Author: Kanayan Tamar

SEARCH FOR CAUSES OF USSR DISINTEGRATION IN KARABAKH -3

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 10 2014

10 September 2014 – 12:53pm
By Peter Lyukimson, Kuryer, Israel, N28-32, June 1992

Peter Lyukimson lived in Baku until 1991. He worked as a journalist
there in the late 80s-early 90s and witnessed the events preceding
the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh, Sumgayit, Khojaly…

The feature story “Nagorno-Karabakh: chronicles of the conflict. Notes
of a Jew from Baku” was written in 1992, soon after the move of
the author to Israel. It was published in a Russian-language paper
of Israel named Kuryer. Those were the times when the tone in the
cultural and the public life of the Russian-speaking community of
Israel was set by the Moscow and Saint Petersburg clerisy. It had a
big impact on the attitude of Israeli society towards the events on
the territory of the former USSR. They sympathized with Armenia in its
conflict with Azerbaijan. As it turned out, most Israelis knew nothing
about the origin of the conflict or the truth about its development.

The position of the Jewish clerisy on the issue was formed based only
on publications in the central Soviet and partly on Western press,
which were not always impartial.

… In early March, Armenian cinematographers start demonstrating
dreadful shots of the Sumgayit tragedy. The announcer said that
Armenians could not live in a single state with Azerbaijanis and the
only solution was to take the NKAO under Armenian control.

Soon Armenia started indiscreetly talking about driving Azerbaijanis
out of Zangezur. On March 2 new Azerbaijani refugees started moving
from Armenia. Strikes were declared again in Stepanakert and Yerevan
20 days later. Moscow decided that it was time to do something about
it. On March 24, 1988, the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Council
of Ministers passed a decree on measures to speed up the socio-economic
development of the Nagorno-Karabakh Oblast in 1988-1995 that would
suit protesters in Stepanakert…

Then, orators started saying that the case was not an economic or
cultural problem and that the NKAO wanted nothing from Azerbaijan.

“Turkomans get out of Karabakh!”, “Never with Azerbaijan!” were some
of the slogans seen at demonstrations. Carriages with food froze on
the Stepanakert Tovarnaya, people showed that they would rather die
of hunger than take bread from their foes….

Meanwhile, deportation of Azerbaijanis from Stepanakert started, more
and more refugees kept moving to Baku from Armenia… By late June,
their number amounted to about 200,000 people… The situation was very
complicated. On July 12, 1988, the attendees of the regional session
of the NKAO Council separated from Azerbaijan. When enterprises began
shutting down in Baku, everyone figured that it would cause greater
losses than the strikes in the NKAO and Yerevan. Moscow appointed
Vezirov as the head of the Communist Party in Azerbaijan.

A few days later, an expended session of the Presidium of the
USSR Armed Forces, where Gorbachev demonstrated qualities of an
outstanding political duelist, took place. He gave amazing proof that
the pretensions of the Armenian side were absurd and the scenario of
such developments was dangerous, as he started realizing just then.

Azerbaijan was watching the political show breathlessly… There,
Gorbachev interrupts the speech of academician Ambartsumyan with
what seemed like a fair question: “Tell us, what was the Azerbaijani
population in Yerevan at the start of the century?”

The academician got confused.

Ambartsumyan: In Yerevan in the early century?

Gorbachev: Yes.

Ambartsumyan: It is hard for me to tell.

Gorbachev: You must know it. I will remind you, 43% were Azerbaijanis
in Yerevan in the early century. What is the percentage of Azerbaijanis
today?

Ambartsumyan: Very few now. Maybe one percent.

Gorbachev: At the same time, I do not want to accuse Armenians of
driving out Azerbaijanis…

And this is his “counterview” with writer V. Petrosyan.

Gorbachev: And another question for you. In your speech and other
speeches, appears an idea that the problems of Nagorno-Karabakh could
be solved by ceding it to Armenia. Tell me, is there any other way
available?

Petrosyan: Mikhail Sergeyevich, I do not see one.

Gorbachev: Let’s say we did make the decision you offer. I am speaking
figuratively. But 400,000 Armenians remain in Azerbaijan, 207,000 of
them in Baku. 500,000 Armenians live in Georgia. What do we do with
them? Should we send them to Armenia?

Petrosyan: That is a different story…

Gorbachev: If we cannot resolve the problem other than by constructing
some state formation and amendments to the Constitution for one part
of the population, then we need to do something for the other part
of the population. What do we do with Tajiks living in Uzbekistan,
Uzbeks living in Tajikistan then? How many Azerbaijanis are there in
Georgia now, Comrade Gilashvili?

Gilashvili: Up to 500,000.

Gorbachev: What do we do with them? They live on the border with
Azerbaijan, they are easy to separate…

As a result, the Presidium passed a set of decisions supporting
Azerbaijan in general. On September 3 reports were made about attacks
on the last Azerbaijani district – Kirkijan. Villagers found leaflets:
‘Azerbaijanis! You do not belong on Atsakh land!” On September 8,
Stepanakert started a new political strike supported by huge foreign
assistance. Most of the money settled in the pockets of the heads of
the Karabakh committee. Part of it was distributed among the strikers,
and it seemed enough for people to feed their families for quite
a while.

To be continued

HEFFERN: U.S. WILL CONTINUE DEVELOPING DEFENSE COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

18:59 10/09/2014 ” POLITICS

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan met with U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia John Heffern and newly appointed Defense Attache Anthony Sebo.

General Sebo presented a letter of credentials from U.S. Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel, the press service of the Armenian Defense
Ministry said.

During the meeting, Seyran Ohanyan and John Heffern discussed bilateral
ties between Armenia and the U.S. as well as defense cooperation
within NATO, in particular in the context of the new platform for
cooperation with the partners created during the NATO summit in Wales.

Ambassador Heffern said that the United States will continue developing
defense cooperation with Armenia in all areas of mutual interest.

The parties also discussed regional security issues.

Source: Panorama.am

ZHOGHOVURD: INTESTINAL INFECTION HITS ARMENIAN TOWN?

09:24 * 10.09.14

An outbreak of an intestinal disease in the southern town of Kajaran
(Syunik region) is said to have led to the hospitalization of several
residents, including school-age children.

Nune Gevorgyan, the head of the Regional Administration’s Healthcare
Department whom the paper contacted for comments, said they are still
unsure about the causes of the disease.

“Only 14 people have been hospitalized, of whom three receive treatment
in Kajaran and the others – at the Kapan Medical Center. Two of the
eleven are school-age children. They are pupils of the same school and
are at the Children’s Department. The other nine are at the Department
of Infectious Diseases. It hasn’t been clarified yet whether or not
it is an infection,” she was quoted as saying.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 6 2014

Turkish-German director Akın says his new movie `doesn’t apologize’ over Armenian issue

Zeynep Miraç

`The Cut,’ Turkish-German director Fatih Akın’s new movie based on the
1915 events, made its long-anticipated world premiere at the 71st
Venice Film Festival earlier this week. The film has received a mixed
response from critics so far, but Akın says it has `fulfilled its
purpose.’

The Armenians say the World War I-era mass killings under the rule of
the Ottoman Empire amounted to `genocide.’ The Turkish state has
always denied this, saying that any deaths were the result of civil
strife that erupted when Armenians took up arms for independence in
eastern Anatolia.

While `The Cut’ takes the traumatic 1915 events as its starting point,
what follows is a transcontinental journey story following the central
character, Nazareth, trying to reunite with his family after the
trauma of the massacres. Fatih Akın spoke to Hürriyet about the film,
his motivations behind making it, and the initial critical reaction.

Q: One of the actors in the movie, Simon Abkarian, has said `The Cut
is the movie that Armenians were waiting for.’ So did you make this
movie for Armenians?
A: Actually I made the movie mostly for Turks. I’m Turkish and I made
this movie for my people. Cinema belongs to the whole world, anyone
can take whatever they want from this movie. Simon sees it that way;
he liked this movie and believed in his part in it. Maybe Armenians
were not expecting a film like this from a Turk. Maybe that’s what we
were trying to imply.

Q: Why did you make this movie?
A: Who else could it have been? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see myself
at center stage. [Turkish journalist] Hasan Cemal has a book on the
genocide, and I have artist friends doing work on it. There’s a group
of Turks who accept this, and the group is getting bigger every day.
In terms of making a movie about it, maybe I am the first. But it
feels like day by day it’s getting easier to talk about this topic.
The taboos and strictness of just 10 years ago seem weaker now.

Q: What was the reason for this softening process in your opinion?
A: Hrant’s death. It feels like it led to a purification on the topic.
Thoughts of empathy became more visible in Turkey.

Q: You said Hasan Cemal’s `1915: Armenian Genocide’ book encouraged
you. In what sense?
A: It gave me courage to use the `genocide’ word. Before that I had
developed strategies to avoid using that word when I was talking about
the happenings. Hasan Cemal broke this self-developed fear. I must
also say this: As you know, DoÄ?a Perinçek appealed to the European
Court of Human Rights arguing that rejection of the genocide should
not be considered a crime, and this objection was accepted. Actually,
this was also Hrant Dink’s idea. He said `Denying the genocide
shouldn’t be prohibited.’ He opposed France’s attitude and I also
agree with him.

Q: Everyone says that you’re very brave. When you started the journey
of filming this movie, did you have to tell yourself to be brave?
A: I don’t want to make anyone sad. Especially the people around me. I
have a family and what they think matters. My mother, my father, my
wife¦ I sat them in front of me and asked: `I want to do this, what do
you think?’ We exchanged our ideas. If I was completely alone, if I
didn’t have my family, I wouldn’t have thought about anything.

Q: After an interview you gave to Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, you
received a threat from a far-right Turkish magazine. There may also
have been other threats. Has this made you fear for your life?
A: There’s only been one threat and no, I’m not worried. I’ve worked
on this movie for seven years and I have prepared myself for these
threats. Social media should be used properly. Someone writes
something, the European media makes a big deal out of it. But the
Turkish media didn’t make a big deal out of it. Outside of Turkey,
they wrote `Turkey is against the movie’ just because of one guy’s
comment. Turkey should take this situation seriously, because I don’t
believe it is against this movie – neither the administration, nor the
government, nor the society.

Q: Another question in people’s minds is: Why you didn’t put the movie
out in 2015, the 100th anniversary of the events?
A: I wanted it to be released as soon as possible. That’s why I
increased the tempo and finished it before 2015. Some countries, like
France, will screen it in 2015, but that’s not a decision that is left
up to me.

Q: Did you shoot this movie out of feelings of responsibility, of
guilt? Is this your apology movie?
A: I do feel responsibility, yes. I wasn’t born then and neither was
my father. But I belong to this society and that’s what I feel
responsibility for. As for the apology, a film doesn’t apologize. You
go there and you apologize. That’s different¦

Q: The first reviews of the movie have been quite mixed. The Guardian
and Variety were lukewarm in their praise. What do you think about
these reviews?
A: This is a first for me. I have encountered harsh reviews for the
first time. It turns out I’ve been a little spoiled by critics in the
past. I had to wait until I was 41 to experience this. It’s difficult
because they’re criticizing my child. I have to analyse this
situation. The initial purpose of the movie was for my mother, my
father, and my friends in Turkey to like it. At the same time for
Armenian society, Armenia and the Armenian diaspora to like it. This
is actually a pretty impossible aim. I started the journey by asking,
`Could this movie act as bridge?’ Could it unite those in Turkey who
accept the genocide and those who don’t? That was my question.

Q: Looking at the initial responses, do you think the movie fulfilled this task?
A: I asked myself, `Will the Armenians find the movie too light?’ as
it’s not about what happened. My Turkish friends liked the movie too.
If you want to bring together two sides standing against each other,
you have to pay a price; maybe that price is these reviews.

Q: When you were shooting `The Cut,’ was this task more important than
the cinematic language?
A: You can fulfil that task with cinema. I didn’t have a concern like
`I have to prove my style.’ I didn’t get caught up in such an complex.
I wanted to grab the public, two groups with opposing opinions. I
think the critics were expecting something different from me, whatever
that expectation was¦

Q: Would you be offended if `The Cut’ became one of those movies that
the critics severely criticize but the public is very interested in?
A: No. Maybe it really is a movie for society. I hope it is, it would
be fitting for the movie.

Q: When will it be screened in Turkey?
A: Our intention is to screen it in the autumn.

Q: Are you facing any difficulties about getting it screened?
A: The cinemas are scared about whether some people will protest? If
they sprayed tear gas during the Gezi protests because the public
peace was disrupted, then police can come and `protect’ the cinemas
too.

September/06/2014

Aports Mole, UK
Sept 8 2014

Result: Denmark come from behind to beat Armenia in Group I opener

Goals from Pierre Hojbjerg and Thomas Kahlenberg give Denmark victory
over Armenia in their opening Group I Euro 2016 qualifier.

By Pascal Lemesre, Championship Correspondent

Filed: Sunday, September 7, 2014 at 19:24 UK
Last Updated: Monday, September 8, 2014 at 17:11 UK

All three goals came in the second half as Denmark fought back from
1-0 down to beat Armenia and begin their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign
with a win in Group I.

After a first half of few chances it was visitors Armenia who took the
lead in Copenhagen when Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan found
the bottom corner with a low left-foot drive from 20 yards.

Fifteen minutes later Denmark were level when Bayern Munich youngster
Pierre Hojbjerg fired home from outside the area for his first senior
international goal.

It also made him the youngest scorer for Denmark in Euro qualifiers,
breaking the previous record of Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen.

Both sides had chances to net the third and it was Denmark who scored
the vital goal with 10 minutes on the clock.

Nicklas Bendtner crossed for Thomas Kahlenberg, who had only been on
the pitch for six minutes when he headed home from six yards.

NEWS.GNOM.ES
Sept 8 2014

Epic Novel Memorialises Armenian Genocide

BANGKOK, Thailand, Sept. 8, 2014 /NEWS.GNOM.ES-iReach/ — ‘Origins:
Discovery’ is a unique epic story set during the greatest conflict in
human history; an alternative history intended to make the reader
laugh, cry and contemplate our most important human values. It is a
novel of love, culture and discovery, in spite of the tragic
background.

Read about the book at

CISTran Finance
Sept 8 2014

Armenian PM approves proposals to stimulate economy

September 8, 2014 8:30 AM
By Lisa Barron

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan held a consultative meeting
recently to discuss government proposals for improving the country’s
business environment and stimulating the economy.

Participants discussed possible measures to provide fiscal support for
rural enterprises, revise the threshold for VAT holidays on imports
and consider a gradual overhaul of the VAT system, subsidize interest
payments on mortgages and implement an electronic payment system for
taxes.

Abrahamyan approved the measures and instructed government officials
to hold discussions with stakeholders and submit the results.

Aktiv Bank declared insolvent by Ukraine’s central

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 6 2014

Does Armenia support territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?

6 September 2014 – 5:30pm

The NATO summit in Newport (Wales) has forced Armenia to manifest its
support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity by signing the 30th
paragraph of the Declaration, which declares the integrity of the
territories of the former Soviet republics.

The alliance has also pledged to continue work on peaceful settlements
of the Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgian-Abkhazian, Georgian-Ossetian and
Transnistrian conflicts on the basis of international law. NATO has
expressed its concern at the time it is taking to resolve these
conflicts.

Even though the 30th paragraph has no legally binding force, it is the
first time in history that the Armenian government has officially
supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

Armenian Studies Program, CSU Fresno
Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Coordinator
5245 N. Backer Ave. PB4
Fresno CA 93740-8001
ASP Office: 559-278-2669
FAX: 559-278-2129

Visit the ASP Website:

Book Presentation-`Vahan Tekeyan: Selected Poems’ (English and Armenian)
`Vahan Tekeyan-Hadendir’ (Armenian)
with guests Edmond Azadian, Dr. Arpi Sarafian, and Tamar Hovhannisyan

The Armenian Studies Program is presenting two new books about famed
Armenian poet Vahan Tekeyan (1878-1945) at a special event to be held
at 7:30PM on Friday, September 19, in the University Business Center,
Alice Peters Auditorium, Room 191, on the Fresno State campus.

The lecture is the second in the Fall Lecture Series of the Armenian
Studies Program and is co-sponsored by the Tekeyan Cultural
Association of Fresno. The Lecture Series is supported by the Leon
S. Peters Foundation.

Author and literary critic Edmond Azadian, editor of the newly
released =80=9CVahan Tekeyan: Selected Poems,’ will speak about the
significance of the volume. `Vahan Tekeyan’ was published as volume 5
in the Armenian Series, under the general editorship of Prof. Barlow
Der Mugrdechian. The Armenian Series part of the The Press at
California State University, Fresno.

At the presentation, Tamar Hovhannisyan of Carmel will discuss a
second book, `Vahan Tekeyan-Hadendir’ (in Armenian), also edited by
Edmond Azadian.

Guest speaker Dr. Arpi Sarafian (California State University, Los
Angeles) will speak about Vahan Tekeyan’s poetry.

Edmond Azadian has had a long career in journalism, as editor of Arev
newspaper in Cairo, and has worked with Baikar Armenian Daily and the
Armenian Mirror-Spectator . From 1972-2010 he served as the Director
of the Armenian Affairs Department at the Alex and Marie Manoogian
Foundation in Detroit, Michigan. He is the author of numerous books
including History on the Move and Portraits and Profiles .

The lecture is free and open to the public. Free public parking is
available after 7:00PM at Fresno State Lots P5 and P6, near the
University Business Center.

For more information about the lecture please contact the Armenian
Studies Program at 278-2669, or visit our website at

EU to provide ?¬170 million to Armenia for developing private sector
and implementing reforms

YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. The European Union will provide ?¬140 to
170 million to Armenia over a period between 2014 and 2017 for
development of the private sector and implementation of public
administration and justice reforms, panorama.am reports.

On Monday, the European Commission announced a decision to provide EU
funding to the partners in the EU Neighbourhood in the coming years.

This package includes programs for Algeria, Armenia, AzerbaØ£¯jan,
Belarus, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The total amount
of these programs is over ?¬5.5 billion.

The priorities of the financing have been decided in a close
cooperation with authorities, civil society representatives and
concerned parties in each of the partner countries. –0—-