Author: Kanayan Tamar

MARTIROS SARYAN’S “PERSIA” BEING RESTORED
Alisa Gevorgyan

Iranian.com

July 29, 2011

The painting “Persia” by Martiros Saryan is being restored on financing
from the Armenian Ministry of Culture. The seven-member group headed
by Gayane Kazanti started the restoration works on June 25.

Armenian specialists help Italian expert Luciano Billiot to restore
the canvas.

Conservation and restoration of Martiros Saryan’s damaged paintings
started at Sayran Home-Museum in 2006. Special technologies and
equipments and corresponding professional experience was necessary to
do that hard work. The Ministry of Culture decided then to allocate
financial means to the pilot program.

COURT DEMANDS PSYCHIATRIC REPORT FOR HAYAL IN DINK CASE

Today’s Zaman
July 29, 2011
Turkey

The Ä°stanbul 14th High Criminal Court demanded a psychiatric report
for Yasin Hayal at Friday’s hearing in the assassination case of
Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.

Hayal, who is one of the primary suspects in the case, claimed in the
previous hearing that he was being threatened in prison by people from
Pelitli, a small town where Dink’s convicted murderer, Ogun Samast,
is from. However, a response from the prison administration indicated
that no one had visited Hayal in the past six months.

Meanwhile, Erdogan Toygun, the lawyer for Erhan Tuncel who is another
suspect in the murder case, said that the statement from the prison
refutes Hayal’s claims. As Toygun spoke, Hayal rudely interrupted to
say he was attacked at the gates of the prison and that this could
be easily proven with the security camera recordings. Hayal’s lawyer
then demanded that Hayal be evaluated at the Bakırköy Psychiatric
Hospital, to which Hayal responded that he feels quite healthy. The
court ruled that Hayal should be mentally evaluated at the hospital
and the result should be submitted to the court. The court also asked
the Tekirdag prosecutor’s office to submit prison records relevant
to Hayal’s claims of threats against him in prison.

Additionally, the court indicated that the content of a report
submitted by the Telecommunications Directorate (TÄ°B) said that it
would not release telephone recordings of people who were suspiciously
close to the murder site because that would ‘interfere in their
private lives’. The court ruled that any lawyers who object to the
TÄ°B’s decision should submit petitions to the 9th High Criminal Court.

The court also ruled that Hayal and Tuncel should remain in custody
pending trial because of “strong criminal suspicion.”

OSCE MUST PLAY DIRECT ROLE IN SETTLEMENT OF CONFLICTS IN POST-SOVIET SPACE – US

news.az
July 29, 2011
Azerbaijan

OSCE must continue playing a direct role in the resolution of
protracted conflicts in Georgia, Moldova and Nagorno Karabakh.

Barack Obama’s administration insists that the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe play direct role in the resolution
of ‘frozen’ conflicts in the post-Soviet space.

The statement came from US Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon. He spoke at the hearings, organized
by the two-party Commission on Security and cooperation in Europe
(Helsinki commission) functioning at the US Congress.

Alongside Gordon, the event on the US policy on OSCE was attended
by deputy chief of Pentagon on issues of international security
Alexander Verbshow and US Assistant Secretary of State on Democracy,
Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner.

“OSCE must continue playing a direct role in the resolution of
protracted conflicts in Georgia, Moldova and Nagorno Karabakh”, Gordon
said. He said conflicts have a damaging potential, able to destabilize
security in the OSCE region’. The task to overcome these conflicts,
according to the United States, ‘must remain top priority for OSCE
and all its member-states’, said official of the US Foreign Ministry.

In turn, while commenting on negotiations over Nagorno Karabakh,
Verbshow voiced opinion that a step back occurred in these
peacekeeping efforts. The attempt to ensure ‘a breakthrough’ in
negotiations in Kazan held on 24 June, was not successful, while
‘tensions along the contact line of the parties grow’, according to
the US official. According to his information, Armenia and Azerbaijan
‘are still unable to complete coordination of basic principles of
settlement of the conflict and we remain in an unconstructive and
dangerous situation’.

ITAR TASS

SWEDISH AZERBAIJANIS CALL FOR PROTEST AGAINST SARGSYAN’S STATEMENT

news.az
July 29, 2011
Azerbaijan

Swedish Azerbaijanis Congress called on UN, OSCE and international
mediators.

Swedish Azerbaijanis Congress called on UN, OSCE and international
mediators to express strong protest against the Armenian president
Serzh Sargsyan’s aggressive statements, which instigate the Armenian
youth to follow wrong ideas, reported the State Committee for Diaspora
Activity.

The Swedish Azerbaijanis Congress said Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that
“Karabakh was liberated and now young generations have to liberate
Agri Dagh” instigates the young people to hate the neighbor countries
and is unbecoming to the statesman.

While OSCE Minsk Group tries to develop the talks between Baku
and Yerevan for the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, such
statement by the Armenian president proves that Armenian politicians
admitted the fact of occupation of the Azerbaijani lands and they
try to prevent the OSCE Minsk Group’s peace efforts and violate the
international norms and principles on respect for the territorial
integrity of other states.

The statement reads that UN Security Council, Council of Europe,
European Parliament, the Organization of the Islamic Conference
recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and passed
resolutions demanding withdrawal of Armenian troops from Nagorno
Karabakh and other seven regions of Azerbaijan.

‘We support the position of the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey
that our peoples have to live in peace and the occupation of the
territories of neighbor countries has to be ended. We consider
that this idea should be educated among the young generations of
our peoples. The Swedish Azerbaijanis Congress called on UN, OSCE
and international mediators to express strong protest against the
Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan’s aggressive statements, which
instigate the Armenian youth to follow wrong ideas’.

APA

ARMENIA DECIDES ON SEPTEMBER 20

OikoTimes

July 29, 2011

Armenian national broadcaster announced that they are accepting songs
for the 2011 Junior Eurovision Song Contest already with a deadline
for August 20. The broadcaster also announced that the national final
for JESC will take place on September 20 in Yerevan. Armenia is the
host country of the 2011 Junior Eurovision which will take place
on December 3rd in the capital. It is the first time that the host
country is also the winner of the previous jESC edition

ERDOGAN WANTS ANOTHER APOLOGY, THIS TIME FROM ARMENIA
Herb Keinon

AZG
30-07-2011

Turkish PM says Sarksyan trying to “fill youth with hatred”; Israeli
source: Who will ask Erdogan to apologize for occupying northern
Cyprus?

Israel can take solace that it is not the only country in the world
from which Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking an
apology: On Wednesday he demanded one from Armenia as well.

The Turkish news website Today’s Zaman, reporting on Erdogan’s current
trip to Azerbaijan, quoted him as saying that Armenian President Serzh
Sarksyan should apologize for calling on Armenian school children to
occupy eastern Turkey.

Sarksyan, asked by a student if Armenia would get back its “western
territories” along with Mount Ararat – an area of great historical
significance to Armenians – that’s now in Turkey, replied that
“it depends on you and your generation. I believe my generation
has fulfilled the task in front of us; when it was necessary in the
beginning of the ’90s to defend part of our fatherland – Karabakh –
from the enemy, we did it. I am not telling this to embarrass anyone.

My point is that each generation has its responsibilities and they
have to be carried out with honor.”

The statement infuriated Turkey. According to Today’s Zaman, Erdogan
said Sarksyan’s behavior was a provocation and an attempt to fill youth
with hatred, which he said would lead Armenia’s youth into “darkness.”

“There cannot be such diplomacy. Sarksyan has made a very serious
mistake…. He must apologize,” Erdogan was quoted as saying.

Erdogan’s demand for an Armenian apology comes just a few days after
he threatened Israel with a “Plan B” – a further downgrading of ties –
if it did not apologize for last year’s Mavi Marmara incident.

“What we see here is a pattern developing,” one Israeli diplomatic
source said of Erdogan’s most recent demand for an apology. “Who
is going to ask Erdogan to apologize for Turkey’s occupation of
northern Cyprus?”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s senior forum of
eight ministers – a body known as the octet – met on Wednesday, but,
according to government officials, did not deal with the Mavi Marmara
issue because Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon was not present.

Ya’alon, who in recent weeks has led the Israeli team negotiating with
the Turks over putting an end to the flotilla incident and re-establish
normal ties, has come out strongly against an apology to Ankara.

In addition to an apology, Erdogan is also demanding that Israel
pay compensation to the families of the nine Mavi Marmara passengers
killed while trying to break the naval blockade on Gaza, and to lift
the blockade itself.

While there is objection inside the octet to a blanket apology,
there is believed to be a willingness to issue a partial apology for
“operational failures” that led to the loss of lives, but not the
type of apology that could be interpreted as taking responsibility
for the incident.

The release of the UN Palmer Commission report on the incident, which
was to have been on Wednesday, has been postponed until August 20 to
give the sides more time to come up with an acceptable formula.

AZERIS TAKE OFFENSE ON IRANIANS AGAIN

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 29, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – Arts Festival is under way in Tabriz. On one of
the photo-exhibitions Azeri turk symbols were mocked and offended,
according to Azeri Press Agency.

Antiazeri and antiturk caricatures have been demonstrated at the
exhibition.

On caricatures exhibited in Haghani Park in Tebriz, movement of Azeri
turks who demand compliance of their national rights, Azerbaijani
Republic, a grey wolf totem and other national attributes have been
offended.

The event was organized at the support of Ministry of Culture and of
Iran and other organizations.

Jesus’ apostle’s tomb unearthed in Turkey

19:51 – 29.07.11

An Italian professor has announced the apparent discovery of the tomb
of St. Philip, one of Jesus Christ’s apostles, at the ancient city of
Hierapolis in the Aegean province of Denizli, Hurriyet Daily News
reported.

The discovery of the grave of the biblical saint, who was killed by
the Romans 2,000 years ago, will attract immense attention around the
world, said Francesco D’Andria. St. Philip, one of the 12 apostles,
came to Hierapolis 2,000 years ago to spread the Christianity before
being killed by the Romans, the professor said.

D’Andria has been leading archeological excavations at the ancient
city for 32 years.

“Until recently, we thought the grave of St. Philip was on Martyrs’
Hill, but we discovered no traces of him in the geophysical research
conducted in that area. A month ago, we discovered the remnants of an
unknown church, 40 meters away from the St. Philip Church on Martyrs’
Hill. And in that church we discovered the grave of St. Philip,” said
D’Andria.

D’Andria and his team have not opened the grave but are planning to do so soon.

“St. Philip is considered a martyr. In fact, the church built in his
name on the Martyrs’ Hill is, for this reason, also called Martyrion,
despite the fact there were no traces of the grave of St. Philip. As
we were cleaning out the new church we discovered a month ago, we
finally found the grave,” said he.

“With close examination, we determined that the grave had been moved
from its previous location in the St. Philip Church to this new church
in the fifth century, during the Byzantine era. We are extremely happy
and proud to have discovered the grave of a saint whose name appears
in the bible – this surely is an important discovery for religious
tourism, archaeology and Christendom,” the professor added.

Tert.am

RUSSIA MAY ACT AS GUARANTOR FOR ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA, GEORGIA.

AZG DAILY #139, 28-07-2011

Russian Secretary of State, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin
said Moscow, together with the USA and the European Union, is ready to
be a guarantor of the commitments by Abkhazia, Georgia and South
Ossetia not to use force, Itar-Tass reported July 27.

“Since the beginning of international discussions in Geneva, arranged
on the basis of the accords between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, sixteen rounds have already
taken place,” the diplomat reminded, “so far, it is these meetings
that have helped to curb Tbilisi’s unbridled drive towards loud
accusations and the demands for immediate return of the lost peoples
and territories.”

“One might assess the results of this work from different points of
view. However, it is unquestionable that representatives of Abkhazia,
South Ossetia and Georgia have been jointly participating in Geneva
meetings for almost three years, i.e. the countries for which these
discussions were arranged, as well as (the representatives) of Russia,
the USA, the European Union, the United Nations and Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“So far, it has been the only international floor where the parties
directly explain to the participants their vision of the situation in
the region and its prospects,” the deputy foreign minister emphasized.
It would be not only near-sighted but also counterproductive to ignore
the opinions of Sukhum and Tskhinval. It is impossible to ensure peace
and security in Trans- Caucasia, including in Georgia, without their
direct involvement.

“As a result of joint work in Geneva, the parties gained certain
negotiating experience: there gradually appears more productiveness
and willingness to reach concrete results in the field of security.
Emotions increasingly retreat to the background, giving way to
specific proposals to strengthen stability on the border, rebuild
confidence, and resolve humanitarian problems. It is understandable
that these positive changes require much effort and time, but there is
no sensible alternative.

“As is known, late last year, the presidents of Abkhazia, Georgia and
South Ossetia made important unilateral statements on non-use of
force,” he recalled, “it is a good reserve for further work in Geneva.
Concluding agreements on non-use of force between these three states
would be a logical development.”

“Regrettably, Tbilisi stubbornly ignores the proposals by Tskhinval
and Sukhum to conclude such bilateral accords. Instead, Georgia
routinely tries to point the finger at Russia, demanding from us some
obligations on non-use of force. It’s a substitution of notions.
Russia did not attack anyone in the August of 2008.

“At the same time, in the spirit of good will, we’re ready to make a
contribution to the issue of non-use of force by securing
international guarantees for the non-use of force obligations by
Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia, jointly with our partners in
Geneva – the USA and the European Union,” Karasin said.

The diplomat also said the Georgian authorities do not seek to
normalize relations with Moscow, inculcating in society the image of
enemy personified by Russia.

M2: DmEurope
July 29, 2011 Friday

‘Iliad pulls the plug on Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbits’

The Nabaztags Wi-Fi rabbit devices made by French consumer electronics
manufacturer Violet have for the time being stopped working as
anything more than basic alarm clocks, Le Monde reports. These
Nabaztags (the word for rabbit in Armenian) are speaking bunnies
capable of reading e-mail and RSS feeds. Mindscape, the educational
software company that bought Violet and has been selling and managing
services associated with the gadgets, entered into receivership on 23
June. Now its server host, Iliad, has decided to pull the plug on 28
July. Users have asked Mindscape to give them ownership of the
nabaztag.com domain name and access to the existing servers, but
Mindscape’s CEO told them this was not an option and that their
rabbits would only survive if the user community set up its own
service. He has published the source code to the software that make
the rabbits work. Le Monde concludes that it is now up to the more
computer savvy of the rabbit owners to find a collective solution
otherwise the gadgets are destined to spend the rest of their
existence as little more than rabbit alarm clocks or collectors’
items.