Author: Kalantarian Kevo

CHANGE OF POWER IN TURKEY UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN – GIRO MANOYAN

July 03, 2013 | 17:30

YEREVAN. – Turkish events have no relation to the Arab Spring, head of
the Armenian Cause office Giro Manoyan said during the debates titled
“Turkish summer and its consequences for the region.”

Manoyan, Director of the International Secretariat of Armenia’s
opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party Bureau, said protest movement in
Turkey was mainly directed against Premier Erdogan.

ARF Dashnaktsutyun member noted that Erdogan is a charismatic leader,
but failed to unite all layers of the society.

He stressed that Kurds did not join the protests, while Erdogan
claimed that protest movement was aimed at reconciliation with Kurds.

“In fact the discontent of the Turkish society revealed real
authoritarian character of the current leadership,” the politician
said.

Manoyan believes the leadership is unlikely to change, but public
discontent is the beginning of the fall in support of Erdogan, as
the struggle within the ruling party itself may lead to new results.

Tree-cutting in Gezi Park near Taksim square provoked mass protests
in Istanbul which turned into political movement. Later uprising
continued across Turkey.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMEN CHAKHALYAN’S FAMILY PROTESTS HIS ARREST
Kristine Aghalaryan

The family of Armen Chakhalyan, arrested in Georgia on June 28,
has filed an appeal protesting his two month pre-trial detainment.

Armen Chakhalyan’s brother, noted Javakhk activist Vahagn Chakhalyan,
told Hetq that the family has filed a protest with the Akhalkalak
Regional Court which is scheduled to review the matter in 5-8 days.

Armen Chakhalyan was detained following a brawl in the Ninotzmida
village of Gondoura.

Vahagn Chakhalyan has termed the entire incident as politically
motivated, adding that the one person injured in the fight has even
testified that Armen Chakhalyan wasn’t the person who struck him.

He was detained solely on the testimony of one other youth who claimed
that he spotted an iron bar in Armen Chakhalyan’s hand.

IRANIAN MP: RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY TEHRAN PRIOR TASK OF ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF IRAN
by Marianna Lazarian

Wednesday, July 3, 14:32

In the course of the presidential campaign in Iran, the local Armenian
community actively cooperated nearly will all the political forces,
Karen Khanlaryan, a member of the Iranian Milli Mejlis, told media
in Yerevan, Wednesday.

“The Armenian community made its demands to every candidate for
president, in particular, recognition and condemnation of the fact of
Genocide of Armenians as well as an Armenian community representative
in the executive power structures.” The Iranian MP said. Nearly all
the candidates accepted the demands of the Armenian community. So,
in the post-election period the Armenian community representatives
should try to establish close contacts with the newly elected President
Hassan Rouhani to achieve fulfillment of their demands.

As regards migration of Armenians from Iran, Khanlaryan said that
the main reason of migration is social and economic conditions of
the community.

“Iranian Armenians mainly leave for the West – the USA and Canada,”
he said. Khanlaryan said that the Armenian community in Iran numbers
some 60-70 thousand people and the migration has certainly decreased.

IMF EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVES $84 MILLION DISBURSEMENT FOR ARMENIA

11:13 02.07.2013
Armenia, IMF

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
today completed the sixth and final review of Armenia’s economic
performance under a program supported by Extended Fund Facility (EFF)
and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangements. The completion
of the review allows the authorities to draw an additional SDR 55
million (about US$84 million), bringing total disbursements under
the arrangements to the full SDR 266.8 million (US$407.2 million)
available. The three-year EFF and ECF arrangements with Armenia were
approved by the IMF’s Executive Board on June 28, 2010. The Board’s
decision on the sixth review was taken on a lapse of time basis.

Policies have largely delivered on the objectives of the
EFF/ECF-supported program, which concludes in September. Growth reached
4.7 percent in 2011, 7.2 percent last year, and continues to be strong
in 2013. Inflation has remained below the CBA’s 4 percent target,
and shocks have been short-lived. The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)
has permitted greater flexibility of the dram over the past year,
rebuilt reserves following sizeable intervention May-June 2012, and
strengthened the monetary framework and operations. The CBA has also
moved decisively to implement Financial Sector Assessment Program and
IMF technical assistance recommendations. Banking sector indicators
remain sound. The reduction of the fiscal deficit over the past
three years, which has included substantial tax revenue increases,
has reestablished fiscal sustainability and contributed to external
adjustment.

At the same time, significant challenges and vulnerabilities remain.

Robust growth has resumed, but has reflected in part rapid growth of
credit and consumption, favorable weather, and high metals prices.

More progress is needed to continue the external adjustment, reduce
poverty, further restore buffers, and enhance the business climate
and private sector- and export-led growth. Implementation of the
authorities’ stated policy plans should help address these challenges
and vulnerabilities.

The Executive Board takes decisions under its lapse of time procedure
when it is agreed by the Board that a proposal can be considered
without convening formal discussions.

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT TRIES TO DEVALUE OPPOSITIONAL SPEECH? – NEWSPAPER

July 02, 2013 | 08:38

YEREVAN. – Perhaps the most discussed topic among the Armenian body
politic is the Chamber of Control’s report on the misuse of the
state budget, the government’s respective response, and President
Serzh Sargsyan’s relevant consultation meeting on June 29, Haykakan
Zhamanak daily reports.

“About ten months ago, Serzh Sargsyan was speaking about kickbacks and
saying: ‘We will grab the big ones from the head.’ [But] ten months
have passed and no ‘big head’ has been grabbed. So, for what purpose
was it [i.e., the President’s aforesaid statement]?

“The answer to this question lies in Serzh Sargsyan’s speech on
Saturday [, June 29]. ‘We were the first to publicly reproach and
we will reproach these phenomena. We will be the first to point
to robbery. We will be the first to speak about the shortcomings,’
Sargsyan said this time.

“And why? [Because] Serzh Sargsyan is attempting to devalue the
oppositional speech. According to Serzh Sargsyan’s calculations, if the
very authorities speak about the crimes committed by the authorities,
there is nothing left to say anymore for the opposition,” Haykakan
Zhamanak writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

IL Y A 40 ANS, UN CERTAIN KOURKEN YANIKIAN…

Publié le : 02-07-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le 2 juillet 1973,
Kourken Yanikian, 77 ans, écrivain arméno-américain et survivant
du génocide arménien de 1915, était condamné a la prison a vie
en Californie. Le 27 janvier 1973, le vieil homme avait assassiné
dans une chambre de l’Hôtel Biltmore a Santa Barbara en Californie,
deux agents consulaires turcs (le Consul général de Los Angeles,
Mehmet Baydar, 47 ans, et le vice-consul, Bahadır Demir, 30 ans)
qu’il avait attirés au motif de leur remettre un billet de banque et
un tableau de l’époque de l’Empire ottoman. Son avocat de la défense
avait tenté de faire venir a la barre des survivants du génocide
arménien pour qu’ils témoignent du traumatisme de leur expérience,
dans le cadre de la stratégie de défense de Yanikian concernant la
”diminution de sa capacité mentale”, mais ses requêtes ont été
rejetées par le tribunal.

Yanikian est connu pour avoir déclaré: ”Je ne suis pas Kourken
Yanikian, mais je suis l’histoire méconnue qui resurgit pour
les 1.500.000 Arméniens dont les os ont profané mon existence
invisible”.

Yanikian a été libéré sur parole 11 ans plus tard en janvier 1984
par celui qui était alors gouverneur de Californie, George Deukmejian.

Après la mort de Yanikian, le procureur David D. Minier a écrit:
“Avec le recul, je regrette de ne pas avoir laissé prouver le
génocide, non pas parce que Yanikian aurait dÔ sortir libre,
mais parce que les chapitres les plus sombres de l’histoire – ses
g̩nocides Рdevraient ̻tre expos̩s, de sorte que leurs horreurs
soient moins susceptibles de se répéter.” Il est admis que l’acte de
Yanikian a déclenché la série d’assassinats et d’attaques ciblées
contre des diplomates turcs par le CJGA [Commando des Justiciers du
Génocide Arménien] et l’ASALA [Armée Secrète pour la Libération
de l’Arménie] dans les années 1970 et 1980.

Le Collectif VAN vous invite a lire la traduction de cette information
publiée sur Wikipedia.

Légende photo : Gourgen Mkrtich Yanikian

Wikipedia

Kourken Yanikian

Kourken Yanikian avait attiré Mehmet Baydar et Bahadır Demir en
leur promettant de faire un don a la Turquie d’un billet de banque et
d’un tableau volé au palais du sultan de l’Empire ottoman plus d’un
siècle plus tôt. Yanikian a sorti un pistolet Luger dans un livre
évidé et vidé neuf balles sur eux, en les touchant aux épaules et
a la poitrine, mais aucune des blessures n’était mortelle. Yanikian
a ensuite sorti un pistolet Browning dans un tiroir et a tiré deux
coups dans la tête de chacun des hommes. De sa chambre, il a ensuite
téléphoné a la réception de l’hôtel et a demandé que le shérif
soit contacté, parce que “je viens de tuer deux hommes”.

Avant de rencontrer les diplomates turcs, Yanikian avait envoyé une
lettre a un journal en langue arménienne, exhortant les Arméniens
a mener une guerre contre les diplomates turcs.

Yanikian a plaidé non coupable aux deux accusations d’assassinat au
premier degré. Bien que, au cours du procès il a ouvertement admis
avoir causé la mort de ces hommes, il a insisté sur le fait qu’il
n’était coupable d’aucun crime.

Dans une interview avec des journalistes dans une antichambre tribunal,
il a déclaré que d’autres personnes “ont eu leur Nuremberg mais
nous ne l’avons pas eu”. Son avocat de la défense avait tenté de
faire venir a la barre des survivants du génocide arménien pour
qu’ils témoignent du traumatisme de leur expérience, dans le cadre
de la stratégie de défense de Yanikian concernant la ”diminution
de sa capacité mentale”, mais ses requêtes ont été rejetées
au tribunal.

Après la mort de Yanikian, le procureur David D. Minier a écrit:
“Avec le recul, je regrette de ne pas avoir laissé prouver le
génocide, non pas parce que Yanikian aurait dÔ sortir libre,
mais parce que les chapitres les plus sombres de l’histoire – ses
g̩nocides Рdevraient ̻tre expos̩s, de sorte que leurs horreurs
soient moins susceptibles de se répéter.”

Yanikian a dit être tombé en 1915 sur des cadavres mutilés et
avoir trouvé les corps décapités de ses parents tués durant
les massacres.

Il a expliqué comment il avait observé en cachette, des Turcs
égorger son frère. Il a conclu en disant qu’il a tué des diplomates
turcs en tant que représentants du ”gouvernement qui avait massacré
son peuple”.

Yanikian a été condamné a la prison a vie le 2 juillet
1973. Plusieurs membres du jury auraient eu les larmes aux yeux
lorsque le verdict a été lu par la Cour. Malgré les objections du
gouvernement turc, Yanikian a été libéré sur parole le 31 janvier
1984 en raison de sa mauvaise santé, et transféré dans une maison
de santé a Montebello. Il est mort d’une crise cardiaque un mois
plus tard, le 29 février 1984, a l’âge de 88 ans.

Yanikian est connu pour avoir déclaré: ”Je ne suis pas Kourken
Yanikian, mais je suis l’histoire méconnue qui resurgit pour
les 1.500.000 Arméniens dont les os ont profané mon existence
invisible”.

Dans la mort, Yanikian est devenu pour beaucoup d’Arméniens le symbole
de leur ressentiment a l’égard du gouvernement de la Turquie pour
avoir refusé de reconnaître le génocide arménien.

Il est admis que l’acte de Yanikian a déclenché la série
d’assassinats et d’attaques ciblées contre des diplomates turcs par
le CJGA [Commando des Justiciers du Génocide Arménien] et l’ASALA
[Armée Secrète pour la Libération de l’Arménie] dans les années
1970 et 1980.

L’ASALA a fait du nom de Yanikian une figure emblématique. Au début,
l’organisation armée portait le nom de “Groupe du Prisonnier Kourken
Yanikian”. En raison de cette association, les meurtres de Yanikian
ont été caractérisés comme “la salve de lancement” des attaques
armées contre le gouvernement turc et ses agents.

Traduction Collectif VAN – 2 juillet 2013 – 09:00 –

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Wikipedia

LE REFLEXE PROTECTEUR DU PROCUREUR DE CHYPRE SUR LE SYSTÈME BANCAIRE DE L’ILE

Petros Clerides, procureur general de Chypre, en protegeant le
fonctionnement bancaire de l’île, a porte un coup lundi a la
credibilite des assurances donnees par le Premier ministre Tigran
Sarkissian selon lesquelles il n’aurait aucun lien avec une societe
chypriote enregistree dans l’île et qui aurait ete utilise pour
escroquer un homme d’affaires armenien.

Tigran Sarkissian est sur la sellette depuis la publication de
l’enquete publiee par le site Hetq.am a la fin du mois de mai qui
faisait etat de ses liens avec une societe denommee Wlispera Holdings.

Hetq.am a divulgue un document montrant qu’il en partage les parts
avec l’archeveque Navasard Kchoyan, un religieux pro-gouvernemental
controverse et l’homme d’affaires Ashot Sukiasian (a ne pas confondre
avec Khatchadur Sukiasian).

Ashot Sukiasian accuse par la police armenienne de fraude il y a
environ deux semaines est actuellement en fuite. L’affaire decoule
d’accusations emises par un autre entrepreneur, Paylak Hayrapetian,
a qui Sukiasian aurait subtilise la majeure partie d’un pret de 10,7
millions de dollars, emprunte a une banque commerciale armenienne
pour financer un projet d’entreprise propose par l’homme d’affaires
en fuite.

Selon Hetq.am, Sukiasian a transfere la somme sur les comptes bancaires
offshore de la Wlispera Holdings et plusieurs de ses filiales.

Tigran Sarkissian et Navasard Kchoyan nient avec force posseder des
parts dans la societe, affirmant qu’elle a ete enregistree en leur
nom a Chypre a leur insu. Le Premier ministre a egalement depose
une plainte auprès du bureau du procureur general de l’Armenie, lui
demandant de diligenter une enquete criminelle. Une defense rejete
par les opposants au gouvernement, bien que Sukiasian ait lui-meme
declare le 18 juin qu’il avait faussement attribue la co-propriete
de son obscure societe a Sarkissian et Kchoyan.

Le service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am), a interroge un membre
des autorites de Chypre, qui jouissent d’une reputation de paradis
fiscal, pour savoir si elles peuvent enregistrer une societe au nom
d’une personne qui n’est pas au courant de son existence. Le procureur
Petros Clerides a declare : ” Non, Mais je ne veux pas entrer dans
les details avant de regarder precisement les documents necessaires
a l’enquete sur ces evenements “.

Le fonctionnaire chypriote etait en visite a Erevan pour assister a une
reunion des procureurs generaux de plusieurs Etats d’ex-sovietiques
et europeennes. Il a affirme que ce cas de fraude avait fait l’objet
d’un bref echange avec le Procureur general Aghvan Hovsepian.

” Il y a quelques minutes, il m’a parle de cette histoire “, a declare
Clerides. ” J’en ai entendu parler pour la première fois. Il a promis
de me donner tous les documents necessaires avant mon depart, et je
lui ai promis de prendre immediatement des mesures et de repondre “.

mardi 2 juillet 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

ICRC REPRESENTATIVES VISIT AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER HELD CAPTIVE IN ARMENIA

APA, Azerbaijan
July 1 2013

Baku. Hafiz Heydarov – APA. The representatives of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited the soldier of the
Azerbaijani Army held captive in Armenia, media contact person for
the ICRC Delegation to Azerbaijan Ilaha Huseynova told APA.

According to her, the visit took place on June 28. The captive was
informed about his family and his family about him.

In June, soldier of the Azerbaijani Army, 19-year-old Farajov Firuz
Mirza lost his way on the contact line of the troops in Tovuz and
was captured by Armenian armed units.

ARMENIA RANKS 59TH IN GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX

The Global Innovation Index 2013, a composite indicator that ranks
countries/economies in terms of their enabling environment to
innovation and their innovation outputs, ranks Armenia 59th among
142 countries. The country comes second in the lower-middle-income
group topped by Moldova (45th).

The Global Innovation Index (GII) is co-published by the Cornell
University, the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD)
and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO, a specialized
agency of the United Nations)

The GII 2013 looked at 142 economies around the world, using 84
indicators including the quality of top universities, availability
of microfinance, venture capital deals – gauging both innovation
capabilities and measurable results.

Among the encouraging signs identified by GII 2013, 18 emerging
economies are outperforming other countries in their respective income
groups in order of distance: the Republic of Moldova, China, India,
Uganda, Armenia, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Jordan, Mongolia, Mali, Kenya,
Senegal, Hungary, Georgia, Montenegro, Costa Rica, Tajikistan and
Latvia. All of them demonstrate rising levels of innovation compared
with their peers.

Switzerland tops the 2013 ranking followed by Sweden and United
Kingdom. The top ten includes also the Netherlands, the US, Finland,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark and Ireland.

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO A MUSIC FESTIVAL IN ARTSAKH!

01-07-2013 18:12:08 | | Culture

>From July 1-8, 2013 Artsakh will host the 3rd International festival
of young performers of classical music “TNJRE” organized by the NKR
Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs.

The aim of the festival is to enable young musicians of Artsakh to
get to know the best traditions of performing art and create favorable
conditions for their full-fledged participation in the international
music life, as well as develop the culture of classical music in
Artsakh and establish cultural ties with colleagues from different
countries.

The symbol and the name of the festival – “TNJRE”/the name of the
2000-years-old platan tree in Karabakh dialect/ has been chosen in
order to draw attention to the conservation and protection of this
unique natural monument of Artsakh, as well as for improving the area
around Tnjre.

The number of participating countries in the festival grows year by
year. Participants from thirteen countries will perform at “TNJRE 2013”
festival. They will appear in solo concerts and joint accompaniments,
as well as with the International Festival Orchestra.

Twelve concerts of the festival will take place in Stepanakert,
Shushi, the village of Togh in Hadrut and the village of Astghashen
in Askeran, as well as in Martuni and Karvachar. The immortal works
by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Khachatrian, also works by
contemporary composers will be performed.

Within the frameworks of the festival invited teachers from
four countries will give master classes in violin, piano, piano
accompaniment, violin and chamber ensembles. On the first day of
the festival a trip to the symbol of the festival – TNJRE – will be
organized where a small concert under the crown of the ancient tree
will mark the beginning of the 3rd festival.

By organizing concerts in different parts of the republic, the festival
aims to bring classical music culture to all the residents of Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. At the same time, the festival in different parts of
the NKR will reveal the existing problems and needs of the cultural
district centers – the lack or shortage of musical instruments,
musical and teaching literature, the need to repair the premises and
hopefully will contribute to their solution by the state and sponsors.

Since the first “Tnjre” festival was launched (2010), the NKR Ministry
of Culture has received 11 violins, bows and other accessories,
musical stuff, clarinet as gifts from teachers from different
countries. Thanks to the initiative started in Facebook festival
supporters have acquired three pianos which were donated to the Tokh
and Astghashen art schools and Karvachar House of Culture. A teacher
from Finland, Grajina Jeranska Gebert that supports young musicians of
Artsakh on permanent basis , has initiated fund-raising for acquiring
a new piano for the Stepanakert central concert hall.

TNJRE festival Art Director Olga Arzumanyan The Ministry of Culture
and Youth Affairs of NKR

– Culture News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan – See more at: