Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AVIATION OFFICIALS DISCUSS KAPAN AIRPORT RELAUNCH

16:54 28/08/2013 ” SOCIETY

The relaunch of Kapan airport was discussed in the regional center
of Syunik, Kapan, with participation of representatives of Armenia’s
General Department of Civil Aviation, with the relaunching program
presented by aviation officials.

Armenian Deputy Prime Minister, Territorial Administration Minister
Armen Gevorgyan, who was in Syunik province on a working visit,
stressed the importance of the airport relaunch for the population,
noting that there is an instruction from the Armenian President to
implement the relaunching program.

An agreement was reached that the governor of Syunik will discuss
the program with businessmen and final financial calculations and
proposals will be submitted to the government in September, the
Territorial Administration Ministry’s press service said.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIA-ARGENTINA RELATIONSHIP HAS POTENTIAL OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

August 28, 2013 | 13:11

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Ambassador to Argentina Vahagn Melikyan on Tuesday
met with Argentina’s Vice President, President of Senate Amado Boudou.

The sides discussed deepening of cooperation between the states,
further development of bilateral ties in different sectors.

Argentinean official shared his impressions of the recent visit to
Armenia for the inauguration ceremony of President Serzh Sargsyan.

Amado Boudou hailed arrangements reached during the meetings with
Armenian officials.

Ambassador Melikyan noted that the recent visit to Armenia paved
way for deepening of existing traditional friendly ties between
the nations. He said the countries have not fully used the entire
potential of further development of relations.

Amado Boudou underscored the role of the Armenian community in
development of contacts between the states.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

SECOND INTERNATIONAL PLENARY OF YOUNG PAINTERS KICKED OFF IN SHIRAK

20:33, 27 August, 2013

GYUMRI, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS: In Armenian Shirak region on August
27 officially started the second international plenary of Young
painters. The event is held under the heading “With Minas colors”.

This year again the program is implemented by Shirak municipality and
public organization “Arts for peace” in support of Ministry of Sport
and youth affairs. The official sponsor of the program is Republican
Party of Armenia.

This time the plenary is dedicated to famous Armenian painter Minas
Avetisyan’s 85th birthday anniversary. The young painters are in
Shirak since August 25 and will stay there until August 30 combining
active rest with interesting meetings and master classes.

Initiator of the program Gor Margaryan informed “Armenpress” that in
plenary take part 55 young painters from Yerevan, Artsakh, Tbilisi,
Russia and all regions of Armenia.

“The aim of the program is to create inter-cultural cooperation
platform between Armenian and foreign young artists making it a
guarantee of regional stability and cultural dialogue,” mentioned
Gor Margaryan. Russian participant of the program Olga Ivanova shared
with her emotions; ” I am admired with Armenia and hospitability of
Armenians. We really learn here. Painters give us advises,” mentioned
the guest from Russia

RETRO. COMMUNITY AND STATE

August 27 2013

How do they differ? We often repeat that parties are our national
wealth. Everyone, without exception, starting from the oldest up to
the ones existing for three months. Especially the parties, which
despite their mistakes and failures have passed some historical
path along with our people. Let’s give credit for our traditional
structures, trying, however, to understand what role they are playing
in Armenia and the Diaspora. Perhaps, it would be correct to assume
that any political party is created and operates to participate in
the country’s political life. Does it take place with the Armenian
parties? Does any one of them, for example, conduct pre-election
campaign in the Congress of the United States, or to have a seat
in the parliament of any other country? It seems that the answer is
plain. Their activity is limited to the colony. The phenomenon is very
accurately described by Hakob Paronyan: there is a constitution, there
is a parliament, there are deputies, but all of these is unreal and
slightly ridiculous, because it functions not by a state, but only a
community scale. Consequently, preservation of the Armenian identity
and lobbying activities are left to the traditional parties of the
Diaspora. Thanks to them, we must say that, during their existence,
they have done a lot for the establishment of cultural, educational,
sports, health care facilities in the colonies, they have raised the
issues of the Armenian Cause to the public of the various states.

However, the activities were always associated with internal provincial
bickering, which is specific to communities and emigrants, which
sometimes turns into blood. The preservation of Armenian identity
is extremely “politicized”, in the result of which, let’s say,
Dashnaks and hnchaks are not only treated in different hospitals,
taking their children to different schools and playing in different
football teams, but also attend different churches. As for lobbying,
its vivid example was demonstrated recently by the ARF Federation by
presenting our authorities in Moscow and Washington, respectively,
as a “pro-American” and “pro-Russian”, thus trying to “hound”
two super states towards Armenia. It is a very “nation-beneficial”
activity. It is obvious that what the traditional parties, either good
or bad, do in the Diaspora, is not applicable in Armenia (i.e. state
availability). Here, the party can and should be engaged in purely
political activities. But, unfortunately, sectored, “community”
mentality still prevails, and exaggerated and unfounded claims are its
negative manifestations. And the reason, apparently, is the dependency
of the Armenian elite of those parties on the structures operating
in the Diaspora. Aram Abrahamyan 24.01.1995

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THREE WOUNDED IN A SHOOTING NEAR ARMENIAN CHURCH IN RUSSIA

August 28, 2013 | 01:53

An unknown opened fire near Surb Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church
in Kaliningrad, Russia, on Tuesday.

Three men were wounded in a shooting. The shooter, owner of Toyota Land
Cruiser, fled the scene leaving the vehicle, REGNUM agency reported.

The causes of the accident are not clear yet. The task force found
for more than 10 cartridges at the scene.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

EXCLUSIVE FINDINGS DISCOVERED AT ARTSAKH’S TIGRANAKERT

10:17, 28 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS: Quite interesting findings have been
discovered in the result of the archeological excavations carried out
in the Tigranakert of Artsakh in 2013. This was reported to Armenpress
by the head of the archeological expedition of Tigranakert Hamlet
Petrosyan. “In the area of the northern wall a new part of the wall
has been opened. We are expecting the invention of a new tower. Now
we can say that the length of the wall will be 225 meters”, – said
Hamlet Petrosyan.

According to the head of the archeological expedition of Tigranakert,
due to the excavations carried out in the Antique District in 2013,
it is possible to speak about complexes consisting of rectangular
rooms. During the excavations high-quality ceramics, things made from
raw clay and other things were found.

The excavations carried out in the Tigranakert of Artsakh in 2013
were attended also by the archeologists of the University of Florence.

“Tigranakert of Artsakh is one of the most exclusive spectacular
monuments, visited by thousands of tourists every year”, – added
Hamlet Petrosyan.

The excavations of Tigranakert of Artsakh were launched on June 25
2013 and continued up to August 19.

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN SOUTIENT-IL LA REELECTION D’ILHAM ALIEV ?

ARMENIE

Les quotidiens du jour rendent compte des propos du President
Sarkissian lors d’une rencontre avec les jeunes d’Armenie et de
la diaspora reunis dans la ville de Tsaghkadzor. Interroge sur la
question du candidat presidentiel azerbaïdjanais prefere par l’Armenie,
le President Sarkissian a souligne l’interet du pays a etre entoure
de voisins democratiques et de conduire des negociations avec un
Azerbaïdjan democratique : ” Toutefois, si l’on met de côte cette
perspective, la victoire de l’actuel President Aliev serait l’issue
la plus benefique … Nous avons traverse une periode de negociations
longue et difficile, les règles proposees par le Groupe de Minsk
sont connues. Nous en avons activement discute avec les autorites
azerbaïdjanaises durant les quatre dernières annees. Il est vrai que
le processus de negociation n’a pas encore porte ses fruits a ce jour.

Neanmoins nous avons fait du chemin et si, a la suite des elections,
Ilham Aliev fait preuve de volonte politique et tempère son
armenophobie, je pense qu’alors sa reelection nous sera profitable “.

Par ailleurs, le President Sarkissian a minimise les recentes
acquisitions d’armes par l’Azerbaïdjan, qui, selon lui, ne pourront
en aucun cas affecter l’equilibre des forces dans la region.

Hayots Achkhar reproduit en ” une ” les propos du ” porte-parole du
President du HK “, David Babayan, selon lequel la candidature d’Ilham
Aliev peut etre consideree comme ” preferable ” dans la mesure où il
est depuis des annees a la tete du pays et que la partie armenienne
le connaît très bien. Il juge toutefois que pour le HK il n’y a pas
de candidat ideal [aux elections presidentielles azerbaïdjanaises],
tous etant domines par une logique armenophobe.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 21 août 2013

mercredi 28 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

ARTAK ZAKARYAN A RECU L’AMBASSADEUR D’ISRAËL EN ARMENIE

ARMENIE

Le 21 Août le president de la commission des affaires etrangères de
l’Assemblee nationale armenienne Artak Zakaryan a recu l’Ambassadeur
extraordinaire et plenipotentiaire de l’Etat d’Israël en Armenie
Shmuel Meirom.

Artak Zakaryan a souligne que si les relations avec Israël sont
bonnes il est encore necessaire d’ameliorer la cooperation,
en particulier dans les sphères humanitaires, economiques et
politiques. Il a egalement souligne la necessite d’activer les
relations interparlementaires. Artak Zakaryan a noter que les destins
des peuples armeniens et juifs, ainsi que les problèmes actuels sont
aussi similaires.

L’Ambassadeur Meirom a egalement souligne le developpement des
relations de l’Assemblee nationale avec la Knesset israelienne et
a note qu’un groupe d’amitie avec l’Armenie avait deja ete forme
en Israël, et a transmis a Artak Zakaryan la lettre de bienvenue
d’Yisrael Hasson, le nouveau president du groupe.

mercredi 28 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

ERGENEKON AND THE BANALITY OF EVIL

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 27 2013

Dexter Filkins of The New Yorker magazine and Nobel Prize laureate
and MIT Professor Peter Diamond penned two important articles about
the Ergenekon trial.

Whereas the former claimed that evidence was simply fabricated for the
Ergenekon case, the latter argued that “there was no credible basis”
for determining that eight academics and engineers were guilty. They
are right to point out human rights violations from a Western liberal
perspective, given the methodological mistakes made during the trial
and the excessive length of detentions. Perhaps one can even argue
that the trial deviated from its purpose. Yet, Mr. Filkins’ and Mr.

Diamond’s accounts are inaccurate, as they only reflect the problems
of a five-year-long case with hundreds of detainees and an indictment
millions of pages long.

Furthermore, they condone the essence of the trial but do not
have a good understanding of Turkish politics and history. Turkish
history demonstrates that Ergenekon is a deep state organization that
penetrated both society and the bureaucracy. Attempting to overthrow
various governments through a coup d’etat, committing mass murders of
Kurds and Armenians, fostering cooperation between the military and
ultra-Kemalist non-government organizations to mobilize masses and
delegitimize an elected government and most importantly, asserting
military control over civilian power are just a few of Ergenekon’s
plots. Despite the court’s 19 verdicts of a life sentence and the
punishment of the majority of the detainees, it is unclear whether
Turkey has fully confronted Ergenekon’s evil past and most importantly,
its own.

Yes and No.

The Ergenekon trial has a symbolic meaning, as it partly eradicated the
most clandestine organization in Turkish history and to some extent
satisfied the wishes of those who were the victims of Ergenekon,
particularly the conservatives. Punishing Ergenekon network members
simply meant a departure from Turkey’s oppressive history, but using
retributive justice measures created a perception of revenge among
many. Political conflicts and polarization can be healthy, as they
reveal the weaknesses of a political system and pressure points
in society. If used wisely, they present important opportunities
for nations to address existing problems. However, the Ergenekon
trial further polarized Turkey into two main camps; conservatives
and secularists. Beginning in 2008, the Ergenekon trial gradually
became instrumental in the mainly pro-Kemalist secularists’ loss of
Staatsvolk status. Given the fact that the secularists lost their
privileges and the conservatives rose to power and filled important
positions within the state apparatus, we experienced a fierce but
facile politicization of Ergenekon.

Recall Deniz Baykal, former leader of the Republican People’s Party
(CHP), who said he was the lawyer for the Ergenekon detainees and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that he was the prosecutor
for the Ergenekon trial. From post-World War II Germany to Gladio
in Italy and the decommunization of Eastern Europe, such trials are
naturally controversial. Furthermore, such cases usually do not allow
the public to have a meaningful debate about the evil past of a cabal
or the state itself. For instance, many detainees claimed that it was
legal to organize a coup d’etat because the Turkish military’s internal
codes allowed them, as the dominant power in politics, to identify an
internal threat and, if necessary, react accordingly. The alleged coup
d’etat plans clearly show that the military was willing to kill its
own people to protect the Kemalist nation state. Despite the important
punishments, many in Turkey still believe that the Ergenekon network
members are innocent. In other words, this is the banality of evil.

If politicization of the Ergenekon trial was one reason for a lack
of meaningful debate, the court’s choice not to investigate the
infamous Susurluk accident and mass killings of Kurds and influential
intellectuals limited the debate. This missed opportunity could
facilitate a discussion about past crimes of the Turkish state and
its clandestine organizations that would probably get more support
from society. For instance, the Kurds criticized the Ergenekon trial
because the court focused only on coup d’etat attempts and ignored the
Kurdish dimension. It is not difficult to conclude that the Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) government confronted only those who
challenged it and remained indifferent to cases that could potentially
unearth the state apparatus’ misconduct against its own citizens.

Despite human rights violations, the Ergenekon trial had important
symbolic meaning and was instrumental in the demilitarization of
Turkey. Yet, since Turkey did not have a meaningful discussion about
its dark past, it is likely that the Ergenekon saga will continue in
the near future, further polarizing the country. The question is now,
how do we deal with Ergenekon properly — ensuring fundamental human
rights — but still unearth the truth?

NEW SOUTH WALES PARLIAMENT IRKS TURKS FOR POLITICIZING CONTROVERSIAL HISTORY EVENT

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 27 2013

27 August 2013 /NESÄ°BE HÄ°CRET SOY, ANKARA

Disturbed by a politically charged step to reassess history, Turkish
local and government officials have signaled that they will not welcome
Australia’s New South Wales MPs due to the state’s formal recognition
in its legislative council of the controversial 1915 events in Turkey
as a genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians.

The mayor of Canakkale, Ulgur Gökhan, told Today’s Zaman that they had
made a decision in the local council expressing their wish to prevent
the NSW MPs’ upcoming centenary commemorations at Gallipoli in 2015,
although Anzac Cove is outside the municipality’s jurisdiction.

In May of this year the NSW parliament passed a motion recognizing
the alleged genocides of the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the move. “The fact that this
motion has been passed as a fait accompli by a local politician whose
antagonistic attitude and behavior towards Turkey are well known,
during a session at the state parliament attended by a small number of
parliamentarians, shows how lightly and superficially such a sensitive
issue is dealt with,” said the statement.

In August, the Turkish consul general in Sydney, Gulseren Celik,
responded to the decision of the NSW parliament to describe the events
of 1915 as genocide.

“We expect Australians to show the same kind of respect that we have
shown to their history and their ancestry,” Celik said in her speech
to the ABC channel. “Those individuals who show no respect to our
history will not be welcome in Turkey,” she added.

Turkey is expected to deny visas to the NSW MPs for the centenary
commemorations at Gallipoli, Canakkale, in 2015. When Celik was asked
by ABC if this meant that NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, and indeed the
entire NSW parliament, would not be given visas to attend the centenary
commemorations, Celik recalled the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s previous
statement and replied, “Yes.”

Regarding the ban on the NSW MPs in the centenary commemorations at
Gallipoli in 2015, the Turkish Foreign Ministry declared that Turkey
will not welcome those who passed this motion. “These people who
tried to damage the spirit of Canakkale and Gallipoli will not have
a place in the Canakkale ceremonies, where together we commemorate
our sons lying side by side in our soil.”

In 2009, Turkey reacted negatively to a monument erected by the
Assyrian Universal Alliance in the Australian city of Fairfield,
where 10 percent of the population is Assyrian, in commemoration of
the so-called Assyrian genocide.

The erection of the monument was approved by the Fairfield Council in
Sydney’s western suburbs. Denying the Assyrians’ genocide claims,
Turkey’s former ambassador to Australia, Oguz Ozge, called the
council’s ruling “very offensive,” noting that the Turkish government
was considering legal action against the council’s decision.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry had already condemned the monument while
reiterating Ankara’s stance on controversial historical disputes,
saying that the issue should only be discussed by historians after
objective analysis.

Generally, bilateral relations between Turkey and Australia are
extremely good. In May of this year, Australia’s ambassador to Turkey,
Ian Biggs, talking to Today’s Zaman at the Australia-Turkey Dialogue
Workshop in Akcakoca, organized by the Abant Platform, emphasized
the “excellent bilateral relations” between Turkey and Australia
and expressed his desire for more trade and investment between the
two countries. Biggs pointed to “the common history in the Gallipoli
conflict” as a “very unusual basis for friendship.”

On April 25 of every year, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders,
the grandchildren of those who fell at Arıburnu in Canakkale, gather
for a commemorative dawn service at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli
(Gelibolu) Peninsula. 2015 will see the 100th Anzac commemoration
ceremony take place in Canakkale.