Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Daily News Egypt
Aug 22 2012

Turkey receives terrorist threats related to the Syrian crisis

Rana Muhammad Taha / August 22, 2012

Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, considered a
terrorist group by Turkey, threatened to exercise `counter measures’

While Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil hinted at the
possibility of Al-Assad’s resignation in statements made in Moscow,
the Syrian crisis continues to affect neighbouring countries. Turkish
newspaper Today’s Zaman reported Monday a statement by the Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), considered a
terrorist group by Turkey, threatening to exercise `counter measures’
should Turkish policies towards Syria continue in a manner which
endangers the `security and the social cohesion of the Armenian
community of Syria.’

Jamil told reporters following talks in Moscow on Tuesday that `making
the resignation itself a condition for holding dialogue means that you
will never be able to reach this dialogue,’ referring for the Syrian
opposition demanding Al-Assad’s resignation. He neveretheless added
the regime’s readiness to `discuss this issue’; referring to
Al-Assad’s resignation.

Meanwhile the threat from ASALA, a leftist militant group active in
Armenia from 1975 until the early 1990s, came unexpectedly. While
active, the group was responsible for the assassination of at least 40
Turkish diplomats outside of Turkey, according to Today’s Zaman. It
was put on the United States’ list of terrorist organisations in the
1980s. Nevertheless, ASALA is not universally recognised as a
terrorist organisation; it is sometimes described as a `guerilla
force’ or `armed group.’

The ASALA’s activities are a reflection of the tense relations between
Turkey and Armenia, which do not have diplomatic relations. Their
historic animosity dates from the last days of the Ottoman Empire,
when Turkey is accused of genocide against Armenians in Anatolia, a
charge Ankara denies to this day.

The threat of Armenian terrorism is only the latest of Turkey’s
Syria-related woes. A car-bombing in Gaziantep on Monday killed nine
and has been blamed on the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), also seen as a
terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the European Union.

Though the PKK has denied responsibility for the terrorist attack,
Samil Tayyar, a member of parliament for Gaziantep representing
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, was reported by
Reuters to have blamed the bombing on a joint coordination between the
PKK and Syrian intelligence.

`Another aim of this attack was to send a message about Turkey’s
foreign policy,’ Reuters reporter Tayyar saying.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu echoed these statements,
saying possible Syrian involvement in the terrorist attack was being
investigated.

`If there is a similarity, the methods and mentality of the terrorist
organisation and Bashar Al-Assad’s forces are alike in killing
civilians during Eid al-Fitr, ‘ Reuters quoted Davutoglu saying.

An increase in the PKK’s terrorist activities inside Turkey since the
start of Turkey’s open support to the Syrian rebels has been noted by
some analysts. The Turkish support comes amid a huge Syrian refugee
influx to Turkey. Tuesday alone witnessed the arrival of 2,500 Syrian
refugees into Turkish territory, according to Reuters, which put the
number of Syrian refugees currently taking shelter in Turkey at
70,000.

Kotaku Australia
Aug 22 2012

A Video Game Based On A War You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Luke Plunkett

There’s too many games set in the Middle East, and there are/were too
many games set during the Second World War. Common complaints, which
imply a desire for people to be able to see conflicts beyond the most
prominent, but would you ever want to play a game set in a war you’ve
likely never heard of?

Farid Hagverdiev, a 19-year-old student at Baku’s State Oil Academy,
has developed a game called Ä°Å?gal Altında: Å?uÅ?a, or `Under
Occupation’. It’s set during the brief tussle between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in 1992, and lets the
player assume the role of an Azerbaijani soldier trying to liberate
the city of Shusha from the enemy.

It’s pretty rough, as you can see, but it’s interesting for a lot more
than it’s stilted knife kills. The game is basically a piece of
propaganda. Hagverdiev says `By creating the game we wanted to support
the patriotic spirit in our youth, which I hope we accomplished
successfully’, and Under Occupation also has the support of
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Atlantic, DC
Aug 22 2012

Now You Too Can Relive the Harrowing Azeri-Armenian War, as a Video Game

Aug 22 2012, 3:17 PM ET

“Under Occupation,” designed by a 19 year old State Oil Academy
student from Azerbaijan, lets players recreate the 1992 war.

Just over 20 years ago, during the spring of 1992, Armenian forces
captured the city of Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh, marking the turning
point in the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan for control
of the territory.

Today, youngsters in Azerbaijan have the opportunity to alter history
via a video game called “Under Occupation.” The objective is to
recapture Shusha from Armenian forces. Gamers assume the role of an
Azerbaijani soldier who engages in virtual firefights with Armenian
soldiers in house-to-house combat. The gameis the brainchild of Farid
Hagverdiev, a 19-year-old student at Baku’s State Oil Academy.

Hagverdiev based Under Occupation on popular first-person,
shoot-’em-up games, such as Call of Duty and Counter-Strike. Working
with a team of developers recruited from among his classmates at the
oil academy, he said the game took two years to go from rough concept
to finished product. Hagverdiev added that the development team relied
on self-financing (with generous parental subsidies), used home
computers, and relied on a trial-and-error creative process. It is
reportedly the first video game developed solely by Azerbaijani
citizens.

Hagverdiev acknowledged that the motivation for developing the game
went beyond a simple desire to entertain. There was also a political
element to the project. “By creating the game we wanted to support the
patriotic spirit in our youth, which I hope we accomplished
successfully,” he told EurasiaNet.org. The game, which can be
downloaded for free, has gotten a successful reception from
Azerbaijani gamers.

While the video game may have been an independent initiative,
government officials have latched onto it, viewing it as a means of
raising awareness about the Nagorno-Karabakh issue among Azerbaijani
young people, and of mobilizing support for ongoing governmental
efforts to recover the territory.

In a sign that the game enjoys the full approval of President Ilham
Aliyev’s administration, the Ministry of Youth and Sports organized a
formal presentation of Under Occupation. The event, which occurred
earlier this summer, was held at the Hyatt Regency, one of Baku’s
swankiest hotels.

Talks on a political settlement for Nagorno-Karabakh have long been
stalemated. In recent years, Azerbaijani rhetoric concerning the
territory has grown increasingly bellicose. The video game dovetails
with the government’s effort to keep the patriotic mood at a slow
boil.

Under Occupation is not for the faint of heart: there’s lots of
killing and computer-generated gore. To a great extent, it’s a
celebration of violence: to advance, players must handle a variety of
tasks, including shooting lots of Armenian enemies, rescuing a wounded
Azerbaijani soldier, retrieving a document and blowing up a building
in the town of Shusha.

The game’s scenery closely resembles to Shusha’s actual appearance.
Prominent landmarks, including the House of Culture, the Govhar Agha
Mosque, Vafig Mausoleum and the city gate, all make an appearance.
Although born after the city’s capture by Armenian troops, and the
subsequent expulsion of Azerbaijani residents, Hagverdiev managed to
recreate the city by relying on old photographs.

Whether or not the video game can have a tangible effect on the
Karabakh peace process is the subject of debate. Some experts doubt
that a video game can cause a substantive spike in aggressive
sentiment in Azerbaijan. “Not enough research is available to suggest
that shooter games promote any more active hostility than the current
events themselves,” said Tom Parker, a former policy director at
Amnesty International.

Hagverdiev and his fellow developers, meanwhile, are now contemplating
a new game-related venture, one that would aim to make them some
money. “We’re graduating college soon, and we do not wish to mooch off
our parents forever,” he said.

Mediamax, Armenia
Aug 22 2012

Armenian Defense Ministry: “The Azerbaijani side was adequately responded”

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The Armenian side gave an adequate response to the
rival which violated the ceasefire regime yesterday.

Spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Minister Artsrun Hovhannisyan told
Mediamax that the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime on
the border near the Tavush marz. “We don’t have casualties and
wounded”, said Artsrun Hovhannisyan.

Mediamax recalls that yesterday evening, the Azerbaijani side fired at
the village of Aygepar and Storin Karmraghbyur of the Tavush marz.
There are no casualties among people but the roofs of the houses are
damaged.

Morningstar “enraged “Azerbaijani authorities

13:09, 22 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS: Richard Morningstar newly appointed US
Ambassadorship to Azerbaijan has already managed to “enrage “the
country’s authorities before heading to Baku.

High ranking diplomat had a meeting with active critic and opposition
figure, chairman of Azerbaijani-Americans for Democracy (AZAD), Elmar
Chakhtakhtinski.

As Armenpress reports citing azerireport.com news site,
Chakhtakhtinski stated after the held meeting with Morningstar,US
newly appointed Ambassador is one of the most experienced US
diplomats, he is deeply familiar with the situation in and around
Azerbaijan.

” Morningstar assured me he had no intentions to establish any private
business activity with Azerbaijani authorities in the future” AZAD
Chairman stated.

In accordance with Azerbaijani mass media recent reports Richard
Morningstar is scheduled to arrive Baku late August.

Expert: Aznavour concert trick to win Armenian voters to Georgian leader’s side

August 22, 2012 – 17:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sought to win
Armenian voters over to his side through Charles Aznavour’s concert,
political expert said.

`With presidential elections due in 2013, the opposition tries hard to
win the heart of national minorities including Javakhk Armenians,’
Sergey Shakaryants told a press conference, dubbing Aznavour concert
another political trick.

`Georgia’s corrupt government fulfilled another order,’ the expert
said, expressing skepticism over the concert to affect
Armenian-Georgian ties.

Gas supply in Azeri-shelled Armenian border village resumed

August 22, 2012 – 17:51 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Gas supply has been resumed in Armenia’s border
village of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, earlier shelled by Azerbaijani side,
villager Gohar Abrahamyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Azerbaijani army units shelled Armenia’s Tavush province border
villages (Aygepar, Nerkin Karmiraghbyur and Movses) on August 22
night, Aygepar and Nerkin Karmiraghbyur village administration heads
said.

As Andranik Aidinyan and Manvel Kamendatyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter, Azeri shelling started August 21, 9 pm local time, with the
roofs and the pipeline of Karmiraghbyur and Movses villages damaged.

Fortunately, the villagers managed to turn the gas off in time.

19,600 tons of fruits and vegetables harvested in Armenia since
beginning of 2012

NEWS.AM
August 22, 2012 | 15:47

YEREVAN. – A total of 19,600 tons of fruits and vegetables have been
harvested in Armenia ever since the beginning of 2012, Deputy
Agriculture Minister Robert Makaryan said during a press conference on
Wednesday.

>From these produce, 8,406 tons were apricots, 727 tons were peaches,
and 8,780 tons were vegetables – including 7,176 tons of tomatoes. And
the volume of harvest increased by 19 percent as compared with the
year past.

`On [Friday] August 24, the Ministry plans to hold a consultation with
grape harvesters, with whom the purchase program will be discussed,’
noted Makaryan.

According to the Agriculture Ministry’s estimations, the demand for
processing fruits and vegetables will constitute 46,400 tons for this
year.

Four members of Armenian family injured in Stravropol shooting

news.am
August 22, 2012 | 13:45

Five people, including four Armenians, were injured in a shootout in
Sevastopol market, in the south of Russia.

Four members of one Armenian family 30-year-old Sergey Razgoyan,
29-year-old Anatoly Razgoyan, 5-year-old Amir Razgoyan and 35-year-old
Hamlet Razgoyan got injuries after unknown men opened fire at the
market.

The witness told RIA Novosti that 5-6 men rushed into the market
claiming they would `put things right’ and opened fir at the vendors.

The witness also said the young men were calling themselves `white bears’.

Dink family lawyers to appeal to ECHR after exhausting domestic measures

August 22, 2012 – 12:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Dink family lawyers say they will take the case
to the ECHR after exhausting all domestic legal avenues one more time,
while Dink’s brother Orhan Dink says `this was the scenario’s last
scene,’ Hürriyet Daily News reported.

The Interior Ministry has revealed that the police officers
investigated in the framework of the Dink case did not receive any
judicial punishment apart from the forfeiture of pay and a reprimand.

Cem Halavut, one of the intervening lawyers of the case said
administrative punishments like forfeiture of pay and condemning an
officer were not what they demanded as they had asked for the officers
to be taken to court and tried.

`Prosecutors say they could not reach the evidences, administrations
of institutions say they did their share and that the ball is in the
prosecutors’ court. This shows that they pass the ball around well,’
Halavut told the HDN in a phone interview.

Any new investigation kicked off at this point will find it nearly
impossible to reach the evidence as six years have passed since the
murder, Halavut said.

He also said there were numerous documents and evidences revealing the
responsibility of public personnel in the murder.

The Interior Ministry announced the judicial and administrative
proceedings for the law enforcement officers who were found
responsible for Dink assassination. According to the announcement, no
judicial investigation authority was given to eight police officers,
`no need for an additional prosecution’ was decided for 31 officers,
and two officers were acquitted.

Orhan Dink, the brother of Hrant Dink, said his family was despairing
of justice.

`There is nothing to be surprised about this. We had demanded an
effective official investigation but it failed. The large part of the
State Supervisory Council’s (DDK) murder report argued that the
judicial process was problematic and that police officers were not
investigated since their chiefs’ permission was not taken,’ he told
the Daily News.

Dink said the authorities do not want to extend the case over a long
period of time to ensure the public forgets what happened.

Halavut also said they have been waiting for the Supreme Court of
Appeals’ verdict which will be the end of the domestic judicial
process. If necessary they will take the case to the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR).