Author: Kanayan Tamar

TURKEY TO RETURN 162 OF 1,410 CONFISCATED ASSETS TO ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 2, 2011 – 19:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Turkish government recently announced that
real estate assets confiscated by the State, which once belonged
to Armenian, Greek, and Jewish charitable foundations, would be
returned to the rightful owners, and that the government would pay
compensation for any confiscated property that has since been sold
to third parties. The present government decree pledges to return
162 of the 1,410 assets confiscated in 1974.

The Armenian Weekly newspaper published a partial list of the Armenian
charitable foundation assets to be returned by the government:

1. Gedikpasha Armenian Protestant primary school – the building is
already demolished, at present used as a park 2. Gedikpasha Armenian
Protestant Church – one apartment building in Kumkapi, a restaurant,
a playground 3. Surp Harutyun Armenian Church – several flats in
Beyoglu 4. Ferikoy Surp Vartanants Church – an apartment building and
a vacant lot in Sisli 5. Kurucheshme Surp Khatch Yerevman Church –
one building in Arnavutkoy 6. Kumkapi Surp Harutyun School – a store
in Kumkapi and a store in Kadikoy 7. Kumkapi Mayr Asdvadzadzin Church
– a flat in Eminonu 8. Yenikoy Surp Asdvadzadzin Church – a vacant
lot in Istinye 9. Bomonti Mkhitaryan Armenian Catholic School –
school buildings, two shops and a flat in Sisli 10. Yedikule Surp
Prgitch (Holy Saviour) Armenian Hospital – a total of 19 properties,
including one building lot, a house and four shared lots in Sariyer,
a residential building in Moda, 2 residential buildings in Sisli, one
flat in Beyoglu, one store in Kapalicarsi Covered Bazaar, a house in
Uskudar, one apartment building, one flat and a warehouse in Kurtulus,
a four storey hotel in Taksim, a retail and office commercial building
in Beyoglu, a flat in Chamlica, a 47,500 sq. m. vacant lot in Beykoz,
and a 44,000 sq. m.

land adjacent to the Hospital, formerly the gardens of the Hospital,
presently used as Zeytinburnu Soccer Stadium, a sports building,
a parking lot and a tea garden, and last but not least, the valuable
office building called Selamet Han in Eminonu, Istanbul.

This is definitely a long overdue positive step in the right direction
by the Turkish government, when compared with decades long injustice
and discrimination of the past Turkish governments against its
non-Muslim citizens, according to The Armenian Weekly.

‘KARABAKH’S SELF-DETERMINATION’ IS A WRONG WAY TO PUT IT, SAYS MP

Tert.am
19:11 02.09.11

Larisa Alaverdyan, MP of the opposition party Heritage, has said that
it is not correct to say that Nagorno-Karabakh self-determined.

“That means that Artsakh [Karabakh] has self-determined within
Azerbaijan’s territory, which is in fact absurd,” Alaverdyan told a
press conference on Friday.

She also said that Armenia’s leadership very often makes decisions
and adopts political packages that run counter the legal aspect of
the NK conflict.

“Generally, it is a surprise why should Azerbaijan take part in
those talks as a demanding side, while it should only be the side
that responds for the crimes it committed,” explained Alaverdyan.

Further, she said that Azerbaijan will not resort to military action,
though it is making belligerent statements on a regular basis about
the resumption of hostilities.

“Most of those living in Azerbaijan are well aware that those
territories do not belong to them and would have never been so,
had not the Soviet Union stood as a guarantee,” explained she.

DARCHINYAN VS. MBAMBA CLASH TICKETS NEARLY SOLD OUT

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 2, 2011 – 17:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Tickets for a Yerevan-hosted clash headlining IBO
bantamweight champion Vic Darchinyan and challenger Evans Mbamba have
nearly sold out, with those worth AMD 10 000-25 000 left on sale.

Initially, 6000 tickets for AMD 5 000-25 000, as well as 30 000-1000000
worth VIP tickets were on sale.

A Darchinyan vs. Mbamba combat will become the highlight of September
3 boxing event, which will see 4 more combats.

Beside male participants, the event will feature female boxers,
with an Armenian-born Agnesa Boza to combat Marina Sakharova of France.

The matches will be serviced by Italian, Australian and British
arbiters.

1400 SCHOOLS WELCOME CHILDREN, ARMENIA MARKS KNOWLEDGE DAY

news.am
Sept 1 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN.- On September 1 Armenia marks Knowledge Day. A total of 1400
schools across the country will open their doors to students.

According to birth rate table, about 37 thousand children will go
to school for the first time, representative of Educaion and Science
Ministry Arthur Baghdasaryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. He stressed
that the precise number of schoolchildren wil be specified after
September 5.

As Armenian News- NEWS.am reported this year classes in schools will
begin at 8:30 a.m., and at universities – at 9:30 a.m. This is done
in order to relieve the traffic.

SHOUSHI GRAND HOTEL OPENED IN NKR

Panorama
Sept 1 2011
Armenia

On 1 September President of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan partook
at a solemn ceremony of opening “Shoushi Grand Hotel”.

The Head of State considered important putting into operation a
new hotel in Shoushi, corresponding to international standards in
developing the town and turning it into a tourism centre.

Bako Sahakyan expressed his gratitude to the philanthropists from
Lebanon and the USA who financed the construction of the hotel,
underlining the nation-wide significance of consolidating the world
spread Armenians efforts for the development of Shoushi.

Head of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop
Pargev Martirosyan, speaker of the National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan,
prime-minister Ara Haroutyunyan, other officials, guests from Armenia
and abroad were present at the ceremony.

THIS YEAR REAL ESTATE PRICES IN ARMENIA WILL STAY UNCHANGEABLE

Stock Markets Review

Sept 1 2011

“Till the end of this 2011 year there would not be any changes in
the Armenian real estate prices”, announced the executive director
of the Association of Mortgage Market Participants Edward Oremyan.

As to him, nowadays the demand for the real estate in Armenia is high
enough, but the further development of the real estate market depends
mainly on the improved demand of customers. Mr. Oremyan also mentioned
that the level of solvency of Armenian population has not increased,
which has a direct impact on the Armenian real estate market.

According to the State Real Estate Cadastre, the number of real estate
transactions recorded in the first quarter of 2011 year increased on
an annual basis by almost 28% to 36.499$. The rising of the prices
for the quarter ranged from 1.5-3% depending on location. Hence,
according to the inventory, the average prices of the metropolitan
housing in a tower block set at the level 271.000 AMD per sq.m and
in private housing -281.000 AMD per sq.m. In regions the highest
prices of houses have been established in cities such as Abovyan and
Vagharshapat (starting from 160.000 AMD per sq.m), Ashtarak, Goris
and Ijevan (nearly 140.00 AMD per sq.m). This year the most active
region came to be Kotayk with 14% of the total number of transactions.

“Yerkir” real estate agency is engaged in a realtor activity in
Armenia. We provide realty services, legal support, draw documents
for purchase, sale, rent of housing and commercial estate.

Our company is founded in 2004 and worthy stands as one of leading
players among the professional realtor companies in Yerevan. Our
company’s specialists have more than 10 years experience in real
estate market. High qualification of our experts guarantees the
operative solution of our clients’ problems of any complexity.

Our company is one of the founders of Association of realtors of
Armenia. Membership in Association trust of our clients, strengthens
its authority in the real estate market. We have excellent reputation
among partners and clients, and we are proud of our professionalism.

We have certificates on all kinds of realty services in the territory
of Armenia. Certificate (Ð~PДâ~D-0487) is granted by Certification
Agency of broker services.

MAGIC AUTUMN” WITH KARABAKH TELECOM CONTINUES

Panorama
Sept 1 2011
Armenia

Karabakh Telecom on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Nagorno
Karabakh Republic grants its subscribers another autumn gift – 15%
tariff decrease for on-net calls. Now you can call from Karabakh
Telecom postpaid numbers to KT numbers at 28.99 AMD per minute
instead of 33 AMD, and from prepaid numbers – 34.99 AMD/min instead
of 39.99 AMD/min. Calls from PSTN and WLL numbers cost only 28.99
AMD per minute.

Another surprise Karabakh Telecom has prepared for WLL new
subscribers. In September for all new customers the subscription
to WLL service will be free of charge, instead of 12500 AMD, and no
monthly fee during the whole autumn.

TURKEY’S MINORITY DECREE DIVIDES US ARMENIANS

Hurriyet Daily News

Sept 1 2011
Turkey

Two major Armenian groups in the US are divided over Turkey’s recent
decision to return properties seized by the state from minorities
over several decades

Turkish PM Erdoðan said returning properties to non-Muslims was about
righting past wrongs during a dinner with representatives of Turkey’s
161 minority foundations.

The two largest American-Armenian groups have expressed opposing
views over Turkey’s recent announcement that hundreds of properties
seized by the state from minorities over the past seven decades will
be returned to their rightful owners.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan’s announcement is just a
“smokescreen,” said the Armenian National Committee of America, or
ANCA, the largest and most influential U.S. Armenian group. The more
moderate Armenian Assembly of America, or AAA, the second-largest U.S.

organization, said however that the decision was “a step in the
right direction.”

The Turkish move was made due to “fear of mounting losses at the
European Court of Human Rights and the recent [committee] adoption
of U.S. Congressional legislation calling attention to its repression
of Christian communities,” ANCA said in its statement.

“Erdoðan’s decree, clearly prompted by increased Congressional scrutiny
of Turkey’s repression of its Christian minority and successive
losses at the European Court of Human Rights, will return less than
1 percent of the churches and church properties confiscated during
the Armenian genocide and the decades that followed it,” said ANCA
Chairman Ken Hachikian.

“Ninety-six years after the genocide perpetrated against the
Armenians, Greeks and Syriacs, this decree is a smokescreen to evade
the much broader consequences of those brutal acts. ANCA will expand
its outreach to Congress and the administration to ensure that the
Turkish government comes to terms with its brutal past, respects the
religious freedom of surviving Christian communities and returns the
fruits of its crime,” Hachikian said.

Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed in the
Ottoman Empire during World War I in what they call “genocide.” Turkey
counters that the number was much smaller and that many Turks and
Muslims were also killed in turmoil during the war.

‘A welcome development’

“The Turkish government’s announcement of its decision to abide by the
rulings of the European Court of Human Rights to return the long-ago
confiscated properties of minorities comes as a step in the right
direction,” the AAA said in a written statement late Wednesday. “While
it remains to be seen how the government will implement this new
measure, the policy holds the promise of restoring the rule of law
for minorities long discriminated against in Turkey,” it added.

“The announcement comes in the wake of a series of developments in
Turkey resulting in increasing civilian oversight of several branches
of the Turkish government previously controlled by the military. Some
of these reforms stem from Turkey’s aspirations for membership in
the European Union,” the AAA said. “As far as the Armenian minority
in Turkey is concerned – after a century of violent persecution,
official discrimination, and public racism – the decree to return
some of the confiscated properties is a welcomed development, but
cannot begin to redress the magnitude of the damage inflicted.”

Speaking during a landmark fast-breaking, or iftar, dinner Sunday
with representatives of all of Turkey’s 161 registered minority
foundations, Erdoðan said the decision to return hundreds of properties
to non-Muslim communities was about righting past wrongs.

‘NO COMMON MECHANISM’ CAN BE USED TO TACKLE SEPARATISM

news.az
Sept 1 2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews David Harris, chief executive of Canadian analytical
centre Foresight Canada.

Do you think that the post-Soviet space is an arena of confrontation
or collaboration at the moment?

There are several “post-Soviet” “spaces”. There are political,
economic, security, cultural and historic spaces. These mesh, for
better or worse, and change over time, with where one is. There are
the “stans” – a terrible Western term, the South Caucasus, the North
Caucasus, the Baltic three, and – possibly most influentially – the
“East Europe” countries, some of which are now in the EU, and/or NATO.

All these spaces are potential arenas for either collaboration or
confrontation. This is the challenge.

In my view, the key is to understand the wider context – the
circumstances of the global space – and then (probably based on the
output of strategic foresight exercises) to select some – and only
some – of the “spaces” for effort that is most likely to pay dividends
of increasing collaboration and less confrontation.

Did the Russo-Georgian war in August 2008 make the South Caucasus
and its problems more known in the world?

Yes, “more known”, but more incompletely known. My experience since
2008 is that more people know more about Georgia and South Ossetia,
but that the major part of that increase focuses only on Georgian
leadership and Russian military superiority.

Almost all my VERY educated friends “know” about the 2008 war, but
do not know where it happened, geographically (until I describe it)
and have no conception of the South Caucasus as including Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

What are Canadian interests in the South Caucasus?

Nearly zero; based on my experience and the current political and
economic situation and perceptions in Canada. If anything, the Armenian
diaspora (especially in the United States) plays by far the largest
role in “interests”. These of course focus on the conflict in, over
and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

What should be done to enhance the Canadian presence (economic,
political etc.) in this region?

Nothing “should” be done.

The Minsk Group is, on many planes, a constraint on Canadian (and
other potentially positive) presence.

Attention – and therefrom presence – needs to be attracted. At the
risk of self-promotion, I think the workshops I facilitated in May,
and the conditions under which they were arranged and carried out, was
an example of a way to demonstrate that “progress” – not solutions –
can be promoted by “others”.

The problem of separatism is very well known in Canada and Azerbaijan.

Is it possible to create a common mechanism to solve this problem in
different parts of the world?

Absolutely not. Not is there NOT a “common mechanism” for “different
parts of the world”, any attempt to impose such commonality on such
incredible variety would almost certainly bring down what- or who-ever
attempted it.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: AZERBAIJAN NOT TO ABANDON NEGOTIATIONS ON KARABAKH

armradio.am
01.09.2011 16:37

Azerbaijan will not abandon the negotiations to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov said.

“I have no information about the next meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents,” the Minister said. “I got this information
from the press. I can only confirm that Azerbaijan is ready to continue
the talks over Nagorno-Karabakh.”

He said that much has been done in the peace process up to now.

“The conflict must be resolved in a phased manner, on the basis of
the Madrid Principles,” Mammadyarov said.