Author: Kalantarian Kevo

“ARMENIAN LEADERSHIP’S LACK OF POLITICAL WILL DRIVE NEGOTIATIONS TO FAILURE”

Today
Sept 27 2011
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov received the
delegation led by Chairman of the California Senate Environmental
Quality Committee, Senator Joseph Simitian.

Press service of the Foreign Ministry said that Khalafov noted
strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and USA and
informed the guests that Azerbaijan attached special importance to
the relations with the US’ subjects. Khalafov also underlined that
the efforts were made towards deepening of cooperation with the State
of California in all spheres.

Underlining the implementation of significant projects in the South
Caucasus and Caspian basin on the initiative and direct participation
of Azerbaijan, informed about continuation of US-Azerbaijan cooperation
in global and regional issues and noted that the cooperation on
combating international terrorism was continuing successfully between
two countries.

At the same time, Khalafov noted the relations between legislative
bodies were attaining vital importance and said that the mutual visits
played a role of bridge in the development of bilateral relations.

Informing about Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Khalafov noted the
occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, spoke about problems
of refugees and IDPs. Noting economical backwardness of Armenia,
Khalafov said that the unreadiness of Armenian political leadership
to liberate Azerbaijani lands peacefully exposed the negotiations to
the failure.

Deputy Minister assessed Armenia’s occupational policy as a main
obstacle to the establishment of peace and stability in the region,
said that the results of the aggression were not accepted by the
world community.

Californian senators noted that Azerbaijan had a strategic significance
and highly assessed its role in the region. Noting that they were
deeply impressed by rapid development of Azerbaijan, the Californian
senators took interest in Azerbaijan’s future role in the region.

RUSSIAN MODEL WILL NOT WORK IN ARMENIA: FORMER PRESIDENT WILL NOT RETURN INTO OFFICE – ARMENIAN EXPERT

news.am
Sept 27 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Not a single political force could oppose to Russia’s
influence on Armenia, said member of European Integration NGO Manvel
Ghumashyan on Tuesday.

He argued that there are three political powers potentially able
to gain seats in the Parliament after elections of 2012 – ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia Party and Armenian
National Congress. None of the three, however, will be able to change
Armenian-Russian relations.

He mentioned the special position ARF Dashnaktsutyun holds in the
parliament, stressing that ADR with its history, traditions and laws
claims to be the example of what a party should be.

According to Ghumashyan, one should not bind the Armenian-Russian
relations with the presidents of countries, since the established
relationship between the Armenian and Russian presidents is artificial.

“Vladimir Putin did not return to politics, he simply never left it
and his influence was always tangible in Russia, which is not true of
Robert Kocharyan. Talks on his return to the office seem groundless
to me,” said Ghumashyan.

TURKEY’S NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE NEEDS ARMENIAN-SPEAKING AGENTS

news.am
Sept 27 2011
Armenia

ISTANBUL. – Turkey’s National Intelligence Service (MIT) is looking
for persons, up to 35 years of age and who fluently speak at least
one foreign language, to work as assistant spies.

MIT organized an admission for assistant spies, who will be dispatched
to different countries. The applicants must be citizens of Turkey
and their age should not exceed 35, Turkey’s Milliyet daily writes.

And those applicants, who cannot achieve the necessary scores in the
civil servant examinations, face greater difficulties because they
need to have an excellent knowledge of either one of the following
languages: Arabic, Armenian, Serbian, and Chinese.

ANCA-WR URGES COMMUNITY TO PROTEST OTTOMAN MILITARY MARCHING BAND PARADE

asbarez
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

LOS ANGELES-The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
issued a statement Tuesday condemning the forthcoming visit to the
City of Los Angeles by the Ottoman Military Marching Band on October 3.

“The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region strongly
condemns the arrival of the offensively-named Ottoman Military Marching
Band and its October 3 visit to Los Angeles. The ANCA-WR likewise
questions the irresponsible decision by the City of Los Angeles to
grant a permit to a group who claims descent from the notoriously
murderous corps of the Ottoman Army known as the janissaries. The
nature and planned performance of the band are not only insulting
but wholly unacceptable to the Armenian American community,” said
the statement from the ANCA-WR Board of Directors.

In the early part of the 20th century, the Ottoman Military Marching
Band arose from the corps of janissaries in the Ottoman Army, which
marched in time to music. Janissaries were soldiers who, in their
day, were among the most egregious murderers of Armenians and other
Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire. They were an elite corps
composed of children forcefully taken from their families as part of
the “devshirme” tax – where Armenian families sacrificed their sons
to the Ottoman army. These children were raised as extremist Muslims.

In 1911, as the Ottoman Empire was beginning to collapse, cultural
and military elements successfully revived the tradition of Ottoman
Military Marching Bands. By 1953, the tradition had been fully restored
as a band of the Turkish Armed Forces. Today, the corps-comprising
the Mehter Band and the troops that accompany it-continues to play
at state, military and tourist functions in modern Turkey.

The sound of the Ottoman Military Band is characterized by a largely
shrill combination of bass drums, horns, and cymbals. Among the lyrics
to their anthem is, “Overwhelm the enemies of your motherland, and
thus shall those cursed ones suffer abjection.”

And as such, on October 3, the streets of Hollywood will be the
stage for the celebration of mass murder, as the Ottoman Military
Marching Band proceeds through with its raucous demonstration of
its blood-stained history. The Ottoman Military Marching Band will
be performing just several blocks away from Little Armenia, which
has the highest population density of Armenian American residents
living in Southern California. Among these residents are a significant
number of elderly, for whom this reenactment will cause a great deal
of psychological trauma as they recall the horrors of the Genocide
that took place under the banner of this same marching band and their
fellow janissaries.

To place this parade in its true historical context, one would need
to envision the band marching alongside the hundreds of thousands of
Armenian women and children who perished in the Anatolian deserts at
the hands of those Ottoman soldiers.

Indeed, this loud and pernicious display of Ottoman-era tradition
is an appalling affront to the Armenian American, Greek, Assyrian,
and Pontian communities – and to all people of good conscience who
stand on the side of justice. It is no different than allowing the Ku
Klux Klan to march in the middle of Watts; or having a Nazi military
reenactment in the Fairfax district in the vicinity of dozens of
synagogues and temples. It is tantamount to hate speech and harassment.

“Despite this flagrant attempt at incitement, we call upon the Armenian
American community of Los Angeles to oppose this painful and egregious
provocation peacefully,” said the ANCA-WR in its statement.

The ANCA-WR has a long-standing record of fighting for the rights
of Armenian Genocide victims and their descendants, and is prepared
to challenge this outrageous demonstration of disregard to the
rights and concerns of the Armenian American community. The ANCA-WR
stands with all individuals and groups ready to civilly oppose this
vulgar reenactment of an unforgotten and torturous past. Further,
the ANCA-WR remains committed to pursuing justice for the Armenian
Genocide, including recognition by the U.S. and Turkish governments,
and to the belief that no entity is allowed to inhumanely terrorize
victims of genocide and their descendants.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

ANCA-WR STATEMENT ON HATE SPEECH AND INCITEMENT

asbarez
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region strongly
condemns the arrival of the offensively-named Ottoman Military Marching
Band and its October 3 visit to Los Angeles. The ANCA-WR likewise
questions the irresponsible decision by the City of Los Angeles to
grant a permit to a group who claims descent from the notoriously
murderous corps of the Ottoman Army known as the janissaries. The
nature and planned performance of the band are not only insulting
but wholly unacceptable to the Armenian American community.

Just over one mile from the borders of Little Armenia, in Los Angeles,
the adoptive home of hundreds of thousands of Armenian Americans –
including many whose families were gravely affected by the Armenian
Genocide – the Ottoman Military Marching Band will play the anthems of
a military credited with exterminating 1.5 million Armenian people and
hundreds of thousands of other minorities within the Ottoman Empire.

It is a chilling parallel: the Band will again march through the
streets of an Armenian neighborhood, recreating the horrific scene
of the Ottoman military parading through Armenian towns and villages
100 years ago, before they methodically and brutally murdered the
Armenian populace in the first genocide of the 20th century.

The parade’s planning and execution, in a heavily Armenian-populated
community, leaves no question that the Ottoman Military Marching Band
is brazenly taunting the Armenian American community in a blatant
example of hate speech. Despite this flagrant attempt at incitement,
we call upon the Armenian American community of Los Angeles to oppose
this painful and egregious provocation peacefully.

Further, the ANCA-WR remains committed to pursuing justice for the
Armenian Genocide, including recognition by the U.S. and Turkish
governments, and to the belief that no entity is allowed to inhumanely
terrorize victims of genocide and their descendants. As the largest and
most influential Armenian American advocacy organization, the ANCA-WR
stands with all individuals and groups ready to civilly oppose this
vulgar reenactment of an unforgotten and torturous past.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

ANOTHER RICH MAN ROBBED

04:26 pm | Today

Social

Last night, a group of masked men entered the villa of one of Armenia’s
well-known businessmen in “Noy” district of Yerevan, and according
to news, held a gun demanding money and precious items.

The bandits entered from the back of the villa and even the security
alarm system didn’t stop them. The bandits took what they wanted
and left.

The police arrived at the scene after they had left. Head of the RA
Police Department of News and Public Relations Ashot Aharonyan told
“A1+” that there had been another case like this in “Noy” district
and that this one was a bandit attack.

Mr. Aharonyan noted that the person or people who invaded from the
back side of the villa robbed the landlady’s golden jewels and left
when she noticed him or them.

A case has been instigated and preliminary inquiry is underway. Ashot
Aharonyan affirmed that this case had nothing to do with the previous
bandit attacks since there was no threat of weapon.

Aharonyan wasn’t able to say whether the criminals were masked or
not because he didn’t have enough details of the crime.

DEMAND FOR TICKETS FOR PARALYMPIC GAMES UNPRECEDENTED

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 27, 2011 – 18:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Demand for tickets for next year’s Paralympic Games
has been unprecedented and many of the sessions will have to go to
a ballot, London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said on Tuesday,
September 27.

Ticket sales in Britain opened on September 9 and closed on Monday.

Speaking at the opening of a Team GB and ParalympicsGB outlet at the
new Westfield shopping centre at the Olympic Park in east London,
Deighton said the public response had been exceptional.

“We are still sorting through the final numbers but we are delighted
with the outcome. We have sold hundreds and hundreds of thousands,
a very impressive return. In Paralympic terms, it’s unprecedented,”
he said.

“There’s a substantial number of sessions where we will have to go
to ballot because they’ve been over-subscribed, which again I think
is probably a first for the Paralympic Games.”

He said the over-subscribed sessions were more widely spread across
the sports than might have been expected, and not just the popular
ceremonies, cycling and wheelchair basketball.

Deighton said the ticket sales would not change the overall financial
picture for organisers LOCOG, even though revenues from the Olympics
and Paralympics are combined before working out any profits.

“Our projections for Paralympic ticket sales were always pretty strong,
so basically what we are going to do is hit our target,” he said.

The remaining tickets for the Paralympics will be put on sale online
in December along with some 1.5 million Olympic soccer tickets.

There will also be a further sale of around a million Olympic tickets
held back while sight lines and broadcasting positions inside venues
were finalized, Reuters reported.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT HAILS STRENGTHENING ARMENIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS

ARKA
Sep 27, 2011

YEREVAN, September 27. / ARKA /. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan,
speaking yesterday at a reception held in his honor by the mayor
of Los Angeles, USA. California, Antonio Villaraigosa, hailed the
strengthening Armenian-American relations, Sargsyan~Rs press office
reported.

He said he was in the city with a very strong Armenian community and
expressed gratitude to the authorities of Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, all friends of the Armenian people for their warm and
friendly attitude towards the Armenians.

“Hundreds of thousands of my country fellows were able to freely live,
develop, and ensure their welfare here and, of course, contribute to
the success of both the city and the U.S.. We are grateful to the U.S.
for such an approach. Our friendship is eternal, and I am very happy
that the Armenian-American relations in recent years have strengthened
enough,” he said.

According to him, there is something strange that Armenia has a history
of thousands of years, while Armenia marks the 20th anniversary of
its independence.

“We are a country of young democracy, but we have been guided by
this idea for 1,700 years. And today the assistance of our friends
and our potential help us achieve progress in our country,” he said.

After completing his visit to the United States, the president
travelled to France on a two-day official visit.

TURKISH EXPERT: ERDOGAN “WAS WRONG” TO LEAVE THE HALL DURING SARGSYAN’S SPEECH

ARMINFO
Tuesday, September 27, 15:17

Burcu Gultekin Punsmann, PhD. Senior Foreign Policy Analyst, the
Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), said talking to
ArmInfo that Prime Minister Erdogan’s leaving the UN General Assembly
session hall during Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech was
“a wrong step”.

Few people in Turkey have noticed that fact, she said, the public in
Turkey was more interested in the meeting of the country’s leadership
with Obama and discussion of the Turkish-Armenian relations alongside
with other issues on the agenda. “We are not as sensitive to that as
Armenians. But I think that it was a wrong step,” Punsmann said.

She highlighted the fact that the Turkish president congratulated the
Armenian people on the 20th Independence Anniversary on September 21.

Even if there are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey,
she said, the relations must be somehow observed. “You know, our
prime minister is not a very good diplomat. He displayed diplomatic
isrespect when he left the hall not listening to the speech of the
neighbor country’s president,” Punsmann said.

HOVIK ABRAHAMIAN: TURKEY MUST FOLLOW GERMANY’S SUIT

Noyan Tapan
27.09.2011 | 11:41
Politics

The delegation led by the National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamian
and composed of Head of Armenia-Germany Friendship Group Artak Davtian,
Head of the NA Staff Gegham Gharibjanian, and Armenia’s Ambassador
to Germany Armen Martirosian is on a working visit to Germany. On
September 26 the delegation visited House Museum of Johannes Lepsius
in Potsdam where they met with the staff of the House Museum. The
life and activities of J. Lepsius were presented in detail to the
delegation members.

It should be noted that Johannes Lepsius was a German public figure,
Orientalist and Protestant missionary with a special interest in trying
to prevent the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. He condemned
the Turkish authorities’ actions aimed at annihilating Armenians and
he demanded that the German government should make efforts to stop the
Armenian massacres. Lepsius participated in protests against Armenian
massacres, underlining in his speeches that this crime was committed
by the Turkish government led by the sultan.

In the House Museum, Hovik Abrahamian was presented with J. Lepsius’
work “Report on the Situation of the Armenian People in Turkey”.

According to the press service of the RA National Assembly,
H. Abrahamian told those present that the role of J. Lepsius in
initiating the process of international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide is invaluable. In his words, the Armenian people remembers
Lepsius with appreciation as he was the first person to raise his voice
in his works and articles against mass killings of the Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire. Hovik Abrahamian expressed hope that the first genocide
committed at the beginning of the 20th century will be recognized
and condemned universally. “The recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian Genocide is the problem of not only the Armenian people,
but also the international community – for the reason that not being
recognized and condemned at the time, it paved the way for other
genocides and ethnic cleansing in various parts of the world in the
20th century. So we consider the recognition and condemnation of
the Armenian Genocide by the international community and especially
by Turkey, the legal successor to the Ottoman Empire, as the best
guarantee of prevention of such crimes”. He said that recognition of
the Armenian Genocide is also important for improving the atmosphere
of mutual trust between the two neighboring countries and in the
region. “Turkey must follow Germany’s suit that recognized Holocaust
as a historic fact. Turkey must recognize the Armenian Genocide,” H.

Abrahamian stated. He said that on the initiative of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan, an attempt was made to improve relations
between Armenia and Turkey, without preconditions. The protocols on
opening the borders and establishment of diplomatic relations were
signed in Zurich. “Unfortunately, Turkey was not prepared and it is
not prepared now to carry this process to its logical completion:
after the signing of the protocols, it put forward some preconditions
unacceptable to the Armenian side. At the same time I consider it
necessary to note that in its efforts to improve relations with Turkey,
Armenia has never called into question the Armenian Genocide.

The international community knows that Armenia has always taken
constructive initiatives,” Hovik Arahamian said.

At the end of the meeting the NA speaker made notes in the book of
honorary guests.

NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamian will meet with President of the Bundestag
Norbert Lammert on September 27. On the evening of the same day the
Armenian delegation will attend a concert and an official reception
dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. The
events will be held in the Big Concert Hall in Berlin.