Author: Kanayan Tamar

Turkish Court Rejects Request to Return Historic Building to Armenian
Patriarchate

By MassisPost
Updated: July 4, 2014

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate has lost its legal battle to
reclaim the Sansaryan Han building, which was confiscated by the state
about seven decades ago, Today’s Zaman reported.

The court rejection came in spite of a recent government plan to
return seized properties to minority groups.

The historic building, built in 1895 and commissioned by Migirdich Aga
Sanasaryan, was designed by architect Hovsep Aznavour. It was seized
by the Turkish state in the early years of the republic. The Armenian
Patriarchate has been fighting a legal battle for its return since
2011.

The Istanbul 13th Court of First Instance rejected the patriarchate’s
request for the return of Sansaryan Han in the last session on Friday,
attended by lawyers representing both the Patriarchate and the
Treasury.

A contractor leased the building on June 18 from Turkey’s Directorate
General for Foundations (VGM). The lease agreement was executed before
the conclusion of the lawsuit and prompted speculation that the
building will be turned into a hotel.

Ali Eyuboglu, an attorney for the Armenian Patriarchate, said the
court’s reasons for not returning the building are not clear as all
the documents and expert reports indicate that the building rightfully
belongs to the patriarchate. Eyüboglu said they will appeal the
decision once the court issues its reasoned opinion regarding the
verdict.

In a related development, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy
Chairman Sezgin Tanrikulu submitted a parliamentary motion addressed
to Minister of Culture and Tourism Omer Celik inquiring whether the
speculation that the Sansaryan Han will be turned into a hotel is
true.

Minority foundations, seeking the return of properties that were
seized by the Turkish state in the first decade of the Turkish
Republic, have long been saying that they have experienced a number of
challenges. Despite a 2011 law passed to ensure confiscated property
be returned to its rightful owners, the foundations indicate that
reclaiming the properties is not going to be easy.

In August 2011, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
government adopted legislation to return all confiscated immovable
property belonging to minority foundations in Turkey, a long-overdue
step towards expanding the rights of minorities in the country. The
decree allows foundations to reclaim real property declared in 1936,
when all the foundations were asked by the government to present lists
of their property assets. Applications for at least 88 items have been
rejected.

Zarakolu: What Belongs to the Armenians Must be Returned to the Armenians

By MassisPost
Updated: July 4, 2014

YEREVAN — Turkish publisher and activist Ragib Zarakolu, who is in
Yerevan these days, once again reiterated the need for the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey.

At a meeting with the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP)
representatives Vazgen Mesropyan, Dmitri Martirosyan and Gagik
Melikyan, Zarakolu said it is now time to speak with official Ankara
with the language of claims.

“What belongs to the Armenians must be returned to the Armenians,” he
said, adding that the Turkish state was founded on the lands of the
Armenians and Greeks.

Hunchakian Party representatives thanked Zarakolu for speaking out in
Turkey about the fact of the Armenian Genocide throughout so many
years and expressed their readiness to cooperate.

Ragip Zarakolu also met with the Hunchakian Party “Sarkis Tkhruni”
Youth Student Union representatives.

ARMENIE
Une politique économique correcte peut apporter une croissance du PIB
de 8 à 9% en 2014 selon un expert

L’ Arménie peut atteindre une croissance économique de 8 à 9% en 2014
si le gouvernement poursuit une politique économique correcte, a
déclaré le chef du centre de recherche > l’économiste
Tatul Manaseryan.

Il a dit que cela peut être réalisé en dépit des prévisions
pessimistes du FMI, si le potentiel local existant est correctement
utilisé.

Les projections du FMI pour la croissance économique de l’Arménie sont
de 4,3% pour 2014 et 4,5% pour 2015. Le rapport de la Banque mondiale
affiche une croissance de 5% de l’économie en 2014, 2015 et 2016.

Selon Tatul Manaseryan, le potentiel sera utilisé de manière correcte
si les conditions sont définies pour les entreprises privées, que les
entreprises sont de nouveau en service, et la qualité des produits
locaux est améliorée pour les rendre plus compétitifs sur les marchés
extérieurs. Un autre facteur est l’élévation de la confiance envers le
gouvernement, qui va stimuler les investissements dans le pays, a-t-il
dit.

Tatul Manaseryan a également proposé de mettre en place un fonds de
partenariat entre le gouvernement et le secteur privé, comme cela a
été fait en Géorgie, pour atteindre des indicateurs économiques
élevés.

L’économiste a souligné que l’adhésion de l’Arménie à l’Union
économique eurasienne aura un impact très positif sur le développement
économique, car elle va ouvrir un énorme marché pour les producteurs
arméniens.

samedi 5 juillet 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

ARMENIE
La > provoque la colère en Arménie

Les politiciens de l’opposition en Arménie ont attaqué le gouvernement
pour avoir accueilli une figure médiatique de Moscou qui a fait des
remarques au sujet de la mauvaise connaissance de la langue russe dans
le pays. Les commentaires de Dmitry Kiselyov, chef de l’agence de
presse Russia Today et chef adjoint de l’organisme de radiodiffusion
d’Etat russe ont renforcé les craintes selon lesquels l’Arménie serait
en bonne voie pour être engloutie par son allié de longue date.

Lors d’une visite à Erevan, Kiselyov lors d’une réunion du Club
parlementaire russo-arménien le 11 Juin avait dit qu’il a été choqué
par la façon dont les chauffeurs de taxi locaux parlaient mal le
russe.

Soulignant le rôle de Moscou en tant qu’allié clé stratégique de
l’Arménie, Kiselyov s’est ensuite plaint qu’ >.

Le ministre de l’Education Armen Ashotyan a publié une déclaration
affirmant que >. La controverse reflète un malaise plus large des liens
plus étroits entre l’Arménie et la Russie à un moment où celle-ci
affirme de plus en plus sa puissance, par exemple en Crimée et en
Ukraine orientale.

Avec des voisins hostiles – la Turquie et l’Azerbaïdjan – sur les deux
flancs, l’Arménie a conservé des liens étroits avec la Russie en
matière de sécurité depuis l’éclatement de l’Union soviétique. Moscou
dispose d’un aérodrome militaire à Erevan et d’une base militaire à
Gyumri, et les deux pays ont convenu en 2010 de prolonger la présence
russe jusqu’en 2044.

Depuis Septembre dernier, l’Arménie a été en chemin pour rejoindre
l’Union douanière de la Russie-Biélorussie-Kazakhstan, un mouvement
que certains considèrent comme une érosion de la souveraineté
nationale.

Ces derniers mois, Erevan a remis à Gazprom le contrôle de son réseau
domestique de pipelines de gaz et un monopole sur les achats et les
ventes de gaz et envisage de vendre une usine chimique majeur à une
autre entreprise, Rosneft.

Enfin, Moscou offre maintenant la citoyenneté accélérée pour les
Arméniens et les autres ressortissants post-soviétiques s’ils sont à
l’aise avec le russe et sont prêts à renoncer aux passeports de leurs
propres pays. Avec tous ces mouvements en cours le style abrasif de
Kiselyov a mis en alerte.

Azerbaïdjan-opposition-procès-technologies-droitsHomme
Azerbaïdjan : un opposant condamné à cinq ans de prison
‘
Un tribunal d’Azerbaïdjan a condamné vendredi à cinq ans de prison un
opposant très actif sur Facebook et accusé de possession de drogues,
des charges que son avocat a dénoncées comme fabriquées de toutes
pièces.

“La cour de Bakou chargée des crimes graves a reconnu coupable Omar
Mamedov de possession de drogues et le condamne à cinq ans de prison”,
a indiqué à l’AFP son avocat, Alaïf Gassanov.

“Les charges contre mon client ont été fabriquées et le verdict
découle de motifs politiques”, a-t-il assuré.

Dirigeant du mouvement de la jeunesse pro-démocratique Akhyn et membre
du parti de l’opposition Solidarité civique, Omar Mamedov publiait des
montages et des caricatures satiriques antigouvernementales sur sa
page Facebook “AZTV Pickups” (),
suivie par plus de 60.000 abonnés.

En janvier, l’opposant avait été arrêté par la police qui avait
annoncé avoir trouvé six grammes d’héroïne dans son domicile. Il a
passé les quelques mois le séparant de son procès en détention.

L’organisation de défense des droits de l’homme Human Right Watch
accuse les autorités de l’Azerbaïdjan d’utiliser régulièrement de
fausses accusations de possession de drogues pour faire taire les
dissidents.

Toute contestation publique du régime du président Ilham Aliev
provoque aussitôt une réaction sévère des autorités dans cette
ancienne république soviétique riche en pétrole.

M. Aliev, 52 ans, au pouvoir depuis qu’il a succédé à son père en
2003, a remporté une victoire écrasante à l’élection présidentielle du
9 octobre 2013, s’assurant un troisième mandat consécutif.

Avant lui, son père Heydar Aliev, ancien haut responsable du KGB,
avait dirigé l’Azerbaïdjan presque sans interruption de 1969 à 2003.

samedi 5 juillet 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

168 Hours: What is the reason of delay in Armenia’s accession to EaEU?

11:46 05/07/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

This situation is convenient for negotiating with Azerbaijan because
if Armenia joins the Eurasian Economic Union, there will be less
instruments for negotiating with Azerbaijan,” political scientist
Aghasi Yenokyan told 168 Hours, commenting on the delay in Armenia’s
accession to EaEU.

The analyst named several possible reasons for the delay, noting that
Armenia is not so interesting for EaEU and that is why its members are
in no hurry in that matter.

According to Yerevan Press Club chairman Boris Navasardyan, there are
several obstacles in Armenia’s EaEU accession process: Armenia’s
membership in WTO, the issue of Azerbaijan’s membership, and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Political scientist Sergey Minasyan believes that the main reason for
the delay is that there are serious disagreements among the three
founding member states of EaEU and the “trio” uses the issue of
Armenia’s membership as a lever of influence on each other.

Source: Panorama.am

THE WORLD’S LONGEST ONGOING ARMS EMBARGOES

Progressive Media
July 3, 2014 Thursday

Arms embargoes are implemented by countries or international
organisations as a means to establish peace and maintain security.

Army-technology profiles the longest ongoing arms embargoes by the
European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN).

A partial arms embargo imposed by the European Union on China, as a
result of the Declaration made by EU in Madrid on 27 June 1989 in
response to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, is the longest
running embargo still active today.

The EU has no Common Position on arms categories that are covered
under the arms embargo. As a result each country interprets the
embargo according to their national laws, regulations and decision
making processes, some EU members have therefore still allowed defence
related exports to China under the arms embargo.

The UN and the EU imposed an arms embargo on Iraq in 1990 following
the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990; while the EU did relieve
terms between 2003 and 04, the UN embargo is still in force as the
world’s second longest running embargo.

After the fall of the Iraqi government led by Saddam Hussein in
2003, the UN lifted trade sanctions and restrictions on arms or
associated equipment needed by the new government of Iraq formed in
2006 but continued the arms embargo for other end users other than
the multinational forces.

The EU Common Position on arms embargo on Iraq allows the sale,
supply and transfer or export of arms and associated equipment needed
by the new Government of Iraq and the transnational force.

An EU-imposed arms embargo on Myanmar (formerly, Burma) has been
in force since 1990 and includes arms and ammunition, weapon and
non-weapon platforms and ancillary equipment as well as components,
repairs, maintenance and transfer of military technology.

The EU lifted all sanctions against Burma, except the arms embargo,
in 2013 in response to the political developments in Burma. The most
recent resolution now in force extends the arms embargo to April 2015.

The UN embargo in force against Somalia was implemented by the UN in
January 1992 in response to ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in
the country.

The EU also enforced an arms embargo on Somalia in December 2002,
but later partially liberalised it, allowing arms supplies to Somali
Government Forces for use in military training and humanitarian
missions.

The Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
enforced an arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan in early 1992
in reaction to the armed struggle between these nations in the area
of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The embargo, which is still in force, restricts the supplies of arms
and munitions to armed forces involved in the area. Neither the UN
nor EU have an arms embargo for Armenia or Azerbaijan however.

An arms embargo enforced by both the UN and EU against Liberia has been
in force for more than two decades. The UN imposed an arms embargo
on Liberia, in response to the Liberian Civil War, in November 1992,
while the EU-enforced embargo came into force in May 2001.

The UN arms embargo ceased in 2001 and was replaced by a new embargo,
which has subsequently been renewed through resolutions. Despite some
partial liberations in regulations, the embargo on Liberia remains
in place.

The EU imposed an arms embargo on Democratic Republic of Congo
(formerly Zaire) in April 1993, which has been amended, modified and
extended a number of times since and is still in effect.

The UN also enforced an arms embargo on Congolese independent armed
groups and militias that hinders the supply, sale or transfer of arms
and associated equipment or training aid to militia groups functioning
in the country.

An arms embargo on Sudan was initially enforced in March 1994 by the
EU in reaction to the Second Sudanese Civil War. It was, however,
later amended and reinforced through resolutions made in 2004.

The UN also banned the arms supplies to all non-governmental
organisations and individuals in the Darfur region of Sudan in July
2004. Following the formation of South Sudan, the EU amended the
embargo in 2011 to cover both nations.

The EU enforced an arms embargo on Zimbabwe in reaction to severe
violations of human rights in the nation, in February 2002. The
embargo covers the sales, supply or transfer of technical aid related
to military equipment and systems.

The embargo was been recently extended from February 2014 until
February 2015. No UN restrictions are in effect on Zimbabwe although
the nation is subject to travel and financial sanctions.

An arms embargo has been enforced on Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)
since 2004 by both the UN and the EU in response to civil war in
the West African nation. The UN Security Council in November 2004
embargoed the supply of arms and related material to Côte d’Ivoire.

The EU embargo on Ivory Coast came into force in December 2004. The
United Nations arms embargo has been emended and extended several
times and will be in effect until April 2015.

EURASIAN HORIZON: SIGNING OF TREATY ON ARMENIA’S ACCESSION TO RUSSIA-LED BLOC AGAIN DELAYED

ANALYSIS | 04.07.14 | 10:27

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU) has once
again been postponed. Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov wrote in
his Twitter account on Wednesday that Armenia may sign an agreement
with the EaEU in October.

This information was not immediately commented on either in Armenia or
in Russia, nor were any statements made about the reasons for delaying
Armenia’s entry. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan
said earlier that on June 30 Armenia submitted a draft agreement for
interstate discussion.

Talking to media late on Thursday, though, Prime Minister Hovik
Abrahamyan said that still Armenia will complete the procedures of
acceding to the EaEU by the end of this year. He added, however,
that he was not aware of any specific reasons for the delay. “It
isn’t known yet, but we do not have any problem at all, it’s all
about technical matters,” he said.

Politicians and experts point to a number of possible reasons for
the difficulties on the way of Armenia’s Eurasian integration. For
instance, Prosperous Armenia Party MP Mikael Melkumyan mentions failure
to agree on the issue of customs exemptions on 900 basic types of
commodities. Duties on these goods were to rise after Armenia’s
entry into the Russian-led trade bloc, which would have caused a
socio-economic collapse in the country.

Others point to Russia’s failed plan for a simultaneous integration of
Armenia and Azerbaijan into the Eurasian Union. For example, member
of the opposition Heritage party Stepan Safaryan links Armenia’s
“insurmountable difficulties” with Eurasian integration to the Karabakh
problem. Experts say that Russia intended to introduce Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeeping forces into Karabakh
and, by dividing Karabakh, attract Armenia and Azerbaijan to the Union.

However, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan underscored that
Yerevan sees no need to turn to Russia or the CSTO for assistance
in peacekeeping. According to reports in the Azerbaijani press,
Baku authorities are not happy with the proposals of Russia either:
military expert Uzeir Jafarov says that Azerbaijan was offered “two or
three Karabakh districts” with the deployment of Russian peacekeepers.

However, it did not suit Baku.

Armenia’s neighbor Georgia also showed a tough stance. It is through
this country that Armenia has the only path towards Russia. Despite the
June visit by President Serzh Sargsyan and the warm welcome that he
got in Tbilisi, Georgia categorically refused to authorize a customs
duty-free transit of goods to Russia from Armenia and back.

This means that attempts to secure a land link between Armenia and
the EaEU have also failed.

Besides, despite statements that Armenia will eventually join the
Eurasian Union and that the move meets its national interests, the
Armenian authorities do not appear to be quite enthusiastic over such
a prospect and obviously are not particularly trying hard to achieve
membership now. Political and social circles seem to rejoice at every
failed attempt to further promote Armenia’s integration into the
Eurasian space. Obviously, many in Armenia are awaiting the ultimate
failure of the Eurasian project.

AEROPORT DE STEPANAKERT : UNE VIDEO D’UN VOL D’UN PETIT AVION APPARAIT SUR INTERNET

KARABAGH

Une video montrant un avion biplace avec les symboles de la Republique
du Haut-Karabagh sur lui decolle, vole et atterrissant a nouveau a
l’aeroport de Stepanakert est apparu sur Internet.

Les vols sont effectues a des fins touristiques, mais la video est
apparu comme la preuve que l’aeroport fonctionne deja.

L’installation a ete reconstruite en 2011 dans le but de connecter le
Karabagh et l’Armenie, mais son fonctionnement reste un sujet epineux
au milieu des menaces de l’Azerbaïdjan.

Les fonctionnaires du Karabagh ont reporte a plusieurs reprises le
lancement des vols car Bakou a menace d’abattre tout avion decollant
ou atterrissant au Karabagh.

vendredi 4 juillet 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

POUR L’OPPOSITION LES RAISONS DE LA HAUSSE DES TARIFS DE L’ELECTRICITE SONT > ET >

ARMENIE

Les forces parlementaires de l’opposition ont fait une declaration
au sujet de la hausse des prix de l’electricite affirmant que le
gouvernement doit utiliser d’autres sources de financement pour
combler les lacunes financières dans le système de l’electricite en
raison de l’influence negative de la hausse des prix sur la population
et l’economie.

La semaine dernière, la Commission de regulation des services publics
(PSRC) de sa propre initiative a lance un processus de reevaluation
des prix – la fixation d’un nouveau tarif a 41,85 drams a la place du
38 drams par Kw / h pendant la journee et 31.85drams au lieu de 28
drams la nuit – afin de couvrir le deficit de 20 milliards de drams
de la societe AEN LLC. (Le taux actuel de change du dollar americain /
drams est de 1 dollar – environ 407 drams).