Author: Kalantarian Kevo

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.

MKHITARYAN: “NEVER KNOWN FANS LIKE THIS”

Bundesliga – official website, Germany
Aug 27 2013

Dortmund – He’s only been in town for six weeks, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan
already feels right at home at Borussia Dortmund.

Above all, it’s the BVB suppporters that have really impressed
Armenia’s star attraction, who remembers all too well what the Signal
Iduna Park faithful are capable of from his days at Shakhtar Donetsk.

“Unbelievable”

“I was so impressed with the way they got behind the team when
I came here with Shakhtar in the [UEFA] Champions League,” the
24-year-old told the club website. “The support they gave the team
was unbelievable. They’re very, very good, I’ve never known fans
like this.”

It goes without saying the celebrated Dortmund espousal now extends
to the newest member of the BVB family, Mkhitaryan, who can expect
to take in the sounds of many a Yellow-Black singsong as the 2013/14
campaign kicks into gear. Sizzling atmospheres and top-class football
go hand in Bundesliga hand after all.

WHEN WILL MR. REDDIT (ALEXIS OHANIAN) GO TO CONGRESS?

Venture Beat
Aug 26 2013

August 26, 2013 6:00 AM
Tom Cheredar

MALMO, Sweden – Running against a successful incumbent elected official
for a seat in the House of Representatives takes lots of time, energy,
and campaign funding. Alexis Ohanian – cofounder of Reddit, Hipmunk,
and Breadpig – has (or could have) all of this, and yet he’s still
not sold on the idea of going to Congress.

“There was a conversation (about me running for Congress) that happened
for about five minutes,” Ohanian told me and a crowd of about 600 at
the Media Evolution conference in Sweden earlier this week. It was
the last speaker session, and Ohanian was preaching on the virtues
of keeping the media evolving by ensuring that everyone has a free,
open, and available Internet. “The thing that I am hopeful for is
that we’ll see a new type of political actor who is not connected
through politics but who can have a political impact.”

After the conference, I had a chance to talk to him a bit more in depth
about running for Congress. [Author’s Note: My exchange with Alexis
was an informal conversation, not an interview — meaning the quotes
below were committed from memory alone.] The initial answer he gave
was replaced with a more practical explanation for why he wouldn’t
run. There were several reasons, but two that definitely stood out.

It’s hard to tell if he was just being modest, but Ohanian didn’t
think he’d get the votes needed because he doesn’t necessarily resonate
with people outside of Reddit’s demographic – specifically, the older
citizens of Brooklyn, which he proudly calls home.

However, I don’t think that would be nearly as big a problem as he
thinks. Later on in the night – hours after giving the keynote speech
at the conference – Ohanian told a group of people about the first
and second time he was featured on Bloomberg TV – one of the only
shows his old, Armenian lawyer grandfather actually watches.

“This was years ago, when I got interviewed on Bloomberg InBusiness …

I think I was wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans,” he said,
explaining that he didn’t really think much of it at the time. “I
was all excited to tell [my grandfather]. When I finally talked to
him days later he was like ‘oh yeah, I saw you. You looked like a
bum.’ No comment about me doing well or a congratulations. Just a
comment about my clothes.

“And that’s why the next time I did a round of interviews I wore a
suit and tie,” he said, adding that photos of him in that outfit are
among the most frequently used now.

Certainly, everyone has experienced older loved ones who think it’s
disrespectful that we don’t adhere to the customs and etiquette of
their day. And just like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg got a pass
for wearing a hoodie when his company went public, Ohanian (as the
co-creator of mega popular Reddit) could do the same – except when he
couldn’t, because he didn’t want to disappoint his grandfather. I’d
find it hard to believe he wouldn’t do little things like that to
win over older voters should he ever decide to run for office.

Ohanian and I also had a pretty candid conversation about career
politicians and how that’s a path he could ever commit to.

To that I simply asked, “Well, why do you have to?” – meaning, why
not just do it for two years (aka one term).

Running on the promise of only two years is something a lot of
politicians kind of imply, but I really can’t think of a single
congressperson whose ambitions didn’t extend well beyond their initial
term. And there’s a good reason most don’t want to be there two years.

You can’t really do anything during that time, can’t invoke the kind
of change you can see. But maybe there are other things that could
be done – should be done – that a career politician just wouldn’t do.

Maybe Ohanian, in two years, could run the most transparent campaign
ever. He could be on hand to answer questions related to the Internet,
privacy, and piracy. He’d be called upon by other house members who
want him to vote on their bills. He’d have a little bit of leeway,
even if it wasn’t much.

Also, we’ve never had someone from the Internet generation (Reddit
generation?) as an inside man in Washington. We’ve never really even
had someone who could be classified as a bonafied tech geek. With
Ohanian, that would change – possibly for the betterment of everyone.

At the very least, perhaps Ohanian’s campaign could inspire a new crop
of smart people from the “Internet generation” to run for Congress.

So what was Ohanian’s response to running on a promise of two years?

Well, first he laughed a bit. Then after 15 minutes of conversing
about things in the aforementioned paragraph, he admitted that it got
the “gears spinning” inside his head. He seemed visibly more open
to the idea of “Rep. Ohanian (I-Ny.)” than he was the first time I
asked him. (And, yes, it’s very possible he was just humoring me,
so take that for what it’s worth.)

Officially, Ohanian’s answer remains “no” when it comes to running
for a House seat in the 2014 election. Whether that changes between
now and next November is anyone’s guess. One thing I do believe is
certain is that this isn’t the last time Ohanian will answer questions
about running for Congress.

This story is part of our coverage of the Media Evolution conference
in Malmo, Sweden this week. Disclosure: Media Evolution paid for my
airfare and hotel. My coverage remains objective.

HUNDREDS MARCH AGAINST POLICE REPRESSION IN YEREVAN – PHOTOS

Narek Aleksanyan

16:35, August 27, 2013

Several hundred people marched on the Police Headquarters in Yerevan
to protest the heavy-handed tactics of the cops during operations
on August 24 to remove citizen activists who blocked traffic on
Komitas Street.

Komitas Street is where local residents have come out in opposition
to a controversial building they claim is illegal and will damage
the local residential neighborhood.

Activists joined residents in lying down in the street as a sign
of protest and were forcibly removed by police. Many claim that the
cops used excessive force to remove the protestors and that some were
later beaten and intimidated while in police custody.

After demonstrating in front of Police Headquarters, the protestors
made their way to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

COPS DETAIN ACTIVISTS FOR LYING DOWN ON YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY STEPS

09:09, August 27, 2013

Civic activist Rouzanna Grigoryan has announced that police took
four activists in custody last night from the vicinity of the Yerevan
Municipality.

She claims that three of the four (Vahagn Minasyan, Souren Sahakyan
and Gohar Saroyan) were detained for lying on the steps leading to
the building and that the fourth (Karen Haroutyunyan) was detained
because he demanded that the cops present legal substantiation for
thee actions.

On her Facebook page, Grigoryan points out that the police seem to
be at odds as to whether it is illegal to lie down on the steps of
the Municipality Building. When asked, some cops answered yes and
others, no.

CIVIC ACTIVISTS PICKETING POLICE BUILDING
by Ashot Safaryan

ARMINFO
Tuesday, August 27, 16:41

Civic activists have gathered in front of the Armenian Police
protesting against tough actions of police officers during the latest
protest actions in Komitas Street. Activists hold banners chanting
“Read laws instead of prayers,” “Stop licking boots of oligarchs.”

They are going to march towards the Prosecutor General’s Office
and demand Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan to launch criminal
proceedings against the police officers that applied force against
activists in Komitas Street 5.

In the wake of clashes with the police on 24 August late in the evening
in Komitas Street over 40 activists were detained. Argishti Kiviryan,
a coordinator of Armenia Today, was severely beaten up.

CIVIC MOVEMENT “LET’S SAVE THE MONUMENT FROM THE OLIGARCH” SET UP IN DEFENSE OF THE CITY INDOOR MARKET
by Karina Manukyan

Tuesday, August 27, 16:26

Civic Movement “Let’s save the monument from the oligarch” has been
set up in defense of the city indoor market. The owner of the indoor
market is oligarch-parliamentarian Samvel Aleksanyan.

The Civic Movement says in a statement provided to ArmInfo the goal
of the movement is to bring the owner responsible and make him pay
for the damage caused to the monument and restore the monument to its
original appearance. If the owner fails to fulfill the above demands,
the Movement will dispute his right to property in the country. The
Movement pledges to achieve the goals set on the basis of the country’s
legislation, Constitution, and the principles and standards of the
International Law.

Civic Movement “Let’s save the monument from the oligarch” has brought
together architect Sashur Kalashyan, sculptor Vigen Avetisyan,
honorable cultural worker Gagik Ginosyan, singer Arthur Ispiryan,
conductor Vartan Hakobyan, system analyst Garegin Chukaszyan,
publicist Vahram Martirosyan, activists Yeghya Nersisyan, architect
Marina Parazyan, editor-in-chief of Ararat Magazine Alyona Simonyan,
and lawyer Karo Yekhnuykyan.

To note, the Indoor Market is included in the list of the historical
monuments of Yerevan. It was built in 1952 by Armenian architect
Grigory Aghababyan’s project and has been considered one of the
symbols of the Armenian capital since then. The repairs inside the
building has damaged the original appearance of the building.

In early June, the municipality promised that the constructions erected
inside the building will be demolished and the original appearance will
be restored. Nevertheless, Head of the Union of Architects of Armenia
Mkrtich Minasyan claims that the building already has stories, which
contradicts to the municipality’s promises to restore the original
appearance of the market.

SHAKARYANTS: WEST WILL NOT INSTIGATE WORLD WAR III FOR SYRIA

16:57 27/08/2013 ” POLITICS

The West will not instigate World War III for Syria, political
scientist Sergey Shakaryants told reporters in Yerevan in commenting
on the possibility of a military invasion of Syria.

Shakaryants said that the West realizes very well that it will come
across many difficulties in case it carries out a military operation
in Syria, and that the operation will not go the same way it went in
Afghanistan and Iraq.

“The West has a clear idea that unlike the situation in Iraq, in Syria,
at least 50 percent of the population supports President Assad,”
said the political analyst.

Source: Panorama.am

JOHN HEFFERN: PRESIDENT OBAMA’S APRIL 24TH STATEMENT DOES NOT DENY ANY FACTS

14:40 27.08.2013

Armenian Genocide, Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama’s April 24 statement does not deny any of
the facts, US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern said in an interview
with The Politic.

“The President’s statement on April 24 – he has made about four or
five – is a very strong statement. It does not deny any of the facts.

It clearly states that 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or were
marshaled to death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. It refers
to these actions as one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

It acknowledges the facts, and in our view, there is no dispute over
the facts,” the Ambassador said.

“The policy decision about how the U.S. government characterizes this
period is a policy decision, and it takes into account a number of
legal and political factors, one of which is reconciliation. Our U.S.

policy is to find ways to promote reconciliation between Turkey
and Armenia and, through that reconciliation, to improve the lives
of people in both countries. Certainly, Armenia needs that Turkish
border open, needs diplomatic relations with its neighbor. It is in a
semi-isolated state [that] is very detrimental to the state and to the
economy. So U.S. policy is reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey.

The President and Secretary of State – Secretaries Clinton and now
Kerry – select and use words that they believe will promote that
reconciliation, and that is why they have chosen the words they used,”
John Heffern said.

ARF-D REPS TO BE APPOINTED AMBASSADORS

14:51 27.08.13

Two representatives of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) are said received ambassadorial
appointments in foreign states.

Tert.am’s sources claim that the appointees are Levon Lazarian
of the ARF-D Bureau and Vahan Hovhannisyan of the ARF-D faction
in parliament. Their agreements have been reportedly sent to the
corresponding counties. France is said to be one of the countries
of destination.

Tert.am contacted Tigran Balayan, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson,
for comments, but he didn’t give more details. “The appointment of
ambassadors is a long process regulated by the Armenian Constitution
and the laws. It is planned, in particular, to hold protocol procedures
upon the end of which the presidential decree will be issued,” he
told our correspondent.