Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AZERBAIJAN AT BOTTOM OF INDEX OF FREEDOM

Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
February 12, 2015 Thursday

The organization Reporters without Borders published its annual index
level of press freedom in the world.

“In the Caucasus, Azerbaijan (162nd, down 2) suffered an unprecedented
crackdown on critics and registered the biggest fall in score among
the index’s 25 lowest-ranking countries. With media freedom already
limited by one-sided regulation and control of the advertising market,
the few remaining independent publications were either collapsing
under the impact of astronomic damages awards or were simply closed
by the police. The number of journalists and bloggers who were jailed
turned Azerbaijan into Europe’s biggest prison for news providers,
“the report says.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan is adjacent to the list of Rwanda,
Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Cuba, North Korea and the
biggest violator of freedom, Eritrea.

It is noteworthy that countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Libya,
Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Cambodia are ahead of Azerbaijan.

Neighbors of Azerbaijan in the region, Armenia and Georgia took places
78 and 69 respectively.

The ten freest countries are as follows: Finland, Denmark, the
Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Austria, Canada, Jamaica and
Estonia. -02D-

ATATURK REPLACED BY OTTOMANS AT ICONIC ISTANBUL HIGH SCHOOL

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Feb 13 2015

ISTANBUL

The new principal of a renowned girls’ high school in Istanbul has come
under fire from parents who have slammed her for replacing photos of
the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as well
as ballerina murals, with pictures of Ottoman sultans.

Saadet Berna Ocakcıoglu became the principal of the Erenköy Girls’
Anatolian High School in December 2014.

According to photographs shared on social media, Ocakcıoglu renewed
the decorations of the school building after the semester holiday
break that began on Jan. 23, 2015, covering ballerina murals painted
on the walls and removing photos of Ataturk, replacing them with
pictures of Ottoman sultans.

Some parents claimed that the new decorations were against the “spirit
of the school,” which they described as one of the centers of “women’s
enlightenment” in the early republican era.

Muammer Yıldız, the National Education Director of Istanbul province,
confirmed that Ocakcıoglu renewed the internal decorations, but
denied the decision was made with any “ulterior motive.”

“The corridors were unusable. Now they have been repainted and
cleaned,” Yıldız said, adding that while Ottoman figures have been
added, the Ataturk photos have also been rehung.

“The school principal told me that she covered the ballerina mural
because it looked old and was not of a quality to inspire students. It
was not covered just because it showed ballerinas,” he added.

Officials deny that there is any reason to launch an investigation
into the incident, stressing that the school principal had not violated
any rules.

February/13/2015

SINGER ANITA DARIAN REMEMBERED FOR GENRE-SPANNING CAREER

National Public Radio
February 12, 2015 Thursday
SHOW: All Things Considered 08:00 PM EST

GUESTS: Anita Darian, The Tokens, Lynda Wells, Mickey And Sylvia

ROBERT SIEGEL: A moment now to remember a soprano whose voice was
heard by millions of people who never who she was.

(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)

ANITA DARIAN: (Singing) How I wish we weren’t…

ROBERT SIEGEL: Anita Darian died last week at age 87. This is from
her singing Ned Rorem’s “Four Dialogues.” She sang classical music,
musical comedy and pop music. She was a studio singer with a vocal
range to match her stylistic range.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT”)

THE TOKENS: (Singing) Near the village, the quiet, the lion sleeps
tonight. Hey, hey.

ANITA DARIAN: (Vocalizing).

LYNDA WELLS: And there she is. It is the floating voice of Anita
Darian.

ROBERT SIEGEL: And that’s Lynda Wells, who was friends with Anita
Darian for nearly 50 years.

LYNDA WELLS: Well, let me tell you a funny story about “The Lion Sleeps
Tonight.” The arrangers and producers called Anita in to record with
this new group called The Tokens. And when she got into the session,
they showed her the chart that she was to sing, and they tried it once
through and she said it’s too low. I need to sing it up an octave. And
the producer and the arranger looked at her and said you can’t do
that. And she said, well, let’s try it.

ROBERT SIEGEL: (Laughter) So this is her range. This is her natural
range that we’re hearing her sing at.

LYNDA WELLS: (Laughter) She had four workable octaves without going
to falsetto.

ROBERT SIEGEL: Now, she, in addition to other things, performed in
musical theater. She performed in opera, yes?

LYNDA WELLS: Absolutely. She did everything from Helen the Hellmann’s
hen in commercials to the beginning voices of “Alvin And The Chipmunks”
to imitating a theremin for Burt Bacharach to going onto Broadway.

ROBERT SIEGEL: Wait a minute. Did you say Hellmann’s hen for Hellmann’s
mayonnaise?

LYNDA WELLS: Yes (laughter).

ROBERT SIEGEL: So she did a lot of studio singing.

LYNDA WELLS: She did a lot of studio – and she did voices, so she
did cartoon voices.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LOVE IS STRANGE”)

MICKEY AND SYLVIA: (Singing) Love, love is strange.

ROBERT SIEGEL: This was a famous record by Mickey and Sylvia called
“Love is Strange.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LOVE IS STRANGE”)

MICKEY AND SYLVIA: (Singing) You’ll never wanna quit.

ANITA DARIAN: (Singing) No, no.

MICKEY AND SYLVIA: (Singing) After you’ve had it…

ROBERT SIEGEL: Wait a minute. Is she doing the no-no?

LYNDA WELLS: Yes (laughter) yes, yes.

ROBERT SIEGEL: That’s Anita Darian.

LYNDA WELLS: It’s not the same woman that you heard on “The Lion
Sleeps Tonight,” is it?

ROBERT SIEGEL: And she seemed to carve out some kind of niche for
exotic songs.

LYNDA WELLS: She did. When she was recording for Cap Records, they
decided to use the exotica of her Armenian heritage doing an album
based on some Armenian songs and things like “Come On-A My House,”
which had been a hit for Rosie Clooney, but had never been done in
the original Armenian.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “COME ON-A MY HOUSE”)

ANITA DARIAN: (Singing in Armenian) I’m gonna give you candy.

ROBERT SIEGEL: It’s probably better than the English there.

LYNDA WELLS: (Laughter) Well, it was really cute.

ROBERT SIEGEL: Do you ever wonder how it is that someone like Anita
Darian, who had a wonderful voice – yet had all kinds of studio work
singing in all kinds of famous records but not – not what we think
of as a star who was a household name. Why not?

LYNDA WELLS: I think that she was so versatile that she would fall
into niches, so she became the backup singer. You’d either bring in
a string section or you’d bring in Anita Darian.

ROBERT SIEGEL: Well, thank you very much, Lynda Wells, for talking
with us about the remarkable voice and the remarkable career of your
friend the late Anita Darian, who died last week at age 87.

LYNDA WELLS: Thank you so very much.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “MISIRLOU”)

ANITA DARIAN: (Singing) Desert shadows creep across purple sands.

Natives kneel in prayer by their caravans.

SCHOOLCHILDREN FEATURE IN SHORT FILM ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Transitions Online, Czech Rep.

Feb 13 2015

Ara Yernjakyan, the artistic director of the Yerevan Chamber Theatre,
has screened a new film in the city about children who survived in
the 1915 Armenian genocide.

Yernjakyan used children from the northwestern town of Ashtarak to
portray those who had lost their parents in the genocide. He told
ArmeniaNow that “you can rarely find actors of such quality.”

Though the 15-minute film, Eclipse, is not based on a specific
incident, Yernjakyan said it portrays the impact of the genocide on
young people. “During any tragedy children are the first to suffer,
grown-ups somehow manage to overcome the tragedy, but children are
innocent, they do not understand why it happened so that yesterday
they had parents and today they don’t,” he said.

Yernjakyan began working on Eclipse after failing to secure funding
for a full-length film on the genocide. The Armenian government and
organizers of Armenia’s Golden Apricot International Film Festival
provided support for the short film, according to ArmeniaNow.

Eclipse will be aired on television in April, during events marking
the 100th anniversary of the genocide. An estimated 1 million people
died in the mass killings and starvation of Armenians who were accused
by their Ottoman rulers of siding with Russia during World War I.

Despite efforts at reconciliation, the genocide continues to haunt
relations between Armenia and the Ottoman Empire’s successor, Turkey.

Public discussion on Avetisyan family murder starts in Gyumri

16:11 14/02/2015 >> SOCIETY

The first public discussion on the recent murder of the seven-member
Avetisyan family kicked off in Armenia’s Gyumri city.

One of the organizers of the event, chairman of Asparez Journalists’
Club Levon Barseghyan, said that more than 200 people – human rights
activists, lawyers and concerned individuals – expressed a wish to
participate in the debate.

The participants will sum up the information on the tragic murder,
provided by journalists, lawyers and human rights activists, as well
as will develop and coordinate the actions aimed at solving the crime
and preventing similar crimes.

Six members of one family, including a two-year-old child, were shot
dead in their house in Gyumri on January 12. A six-month-old baby was
hospitalized with stab wounds. He died in hospital on January 12.
Valery Permyakov, a serviceman of the 102nd Russian military base
stationed in Gyumri, the main suspect in the murder, was detained by
Russian border guards while attempting to cross the Armenian-Turkish
border near Yerazgavors village in Armenia’s Shirak province.
Permyakov is held in custody at the Russian military base. He was
questioned and confessed to the crime. Permyakov is charged under
Article 105.2 and 338.2 of the Russian Criminal Code (murder and
desertion). Also, Armenian Investigative Committee brought a charge
against Permyakov under Article 104 part 2 point 1 (murder of two or
more persons) of the Armenian Criminal Code.

Different versions of murder of Armenian in Germany are circulating

14:19, 14 February, 2015

YEREVAN, 14 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. German media are circulating
versions about the circumstances behind the death of 36-year old
member of the cultural council of the Armenian community in Bilifeld,
Grigor Grigoryan. As “Armenpress” reports, citing its own sources, the
German Neue Westfallische newspaper reported that the participants of
the incident were residents of the former Yugoslavia, a 39-year old
Serb and a 36-year old Caucasian, who had escaped from the scene of
the crime right after committal of the crime. Police are working on
clarifying the motives behind the murder and identifying the
criminals.

Die Welt newspaper reports that based on the data provided by the
police, on February 10, three men got into a dispute at a furniture
store on February 10 at 19:35. One of the men shot Grigoryan, who died
a couple of hours after hospitalization.

Opposition leader: Armenia regime must be ousted immediately

15:53, 13.02.2015

YEREVAN. – The Armenian regime must be ousted immediately in order to
close an infamous and shameless chapter in Armenia’s history,
Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan said during an extended
meeting of the his party’s political council.

His response came to a harsh statement by President Sargsyan that
called Tsarukyan “an evil for our country”.

In his strong-worded statement, Tsarukyan informed about his meeting
with the leaders of Armenian National Council and Heritage party to
discuss joint actions. He rejected all accusations against him and
blamed the Armenian leadership of economic setback, decrease in
investments, emigration and financial instability.

The leader of Prosperous Armenia pointed to Armenian leaders’ mistakes
in every field from economy up to inability to defend his country
“when Nazarbayev humiliated him”.

“He did not speak out during the August tension on the border and did
not come back to Armenia from Baden-Baden. He was silent when people
were in a state of panic because of sharp depreciation of the Armenian
dram. He said nothing when Gyumri and the Armenian people mourned
brutal killing and took to the streets,” Tsarukyan said.

Tsarukyan said he had received many offers, including offer on
personal cooperation, post of a president after constitutional
changes. All were rejected, he said, adding that he “would not stoop
to his level” to respond to personal insult.

“I believe the only option is full change of power through special
presidential elections,” Tsarukyan said.

The politician called for a nation-wide mobilization aiming to achieve
resignation of Serzh Sargsyan “to free ourselves of the evil of this
power” through all political legal methods: rallies, marches,
demonstrations and civil disobedience.

“Dear compatriots, get ready for struggle,” he emphasized.

Just another social project implemented owing to the personal
investment of VivaCell-MTS employees

by Gayane Isahakyan

Friday, February 13, 19:15

For years the kindergarten of the borderland Verin Chambarak village
has been heated by wood. Last year electricity was tried as an
alternative to heat the place, but it did not prove to be efficient,
either, the press service of VivaCell-MTS has told ArmInfo.

True to VivaCell-MTS management model and its responsible value
system, the staff of the Information Systems Department has made a
personal investment to install a heating system in the vast juniors’
section of the kindergarten building. With the support of the same
group of employees, the kitchen on the ground floor was equipped with
a 500-liter capacity water tank and a pump, which lets provide the
kindergarten with both cold and hot water. Owing to the joint donation
of VivaCell-MTS employees, the heating problem at Verin Chambarak
kindergarten will not depend on nature’s whims anymore; the kids and
the teachers will forget the inconvenience caused by smoke
infiltration and the insufficient heating. The ecological benefits of
the solution are obvious as well.

In all its operations in the Armenian telecommunications market
VivaCell-MTS has been following a civilized model of administration
from the beginning. The system of values adopted in the organization,
which implies putting Corporate Responsibility at the core of its
activities, has already become a lifestyle for VivaCell-MTS employees.
Their desire to help the country and the society is realized through
numerous projects; employees of different departments of the Company
make decisions and collect funds for their implementation.

A number of projects have been realized in various communities of
Armenia throughout 2014 owing to the donation of the employees of
VivaCell-MTS’ various departments. The projects included construction
of a metal-concrete wall in the borderland village of Berkaber to
protect the village school from the bullets of the enemy; a fence
construction on the territory of St. Astvatsatsin Church in Vedi;
creation of a fully equipped computer class including a local area
network with a 4G Wi-Fi router in the boarding school of Byureghavan;
construction of a toilet room in the school of the borderland Vahan
village, etc. All the enlisted projects have stemmed from the will and
commitment to achieve success together, to be useful to the country
and the society.

VivaCell-MTS (K-Telecom CJSC) is Armenia’s leading telecommunications
operator, having the widest 2G/3.75G/4G network reach and spreading a
wide range of Voice and Data services all across Armenia. Having the
best of the Armenian people interest at heart since its launch on 1st
July 2005 and in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS has managed to
build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base.
VivaCell-MTS drives innovation and aims at always being at the
forefront of any development serving the Armenian mobile
communications market. The company follows the guidance provided by
ISO 26000 (International Standard of Social Responsibility).

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS”) is the leading telecommunications
group in Russia and the CIS, offering mobile and fixed voice,
broadband, pay TV as well as content and entertainment services in one
of the world’s fastest growing regions. Including its subsidiaries,
the Group services over 100 million mobile subscribers. The Group has
been awarded GSM licenses in Russia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Armenia
and Belarus, a region that boasts a total population of more than 200
million. Since June 2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the
New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT).

LEADERS OF PROSPEROUS ARMENIA AND ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS MEET

16:29 13/02/2015 >> POLITICS

Prosperous Armenia Party chairman Gagik Tsarukyan and Armenia’s first
President, Armenian National Congress leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan met
today at the head office of Prosperous Armenia. Prosperous Armenia
MPs Naira Zohrabyan, Vartan Oskanian and Stepan Margaryan and ANC
MPs Aram Manukyan and Levon Zurabyan participated in the meeting,
the press service of Prosperous Armenia reports.

According to the press service, bilateral meetings take place within
the framework of the parliamentary trio to discuss the political
situation in the country following the recent statement of President
Serzh Sargsyan.

Gagik Tsarukyan will meet with Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian
and party’s representatives today. Discussions in this format will
continue for a couple of days and subsequently the trio will announce
its future plans.

Related: Tsarukyan not concerned about upcoming tax checks – spokesman

Armenian President to hold meeting with National Security Council

TSARUKYAN SAYS HE WAS OFFERED PRESIDENTIAL POST AFTER MAKING ARMENIA PARLIAMENTARY REPUBLIC

YEREVAN, February 13. / ARKA /. Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik
Tsarukyan, who came under an unusually harsh attack by President Serzh
Sargsyan yesterday, said today he was offered the post of president
of the country but only constitutional reforms that would turn Armenia
into a parliamentary republic.

Speaking at a meeting of senior members of the party today Tsarukyan
claimed that the reform is aimed at enabling Sargsyan to stay in
power after the end of his second and final presidential term in 2018.

Tsarukyan said he declined the offer causing Sargsyan’s anger.

“I want to be sincere. I was offered various options of cooperation,
personal lucrative offers, including the post of president but only
after turning Armenia into a parliamentary republic, but on condition
that I agree to the reproduction of power,” said Tsarukyan.

According to Tsarukyan, he was, as a matter of fact, asked to help
fulfill the desire of the current head of state to govern the country
for life by amending the constitution.

“I firmly rejected that anti-state approach, because a person
responsible for the country’s regression can not have such ambitions.

It was my strong position that made Sargsyan break the rules of
political and human relations. This is the reality and nothing more,
” said Tsarukyan. According to him, a war is declared on him.

“I accept the challenge and will go to the bitter end,” he said.

Tsarukyan’s statement came in retaliation to a Thursday meeting of
the executive board of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia where
president Sargsyan lashed out at him describing him as ‘a scourge
for the country who lacks intelligence, skills and education to
govern Armenia.’ Speaking at the meeting president Sargsyan told
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan to instruct corresponding bodies
to thoroughly investigate the veracity of “unverified reports”
implicating Tsarukyan in large-scale tax evasion.

President Sargsyan said also he will convene a meeting of the National
Security Council today to discuss rumors that Tsarukyan has set up a
“mechanism for a professional cover-up of many crimes.”

Prosperous Armenia is the second largest force in the parliament
controlling 36 seats. It was part of coalition governments from 2007
to 2012. According to some estimates, Tsarukyan is the third-richest
person of Armenia –