Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

DEEDS AND WORDS ABOUT ARMENIA

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 28 2014

by Omer Taspinar

One usually associates authoritarianism in domestic politics with
reckless and tactless foreign policy. There is no denying that Turkey’s
image has become increasingly authoritarian in the last couple of
years. The brutal suppression of protests during the summer of 2013,
increasing restrictions on the freedom of expression and the recent
corruption scandals have exposed a different face of Turkey.

Coupled with the loss of regional influence in the wake of the
Syrian civil war, the positive image of a democratic, prosperous and
influential country has been replaced by authoritarianism in domestic
politics, cronyism and corruption in the economy and deadlock in
foreign policy.

Last week, in this rather gloomy political context, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan unexpectedly offered a message of empathy and
condolence to Armenians. The occasion was Armenian Remembrance Day,
when most of the Western world commemorates what is usually referred
to as the Armenian genocide of 1915. This message of condolence was
a small step to those who expect Turkey to recognize the events
of 1915 as genocide and to offer a clear apology. Yet what needs
to be recognized is that even such a limited gesture is a huge
step for a leader who is not known for his commitment to liberal
democracy, tolerance and freedom of speech. So why did Erdogan take
this unexpected step that surprised both friends and foes? Before
answering this question, it is important to remember that this is
not the only paradox of the current situation in Turkey. The same
authoritarian leader is also currently the first Turkish leader
who agreed to negotiate with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
and appears willing to take significant reformist steps to solve
Turkey’s long-standing Kurdish problem. Therefore, Erdogan is a man
who is hard to categorize as a typical autocrat.

As in the Kurdish question, some will see a cosmetic, tactical
and hollow step in Erdogan’s recent gesture about 1915. After all,
Turkey is under pressure from the West for policies such as banning
Twitter and YouTube and the international image of the country has
suffered a great deal because of jailed journalists and corruption
scandals. So, one can see Erdogan’s gesture as a pragmatic attempt at
damage control. Some have already predicted that an embattled Erdogan
at home may take unexpected steps in foreign policy – an opening
in Cyprus, a gesture towards Armenia, normalization with Israel –
to placate his Western critics. Of course, if Turkey manages to
take all these steps, one can also argue that they will amount to a
significant policy change, rather than just cosmetic steps.

Yet, even if you think Erdogan is not sincere in such foreign
policy gestures, one should recognize his ability to identify with
victimhood. He, after all, adopted a similar narrative of victimhood
based on being a pious Muslim under secular Kemalist hegemony. In
the Kurdish context, the dynamics are more or less the same. What
we may potentially be witnessing is a coalition of pious Muslims
and Kurds taking their revenge on the Kemalist circles. Such an
approach naturally requires creating some distance from official
Turkish nationalism.

If Erdogan can distance himself from official Turkish nationalism,
wouldn’t this also help to empathize with the Armenian victims of
Turkish nationalism? The short answer is that it is too early to tell.

Yes, Erdogan the autocrat is able to say some surprising things on
the Kurdish and Armenian fronts; but such words have to be matched
with deeds. Otherwise, the accusations of tactical and Machiavellian
behaviour will stick. This is why words of condolence to Armenians
need to be matched with concrete steps, such as opening the border
with Armenia and the establishment of diplomatic relations. Only then
will the credibility gap narrow.

From: Baghdasarian

TROUT FISHING IN ARMENIA

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #733
April 29 2014

Environmentalists see commercial fish farms as latest threat to
Lake Sevan.

By Lilit Arakelyan – Caucasus CRS Issue 733,

Environmentalists in Armenia are alarmed at plans to introduce fish
farming in Lake Sevan, the region’s biggest freshwater resource. They
say the industrial feeding process could cause pollution.

In February, Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan said fish farming was
a government priority because it would create jobs and income.

For Lake Sevan, the plan is to breed large numbers of the endemic
species of lake, using artificial food rich in phosphorus and
nitrogen. There could be nearly 80 fish farms around the lake within
the next ten years. The project’s backers say it will create 5,000
to 6,000 jobs and boost exports.

A dozen environmental groups have written to the president asking
him to block the plans, although that seems unlikely to happen.

Armen Yeganyan, head of the industrial policy department at the economy
ministry, told IWPR that the farmed trout would go to Russia, Ukraine,
Kazakstan and Georgia.

According to Yeganyan, fish enclosures will occupy just 0.03 per
cent of the lake – “one-fiftieth of the international standard”. In
addition, he said, the density of eight kilogrammes of fish per cubic
metre of water was “five times less than the average for caged or
netted fish farms”.

Green activists like Liana Asoyan of the Aarhus Centre dispute the
claim that the impact of commercial fish farming can be contained
so easily.

“They intend to make money at the cost of water purity, even though
this lake is our reservoir of clean drinking water,” Asoyan told IWPR.

“If they go through with this programme, we’ll end up with a waste
dump full of fish. The water in Lake Sevan will be good for nothing
after it’s had so much artificial feed poured into it,” she said.

In recent years, environmentalists have raised concerns about
successive government programmes, warning of pollution from mining
projects, water supplies blocked behind hydroelectric dams, and
increased volumes being drawn off for irrigation. (See Setback for
Lake Sevan and Greens Take On Hydro-Schemes.)

The latest plan potentially contravenes a law passed in 2001 to
preserve Armenia’s largest lake.

Gagik Tadevosyan, a former member of parliament who helped draft the
law, argues that it is illegal to engage in any kind of commercial
activity that could harm the ecosystem. In the case of fish farming,
he said, “The fish won’t be able to totally absorb all of the nitrogen
and phosphorus feed that will be poured into the lake. The remains
of the feed will sink to the bottom of the lake and form a layer of
chemical waste that will rot and stagnate. The organic elements will
then enter the water.”

Artashes Ziroyan, head of the environment ministry’s bioresources
agency, denied that feeding methods would lead to pollution.

“They will use European, ecologically pure kinds of feed, and these
will not just be dumped into the lake, but added gradually. I am sure
that 98 percent of the feed will be consumed,” he said.

Ziroyan argued that commercial fish breeding would have a positive
effect on the lake’s eco-balance since wild stocks of Sevan trout
were currently badly depleted, but would be replenished as part of
the new scheme. The commercial fish farms would release between five
and ten per cent of their stocks into the wild each year.

He said a final environmental assessment was now being carried out,
and if this was positive, fish farming would start this year.

The government intends to create a Sevan Protection Fund, built
up from a percentage of the revenues from sales of farmed fish and
expected to hit nearly 60 million dollars within a decade.

Inga Zarafyan, head of the Ecolur group, believes the economic
assumptions behind government projections are questionable.

“It isn’t clear whether they’ll have so many fish, or whether prices
will change,” she said. “There’s a high possibility that in such a
large project, fish will start dying, diseases will spread among them,
and medication will need to be bought.”

Lilit Arakelyan works for Araratnews.am in Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

Decision On Russia Made: Ruling Elite Should Be Changed

Roza Hovhannisyan, Reporter
Interview – Friday, 02 May 2014, 17:32

Mr. Yeghiazaryan, the West is toughening sanctions on Russia. What
developments do you foresee in the nearest future?

>From the geopolitical and economic point of view, the following took
place — a few years ago the Russian experts insisted that Russia role
is containment of Chinese expansion towards west. However, soon it
became clear that Russia is too weak to fulfill this function. In
fact, Russia has even failed to keep Central Asia under control where
the Chinese have actually ousted Russia from all the spheres of life.
Today Central Asia is increasingly dependent on China, and the Chinese
may go further ahead towards west. Russia with its current status
favors Chinese expansion. There seems to be a decision to develop new
mechanisms for Russia as such Russia is not feasible and new
mechanisms are needed to give Russia a new status. In this context,
the ruling regime in Russia felt ignored, understood that as a partner
he means nothing to the United States and Europe and started
initiating reactive projects, such as the Eurasian project. In answer
to this he actually got what is happening today.

Most probably, the goal is to change the ruling regime in Russia and
form new elites with a new status in the relationship with the West.
It is possible that the regional elites will be activated in the
territory of Russia. On the whole, the spot nature of sanctions is
about this because sanctions are imposed on companies controlled by
Putin’s entourage.

At the same time, initiatives by the West are noticed to sign new
agreements with Russia under better conditions, which is increasingly
realistic due to Russia’s weakening. For example, the latest agreement
on the South Stream signed between the Austrian company and Gazprom.
It is possible, of course, that the agreement will be revised in the
future or not implemented at all, which means that now more
concessions could be squeezed out of Russia because Russia is getting
weaker. In addition, they are trying to form new elites in Russia at
the same time. In this regard, the general conclusion will be that a
process of shaping a Russia with a new quality and a status lower than
the previous one is starting or rather a process in the territory of
Russia the ultimate goal of which should be creation of mechanisms,
economic relations that suppose new mechanisms of distribution of
income in favor of the major Western companies, not the ruling regime
and the Russian side. Those are new mechanisms of subjection, a new
status for Russia in international relations, which will allow the
West to fight better against Chinese expansion in the future.

The flow of capital from the Russian economy is growing. What will the
consequences be?

The general economic decline means that the Russian ruling regime’s
income will drop in some sectors, sanctions are aimed at weakening
Russia’s economy. The assessments of international rating companies,
the general situation will keep Russia from investment projects.
Certainly, fears occur about the capital that has already been
invested which is starting to flow out of Russia. In other words, this
background altogether promotes weakening of Russian economy in all the
sectors.

It is very easy to reduce the Russian economy to such a status
because, as you know, it is weak in term of structure and depends
heavily on production and exports of raw materials. Ostensibly, the
first stage is flow of capital, in the second stage Russia will be
ousted from global markets. At least, the countries and companies
which implement sanctions against Russia headed by Washington will try
to oust Russia out of world markets. If development finally harms the
energy sectors, Russia’s oil revenues will drop.

Several scenarios are possible. Now a lot is being said about the
scenario of dropping prices of oil but as of today a different
scenario may be implemented. Oil production in some parts may be
boosted, at the same time imposing sanctions on exports of Russian
oil. Simply oil experts from Russia may decrease. If oil exports
decrease, it will hit the budget and the overall economy. However, it
will happen gradually. At the same time, elites will be formed in
Russia.

Since Russia is one of Armenia’s key trade partners, how will the
situation of the country affect exports from Armenia?

The structure of exports from Armenia is not good quality. Half of
products exported from Armenia are drinks. Our exports may be affected
by two factors, dropping rate of the ruble and lower income of buyers
of Armenian cognac. It is hard to give precise numbers but the
background is not favorable for exports.

Consequently, it is meaningless to talk about Russian investments. For
instance, Rosneft had announced a major investment project in Nairit.
How realistic is this?

Russian investments have not been probable over the past years.
Russian investments have been made in those sectors where they were
probable: transport, energy and communication. There are no
expectations of the projects concerned. There are no expectations of
Russian investments in nuclear power, transport and energy. As to
Nairit and other projects, those have always been unrealistic and
there is no need to talk about them at all. Hence, it is meaningless
to expect Russian investments, especially now.

– See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

Azimov’s statement is another manifestation of Azerbaijan’s
destructive position: NKR MFA

13:54, 2 May, 2014

STEPANANKERT, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. On the eve the Deputy Foreign Affairs
Minister of Azerbaijan, personal representative of the President on
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Araz Azimov expressed distrust to the U.S.
Co-Chair of the Minsk Group James Warlick. He demanded to recall James
Warlick from the post of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chair for that he expressed a wish to meet the Armenian
community in the USA.

Artsakhpress turned to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh on the request of comment upon the
statement of the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Azerbaijan, in
particular, upon expressing distrust to the U.S. Co-Chair of the Minsk
Group James Warlick, refusal to work with him and recalling him from
that post. Armenpress reports that in response to the question it was
noted that the statement was yet another manifestation of the
destructive position of Azerbaijan aimed at undermining the format of
the triple co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group and artificial
protraction of the settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh.

`Such a stance of Azerbaijan testifies to the absence of its interest
in the final settlement of the conflict’.

From: Baghdasarian

Alain Delon, Adrien Brody and Dustin Hoffman to star in a new film on
Armenian Genocide

17:25 02.05.2014

Producer Velriy Saharyan plans to shoot a movie about the Armenian
Genocide and intends to invite renowned French actor Alain Delon to
star in the film.

Speaking to LifeNews Saharyan recalled Mr. Delon’s visit to the
Armenian Genocide memorial in Yerevan. `The actor was so excited he
could not help crying.’

Saharyan himself has learnt about the horrors of the 1915 massacres
from his grandmother.

The events in the film to be titled `Patient’ take place in one of the
psychiatric clinics in Paris in early 20th century. The main character
is Armenian composer Komitas. The nightmare he experienced during the
Genocide left a deep ineradicable impression on his soul. Komitas
remained in seclusion from the outer world, absorbed in his gloomy and
heavy thoughts ` sad and broken. In the autumn of 1916, he was taken
to a hospital in Constantinople, and then moved to Paris in 1919,
where he died in a psychiatric clinic in 1935.

For Valeriy Saharyan the film is a tribute to the memory of his
ancestors. That’s why he wants to involve people not indifferent to
the issue of genocide. He has recently contacted Serj Tankian, lead
singer of the System Of A Down, who has agreed to write the
soundtrack for the future film.
Renowned Hollywood actors Adrien Brody and Dustin Hoffman are also
expected to star in the film.

From: Baghdasarian

TURQUIE
Libération de 2 soldats turcs enlevés par le PKK, attentat manqué dans l’Est

Istanbul, 2 mai 2014 (AFP) – Deux militaires turcs, enlevés il y a
cinq jours par des séparatistes kurdes dans le sud-est de la Turquie,
ont été libérés tard jeudi, a-t-on indiqué de source de sécurité
locale.

Les deux militaires, qui étaient en bonne santé, ont été remis à des
représentants d’un parti politique kurde légal de Lice, la ville aux
abords de laquelle ils avaient été kidnappés le 26 avril, a-t-on
précisé de même source.

L’enlèvement survient après la mise en garde lancée par le fondateur
du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK, illégal), Abdullah
Ã-calan, qui purge une peine de prison à vie, via un communiqué confié
à son avocat, sur la possibilité d’un retour à la violence.

Le rapt des soldats visaient, selon les ravisseurs, Ã dénoncer la
construction dans cette zone d’un poste militaire turc. Par ailleurs,
une puissante bombe a explosé jeudi au passage d’un convoi militaire,
sans faire de victime, ont rapporté les médias. L’incident s’est
produit à Tunceli (Est) et le PKK est blmé par les autorités locales.

Le gouvernement islamo-conservateur turc a engagé en 2011 des
discussions avec Abdullah Ã-calan afin de mettre un terme à un conflit
qui a fait plus de 45.000 morts depuis 1984.

Le PKK a décrété un cessez-le-feu unilatéral il y a un an et commencé
le retrait de ses combattants vers leurs base du nord de l’Irak. Mais
ce mouvement a été interrompu, les Kurdes jugeant qu’Ankara n’avait
pas respecté ses promesses.

vendredi 2 mai 2014,
Ara ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIDJAN
Une journaliste de RFE / RL « convoquée » en Azerbaïdjan

Une journaliste d’investigation du service azerbaïdjanais de RFE / RL
a dit qu’elle a été convoquée pour un interrogatoire dans une enquête
sur la fuite de secrets d’Etat.

Khadija Ismayilova a déclaré que le Département des crimes graves Ã
Bakou l’avait convoqué pour un interrogatoire le 18 Février en tant
que témoin.

Cette action est intervenue après les médias pro-gouvernementaux la
semaine dernière ont prétendu qu’Ismayilova avait remis les fichiers
sur les politiciens de l’opposition d’Azerbaïdjan et d’autres
personnalités qui auraient travaillaient comme agents de renseignement
américains à des membres du Sénat des États-Unis.

L’ambassade américaine à Bakou a appelé ces accusations « d’absurdes ».

Ismayilova est connu pour ses reportages sur la corruption du gouvernement.

Elle a décrit les articles comme `une provocation` et une tentative du
gouvernement de l’intimider.

Ismayilova a reçu des menaces par le passé ; au début de 2012 une
vidéo explicite est apparu sur l’Internet contenant des images intimes
et obtenus illégalement de la journaliste.

vendredi 2 mai 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Arab News, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
May 1 2014

Turkey, Armenia must let bygones be bygones

Harun Yahya

Last week Turkish Prime Minister Recep Teyyip Erdogan expressed sorrow
over the incidents involving Armenians that took place in April 24,
1915 during the Ottoman rule. This was the first time in the history
of the Republic of Turkey that any top official offered condolences to
the Armenians. This move has elicited a mixed response. On one hand it
has raised some eyebrows and on the other the Turkish-Armenian
community, the United States and the European Union welcomed the
gesture.

Let’s go back to 1915 to paint an accurate picture of what had really
happened. There were various reasons, known and unknown, for the
discontent among the Armenians who had been living in complete harmony
with other communities in the Ottoman Empire.

However, a careful study would reveal that the materialistic
worldview, which is also responsible for the sorry state of affairs
around the globe, had penetrated the Ottoman lands and benefitting
from the weakening of the empire, racist tendencies grew stronger.

A kind of a chain reaction kicked off and pitted sister nations
against each other. Surely, there were sensible people in all
communities who urged calm. Indeed, Armenian President Sargsyan said,
“We would like to express our gratitude to the Turks who extended a
helping hand to their Armenian neighbors. We bless the memories of
those people who risked their lives and their families’ lives to help
our citizens.”

Interestingly enough, there are attempts to portray 1915 as a year of
hostility merely between the Turks and the Armenians. However, those
with such thoughts tend to forget that 1915 was the peak of the WWI.
The Ottoman lands were under occupation and Ottoman soldiers were
fighting against multiple enemies on multiple fronts in every part of
the empire.

>From east to west, north to south, the entire country was under
western occupation and the Turkish army lost 230,000 troops in
Gallipoli, 90,000 in Sarikamis and 40,000 in the then-Ottoman Arab
lands. Today, the graveyards of Turkish soldiers are located right
next to the graveyards of the occupying forces’ soldiers and every
year, commemoration ceremonies are held together with representatives
of respective countries.

Neither the leaders of the Republic of Turkey nor the Turkish people
ever thought about holding those countries responsible for tearing up
their lands and causing the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.
They know that the tragic picture is a result of the horrible war that
no one wanted.

That’s how the Armenian issue should be approached. Just like the
Armenians, the Turks lost many people during those horrible days of
the Armenian-Turkish conflict. Therefore, it would be a grave mistake
on part of some lobbies to take the well-intentioned condolences of
the Turkish premier out of context and interpret it to mean, “Turks
are the only party responsible for those crimes.” Considering the fact
that both sides sustained heavy losses, it would be only appropriate
for the Armenian administration and the Diaspora to return the favor
and issue a message of courtesy along the lines of “we offer our
condolence for your losses, too.” Otherwise, it would only serve to
offend the future generations of Turkey, seeing that only one side
expressed their regrets over the incidents while the casualties on the
other side were ignored. Singling out one party and holding it
responsible for everything would only hurt the peace process. Indeed,
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed the same concern
and said, “This is not a statement made under pressure. I hope our
peace-offering hand will not be left hanging in the air.”

Armenians are a clever, honest and decent people. They will always
remain as one of the most prized communities of our nation. They have
always been known for their reliable, artistic and intellectual
nature.

It is a clear fact that there are some internal and external forces
that seek to separate this beautiful nation and our valuable neighbor
Armenia from us and it is also clear that they are trying to achieve
their goals by using the Armenian incidents as leverage.

Therefore it is imperative for Turkey and Armenia to lay greater
emphasis on their peace-loving, friendly and unifying recourse so that
such attempts prove futile.
To further strengthen ties, both countries should consider opening of
Armenian-Turkish borders and visa-free entries for their respective
citizens.

This is a transit system that both Turkey and Georgia currently apply
and with the inclusion of Armenia into this system, these three
countries will turn into one that are bound culturally, commercially
and in terms of human factors. As love grows between these three
nations, it is inevitable that Azerbaijan will eventually join it as
well.

If things go in this direction, it will not take much time when there
will be no land dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh
and the only thing left will be brotherhood.

We need to have more Armenians in our Turkish lands and they should
open schools in Turkey, spread their culture and contribute to our
common heritage. This will be the best answer to those who are trying
to provoke hostility between two nations.

We should not allow the mistakes of the past to prevent this beautiful
and strong union. The losses on both sides should be remembered
together and the past should be left behind to set an example for the
rest of the world where two countries build peace together.

– The writer has authored more than 300 books translated into 73
languages on politics, religion and science.

From: Baghdasarian

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 1 2014

Whether Bagdasaryan will enter one river twice?

1 May 2014 – 2:43pm

Will Artur Bagdasaryan and his Orinats Erkir party will enter one
river twice or not? After a party exit from the ruling coalition with
republicans and Bagdasaryan’s resignations from the post of secretary
of Security Council of Armenia this question excites all in Armenia.

Having entered in 2008 into the coalition with republicans, this
party, positioning themselves as the opposition, put an end to his own
opposition. It diligently voted for everything presented and lobbied
by republicans, actually being an RPA appendage. It seemed that the
role of the party and personally satellite Baghdasaryan will play at
least until the parliamentary elections in 2017.

However, the April resignation of the prime minister Tigran Sarkisian
changed he serene and orderly life of the coalition. They say
Bagdasaryan applied for the position of the prime minister which was
promised him several years ago. And after Ovik Abramyan settled into
the premier’s chair, the secretary of Security Council couldn’t find
how to resign and bring the party out of the coalition. Considering
the expected changes in the Constitution, according to which the
republic will make a gradual transition from presidential to the
parliamentary form of government, the post of prime minister would be
a tasty morsel. The figure of the prime minister will be the
predetermining factor in the formation of the internal and foreign
policy agendas. Considering Baghdasaryan’s irrepressible lust for
power, republicans refusal to grant him the premiership could not
finish anything else except demarche, which ended with his
resignation. Baghdasaryan’s statement, that President Serzh Sargsyan
invited him to stay on as Secretary of the Security Council may be
true. However the ex-speaker of parliament and the ex-secretary of the
Security Council preferred to go for broke. And the fact that three
ministers from its party didn’t share its views, having preferred to
leave “Orinats Yerkir” looks quite logical. The Minister of Emergency
Situations, Armen Yeritsyan, was reappointed to the post in the new
government. Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan, according to his
close ties with the new prime minister, will also remain in office.
Less fortunate was Minister of Urban Development of Armenia Samvel
Tadevosyan, for whom even his escape from the beleaguered party did
not save him from resignation. Declared by Bagdasaryan the motivation
of an exit of party from the coalition is based on five factors,
radically changed the situation in the country. Among them Serzh
Sargsyan’s refusal to run for president or apply for a post of the
prime minister, planned constitutional reforms, the decision of the
Constitutional Court on the law “On the Funded Pensions”, the
resignation and the formation of a new government.

Bagdasaryan remembered “divergences between the political vector and
Serzh Sargsyan’s vector” obviously in time, however, precisely not
owing to “a set collected in Armenia and demanding immediate solution
of problems”.

The future “Orinats Yеrkir” and personally Bagdasaryana looks today
foggy. Way into a coalition with the Republicans they are booked now
and the only exit there is a consolidation with other parliamentary
opposition. Baghdasaryan has already said that his party is ready to
cooperate with the Quartet are powerless in the face of the ANC,
“Dashnaktsutiun” and “Heritage” and “Prosperous Armenia”. The question
is whether his party would be a real opposition force or just once
more “dilute” the opposition, which is going to present a united front
against the Republican Party.

From: Baghdasarian

EurasiaNet.org
May 1 2014

Armenia: Some Syrian Refugees Want to Leave

May 1, 2014 – 2:31pm, by Marianna Grigoryan

Drawn to their ancestral homeland to escape a civil war, many Syrian
Armenians are finding life under Mount Ararat not as peaceful as
expected. (Photo: Anahit Hayrapetyan)

The mayhem and indiscriminate violence that define Syria’s civil war
could not crush their entrepreneurial spirit: yet for some
Syrian-Armenian refugees, the shakedown practices that are part of
Armenia’s economic environment are more than they can bear.

Multiple Syrian-Armenian newcomers who started new ventures in Armenia
in recent months complain that the hassles they encounter on a regular
basis are so bad, they are considering seeking a new country to call
home.

Armenian government representatives, eager to see Diaspora Armenians
return to their ancestral homeland, are downplaying problems. Yet, in
interviews with EurasiaNet.org, 12 Syrian-Armenian refugees from
Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, offered a laundry list of complaints
about doing business in Armenia: the alleged use of physical attacks
and threats by customers when differences arise; the need for family
or personal connections; the 20-percent Value Added Tax, and a lack of
economic “prospects,” were among the many problems cited.

Twenty-four-year-old Krist Brutian lost vision in his left eye after a
brutal beating on December 28, 2013, in his family’s Yerevan
auto-parts store. The beating reportedly came at the hands of
disgruntled customers wielding iron bars. A disagreement over the
price for spare car parts caused the incident. They came with 30
people carrying iron bars and said nothing but ‘Kill them!'” Brutian
recounted. His 60-year-old father, Armenak, and brother, Manuk, were
badly injured as well. Seven individuals were charged, but the case
was dropped after the two sides supposedly reconciled.

Doctors claim they can partially restore Brutian’s vision, but his
bitterness over the attack lingers. “The feeling that you are a
stranger here never leaves us,” he claimed. “The attitude towards us
is completely different [from what we expected]. We are very
disappointed.”

Since 2012, according to Armenia’s Ministry of Diaspora, some 16,000
Syrian-Armenians have arrived in Armenia as refugees. To welcome them,
officials have promised help with finding jobs, apartments, food and
low-cost business loans.

But those programs do not appear sufficient to satisfy a large number
of new arrivals, many of whom are coming from a city with a pre-war
population (over 2.9 million) nearly the same size as Armenia (over 3
million). According to the government, 5,000 Syrian-Armenian refugees
to date have “left Armenia for various reasons.”

Michel Sarkoian, another auto-parts storeowner from Aleppo, says he is
surprised by “the morals and manners common in Armenia.” He claimed
that locals in the village of Ptghunk, 11 kilometers outside of
Yerevan, where his store is located, have demanded that he give
expensive parts for free to so-called “good fellows,” the term used
for followers of thieves-in-law, or organized-crime groups. After he
refused the demands, he said, threats at gunpoint began.

One customer, after not receiving a refund for an item Sarkoian
alleges was not purchased at his store, returned with a friend
carrying a sub-machine gun “and then tried to run me over with his
car,” Sarkoian alleged.

“We’ve escaped gunfire and shootings to find shelter in Armenia and
now they are threatening us here,” he complained. The police are
investigating.

The head of the government-run working group handling Syrian-Armenian
concerns, Firdus Zakarian, chief of staff of the Ministry of Diaspora,
admitted that violence has occurred against Syrian refugees, but
claimed that the problem is not “acute.”

“Such incidents can happen with everyone. There is no discrimination
here,” said Zakarian. “We are doing everything we can to support
Syrian Armenians.”

The main issue, he said, is employment. Armenia’s official
unemployment rate stands at 16 percent, but is estimated to be much
higher. With an average monthly salary of just 160,000 drams ($386.6),
most Armenians rely on remittances from friends and family abroad to
make ends meet.

Tamar Yeranosian, another Aleppo native whose freight-weighing
business there was destroyed during the war, claims that high rents
and taxes (20-percent on income and sales, among others) have forced
him to close two businesses in Yerevan since 2012.

“At first, we opened a restaurant here, but closed it six months later
and opened a children’s apparel store. We failed to profit from these
businesses, as after paying fees and taxes we were left empty-handed,
and we don’t know how we are going to live now,” Yeranosian said.

In response, the government simply stresses its support for the refugees.

Ironically, in its 2014 ranking of the ease of doing business in 189
countries, the World Bank ranked Armenia above France, noting
improvements for both paying taxes and starting a business.

Many Syrian-Armenians link their business difficulties to their status
as outsiders. Locals in this predominantly Christian country often
confuse them with Muslim Iranians, and refuse rental agreements or
other business transactions because of these erroneous assumptions,
community members claim.

Such allegations come as no surprise for Nelly Haroian, a specialist
at the Yerevan-based Ayg psychological center, which has surveyed
Syrian-Armenians. “We are a very self-focused, homogeneous nation,”
Haroian commented. “There are basically no foreigners among us and
these differences cause aggression among many [Armenians].”

With one-third of Armenia’s population living in poverty, the fact
that “many Syrian-Armenians have much better living conditions … also
causes anger among locals,” Haroian said.

Iranian-Armenians and other Diaspora groups have complained of similar problems.

Not all Syrian-Armenians, however, have encountered hardship. The
Jabakhchurians, who moved to Yerevan in 2012, opened a fast-food
restaurant last year, and say that their life in Armenia is not all
bad. “You just have to be a little patient,” said Kaystak
Jabakhchurian. “The income here is much smaller compared to Aleppo,
but you just have to work.”

Remembering Syria’s pre-war stability, the past appears rose-colored
to many of these Syrian-Armenians. “We had no problems with any
[other] people,” asserted an unemployed Zhirair Helvajian. “We were
more loved and respected than local Muslims.”

Like others, Helvajian regrets coming to Armenia, but refugee Shant
Khayalian emphasizes the need to focus on the positive. Although now a
taxi driver, who has “to work all day,” he describes himself as
“happy” that he “got an opportunity” for a second chance “in this
life.”

Editor’s note:
Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based in Yerevan and editor
of MediaLab.am.

From: Baghdasarian