Author: Kalantarian Kevo

BAKU THREATS PROVE IT A WEAK PLAYER – ARMENIAN EXPERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 26, 2012 – 13:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Regional Studies Center director commented on
recent Sochi-hosted meeting on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement between
Armenian, Russian, and Azerbaijani Presidents.

“Recent presidential meeting being the last one mediated by Russia’s
Dmitry Medvedev, in view of Putin’s possible accession to presidency,
the situation is expected to change. I believe, with Putin’s more
drastic position on the issue, the latter won’t have patience for
lengthy talks, eventually pressuring the parties into a consensus,”
Richard Giragosian told a news conference in Yerevan.

The expert further noted significant downscale in Azeri military
rhetoric, characterizing Baku threats as those of a weak player.

“Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statement suggesting Russia’s
disappointment in Baku policy comes as a proof of weakening Azeri
position,” the expert concluded.

At January 23 trilateral presidential meeting in Sochi Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan stressed the need to refrain from extreme
measures, calling for continuation of approximating positions.

“Considering the importance of shifting to development of peace
agreement, Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed readiness to
expedite an agreement on Basic principles,” Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said, adding that heads of the two states had requested
Russia to mediate humanitarian ties between the two countries.

TURKEY’S CONDUCT CAUSES SENSE OF DEJA VU – ARMENIAN EXPERT

Tert.am
25.01.12

Turkey’s conduct is causing a sense of deja vu, expert in Turkic
studies Anush Hovhannisyan told journalists Jan 25.

She recalled Turkey’s conduct was the same after France recognized
the Armenian Genocide.

“Adoption of the bill has no precedents in that, despite tremendous
pressure on Turkey’s part, the French Senate adopted the bill. We
have repeatedly been witnesses of Turkey preventing recognition of
the Armenian Genocide by different countries,” she added.

Adoption of the bill has its impact on Turkey’s domestic policy.

“Various political parties in Turkey, as well as people of reason, have
been severely critical of the country’s leadership. The recognition
of the Armenian Genocide is not an insult to the Turkish people. It
is a process initiated by the Turkish State,” Hovhannisyan said.

A number of Turkish media outlets note that the adoption of the
Armenian Genocide bill is supposed to set Turkey thinking of the
impossibility of further delay in addressing the Armenian Genocide.

“Turkey’s political leadership must realize that there is no achieving
goals by means of blackmail,” Hovhannisyan said.

RUSSIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS ENTER PHASE OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

news.am
January 25, 2012 | 16:41

MOSCOW. -The second session of the joint strategic planning group
operating under the high-level Russian-Turkish cooperation council
took place in Moscow on Wednesday presided by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov
and Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu.

The sides discussed international problems and the issues concerning
their cooperation. The participants exchanged opinions on the current
situation in the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, especially
concerning the Karabakh conflict and also Ira~Rs nuclear program.

Summing up the meeting results the Ministers made a joint statement,
the press service of the Russian MFA informs.

‘AZERBAIJAN HELPS TURKEY TO TURN INTO LEADING TRANSIT STATE’
Elnur Aslanov

News.Az
Wed 25 January 2012

Just like Azerbaijan, Turkey will soon be grieving over the 20th
anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

The statement came from chief of the department of political analysis
and information of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan
Elnur Aslanov.

He was speaking to journalists as part of the presentation of the
collection of articles “Azerbaijani-Turkish relations over the past
20 years: successes and opportunities’ released with the support of
the Center for Strategic Studies of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan-Turkey
Businessmen Association.

“We hope to hear the calls ‘we all are from Khojaly, we all are
Azerbaijanis’ in Istanbul”, he said.

According to him, Azerbaijan and Turkey have always been next to each
other and supported each other in difficult times.

‘Our relations are best described in Heydar’s Aliyev statement ‘two
states and a single nation’. In 1918 the Caucasus Islam Army of Nuru
Pasha rushed to help Azerbaijani people to save them from the massacres
committed by Armenian dashnaks when tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis
died. As a protest against occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani lands in
1993 Turkey closed borders with Armenia’, Aslanov said.

According to Aslanov, Turkey urges the world community to insert
pressure on Armenia for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and
liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani lands.

‘It is necessary to raise pressure on Armenia. Yerevan has to bear
responsibility before the world community for the bloody crimes they
committed’, Aslanov said.

He noted that today the relations between Baku and Ankara are on
the rise.

‘Azerbaijan is a regional leader in the South Caucasus and it helps
Turkey to turn into a leading transit state. This is promoted by the
energy projects Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and the
project of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad under construction.

The agreement on strategic partnership and mutual assistance signed
last year is a clear proof of our fraternal and strategic relations’,
Aslanov said.

TURKISH MEDIA: FRENCH SENATORS COLLECT SIGNATURES TO OPPOSE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

Panorama.am
25/01/2012

French Senator Nathalie Goulet told Anadolu news agency that a
group of French senators began collecting signatures to carry the
Armenian Genocide bill adopted by the French Senate to the French
Constitutional Court.

The signatures of at least 60 senators or parliamentarians are needed
to take the Armenian Genocide bill to the French Constitutional Court
within a period of a month.

The Armenian Genocide bill must be signed by French President Nicolas
Sarkozy within 15 days and published in the Official Gazette in order
to become a law.

On January 23 the French Senate passed the bill with 127 votes for
and 86 against.

POLITICAL EXPERT: IN 2012 RUSSIA WILL MAKE USE OF ITS INFLUENCE ON ARMENIA TO PREVENT CASPIAN GAS DELIVERY TO EUROPE THROUGH SOUTH ENERGY CORRIDOR

arminfo
Wednesday, January 25, 15:06

This year Russia will try to make use of its strategic influence
on Armenia more actively, like a possible means for reaching its
goals regarding Azerbaijan and Turkey in the matter of Caspian gas
delivery to Europe through South Energy Corridor, which Moscow is
not interested in, political expert Marat Terterov (Brussels) told
Arminfo correspondent.

“I don’t think that Moscow will gain a full carte-blanche in the
process of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement. However,
it is clear that Russia is a more active geo-political force in case
of any development of events in the South Caucasus, than other external
forces. But any role of Russia in the process of peaceful settlement of
the Karabakh conflict will be determined in the wider context of its
relations with the superpowers: the USA, France, etc, including the
problems of the Middle East, Afghanistan, Korea and Iran”, – he said.

Terterov thinks that the Caucasus still remains a rather complex
geo-political region from the point of view of the inter-state
relations, characterized with sharp distrust in each other, as well as
placement of the political forces in every country. Russia and Turkey,
especially Moscow still remain the most active players in the region.

It is no secret that the political strategy of Russia in the region
has a great effect on Armenia. Moscow has an opportunity to express
its viewpoint regarding the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

He said that Turkey is less active but can affect development of
events especially using the lever of the energy policy in the region.

“For this reason, although the USA, some European countries, NATO
and OSCE show activeness in the Caucasus, they are less active than
Moscow and Ankara. Any action of Brussels should pass a long process
of internal revision and confirming. Incidentally, the Brussels
functionaries are very much careful not to say something that may
contradict foreign policy of the EU member-states. Although many
international experts call on Brussels to become more active in the
Karabakh conflict as well as in settlement of the crisis situation
in the Caucasus in a wider sense, I would not hope for that much”,
– Terterov said.

TURKISH ANALYST WARNS HIS COUNTRY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY

news.am
January 25, 2012 | 12:53

ISTANBUL. – In his new article in Turkey’s Posta daily, leading
Turkish journalist and analyst Mehmet Ali Birand reflected on the
French Senate’s passing of the bill that criminalizes the denial of
genocides, including the Armenian Genocide, and noted that whatever
happened has happened and that Turkey must now concentrate on 2015,
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“No matter how severely we react, it is all the same; Sarkozy attained
his goal. With this, Sarkozy killed several birds [with one stone].

Prior to the [French presidential] elections, he prevented the Armenian
votes from going to the socialists, and, as a president who comes
across against Turkey, he took the extreme right wing to his side,”
Birand noted, stressing that all Senate members, who took the floor,
accepted that Turkey was guilty, and that simply the criminalization
bill was discussed.

The Turkish journalist also wrote that both France and the entire world
accept that genocide was committed, and that they solely examine as
to how the deniers should be punished.

Mehmet Ali Birand also advised Turkey to beware 2015. “The Armenians
will launch a huge worldwide campaign in connection with the 100th
anniversary of the Genocide. Our current reactions must be calculated
in such way that we are able to give a correct answer in 2015. Our
present-day extreme measures will isolate us. [And] Let us not forget
that the US is next. [And] There could be Germany, or Spain, on the
next day. We must decide now as to what we need to do at that time,”
Birand noted, adding that Turkish PM Erdogan’s reaction was correct
this time.

To note, with a vote of 127 in favor and 86 against, France’s Senate
passed Monday the bill that criminalizes the denial of the genocides
which this country has formally recognized. And these are the Armenian
Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust. This bill sets a one-year prison
sentence plus a 45-thousand-Euro fine for anyone who denies these
genocides. According to the regulations, the French President will
ratify it within fifteen days of the Senate’s decision. And Turkey
had announced earlier that if the bill were to pass, it will impose
a number of sanctions against France.

UN MEMBRE DU PARTI DASHNAK ECARTE L’OFFRE DE LEVON TER-PETROSIAN
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 25 janvier 2012

Un des leaders du parti de la Federation Revolutionnaire Armenienne
(Dashnaktsutyun) a qualifie de ” truc publicitaire ” l’appel du
Congrès National Armenien (HAK) d’un regroupement de l’ensemble des
forces de l’opposition lors des prochaines elections nationales.

Vahan Hovannisian a mis en doute la sincerite de la proposition du
HAK quant aux amendements radicaux necessaires dans le Code Electoral
de l’Armenie. Il a dit que le bloc mene par l’ancien President Levon
Ter-Petrosian ” a raille ” le parti Dashnaktsutyun et un autre parti
de l’opposition le parti Zharangutyun, quand ils ont essaye sans
succès d’obtenir des changements au sein du Parlement contrôle par
le gouvernement plus tôt cette annee.

” En ce temps-la il n’aurait ete heureux d’avoir l’appui de la rue,
pour ainsi dire ” a dit Vahan Hovannisian lors d’une conference de
presse. ” Le Code Electoral aurait subi une reforme positive si le
HAK au cours de ces rassemblements avait renforce notre lutte. Ils ne
l’ont pas fait et maintenant se rappellent soudainement [le code.] “.

” Pourquoi devons-nous devenir une partie de leur [ campagne ?]
Pourquoi ne nous rejoigne-t-il pas ? ” a-t-il ajoute en reference a
une campagne publique contre la fraude electorale qui a ete lancee
par son parti en fevrier.

Levon Zurabian du HAK a decrit les reactions du Dashnaktsutyun et
de Zharangutyun comme ” normales “. Il a aussi insiste pour que les
remarques d’Hovannisian ne se soient pas considerees comme un rejet
explicite de l’idee avancee par le bloc de Ter-Petrosian.

” À ce point cette reaction [du Dashnaktsutyun] ne cree pas d’obstacles
pour le lancement d’un tel processus ” a dit Levon Zurabian au service
armenien de RFE/RL (Azatutyun.am).

LA MONNAIE ARMENIENNE CONTINUE LENTEMENT DE CHUTER
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 25 janvier 2012

La monnaie nationale, le dram, s’est lentement, mais fermement deprecie
l’annee passee malgre l’augmentation des exportations et des remises
de fonds privees de l’etranger.

Un dollar valait 389 drams la semaine dernière soit une baisse de
6,2 pour cent sur un an. Le dram a perdu 3,7 pour cent de sa valeur
nominale au cours des trois derniers mois.

En decembre 2010 le Fonds Monetaire International avait averti que
le dram etait surevalue de 10 a 12 pour cent.

Le president Serge Sarkissian avait reconnu en mars 2011 que le
renforcement du dram en 2010 avait eu un impact negatif sur les
societes industrielles armeniennes. Il avait prevu sa ” très lentement
et stable depreciation ” au cours des mois a venir. Le dollar valait
368 drams a l’epoque.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : AVALANCHE DE REACTIONS EN FRANCE ET EN TURQUIE

France Soir

24 janvier 2012

Les reactions politiques se multiplient ce mardi en Turquie et
en France, après le vote lundi soir, par le Senat francais, d’une
proposition de loi penalisant la negation du genocide armenien sous
l’Empire ottoman.

Le vote de la proposition de loi penalisant le genocide armenien par
les senateurs francais lundi soir ne laisse personne indifferent en
France comme en Turquie, et chacun y va de sa petite phrase ce mardi.

Après le ministre turc de la Justice, Sadullah Ergin, qui avait denonce
” un manque total de respect pour la Turquie “, le ministère des
Affaires etrangères a ” condamne fermement ” un ” acte irresponsable
” de la part de la France. Leur homologue au Travail, Faruk Celik,
a pour sa part designe le president francais Nicolas Sarkozy, qui
soutenait le texte, comme un assassin de l’Histoire.

“Honte a toi, France”, titre un journal turc La presse turque etait
elle aussi unanime ce mardi pour denoncer un coup porte par la France
a la liberte d’opinion. ” Honte a toi, France “, titrait en une le
quotidien populaire Vatan. ” La France où est ne l’ideal de liberte
a porte le coup le plus dur a la liberte d’expression. En votant la
loi sur la negation du genocide, elle a renie son propre passe “. ”
Le president francais Sarkozy a tourne le dos a la liberte et a la
Turquie pour quelques votes “, clamait le journal populaire Posta.

Face a ces reactions, le chef de la diplomatie francaise, Alain
Juppe, a declare sur Canal + : ” Je voudrais appeler nos amis turcs
au sang-froid ” et tendre ” la main ” a ce ” grand pays, cette grande
puissance economique, politique “. Le ministre de l’Interieur, Claude
Gueant, a tenu a preciser que la Turquie ” n’est pas visee ” par le
vote de cette loi. ” La loi ne stigmatise absolument pas la Turquie,
simplement, elle sanctionne les attitudes negationnistes a l’egard
des crimes genocidaires, c’est tout”, a-t-il declare sur i-Tele.

“Attitude très agressive”, selon Delanoë Du côte de l’opposition,
le maire socialiste de Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, a pointe sur France
Info l’instrumentalisation de ce vote. ” Ce qui est choquant “, c’est
que ce vote ait ete ” instrumentalise a des fins electoralistes,
en meme temps que depuis cinq ans, monsieur Sarkozy a adopte une
attitude très agressive vis-a-vis de la Turquie “. Au micro de RTL,
le candidat Modem a l’election presidentielle, Francois Bayrou,
a pour sa part evoque une faute : ” C’est une faute contre ce que
doit etre la loi dans la Republique Francaise. Ce n’est pas a la loi
d’ecrire l’histoire, encore moins l’histoire d’autres pays, d’autant
plus que nous avons deja reconnu le genocide armenien.

Que Nicolas Sarkozy et Francois Hollande aient tous deux soutenu par
leurs elus cette loi me paraît etre une faute et une erreur contre
la loi et contre la France “.

Le Senat francais a ratifie lundi soir une proposition de loi deja
adoptee par l’Assemblee nationale le 22 decembre, qui sanctionne d’un
an de prison et 45.000 euros d’amende la negation de tous les genocides
reconnus par la France, dont celui des Armeniens en 1915. La Turquie
refute le terme de genocide, meme si elle reconnaît que des massacres
ont ete commis et que quelque 500.000 Armeniens ont peri en Anatolie
entre 1915 et 1917. Les Armeniens, eux, evoquent 1,5 million de morts.