Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

TURKEY SLAMS FRANCE FOR HATE SPEECH FOR INCLUDING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TEXTBOOKS

Jihad Watch
August 28, 2012 Tuesday 2:25 PM EST

Pamela Geller says it: “Truth is the new hate speech.” This is the same
thing that happens on a daily basis to counter-jihadists who dare to
point out how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam
to justify violence, hatred and supremacism: they are smeared with
the charge of promoting “hate,” when in fact all they are doing is
pointing out hate. Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide
is consistent with an unbroken Islamic supremacist pattern: never,
ever admit wrongdoing; never, ever take responsibility for actions
that cause harm; never, ever acknowledge that jihad actions (such as
the Armenian Genocide) cause immeasurable suffering to human beings;
always, always instead blame the kuffar who have the temerity to
point out the wrongdoing.

“Turkey slams France for promoting hate speech with genocide
initiative,” by Ali Aslan Kilic in Today’s Zaman, August 27 (thanks
to Lachlan):

The chairman of the Turkish Parliament’s powerful education committee
has accused the French government of planting the seeds of hate with
its move to include the so-called Armenian genocide in history and
geography books used in French secondary schools.

Nabi Avc , chairman of the National Education, Culture, Youth and
Sports Commission, told Today’s Zaman in a phone interview on Monday
that the erosion of French culture and moving to the radical right in
French politics that started with [former president Nicolas] Sarkozy
continues to have a negative impact on the French education system.

I just hope that sensible French intellectuals will raise their voices
against this kind of provocative move that will plant seeds of hate
into minds of young people in France, he added.

A Turkish daily reported on Sunday that the French Education Ministry
has decided to include chapters about the so-called Armenian genocide
in history and geography books used in French secondary schools —
a move that could once again upset relations with Turkey, which
was hopeful about rebuilding strained ties with Paris following the
election of the new president, Francois Hollande.

French students studying world history since 1910 will also read a
chapter called The Armenian Genocide. Hollande said last month that
he will stand by a campaign pledge to make it illegal to deny that
the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 was genocide.

Relations between Paris and Ankara had begun to thaw after a decision
in February by France’s constitutional court to strike down the
genocide denial law as contrary to free speech.

Turkey had canceled all economic, political and military meetings with
France in December after the French parliament voted in favor of the
draft law. At a joint news conference early in July, French Foreign
Minister Laurent Fabius said the law was unlikely to be resurrected
and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto lu hailed the opening of
a warmer phase in relations with France.

Armenia, backed by many historians, says that about 1.5 million
Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War
I in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government.

Turkey says there was heavy loss of life on both sides during the
fighting, in which Armenian partisans supported invading Russian
forces. The Ottoman Empire collapsed after the war. Successive Turkish
governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of genocide
is an insult to their nation.

Turkey hoped Hollande’s election might mean France is than under his
conservative predecessor Sarkozy, but has so far received no public
support for its EU bid from Paris.

History-Geography Teachers Council Secretary-General Hubert Tison
has said the chapter in the textbooks is devoted to giving detailed
information on the so-called Armenian genocide.

Tison criticized as redundant the inclusion of the chapter, which will
explain in detail the genocide, ethnic structure of the Ottoman Empire,
rule of Talat Pasha and policies of nationalist Turks and purported
exiles. The chapter will also include the numbers of Armenians who
were killed, exiled or sent to death.

Turkish Education Ministry officials said they will first need to
examine the book and see if it includes phrases that incriminate
Turkey and they will respond in line with international law through
diplomatic channels. The officials said both countries earlier
established commissions composed of experts to remove discriminatory
phrases in textbooks and accused the French government of making what
they said is a politically motivated move.

From: Baghdasarian

BAKO SAHAKYAN HOSTED A GROUP OF ARMENIAN AND GERMAN WRITERS

ARMENPRESS
31 August, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS: On 31 August Artsakh Republic President
Bako Sahakyan received heads of Armenian and Artsakh unions of writers
Levon Ananyan and Vardan Hakobyan, writer and publicist Zori Balayan
as well as German writers Jurgen Jankofsky and Andre Schinkel.

Armenpress was informed from Central Information Department of the
Office of the Artsakh Republic President that issues related to
the development of literature and cultural sphere in Artsakh were
discussed during the meeting.

President Sahakayan considered important the role of literature in
preserving national identity, upbringing the younger generation
and cementing universal values. Within this context, the Head of
the State underlined the necessity of establishing and developing
cooperation with different countries, including Germany and underling
the existence of favorable conditions for that.

From: Baghdasarian

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : HURRIYET PANIQUE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 30 aout 2012

La journaliste turque Sevim Songun Demirezen a ecrit lundi 27 août
dans le quotidien turc Hurriyet un article consacre a la fois a
l’apparition du genocide armenien dans les manuels scolaires des
collegiens de 3 ème et de l’annonce d’une cooperation entre le musee
du genocide a Erevan et le Musee de l’Holocauste a Jerusalem.

La journaliste affirme que ” L’Armenie a accelere ses efforts pour
promouvoir le genocide avant son 100e anniversaire avec des actions
dans deux pays – la France et Israël – dont les relations avec Turquie
se sont deteriorees au cours des dernières annees”.

“La cooperation culturelle entre l’Armenie et Israël n’est pas
surprenant a un moment où les relations de la Turquie avec Israël
sont arrives au point zero” a declare le chroniqueur Turc Semih Idiz
au quotidien Hurriyet.

Suha Umar, un ambassadeur turc a la retraite, a declare au journal turc
que les deux evolutions etaient un signe de l’echec de la politique
etrangère turque provoquee par les faiblesses turques percues sur
la question.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIDJAN-ARMENIE-KARABAKH-CONFLIT
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 30 aout 2012

Un soldat azerbaïdjanais tue près de la region disputee du Nagorny
Karabakh (AFP)

BAKOU (Azerbaïdjan), 29 août 2012 – Un soldat azerbaïdjanais a ete
tue par les forces armeniennes près de la region azerbaïdjanaise du
Nagorny Karabakh occupee par l’Armenie, a rapporte mercredi l’agence
azerbaïdjanaise APA.

Selon APA, Musfiq Bayramov, un adjudant chef, a ete abattu alors que
les troupes armeniennes auraient rompu le cessez-le-feu a la frontière
avec le Karabakh.

Le ministère de la Defense d’Azerbaïdjan etait injoignable mercredi
soir pour confirmer cette information.

Des echanges de tirs impliquant des troupes armeniennes et
azerbaïdjanaises ont lieu regulièrement dans la region.

Rattache a l’Azerbaïdjan pendant la periode sovietique, le Nagorny
Karabakh – region a majorite armenienne- a proclame son independance,
non reconnue par la communaute internationale, après une guerre qui
a fait 30.000 morts et des centaines de milliers de refugies entre
1988 et 1994.

Un cessez-le-feu a ete signe en 1994, mais Bakou et Erevan n’arrivent
pas a se mettre d’accord sur le statut de la region qui reste une
source de tension dans le Caucase du Sud, une zone strategique situee
entre l’Iran, la Russie et la Turquie.

From: Baghdasarian

OVER 37,000 FIRST GRADERS WILL GO TO SCHOOL IN ARMENIA THIS SEPTEMBER

news.am
August 31, 2012 | 13:27

YEREVAN.- Over 37,000 first graders will go to school in Armenia
this September, a representative of Armenia’s Education and Science
Ministry told reporters on Friday.

Narine Hovhannisyan said the final data will be available after
September 5.

“The number of first graders will vary from 37.5 and 38 thousand,”
she added.

Hovhannisyan said all elementary school textbooks, including the ones
of foreign languages, will be provided free of charge.

About 10,000 first graders will go to school in capital Yerevan.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN MP CONCERNED BY POOR WHEAT HARVEST

tert.am
31.08.12

This year’s poor wheat harvest in the mountainous areas and foothills
was due to the high-quality seeds that did not meet our expectations,
says Lyova Khachatryan, a lawmaker of the Prosperous Armenia party.

The MP, who permanently voices the rural population’s problems in
parliament, considers the plan to be absolutely of no use.

“That’s just a business guaranteeing 200% profitability; but the seed
is good for nothing. They villagers had absolutely no yield of wheat,
and reaped a crop of grass,” he told Tert.am.

According to him, the Agriculture Ministry’s allegations about the
drought are nothing but a childish conversation.

“In two land lots next to each other, we had both the old and the new
wheat seeds planted. But the drought, for some reason did not affect
the old seeds, damaging only the new. They have to give explanations
about those high-quality seeds. Apparently, they either fell short
of the required high quality standard or were unfit for the area,”
he said, considering the measure an attempt to turn a villager into
a consumer.

Khachatryan noted that the existing situation forces the people in
villages to enter into deals.

“They do not even have seeds,” he said, promising to raise the problem
at the National Assembly, as he usually does. But Khachatryan did not
seem to have great expectations of that. “What’s the use of that? We
haven’t got any response. I raised a couple of problems last time at
agricultural hearings, calling for the Ministry’s control over the
exported seeds, fertilizers and the consumption prices. But that cut
no ice,” he added.

As for this year’s rich harvest, Khachatryan considered that
problematic too, noting more is the agricultural produce the less is
the villager’s income.

“We had lots of peaches and apricots this year, which caused problems.

They are either not accepted or accepted at low prices. The grape
yield is also good. For us, it is not normal. Less harvest is possible
to realize at a high price, but when it is rich, it is not to be sold
even for a cheap price. Export too, is not naturally realized properly,
with high quality fruit falling on the ground,” he said.

As a measure to overcome the problem, the MP proposed distilling
vodka from fruits.

From: Baghdasarian

Russian Bandits Killed And Burnt Armenian Syrian

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:37:25 – 31/08/2012

In Yekaterinburg, 29-year-old Roman Kiryakov, member of a criminal
gang is accused of at least 10 murders.

One of his victims is U.S. and Syrian citizen George Kara-Yakubyan. On
March 6 Kiryakov and his friends kidnapped Yakubyan, stole 100.000
rubles, then killed him and burnt the body.

From: Baghdasarian

WHY PETROL PRICE INCREASED
Roza Hovhannisyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:52:42 – 31/08/2012

Petrol price is again up. According to the National Statistics Service,
petrol price increased on August 20 by 3.2% compared to the beginning
of August, reaching 490 drams.

But, the average price compared with July is down by 0.1%. Compared
with August 2011, the prices of petrol and diesel fuel increased this
year by 4.2 and 3.9% respectively.

If usually, petrol importers explain price increase by increase in the
world markets, today the biggest importer Flash prefers to keep silent.

In answer to Lragir.am’s question on the reason of petrol price
increase, vice-director of Flash Company Mushegh Elchyan said. “No
comment.”

Economist Vardan Bostanjyan explained price increase by the growing
demand. According to him, this issue is urgent all over the world.

He says that the U.S. has worked out a program of designing economic
cars to halve consumption of petrol. According to Bostanjyan,
international tendencies certainly affect Armenia.

The economist thinks that especially now when the presidential
elections are coming up, the Armenian importers would never boost
prices without any reason for that.

Economist Vahagn Khachatryan, analyzing recent developments in the
world markets, told Lragir.am that no essential change of price in
world markets have been reported over the past 10 years.

As to why the petrol price soars in Armenia, the economist says
that the Armenians will always find an excuse. According to Vahagn
Khachatryan, the rising dram and unchanged prices in the world markets
should not push the price of petrol up in Armenia.

Vahagn Khachatryan says the only explanation is the monopoly and the
prices depend on the wish of the ruling people.

From: Baghdasarian

GYUMRI MAYOR’S SON ON WANTED LIST

Vestnik Kavkaza
Aug 30 2012
Russia

Gyumri Mayor Vardan Gukasyan’s son, Spartak Gukasyan, has been put on
the wanted list by the court of the Shirak Region of Armenia, spokesman
of the Prosecutor General’s Office Sona Truzyan said, Tert.am reports.

He was accused of hooliganism and illegal purchase and storage of
weapons and ammo.

The police say that Spartak Gukasyan was involved in a fight in Gyumri
on August 24. Edgar Lazarian, a candidate for the Council of Elders,
and his friends were involved in the fight.

Gyumri will soon have mayor elections. The Republican Party approved
Samvel Balasanyan of Prosperous Armenia for the post.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S ‘SYMBOLIC’ AUTUMN
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:32:11 – 30/08/2012

CSTO reported that Armenia has requested this organization to
postpone the exercise of the CSTO Fast Reaction Forces initially
scheduled on September 3-8. Armenia referred to technical reasons. In
addition, Armenia requested to postpone for 10 days. The exercise
was re-scheduled on September 15-19.

Along with the CSTO, the Armenian MFA issued a press release which
disclosed the “technical reason”. On September 5-6 NATO Secretary
General will visit Armenia. Were the exercise not postponed, the
large-scale CSTO exercise would overlap with Rasmussen’s visit.

In any case, the situation would be interesting, if not awkward. It
is interesting who first complained of this coincidence and
whose complaint was taken into consideration by Armenia. Was it
Rasmussen’s request who said he would not skip Armenia during his
regional visit if the exercise was not postponed? Perhaps it would
be something unpleasant if he skipped Armenia during his regional
visit. Although, even if the visit were not regional, in the current
stage of improvement of relations with the west official Yerevan
would not refuse the Secretary General of NATO which is one of the
pillars of the Western politics.

On the other hand, what would be there if Russia declined the request
to postpone the exercise and insisted on the initial schedule? Could
Armenia enter into a conflict? Perhaps not. So, the division of CSTO
and NATO was at least the wish of both Brussels and Moscow therefore
CSTO honored the request of Armenia and did not insist on the initially
established timing.

Moreover, it is possible that Moscow has initiated division of the
exercise and the visit of NATO Secretary General.

By the way, it should be noted that the exercise will be held
simultaneously with CSTO Summit, and Rasmussen’s visit would overlap
with this event as well.

Armenia’s request to postpone CSTO events would hardly have other
more significant reasons though Putin’s schedule could be one of such
reasons. Putin was expected to visit Armenia during the exercise. It
is possible that the time was not convenient for him so Armenia agreed
to postpone the event for Putin’s visit.

And Armenia usually adjusts its schedule when such issues arise. For
example, he had a meeting with Putin on August 8, in the middle of
his holiday. It also means that Putin does not adjust its schedule
to Armenia’s convenience.

Hence, autumn in Armenia will begin not only with local elections full
of domestic intrigues but also a broad and serious foreign political
layer. In addition, Rasmussen comes to Armenia for an unexpected
visit. At least, it was not planned beforehand. The exercise had
been planned a long time ago, while his visit was not even hinted,
and if the exercise is postponed only three-four days before its
starting day, it means Rasmussen’s visit was rather unexpected or
other timing for the exercise would have been chosen.

Finally, a more interesting option is possible. It is possible that
Rasmussen comes to Armenia to have the exercise of CSTO postponed for
at least a few days. It could be something symbolic in the current
stage of competition between the West and Russia.

Serzh Sargsyan’s decision not to attend NAM in Tehran appears under a
new light. Sargsyan did not announce about his intention to participate
but at the same time he did not refute news that came in July. In
this meaning, his decision not to leave for Tehran was unexpected.

It is possible that this decision, as well as the request to postpone
CSTO exercise, was reasoned by reluctance to hinder the visit of CSTO
Secretary General.

From: Baghdasarian