Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Qatar News Agency
October 15, 2012 Monday 8:47 PM EST

Turkey Allows Armenian Plane to Leave

Ankara, October 15 (QNA) – Turkey has allowed an Armenian plane bound
for Syria to continue its journey, following a search of its cargo,
which confirmed it was carrying humanitarian aid as stated by Armenia.

The plane flying to the Syria’s second biggest city of Aleppo was
forced to land in the eastern Turkish city of Erzurubyon for security
checks on its cargo on Monday.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said the cargo on the
plane matched the manifest handed in by the crew prior to the flight.

“The plane was ordered to land and it was inspected. It was clear that
the declaration was correct and the plane was given permission to take
off,” Arinc told reporters.

The Air Armenia cargo plane was required to stop over in Turkey for
routine security checks in line with civil aviation rules as an
unscheduled flight, a foreign ministry official said earlier.

The Turkish authorities allowed the plane and its passengers to leave
Ankara nine hours after landing, but they seized parts of a cargo
carried by the plane.(QNA)

ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 15, 2012 Monday 01:04 PM GMT+4

Armenia remains Russia’s reliable ally – Putin

YEREVAN October 15

The Republic of Armenia was and remains Russia’s reliable ally,
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his greetings message to
participants in the 2nd World Armenian Congress on Monday.

The greetings message was read out by member of the Russian Federation
Council, Hero of the Russian Federation and Hero of the Soviet Union
Artur Chilingarov.

“The Armenian people’s contribution to world culture, science and art
is well-known. Its rich historical heritage is the unique value, which
belongs to mankind,” Putin said.

“Over many years friendship, mutual respect and spiritual affinity
united Russians and Armenians. Based on good traditions relations
between our countries develop successfully. Today they have reached
the level of strategic partnership,” the president stressed, adding,
“Mutually beneficial cooperation in different fields and constructive
interaction in regional and international affairs gain momentum.”

“It is symbolic that the largest Armenian community lives in the
Russian Federation. Members of the Armenians of Russia play an
important role in different spheres of life,” Putin said. “The
organisation actively promotes the strengthening of international and
inter-confessional accord and commands big respect in Russia and
abroad,” he added.

The Russian president wished “the fruitful work and the success to
delegates of the congress and prosperity to the brotherly Armenian
people”.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 15, 2012 Monday 03:40 PM GMT+4

Armenian aircraft gets overflying permit to Syria

ANKARA October 15

Air Armenia aircraft, which has made a forced landing in Turkey, has
gotten an overflying permit to Syria, local mass media report on
Monday.

According to earlier information, if no violations are revealed during
the check, the airliner will continue its flight.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said the aircraft made a landing in
Turkey’s Erzurum as was previously agreed with Yerevan.

Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balaian said the landing in
Turkey was not a surprise for Armenia. “The landing of the aircraft,
carrying humanitarian cargoes to the Syrian city of Aleppo, was made
routinely and as previously agreed,” the Armenian diplomat said.

The An-12 Armenian aircraft, which made the Yerevan-Aleppo flight, has
landed in the Turkish city of Erzurum, Air Armenia director Arsen
Avetisyan said.

He said Turkey circulated reports in mass media that it had forced the
Armenian aircraft to make a landing.

Despite the 330-long km common border, Armenia and Turkey have not
established diplomatic relations yet. Ankara demands Yerevan give up
its position on the genocide of Armenians in 1915 and on support for
Nagorno-Karabakh in the conflict with Azerbaijan.

Haykakan Zhamanak : Armenian and Russian governments to form joint
group on `Compatriots’ program

news.am
October 16, 2012

YEREVAN. – The governments of Armenia and the Russian Federation soon
will form a joint working group that will deal with the problematic
matters in connection with the Russian `Compatriots’ immigration
program’s implementation in Armenia, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.

`According to our sources at the Armenian government, the working
group’s composition and empowerment will soon be clarified,
subsequently, it will officially be announced,’ Haykakan Zhamanak
writes.

Armenia says can strike enemy at 300km and more

Karabakh | 16.10.12 | 11:09

The Armenian armed forces are capable of launching missile attacks
against a potential enemy within a range of 300 kilometers and more,
according to a senior military official in Yerevan.

Head of the Operative Department of the General Headquarters of the
Armenian Armed Forces, Major-General Artak Davtyan said at a press
conference on Monday that scenarios of missile attacks were applied
during the recent strategic command and staff exercises that involved
up to 45,000 military servicemen, including NKR Defense Army
subdivisions.

Reservists had also been called up for the drills that were conducted
across Armenia on October 1-13.

Davtyan said that the simulation included aiming missiles at the
`conventional’ rival’s military facilities and economic
infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan
confirmed to the media information according to which Armenia has also
tested its S-300 anti-aircraft missile system.
Hovhannisyan said the stock of the arms and military equipment of the
Armenian Armed Forces including anti-aircraft defense systems was
being constantly updated, reported Mediamax.

Major-General Davtyan, in his turn, said that the Armenian side was
closely watching the military purchases by Azerbaijan. He particularly
emphasized the new antitank weapons designed to fight the
next-generation armor that were tested during the recent exercises in
Armenia.

APA, Azerbaijan
Oct 15 2012

Ahmet Davudoglu: `The opening of Khankandi airport will have negative
impact on the negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh’ – VIDEO

[ 15 Oct 2012 16:42 ]
`We held consultations with Azerbaijan after Armenia took this step’

Baku. Victoria Dementeva – APA. `The opening of Khankandi airport will
have negative impact on the negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh
conflict’, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu, who is
on a visit to Baku, told journalists, APA reports.

Asked what steps Turkey will take, if Khankandi airport is opened, the
Minister noted that Ankara announced its position as soon as this
issue arose: `When this issue arose we announced that it will have
negative impact on the negotiations towards the settlement of the
conflict. `We held consultations with Azerbaijan after Armenia took
this step. We don’t think that this step can produce a positive
result, this issue must be solved within international law.’

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 15 2012

FM: Iran supports all resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 15 / Trend S. Agayeva /

Iran supports international organizations’ resolutions on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi
told media in Baku today.

He said Iran has always supported Azerbaijan.

Tehran recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
It stands for cooperation between the two countries in all fields,
Salehi said.

Salehi arrived in Baku to attend the meeting of the Council of Foreign
Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. – are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

Fars News Agency, Iran
Oct 15 2012

Turkey Continues Grounding Syria Bound Flights

TEHRAN (FNA)- Turkey grounded a Syria bound Armenian passenger flight
to inspect its cargo after a similar move last Wednesday angered
Damascus officials who retaliated the forced landing of the
Moscow-Syria flight in Ankara with closing their airspace to all
Turkish airliners.

Turkish authorities are searching the Armenian aircraft traveling from
Armenia to Syria after it landed in the Eastern city of Erzurum.

Ankara had reportedly demanded in advance the on-the-ground cargo
inspection in Erzurum as a condition of flying through Turkish
airspace.

“There was nothing extraordinary about it. Turkish security forces are
currently searching the cargo,” Air Armenia head Arsen Avetisyan told
Interfax news agency.

The cargo plane is carrying humanitarian aid to Aleppo.

This incident comes days after the Turkish military forced a Syrian
plane traveling from Moscow to Damascus to land in Turkey. Ankara
claimed that the civilian aircraft was transporting weapons to Syria.
Authorities seized equipment they found in the plane’s luggage before
allowing it to resume its flight.

The equipment was spare parts for radar, not weapons, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov said. The components were legally purchased in
Russia, and were being delivered to the buyer in Syria.

Turkey and Syria denied each other the use of their respective
airspaces after the incident.

`07112876

Los Angeles Times
Oct 15 2012

Turks search aid flight, let plane fly on to Syria

BEIRUT — A plane headed from Armenia to Syria that was grounded and
searched Monday in Turkey was carrying only humanitarian aid, the
Turkish foreign minister said.

After the plane’s cargo was examined it was allowed to continue to the
besieged city of Aleppo, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

It was the second time in a week that Turkey ordered a plane to land
in an attempt to prevent weapons from being sent to the regime of
Syrian President Bashar Assad. Armenia requested to use Turkish
airspace and was granted permission on the condition that its cargo be
searched.

Last Wednesday, a passenger plane heading from Moscow to Damascus was
forced to land amid suspicion that it was carrying weapons. Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the plane was carrying
ammunition, and other reports said it contained military
communications equipment.

On Saturday, Turkey announced that it was closing its airspace to
Syrian civilian flights. Earlier, it had barred Syrian military
flights from flying over Turkey.

Voice of Russia
Oct 15 2012

Syria-bound plane: Turkey at it again

Artyom Kobzev

All Syria-bound planes are now under Turkey’s special control. An
Armenian plane carrying aid to the Syrian city of Aleppo was force
landed and searched Monday. The plane was allowed to continue its
flight after the search in the eastern Turkish city of Erzurum.
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry claimed that the landing was planned and
Armenia had known the plane would be searched in line with a
previously reached agreement.
That was a discriminative requirement but, Yerevan had nothing but to
agree, says Edgar Vardanyan, expert of the Armenian Center for
Strategic and National Research.

“There are lots of Armenians in Syria – a large community and we can’t
ignore them. Many of them have fled to Armenia and we assist them but
we also want those who stayed in Syria to get aid.”

The situation followed the last Wednesday incident when Turkey forced
down a Syrian airliner from Moscow, and said it had found Russian
munitions on board destined for Syria’s armed forces. This was not
confirmed but Turkey banned all Syrian aircraft from its airspace.

Earlier, Turkey’s parliament approved a mandate on cross-border
military operations in Syria. Sergey Demidenko, expert in Oriental
Studies, doesn’t find a war between the countries that probable.

“Turkey is not ready for a war like this either politically,
ideological or economically. Its army is stronger than Syria’s but if
Turkey gets involved in a protracted conflict it would ruin economic
growth and high living standards of people which were pledged by the
National Justice and Development Party. The ruling party which took
the helm in 2002did a lot since then and a bloody conflict could ruin
it all.”

The Syrian plane travelling from Moscow had no munitions on board, it
was carrying radar equipment, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
stated after the incident and added that Syria is not under any
sanctions.

However, the Foreign Ministry claimed that the incident will not dim
bilateral relations.