Author: Kanayan Tamar

OFFICIAL NOTES “ATTEMPTS” TO DAMAGE AZERI-TURKISH TIES

ANS TV
Jan 30 2012
Azerbaijan

[translated from Azeri]

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has reacted to the critical reports
carried by some Turkish media that Azerbaijan holds a weak position
with regard to the law passed by the French Senate. It should be
recalled that some leading Turkish media outlets wrote that Azerbaijan
is not doing enough to protest against the French Senate’s [“genocide”]
bill.

The head of the press service of the [Azerbaijani] Foreign Ministry,
Elman Abdullayev, has said that Azerbaijan expressed its protest
against the draft law when it was being discussed in the lower chamber
of the French Senate. Azerbaijan was the first state to express a
strict position with regard to the law , which prohibits the denial
of the so-called [Armenian] genocide, after it was adopted by the
French Senate, he said.

[Elman Abdullayev, spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry]
I believe that the dissemination of these kinds of articles and
information in Turkish media are simply an attempt by some persons
to damage or cast a shadow on relations between the two fraternal
countries. Azerbaijan approaches problems concerning Turkey as its
own problems.

ARE TURKEY AND ISRAEL GETTING CLOSER?
by Asli Aydintasbas

Milliyet
Jan 30 2012
Turkey

[translated from Turkish]

There is no normalization or secret agreement between Turkey and
Israel. At the most, there is a “pact of non-aggression” and a policy
of detente. As for an agreement, it still seems to be too far.

Successive reports caused speculations in the public that a new
process had started between Turkey and Israel.

In fact, one cannot say that there have been gigantic steps. Turkey
chose a young musician of Jewish origin from Izmir, Can Bonomo, to
represent it at the Eurovision song contest. He is a sympathetic
youngster, and the decision is right, but, neither the decision
on Bonomo nor the broadcasting of the film on the Jewish genocide
during World War II, Shoah, on the documentary channel of the TRT
[Turkish Radio and Television] means that Turkey and Israel are
secretly getting closer.

It is obvious, however, that the relations are not as tense as
they were.

For instance, the fact that among those who objected to the Armenian
bill in France there were people of Jewish origin, did not slip
Ankara’s notice.

A few weeks ago, the Israeli Foreign Ministry immediately intervened
and stopped an attempt to recognize the Armenian genocide at
the Israeli Parliament, Knesset. In Washington also there is an
interesting situation. The Jewish lobby that has a significant weight
on US Congress no longer works like Turkey’s lobby as in the past,
but it does not work against it either. The Jewish lobby seems to have
suspended its critical approach against Turkey that it had adopted
following the Mavi Marmara incident.

More importantly, we no longer see the “crossfire” style harsh
statements that we had witnessed last year. Israeli Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu has instructed his cabinet “not to respond to
Turkey no matter what.” As for the Turkish prime minister, he has not
made a single statement against Israel since his address at the UN in
September. If you do not count the standard Mavi Marmara statements
that justify Turkey’s stand, Ankara seems to have abandoned its policy
of swinging its fist at Turkey at every possible opportunity.

What is happening then? Have Ankara and Tel Aviv started a secret
negotiation process, or signed a secret peace agreement in a flash?

No, not exactly. In fact, the state of affairs between Turkey and
Israel has not changed within the last six months. We are still far
away from the point of shaking hands or reconciliation.

If there is an “agreement” that needs to be mentioned, then it is not
about “normalization” but only an unofficial and tentative “mutual
non-aggression” agreement between the two countries.

US President Barack Obama had made a special request in a 90
minute-meeting in New York with Tayyip Erdogan, to prevent the
bilateral relations from “worsening further.” In summary he had said:
“My job here will get more difficult, and it will be hard for us to
defend you.” He repeated the same request to Israeli Prime Minister
Netanyahu who was very eager to mend the relations.

The two countries are refraining from steps that would create the
speculation or possibility of a “military clash” in the eastern
Mediterranean. More importantly, the leaders in both countries refrain
from making provocative or aggressive statements against each other.

The secret and indirect contacts held in New York in order to
“mend” the bilateral relations that reached a breaking point with
the release of the Palmer Report at the end of the summer, did not
yield any results. Ankara is insistent on its demands for an apology
and reparations, moreover it is in a comfortable position due to the
honeymoon phase in its relations with Washington because of the Arab
spring. It has no intentions of making concessions. Israel agrees,
albeit unwillingly, to apologize and to pay reparations, but it has
certain demands in return. In return for an apology and reparations,
Israel wants guarantees that the bilateral relations will really
normalize, in other words, that they will go back to their state in
1990 in all senses, military and political.

This is where things break off. Israel’s demand is not something
Ankara is willing to meet particularly when it is feeling so much at
ease. At a time when there is no peace between Israel and Palestine,
when there is a possibility that Israel may attack Iran, and when
Turkey’s image in the Arab street has reached a peak, Ankara does
not want to bring the relations to their former state and lose the
moral weight it has gained in the Arab world.

Those who try to mediate between the two, keep walking back and forth
in this vicious circle.

[translated from Turkish]

AZERBAIJANI BLOGS TALK ABOUT ARMENIANS: INTRODUCING HATE 2.0
Arzu Geybullayeva

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso

Feb 3 2012

International Alert, an NGO based in London working on conflict
resolution, did a study on how people on opposite sides of the
conflicts in the South Caucasus perceived each other. Our correspondent
focused on how Armenians were depicted in online discourse in Baku. An
insiders’ look into the dark side of the Azerbaijani blogosphere

A group of scholars, researchers, and specialists was selected to
examine a range of sources, from history textbooks, to the media and
blogosphere, as well as speeches made by politicians to understand
better the dynamics behind the conflicts in the South Caucasus. The
aim of this research, “Myths and conflict”, was to identify key words,
narratives, and other innuendos that reference the concept of “us vs.

them” or “friend vs. enemy”. I was part of the research team. In my
research, I looked at the Azerbaijani blogosphere in order to identify
systemically-used stereotypes and propaganda to dehumanize Armenians
and Armenia. The results of this research will be released in early
2012 and should be available through International Alert’s website.

Dehumanizing the ‘other’ The tone used to talk about Armenians in
the online media – possibly even more than in traditional media – is
clearly one of hate. This is part of a process of dehumanization of the
enemy that is characteristic of conflicts in general. Communication
and media analyst Karim Karim suggests that “hate-mongers can then
‘justify’ acts of violence and degradation because they have denied
the humanity of their victims”.

This definition fits the rhetoric of hate-oriented blogs in
Azerbaijan. In fact, dehumanization is at times combined with
belittling, name-calling and other degrading comparisons in the
majority of posts targeting Armenia and Armenians. As a result one can
clearly see the extent of bitterness, anger, and adverse attitudes that
exist between the two countries not only in traditional outlets but
also in the parallel world of online content. In this parallel world,
hate 2.0 is taken to a completely different level with no strings
attached and no responsibility taken for what is said, illustrated,
and written.

Azerbaijani blogosphere Though the Azerbaijani blogosphere is barely
a decade old, blogging has become more popular in Azerbaijan only in
the last two to three years. According to the most recent Freedom
House report, there are in total about 27,000 blogs operating on
various blogging platforms.

Topics vary extensively with authors writing about art, movies, food,
society, tradition, politics, social issues, and more. Of course,
among the most widely-discussed themes in blogs and popular blogs
are the Karabakh conflict, relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
and negative perceptions of Armenians. Let us call them “hate blogs”.

The most common theme for hate blogs is mutual perceptions. It is
also the most explicit and acute theme in terms of the language used,
analogies made, and the overall attitude. Being a blogger myself
who works in the conflict resolution field, reading these blogs
was unpleasant to say the least. The appalling descriptions used in
reference to the “other” – such as descriptions portraying “them” as
thieves, liars, drunks, prostitutes, and cave propagandists – later
appeared to be “kind” when compared to some of the analogies that
were simply beyond my ability to comprehend. It was almost as if the
authors were reassuring themselves and their readers that the “other”
was no longer a human and that it was ok to humiliate them, belittle
them, kill them, let them die, and get rid of them all together.

In a post about the shooting death of an Armenian civilian – a shepherd
– by the Azerbaijani military forces on the border, an Azerbaijani
blogger concluded “In any case, there is one less Armenian and this
is the happiest part of this news story” [Post originally written in
Azerbaijani]. The post expressed no regret about the actual death,
and even championed the incident.

In another post, the author compared Armenia to a disease that should
be eradicated. “Yeah, almost forgot, the worst flu I am referring to
has a similar name to that of bird flu and swine flu, in our language,
we call it “Armenian flu”. The symptoms of this flu include hypocrisy,
fraud, and double standards” [Post originally written in Azerbaijani].

In an additional spin to the post, the author proudly added: “We are
sick with this Armenian trash! […] Hypocrisy they have, terror they
have it […] Now I think, will we even find a vaccine against this
dangerous flu? Let’s not forget: to find a vaccine is written only
in our destiny.”

These and other examples that were used for the purpose of this
research indicated an important factor: youth are also becoming deeply
affected by the negative relations between the two countries that
are reflected in the media, general political statements, and the
overall attitude of the government. The clear annihilation messages,
the overall tone of the posts, and the bloggers’ hostile attitudes
were in no way creations of these bloggers but rather the results
of decades-long policy and measures taken by the local government to
further embed anger and hatred.

Future of hate 2.0 No doubt, this research only reveals the tip of
the iceberg. This is just another example of the fact that in spite
of its extremely powerful liberating potential, the Internet is not
intrinsically good.

It can be used to strengthen stereotypes and can contribute to shaping
public opinion in the favour of conflict.

As the research shows, many young people in Azerbaijan have very strong
positions regarding the conflict that are unsupportive of the peace
process to say the least. It also indicated the amount of work that
needs to be done as well as the pressing need to take concrete steps
in gradually shifting these negative attitudes, building positive
relationships, fostering dialogue and creating space for mutual
understanding rather than hatred between Armenia and Azerbaijan. More
importantly, the research underscores the need to start this work to
promote mutual understanding among youth in particular.

Perhaps, hate 2.0 in Azerbaijan is here to stay. But there is a chance
that online communities with access to first-hand accounts of the
‘other’ will instead mostly contribute to changing attitudes for the
positive in the region as a new, tech-savvy generation grows. Sure
enough, alternatives to “hate 2.0” exist and are possible. The online
world is the world of opportunities, after all…

TEMPLETON HIGH SCHOOL REPORTER TALKS TO KATCHO

Atascadero News

Feb 3 2012
CA

BY: Benton Lowerison, The Aerie

Many constituents can identify our state assemblyman, Katcho Acahdjian,
but few know his story. Over an hour-long lunch, I got an insider’s
take on the politician’s life.

Born in Lebanon to Armenian parents, Katcho grew up speaking both
Turkish and Armenian.

“Lebanon was very pro-American where I grew up,” he said. “If you
drove an American car, you had it made. If there was an American
movie in the theatres, everybody went.”

In 1971, Katcho decided to pursue the American dream by moving to
California. He worked at a Shell gas station in Arroyo Grande to pay
for his college education, graduating from Cuesta in 1973 and from
Cal Poly in 1976 with a degree in international business.

Initially, he hoped to pursue a career that would utilize his fluency
in three languages. After his former employer offered to sell him
the Shell station he had worked at for so long, though, he decided
to stay local.

Before self-service at Shell, Katcho would wash customers’ windows
for them.

“I would always get the sides and the mirrors, and they [the customers]
would always come back,” he said.

As his business enterprises grew, he became more and more involved,
finding ways to serve the community that had helped him make his way.

He served as a volunteer on the French Hospital and Arroyo Grande
Community Hospital boards and has been an active member of the Arroyo
Grande Chamber of Commerce for more than 30 years.

His extensive involvement in Arroyo Grande and the surrounding area
led many to support his bid for County Board of Supervisors in 1998.

After serving three terms, he ran for the state assembly and won.

“I came from a place where you couldn’t even pronounce the [American]
cities and now I get to make decisions in the capitol,” he said,
looking off into the distance before adding, “two oceans away.”

With the state assembly in recess, Katcho has been enjoying another
aspect of his job: visiting constituents to hear their take on assembly
bills and local issues.

“If you get beyond the politics of politicking, you can help people
out,” he said.

SARKOZY WILL REDRAFT GENOCIDE BILL IF IT FAILS

Ottawa Citizen
February 2, 2012 Thursday
Final Edition

President Nicolas Sarkozy will immediately submit a new draft of a law
punishing denial of the Armenian genocide if France’s top judicial
body rejects it, two ministers said Wednesday. The law, which had
been approved by the National Assembly and Senate, was put on hold
Tuesday after politicians opposed to the legislation demanded that
its constitutionality be examined. The council is obliged to deliver
its judgment within a month, but this can be reduced to eight days
if the government deems the matter urgent. Turkey reacted furiously
last week when the Senate approved the law, which threatens with jail
anyone in France who denies that the 1915 massacre of Armenians by
Ottoman Turk forces amounted to genocide.

ANCA: IT’S A SAD SPECTACLE TO SEE CLINTON HIDING BEHIND CYNICAL APPEALS

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 27, 2012 – 10:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
sharply criticized remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
who dismissed the murder of 1.5 million Armenians as a “historical
debate,” and argued that U.S. affirmation of this crime would open a
“dangerous door.”

“The Obama-Biden Administration – with Secretary Clinton’s latest
remarks – continues to dig itself deeper and deeper into a hole of
complicity in Turkey’s genocide denial,” said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian.

“It’s a sad spectacle to see Secretary Clinton hiding behind cynical
appeals to scholars – the overwhelming majority of whom have already
spoken forcefully against Turkey’s denials of the Armenian Genocide –
to divert attention from President Obama’s, Vice President Biden’s or
her own promises to properly recognize this crime and, more broadly,
to divert attention from the White House’s failure to meet its moral
obligation to stand up against a foreign government’s veto of our
defense of human rights,” he continued.

Responding to a question from a participant of a Town Hall Meeting
on Thursday, who asked why the U.S. does not recognize the Genocide,
Clinton characterized the Armenian Genocide as an historical issue
and not a political one.

“I think it’s fair to say that this has always been viewed, and I think
properly so, as a matter of historical debate and conclusions rather
than political. And I think that is the right posture for the United
States Government to be in, because whatever the terrible event might
be or the high emotions that it represents, to try to use government
power to resolve historical issues, I think, opens a door that is a
very dangerous one to go through. So the issue is a very emotional
one; I recognize that and I have great sympathy for those who are
just so incredibly passionate about it,” Clinton told the audience.

Secretary Clinton’s remarks are diametrically opposed to her statement
issued almost four years ago, to the day, as a Senator. In this
statement, she boasted that she was “alone among the Presidential
candidates” to have been a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution and pledged “as President, I will recognize the Armenian
Genocide.” The statement went on to stress that: “Our common morality
and our nation’s credibility as a voice for human rights challenge
us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be recognized and remembered
by the Congress and the President of the United States.”

FRENCH SENATORS OPPOSING GENOCIDE BILL TO VISIT BAKU

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 3, 2012 – 21:09 AMT

French senators opposing Genocide bill to visit Baku

PanARMENIAN.Net – A delegation of French senators having appealed
to the Constitutional Court with a demand to abolish the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, will arrive in Azerbaijan
on Feb 5 at the invitation of State Committee for Work with Religious
Organizations, Trend reported.

The delegation comprises senators Nathalie Goulet, Sylvie Goy-Chavent,
Jean-Marie Bockel, Herve Maurey, Andre Reichardt and Jeanny Lorgeoux.

In the framework of the visit the senators will conduct meetings
within Azerbaijani parliament and a number of ministries.

The delegation will leave the country on February 10.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against. Expected
to be signed into law by President within 14 days, the bill will
impose a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France
who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Two separate groups of French politicians who oppose the legislation
– from both the Senate and the lower house – said they had formally
requested the constitutional council examine the law. The groups said
they each had gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required
to ask the council to test the law’s constitutionality. The council
is obliged to deliver its judgment within a month, but this can be
reduced to eight days if the government deems the matter urgent.

RESIDENTS CAN CELEBRATE THE SEASON AT THE ARMENIAN WINTERFEST

Inside Toronto

Feb 2 2012
Canada

Armenian Youth Federation offers three days of fun, Feb. 3 to 5

The Armenian Youth Federation of Toronto invites residents to break
the ice this winter by coming out to a Winterfest celebration this
weekend (Feb. 3 to 5) in North York.

Last year’s inaugural Winterfest attracted more than 2,000 people,
and a larger and more exciting festival will take place this year

Friday night’s headliner is Lebanese-born Canadian musician Karl Wolf,
performing his hit songs Yalla Habibi, Africa and Ghetto Love.

Armen Aloyan, California-based Armenian singer will be headlining
the festival stage on Saturday and performing for the first time in
Toronto. Another first-timer to the Canadian stage is the up-and-coming
Armenian singer from Washington, D.C., Krisdapor Arabian, performing
both Saturday and Sunday night.

There will be familiar performers returning to the festival stage
such as the one-man-band Armen at the Bazaar, Toronto locals Karina
Es, the Dark Dance Company. Toronto DJ Armo Kidd will keep the crowd
energetic between sets spinning the latest music in hip-hop, R and B,
reggae and house music.

Saturday’s entertainment will also feature singer Khoren Mouradian,
a community favourite.

Sunday’s events will conclude with children’s entertainment duo Hoy
Lari, followed by the Hamazkayin Erepuni Dance Group.

The festival will once again feature a hockey tournament on Saturday
with the finals on Sunday.

Throughout the weekend, there will be several other attractions such
as an outdoor skating rink, fire buskers, magicians, a kids’ zone,
Canadian and Armenian foods and other fun activities.

Founded in 1934, the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada works to
advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of
Armenian-Canadian youth.

For more information about Winterfest, visit
or their Facebook page at

The event will be taking place on the grounds of the Armenian Youth
Centre at 50 Hallcrown Place at Victoria Park and Sheppard avenues
in North York.

ARMENIA MARKS THE ANNIVERSARY OF IRAN’S ISLAMIC REVOLUTION

Press TV

Feb 2 2012
Iran

The Armenian National Gallery in Yerevan has mounted an exhibition
to mark the 33rd anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran.

Organized by the Iranian Embassy in Armenia, the For the Sake of God
introduces traditional Persian arts and culture through handicrafts
and artworks.

The exhibition has dedicated a section to works by modern Iranian
artist Ali Mohammad Sheikh.

For the Sake of God kicked off on February 1, 2012 and will run until
February 7.

The Iranian nation toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime 33 years ago,
ending the 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country.

The Islamic Revolution, under the guidance of the late Imam Khomeini,
established a new political system based on Islamic values and
democracy.

Robert Fisk: Syria is used to the slings and arrows of friends and
enemies

Bashar al-Assad is clinging to power despite the slow growth of a
civil war. But if the regime should survive, what sort of country will
it rule?

Robert Fisk

Wednesday 01 February 2012

The violence grows worse. The Arab League throws up its hands in
despair. Madame Clinton may huff and puff at the United Nations. But
the Syrian regime and the stalwarts of the old Baath party don’t
budge. Only the Arabs are unsurprised. For Syria – the “Um al-Arabia
wahida”, the Mother of One Arab People, as the Baathists would have it
– is a tough creature, its rulers among the most tenacious in the
Middle East, used to the slings and arrows of their friends as well as
their enemies. Syria’s “No” to anything but total Israeli withdrawal
from the Golan Heights in return for peace is almost as famous as De
Gaulle’s “No” to British entry to the European Union.

True, the Syrian regime has never confronted opposition on such a
scale. If the fatalities do not yet come close to the 10 or 20
thousand dead of the 1982 Hama uprising, which old Hafez al-Assad
crushed with his customary ruthlessness, the widespread nature of
today’s rebellion, the defections from the Syrian army, the loss of
all but one Arab ally – little Lebanon, of course – and the slow
growth of a civil war make this the most dangerous moment in Syria’s
post-independence history. How can Bashar al-Assad hang on?

Well, there’s Russia, of course, and the Putin-Medvedev determination
not to be caught out by the West at the United Nations as they were
when they failed to oppose the no-fly zones over Libya that led
directly to Gaddafi’s collapse. And there’s Iran, for which Syria
remains the Arab bridgehead. And Iranian suspicion that Syria is under
international attack principally because of this alliance may well be
correct. Strike down Baathist Syria and its Alawi-Shia President, and
you cut deep into the soul of Iran itself. And there’s Israel, which
utters scarcely a word about Syria because it fears that a far more
intransigent regime might take its place.

But Syria is also a symbol. In Arab eyes, it alone defied the West in
refusing an unjust peace in the Middle East. Alone, it refused Anwar
Sadat’s peace with Israel. Alone, it turned its back on Yasser Arafat
after his doomed agreement for “peace” with Israel. And historically,
Syria alone defied its French occupiers in 1920 and then again in 1946
until its Damascus parliament was burned down over the heads of its
defenders. And while many Lebanese choose to forget their own history,
it remains a fact that after the First World War, most Lebanese wished
their land to remain part of Syria – see the results of the King-Crane
commission – rather than live in a separate nation under French
patronage.

And far from being a state based on expansion, as America likes to
claim, Syria has steadily lost territory. It lost Lebanon to French
machinations. It lost Alexandretta in 1939 when the French handed it
over to Turkey after a fraudulent referendum in the vain hope that the
Turks would join the Allied alliance against Hitler. And it lost Golan
to Israel in 1967. For Syria as a nation – rather than a regime –
there is much sympathy as well as respect in the Arab world. Bashar
al-Assad – neither a toady like Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak nor mad like
Libya’s Gaddafi – knows all this.

But Baathism is not “Arabism”, however much its supporters may claim
the opposite. Decades of stability did not rid Syria of corruption. It
fostered dictatorship along the same, dull rules which the Arabs
tolerated for so many years: better autocracy than anarchy, better
peace than freedom, albeit controlled by a Shia minority, better
secular than sectarian. Why, if any Syrian wanted to see the results
of a confessional state, they had only to look at the civil war in
Lebanon.

With embarrassment, I look back now to that terrible conflict and the
cruel words I wrote so many years ago; that one day, after years of
Syrian military “peacekeepers” in Lebanon, the Lebanese army may be
asked to fulfil the role of “peacekeepers” in Syria. At the time, it
was a wicked joke. Not now, perhaps. Indeed, a Lebanese peace force in
Syria – where all of Lebanon’s communities (Sunni, Shia, Christian
Maronite, Orthodox, Druze, Armenian) are represented – might just be
one way of damping down the civil conflict there. A supreme irony,
perhaps, after the 1976-2005 Syrian army’s presence in Lebanon. An
impossibility, of course. But it shows the nature of political change
in the Middle East.

In reality, the Syrian government is likely to fight on alone. It
always has. The Assad father-and-son doctrine has always been one of
patience. Hold on tight – however great the condemnation by the rest
of the world, however terrible the threats from Israel or America –
and eventually the wheel of fortune will turn once more in your
favour.

The awful carnage in Homs and the rest of Syria, the beheadings and
the torture, however, suggest that Assad rule really is running out of
time. Syria’s people are dying just as the people of Egypt and Libya
and Yemen have died, because they want the dignity of governing
themselves. Their own battle is already infecting the sectarian
divisions in northern Lebanon and they exist inside the Lebanese
parliament, although this will not be the Syrian government’s primary
concern.