REGULAR MONITORING HELD ON ARMENIAN-AZERI BORDER
Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2009
YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. A monitoring was held on March 31
on the border near the village of Berkaber, Tavush region with the
participation of Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Ambassador Adrzej Kasprzyk. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the
RA Defence Ministry Press Office.
The monitoring proceeded without incidents.
PRESIDENT OF CENTRAL BANK LEFT FOR MOSCOW
Panorama.am
15:32 30/03/2009
The President of the Central Bank of Armenia Arthur Djavadyan left
for Moscow today to attend the session of Ministers of Finance and
Economy and the Presidents of Central Banks of CIS, as well as the
7th session of Financial-economic policy council of Eurasian Economic
Union, the press service of the CB reports.
According to the source the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of
Finance A. Kudrin and the Secretary General of Eurasian Economic
Union T. Mansurov are going to make speeches during the session.
GOVERNMENT RESIGNATION DEMANDED IN MOSCOW
12:08 28/03/2009
Source: Panorama.am
A group of protestants in Moscow demanded the Prime Minister’s and his
Administration’s resignation in a metro station, yesterday. The
participants of the protest action accused the Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin of some economic shortcomings.
Earlier Levada sociological center conducted a survey among the
Russians. According to the results of the poll the majority of Russian
population is ready to come out to the streets and make protest
actions. 61% of the poll participants said they would not like to take
part in such actions, 13% did not answer the question at all.
NaharNet, Lebanon
March 29 2009
MP Tor Sarkissian: No Solution with Tashnag, We Don’t Hand Out Gifts
MP Serge Tor Sarkissian said on Sunday that "no solution" has been
reached with Tahsnag for the upcoming parliamentary elections because
the Armenia party "wants everything."
"It is necessary that Tashnag take a position," he told Voice of
Lebanon radio, continuing "we are ready to give them everything." He
added that, if it were possible, the party would "take the seats of
Maronites and others" as well.
Tor Sarkissian expressed his support for an Armenian parliamentary
bloc but cautioned that "if the bloc were [mainly] comprised of
Tashnag, it would pose a danger to Lebanon."
The MP also denied rumors that money was being offered to Tashnag in
return for political support, saying that "the Armenian seats are the
property of citizens and we don’t hand out gifts."
The Armenian party is expected to announce its alliances for the June
7 elections in the near future.
Beirut, 29 Mar 09, 11:36
ARONIAN WINS AMBER BLINDFOLD AND RAPID CHAMPIONSHIP 2009
Latest Chess.com
44
March 27 2009
In the eleventh and final round, Levon Aronian drew in both the
games against Topalov to win the 18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid
Tournament. The Armenian grandmaster, survived scary moments in his
blindfold game against Veselin Topalov and next comfortably drew the
rapid game to take the title. Report with games and videos.
Second place was shared by Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. The World
Champion defeated Wang Yue 1½-½, while his predecessor routed Peter
Leko 2-0.
In the blindfold competition three players shared first place. Magnus
Carlsen, who had long dominated the competition, lost his last game and
this allowed Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik to catch up with him.
The rapid competition also ended in a three-way tie for first. This
year the best rapid players were Vishy Anand, Levon Aronian and
Gata Kamsky.
The 18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament, organized by the
Association Max Euwe in Monaco is taking place from 14 – 26 March at
the Palais de la Mediterranee, located on the famous Promenade des
Anglais in Nice, France. The total prize-fund is â~B¬ 216,000. This
year’s field is stronger than ever with all the world’s best players
taking part. Every day four sessions will be played, two blindfold
sessions and two rapid sessions.
TURKEY CHANGES TACTICS ON "GENOCIDE"
Golos Armenii
Feb 21 2009
Yerevan
Armenia is losing in the "information war" against Turkey and
Azerbaijan, says a columnist with the pro-government Armenian
newspaper Golos Armenii. Turkey has recently changed its tactics
to prevent international recognition of the Armenian genocide,
Razdan Madoyan says. The Armenian language and literature have
started to be taught at several universities in Turkey. The Turkish
government has also decided to start "TV propaganda" in Armenian,
Madoyan says in an article headlined "They have started to act…" He
accuses the Armenian authorities of not doing enough to counteract
Turkey. Subheading as given:
According to Turkish news agency reports, universities there have
started to open departments of Armenian language and literature. They
are almost competing with one another on this. Universities not only
in Istanbul but in other places are also doing so. Thus recently
Erciyes University in Kayseri province received the Turkish Higher
Education Council’s permission to open such a department.
[Passage omitted: the rector of the university says the faculty will
be set up in two months and students for 2009-2010 will be enrolled].
A boom for tutors of the Armenian language has started in Turkey. There
is a lack of such tutors. For this reason, the University of Nevsehir
(another out-of-the-way place in Turkey), for example, cannot start
enrolling students into the already opened department of the Armenian
language and literature.
Under the conditions of the quite tense and mutually uncompromising
Armenian-Turkish relations, regardless of the football diplomacy,
this Turkish policy (this is a policy and not a private initiative)
is of course explained not by altruistic motives but an urge to know
a neighbour better, which can be welcomed per se.
Turkey understands that the mere denial of the Armenian genocide is
already not enough; both countries not favourably disposed to it and
its yesterday’s friends and allies already do not believe it. The
USA will use the fact of genocide in every possible way as a means
of putting pressure upon it; Israel has proved by its behaviour
that it needs Turkey’s friendship as long as it benefits from this
friendship, and will not refrain from throwing it in Turkey’s face
upon necessity. Turkey understands that it is impossible to stop the
avalanche and tries to avoid it with minimum losses.
Turkey has comparatively recently said that the genocide did not
take place, as it has no documents proving this in its archives. The
archives are open for researchers, Turkish politicians said, and anyone
can get convinced of this in person. However, the archive topic was
no further developed. It is apparent that not all were allowed access
[to the archives] and not to all materials. It is quite possible that
Turkey is going to again announce the opening the archives, and ahead
of this it wants to comb them out, in particular, to carry out a total
check of Armenian materials; of course there should be many of those
there. Their own reliable personnel are needed for this cause, and
Turkish universities have been assigned to prepare those. It becomes
clear that in such state of affairs why there is a lack of tutors:
naturally those cannot be accidental people, invited from the side.
Turkey is shifting from the unproductive policy of denying the genocide
to anti-propaganda, and this requires other types of means and other
actions. Turkey’s decision to start TV propaganda for Armenia in
Armenian should be considered in this perspective. On the one hand,
Turkey will try to break the stereotypes established in the Armenian
public by presenting itself as a tolerant, democratic country, which
is full of love for its neighbour. Much space will be allocated to
cultural interference, which of course did take place; to stories
how well they treat Armenia and Armenians in modern Turkey; maybe
they will create soap operas. It will be, of course, done with great
professionalism, and specialists of Armenian language and literature
– Turks – are needed for this very purpose. Unfortunately, all this
will look very attractive against the background of idiocy broadcast
by Armenian TV channels.
Under the quickly changing conditions Turkey needs peculiar
"rapid reaction forces" of propaganda, which would monitor the
everyday situation in Armenia, drawing conclusions and submitting
recommendations. This is another reason of the "boom" of Turkish love
for Armenian things.
The Turks are not just good: they are great diplomats, and we get
convinced of this again and again. They can turn even their military
and economic defeats into diplomatic victories. In the contemporary
world it is much more important to win in the information-political
war than in the battlefield, moreover that the latter happens rarely.
Armenia has no TV propaganda against Turkey
We have been trying to make ourselves heard by our government, saying
that we are losing in the information war with Turkic Azerbaijan,
that it, as any war, cannot be let take its course, that it can’t
be won with the efforts of individual heroes, and that the state,
and not bushfighters should wage this war. If the state of affairs
at the second Armenian-Turkish front is a little better at present,
this is due no to the Armenian state, but to the Diaspora. However,
the Diaspora cannot take upon all the functions of a state.
In the days of [former President Levon] Ter-Petrosyan’s junta, when
every parvenu who had power shouted "I am the state!", the general
staff of the ideological and information war was destroyed due to its
being dangerous for the junta people, and the whole sector got under
the control of their people. The second president [Robert Kocharyan]
did not manage to, and rather did not want to change the state of
affairs, the third one [Serzh Sargsyan] will do something but will
he do it?
That’s why one feels sick of the programmes of almost all Armenian TV
channels, and the satellite ones are a disgrace. That’s why we have
not been able to take time and establish not a special channel for
broadcasting for Turkey but even an ordinary 15-minute news bulletin
in Turkish. That is why we do nothing but talk. If the Turks open
their archives, no-one will be able to work there, as we do not have
specialists of Ottoman [Turkish] language.
We are not preparing tutors or specialists of the Azerbaijani language
while we have an opportunity to do this. We will have to do it from
scratch in the future.
LACK OF FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS RESULTS IN ILLEGAL TREE FELLING IN ARMENIA
ARKA
March 27, 2009
YEREVAN, March 27. /ARKA/. The lack of forest management plans
results in illegal tree felling in Armenia, Martun Matevosyan,
Director General of the Hayantar (Armforest) nonprofit organization,
RA Ministry of Agriculture, told a news conference.
"Efficient forest management is impossible without planning," he
said. Matevosyan also pointed out the importance of separating forest
management from forest utilization.
He added that the organization is exercising a strict supervision of
its staff to prevent illegal tree felling.
"Last year about 100 foresters and other employees were dismissed
for being involved in illegal tree felling," Matevosyan said.
A total of 2,080 cases of illegal tree felling were registered in
Armenia last year, which caused 85mln AMD (over $230,000) damage to
the state. Over 430 cases were registered in the 1st quarter of 2009,
which caused 25mln AMD (about $68,000) damage.
TURKEY’ GUL GIVES DENMARK PM THUMBS UP TO HEAD NATO
By Lisa Bryant
fm
27 March 2009
Turkey said on Friday it was not opposed to Denmark’s prime minister
becoming the next head of NATO. That message was delivered by Turkish
President Abdullah Gul in Brussels, where he was visiting to push
Ankara’s stalled candidacy to the European Union.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul praised Danish Prime Minister Anders
Fogh Rasmussen, calling him one of the most important and successful
prime ministers in Europe. Mr. Gul’s remarks, made to reporters in
Brussels, appeared to mark a turnaround.
Key NATO member Turkey was previously considered a stumbling block
to Mr. Rasmussen’s candidacy to be the next head of the Atlantic
alliance. He is considered the favored candidate of Washington and
a number of other NATO members to take over the post after outgoing
NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer leaves steps down. NATO leaders
gather on the French-German border next week to mark the alliance’s
60th anniversary.
Mr. Gul’s visit to Europe was largely to push Turkey’s candidacy to
join the 27-member European Union. Turkey’s prime minister also visited
the EU in January. Talks have slowed over a number of issues, including
over EU member Cyprus which Turkey does not recognize. And several EU
members have reservations about offering Ankara full membership status.
But the Turkish government is now working hard to convince them. On
Thursday, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission,
the EU’s executive arm, praised Turkey for pushing reforms in a number
of areas.
"As concerns political reforms, I welcome Turkey’s intention to
move ahead on political issues such the rules governing the closing
of political parties and gender equality," he said. "It is also
particularly important to pay attention to freedom of expression,
freedom of religion and particularly freedom of the press. The
independence and pluralism of the press are fundamental values in
any democracy."
Mr. Barroso also praised Mr. Gul for paying a landmark visit to Armenia
last year. The two countries have no ties and are at still at odds over
the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman soldiers during World War I.
But he said it was important the Cyprus question was resolved.
TURKISH PROFESSOR: RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS THE ONLY WAY TO BRING JUSTICE TO OUR LIVES
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.03.2009 19:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Suppressed truth poisons the suppressor, it also
poisons those who are deprived of the knowledge of the truth. Not
only that: suppressed truth poisons the entire environment in which
both the suppressor and those who are subjected to that suppression
live. So it poisons everything. Nearly a century after the genocide
of Armenians and Assyrians/Syriacs as well as other Christian peoples
of the Asia Minor, Turkey is still being poisoned by the suppression
of the truth. And because the suppressed truth concerns a crime,
because the suppressors are those in power, and those deprived of
the truth are the whole nation, it is the very future of that nation
which is also poisoned.
If you are a ruler suppressing a truth, you have to suppress those who
seek the truth as well. The poison feeds you with self-glorification
in order to evade guilt, hatred to justify your lying and cruelty
to sustain the lie at all costs. Bits of truth may be known to some
of the people you rule. So you either have to make them join your
self-deception by offering excuses for the crime you committed to
persuade them there was no other choice or declare them traitors and
carry on an endless war against those who resist persuasion.
But people tend to be persuaded; so in Turkey the great majority of
people sincerely believe that if it is a question of life or death for
the "fatherland" the state machinery may rightfully resort to unlawful
methods – in other words, that the so-called "national interests"
justify all means. This is how the suppressed truth and the methods
of that suppression poison minds generation after generation.
So, it is no surprise that for nearly a century Turkey saw no real
democracy, no real peace, no real well-being. Violence has always
been part of our lives. Military coups followed one another and
in the absence of an actual military rule, there has always been
sometimes overt, sometimes covert, threat of it. Since the foundation
of the Republic, the Kurdish uprisings and their violent repression
continued. In the last 30 years the land which was once the homeland
of Armenians and Assyrians as well, has been suffering from what the
authorities call the "fight against terrorism". Evacuated villages,
forced migration, people under custody going missing and unsolved
murders became the characteristics of the region.
The bloodshed has never stopped since 1915.
It’s not only the violence. Permit me to borrow here what I had written
on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of the Genocide, which Khatchig
Mouradian quoted in his article published by Znet on April 23, 2006:
"A big curse fell upon this land [in 1915]. The settlements where once
artisans, manufacturers, and tradesmen produced and traded goods,
where theatres and schools disseminated knowledge and aesthetic
fulfillment, where churches and monasteries refined the souls, where
beautiful architecture embodied a great, ancient culture; in short,
a civilized, lively urban world was turned into a rural area of vast,
barren, silent, uninhabited land and settlements marked by buildings
without a history and without a personality."
Nowadays an excavation is going on in Silopi, to investigate the
allegations that in the 1990’s the dead bodies of persons who went
missing under custody by security forces had been dumped there. So
far some bones, hair and pieces of clothing have been found – what was
left after the clean-up operations – and sent to forensic laboratory
for analysis.
This is one of the places which has suffered most from the suspension
of rule of law in the region for the sake of the so-called "unity
of Turkey".
And it is the same place where, 96 years ago, masses of mostly
Assyrians/Syriacs but Armenians as well, though in smaller number,
were either massacred outright or driven on foot to the mountains
where death was certain as a result of starvation, destitution and
exposure to harsh weather conditions without any shelter. This was
what happened in many places to Armenians throughout Asia Minor during
that reign of terror.
Now the "death wells" represents the continuation of the bloodshed
and suppressed truths. After 96 years there are still unburied dead
bodies to be searched for by means of excavations.
Yes, "All suppressed truths become poisonous," said Nietzsche many,
many years ago, but he continued: "- And let everything break up
– which can be broken up by our truths! Many a house is still to
be built!"
"This is the only way that would bring justice to our lives – I mean
recognition of the damage done and making amends," stated Professor
Ayse Gunaysu in his report at "Legacy of the 1915 Genocide in the
Ottoman Empire" conference in Stockholm held on Mar.23, 2009.
ACA ADDRESSED ISSUES TO CLINTON CONCERNING US RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA AND TURKEY
armradio.am
27.03.2009 13:30
The Armenian Council of America (ACA) sent U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton a letter. In the letter, the ACA addressed
several issues of concern regarding U.S.-Armenia and U.S.-Turkey
relations.
Recently Secretary Clinton visited the Republic of Turkey, and
President Barack Obama has an upcoming trip scheduled for April
5th. The letter stated, "President Obama’s upcoming visit to Turkey,
especially in the month of April, is a unique opportunity for
the United States to encourage the Republic of Turkey to rectify
its historical past in order to develop a strong Armenian-Turkish
relationship and for the future of Turkish nation itself." Secretary
Clinton spoke on the telephone as well with Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan regarding current affairs.
This April will mark the commemoration of the 94th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide and an anticipated annual statement is expected
from the White House. "The Armenian Council of America appreciates
the administration’s engagement on these issues and looks forward to
positive statements and fulfillment of their pledges reaffirming the
American record on the Armenian Genocide," stated ACA Board Member
Peter Darakjian.
The full text of the letter is presented below:
"On behalf of the Armenian Council of America and the Armenian
American community, we would like to thank you for your continuous
support and interest in the relationship between the United States
and the Republic of Armenia.
In light of your recent visit to the Republic of Turkey, your telephone
conversation with Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan, and President
Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Turkey, we would like to bring
your attention to a few issues. We acknowledge and appreciate the
United States supporting the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relationship and that you discussed this matter with Turkish Foreign
Minister Babacan. We are encouraged that recently there has been
some progress made on this front, and we support the establishment
of diplomatic relations between the two neighbors and opening of
the border.
However, acceptance of the Armenian Genocide should not be hindered
in lieu of establishing relations between the two nations. The
Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Israel have established
diplomatic relations, while at the same time the German people and
government has acknowledged the crimes of the Holocaust. Therefore,
we do not understand the Turkish rgument of deterring acceptance of
the Armenian Genocide and the American acceptance of this tactic.
America as the bastion of democracy and champion of human rights
should nurture these bilateral relations as well as the historical
truth. President Obama’s visit to Turkey, especially in the month of
April, is a unique opportunity for the United States to encourage the
Republic of Turkey to rectify its historical past in order to develop
a strong Armenian-Turkish relationship and for the future of Turkish
nation itself. This will be beneficial for the United States in its
approach of strengthening its and neighborly relations in the South
Caucasus and the greater Near East.
The Armenian Council of America supports the U.S.-Armenia relationship
and cooperation. We favor the continuation of the Millenium Challenge
Account assistance program to the people of Armenia. The United States
has always stood by the Republic of Armenia from the beginning of
its independence in 1991. As we are in the United States, Armenia
is also currently being affected by the global economic crisis. Any
decrease in U.S. humanitarian and economic assistance would affect the
livelihood of its citizens. As part of this relationship, we would like
to encourage the United States to foster the growth of democracy and
a civil society in Armenia. The 2008 Armenian presidential election
and the subsequent clamp down on the opposition hindered the growth
of these critical elements. Without these solid foundations, Armenia
cannot truly develop into a democratic, prosperous, and free market
nation.
The Obama Administration has been very dynamic in implementing its
domestic and foreign policy changes. The Armenian Council of America
and the Armenian A merican community look forward to this leadership
standing by its pledge on acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. This
will demonstrate the administration’s stance that genocide is not
acceptable to the United States regardless of geopolitics.
We thank you and the administration again for your commitment in
improving America’s relations and image abroad, as well as promoting
peace throughout the world."