Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMEN RUSTAMYAN: IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO REPLACE MAYOR IF OPPOSITION WINS MORE THAN 30 PERCENT OF COUNCIL OF ELDERS SEATS

14:03 03/05/2013 ” POLITICS

If we control the electoral process, the authorities will fail to make
a majority in the municipality, head of ARFD parliamentary faction
Armen Rustamyan told a parliamentary briefing on Friday.

According to Rustamyan, it will be possible to replace the Mayor if
the opposition wins more than 30 percent of seats in Yerevan Council
of Elders, they will only have to form a post-election alliance.

Rustamyan added that after taking the municipal power, they can
achieve a power change in the country.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIAN MAN KILLED IN SYRIA’S ALEPPO

12:03 03/05/2013 ” SOCIETY

An ethnic Armenian has been killed in Syria. Raffi Taghlyan was killed
by sniper fire in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Thursday, lradou.com
website reports, citing the Diocese of Aleppo (Berio Tem).

The United Nations says nearly 70,000 people have died during the
revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which began two
years ago with peaceful protests but turned violent when Assad’s
forces tried to crush the demonstrations. The number of refugees has
reached 1.5 million.

Source: Panorama.am

EUROVISION 2013: COMPOSER TONY IOMMY SUPPORTS DORIANS OF ARMENIA

13:11 03.05.2013

The composer of the Armenian entry for Malmo, the rock song Lonely
Planet, is one of the most famous figures involved in the 2013
Eurovision Song Contest. Now the guitarist of Black Sabbath found
time for a short exclusive interview for Eurovision.tv.

Black Sabbath’s guitarist Tony Iommi who wrote the Lonely Planet,
the Armenian Eurovision entry, gave an exclusive interview for
Eurovision.tv.

Eurovision.tv: We have talked to the manager of Dorians, who admitted
that he hesitated a long time before asking you to provide a song for
the Armenian national selection. “It was really weird to ask for a
Eurovision song from the Godfather of heavy metal”, he said. So what
was your first reaction to the proposal?

Tony Iommy: I was really pleased to be asked and it didn’t take long
to agree. I had a quick think and felt that one of my ideas would
be suitable.

Eurovision.tv: Are you happy with the lyrics of Lonely Planet and
the way that Dorians have arranged and performed the song?

Tony Iommy: I think they’re really good – it’s something that should
concern us all. The Dorians perform really well, they largely followed
the demo that I had done at home so there wasn’t a surprise.

Eurovision.tv: Isn’t it strange for you – to listen to your music
performed by others, especially the guitar riffs and solo?

Tony Iommy: Over the years I’ve got used to so many other people
performing Black Sabbath material I don’t find it strange now.

Eurovision.tv: What you think – is there a chance that people who
normally don’t watch the Eurovision Song Contest will change their
minds this year because of your involvement?

Tony Iommy: I hope so!

Eurovision.tv: What is your message to Dorians ahead of their semifinal
on May 16th?

Tony Iommy: Best of luck, you deserve to do well, sorry I can’t be
there in person!

UN EDITORIALISTE TURC PROPOSE DE BAPTISER L’AEROPORT INTERNATIONAL SABIHA GOKCEN D’ISTANBUL EN KHATOUN SEBILDJIAN

Kyazin Cyuntogan dans un article paru sur le site turc
Demokrathaber.net ecrit que l’aeroport international Sabiha Gokcen
deuxième aeroport d’Istanbul doit porter le nom de Khatoun Sebildjian,
le vrai nom armenien de la fille adoptive de Mustapha Kemal Ataturk.

Le journaliste ecrit que ” le gouvernement Jeune Turc continua une
politique d'” une langue, une nation, une religion ” occasionnant
d’immenses plaies au sein des populations d’Anatolie”. ” Si en 1915
les Ittihadistes ont occasionne le genocide des Armeniens, entre 1921
et 1925 jusqu’aux annees 1930 continua par le massacre des Kurdes et
en 1937-1938 celui de Dersim qui sont autant de pages noires de notre
histoire ” ecrit l’editorialiste de Demokrathaber.net. ll ajoute
qu’a la suite du genocide de 1915 Khatoun Sebildjian orpheline de
deux ans a ete adopte par Mustapha Kemal qui lui a donne le nom de
Sabiha Gokcen. Plus tard dans les annees 1937-1938 cette dernière,
pilote de chasse, alla bombarder la population de Dersim et parmi
elle des Kurdes, des Alevis et des Armeniens. ” Devenue heroïne pour
avoir deracine de vieux peuples qui vivaient en Anatolie, le nom de
Sabiha Gokcen fut donne a l’aeroport (…) la suite des massacres
” ecrit le redacteur de Demokrathaber.net. et ajoute ” c’est une
honte de continuer a donner ce nom a cet aeroport international
“. Et d’ajouter ” notre pays a besoin non de la guerre, mais de
la paix et de la fraternite avec les peuples ” et de proposer que
l’aeroport international Sabiha Gokcen soit nomme Khatoun Sebildjian
afin de restituer l’identite de la première femme-pilote de Turquie
qui etait une orpheline armenienne rescapee du genocide et turquifiee
par le fondateur de la ” Turquie moderne “.

Krikor Amirzayan

vendredi 3 mai 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

GEORGIA OFFERS AZERBAIJAN TO BUILD ALL TYPES OF FIGHTER AIRCRAFT SU-25

Georgia invited Azerbaijan to joint participation in the construction
of fighter aircraft. According to the Azerbaijani news agency APA,
Tbilisi plans to produce fighter type Su-25 (Sukhoi-25) in its plants
(TAM Tbilisi Aerospace Manufacturing Company). Tbilisi had formally
requested the collaboration of Baku mounting planes. The proposal
includes sending numbers of military aircraft out of the factory to
Azerbaijan. According to official data from 2002 and 2003 Azerbaijan
to Georgia bought 13 fighter jets Su-25 type refurbished Georgian
factories in Tbilisi. These aircraft are equipped with the “Elbit
Systems” provided by Israel. After passing the factory in Tbilisi,
these planes are called “Scorpion”. During the last 10 years Georgia
sold to Azerbaijan and Congo-type aircraft Su-25. Until now, 900
fighter-type Su-25 came out of the factory TAM.

Krikor Amirzayan

Friday, May 3, 2013, Krikor Amirzayan © armenews.com

TERRORISME OU RESISTANCE ? – VIDEO

Alors que la planète passait du Disco au Hip Hop et que la guerre
civile faisait rage au Liban, 60 ans après l’extermination de leurs
familles, la première generation de franco-armeniens reclamait une
justice qui ne venait toujours pas du côte du Levant ; et ceci dans
l’indifference generale des trente glorieuses. C’est alors qu’un groupe
de jeunes hommes determines decidèrent de frapper les interets et le
negationnisme turcs. L’Asala (Armee Secrète Armenienne de Liberation
de l’Armenie) venait de naître de l’injustice faite a son peuple.

Seul, pour la première fois, Francois Mitterrand, alors President de
la Republique prononcera le mot fatidique : ” Il n’est pas possible
d’effacer la trace du genocide qui vous a frappe “, dira-t-il dans
une allocution a l’Elysee.

vendredi 3 mai 2013, Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

GRAND RASSEMBLEMENT DE TZARUKIAN A EREVAN

Gagik Tsarukian a rassemble des milliers de partisans a Erevan jeudi,
exhortant les habitants de la ville a defier ce qu’il a denonce
comme des tentatives d’intimidation et a voter pour son parti Armenie
prospère (BHK) aux elections municipales de dimanche.

“Chers citoyens, n’ayez pas peur, ” a-t-il declare devant une grande
foule rassemblee sur la place de la Liberte de la ville. “Ils essaient
de vous intimider pour ces elections. Ceux qui le font sont les gens
les plus lâches et les plus faibles “.

” Ils ont peur de ne pas obtenir assez de voix et se faire congedier.

S’ils sont licencies, plus personne ne leur dira bonjour “, a-t-il
declare dans une reference explicite aux membres du Parti republicain
au pouvoir en Armenie (HHK) et autres partisans du gouvernement.

Dans ce qui semblait etre une attaque indirecte sur l’administration
municipale actuelle d’Erevan contrôlee par le HHK, Tsarukian a
egalement declare : ” Un maire du Parti Armenie prospère ne prendrait
pas des pots de vin, il repondrait a la lettre d’un citoyen le jour
meme parce que le citoyen doit se sentir protege. Et si un maire
regarde les citoyens de haut, s’il perd le contact avec eux et devient
arrogant, il sera immediatement congedie “.

“Il n’y a pas de problèmes insolubles a Erevan. Nous avons besoin
d’un bon programme et de bonnes personnes, des gens bienveillants
“, a ajoute le chef BHK qui avait fait quelques apparitions lors des
reunions de campagne tenue par son parti lors de la course a la mairie.

Le BHK detient 17 sièges au Conseil sortant d’Erevan compose de 65
membres et contrôle par le HHK. Selon la loi armenienne, le meilleur
candidat du parti remportant la majorite des voix au sein du conseil
ou 40 pour cent du vote populaire deviendra automatiquement maire de
la ville. Les dirigeants de HHK ont exprime leur confiance dans le
fait qu’ils garderont le contrôle sur l’administration municipale.

L’ancien ministre des Affaires etrangères, Vartan Oskanian, tete
de liste electorale du BHK, a egalement pris la parole lors du
rassemblement, soulignant a nouveau l’importance de mettre fin au ”
monopole politique ” du parti au pouvoir. Il a estime que la defaite
du HHK par le BHK et d’autres forces de l’opposition se traduirait
par un ” radical changements ” dans l’arène politique armenienne.

“Avec cette victoire, nous aurions reussi a creer des contrepoids au
parti au pouvoir et de la concurrence au sein du système politique
“, a declare Oskanian.

Armen Rustamian, candidat a la mairie de la Federation Revolutionnaire
Armenienne (FRA), a egalement exhorte jeudi les habitants d’Erevan
a transformer les elections de mai 5 en un vote de defiance envers
l’administration du President Serge Sarkissian. Il a affirme que le
maire sortant, Taron Markarian, ne peut etre reelu sans fraude et
achat de voix.

Rustamian a egalement declare que le BHK, la FRA, ainsi que deux autres
grands groupes de l’opposition devraient mettre leur moyen en commun
pour empecher les fraudes possibles le jour des elections notamment
en mobilisant leurs mandataires et les membres des commissions
electorales qui les representent. “Il doit etre clairement indique
que nous coopererons dans les bureaux de vote afin de preserver les
votes du peuple,” a-t-il declare lors d’une conference de presse.

Raffi Hovannisian, principal challenger du president Sarkissian a
l’election presidentielle 18 fevrier, a dit que sa liste Barev Erevan
(Bonjour Yerevan) du bloc d’opposition est favorable a une telle
cooperation. Faisant campagne pour le bloc dans le quartier Avan de
la ville, il a egalement accuse les autorites armeniennes d’utiliser
leurs ressources administratives pour assurer la victoire du HHK dans
les sondages.

” Il y a deja des rapports [lies aux elections] sur les instructions
emises a des enseignants, aux travailleurs de l’ecole maternelle
par des membres du cabinet du maire et meme de l’administration
presidentielle”, a declare Hovannisian a RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).

“Nous allons le prouver.”

vendredi 3 mai 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

LEGAL STATUS OF MINORITIES TO BE NEGOTIATED IN ANKARA

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
May 2 2013

ISTANBUL – Hurriyet Daily News
by Vercihan Ziflioglu

The legal entity issue is one of the leading problems, says Vingas.

The legal status of Catholic foundations and other minority
institutions in Turkey will be negotiated at a conference in Ankara
on May 13.

Led by Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in the
General Directorate of Foundations, the conference will begin at 10.30
a.m. on May 13 at Ankara University Political Science Faculty’s Human
Rights Center. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Interior Minister
Muammer Guler, EU Minister Egemen BagıÅ~_ and Foundation Director
General Adnan Ertem were invited to the meeting.

Many institutions belonging to religious or ethnic minorities such as
churches, cemeteries, and hospitals are deprived of legal entity rights
including the Fener Greek Patriarchate, Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate,
Jewish Chief Rabbi’s Office, and various Catholic institutions. Vingas
said the issue of legal entity was one of the leading problems they
often came across.

“Over my five years in office, I observed that the institutions could
not work effectively due to the issue of legal status, and cannot
comply with today’s conditions,” Vingas said. “Formerly we used to
have difficulties in going to Ankara and expressing our problems
there. Now such a problem does not exist,” Vingas said about the
location of the meeting.

“Patriarchates, chief rabbis, and Catholic churches do not have legal
status. There are political relations with Vatican; but still, Turkey
does not recognize churches,” Vingas added.

“We are talking about institutions that have at least 150 years
of history. Not only religious institutions, also nursing homes,
hospitals, and cemeteries lack legal entity rights. We receive
complaints from Adana and Adıyaman with regards to cemeteries, but we
cannot do anything. We want to immediately discuss the problem and try
to offer solutions through dialogue,” Vingas said. Vingas is currently
attempting to bring together all the foundations under a federation.

May/02/2013

REACHING PEACE ON RAILS FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH

, Turkey
May 2 2013

Turkish “Modern Silkroad Project” connecting London with Beijing to
present sustainable settlement for Nagorno Karabakh conflict, said
Turkish Foreign Ministry official

World Bulletin/News Desk

Turkey hopes an intercontinental railway project will help bring a
sustainable settlement to Nagorno Karabakh a Turkish diplomat said
Thursday.

Ambassador Fatih Ceylan, Deputy Undersecretary of Turkish Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, made a presentation under the name “Regional
Integrated Transport Corridors Project” in Ankara which “laid a solid
ground for partnership, prosperity and peace (3P) in South Caucausus,
covering Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

Ceylan mainly focused on 3P, explaining the “modern silkroad-middle
corridor” project, which would connect Beijing to London and also
Beijing to the Scandinavian countries through the silkroad.

“We started from the South Caucasus trying to contribute towards
the solution of this projected conflict, mainly Nagorno Karabakh and
we ended up in China-Seoul and London- I-m giving you this piece of
information assuming that one day we will achieve full normalisation
in Turkey-Armenia and Armenia-Azerbaijan tracks. So this is a kind of
post peace project that we are proposing but we have to start now to
think about what we could all do through such solid projects. Once we
achive peace, sustainable peace will be in the region”, Ceylan stated.

Saying that South Caucasus region is the most strategically important
hub for Eurasia, Ceylan explained the project, which reaches the North
Corridor and the South Corridor passing through Iran. Ceylan stated
that this project presents many opportunities for a more efficient
and cooperative regional transportation, by bringing an alternative
route to the Northern Corridor .

Ceylan stressed also that the Marmaray project, which is expected to
be operational by the end of 2013, will provide uninterrupted railway
connection from Beijing to London. He added that this would be an
opportunity to integrate to the Istanbul-Islamabad railway. Besides,
the connection for Afghanistan to Central Asia and beyond through
Hayratan-Mazar-i Sharif railway link, would also be active, Ceylan
stated.

One of the protracted conflicts of the South Caucausus is Nagorno
Karabakh, which is a region in South Caucasus, lying between Lower
Karabakh and Zangezur. It is situated at the intersection of Eurasia-s
major energy and transport corridors and constitutes important threats
to both this region’s and Eurasia’s security and stability. Turkey
believes that peaceful resolution of all the conflicts of the Caucasus
will contribute to the political stability and economic prosperity
of these countries, opening up new possibilities for bilateral and
regional cooperation.

RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN-TURKEY DISCUSSED IN TBILISI
By Ana Robakidze

The Messenger, Georgia
May 2 2013

The regulation of relations between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey
were discussed during the 3rd annual NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s
83rd Rose-Roth seminar in the capital Tbilisi. Representatives of
the three countries addressed the participants and provided their
opinions on the regional conflict.

It is obvious for all parties that conflict resolution will require
a very long time and huge efforts, as none of the sides seem to be
ready to give up their positions.

Armenian political analyst, Alexander Iskanderian, fears that despite
the desire of the Armenian side to settle relations with Turkey,
the process of the conflict resolution is frozen, for what official
Ankara has to be blamed as the expert said at the seminar. According
to Iskanderian, the situation is difficult, as the Kharabakh conflict
remains unsolved and meanwhile Turkey is actively lobbing in support
of Azerbaijan. The expert says currently it is impossible to even speak
about the ways of stabilizing the relations between Armenia and Turkey.

Representative of Azerbaijan, Fariz Ismailzade does not deny that
Turkey and Azerbaijan will remain partner countries. Ismailzade said
in his speech at the seminar that Turkey played a huge role in the
development of his country, but at present these two countries are
equal partners. Ismailzade is concerned about the Kharabakh conflict,
he said the after the failure of the Kazan meeting, the process is
“closed” and it will be impossible to solve the conflict until the
status of Kharabakh is resolved.

Representative of Turkey, Dr. Mustafa Aydin, assured the participants
of the Rose-Roth seminar that his country is greatly interested in the
Caucasus region and will try to create a zone of economic stability
around its borders. However, due to the fact that the Armenian side
closed the border with Turkey, it is difficult to promote negotiations
between these two countries, Aydin said in his speech.

Despite principally different opinions on the ways of conflict
settlement, all participants of the seminar agreed that there is no
way to solve the problem and stabilize the relations between Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Turkey without the participation of international
organizations and their missions.

President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Hugh Bayley closed the
seminar with his final speech, summarizing the results of the three-day
event. It is nice to see that both the opposition and the government
of the country keep the same foreign course and strive to achieve
integration with Euro-Atlantic structures, Bayley said.

After closing the official part of the seminar, cultural events were
arranged for the participants.