Author: Kalantarian Kevo

L’UE RENOUVELLE SON SOUTIEN AU GROUPE DE MINSK DE L’OSCE
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mardi 28 fevrier 2012

Hier a Bruxelles, une reunion du Conseil de l’UE des Affaires
etrangères a adopte un document relatif a l’Armenie, l’Azerbaïdjan
et la Georgie.

Comme prevu, le Conseil des Affaires etrangères de l’Union europeenne
a approuve un projet intitule ” Conclusions sur le Caucase du Sud.”

Le Haut Representant pour la politique etrangère et de securite,
Catherine Ashton, a declare que les ministres des Affaires etrangères
de 27 pays ont très efficacement discute du Caucase du Sud. ”

Dans le cadre des elections ils ont adopte un texte relatif a
l’Armenie.

l’UE souligne l’importance de la commission parlementaire a venir
(en mai) et presidentielles (l’annee prochaine) qui repondent aux
normes internationales. L’UE suivra de près ce sujet.

L’Union europeenne encourage l’Armenie a poursuivre les reformes
democratiques, en particulier, assurer l’independance du système
judiciaire, promouvoir le pluralisme politique, le developpement
d’une presse libre, garantir les droits de l’homme et des libertes
fondamentales. L’UE affirme qu’elle continuera a contribuer a ces
reformes.

L’UE conseille a l’Armenie de poursuivre la lutte contre la corruption,
convaincu que des progrès reels sur cette question sont une base pour
la croissance economique et le developpement.

” Conclusions concernant le Caucase du Sud” : l’Union europeenne eu
egard au problème du Karabakh a exprime sa preoccupation au sujet de
l’absence de reels progrès dans les pourparlers armeno-azerbaïdjanais.

L’Union europeenne exprime son soutien au Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE
ainsi qu’a la mediation du president russe Dmitri Medvedev, lequel
a initie des rencontres trilaterales.

L’Union europeenne exprime son soutien aux principes de Madrid et
invite l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan a intensifier leurs efforts pour
negocier un traite de paix fondee sur ces principes.

L’UE est prete a prendre des mesures visant a renforcer la confiance
mutuelle entre l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan, et contribuer ainsi a la
mission de l’OSCE du Groupe de Minsk.

À cette fin, l’UE souhaite, en particulier, obtenir pour ses membres
la possibilite d’entrer dans les territoires du Haut-Karabakh et
alentours, sans conditions prealables.

Le Conseil des Affaires etrangères propose de developper une gamme
de processus possibles après l’etablissement de la paix dans le
Haut-Karabakh, qui formera la base de l’engagement de l’UE dans
l’avenir.

ANTI ARMENIAN DEMONSTRATIONS IN TURKEY: ‘YOU ARE ARMENIANS; YOU ARE BASTARDS’
By Michael Santo

HULIQ.com

Feb 27 2012

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Isanbul’s Taksim Square on
Sunday carrying anti-Armenian posters and slogans, some reading
“you are Armenians, you are bastards.” The Interior Minister of
Turkey and other political leaders joined into the demonstration,
which organizers say will spread to 50 cities.

Some of the placards threatened the security of Turkey’s Armenian
minority, while others called for revenge using violence. According
to pictures taken by Armenian Weekly and posted on its Facebook page,
large groups of protesters were seen in Istanbul’s Taksim Square
chanting “Taksim Square today, Yerevan Tomorrow: We will descend upon
you suddenly in the night.”

Demonstrators said they were seeking to avenge for those killed in
the tragic events of Khojaly, which Azerbaijan claims is a massacre
by the Armenian forces. However, the president of Azerbaijan of the
time Ayaz Mutalibov has said in an interview that this was a well
planned provocation by Azerbaijan against his presidency. “As the
Khojali inhabitants, who narrowly escaped, say, it was all organized
in order to have ground for my resignation. Some forces functioned
for the effort to discredit the president,” Mutalibov told to Czech
reporter Dana Mazalova (Njvaya Gazeta,” 2.04.92).

“These hate rallies are aimed at increasing the tension between
Turkey’s and Armenia’s unstable political relationship. This is being
viewed as pure propaganda to create an anti-Armenian rally due to
the unresolved conflict related to the right of self-determination
of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, which Azerbaijan does not want
to recognize. At the head of these discriminatory demonstrations
are leaders of political parties and Turkey’s Interior Minister,
Idias Naim Sahin who is fueling an already enraged group of Turks and
Azerbaijanis,” said California based Leo Bagdasarian, and Armenian
student from Los Angeles Valley College.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), was quick to condemn
the demonstrations and urged the U.S. Ambassador in Turkey Francis
Ricciardone to to take action and condemn the “government-sanctioned
incitement” to violence.

“Today’s anti-Armenian demonstrations in the streets of Istanbul —
with the Interior Minister and prominent political parties at the
helm — were clearly aimed at inciting increased racism and renewed
violence against Turkey’s own Armenian citizens and neighboring
Armenia,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “These are
not simply the violent echoes of a post-genocidal state, but the
determined actions of a pre-genocidal Turkish society that is angrily
lashing out at its imagined enemies and seeking out its next target.

We urge U.S. Ambassador Ricciardone to immediately, forcefully, and
publicly condemn this government-sanctioned incitement to violence.”

According to the Hurriyet Daily News, Turkish authorities also took
“extreme security measures” in the French and Greek consulates because
of the unrest and fear of protester violence.

NORA-YR (National Organization of Republican Armenians – Young
Republicans,) UCLA Chapter chairwoman Knarik Gasparian released a
statement to HULIQ condemning the anti-Armenian demonstrations.

NORA-YR Statement

“For a nation and a country which seeks entrance into the European
Union and masterfully hides its true face of a murderer under the
facade of a secular, developed and compassionate Western country,
yesterday’s government sanctioned anti-Armenian protests in Taksim
Square in Turkey could be seen as an uncharacteristic miscalculation.

In reality, this was the natural outburst of racism, animosity and
irrational hatred towards the Armenian people, which existed in the
country and was suppressed for far too long.

“This violent outburst leaves no doubt that anti- Armenian propaganda
is propagated by the Turkish government itself. Inadvertently, strong
anti-Armenian sentiments which existed and were facilitated by the
Ottoman government in the beginning of the twentieth century come
to mind. For a country which claims innocence concerning the events
of the Armenian Genocide and characterizes the recent pass of the
Genocide denial criminalization proposal in France as “tantamount to
discrimination, racism and violates freedom of thought”; signs which
read ‘You are all Armenians, You are all bastards,’ and ‘Today Taksim,
Tomorrow Yerevan: We will descend upon you suddenly in the night,’
are quite in accordance with the freedom of thought and speech and
contain no racism.

“As a representative of the Armenian youth, it is painful for me
to see that the barbaric sentiments, which fueled the racial and
religious discrimination against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, and
culminated into the Armenian genocide are still very much present and
loudly expressed in broad daylight. It is hard to fathom how so much
hatred, prejudice and violence can exist in a society which praises
democracy and condemns human rights violations in Syria.

“Only after Turkey accepts that the Armenian massacres of 1915
constitute a genocide, will the two nations be able to peacefully
coexist, have mutual respect and achieve stability in the region.

Unfortunately, today’s public show of hostility, with its violent
rhetoric and offensive threats, does nothing to facilitate this
process of rapprochement.”

ANCA reports that somewhere between 20,000 to 50,000 people have
participated in these demonstrations and that the protest organizers
have issued statements stating they plan to organize similar
demonstrations in over 50 cities in Turkey.

ARMENIA’S PARLIAMENT DISCUSSING ADEQUATE RESPONSE TO AZERI PROPAGANDA

Tert.am
27.02.12

On Monday, Armenia’s parliament held an active discussion of the Azeri
lobby’s recently intensified activities at the international level,
as well as the Armenia side’s adequate response.

Armen Rustamyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations, stressed the need for the parliament to issue a statement
on Nagorno-Karabakh.

In response, Parliament Speaker Samvel Nikoyan said: “If statements
would prevent this practice [international agencies’ reports on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict lobbied for by Azerbaijan], we could make
two statements daily. But Azerbaijan will continue its practice
regardless of whether we make statements or not.”

“If we do not take any measures against the Azeri propaganda aimed
at distorting the causes of the conflict, we thus allow this process
to ‘knock at our door’ time and again. Thereafter we have to take
adequate steps,” Rustamyan said. He noted that the Azeri lobby has
launched similar activities at the German Bundestag, and the Armenian
parliamentary groups had to address a letter to Bundestag to prevent it
from accepting Azerbaijan’s arguments that Armenia allegedly occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory.

“If the Bundestag is holding discussions, we have to talk to them at
the parliament’s level,” Rustamyan said.

Speaker Nikoyan, however, said again that statements are of no help.

He expects practical steps from the parliamentary opposition.

Mr Rustamyan disagreed with Speaker Nikoyan’s opinion. The Constitution
grants such authority to the National Assembly, he said.

“Otherwise, why did we address a letter at all? If the National
Assembly’s statements do not matter, how can that letter matter,”
Rusamyan asked.

He believes that such statements may prove a solid basis for Armenian
lobbying.

NGOs, Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) offices are looking forward to such
statements, Rustamyan said.

CSTO DRILLINGS IN ARMENIA TO BE MANAGED BY SEYRAN OHANYAN

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 27, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS: “Cooperation-2012” joint drillings
of CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force will be held September 3-8,
2012, in Armenia.

The topic of the drillings is “The use of the CSTO collective security
system forces and means in the Caucasus Region with participation
of CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force, Defense Ministry’s press
service told Armenpress.

The drillings are to be managed by Defense Minister of Armenia. The
Armenian party is to determine the managing staff of the drillings,
including representatives of defense ministries of CSTO member states,
interested ministries and departments, forces of CSTO member states.

To amend the drillings program the first headquarters negotiations
will be held February 28 to March 1 in Yerevan with participation
of delegations of CSTO member states, CSTO Secretariat and joint
headquarters, Armenia’s interested ministries and departments.

ANCA CONDEMNS ANTI-ARMENIAN PROTESTS IN TURKEY

Armenian Weekly Staff
February 27, 2012 11:56AM EST

Calls on U.S. Ambassador to Denounce Government-Sanctioned Rallies
Aimed at Inciting Violence

Calls on U.S. Ambassador Ricciardone to Denounce Government-Sanctioned
Rallies Aimed at Inciting Violence

Placards read “You are all Armenians. You are all bastards.”

WASHINGTON-The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), sharply
criticizing the government-sanctioned anti-Armenian demonstrations
held throughout Turkey on Feb. 26, called on U.S.

Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone to forcefully condemn
this latest attempt by Ankara to foment hatred and violence against
Armenians.

“Today’s anti-Armenian demonstrations in the streets of Istanbul-
with the interior minister and prominent political parties at the
helm-were clearly aimed at inciting increased racism and renewed
violence against Turkey’s own Armenian citizens and neighboring
Armenia,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “These are
not simply the violent echoes of a post-genocidal state, but the
determined actions of a pre-genocidal Turkish society that is angrily
lashing out at its imagined enemies and seeking out its next target.

We urge U.S. Ambassador Ricciardone to immediately, forcefully and
publicly condemn this government-sanctioned incitement to violence.”

International news agencies have reported that 20,000 to 50,000 people
participated in the anti-Armenian protests, with professionally printed
signs that read, “You are all Armenians, You are All bastards,” and
“Today, Taksim, Tomorrow, Yerevan: We will descend upon you suddenly
in the night.”

Among the speakers at the demonstration in Turkey’s famous Taksim
Square was Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin, among other
leaders of Erdogan’s AK Party.

According to statements issued by the protest organizers, similar
demonstrations have been planned in over 50 cities in Turkey.

For updates and extensive photos, visit the Armenian Weekly Facebook
page at

s-in-turkey/

Other USA Links

WINSTON CHURCHILL REFERRED TO THE EXTERMINATION OF THE ARMENIANS AS A “HOLOCAUST”

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 27, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS: In its February 27 issue New York
Times has referred to the Armenian Genocide, Armenpress reports.

As New York Times writes, “Raphael Lemkin coined the term “genocide”
with two mass slaughters in mind: the Armenian genocide and the
Holocaust. Winston Churchill referred to the extermination of the
Armenians as a “holocaust.”

>From the pre-Lemkin description of the killings as “race extermination”
by the U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, to
the categorization of the elimination of the Armenians as “genocide”
by the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the nature of
the destruction of the Armenians has been well-established for nearly
100 years. Attempts to recast the 20th century’s seminal instance
of genocide only serve those who seek to subvert the truth of what
happened to the Armenians, the magazine concludes.

‘MOUNT ARARAT WILL BECOME YOUR GRAVE’ CHANT TURKISH STUDENTS

Armenian Weekly
February 28, 2012

ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)- More photographs have emerged on Feb. 28
from different cities in Turkey, including one from an event at
the Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta, where students chanted
“Mount Ararat will become your grave” and other racist slogans,
according to the Turkish daily newspaper Radikal.

‘Do not remain silent against the Armenian lie’ (Source: Radikal)
Photographs show dozens of students at the university lying down and
holding ant-Armenian signs like: “Do not remain silent against the
Armenian lie” (see photo).

International news agencies have reported that 20,000 to 50,000 people
participated in the anti-Armenian protests, with professionally printed
signs that read, “You are all Armenians, You are all bastards,” and
“Today Taksim, Tomorrow Yerevan: We will descend upon you suddenly
in the night.” Among the speakers at the demonstration in Turkey’s
famous Taksim Square was Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin,
among other leaders of Erdogan’s AK Party.

According to statements issued by the protest organizers, similar
demonstrations have been planned in over 50 cities in Turkey.

For updates and extensive photos, visit the Armenian Weekly Facebook
page at

‘IF MAR. 1 WERE TO REPEAT’: WHY ARMENIA’S AUTHORITIES THINKING ABOUT STATE OF EMERGENCY NOW

epress.am
02.28.2012

In Heritage Party MP Anahit Bakhshyan’s opinion, when it comes to
the bill on the rule of law during a state of emergency, amended by
the Armenian government and again put to the National Assembly for
discussion, something just doesn’t smell right.

Recall, the bill regulating the rule of law during a state of
emergency allows Armenia’s Armed Forces to interfere in the work of
law enforcement agencies to restore order during a state of emergency
if police and national security forces are unable to cope with the
situation.

“Yesterday, in response to the question ‘If this law was in effect
on Mar. 1, 2008, how would events develop?’ RA Justice Minister
Hrayr Tovmasyan said he is not very well informed of [the events of]
Mar. 1, 2008, and he cannot say. I, as someone who was present during
the events of Mar. 1, can say that this law won’t improve anything,
if the authorities try a repeat of Mar. 1. Armed forces will again
enter [the city] as they did [in 2008], news media outlets will be
shut down as they did. There will be a damned situation; there will
be manslaughter. Let me be wrong, but this law won’t help so that
the events of Mar. 1 are not repeated,” she said.

The opposition MP recalled that head of the parliamentary Standing
Committee on State and Legal Affairs Davit Harutyunyan has said that
adoption of the law is too late and it’s because of the upcoming
parliamentary elections that discussion of the law will be accelerated.

“If it’s because of the elections that means the authorities are
preparing for a state of emergency. It’s a very bad omen,” she said.

Bakhshyan pointed out that a state of emergency is declared when there
is an immediate threat to constitutional order in the country, an
attempt at violently overthrowing the government is expected, or there
are mass disorders. The lawmaker then posed a rhetorical question:
“If they’re preparing for elections to run normally [smoothly],
then why prepare for brawls?”

“The elections are approaching and the authorities are preparing to say
[to the people], ‘Look here, if you want to raise the issue of low
incomes, of your rights, and speak of your complaints, I will bring
in the army and I’ll withdraw the armed forces against you,” she said.

Recall, mass protests against alleged electoral fraud, organized by
supporters of unsuccessful presidential candidate, first president of
the Republic of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian, followed the presidential
election of Feb. 19, 2008, in Armenia. On Mar. 1, 2008, national
police and military forces, called in to disperse the crowds, used
“excessive force and violence” which left 10 people dead and many more
wounded. The circumstances surrounding this fateful day in Armenia’s
history have not yet been uncovered.

ARMENIAN PUBLIC COUNCIL CHAIRMAN CRITICAL OF JUDICIAL SYSTEM

Tert.am
28.02.12

There is a severe lack of confidence in Armenia’s judicial system,
Vazgen Manukyan, Chairman of the Public Council of Armenia, said on
Tuesday as he presented the Council’s report.

“A lack of confidence in courts is too bad. Numerous complaints,
violations of citizens’ right to property, which is the resuilt of
unjust court rulings,” Manukyan said.

The Public Council has also focused its attention on problems of
Armenia’s science. The government should revise its financial policy
in the country’s science.

Last year, the Public Council also closely cooperated with
Armenia’s Ministry of Agriculture. Despite the problems in the
country’s agricultural sector, the Council intends to propose that
the government take measures to develop local home production of
agricultural equipment.

The Public Council is also concerned over TV-broadcasts, daily
violations of Armenian language standards and “shows that are of no
cultural value.”

US SENATORS PRESS HILLARY CLINTON TO DISAVOW CALLING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A ‘HISTORICAL DEBATE’

epress.am
02.28.2012

The lead authors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.304, Adam
Schiff (D-CA) and Robert Dold (R-IL), today sent a letter, co-signed
by 59 of their House colleagues, calling on US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton to renounce her recent public mischaracterization of
the Armenian Genocide as a “historical debate,” reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).

In their letter to Secretary Clinton, the signatories noted that
her, “historically inaccurate description of the Armenian Genocide
as an open question, in addition to the offense it represents to
Armenian Americans and other victims of genocide, provides American
encouragement to the Republic of Turkey in its shameful campaign of
denial.” They also reminded the Secretary that in 2006 she joined with
US President Barack Obama – then a US Senator – in writing a letter
explaining to then US President George W. Bush that the Armenian
Genocide was a “systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide
perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. . . The victims of the
Genocide deserve our remembrance and their rightful place in history.

. . .It is in the best interests of our nation and the entire global
community to remember the past and learn from these crimes against
humanity to ensure that they are never repeated.” The Congressional
letter also quoted then Senator Clinton’s public statement in 2008
when, as a Senator and candidate for the presidency, she affirmed
that: “[T]he horrible events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against
Armenians constitute a clear case of genocide,” and that “[o]ur common
morality and our nation’s credibility as a voice for human rights
challenge us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be recognized and
remembered by the Congress and the President of the United States.”

“We want to thank Congressmen Schiff and Dold and each and every
one of the signatories of this Congressional letter for calling on
Secretary Clinton to step back from her historically inaccurate and
deeply offensive assertion that the Armenian Genocide is a matter for
historical debate,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We
remain hopeful that the Secretary, after having allowed this false
statement to remain on the record for more than a month, will –
in response to this Congressional letter and the Armenian-American
community’s growing outrage – finally recognize and, to the extent
possible, seek to reverse the impact of this sad episode in undermining
the advancement of US interests, compromising the promotion of American
values, and hindering the diplomatic work of the Department of State.”

Secretary Clinton is scheduled to testify and answer questions before
four separate US House and Senate panels this coming week. ANCA has
called on legislators serving on these committees to question her about
her offensive “historical debate” comments, on and the full range of
other issues of special importance to Armenian-American voters.