Author: Kajoyan Gevork

SUCCESSFUL PROTEST AGAINST YEREVAN BUS FARE INCREASES

Transitions Online, Czech Rep.

July 30 2013

Armenian civil society is debating whether a successful protest
against public transit fare hikes marks a turning point or just
another political skirmish, EurasiaNet.org writes.

Taron Margarian

On 25 July Yerevan Mayor Taron Margarian reversed the fare hikes
after a five-day bus boycott and city hall protest. On 20 July the
price of a trolleybus ride doubled, to 100 drams ($0.24), and bus and
minibus fares went up from 100 to 150 drams. The city had blamed the
fare increases on rising fuel prices.

Stepan Safarian of the opposition Heritage Party hailed the protest’s
success as a sign that “society made authorities understand that
[people] will no longer … put up with robbery and the violation
of its rights,” EurasiaNet.org writes. Sociologist Isabella Sarksian
said she hoped the week’s events would encourage young people to get
more involved in civil society.

But Galust Sahakian, deputy chairman of the governing Republican
Party of Armenia, said, “If the government wants, it can stop the
[protest] movement in a night,” although he voiced support for the
demonstrations. He also called on the public to “show restraint and
not act as heroes.”

Such a well-organized demonstration could not have happened
spontaneously, analyst Armen Badalian told EurasiaNet.org. The real
point of the exercise was an intra-party ploy to weaken Margarian,
he suggested. The mayor is seen as a possible Republican Party
presidential candidate.

Although large demonstrations are rare in Armenia, protests broke
out in February after President Serzh Sargsyan was re-elected amid
fraud allegations from other candidates.

TALKING TURKEY: GEZI PARK, SEVAN NIÅ¡ANYAN AND OLD ARMENIAN LADIES

Huffington Post
July 30 2013

Christopher Atamian.

Posted: 07/30/2013 1:53 pm

It seems that the people of Turkey are finally realizing that if there
is anything more dispiriting than a Kemalist, it’s an Islamist. As
the recent demonstrations in Gezi Park demonstrate, Turks are finally
beginning to realize the true face of Prime minister Rayyip Erdogan
and what his small but consistent changes will mean for the Republic
of Turkey. Like the anti-Islamist coup in Cairo, the decidedly
secular bent of the demonstrators and the democratic nature of their
demonstrations seems to have taken Prime Minister Erdogan by surprise.

And they should. Erdogan is a blatant despot: someone who arbitrarily
has decided when and where his people can drink alcohol for example;
and someone who continues to try to keep his people ignorant bout
their own past — an Armenian Genocide denier of the worst type.

Turkey has recently taken two steps forward and he would take it
three steps back into religious intolerance and obscurantism. It’s
time for Erdogan to go, if you ask me, just the was it was time for
Morsi to take a hike as well.

Several months ago I wrote a column about the attacks perpetrated
against old Armenian ladies in Istanbul. Not surprisingly a few
nationalist and racist bozos wrote in comments attacking me for my
views — especially since the police apparently arrested an Armenian
from Istanbul for the arrests. Not much has been heard of him or
the attack since, at least in the Western press. It is of course
entirely possible that an Armenian committed these deplorable acts
— there are lunatics in every community. Given Turkish history from
1896 down through the bombing of Dersim, the Wealth Tax episodes and
most recently Hrant’s Dink’s murder, this however seems almost besides
the point. You would think these Turkish commentators would at least
acknowledge why such acts terrorized Armenians throughout Turkey and,
yes throughout the diaspora as well. Once again, we felt helpless as
Armenians were being attacked–by whom we did not know. Recently, some
steps in the right direction have taken place. In the mostly Kurdish
Southeast, the municipality of Diyarbakir is opening an Armenian
Museum in Sur Guiragos Church. Mayor Baydemir’s repeated apologies to
Armenians for the Kurds’ complicity with the Ottoman government in
1915 and the rebuilding of Sourp Guiragos, as well as the city’s in
principle agreement to return some 190 stolen properties to individual
Armenians or the Armenian community as a whole-are welcome by all. It
is time for the rest of Turkey to do the same. Reparations can start
by returning the Turkish White House, known as Cankaya KöÅ~_ku, to
the Kassabian family from whom it was stolen after the Kassabian’s
fled the Armenian genocide to Constantinople and eventually Canada.

These two topics bring me naturally to one of Turkey’s bravest and
most outspoken intellectuals and businessmen, Sevan Nisanyan, an
atheist ethnic Armenia singularly responsible for the renovation
of his entire native village of Evleri as well as a rare voice
of liberalism and lay tolerance for all in modern-day Turkey. The
Turkish courts have condemned him to 13 months of jail. His crime:
“publicly insulting the religious values of part of the population”
i.e., insulting the Prophet Mohammed. Here is a piece of advice, a
plea and a warning all at once: leave Sevan Nišanyan alone!! There
are far too few talented original thinkers in the world — particularly
in conformist places like Turkey and Nišanyan is one of these.

Furthermore, Turks should be ashamed to be prosecuting an ethnic
Armenian less than 100 years after the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 for
something as flimsy as what he actually said. First of all, Nišanyan
never insulted Mohammed — he simply said that if people wanted to
believe in fairy tales — i.e., religion, he could do nothing to stop
them nor did he feel the necessity of doing so. In a true democracy
one should be able to say what one wants about anyone — Jesus Christ,
Mohammed, or Buddha. That is the definition of democracy. You can
look it up.

So here is a message for Prime Minister Erdogan and the Turkish courts:
Leave Gezi Park alone! Leave democracy alone! And for heaven’s sake,
leave Sevan Nišanyan alone!

TURKISH DEPUTY PM CALLS ON KURDISH GROUPS NOT TO SIDE WITH AL-ASSAD

14:52 30.07.13

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arınc has called on the Kurdish groups in
Syria not to side with the al-Assad regime and urged them to support
the opposition, The Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Arınc said the Syrian regime intended to exploit the Kurds and other
groups in the northern region, and use them as a trump card against
Turkey. “When al-Assad goes, and a democratic regime is established
with a Parliament and elections, then everyone will be represented
equally,” Arınc told state-run broadcaster TRT on July 29.

“All we ask of the formation there [Kurds in the north] is that they
do not cooperate with al-Assad. Become a part of the opposition and
do not attempt to take control by fait accompli,” he added.

“Your presence and equal citizenship rights will definitely be
recognized in a Constitution to be formed after al-Assad. If you side
with the opposition, you can avoid sharing the sins of the regime,”
he said.

Turkish officials held meetings last week with the visiting leader of
the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Saleh Muslim, and they expressed
strong concerns about the “fait accompli” imposition of a de facto
autonomous Kurdish region in the north of Syria.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIAN DISTRICT LEVELED TO GROUND IN TURKEY’S MUSH

14:38 30.07.13

An Armenian district in the Turkish town of Mush had 80% of its
houses pulled down almost a year after the local authorities decided
to involve it in an urban redevelopment project.

According to Radikal, there are plans to built 770 constructions in
the Kale district, instead of the former 770.

The Turkish-Armenian public figure, Karo Palian, who formerly dealt
with Armenian heritage issues, has recently addressed the well-known
Armenian neoghborhood, Mushegh’s Fortress, calling for special measures
to take at least two districts of the town under protection.

Considering the dismantlement illegal, Palian said the “treasure
hunters” had damaged the building, undermining their foundations.

“Mush had 299 churches, 94 monasteries, 53 pilgrimage sites and 135
schools, with 5,699 pupils. So the remaining three streets should not
be leveled. The Armenian heritage of Anatolia is being destroyed at
rapid paces. Were the same in Istanbul, they wouldn’t even drive a
nail on the buildings,” he said.

RUSSIAN PROPERTY WITHDRAWN FROM GABALA RADAR STATION

15:50, 30 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS: The process of withdrawal of the Russian
servicemen and the Russian movable property from Gabala radar station
has already been completed. As reported by Armenpress, quoting the
Azerbaijani APA Agency, Azerbaijan and Russia will sign an agreement
on the handover of Gabala radar station in the near future.

All movable property of the military facility has been sent to Russia
by railway. Russian troops leaving the country were accompanied by
servicemen of the Internal Troops till the state border.

High-ranking delegation of Russia will visit Azerbaijan in the middle
of August to sign an agreement on the handover.

Currently, the station is controlled by the Azerbaijani servicemen.

Azerbaijan set up commission to determine the property of Gabala
radar station in November 2012. Russia suspended the station’s
exploitation in December 2012, because Azerbaijan increased the lease
payment. Azerbaijan demanded $300 million lease payment from Russia
for the station.

The agreement on “The status, principles and terms of Gabala RLS
between the Azerbaijani Government and Russian Government” was signed
in 2002. Russia suspended the station’s exploitation on December 10,
2012. Gabala RLS, established in 1984 as a missile defense system of
the USSR, possesses the ability to take launch of ballistic missiles
over the Indian Ocean – 6000 km radius under its control.

Azerbaijan received USD 7 million tenancy payment from Russia for
the exploitation of this station.

DIPLOMATIC SOURCE: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO ARMENIA IS SCHEDULED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER – BEGINNING OF OCTOBER 2013
by Tatevik Shahunyan

Tuesday, July 30, 15:23

According to the preliminary data, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
visit to Armenia is scheduled at the end of September – beginning of
October 2013, a diplomatic source from Russia told Arminfo.

Although Vladimir Putin’s visit to Armenia has been announced at
different levels, it has not yet taken place. Russia’s president is
going to visit Azerbaijan on 12-15 August.

As Zhogovurd newspaper reported, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
will pay a working visit to Moscow on 15-17 August.

We did not manage to get any information from the president’s residence
about Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Russia and Vladimir Putin’s visit
to Armenia, as Armenian president’s press-secretary Armen Sagatelyan
did not return phone calls.

SOMALIE : L’ONU CONDAMNE L’ATTAQUE CONTRE UN IMMEUBLE ABRITANT DU PERSONNEL TURC

Publie le : 30-07-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette information publiee sur le site de l’ONU le 29
juillet 2013.

Legende photo : Un policier gère la circulation a Mogadiscio en
Somalie. Photo: ONU

ONU

L’ONU condamne l’attaque contre un immeuble abritant du personnel
turc a Mogadiscio

29 juillet 2013 – Le Secretaire general a condamne lundi dans les
termes les plus energiques l’attaque terroriste qui a frappe le 27
juillet 2013 un bureau abritant du personnel diplomatique turc a
Mogadiscio. Cette attaque a fait une victime et plusieurs blesses.

A la suite de son Representant special pour la Somalie, Nicholas Kay,
Ban Ki-moon exprime, dans un communique transmis par son porte-parole,
ses condoleances les plus sincères au Gouvernement et au peuple de
la Turquie et transmet ses pensees aux familles et amis des personnes
tuees et blessees.

” La Turquie est un partenaire important du Gouvernement federal de la
Somalie qui cherche, dans des circonstances très difficiles, a appuyer
les efforts des Somaliens pour restaurer la paix et la stabilite
dans leur pays. Les attaques terroristes ne doivent pas dissuader
les partenaires de la Somalie, ou faire vaciller leur determination,
de se tenir aux côtes du peuple et du Gouvernement de la Somalie “,
conclut le Secretaire general.

Dans une declaration a la presse, les 15 membres du Conseil de securite
condamnent fermement cette attaque et soulignent la necessite que
les auteurs soient traduits en justice.

Le 19 juin, une attaque contre l’enceinte des Nations Unies a
Mogadiscio, avait cause la mort d’un membre du personnel de l’ONU,
de trois contractants, de quatre gardes somaliens et de plusieurs
civils innocents.

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : ONU

Deces d’Eddy Djololian, fondateur de la troupe de danse Navasart

FRANCE

Nous avons appris avec tristesse le decès le 27 juillet d’Eddy
Djololian, fondateur et directeur de la troupe de danse Navasart.

Eddy Djololian, ne en 1942 a Paris, Officier de reserve de l’Armee de
Terre, diplôme de kinesitherapie, a exerce avec talent sa profession
de masseur-kinesitherapeute. Son grand professionnalisme etait reconnu
et apprecie de tous, patients comme medecins.

Sa grande passion fut la danse armenienne. Danseur et soliste dans
les ballets armeniens Sossi de 1958 a 1966, il fonda en 1967 le
ballet armenien Navasart, qu’il dirigea toute sa vie. Ce ballet,
qui a vu passer en son sein des generations de danseurs et musiciens,
qui s’est produit sur les plus grandes scènes internationales (Zenith,
Palais des Congrès, Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall etc…), reste
une reference dans la danse armenienne en diaspora.

Il avait un attachement particulier a la culture armenienne et un
desir profond de transmission.

Il fit ainsi decouvrir a de nombreux danseurs dans differents pays
europeens au-cours de stages qu’il animait, les differentes facettes
de la danse armenienne. Il crea enfin l’Academie de danse Navasart
pour initier les enfants dès leur plus jeune âge.

Il s’investit egalement au sein du Fonds Armenien dont il devint le
tresorier national, et son devouement y fit l’unanimite.

Nomme Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Merite en 2000, il recut
egalement la Medaille d’Or de la Jeunesse et des Sports. Le Ministère
de la Culture d’Armenie lui decerna un Diplôme d’Honneur, et il fut
recu au sein de l’Union des Artistes d’Armenie.

Il fut enfin membre du Conseil International de la Danse au sein
de l’UNESCO.

Il s’est eteint a l’âge de 70 ans, en laissant le souvenir d’un
homme profondement attache a des valeurs humaines et universelles,
qui conjugua passion et devouement, memoire et vision d’avenir.

Ses obsèques auront lieu ce jeudi 1er août 2013 a 10h30 en la
Cathedrale Armenienne Saint-Jean Baptiste, 15 rue Jean Goujon,
Paris 8e.

La redaction de Nouvelles d’Armenie presente a sa famille et a ses
proches ses condoleances attristees.

mardi 30 juillet 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

L’AUGMENTATION DES TARIFS DES TRANSPORT SUSPENDUE DANS LE SILLAGE D’UNE REACTION DU PUBLIC UNIFIE

ARMENIE

La nuit dernière, Erevan fetait la victoire de la ” revolution
democratique des transports “. Sur la place centrale de la capitale de
jeunes militants armeniens qui avaient proteste contre l’augmentation
des tarifs des transports en commun se sont felicite les unes
les autres et ont defile dans les rues scandant ” Hagh-ta-nak ”
(victoire). Pendant près d’une semaine, ils avaient encourage les
gens a “payer 100 drams” (l’ancien taux), et la nuit dernière ils
ont finalement eu des nouvelles heureuses.

Dans son allocution le maire d’Erevan Taron Margaryan a demande
de creer une commission d’experts et de personnes interessees qui
parviendrait a developper tous les mecanismes en quelques mois, ce
qui permettra de completer le decret municipal “sur le reexamen des
tarifs de transport interurbain dans la ville d’Erevan ” a declare le
maire qui a ajoute que l’application pratique du decret sera suspendu.

La communaute armenienne sur Facebook a ete jubilatoire après l’annonce
du maire.

“Ce n’est pas la defaite du maire Taron Markarian et des autorites,
c’est la victoire des citoyens armeniens, c’est la victoire de la
Republique d’Armenie, c’est la defaite de l’ideologie des esclaves
en nous … Taron, Serge, et d’autres, ne sont que des noms de ceux
qui detiennent leurs postes respectifs et ces noms vont continuer
a changer, le prix de leur defaite n’a pas d’importance pour moi,
la seule valeur durable est que le citoyen armenien est un maître
… “, ecrivait David Sanasaryan membre du parti Heritage sur son
mur Facebook.

Le bras de fer contre la hausse des tarifs d’autobus le 20 Juillet
a Erevan a unifie la capitale. Les jeunes militants ont constamment
combattu et diffuser leur etat d’esprit a travers les mini-autobus et
d’un bout de la ville a l’autre. Les gens ont proteste en ne payant
pas le nouveau prix de 150 drams (37 cents americains), ils ont marche
plutôt que d’utiliser les transport en commune, fait du covoiturage –
offrant des tours gratuits sur leurs vehicules prives.

“Tout cela a ramene les souvenirs d’Erevan pendant 1988-89, quand les
gens etaient gentils, unis, donnant un coup de main a l’autre. J’ai
ete choque quand un jeune homme m’a offert ainsi que quelques autres
un tour gratuit avenue Mashtots a Erebuni [du centre vers la banlieue]
“, explique un resident d’Erevan Hasmik Antonyan.

” Les gens se sentent en quelque sorte lies les uns aux autres, et
quand un” proprietaire de Jeep ramasse des inconnus a un arret de bus,
les passagers ne pensent pas ” comment il a fait pour ce vehicule
que je n’ai pas ? “. Parce qu’il est beaucoup plus important de
rester humain que d’avoir un vehicule ou d’etre populaire “, ecrit
le redacteur en chef du quotidien Aravot dans un editorial.

Le portail FreeCar.am a ete cree avec le slogan la ” voiture gratuite,
nous ne paierons 150 drams “.

L’un des co-auteurs, le developpeur web Grigor Yeghiazaryan a dit a
ArmeniaNow que tout a commence avec un post sur Facebeook. C’etait une
annonce exprimant la volonte d’aider les gens a faire des transports.

Les autres utilisateurs ont commence a afficher des statuts similaires.

“Le site fonctionne depuis seulement deux jours et nous avons eu
253 messages, 522 utilisateurs enregistres, qui pourront plus tard
faire leurs propres messages. Le premier jour, nous avons eu 12000
visites, le deuxième jour 11657. Le taux est reste le meme, mais
le site continuera a fonctionner, le concept de Covoiturage existe
depuis longtemps dans le monde. Je crois que cela fonctionnera aussi
en Armenie, que les Armeniens sont plus extravertis, nous faisons
confiance a l’autre, ce qui n’est pas typique de beaucoup d’autres
nations ” a dit Yeghiazaryan.

Le maire Taron Margaryan dans son discours a fait reference egalement
aux actes de protestation et aux collectes organisees par les jeunes,
ainsi que pour leurs appels et leurs slogans.

” Je me rejouis de la chaleur qui peut a nouveau etre observee chez les
habitants d’Erevan, en fonction de leur volonte d’aider et de soutenir
l’autre. Cette chaleur est une valeur que nous devons faire de notre
mieux pour garder pour assurer de grandes et durables realisations
” a-t-il dit.

Militant des droits humains Artur Sakunts a fait un post sur sa page
Facebook pour feliciter la ” victoire preliminaire ” des citoyens
d’Armenie, mais en soulignant qu’il est, neanmoins, preliminaire,
parce que le decret etait illegal pour commencer pour n’avoir pas
ete rendu public, d’où sa mise en ~uvre, elle aussi etait illegale.

Par Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow

mardi 30 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

INAUGURATION D’UNE ZONE ECONOMIQUE LIBRE ENTRE LA RUSSIE ET L’ARMENIE

ARMENIE

Au moment où les perspectives d’une finalisation prochaine d’un
accord de libre echange entre l’Armenie et l’Union europeenne mettent
a rude epreuve les liens solides entre la Russie et l’Armenie, des
responsables armeniens et russes ont inaugure le 28 juillet la première
zone de libre echange d’Armenie qui devrait profiter en priorite aux
compagnies specialisees dans la production de technologies de pointe.

Cette Zone economique libre est etablie dans les locaux d’une usine de
materiel electronique et d’un institute de recherches de Erevan qui
ont ete confies a la Russie, parmi de nombreuses autres entreprises
armeniennes, il y a une decennie, au titre du remboursement par
Erevan d’une dette de 100 millions de dollars a la Russie. La Zone
economique sera dirigee par la filiale armenienne de la compagnie de
materiel microelectronique russe Sitronics.

Le premier ministre armenien Tigrane Sarkissian et le ministre russe
des transports Maxim Sokolov, present pour l’occasion a Erevan,
ont souligne l’importance de cette zone libre de taxes pour les
gouvernements des deux pays contractants lors de la ceremonie
d’inauguration. T. Sarkissian, qui dirige aussi une commission
intergouvernementale russo-armenienne en charge de la cooperation
economique bilaterale avec M. Sokolov, a salue cet “evenement
historique.”

mardi 30 juillet 2013, Gari ©armenews.com