Author: Kanayan Tamar

AZERBAIJAN KEEPS EXPANDING ITS RIDICULOUS “BLACK LIST” OF KARABAKH VISITORS

13:31, 25 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 25 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan continues declaring “Persona
non grata” the foreign celebrities, state figures, journalists and
politicians, who visit the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and including
their names the in so-called “black list”.

As “Armenpress” reports, at this time Azerbaijan intends to expand
his ridiculous “black list” adding the names of 30 journalists, who
participated in International Media Forum titled “At the foot of Mount
Ararat” held on March 18-23 in Yerevan and visited Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic within the framework of the events dedicated to the Centennial
of the Armenian Genocide.

The foreign journalists, including the Romanian “Adevarul” newspaper’s
journalist Elena Dumitru, Alexander Kolesnichenko, the journalist
of Russian “Argument i Facti”, the anchor of “Czech Radio” Monica
Khorsakova, have met with the leadership of the Artsakh Republic and
visited a number of objects during their visit.

BRANDY ARMENIO, LEYENDA DE UNA TIERRA MILENARIA

Diario El Mundo de Cordoba
20 marzo 2015

Viernes, 20 Marzo 2015

Agencias

Erevan.- Cuentan que Winston Churchill, a la pregunta sobre el secreto
de su longevidad cuando ya había alcanzado los 89 años, respondio:
“Nunca llegue tarde al almuerzo, fume puros habanos y beba coñac
armenio”.

Los historiadores no confirman la predileccion del primer ministro
britanico por el brandy armenio, pero consta que era un gran aficionado
al aguardiente de vino, del que decía, según otra creencia muy
extendida, que debe ser tratado como una dama, con suma delicadeza.

Los armenios, uno de los pueblos mas antiguos del mundo, con una lengua
y unas costumbres milenarias, sienten un gran orgullo por su brandy, al
que llaman coñac y que junto con el sagrado monte Ararat es una de las
señas de identidad mas reconocibles de este pequeño país caucasiano.

Aunque la historia contemporanea de la bebida nacional por excelencia
empieza a finales del siglo XIX, con la apertura de una fabrica en
Erevan, muchos creen que el aguardiente de vino se destilaba en estas
tierras ya en tiempos de la antigua Babilonia, mucho antes de que se
popularizara en Europa a partir del siglo XIV.

El brandy armenio -que se comercializa como “coñac armenio” a pesar
de las disputas con la historica denominacion de origen del Cognac
frances que esto supone- fue probablemente la bebida alcoholica mas
apreciada y de mayor calidad en la antigua Union Sovietica, desde
donde sus caldos alcanzaron fama mundial.

Años antes de que Armenia fuera absorbida por la URSS, una mezcla
creada por el maestro enologo Mkrtich Musiniants fue premiada en
una exposicion celebrada en 1907 en Burdeos, en la misma Francia
del Cognac.

Hoy, la Fabrica de Coñac de Erevan, monopolista en la fabricacion del
brandy nacional hasta la independencia de Armenia, es heredera por
derecho de aquella primera industria levantada en 1887 en la capital
del país.

De sus bodegas salen las marcas y soleras de coñac armenio mas
conocidas y valoradas en todo el mundo, entre ellas el Ararat, que
toma su nombre del místico monte al que arribo según la leyenda el
Arca de Noe y a cuyos pies florecio de nuevo la humanidad al bajar
las aguas del diluvio universal.

Entre sus muchas soleras de coleccion, elaboradas exclusivamente con
variedades de uva blanca autoctonas y envejecidas en botas de roble
del Caucaso, esta el Ararat Dwin, un brandy único en el mundo por su
altísima graduacion.

“El Dwin es un coñac envejecido durante diez años, que se distingue
por una graduacion de 50 grados de alcohol”, cuenta a Efe Cristina
Ishjanian, embajadora de la marca Ararat.

Se cree que precisamente a ese brandy se aficiono Churchill despues
de que Stalin se lo sirviera en la historica Conferencia de Yalta
que reunio en 1943 en la capital iraní a los líderes de las potencias
aliadas enfrentadas a la Alemania nazi.

“Aunque no hay pruebas documentadas, es un hecho que el Dwin fue el
brandy que se sirvio en la conferencia de Yalta. Tambien son muchos los
testimonios de palabra que confirman la leyenda”, asegura Ishjanian.

El enologo Margar Sedrakian, creador del Dwin y de practicamente
todos los destilados que exhiben hoy con orgullo Ararat y la Fabrica
de Coñac de Erevan, fue represaliado por el regimen estalinista a
finales de los años 40 del siglo pasado.

Dice la leyenda que un día Churchill quedo descontento con el Dwin
que recibía regularmente del dictador sovietico y así se lo comunico.

Aunque tampoco hay evidencias de una conexion entre el presunto gusto
del líder britanico por el coñac armenio y el destino de Sedrakian, el
enologo fue rehabilitado poco despues de su exilio a Ucrania y devuelto
a la fabrica de Erevan, donde trabajo practicamente hasta su muerte.

El museo de la historica fabrica del coñac, trasladada a su ubicacion
actual el mismo año en que murio Stalin, guarda como oro en paño un
autentico tesoro para los amantes de la noble bebida.

“Guardamos un barril que data de 1902 y que exponemos en nuestro
museo, aunque se trata de un coñac que seguimos cuidando y que se
podría consumir”, dice Ishjanian.

Los enologos de Ararat cuidan de otros muchos barriles especiales,
envinados en presencia y en honor de las delegaciones oficiales que
visitan la fabrica y firmados por los dignatarios a los que pasan a
pertenecer, aunque luego nunca salgan de las bodegas.EFE

NEED IN IRRIGATION WATER IN ARMENIA THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN IN DRINKING WATER

14:30 March 23, 2015

EcoLur

The total demand in drinking water in Armenia accounts for around 300
million cum, as Mher Mkrtumyan, Head of Staff of State Committee on
Water Industry of Agriculture Ministry, said at the press conference
held at EcoLur Press Club on 20 March. Under him, the demand in
irrigation water submitted by water using companies makes up around
1.1 billion cum and is planned for the irrigation of 130,000 ha land
area. Armavir region was outlined for its lack of water in 2014,
so 120 deep wells were operated there to produce additional water.

The material is prepared by ‘EcoLur’ Informational NGO under UNDP
Climate Change Program, within the framework of ARM-002/2015 Contract.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including
UNDP, or the UN Member States.

ARMENIA TO AWARD MEDALS TO FOREIGNERS FOR THEIR PART IN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

14:44, 24.03.2015

YEREVAN. – Armenia wishes to award foreign nationals for their
contribution to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Ruling Republican Party of Armenia MP Artak Zakaryan, who is also
Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations, presented the respective amendment to the Law on State
Awards and Honorary Titles.

This amendment will enable to find more number of worthy recipients
abroad, to thank them for their part in genocide recognition and
fight against genocide denial.

“The Mkhitar Gosh Medal is the highest [Armenian] state award in law
which will be awarded to foreign nationals, since the fight against
genocides is juridical, first of all,” Zakaryan noted.

The Armenian state will also award foreign nationals medals of
appreciation for their social and political activities, Zakaryan added.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

ART SHOWING LIFE IN OLD TBILISI GO ON DISPLAY

Agenda, Georgia
March 23 2015

Pictures showcasing the lifestyle of old Tbilisi, the capital city
of Georgia, will go on display allowing all interested people the
chance to learn more about the Georgian culture.

The exhibition, titled Marginalia will present pieces of art created
by three self-educated Tbilisi-based Armenian artists; Karapet
Grigoryantz, Vano Khojabekov and Vagharshak Elibekyan. The exhibition
will be held at the National Museum of Georgia and Tbilisi History
Museum Karvasla.

The artists each had their own unique style and expression which was
evident in their artwork.

Various pieces of art showcased obvious illustration of identity of
Georgia’s capital city Tbilisi in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Visitors will have chance to enjoy paintings during April, as the
exhibition will open on April 1 and end on April 27.

THE PERILS OF HISTORY IN THE NEW TURKEY

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
March 23 2015

by NURAY MERT

The commemoration of the centenary of the Dardanelles’ victory
started as a show of nationalism in the wake of a coming election. The
president and his governing party are eager to make best use of the
occasion; on one hand, the rhetoric of national sacrifice and victory
underlines national unity and, on the other, it is being presented
as part of their policy of reconciliation with Kurds since Turks and
Kurds fought side by side against the enemy. Besides, the commemoration
ceremony is slated to take place on April 24, to counter the centenary
of the Armenian genocide. Finally, the celebration of the victory is
being used to remind people of the impacts of World War I not only
on Turkey, but also on the whole Muslim world.

The supporters of the “New Turkey” came up with their version of the
Dardanelles as the “legend of the victory of the ummah” against the
West. The governing party’s supporters in the media have started to
suggest that we are still living in the post-World War I and that “the
war has not finished yet.” The president announced as much. Finally,
the president himself stated that the war had not finished yet and
was a “war of retribution.”

Moreover, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters do not simply mean
that the war of retribution was about a competition over resources but
see it in terms of the “West against Islam.” That is why they recall
the Muslim retreat from Andalusia (Endulus) in viewing the Western
assault of World War I as a similar attempt to re-Christianize an
area. In their eyes, the logic is still the same, and Turkey should
revive the spirit of the Dardanelles to prevent the “Andalusiazation”
(EndulusleÃ…~_me) of Turkey. The president explained the meaning of this
totally new term, stating that “those who fought against Islam and
Muslims throughout the centuries have never given up” and that “this
is an eternal struggle.” The ex-head of the state media agency, who
has now become a columnist and MP candidate for the governing party,
firmly states that the “Dardanelles was the front line of the ummah,
like Medina and Yemen, since the Ottomans were fighting for the ummah,
and now the flag is in Istanbul as we continue to defend the ummah,”
(Yeni Ã…~^afak, March 19, 2015). Finally, the prelude written by
President Erdogan for the periodical called “New Turkey” defines the
Dardanelles as “the marking point of the New Turkey.”

It is scary really for those “ordinary” people who live in Turkey.

After all, it is rather alarming to live in a country where the rulers
see the post-World War I settlement as unjust and open to debate. It
feels like a terrible case of déja vu. Moreover, it is not only
the last century which is being re-examined in terms of enmity,
but many more centuries are at stake. We are supposed to shoulder
the responsibility of the “Turks’ big burden of leading the ummah”
and are asked to behave accordingly. The cost of living in Turkey now
far exceeds the responsibilities of ordinary citizenship. Now we are
not free agents as individuals and not even members of a national
and/or religious community, but some sort of subjects whose lives
are shaped by a grand historical/holy mission. We should remember
the fact that we constantly live on a frontline which is shaped by
the struggle between Islam and the West.

Even the peace process with the Kurds is being assumed to be part of
the grand historical mission. The so-called “Turkish-Kurdish alliance”
dates back to Manzikert in 1071, when Kurds welcomed their Turkish
co-religionists in their march to Anatolia, we are told. The second
turning point is thought to be the Sunni alliance against the Shiite
Ä°smail of Iran in the 16th century. Never mind that it is a horrible
part of in the historical memory of Turkish and Kurdish Alevis, the
new rapprochement rhetoric gives a lot of reference to this alliance.

Despite that, it has created tensions within the Kurdish movement,
as even some prominent Kurds have referred to this historical alliance
to broker the terms of peace.

It’s a pity that we are drifting every day more away from the
prospect of living in a freer society, as now we cannot even claim
freedom from history. It may no longer mean much to those who live
in Western liberal societies, but freedom from history is one of the
basic conditions of individual freedoms in our societies.

March/23/2015

AZERBAIJAN MAY LOSE ITS STATE INFRASTRUCTURES IF IT UNLEASHES A WAR AGAINST KARABAKH – KOMANDOS

YEREVAN, March 24. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan may stop existing as a state
if it unleashes a war in Karabakh, a prominent Karabakh war veteran,
major-general Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Komandos) told reporters on
Tuesday.

“Gas trunk mains, pipelines and oil lines will be threatened,
Azerbaijan may lose all this. Bearing in mind, it is not their
property, but belongs to the US and Great Britain, they have no right
to lose it,” Ter-Tadevosyan said, as cited by Novosti-Armenia.

Komandos said Turkey and Azerbaijan keep staging provocations all
the time and are planning a number of military provocative actions at
the border with Karabakh. The tense will come down only after April
24 (the day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide centennial),
Komandois said.

The tense will be growing toward April 24; there will be no war but
major provocations will take place, Ter-Tadevosyan said. He also said
a new war will lead to massive human losses from both sides.

Komandos also said Turkey pretends being a “peacekeeper”, still leads
all the major military exercises in Azerbaijan. -0–

ARMENIANS PRAY FOR GALLIPOLI VICTIMS IN HISTORIC SERVICE

Daily Sabah, Turkey
March 24 2015

DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Armenian community held a landmark service yesterday at
Istanbul churches for soldiers of all faiths who perished 100 years
ago in the Battle of Gallipoli.

The Armenian community in Turkey came together for a historic religious
service in memory of Christian, Muslim and Jewish soldiers who died
in the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli.

Service-goers prayed for the fallen soldiers following Sunday masses
in eight Armenian churches in Istanbul. Archbishop Aram AteÃ…~_yan,
the patriarchal vicar of the Armenian Orthodox Church, gave the
service at YeÅ~_ilköy Surp Stepanos Armenian Church.

In the sermon Aram AteÃ…~_yan prayed for the souls of everyone who
perished at the Battle of Gallipoli, “be they Muslim, non-Muslim
or atheist.”

“Regardless of their ethnicity or faith, these people fought to
preserve the existence of the country they lived in. May God grant them
heaven and we pray that such sufferings will not be repeated,” he said.

Following the service, Istanbul’s Bakırköy Municipality hosted
a lunch to break the fast on the occasion of the Orthodox Church’s
Great Lent.

Turkey marked the centenary of the battle on March 18. The Battle
of Gallipoli was the culmination of a major push from Allied Forces
seeking to control the Dardanelles during World War I. The naval
battle saw heavy casualties both in Allied and Ottoman forces and was
followed by a disastrous Allied landing in April 1915 that failed to
capture the strategic area in northwestern Turkey.

A large number of non-Muslim troops fought in the Ottoman army
along with Muslim troops both from present-day Turkey and former
Ottoman territories stretching from the Balkans to the Middle
East. Armenians and Greeks were among them and although their duty
was largely confined to serve as back-up forces, many also served on
the frontline. Historians say 299 Armenian doctors served as medics
in the Ottoman army, based on archives of the Medical Corps.

MANIFESTANTES ARMENIO-LIBANESES ACORRALAN AL EMBAJADOR TURCO EN UN CINE DE BEIRUT

Global Voices en español
23 marzo 2015

por Joey Ayoub

Alrededor de 60 miembros del partido armenio-libanes Tashnag
acorralaron al embajador turco en el Líbano dentro de un cine el pasado
miercoles 18. Protestaban contra la postura del gobierno turco ante el
genocidio armenio de 1915 por el Imperio otomano. El embajador Suleiman
Inan Oz Yildiz asistía al estreno de Son Mektup, una película turca
ambientada durante la batalla de Galípoli (1915-1916). La pagina
web oficial del centenario del genocidio armenio tambien publico
el incidente.

El momento escogido para promocionar la película, justo cuando se
cumplen 100 años del genocidio armenio, no se interpreta como una
coincidencia. De hecho, en una declaracion que publico en linea el
diario armenio-libanes Aztag Daily, el gobierno turco fue acusado de
intentar distraer la atencion del mundo del centenario del genocidio
armenio, que sera mundialmente conmemorado el proximo 24 de abril.

La declaracion, publicada en armenio y arabe, fue resumida para Global
Voices por la activista armenio-libanesa Yeghia Tashjian:

“El principal objetivo de la película era desviar la atencion del
genocidio armenio a la batalla de Galípoli. Aunque hasta el momento
el Gobierno turco no ha conmemorado la batalla en eventos públicos,
recientemente, ha decidido financiar y promover eventos relacionados
con la batalla para desviar la atencion del mundo del centenario del
genocidio armenio. Así pues, las Juventudes Tashnag y la asociacion de
estudiantes (Tashnag) tuvieron la iniciativa de nuevamente recordar
al mundo la historia y el sufrimiento de los armenios y arabes bajo
el dominio turco. Como resultado, los guardias de seguridad de la
Embajada de Turquía se enfrentaron con los manifestantes pacíficos
delante del cine. Los guardias empezaron a gritar “Erdogan, Erdogan”
mientras que los manifestantes contestaban “genocida, genocida”.

“The main goal of the film was to shift the attention from the
Armenian Genocide to the Battle of Gallipoli, despite the fact that
the Turkish government has not commemorated the Battle in public
events in the past. The Turkish government has recently decided to
finance and promote events pertaining to the battle to distract the
world’s attention from the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Therefore the Tashnag Youth and Student Association (Tashnag) took
the initiative to once again remind the world of the history and the
sufferings of Armenians and Arabs under Turkish rule. As a result the
Turkish Embassy’s security guards clashed with peaceful protesters in
front of the cinema. The guards started to shout “Erdogan, Erdogan”
while the protesters responded “Genocidal, Genocidal”

La conmemoracion del centenario del genocidio armenio ejerce una
importancia particular en el Líbano ya que los armenio-libaneses
comprenden alrededor del 4 % de la poblacion del país. Se preven
numerosos eventos para los días previos al 24 de abril, como por
ejemplo una charla de Robert Fisk, del diario The Independent, titulado
“One Hundred Years and a Day”, organizada por la Lebanese Armenian
Heritage Club de la Universidad Americana de Beirut, así como una
marcha nacional organizada el mismo día.

SHARMAZANOV RESPONDS TO LEVON TER-PETROSYAN’S ADDRESS

18:48, 24 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 24 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov has responded to First
President of the Republic of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s address to
the international community on the occasion of the Centennial of the
Armenian Genocide. In his speech during the hour of announcements at
the National Assembly, Sharmazanov reminded that the international
recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the international
recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide are the two
major cornerstones in the foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia.

“As we approach the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, more and
more countries and organizations are condemning the Armenian Genocide.

Brilliant evidence of that are the resolutions that four European
organizations, including the European People’s Party, EURONEST
Parliamentary Assembly, the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation
Committee and the European Parliament have adopted over the past ten
days alone, strictly condemning the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by
Ottoman Turkey. But as we can see, there is a figure who has held a
high office, has been the first president of my country and is now
issuing an address that we can’t refer to as an address that serves
for the interests of the Armenian State, even if we really want it
to,”Sharmazanov mentioned, as “Armenpress” reports.

Sharmazanov emphasized that he had been introduced to Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s address and underscored the fact that he would refer
to it as an address that “buries” the claims of the Armenians. He
also stressed the fact that one of the major objectives for Armenia
is claims, and as a result, several countries are not only condemning
the Armenian Genocide, but are also passing laws against denial.