Author: Kanayan Tamar

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 13 2012

11 generals put behind bars as Feb. 28 probe deepens

13 May 2012 / ,

Of the 17 suspects interrogated by prosecutors overseeing the probe
into the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed military intervention on Wednesday, 15
were referred to court.

While the court ordered the arrest of 11 suspects early on Thursday,
including retired and active duty generals, four individuals were
released, as the probe into what is popularly known as a postmodern
coup deepens.

Sixteen active duty and retired military officers and one civilian
were detained on Tuesday in the fourth wave of operations in the Feb.
28 probe, which saw police raid their homes across nine provinces.
Prosecutors referred 15 of the 17 suspects to court for arrest on
Wednesday. The Ankara 11th High Criminal Court ruled for the arrest of
11 suspects, including Lt. Gen. Tevfik Ã-zkılıç, Maj. Gens. Berkay
Turgut, Mehmet Faruk Alpaydın and Erdal Å?enel, Brig. Gens. Celalettin
Bacanlı, Mehmet Ali Yıldırım and Metin KeÅ?ap, retired. Lt. Gens. Hakkı
Kılınç and Mustafa Bıyık, and retired Gens. �etin Dizdar and �etin
Saner. Saner was the head of military intelligence at the time of the
1997 coup. He is believed to have threatened Interior Minister Meral
AkÅ?ener with being `impaled’ in the event of the generals coming to
power, in order to make the minister `toe the line.’

The suspects are all accused of playing a major role in the Feb. 28
coup, in which the military forced a coalition government led by the
now-defunct conservative Welfare Party (RP) out of power on the
grounds that there was rising religious fundamentalism in the country.

The court ruled for the release of the rest of the suspects, including
retired Staff Col. Erkan Yaykır.

The suspects were simultaneously interrogated by eight of the nine
specially authorized public prosecutors at the Ankara Courthouse.
According to media reports on Thursday, the suspects were asked about
the structure and activities of the controversial West Study Group
(BÃ?G), which was established within the military to categorize
politicians, intellectuals, soldiers and bureaucrats according to
their religious and ideological backgrounds before and after the coup.

May 5, Saturday

Two Turkish journalists, writer Adem Ã-zköse of Turkey’s Milat
newspaper and freelance cameraman Hamit CoÅ?kun, who were detained
while covering the Syrian uprising two months ago, are expected to be
released in a few days, one of their colleagues said. Turgut Alp
Boyraz, foreign editor at Milat, said the two telephoned their
families and that an Islamic aid group based in Turkey was involved in
negotiations in Damascus for their release.

May 6, Sunday

Interior Minister Ä°dris Naim Å?ahin said nine security officials were
given administrative punishments for negligence in failing to prevent
the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Responding
to parliamentary questions about Dink’s murder, Å?ahin said five
officials were sentenced to forfeit a certain amount of their monthly
salary, three were given motions of censure and one was given a
warning. He said no investigation was allowed for eight officials,
prosecution was decided against for another 31 and two were acquitted
by a court.

President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on Syria is getting weaker by the day
and `victory is close,’ Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an
said in an address to thousands of cheering Syrians who have fled
Assad’s brutal crackdown on an anti-regime uprising.

May 7, Monday

Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an said Turkey can start discussing a possible
switch to a presidential system while preparing its new constitution.
`As you know we are now in the process of writing a new constitution.
Whether Turkey can adopt a presidential or a semi-presidential system
can be discussed during this process,’ ErdoÄ?an said, adding that
Parliament would have the final say on the issue. His remarks came
after Deputy Prime Minister Bekir BozdaÄ? said on the same day that
Turkey should discuss a possible switch to the presidential system.

The first hearing of the new trial merging all existing investigations
into Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network which has alleged links
within the state and is suspected of plotting to topple the
government, began with 256 suspects standing trial.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was defeated in Sunday’s elections by
his socialist rival. Progress is expected during the term of the new
president-elect, François Hollande, in Turkey’s stalled talks for full
membership in the EU. However, there is concern that as the 100th
anniversary of the events of 1915, when thousands of Armenians died in
the Ottoman Empire, approaches, there might be new tensions. Armenia
wants the 1915 incidents to be recognized as genocide, and France,
which had adopted a law criminalizing the denial of genocide this year
but which has since been overturned by a high court, backs these
claims. Sarkozy relied on the Armenian issue extensively as material
for his campaign despite a promise that he would not do so. Relative
improvement between the two countries’ relations is expected during
Hollande’s term.

A commission formed to investigate Israel’s actions in intercepting a
flotilla to Gaza in 2010 said civilian authorities should review
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) probes, arguing that the military should
not be the sole authority to examine its own conduct when it is
accused of human rights violations.

May 8, Tuesday

Despite Interpol issuing a red notice for Iraq’s fugitive Sunni Vice
President Tariq al-Hashemi, currently in Turkey, Ankara is not
expected to arrest Hashemi and return him to Iraq. Lyon-based Interpol
officials said Tuesday’s move came at the request of the government in
Baghdad, which has charged Hashemi with terrorism and accused him of
running death squads that targeted government officials, security
forces and Shiite pilgrims. In response to questions about the issue
at a press conference in Italy, Turkey’s prime minister said Hashemi
has initiated an appeal against the action taken by Iraqi officials
with Interpol. `We have given him all kinds support on this issue, and
we will continue to do so,’ he said.

Turks continue to have uneasy feelings in the German city of Erfurt,
the capital of the eastern state of Thuringia, where all the prime
suspects of the neo-Nazi serial murders of 10 people, including eight
Turks, were born and grew up. `Our people are in a state of fear,’
said Bülent Canpolat, speaking to a Turkish delegation composed of
lawmakers and media professionals at the Center for Migration and
Integration (Das Zentrum für Integration und Migration in German or
ZIM) in Erfurt. `There are still incidents going on here, albeit minor
ones,’ he added, referring to racially motivated attacks against
immigrants, mainly Turks, who comprise the largest minority in Germany
with some 3 million people.

A joint committee of experts announced that there was no evidence
suggesting that students who were hospitalized after drinking milk
handed out to students as part of the government’s free milk project
were poisoned due to contaminated milk. Some 1,000 students from
schools in several provinces were hospitalized last week after
drinking milk provided via the government’s free milk program. The
milk was suspected of being contaminated.

Born of a 1960 coup, Turkey’s OYAK army pension fund has become a
potent symbol of military economic power with interests from cement to
car production. Now, as the generals’ political influence dwindles
with arrests and coup trials, OYAK is attracting unwanted attention.
OYAK Chairman Yıldırım Türker, a retired lieutenant general, is
sitting in jail awaiting trial on accusations dating back before his
chairmanship to a 1997 `soft coup’ that forced an Islamist-led
government from power. The employees of an OYAK security firm stand
charged in connection with another coup plot, and a parliamentary
sub-commission has begun scrutinizing its activities after complaints
from OYAK members.

May 9, Wednesday

Iraq’s fugitive Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, for whom
Interpol issued a red notice, said he plans to stay in Turkey until
the ongoing political crisis in Iraq is resolved. The Iraqi vice
president, who is currently in Ä°stanbul, said he did not have direct
talks with Turkish officials following Interpol’s red notice, but
rather had `indirect talks.’ `Statements by high-level Turkish
officials [against the arrest warrant] confirmed Turkey’s support for
me. I am thankful to Turkey on this issue,’ Hashemi told a Turkish TV
station on Wednesday. `I hope this political problem [in Iraq] is
settled soon.’

A majority of people in Turkey have voiced support for a number of
ongoing investigations and legal cases in which suspected perpetrators
of coups d’état are being brought to trial and believe that
prosecutors should take action against all actors behind coups and
launch new probes against coup actors who have gone untouched until
now, according to the results of a new monthly opinion poll. A full
67.7 percent said they find the trial of suspected coup actors `right
and necessary’ while only 27.1 percent disagreed. The survey was
conducted by Professor Ã-zer Sencar, Professor Ä°hsan DaÄ?ı, Professor
DoÄ?u Ergil, Dr. Sıtkı Yıldız and Dr. Vahap CoÅ?kun for the Ankara-based
MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center.

A new bill submitted to Parliament by the government suggests vital
changes to the organization and structure of the military, including
allowing civilian experts to serve as contracted advisors to the chief
of General Staff on military strategy and affairs. The government
submitted the new bill as part of an ongoing process of civilianizing
the military that has gained momentum in recent years. If the new bill
passes, up to 10 experts on military affairs could be employed at the
request of the chief of General Staff.

May 10, Thursday

Council of State President Hüseyin Karakullukçu voiced support for a
switch to a presidential system in Turkey, saying his court considers
the system to be `democratic’ for Turkey’s standards, in a speech
delivered at a ceremony held on Thursday to mark the 144th anniversary
of the establishment of the Council of State.

Head of the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DÄ°SK) Erol
Ekici has finally spoken out about allegations that the killing of 34
people during a May Day celebration 35 years ago by snipers who opened
fire on crowds gathered in Ä°stanbul’s Taksim Square was the result of
warring factions among left-wing groups, saying the discussion was
part of a larger campaign to slander the Turkish left.

Twenty-six people, including nine active duty military officers, were
taken into custody on Thursday as part of an operation launched in the
western province of Ä°zmir against a military espionage gang. The
suspects are accused of involvement in the gang as well as
prostitution, blackmail and espionage. The operation was carried out
by the Ä°zmir Police Department’s Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crimes
Unit early in the morning. News sources said the gang is headed by a
25-year-old woman who studies at Pamukkale University in Denizli. The
gang is accused of hiring foreign women as prostitutes for military
officers from whom they obtained military information.

The possibility of invoking the right to military protection of
Turkish borders against threats from Syria under Article 5 of the NATO
charter is still on Turkey’s agenda, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson
has said. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Selçuk Ã`nal said during a
press briefing on Thursday that Turkey’s expectation from Syria is
that it halt the violence as soon as possible to prevent further
instability.

May 11, Friday

Evidence obtained during searches of locations related to individuals
suspected of being members of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK)
terrorist network — an umbrella organization that encompasses the
terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — indicates that in
Å?anlıurfa, KCK members had compiled intricate lists of people in most
neighborhoods, indicating the political inclinations of the members of
the households.

Cihan Kırmızıgül, a 22-year-old student at Ä°stanbul’s Galatasaray
University, was sentenced to 11 years, three months in prison by an
Ä°stanbul court on Friday on charges of membership in the terrorist
PKK, possession of explosives and causing damage to private buildings.

The president’s office, the Prime Ministry and the Turkish Parliament
have all told an Ankara court hearing the Sept. 12, 1980 coup trial
that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MÄ°T) did not provide
them with any intelligence about the military’s plans to stage a coup
prior to the Sept. 12 coup. All three institutions sent a response to
the Ankara 12th High Criminal Court, which had asked them whether they
had been informed about coup plans in 1980, telling the court that
there are no documents in their archives showing MÄ°T provided
intelligence regarding coup plans.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 13 2012

‘Past grievances no obstacle to better ties’

Gyumri, the second-largest city in northwestern Armenia with a
population of approximately 160,000 people, is strongly seeking the
reopening of the border with Turkey in order to resuscitate the local
economy. (PHOTO SUNDAY’S ZAMAN)

13 May 2012 / CELIL SAÄ?IR, YEREVAN / GYUMRI

Although Armenian politicians in their initial statements about the
possibility of normalization of this country’s strained relations with
Turkey following the parliamentary elections last Sunday were not
upbeat, most people continue to expect to see an improvement in the
troubled relationship between the two countries, urging Turkey to open
its border with Armenia.
Sagis, a 57-year-old lottery ticket seller in Yerevan, who didn’t want
to give his last name like many people here, says his great
grandfather came to Armenia from Turkey’s MuÅ? province. He said,
`Neighbors should be friends.’ Azniv, an 85-year-old retired teacher,
told us, `We don’t need enemies, we need friendship.’ According to
Arman, a 37-year-old businessman who is country director of Fedex in
Yerevan, Turkey and Armenia have no choice but to normalize their
relations because they are neighbors.

Most Armenians here say the symbolic step in that direction would be
for Turkey to open its border with Armenia, which it closed in 1993
following the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani soil, including
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Tigren, 33, the co-manager of a Pizza Hut in Yerevan, says: `The
border has to be opened. It will be good for us economically.’

The city that wants the border to be reopened most is Gyumri, the
second-largest city in Armenia with a population of 160,000. Gyumri’s
rundown streets and the visible poverty level of the city are in high
contrast with the well-maintained streets of Yerevan.

Alexander Ter Minasiyon, a tourism agency operator in the city, says:
`In Gyumri we know the difficulty of living in a border town near a
closed border. To get to Kars, which is only 90 kilometers away, we
travel 497 kilometers via Georgia. We lose about 10,000 tourists every
year,’ noting that the city of Kars on the Turkish border also wants
the border to be opened. He added that there is a Russian base on the
Armenian part of the border facing the Ani ruins [in Kars], and the
soldiers don’t allow tourists to even look at the site across the
border.

`The financial cost of the border being closed is huge. I don’t agree
with the politicians who say we can get along without Turkey. We are
losing a lot,’ says Levon Barseghyan, who notes that Turkish products
cost 30 times what they should cost because they are delivered through
Georgia.

Vahan Khachatryan, a businessman who owns Gala TV, a network that
broadcasts in the Gyumri region, says he has been looking for a
Turkish partner for his soap manufacturing business, noting that the
border being closed is causing delays in communication and
transportation.

The irony lies in the Russian military units near the border that
Gyumri wants to see open. The Russians are protecting the population
from a `potential threat’ from Turkey. There are also Russian troops
and a radar unit inside the town.

Border towns on the other side are also suffering from the situation.
`The illicit trade between Turkey and Armenia as of 2011 had reached a
volume of around $280 million, according to unofficial figures,’ says
Noyan Soyak from the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council
(TABDC).

`It is possible to say that this figure can increase up to three
times in a very short period. Opening the border would ensure that
goods from the eastern and southeastern Anatolian regions arrive in
Yerevan in four to five hours, shortening the time greatly,’ Soyak
adds. `We perceive the possibility of the trade volume between Turkey
and Armenia reaching $1 billion, including tourism revenue, in three
years if the border were open,’ he said.

According to the TABDC, the most attractive sectors for Turkish
traders and investors are textiles, machinery and the food industry,
and, of course, there is great potential for untouched sectors such as
transportation, energy and information technologies.

But Vartan Oskanian, a former foreign minister and an important figure
in the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), which came in second place in
the elections, points to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue as the main
obstacle to opening the border. He said: `So our focus should be on
Nagorno-Karabakh. If we can solve that problem, then Turkey will open
the border.’

Gyumrian artist Aleksey Manukyan says: `The Karabakh issue is costing
us dearly. We still have an eastern mentality; we can’t act
pragmatically. People don’t voice this openly, but such is the
situation.’

One person who can’t wait to see the day the border is opened is
Karine Petrosyan, the chief of the Akhurian Train Station. She
remembers that the last train from Turkey arrived in Akhurian in April
of 1993. `I will retire 10 years from now. I want to see that train
again before I retire.’ She says the village of Akhurik, after which
the station is named, has been affected negatively by the border
closing. Many young people left the village. There are also people who
say Turkey should first recognize the 1915 massacre of Armenians at
the hands of the Ottomans in 1915 as genocide. One such person is
Eleonora, a 25-year-old bank clerk. `We can’t possibly normalize our
relations before Turkey admits the genocide.’ Armen Pahlevenyan, a
taxi driver in Gyumri, agrees. `Nothing can be described as normal
unless Turkey recognizes the genocide,’ said Pahlevenyan, whose great
grandfather had to migrate to Gyumri from Kars.

Nana (19), a university student from Gyumri, says once Turkey
recognizes the genocide, the past will stop haunting both countries.

Others, yet, prefer to look to the future instead of setting the
genocide as a prerequisite for better relations. Smbat, a 55-year-old
Armenian who didn’t want to give his second name, also has his roots
in Kars. His family was forced to come to Yerevan during the 1915
incidents. `Whatever happened is in the past. We should now open the
border. We want a better life for ourselves and for our children. We,
as Armenians, aren’t after revenge. We want good neighborly relations.
And Turkey should also want this.’ Milla Kazanian (21) of Yerevan also
agrees, saying: `The past is in the past. Now is the time to look
forward. The border should reopen, and our relations should go back to
normal.’ Felix, an 18-year-old university student, said, `The past
shouldn’t be an obstacle to the normalization of ties, but we would
like Turkey to recognize the genocide.’ On the Turkish side, there is
concern that recognition would bring up the issue of reparations.

Galust Sahakyan, leader of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
parliamentary faction, meanwhile, indicated that Armenian leaders had
their own red lines that will take priority over any form of
reconciliation pact. He said at a meeting with a group of Turkish
journalists on Friday, `For us, the Karabakh problem and the genocide
issue are more important than a restart in relations with Turkey.’

`It is not enough to admit and then to apologize. Responsibilities
such as returning land and paying compensation should also be
fulfilled,’ says Giro Manoyan, from the nationalist Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF), a socialist party that nevertheless is
known for its staunch Armenian nationalism. The votes for the party
fell from 12 percent in the 2007 elections to 5 percent in this year’s
elections.

Gala TV owner Khachatryan says: `What’s important is that Turkey opens
the border. When people can freely interact, they will say `we are
sorry.’ The historical facts of the past should be accepted, and we
should all look forward.’

The International Herald Tribune, France
May 12, 2012 Saturday

Disconnect in the art market: Celebrity drives buyers, who operate as
if they live on a different planet

by SOUREN MELIKIAN

NEW YORK

ABSTRACT
Two weeks of sales in New York demonstrate that celebrity drives
buyers, who seem to be operating on a different economic planet.

FULL TEXT
The sales of postwar and contemporary art that took in $388.5 million
at Christie’s and $266.6 million at Sotheby’s this week conclusively
proved that the disconnect of the art market from the broader economy
is now radical.
When a single evening session ends on the highest total ever scored in
any category, as was the case with Christie’s on Tuesday, no one can
doubt that those who run after art operate as if they were living on a
different planet. This outburst of hubristic buying occurred less than
a week after Sotheby’s registered its highest score ever, $330
million, in a sale of Impressionist and modern art.
Two historic weeks in a row deserve attention at a time when the
economic outlook is so bleak.
Three salient facts emerge from the buying binge that went on in that
sale. Most striking was the series of world auction records set at
extraordinarily high levels for paintings and three-dimensional works
by artists who have long been praised in the media and displayed in
glamorous museum shows.
Mark Rothko, who became the standard bearer of New York Expressionist
Abstraction by the late 1950s, painted ”Orange, Red, Yellow” in
1961. The glow of its misty orange rectangles framed by carmine red
bands radiates from far away. Christie’s reckoned that the monumental
picture would sell for $35 million to $45 million, plus the sale
charge of more than 12 percent.
It brought $86.9 million, beating the previous record for the artist
for ”White center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose),” sold by
Sotheby’s in 2007 for $72.84 million – a world record for any postwar
and contemporary work.
The second highest price down the list of Christie’s world records
went to Yves Klein’s ”FCI (Fire Color)” painted in dry pigments and
synthetic resin. The huge panel, nearly three meters long, about 10
feet, was painted in 1962, the year Klein died. Female silhouettes
move about as if dancing in a ballet. Set off by purplish blue halos
on an ochre background, they give the composition a ghostly touch – to
achieve his ”Fire Color” paintings, the French artist employed
female assistants standing in the nude and pressing their bodies
against a panel. At $36.4 million, ”FCI (Fire Color)” exceeded by
two thirds the record price paid at Sotheby’s in 2008 for Klein’s ”MG
9” in gold leaf on panel, also from 1962.
The third highest record price in Christie’s sale, $23 million,
greeted Jackson Pollock’s ”Number 28, 1951,” underlining the new
energy with which bidders were chasing the best works by postwar
artists. Pollock, the most subtle of the New York upholders of
Expressionist Abstraction, died in 1956. In 2004, ”Number 12, 1949”
sold at Christie’s for $11.65 million, half this week’s price.
The second significant fact in the Tuesday super-sale was the upward
leap made by small-size works that were seen as negligible less than
20 years ago. Now the artists’ names are enough to define them as
desirable tokens.
”When Roy Lichtenstein’s ”Brush-stroke” in graphite, pochoir and
lithographic rubbing crayon done in 1965 came up at Sotheby’s in 1987,
it brought $187,000. This week the bill was $2.32 million.
The third notable trend in Christie’s sale was the spectacular surge
of interest taken in three-dimensional works by postwar avant-garde
artists. In 1984, David Smith’s ”Circle and Angles” executed in
stainless steel in 1959 barely caused a ripple when it sold at
Christie’s for $170,500. It made $4.56 million this week.
The great beneficiary of the interest taken in avant-garde
three-dimensional art from the two decades after the end of World War
II was Alexander Calder. ”Lily of Force” executed in painted sheet
metal, rod and wire the year the war ended set a record for a standing
mobile by the American artist, at $18.56 million. ”Snow Flurry,”
probably done in 1948, climbed to $10.39 million, more than doubling
the previous highest price for a hanging mobile – paid just last
November. Calder’s ”Sumac” then sold for $4.79 million, also at
Christie’s.
Among living artists Gerhard Richter is perceived by bidders as a safe
bet, on a par with postwar artists. A vast ”Abstract picture” from
1993, shimmering in its admirable color scheme, became the most
expensive work by the master sold at auction when it exceeded
Christie’s high estimate at $21.81 million.
On Wednesday, the outpour of money went on at Sotheby’s along much the
same lines, but the session in which the offerings were thinner than
at Christie’s provided a cautionary note. The two paintings that
carried the signatures of artists with a long record of media
celebration duly rose to world record prices.
One was Roy Lichtenstein’s ”Sleeping Girl” done in 1964 in his style
imitating comics on a monumental scale. It brought $44.88 million. At
Sotheby’s in 1988, ”Sleeping Girl” made $1.32 million. Ten years
later prices had not moved much. In 1998, ”Sleeping Girl” sold at
Christie’s for $1.37 million. Nowadays, the initial jocular intention
that inspired the young Pop artists is forgotten.
The other huge world record was elicited by one of Cy Twombly’s vast
gray panels with regular lines of white scribbling. At $17.44 million,
”Untitled (New York City)” from 1970 beat by $2.2 million the
previous record established at Christie’s on May 20 last year for
another scribbling exercise, done in 1967 and simply called
”Untitled.”
Utterly different works, also treated as blue chips by virtue of their
decade-long record of media and museum approval, realized gigantic
prices.
Francis Bacon’s ”Figure Writing Reflected in a Mirror” painted in
1976 in the English artist’s usual expressionistic manner realized the
same price as ”Sleeping Girl,” $44.82 million. While aesthetics were
evidently not a major consideration in the making of prices, celebrity
was.
Andy Warhol’s ”Double Elvis [Ferus Type]” done in 1963 in silkscreen
and spray paint on linen might not have excited as much enthusiasm in
earlier years. The very large image portraying Elvis Presley, based on
a still from a movie in which Presley played the lead role as a
gunslinger, is painted in pale gray hues. But this week the combined
names of Warhol and Presley were worth gold – $37.04 million to be
precise.
As at Christie’s, Richter’s work soared sky high. A 1992 ”Abstract
Bild” went far above the estimate of $8 million to $10 million plus
the sale charge. At $16.88 million, it was arguably more expensive
than Christie’s superior work.
Much lower down on the financial scale, activity was strong too.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s cartoon style ”Ring” dated 1981 did better
than hoped for at $7.64 million.
And yet, 11 lots went nowhere. Arshile Gorky’s ”Khorkom” was painted
in 1938 in the Armenian artist’s style reflecting the joint influences
of early Expressionist abstraction and Surrealism. It remained unsold
at $2.4 million. The consignor had bought ”Khorkom” at Christie’s in
2007 for $4.18 million. Highly regarded by many critics, Gorky enjoyed
one-man shows at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1951, at the
Tate Gallery, London in 1965, and at the Solomon R. Guggenheim in
1981, to mention a few, but never achieved world fame.
Three lots down, Willem de Kooning’s ”Untitled” did not attract a
single bid despite the American artist’s celebrity. The hanging mobile
by Calder that followed sold below expectations, for $1.48 million.
The most famous names too can fail to seduce. Seeking a financial
haven in postwar and contemporary art can resemble a roulette game
where fortunes could be made and ruin is equally possible.

Arrangements dedicated to the Triple Holiday in Stepanakert and in Shoushi

Wednesday, 09 May 2012 14:01

The arrangements dedicated to the Victory Day, the Day of the NKR
Defense Army and the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Shoushi
commenced in Artsakh long ago; various cultural and sports events were
organized in different regions of the Republic.

On May 8, within the framework of the holiday festivities thousands of
Artsakh citizens visited the memorial complex in Stepanakert to pay
tribute to the memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic and
Artsakh liberation wars. The NKR and RA authorities at the head of
Presidents Bako Sahakyan and Serzh Sargsyan visited the memorial
complex as well. After the memorial complex they paid a visit to
Shoushi where they put wreaths and flowers at the tank-monument
pedestal and at the monument to Sparapet /Commander/ Vazgen Sargsyan.

The festive events were participated by Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, NKR second President Arkadi
Ghoukasyan, representatives from the Armenian Diaspora and guests from
abroad.

The authorities of the two Armenian Republics at the head of the
Presidents participated in the folk festival accompanied by national
ceremonies, round dances, a fashion show, an exhibition of handicraft
specimens by the children of Artsakh and some other arrangements.

In spite of adverse weather conditions and the heavy rainfall the
festivities were successfully performed.

The main festive ceremonies are arranged for May 9. In the morning a
military parade is going to be held in the Rebirth Square of the
Republic which will be followed by a concert accompanied by festive
fireworks at the stadium of the capital.

Karabakh-open.info

Parliamentary Seats, Serzh’s Pasture

Haik Aramyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 15:44:08 – 13/05/2012

Commenting on Aram Sargsyan’s decision to resign from parliament and
leave the Congress, the leader of the ANC Levon Ter-Petrosyan told the
Haykakan Zhamanak: `Now it is difficult to tell anything. But if it
turns out that he chose the right way, I will only be happy.’

The political progress of Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the ANC had a sad,
as well as a miserable end. In fact, the `forecast’ of the
representatives of the `kleptocracy’ dating back to 2007 that
Ter-Petrosyan’s intention is to clear himself of the past and taking
his aides to parliament came true.

Unfortunately, it is true. The Congress transformed from a popular
movement to an ordinary political party, and Ter-Petrosyan ended up as
an `ordinary oppositionist’, as Robert Kocharyan had predicted.

The peak was running in the parliamentary election and the Congress
entered parliament with 0.1% by government’s mercy. The government
assessed the Congress this much, while people assessed it at
5,000-10,000 drams. This was the appraisal of the Congress’ policy
which acted as the doorkeeper of first the RPA, then the PA, and was
unable to achieve success in implementing its goals and was satisfied
with a 0.1% mercy – a few parliamentary seats.

The Congress will accept the seats – no more political, civil and
moral `checks and balances’ are left not to take this step. They will
accept and humbly walk into the parliament `elected by mass fraud’ to
`anger the government’, as they refer to it. `Those who voted for
Serzh Sargsyan are transforming Armenia to a pasture for Turks,’ the
leader of the Congress said. Now they will accept the mandate and go
to work in that `pasture’.

Those who will resign and leave the Congress will be alleged of
betrayal and venality. The only thing the Congress’ apologists are
good at is allegations and excuses.

REVUE DE PRESSE
La crise rapproche entrepreneurs turcs et grecs
Delphine Nerbollier, à Istanbul

La Grèce aux prises avec une sévère récession économique se tourne
vers la Turquie pour trouver des solutions et des investissements, des
relations qui accélèrent le rapprochement entre les deux pays,
longtemps à couteaux tirés. Sur le papier, tout semble opposer les
économies grecques et turques. La première a connu une contraction de
6,9% de son activité en 2011 tandis qu’Ankara a battu tous ses records
avec 8,5 % de hausse de son PIB. Quant à l’année 2012, la Banque de
Grèce estime à 5% la chute de l’économie nationale alors que le
gouvernement turc table sur 4,5% de croissance.

Hausse de 37% des échanges commerciaux en 2011

Si loin si proches, ces deux voisins minés par des décennies de
tensions politiques se disent toutefois déterminés à faire de la crise
grecque une occasion de rattraper leur retard en matière de
coopération économique. Même si la Grèce n’est que le 25e partenaire
commercial de la Turquie, le commerce bilatéral entre Athènes et
Ankara est en constante hausse (+ 37% en 2011, passant de 2,9 à 4,1
milliards de dollars). Les importations turques ont cru de 66%,
poussées notamment par l’achat de viande de bétail.

`Au dela des divergences apparentes de destin entre nos deux pays,
nous avons une grande occasion de renforcer la coopération de nos
économies complémentaires`, déclarait, fin mars à Istanbul,
Constantine A. Papadopoulos, membre du ministère grec des Affaires
étrangères. Invité à une conférence destinée à vanter en Turquie les
avantages du marché grec, ce diplomate s’est dit `prêt à fournir aux
entreprises turques tout le soutien nécessaire afin qu’elles explorent
les occasions d’investissements les plus rentables`.

Les entreprises turques intéressées par les nationalisations en Grèce

Pour cela, Athènes compte notamment sur son vaste programme de
nationalisations destiné à rapporter 50 milliards d’euros dans les
caisses vides de l’Etat. Lors de la rencontre organisée en mars à
Istanbul, plus de 120 entreprises turques se sont renseignées sur les
secteurs concernés par ces privatisations. `La compétition sera rude
mais les entreprises turques ont les reins solides`, commente Selim
Egeli, président du Conseil d’affaires gréco-tuc au sein du DEIK
(Conseil des relations écononomiques extérieures). Cet homme
d’affaires confirme l’`énorme intérêt` de groupes turcs pour `tous les
secteurs` avec une préférence pour les infrastructures (prise de
participation dans les ports du Pirée et de Salonique), l’immobilier,
le tourisme et la construction.

Selon l’AFP, la Turquie serait intéressée par l’achat d’un terrain d’1
million de m2 sur l’île de Rhodes et d’un autre de 500.000 m2 à
Corfou. `Nous recherchons des occasions d’investir en Grèce et notre
priorité sera les ports`, explique de son côté, Adnan Nas, de la
branche turque de Global Ýnvestment holding.

Les entreprises grecques de plus en plus nombreuses à s’implanter en Turquie

Autre signe de la vigueur de ces relations bilatérales, le nombre
d’entreprises grecques enregistrées en Turquie a grimpé de 10% l’an
dernier. Car avec 74 millions d’habitants, la Turquie représente un
énorme marché pour le petit voisin grec. `En temps de crise, lorsque
les consommateurs ne peuvent plus acheter, il est normal que les
entreprises se tournent vers des marchés plus profitables`, explique
Selim Egeli. `Cela explique l’intérêt actuel des entreprises grecques
spécialisées dans la chimie, l’aluminium, ou les aliments pour bébé`,
avance-t-il.

Cet intérêt réciproque entre Ankara et Athènes marque une nouvelle
étape dans le processus de réconciliation engagé après le tremblement
de terre de 1999 qui avait durement frappé la région turque d’Izmit.
En 2010, les deux pays avaient signé toute une série d’accords
stratégiques historiques. `Nous avons pris du retard, reconnaît Selim
Egeli, mais nous voyons que la stabilité politique entre nos deux pays
se retranscrit sur le business.`

dimanche 13 mai 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIENS-DIASPORA
Tension à Sotchi (Russie) entre Arméniens et Daghestanais

La communauté arménienne de Sotchi (Russie) est en colère. Valéry
Torossian, le directeur d’une chaine de télévision et représentant des
Arméniens de Sotchi a convié la presse et les autorités policières
pour évoquer les bagarres entre Arméniens et Daghestanais qui a coûté
la vie au champion de taekwondo, Youri Garanian, mort à 24 ans d’un
coup de couteau. Le 1er mai une bagarre à laquelle avaient participé
près de 100 personnes opposa Arméniens et Daghestanais. C’est au cours
de ces heurts que Youri Garanian très connu à Sotchi avait été tué.
Youri Garanian avait été au secours d’un ami dont l’épouse avait été
victime de propos mal placés de la part d’un groupe de Daghestanais.
Une bagarre avait suivi. Depuis, la tension entre Arméniens et
Daghestanais est vive à Sotchi. Lors de la conférence de presse Valéry
Torossian a invité les Daghestanais de « rester polis et à leur place
et de ne pas agresser les femmes arméniennes ». Une invitation sous
forme de menace. Hier, Ara Abrahamian, le président de la Fédération
des Arméniens de Russie était à Adler (près de Sotchi) pour une table
ronde.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 13 mai 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

INTERNATIONAL EUROPE BUSINESS CENTER OPENS IN STEPANAKERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 12, 2012 – 11:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – International Europe business center opened in
Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, its construction costs
totaling to about USD 5.5 mln.

According to its director Vladimir Ohanyan, the Center is
multifunctional and can provide both business environment and relax
opportunities.

“One of the floors accommodates business territories which are
fully leased already. The Center houses 32-suite hotel, including
one presidential suite and 9 luxury ones. As to tariffs, they are
not finalized yet. Anyway, they will be relevant in terms of market
prices and the demand,” he stated.

Initially the business center will employ about 50 people, later to
involve more.

“We are currently hiring the staff. It’s not so easy to find
specialists, particularly in service sphere; some are reluctant to
work, others lack relevant experience,” the director explains adding
that employees will undergo special training.

As to their potential visitors, Ohanyan emphasized that they will
mostly be those visiting Artsakh for business or rest.

“Naturally, we’ll rival Armenia and Yerevan hotels now,”
Karabakh-open.info quotes the new center director as saying.

DIPLOMATIC ORDER: OPPOSITION, GET READY FOR EUROVISION!

Yeni Azarbaycan
April 27 2012
Azerbaijan

Dilemma of goal and means

The first chancellor of the German empire, or the “second Reich”, Otto
von Bismarck knew no borders in politics and believed that in order
to achieve his goals a politician can use any means available. Great
Russian writer Sergey Turgenev was categorically against this as he
wrote: “Some hypocrites claim that any means are good to reach a goal.

This is wrong. It does not befit a person to enter a pure temple with
feet that have the dirt of the road on them”.

Indeed, Adolph Hitler who followed the maxim “the end justifies
the means” believed that it is worth letting the blood of millions
of innocents to flow in order to secure the supremacy of the German
nation. Konrad Adenauer, who believed the opposite, spent all of his
efforts to save the German people from the moral collapse which was
one of the results of Hitler’s fascism.

It is clear that both in ordinary life and in politics not every
means is suitable to achieve the ends. Looking at the matter from
the prism of relations between the opposition and the authorities,
it can be said with certainty that in modern times in countries that
develop on the democracy path, including in Azerbaijan, the way to
come to power is not through the money bags of foreign powers and
their political support, but through the will of the people and the
votes of the electorate.

It is a fact that for many years the destructive opposition in
Azerbaijan has been trying to realize its political ambitions via
anti-national methods. Hysterical statements, speeches, authorized
or illegal actions all serve one goal: to attract the attention
of the foreign anti-Azerbaijani circles and use their backing to
achieve their wishes. Encouraged by the government changes in Arabic
countries, the organization called “Public Chamber” staged rallies on
8 and 22 April to present the radical opposition as a power centre and
confirm their existence before foreign sponsors. Slogans in foreign
languages plainly showed that these rallies were addressed not to
the Azerbaijani people, but to the outside audience. Experts believe
that the 22 April rally was the decisive action for the allocation
of funds from abroad for the radical opposition. In their opinion,
foreign sponsors were distressed by the fact that the rally was much
weaker than expected, with only 1200 – 1300 people attending, and
especially since the young people did not join it. Indeed, on both
occasions members of the Public Chamber, functionaries of the Musavat
Party and PFAP [People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party], party activists
and their family members turned up. The press even wrote rhetorically
that the number of journalists who came to cover the event was bigger
than the number of demonstrators. It is an indirect proof of this that
foreign ambassadors and embassy officials from the Western countries
gathered on 24 April to meet the leaders of the opposition parties
and pro-opposition NGOs in the headquarters of the Musavat Party.

True, an ordinary citizen who is busy with his life and lives an
ordinary life does not see the activities of the radical opposition,
does not feel their presence in his life and, naturally, has limited
capabilities to assess their political escapade. However, ordinary
citizens upon hearing the words PFAP, Musavat, Isa Qambar and Ali
Karimli see before their eyes the bitter days of the 1990s and do
not wish to link their lives and the future of the country with them
again. Those who more or less follow the politics certainly remember
the troubles Azerbaijan experienced in the end of the past century,
and also sees the developments happening in Egypt, Libya and other
Arab countries with the Western support, and in accordance with
their beliefs give a political assessment of these events and their
destructive ramifications. The main reason why the opposition cannot
gather people to attend its rallies is that citizens do not wish
it to turn from a developing and prospering country to the 1990s or
to another Libya, that they have an extremely negative view of such
attempts. Citizens say unequivocal “No” to the realization of dirty
means, veiled by positive words, through even dirtier means.

Democracy or NABUCCO, economic interests, Islamophobia…

Before speaking about the meeting with foreign diplomats held in the
Musavat Party’s headquarters, let us speak about the reasons for the
recent information war that certain foreign circles, politicians, human
rights organizations and mass media have declared against Azerbaijan.

The recent “love for Azerbaijan” of some Western politicians and
mass media is bound to surprise us. At the session of the Cabinet of
Ministers dedicated to the results of social and economic development
in the first quarter of 2012 and the objectives ahead, President
Ilham Aliyev emphasized the importance of information security and
said: “The dirty campaign against our country over the Eurovision
song contest continues in the media. We know well which powers are
standing behind this campaign. We know well in which country’s mass
media this campaign is stronger. This is a coordinated policy. However,
this policy has no and will have no results”.

The media have already prepared many reports about the danger of
the collapse of plans related to energy projects as a result of the
anti-Azerbaijani hysterics of some circles in the West. Europeans
are trying to implement the NABUCCO project to save them from the
energy dependence on Russia. However, since the main issue is the
one of funding, so far no tangible steps have been taken for the
implementation of NABUCCO and the agreements remained on paper. As
a result, one of the biggest players in the consortium, German RWE
company’s director general, Juergen Grossman, said that since the
project never materialized the company is likely to withdraw from the
consortium. Following this Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said
in a speech in the European Political Centre in Brussels that the MOL
company of Hungary is also preparing to exit NABUCCO. The realization
in parallel of two big Russian projects, Southern Stream and Northern
Stream, and the active involvement of the leading European oil and
gas companies in this projects and the growing dependence on the
“Russian gas needle” of Germany, France and Italy shows openly who
is in fact digging the grave for NABUCCO.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan remains the only country in the South
Caucasus pursuing an independent policy, with Georgia under US control
and Armenia functioning as the forward base of Russia. Independence
is the cornerstone of Azerbaijan’s development and the rise of its
international authority. Independence today allows Azerbaijan to
cooperate on equal footing with other countries, to enter foreign
markets and to openly declare its positions. President Ilham Aliyev
says: “There are forces which do not accept our independent policy.

They are irritated by our policy. They are trying to use new
opportunities to engage in information provocation and disseminate
lies and defamatory information”.

It is owing to its independent policy that Azerbaijan is not turning
into a base for major powers. Naturally, the remarks by President
Ilham Aliyev confirm that these plans indeed exist and that those who
cannot implement these plans are actively taking part in information
provocations against Azerbaijan: “There are forces that want to pit
Azerbaijan against its neighbours… Azerbaijan will never participate
in the plans of other countries. We can never allow our territory to
be used for any negative plans concerning our neighbours and everybody
knows this”. Among these forces, the efforts of the Armenian lobby
and the Islamophobic circles should not be forgotten.

“Win-win” formula and Markus Loning’s “desire to be chancellor”

14 February 2007. A working visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
to Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that relations between
Azerbaijan and Germany are very important and that cooperation will
be strengthened.

5 February 2010. A working visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
to Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel states: “Our economic
relations are at a wonderful level. Our cooperation is close. We
manage to build our cooperation on the ‘win-win’ formula. When I say
this I mean that both sides can benefit from this cooperation.

Azerbaijan is one of our very important partners”.

It seems that Mrs Merkel considers strengthening of cooperation
between Germany and Azerbaijan as a priority in relations with Baku and
even suggests a ready formula. There is no evidence that since then
Azerbaijan has avoided this cooperation. Then how can the following
facts be explained: the recent increase of groundless accusations
levelled against Azerbaijan by German media and politicians; close
contacts with the opposition of Germany’s foundations, such as
Friedrich Naumann, Konrad Adenauer and others; that organizations
like Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch organize
hearings in Berlin on the freedom of speech and media; Kanal Europa
broadcast in Germany will now air “Hour of Azerbaijan” programme;
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle meeting the opposition while
visiting Azerbaijan; the aggressive speeches that German government’s
Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, Markus
Loning, makes against Azerbaijan; the activity of Christoph Strasser,
the Council of Europe’s rapporteur from Germany on the made-up issue
of “political prisoners” in Azerbaijan; the anti-Azerbaijani moves
of the Green Party of Germany; as well as other facts?

Markus Loning is one of the main organizers of the campaign waged
against Azerbaijan. In August 2011 Loning was remembered by the
harsh remarks he made during the visit to Baku. At the meeting with
opposition members he said that “Germany is always ready to assist
you to make changes in Azerbaijan”.

In keeping with this line, the ombudsman publishes in Der Spiegel
weekly and other German media harsh anti-Azerbaijani materials
and gives interviews. He writes letters to the state officials,
politicians, journalists and musicians who want to travel to Azerbaijan
and invites them to join the campaign being waged against Azerbaijan.

Recently, Mr Loning went even further and claimed that this is all
Germany’s official position. It seems that Mr ombudsman now sees
himself in the German chancellor’s chair.

[Passage omitted: MP from the Green Party meets former Azerbaijani
speaker Rasul Quliyev]

According to reports that we received from the German parliament, a
month ago at the initiative of Cramo and Berg, the Bundestag faction
of the “Greens” sent an inquire on Azerbaijan to the German federal
government. Without going into the details of all issues in the query,
we would like to outline several of them. The questions were formulated
in such a way as if they concerned not relations between the German
and Azerbaijani governments, but those between Berlin and some federal
entity. For example, “What is the situation for homosexual, bisexual
and transsexual people in Azerbaijan?” and “What measures are taken by
the Azerbaijani government for the urgent improvement of the situation
before and during the Eurovision contest?” No need to comment.

On the other hand, the activities of Herbert Quelle, the man in charge
of the official relations between Berlin and Baku, are also difficult
to comprehend. For example, in his piece published by our newspaper,
he says that “it is so good to work and live in a country that loves
Germany and has no negative view of Germany” and “I view with great
optimism the future development of German-Azerbaijani friendship”,
but on the other hand, he promises to Ali Karimli pressure against
Azerbaijan from the Council of Europe and the European Union. During
the 24 April meeting with the opposition of the foreign ambassadors
and embassy officials, Mr Quelle’s special enthusiasm is also hard
to fathom. It is not without reason that Bismarck said it is only
necessary to lift Germany into the saddle – it will certainly be able
to ride.

It is plain to see that the developments are the exactly opposite of
the position of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and consequently,
to the official German policy regarding Azerbaijan. If this is the
case, whom should the Azerbaijani public believe?

Opposition, stand ready for Eurovision!

As shown above, in the Musavat Party headquarters on 24 April diplomats
of the OSCE, EU, USA, Turkey and European countries met the leaders of
the radical opposition parties and some pro-opposition NGOs. Following
the meeting, the chairman of the Musavat party, Isa Qambar, and the
PFAP chairman, Ali Karimli, imparted to the mass media a statement
with no informative content. However, our source in the opposition
said that intense discussion went on for three hours. The public
and political processes under way in Azerbaijan, the results of the
latest rallies, the release of opposition activists who claim to be
“political prisoners”, changes to the law “On political parties”,
the situation with the freedom of speech, rights to property and
other issues were on the agenda of the meeting.

Our source said that opposition leaders said that they have already
staged two authorized rallies and asked for pressure on the Azerbaijani
government so that the 6 May rally is staged in the centre of the
[Baku] city.

Isa Qambar said that their opinion was not sought when changes to
the law “On political parties” and issues related to the funding of
parties were discussed. As a result, the Musavat Party and the PFAP
were left outside the funding. For this reason, Isa Qambar and Ali
Karimli asked foreign diplomats to fund the “Public Chamber” and to
allocate subsidies for the PFAP and the Musavat Party.

Now it becomes clear why during the discussions on amendments to
the law “On political parties” why opposition functionaries were
so vehemently opposed to the transfer of donations to the parties,
to the presentation by parties of financial reports to the relevant
state bodies, and to the publication of this information.

It is interesting that the remark of a representative of the OSCE
office in Baku about the law “On political parties” being in line
with European standards sparked protests from the opposition.

Later they asked the diplomats to step up the pressure on the
Azerbaijani authorities before Eurovision, work on the release of the
imprisoned opposition activities and to adopt a hard hitting resolution
against Azerbaijan during the autumn session of the Council of Europe
and to include in the document support for the opposition.

According to our source, German ambassador Herbert Quelle gave
extremely “valuable advice” to the opposition. First, he said that
he will facilitate the solution of the problem with funding. Then
he suggested reconciling the “Public Chamber” with the Open Society
Party, led by Rasul Quliyev. Quelle said he wishes for the alliance
of Ali-Isa-Rasul.

Ambassador Quelle’s remarks about events that may unfold during
Eurovision cannot fail to attract attention. The ambassador urged
Public Chamber’s officials to be ready for any processes that may
unfold during the competition and to be ahead of these processes.

It seems that this meeting’s objective was for the diplomats to
encourage and instruct the opposition.

Naturally, Quelle knows well what processes he refers and what he
means when he tells the Public Chamber to be ready. However, if this
about taking part in the competition, let us remind the ambassador
that Ali Karimli and Isa Qambar displayed their vocal skills on the
ground of the driving school in Sector 20 on 22 April and even the
demonstrators did not take a fancy to their voices.

It was US President Barack Obama’s remarks that could serve as
a reminder for Ambassador Quelle about the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations: “Politics has become so bitter and partisan,
so gummed up by money and influence that we can’t tackle the big
problems that demand solutions”.

However, it is Obama’s luck that he is the leader of the super power
and nobody dares to meddle into his affairs or the affairs of the USA.

Even when the OSCE observation mission wanted to monitor the US
elections they were “respectfully” shown the door.

Therefore, some believe that they may or that it is indeed their
“right” to meddle in the affairs of small states, bring them under
their influence and direct them. However, the system of international
relations and diplomatic connections is regulated not by wishes and
desires, but by specific international laws to which Germany too has
joined. Ambassador Quelle and other diplomats in attendance definitely
knew that behaving as a domestic political actor in a manner that
does not suit foreign state officials and supporting the position of
one side that contests power in Azerbaijan constitutes a breach of
diplomatic norms.

Ambassador Quelle is very likely to be familiar with the provisions of
the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, especially Article
3 and Article 41. Regardless, we would like to remind once again to
the ambassador that Article 3 covers the functions of the diplomatic
missions and does not contain any point that entitles an ambassador to
meddle in the internal affairs of the accredited country. Point 1 of
Article 41 openly states: “Without prejudice to their privileges and
immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and
immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state.

They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of
that state”.

Point 2 of the same article says that all official business with the
receiving state shall be conducted through the Foreign Ministry or
such other ministry as may be agreed. This document does not allow
the embassy staff to interfere in domestic affairs of the receiving
state, even when it concerns issues that transcend boundaries, such
as democracy. No regulations by any international organization can
supersede this convention.

The results give us grounds to say that democracy, human rights and
freedom of speech are not the objective, but a lever for pressure on
the Azerbaijani government for both the destructive opposition and its
foreign patrons. At the session of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated
to the results of social and economic development in the first quarter
of 2012 and the objectives ahead President Ilham Aliyev: “From the
destroyed country where chaos reigned and that lacked the basics of
statehood within 20 years we became one of the well-recognized and
regarded countries in the world”.

Naturally, for a country that achieved great results within 20
years it is not difficult to estimate how much more strength it
can gain in the next 20 years. This factor takes away the sleep of
the anti-Azerbaijani circles, Armenian lobby and the anti-national
politicians, who are consumed by the desire for power.

[translated from Azeri]

A SUMMER OF MUSICAL DIVERSITY EN ROUTE TO LEBANON
By Chirine Lahoud

The Daily Star

May 11 2012
Lebanon

BEIRUT: The summer season has officially started. Beaches and rooftop
venues are opening and, now, Lebanon’s major summer festivals have
announced their lineups. The public – whether Lebanese, local
foreigners, returning expats or sunburnt tourists – will have a
wide choice of performances and locations as far afield as Jounieh,
Beiteddine, Baalbek and Jbeil.

The Jounieh International Festival has issued what it calls an
“event-packed” (June 29-July 8) program. Two of the highlights will be
shows by Armenian-born French singer Charles Aznavour (on July 6). The
88-year-old Aznavour will be in Jounieh as part of his Aznavour en
Toute Intimite tour, which started last year. He promises to belt
out much-loved tunes like “La Boheme,” “She,” and “Emmenez-Moi,”
among others.

Lebanon will also host a concert by Anglo-Irish crooner Chris De
Burgh. His name may not ring a bell for some but most have likely heard
“Lady in Red,” his 1986 hit that went No. 1 worldwide. De Burgh will
have a one-night stand in Jounieh (on July 8), and likely demonstrate
that his romantic side has faded little since the mid-’80s.

The Beiteddine Art Festival (June 28-July 28) promises an eclectic
program, from opera, to rock’n’roll, from jazz to dance. Lebanon’s
Caracalla Dance Theater will return for a three-night gig (June 28-30),
performing a trilogy of “Scheherazade,” “Bolero” and an evening of
Lebanese folk dance.

For those more interested in contemporary dance, Beiteddine will host
the award-winning show “Push,” featuring dancers Sylvie Guillem and
Russel Maliphant on July 7.

The surprise show of the festival will feature the iconic Irish indie
rock band The Cranberries (July 14), who will likely perform such
hits as “Zombie,” “Salvation” and “Just my Imagination.”

“La Boheme,” the much-loved opera of Giacomo Puccini, is also on
the program (July 26). Diva Inva Mula will play “Mimi” and Paolo
Fanale will stomp the boards as Rodolpho, accompanied by the Lebanese
Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Jean-Yves Ossonce.

This year’s Byblos International Festival will also welcome some
pop culture iconography in legendary bluesman BB King – with his
beloved guitar, Lucille – on July 5, giving audiences a chance to
hear “Lucille,” “Payin’ the Cost to be the Boss” and “Why I Sing the
Blues,” live.

Another guitar hero, former Guns’n’Roses guitarist Slash, promises
to electrify audiences with his ferocious riffs on June 25.

Fresh from their European tour, rockers Snow Patrol promise to deliver
a mind-blowing July 17 show, performing hits like “Chasing Cars,”
“Called Out in the Dark” and “In The End.” Given the massive number
of fans they have in Lebanon, Snow Patrol’s Lebanon debut will,
one hopes, not be the last.

This year’s Baalbeck International Festival (June 29-July 15) has bet
on diversity, setting a program of Latin-American, Arabic, Lebanese
and Italian music at the so-called Bacchus Temple.

Among the slate of performers will be Chico and the Gypsies, who will
open the festival. Originally known as The Gypsy Kings, this Latino
ensemble will try to enchant their audience with such famous tunes as
“Bamboleo” or “Djobi Djoba.”

For pop music aficionados, Italian crooner Zucchero, who gained
notoriety with his hit “Sensa Una Donna,” will be on hand for one-night
only on July 5, as part of his Chocabeck World Tour.

Closing Baalbek on July 15 will be a show by the Lebanon’s hottest
indie band nowadays, Mashrou’ Leila. Setting the ensemble’s urban cool
– marked by witty lyrics and muscular vocals, accompanied by violin,
percussion, bass and keyboards – in Baalbek’s ancient ruins will mark
an unusually incongruous end to this ancient festival.