Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

“WE DID NOT BUTCHER THE ARMENIANS WITHOUT A REASON” SAYS TURKISH WRITER

Õ~@Õ”Õ¶Õ£Õ·Õ¡Õ¢Õ©Õ”, 6 O~CÕ¥Õ¿O~@Õ¾Õ¡O~@, 2014 – 13:10 |
Õ~MÕ”Õ¾Õ”Õ¬Õ¶Õ¥Õ© Ô²Õ¡ÕªÕ”Õ¶Õ¶Õ¥O~@` REPORTS IN ENGLISH,
Ô¹Õ~HÕ’Õ~PÕ”Ô”Ô±, Ô¼Õ~PÔ±Õ~@Õ~HÕ~M, Õ~@Ô±Õ~PÔµÕ~NÔ±Õ~FÕ~FÔµÕ~P

Appearing on Enver Aysever’s “Contradictory Questions” program on
CNN Turk, well-known Turkish writer Ayse Kulin denied the Armenian
Genocide took place and said “we did not butcher the Armenians without
a reason”. Scroll down to read the transcript of that conversation
in Armenian.

As a Turk, I feel responsibility and pain for not finding the
perpetrators of Hrant Dink’s murder.

But you are not the one who is governing the State.

True, but that is my feeling.

Are you sharing that pain?

Yes, I share the pain. I live in this country, I always vote, yet I am
not able to solve anything. Despite being an intellectual in Turkey,
I cannot help to solve any problems. I am not able to express my
feelings. I didn’t exist during the massacres of the Armenians, not
even my mother [was alive]. That is why I do not feel responsibility,
but that is one of the shameful events of my country, Turkey.

You mean that you don’t feel responsibility for the deportation
of Armenians?

No, I don’t feel any responsibility and I don’t believe that it was
a genocide, although it was a very bad event.

Do you think that what happened wasn’t genocide?

Yes, I do not believe that it was genocide.

But Armenians…

Armenians may think it was.

Armenians insist that it was a genocide. They might get angry.

They might do. I like Armenians very much, but that was deportations
during the war. It is difficult to call what happened during the
war genocide. They weren’t doing nothing like the Jews. We did not
butcher the Armenians without a reason.

You said “we” again, but they were the Ottomans.

We too are Ottomans.

Do you feel that way?

Of course, we are the heirs of the Ottomans.

Do you feel yourself an Ottoman or their heir?

No, I am a daughter of the new Turkish Republic, but my generation
is different. I grew up in my Ottoman grandfather’s arms.

38 comments

From: Baghdasarian

EXPERT: FORMATION OF KURDISH AUTONOMY IN TURKEY IS UNDERWAY

February 07, 2014 | 17:40

YEERVAN. – The Turkish state is unable to solve the Kurdish problem,
and everything is going to the creation of autonomy, Armenian political
analyst believes.

Alexander Iskandaryan noted that Turkey is changing the basis of
ideology from ethno-nationalist Ataturk-style state to an Islamic
country.

“The government is working to mitigate the Kurdish question, but
there is the issue of Syrian Kurdistan and Iraqi Kurdistan. I think
the current policy can continue for a while, but the process of
formation of a Kurdish autonomy is already underway. The current
government can not solve this problem,” Iskandaryan told reporters.

According to the expert, the role of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in Turkish politics will change. A few years ago it was
possible to say that Erdogan would be the second Ataturk, now it
becomes clear that he will not.

Iskandaryan also noted that there may be serious disagreements within
ruling Justice and Development party.

As regards relation with Armenian, the political scientist said that
in case of any internal instability, Ankara cannot go for changing
relations with Armenia as it will be deemed as a pro-Armenian step.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

FORMER WIFE OF SHANT HARUTYUNYAN URGES WORLD COMMUNITY NOT TO ALLOW REPRISAL AGAINST HER SON

by Tatevik Shahunyan

Friday, February 7, 20:07

The former wife of the leader of Tseghakron Party Shant Harutyunyan
Ruzanna Badalyan is worried for her son Shahen Harutyunyan.

During a press-conference on Friday Babayan said that after the arrest
of her former husband, some people in a Mercedes began following her
son. She is convinced that they are security service agents. “When this
was made known in the press, they stopped following him,” Babayan said.

She said that some people at school keep trying to provoke her son.

“He had a conflict with his physical culture teacher after he said
something bad about his father. So, I have decided to ask NGOs and
foreign embassies in Armenia to do something not to allow any reprisal
against my son because of the political beliefs of his father,”
Babayan said.

To remind, Shant Harutyunyan has been arrested for organizing public
disorders and using violence against policemen.

From: Baghdasarian

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA: EUROPE WILL ADOPT TOUGHER STANCE ON YEREVAN

February 07, 2014 | 13:38

YEREVAN. – The recent meeting of EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation
committee was not followed by the signing of any document, co-chair
of the committee Naira Zohrabyan told reporters.

Naira Zohrabyan, an MP from Prosperous Armenia party, emphasized that
this happened after 14-year fruitful work. In fact the meeting held
on February 5-6 in Strasbourg was a failure, she added.

“I do regret that the responsibility was shouldered on parliamentary
delegation that in fact is not responsible for country’s foreign
policy. Such an outcome was predictable after September 3 when Armenia
declared an intention to join Customs Union. Europe will adopt tougher
stance on Yerevan,” Zohrabyan said.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

ILLEGAL WOOD-CUTTING GAINS INCREASED PACES IN ARMENIA AMID GAS PRICE HIKE

11:18 * 07.02.14

Armenian environmentalists are concerned over the paces of illegal
wood-cutting, which they say is the result of the increased natural
gas tariffs.

A statistics published by the Ministry of Territorial Administration
has revealed that 2,031 trees were cut illegally in Armenia in 2012
against the 1,860 trees in 2012.

Environmentalist claim that the recent hike has caused many natural
gas consumers to switch over to wood.

“The gas price came as a major blow to our forests. Even in Yerevan,
where the gas supply is fully accessible, those chimneys that were out
of use for years began to be used,” Inga Zarafyan, an environmental
activist, told Tert.am.

Ruben Petrosyan, the chief forester of Hayantar (a non-profit state
organization responsible for the preservation of woodlands on the
territory of Armenia), said it is now early to point to any specific
figures.

“The results for this winter will be summed up in June-July,” he told
our correspondent, adding that 928 trees were cut illegally in forest
areas under their control last year.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia and Georgia to sign cooperation agreement on tourism

February 06, 2014 | 12:22

YEREVAN. – Armenia and Georgia will sign an agreement on cooperation
in the tourism sector.

The draft for the respective agreement was approved at Thursday’s
session of the Government of Armenia.

Economy Minister Vahram Avanesyan noted that such an agreement between
the two countries was signed back in 1993, and for a ten-year term.

Pursuant to the new agreement, the parties are going to promote mutual
tourist flow, exchange professionals and information, and develop
tourism staff.

A joint working group, comprising representatives from the Armenian
and Georgian state agencies, will coordinate the implementation of
this agreement.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

Taxed over Taxes: Pension reform continues to create chaos

PENSIONS | 06.02.14 | 22:54

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Members of the civil initiative protesting against the mandatory
pension reform are urging state bodies in Armenia to take respective
steps and disperse the legislative chaos created in the economic
entities of Armenia because of the new law on pension savings.
Enlarge Photo

“I Object!” initiative member Davit Manukyan told the press on
Thursday that they had received numerous employees’ complaints of
especially state budget-funded entities where they report being
threatened to choose a pension fund. Besides, numerous companies,
discarding the Constitutional Court decision of January 24, made
pension savings deductions from the salary for January.

“Pressures can be come across not only in the state system, the
Central Bank, too, is pressuring trade banks to make their employees
choose a pension fund,” says Manukyan.

Following the CC decision of January 24, suspending the application of
two articles in the law until the final court ruling on March 28, some
240,000 citizens born after 1974 gained a temporary relief from making
their selection of savings funds and fund managers, meant to have been
completed by January 1, while employers got exempt from penalty and
sanctions applicable by the law for failure to make or delay the
mandatory savings payment.

Despite the CC interim decision, in January company accountants were
forced to face a big issue, as the salary payment report forms already
have the mandatory pension savings deductions, and the system does it
automatically. Activists say the government should have first of all
removed the line about the mandatory payment in the report form to be
able to carry out the CC ruling.

“How are employers planning to compensate the money, if the CC
declares it anti-constitutional, as the law does not provide for any
refunding mechanisms,” ask members of the initiative.

Employees of Metsamor nuclear power plant, Haypost, and even the
National Assembly have warned about the pension deductions from their
salaries for January. At the same time, some major companies, such as
Orange Armenia, Ashtarak Kat, Synopsis Armenia, the American
University of Armenia, World Vision Armenia, the Armenian Caritas and
others, have not made the respective deductions.

“I Object!” initiative member Gevorg Gorgisyan believes state
officials’ claims that the part about the mandatory savings payment is
impossible to remove from the online tax report form are groundless.
As a programmer, he has offered his assistance with it.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday in the parliament, the Labor and Social
Affairs Minister Artem Asatryan, responding to the question whether
following the CC decision employers have the right not to make the
mandatory payments to the pension funds, said that they are obliged to
make the respective payments.

“The CC has ruled that sanctions will not be applied against employers
who won’t make the payments,” said the minister.

Today more than a thousand citizens protesting against the application
of the new law held a “March for Rights” urging state bodies to
fulfill their duties properly and refrain from creating a chaos. They
voiced their appeal in front of the Ministry of Education and
Sciences, the Government Building, the Central Bank, the City Hall and
the State Revenue Committee.

From: Baghdasarian

The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 6 2014

Visit to the Republic of Armenia

Thursday, Febraury 6
Deputy Defense Minister of Georgia Mikheil Darchiashvili paid an
official visit to the Republic of Armenia. First Deputy Chief of
General Staff of GAF, Colonel Vladimir Chachibaia and Head of
Department of International Relations and Euro-Atlantic Integration,
Davit Nardaia made up the the Georgian Delegation. Within the visit,
the Georgian Delegation held meetings with Defense Minister of
Armenia, Seyran Ohanyan; First Deputy Minister of Defense, Davit
Tonoyan; and First Deputy Chief of the GS of the ARM Armed Forces,
Lieutenant-General, and Enriko Apriamov. The sides discussed bilateral
relations in the defense sphere, future cooperation plans and regional
security issues. During the visit, Bilateral Cooperation Plan 2014 was
signed between the Defense Ministries of Georgia and Armenia, which
includes experience sharing in the spheres of military education,
strategic planning, cyber security, logistics, reserve and
mobilization, and military police.

From: Baghdasarian

Sondrio a teatro : ‘Una Cena armena’ e ‘Alice undergroud’

5 Febbraio 2014 Cultura e spettacoli

Al centro Sonya Orfalian, alla sua destra l’assessore Marina Cotelli,
alla sua sinistra Lorenzo Minniti consulente teatrale,

Una cena armena
Teatro Don Vittorio Chiari delle grandi occasioni per l’ultima pièce
teatrale di Paola Ponti per la regia di Danilo Nigrelli, “Una cena
Armena”, presentata in un momento particolare dedicato al mondo del
dolore collettivo di un popolo privato di qualsiasi diritto e dignità
umana.Due grandi protagonisti come lo stesso Danilo Nigrelli e la
deliziosa Rosa Diletta Rossi. Da una parte il cinquantenne Aram,
figlio della diaspora del popolo armeno annientato dal popolo turco,
burbero, austero, incattivito dalla vita, ossessionato però dalle
tradizioni millenarie di una cucina per troppo tempo dimenticata, come
le sue tradizioni, la sua storia. Dall’altra, la dolce Nina, una
ragazzina sbarazzina e sognatrice, in cerca di se stessa. Essenziale
la scenografia, vergata da coriandoli di luce e di sangue, rosso cupo
come il muro su cui si staglia il protagonista maschile nel finale in
una rituale danza popolare. E la narrazione va a scatti come un
coltello serramanico che penetra nelle viscere con accanimento
silenzioso, ma irrefrenabile, come la certezza di riscoprire infine le
proprie origini proprio attorno al focolare. Attorno alla lievitazione
subliminale di sapori e profumi di un’epoca dimenticata o messa sotto
silenzio, chiusa ermeticamente nella stanza più buia della nostra
coscienza. E il pubblico presente in sala ha mostrato di apprezzare a
fondo lo sforzo narrativo di due personaggi che si cozzano con
violenza, si scontrano con rabbia, si scrutano e si studiano con
circospezione, eppure infondo, disperatamente si cercano
aggrappandosi all’unico amaro fardello di antiche storie che
rievocano un terribile genocidio di cui tutti sapevano, ma nessuno ha
osato intervenire. Presente in sala la straordinaria testimone della
cultura armena come la scrittrice Sonya Orfalian, anche lei figlia
della diaspora del suo popolo che l’ha condotta prima in Libia e poi a
Roma. Orfalian che rivendica il suo nome ispirato ad una vecchia città
ormai sepolta nella polvere, l’armena Ulfa, ha ritrovato la sua
storia, attraverso i mille racconti dei pochi sopravvissuti, ma
soprattutto con il ritorno disperato ai sapori e agli odori della sua
prima infanzia. Encomiabile la sua composta pacatezza con cui ha
raccontato con un’altra grande esponente del popolo armeno, Antonia
Arslan, le efferatezza e la brutalità di un annientamento sistematico
della propria gente. Il testo teatrale di Danilo Nigrelli, infatti,
prende molto dalle note bibliografiche della stessa Orfalian,
consulente di rango in una pièce che ha fatto riflettere.

‘Alice undergroud’
Un caleidosopico gioco di colori e di emozioni “Alice undergroud”,
l’ultima fortunata pièce del Sondrio Teatro, liberamente ispirata al
capolavoro di Lewis Carrol “Alice nel paese delle meraviglie”, da due
maghi della tessitura scenica come Ferdinando Bruni e Francesco
Frongia. Una meravigliosa macchina tridimensionale, proiezione
onirica del mondo adolescenziale che si colora di splendidi acquerelli
ispirati a Matisse e Van Gogh, che si animano scivolando oltre le
quinte in un gioco di luci e sfumature in cui lo stesso spettatore è
proiettato suo malgrado. E allora eccolo il libro aperto di “Alice nel
paese delle meraviglie”, dove bazzicano il Bianconiglio in guanti
bianchi, panciotto e tanto d’orologio e la perfida regina di cuori,
il bruco e la lepre marzolina, il magico unicorno e il cappellaio più
matto più d’un cavallo imbizzarrito, in un gioco di dimensioni
gulliveriane dilatate o immicronite da pozioni e morsi di allucenogene
muscarie che catapultano nell’immaginario di uno specchio distorto, in
un mondo “underground”, sotterraneo come il sottobosco di una mente
voltata a una follia immaginativa senza briglie. In scena lo
smarrimento tipico dell’adolescenza di una straordinaria Elena Russo,
innocente bambina incantata, mai incatramata da un labirinto infinito
di proiezioni magiche in tutto si materializza con le nostre ansie, le
nostre paure, ma anche i nostri più inconsci desideri. Di grande
livello gli altri polintepreti, Ida Marinelli e Matteo de Mojana con
lo stesso Ferdinando Bruni, che si sono divertiti da matti a
occhieggiare da improbabili quinte a mezz’aria, stiracchiati tra le
pieghe dei quadri animati. Ferdinando Bruni e Francesco Frongia si
sono sbizzarriti alla grande a ricreare in una sorta di cartoon
olografico il bisogno visionario di entrare nel cinemascope anamorfico
dei grandi colossal holliwoodiani. Un tuffo tra meravigliosi
acquerelli vivi, con piccole finestre aperte sull’infinito della
nostra mente che si aprono e chiudono immergendoci in un mondo
evanescente di forme e colori, proiezione di un inconscio mai stato
così consapevole della propria difformità in uno spazio senza tempo.
Un lunghissimo applauso del folto uditorio ha confermato il felice
successo dello spettacolo. Lunedì prossimo 27 gennaio, alla stessa
ora, al Don Vittorio Chiari “Una cena armena”, di Danilo Nigrelli che
cade nel giorno della Memoria, che farà riflettere su un dramma
sottaciuto o dimenticato del genocidio del popolo armeno.

Nello Colombo
– See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

Azerbaijani provocations undermine Karabakh peace process

18:49 06.02.2014

Nagorno-Karabakh

On February 6, 2014, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan received Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the situation on the Line of
Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

Karen Mirzoyan drew attention to the periodic ceasefire violations by
Azerbaijan, noting that they prove the aggressive intentions of
Azerbaijan.

The Minister stressed that the Azerbaijani provocations seriously
undermine the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh and should be strongly condemned by
the international community.

The parties emphasized the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and
the need to exclude further incidents.

From: Baghdasarian