Author: Kalantarian Kevo

NATIONAL HERITAGE WANTS TO JOIN ARMENIAN OPPOSITION TROIKA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Oct 30 2014

30 October 2014 – 12:55pm

Aram Arutyunyan, the leader of the National Heritage Party wants to
join the opposition troika of Prosperous Armenia, Heritage and the
Armenian National Congress, local media say.

He clarified that the non-ruling coalition needed as many participants
as possible. Arutyunyan added that the cooperation between the three
parties demonstrated their ability to overcome many ambitions.

“THEY’RE TRYING TO CONCEAL THE “A1 +” JOURNALIST’S LAW CASE”

October 31 2014

Today, the “A1 +” journalist Marine Khachatryan was interrogated. This
is the journalist’s 3rd interrogation. Note that a criminal case was
launched after the incident when on September 9, at the fences of
the National Assembly, when covering the “Counterstrike” artgroups’
protest, the head of the NA Security Service, also the commander
of the State Guard regiment battalion, Karen Hayrapetyan, hit the
journalist’s hands and dropped the video-recording device, the Ipad,
of the ground. The “A1 +” TV company director, Mesrop Movsisyan, in
the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to today’s interrogation and
process of the trial, said that he has the impression that everything
is done to conceal the law case as soon as possible. Mr.

Movsisyan has such an impression because the arguments that are
made by Karen Hayrapetyan are not trustworthy. “The arguments that
are made by the guilty party (I mean Karen Hayrapetyan, the head
of the NA Security Service – N. B.), and I consider him guilty,
the crime that he has committed he is trying to conceal,” said the
TV company Director. Karen Hayrapetyan, as said by Mr. Movsisyan,
it trying to conceal the reality, reasoning allegedly he was nervous
of the journalist’s conduct, allegedly he was nervous that day, and
generally, he did not hit her, moreover, he has no connection with
the case. While, note that Karen Hayrapetyan actions are recorded. Mr.

Movsisyan said, “I consider it funny, because there is a video which
apparently depicts the situation. As to what the bases are for the
investigating agencies to follow this direction, it will come with
their final decision.” Confrontation was held between journalist
Marine Khachatryan and the head of the NA Security Service,
Karen Hayrapetyan. In this regard, the TV company director said,
“Without feeling a shame, Hayrapetyan began blaming our journalist,
who received a blow when implementing her duties, due to which the
Ipad fell down from the hands of the journalist. The video fixes
the situation where it is clear seen that he brutally attacks the
young girl and hits her. Initially, he was saying that it was a
one-time blow, and it cannot be considered a pressure, beating, and
I do not see any element of crime there, and so on. I also consider
this ridiculous.” To the question of Aravot.am of what the reason is
that the work of journalists is obstacle many times, but also it is
officially said that the media and the journalist are free, Mr.

Movsisyan said, “This neglected situation, this atmosphere of impunity,
no one until now has ever been punished, nor imposed a penalty. Voila,
the consequence of it, and they want to keep doing the same. There
has been thousands of cases and all these cases have been recorded. If
5 officials believe that all the rest are stupid, in this case, they
turn to be stupid, because everyone understands, laughs and accuses
these people. If it seems to them that by concealing the law case by
the decision of an investigative body, something will be changed in
people’s sentiment, they are wrong. We will not be changed either,
we will keep going, we will insist that there was an attack, a strike,
and there was obstacle to the journalist’s work. Let 8 people repeat
again that the media in our country is free, and our journalists
are free to work, and there has never been any pressure on them,
it will only remain on funny platform.”

Nelly BABAYAN

Read more at:

US CARDIAC SPECIALISTS ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

15:30 / 31.10.2014

First conference of the Armenian Heart Rhythm Association and
specialists from the USA launched today in Erebuni medical center at
the initiative of the latter’s specialists.

The specialists from the USA shared their surgery experience with the
Armenian specialists and answered their questions. Headed by Hrayr
Karapetyan, the specialists arrived in Armenia to implement surgery
on few people suffering from arrhythmia.

Electrophysiologist-cardiologist Lusine Mkhitaryan, presenting Hrayr
Karapetyan said that though he lives and works in Washington, he
visits Armenia very frequently. Few years ago he arrived in Armenia
with his spouse and took with him few children to the USA where he
operated on them and kept in his own house. Karapetyan has had a
great contribution to opening heart surgery clinics in Armenia. The
Armenian surgeons are implementing surgeries here but the specialists
from the USA will deal with very complicated cases.

Arrhythmia is any of a group of conditions in which the electrical
activity of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal.

Arrhythmias can occur in the upper chambers of the heart, or in the
lower chambers of the heart. Arrhythmias may occur at any age. Some
are barely perceptible, whereas others can be more dramatic and can
even lead to sudden cardiac death.

Some arrhythmias are life-threatening medical emergencies and can
result in cardiac arrest.

FORMER VICE-PREMIER OF ARMENIA TO HEAD IDEA

YEREVAN, October 30. /ARKA/. Former vice-premier and minister of
territorial administration of Armenia Armen Gevorgyan is appointed
as head of Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) founded by
philanthropist and businessman Ruben Vardanyan and his wife Veronika
Zonabend, the press office of the foundation reported.

The foundation is implementing large-scale charity projects for
building better future in Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian communities
abroad, Vardanyan said.

“We have many projects in different stages of implementation and quite
a few new ideas and programs. I am confident Armen Gevorgyan possesses
the required qualities to consistently bring our projects to life”,
he said.

Gevorgyan, in his turn, said he worked in cooperation with Vardanyan
and his partners while being in the government, particularly on
Revival of Tatev, construction of UWC Dilijan College and other
charity initiatives.

“These projects make Armenia change, make the country more interesting
to the outer world and provide better comfort for citizens. I agreed
to head the IDeA foundation as it will give me an opportunity to use
my knowledge and experience to the best advantage to contribute to
Armenia’s development”, Gevorgyan said.

Gevorgyan held public posts in 1997-2014. He was first assistant to
premier, head of president’s staff, secretary of Armenia’s National
Security Council and vice-premier of Armenia.–0–

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN ATTENDS THE ANOINTMENT OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN JORDAN

13:03, 30 Oct 2014

Hripsime Arakelyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Jordan

The blessing ceremony of the Armenian St. Karept Church in Jordan
started a few minutes ago.

Representatives of the local Armenian community welcomed President
Serzh Sargsyan and his delegation at the entrance of the church with
bread and salt.

Secretary General of the Religious Primacy and the Ô¼ocal National
Council Nerses Nersesyan offered a welcome speech.

After that members of the delegation entered the Church and lit
candles.

The religious service is currently under way at St. Karapet Armenian
Church.

The Armenian community of Jerusalem with the support of the Armenian
Patriarchate of Jerusalem undertook to build the church at the Baptism
Site of Jesus Christ on the east bank of the Jordan River back in 2009.

The groundbreaking ceremony in 2009 featured religious leaders and
representatives of the Armenian community.

NORMALIZATION BETWEEN ANKARA AND JERUSALEM? GUESS AGAIN.

by Burak Bekdil
October 30, 2014 at 5:00 am

Until Jerusalem is the capital of a Palestinian state and Israel is
pushed back to its pre-1967 borders, it will be “halal” for Erdogan
to blame Israel for global warming, the Ebola virus, starvation in
Africa and every other misfortune the world faces.

On the press freedoms index 2014 of Reporters without Borders,
Turkey ranks an embarrassing 154th, a score worse than Burundi,
Myanmar, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Libya, Uganda
and Kyrgyzstan, among others. Once again, Erdogan corrupted facts
and figures in order to bash Israel.

Holy struggle against Israel is a prerequisite for Erdogan’s pro-Hamas
Islamism, and the cold war and Erdogan’s explosive rhetoric around
it have yielded a treasure-trove of votes in a country that champions
anti-Semitism.

“The Jewish lobby has lost much of its mythical power. Our prime
minister’s rhetoric and actions have largely caused this. The way he
[Erdogan] walked out of the Davos meeting [in 2009] has substantially
tarnished Israel’s regional charisma. Despite all that, Israel has been
unable to harm Turkey.” This quote was from former senior diplomat
and member of parliament Volkan Bozkir, of Turkey’s ruling Justice
and Development Party [AKP], in an interview with the daily Hurriyet
on March 18, 2013. In Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s mini-cabinet
reshuffle last month, Bozkir became Turkey’s European Union Minister
and chief negotiator with the club for Turkish membership.

Turkey’s then Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan at
a 2009 a panel in Davos, Switzerland, tells Israel’s then President
Shimon Peres, “when it comes to killing, you know well how to kill.”

Since Turkey downgraded its diplomatic relations with Israel four
years ago, the Jewish state has tried, in vain, to normalize ties.

Efforts have included a 2013 move by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
to phone then Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan to
apologize for the Mavi Marmara incident of 2010. Since the Israeli
raid on the Turkish flotilla that aimed to break the “illegal siege”
of Gaza, Turkey has repeatedly said that normalization would never
come before: a) Israel apologized for Mavi Marmara, b) Israel
compensated for the families of the nine Turks killed aboard the
vessel, and c) Israel altogether removed the blockade on Gaza. News
of a potential breakthrough has never been absent on newspaper pages
in both countries.

Most recently, Verda Ozer, a columnist with Hurriyet, quoted a “top
official in Ankara” telling her: “We are ready for normalization with
Israel.” She wrote in her column on Oct. 25:

My question was this: Is Turkey considering normalizing its relations
with Israel and Egypt, which are the only countries offering stability
in the region other than Iran? The official continued: “There is only
the compensation issue remaining. After this is solved, we could send
back our ambassador and relations would be normalized.”

Is normalization possible? Theoretically, it is. In reality, it is
a near impossibility.

Since Netanyahu’s apology, Turkey, both governmentally and publicly,
has reached peak after peak in exhibiting anti-Semitism unseen before.

A year-and-a-half after Netanyahu’s initiative to apologize for the
Mavi Marmara, Erdogan ordered the Turkish Ambassador to Washington, DC,
Serdar Kilic, to write on his behalf to the American Jewish Congress
to express his willingness to return a 2004 “Profile of Courage Award”
the New York-based organization had awarded him.

Shortly before that, the organization had said that Erdogan had become
the world’s “most virulent anti-Israeli leader” and demanded that
he return the award. During Operation Protective Edge in July 2014,
Erdogan commented that “Israel had surpassed Hitler in barbarism.”

Erdogan (and Davutoglu, for that matter) has both pragmatic and
emotional reasons to challenge Israel publicly, and to maintain
Turkey’s “cold war” with Israel. Emotional, because a holy struggle
against Israel is a prerequisite for his pro-Hamas Islamism. And
pragmatic, because the cold war and his explosive rhetoric around it
have yielded a treasure-trove of votes in a country that champions
anti-Semitism. The critical parliamentary elections scheduled for June
2015 will most likely be another setting for his new verbal assaults
on Israel.

In a speech last week, Erdogan defended Turkey’s press freedom record
by claiming that 16 journalists were killed during Israel’s military
offensive against Gaza, Operation Protective Edge, this summer.

“Unfortunately, some politicians in Turkey and some international
media outlets are harshly criticizing Turkey, saying there is no press
freedom in the country,” he said. “But the 16 journalists who were
killed by Israel during the Gaza attacks have never been brought up.”

That was Erdogan’s account of press freedoms in Turkey and Israel. As
always, reality is different from fabrication.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists [CPJ], 16
journalists have been killed in Israel since 1992, but NOT during
Operation Protective Edge. And the CPJ’s database puts the number of
journalists killed in Turkey since 1992 at 20!

On Freedom House’s press freedoms index, Turkey belongs to the “not
free” group of countries, ranking 134th globally, and sharing the same
score as South Sudan, Libya, Ecuador and Armenia. Israel belongs to
the “free” group of countries, ranking 62nd and scoring better than EU
member states Italy (64), Hungary (71), Bulgaria (78) and Greece (92).

On the 2014 press freedoms index of the Reporters Without Borders,
Turkey ranks an embarrassing 154th, a score worse than Iraq,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Burundi, Jordan, Chad,
Libya, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Angola, Mali, South Sudan, Uganda and
Kyrgyzstan. On the same index, Israel ranks 96th.

Once again, Erdogan corrupted facts and figures in order to bash
Israel — while his diplomats are speaking of “Turkey’s readiness
to normalize its ties with Israel.” In reality, with or without the
normalization of diplomatic relations between Ankara and Jerusalem,
the Turks have never hidden their broader goals in the Arab-Israeli
dispute: that Jerusalem should be the capital of a Palestinian state;
and that Israel should be pushed back to its pre-1967 borders. Until
then, it will be ‘halal’ [permitted in Islam] for Erdogan to blame
Israel for global warming, the Ebola virus, starvation in Africa and
every other misfortune the world faces.

Burak Bekdil, based in Ankara, is a Turkish columnist for the Hurriyet
Daily and a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

L’EUROPE SOUTIENT LA NORMALISATION ENTRE LA TURQUIE ET L’ARMENIE

TURQUIE

Un membre de la delegation de l’UE en Turquie a exhorte les groupes
de la societe civile dans les deux pays a s’engager davantage selon
les medias turcs. Il a declare que l’Europe a un > entre la Turquie et l’Armenie. Bela
Szombati, ancien diplomate hongrois, s’exprimait mardi 21 octobre a
Ankara lors d’un evenement sur >
Armenie-Turquie où il a appele les groupes de la societe civile a
s’impliquer davantage afin de surmonter l’ > dans les
relations. L’evenement faisait partie d’un programme qui rassemble
huit groupes de la societe civile d’Armenie et de la Turquie dans le
but d’ameliorer les relations entre les pays voisins.

Bela Szombati, chef adjoint de la delegation de l’UE en Turquie, a
declare : >.

Bela Szombati a declare que les relations bilaterales entre les
deux pays sont dans l’impasse depuis 1993, en gardant la frontière
fermee entre les pays voisins.

L’UKRAINE DOIT DONNER SON ACCORD A DES VOLS EREVAN-SIMFEROPOL

Transport aerien

Une autorisation du gouvernement de Kiev sera necessaire pour relier
par les airs l’Armenie et la Crimee, a averti hier l’ambassadeur
ukrainien Ivan Kukhta, en reaction a des rapports des medias sur
un lancement imminent de vols commerciaux reguliers entre Erevan
et Simferopol.

Un fonctionnaire du gouvernement armenien a dit la semaine dernière
qu’une compagnie aerienne regionale russe n’a pas ete autorisee a
lancer des vols controverses de et vers la peninsule ukrainienne
annexee par la Russie plus tôt cette annee.

Ruben Grdzelian, porte-parole du ministère de l’Aviation civile,
a declare vendredi que la compagnie aerienne russe a presente des
“documents defectueux” a Erevan, mais a ajoute qu’il pourrait a
nouveau demander l’autorisation de vol bientôt.

Neanmoins, le transporteur aerien base a Grozny l(Tchetchenie) semblait
dire que le lancement d’un service regulier allait avoir lieu. Un de
ses dirigeants, Timur Shimayev, a declare que le vol inaugural est
prevu pour le 17 novembre.

Les billets pour le vol peuvent deja etre achetes sur le site de
Grozny Air et auprès des agences de voyage a Erevan.

Un responsable de Crimee a egalement annonce le lancement imminent
des vols jeudi dernier.

“Naturellement, l’ambassade d’Ukraine a immediatement reagi aux
rapports des medias. Je tenais des reunions au ministère armenien
des Affaires etrangères et j’ai egalement rencontre le chef du
Departement de l’aviation civile d’Armenie. Aujourd’hui, je peux
clairement dire que les autorites armeniennes ont declare : personne
n’a donne la permission pour des vols directs Erevan-Simferopol”,
a declare l’ambassadeur ukrainien.

Kukhta a ajoute que, conformement aux accords internationaux et
aux documents bilateraux signes entre l’Ukraine et l’Armenie, “tous
les vols reguliers qui sont exploites de l’Ukraine vers l’Armenie
et vice versa doivent ete convenus au niveau officiel, par la voie
diplomatique”.

Depuis que la Crimee a ete annexee par la Russie a la suite du
changement de gouvernement en fevrier dernier, presque tous les vols
internationaux de et vers la peninsule ont ete suspendus. Les vols
Simferopol-Yerevan, operes jusqu’alors par une compagnie ukrainienne
plusieurs fois par semaine, ont egalement stoppes.

jeudi 30 octobre 2014, Claire (c)armenews.com

FLIGHTS IMPOSSIBLE, FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING REQUIRED – AIR ARMENIA

YEREVAN, October 30. /ARKA/. The management of Air Armenia made
a decision about financial restructuring and changing the flight
schedule before December 20, the company’s press office reported.

The press office said the media allegations about problems in the
company led to an 80% reduction in sales, which, in turn, makes the
company suffer a critical drop in profits.

“It is currently becoming impossible to carry out flights”, according
to the report.

The company will focus on most demanded directions and will try to
attract new funds, get back its two A320 planes that are in maintenance
now and resume flights as per the schedule from December 20, says
the report.

The company made this decision after a year of operations in the
Armenian market and passenger flights to Russia and Europe.

This year was full of both achievements and unpleasant surprises
when attempts were made to hamper company’s operations for winding
up the only Armenian air carrier and creating favorable conditions
for overseas air companies, says the report.

Apart from this, the statement by the Russian state corporation of
air traffic about suspension of cooperation with Air Armenia caused
serious financial damage to the company and harmed its prestige,
says the report.

The allegations created panic among passengers, debtors and creditors.

Many passengers returned their tickets, creditors canceled earlier
agreements and demanded their money back, debtors refused to pay
costs of the tickets bought before, according to the report.

Apart from this, the company is now using only one aircraft for all the
flights as the others are undergoing technical maintenance in Holland.

The air company expresses its gratitude to its faithful passengers
and partners and apologizes for the inconvenience.

Air Armenia is the only company at the local market of air
transportation. Armenia’s previous national carrier Armavia went
bankrupt in April 2013. -0–

HAYASTAN FOUNDATION TORONTO UNDERTAKES NEW PROJECTS IN ARTSAKH

12:56, 30 Oct 2014

On the occasion of its 22nd anniversary, Hayastan Foundation Toronto,
the local affiliate of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund had its annual fund
raising banquet on Sunday, October 26, at AGBU Alex Manougian Hall.

Over 300 supporters of the fund as well as dignitaries attended
the fund raising. The function was under the auspices of H.E. Armen
Yeganian, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Canada.

The evening started with the national anthems of Canada, Armenia
and Artsakh, performed by soprano Armenia Sarkissian, with
piano accompaniment by Lena Nahas-Yozgalian. After the opening
remarks by Tenny Nigoghossian, the M.C. of the evening, Ambassador
Yeganian started the proceedings with a succinct presentation of
current activities and events involving Canada and Armenia. Migirdic
Migirdicyan, the chair of the local chapter of the fund gave a detailed
report of the most recent project of the fund which was the new “Life
Centre” for the village of Nor Maragha, in Artsakh. The village “Life
Centre” is a 2-storey facility, with a full basement, which has a floor
functioning as a medical/maternity clinic, another one as a library,
a computer centre, an auditorium and the mayor’s office, all under one
roof. This was the 2nd of such facility, and the 44th project overall
for Toronto. After presenting the details of the upcoming 45thproject,
which will be a brand new kindergarten for the village of Ivanyan,
in Artsakh, Migirdicyan presented the guest of honour and the keynote
speaker Mr. Karen Mirzoyan, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of
Artsakh. The minister gave a detailed status of the current affairs
in Artsakh and then he emphasized the vital importance of the numerous
humanitarian infrastructural projects that the Fund has been realizing
over the last 22 years, throughout Artsakh and thanked the audience
for their participation and generosity.

As part of the cultural program soprano Sona Hovsepyan sang two
beautiful songs with piano accompaniment by Taline Kelebozian.

Finally the fund-raising of the evening was kicked off by Houri
Najarian, the vice-chair of the local chapter. $146,000 was raised
from the floor and it was announced that through a bequest the
Fund has just received a major sum, bringing the total to a record
$550,000. The fund-raising will continue, and it is hoped that until
the upcoming annual Telethon, on November 27, the number will grow
further. Closing the program Migirdicyan informed the audience that
with the total funds, in addition to the Ivanyan Kindergarten, Toronto
will also build a 3rd “Life Centre” (village to be determined) and
will renovate the school for the Shosh village, as well as procuring
an ambulance for the Nor Maragha “Life Centre”.