Author: Kanayan Tamar

>From Syria to Armenia: Found Homeland – film about Syrian-Armenians
settled in Karabakh (video)

10:15 – 10.02.13

Editor’s office of Bridge Armenian publication based in Nizhni
Novgorod, Russia, has shot a film From Syria to Armenia: Found
Homeland.

The film has been prepared after the visit of the task group of the
office to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the press release
issued by the authors, it tells about the families who became victims
of the Syrian war and were forced to abandon their property acquired
for years, their friends and relatives and move to Kovsakan (Karabakh)
where they started building their lives from the very beginning. Today
they cultivate lands, build houses and send their children to defend
their Homeland.

The authors say the goal of the creation of the film is to draw the
public’s attention to the issues of these people. `Despite the
assistance of the Armenia’s government, charity organizations and
individuals, they need moral and financial assistance. Each aid
provided to them will help them get more convinced in the rightness of
their decision to move to their homeland. They have not left for
Canada or Europe, or the USA, but they came to our reunited lands,
liberated at the price of thousands of human lives,’ the press release
runs.

Below is the film, lasting for 32 minutes.

USA
Des centaines de personnes protestent contre la fermeture de la chaîne Horizon

A Glendale des centaines de membres de la communauté se sont
rassemblés devant les bureaux de Charter Communications pour protester
contre la décision de l’entreprise de façon arbitraire de retirer la
télévision arménienne Horizon de son offre le 19 février. Les membres
de la communauté ont répondu à l’appel d’un groupe de citoyens « Save
Task Force Horizon TV » et sont descendus dans les rues pour protester
contre cette décision, qui a secoué la communauté. Plus tôt ce
mois-ci, la direction de la Télévision arménienne Horizon a reçu une
notification par Charter Communications que la chaîne qui a été au
service de la communauté arménienne depuis plus de deux décennies
seraient retirées de son offre le 19 février malgré le fait que
Horizon ait signé un contrat pour 2013. « C’est une histoire de David
et Goliath », a déclaré Avedik Izmirlian, présidente du conseil
d’administration d’Armenian Media Network. Il a expliqué que Charter
Communications, le quatrième plus important cblodistributeur au pays,
veut étouffer la télévision Horizon, une chaîne qui est au service de
la communauté arméno-américaine depuis près de 25 ans.

Avedik Izmirlian a remercié les manifestants pour leur soutien à
Horizon et a exhorté la communauté à se réunir pour réparer cette
injustice et s’assurer que la voix de la communauté n’est pas réduite
au silence. En quelques jours, des milliers de personnes ont signé une
pétition en ligne ().

« Charter Communications est de mauvaise foi et viole les principes
d’un bon citoyen corporatif en ignorant les besoins de la communauté
et est insensible aux clients qu’elle sert » a déclaré un porte-parole
Zanku Armenian un porte-parole de « Save Task Force Horizon TV ».

Les Arméno-Américains représentent plus de 40 pour cent de la
population à Glendale et à La Crescenta et 35 pour cent de la
population totale à Burbank, la zone couverte par Charter
Communications qui propose la chaîne Horizon. Horizon a été la
première chaîne en langue arménienne à faire partie de la gamme de
Charter avec un chaîne fonctionnant 24 heures sur 24 en 1999 et a été
choisi par la société en raison de ses racines profondes et de son
service à la communauté.

Horizon a débuté en mai 1989 avec pour mission d’informer et de servir
la communauté arméno-américaine.

dimanche 10 février 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

AZERERIES
Les habitants du village natal d’Akram Aylisli manifestent et
demandent sa mort…

L’hystérie anti-Akram Aylisli savamment entretenue par le pouvoir
continue. Cette fois-ci ce sont les habitants d’Aylis, le village où
est né l’écrivain azéri Akram Aylisli qui ont manifesté.

Ils reprochent à l’auteur de « Rêves de pierre » d’être proche des
Arméniens en évoquant le rôle et la responsabilité de l’Azerbaïdjan
dans les crimes et les massacres d’Arméniens au Nakhitchevan au début
du 20e siècle ainsi qu’à Soumgaït et Bakou en 1988 et 1990. Des
centaines d’habitants ont défilé dans les rues aux cris de « Mort à
Akram Aylisli », « Traître » ou « Akram est Arménien ».

Les villageois exigeaient également que l’écrivain ne puisse jamais
revenir au village d’Aylis. En fin de manifestation, la foule a brûlé
les livres d’Akram Aylisli. Mettre en question la responsabilité de
Haydar Aliev, le père de l’actuel président Ilham Aliev, dans les
crimes commis sur les Arméniens à Soumgaït ou Bakou signifie un «
arrêt de mort » en Azerbaïdjan…Akram Aylisli qui a demandé le
soutien des écrivains russes ainsi que des diplomates étrangers sait
qu’il risque sa vie pour avoir dit des vérités.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 10 février 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Jan 31 2013

Protests against “pro-Armenian” novel staged in Azeri capital

[Presenter] A group of young people have staged a protest outside the
block of flats where writer Akram Aylisli lives. They protest against
the writer’s novel titled “Stone dreams”.

[Correspondent over video of the protest] A group of young men staged
a protest against the opinions [expressed in] the novel “Stone dreams”
by writer Akram Aylisli. The protesters gathered outside the block of
flats where Aylisli lives. During the protest, which was organized by
the public union of refugees and displaced youth, the protesters
accused Akram Aylisli of being pro-Armenian. The protesters burnt a
photo of Aylisli. After police intervened in the protest, the
protesters dispersed. To recap, some opinions in Aylisli’s novel
“Stone dreams” caused this strong reaction.

[Correspondent reads out quotes from the novel which are shown on the
screen] After people gathered in the venue defined, Turkish soldiers
separated the Armenians from the Muslims and lined them up in
different parts of the yard. Suddenly, a loud order to shoot came from
somewhere. The Turkish soldiers, who surrounded the yard, showered
Armenians with bullets. Some of them died immediately. Those, who
survived, had all their throats slit with a dagger or bayoneted.

[Passage omitted: quotes from the novel]

However, Akram Aylisli considers himself to be right about the novel.

[Aylisli speaking to microphone] I would sign up 10 times to every
word I wrote there. I cannot invent a lie against my people.

[Correspondent] To recap, the novel “Stone dreams” has been published
in Russian in Druzhba Narodov magazine, which comes out in Moscow.

[Video showed a group of protesters, holding posters saying “Evil
‘Stone reams'” and posters with photos of Aylisili with “Armenian”
written on them, and chanting slogans against the writer]

Note: BAPA news agency, Baku, in English 1143 gmt 1 Feb 13 reported
that another protest had been held in Baku on this occasion. A group
of young people gathered near the Xatai metro station and the
protesters held a symbolic funeral putting a symbolic book into a
coffin with a cross on it.

Aylisli is a member of the Forum of Azerbaijani Intellectuals. One of
the founders of this group is writer, producer and opposition activist
Rustam Ibrahimbayov who also heads the Azerbaijani Union of
Cinematography. The union has been charged with tax evasion and
embezzlement. Ibrahimbayov is critical of the policies of the
Azerbaijani authorities and is also one of the founders of the
newly-established controversial Union of Azerbaijani Organizations of
Russia, which is believed to oppose the Azerbaijani authorities and is
believed to be supported by the Kremlin.]

[Translated from Azeri]

APA, Azerbaijan
Feb 1 2013

Azeri-BP partnership to further grow – British envoy to Baku

1 February: “2012 was a positive year for the Azerbaijani-UK
relations,” British ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Bateman told APA
news agency.

He believes that problems caused by differences of opinions over BP
last year are left behind. “We are capable of solving any problems: “I
think that the Azerbaijani-BP cooperation will be even stronger than
now. The sides are seeking to achieve success in the Sah Daniz-2
project (Shah Daniz) and in the Southern Corridor to transport gas to
Europe. Such projects have specific difficulties and it is natural to
have disagreements on such issues. We are very glad that the
disagreements between the sides have been tackled and now we are
looking to the future.”

The ambassador noted that the ministerial-level visits from the UK are
expected to Azerbaijan in 2013. In response to a question on attempts
by the Armenian separatists to put Xocali (Khojaly) airport into
operation [Xocali is a town in Azerbaijan’s breakaway Nagornyy
Karabakh], he said that the UK feels sorry for any efforts which harm
peace talks.

Peter Bateman stressed that he hopes British companies will take part
in management and sports issues of the European Games that will be
held in Baku in 2015: “After the Olympic Games held in London last
May, the UK gained huge experience in this field. We hope that the UK
will help Baku a lot to hold the European Games at a high level. There
have already been several visits to Baku regarding the issue.”

[Translated from Azeri]

ITAR-TASS, Russia
January 29, 2013 Tuesday 02:57 AM GMT+4

Shoigu to discuss prospects of RF-Armenia military cooperation in Yerevan

YEREVAN January 29

– Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived here on Monday
evening to discuss the situation and the prospects for military and
military-technical cooperation between Russia and Armenia. On Tuesday
morning, the Armenian Defence Ministry will hold a festive ceremony to
welcome Sergei Shoigu, who arrived in the country on the first
official visit as the Russian defence minister. The squadron of the
Armenian Guards of Honour will be lined at the administrative compound
of the Armenian Defence Ministry and the state anthems of the
countries will be performed. Then Shoigu will have an eye-to-eye
meeting with his Armenian counterpart Seiran Oganyan. The Russian
defence minister will make an entry in the book of honorary guests of
the Armenian Defence Ministry.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Russian minister will visit the 102nd
Russian military base in Gyumri, the second largest Armenian city.
Gen. Sergei Shoigu will be reported on the combat training, the
situation of the training material base and the infrastructure of the
military base, the conditions of the military service and the daily
life of servicemen, the press secretary of the Russian defence
minister said. The Russian military base is deployed in Armenia under
the interstate agreement, which Moscow and Yerevan concluded in 1995.
The protocol, which was signed on August 20, 2010, noted that “for the
period of its deployment in Armenia the Russian military base ensures
the security of the Republic of Armenia together with the Armenian
Armed Forces, along with the functions to protect the interests of
Russia.” “To attain the foresaid goals Russia assists to provide
Armenia with modern and compatible weapons and military (special)
hardware,” the protocol noted.

Arriving in the country on Monday evening, Sergei Shoigu met with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. “I have many friends here, and I am
glad to visit Armenia,” the Russian defence minister remarked. He
wished to Serzh Sargsyan the success at Armenian presidential
elections due on February 18. “The relations between our countries are
very cordial, as the heads of our countries give an example to us. We
should meet this at our level,” the minister pointed out.

“The negotiators noted the importance for further build-up of
strategic allied relations between Russia and Armenia and a broader
bilateral military and military-technical cooperation,” the Armenian
presidential administration noted. This fact is important in view of
the counteraction to current challenges, the negotiators noted.

The interlocutors discuss the programs for further development of
military cooperation, the Armenian presidential administration noted.

The Armenian authorities attach major importance to Russian military
presence in the republic, finding the deployment of the Russian
military base along with four border units of the Border Service of
the Federal Security Service, which defend the state border between
Turkey and Iran, as an important aspect of Armenian national security.
“The foundations of security in the Republic of Armenia will remain to
be Armenian-Russia allied strategic partnership, which proved its
viability for 20 years of republican independence,” Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan said at an enlarged meeting of the Armenian Defence
Ministry on January 15. “In this context we give a very important role
to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Making a
tangible contribution in the development of this organization and
granting a certain share to ensure our national security to this
system, we find it as a real guarantee to security of our state,”
Sargsyan underlined.

`I am the murderer’ note found in Samatia district inhabited mainly by Armenians

17:03, 9 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS: Residents of Samatia district of
Istanbul, who were concerned for about a month, have found another
reason to worry about. Thieve has left a note `I am the murderer’ in
the shop near Marissa Kucuk’s house, who was among women killed on
December 2012 in Istanbul, Armenpress reports referring to Turkish
`Hyurriet’ daily.

In the last two months, numerous attacks, one of them fatal, took
place in Samatya an area historically inhabited by Armenians in
central Istanbul. All elderly women are Turkish citizens of Armenian
origin. In late November 2012, an 87 year-old woman was physically
attacked in the street. She was severely beaten and as a result of the
attack lost the sight in one eye.

Marissa Kucuk was a little old Armenian lady who lived on her own in
Samatya, a picturesque neighborhood of Istanbul where Christians and
Muslims used to rub along peacefully. On December 28th Ms Kucuk, 85,
was found dead in her apartment. She had been stabbed, repeatedly.
Relatives said a crucifix was carved onto her naked corpse.

A group of three men allegedly attempted to abduct another elderly
woman while on her way to the church on the occasion of the orthodox
Christmas on 6 January. The attackers reportedly fled after the
intervention by other church goers.

On 22 January, an 80 year-old woman was attacked and beaten as she was
returning to her home.

Attack on Armenian presidential candidate’s campaign headquarters

NEWS.AM
February 09, 2013 | 14:50

YEREVAN.- An unidentified person(s) has attacked the campaign
headquarters of presidential candidate Hrant Bagratyan.

Karine Harutunyan, spokesperson for Bagratyan’s headquarters,
confirmed reports for Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The headquarters located in Erebuni district of Yerevan was attacked
before employees came to work.

`They tore off the posters. Equipment was not damaged,’ she said,
adding that they had already called the police.

Solely Armenian women’s chess master achieves win

February 9

Round 7 of Moscow Open 2013 chess tournament was held Friday, during
which GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan and IM Hovik Hayrapetyan both drew level
with their Russian opponents in Tournament A.

After Round 7, Gabuzyan has tallied 5 points and he trails the current
leader by one point, whereas Hayrapetyan has garnered 4.5 points.

But WGM Lilit Galojan, who is competing in Tournament B (Women),
defeated her challenger, likewise in Round 7. As a result, she has
tallied 5 points at present and she trails the current leader by 2
points.

NEWS.am Sport

RUSSIE-ARMENIE
Grandes man`uvres des chars russes en Arménie

Les militaires des unités d’infanterie de la 102e armée russe
stationnée à Gumri (Arménie) ont débuté avec plusieurs dizaines de
chars et des canons de 125 mm, de grandes man`uvres en montagne
baptisées « Alakyaz ». La portée des tirs des chars est de 2 km.
L’objectif de ces man`uvres militaires étant de donner aux militaires
une plus grande expérience de combat ainsi que l’utilisation de
nouvelles technologies. Des milliers de tirs seront effectués.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 9 février 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com