Author: Kalantarian Kevo

LA TURQUIE ET ISRAEL PROCHES D’UN ACCORD SUR L’INDEMNISATION DES VICTIMES DU MAVI MARMARA (ANKARA)

TURQUIE

La Turquie et Israël sont “proches” d’un accord sur l’indemnisation
des familles des Turcs tues ou blesses en 2010 lors de l’assaut par
l’armee israelienne d’une flottille qui voulait briser le blocus de
Gaza, a-t-on appris de source officielle turque.

“Nous sommes proches d’un accord”, a indique lundi a l’AFP un
responsable turc s’exprimant sous couvert de l’anonymat, ajoutant que
le sous-secretaire d’Etat aux Affaires etrangères turques Feridun
Sinirlioglu avait rencontre la semaine dernière ses interlocuteurs
israeliens pour faire avancer le dossier.

“Il ne serait pas approprie de donner une echeance pour une question
aussi delicate mais je peux dire que de serieux progrès ont ete faits
lors des dernières rencontres”, a pour sa part declare dimanche
le ministre turc des Affaires etrangères Ahmet Davutoglu. “Un pas
historique a ete franchi avec les excuses (…), un deuxième pas le
sera avec un accord sur l’indemnisation”, a estime M. Davutoglu sur
la chaîne de television A Haber. “Nous sommes dans une periode où
nos relations (avec Israël) sont les plus proches possibles de la
normalisation après l’affaire du Mavi Marmara”, a-t-il ajoute.

Longtemps allies, la Turquie et Israël se sont brouilles après
l’attaque meurtrière menee en 2010 par des commandos israeliens contre
le “Mavi Marmara”, le navire amiral turc d’une flottille affretee
par l’ONG islamique turque IHH a destination de Gaza.

Cette operation avait coûte la vie a neuf ressortissants turcs, dont
les familles ont porte plainte en Turquie contre quatre responsables
de l’armee israelienne aujourd’hui juges par contumace par une cour
criminelle d’Istanbul.

Le Premier ministre israelien Benjamin Netanyahu a formellement
presente des excuses en mai dernier mais la normalisation des relations
entre les deux pays reste suspendue aux negociations d’indemnisation,
en cours depuis plusieurs mois. Selon le quotidien israelien Haaretz,
l’Etat hebreu a offert une enveloppe de 20 millions de dollars aux
victimes turques.

mardi 11 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

RUSSIAN EMPIRE WILL CEASE TO EXIST ON THE MAIDAN – MIHKEIL SAAKASHVILI

12:35 * 09.02.14

It is quite possible that sometime history books will tell how the
Russian Empire ceased to exist on the Maidan in Kiev, ex-president
of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili stated during his meeting with the
head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv, Patriarchate Filaret,
reports the press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“It is true, this time will come, and historians will write that the
Russian Empire ceased to exist on the Maidan in Kiev. And that’s how
it will be. The people will win and I believe it would be a better
fate and future that will unite all nations,” M.Saakashvili said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

DES MILITANTS DE L’OPPOSITION ARMENIENNE ARRÊTES POUR DES > POLITIQUES

ARMENIE

Neuf militants du Congrès national armenien (HAK), l’un des principaux
partis de l’opposition armenienne representes au Parlement de Erevan,
ont ete arretes par des agents de police dans le centre de Erevan
dans la journee du lundi 10 fevrier alors qu’ils etaient en train
d’ecrire des tags a la teneur très politique puisqu’ils designaient
le president Serge Sarkissian comme un “traître a la nation”.

Les jeunes militants auraient prevu de couvrir les murs des immeubles
du centre de la capitale de portraits du chef de l’Etat accompagnes
de cette annotation infâmante, a l’approche d’un grand rassemblement
du HAK. Ils ont ete conduits au poste de police peu après minuit et
ont ete relâches trois heures après. Un porte parole de la police
nationale, Armen Malkhasian, a denonce un trouble de l’ordre public.

Les militants encourent une amende de 20 000 a 60 000 drams (50 a 150
dollars) s’ils sont reconnus coupables par le Tribunal administratif
de Erevan, en vertu des articles correspondants du Code penal armenien.

Après leur liberation, les jeunes activistes ont explique la presence
de la police sur les lieux de leurs grafittis par l’evntualite que
leurs telephones aient ete places sur ecoutes. “Le plus etonnant est
qu’ils semblaient connaître a l’avance notre itineraire. Ils savaient
[lors de l’arrestation] que nous avions convenu vingt minutes avant de
nous retrouver dans le QG du HAK”, a declare l’un des neuf militants,
Davit Vartanian. La campagne d’affichage mene par les activistes
vise a mobiliser l’opinion en prevision de la grande manifestation
annoncee par le parti d’opposition dirige par Levon Ter Petrossian
pour le 1er mars prochain sur la place de la Liberte de Erevan, a
l’occasion du 8e anniversaire de la violente repression qui avait
sanctionne la campagne de protestation contre l’election de Serge
Sarkissian pour un premier mandat presidentiel, dont la victoire
avait ete contestee par son principal adversaire L. Ter Petrossian.

Certains des partisans de Ter Petrossian espèrent que le leader du
HAK donnera lors de rassemblement le coup d’envoi d’une nouvelle
campagne de manifestations reclamant le depart de S. Sarkissian. Ter
Petrossian, qui a fete ses 69 ans le 9 janvier, etait le principal
candidat de l’opposition aux elections presidentielles de 2008.

Invoquant son âge, il avait decide de ne pas se presenter face a S.

Sarkissian aux elections presidentielles de fevrier 2013. La
manifestation du 1er mars marquera les retrouvailles entre l’ancien
president et la rue de Erevan, où le HAK n’a pas organise de grands
rassemblements en 2013. .

mardi 11 fevrier 2014, Gari (c)armenews.com

35 HA OF WOODLAND TO BE REHABILITATED IN ARMENIAN PROVINCES

18:00 05/02/2014 >> ECONOMY

Chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, a regular meeting of the
Board of Trustees of the Forestry Rehabilitation and Development
Fund was held in the office of government, the government’s press
service reported.

The meeting took note of the Fund’s report on financial-economic
activity and its financial statement for 2013, after which the
Board discussed programs to be implemented in 2014. In particular,
35 hectares of woodland will be rehabilitated in Tavush, Shirak,
Gegharkunik provinces during this year. Sanitation work will be
carried out on about 100 hectares of woodland in Kotayk province.

Reforestation activities in the provinces will be continued into 2015.

At the same time, 51 hectares belonging to Yerevan’s Erebuni Forestry
will be reforested by this yearend. The program implies the use of
new technology that will help prevent possible landslides. Water main
building and fencing activities were implemented on the site in 2013.

Source: Panorama.am

Detroit resident wants to make film on city’s Armenian musical history

February 8, 2014 – 16:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Musician Ara Topouzian living in Detroit, the most
populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan, wants to preserve the
city’s Armenian musical history on film, Hometownlife reports.

“My goal is to show the hidden story about Detroit, the ethnic
community,” said the Farmington Hills resident. “Our music represents
sadness, happiness, weddings, parties, picnics.”

The idea for the film stems from a project Topouzian, Troy Chamber of
Commerce executive director, created when he received a fellowship
from the Kresge Foundation in 2012.

His Kresge fellowship gave Topouzian yet another opportunity to open
the doors to preserving Armenian music.

“It allowed me to create a project for the public that was a
lecture/concert about the history of Armenian music in Detroit,” he
said. “I thought it would be great if it was a film.”

That dream is on its way to reality thanks to a $12,000 matching grant
from the Knight Foundation. That joy, however, presents a hurdle.
Topouzian must raise the $12,000 match and he has until September,
Hometownlife says.

He is working through the Miami Foundation and the online Kickstarter
to raise the necessary money. The former executive director of the
Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce and former economic development
director for the city of Novi is also accepting private donations to
help with the grant match.

With Kickstarter, Topouzian had to set a dollar goal and if that
fundraising goal is not reached by March 18, that’s the end of that.
“No money goes in my pocket from any fundraising for the film. I get
nothing except maybe the notoriety of the film,” Topouzian said.

Progress is under way. If he can raise the minimum $5,000 on
Kickstarter, then he has $2,600 already with a total of $7,600 so far.

If all goes as planned, Brian Golden, Farmington area historian, will
film the historical project Topouzian has in mind. And again, if all
goes as planned, he wants to pitch a completed film to PBS. The film
in 2015 would coincide with 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide.

Before the genocide, Detroit could boast some 3,000-4,000 Armenians.
Following the genocide, the ranks swelled to some 30,000 as survivors
made their way to Detroit and jobs with Henry Ford.

For the most part, Armenians brought their culture and music and
settled in the southeast section of Detroit. “They had no tape
recorders but they brought the tunes in their heads and desperately
made a life here and brought the culture they lost,” Topouzian said.

And this is the story he wants to tell the world. At first, Armenian
musicians played in churches, community centers and halls. In time,
nightclub owners realized Armenian music was popular and began
inviting the musicians to play a few nights a week.

“It is a story that needs to be told,” he said. “About how important
Armenians have been in Detroit preserving their culture and their
music.”

Topouzian plans to return to the spots where those nightclubs once
stood and interview Armenian immigrants and musicians who steadfastly
protected and preserved their culture.

“I want them to tell their stories. This is the history the Turks did not get.”

France Has No First Lady For The First Time

Siranuysh Papyan, Interviewer
Interview – Saturday, 08 February 2014, 16:30

Interview with French Armenian entrepreneur Valery Ashkhen Gortsounian

Ashkhen, during his visit to Turkey Hollande called them to recognize
the genocide as a memory. In your opinion, was Hollande’s statement
determined by his vows to the Armenians?

As a socialist president he is supposed to speak about it. Socialists
always try to display the right approach to historical issues but, on
the other hand, he was very diplomatic and did not utter the word
“genocide”. He only said that we must remember and admit the history.

Before Hollande’s visit to Turkey the Armenians of Paris, Marseilles
and Lyon held demonstrations, met with Hollande so he could not
altogether ignore the claims of Armenians. Besides, mayoral elections
are coming up, and the socialists will clash with the rightists.
Hence, the socialists cannot ignore the Armenian voters. This is real
politik.

In fact, now I try to be careful with my statements due to some
circumstances. First, if you remember, the Armenians were pledged a
law criminalizing the denial of the genocide but they did not do that.
I don’t expect them to adopt the law. Besides, the ECHR dismissed the
decision of the Swiss court and the Turkish politician Dogu Perincek
who denied the genocide and was accused of racial discrimination was
acquitted. It is a surprise that the ECHR is, on the one hand, against
the recognition of the genocide, and the justification is that the
Turk has the right to express, think that there was no genocide.

Besides, Hollande did not use the word “genocide”, he said they must
respect the memory. France is going to make a new law. I am worried
about the posture of the ECHR because here we know that everything is
linked to politics. We must be very strong to have Mr. Hollande to
keep his pledges. I have doubts that the Diaspora Armenians have the
strength for that, knowing well today’s situation. If the Armenians of
the Diaspora had been strong enough and were aware of the importance,
the ECHR would never pass that decision.

Hollande’s separation was on the world press for days. Did it affect
Hollande’s image in France?

Here they say it is a cultural issue, men may do such things and
Hollande is not an exception. In France they don’t like dealing with
other people’s private life but it would not true to say that they
were indifferent. They spoke about it a lot. Besides, he was not
married with the first lady, he was the first president elected with a
status of single. It was something new to the French. He was silent
for 15 days, there was not an official statement whether that women,
Valerie Trierweiler, should stay with him or not. The media repeated
that Hollande had to make a decision because the French taxpayers
cover the expenses of that lady (she ran an office, a team).

Now, for the first time there are people who say that the president
with his behavior must be a good example for the public. Feminists
defended Valerie Trierweiler but on the whole the society does not
like her. Now France does not have a first lady and is considering
whether France needs to keep the institution of the first lady.

– See more at:

Azerbaijan violates Olympic truce

February 08, 2014 | 13:35

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijan continues violating ceasefire despite the calls
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to maintain the Olympic truce.

Over the last 24 hours Azerbaijani side violated ceasefire in several
directions, spokesperson for Armenian Defense Ministry Artsrun
Hovhannisyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. The major number of ceasefire
violations fell on Tavush section of Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

As reported earlier, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs urged the parties
to strengthen observance of the ceasefire and avoid further
escalation, particularly in light of the upcoming Olympic Games in
Sochi.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Merkel: There Are Different Armenians

Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
Comments – Saturday, 08 February 2014, 17:05

As 2015, “X hour” for Turkey, is coming up, increasingly more
politicians of world scale say that recognition of the genocide is
inevitable. Quite recently, Bashar Assad compared what is happening
now in Syria with the genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The Kurdish leader
Abdullah Ocalan addressed a letter to the Armenians about the
genocide.. the French President Francois Hollande stated in Ankara
that Turkey will have to face up to its history.

However, what the German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Turkish
Prime Minister Erdogan is probably the most symptomatic of all. The
Chancellor of Germany, a country which has had to pay for the
Holocaust for many decades, has urged Turkey to admit to its history.
Erdogan said that they should not be responsible for what is not done.
And then Merkel said sacramental phrase. According to the Turkish
Hyurriyet, Merkel noted that the Armenians living in Armenia should
not be identified with Armenians scattered around the world. “Turkey
should open its border with Armenia,” Merkel said.

This sacramental phrase outlined two “Armenian fronts” against Turkey,
Armenia and the Diaspora. And the international community, apparently,
intends to support both fronts, regardless of the will of the Armenian
government which works on neither of these fronts.

The international community will definitely support the claims of the
Armenians worldwide who have been of their historical homeland and
property due to the genocide. However, the international community
will also demand that Turkey open its border with Armenia to open
communication in our vast region.

Judging by the expression on the face of Turkish leaders, they have
reconciled with the thought of recognition of the genocide and are
thinking about choosing the least painful way. Europe pushes Turkey to
open the border with Armenia and recognize the genocide as a condition
of rapprochement with Turkey. Turkey may not have territorial losses
but it will have major political losses and appear on the back seat of
politics. Failure to meet these conditions will completely marginalize
Turkey.

In Turkey they are already talking about a broad international front
against Turkey, including not only the western but also the “Shiite
green area”. Erdogan’s party will resist if he wins the local
elections on March 30 and the presidential election in August. It is
not going to be easy, and the Armenian factor will play a significant
role. It is not a coincidence that Erdogan’s key opponent Fetullaha
Gulen is said to have an Armenian origin.

During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sochi Sargsyan sat
next to Erdogan who had considered it his duty to come to Russia. Most
probably, it had been intended to arrange a private talk between them.
Apparently, there was no conversation because the Armenians living in
Armenia and those scattered around the world are different. And the
goals of the Armenians worldwide are not always the targets of the
Armenian leadership.

– See more at:

Merkel calls upon Turkey’s Erdogan to open border with Armenia

February 08, 2014 | 11:58

Turkey’s Hürriyet daily publicized some details from Turkish PM Recep
Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, during
his visit to Germany.

According to the article, in the lead up the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide in 1915, Erdogan cautioned Germany to be careful
with respect to the Armenian issue.

In response, the German Chancellor stated as follows:

“Germany is a democratic country; we cannot interfere. Turkey must
confront its history. The Armenians in Armenia are in a difficult
situation. Turkey should open its border with Armenia.”

And the Turkish PM responded to Merkel in this manner:

“You want to force us into accepting things we have not done. We have
opened our archives and called upon the world to come and study
[them]; but no one came. So, don’t accuse Turkey of unlawfulness!”

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

REVUE DE PRESSE
Questions au gouvernement sur l’assassinat des militantes kurdes

Quelle collaboration attendent les autorités françaises de la part des
autorités turques pour faire avancer l’enquête sur l’assassinat de
trois femmes kurdes ? C’est ce que le député européen
Europe-Ecologie-Les-Verts (EELV) Sergio Coronado a demandé au ministre
de l’Intérieur.

L’enquête sur l’assassinat des militantes kurdes en pleine Paris, il y
a plus d’un an, était à l’ordre du jour du parlement français,
mercredi 29 janvier 2014, lors de la séance des questions au
gouvernement.

Le député Sergio Coronado, pour le groupe écologiste, a rappelé le
triple assassinat et a demandé au ministre de l’intérieur, Manuel
Valls, pourquoi les autorités françaises n’ont toujours pas reçu
officiellement les familles des victimes ?

“Monsieur le ministre de l’intérieur, dans la soirée du 9 janvier
2013, à l’intérieur des locaux du centre d’information du Kurdistan à
Paris, trois militantes de la cause kurde ont été assassinées.

Sakine Cansiz bénéficiait du statut de réfugiée politique obtenu en
France et les deux autres résidaient légalement en Europe,
conformément à la législation française pour Fidan Dogan, et à la
législation allemande pour Leyla Soylemez.

Ces femmes ont été assassinées en plein coeur de Paris. Monsieur le
ministre, vous aviez à l’époque parlé d > ces
assassinats et le Président de la République lui-même de >.

Rappelons qu’une des militantes assassinées, Sakine Cansiz, arrêtée en
1979 en Turquie, avait passé douze ans dans les terribles prisons
turques, mutilée par ses tortionnaires. Elle avait trouvé refuge en
Europe. Elle a finalement été exécutée à Paris.

Alors que l’ombre d’Ankara plane sur ces assassinats, les autorités
turques semblent rechigner à collaborer avec les autorités chargées de
l’enquête de police et le parquet en charge de l’instruction, malgré
les conventions existantes notamment la Convention européenne pour la
répression du terrorisme du Conseil de l’Europe du 27 janvier 1977.
Cette seule convention aurait dû suffire pour une coopération
policière et judiciaire, sans que soit nécessaire l’accord de
coopération dans le domaine de sécurité intérieure entre le
Gouvernement français et celui de la République de Turquie, signé par
M. Guéant le 7 octobre 2011.

Alors que le Président Hollande termine une visite officielle en
Turquie et que la Turquie est toujours sur le triste podium des plus
gros pourvoyeurs de requêtes à la Cour européenne des droits de
l’homme, alors même que le pays est secoué par des purges dans la
magistrature et la police – pour mémoire, 5 000 fonctionnaires ont été
réaffectés ou limogés en cinq semaines -, quelle collaboration
attendez-vous, monsieur le ministre, de la part des autorités turques
pour faire avancer l’enquête ? Alors que la justice n’est toujours pas
rendue, qu’attendent les autorités françaises pour recevoir
officiellement les familles des victimes ?”

MINISTRE DE LA JUSTICE S’EXPLIQUE

La réponse de Mme Christiane Taubira, garde des sceaux, ministre de la
justice : “Monsieur le député, l’affaire que vous évoquez est une
affaire criminelle en cours d’instruction. Une personne, vous le savez
sans doute, a été arrêtée, écrouée pour assassinat en lien avec une
entreprise terroriste. Cette personne suspectée bénéficie bien
évidemment encore de la présomption d’innocence.

Trois magistrats ont été saisis. Ils assurent l’instruction mais je ne
pense pas que vous teniez d’eux les informations relatives aux
difficultés qu’ils pourraient rencontrer dans une éventuelle
coopération avec la Turquie. Ces trois magistrats disposent
d’instruments judiciaires qui leur permettent de saisir tout pays
concerné par l’instruction qu’ils conduisent.

Vous le savez, nous développons ces instruments judiciaires dans le
cadre européen. Nous disposons du mandat européen pour retrouver une
personne en fuite ou transférer quelqu’un. Surtout, nous avons
transposé les directives européennes qui permettent la reconnaissance
mutuelle des décisions de justice. Ce n’est pas le cas avec la Turquie
mais, au sein même de l’Union européenne, les disparités entre les
systèmes juridiques peuvent poser problème aux magistrats. Bien
entendu, elles sont parfois plus fortes encore avec un pays extérieur
à l’Union européenne qu’avec un pays membre.

En tout état de cause, ces magistrats disposent d’instruments
judiciaires, notamment de la possibilité d’ordonner une commission
rogatoire internationale ou divers actes d’entraide pénale
internationale.”

Après la réaction du député Étienne Blanc qui a dit ” C’est fumeux !”,
la ministre de la Justice a poursuit : “Je ne doute pas de leur
pugnacité, dont ils ont déjà fait preuve précédemment. Ils sauront
utiliser tous ces instruments de façon à faire émerger la vérité et
permettre que soit prononcée une sanction à la mesure du crime
accompli.”

Blog de Maxime Azadi avec ActuKurde.fr

samedi 8 février 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com