Author: Hambardsumian Paul

"ORACLE DAY" WORKSHOP KICKS OFF IN YEREVAN
Hasmik Dilanyan

"Radiolur"
21.10.2009 14:52

The "Oracle Day" workshop kicked off in Yerevan today.

As Oracle Sales Director for CIS Sergey Lanovenko stated, "Armenia
has always been a technologic center and it can be seen from the
advanced projects in the sphere of IT".

He stressed that Oracle already carries out works with the Central
Bank of Armenia. A memorandum of understanding has already been
concluded between the two. Sergey Lanovenko stressed that "we are
also interested in cooperation with the telecommunication sector,
which is steadily progressing."

According to Softline Company Director Armen Karapetyan, Oracle’s
solutions may contribute to increasing efficiency and security of
the financial sector in Armenia. He noted that certain Armenian banks
already use the products of Oracle.

ARMENIA SWITCHES TO WINTER TIME ON OCTOBER 25

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.10.2009 17:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On the night of October 25, Armenia will switch
the clocks to the winter time. The clocks will be set an hour back
at 03:00 a.m. local time on the night of Sunday.

This change is believed to save energy and is applied in 110 countries
throughout the globe.

The idea of daylight saving was first conceived by Benjamin Franklin
(portrait at right) during his sojourn as an American delegate in
Paris in 1784, in an essay, "An Economical Project."

‘WHAT IS TO TAKE PLACE’: A CONTEMPORARY ART AFFAIR BY FEMALE ARTISTS ‘TOOK PLACE’

Tert
Oct 20 2009
Armenia

"What is to take place" was a contemporary art affair organized by
the Women-Oriented Women’s Collective which took place on Sunday,
October 18 at Zarubyan 34 in Yerevan.

The event included members of the collective as well as invited artists
and featured video and performance works, as well as photo series,
a collection of drawings, book art, and stencil art. The event took
place in the outside garden where a number of tables and chairs had
been arranged in small groupings. One could imagine that instead
of a contemporary art event, they were meeting friends at a local
cafe. The sun was shining (the weather unusually warm for an early
October evening), and the atmosphere was relaxed.

The organizers had prepared large quantities of popcorn and coffee,
and with a little bit of salt (for the popcorn) and a little bit of
sugar (for the coffee), the event began. Attendees were invited to
visit various "stations" where a number of laptops had been set up
to display the artists’ works. There was a video by Lusine Talalyan
loosely based on a survey on homosexuality called "Don’t Be Silent,"
a video by Lusine Vayachyan reading her emotionally moving text,
a music video edited by Arpi Adamyan which featured music by Tsomak
(who had created a song based on Violet Grigoryan’s poem "Tslik,"
roughly translated to "Cunt" in English).

"What is to take place" also featured Arpi Adamyan’s graphic art (seen
above), outlines of friends and acquaintances in various everyday
gatherings; a photo series by Adrineh Der-Boghossian, simply titled
"Her, sleeping"; and stencil art work and stickers by Tsomak ("Smash
patriarchy") . Invited artists included Eka Ketsbaia, an artist from
Georgia who presented her book art: a sequence of about 300 small
format ink on paper drawings (seen below); and Arax Nerkararyan
distributed slips of paper with her text on it.

Lucine Talalyan also presented an album of her photo series
"Arzni Retreat." Prior to the event, Angela Harutyunyan curated the
collective’s work in cyberspace and placed it on the blog; one of the
laptops at the event had the page up so attendees could read Angela’s
curated work.

After attendees had an opportunity to view the work, the performance
began. Lara Aharonian, Lusine Chergeshtyan, Adrineh Der-Boghossian,
Lusine Talalyan and Arpi Adamyan read a piece of work that was
comprised of various conversations they have had on various themes
(the full text, in Armenian, can be viewed on the Queering Yerevan
blog). Interspersed with the text were lines from Lara Aharonian’s
poem Hoqnel em ("I am tired") and excerpts from Zarubyani Kanayk
("The Women of Zarubyan"), a piece by WOW collective member Shushan
Avagyan, who was not in attendance. (Upon Shushan’s request, her work
was read by Gago).

The authors of the various works were not identified and no
descriptions of the works were presented. This was intentional.

Furthermore, the group did not receive any financial support in
organizing the event; they did, however, receive support from the
Women’s Resource Center in Armenia by way of providing the space for
the event.

Queering Yerevan is a collaborative project of Armenian queer artists,
writers and curators to be realized within the framework of the WOW
(Women-Oriented Women) collective. For more information, visit their
blog at http://queeringyerevan.blogspot. com.

DAVUTOGLU: ANKARA’S POSITION ON KARABAKH UNWAVERING

Today’s Zaman
Oct 20 2009
Turkey

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) held a joint press conference with
Czech Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Jan Kohout in Ankara on Monday.

In strongly worded remarks, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu once
more made clear on Monday that there is no place for speculation
regarding Turkey’s policy concerning an end to the occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh as a fundamental national cause.

At a joint press conference following his talks with visiting Czech
Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, Davutoglu was reminded that authorities in
Azerbaijan recently took down Turkish flags situated around monuments
commemorating Turkish soldiers. Azerbaijan and Turkish flags are
equally sacred for both Turkish government officials and the people
of Turkey, Davutoglu said, noting that the liberation of Azerbaijan
territories from occupation is a fundamental national cause for Turkey.

"First of all, our position will continue [to be] like this. Using an
old Turkish expression, Turkey’s position won’t change even if the sky
falls down to earth. This is a matter of principles," Davutoglu said.

Last week, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev expressed
dissatisfaction with Turkey’s terms for natural gas trade, suggesting
that his energy-rich Caspian Sea country could seek other avenues for
exports. Aliyev’s remarks suggested that Azerbaijan’s dismay over
Turkey’s efforts to reconcile with foe Armenia could hurt Western
hopes of reducing the European Union’s reliance on Russia for gas.

Azerbaijan has criticized Turkey for reaching a deal last weekend that
foresees establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia and for opening
their shared border, saying there should be no reconciliation until
the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh — an area in Azerbaijan that has
been held by Armenians since a war in the early 1990s — is settled.

Azerbaijan fears the deal with Turkey will discourage Armenia from
giving ground in the dispute.

Aliyev did not mention the Turkish-Armenian agreement, but his remarks
displayed dissatisfaction with his country’s traditional ally.

Only a day before Aliyev’s remarks, Turkish flags around the monument
of 1,130 Turkish soldiers who died while fighting for Azerbaijan’s
independence in 1918 were taken down by the mayor of Baku’s Sabayıl
district on Thursday. Azerbaijani authorities, however, dismissed
the notion that the act was part of a campaign; rather, it was done
due to a law on the flags of foreign countries and international
organizations.

"Our martyrs who died for the independence of Azerbaijan on Azerbaijani
lands and who came from all corners of Anatolia and the Balkans,
the Middle East and Aleppo, which are not within our borders now,
our flag under the shadow of which our martyrs are sleeping now and
our martyrdom mosque where prayers are said for our martyrs have been
— before everything else — entrusted to the dignity and honor of
the Azerbaijani people. We expect that respect will be shown to this
honor; we’re sure that it will be shown. We have no doubt about this,"
Davutoglu said in remarks clearly reflecting his disappointment over
the official implementation regarding the Turkish cemetery.

"What we have been told is that this is a temporary arrangement as a
result of restoration of the area. This [cemetery] is common heritage
for us [Turks and Azerbaijanis]," he added. "We have full confidence in
the Azerbaijani people. We know their fondness of Turkey. We will never
let efforts of sowing discord between Turkey and Azerbaijan succeed."

Davutoglu said he is confident that the best answer to such efforts —
despite assurances that have been constantly given to Azerbaijan on
every ground by President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and himself — will be given by "Azerbaijani siblings and
kinsmen with whom we have shared joint destiny and history."

"For Turkey, a policy change on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute that
could result in speculation is out of the question," the minister
said, underlining once more the importance he attaches to Turkey
being perceived from the right angle by the people of Azerbaijan.

In regards to Aliyev’s dissatisfaction with Turkey’s terms for natural
gas trade, Davutoglu briefly said negotiations between parties on
the issue have still been going on, noting that it was not only
an issue for Azerbaijan and Turkey but was rather an issue for the
international consortium.

The minister avoided giving a clear answer when asked whether he would
attend a foreign ministerial level meeting of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC), which will be held in Baku on Thursday.

WB: RA GOVERNMENT SHOWED ADEQUATE REACTION TO GLOBAL CRISIS

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.10.2009 12:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Global crisis impact on RA Economy and challenges
faced were discussed during the meeting between WB Managing Director
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala , RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and economic
issues’ group.

When discussing world crisis which couldn’t but impact RA economy
through slump in foreign transfers’ rate, price growth, social strain,
resulting in public and tax revenues decrease, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
approved of RA Government’s adequate reaction to global crisis,
in the context of correct budget expenditures, maintenance and even
increase of social expenditures’ level.

WB MD especially noted RA Governments’ assistance to small and average
businesses, enabling crediting facilitation.

According to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WB helped RA Government to preserve
infrastructures, specifically, agriculture.

At the same time, world crisis brought out vulnerable sides of RA
economy. "The crisis emphasized the necessity for Armenian economy’s
diversification," she noted, adding that to provide economic growth
upon overcoming the crisis, Armenia has to face certain challenges:
meeting competition, possible opening of RA-Turkey border and struggle
against corruption.

Interfax, Russia
Oct 15 2009

Baku accuses Turkey of disrespect for Azeri national flag during
Turkey- Armenia football match

BAKU Oct 15

Baku has expressed a formal protest to Turkey over disrespect for the
Azerbaijani national flag during the football match between Turkey and
Armenia in Bursa on October 14.

Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has summoned to the Foreign
Ministry the Turkish charge d’affaires in Azerbaijan, the Azeri
Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.

The statement does not specify what exactly was interpreted by Baku as
disrespect for the Azeri flag.

Meanwhile, Interfax has learnt that the Turkish authorities did not
allow football fans to bring Azeri flags to the stadium so as not to
politicize the match between the Turkey and Armenian national teams,
which was attended by the two countries’ presidents.

Turkish and Azeri television channels showed images of several Azeri
flags seized from fans by security officers at the entry to the
stadium dumped on the ground.

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
October 15, 2009 Thursday

FLAG ROW MARS TURKEY-ARMENIA SOCCER MATCH

Tensions were high at Wednesdays match between Turkey and Armenia held in
the Turkish town of Bursa, with fans becoming involved in incidents linked
to the ban on waving Azerbaijani flags. Turkish Milliyet newspapers Taha
Akyol writes that soccers global governing body FIFA banned Azerbaijani
flags at the World Cup qualifier based on an appeal by the Armenian
authorities. According to him, four to five hours prior to the match, FIFA
Secretary General Jerome Valcke warned the Turkish Football Federation that
the game would be called off unless the campaign involving Azerbaijani flags
is prevented, and the Federation President, Mahmut Ozgener, informed
government agencies about the warning.

The decision on whether or not to allow Azerbaijani flags at the stadium had
been changed three times. After the Bursa city authorities ban on carrying
any flags other than those of Turkey and Armenia caused an outcry, it was
lifted just a day before the match. However, just hours before the qualifer,
FIFA banned Azerbaijani flags again. The police prevented carrying thousands
of Azerbaijani flags to the Ataturk stadium. Fans clashed with law
enforcers, and facts of throwing flags to the ground were reported. Despite
the counter-steps, a great number of youngsters began waving Azerbaijani
flags along with those of Turkey as the match went underway. The flags of
Azerbaijan that fans were not allowed to bring in were hoisted around the
stadium and on poles on roadside, and vehicles drove around on the streets
of Bursa with Azerbaijani flags throughout the game. Baku has expressed
protest to Ankara over disrespect for the Azerbaijani flag. According to the
Foreign Ministry, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov invited Turkish Charge
dAffaires in Baku, Nihat Civaner, to the ministry on Thursday and voiced
Azerbaijans objection. Turkeys Hurriyet newspaper reported that four
youngsters who tried to put an Azerbaijani flag to the Bursa stadium by
landing with a wind-powered airliner were detained. The Bursa governor,
Sahabettin Harput, said the four members of a group called Young Horseless
Riders had sought to deliver a message to the world. A scrutiny has revealed
that one of the detainees previously took airliner operation courses. He
made preparations for this vociferous action beforehand Thank Allah, our
security forces neutralized and detained them on time, said Harput. Armenian
journalists who watched the match started waving the Armenian flag and
chanting slogans, violating UEFA regulations and ignoring the demands of the
Turkish Football Federation representatives. Under UEFA bylaws, waving flags
or posters in the stands designated for media representatives is prohibited.
The soccer match ended with Turkeys 2:0 victory. The Turkish team sustained
a loss at the 32nd minute after the Swedish referee showed a red card to
Ceyhun Gurselam. Nonetheless, the Turks managed to score two goals,
including one that was shot by ethnic Azerbaijani Servet Cetin. Despite
tensions and tremendous interest in the game worldwide, the match was
strictly formal, as both Turkey and Armenia have lost their chances to
advance to the final leg of the World Cup. Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian attended the match on his Turkish counterparts invitation. Turkey
and Armenia face decades of enmity. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in
1993 due to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Yerevans
genocide claims. However, the two countries leaders attended a 2010 World
Cup qualifying soccer match together in Yerevan in September, which showed
signs of a thaw in Ankara-Yerevan ties. Further, President Abdullah Gul
invited his Armenian counterpart to Turkey for a return game.

Sunday’s Zaman , Turkey
Oct 18 2009

Reducing historical baggage

DOGU ERGIL

Finally, the frozen history between Armenia and Turkey has begun to
thaw with the signing of the protocols in Zurich on Oct. 10, aiming at
initiating diplomatic relations and opening up borders. This was no
easy task. On one side is a nation whose collective identity is shaped
by mourning and grieving at a `Great Catastrophe’ that left them
bereft of a country, the present Turkish heartland, and a history that
both peoples shared until the first quarter of the 20th century. On
the other side there is a nation that views its past as a series of
betrayals and irredentist uprisings by peoples of the imperial state
such as the Armenians, who deserved the outcome of their `betrayal.’
Younger generations of both sides have learned from their elders that
their differences are irreconcilable and their interests are
diametrically opposed.

Fortunately, the international conjuncture that necessitated peace and
stability in the Caucasus and supported by major state actors such as
Russia and the US, not to mention the European Union, allowed for a
conducive atmosphere. However, the real factor is that through the
courage and consciousness of the presidents of both countries, they
are making history rather than being its prisoners.

Their courage is obvious as measured by the resistance and protests of
each nation’s nationalists and chauvinists, who look at the world from
the keyhole of their ideological prison. However, protestors on the
Armenian side are mainly from the diaspora. The Armenian diaspora is
the scion of those who were deported from Anatolia during World War I,
not from the east of the Ararat. So they are more radical and do not
experience the difficulties that their brethren live through in a
landlocked country.

Now the Armenian diaspora seems to have lost most of its leverage on
Armenia proper. It is no surprise that statements like cutting off
economic aid to Armenia from diaspora Armenians are being voiced in
some Western centers. Secondly now, the diaspora will have to talk
directly with Turkey to settle its scores, not through Armenia.

Is Turkish-Armenian rapprochement really the making of the Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) government? Not exactly; the Foreign
Ministry’s bureaucracy spent decades neutralizing the effects of the
global campaign of the Armenian diaspora against Turkey to get April
24 (1915) to be acknowledged as the day of genocide perpetrated by the
Turkish government of the time (the Ottomans). So far about 20
national parliaments have gone along. The biggest fight is taking
place on the floor of the US Congress. Turkish diplomats are sick and
tired of the tide every year. They wanted a solution, and they worked
toward that end. However, preparations had to be transformed into real
policies with determination and courage. The Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) government demonstrated that courage.

The initiation of diplomatic relations also heralds the end of an
unsuccessful policy isolating Armenia from the rest of the world and
making it hard to reach economic resources. It has proven to be a foul
initiative by looking at the reluctance of the Armenian military to
return Azerbaijani territory that it had occupied a decade and half
ago. It is obvious that Turkey would have more leverage on Armenia to
settle the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict that erupted two decades ago
over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian territory on
Azerbaijani soil.

No one should expect the return of Azerbaijani land occupied by
Armenian troops to solve the Karabakh issue. In fact, it will be more
pronounced when Azerbaijan directly faces the issue, but then the
issue concerns the residents of Karabakh and the Azerbaijanis, not
Turkey.

The choice of the site for the soccer game in Turkey following the
signing of the protocols is also interesting. Bursa was densely
populated by Armenians before World War I. It was also the seat of the
Armenian Patriarchy until Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror invited the
patriarch to the new imperial capital, Ä°stanbul. So Armenians came
back to their former homeland to start a walk in history with a people
they lived together with for 1,000 years.

If the majority of the Turks knew that their guests were the children
of the very same lands and people who lived next to their grandparents
or that their grandmother is one of the Armenian girls left behind by
desperate parents before their march into oblivion, a civic initiative
may start petitioning for the extension of citizenship to the heirs of
the deportees as a gesture of setting the historical score right.
Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Maybe one day.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 14 2009

Actions contradicting Azerbaijani interests are akin to suicide for
Turkish leadership: representative of Turkish ruling party

Turkey, Ankara, October 14 / Trend News Y. Aliyev /

Turkey will not take any actions contradicting Azerbaijani interests,
deputy chairman of the committee for foreign relations of Turkish
ruling Justice and Development Party, Kursad Tuzman, said at a meeting
with Azerbaijani MPs.

"The actions contradicting Azerbaijani interests are akin to suicide
for Turkish leadership," Tuzman said at a meeting between Azerbaijani
parliamentary delegation and representatives of Turkish Justice and
Development Party.

He said that Turkey-Azerbaijan relations do not limit by emotional and
ethnic cognation. Taking it into account, Turkish authorities can not
take actions contradicting Azerbaijani interests, he said.

Azerbaijani MPs participating in the meeting expressed their anxiety
with signing of Ankara-Yerevan protocols.

MPs said that Azerbaijan does not oppose opening of Turkey-Armenian
border provided de-occupation of Azerbaijani lands. Parliamentarians
expressed their willing for the Turkish legislative body not to ratify
Ankara-Yerevan protocols till Armenia releases occupied territories.

MPs said that they believe in Turkish Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s statements on impossibility to open the border till the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts is solved. But they worry about external
pressure which Turkish diplomacy can face while solving this issue.

Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the protocol Ankara-Yerevan in Zurich on October 10.

MPs Samad Seyidov, Nizami Jafarov, Ali Huseynov, Ganira Pashayeva,
Mubariz Gurbanli, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Akram Abdullayev, Gultekin
Hajibayli, Asef Hajiyev, Rovshan Rzayev and Fazail Agamali will hold
several meetings in Ankara to discuss this situation.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Times of Oman, Sultanate of Oman
Oct 11 2009

Armenia facing great risks from Turkey deal

YEREVAN: Armenia is facing "great risksâEUR after Yerevan and Ankara
on Saturday signed pacts to establish diplomatic ties following
decades of hostility, a leading critic of the deal said.

"With the signing of these protocols we have entered a period of great
risks and big uncertainty," Stepan Safarian, a leading member of the
opposition Heritage party, told AFP.

Opponents of the deal have accused the government of making
concessions to Turkey, in particular by allowing for the creation of a
commission to study the two country s historical grievances.

Critics say the creation of such a commission calls into question
Armenians claims to have been victims of genocide under Ottoman Turks.
Ankara strongly rejects the genocide claim.

Opponents have also warned that Turkey may use the normalization
process to push Yerevan to make concessions in its longstanding
conflict with Turkish ally Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorny
Karabakh region.

Up to 10,000 people took to the streets of the Armenian capital
Yerevan on Friday to protest the deal and analysts say more protests
are to be expected. Safarian said last-minute disagreements that
delayed the signing of the deal pointed to the dangers ahead.

"We have already had the first crisis during the normalisation of
Armenian-Turkish relations and we expect similar crises ahead,âEUR he
said.

He blamed Turkey for the delay, which was caused by an apparent
dispute over statements the two sides were to make afterward, causing
them to be scrapped. US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told
reporters that the ceremony was delayed after "a last minute hitch"
with the Armenians.

"The Turkish side has broken its agreements," Safarian said, though he
had no details of the dispute.

Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian and his Turkish
counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu signed the two protocols in a ceremony in
the Swiss city of Zurich.

The deals to establish diplomatic ties and regular dialogue, as well
as open the two countries common border, still have to clear the
hurdle of parliamentary ratification in each country before they can
take effect.

Despite some vocal domestic opposition, Armenia s ruling coalition has
backed the protocols, making their approval in parliament almost a
guarantee.