Author: Kanayan Tamar

Turkish military top brass sacked to prevent political crisis

July 30, 2011 – 16:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The resignation of Chief of Staff of Turkish Armed
Forces Ishik Koshaner is a planned action of the Turkish authorities
to prevent the beginning of possible political crisis, Trend cites
Turkish political analyst Ismail Yasha as saying.

“The representatives of the highest ranks of the Turkish army have
recently made a lot of faults,” he told Trend over phone. “In
particular, they interfered in the investigation on the overthrow of
the power in the country.”

Yesterday, Chief of Staff of Turkish Armed Forces Ishik Koshaner
resigned after a meeting in private with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. As reported by the Turkish media, Erdogan wanted to Koshaner
retired. In response, Koshaner resigned.

Along with Koshaner other three Land, Naval, Air Armed Forces
Generals, Erdal Jeylanoghlu, Hasan Aksay, Ughur Yighit asked for
retirements as well, local media reported.

The expert said that Koshaner’s resignation was inevitable after 13
soldiers of the Turkish army were killed while clashing with Kurdish
rebels.

“This case shows that the Turkish army needs reorganizing,” he said.

Separatist Kurdish rebels killed 13 Turkish soldiers and wounded six
others on July 14 in Diyarbakir province.

The case on investigating the details of the incident was transferred
from the army to the police according to the governmental decree. The
expert also thinks that after Koshaner’s resignation, the ruling
Justice and Development Party’s positions will be strengthened.

“The differences between the army and the government after the
“Sledgehammer” plan could lead to chaos in the country,” the expert
said. “After Koshaner’s resignation, the ruling Justice and
Development Party’s positions will be strengthened and there will be
no threat of chaos.”

According to the pro-governmental newspaper Taraf’s assumptions,
Turkish Armed Forces prepared the “Sledgehammer” plan to overthrow the
government in 2010.

The expert also stressed that no political crisis is expected to occur
in Turkey in connection with Koshaner’s resignation, as the population
of the country welcomes the resignation of Chief of Staff of Turkish
Armed Forces.

“The people welcome the beginning of reorganizing the Turkish army,” he said.

FIFA separates Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2014 World Cup draw
30.07.2011 16:24

Ruzan Khachatryan
`Radiour’

The Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil’ will take
place in Rio de Janeiro at 11 p.m. Yerevan time. Each confederation
will have their qualifying groups and schedules drawn as teams learn
their path to the World Cup.

European qualifying remains the same with eight groups of six and one
group of five teams each playing a round robin. The matches will be
played from September 7, 2012 through October 15, 2013 and the nine
group winners will qualify for the 2014 World Cup. The eight best
second-place teams will advance to play in four two-legged playoffs
against each other with the winners of those playoffs also qualifying
for the World Cup.

The preliminary draw will determine the nine groups for the qualifying
stage. The teams are placed into six pots of nine based on the FIFA
rankings. The top nine times will be in Pot 1, the next nine teams in
Pot 2, etc., to ensure that the top teams are not in the same group.
The draw for the two-legged playoffs will be held at a later date.

FIFA is trying to limit political clashes in the 2014 World Cup
qualifiers by separating Russia-Georgia and Armenia-Azerbaijan in the
European draw, the Associated Press reports.

The governing body says it honored a request by European soccer
authorities to keep the former warring neighbors apart. The teams were
also kept separate in the 2012 European Championship qualifiers.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were drawn together in Euro 2008 qualifying but
the matches were never played.

AVIATION CIVILE
Les nouvelles tenues des hôtesses d’« Armavia »

Les hôtesses de la compagnie arménienne d’aviation civile « Armavia »
disposent désormais de nouvelles tenues. Ces dernières sont de couleur
grise avec des foulards bleu-ciel. Les nouvelles tenues sont selon la
direction d’« Armavia » « plus modernes ». Les hôtesses de l’air d’«
Armavia » porteront ces nouvelles tenues qui disposent des variantes
pour l’été, la demi-saison et l’hiver.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 30 juillet 2011,
Krikor [email protected]

ANKARA
La tête de l’armée turque décapitée

Le général Isik Kosaner et le président Abdulah Gül

De Burak AKINCI (AFP) –

ANKARA – Le chef d’état-major turc ainsi que les commandants des
armées de terre, air et mer ont démissionné sur fond de désaccord avec
le gouvernement islamo-conservateur sur la promotion de militaires de
haut rang incarcérés dans des affaires de conspiration. On ignorait
encore la raison officielle de ce départ collectif, mais les médias
turcs ont évoqué des tensions entre la direction militaire et le
gouvernement du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Les divergences
porteraient sur la promotion de généraux incarcérés pour implication
supposée dans des complots antigouvernementaux. L’armée turque,
autrefois intouchable, est devenue la cible de critiques, dont celle
de complot présumé visant à renverser le gouvernement de M. Erdogan,
dont le parti de la justice et du développement (AKP) est issu de la
mouvance islamiste. Le gouvernement n’a pas réagi réagi à ces départs
collectifs. Depuis 1960, l’armée turque a renversé quatre
gouvernements, dont celui, en 1997, de l’islamiste Necmettin Erbakan,
mentor de l’actuel Premier ministre. Plusieurs réunions se sont
déroulées ces derniers jours entre le chef d’état-major, le général
Isik Kosaner, et M. Erdogan avant une réunion la semaine prochaine du
Conseil militaire suprême (YAS) qui décide des nominations dans la
hiérarchie militaire. Outre le général Kosaner, les commandants des
armées de terre, air et mer ont quitté leur poste, ce qui constitue
une première en Turquie, pays membre de l’Otan, ont indiqué les
chaînes d’information NTV et CNN-Türk.

L’agence semi-officielle Anatolie a précisé de son côté que le chef
d’état-major et ses commandants avaient demandé un départ anticipé à
la retraite. Le chef d’Etat Abdullah Gül, commandant suprême de
l’armée selon la Constitution, a reçu dans la soirée M. Erdogan et le
commandant de la gendarmerie, le général Necdet Özel. Ce dernier est
pressenti pour devenir le prochain chef d’état-major, selon les
spécialistes. Quarante-deux généraux et plusieurs dizaines d’officiers
d’active ou à la retraite sont actuellement incarcérés dans le cadre
de complots présumés visant à renverser le gouvernement du parti de la
justice et du développement (AKP).

L’armée souhaiterait que ces militaires puissent a priori bénéficier
d’une promotion, même s’ils sont en prison dans l’attente de la fin de
leur procès, tandis que le gouvernement voudrait qu’ils partent en
retraite. Parmi eux se trouve un général quatre étoiles qui était
censé devenir le prochain commandant de l’aviation.

La décision des généraux de quitter leur poste est symbolique en
Turquie où l’armée a été affaiblie depuis 2007 avec le lancement de
plusieurs enquêtes sur des projets de complots qui auraient visé à
déstabiliser le gouvernement par le biais d’un coup d’Etat militaire.

L’arrivée en 2002 au gouvernement de l’AKP, qui a remporté une
troisième victoire législative en juin, avait fait redouter à une
partie de l’opinion et à l’armée une remise en cause de la laïcité.

Le général Kosaner avait été nommé pour trois ans en 2010. Les trois
autres commandants devaient partir fin août à la retraite. L’an
dernier, s’appuyant sur l’offensive judiciaire anti-complot, les
membres civils du YAS, en particulier le Premier ministre, avaient
bousculé la routine habituelle des promotions. Ils avaient refusé de
promouvoir ceux d’entre eux qui sont impliqués dans des affaires de
complot, ce qui avait entraîné un retard inhabituel dans la nomination
du chef d’état-major actuel.

L’AKP s’est confronté plusieurs fois à l’armée turque depuis qu’il a
pris les rênes du pays dans le but de vouloir réduire son influence
dans la vie politique et à chaque fois réussi à remporter la bataille.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. Tous droits réservés

samedi 30 juillet 2011,
Jean [email protected]

HAUT KARABAGH
Un soldat Arménien tué hier matin

Hier matin à 6h45 un soldat arménien appartenant à la compagnie “N” a
été mortellement blessé. Le ministère de la Défense de la République
du Haut Karabagh annonce la mort du soldat Edouard Alaverdian (23 ans)
qui aurait reçu sur sa position au front, une balle mortelle. Le
ministère de la Défense mène l’enquête pour déterminer les conditions
dans lesquelles E. Alaverdian a été tué.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 30 juillet 2011,
Krikor [email protected]

The Daily Gleaner (New Brunswick)
July 29, 2011 Friday

Azerbaijani ambassador eyes N.B. partnerships

by MICHAEL STAPLES [email protected]

Bilateral trade and investment opportunities are priorities for Farid
Shafiyev as he wraps up a two-day official visit to Fredericton.

The ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan said he would like to see
opportunities in construction, energy and agriculture explored and
developed over the coming months and years.

“I think the visits of businesspeople and government people from
Azerbaijan and vice-versa can help,” Shafiyev said in an interview.

The ambassador said New Brunswick is one of his country’s largest
trade partners, especially when it comes to energy.

In 2010, New Brunswick companies purchased around $300 million worth
of oil from Azerbaijan, $500 million in 2009 and about $1 billion in
2008, he said.

But while energy may be the main engine of Azerbaijan’s economy,
Shafiyev said, his government has also identified agriculture as a
priority, and that’s where New Brunswick comes in.

“I am trying to explore any opportunity on how Azerbaijan can enlarge
(and) enhance its capacity in agriculture and how New Brunswick comes
into that picture.”

Potato seeds and how the starchy tubers are grown are of particular
interest to his country, the ambassador said.

During his visit, Shafiyev visited the provincial Department of
Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries’ Plant Propagation Centre,
which, among other things, produces nuclear stock plantlets and
microtubers, the basis for New Brunswick’s seed potato industry.

Shafiyev said he isn’t looking to sign any agreements at this time and
is instead viewing his visit as a “reconnaissance mission.”

In the future, he said, he’s hopeful that either he or other officials
will return and explore matters further.

During his visit, Shafiyev met with both Agriculture, Aquaculture and
Fisheries Minister Michael Olscamp and Energy Minister Craig Leonard.

“The minister and the ambassador … had a great discussion about our
respective energy sectors,” Energy Department spokesman Brent Staeben
said.

“Azerbaijan is an increasingly significant oil and gas producer and
has outperformed other former Soviet states in economic growth since
their independence from the Soviet Union and New Brunswick is a
customer … On energy issues, the ambassador was interested in our
energy efficiency program and alternative energy experiences.”

With regard to investment, Shafiyev said there are huge opportunities
available in both directions.

Shafiyev said Azerbaijan – bordered by Russia to the north, Georgia to
the northwest and Armenia to the west – has had an oil fund since
1999.

While its purpose is to save money for future generations, it’s also
being used for different investments abroad.

“For the past three or four years Azerbaijan has invested in different
projects in surrounding countries – Georgia, Turkey, Moldova,” he
said.

“But in the future, it might make investment in other countries. I see
in Canada, there is huge potential for that and is very stable from an
economic and financial point of view.”

WAR OF WORDS: EMBITTERED RHETORIC IN AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA REVEALS FAILURE OF PEACE TALKS
Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow
29.07.11

The bitter political rhetoric between Armenia and Azerbaijan (and
Turkey) at the level of heads of state has sharply intensified lately,
with acute political claims and even insults uttered. This suggests
that another round of negotiations on the Karabakh conflict and the
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations have proved a fiasco.

Two weeks have passed since Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov conveyed to his Russian counterpart the answer of President
Ilham Aliyev on President Dmitry Medvedev’s latest proposal on the
Karabakh settlement. Last week it was reported that Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan had also responded to the Kremlin proposal.

However, it is still not known whether the presidents agreed to accept
the proposals and what the proposals are all about.

The absence of any assessment and enthusiasm in public statements
of the South Caucasus leaders shows that the Medvedev proposals must
have been rejected. And although unofficially there is a talk about a
forthcoming tripartite meeting in Sochi, the tougher rhetoric of the
rival nations’ presidents leaves no hope for agreement to be reached
between them.

This was indirectly confirmed by Sargsyan, who during a joint press
conference with the visiting Polish president, Bronislaw Komorowski,
in Yerevan on Thursday, in fact, acknowledged the failure of the Kazan
meeting in late June, stressing that it was the fault of Azerbaijan.

“I wouldn’t call the Kazan meeting a fiasco, even though, as I said,
both we and the international community had a lot of expectations
from that meeting. It’s just that what happened should have happened,
something I talked about at the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly. First of all, I mean the absence of an appropriate
atmosphere. And that atmosphere should be improved in the first
instance — you cannot poison your own people every day and do it at
every level,” said Sargsyan, referring to the Azerbaijani leadership’s
anti-Armenian rhetoric.

“I don’t know if you, for example, followed international news
yesterday and if you know what statements were made by the president
of Azerbaijan regarding the Armenian people? Is this a statement
of a normal person, let alone a country’s leader? The demand of
the Karabakh Armenians and the Armenian people in general is one:
the problem must be resolved in accordance with international law
and principles of this law set forth in a document called the ‘Madrid
principles’ that were proposed to the parties by the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairing states – the United States, France and Russia. We have no
other demands. That is, our demands are consonant with the requirements
of the international community,” stated the Armenian leader.

In his remarks, Sargsyan also pointed out Karabakh’s higher democratic
standard as compared with Azerbaijan.

“Elections take place in Nagorno-Karabakh and these elections are held
in accordance with international standards, and this is what they
[Karabakhis] and we are proud of. Three presidential elections have
taken place in Nagorno-Karabakh, presidents were elected three times
and none of them inherited power,” said Sargsyan in a clear jab at
Ilham Aliyev’s getting into office after his father Heydar Aliyev’s
death in 2003.

At a meeting with some Diaspora students last weekend Sargsyan implied
that it was up to the younger generation of Armenians to pursue the
claims over historically Armenian lands that are part of modern-day
Turkey.

The statement sparked a barrage of criticism and indignant statements
in Turkey and its regional ethnic cousin Azerbaijan. At a joint press
conference with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
in Baku earlier this week, President Aliyev said: “The Armenians
believe that they have solved the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. They are
wrong. Nagorno-Karabakh was and still is an Azeri land. Time will come
when Azerbaijan, peacefully or militarily, will restore its sovereignty
over Nagorno-Karabakh. But making territorial claims to such a great
country as Turkey?! It simply indicates that something is missing in
the minds of these people. They need to wake up from their sleep,
get back to the real world and at least compare themselves with
Turkey. You cannot compare an elephant and an ant.”

This increasingly bitter rhetoric against the backdrop of a growing
likelihood of early elections in Armenia may indicate that the Karabakh
conflict settlement has been suspended indefinitely.

BRONISLAW KOMOROWSKI: I THINK SOON WE WILL SEE ARMENIA IN THE EUROPEAN FAMILY

ARMENPRESS
July 26, 2011
YEREVAN

President of the Republic of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski, who is in
Armenia for an official visit, met with representatives of different
political forces, civil society, culture and science figures.

Bronislaw Komorowski awarded the figures who contributed to the
development of the Armenian-Polish figures. Congratulating them,
Komorowski noted that it is a great honor for him to meet the
representatives of the Armenian society and added that Armenians
enjoy respect in Poland.

“I wish the friendly ties between our peoples be more firm and develop
more rapidly. Armenian and Polish people are linked with history,
culture and historic difficulties they faced”, President of Poland
said.

Komorowski noted that Poland has established good neighborly relations
with the countries with which it had hostile relations for many years:
he wished the same to the Armenian people.

President of Poland also pointed out that his country is ready to
assist Armenia on the way to European integration. “I think soon we
will see Armenia in the European family”, Komorowski said.

MASS MEDIA AND ADVERTISEMENT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA – OFFICIAL

news.am
July 28, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenia keeps up with other countries in the area of
tourism promotion said the Head of Tourism and Territorial Economic
Development Department of Armenian Ministry of Economy Mekhak Apresyan.

“PR of Armenia is carried out on a proper level in other countries.

CNN aired a 52 minutes documentary about the sights of Armenia for a
period of 2006-2008. Spanish TV Espanyola, Czech National TV aired
relevant commercials, however, we must be sensible in spending all
the funds,” said Apresyan.

He added that the media should cover not only the negative aspects
of tourism industry but also the positive ones.

“It is essential that every Armenian citizen realize that every
tourist’s visit is likely to increase employment in Armenia,”
noted Apresyan.

ARMENIA TO OPEN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL

news.am
July 28, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenia will open branch of Vatel international business
school on hotel and tourism management in September, president of the
Union of Incoming Tour Operators in Armenia (UITO) Robert Minasyan
told at a press conference on Thursday.

The tuition fee for Armenian students will be ~@2000, students from
CIS will pay ~@3500 and the education for foreign students will be
available for ~@4500.

“We cooperate with Golden Tulip hotel, as it meets all the
international criteria. Yet, we are ready to enlarge the cooperation
and include other hotels,” he told and added that a college is planned
to be adjunct to the school to increase job places in the sphere of
tourism and to reduce migration flows.