Author: Kajoyan Gevork

A TURKISH-ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT?

The National Interest Online
May 6 2014

Kemal KirisciAndrew Moffatt

May 2, 2014

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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s declaration regarding the
1915 Armenian killings was not, in itself, a surprise, coming just
ahead of the April 24 commemoration date. However, the conciliatory
language used in the statement was quite different than previous
Turkish characterizations of the events during which the Armenian
community of the Ottoman Empire underwent deportation and near total
destruction at the hands of a collapsing state. The statement, which
was issued in eight languages other than Turkish, including Eastern
and Western Armenian, recognized the particular significance of the
day for Armenians around the world, described the historic events as
“inhumane” and conveyed condolences to the grandchildren of those
who lost their lives.

While falling short of acknowledging genocide, the declaration marks
a fundamental change in Turkey’s approach to dealing with the events
during which up to 1.5 million Armenians perished. Understandably,
the wounds between Armenia and Turkey run very deep. The statement
could help to resuscitate the shelved rapprochement between the two
nations, but reconciliation will need to be backed by a genuine effort
to “better understand historical issues” and to approach the differing
accounts “with empathy and tolerance.”

It has now been nearly five years since the signing of the diplomatic
accords between Armenia and Turkey, commonly known as the protocols.

The documents were meant to establish relations and open the
borders between the two countries that have been closed since
1993 in response to the Armenian occupation of areas surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Meticulously mediated by Swiss and
American diplomats, the protocols aimed to lay the groundwork for
a historic reconciliation process between Armenia and Turkey ahead
of the centenary of the Armenian genocide in 2015. Unfortunately,
both the Armenian and Turkish sides ran into obstacles and domestic
political sensitivities that caused the initiatives to lose traction
and stall before they were ratified by their respective legislatures.

Currently, there are no official relations between Armenia and Turkey.

Yet, informally, there is a great deal of activity taking place. Most
importantly, economic relations continue, mostly in the form of trade
via Georgia. The absence of official relations makes it difficult
to gauge the extent of such ties. Official Turkish statistics show a
trade volume of only half a million USD for 2012 and 2013 in contrast
to Armenian national statistics that show imports from and exports to
Turkey at about $214 million USD in 2012. However, an Armenian civil
society activist familiar with business relations between the two
countries estimates that the true figure is closer to half a billion
USD in 2012.

Aside from trade, there is also commerce-based movement of people
between the two countries, again mostly via Georgia. Both countries
allow their nationals to travel to each other’s countries, and migrants
often enter via multi-entry tourist visas and simply overstay. Turkish
official statistics put the number of Armenian nationals visiting
Turkey at 71,000 and 73,000 in 2012 and 2013 respectively. This
figure stood at only 17,000 a decade earlier when travel restrictions
still existed. The number of Turks visiting Armenia, however, is
negligible. The discrepancy can be partly explained by the large
number of Armenian migrant workers in Turkey.

Although there are no official figures, thousands of Armenian women
come to work as domestic help in middle class families in Istanbul
and some of the other major cities of Turkey. In 2010, Turkish Prime
Minister Erdogan estimated that 170,000 Armenians were living in
Turkey, of which some 100,000 were not Turkish citizens.

Nevertheless, the level of economic and people-to-people contact falls
well short of the level that could be achieved if the border between
the two countries were open. Currently, there are charter flights
between Yerevan and Istanbul and initiatives have been launched to try
to open an air route between Yerevan and Van, in eastern Turkey. This
route that would have been opened in April 2013 unfortunately did not
materialize even though the prospects continue to be explored by both
sides. There are also reports that both Armenian and Turkish tourism
companies, especially from eastern parts of Turkey, are very keen to
see the opening of such a flight and possibly one also to Diyarbakir
in southeastern Turkey. Such flights would help boost economic activity
on both sides of the border.

Armenians around the world see the approaching centenary of the tragic
mass killings as a focal point for concentrating pressure on Turkey
to recognize the genocide. It is also likely that some Armenians will
view the declaration by Erdogan as a ploy to preempt such recognition.

The statement also acknowledges that the new openness regarding the
historic events may be used by some to voice “accusatory, offensive
and even provocative assertions and allegations” but calls upon all
sides to bear these with “empathy and tolerance.” In that light,
the declaration can also be seen as an opportunity to revive the
arrested reconciliation process. A less ambitious but pragmatic first
initiative would be to open a single border crossing between Armenia
and Turkey accompanied by regular air service between Istanbul and
Yerevan. The increased economic and people-to-people contacts between
the nations could well become a concrete next step to unlocking the
relationship from its zero-sum logic and deep sense of insecurity,
and to facilitating a more comprehensive reconciliation between
Armenians and Turks ahead of the centenary of the Armenian genocide.

Kemal KiriÅ~_ci is the TUSIAD Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy
Program at The Brookings Institution, in Washington, DC. Andrew
Moffatt is the Associate Director of the Center on the United States
and Europe at Brookings.

IRAN READY FOR ESTABLISHING PEACE IN REGION – FOREIGN MINISTER

Iranian Students News Agency , Iran
May 5 2014

Tehran, 5 May: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the
country is ready to play a positive role in regional developments to
establish peace and friendship in the region.

“Iran hopes that the region turns out to be the region of peace,
friendship and cooperation among all regional states, and Iran would
withhold no effort for materialization of the issue,” Zarif said in a
joint press conference with his visiting Armenian counterpart Edward
Nalbandian here in Tehran on Monday [5 May].

“One more time I announce Iran’s readiness for helping peace and
stability in the region. We are ready to reach peace, stability and
cooperation in a region which does not need conflict and tension.”

Nalbandian, for his part, said his country is ready for mutual
cooperation with Iran in all fields.

He also said that Iran and Armenia could work further on
transportation, energy, education and culture.

Armenian foreign minister also hailed the results of Geneva talks
between Iran and G5+1, and said: “Armenia was one of the countries
hailing the outcomes of Geneva negotiations. We hope that we can get
desirable results by useful efforts of the two sides.”

PRESIDENT CONFERS WITH ARMENIAN FM

Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA, Iran
May 5 2014

Tehran, May 5, IRNA – President Hassan Rouhani on Monday conferred
with the visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on ways
to develop Tehran-Yerevan cooperation.

On the current negotiations between Iran and the western governments to
resolve the dispute about the national nuclear program, the president
said that IranË~Hs nuclear activities are transparent and Tehran will
do its best to prove the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Iran will continue with its nuclear activities under the IAEA rules
and regulations, he asserted.

President Rouhani underlined that Iran supports peace everywhere
including the Caucasus region.

The Islamic Republic of Iran advocates regional peace and security
as the major strategy of IranË~Hs foreign policy, he added.

President Rouhani called Tehran-Yerevan relations as historical,
cultural and stressed that the two countries have good potentials
for expansion of cooperation.

The Armenian foreign minister for his part conveyed a message of
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Iranian president.

He said his country attaches great significance to bolstering
cooperation with Iran, adding that Tehran and Yerevan have held
positive political talks on issues of mutual interest and international
developments.

Nalbandian expressed hope that Iran and Armenia would succeed in
improving cooperation in the fields of transportation, energy,
culture and education.

The senior Armenian official voiced his countryË~Hs support for
IranË~Hs nuclear program.

Nalbandian arrived in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking political
delegation on Monday to hold talks with senior Iranian officials.

Over the past years, Iran and Armenia have taken major strides towards
promoting mutual relations, particularly in the energy sector.

LES ENJEUX DE LA PARTICIPATION DU PARTI AUX COMMEMORATIONS DU GENOCIDE A ISTANBUL

COMMUNIQUÃ~I DU PSD HENTCHAKIAN

Le 24 avril 2014, le parti Social Démocrate HENTCHAKIAN a participé
aux commémorations du Génocide des Arméniens a Istanbul. C’est
la première fois qu’un parti politique arménien participe a des
commémorations publiques du 24 avril en Turquie.

Toutes les organisations Рorganisations arm̩niennes en t̻te-
désireuses de s’investir dans des actions en Turquie visant a faire
connaitre la réalité du génocide et le faire reconnaitre par la
Turquie, devraient s’unir au sein d’une plateforme commune afin de
créer des synergies et une dynamique essentielle a la veille du
centenaire du Génocide.

Dans cette perspective, des rencontres ont eu lieu a Istanbul avec
la société civile turque, notamment avec la branche d’Istanbul
de l’Association des Droits de l’Homme (Ä°nsan Hakları Dernegi)
ainsi qu’avec le parti turc ” Les Verts et la Gauche du Future ”
(Yesiller ve Sol Gelecek Partisi).

L’organisation des commémorations du 24 avril 2015 en Turquie devrait
avoir lieu dans une vingtaine de localités en Anatolie en plus de la
ville d’Istanbul, sous l’impulsion de cette plateforme. La population
est prête a cela, et spontanément des groupes se créeront pour
organiser des actions publiques tout au long de l’année 2015 et
surtout le 24 avril.

Les enjeux sont importants, a la fois pour la société turque qui ne
pourra se démocratiser sans la reconnaissance du génocide et pour la
nation arménienne qui attend depuis un siècle que JUSTICE soit faite.

Nous lancons un appel aux forces vives désireuses de travailler dans
l’UNITE qui est la seule garante des victoires a venir.

Parti Social Démocrate HENTCHAKIAN Paris, le 29 avril 2014

mardi 6 mai 2014, Ara ©armenews.com

ARMENIA: STATEMENT CONCERNING APPLICATION OF DETENTION AS A MEASURE OF RESTRAINT

FIDH
May 5 2014

CSI (Civil Society Institute, Armenia)
FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)

Joint Statement concerning the application of detention as a measure
of restraint in Armenia

Yerevan-Paris, 5 May 2014 – Recent cases of pre-trial detention in
Armenia once again raise the issue of the routine application of
measures of constraint by judges in violation of the international
human rights standards.

The Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia (CPC) details the grounds and
procedure for applying measures of restraint, including pre-trial
detention. Pre-trial detention may be ordered by a court if the
alleged crime or felony is punishable with at least one year of
imprisonment, and when sufficient grounds exist to suspect that the
accused intends to abscond or interfere with proceedings, in particular
by exerting unlawful influence on other persons involved in the case;
to tamper with evidence; to commit another criminal offence; to
avoid responsibility and the imposition of punishment, or to oppose
the implementation of a sentence [1]. When selecting a measure of
restraint, factors such as the nature and the gravity of the crime,
the personality of the suspect or accused, his or her occupation and
dependents, and the availability of a permanent residence should be
taken into account [2].

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has repeatedly held that
the gravity of charges cannot by itself serve to justify long periods
of detention on remand [3]. The ECHR has also stated that detention
can be resorted to if there is a serious threat of absconding or
reoffending. [4]

Detention is regarded as the most severe measure of restraint and
should be used as a measure of last resort, and only where less
restrictive measures cannot ensure the proper conduct of the defendant
and due administration of justice. The United Nation Human Rights
Committee has stated that pre-trial detention must not only be lawful,
but also necessary and reasonable in the circumstances. [5]

In Armenia, courts routinely omit making reference to any factual
circumstances to support their decisions to apply measures of
restraint. Court decisions on these issues typically contain in
abstracto assumptions about the risk of absconding and/or creating
obstacles to an investigation, but fall short of providing any specific
facts or explanations as to why the law applies to the individual
circumstances at hand. This can be illustrated by a number of cases.

On 20 October 2013, the car of renowned actor, Vardan Petrosyan,
collided with another car carrying six passengers. The six passengers
were hospitalized, and two people died in the incident. In the realm
of this accident, Vardan Petrosyan was seriously injured and thus
remained in hospital until 3 November 2013, then he was sent back home
with treatment and medical recommendations. Two days after, he was
arrested at his home and since 6 November 2013, Vardan Petrosyan has
been held in pre-trial detention: the court justified this measure
on the basis of the gravity of the offence, because two people of
a young age were deprived of their lives, and “on human morale”,
in contradiction with the aforementioned jurisprudence of the ECHR.

Furthermore, the court has not substantiated its decision to
apply detention measures on the grounds provided for under Armenian
legislation, thus contravening the international standards on pre-trial
detention.

After the decision on pre-trial detention was rendered on 9
November 2013, Vardan Petrosyan’s health imposed his admission at
the penitentiary hospital. On 29 April 2014 he was discharged from
this hospital, and sent back to “Nubarashen” Penitentiary Institution.

According to the medical assessment, his health has improved, and
only needs stationery treatment. He is currently under supervision
of medical personnel at “Nubarashen”.

Mr. Petrosyan’s attorney has stated that he is unable to confirm
whether the conclusion in Mr. Petrosyan’s medical assessment is
well founded. However, Mr. Petrosyan has serious lung problems and
his lawyer believes that the conditions in “Nubarashen” may not be
appropriate conditions in which to house Mr. Petrosyan in light of
these problems.

In another case, Tigran Petrosyan, a participant of the 5 November 2013
strike organized by the head of Tseghakron Party, Shant Harutyunyan,
was arrested and detained on charges of hooliganism (under Article 258
(4), which includes aggravating factors). Tigran Petrosyan is the
sole guardian of his seriously ill father. Once again, the reason
for his detention was not substantiated by the judge.

The detentions of Vardan Petrosyan and Tigran Petrosyan are cases
that have attracted much public attention. However, there are many
non-high profile cases in which detention has been used as a measure
of restraint without justification. Moreover, pre-trial detention is
not only chosen without proper substantiation in cases involving grave
crimes, but also in cases concerning offences of moderate gravity.

Precisely, on 13 March 2013, a criminal case was instituted against
Aram Mughalyan and three other young people under Article 258 (1) and
(3(1)) (hooliganism) and Articles 34-185 (2(1)) and (2) (attempt to
damage or destroy property) of the Armenian Criminal Code. According to
the indictment, the young people had tried to set fire to a haystack.

As a result, the haystack’s owner had suffered material damage totaling
36000 AMD (about 62 EUR) due to fire damage caused to 30 stacks. On 17
April 2013 the accused were arrested and a decision on detention as a
measure of restraint was taken by the court. Neither the investigative
body nor the court had factual and material elements indicating that
the accused would abscond or interfere with proceedings. Since 30
March 2013, whenever the accused were called to the police station in
order to provide explanations, they presented themselves voluntarily
to the police. Moreover, according to Mughalyan’s attorney, the
prosecutor underlined during the trial that it was very unlikely
that Mughalyan would abscond as he has a commitment before the
State, which had provided him scholarship for studying at Cambridge
University. Nonetheless, the prosecutor held on the position that
Mughalyan should be kept under detention. On 15 October 2013 the
Court of First Instance of Armavir marz found the accused persons
guilty but released them on the basis of an amnesty decision. [6]

Issuance of identical standardized decisions using the same wording,
without giving reasons based on the facts of the given case,
constitutes a serious restriction on the right to liberty guaranteed
under international human rights law. [7]

In order to strengthen the right to liberty and related safeguards in
Armenia, in accordance with international human rights standards, CSI
and FIDH call upon the relevant authorities of the Republic of Armenia:

To deliver reasoned judicial rulings that contain: a. relevant material
evidence and individual factual circumstances of the case that led
to the determination that detention is required; b. an explanation
as to why other measures of restraint could not be applied to that
individual case.

To promptly consider any appeals of detention.

To examine the continued existence of a reasonable suspicion about
the defendant’s risk of absconding or interfering whenever a decision
to prolong detention is taken. Extension of detention terms cannot
solely be based on the same arguments that were used to authorize
the previous detention term.

To use existing alternatives to pre-trial detention.

To deliver decisions on detention in compliance with the jurisprudence
of the ECHR.

,437/15275-armenia-statement-concerning-application-of-detention-as-a-measure-of

ARMENIAN FM ARRIVES IN IRANIAN CAPITAL FOR TALKS

Press TV, Iran
May 5 2014

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is in Tehran for talks with
senior Iranian authorities on issues of bilateral and international
significance.

Heading a high-ranking political delegation, Nalbandian on Monday
arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran, where he is slated
to exchange views with Iranian officials on the enhancement of
Tehran-Yerevan ties as well as the latest regional and international
developments.

The top Armenian diplomat is scheduled to sit down with Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani, his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad
Zarif and other ranking officials during his stay.

In August 2013, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan made an official
visit to the Islamic Republic and met with President Rouhani. The two
sides stressed the need for the further expansion of Tehran-Yerevan
relations in different areas.

Last December, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan
also visited the Islamic Republic and held talks with the Iranian
foreign minister.

Over the past years, Iran and Armenia have taken major strides towards
promoting mutual relations, particularly in the energy sector.

In 2012, Iran exchanged some 481 million cubic meters of gas with
the neighboring country’s electricity, the largest amount of barter
between Iran and Armenia in six years.

MKA/NN/HRB

THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST IS STARTING Â~@~S AND FOR ONCE, BRITAIN IS IN WITH A CHANCE

The Spectator, UK
May 4 2014

Culture House Daily 14 comments Fraser Nelson 4 May 2014 20:27

There are those to whom the word ‘volare’ means nothing. But for us
Eurovision enthusiasts, it’s all starting with the opening ceremony
tonight. The entrants and their delegations of 37 nations have
been converging on Copenhagen’s City Hall, with fans are outside
and the ceremony broadcast online. It’s transmitting live in China,
New Zealand and Canada this year – making Eurovision the most-watched
non-sporting television event on the planet.

The annual, spectacular clash of nations, cultures and politics is
about to get underway – and it is also becoming a major betting event.

A friend of mine in Sweden (where Eurovision is not seen as a massive
gay pride festival) usually makes a killing getting it right. To do
so requires pretty good knowledge of music, European politics, trends
in trading relationships, and popular (as opposed to governmental)
opinion. And, of course, to judge this better than bookmakers. This
is getting harder, as bookies become more sophisticated.

The two semi-finals are on Tuesday and Thursday, not that they
matter to Britain. The BBC pays so much money to Eurovision that
we’re guaranteed a place in the final. This has made us lazy: the
BBC’s institutional snobbery and xenophobia has, hitherto, ensured
the UK entry is so bad as to be an almost passive-aggressive insult
to an entire continent. But this year, they worked out it’s not a
bad taste contest. They’ve found a singer-songwriter, who has come
up with a varied-tempo, anthem-style number (Molly, with ‘Children
of the Universe’). It’s a touch formulaic with poor choreography,
but the BBC is, for once, making an effort. And she’s actually in
with a chance at 8/1. The others are below-

1. Armenia – 13/8. Unlike the BBC, they have understood that the video
makes a difference because so many voters make up their minds before
the final. This tiny country is obviously out to win the whole ESC –
the audacity of hope.

2. Sweden – 11/4. A boringly safe option from Sweden – its
‘Melodifestivalen’ primaries were not vintage this year, and they
went for the kind of song that you hear played on Lugna Favoriter
(its equivalent of Magic FM) all day. This is Sanna Neilsen’s seventh
attempt at Eurovision, and listening to this, you kinda see why her
first six failed. Sweden produces the best pop in the world, and I’m
afraid this isn’t an example of it. Sounds like the boring bits from
‘Wrecking Ball’. That said, several bookies have Sanna as favourite to
win – I’m biased against her as I was rooting for another (Ace Wilder)
in MelFest this year.

3. Denmark – 8/1 The hosts have laid on an upbeat number, with an
easy-to-remember chorus that’ll work across nations where English
isn’t widely understood. The Danes also understand the importance of
choreography. Superb stage performance, and undeniably catchy tune.

4. UK – 8/1 And here’s our Molly. This video was filmed before
she thought about choreography, and there’s no Armenia-style video
unpacking her theme. The BBC are still trying to get their heads
around this. But Molly will pick up points for having written the
song herself, and for being a debutante when so many of her rivals
are established performers.

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5. Norway – 10/1 Music to slit your wrists by

AND SOME OTHERS…

Austria. Now, this is great wee number. Melodic, well-produced,
plenty drama. Bond-style major-minor combo chords. It’s Conchita
Wurst’s second attempt at ESC – s/he finished second in the Austrian
semis in 2012. You can imagine Shirley Bassey covering it well. Okay,
it’s sung by a drag queen – but as Dana International taught us,
that’s no bar to victory. His upsetting the Russians is a bonus. But
might a bearded drag queen win? Anyway, the music:-

Russia – 40/1 Russia has chosen two butter-wouldn’t-melt twins,
the Tolmachevy Sisters, to perform a number that is, if anything, a
bit better than Sanna Neilsen’s (they have the same light-on-a-string
stage design). But for as long as Putin has his foot on the gas pipes
he can expect nul points from the entire Eastern bloc.

Poland – It’s good of the Poles to enter – they haven’t for three
years, after getting bored of being knocked out in the semis. But
this rather tawdry video has missed the mark (if, as I hope, it was
shooting for ironic). It just looks like an advert for a weekend in
WrocÅ~Baw, aimed at British stag parties.

View videos of songs at

Agence France Presse
29 avril 2014 mardi 2:02 PM GMT

Arménie : pour Erdogan, les massacres de 1915 n’étaient pas un “génocide”

Ankara 29 avr 2014

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a une nouvelle fois nié
le caractère génocidaire des massacres d’Arméniens commis en 1915 par
l’Empire ottoman, quelques jours après avoir présenté les condoléances
de son pays aux descendants des victimes.

“Ce n’est pas possible car s’il s’agissait d’un génocide, pourrait-il
encore y avoir des Arméniens dans ce pays (la Turquie) ?”, a affirmé
M. Erdogan dans un entretien diffusé lundi soir sur la chaîne de
télévision américaine PBS.

“Nous sommes un peuple qui pense qu’un génocide est un crime contre
l’humanité et jamais nous ne fermerions les yeux face à un tel acte”,
a-t-il ajouté.

La semaine dernière, le chef du gouvernement turc a pour la première
fois présenté ses “condoléances” aux petits-enfants des victimes des
massacres de 1915 et assuré qu’il respectait leurs “souffrances”, à la
veille de la journée officielle les commémorant.

Cette déclaration a été saluée comme un pas en avant vers la
réconciliation entre la Turquie et l’Arménie, notamment par les
Etats-Unis.

Mais l’Arménie a rejeté les condoléances d’Ankara et réclamé son
repentir et la reconnaissance du génocide, ce que les autorités
turques refusent.

Le 24 avril 1915, le gouvernement de l’Empire ottoman a ordonné, en
pleine Première guerre mondiale, la déportation de centaines de
milliers d’Arméniens, accusés de complot avec l’ennemi russe. Nombre
d’entre eux ont été tués: 1,5 million selon les Arméniens, 500.000
environ selon les Turcs.

Dans son discours hebdomadaire au Parlement mardi, M. Erdogan est
revenu sur le sujet, exhortant l’Arménie à “faire preuve du même
courage” que la Turquie.

“La confrontation avec l’histoire et ses réalités n’est pas un devoir
qui incombe uniquement à la République de Turquie”, a-t-il affirmé.

Demonstrators Protest Lake Sevan Proposal Outside Parliament

04.28.2014 12:33 epress.am

The initiative SOS Sevan held a protest today outside the National
Assembly building, urging MPs to vote against a government proposal
that environmentalists say would increase drainage from Lake Sevan by
40%.

Participating in the demonstration were not only environmental
activists, but also residents of the affected communities. Martuni
resident Anahit Gevorgyan, in conversation with Epress.am, said the
entire community is against the Lake Sevan proposal.

The residents say they raised their concerns also during the public
hearings, but their opinions were not taken into consideration.

“There was no increase in arable land, how did it happen that the
water is now not enough for irrigation? It’s clear to all of us that
the water is being drained in order to maintain the fisheries of
Ararat marz [province],” she told Epress.am.

According to Gevorgyan, also harmful is the government’s other
decision, which plans to increase the supply of trout in Lake Sevan by
50,000 tons of fish by artificial feed in net pens until 2023.

“They’ll pour those hormones into the lake and the fish and water
quality of all of [Lake] Sevan will change,” she said.

Another demonstrator, EcoLur NGO President Inga Zarafyan, considered
important the fact that the decision about breeding fish will be
brought to parliament. This is unprecedented, though put to a vote in
parliament will be only the decision on increasing the volume of water
drainage.

According to Zarafyan, the greatest threat is that if the water is
drained in such large volumes for 5 consecutive years, the lake will
no longer be able to recover.

Situation In Kessab Now

Lragir.am
Politics – Monday, 28 April 2014, 17:59

We have learned that the Syrian army is in the vicinity of Kessab, has
taken strategic heights and approached Kessab along the coastline. The
army refrains from deciding actions for several reasons. First, it
treats insurgents as its citizens, not army. Second, the tactics of
forcing them out of Kessab by boosting pressure has been chosen. The
army does not use firearms not to damage houses.

Besides, out interlocutor told us that the Syrian troops are about 1
km from the Turkish BCP and refrain from firearms not to provoke the
Turkish army to shoot.

– See more at: