Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Turkey, Once a Major Importer of Iranian Oil, Turns Towards Libya

By John Daly | Tue, 19 June 2012 00:23 | 0

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.What a difference international sanctions and intense U.S. pressure make.

Turkey in March imported more than 270,000 barrels per day of oil from
Iran, nearly triple the previous month’s 100,000 bpd, or 401,349 tons,
according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.

And now? Turkey sought a waiver from U.S. sanctions against Iran and
received a temporary one, along with India, Malaysia, South Africa,
South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. Notably China, which buys as much
as a fifth of Iran’s crude exports and Singapore did not receive
exemptions.

Scrambling to make up the looming energy deficit, Turkey has begun
talks with Saudi Arabia to make up any shortfalls caused by obeying
the sanctions and on 16 June Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz
announced that his government had signed a one million ton oil supply
deal with Libya.

But in trading out Iran for Libya and Saudi Arabia, Turkey has swapped
relative political stability for uncertainty. Whatever one thinks of
the mullahcracy ruling Iran, it has been in power since 1979.
Post-Gaddafi Libya is hardly a stable state as yet, with tensions
between the eastern part of the country, which controls much of the
nation’s oil output, rising with the authorities in Tripoli.

And the recent death of Saudi Crown Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz at 78
years old may herald a period of instability for the nation. Saudi
Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz is 88 years old, and has now
outlived two appointed successors from among the elderly group of sons
of Saudi’s founding monarch, King Abdul-Aziz, in a country where more
than half the current population is under 25 years old.

And in the meantime, Turkey, which for the past decade has imported 93
percent of the oil and 98 percent of the natural gas it consumes, is
beating the regional bushes to secure imports wherever it can.

On 7 June State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Vice President
Suleyman Gasimov stated that his nation would proceed with the
Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) construction project, which could
boost Azeri investments in Turkey to more than $17 billion, building
upon last year’s momentum, when Turkey and Azerbaijan signed a
memorandum of understanding to establish the consortium that will
build the 1,240-mile long TANAP, estimated to cost $5-$7 billion to
supply gas from Azerbaijan’s offshore Caspian Shah Deniz natural gas
fields westwards through Turkey to Europe.

Another possible regional option is Iraq, where Turkey is exploring
possible oil export deals with the Kurdish Regional Government,
despite the fact that the outlawed separatist Marxist Partiya Karkeren
Kurdistan (Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK) has been battling the
Turkish government from bases there since 1984.

But, not to worry. Turkey’s troubling energy deficits in the future
are to be met by – nuclear energy. Addressing a “New Energy Corridor”
panel discussion as part of the World Economic Forum on 14 June in
Istanbul, Yildiz told his audience, `We are a country without a
nuclear power plant. However, we are determined to have nuclear power
plants. We want to meet our increasing energy needs by erecting at
least 23 nuclear units by the year 2023. This implies building nuclear
power plants in three regions of Turkey.’

And the crown piece of Turkey’s investment in nuclear power is to be
its first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, which Yildiz has proclaimed
is moving forward despite public opposition.

Russia’s Atomenergoproekt has announced that engineering surveys at
the Akkuyu NPP site on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coast are due
to be completed later this year. Four 1,200 MWe VVER-1200 reactors are
planned for Akkuyu under a 2010 agreement between the governments of
Russia and Turkey. Akkuyu’s four units are to come online in 2019-22.

The Akkuyu NPP would be situated in a region subject to earthquakes.
On 27 June 1998, a major earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale
occurred in nearby Adana, which damaged 74,300 buildings, killed 150,
injured 1,000 and caused damage estimated at $1 billion. Research has
determined that an active fault line, the Ecemis fault, runs close to
the Akkuyu site.

In the wake of the 11 March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster, Turkey’s
governmental decision seems at the very least rash.

But we still leave the last word to the International Medical Corps,
which dispatches personnel to disaster zones around the world.
Speaking of Turkey the IMC observed, `Turkey frequently experiences
seismic activity and authorities have significant capacity to manage
disasters.’ As regards Fukushima, `An International Medical Corps
emergency response team was on-the-ground within 48 hours of the
disaster, assessing needs and coordinating with the Japanese
government.’

Fifteen months later, they’re still there.

By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com

From: Baghdasarian

Holocaust scholars urge Obama to sanction countries hosting Bashir

Monday, June 18, 2012

WASHINGTON (JTA) – A group of 70 Holocaust scholars has sent a letter
urging the Obama administration to support a congressional amendment
that would halt U.S. foreign assistance to countries that host visits
for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
The letter, sent June 14 and addressed to Atrocities Prevention Board
chief Samantha Power, highlights the recent amendment sponsored by
U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) adopted in the House Appropriations
Committee that would suspend non-humanitarian assistance to those
countries.

In the letter, which was sponsored by the David S. Wyman Institute for
Holocaust Studies, the signatories endorsed sanctions provisions in
the Wolf amendment, saying such sanctions `encourage America’s allies
to step up their commitments to fight against perpetrators of
genocide.’

Rafael Medoff, director of the Wyman Institute, noted in a news
release that `halting aid to those who host Bashir would be the first
concrete step the U.S. has taken to isolate the Butcher of Darfur and
pave the way for his arrest. If the Obama administration is serious
about punishing perpetrators of genocide, it should support the Wolf
Amendment.’

Signatories of the letter included Rabbi Dr. Irving `Yitz’ Greenberg,
a former chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; author Dr.
Daniel Goldhagen; the Rev. John Pawlikowski, who chairs the U.S.
Holocaust Museum’s Subcommittee on Church Relations; and Deborah Dwork
of Clark University, founder of the first graduate program in
Holocaust and genocide studies in the United States.

From: Baghdasarian

In case Romney is elected a president, he will use force against Iran

11:05 . 18/06

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who is a presidential
candidate nominated by the Republicans is ready to use force against
Iran in case he wins in the elections in November.

Romney made this warning addressed to Tehran on CBS. `I can assure you
if I’m president, the Iranians will have no question but that I will
be willing to take military action if necessary to prevent them from
becoming a nuclear threat to the world,` Romney said.

According to him, he will not have to get permission from the Congress
for use of force.

Israeli President Shimon Peres also spoke about use of force against
Iran in an interview to Washington Post stressing: `The Iranians must
be convinced this is not just a tactic’.

From: Baghdasarian

Military Physician in a “Life and Death” Struggle Following Harsnakar Beating

hetq
16:41, June 23, 2012

Major Vahe Avetyan, Chief of the Ear, Nose and Throat Unit at the RA
Military Hospital, is waging a life and death struggle after being
severely beaten at the Harsnakar restaurant on June 17.

`We are constantly monitoring his condition and doing all we can. We
won’t leave his side,’ said Hayk Andonyan, who heads the Resuscitation
Unit at the Central Military clinical Hospital in Yerevan.

From: Baghdasarian

Karabakh conflict sides stuck between peace and war – Thomas de Waal

NEWS.AM
June 23, 2012 | 15:50

Karabakh conflict sides [Armenia and Azerbaijan] were stuck between
peace and war, a senior associate in the Russia and Eurasia Program at
the Carnegie Endowment Thomas de Waal said in an interview with
CivilNetTV.

Regarding the Mexico statement by the OSCE Minsk Group member-states
presidents, the expert said that important is not the content but the
symbolic nature of it. The statement was a means to remind the sides
about the inadmissibility of war, the sides should come to an
agreement in the conflict settlement.

`The incidents on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border shadowed the visit
of the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the South Caucasus.
It is likely that one of the conflicting sides, difficult to say which
one, attempted to attach attention to the Karabakh conflict and the
incidents coincided with the high ranking visit, while Clinton was in
the region to call for peace,’ the expert said.

A viewpoint exists that great powers, including the States, Russia,
Europe, Turkey and Iran play chess with the South Caucasus countries.
However, de Waal did not share the viewpoint, adding he agrees to its
controversial one, claiming it is the regional states that manipulate
the great powers having their interests.

From: Baghdasarian

La petite musique pro-négationniste de Jack Lang à Saint-Dié

Publié le : 22-06-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – Jack Lang, ancien ministre
de la Culture et créateur de la Fête de la Musique, a lancé cette
année, avec un peu d’avance, les festivités musicales, en fredonnant
un petit air pro-négationniste assez affligeant lors d’une réunion
électorale à Saint-Dié, à l’issue de la prière du vendredi, durant le
second tour des élections législatives. Devant une assemblée
exclusivement composée d’hommes jeunes et moins jeunes de la
communauté turque et franco-turque de la ville, Jack Lang a pris la
parole, faisant suite à une étonnante introduction en turc du maire de
Saint Dié des Vosges, Christian Pierret. Ce dernier a présenté le
candidat du Parti socialiste comme étant opposé à “la loi des
Arméniens”. Jack Lang, qui avait contribué à faire voter la loi de
2001 par laquelle “La France reconnaît publiquement le génocide
arménien”, est en effet, depuis quelques années, l’un des fers de
lance de l’opposition à la loi de pénalisation de la négation du
génocide arménien, et ce, bien entendu, à la grande satisfaction
d’Ankara et de ses relais en France : “Lorsque cette loi scandaleuse a
été proposée par le président de la République sortant, pour
poursuivre les personnes qui contesteraient le génocide arménien
(…), j’ai beaucoup souffert en pensant à vous parce que comme
citoyens franco-turcs, une menace pouvait peser sur vous, menace sur
chacun d’entre vous et c’est la raison pour laquelle nous avons été un
certain nombre de parlementaires, un petit nombre il faut le dire, de
parlementaires de droite et de gauche, à déposer une plainte devant la
Cour Constitutionnel pour obtenir que cette loi inique puisse être
annulée” a annoncé Jack Lang le 15 juin 2012 à Saint Dié des Vosges.
Ses talents de flûtiste ne lui auront au final pas servi car le député
n’a pas été réélu le 17 juin. Est-ce parce qu’il a (par inadvertance
?) qualifié de négationniste tout son auditoire ? Ou parce qu’il a
utilisé le terme banni de “génocide arménien” ? Encore quelques
progrès à faire en musique, Maestro ? Toute forme d’ironie mise à
part, M. Lang serait bien inspiré de travailler à faire évoluer la
société turque vers une acceptation de son histoire, au lieu de la
conforter dans un déni malsain.

L’effet positif de cette réunion destinée à promouvoir le candidat
Jack Lang auprès de la communauté turque de Saint-Dié, sera que
l’éléphant PS devra désormais man`uvrer avec plus de délicatesse pour
contrer les lois pénalisant la négation du génocide arménien :
n’était-ce pas lui qui fustigeait la loi Boyer comme étant une loi
électoraliste ? ” Que cherche-t-on au juste ? Faire plaisir à tel ou
tel lobby ou souhaiter que la vérité éclate ?” [1].

Le site du Maire PS de Saint-Dié, Christian Pierret, nous apprend que
« Manuel Valls, Ministre de l’Intérieur, et Vincent Peillon, Ministre
de l’Education nationale, se sont rendus à Saint-Dié-des-Vosges,
mercredi 13 juin et jeudi 14 juin, pour soutenir la candidature de
Jack Lang aux élections législatives. Ce fut de beaux moments de
partage et de proximité avec les Déodatiens. »

Les deux ministres socialistes ont visiblement raté le moment fort du
vendredi 15 : étaient-ils informés ? Etaient-ils d’accord avec le
mobile de cette rencontre ? Jack Lang, candidat du PS, n’aura pas fait
ce jour-là – et c’est le moins que l’on puisse dire – acte de partage
des idéaux anti-négationnistes du Président de la République François
Hollande.

Lire aussi:

[1] Lang : “Il y a une ignorance incroyable sur la Turquie”

Emission Politika du 12 juin 2012

From: Baghdasarian

Bako Sahakyan hosted delegation from Armenia

14:28, 23 June, 2012

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS: On 23 June President of the Artsakh
Republic Bako Sahakyan received delegation of the Armenian State
Commission on defending economic competition led by head of the
structure Artak Shaboyan.
Armenpress was informed from Central Information Department of the
Office of the Artsakh Republic President that issues related to
cooperation as well as exchange of experience in the field of
regulating economic competition between the appropriate structures of
the two Armenian republics were discussed during the meeting.
Artsakh Republic vice-premier, finance Minister Spartak Tevosyan,
chairman of the Artsakh Republic State Commission on regulating public
services and economic competition Hakob Ghahramanyan partook at the
meeting.

Earlier Armenpress had informed that On 23 June President of the
Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan partook at the `Bridge Artsakh-2012′
Fourth Economic Forum.

From: Baghdasarian

Ruling force unable to build up `just state’ in Armenia – opposition rep

tert.am
20:46 – 22.06.12

At his meeting with journalists on Friday, Armenia’s ex-premier, a
member of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC)
parliamentary group Hrant Bagratyan re-affirmed his opinion that the
ruling political force is unable to build up a `just state’ for lack
of experts.

`They remain at the same level, and nothing can be changed,’ Bagratyan
said. Armenia’s parliament is now more interesting due to the ANC, he
added.

Although his speech can be considered a political one, it is based on
facts, Bagratyan said.

The major problem Armenia’s parliament must deal with is cynicism, he
said. To substantiate to words he said that the Armenian premier’s
answers to his questions show `he does not know anything.’

The ANC must be in parliament for people to know that Armenia’s
foreign debt is $6.5bn rather than $4bn, Bagratyan said.

He noted that $2.5bn is the private sector’s share, with the lion’s
share owed by banks. So if the banks fail to pay off their debts, the
government will have to do it.

The government program is actually a tranche-based plan, Bagratyan said.

The only strong point in the government program is that it envisages
Armenian national music on the school curriculum.

From: Baghdasarian

Marseille – JAF
12ème gala des Ecoles de Danse et de Musique

Le samedi 23 juin 2012 à 20h30, la Jeunesse Arménienne de France (JAF)
clôt son année artistique de ses Ecoles de Danse et de Musique.
L’occasion lors de ce 12ème gala au Dock des Suds, 12 Rue Urbain V
13002 Marseille, de présenter le travail accompli par les enfants et
le corps professoral durant l’année.

Voilà plus de 60 ans déjà que la Jeunesse Arménienne de France a placé
son action dans le développement culturel et artistique des jeunes
Français d’origine arménienne.

La culture est un des fondements de l’identité arménienne.

En créant il y a maintenant 12 ans l’Ecole de Danse, Vanouch
Khanamirian et l’Ecole de Musique, Khatchadour Avédissian , la JAF
propose aux jeunes de développer leur arménité.

Ainsi le 23 Juin sur la scène du Dock des Suds, ce sont plus de 120
jeunes gés de 5 à 16 ans, qui se produiront pour un spectacle unique
en France. Cette année le spectacle sera marqué par l’absence du
maitre Vanouch Khanamirian qui nous a quitté en octobre dernier. Celui
qui ne manquait pour rien le spectacle de son Ecole, celui qui a
transmis aux jeunes générations son talent a désormais rejoint le
Panthéon des artistes arméniens.

La danse et la musique sont les fondements indispensables de la
transmission d’une culture, d’une passion plus que jamais nécessaire
pour la perpétuation du mouvement. La Jeunesse Arménienne de France a
placé son action au service des plus jeunes générations, pour forger
leur double identité au travers des chorégraphies et des mélodies, qui
racontent l’histoire du peuple arménien.

Plus d’infos sur

Renseignements au 04 91 802 820

Tarif 15, gratuit pour les moins de 10 ans

samedi 23 juin 2012,
Aurélie Ohanian ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Brave animation produced by Armenian hits US theaters on Friday

news.am
June 23, 2012 | 00:36

Brave 3D animation film hits theaters in the United States on Friday,
June 22. The producer of the film is Armenian Katherine Sarafian.

According to the plot, determined to make her own path in life,
Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom.
Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery
skills to undo a beastly curse.

According to Katherine Sarafian, while working on the film she
understood how alike she was with her father – a priest of the
Armenian Church.

`Faith can’t not to play a role in your life. I looked a lot at my
father, a priest in the Armenian Church, who was not great at managing
people. He was a heart-based leader, while my mom was a businesswoman.
I thought I was more like my mom, more of the business-style leader,’
Kathrin told The Christian Post.

She considers that the idea of the film derives from her own life.

`When you can reconcile who you are with what’s expected of you and
learn to trust the love of your family … that’s brave. When you
realize, ‘I’m still me and I can still love my family and be a member
of my community, just maybe not in the way that people would expect’ …
That’s brave,’ she said.

From: Baghdasarian