Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIA 2015: GET TO KNOW THE SECOND GENEALOGY MEMBER

oikotimes.com
Feb 20 2015

Posted on February 20, 2015 12:17 pm by Newsdesk (Europe)

YEREVAN, ARMENIA – “Genealogy” will represent Armenia in the 2015
Eurovision Song Contest. Out of six members in the group, we are
pleased to announce that Tamar Kaprelian, a famous Armenian-American
singer and songwriter, will be the second participant – representing
continent America.

Since 2010, Tamar has released a full length album titled “Sinner
or a Saint” with Interscope Records and a very personal EP titled
“California” with Killer Tracks. Tamar is currently residing in New
York City and with honest and uplifting songs; she takes listeners on
a journey across the arcs of relationships and personal growth. A more
in depth biography and images of Tamar are attached to this E-mail.

Armenian Public TV Company has announced earlier that “Genealogy”
will be uniting the new generation of Armenians spread throughout
five continents (Europe, Asia, America, Africa, and Australia) around
the world. The group consists of six artists with Armenian origin –
6 destinies but 1 story.

The first announced member of “Genealogy” was famous Armenian-French
singer Essai Altounian; representing continent Europe. New generation
will sing “Don’t Deny.” See Genealogy’s official logo attached to
this email. On February 23rd the third representative of the group
“Genealogy” will be announced.

INFORMATION ABOUT TAMARA

Tamar Kaprelian is an Armenian-American singer and songwriter currently
residing in the New York City, USA. With honest and uplifting songs,
Tamar takes listeners on a journey across the arcs of relationships
and personal growth.

Being born in the USA to Armenian parents, Tamar Mardirossian chose
her mother’s maiden name, “Kaprelian,” in honor of her grandfather who
passed away a few years before her career began. Tamar is incredibly
proud of her heritage and is eager to talk about her Armenian roots.

On her mother’s side – her great-grandparents were from Old Armenia.

Her grandfather, Girair Kaprelian, was born in Kharpert, and her
grandmother, Hasmik Kaprelian, was born in Mousel. They owned a
successful textile manufacturing business in the Middle East. On her
father’s side – her grandfather George Mardirossian chose Victoria
Ewin as his life partner and resided in Manchester where they owned
an Armenian hotel/restaurant. Tamar’s interest in music began when she
discovered the works of Billy Joel and Paul McCartney at a young age,
although she has been influenced by classic Disney films earlier.

Tamar started writing songs when she was 14, however she did not play
any musical instruments. She began playing the piano without formal
training, and learning by simply picking up the instrument solely by
ear. That gave Tamar the opportunity to put down the melodies she
was writing and singing into a little recorder. Through a story of
inspiring discovery, Tamar Kaprelian competed in an online contest
run by the band, One Republic, in March, 2008. Through YouTube,
the contest aimed to choose the best cover of the band’s hit song
“Apologize.” As a reward, Ryan Tedder brought Tamar to the attention
of Interscope Records, which signed her shortly afterward. Wax Ltd
produced her song “New Day,” and it went on to become her debut
album’s first single. “New Day” was featured in various television
programming, including the fifth season finale of the hit MTV
series “The Hills” and the promo for ABC Family’s “Huge.” Tamar
Kaprelian released her first studio album, “Sinner or a Saint,”
on Interscope Records in August, 2010. It represents a classic pop
album of thought-provoking, hopeful, playful, and honest songs. It’s
a coming-of-age record that chronicles Tamar’s life, relationships,
and her utter determination to create an album that is real and
true to herself, both personally and artistically. Her next project,
an EP titled “California,” was released on June 19, 2012. Co-written
by producers Xandy Barry and Wally Gagel, “California” was one of the
first released from Universal’s Killer Tracks Artist Series. The Killer
Tracks Artist Series is an innovative and non-traditional platform
created to help artists reach new audiences and explore new revenue
opportunities. Tamar’s “California” EP also scored her additional TV
placements on 90210 and The Hills. Returning back to the studio with
producer Ryan Perez-Daple, Tamar is wrapping up her follow-up EP with
Killer Tracks, available in May 2015. The untitled 5 song EP will
include 3 original songs from Tamar, as well as covers of “Summer,”
“Highland Falls” and “Don’t Ask Me Why” by Bill Joel.

From: Baghdasarian

OUTRAGE AT ATTACK ON ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONIST

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #767
Feb 20 2015

Opposition parties demand swift action to find perpetrators of
abduction and assault, and suspect government members of complicity.

By Arpi Harutyunyan

The major parliamentary opposition party in Armenia has accused the
authorities of complicity in the abduction and beating of one of its
leading members. The row has seriously damaged the Prosperous Armenia
party’s relationship with the government, and this was only aggravated
when President Serzh Sargsyan launched a personal attack on its leader.

Artak Khachatryan, who sits on Prosperous Armenia’s governing council,
was abducted on February by three masked men in the centre of the
capital Yerevan. He was found unconscious and badly beaten five hours
later, near his home. He said he had no idea where he had been taken.

Party colleagues and relatives believe Khachatryan was targeted
specifically because of his vocal opposition to the government’s
decision to change the way small businesses are taxed, an issue
that has provoked protests among those who will be hit by greater
regulation. (See Armenia Delays New Tax Rules Again on the issues
involved.)

“It’s true Artak never received threats or warnings during the
protests, and we’d never have guessed his actions would lead to this,
but I do link this [attack] to his social and political activities,”
his brother Artyom Khachatryan told IWPR.

Politicians and other concerned citizens gathered outside the
government building in Yerevan on February 9 to demand that
Khachatryan’s assailants be caught and punished.

Prosperous Armenia issued a strongly-worded statement condemning what
it called a “cynical” attack.

“It is plain that the entire responsibility for this incident
rests with the authorities,” it said. “A thuggish atmostphere has
been created in this country, and the principal culprits for this
lawlessness are the upper echelons of power.”

The party is considering asking other political forces in parliament
to join it in a boycott of legislative work.

Vardan Oskanyan, a former foreign minister who now holds a Prosperous
Armenia seat in parliament, told IWPR of the need for the entire
nation to “stand up” to this kind of behaviour.

“Leaving party politics to one side, it needs to be asserted that
they’ve declared war on the people,” he said.

The ruling Republic Party roundly condemned the attack on Khachatryan,
and insisted the authorities had least to gain from doing something
like that.

“We find it unacceptable and we hope the culprits are punished,”
party spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov said.

Until 2012, Prosperous Armenia was in a governing coalition with
the Republican Party, and its leader Gagik Tsarukyan – one of the
country’s richest businessmen – was seen as an ally of President
Sargsyan. Things changed after the party left government and last
year it joined forces with the opposition Armenian National Congress
and the Heritage Party to form the Nationwide. This was seen as as
a serious setback for the Sargsyan administration. (See Political
Heavyweight Bolsters Armenian Opposition.)

On February 12, the president appeared before a Republican Party
meeting and declared that Tsarukyan had “become an evil for our
country”.

He instructed the prime minister to lead a “detailed” investigation
of allegations that Tsarukyan owed massive amounts in unpaid taxes,
spirited away in “so-called charitable activities”.

The same day, the president stripped Tsarukyan of his seat on Armenia’s
National Security Council, and proposed kicking him out of parliament,
too, on the grounds that he rarely turned up for sessions.

Both of Prosperous Armenia’s allies, Heritage and the Armenian National
Congress, have expressed outrage at the abduction and beating of
Khachatryan. A statement from the latter said it was “no coincidence
that the initial attacks were on members of NGOs and smaller political
groups, and then state terrorism switched to targeting people from
the parties in the Nationwide Movement – the Union of Veterans,
the Armenian National Congress and now Prosperous Armenia too”.

Aram Manukyan, a parliamentarian from the Armenian National Congress
party, was assaulted near his home in December after voicing outspoken
criticism of the president (reported in Not-So-Random Violence in
Armenia).

Manukyan said the latest attack on Khachatryan was a direct challenge
to political forces and society generally.

“There have already been dozens of attacks. Which of these [crimes]
has been solved and punishment imposed?” he asked.

Arpi Harutyunyan is a freelance journalist in Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

HIGH-QUALITY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT PROVIDED TO MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN ARMAVIR

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

18:31 19/02/2015 >> SOCIETY

In 2015, in the frames of joint project by VivaCell-MTS and the British
NGO “BirthLink”, state-of-the-art medical equipment
will be provided to 14 maternity departments, encompassing Ararat,
Aragatsotn, Kotayk, Armavir, Lori regions and Yerevan. Owing to the
equipment provided at the beginning of the year, notable results have
been recorded in Kotayk region and in one of the maternity departments
in the capital. The re-equipment of the other maternity departments
is currently underway, the press service of VivaCell-MTS reports.

The hospital has received equipment for immediate reanimation and
warming of sick and small babies, nasal high flow therapy for newborns
with breathing difficulties, respiratory monitoring, and the provision
of intravenous fluids, which is essential for quality healthcare in
case of complications around the time of birth or complications due
to prematurity. The equipment is necessary not only for adding to
the efficiency of efforts of specialists, but also for increasing
the percentage of saved lives.

“When implementing a program, one takes into account its
results and the possible losses. This is one the laws of the
business. This program is special as it excludes the possibility of
loss, and the results can be seen in the smiling eyes of parents and
healthcare specialists. I am glad for our long-term cooperation with
“BirthLink.” When a human life is at stake, even one
successful case is a victory,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager
Ralph Yirikian commented.

The project commenced in 2008; till now VivaCell-MTS has provided
over AMD 535 million for the realization of the program.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

LE QUARTIER ARMENIEN D’ALEP A NOUVEAU SOUS LES BOMBES

SYRIE

Alep est a nouveau en proie a de violents combats alors que les forces
djihadistes tentent de prendre pied dans la deuxième ville de Syrie,
dechiree entre les forces loyales au regime de Bachar Al Assad et
les rebelles. Les islamistes radicaux, auxquels les djihadistes de
Daech ont prete main forte, ont affronte les soldats du regime sous
un deluge de missiles. Le quartier armenien d’Alep a une fois encore
paye un lourd tribut a ces combats particulièrement violents le mardi
17 fevrier.

Les habitants du quartier armenien, qui se sont constitues en milices
d’autodefense depuis le debut de la guerre civile syrienne, font etat
de victimes et d’importantes destructions. Les premiers bilans font
etat de 8 morts et de 36 blesses provoques par les tirs de missiles,
qui ont aussi cause d’importants degâts materiels. L’envoye special
de l’Onu en Syrie Staffan de Mistura a indique que les forces de
Damas etaient pretes a interrompre les bombardements aeriens sur Alep
pendant six semaines a la faveur d’un cessez-le-feu. M. De Mistura
a precise que la proposition du regime syrien offrait une lueur
d’espoir, meme si les conditions de sa mise en oeuvre sont encore
très imprecises. Le Conseil national syrien, coalition de formations
d’opposition, a estime que le gouvernement serait juge sur ses actes
plutôt que sur ses promesses.

Les forces gouvernementales ne sont pas pretes a relâcher la pression,
alors qu’elles ont deploye d’importants moyens pour tenter de couper
un axe d’approvisionnement crucial pour les rebelles. Une centaine
de soldats et de rebelles auraient ete tues dans la seule journee
du 17 fevrier lors de l’offensive menee par l’armee pour prendre le
contrôle de plusieurs villages au nord de la ville d’Alep.

Par ailleurs, la justice turque elle-meme a apporte les preuves de
l’implication directe de la Turquie dans la guerre civile syrienne,
qui plus est aux côtes des djihadistes de l’Etat islamique (Daech).

Les media turcs se sont en effet fait l’echo du procès de militants de
l’EI accuses d’avoir attaque les forces de securite turques a Nigde en
2014 qui, lors des audiences de la Cour, ont indique que l’Etat turc
ne se contentait pas de livrer des armes et des munitions aux rebelles
syriens, mais leur fournissait aussi un appui en artillerie lourde.

C’est ainsi notamment qu’avec l’appui de l’artillerie lourde turque,
les rebelles djihadistes s’etaient empares de Kessab, une ville
syrienne situee près de la frontière turco-syrienne et comptant une
très importante communaute armenienne. Les djihadistes, qui etaient
encore une force marginale sur le theâtre des operations militaires
syriens, avaient fait la demonstration de leur cruaute, en expulsant
violemment les Armeniens de Kessab et en detruisant leurs maisons
et eglises.

La complicite de la Turquie dans cette attaque qui n’avait pas alors
suscite l’indignation internationale qu’elle meritait, avait ete
suspectee. Les minutes du procès montrent que les rebelles syriens
avaient tenu informes les militaires turcs des mouvements de l’armee
syrienne a Kessab, obtenant ainsi leur aide dans la prise de la ville.

Les forces syriennes loyales au regime devaient reprendre le contrôle
de Kessab en 2014, permettant le retour des habitants armeniens qui
s’etaient refugies en partie au Liban.

vendredi 20 fevrier 2015, Gari (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

CONFERENCE : LE GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS, SON HISTOIRE ET SON HERITAGE

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX
A Issy, lundi 23 fev au Musee, conference sur le genocide armenien
avec Mikaël Nichanian

lundi 23 fevrier 2015 19:00 Musee Francais de la Carte a Jouer

Dans le cadre du Centenaire du Genocide Armenien, une nouvelle
conference detaillera ses fondements historiques en soulignant les
dates repères du 24 avril 1915 et de l’ete qui a suivi.

Suite au premier temps fort sur la necessite de reconnaissance du
genocide en janvier, une nouvelle conference detaillera ses fondements
historiques en soulignant les dates repères du 24 avril 1915 et de
l’ete qui a suivi. Seront aussi evoques les evenements qui l’ont
annonce et accompagne : les massacres de 1895-1898 et le contexte
politique de la Première Guerre mondiale.

Initiee en pleine Première Guerre mondiale, la destruction des
populations armeniennes, grecques et assyro-chaldeennes s’est inscrite
au coeur d’un vaste programme de > a marche forcee
de l’Anatolie. On peut aujourd’hui revenir sur ce premier genocide
du XXème siècle commis par les Jeunes-Turcs, car l’analyse de ses
mecanismes demeure une necessite pour prevenir leur repetition.

Ancien elève de l’Ecole normale superieure et Docteur en Histoire,
Mikaël Nichanian est conservateur a la Bibliothèque nationale de
France. Chercheur-associe au Collège de France, il co-anime avec
Vincent Duclert un seminaire sur le genocide armenien a l’Ecole
des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). Il est l’auteur de
Detruire les Armeniens. Histoire d’un genocide, paru en 2015 aux
Presses Universitaires de France.

vendredi 20 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

LECTURE MONDIALE POUR COMMEMORER LE CENTENAIRE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

ALLEMAGNE

Le festival international de litterature de Berlin (ILB) et
la Lepsiushaus de Potsdam organisent une lecture dans le monde
entier a l’occasion du 100e anniversaire du genocide armenien
et les organisateurs appellent les institutions culturelles, les
radiodiffuseurs et les universites ainsi que les ecoles a participer
a l’initiative et organiser leurs propres lectures le 21 Avril 2015.

Le texte selectionne pour la lecture a ete pris des chapitres sept
et huit du Livre des Chuchotements de Varujan Vosganian. Le texte
est disponible en 15 langues sur . Dans peu
de temps plus d’informations seront disponibles sur l’endroit où les
lectures auront lieu.

Plus de 300 auteurs provenant de plus de 65 pays soutiennent cette
initiative, parmi eux les laureats des Prix Nobel de Litterature
Mario Vargas Llosa, Herta Muller, Elfriede Jelinek, Orhan Pamuk,
Gunter Grass et John M. Coetzee.

Pour organiser une lecture, envoyer l’information appropriee avant le
30 Mars 2015 sur [email protected], y compris
les details de l’emplacement exact et l’heure de l’evenement ainsi
que le nom des participants.

vendredi 20 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Building 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel:? +(3741) 56 01 06? ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Yerevan, February 18, 2015

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund constructing a community center in Mushkapat,
Artsakh

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is building a community center in Mushkapat,
a village in Artsakh’s Martuni Region. The project is co-sponsored by the
fund’s French affiliate and the government of Artsakh.

“In 2010, our old community center, which housed the mayor’s office, a
health clinic, and a club, was destroyed in a fire,” said Mushkapat mayor
Hrazdan Asribabayan. “Today, thanks to our French-Armenian friends, a new
and beautiful building is being constructed on the same site, and within
months it will enable us to address several needs of our community.”

The three-story structure, consisting of the mayor’s office, a health
clinic, a library, an events hall, and a computer room, will serve the 380
residents of the village. Currently crews are installing doors and windows
as well as decorating the facility’s interior spaces.

“Multifunctional community centers such as the one being built in Mushkapat
help bring wonderful improvements to the life of rural communities in
Artsakh,” said Ara Vardanyan, executive director of the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund.

Today the fund is building nine community centers throughout Artsakh, with
one more such project planned to be launched soon.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN’S POLICY NOT TO AFFECT THE WILL OF KARABAKH PEOPLE -PRESIDENT SAYS

YEREVAN, February 18. / ARKA /. Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy will
not affect the will of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, President of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan said today when meeting
with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov (Russian Federation),
Pierre Andrieu (France) and James Warlick (USA) to discuss the Karabakh
conflict and the situation on the border.

“President Sahakyan noted that gross violations of the ceasefire by
Azerbaijan acquired new negative quality and manifestations, which
pose a serious threat to the peace process, the work of the mediators
and the preservation of stability in the region,’ Sahakyan was quoted
as saying by his press office.

Sahakyan added that this policy is not able in any way to influence
the will and determination of the people of Karabakh to build a free,
independent state and consistently strengthen its security.

The meeting was attended by Karabakh foreign minister Karen Mirzoyan,
the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk and other officials.-0-

From: Baghdasarian

UN HEROS DE LA GUERRE DU HK MENACE DE DESOBEISSANCE CIVILE

ARMENIE

Hayots Achkhar, Haykakan Jamanak et Aravot rendent compte de la
conference de presse de Jirayr Sefilian, heros de la guerre du HK,
membre du mouvement civil anti-gouvernemental >, celui-ci ayant tente d’organiser un rassemblement au HK, le 31
janvier, sous le slogan >. [Pour memoire, l’entree des membres de ce mouvement sur
le territoire du HK a ete empechee, des troupes de la police karabatsie
ayant attaque leur procession de voitures. Une vingtaine de personnes,
dont Jirayr Sefilian, avaient ete blessees]. M. Sefilian a presente
des details de l’incident, en condamnant les actions de la police du
HK qu’il n’a pas hesite a qualifier d’>. Il a confirme
que le > du HK, d’autres > karabatsis,
mais aussi le Ministre de la Defense d’Armenie les avaient mis en
garde contre toute tentative de manifester au HK contre les autorites
armeniennes. M. Sefilian est alle jusqu’a qualifier les > du HK de >. Il a affirme que lui et ses associes allaient
de nouveau essayer de se rendre au HK pour y manifester. Par ailleurs,
M. Sefilian a fait savoir qu’il avait l’intention de constituer une > pour une > aux autorites. Il
a appele ceux qui souhaitaient ,
Hayots Achkhar (pro-gouvernemental) estime qu’en la personne de
Jirayr Sefilian et de son mouvement, on a affaire a un groupement
>.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 12 fevrier 2015

jeudi 19 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

UN CAMP DE REFUGIES EN TURQUIE CONSTRUIT SUR UN SITE DES MASSACRES D’ARMéNIENS

TURQUIE

Selon un rapport de l’agence de presse Firatnews, un camp de réfugiés
pour les résidents de Kobane qui ont fui l’Etat Islamique et traversé
la frontière pour Suruc en Turquie est construit sur Wargeha Mezin,
le site où des milliers d’Arméniens ont été massacrés en 1895
rapporte l’hebdomadaire Agos.

Les résidents de Suruc Bozan Demir (54 ans), Ibrahim Halil Kaya
(58 ans) d’origine arménienne, et Hakki Firat (60 ans ) kurde
affirme que le camp de l’AFAD (services du Premier ministre en cas
de catastrophe et de la Présidence dans les gestions d’urgences) sur
la route Urfa est construit sur le site où environ 20 000 Arméniens
exilés d’Erzurum (Karin), Erzincan (Yerznka / Acilisene), Malazgirt
(Manazkert), Sivas (Sebasteia), Cizre (Gzira) et Mus (Mouch) ont
été emmenés et massacrés en 1895, pendant le règne de Sultan
Abdul Hamid II.

Demir et Kaya, a la fois d’origine arménienne, ont raconté ce qu’ils
avaient appris de leurs parents, et ont déclaré que le site était
connu comme “Wargeha Mezin”, ajoutant que des milliers d’Arméniens
avaient été abattus ici.

Ibrahim Halil Kaya, en parlant des grandes injustices infligées aux
Arméniens pendant la période ottomane, a déclaré : “Selon les
histoires de nos parents nous ont transmis, en 1895, les Arméniens
ont été bannis de leurs maisons et forcé de suivre le chemin de
la déportation. Ceux qui parviennent a survivre aux massacres dont
été dispersés dans tous les coins du monde. Comme les femmes de
Kobane aujourd’hui, les femmes arméniennes ont été laissés dans la
dévastation. Des milliers d’Arméniens exilés de Cizre, Malazgirt,
Mus et Sivas, ont été massacrés entre Urfa et Suruc. Cette route
est pleine de leurs os “.

Bozan Demir a ajouté : ” En fait, ‘Wargeha Mezin’ est le premier
camp des Arméniens. Lorsque les Arméniens ont été amenés ici,
ils ont été amenés en convois séparés, des endroits sans eau. Des
milliers d’Arméniens qui ont été amenés au village connu comme
Xelê OSI Å~_irîf ont été assassinés par la noyade quand ils se
sont précipités pour boire de l’eau a partir d’une réserve tenu
par les villageois pour les bovins “.

jeudi 19 février 2015, Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian