,000 Armenians from Turkey and the diaspora
flocked to a recently restored ancient church on a tiny island in the
east of the country for an annual mass on Sunday, media reported.

Boats provided a shuttle service for pilgrims from all over Turkey,
and some from Armenia and elsewhere in Europe, to the isle of Akdamar
(Akhtamar in Armenian) on Lake Van, to the 10th-century Church of the
Holy Cross, Anatolia news agency said.

Turkish authorities restored the church between 2005 and 2007, which
then opened as a museum. Mass was celebrated there for the first time
in 95 years in 2010.

According to the Turkish tourism ministry, the church attracted nearly
30,000 visitors in 2010, and similar number in 2011.

Monsignor Aram Atessian, the acting Armenian patriarch, presided over
this year’s mass, attended by 2,000 faithful, of whom only a few dozen
were able to watch inside the church, the rest following proceedings
from outside.

The congregation prayed for peace in the world at a time when Turkey’s
neighbour Syria, which also has a large community of Armenians, is
being torn apart by a conflict which has left thousands of people dead
since it erupted in March 2011.

The church is one of the very rare surviving indicators of the large
Armenian presence in Turkey under Ottoman rule, before the massacres
and deportations between 1915 and 1917 which Armenia considers
genocide, a term rejected by Ankara.

Today the Armenian community in Turkey, which numbers around 70,000,
is concentrated in Istanbul.
Neighbours Turkey and Armenia do not have diplomatic relations and a
move towards reconciliation launched in 2009 has not borne fruit.

Armenia Defeats Hungary, Wins Gold at Chess Olympiad

Posted by Weekly Staff
on September 9,
2012

ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.) – Armenia cemented its reputation as a chess
superpower by winning gold at the Chess Olympiad, after defeating Hungary
2.5-1.5 in the final round.
[image: AKA 5850 199×300 Armenia Defeats Hungary, Wins Gold at Chess
Olympiad]

Sergei Movsesian during the final round (Photo by Arman Karakhanyan)

Sergei Movsesian was Armenia’s hero of the day. He secured the crucial
victory against Hungary’s Zoltan Almasi. Levon Aronian, Vladimir Akopian,
and Gabriel Sargissian drew their
games
.

China, Armenia, and Russia had entered the final round with 17 points each.

Russia defeated Germany 3-1, but fell behind Armenia on tiebreak.

China lost its match against the Ukraine 3-1 and fell behind.

Armenia emerged victorious from 9 out of 11 matches. It only lost to China
and drew its match against Russia.

Organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the Olympiad is the
most prestigious team
competitionin
the chess world.

The top-seeds were Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, China,
and the U.S., respectively.

The Armenian national team is represented by Levon Aronian, Sergei
Movsesian, Vladimir Akopian, Gabriel Sargissian, and Tigran Petrosian.

Armenia won the 2006 and 2008 Olympiads, and came in seventh in 2010. It
came third in 1992, 2002 and 2004.

In 2011, Armenia also won the world team chess championship.

Budapest Times, Hungary
Sept 9 2012

States of denial

Backgrounder: Repatriation and release of jailed Azeri murderer
threatens to reignite frozen conflict, raises questions of Hungarian
realpolitik

Posted on 09 September 2012, Author: Robert Hodgson

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (left) was the guest of honour at a dinner
held by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in June on the sidelines of a an
energy policy forum in Baku.

Hungary’s government was again in diplomatic hot water this week
following the transfer last Friday of convicted murderer Ramil Sahib
Safarov home to Azerbaijan. Upon arrival in Baku, the soldier was
pardoned by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, promised eight years’ back
pay, promoted to major and feted as a national hero.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s conservative government insists that it
had received Azerbaijan’s assurance that Safarov would serve the
remainder of his 30-year jail term in an Azeri prison. Both Hungary
and Azerbaijan have denied that there was any backroom deal involved
in the handover.

Alleged EUR?3 billion bond deal

However, there was enough circumstantial evidence to convince Orbán’s
opponents to the contrary. The prime minister had travelled at the end
of June to participate in an energy policy forum in the Azeri capital
Baku, where Aliyev held a dinner in his honour. Some weeks later, the
financial news magazine Figyelõ reported, on 23 August, that Hungary
was in negotiations with Azerbaijan over the sale of EUR 2-3 billion
worth of government bonds.
This was denied the following day when László András Borbély, the
deputy CEO of state debt management company ÁKK, told business news
station Gazdasági Rádió that no debt issuances will be made while
Hungary is in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a
second multi-billion euro bailout. Azerbaijan’s state oil fund issued
its own denial on Tuesday: there are no plans to purchase Hungarian
bonds.

Ambassador on the carpet

As news of Safarov’s pardon made headlines around the world, the Azeri
ambassador to Budapest was summoned for an interview at the Foreign
Ministry on Sunday, where state secretary for foreign affairs Zsolt
Németh handed over a diplomatic note. `Hungary considers it
unacceptable and expresses utter disapproval at the fact that Ramil
Safarov, who was sentenced for manslaughter [in fact, the conviction
was for premeditated murder] received pardon from the President of
Azerbaijan,’ ran the note, which was posted in English on the
government’s website.
The Foreign Ministry went on to say that the government had received
assurances from Baku that Safarov would not be freed upon his return
home. `Hungary refuses to accept and condemns the action of
Azerbaijan, which contradicts the relevant rules of international law
and sharply contrasts the undertaking of the Azeri side in this
matter, confirmed by the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of
Azerbaijan in his letter XX-NBSKFO/3743/4/2012 of 15 August 2012
addressed to the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice of
Hungary,’ the diplomatic note continued.

Clause and effect

However, that letter referred to Clause 9 in the 1983 Strasbourg
Convention on the transfer on sentenced persons, which prevents the
recipient country from altering the length of the prison term. Critics
quickly noted that it made no mention of Clause 12, which states that
existing powers of pardon in force in the states involved are not
affected by the treaty. Azerbaijan is now quite open over its
apparently long-standing intentions.

Convicted murderer Ramil Sahib Safarov was serving 30 years in prison
in Hungary. The Azeris had been making efforts for years to secure his
release.

Release a long-term goal

In an interview posted the previous day on the English-language Azeri
website news.az, a politician from the oil-rich southern Caucasian
country said that securing Safarov’s release had been the main purpose
of its diplomatic efforts vis-a-vis Hungary in recent years. `As a
person who directly engaged in the affairs of Safarov from the first
days of his arrest, I can say that all the work implemented for his
release has been realised by the decision of President Ilham Aliyev,’
Zahid Oruj, a member of Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary Committee for
Defence and Security, was quoted as saying.
`In addition, I recall that at that time, i.e. when the incident
happened with Ramil Safarov, in Hungary there was no embassy of
Azerbaijan. Now I can report that the main purpose of establishment of
the Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary was to ensure the legal protection
of Ramil Safarov. Azerbaijan in a short time was able to bring its
relations with Hungary to the highest level,’ Oruj said. The
`incident’ to which Oruj alludes occurred in 2004, and constitutes one
part of the affair that does not appear to be in dispute.

Revenge, served cold

Safarov admitted entering the room of the sleeping Gurgen Margaryan,
26, and hacking him to death with an axe. Safarov’s bloody act was
witnessed by Margaryan’s Hungarian roommate (supporters of Margaryan
have posted Hungarian police and court transcripts online). The men
were soldiers in their respective national armies, staying in Budapest
to attend a NATO-sponsored English language course. Safarov justified
his actions as those of a soldier who had seen family members and
countrymen killed or driven from their homes during the Armenia-backed
bid for independence by the disputed Azeri territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s.

Frozen conflict

The majority ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan declared
independence in 1991, after three years of agitating to join Armenia
within the former USSR. Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian majority fought
for independence with political and military support from Armenia, a
bloody war that was halted in 1994 only after tens of thousands had
been killed or displaced. Since then an uneasy Russian-mediated
ceasefire has been in place and the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe’s Minsk group, including France and the US, has
been trying to broker a peaceful settlement since 2008.

Neither Azerbaijan nor the international community have recognised
Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state ` in fact a UN resolution in
2008 reaffirmed international respect for Azerbaijan’s borders. With
the province’s population now 95 per cent Armenian, it remains ` along
with other `frozen conflict’ areas on the fringes of what was once the
USSR ` a political powder keg.

Budapest Times, Hungary
Sept 9 2012

Diplomatic pressure

Azeri president’s pardon of convicted killer sparks fears of fresh
violence in Caucasus

Posted on 09 September 2012

Ramil Sahib Safarov, draped in his country’s flag, was given a hero’s
welcome in Azerbaijan.

Armenia was first to react to the Hungarian handover of convicted
murderer Ramil Sahib Safarov to Azerbaijan, promptly severing
diplomatic relations with Hungary last Friday, with President Serzh
Sargsyan describing the move by the Orbán government as `unforgivable’
and a `grave mistake’.

Concerned, disturbed

US President Barack Obama was said to be `deeply concerned’ by the
release of the convicted murderer. `We condemn any action that fuels
regional tensions,’ National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor
said.
In the following days, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton was
`concerned’ and president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz was
`disturbed’ by the presidential pardon and hero’s welcome given to
Safarov upon his return to Azerbaijan.

US demands answers

Amid concern about a potential escalation of the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia – Armenia’s president indicated that his
country was ready to go to war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh
region – the US State Department demanded explanations from both
Budapest and Baku over the Safarov affair. Both Ashton and Schulz
called for restraint on both sides of the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.

`The convention on the transfer of sentenced people should not be
abused for political purpose,’ Schultz said on Tuesday. `I am
disturbed by what appears to be a politically motivated pardon of Mr.
Safarov by the President of Azerbaijan. At the same time I urge
Azerbaijan and Armenia to avoid any moves and statements that might
exacerbate the situation. Indeed, the efforts must be focused on rapid
withdrawal of (Armenian) occupation forces from Karabakh.’

Budapest Times, Hungary
Sept 9 2012

The Ramil Safarov case and Orbán’s bumpy ride east

Not uncommon for Hungary to be tripped up in path it chooses to take

Posted on 09 September 2012, Author: Péter Marton

With the Ramil Safarov affair, the Orient Express of Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán’s determined `eastern opening’ has seemingly derailed.
This is not the first time – and in fact derailment may not be the
case. But it is certainly a rollercoaster ride and the destination is
anything but sure or well defined. The morals of the story have to be
concluded with this in mind.

Started with hopes high

The government of Mr. Orbán came to power in 2010 with opportunities
on the world stage that are exceptional for a small country. In spring
2011, Hungary took over the Presidency of the European Union. At the
same time it was in competition for a two-year non-permanent
membership of the United Nations Security Council. Foreign Minister
János Martonyi proudly talked of his government’s policy of `global
opening’.
Mr. Orbán made it clear that the priority behind this was the
economy. When Hungary had several major agreements signed with China
in May this year, he rhetorically asked: `Why should we stand on one
foot, when we have two feet?’ He added that standing on two feet is
necessary because `strong winds are blowing in the world economy’. As
many may recall, on an earlier occasion he called these `Eastern’
winds.

Slapping faces, biting hands

What makes this a problematic sell internationally is Mr. Orbán’s
often strong criticism of Western institutions, his uncertain
intentions about securing International Monetary Fund funding to
safely refinance state debt, and his willingness to make unusual
gestures to partners outside the West.
In other words, who sows the wind, sometimes reaps the whirlwind. Mr.
Orbán opined in a meeting with Egypt’s then-president Hosni Mubarak on
24 January 2011 that `Central Europeans somehow find a common voice
more easily with Arabs’, only to see the events beginning the next day
sweep his partner from power.
In the summer of 2011 his government made sure Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao would not face distractive protests by Tibetan exiles during a
visit to Budapest, stating: `Freedom of expression is OK, scandals or
trouble-making is not.’

Hungary often falling short

In fact the previous Hungarian governments have not found it easier to
strike an ideal compromise between promoting good relations with China
and symbolically supporting human rights. Yet, as results from the
Chinese engagement lagged behind wildly inflated expectations, Mr.
Orbán’s China policy drew continued criticism from the opposition.
Then, in the autumn, Hungary lost the bid to become a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council to a country that, as the Budapest
rumour mill had it, handed out golden Rolex watches to win over
developing-country votes to this end: Azerbaijan.

Eggs-tradition on Hungary’s face

Fast forward to 31 August 2012. Hungary extradited Ramil Safarov, the
convicted murderer of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, to Azerbaijan
upon a faxed statement from the latter’s deputy minister of justice
that sentenced persons who are transferred to the Caucasian state do
as a matter of general practice serve the remainder of their sentences
without conversion or having to go through any new judicial procedure.
The Azeri side kept its word – and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev
swiftly pardoned the killer. He then promoted Safarov to the rank of
major in the Azeri army, and in no time the masses were celebrating
his return home on the streets. The elated deputy chairman of the
presidential New Azerbaijan Party, Ali Akhmedov, declared that now
`Ramil was released, next is the liberation of Karabakh’, referring to
the long-simmering Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia and the
region that Safarov himself hails from.

Playing connect the dots

Hungary is left looking either hopelessly naïve or blatantly cynical
or a combination of the two as a result. Rightly or wrongly, dots are
being connected and the case is linked in the press to now seemingly
lost hopes of an issuance of sovereign Hungarian government bonds
either in Turkey or in Azerbaijan, as well as to long-existing plans
for energy supplies through and from the Caucasus, be it in the form
of liquefied natural gas or conventional gas exports via any of the
pipelines that may eventually be built in the region.
The extradition was no small issue for Azerbaijan. According to a
member of the national security committee of the Azeri parliament,
they opened an embassy in Budapest in order to expedite Safarov’s
release in the first place. The already quoted Ali Akhmedov of the
Azeri presidential party remembers what happened to Safarov in this
way: `Both Karabakh and Ramil became victims of saboteurs.’
Thus, with strategic Hungarian interests in mind, it may indeed have
been necessary to do something about Safarov. Only more considerately.
Mr. Orbán is trying to navigate uncharted terrain in the midst of
various constraints. The Safarov case shows that escaping one may mean
bumping right into another. From here on it may be better to get off
the Orient Express and simply, and humbly, walk, with two feet on the
ground.

– Péter Marton is a lecturer in International Relations and
Comparative Foreign Policy at Corvinus University.

80 police officers injured in Kurdish fest clashes in Germany

September 9, 2012 – 15:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Police say clashes at a Kurdish cultural festival in
southwestern Germany left 80 officers injured. Thirty-one people were
detained, AP reports.

Police in the city of Mannheim say officers were pelted with stones,
bottles of water and other objects Saturday, Sept 8 afternoon after a
security firm employed by organizers called them in to help deal with
an argument over a teenager who had tried to get into the event with a
banned flag. Officers used pepper spray.

The clashes lasted for about two hours. Police say 13 vehicles were
damaged by stones, bricks and other projectiles.

One officer suffered rib injuries and another 79 were lightly injured.

About 40,000 people were at the festival.