Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 19 2012

President Gül orders DDK to investigate 1993 BaÅ?baÄ?lar massacre

19 December 2012 / MUSTAFA GÃ`RLEK, Ä°STANBUL,

President Abdullah Gül on Wednesday ordered the State Audit
Institution (DDK) to launch an investigation into the BaÅ?baÄ?lar
massacre, in which 33 people were brutally killed on July 5, 1993.

Thirty-three people were killed in an attack in the province of
Erzincan in the village of BaÅ?baÄ?lar, a predominantly Sunni village,
on July 5, 1993. The attack was attributed to the terrorist Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) at the time. It came only three days after the
Madımak incident, also called the Sivas massacre as it took place on
July 2, 1993 in Sivas, when 33 Alevi artists and intellectuals —
along with two hotel workers and two assailants — died when the
Madımak Hotel was set on fire following ethnic provocations. Those who
committed the BaÅ?baÄ?lar massacre left a note that said, `This was
retaliation for the Sivas Massacre.’

But the incident remained unsolved and the perpetrators of the
massacre are still unknown even though an investigation into the
incident was launched. The prosecutor conducting the investigation
decided to abandon the investigation in 1998.

Gül’s move comes on the heels of news reports that appeared in the
Turkish media that the case into the BaÅ?baÄ?lar massacre will be
dropped on July 5, 2013 — on the 20th anniversary of the massacre —
due to the statute of limitations. The president asked the DDK to
`investigate the massacre thoroughly.’

Immediate reports said officials from the DDK will investigate the
BaÅ?baÄ?lar incident as part of a newly launched probe into the Madımak
massacre. They will hear the testimonies of the witnesses of the
incident, such as families of the victims and those who escaped the
attack with injuries.

The DDK, Turkey’s presidential investigative body, has in the past
investigated some suspicious incidents such as the death of former
President Turgut Ã-zal and the controversy surrounding a helicopter
crash that killed Muhsin YazıcıoÄ?lu, the late chairman of the Grand
Unity Party (BBP), as well as five other passengers in 2009. The DDK
also investigated the suspected role of some civil servants in the
2007 assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was
killed in Ä°stanbul outside of the offices of the Agos weekly, of which
Dink was the editor-in-chief. Most recently, Gül ordered the DDK to
investigate the Madımak massacre.

La Tribune de Geneve, Suisse
17 décembre 2012 lundi
Édition Tribune de Genève

Vahé Godel publie «Parlez, je vous écoute»

par E.D.; Dumont

Nouvelles Le Genevois sort un nouveau livre, composé de brefs récits.
Un ouvrage véritablement inclassable

Il écrit, ou du moins il publie, depuis 1969. Né en 1931 à Genève,
Vahé Godel a derrière lui un oeuvre abondant, où les poèmes alternent
avec les récits et les essais. Ce fils d’un linguiste passionné par
l’Arménie et d’une Arménienne a également beaucoup fait pour honorer
et diffuser une littérature peu connue, la traduisant ou l’adaptant.

C’est à L’Aire, maison veveysanne, que l’auteur sort aujourd’hui
Parlez, je vous écoute. Il s’agit là de rhapsodies. Le genre ne reste
en effet pas que musical. Le chant peut aussi être écrit. Dans
l’Antiquité grecque, les rhapsodes allaient ainsi de ville en ville
afin d’interpréter les grandes créations poétiques, comme celles
d’Homère. L’auteur des vers était appelé l’aède.

Mais cessons là ces assauts d’érudition. Parlez, je vous
écoutecomprend un certain nombre de textes en prose, sans réels
rapports les uns avec les autres. Il ne s’agit cependant pas de
nouvelles. La narration joue ici un rôle par trop restreint. Les
créations de Godel restent des inclassables, comme l’écrivait déjà
Jacques Chessex en 1993. «Ses livres ne ressemblent à plus rien de ce
qui s’écrit aujourd’hui. ( ) Il faut sans doute aller chez les
peintres, du côté de Pollock ou de Mark Tobey, pour trouver une
analogie à cette interjection extatique et parfaitement matérielle. »

On l’aura compris. Le lecteur ne va pas vers la facilité. Godel
commence du reste courageusement son actuel recueil avec les pages les
plus difficiles. Tableau d’une surveillancese compose de questions
auxquelles l’auteur se garde bien de donner des réponses univoques. La
suite s’arrange un peu. Le lion d’or, qui n’est pas une auberge, peut
se lire comme un petit roman un peu halluciné, où il semble question
d’un zoo mystérieux. Cette fiction se situe doublement à la frontière.
Celle entre deux territoires. Celle séparant le réel du fantasmatique.

Il se trouve ainsi dix-huit rhapsodies dans Parlez, je vous écoute.
Elles satisferont le public du Genevois, sans l’étendre probablement.
Il s’agit tout de même là d’écrits très confidentiels.

Note:«Parlez, je vous écoute»,de Vahé Godel, aux Editions de L’Aire, 110 pages.

Azerbaijan shocked with Georgia’s PM’s doubts over efficiency of
Kars-Akhalkalak railway project

tert.am
20:30 – 23.12.12

Azerbaijani Transport Ministry has released a statement over the
doubts expressed by Georgian PM Bidzina Ivanishvili over profitability
of Kars-Akhalkalak railway project.

Ivanishvili voiced his doubts in an interview to a local TV channel.

`It is beyond doubt that Baku-Tbilisi-Kars is a regional and
international scale railway project with Kars-Akhalkalak sector being
one of its segments. The legal basis of this project is the trilateral
statement of the heads of states and the agreement of Azerbaijani,
Georgian and Turkish governments. On the basis of this agreement the
parties have assumed commitment to implement the project. As it is
known the Azerbaijani government has allocated 775 million US dollar
loan to the Georgian side with privileged terms for the construction
of the Georgian sector,’ Namig Hasanov, head of Azerbaijani transport
ministry’s press service told Trend news agency.

According to him, many countries of Central Asia and Europe are very
interested in the project and assist its implementation.

Azerbaijan says the project will become an important part of regional
security as well.
`Azerbaijan has always carried out its international commitments and
expects same approach by the other parties of the project,’ Hasanov
said.

We will do all our best to secure good future for Armenians – Heritage rep

21:39 – 22.12.12

Zaruhi Postanjyan of the opposition Heritage party promised at their
Saturday congress they will to all they can to enable people in
Armenia to link their future to their homeland.

`Everything is possible in our home country, but from a positive point
of view. Not only the evil and inequity, but also the virtues can be
real. We all, who have gathered here, are the bearers of virtues. We
hail Raffi Hovhannisyan who, gathering us all here, will commit
himself to crossing this difficult path which we have pathed over
these twenty years,’ she said.

Clamouring for truth

CATHERINE RHEA ROY

John Balian
TOPICS

books and literature

Gray Wolves And White Doves, a dark and edgy coming of age story by
first-time novelist John Balian, was launched in the city earlier this
month
Historical memories, genocide, fundamentalism – it all comes together
in Gray Wolves And White Doves a novel by John Balian.

The novel documents a personal account, the journey of a young boy
into adulthood in a tumultuous setting and how he overcomes the odds.
The inspiring story is uplifting despite the horrific things the
protagonist witnesses as a 16-year-old.

The book takes place in the 60s and 70s, almost 50 years after the
Armenian genocide and the boy in the story is exposed to this history
through his uncle. It is the memories of this history that Balian has
woven into his narrative; the truth of a genocide that is continually
denied and till date remains unresolved.

John Balian was accompanied by a panel – Jahnvi Barua, Harish Bijoor
and C.V. Ranganathan, who took turns to ask him questions and probe
further to uncover a first hand account. When Bijoor asked him about
the resilience that Balian’s protagonist displays, the author said,
`The resilience is not unique to this one individual; besides, I
cannot say I was unscathed. Writing this book was a moment of
liberation.’

`The beauty of the human spirit comes through in the book. And the
beauty of his writing, it is so lyrical you can almost visualise the
sun-kissed beach and the mountains hemming it in,’ Jahnvi began
poetically and after a dramatic pause she asked, `What really happened
in 1915?’

`It was a pre-planned, well organised and well executed plan of
extermination. Young Turks were sent word to deport all Armenians in
the region. They arrested all the intelligentsia, church leaders,
writers, sent them away to the interiors and killed them. About
500,000 Armenians survived and lived as refugees across the world,’
answered Balian. He continued to talk about the Bedouins in the desert
who were the true heroes of the time, `The Bedouins of Iraq, Syria and
Lebanon – it was their kindness. They gave the Armenians a home and
invited them into their large communities.’

The book narrates a history that is largely unknown but Balian is not
worried about the reception of his book in Turkey. `Things are
changing in Turkey,’ assures Balian, `Orhan Pamuk was banned because
he used the phrase `Armenian genocide’ but intellectuals and
historians are coming forward and urging people to speak; people are
clamouring for the truth. This is probably the most important issue
for the Armenian diaspora and has been since 1975. Before, the
Armenian population was still in a state of shock and shame. This was
not a history they wanted to discuss or pass on to the next
generation.’

The new generation was urged to forget their language and customs and
it was like that for over 50 years till the younger generation
revolted and wanted to recognise and be proud of their heritage. `The
past is never the past, it stays with us. How do you live where it
doesn’t consume you; live with it in your life and still look to the
future? You should never forget, but forgive the past – but you cannot
forgive unless the Turkish government seeks forgiveness and until then
the bitterness remains and festers.’

Ethics Committee discusses the application of the social organization
against the MP
Fri, 12/21/2012 – 14:57

The regular closed-door session of the NA ad hoc Ethics Committee
started a while ago.

Among the agenda questions there is the question regarding the inquiry
of the application of the `Strategic research center’ social
organization. As a result the Committee should make a decision on
taking the application under investigation or rejecting it.

The application earlier published in mass media was certified by the
signature of the Chairman of the `Strategic research center’ social
organization Hrant Meliq-Shahnazaryan, suggesting to take the behavior
of the NA PAP fraction member Miqayel Melqumyan under inquiry based on
the video material that previously appeared on-line.

According to the video material, as it is stated in the application
`the NA MP PAP fraction member Miqayel Melqumyn, personally, was
telling that he is an owner of many land plots and was negotiating on
the rental conditions as a regular broker on the phone, was offering
land plots and was not at all hiding who he was, moreover, was telling
that cooperating with him would be beneficial’.

Author:
Factinfo

The activities of notary suspended for one month
Thu, 12/20/2012 – 18:17

By the command of the RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan the
notary of the Arabkir notarial district Susanna Danielyan was
subjected to suspension of activities during one month from December
18, 2012 until January 18, 2013 and disciplinary fine up to 6 months.
`Pastinfo.am’ was informed about it by the RA Ministry of Justice.

The conclusion presented on the basis of the examinations carried out
by the Inspectorate of Supervision of Legality of the Staff of the RA
Ministry of Justice in accordance with the RA Ministry of Justice
decision from December 14 `About initiating a disciplinary inquiry
towards the notary of the Arabkir notarial district Susanna Danielyan’
served basis for the Minister’s decision.

Author:
Factinfo

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan comments on cancelation of Iranian
President’s Turkey visit

17:38 19/12/2012 » REGION

We have sent an invitation to the Iranian President and it is his
business whether to accept the invitation or to reject it, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters commenting on the
cancelation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s planned visit
to Turkey, Shafaf.ir reported.

Also, the Turkish PM denied any connection between the cancelation of
Ahmadinejad’s Turkey visit and the deployment of Patriot missiles on
the Turkish-Syrian border.

Source: Panorama.am

The Discussion of the Budget Draft was Suspended until December 26

Saturday, 22 December 2012 14:34

The subject matter of discussions at December 19 regular session of
the National Assembly was the issue of the law draft on `The NKR State
Budget 2013′ with attendant bills and annual target programmes.

The country’s main financial document was presented by Minister of
Finance and Economy Spartak Tevosyan who reported that on part of
incomes the budget indices will form 71 mlrd 263,9 mln drams, on part
of expenditures they will amount to 72 mlrd 36,1 mln drams, the
deficit will be 772,2 mln drams. The intergovernmental loan allocated
to the NKR by the RA will constitute 39 mlrd 293.8 mln drams.

As Spartak Tevosyan assured the standing commissions, the factions and
some deputies of the National Assembly presented 52 written provisions
to the government part of which are repeated while the others are only
their wishes. The government will certainly take them into account,
some proposals have already been accepted by the Executive performing
corresponding changes in the budget draft. According to him changes
were made only in a number of programmes and in the reserve fund which
was reduced by 100 mln drams.

The commissions expressed their positive conclusions after which the
discussion of the budget draft was suspended until the next plenary
session which is to be held on December 26. The deputies then will be
able to express their standpoints by way of voting.

The Hindu: truth of genocide is continually denied

December 23, 2012 – 15:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Historical memories, genocide, fundamentalism – it
all comes together in John Balian’s Gray Wolves And White Doves novel,
which started selling in Bangalore, India, earlier this month.
The novel documents a personal account, the journey of a young boy
into adulthood in a tumultuous setting and how he overcomes the odds.
The inspiring story is uplifting despite the horrific things the
protagonist witnesses as a 16-year-old. The book takes place in the
60s and 70s, almost 50 years after the Armenian Genocide and the boy
in the story is exposed to this history through his uncle. It is the
memories of this history that Balian has woven into his narrative; the
truth of a genocide that is continually denied and till date remains
unresolved, Catherine Rhea Roy says in her `Clamoring for Truth’
article published by The Hindu.
John Balian was accompanied by a panel – Jahnvi Barua, Harish Bijoor
and C.V. Ranganathan, who took turns to ask him questions and probe
further to uncover a firsthand account. When Bijoor asked him about
the resilience that Balian’s protagonist displays, the author said,
`The resilience is not unique to this one individual; besides, I
cannot say I was unscathed. Writing this book was a moment of
liberation.’
`The beauty of the human spirit comes through in the book. And the
beauty of his writing, it is so lyrical you can almost visualize the
sun-kissed beach and the mountains hemming it in,’ Jahnvi began
poetically and after a dramatic pause she asked, `What really happened
in 1915?’
`It was a pre-planned, well organized and well executed plan of
extermination. Young Turks were sent word to deport all Armenians in
the region. They arrested all the intelligentsia, church leaders,
writers, sent them away to the interiors and killed them. About
500,000 Armenians survived and lived as refugees across the world,’
answered Balian.
He continued to talk about the Bedouins in the desert who were the
true heroes of the time, `The Bedouins of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon – it
was their kindness. They gave the Armenians a home and invited them
into their large communities.’
The book narrates a history that is largely unknown but Balian is not
worried about the reception of his book in Turkey. `Things are
changing in Turkey,’ assures Balian, `Orhan Pamuk was banned because
he used the phrase `Armenian Genocide’ but intellectuals and
historians are coming forward and urging people to speak; people are
clamoring for the truth. This is probably the most important issue for
the Armenian diaspora and has been since 1975. Before, the Armenian
population was still in a state of shock and shame. This was not a
history they wanted to discuss or pass on to the next generation.’
`The new generation was urged to forget their language and customs and
it was like that for over 50 years till the younger generation
revolted and wanted to recognize and be proud of their heritage. The
past is never the past, it stays with us. How do you live where it
doesn’t consume you; live with it in your life and still look to the
future? You should never forget, but forgive the past – but you cannot
forgive unless the Turkish government seeks forgiveness and until then
the bitterness remains and festers,’ the article says.