Author: Hambardsumian Paul

PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)
395 Concord Ave.
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel.: 617-489-1610
Email: [email protected]

LECTURE ON "ROCKY ROAD OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION" AT COLUMBIA
UNIVERSITY

Dr. Arman Grigoryan, currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at University of
Michigan, will give a lecture entitled "The Rocky Road of
Armenian-Turkish Normalization: Before and After the Protocols," on
Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 6:30 p.m., in the Lindsay Rogers Common
Room (Room 707) of the International Affairs Building at Columbia
University (420 West 118th Street, New York, NY). The lecture will be
sponsored by the Columbia University Armenian Studies Program, the
Armenian Center at Columbia University, the Middle East Institute at
Columbia University, and the National Association for Armenian Studies
and Research (NAASR).

The signing of the protocols on the establishment of diplomatic
relations and the development of bilateral relations between Armenia and
Turkey have been hailed as a watershed event. After all, the
relationship between Armenians and Turks has been one of the most
hostile relationships in the world since at least World War I.
Therefore, the signing of the protocols was bound to generate some
significant reactions. This presentation will aim to understand the
history of criticisms against normalization, current political shifts
within the government of Armenia, and the prospects of the protocols’
success.

Dr. Arman Grigoryan is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of
Michigan, where he has a joint affiliation with the Political Science
Department and the Armenian Studies Program. Dr. Grigoryan received a
Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University in 2008 after
defending his dissertation on the role of third parties in the
escalation of state-minority conflicts. He also holds an MA from the
University of Chicago in international relations, and an undergraduate
degree from the Yerevan State University, where he majored in Turkish
studies.

Dr. Grigoryan’s publications have appeared in Ethnopolitics,
International Security, Armenian Journal of Public Policy, and the
French Chaillot Papers. His article on the escalatory potential of
third-party interventions will appear in International Studies Quarterly
next year. Prior to his academic career, Grigoryan worked in the first
independent government of Armenia as an expert on Turkish affairs.

More information about the lecture is available by contacting Nanor
Kebranian at [email protected] or 212-851-4002 or by contacting NAASR at
[email protected] or 617-489-1610, or by writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave.,
Belmont, MA 02478.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT YET PROPERLY INVESTIGATED THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF MARCH 1, 2008 IN YEREVAN

ArmInfo
2010-01-21 13:17:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian authorities have yet to ensure meaningful
investigations into excessive use of police force during March
2008 clashes with opposition supporters protesting alleged fraud
in the previous month’s presidential election, and address related
allegations of abuse in police custody. The report by Human Rights
Watch – 2010 says.

The organization recalls that the clashes resulted in at least 10
deaths, including two security officials and eight protestors. Soon
after the March events the police dismissed several top officials,
although none was charged in relation to the violence. Officials
claimed to have opened 200 internal inquiries into police conduct,
but only four police officers have been charged in two separate cases
for excessive use of force.

In September 2009 a parliamentary commission investigating the March
2008 events and dominated by the ruling Republican Party concluded
that despite isolated incidents of excessive force, law enforcement
actions had been "largely legitimate and proportionate." A separate
fact-finding working group, with opposition participation, had been
dismissed by President Serzh Sargsyan in June.

More than 50 civilians were prosecuted in relation to the March
violence, with some sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Although a
June 19, 2009 presidential pardon released many, local human rights
groups maintain that 17 opposition supporters remain imprisoned on
politically motivated charges.

HRW also touches on the case of Levon Gulyan who died in the Police
building in 2007. "Despite a June 2008 court order to reopen the
investigation into the May 2007death in custody of Levon Gulyan,
prosecutors closed the case again in April2009. Gulyan was found dead
after police arrested and interrogated him. The authorities allege that
while being held for questioning, Gulyan jumped from a second-story
window of a police station while trying to escape, a claim denied by
Gulyan’s relatives who believe he was tortured", the report says.

As for the municipal elections held in May 2009 in Yerevan, HRW says
that although election observers from the Council of Europe’s Congress
of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE) stated that the May 31,
2009 Yerevan City Council elections were broadly in compliance with
European standards, they also documented cases of intimidation of
party proxies and domestic observers by unidentified persons.

Unidentified assailants attacked opposition newspaper journalists Gohar
Veziryan (IV Estate), Tatev Mesropyan (Hayq), and Marine Kharatyan
(Zhamanak), and prevented them from accessing polling stations. The
journalists complained to police, and the investigation is still
ongoing.

As regards the media freedom, Human Rights Watch recalls of the
attacks at Nver Mnatsakanyan, anchor for the private television station
Shant, Argishti Kvirikyan, editor for the Armenia Today online news
agency and Edik Baghdasaryan, the editor of the online news magazine
Hetq. HRW notes that in April 2009, the Organization for Security
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) representative on freedom of the
media, Miklos Haraszti, urged the authorities to swiftly investigate
the attacks.

The organization also touches on the case of ‘A1+’ and emphasizes
that despite the decision made by the European Court in June 2008 in
favour of this TV Company, it does not get license for broadcasting.

HRW thinks the authorities continue to restrict freedom of assembly
by frequently denying requests to hold rallies, usually on technical
grounds. Out of 84 opposition requests for demonstrations and rallies,
only 28 were granted. The Organization also recalls of the attacks
at youth activists of the oppositional Armenian National Congress.

ARMENIANS SHARE CHRISTMAS CHEER
By David Laurell

Burbank Leader
Jan 20 2010
CA

Members of the Burbank Chapter of the Armenian National Committee
recently joined Armenians worldwide to celebrate their traditional
January observance of Christmas and stage their annual holiday
reception and dinner.

"Within the Armenian community, we always kid one another about being
on Armenian time," laughed Michael Kiaman, who emceed last week’s
event at the organization’s downtown Burbank facility. "Armenian
time just means you’ll be late, so I guess it’s fitting that we also
celebrate Christmas later than everyone else."

While most Christians celebrate Christmas in late December, Armenians
do so in early January. The reason for this stems back to the end of
the 3rd Century when Roman Christians decided to recognize the birth
of Christ on Dec. 25, to coincide with a pagan holiday. This decision
was not accepted by the Armenian Church, and Armenian Christians
continued to maintain the ancient tradition of celebrating the birth
and baptism of Christ on Jan. 6.

Welcomed by the organization’s chairman, Hrant Dostounian, the
committee’s members were joined at last week’s reception by local
elected and appointed officials and representatives of the Burbank
business community.

Among the special guests in attendance were the Rev. Komitas Torosian,
Western Diocese Very Rev. Father Dajad Yardemian, Rabbi Richard Flom
and his wife, Lynn Kronzek, Mayor Gary Bric, council members Dave
Golonski, David Gordon and Jess Talamantes; school board members
Ted Bunch, Dave Kemp and Roberta Reynolds; City Manager Mike Flad,
Assistant City Manager Joy Forbes, former Mayor Mary Lou Howard,
Burbank Fire Battalion Chief Ron Barone, Police Commissioners Hagop
Hergelian and Elise Stearns-Niesen, park board members Garen Yegparian
and Steven Ferguson.

Also enjoying the evening were Glendale school board members Greg
Krikorian and Nayiri Nahabedian, interim Community Development
Director Greg Hermann, Ania Alexandrian, Annette Kargodorian, Shoushan
Boyadjian, Haig Hartounian, Greg Krikorian, Silva Kechichian, Gaidzag
Shahbazian, Todd Neisen, Ara Boyadjian, Vahe Shahinian and Talin
Mangioglu, who represented Sen. Carol Liu.

The Burbank Chapter of the Armenian National Committee is a grass-roots
public affairs organization established to inform, educate and act on a
wide range of issues concerning Armenian Americans throughout the area.

The Burbank committee has a long and growing tradition of serving
the local Armenian American community and has drawn its strength from
its dedicated members who have been successful in unifying Burbank’s
Armenian Americans behind a common and positive agenda.

ENVOY: NO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TURKEY, RUSSIA

Hurriyet
Jan 19 2010
Turkey

Turkey and Russia are getting closer and strengthening economic ties.

It is not a ‘strategic partnership’ but a result of ‘common interests,’
Ambassador Vladimir Ivanovskiy outlines.

Ambassador Vladimir Ivanovskiy

Although Turkey and Russia are fostering closer relations and economic
ties, the developments are not due to a "strategic partnership"
but "common interests," according to Russian Ambassador Vladimir
Ivanovskiy.

The term "strategic partnership" has been echoed in diplomatic circles,
especially after U.S. President Barack Obama’s use of the term during
a visit to Ankara last year. The United States has traditionally
considered Turkey a vital ally in maintaining its influence in a
region where rival Russia is strongest.

"It was part of the Cold War era," said Ivanovskiy, speaking about
the changing balance during a Tuesday interview with the Hurriyet
Daily News & Economic Review.

"Looking at the real interests that are common in the Black Sea,
Middle East and Central Asia, Turkey and Russia are becoming good
partners, especially in the field of energy," the ambassador said.

"There is no political motivation behind boosting energy cooperation
but bilateral economic interests," he added. "I don’t like the term
‘strategic partnership.’"

Russia feels no jealousy toward the U.S.-Turkey strategic partnership,
said Ivanovskiy, adding: "Moscow and Ankara have been tailoring their
own cooperation. I believe Russia and Turkey will be two key economic
actors on the global stage as strong partners."

Retired ambassador Murat Bilhan, the deputy head of the Turkish-Asian
Center for Strategic Studies, or TASAM, also believes cooperation
does not mean a strategic partnership.

"Though bilateral relations have been boosted, Russia has a fixed
policy when it comes to Yerevan, which is Moscow’s closest ally in
the southern Caucasus. It does not want to lose it and that’s what
lies behind the pro-Armenia remarks," Bilhan told the Daily News.

Returning from Moscow last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan claimed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had agreed
on the urgent need for a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

According to Erdogan, Armenia should withdraw from the seven occupied
Azerbaijani provinces in a show of sincerity.

Putin, however, had earlier said, "It is unwise from both a tactical
and a strategic point of view to package these problems together,"
directly contradicting Erdogan.

Many analysts find Erdogan too optimistic about any emerging strategic
partnership and believe existing frozen conflicts serve Russia’s
interests in the Caspian energy fields.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also urged Turkey to expedite
the ratification of the normalization protocols during his visit
to Yerevan. "To try and artificially link those two issues is not
correct," he told reporters Jan. 14.

"We have been playing honestly since the beginning. What Lavrov said
in Yerevan is the same as what Putin and Medvedev told Erdogan in
Moscow," Ivanovskiy said.

Russia will not put pressure on Armenia to withdraw from the occupied
territories, the ambassador added. "As the Turkish side already
knows, we will not take part at the side of any party. We will not
put pressure on anybody in order to solve the problem," he said. "Such
pressure may result negatively."

According to the ambassador, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Obama
have expressed similar views as well. The Minsk Group co-chaired by
Russia, the U.S. and France has, however, thus far failed to find a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

Diplomatic sources said Moscow agrees on Ankara’s policy, but cannot
officially affirm it due to its position in the region. "Did you ever
think why the Minsk Group has recently intensified its efforts? No
disappointment exists on our side," a source told the Daily News.

Foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Lavrov held a phone conversation
Jan. 15.

"We have progressed considerably. A total solution to all frozen
conflicts in the southern Caucasus will be a relief for everyone.

Putting pressure on Turkey to ratify the normalization protocols
before a specific deadline will not pave the way for a solution,
but will bypass a permanent settlement," Davutoglu warned Lavrov,
according to a source close to the issue.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serge
Sarkisyan will meet in Moscow next month as part of the Minsk peace
process.

KRILOV: ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI RECONCILIATION NOT TO COME SOON

Panorama.am
18:44 19/01/2010

"We see that the Armenian and Azerbaijani societies have preserved
the same dispositions they had 20 years ago. Azerbaijani insist
that Armenians give them territories, Armenians are not ready to
give Karabakh, even if the Armenian-Turkish border opens. To me,
the perspectives for Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation are not
many," leading expert of Moscow Institute of International Economy
and International Affairs Alexander Krilov said in his address during
the conference on Baku pogroms of 1990 held in Yerevan.

According to him, still long-years’ work is required so that
the societies reconcile and only after this one can speak about
agreements. The expert is convinced that MG suggestions have a drawback
– they are made not taking the public opinion into account.

Krilov is sure the reconciliation is not to come soon.

"If it goes about compromises, surely, these are to take tens of
years," the expert said.

"Status quo is not that bad either for Armenia or Azerbaijan,"
he highlighted.

ROBERT BRADTKE VIEWS IT VERY IMPORTANT TO VISIT KARABAKH TO LISTEN TO POSITIONS OF BOTH POPULATION AND AUTHORITIES

ArmInfo
2010-01-18 10:08:00

ArmInfo. OSCE MG American Cochairman Robert Bradtke, being in the
Nagorno Karabakh within the frames of a regional visit, said he
was very glad to be in Karabakh. According to him, he arrived to the
region to start preparing for the visit of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents to be held this week. As for his personal preparation for
this meeting, he considered it very important to arrive in Karabakh
to listen to the positions of both the population and the authorities.

According to R. Bradtke, the USA strongly focuses on achieving progress
in the activity aimed at solution of the Karabakh problem. R.

Bradtke said the USA will do its best to assure peace, prosperity
and good life of the Karabakh people in 2010.

Hurriyet Daily News, turkey
Jan 17 2010

Ayalon’s reaction to Turkish TV series was wrong, say experts

Sunday, January 17, 2010
BARÃ?IN YÄ°NANÃ?
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

There is a consensus of disapproval in Israel regarding Danny Ayalon’s
recent behavior toward Turkey, according to Israeli experts in
Turkish-Israeli relations.

After officially apologizing for his treatment of Turkish Ambassador
OÄ?uz Ã?elikkol at a meeting, Israeli deputy foreign minister has
threatened expulsion of the ambassador if `attacks continue against
Israel,’ according to new local reports.

`No one in Israel takes him seriously,’ Ofra Bengio, who is the author
of a book on Turkish-Israeli relations, told the Hürriyet Daily News &
Economic Review.

`He was pressured on TV and as a general statement he said any country
that will continue to attack Israel will get an answer and if there is
a need we will expel the ambassador. It was not directly related to
Turkey. That does not make it a clever statement. It is foolish in
this atmosphere,’ Alon Liel a former director general of the Israeli
foreign ministry told the Daily News in a telephone interview. `He is
making one mistake after another.’

Ayalon is under pressure from Foreign Minister Avidgor Lieberman,
according to Liel. Recalling that Lieberman announced two weeks ago a
`national pride’ policy based on counterattacking every attack, Liel
said Ayalon was under instructions from the minister to answer Turkey.
`The meeting with the Turkish ambassador was the first case study of
that policy. But you cannot run diplomacy in such a way. They are
unable to admit that the policy is a joke, and so they continue,’ he
said, noting that Lieberman is Ayalon’s boss twice over: as foreign
minister and as chairman of their political party.

Asked how a career diplomat like Ayalon acted in a way unseen in
diplomatic procedures, Liel said Ayalon became a politician nine years
ago. `He was sent as ambassador to Washington as a political appointee
and thus started his political career nine years ago. And on his
return he entered politics,’ he said. `He should have known better.
But sometimes politicians do not act like statesmen. Ayalon and
Lieberman have a constituency. They wanted to show their constituency
that they are angry at Turkey. But this is only damaging Israel.’

`I have never seen such a consensus over one issue. You cannot find
one person that does not criticize Ayalon’s behavior,’ Bengio said.
`We have a saying that if one silly person drops a stone in the water,
then even 100 wise men cannot take it out. This is how he is seen in
Israel.’

`He and the foreign minister are harming Israel,’ she said. `They
should leave office. But it is a coalition.’

While Bengio said it was natural for Israel to react to anti-Israeli
series broadcasted on Turkish television, she added that there are
other ways to show a reaction. `Ayalon’s way is not right. If you want
to react, you could ask the Turks how would they feel if there was a
pro-Kurdish or a pro-Armenian TV series shown in Israel,’ she said.

The Hrant Dink Society
c/o The Temple of Peace, Cardiff, Wales
[email protected]
Tel: 07718982732
invites you on
Hrant Dink Day, 19th January 2010, in the UK Parliament

to a Silent Vigil outside the Turkish Embassy,Belgrave Square (nr.
Hyde Park Corner tube station) at 1 p.m.
with banners :

"Turkey Face Your Past, Respect Your Minorities"

and also to these meetings:

"What is really going on in Turkey?"

Speakers include Ragip Zarakolu, one of the founders of the Turkish
Human Rights Association and publisher, prosecuted 40 times, most
recently for publishing a novel (see "My dreams are on trial" below).

1 "Problems of the ‘Other’ and of ‘Minorities’ in Turkey" (Ragip
Zarakolu, Desmond Fernandes and Arzu Pesman – Kurdish
Federation-FEDBIR), "Hrant Dink’s Vision" (Ragip Zarakolu) and
"Rediscovering Turkish Armenia" (Vardan Tadevossian), Ruth Barnett on
"The shared Jewish and Armenian experience" – in Committee Room 16 at
5 p.m.

Sponsor : Nia Griffith MP

———————————————- —————-

2 The lessons of Holocaust, Genocide and current problems of
Ethnic Cleansing -Discussion in Committee Room 16 at 6 p.m. Eilian
Williams

"Consequences of the Genocide for Assyrians in Turkey and Iraq" Saad
Tokatly : The current problems of Assyrians and other Middle East
Christians"

The meeting will also be used to Promote EDM 287 by Dr Bob Spink on
the Holocaust and Andrew Dismore’s Presentation Bill to introduce a
national day to learn about and remember the Armenian genocide, to be
read a Second time on Friday 30 April 2010 (Bill 42).

Sponsor: Dr Bob Spink MP

———————————————- —————-

3 Meeting in the House of Lords (Committee Room 3A at 7 p.m. ) –
Launch of ‘Friends of Belge Press’ and ‘The Current Human Rights
Situation in Turkey’
Sponsor: Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
Speakers: Ragip Zarakolu, Desmond Fernandes and Haci Ozdemir
(International Committee Against Disappearances – British Section).
Khatchatur I. Pilikian on "Holocaust and Genocide

REGISTER’S ALL-ARMENIAN PROGRAM IN ARTSAKH

Azat Artsakh Newspaper NKR
January 15, 2010

On initiative of the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors charitable
fund, NKR Ministries of Health Service, Culture and Youth Affairs, and
by participation of RA and NKR singers, creative groups on January 8th
at garrison’s Officer’s House of Stepanakert "Save our life" a gala
concert-action was organized. As we have informed, on January 8th,
2000 the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors was founded officially
in Armenia and Bella Kocharyan was elected as the honorary chair of
it. And by special decision of RA government this day was declared as
Donors’ day. And it was decided to organize the tenth anniversary of
the Armenian register in Artsakh. In connection with the anniversary
the founder and chairman of the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors,
american-armenian doctor Freeda Jordon, executive director Sevak
Avagyan, deputy director Mihran Nazaretyan, the regulator of the
arrangement’s process and leader of the whole producer works Marietta
Keshishyan visited the NKR. According to S.

Avagyan, the program is handed on a "special plate": it’s a cultural
joint program, and it’s not casual, that the preference of carrying
out the anniversary has been given the NKR. The Armenians of all
over the world in any way help each other, especially the Armenians
of Artsakh, and the latter today stretches its hand in answer by the
conviction that by its blood it will save the life of at least a man.

On January 8th, during the action more than 200 persons were
donated. The day the Speaker of NKR National Assembly A. Ghoulyan,
the primate of Artsakh’s Diocese Pargev archbishop Martirosyan,
representatives of mass-media, departments were also donated to the
Armenian register. According to Pargev Martirosyan, each Armenian
should be its nation’s donor in all senses. To give blood, means to
give a life. During Artsakh war armenian azatamartiks donated their
all blood and life to the country – for freedom and bright future. The
action which is called to save life of many Armenians, is a great and
chaste work. It’s a holiday of rescue and unanimity. The Speaker of
NKR NA A. Ghoulyan, touching importance to the program, has noted,
that if it is spoken about the rescue of a man’s life, so it means,
that we also show duty of honour to Christian worldwide values, which
tell us always to help relatives, a needy man. Ministers of NKR Health
Service and Culture and Youth Affairs, as well as all participants
expressed their appreciation to the action’s all organizers and
supporters. The minister of NKR Health Service A.

Khachatryan handed over a special diploma signed by the Premier Ara
Harutyunyan to the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors charitable
fund in connection with the program being realized in NKR and the
anniversary of the organization. It was given to the founder and
chairman of the register Freeda Jordon and executive director Sevak
Avagyan.

Zarine Mayilyan

LAVROV’S VISIT TO ARMENIA NOT LINKED TO ERDOGAN’S TRIP TO RUSSIA

Aysor
Jan 14 2010
Armenia

There is not any link between visits of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan
to Moscow, and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to Yerevan, said Lavrov
and his Armenian counterpart Nalbandian at today’s press conference.

"My visit to Armenia was in scheduled list, and we reached an agreement
on this visit a month and a half ago, while Turkey’s Prime Minister
said wants to visit Moscow some days before," said Lavrov.

Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandian, in his turn, confirmed the
agreement on Lavrov’s visit to Armenia was reached during the OCSE
Ministerial session in Athens.

Both officials stressed the importance of Lavrov’s visit to Armenia,
as it marks the first relations between the counties in 2010. "This
is a symbolic visit, as Armenia is Russia’s strategic partner and an
ally," Lavrov said.