Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ANGELA MERKEL: “THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT, AS WELL AS OTHER CONFLICTS IN THE REGION, SHALL BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY”

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 21 2015

21 January 2015 – 8:53pm

Angela Merkel: “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as other
conflicts in the region, shall be resolved peacefully” Orhan Sattar,
director of the European Bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza At this moment a
meeting in Berlin between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President
Ilham Aliyev is taking place. The parties discussed bilateral relations
issues, energy policy and the situations in Ukraine and the Caucasus.

In her speech, the Chancellor said: “I am glad that the President
of Azerbaijan is today in Berlin. The last time we met here was five
years ago. For us, Azerbaijan is a partner with a growing importance.

Azerbaijan’s economy shows very dynamic growth, and there are two
reasons why this country is important for us. Firstly, because of its
oil and gas reserves. Secondly, Azerbaijan may become our partner in
the diversification of our own economy with the help of German and
other European companies.”

According to Merkel, “the German government actively supports the
project of the Southern Gas Corridor, and this is what we discussed
today. We also discussed bilateral topics important to both of us;
in particular, the human rights situation in Azerbaijan played a
role here.”

“We also had a discussion about the geopolitical situation of
Azerbaijan. We have discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the
resolution of which Germany would like to contribute to. Perhaps the
European Union could have acted here with its own initiative, and I
think Azerbaijan will discuss this with the European Commission. We
also discussed the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as
the binding of Azerbaijan to the EU’s Eastern Partnership program. As
far as I understand, Azerbaijan calls for good cooperation with the
EU, while not having the goal of membership in the European Union. I
would like to emphasize once again that this very approach was the
starting point of the Eastern Partnership program. This year, under
the Lithuanian presidency of the EU,the next summit of the Eastern
Partnership will take place, the Chancellor said.

Orhan Sattar, director of the European Bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza

At this moment a meeting in Berlin between German Chancellor Angela
Merkel and President Ilham Aliyev is taking place. The parties
discussed bilateral relations issues, energy policy and the situations
in Ukraine and the Caucasus.

In her speech, the Chancellor said: “I am glad that the President
of Azerbaijan is today in Berlin. The last time we met here was five
years ago. For us, Azerbaijan is a partner with a growing importance.

Azerbaijan’s economy shows very dynamic growth, and there are two
reasons why this country is important for us. Firstly, because of its
oil and gas reserves. Secondly, Azerbaijan may become our partner in
the diversification of our own economy with the help of German and
other European companies.”

According to Merkel, “the German government actively supports the
project of the Southern Gas Corridor, and this is what we discussed
today. We also discussed bilateral topics important to both of us;
in particular, the human rights situation in Azerbaijan played a
role here.”

“We also had a discussion about the geopolitical situation of
Azerbaijan. We have discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the
resolution of which Germany would like to contribute to. Perhaps the
European Union could have acted here with its own initiative, and I
think Azerbaijan will discuss this with the European Commission. We
also discussed the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as
the binding of Azerbaijan to the EU’s Eastern Partnership program. As
far as I understand, Azerbaijan calls for good cooperation with the
EU, while not having the goal of membership in the European Union. I
would like to emphasize once again that this very approach was the
starting point of the Eastern Partnership program. This year, under
the Lithuanian presidency of the EU,the next summit of the Eastern
Partnership will take place, the Chancellor said.

ARMENIA STILL SEEKING TIES WITH EU DESPITE JOINING EURASIAN UNION

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
January 20, 2015 Tuesday 4:12 PM EST

Brussels

DPA POLITICS Armenia diplomacy EU Armenia still seeking ties with EU
despite joining Eurasian union Brussels Armenia is seeking closer ties
with the European Union, its foreign minister said Tuesday, despite
the country’s membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.

“We are going to enhance and to develop, to deepen our comprehensive
cooperation and partnership with the EU, taking into due consideration
our commitments in other international integration processes,” Eduard
Nalbandyan said during a visit to Brussels.

At the same time, he declared that “we have very strong allied
strategic relations with Russia and we will continue to strengthen
and enhance our friendly relations with Russia.”

Relations between Moscow and the EU have soured over the crisis in
Ukraine, reaching their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

Armenia had originally been expected to initial a deal with the EU
on closer political and trade ties in November 2013, after more than
three years of negotiations. But its president then announced that
Armenia would join the Russian union.

The move put the EU in an difficult situation, as officials believe
that a country cannot both join the Eurasian union and enter a free
trade agreement with the bloc.

The EU’s top official for neighbourhood relations said Tuesday that
the agreement negotiated with Armenia will have to be “adjusted,”
but also expressed hope that “the substance of its political part”
can be kept.

“We need still final clarification of some areas,” EU Commissioner
Johannes Hahn said. “I hope we can finalize these remaining elements
in February in order to conclude this joint reflection.”

Latvia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the 28-country
EU, would then like to see negotiations on a new agreement with
Armenia launched at an Eastern Partnership summit it will host in May.

“That could probably be also a good example [of] how, being a part of
one union, you can still successfully cooperate also with the other
union,” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said.

“The EU is not competing with somebody over Armenia or over any other
eastern partner,” he added.

The EU’s Eastern Partnership project includes six former Soviet states
– Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

The latter three have signed political and trade agreements with
Brussels.

Belarus is another member of the Eurasian union, along with
Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan is also expected to join.

Vavel
Jan 20 2015

Lucescu: “Mkhitaryan would be a perfect fit for Juventus”

Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu has encouraged Juventus to
express interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan
rather than Galatasaray star Wesley Sneijder.

The 69-year-old Romanian endured spells in Italy with Pisa, Brescia,
Reggiana and Inter throughout the 1990’s. Lucescu has been at Shakthar
since 2004, winning the Ukrainian League eight times and the Ukranian
Cup four times, his seemingly greatest achievement was winning the
UEFA Cup in 2008-09.

“It was hard to see him leave Shakhtar for Dortmund, but we still have
a great relationship,” Lucescu told Tuttosport.

“It would not surprise me if he were to join Juventus. He is a guy who
needs to feel affection and there’s too much pressure on him at
Dortmund. I think his cycle at Dortmund is over.

“He would be great behind Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez.

“Mkhitaryan is much quicker and runs more than Sneijder. He is a
complete player. He creates chances, wins back balls and always keeps
on going. It is important for him to find the right environment
again.”

The Armenian who signed in 2013 still has two more years remaining on
his contract with Dortmund.

WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 19, 2015 Monday

The army is exposed to critique again

Society is unhappy with chic of generals and secrecy of statistical
data on deaths, accidents and crimes of servicemen

WPS observer

After the shock related to cruel murder of an Armenian family by a
Russian serviceman of the 102nd military base in Gyumri experts and
human rights activists try to analyze reasons of the tragedy.
Unfortunately, general systemic problems related to crime in the
troops are revealed at this point. Neither the Defense Ministry, nor
the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office has provided precise statistical
data on this crime to the society in open access for a long time.
Along with this, judging by publications of mass media and information
of human rights activists, situation remains complicated, unauthorized
relations, beating, murders and suicides happen in the Armed forces
still and we almost do not see any work of commanders on prevention of
these accidents.

WPS turned to some members of the public council of the Defense
Ministry for comments on this. These are people who have access to
information about the situation in the Russian army. Their comments
turned out to be very critique-oriented but also very important. One
of the members of the public council of the Defense Ministry willing
to remain anonymous reported that “Tragedy in Gyumri happened because
top-ranking officials of the Defense Ministry reduced control over the
system of selection of personnel for Russian military bases stationed
abroad. Russia does not have very many such objects and it is quite
possible to select the best of the best for them.” The expert pointed
out that in the past it was planned to start manning our military
bases abroad with contract servicemen alone but this did not happen
yet. It turns out that conscript soldiers who are sent there are not
of the highest quality. The expert said, “Brother of the soldier who
killed the Armenian family had a criminal conviction for murder. It
turned out that Permyakov had breaches of discipline. And such person
was put on sentinel duty to fulfill a combat task. This is an obvious
mistake of not only command of the base. At this point we see general
systemic mistakes related to general control over troops. Some
officials of the Defense Ministry should be taken to account for
this.”

Valentina Melnikova, responsible secretary of the soldiers’ mothers
committee and member of the public council of the Defense Ministry,
commented on the situation, “No matter what officials of the Defense
Ministry say about maintenance of proper order and military discipline
in the army, unfortunately, we in soldiers’ mothers organizations
encounter growth of the quantity of complaints from parents of
conscript servicemen starting since 2013 about hooliganism in the
barracks, extortion on the part of commanders, breaches during the
draft etc. We have reported about these facts to top-ranking officials
of the Defense Ministry and to the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office
frequently. However, we do not see proper reaction to these reports.”
Melnikova was concerned about the fact that at its meetings the public
council of the Defense Ministry never discussed issues of order
enforcement and combating of hazing in the troops in detail. She
stated, “It turns out as if there are no such problems at all but this
is not so. Mothers of soldiers from whom commanders take money and
telephones and whom they beat phone me permanently. Such situation
prospers especially at our military bases abroad where conscript
servicemen receive increased salaries. Soldiers are robbed but it is
very difficult to somehow help them there and we sometimes encounter
cold indifference in the troops.” According to Melnikova, there is no
efficient civil control over the army still.

Alexander Kanshin, chair of the council of the national association of
union of officers of the reserve of the Armed Forces (MEGAPIR) and
deputy chair of the public council of the Defense Ministry, has a
similar opinion. He says that the problem of civil control over
activity of the Defense Ministry “remains very important still.”
However, he associates the problems that appear in this area with
activity or, to be more accurate, mistakes of the Main Military
Prosecutor’s Office. In a recent interview to Interfax-AVN Kanshin
announced that “In the last few years, the Main Military Prosecutor’s
Office started interacting with civil society, Public Chamber and
public council of the Defense Ministry weakly. We do not have the
contact now that we have had before. That is why we do not have
official information about deaths of people, about notorious hazing in
the troops, about outrageous actions of officers that are,
unfortunately, not rare yet.” Along with this, we can say that Defense
Ministry could provide such information too.

Meanwhile, Kanshin is also worried by the fact that somehow the Main
Military Prosecutor’s Office hushes down statistical data related to
theft of state money among generals now. Meanwhile, this is a
competence of military prosecutors for sure. He said, “I turned to the
Main Military Prosecutor’s Office with a proposal to publish these
data but they answered: this cannot be done because this will hit
prestige of the army. I absolutely disagree with such formulation of
the matter. Absence of objective information about crimes including
non-combatant losses hits the prestige of the army more seriously. I
am convinced that secrecy and departure from publicity is the first
steps towards neglecting of these problems. Meanwhile, it is necessary
to reveal them on the contrary. It is necessary to respond about every
death and every loss.”

Kanshin also characterized the current morale of generals,
“Unfortunately, the level of general culture in the troops decreased
enormously in the last few years. Even senior officers, generals and
commanders often speak harshly to the subordinates and humiliate
them.” He points at such negative phenomenon as “commercialization of
military service and wish of some officers, including top-ranking
ones, “to profiteer” from sale of real estate and from notorious
“kickback.” Kanshin points out, “I tell even commanders of high rank
at meetings: your service is according to another price list. Why do
you built mansions and palaces and buy yachts and jeeps, be more
modest if you have put shoulder straps on. You have a different system
of values. But not everyone understands this. you see a military
commander who builds a three-storied house on unknown revenues in one
place and you see a commander who buys something not in accordance
with his salary in another place and you see a commander who
celebrates his birthday so pompously that not very oligarch can afford
this somewhere else. Unfortunately, there is this infection among
officers.”

Such frank opinions of military experts will hardly be liked by
top-ranking officials of the Defense Ministry and Main Military
Prosecutor’s Office. It is also unknown which conclusions will be
drawn from this. In any case, one thing is already clear that along
with achievements in military development a certain rotting is also
inherent to our Armed Forces and generals and certain closeness of the
army from the society originates from this. But such closeness will
hardly save it from emergency situations and crime if no serious
measures are taken for solving of these problems.

On the eve of 2015, the Defense Ministry published a booklet entitled
“Army in figures.” On more than 200 pages the ministry published
statistical data on activity, achievements of the army etc. It seems
to be impressive. However, only two phrases are dedicated to the
problems of crime in the Armed Forces there, “The Armed Forces have
been and remain one of the most law-abiding institutions of the state.
The level of crime in the troops is 54.55% lower than in the country
as a whole.”

[Translated from Russian]

IRNA – Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Jan 19 2015

Archbishop: World to be at peace if people practice peace-seeking
spirit of Iranians

Tehran

The Archbishop of Armenians in Isfahan and south of Iran Babbken
Charian said religious minorities live an affectionate life along with
Muslim Iranians adding that if people of the world had the
peace-seeking spirit of the Iranian people the world would have been
at peace.

In a meeting with Managing Director of Lebanese National News Agency
(NNA) Laure Sleiman, the archbishop said: “Since I come to Iran many
groups and delegations from different countries have visited Iran and
had meetings with me.”

He further remarked that all the visiting figures have pointed to this
issue that prior to their visit they had a wrong view about Iran but
later they realized the realities about the country.

The archbishop noted that in the course of their visit to Iran foreign
delegations observe that the Jews, Assyrians and Christians are living
along Muslims in peace.

Referring to the free activities of the religious minorities in Iran
he said: “Religious minorities along with Muslims have peaceful
coexistence.”

Elsewhere in his remarks he called events in Syria deplorable and
added that national unity should be restored in Syria so that through
elections in that country problems will be solved.

He said there are 24 churches in southern Iran of which 13 are located
in Isfahan.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese official said this was her first visit to Iran
and stressed that her information about the country was not sufficient
but after her visit her point of view about the country has changed.

Sleiman visited Iran upon the invitation of IRNA Managing Director
Mohammad Khoddadi. She also met with Minister of Culture and Islamic
Guidance Ali Jannati and Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham
as well as a number of other officials.

Interfax, Russia
Jan 19 2015

Bastrykin expected to visit Armenia to discuss the murders of six
people where Russian soldier is suspect

YEREVAN. Jan 19

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee,
will visit Yerevan on Monday at the invitation of his Armenian
counterpart Agvan Ovsepyan.

The Armenian Investigative Committee told Interfax the heads of the
Investigative Committees will discuss issues relating to the killing
of a family of six in Gyumri, in which Russian soldier Valery
Permyakov is suspected.

“Bearing in mind the characteristics of this criminal case, Agvan
Ovsepyan invited Alexander Bastrykin to Armenia. The invitation was
accepted and the visit will take place today,” the source said.

According to earlier reports, a family of six, including a two-year
old child, were murdered in Gyumri, northern Armenia, on January 12.
The only survivor, six-months-old Sergei Avetisyan, was hospitalized
with a stab wound.

Valery Permyakov, a serviceman from Russia’s 102nd military base, who
is deployed in Gyumri, was detained shortly after the attack. He is
now on the territory of the military base. Criminal charges were
brought against him on January 14 based on the Russian and Armenian
Criminal Codes.

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to again extend his condolences to the
victims’ relatives and all people of Armenia in regard of the tragedy
in Gyumri.

The Gyumri killings: Beyond the Legal Arguments

By Houry Mayissian on January 20, 2015
Special for the Armenian Weekly

More than a week since the Gyumri killings, the city and Armenia at
large are still struggling to come to terms with the heinous crime
that wiped out an entire family. As the massacre’s youngest victim,
six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan succumbed to his injuries on Monday,
many questions remain unanswered; chief among them – what happens to
the culprit?

A requiem sevice in memory of six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan took
place in Gyumri on Jan. 20. (Photo: Photolure/Hayk Baghdasaryan)

Valery Permyakov, a Russian soldier stationed at the 102nd Russian
Military Base in Gyumri, is said to be responsible for the multiple
killings. Permyakov was captured by Russian border guards trying to
flee across the Armenian-Turkish border and remains in Russian custody
to this day.

Immediately after the tragic event, angry protests broke out in
Gyumri, demanding that Permyakov be handed over to the Armenian
justice system. However, announcements made by Russian and Armenian
officials indicate that this is unlikely to be the case.

A statement by Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor General first cited
the Russian Constitution that bars the extradition of a Russian
citizen to a foreign country. Questions about how and why Permyakov
appeared and remains in Russian custody aside, it is incomprehensible
why a representative of Armenia’s justice system would refer to the
Russian Constitution in relation to a crime committed on Armenian
soil.

Facing mounting pressure from the public while in Gyumri, Prosecutor
General Gevorg Kostanyan then gave assurances that Permyakov will be
tried in Armenia but shied away from promising that he will be
prosecuted in an Armenian court. The best he could offer protestors in
Gyumri was a promise to appeal to his Russian counterpart asking for
Permyakov’s handover. It is unclear what steps Kostanyan has taken
since.

The 1997 bilateral treaty between Russia and Armenia that established
the terms under which the Russian 102nd military base is stationed in
Gyumri, states that soldiers who commit crimes outside the confines of
the base are subject to Armenian law. The same treaty upholds Russian
jurisdiction over crimes committed within Russian military facilities
in Armenia, a clause that has been cited as one justification for not
handing over Permyakov, given that the latter also deserted his base
just before allegedly committing the crime.

In essence, however, the criminal’s handover is not about what legal
frameworks apply and which loopholes can be exploited. It is about
Armenia’s leadership (finally) speaking out for its people; it is
about respect between two nations; it is a matter of pride, dignity
and justice for a nation too often overlooked by its own government
and too often coerced by its more powerful neighbor.

In essence, however, the criminal’s handover is not about what legal
frameworks apply and which loopholes can be exploited. It is about
Armenia’s leadership (finally) speaking out for its people; it is
about respect between two nations; it is a matter of pride, dignity
and justice for a nation too often overlooked by its own government
and too often coerced by its more powerful neighbor.

While the country mourns, protests and demands answers, the silence of
its leaders has been deafening. Save for a few meagre announcements
that expressed condolences and urged restraint, the President, the
government, the political parties have, by and large, been silent;
silent and absent.

There has been no condemnation, no outrage, no genuine sympathy.
Attempts to declare a national day of mourning have been dismissed.
And when the people of Gyumri bid farewell to the Avetisyan family at
a sombre funeral service, there was no one standing by their side to
share their pain and to assure them that Armenian citizens are safe in
their homeland, that answers will be provided, that this won’t happen
again in a city that has already suffered so much loss.

If the intent of the silence has been to not upset Russia, ironically
it has proved counter-productive as evidenced by the protests held
outside the Russian diplomatic representations in Yerevan and Gyumri
as well as the Military Base itself. If it has simply been a matter of
incompetence, then sadly, that’s a tragedy of its own.

The Armenian government needs to speak up for its people. Rather than
citing the Russian constitution, it has to do everything in its power
to ensure Permyakov’s handover. Rather than curbing protests, it
should provide the people with a sense of security and assurances that
justice will be served. Whatever the end result may be, the people of
Armenia need to know that their government made every effort possible
on their behalf.

The Russian government too has a role to play. At this point in time
in particular, it needs to demonstrate respect for the wishes of a
deeply wounded nation, an ally and neighbour, and hand over the
soldier responsible for the killings without any further delay.

The Russian government too has a role to play. At this point in time
in particular, it needs to demonstrate respect for the wishes of a
deeply wounded nation, an ally and neighbour, and hand over the
soldier responsible for the killings without any further delay.

It is not the first time that a citizen of one country is found guilty
of committing a crime in the other. In July 2013, Hrachya Harutyuyan,
a citizen of Armenia working as a truck driver in Russia, crashed his
vehicle into a bus, resulting in the unfortunate death of 18 people.
Shortly after his arrest, Harutyunyan was brought before a Russian
courtroom dressed in women’s clothing, the humiliating photos causing
much anger in Armenia. Harutyunyan is currently serving a six-year
prison sentence in Russia. It is impossible to not compare the action
and reaction in each case.

No, the handling of the Permyakov case is not about jurisdiction. For
the people of Armenia, it is about instilling justice and restoring
the dignity of Armenia. It is about ensuring that Armenia’s
relationship with Russia be based on mutual respect and understanding
– not merely on a cold calculation of national interests.

Tehran’s Armenian diocese slams Charlie Hebdo’s insulting cartoon
Political Desk

On Line: 20 January 2015 18:00
In Print: Wednesday 21 January 2015

TEHRAN – The Armenian Diocese of Tehran has condemned French weekly
Charlie Hebdo for publishing an insulting cartoon of Islam’s holy
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Speaking at a cultural ceremony in Iran’s capital on Monday, Sahak
Khosravian, the representative of the Archbishop of Armenian church in
Tehran, lashed out at the French satirical magazine for its
sacrilegious move, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“The Armenian Diocese of Tehran, for its part, condemns such a move.
We condemn insults to any dear prophet as a shameful action, and hope
that such moves would not occur anywhere in the world,” Khosravian
said.

Last Wednesday’s edition of Charlie Hebdo, which sold millions of
copies, shows a cartoon of Prophet Mohammad holding a “Je suis
Charlie” (I am Charlie) sign, a slogan widely used following the
January 7 attack on the magazine.

MT/MD

Gun pulled on group commemorating Dink

01.19.2015 17:08NEWS

At the commemoration rally held in Malatya, an unidentified young man
pulled a gun on the group. Police intervened before he could fire the
weapon.

According to the report of the DoÄ?an News Agency, the rally organized
on the 8th anniversary of journalist Hrant Dink’s passing began in
front of the Girls’ Vocational School. A group of around 100 people,
mostly composed of EÄ?itim-Sen (Union of Education Workers) carrying
carnations and photographs of Hrant Dink began marching towards the
ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu Neighbourhood where Hrant Dink was born.

Just when the group had reached the intersection at Turgut Temelli
Street, an unidentified young man pulled a gun from his waist and
pointed it at the group. Police officers following the rally
overpowered the man and removed his weapon. The man was detained.

Le Figaro Online, France
vendredi 16 janvier 2015 05:01 PM GMT

Martyre arménien

par Jean-Christophe Buisson; [email protected]

Le cinéma de Jean-Christophe Buisson.

Située en actuelle Turquie, près de la frontière syrienne, Mardin est
une ville chère aux chrétiens. Dès le IIIe siècle vivaient là des
Syriaques parlant la langue du Christ (l’araméen). Au XIXe siècle,
sous occupation ottomane, la moitié de ses habitants y priait encore
Jésus et la Vierge Marie plutôt qu’Allah. Parmi eux 8000 Arméniens.
Qui seraient, à partir de Pques 1915, arrêtés, chassés, déportés,
viol̩s, massacr̩s Рcomme des centaines de milliers de leurs fr̬res,
victimes du premier grand génocide du XXe siècle.

Apr̬s Рentre autres РHenri Verneuil (Mayrig) et Atom Egoyan
(Ararat), le réalisateur de Head-on, inoubliable film coup-de-poing
(ou plutôt: coup-de-tête), Fatih Akin donne sa vision
cinématographique de cette tragédie, The Cut.Parti pris scénaristique:
narrer durant deux heures le parcours incroyable d’un jeune forgeron
arménien prénommé Nazaret (!). Installé à Mardin, il vit avec sa femme
Rakel la plus belle histoire d’amour qui soit, et ses deux filles font
de lui un père comblé. Jusqu’au jour de 1915 où il est incorporé de
force dans l’armée ottomane, condamné à casser des cailloux et
finalement égorgé comme ses compagnons pour avoir refusé de se
convertir à l’islam (une scène quasi insoutenable renvoyant
prospectivement aux images des exécutions perpétrées par les barbares
de l’Etat islamique). Ayant survécu à son assassinat (si, si, c’est
possible), désormais muet, Nazaret va errer pendant près de dix ans
entre le Liban, Cuba et les Etats-Unis, animé par le seul espoir de
retrouver sa famille vivante. Mais survit-on aux épouvantables
«marches de la mort» planifiées par les Turcs en plein désert
d’Anatolie?

D’un lyrisme assumé, parfois un peu grandiloquent, relevant autant du
film d’aventures que de la fiction historique et de
l’oeuvre-témoignage, le film d’Akin brille par sa mise en scène
soignée, sa photographie magnifique et l’excellente prestation de
Tahar Rahim. Y manquent néanmoins rythme et émotion. Quoique: de
savoir que l’auteur de ce film est un Allemand d’origine turque
n’est-il pas en soi motif de grande émotion?

Post-filmum: le film est sorti en Turquie (les choses évoluent un
peu). Dans quelques salles art et essai (il ne faut pas exagérer non
plus…).