Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR, UK
Caucasus Reporting, Issue 646
June 17 2012

Syrian Armenians Move to Yerevan

Security fears in Syria make Armenia look a sensible place to take refuge.

By Arpi Harutyunyan, Haykuhi Barseghyan – Caucasus

Several hundred people have already arrived in Armenia to escape
rising violence in Syria, and they say thousands more could be on
their way.

`We never thought we’d be able to move from one country to another in
just a few months,’ said Harutyun Ashakertyan, 58, who has moved to
Armenia with his wife and three children. `The situation changed so
sharply that it was the best decision. Our prime duty was to ensure
the family’s safety.’

His wife Lisa Ashakertyan, 50, said most of the people she knew back
in Syria were planning to move to Armenia, as well.

Syria is home to around 80,000 Armenians, most descendants of the
survivors of mass killings in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 onwards.
Although they are well integrated in Syria, the violence of the last
year has forced many to consider leaving.

The influx is likely to increase as President Bashar al-Assad’s forces
continue attacking towns around the country, and as his armed
opponents put up more resistance. Concentrated in in Aleppo, the
Armenian minority is seen as supportive of the Assad government.

Emigrating is difficult when there are few buyers for homes and businesses.

Madlen Sepetjyan, 59, is keen to leave Syria, but is unable to sell her house.

`A few months ago my house was robbed. Every last coin was taken, and
it’s just lucky I wasn’t at home or they would have killed me,’ she
said. `They took all my savings and my gold, and I can’t go to Armenia
until I sell my house. We wait for buyers all the time, but no one is
coming forward at this tense time.’

Sepetjyan worries how she will support herself in Armenia, since her
son has lived there for three years but has yet to find a long-term
job that pays decent money.

It is not clear how many of the arriving Syrian Armenians have found work.

According to member of parliament Artsvik Minasyan, they will need
help integrating, not least because they speak a different dialect of
Armenian.

`The problem is that there is no single strategy for arriving
Armenians who need help from the state – from assistance with
economic, social and financial issues, to organisational and
citizenship questions,’ he said.

In response to an opposition question this February, Armenia’s prime
minister Tigran Sargsyan said the government would be prepared to help
the Armenian community in Syria.

Tevos Nersisyan, of the diaspora ministry, said no resettlement plans
had been drawn up, and was still not anticipating a massive influx
from Syria.

`It’s impossible to predict how many people will move to Armenia,’ he
said. He confirmed that Syrian Armenians were constantly contact with
his ministry, however, over visas, financial matters and help getting
their property through customs.

Analysts say the new arrivals should not put too much strain on the
system, especially considering the number of people who have left
Armenia in search of work in recent years.

`So many people have left Armenia in recent years that a big influx
now wouldn’t cause any economic problems. The reverse is true – the
arrival of compatriots will give us new stimulus,’ Andranik Tevanyan,
director of the Politeconomia think tank, said.

Arpi Harutyuyan is a correspondent for Armnews television. Haykuhi
Barseghyan is a correspondent for the Ankakh weekly and

From: Baghdasarian

Saudi seeks to purchase more battle tanks from Germany – paper

June 17, 2012 – 16:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Saudi Arabia wants to buy 600 to 800 Leopard battle
tanks from Germany, at least twice the number previously expected, a
German newspaper reported on Sunday, June 17, according to Reuters.

A deal for around 300 tanks was about to be signed, Bild am Sonntag
newspaper said in a report sent to Reuters ahead of publication.

The newspaper said that while there was opposition to the deal in
Germany’s Chancellery, Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry, there
was support for it within the Economy Ministry.

“The Saudi order could secure the future of German tank-makers
Krauss-Maffei Wegman and Rheinmetall, which urgently need new markets
because of the restructuring of the German army,” said Bild am
Sonntag.

A German government spokeswoman declined to comment.

Last year, Germany denied reports that it had agreed to export 270
Leopard tanks to Saudi Arabia. Exports of military equipment cannot be
officially acknowledged as they are confidential and disclosure is
punishable by a fine or jail.

Opposition lawmakers heaped pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s
government after reports it had cut a secret deal to sell the tanks,
saying it contravened the country’s export guidelines for military
hardware.

Arms exports are a sensitive issue in Germany given its Nazi past as
well as the role arms makers like Krupp played in feeding 19th and
20th century wars with exports to both sides of conflicts.

Germany has refrained from exporting heavy weapons to Gulf states in
the past, given its close relationship with Israel and more recently
because of the so-called Arab Spring.

Citing industry sources, Bild am Sonntag said Saudi Arabia wanted to
sign the deal by July 20, when the Ramadan festival starts.

Spanish firm General Dynamic/Santa Barbara would produce the tanks
under license by the German firms, the newspaper said.

From: Baghdasarian

La Stampa, Italia
13 giugno 2012

Israele e Genocidio armeno

La Knesset ha tenuto ieri una sessione speciale per discutere e
ricordare il Genocidio armeno.

MARCO TOSATTI

La Knesset ha tenuto una sessione speciale ieri per ricordare il
genocidio armeno. Il ministro Gilad Erdan, un alleato stretto del
Primo ministro Benajamin Netanyahu, ha detto che lo Stato ebraico
dovrebbe modificare la sua politica e riconoscere che le uccisioni di
massa degli armeni da parte dei turchi ottomani nel 1915 furono un
atto di genocidio. Israele in passato ha evitato di riconoscere il
genocidio armeno, per non compromettere i rapporti con la Turchia, che
nega il genocidio. Erdan ha accusato Erdogan di adottare due pesi e
due misure rifiutandosi di riconoscere il genocidio armeno, ma
accusando Israele di compiere un genocidio a Gaza. Erdan che ha detto
di parlare a titolo personale, ha fatto riferimento al caso della Mavi
Marmara, ha detto parlando di Erdgana: `Una persona che accusa di
genocidio militari che combattono il terrorismo e uccidono per errore
dei civili può anche capire che gli armeni sono stati vittime di
genocidio’.

The Knesset held a special session on Tuesday to mark the Armenian
genocide. Minister Gilad Erdan, a close ally of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the Jewish state ought to change its
policy and recognize the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks as an act of genocide. Israel in the past has long avoided
acknowledging the mass killings of Armenians as genocide, not to
jeopardize its relations with Turkey, whose government is negationist.
Erdan accused Erdogan of maintaining a double standard by refusing to
recognize the Armenian genocide, but publicly declaring that Israel is
perpetrating genocide in Gaza. Erdan, who said his remarks reflected
his personal position and not that of the government, said of Erdogan:
“A person who accuses an army fighting terror and mistakenly hitting
civilians of genocide, can also understand that the Armenians
experienced genocide.”

From: Baghdasarian

Atlas Quotidiano di Esteri, Italia
6 giugno 2012

Azerbaijian-Armenia: scontri al confine, si riaccende il Nagorno-Karabakh

di Serena Grassia. Scritto il 6 giu 2012 alle 7:01.

Cinque soldati azeri sono stati uccisi in uno scontro con le truppe
armene lungo il confine che separa l’Azerbaigian dall’Armenia, nella
regione contesa del Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lo ha detto il Ministero della Difesa dell’Azerbaigian in un comunicato.

Tre, invece, i morti sul fronte armeno.

Sono passati venti anni da quando esplose il conflitto del
Nagorno-Karabakh, un territorio autoproclamatosi indipendente il 6
gennaio 1992 ma rivendicato dagli azeri nel corso di una guerra che ha
ucciso 30,000 persone e ne ha disperse oltre un milione.

Secondo fonti azere, l’ultimo incidente è avvenuto nei pressi del
villaggio di Ashagy Askipara martedì mattina, in seguito a un attacco
armeno contro una pattuglia azera.

`Sono preoccupata per l’escalation di violenza nel Caucaso
meridionale’, ha detto Hillary Clinton ai giornalisti dopo una cena
con il presidente armeno Serzh Sargsyan.

In questi giorni infatti il Segretario di stato americano è in visita
nel Caucaso, alla ricerca di un compromesso per gli accordi di pace.

Temendo che il conflitto tra i due paesi possa degenerare, con gravi
ripercussioni a livello internazionale soprattutto per la posizione
strategica dell’Azerbaigian e per le sue ingenti risorse naturali, la
Clinton preme su Francia e Russia affinché la risoluzione del
conflitto nel Nagorno entri nella loro agenda politica.

Armenia e Azerbaigian si contendono il territorio del Nagorno-Karabakh
da due decenni, e nonostante il cessate il fuoco del 1994, le due
parti non hanno ancora raggiunto un accordo di pace definitivo: i
frequenti morti sulla linea del fronte ne sono una prova.

Baku minaccia di usare la forza per riconquistare la `sua’ terra
qualora i colloqui di pace non dovessero produrre risultati
soddisfacenti, mentre Yerevan promette ritorsioni nei confronti di
qualsiasi azione militare.

From: Baghdasarian

IL POST, Italia
6 giugno 2012

Il problema del Nagorno-Karabakh

Breve storia della regione autonomista per la quale Azerbaijan e
Armenia sono ancora in guerra: negli ultimi giorni, negli scontri tra
i due eserciti, sono morti otto soldati

Nei giorni scorsi i rapporti tra Armenia e Azerbaijan si sono fatti
nuovamente molto tesi e ci sono state alcune sparatorie tra militari
dei due paesi. Sarebbero morti in tutto otto soldati (cinque azeri e
tre armeni), mentre almeno una decina di altri soldati sarebbero
rimasti feriti. Le cause degli scontri non sono ancora chiare. Secondo
il ministero della Difesa azero, i primi ad attaccare sarebbero stati
i militari armeni martedì al nord della linea di confine tra i due
paesi, nei pressi del villaggio di Ashagy Askipara, un’ex striscia di
territorio azera ora controllata dall’Armenia. L’esercito armeno,
invece, ha detto di essere stato attaccato il giorno prima dai
militari azeri in un altro villaggio al confine vicino ad Ashagy
Askipara, e che nella circostanza almeno 3 soldati armeni sarebbero
stati uccisi dagli azeri.

Gli scontri tra gli eserciti, dunque, hanno provocato nuove tensioni
tra i due paesi, che, nonostante un fragile cessate-il-fuoco del 1994,
sono teoricamente ancora in guerra per il Nagorno-Karabakh, una
regione del Caucaso meridionale che si trova all’interno
dell’Azerbaijan ma che si è autoproclamata indipendente circa
vent’anni fa: la sua popolazione è a stragrande maggioranza armena e
cristiana ma fino alla dissoluzione dell’URSS il Nagorno-Karabakh era
nell’orbita della musulmana Repubblica Socialista Sovietica Azera,
come aveva deciso Stalin nel 1921.

Le uccisioni degli otto soldati sono arrivate proprio durante la
visita in quell’area del segretario di Stato americano Hillary
Clinton, che lunedì è stata in Armenia mentre oggi è in Azerbaijan, un
paese che negli ultimi anni si è avvicinato molto all’Occidente e a
Israele. Ieri Clinton si è detta `molto preoccupata’ dagli ultimi
sviluppi del conflitto e ha invitato i due paesi a rinunciare all’uso
della forza. Anche perché, se le cose dovessero peggiorare, nella
lotta potrebbero essere risucchiati altri paesi che sostengono
l’Armenia, come la Russia, che non vuole un Azerbaijan troppo
`occidentale’ per questioni geopolitiche ed economiche, e l’Iran, che
è da molti anni in conflitto con l’Azerbaijan, nonostante siano
entrambi paesi a maggioranza sciita.

Il Nagorno-Karabakh è una regione vasta circa 11mila chilometri
quadrati che da molti anni è contesa tra Armenia e Azerbaijan. La sua
storia è piuttosto complicata: negli anni Venti la regione, allora
parte della Transcaucasia, era stata promessa all’Armenia dai
bolscevichi. Poi però Stalin cambiò idea e per ingraziarsi la Turchia,
dove voleva esportare il comunismo e che era alleata degli azeri,
venne creato l’Oblast (`regione amministrativa’ in russo) Autonomo del
Nagorno-Karabakh che venne inglobato a sua volta nella Repubblica
Socialista Sovietica Azera, contro la volontà della maggior parte
degli abitanti che era armena e di fede cristiana (l’Azerbaijan è
tradizionalmente di religione musulmana sciita).

Dopo la decisione di Stalin ci fu molta tensione tra il
Nagorno-Karabakh e i governanti azeri. Alla fine degli anni Ottanta,
quando la regione approfittò della disgregazione dell’Unione Sovietica
per staccarsi definitivamente dall’Azerbaijan, le tensioni esplosero.
Nel 1988 il Parlamento del Nagorno-Karabakh dichiarò la propria
indipendenza, gli azeri si rivolsero all’Unione Sovietica per bloccare
la secessione ma da Mosca nessuno fece nulla. Scoppiò allora la guerra
del Nagorno-Karabakh, che ufficialmente si è combattuta tra il 1992
(quando Nagorno-Karabakh proclamò ufficialmente la nuova repubblica) e
il 1994, ma le cui operazioni militari e alcuni episodi di pulizia
etnica, seppur a corrente alternata, erano cominciati già nel 1988.

Durante la guerra vennero uccise 30mila persone (soprattutto azeri) e
ci furono quasi un milione di sfollati (circa quattrocentomila armeni
un tempo residenti nell’Azerbaigian e circa cinquecentomila azeri
residenti in Armenia e Nagorno-Karabakh), molti dei quali ancora oggi
vivono nei campi profughi o non sono potuti tornare nelle loro case.
Il 5 maggio 1994 è stato firmato a Bishkek, in Kirghizistan, un
cessate-il-fuoco che però spesso negli ultimi anni non è stato
rispettato. I due paesi sono ancora tecnicamente in guerra ma alla
fine il Nagorno-Karabakh, protetto dall’Armenia, ha ottenuto
l’indipendenza de facto, anche se questa non è ancora riconosciuta
dalla comunità internazionale. Da allora i tanti negoziati di pace tra
i due paesi non sono andati a buon fine.

foto: ANNA ASRIYANTS/AFP/Getty Images

From: Baghdasarian

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 15 2012

Turkey’s Syria stance aggravates plight of Iran’s Turks

by by Gozde Nur Donat

The Iranian regime has increased its decades-old pressure on the South
Azerbaijani Turkish population after Turkey adopted an unequivocally
critical stance on President Bashar al-Assad’s deadly offensive in
Syria, a member of the newly founded International South Azerbaijani
Turks’ National Council has said.

The Assad regime in Syria has significant military and intelligence
support from Iran to continue to its offensive against opponents.

Azerbaijani-speaking Turks in Iran, who define themselves as South
Azerbaijani Turks, highlighted the fact that Iran is continuing its
decades-old oppression on Turks with full force, depriving them of
important cultural rights, during a press meeting at the Azerbaijani
Cultural Association in Ankara on Friday.

Cemal Mehmethanoglu, spokesperson for the council gave details about
the council’s planned activities over the coming three-month period
during the conference, which includes forums and seminars on the
situation of South Azerbaijani Turks to be held in Sweden and Russia,
in August and September, respectively. Furthermore, on Sept. 22, the
council will hold a public rally in Taksim Square in Istanbul, under
the title “Solidarity with South Azerbaijani Turks.” A similar rally
is also planned for Baku on Sept. 27.

Having no right to press and education in their mother tongue, the
Azerbaijani speaking population have taught their children Turkish in
their houses and at some Turkish associations. “But recently, Iran has
started to run a campaign against Turkish teachers, arresting them.
This is inextricably linked to an increasing anti-Turkish stance in
Iran due to Turkey’s very clear negative stance regarding the Syrian
administration,” Hosrov Emiri, a member of the council has said.

There are a total of 35 million Azeri Turks living in Iran, which has
a population of 79 million, said Hadi Musevi, but this fact is covered
up by the Iranian administration and Azeri Turks have always been
suppressed in the Islamic Republic of Iran. “Some 200,000 Armenians
enjoys comprehensive cultural rights in Iran as opposed to Turks. Iran
has proved that it is not a disingenuous Islamic republic, conducting
a clear fascist policy,” Musevi added.

Members of the council also requested more support from Turkey. “The
existence of South Azerbaijanis is not very well-known in Turkey.
However, 35 million is a significant number and could have a lot of
potential. Turkey should realize that potential, which is right
next-door,” said Zaur Bayramli, another council member noted.

Addressing the speculations that have appeared in Iran-linked media
claiming that the movement organized by South Azerbaijani Turks is a
joint US and Turkish plot to divide Iran, Mehmethanoglu highlighted
that their movement is purely civil oriented and free of links with
any state. “Our council is a national, modern, democratic one,
established on a civil society based movement. Our first principle is
to increase the recognition of the South Azerbaijani population around
the world in public opinion and to draw attention to the exposure of
this population to clear human rights violations at the hands of the
Iranian authorities,” Mehmethanoglu said.

Claiming that they are closer to Ankara and Baku than they are to
Tehran, Mehmethanoglu maintained that the Turkish population aspires
for independence in the long term, reviving the Azerbaijan People’s
Government which was formed in 1945 and ended in 1946 under the
leadership of Sayyed Jafar Pishevari, taking Tabriz as its capital.

From: Baghdasarian

Prosperous Armenia head pledges to protect his party members’ rights

June 16, 2012 – 18:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan met with
former foreign minister and second number of his party’s electoral
list Vartan Oskanian.

The party head noted readiness to do the utmost under the law to
ensure protection of his party members’ rights and interests. Mr.
Tsarukyan further highly assessed Civilitas Foundation’s activity.

He also voiced willingness to invite a group of foreign lawyers and
jurists if necessary.

National Security Service of Armenia conducts a criminal investigation
into Civilitas Foundation, bringing money laundering charges against
it.

Former Foreign Minister of Armenia and former head of Civilitas
Foundation Vartan Oskanian issued a statement on the issue, claiming
that the criminal case is politically motivated.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s traffic police use rise in fines for personal benefits –
public figure

June 16, 2012 – 17:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia’s traffic police use recent rise in fines
for violations to replenish the extra-budgetary fund, chairman of
Achilles center for drivers’ rights protection said.

According to Eduard Hovhannisyan, RA National Assembly adopted
amendments to Code on Administrative Offences on February 7, 2012.

`The law aimed to increase the fines,’ he noted, citing the traffic
sign on Rubinyants street restricting 40 km / h speed, which is used
for fining drivers, despite being hardly visible.

Mr. Hovhannisyan slammed the traffic police statements, according to
which increase in fines are called to ensure lawfulness.

`Order has already been established, with relevant work having been
conducted. Now the goal is to ensure collection of funds,’ he said.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s business sector is switching to automatic accounting – expert

news.am
June 16, 2012 | 07:23

YEREVAN. – The great majority of Armenia’s business sector has started
to use automatic finance management systems, Armenian Programs Company
representative Mkrtich Aslanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In his words, more than half of the country’s banks, 300 of the 1,000
large taxpayers, and around 3,000 small and medium enterprises have
switched to automatic finance or accounting systems.

The fees of accounting programs for small and medium business start
from AMD 199,000 (approx. US$ 485).

As per Mkrtich Aslanyan, by way of providing e-services, especially
the tax authorities contribute to making businesses become automatic.

From: Baghdasarian

Turkey may buy Russian air-defense system S-400

arminfo
Saturday, June 16, 15:12

Turkey is considering the purchase Russia’s S-400 Triumf
anti-aircraft weapon system amid growing tensions in the region.
According to local media, Turkey’s government is choosing between
Russia’s S-400, US Patriot missile defense system, China’s FD 2000
system and French- Italian Eurosam SAMP/T. Turkey will made a final
decision on which company will provide the weapons during a meeting of
the Defense Industry Executive Committee, which will be chaired by
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 4, Sabah reports.

Turkey has decided to purchase long-range ballistic missiles for the
first time in its history as part of a $4 billion air-defense-system.
Companies competing for the business include manufacturers from the
US, Russia, China and the EU.

Turkey is set to spend $4 billion on this long-range
air-defense-system project, which will entail the purchase of four
different air-defense systems. These will aim to neutralize any threat
posed by long-range missiles before they enter Turkish airspace.

Even though NATO’s newly erected radar-defense system is located in
Malatya, in eastern Turkey, the defense missiles to be launched in
case of a potential attack are positioned outside the country.
Therefore, Turkish officials have deemed it necessary for Turkey to
have its own air-defense system. Security experts argue that the
presence of a long-range missile system will be a deterrent to
potential attackers.

Turkey’s need for long-range air and missile-defense systems first
became evident during the US operations in Iraq in 1991 and 2003.
After lengthy negotiations, NATO ended up sending the Patriot system
to Turkey. These Patriot missiles provided security against potential
Scud missile attacks from Iraq.

In the meanwhile, Armenian and Russia mass media have repeatedly
reported that S-400 systems may be deployed in Armenia to replace the
existing S-300. The Russian 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia,
is part of the Transcaucasian Group of Forces. The military base is
part of a joint air defense system of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS), which was deployed in Armenia in 1995. There are nearly
5,000 Russian soldiers, MiG-29s and S-300 air defense systems in the
base.

From: Baghdasarian