Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Prensa Latina
Jan 10 2015

Extremist Attacks Damage Historic Church in Syria

sábado, 10 de enero de 2015

10 de enero de 2015, 12:31Damascus, Jan 10 (Prensa Latina) The
historic St. Rita Cathedral, in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo,
was damaged today by the impact of mortar shells launched by the
Islamic Front, national TV stations reported today.

Footage showed holes in the roofs and walls, as well as in the temple
chapel belonging to Armenian Catholics.

This week, the Islamic State blew up the al Rawi mosque in the Deir
Ezzor province, as part of its systematic attacks against buildings of
peoplo who oppose its radical and ultraconservative vision.

Meanwhile, the al Nusra Front, a branch of Al Qaeda in Syria,
demolished the sanctuary to Imam al Nawawi some days ago in the area
of Nawa, Daraa.

Armed groups have destroyed or damaged many religious monuments in
Syria, including the Great Umayyad Mosque�Ã-s minaret in Aleppo, the
Khalid Bin Al Walid mosque and the Umal Zennar Church in Homs, and the
al Omari mosque�Ã-s minaret in Daraa.

rma/cbr/mgt/rob

Armenian young people need deeper knowledge of Armenian Genocide – expert

20:32 * 11.01.15

Armenian young people must have more profound knowledge of the
Armenian Genocide expert in Turkish studies Artak Shakaryan told
Tert.am.

“If they meet a knowledgeable Turkish youth abroad they lose a debate
over the Armenian Genocide. Therefore, it is important that higher
schools give deeper knowledge of the period, especially to students
who intend to continue their education abroad,” Mr Shakaryan said.

Armenia can thus struggle against the Armenian Genocide denial policy
in Turkey’s schools.

“Turkey has been implementing its denial policy since the 1970s. Their
only task is to educate generations so that they believe that their
forefathers did not commit genocide against Armenians. Rather, ‘it was
Armenians that committed genocide against Turks’. But we have not such
a task. Our children know the truth at school.”

Asked whether Turkey’s denial policy is as successful now as it was in
the 1970s, Mr Shakaryan said:

“Globalization and the Internet help young people know about an
alternative opinion. But an alternative opinion is difficult to
disseminate among 70-million-strong population, especially if people
grow up amid this denial policy.”

With respect to other opinions in society, the expert said:

“A change has taken place in society as compared with the past.
Evidence thereof is frequent use of the term ‘genocide’, especially by
the press. But it would be wrong to say that the people are resisting
the denial policy because, when Turks admitting the Armenian Genocide
are mentioned, they are 2-3 percent of the population, marginal ones
that have no serious influence.”

Moreover, some sections of Turkey’s population have no access to the
Internet, and nothing can make them change their opinion.

ARMENIE
200 millions de dollars seront investis dans le projet de traitement
des résidus miniers en Arménie

Le gouvernement arménien et plusieurs entreprises privées vont
investir environ 200 millions de dollars dans un projet de traitement
des résidus métalliques des mines a déclaré le vice-ministre de
l’énergie et des ressources naturelles Levon Chahverdian.

Ces entreprises sont Cronimet Mining, Zangezur copper and molybdenum
combine, le groupe VSEL et Aletig LLC. Un protocole d’intention a été
approuvé par le Conseil des ministres.

samedi 10 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

The New York Times: Azerbaijani authorities blackmail US because of
rapprochement with Moscow

16:23 10/01/2015 >> SOCIETY

The Azerbaijani government’s growing hostility toward Washington the
journalist Joshua Kucera writes in an article published in The New
York Times, analyzing the latter events taken place in Azerbaijan.

In the article Kucera writes that since gaining independence from the
Soviet Union Azerbaijan has been a strong partner of the United
States. It has worked with Washington to break Russia’s energy
monopoly in the region by supporting the construction of oil and gas
pipelines to Turkey. It is a key transit point for military cargo to
and from Afghanistan. And the government in Baku has forged close ties
with Israel, based primarily on the trade of weaponry and oil.

The author recalls that a 2009 U.S. diplomatic cable described
Azerbaijan’s foreign policy as characterized by “pragmatism, restraint
and a helpful bias toward integration with the West.” “But as Russia’s
dramatic new foreign policy changes the strategic landscape across
Eurasia, Baku appears to be recalculating whether its ties to the West
really are advancing its own goals,” Kucera writes.

He points out that the attack on RFE/RL followed months of extreme
anti-Western rhetoric. Top Azerbaijani government officials have
accused the United States ambassador to Baku of “gross interference”
and former Foreign Minister Carl Bildt of Sweden of being an American
spy. In early December, the president’s chief of staff, Ramiz
Mehdiyev, published a 13,000-word article claiming that the C.I.A. was
contriving regime changes in the post-Soviet space (the so-called
color revolutions). It also called Azerbaijan’s human rights activists
a “fifth column” of the United States.

“Human rights activists have criticized American and European
governments for being too soft on Baku. Washington has called the raid
on RFE/RL merely “cause for concern.” In spite of Azerbaijan’s dismal
human rights record, it has been awarded prestige projects like the
chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in
2014, and it will be hosting the European Games this summer,” Kucera
writes.

Anti-American rhetoric from Baku is not unheard of, but its recent
intensity, seemingly unprompted, and its reliance on Kremlin talking
points suggest a shift toward Moscow. “It’s a measure of the
Azerbaijani government’s disdain of Washington that the raid on RFE/RL
was conducted just days after Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with
President Ilham Aliyev on the phone,” the author notes and reminds how
in an interview in December, Ali Hasanov, a top presidential adviser,
was asked why the government began to so sharply criticize the United
States but not Iran or Russia, answered that the latter don’t
criticize Azerbaijan.

In this situation Azerbaijan’s mimicry of Russian rhetoric and
rapprochement with Moscow is an implicit threat to Washington: Give us
what we want, or we’ll go over to Russia. The United States doesn’t
need to give in to this blackmail.

CHARLIE HEBDO
Le président de l’Assemblé nationale présente ses condoléances à
l’Ambassade de France à Erévan

Vendredi 9 janvier Kaloust Sahakian le président de l’Assemblée
nationale d’Arménie a rendu visite à l’Ambassade de France à Erévan
pour marquer son soutien à la France après l’épreuve du terrorisme
islamiste qui a frappé >. Dns le livre ouvert à cette
occasion à l’Ambassade de France, Kaloust Sahakian a écrit , ainsi qu’au peuple ami de France. Nous condamnons
fermement l’acte terroriste contre la démocratie et liberté
d’expression >>.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 10 janvier 2015,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

NKR MFA: Armenian refugees in Karabakh deprived of international support

20:01, 09.01.2015

Armenian News-NEWS.am interviewed Foreign Minister of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Karen Mirzoyan

How would you assess 2014 for the foreign policy of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic? What were the achievements and
shortcomings?

Priority direction of Nagorno Karabakh’s foreign policy in 2014, as in
previous years, was the process of international recognition of the
NKR. In this context, the year was very productive: positive trends
registered over the years continued last year. California adopted the
resolution supporting Nagorno-Karabakh people’s right to
self-determination, thus becoming the fifth state after Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, Maine and Louisiana to support the independence of the
NKR. Earlier in 2012 similar resolution was adopted by the legislative
body of Australia’s largest state – New South Wales.

The process of international recognition of the NKR last year also
covered the European continent. A Motion about the right to self
determination of Nagorno Karabakh was adopted in the Parliament of the
Basque Country (Spain). President of the province of Gipuzkoa of the
Basque Country spoke about the NKR recognition as an independent
state.

In autumn, the Board of Spokespersons of the Parliament of Navarre –
Autonomous Region of Spain – made an official statement expressing
confidence that the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh should be a
necessary part of any forum in which the country’s future is decided.

The framework of decentralized cooperation between the communities of
Artsakh and different foreign countries has expanded
significantly.Last year friendship declarations were signed between
three French cities of Vienne, Bourg-les-Valence, Bouc-Bel-Air and
the Karabakh towns of Hadrut, Shushi and Askeran. Similar declarations
on the establishment of friendship relations with Karvachar and Hadrut
were signed with the American cities of Pico Rivera and Burbank. An
agreement on cooperation between Stepanakert and Donostia (Basque
Country) was signed.

In addition to the parliamentary friendship group with Artsakh in the
Lithuanian Seimas and France-Karabakh Friendship Circle, consisting of
senators, members of parliament and political figures, the European
Parliament began the process of formation of Friendship Group with
Artsakh, which will get clear shape this year.

The peaceful settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno
Karabakh is on the agenda. Unfortunately, we have to state that in
2014, because of the destructive policy pursued by the Azerbaijani
authorities, the attempts to achieve real progress on this issue
failed. As you know, last May marked 20th anniversary of the ceasefire
in the Azerbaijani -Karabakh conflict zone signed by the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic
of Armenia. The anniversary was a good opportunity to confirm the
commitment of parties to resolution by exclusively peaceful means. In
this connection, the NKR authorities reiterated their proposals to
reduce tensions and promote stability and predictability in the Line
of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and
Azerbaijan. However, Azerbaijan has not only refused these proposals,
despite the mediators’ support of them and the calls of the
international community, but also went on an unprecedented escalation
in the conflict zone. The point is a number of acts of sabotage and
attempts to penetrate into the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which
took place in summer, and the downing the helicopter of the NKR
Defense Army. By these actions Azerbaijan only further complicated the
prospects for a final settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
and threw back the settlement process.

Do you plan opening of new permanent representations abroad? How many
representations does NKR have in foreign states so far?

The NKR has permanent representations in Armenia, Germany, Australia,
Lebanon and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – Russia, France
and U.S.

Our representatives are pursuing activities aimed at representing and
protecting the interests of Artsakh in their country of residence as
well as spreading unbiased, reliable information about our country.

The priority of the NKR permanent representatives abroad, of course,
is to contribute to the expansion of the international recognition of
Artsakh. Among the priority tasks is to attract investment in the
economy.

The opening of the NKR permanent representations is not an end in
itself. First of all, we consider the possibility of implementing
steps aimed at improving the efficiency of existing missions, however,
we do not rule out the possibility of opening new offices in the near
future.

Do you think Armenia and Diaspora are taking sufficient efforts for
the international recognition of the NKR?

The issue of NKR’s international recognition is among the tasks of a
key significance for all Armenians residing around the world. I am
confident that recognition of NKR’s state-building achievements in the
international arena is impossible without joint and consistent efforts
of all Armenians regardless of their location.

Can we talk about full compliance in the positions of Yerevan and
Stepanakert on Karabakh settlement?

Both the NKR and Armenia share the same vision of a model for the
settlement of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. At the same time this
does not rule out the possibility of reaching the goal by different
methods.

Do you think full membership of NKR in talks is possible in the near
future? Can the talks be successful without NKR?

It’s obvious that a real progress in talks can be reached only by
taking into account the existing realities and a full-fledged format
of negotiations with immediate and direct participation of Karabakh at
all its stages. I want to underscore that by speaking about NKR’s full
participation in talks, we proceed from the interests of the peace
process. Absence of one of the parties, namely NKR, at negotiating
table, makes it problematic to reach the final settlement of the
conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh. We are convinced
that restoration of Karabakh’s participation in talks is in the
interest of all parties. The only obstacle on the matter is
destructive position of official Baku and latter’s unwillingness to
recognize the existing realities.

What is the situation in the NKR with Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan?

Refugees began to appear in the region along with the escalation of
the conflict as a result of the attempts of Azerbaijan to forcibly
suppress the right of Nagorno Karabakh people to self-determination.
In 1988-90s over 120 thousand Armenian refugees came from Azerbaijan
to Nagorno-Karabakh, 30,000 out of them settled in the NKR and live
here up to now.

This group of refugees is one of the most vulnerable groups in the
region, since they are deprived of international protection and
support because of destructive position of Azerbaijani authorities who
are impeding the visits of relevant organizations, in particular
representatives of the United Nations Refugee Agency. By blocking the
humanitarian access to the refugees by international organizations’
experts, the Azerbaijani authorities continue violating fundamental
rights of this group.

Without financial and moral support, being in a blockade, the NKR
government is forced to solve the problem within its limited financial
capacity. At the same time Nagorno-Karabakh, unlike Azerbaijan, is not
politicizing the humanitarian problem and is not turning it into a
bargaining chip by keeping them in the camps and receiving great
amounts from international agencies.

Could you name the priorities for 2015?

The priority directions in Nagorno-Karabakh’s foreign policy in 2015
are settlement of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and international
recognition of NKR.

EUobserver.com
January 6, 2015 Tuesday 10:33 AM GMT

[Opinion] Eastern partnership countries: Democracy in limbo

As we enter 2015 it is worth taking another look at the political
developments in the EU’s neighbourhood.

A glance shows us that democracy progress in the Eastern Partnership
countries EURO ” Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Belarus EURO ” has been uneven.

There are big differences between the six countries, although they are
governed by the same EU policy EURO ” the Eastern Partnership Initiative.

Nevertheless, looking at the trends in the past years, it seems the
countries of the region can be divided into two groups.

Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine – which signed Association Agreements
with the EU last summer – show higher standards of democracy than the
other three countries; Armenia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan.

Moldova

In the past years Moldova has clearly been the frontrunner, showing
higher standards of conduct of elections, political freedoms and human
rights. It tops the latest European Integration Index for Eastern
Partnership countries.

The pro-European coalitions that have been running Moldova since 2009
demonstrated political will to reform and have achieved a lot.

In the recent parliamentary elections, the pro-European parties again
won a majority, though the vote was close this time.

Moldova was also the first country in the region to adopt
anti-discrimination legislation in line with EU requirements. It also
made significant progress in fighting corruption and reforming the
judiciary.

Georgia

Georgian political elites have also demonstrated willingness to
integrate with the EU. Despite significant democracy shortcomings
during Mikhail Saakashvili EURO ™s presidency, the country implemented
certain reforms successfully and has begun to tackle corruption and to
reform the judiciary and the public service.

The pro-European coalition that has been in power since 2011 is
continuing this course despite the most recent internal turmoil.

In the latest edition of the Bertelsmann Stiftung EURO ™s Transformation
Index (BTI), which analyses transformation processes towards democracy
and a market economy in 129 developing and transition countries,
Georgia made the largest gains in political transformation in the
Eurasian region since 2011.

Ukraine

Ukraine, however, has been rocked by turbulence in recent years. The
inability of the EURO ~Orange EURO ™ political elites to institutionalise
democratic achievements led to the consolidation of authoritarian
trends during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych between 2010 and
2014.

It was only due to the Euromaidan protests that that opportunities for
reform arose.

In October 2014 Ukraine managed to hold free and fair elections. Yet
it remains a highly dysfunctional state which has to overcome
corruption and promote the rule of law.

Armenia

In 2008, Armenia saw a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests against
alleged electoral fraud yet it has since seen an improvement both in
the conduct of elections and media freedom.

The country also managed to make some progress on reforming the
judiciary, fighting corruption and improving public administration.

Armenia actively pursued rapprochement with Brussels until September
2013 when President Serzh Sargsyan announced that closer ties with the
EU was no longer on his agenda.

In October last year, Armenia became a member of the Eurasian Economic
Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Azerbaijan and Belarus

Azerbaijan and Belarus remain highly authoritarian states where human
rights and political freedoms are suppressed.

According to some estimates, there are around 142 political prisoners
in Azerbaijan yet its position as an exporter of oil and gas allows
the country to ignore criticism coming from the West.

While Belarus is subject to EU sanctions, Azerbaijan enjoys extensive
cooperation with the EU in the field of energy.

Azerbaijan negotiated an Association Agreement with the EU but then
dropped the idea and proposed an alternative strategic modernisation
partnership. Brussels EURO ™ leverage in both countries is limited and the
prospects of democratisation remain gloomy.

Civic engagement

Political will and a strong civil society combined with pro-EU public
opinion appear to be key factors for successful democratisation.
Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine serve as good examples.

Where the survival of the regime is at stake, however, democracy has
no chance of succeeding. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia and Ukraine
during the Yanukovych presidency demonstrate this very clearly.

The political elites in these countries have sustained their power
through clientelistic networks, corruption, and elimination of
political freedoms. Liberalisation of the political environment would
undermine the pillars that uphold the regime.

Only a strong push from within such a system can challenge it.

Eastern partnership countries and democracy

There is also an interesting relationship between the Association
Agreements (AAs) with the EU and the state of democracy in the Eastern
Partnership countries.

Commitment to European integration and the political will to implement
reforms seem to go hand-in-hand. The AAs serve both to recognise the
reforms that have taken place in some of the eastern neighbourhood
countries, and as a tool to push for further change.

Georgia, Moldova and post-Euromaidan Ukraine have taken this path.

>From this perspective the gap between the three countries that have
signed the AAs and the other three, which have opted for other
arrangements, might grow over time.

Iryna Solonenko is a DAAD/Open Society Foundations Scholar at the
European University Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder. She is also part of the
Bertelsmann Stiftung EURO ™s Transformation Thinkers network.

Albany Times Union, NY
Jan 9 2015

David Bournazian, Mohonasen’s renowned music teacher and band leader, dies

By Brittany Horn

In David Bournazian’s 41-year tenure at Mohonasen Central School
District, his office was rarely empty.

Students would pack into the music director’s office at the far end of
the school over the lunch hour, talking to him and waiting to hear
Bournazian’s well-known refrain, “Attitude is the key to success.”

“There would be 40 kids in there eating lunch with him at a time when
teachers are saying they can’t reach the kids,” said John Murray, a
longtime friend, student and fellow band staff member. “It didn’t
matter what year or generation they were. It happened all the time.”

Editor’s note: Read a remembrance from Mike Guzzo, Mohonasen Class of
1995, who invites readers to share their memories of “B.”

Bournazian, who died at his home at the age of 86 Thursday, leaves
behind a strong musical career and an even greater legacy of success
with Mohonasen students. Since the announcement of his father’s death,
his son, George Bournazian, said he has received upwards of 800 emails
from former students and friends offering condolences and quoting his
father. The longtime educator is survived by his two sons, George
Bournazian, of Cary, N.C., and Jacob Bournazian, of Washington, D.C.,
and four grandchildren.

But the community that will remember him stretches far beyond the
confines of family, George Bournazian said.

In April 2014, alumni of the Mohonasen jazz band returned from various
locations around the country for a “Tribute Concert to Mr. B” that
packed the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady Church to capacity.
Current and former students, their parents, band bus drivers, friends
and family all came to see what would be Bournazian’s last show.

George Bournazian remembers that night vividly, as former band members
— most not professional musicians, he added — spent less than 24 hours
preparing for a concert expected to last about an hour and a half and
performed at the standard his father expected. True to form, the
concert stretched from 7:30 p.m. until 10:15 p.m., and yet, no one was
moving from their seats, George Bournazian said.

“Dad turned to the audience and said ‘You know, there’s this one tune
we didn’t get a chance to rehearse at all. What do you say we find out
how good these guys are?’ ” George Bournazian said, laughing. They
finished the song, and then a few more encores before a saxophone
player called up The Stockade Inn and asked the staff to stay open
late for the huge crowd.

“No one wanted to go home yet,” George Bournazian said. His father and
brother didn’t return home from “the high school reunion on steroids”
until about 1:30 a.m. that night.

Though his musical talents and expertise are what many will remember
him for, George said it’s impossible to forget the kindness and
compassion his father showed to students of all walks of life. He said
it wasn’t uncommon for a student to spend a Friday or Saturday night
hanging out with Bournazian’s family, especially if Bournazian
believed a kid was “heading down the wrong road.”

His compassion and spirit drew people to him like a magnet, his son said.

“Dad always had a way of getting the best out of anybody,” he said.
“He didn’t treat his kids any differently either. It was tremendous.”

The family will receive visitors from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday at
the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church, 255 Spring Ave., Troy and
will hold a memorial service at 10 a.m. Monday at the church. The
family asks that memorial donations be made to Holy Cross Armenian
Apostolic Church or the David Bournazian Memorial Scholarship Fund,
which provides support for two Mohonasen Central School District
seniors to study music privately.

Bournazian originally funded the scholarship with his own money in
order to help local students with natural talent pursue their musical
careers.

“He was old school,” Murray said, “and old school is alright.”

Medical Xpress
Jan 9 2015

Study IDs two genes that boost risk for post-traumatic

Why do some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while
others who suffered the same ordeal do not? A new UCLA discovery may
shed light on the answer.

UCLA scientists have linked two gene variants to the debilitating
mental disorder, suggesting that heredity influences a person’s risk
of developing PTSD. Published in the February 2015 edition of the
Journal of Affective Disorders, the findings could provide a
biological basis for diagnosing and treating PTSD more effectively in
the future.

“Many people suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder after
surviving a life-threatening ordeal like war, rape or a natural
disaster,” explained lead author Dr. Armen Goenjian, a researcher at
the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. “But
not everyone who experiences trauma suffers from PTSD. We investigated
whether PTSD has genetic underpinnings that make some people more
vulnerable to the syndrome than others.”

In 1988, Goenjian, an Armenian American, raced to Spitak, Armenia,
after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the country. The temblor
leveled entire towns and cities, killing more than 25,000 Armenians,
two-thirds of them children.

With support from the Armenian Relief Society, Goenjian and his
colleagues helped establish a pair of psychiatric clinics that treated
earthquake survivors for 21 years. A dozen multigenerational families
in northern Armenia agreed to allow their blood samples to be sent to
UCLA, where Goenjian and his colleagues combed the DNA of 200
individuals for genetic clues to psychiatric vulnerability.

In 2012, his team discovered that PTSD was more common in survivors
who carried two gene variants associated with depression. In the
current study, Goenjian and first author Julia Bailey, an adjunct
assistant professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of
Public Health, focused on two genes called COMT and TPH-2 that play
important roles in brain function.

COMT is an enzyme that degrades dopamine, a neurotransmitter that
controls the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, and helps regulate
mood, thinking, attention and behavior. Too much or too little
dopamine can influence various neurological and psychological
disorders.

TPH-2 controls the production of serotonin, a brain hormone that
regulates mood, sleep and alertness–all of which are disrupted in
PTSD. Antidepressants called SSRIs, or selective serotonin re-uptake
inhibitors, which were designed to treat depression, target serotonin.
More physicians are prescribing SSRIs to treat disorders beyond
depression, including PTSD.

“We found a significant association between variants of COMT and TPH-2
with PTSD symptoms, suggesting that these genes contribute to the
onset and persistence of the disorder,” said Goenjian. “Our results
indicate that people who carry these genetic variants may be at higher
risk of developing PTSD.”

The team used the most recent PTSD criteria from the American
Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual to measure genes’ role in
predisposing someone to the disorder. The new criteria increased
estimates of a person’s predisposition for PTSD to 60 percent;
estimates based on older criteria reached only 41 percent.

“Assessments of patients based upon the latest diagnostic criteria may
boost the field’s chances of finding new genetic markers for PTSD,”
said Goenjian. “We hope our findings will lead to molecular methods
for screening people at risk for this disorder and identify new drug
therapies for prevention and treatment.”

Still, Goenjian cautioned, PTSD is likely caused by multiple genes and
studies should be continued to find more of the genes involved.

PTSD affects about 7 percent of Americans and became a pressing health
issue for a large percentage of war veterans returning from tours in
Iraq and Afghanistan.

“A diagnostic tool based upon PTSD-linked genes would greatly help us
in identifying people who are at high risk for developing the
disorder,” Goenjian said. “Our findings may also help scientists
uncover more refined treatments, such as gene therapy or new drugs
that regulate the chemicals associated with PTSD symptoms.”

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 8 2015

Israel denies so-called “Armenian genocide”

8 January 2015, 23:31 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova

Israeli ambassador to Baku says his country does not intend to
recognize the so-called “Armenian genocide”.

Rafael Harpaz was commenting on some Israeli politicians’ calls to the
government to recognize the so-called “Armenian genocide”.

“Israel is a democratic country, everybody has two opinions, not one
opinion. The government has a very clear opinion,” he told Trend
Agency.

He said Israel never recognizes and does not intend to recognize the
so-called “Armenian genocide”.

“But regarding the government, its policy is very clear and it was
earlier stated by foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman,” Harpaz said.

He also expressed hope for improvement of relation with Turkey
touching upon the unsatisfactory political relations between Tel-Aviv
and Ankara.

“There are enough common interests and issues in the world for us to
cooperate. I would like to take an example of Turkish Airlines.
Turkish Airlines is the biggest foreign airline which is active in
Israel. Istanbul is the biggest hub for Israelis. The same goes for
tourism, trade which is up. We hope that our political relations with
Turkey will improve,” he said.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey’s predecessor, the
Ottoman Empire has allegedly carried out “genocide” against Armenians
living in Anatolia in 1915.

Armenia commemorates the alleged genocide on April 24 each year. The
Armenians are going to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the myth in
2015.

Strengthening the efforts to promote the so-called “genocide” in the
world, Armenians have achieved a recognition for its empty claim by
the parliaments of some countries.

Turkey supports the creation of a joint historical commission to
investigate the events of 1915, but Armenia is unwilling to disclose
its archives as it fears revealing what the archives may hold.