Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARF-D’S PROGRAMME HAS CLEAR GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VILLAGES

15:53 . 17/04

ARF-D continues meetings within the frames of election campaign.

During the meeting held yesterday in Aragatsotn region the head of
the election headquarters Aghvan Vardanyan called upon the Aragatsotn
residents to participate in the elections with no fear and to defend
their vote.

It is possible to change the situation in the country only by
making the correct choice and prioritizing programmes, while today
ARF-D presents a programme, with which there are also clear guiding
principles for the development of the villages. The social polarization
existing in our country is inadmissible.

“This is our election programme. Nothing casual is written here. We
are telling the other parties to come and debate over this programme,
but they aren’t coming,” Aghvan Vardanyan said.

“The project is not just a range of pre-election promises,” Artsvik
Minasyan also said.

Solving social problems and reducing the poverty indicators are axial
for ARF-D.

“We have stated several provisions important from the point of
view of the development of villages. The state assistance to the
village residents must be multiplied. Let no doubt arise, we have the
possibility to double the budget, to create jobs,” Artsvik Minasyan
has said.

Within the frames of the regional meetings the election programme
presented by ARF-D has inspired the village residents with hope. Here,
unlike many others, they don’t teach how to cultivate soil, to do
farming, but clear mechanisms and a time schedule are fixed for
that work.

“The party has always, starting from 1918, been beside the people,
both when it was in the authority and in opposition,” Zarzand Sargsyan,
who came to the meeting, said.

JAVAKHK – A TIME BOMB
Karine Ter-Sahakyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 23, 2012

If Georgia becomes a NATO member, a military base will be installed
in Javakhk and, no doubt, will be staffed by Turkish troops.

Situation in the Armenian-populated region of Georgia,
Samtskhe-Javakheti has never been quiet, but in recent years
in connection with the intention of Georgia to join NATO and the
tension in relations with Russia concern has been stirred up among
the Armenian population. Russia’s Diaspora of Javakhk openly declares
that if Georgia joins NATO, Javakheti, now part of Georgia, will
demand independence.

March 23, 2012 PanARMENIAN.Net – Anxiety of the Javakhketis is
understandable – if Georgia becomes a NATO member, a military base
will be installed in Javakhk and, no doubt, will be staffed by
Turkish troops. This means that Armenian population will be forced
to emigrate from their historic homeland in large numbers, or secede
from Georgia, i.e. start another local war, because Georgia, having
lost a considerable part of its territory, will hang by its eyelids to
Javakhk. In this case Tbilisi will receive assistance from Baku and
Ankara, and it will clearly be difficult for Javakheti Armenians to
rely on Russia. Under these circumstances Armenia is a bad ally due to
the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Currently Yerevan is simply
unable to provide armed or other assistance to Javakheti. Moreover,
if the situation develops by this scenario, Armenia will certainly lose
contact with the outside world, and there will only be one land route
via Iran. So, Yerevan just cannot afford to get involved in another
conflict for safety reasons, although Javakhetis blame the Armenian
authorities for their indifference to their troubles. However, this
does not mean that people of the region should not be supported.

Support is essential in any case. The policy of official Tbilisi
in this respect leaves much to be desired – the current president
continues the tradition of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who proclaimed “Georgia
for Georgians”. It is possible that the constitution of Georgia be
amended, and like Turkey, everyone without exception be recorded as
Georgians, for… no nation, no problems.

Meanwhile, Tbilisi, already accustomed to see in all of her troubles
the “hand of Kremlin”, directly accuses Russia of “speculation” on the
situation in the Armenian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. According
to Tbilisi, there is no threat of formation of an independent
state in this region, and certain forces in Russia are behind such
statements, Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze said.”Last week,
representatives of the so-called “Javakhk Diaspora in Russia” released
a statement via media, saying that a “Javakh state” may appear on the
territory of Georgia if â~@~Kâ~@~Kthe country joins NATO. It is obvious
that certain forces in Russia are behind this provocative statement,”
the Deputy Minister said, as reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. She
noted that “Georgia maintains good relations with Armenia and all
issues are resolved at the international level and in a friendly
atmosphere.” “We have good relations not only with Armenia, but also
with ethnic Armenians living in Georgia, and in this respect we do
not see a real problem,” Kalandadze said.

But the Deputy Minister is being insincere. It is actually the other
way round – there is no self-government, no freedom, no work. There is
only the changing demographic image of the region affected not only by
Georgians, but also by the Turks. Hence, it is already several years a
Turkish university has been operating in Akhaltsikhe, and a number of
Turkish companies are investing in the region’s economy. However, the
same thing is also happening in Ajaria and throughout Georgia. Georgia
is gradually becoming a Turkish province, which, however, does not
seem to worry Mikhail Saakashvili. But these are the internal affairs
of another state, and Armenia does not wish to interfere in them. And
even if she interferes, it is because the rights of indigenous Armenian
population have been violated. Georgia has long been “famous” for
her unpredictable policy towards neighboring states…

According to coordinator of the Council of Armenian Organizations
(NGOs) of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) Artak Gabrielyan, Javakhk
does not raise the question of solving the problems through conflict
with the Georgian authorities. According to him, this is due to the
geopolitical position of Armenia and the challenges the country is
facing. “Armenians have always supported the Georgian state; the
latest example of this was the behavior of the Armenian community
in Georgia during the August war of 2008. They did not make use of
the terrible plight Georgia was in and did not demand improvement
of their position. Javakheti has to become a bridge of friendly
relations between Armenia and Georgia, and now it is only a factor,”
Gabrielyan said.

Meanwhile, Democratic Member of the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Congressman Brad Sherman of California called for allocation
of financial assistance to the Armenian community residing in
Javakheti. Sherman noted that the Georgian government supported the
idea of â~@~Kâ~@~Khelping Javakheti, and stressed that those efforts
would contribute to the achievement of the U.S. strategic objectives
in the Caucasus.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN – RAPPELEZ-VOUS
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 17 avril 2012

Krikor Gasapyan est ne en 1877 dans la ville de Zeytun (province
d’Alep, Empire ottoman), avocat, professeur, a enseigne le turc au
Collège Central de Marash de 1911 a 1913, a ete l’un des correspondant
du periodique Byuzandion. Il a ete victime du genocide armenien.

RAGIP ZARAKOLU, EN SIGNE DE PROTESTATION, NE FERA PLUS DE DECLARATIONS
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 17 avril 2012

Ragip Zarakolu, candidat au Prix Nobel de la Paix, editeur et
militant qui vient recemment d’etre libere de prison, après des mois
d’incarceration sur l’accusation d’avoir des liens avec le terrorisme,
a decide de garder le silence en signe de protestation ; il entend
ainsi se soustraire a toute tentative pour donner, du fonctionnement
de la justice turque, une image ‘normale’.

‘Toute declaration que je pourrais faire serait utilisee pour donner
une apparence normale a une situation qui ne l’est pas. Tout comme mon
arrestation arbitraire, ma liberation inattendue et sans explication
laissera au monde l’impression qu’elles [les autorites] ont commis
une erreur et qu’elles se retractent a present”, a declare l’editeur
a Hurriyet Daily News dans une entrevue le 13 avril.

Le candidat au prix Nobel a dit qu’il garderait desormais le silence
et ne parlerait a aucun autre organe de presse après l’entrevue qu’il
a eue avec ce journal.

“Quel que soit le commentaire que je ferai a partir de maintenant,
il ne servira qu’a normaliser cette situation anormale”, a-t-il dit.

“Aussi longtemps que les lois en question resteront en vigueur, la
liberte d’opinion ne sera qu’un mensonge grossier et rien d’autre. Il
est possible aujourd’hui de mettre les gens en prison sur des
suppositions de conspiration”, a-t-il declare a Hurriyet Daily News.

L’editeur a dit que sa liberation n’a rien enleve a la situation
de non-droit en Turquie et a ajoute qu’il se considerait comme pris
en otage.

Une vie de lutte

Ragip Zarakolu a egalement parle de son père, ex gouverneur de la
circonscription des Iles du Prince, au large d’Istanbul dans la mer
de Marmara. Il nous a raconte comment Remzi Zarakolu, alors dans la
force de l’âge, parce qu’il se situait dans l’opposition, avait ete
mis a la retraite et n’y avait survecu que peu de temps.

“Mon oncle, Zeki Zarakolu, un aviateur, est mort a 49 ans d’une crise
cardiaque, parce qu’il n’avait pu se faire au coup d’etat de 1960.

Lors du coup d’etat du 12 mars [1971], ils ont fait irruption chez
moi ; ils me recherchaient |pour m’arreter]. Ma vie s’est passee entre
les prisions et les tribunaux, et comme si cela ne suffisait pas, ils
ont ruine la sante de mon immortelle partenaire, Ayse [Nur Zarakolu],
l’ayant enfermee entre des murs [de prison]. Elle n’a jamais recule
sur les sujets qu’elle savait etre justes, et je l’ai perdue, encore
jeune, des suites d’un cancer”, a-t-il dit.

Le plus jeune de ses fils, Cihan Deniz Zarakolu, a ete arrete a la
mi-octobre pour les conferences qu’il avait donnees a l’Academie
Politique du Parti de la Paix et de la Democratie (BDP), quelques
semaines seulement après l’arrestation de son père. Le plus jeune
des Zarakolu a ete arrete dans le cadre d’une instruction dans les
locaux du Syndicat des Communautes Kurdes (KCK), soupconne d’etre
l’aile urbaine du Parti des Travailleurs du Kurdistan, le PKK, un
parti illegal. Il a ete initialement incarcere a la prison du Type-F
d’Edirne, au nord-ouest de la Turquie.

“En tant que famille, nous avons a chaque fois paye notre part. Comme
si tous cela ne suffisait pas, mon fils Deniz avait ete inculpe a
la suite d’un discours d’adieu qu’il avait fait sur la tombe de sa
mère[en 2002]. Si je suis a present content parce que j’ai ete libere
? Non. J’ai dû abandonner mon fils derrière les barreaux de la cellule
que je partageais avec lui”, a dit Ragip Zarakolu.

Ragip Zarakolu avait ete arrete dans le cadre de la meme instruction
a cause du discours qu’il avait fait le premier novembre, lors de
l’ouverture de l’Academie Politique du Parti de la Paix et de la
Democratie. Deniz Zarakolu, qui a en plus ete contraint d’abandonner
ses travaux sur la thèse de doctorat qu’il preparait a l’universite,
a ete par la suite transfere, a leur demande, a la meme prison de
haute securite que son père, dans la circonscription de Kandira de
la province de Kocaeli.

“Avec mon fils, nous partageons la meme destinee. Nous continuons
a payer le prix des valeurs dans lesquelles nous croyons, d’une
generation a l’autre, de père en fils”, a dit Ragip Zarakolu.

Hurriyet Daily News

Vercihan Ziflioglu

14 avril 2012.

Traduction Gilbert Beguian

ANKARA TO ACTIVATE TURKIC DIASPORA

asbarez
Monday, April 16th, 2012

The architect of Ankara’s plan, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag

ANKARA-In a campaign coordinated by Turkey’s deputy prime minister,
official Ankara is pushing to organize “the million of people in its
diaspora” in a campaign aimed at countering international recognition
of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Hurriyet Daily News on Monday.

Reportedly, the plan is being penned by Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minster
Bekir Bozdag. who run’s a government body called the Overseas Turks
Agency, which was established in 2010.

“We are working on drafting a strategy document on the diaspora. It
will respond to our priorities, objectives and working methods. We
will also outline our messages through this document,” a senior
government official told the Hurriyet Daily News over the weekend.

Hurriyet reports that in June, representatives of around 500
non-governmental organizations from mainly European countries and
elsewhere will converge in Ankara for conference “on legal ways to
confront racist and discriminatory attitudes toward Turks.”

“Our objective is to provide our citizens and NGOs information on
ways to claim their rights in a conscious and organized manner,”
the official told Hurriyet. “We advise them to remain within the
boundaries of the law when they face racist attacks. We tell them to
go to the police and make written applications so that these attacks
can be addressed in a proper way using democratic means.”

“However, we need to do more than this. We are encouraging them to
adopt dual citizenship and enjoy full-pledged rights,” Hurriyet quoted
the official as saying.

Hurriyet also reported that some 2,000 Turks living abroad will be
invited to a meeting in Istanbul which would mark the establishment
of what the official called the “Turkish diaspora.”

The plan envisions the inclusion of groups representing what the
paper called “other diasporas of like-minded countries.”

The plan envisions a strong alliance with Azerbaijanis living outside
of Azerbaijan. To that end, a meeting is being planned to take place
on September 15, the when Nuri Pasha, an Ottoman general representing
Enver Pasha, one of the architects of the Armenian Genocide, commanded
Turkish troops to Baku in 1918 to fight the Russians.

NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY WILL CHANGE THE POSSIBILITIES OF KAPAN AND ENTIRE REPUBLIC: SERZH SARGSYAN

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 16, 2012
KAPAN

KAPAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: Construction of the North-South Highway
is a huge and unprecedented project in our republic: it will be an
economic link between the north of our republic, the capital and the
south, leader of Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Serzh Sargsyan
said during a meeting with residents of Kapan in frame of the election
campaign, Armenpress reports.

“This project is also of military significance: it will change
a mood in your town and in the entire republic in general,” said
Serzh Sargsyan.

Speaking of educational reforms, RPA leader stressed the importance
of young and high-quality specialists in education of children and
young people.

“We will take steps in the direction of expanding the educational
opportunities. We will replace ignorant teachers and low-quality
university employees. We will ensure internet availability in all
schools of Armenia,” stressed Serzh Sargsyan.

ARMENIA’S POLICE PUBLICIZE NUMBER OF VOTERS

news.am
April 16, 2012 | 14:13

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Police publicized the total number of voters-as of
Monday-who are eligible to cast ballots during the country’s National
Assembly elections, which will be held on May 6, the Police Press
Service informs.

And according to the Police data, the number of voters who are
currently included in Armenia’s voters’ registry is 2,482,593.

MGM ADDS ITS ROSTER OF FLICKS TO YOUTUBE, GOOGLE PLAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 16, 2012 – 19:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Two weeks after Google stuck a deal with Paramount to
make it 5-out-of-6 of the major movie studios, the Internet giant has
announced that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) is the latest movie company
to add its roster of flicks to YouTube and Google Play, TNW reported.

For almost nine decades, MGM has brought hoards of classic movies
to the big (and little) screen, and with this latest partnership
announced, more than 600 titles from MGM’s back catalogue will be made
available to rent on YouTube and Google Play in the U.S. and Canada.

This means Google now has MGM, five of the six major studios and over
ten independent movie studios on board.

This means viewers will be able to enjoy West Side Story, Moonstruck,
The Terminator, Robocop, Rain Man, Rocky and hundreds more. MGM will
be adding more titles to the existing library in the coming weeks.

Movie fans in the U.S. have been able to rent movies on YouTube since
2010, and last April Google-owned video-streaming service was starting
to bring the major studios on board, signing deals with the likes of
Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Universal, as well as Lionsgate.

YouTube has been rolling out its movie-rental service to other
countries in addition to the U.S. and Canada, and the UK was added
shorty after Canada last year. It has since added the likes of Japan
and France too.

BAKU COMPLETES EUROVISION ARENA AMID HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE REPORTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 16, 2012 – 20:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijan announced on Monday, April 16 the
completion in its capital, Baku, of a sparkling new 25,000-capacity
arena for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – but rights workers say
scores of families were kicked out of their homes to make way for it,
RIA Novosti reported.

“Hundreds of people were evicted from the adjacent territory in
complete contradiction of Azerbaijani law,” said Giorgi Gogia, senior
South Caucasus researcher for Human Rights Watch, an international
rights watchdog.

“They forced us to leave illegally,” former Flag Square resident
Natalia Alibekova told RIA Novosti by telephone. “They took the roof
off our building while we were still living there, when it was around
minus 15 [degrees Celsius].”

Azerbaijani First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, head of Baku’s Eurovision
organizing committee, told the Trend news agency last month that no
one was removed from their home to make way for the construction of
the Crystal Hall arena, which sits on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

She also accused critics of seeking revenge for Azerbaijan’s success
at the 2011 Eurovision.

But Gogia accused Azerbaijani officials of wordplay. “The arena
was built on empty land, but the people were evicted for the nearby
necessary infrastructure,” he said.

The former Soviet republic gained the right to host this May’s
Eurovision at the 2011 event in Dusseldorf. An oil- and gas-rich
Azerbaijan is looking to Eurovision to trumpet its achievements. A TV
audience of about 125 million viewers from 42 countries is expected
for the event.

But with the world media due to descend on Baku for the May 26 final,
opposition groups have pledged to hold rallies to highlight what
Amnesty International has called the country’s “unsavory” record on
human rights.

Neighboring Armenia announced last month it would not be attending
the Baku Eurovision.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION EVENTS LAUNCHED IN BATUMI

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 16, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: On April 14 Batumi State Conservatory
hosted the first event dedicated to the Armenian Genocide within the
framework of the Armenian Genocide commemoration days in Georgia.

Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Armenpress that RA
Consul General in Batumi Garik Israyelyan, the vicar of Batumi’s
“Surb Prkich” church Ter Ararat Gwumbelyan and the press secretary of
the Union of Armenians of Ajaria Artur Hovhannisyan have highlighted
in their speeches the importance of the universal recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.

The pupils of the Armenian Sunday school, adjacent to Batumi’s
“Surb Prkich” church, staged an artistic performance with tragic
scenes portraying the first genocide of the 20th century for more
than 300 viewers.

The performance also included patriotic poems, songs and dances. The
event was covered by local TV channels.