Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ART ARMENIEN
L’Arménie désire protéger la statue de la déesse Anahid
qui se trouve au département héllénistique du British Muséum de Londres

La statue du visage de la déesse arménienne Anahid qui se trouve au
British Muséum de Londres est présentée au département hellénistique
du musée. Cette situation est « inquiétante » aux yeux des Arméniens.
Gariné Hagopian, la secrétaire du parti « Jarankoutioun » (Héritage) a
affirmé dans une conférence de presse que « le problème n’est pas que
cette statue ne se trouve pas en Arménie, mais bien le fait qu’elle
est représentée dans la partie des antiquités grecques et pas en tant
que pièce de l’art arménien ». Pour elle, la question n’est pas de
ramener l’objet en Arménie, mais c’est celle de lui donner une carte
d’identité arménienne. Selon elle cette statue d’Anahid fut retrouvée
dans le village d’Erzenga (aujourd’hui Erzindjan) en Arménie. Afin de
protéger les éléments du patrimoine culture arménien en Arménie ou à
l’étranger, Gariné Hagopian propose de donner à chacun de ces objets
une carte d’identité arménienne.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 12 février 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Armenia’s opposition examines two options for proportional election
list – newspaper

news.am
February 11, 2012 | 08:36

YEREVAN. – The opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) continues
to discuss the principles for forming its proportional election list
for the upcoming parliamentary elections, Zhoghovurd daily writes.

`According to Zhoghovurd’s information, primarily two alternatives are
brought forward: Either to form the list on the [political] party
principle, or in the order of recognized individuals. The small
parties want for the list to be formed on the principle of party
affiliation, so that man-party leaders can easily become MPs. But the
overwhelming majority does not agree with this option. ANC believes
this would be unfair, as non-party-affiliate figures, former political
prisoners, and many others have done lot more in these years than the
chairmen of some [political] parties,’ Zhoghovurd writes.

Armenia `suffers’ from Forbes – newspaper

news.am
February 11, 2012 | 09:45

YEREVAN. – Last year the Forbes Magazine published the rating chart of
the world’s worst economies, and in it Armenia was in second spot,
only behind Madagascar, Apaga weekly writes.

`In response to that publication, the country’s [Armenia’s] numerous
statesmen quickly criticized the Magazine’s data. Then everyone began
to forget about this publication, especially since this was
`convenient’ for many. The qualitative full value of Forbes’ rating
chart leaves a feeling of equivocalness, [and] the given publication
seems to `smell’ the scent of oil which is extracted not too far away.
Had Armenia’s economy been on another qualitative level, no one would
have dared to send our country to the world’s `economic garbage.’ The
world already has all the grounds to laugh at us, especially when we,
on the level of senior officials, attempt to prove that we are not
dashing down the abyss, as Forbes has unjustifiably written, but
rather we are just approaching the edge of that abyss,’ Apaga writes.

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Feb 11 2012

Asylum seekers say they will stay despite new law

Vercihan ZiflioÄ?lu
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Despite a new residence law that limits foreigners’ stay in Turkey,
many asylum seekers, gathering every Thrusday in Kumkapı say they will
continue living in the country regardless of the consequences.

Many asylum seekers and illegal immigrants have said they will
continue living in Turkey regardless of the consequences following a
new law that limits foreigners’ stay in the country.

`I have been living as a fugitive for years. Undoubtedly, I would be
unable to return to Turkey if I revealed my identity just once, and
that would spell my end. I have no financial basis to hang onto life,’
Ms. Asdghik, a 60-year-old immigrant from Armenia who has been living
in Turkey for seven years, told the Hürriyet Daily News.

Illegal immigrants and asylum seekers of all types and diverse origins
gather before the Turkish-Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul’s Kumkapı
district every Thursday to receive clothing and food aid provided for
by the city’s Armenian community and the Turkish Red Crescent.

Among the recipients of the aid are not just Armenians, but also
Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Nigerians, Iraqis, Afghans and Somalis.

Financial constraints

Ms. Asdghik, who is among 3,000 illegal immigrants and asylum seekers
provided for by the Patriarchate, said she was trying to make ends
meet by working as a housemaid and with the assistance she receives.
She said she had not been able to visit Armenia and see her relatives
for seven years due to financial constraints.

`I live in constant fear of deportation. I have not left Turkey for 10
years. Surely I would be penalized severely and never be able to
return back [if I left the country],’ Ms. Seyra, a Georgian citizen
who arrived in Turkey to find employment, told the Daily News.

Ms. Seyra has also expressed great concern in relation to a new law
that came into effect on Feb. 1
The law allows foreign citizens entering the country with a

tourist visa to stay in Turkey for three months, after which time they
will be obliged to wait for another three months abroad before
re-entry.

Certain other residents of foreign origin may also be able to stay in
the country by paying exorbitant insurance premiums.

`Large numbers of illegal immigrants and refugees live in this
vicinity. There are people from all nations, but our troubles and
concerns are identical. I hope they do not deport us destitute people
from here with the new law,’ Ms. Ghanımbala, a 45-year-old Azerbaijani
residing in the district of Kumkapı, told the Daily News.

The patriarchate is striving to provide aid to 3,000 illegal
immigrants and refugees within the limits of their means, according to
Linda Süme, the head of the Patriarchate’s Clothing, Wares and Food
Aid Branch.
February/11/2012

ARMENIA, RUSSIA TO SET UP DEFENSE JOINT VENTURES

Interfax
Feb 10 2012
Russia

New Armenian-Russian defense companies will be formed in Armenia, said
Artur Bagdasarian, Secretary of the Armenian National Security Council.

“The Armenian-Russian military-technical cooperation will be deepened.

A working group will be set up in the near future to draft a
new agreement regarding the Armenian-Russian military-technical
cooperation, as a result of which new joint military ventures will be
formed,” Bagdasarian was quoted by Armenian media outlets as saying
after talks with Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Yerevan
on Thursday.

Also, it has been agreed to open an Armenian-Russian training center
in Armenia to retrain border guards, and an Armenian-Russian joint
regional center for emergencies, he said.

The talks also focused on the situation in South Caucasus, Patrushev
said for his part. “Our assessments coincide,” he said.

PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT GIVES A PUBLIC LESSON TO TURKISH MINSTER

Mediamax News Agency
Feb 8 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The President of the European Parliament Martin
Schulz advises Turkey to “face his own history”.

Martin Schulz said this at a joint press conference with Turkish
Minister for the EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis,
Mediamax reports. The Zurich public prosecutor’s office has launched
an initial investigation into Egemen Bagis over the public denial of
the Armenian Genocide.

“You should face your own history and you should allow independent
inquiries about your history. If the independent inquires come to
the conclusion that it was Genocide, you should recognize it,” said
Martin Schultz.

Egemen Bagis said that “in 2005, the Turkish Prime Minister wrote in
a letter to the Armenian President to which the Armenian side so far
has not responded positively.

He also said that “Turkey is ready to establish international committee
of historians and scholars and to accept their findings, as long as
those findings are based on archives not only of Turkey and Armenia,
but also other countries involved, including Germany who was one of
the Turkish best allies in 1915. Also UK, Russia, France, USA.”

Mediamax notes that it was not accidental that Bagis mentioned Germany
in a special context, as the President of the European Parliament
Martin Schulz is German.

“We are politicians; we have responsibilities in shaping the future,
not the past. Politicians should not steal the role of the historians
who should study history and make judgments,” Bagis added.

However, Martin Schultz gave a different recommendation:

“As German and especially as German president of multinational
parliament, I have to live every day with our past, which is not easy
past. It is a very difficult one. Demons of the past are lasting until
today, every day I am confronted with the past of my country. But my
country, and I am proud of this, during six decades is facing its own
history; is recognizing not to be guilty – because our generation is
not guilty for the crimes committed in the past. But we are responsible
to avoid that it could happen once more. To be as open as possible
to the past is the best way to the future.”

TURKISH ELDERLY MAN GUARDS ARMENIAN CHURCH

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 00:04

TRABZON. – Hasim Kantekin, 78, guards St. Amenaprkich Armenian Church
(built in 1424) in Trabzon, Turkey.

Hasim Kantekin told Anadolu agency that the church is located on his
territory which he has inherited from his father. The old man informed
that he does not keep anything in the church.

He said that he has done everything to preserve the church, or else
it would have fallen down years ago.

“Anyone who wants to visit the church, takes the keys from me and
enters it,” he said.

POPE BENEDICT XVI RECEIVES DIASPORA MINISTER OF ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS: Pope Benedict XVI received Minister
of Diaspora of Armenia Hranush Hakobian, who is in Italy for a working
visit February 7-12. Press office of the ministry told Armenpress that
accompanied by the Armenian ambassador to Italy Ruben Karapetyan,
founder-chairman of “Pyunik” charity foundation Gabriel Jemberji,
the minister visited Rome’s Levonian Armenian college, met with the
representatives of the Armenian community, staff of “Radiovatican”
Armenian programs as well as spiritual figures and pupils of the
college.

PACE DOCUMENT URGES GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

Asbarez.com
January 26, 2012.

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, January, 2012.

STRASBOURG, France – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe on Thursday adopted a declaration calling on Turkey to
recognize the “Armenian, Assyrian, and Pontic Greek genocides,”
reported the press office of the Heritage Party.

The document also draws attention to “the persistent scourge of
impunity in Turkey,” as a result of which basic freedoms are being
violated, especially those of journalists, broadcasters and publishers.

Presented by Heritage Party delegate to the PACE Zaruhi Postanjyan,
the document also stresses that reforms in Turkey are not sufficient
to deal with basic human right violations in that country.

“The Criminal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act continue to seriously
impede freedom of expression in Turkey. The provisions of these
pieces of legislation have been applied to disproportionately limit
freedom of expression, including that of journalists, broadcasters
and publishers,” the documents pointed out.

“The amendments adopted so far by Turkey have not been sufficient to
deal with the root causes of violations of the right to freedom of
expression found by the European Court of Human Rights. We express
our particular concern about the use of civil and criminal defamation
provisions and invite public figures to refrain from initiating
defamation proceedings which have serious effects on media freedom,”
asserted the document.

“Recalling notably the murder of Hrant Dink, advocate of the
freedom of expression, we urge the authorities to step up efforts
to effectively protect journalists from violence and intimidation,”
urged the document.

“We are concerned about the continuous denial of the Genocide of
Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians (Syriacs) by the Turkish authorities
and the use of Article 301 of the Criminal Code for criminal
persecution of journalists and writers,” said the document. “We
strongly condemn the continuous violations of their international
obligations by the authorities of Turkey.”

The PACE also adopted another document, again introduced by Postanjyan
that relates to Armenia’s environmental crisis and Teghut in
particular. It notes: “We strongly condemn the continuing violations
of the international obligations of the Armenian government and we
demand that all decisions regarding the Teghut mining exploitation
be considered invalid.”

FRENCH MP VALERIE BOYER BELIEVES CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO ADOPT GENOCIDE BILL – INTERVIEW

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 01:37

Armenian News-NEWS.am presents the interview of the author of the
bill criminalizing denial of genocides, Union for Popular Movement
(UMP) MP Valerie Boyer published in Nouvelles d’Armenie.

Were you satisfied with the Jan. 23 events covered by media?

I saw nothing special. It proves the press shows no particular interest
in the topic. The only thing it was interested in was to speak against.

Could you disclose motives of MPs who appealed to the Constitutional
Council?

I can guess the Senate’s motive as Secretary General of the Government
expects a response. I have no other information.

What shocked you most in this demarche?

We have been dealing with the issue for over ten years, and I am
shocked that such an appeal was made for the Constitutional Council.

We deal with state values: freedom, fraternity and equality and
we decided to vote for the bill criminalizing the denial. I do not
understand that on behalf of the equality we would be blocked with
unequal attitude towards victims of genocides during principles of
humanism. France is a big state to make all the institutes function. I
do not blame anyone and yet, I believe that the Council will approve
our approach.

What will happen if the Council rejects the bill?

We will start over.

Did you manage to talk to the French President Nikolas Sarkozy after
the appeal to the Council?

Not directly, but I believe that the Secretariat General expects a
response by the Council. It should review the bill on its essence
and form. I think the constitutional judges will approach the issue
from the right angle and not from the standpoint of a false debate
about the memorial laws, which the National assembly held. However,
I am afraid that the Council may be terribly pressed.

What can you tell hypothetically if the 2011 law and 2012 bill were
rejected?

In that case we would have dealt with an unequal treatment and sued
to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It is just
impossible.
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From: Mihran Keheyian
Subject: French MP Valerie Boyer believes Constitutional Court to adopt
genocide bill – interview

French MP Valerie Boyer believes Constitutional Court to adopt
genocide bill – interview

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 01:37

Armenian News-NEWS.am presents the interview of the author of the bill
criminalizing denial of genocides, Union for Popular Movement (UMP) MP
Valerie Boyer published in Nouvelles d?Arménie.

Were you satisfied with the Jan. 23 events covered by media?

I saw nothing special. It proves the press shows no particular
interest in the topic. The only thing it was interested in was to
speak against.

Could you disclose motives of MPs who appealed to the Constitutional Council?

I can guess the Senate?s motive as Secretary General of the Government
expects a response. I have no other information.

What shocked you most in this demarche?

We have been dealing with the issue for over ten years, and I am
shocked that such an appeal was made for the Constitutional Council.
We deal with state values: freedom, fraternity and equality and we
decided to vote for the bill criminalizing the denial. I do not
understand that on behalf of the equality we would be blocked with
unequal attitude towards victims of genocides during principles of
humanism. France is a big state to make all the institutes function. I
do not blame anyone and yet, I believe that the Council will approve
our approach.

What will happen if the Council rejects the bill?

We will start over.

Did you manage to talk to the French President Nikolas Sarkozy after
the appeal to the Council?

Not directly, but I believe that the Secretariat General expects a
response by the Council. It should review the bill on its essence and
form. I think the constitutional judges will approach the issue from
the right angle and not from the standpoint of a false debate about
the memorial laws, which the National assembly held. However, I am
afraid that the Council may be terribly pressed.

What can you tell hypothetically if the 2011 law and 2012 bill were rejected?

In that case we would have dealt with an unequal treatment and sued to
the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It is just
impossible.