Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Today’s Zaman , Turkey
Sept 11 2011

Armenians hold second religious ceremony at Akdamar church

11 September 2011, Sunday / TODAY’S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL

A second religious ceremony has been held since the historic Sept. 19,
2010 service at the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on the island of
Akdamar in the eastern province of Van on Sunday.

Hymns and prayers resonated on Akdamar Island in 2010, 95 years after
religious services ended in the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross,
which occupies a special place in medieval Armenian art and
architecture and is a jewel for Turkey, as indicated by Turkish and
foreign observers.

Known in English as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross, the church
was in ruins and on the verge of collapse. However, by order of Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
started a restoration project in 2005 to preserve the historical
identity of the church. The church has since become a hotspot for
domestic and international tourists since being opened as a museum by
the ministry after its restoration work was completed in 2007.

Armenian Orthodox Archbishop Aram AteÅ?yan, together with other
religious representatives and almost 2,000 Armenians travelled to the
island by ferry in the early hours of Sunday. The ceremony was led by
Archbishop AteÅ?yan. Income received from the sale of candles at the
church will be sent to famine stricken Somalia.

The church, which had attracted nearly 30,000 tourists until the end
of 2010, has received even more number of visitors during the first
seven months of the year, tourism officials told the Anatolia news
agency.

Officials said the number of tourists visiting the church was expected
to reach 60,000 by the end of 2011.

The Armenian Church of the Holy Cross was a monastic complex until
1920s, but deteriorated in condition after being abandoned during
World War I. Upon a proposal by the Governor’s Office of Van and
approval of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the church is
expected to now host annual religious services.

Armenians who lived in this province, located on the eastern shore of
Lake Van and in eastern Anatolia, were deported by Ottoman forces in
1915. Armenians say 1.5 million Armenians were killed during a
systematic campaign in eastern Anatolia, while Turkey strongly rejects
the claims of genocide, saying the killings came as the Ottoman Empire
was trying to quell civil strife and that Muslim Turks were also
killed in the conflict. There are only around 60,000 Armenians left
living in Turkey, mostly in Ä°stanbul.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Sept 11 2011

Azerbaijani delegation to participate in Euronest PA session
[11.09.2011 12:24]
Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 11 / Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /

The first session of the “Euronest” Parliamentary Assembly will be
held in Strasbourg on September 14 – 15.
The delegation will be headed by MP Elkhan Suleymanov.

“The delegation consisting of ten people will leave for Strasbourg on
September 12,” MP, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to “Euronest” PA
Elkhan Suleymanov told Trend.

The recommendations will be discussed at the session. The decisions on
the summit of the Eastern Partnership will be also made. The summit
will be held in Warsaw on September 29 – 30.
Concerning the corrections made by the Armenian delegation, head of
Azerbaijani delegation to “Euronest” PA stressed that the Armenian
delegation’s proposals mainly provided for Armenia’s joining the
energy policy, participation in regional economic integration
processes and transnational projects, erasing the borders between the
countries of the Eastern Partnership, etc.

But the Azerbaijani delegation did not accept these proposals. It
informed “Euronest” PA members that Armenia occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijani territory. More than one million Azerbaijani citizens
became refugees and IDPs. Armenia takes the unconstructive position
and holds a destructive policy in the region as a whole.

news.am, Armenia
Sept 11 2011

Azerbaijanis released 1200 shots in direction of Karabakh

September 10, 2011 | 15:44

YEREVAN. – During September 4-10, on the contact line of
Karabakh-Azerbaijan forces, the ceasefire has been violated 230 times
by Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh’s defense army informed Armenian
News-NEWS.am that Azerbaijan’s army released 1200 shots in the
direction of Karabakh.

In spite of the activity, the soldiers generally abstained from
response actions and confidently implemented the military service.

Dave, Judy Smith get second chance in Armenia

By Judy Smith
Special to the StarNews

Published: Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, September 9, 2011 at 12:31 p.m.

The journey Dave and I began last October when we joined the Peace Corps and
traveled to Niger, Africa, ended with abrupt evacuation and return to the
U.S. after only three months.

Terrorist activity in the capital city of Niamey and other areas of Niger
was deemed a threat to Peace Corps safety and security. Currently, all 98
volunteers who wanted to continue with Peace Corps service have been
re-assigned to countries all over the world and Peace Corps service in Niger
has been suspended indefinitely.

After three weeks back in the U.S., Dave and I were invited to continue
service in Armenia, a small Eastern European country about the size of the
state of Maryland.

We accepted the invitation even though our hearts were still in Africa where
we had just begun our work in the Health (Judy) and Farm (Dave) sectors. Our
acceptance meant three more months of pre-service training, this time in
Armenia. We’d begin to learn another language, study a new culture, and
engage in totally different technical training for our work. I would be a
TEFL (teacher of English as a foreign language) and David would be in
Business and Community Development.
Now we have completed the above mentioned training and have been sworn in as
official Peace Corps volunteers for the second time. We hope to accomplish
the goals of the U.S. Peace Corps this time around without interruption.

Our first weeks in Armenia were a resounding success. We met 39 amazing
volunteers ranging in age from 22 to-71 years with backgrounds and
experiences just as diverse.

During our training, we lived in the rural home of a young Armenian couple
whose work was dairy farming. Their family included a 2½ year old son and
two older sons, one who had just returned from his two-year mandatory
military service and one who was still serving his country.

The family enthusiastically accepted us and our bonding with them was rapid.
Their willingness to house and care for two total strangers from another
country and our opportunity to serve with the Peace Corps in a second
country within the same year were beyond belief.

Although we saw and experienced endless contrasts between Niger, Africa, and
Armenia there were striking similarities. The warm welcomes and needy people
who reached out in anticipation of working with us as Peace Corps volunteers
were factors which quickly assured us that we were, indeed, following a
realistic dream by continuing our pursuit of Peace Corps service.

During our training we were able to visit several areas of Armenia
surrounding the Peace Corps training village. Our group lived in five
different rural villages where we studied the language (Hayeren) and culture
of the country.
All 41 of us were fortunate to visit historic churches and monasteries , The
National Gallery of Armenia, the History Museum of Armenia, the Genocide
Memorial Museum, and the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts – Matendaran
during our training.

We attended a classical chamber music concert and participated in an evening
of music and dance at the Cascades in the capital city of Yerevan. Our
cultural training certainly differed from that same training in Africa. We
contemplated how we could be seeing these sites and performances as Peace
Corps volunteers.

Soon we realized that this inclusion of culture helped to broaden our
understanding of Armenia with its dark, traumatic history which was filled
with war, poverty, natural disasters, and death. Only through viewing some
of the historical remnants followed by experiencing current exhibitions of
hope, talent, and joy could we truly understand Armenia and its people.

Armenia, with its homogenous population, boasts of a literacy rate of 98
percent, yet continues to struggle with high unemployment, poverty,
governmental incongruities and the overshadowing weight of past traumas. The
appreciation for beauty, music, friendship and family accompany the
harshness of severely cold winters, limited food choices and job market
realities.

And so we live in our new country with its inspiring mountains and
protective valleys that nature provides us and the Armenian people. Language
barriers certainly exist and the English-Armenian dictionary continues to be
our constant companion.

However, we will learn from our new host family in our permanent town and
they will learn from us. What better way to model peace than one to one?

ESC Daily
Sept 10 2011

Armenia: JESC finalists announced

Public TV of Armenia (AMPTV) have announced on their Eurovision
facebook page the finalists for their Junior Eurovision national
selection. The final will take place in a weeks time, on September
17th. Today all of the finalists met at the Dolphin centre of Armenia
and drawed the running order for the national competition. You can see
a list of all the participants below:

1. Razmik & Friends
2. Milena Vardanyan
3. Maria Enokyan
4. Petros Kazaryan
5. Milena Mhitaryan
6. Tatev Engibaryan
7. Group `Do-Re-Mi’
8. Nadya Sargsyan
9. Group `Alegro’
10. Meri Arzumanyan
11. Monika Navasardyan
12. Group `Dalita’
13. Anahit Hakobyan
14. Sona Gyulkhasyan
15. Milena Miskaryan
16. Vahagn Grigoryan

The contestants songtitles are still unknown at the moment. Some of
the participants are no strangers to Junior Eurovision, such as Razmik
& Friends, Group `Do-Re-Mi’, `Dalita’, and Vahagn Grigoryan, as these
all participated in the national selection last year. The members of
`Do-Re-Mi’, Nadya Sargsyan, Meri Arzumanyan, and Sona Gyulkhasyan all
have solo-entries in the competition too. Nadya also announced the
votes for Armenia in the international final last year.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Sept 10 2011

US ready to assist fair solution to Karabakh conflict
Sat 10 September 2011 07:01 GMT | 3:01 Local Time

The US embassy to Azerbaijan has commented on information in Armenian
media about Uruguay’s plans to recognize independence of Karabakh
separatists.
‘The United States consider that principles of the Helsinki final act
(nonuse and disavowal of force, territorial integrity, equality and
self-determination) ensure the basis for peaceful and fair resolution
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict’, said spokesman for the US embassy to
Azerbaijan Kit Bin, commenting on this information.

‘The United States, being chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, is still
ready to assist the parties in attaining peace and fair solution to
the conflict, based on these principles’, the embassy official said.

As for the statements of the Uruguayan foreign minister, Bin said such
statements are the matters of bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and
Uruguay.

‘The United States do not comment on bilateral relations of other
countries’, he said.

1news.az

Kardashian wants to launch her makeup line

14:39 – 10.09.11

Popular American-Armenian real-time star Kim Kardashian has explained
in the October issue of `Cosmopolitan’ UK that she dreams about having
her own makeup line.

`I would be so involved and I know exactly what I would want to do,’
Hollywood Life quoted her as telling the magazine. `I’m not the kind
of person to just put my name to something.’

The line is said to be a good idea for the newlywed star who enjoys
hair and makeup.

`I love glamming up! My sister Kourtney hates doing her hair and
make-up, but I love the whole process; it’s like a transformation and
I feel much more glamorous afterward,’ she said.

Tert.am

Yerevan to host PM handball tournament in November

September 10, 2011 – 12:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Teams from Armenia, Russia, Uzbekistan and Georgia
will compete in an international handball tournament for the RA Prime
Minister’s award on November 11-14 in Yerevan. The tournament is held
for the third time. Last year, Armenian team, which included players
from France, finished 2nd.

Former military prosecutor: March 1 developments are not disclosed
deliberately, as very serious people are behind them

arminfo
Friday, September 9, 21:54

The March 1 developments are not disclosed deliberately, as very
serious people are behind them, former military prosecutor of Armenia
Gagik Jhangiryan said at the rally of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC) on Friday.

“The legitimacy of the authorities will be endangered until the
shameful pages of March 1 are disclosed. And the fact that these pages
are not disclosed yet demonstrates the full lack of political will of
the ruling regime. This is why we cannot learn the truth hidden
behind all this. Army divisions, armed groups, special force
detachments from the NKR took part in the tragic developments of
March, and they killed innocent people. Therefore, it is extremely
necessary to punish the culprits to prevent any possible re-occurrence
of such tragic events in the future”, he said.

He said that the regime is lying that it cannot disclose the Mar 1
crimes. “They are just imitating inquiry and have not even fired a
single law enforcer so far,” Jangiryan said.

“Unless the authorities do something to disclose the crimes, they will
no longer be considered as legitimate. Out country is falling into an
abyss of corruption and anarchy. That’s why I am urging you to come
together for fighting all this,” Jangiryan said.

ISRAEL TO ‘PUNISH’ TURKEY

Ynetnews
Sept 9 2011
Israel

Jerusalem fights back: Foreign Minister Lieberman formulates series
of tough moves in response to Turkish steps; Israel to cooperate with
Armenian lobby in US, may offer military aid to Kurdish rebels

Shimon Shiffer Published: 09.09.11, 08:54 / Israel News

Jerusalem to punish Erdogan: Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has
decided to adopt a series of harsh measures in response to Turkey’s
latest anti-Israeli moves, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.

Senior Foreign Ministry officials convened Thursday to prepare for a
meeting to be held Saturday with Lieberman on the matter. Saturday’s
session will be dedicated to discussing Israel’s response to Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent threats and his decision
to downgrade Ankara’s diplomatic ties with Jerusalem.

Following Thursday’s meeting, officials assessed that Turkey is not
interested in an Israeli apology at this time and prefers to exploit
the dispute with Jerusalem in order to promote Ankara’s status in
the Muslim world. Lieberman therefore decided there was no point in
seeking creative formulas for apologizing, instead choosing to focus
Israel’s efforts on punishing Turkey.

The Foreign Ministry has now decided to proceed with the formulation
of a diplomatic and security “toolbox” to be used against the Turks.

The first move would be to issue a travel warning urging all Israeli
military veterans to refrain from traveling to Turkey. The advisory
will be especially harsh as it will also urge Israelis to refrain
from boarding connections in Turkey.

Another planned Israeli move is the facilitation of cooperation with
Turkey’s historic rivals, the Armenians. During Lieberman’s visit
to the United States this month, the foreign minister is expected
to meet with leaders of the Armenian lobby and propose anti-Turkish
cooperation in Congress.

The implication of this move could be Israeli assistance in promoting
international recognition of the Armenian holocaust, a measure that
would gravely harm Turkey. Israel may also back Armenia in its dispute
vis-a-vis Turkey over control of Mount Ararat.

‘Turkey better show respect’

Lieberman is also planning to set meetings with the heads of Kurdish
rebel group PKK in Europe in order to “cooperate with them and boost
them in every possible area.” In these meetings, the Kurds may ask
Israel for military aid in the form of training and arms supplies,
a move that would constitute a major anti-Turkish position should
it materialize.

However, the violent clashes between Turkey and the Kurds only
constitute one reason prompting accusations that Ankara is violating
human rights. Hence, another means in Lieberman’s “toolbox” vis-a-vis
Erdogan is a diplomatic campaign where Israeli missions worldwide
will be instructed to join the fight and report illegal Turkish moves
against minorities.

The tough response formulated by Lieberman stems, among other things,
from the foreign minister’s desire to make it clear to Erdogan that
his anti-Israeli moves are not a “one-way street.”

Officials in Jerusalem also noted that Turkey’s global status at this
time is not promising as it is, adding that Ankara is embroiled in
tensions vis-a-vis NATO and Greece, while Erdogan’s relations with
Syria and Iran are also not favorable.

“We’ll exact a price from Erdogan that will prove to him that messing
with Israel doesn’t pay off,” Lieberman said. “Turkey better treat
us with respect and common decency.”

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