Author: Kalantarian Kevo

TURKISH SPEAKER SENDS LETTER TO FRENCH SENATE

armradio.am
13.01.2012 18:54

In a letter sent to the President of the French Senate, Jean-Pierre
Bel, Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek said that he found it
seriously hard to understand when a country, known as a friend in
Turkey, tries to be in the forefront of supporting “special memories.”

I believe that relevant countries should be able to establish their own
models for a just memory instead of artificial imposition regarding
historic issues that are in dispute, Cicek underlined in his letter,
Anatolian Agency reports.

“I have written my letter to bring to your attention an issue that may
cause serious and permanent damage to deep rooted relations between
Turkey and France,” Cicek told Bel in his letter.

“Since the French Parliament adopted the (Armenian) resolution on
December 22, 2011, our friendly relations have entered a phase
of a serious tension. We watch very closely the developments in
France,”Cicek noted.

“Turkey must be given the opportunity to normalize relations with
Armenia and France’s contributions in this regard would be beneficial,”
Cicek noted.

“I preserve my belief that you would make timely and responsible
efforts so that the resolution does not hurt Turkish-French relations
and that it would not be a blow to the freedom of expression,” Cicek
concluded his letter.

PRESIDENT GRANTS RANKS OF AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY

armradio.am
13.01.2012 18:42

According to President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree, diplomatic ranks of
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary were granted to the
Head of the Foreign Relatons Department of the President’s Staff Artak
Apitonyan, Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to Iran Garnik Badalyan, Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Turkmenistan Vladimir Badalyan, Head of the
Armenian Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Armenia’s
Extraordinary Envoy and Plenipotentiary Minister to Iraq Ruben
Kharazyan, Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
India Ara Hakobyan, Adviser to RA Foreign Minister, acting Head of the
CIS Department Armen Ghevondyan, Armenia’s Ambassador Plenipotentiary
and Extraordinary to Georgia Hovhannes Manukyan.

GASPARYAN: POLICE HAVE “LOST OUR SELF-ESTEEM”
By Hovannes Shoghikyan

13.01.12

Vladimir Gasparyan, the chief of the Armenian police, on Thursday
defended sweeping personnel changes initiated by him, saying that
they are necessary for restoring popular trust in the law-enforcement
agency.

In unusually blunt terms, Gasparyan complained that the police have
grown discredited in eyes of the public over the two decades of
Armenia’s independence. “We, myself and my colleagues, have lost our
self-esteem,” he told journalists.

“I have told my colleagues, my comrades with whom I have worked for
years, ‘Guys, we have lost our moral authority, we have turned the
police into an apparatus of tourists, real properties, moneylenders
and village crooks.’ We have steadily lost that for the last 20 years.

It’s time to sober up.”

A former deputy defense minister, Gasparyan has sacked and replaced
dozens of senior police officers since being appointed as police chief
by President Serzh Sargsyan more than two months ago. He pledged to
reform a police service that has long been accused of corruption and
human rights abuses.

Speaking after a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan, Gasparyan insisted
that the purges are intended to improve the police performance by
cutting “bloated staffs” and eliminating “redundant work” done by
police officers.

“The police are now becoming more mobile and effective,” he said.

“There are departing cadres who I think have exhausted themselves
and they agree with me. There are even people who had the status of
tourists and zero effectiveness. There have also been real properties
[among officers.]”

Gasparyan headed the Armenian military police for more than a decade
before being appointed deputy defense minister in late 2010. A native
of Soviet Estonia, he served in the police in the early and mid-1990s.

He has been known to the public for his occasionally flamboyant
behavior and statements.

Despite his reform pledges, the 53-year-old has so far said little
about ill-treatment of criminal suspects and other police abuses that
have long been the norm in Armenia. Nor has he commented on how to
combat widespread corruption within the police ranks.

Many senior police officers are believed to be wealthy individuals with
business interests. One of them, Colonel Margar Ohanyan, the former
head of the national traffic police, was arrested last September and
is now standing trial on corruption charges.

Gasparyan on Thursday dismissed his predecessor Alik Sargsyan’s calls
for Ohanyan’s immediate release pending a verdict in the case. “I
can’t make statements containing emotional wishes and don’t think I
am the one who should express emotions just because I love or respect
someone,” he said.

Sargsyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Tuesday
that Ohanyan should not be treated like an “ordinary criminal” because
“he has served this country for 30 years.”

FRENCH RIGHTISTS AND LEFTISTS HAVE TACIT AGREEMENT OVER GENOCIDE BILL – SENIOR ARF-D REP

Tert.am
13.01.12

The French Senate is likely ratify the Genocide denial criminalization
bill by a 2/3 majority of votes, according to the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun’s (ARF-D) Hay Dat Office
in France.

Speaking to Tert.am, Kiro Manoyan, the head of the ARF-D Office of
Hay Dat and Political Affairs, explained that such conclusion results
from periodical meetings with political circles.

He noted that the right- and left-wing political forces and
politicians, including President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist
candidate Francois Holland, are thought to have a tacit agreement
over the bill.

Asked whether there will be other countries following France’s example,
he said the Armenian society is very often unaware that Switzerland
(which criminalized Genocide internationally) and Slovakia (where one
Turkish national has been convicted on such charges), had condemned
Genocide much before France.

“They interpret the Genocide criminalization law in the light of the
Armenian Genocide as well,” he said, adding that all the EU member
states are obliged to admit the fact.

“So France is actually the third country which has legislation
penalizing the Armenian Genocide. It is just differs from the other
two due to its greater political impact,” he added.

TRAFFIC POLICE EMPLOYEES CONFESS TO BEING PAID IN GASOLINE IN EMBEZZLEMENT TRIAL

epress.am
01.13.2012

Witness, inspector with the traffic police’s legal division Zhirayr
Karapetyan representing the victim (the traffic police), and witnesses
Karen Ohanyan, Armen Sargsyan, Armen Mnatsakanyan, and Stepan Sedrakyan
were examined in a Yerevan district court today in the ongoing trial
of former RA Traffic Police Chief Margar Ohanyan.

Recall, Ohanyan is accused of embezzling approx. 2,500 tons of
gasoline.

In his testimony, Inspector Karapetyan said he is not familiar with the
details of the case, while witnesses Karen Ohanyan and Armen Sargsyan,
unit commanders with the traffic police, testified that they received
350 liters of gasoline a month, which they signed for after receiving
the receipt.

The witnesses noted that they received their gasoline receipts from
Samvel Makhmuryan, who is among the accused in the case.

After Armen Sargsyan said that their unit works 24-25 days, having
4-5 days off per month, Margar Ohanyan asked him whether there
were times when they worked on their days off for which they would
receive gasoline in exchange. The witness said there were such cases,
explaining that on days when presidents of other countries were
visiting Armenia and they were expected to escort them, or their days
off coincided with days when rallies were held their unit worked and
in exchange they received gasoline from Makhmuryan.

The other witness, Armen Mnatsakanyan, head of the traffic police’s
finance division since 2007, testified that they received gasoline in
the first 15 days of the month through budgetary funds, while for the
remaining 15 days they received it through funds outside of the budget.

No discrepancies were apparent in these witnesses’ testimonies given
in court and those given during the investigation; however, when
it came Stepan Sedrakyan’s turn, there seemed to be discrepancies,
which led prosecutor Harutyun Harutyunyan to motion for Sedrakyan’s
two pre-trial testimonies to be made public. The motion was granted,
and Judge Mkhitar Papoyan read these testimonies. Note, Sedrakyan
was dismissed from work in May 2011, as he said, because of memory
problems. Until then he was working as the 1st unit commander of the
traffic police’s 2nd battalion.

Asked how many liters of gasoline he personally received, Sedrakyan
said 500-600 liters. For the entire unit he received 3,100 liters
monthly from former commander of the 2nd officers’ battalion Stepan
Karakhanyan, who likewise is named as an accused in this case. The
witness kept 500-600 liters for himself, gave 400 liters to his deputy,
while the rest he distributed among other members of the unit.

Sedrakyan also confessed that he signed for more gasoline than he
actually received. “I signed under my report. They told me write this
much, and I accepted it and wrote it,” he said, noting that it was
Karakhanyan who made this request.

Margar Ohanyan asked the witness why in numerous meetings with him,
Sedrakyan didn’t tell him that he received less gasoline than he
signed for. Sedrakyan simply said that it’s his fault.

Note, in the first testimony he gave during the pre-trial investigation
Sedrakyan said the gasoline they received was less than it should’ve
been but didn’t elaborate. He raised this matter with the battalion
commander, who promised to supplement the shortage, but never did so.

In his second testimony, the witness refuted his earlier testimony and
noted different figures for the amount of gasoline he received. In
court, the witness said the gasoline provided to him was basically
sufficient, adding that there were times when he paid for the gasoline
from his own pocket.

Note, the courtroom in today’s hearing was full. Present were Margar
Ohanyan’s friends and relatives, journalists and US Embassy in Armenia
employee Steven Kessler, who was attending as an observer.

The next court date is set for Jan. 19 at 11:30 am.

AZERBAIJANI LEADERSHIP STRICTLY ADHERES TO POLICY OF FALSIFICATION OF 1990 POGROMS OF ARMENIANS IN BAKU
By Ivan Gharibyan

NEWS.am
January 13, 2012 | 09:00

On January 13, 1990, Baku is still the capital of Soviet Azerbaijan.

The city is covered by massive anti-Armenian riots. The national
fascist Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFA) wants to seize the power. In
fact the Front took it to the streets.

The leadership of the republic could not cope with a problem, namely
“not to allow such developments”. In the evening mass pogroms of
the Armenian population started in a city, which used to be tolerant
mainly due to establishment and enforcement of Soviet power.

By this time, the Armenian population of the city dropped from 200,000
to 50,000. Armenians were destined to become victims of the brutal
actions of criminals.

Popular Front of Azerbaijan was acting very “professionally”. Prior to
the Armenian massacres, Soviet military units were completely blocked
in the Salyan barracks, moreover, there were already victims among
family members of the soldiers.

The Baku police was demoralized amid a complete blockade of all the
central government buildings by Front’s supporters. The rioters also
received “a wave of support” from corrupted leader of Azerbaijani
Communist Party Heydar Aliyev and his clan.

The ghastly outcome of united efforts of nationalists-fascists and the
Aliyev clan was more than disappointing: a week of medieval raids,
burned homes, shops, chaos, murder and rape. According to official
statistics, about 100 Armenians were brutally killed in their homes
and in the central streets of the capital of Azerbaijan. The number
of injured was not even counted.

Only the belated decision of the Presidium of USSR Supreme Soviet
to declare state of emergency in Baku on January 19 allowed avoiding
possible extermination of the entire Christian population of Baku city
(at that time the pogroms spread on Russian population as well). The
Soviet Army was able to restore order partially. Armenians had to
leave the city losing all the property.

Twenty-two years passed, Baku is blooming under the millstone of
Aliev clan’s authoritarian regime. Presently, Azerbaijanis themselves,
residents of old Baku, are expelled from their homes without getting
any compensation. Their houses will be replaced by luxurious hotels,
huge trading centers.

The most important issue is not to remember former Armenian citizens of
Baku. Instead, the local television boasts about “tolerant Azerbaijan”
where “representatives of different nationalities always lived
peacefully”. Among the ridiculous statement of Azerbaijani TV are
“Erivan – capital of Western Azerbaijan”, “Armenians – aliens in the
Caucasus” and others. Armenian pogroms “never existed”, these are
“provocative anti-Azerbaijani speculations”, insist Azerbaijani
officials.

It is wrong to build life based on constant lies. Doing so, you
will finally have the problems, which brother-Turks have presently
faced with. They have an aspiration to join the EU but are constantly
reminded of Genocide of Armenians. It is better to acknowledge shameful
and indelible chapters of history, as forgiveness exists. You would
better remember simple human values instead of cultivating cynical
lies. You should instead remember the values, which urged many
Azerbaijanis to save their Armenian friends and neighbors 22 years ago.

“THE PKK IS ALSO EUROPE’S PROBLEM”

Sabah
Jan 13 2012
Turkey

Breaking News

The European Parliament has held their first session on Turkey’s
annual progress report.

The draft, prepared by the EP’s Dutch Christian Democrats Group Member
Ria Oomen-Ruijten was discussed by the EP Foreign Affairs Commission.

While the majority of parliamentarians found the report to be
‘balanced’, it is anticipated that there may be up to 400 amendment
proposals.

European Parliament MP’s expressed their unease at the report
prepared on CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıcdaroglu regarding lifting his
immunity, which he has also requested, and underlined the necessity
for judicial reform and a civilian constitution. Meanwhile, the draft
report condemns the PKK terrorist organization and requests European
Nations collaborate with Turkey on this issue.

While the European Parliament’s Turkey Rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten
responded to the commission’s criticism and comments, in regards to
the issue, she stated, “The PKK is a terrorist organization. This
problem does not solely involve Turkey. At the same time it also
closely affects Europe, because, the PKK’s sources of funds are
provided from European Union nations. Human trafficking, drug trade
and arms smuggling are all conducted for this purpose. The EU cannot
leave Turkey on its own in the struggle against terrorism.”

Answering questions for the Turkish press following the meeting,
Oomen-Ruijten refrained from commenting on the ruling by Denmark’s
justice system to not shut down Roj TV, which has been recorded to have
connections to the PKK. The draft report, which requests a political
solution be reached on the Kurdish issue, also emphasizes the need
for all political parties, including BDP, to distance themselves from
the terrorist organization. Expressing her concern at the number of
KCK arrests, the EP rapporteur also offered up the criticism that
thoughts and expressions are penalized in Turkey.

Oomen-Ruijten also touched upon the positive areas found by the
European Commission, “We have an agreement made with Turkey in 2004.

We are trying to portray the picture of how much Turkey has adapted
to the Copenhagen criteria in our annual reports. A number of nations
that experienced the Arab Spring look to the democratization in Turkey
with envy. However, when we look from a European perspective we see
that there are still steps to be taken for further democratization
in Turkey. Turkey and the EU need to work together.”

A REACTION TO FRANCE FROM A EUROPEAN LIBERAL LEADER

European Parliamentarian and Leader of the Liberal Group in Parliament
drew attention to the fact that a promise was made to Turkey 50 years
ago and expressed that he does not side with claims that Turkey has
experienced a shift in axis, however also stated that if that were the
case it would not come as a surprise. Emphasizing the need to support
Turkey during the membership process, Watson also criticized France’s
approach towards criminalizing the denial of Armenian allegations by
stating it was not ‘a positive sign’.

Emine Bozkurt, the AP’s Turkey rapporteur on women’ rights and gender
equality noted that she found Turkey’s draft report to be balanced and
expressed her pleasure that next week they would be handling the need
for work on the constitution to gain speed and for readjustments on
shortening periods of detainment. Bozkurt criticized the report on
Kılıcdaroglu by stating, “The objective should not be to silence
the opposition.”

The EP’s Turkey progress report, following the inclusion of the
amendment proposals, is expected to be passed by a vote at the Plenary
Session held in Strasbourg in March.

ON ARMENIANS, ARMENIANS, AND ARMENIANS
Nareg Seferian

Voice of America

Jan 12 2012

I just finished my first semester of graduate school in the Boston
area. One of the advantages to which I was looking forward before
starting the master’s program was the presence of a large and active
Armenian community in Boston, dating back a hundred years and more.

Meeting my brethren

There are six Armenian churches, a few schools, a couple of newspapers,
and various organizations and community centers. I had never really
lived “the Diaspora life,” as some would call it, so I was excited
about getting to be around my own people expressing our culture
(in its uniquely Boston variety).

And it has proved to be very interesting, actually. I have been to a
number of events – public lectures, banquets, and get-togethers and
the like, not to mention attending church services regularly.

But there’s also an Armenian world tied in with my main purpose for
being in Massachusetts: the education.

My graduate school actually has a special program that brings in young
bureaucrats and professionals from Armenia for six-month courses on
politics, society, economics and international affairs. It is really
a remarkable initiative, funded by an Armenian-American foundation.

It is just this sort of activity that showcases how the Diaspora can
be of meaningful assistance to the country, the Republic of Armenia,
so I felt proud to witness it first-hand, as I got to sit in on a
few of those classes myself.

Finally, my graduate school has some regular students who happen to be
Armenians or of Armenian descent. They formed the third group in my
ethnic life, as it were. Ironically, even though I myself fall under
that category as someone who grew up outside Armenia (although not in
America), these were the ones with whom I had the least interaction,
mainly because I shared almost no classes with my fellow Armenian
grad students. Maybe that will change this next semester.

What are they like?

It is interesting for me to observe these three groups. They share
some characteristics, but they are very different for the most part.

After all, the students are here for the short-term or the medium-term,
while the Armenian-Americans live and work here.

The ones from Armenia undergoing the special course are professionals;
they have jobs back home, perhaps even families, while the regular
Armenian students may be just starting their career, or transitioning
from one career to another. Perhaps they are married with kids,
perhaps not.

The regular Armenian students may be from Armenia, or not (one of
them, in fact, is from France). The ones from Armenia certainly speak
Armenian, but many of the Armenian-Americans do not, or they speak
a dialect different from the one prevalent in the Republic of Armenia.

All this diversity within one group, within one area, has been quite
fascinating. My graduate education experience has ended up teaching
me much more about the world and about society than what my professors
have been lecturing about politics, international affairs, diplomacy,
or law. And in just one semester too.

PACE CO-RAPPORTEURS MAKE MONITORING VISIT TO ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
2012-01-12

Strasbourg, 12.01.2012 – John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) and
Axel Fischer (Germany, EPP/CD), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Armenia,
will make a fact-finding visit to Yerevan on 16-17 January.

Talks are scheduled with the President of the Republic Serzh Sargsyan,
the President of the National Assembly Samvel Nikoyan, the Foreign
Affairs minister Edward Nalbandyan and the Justice minister Hrayr
Tovmasyan, as well as with the Chairperson of the Central Election
Commission Tigran Mukuchyan. The co-rapporteurs will also meet
representatives of political parties and the judicial authorities,
as well as NGOs and the Armenian delegation to the PACE.

Discussions will mainly focus on the follow-up to PACE Resolution 1837
(2011) – on the investigation into the ten casualties of the March 2008
events, the creation of an independent police complaints mechanism,
and civilian oversight over the police – as well as on preparations
for the 2012 parliamentary elections, and on the priority areas for
the monitoring procedure.

OMBUDSMAN OF ARMENIA EXPRESSES CONCERN WITH TRAGIC DEATH OF A SOLDIER

arminfo
Thursday, January 12, 20:29

Today Ombudsman of Armenia Karen Andreasyan expressed his condolence
to the relatives and friends of conscript soldier Hayk Khachatryan,
who died on December 30. He also expressed his serious concern over
the tragic incidents in the army, the press service of the Human
Rights Defender’s Office told ArmInfo.

Andreasyan abstained from any comments on the incident not
to disturb the preliminary investigation. However, given that
Khachatryan’s relatives expressed their discontent with the delayed
medical assistance to the soldier, Andreasyan called on the military
servicemen and their relatives to inform about the problems, incidents
and complaints as soon as possible by dialing the hotline number
1-16. The Ombudsman thinks that the well-timed call of the persons
concerned and the interference of the Human Rights Defender may
prevent tragic consequences in similar situations.

To recall, Hayk Khachatryan, 18, died at the infectious hospital of
Nork on Dec 30. A criminal case has been instituted under Article 376
Part 2 of Armenian Criminal Code (habitual negligence in office that
caused grave consequences). Earlier, Khachatryan’s grandmother sent a
letter to some mass media and said that her grandson died of chickenpox
due to the negligence of the military unit’s health care workers.