Author: Kanayan Tamar

PARLIAMENT MAJORITY “RESTORES” POLITICAL BALANCE IN ETHICS COMMITTEE AMID OPPOSITION OUTCRY

Politics | 19.12.12 | 11:16

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Armenian lawmakers on Tuesday passed, in the first reading, amendments
to the Law on the National Assembly Regulations implying a change of
the balance of forces in the Ethics Committee, a newly established
panel looking into unethical behavior of lawmakers.

Despite opposition from all four minority factions, the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and its junior coalition partner,
Orinats Yerkir, managed to ensure the passage of the legislation with
65 votes to 28, with one abstention.

The RPA and Orinats Yerkir hold 75 seats in the 131-member body,
putting them in a position to determine the outcome of virtually any
vote in the chamber.

Under the approved amendments to the law, the government and opposition
camps will each have three representatives in the Ethics Committee,
with the seventh seat in the panel to be held by a representative of
the “alternative” Prosperous Armenia Party.

The opposition deems that such a change will make the Committee’s
work inefficient and does not rule out a boycott of its work.

The decisions by the Ethics Committee are nonbinding. During the
six months since its establishment the Ethics Committee has already
made one decision concerning a pro-government member, calling his
behavior unethical.

HOW MANY ARMENIANS VISITED TURKEY IN 2012?

NEWS.AM
December 05, 2012 | 00:04

The number of Armenian citizens who visited Turkey in January-October
2012 has reduced by 3.23%, to 59,372 people.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, in October
2012 the number of Armenian citizens visiting Turkey was 5,337 people,
which is less by 2,081 compared to the same period last year.

In January-October 2012 the largest decline was registered by citizens
of Iran. During this period, in 2012 Turkey was visited by 1 million
55 thousand Iranians that, compared with the same period last year
is less by 36%, the Iranians are followed by citizens of Syria who
have the decline of 34%.

Note that in 2011 Turkey was visited by 72,393 citizens of Armenia,
which was 4.5% more than in 2010.

CONFRONTATION IN SYRIA STILL ONGOING

If Assad is forced to step down, this will do no good to either Syria
or the West, in the first place.

“Friends of Syria” group held another meeting last week in Morocco.
The conference brought together representatives from over 100
countries including the U.S., which recognized the legitimacy of
Syria’s National Coalition for the Opposition Forces. The decision
comes to loosen the militants in a move to better support the
opposition, both in terms of diplomacy and technical support,
telecommunication, etc. This is a step towards further arming of the
opposition which may result in a disaster similar to the one in Libya.
December 19, 2012
PanARMENIAN.Net – Prior to Morocco gathering, the U.S. endorsed the
reorganized opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of
the Syrian people. Analysts expect other countries to join this
decision shortly.

â~@~That will be a major political shot in the arm for the opposition,
which at the moment is trying to organize in a better fashion and
trying to better coordinate with the armed units within Syria that are
fighting against the Assad regime,â~@~] said Andrew Tabler, a senior
fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

â~@~Will groups fight each other and will Syria be plunged into
warlordism? We just donâ~@~Yt know,â~@~] he stated.

There are increasing concerns that the Islamist extremists are gaining
weight within the armed opposition groups in Syria. Ahead of the
meeting in Morocco, the U.S. labelled the Syrian Nusra Front group an
al-Qaeda affiliate, a terrorist organization. Recognition of the
Syrian opposition in Morocco is an attempt to lessen the influence of
jihad units while the Western countries are trying to establish
cooperation with the Syrian opposition. Jihad groups join the units of
the Free Syrian army, particularly during attacks against the
governmental military facilities.

The outcome of the meeting, as expected, was the recognition of the
National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces
founded in Doha, Qatar in November 2012 as the legitimate
representative of the Syrian people and the leader of the opposition
forces.

The Syrian president Bashar Assad has lost legitimacy and should leave
to allow the launching of a political transition process in compliance
with Geneva communiqué, read the final statement of Morocco meeting
participants.

â~@~Friends of Syriaâ~@~] group called on Damascus authorities to immediately
stop all attacks and fully withdraw the troops from the city
districts, as the first stage of total suspension of violence. Also,
it condemned the disproportionate and blind use of force by the Syrian
regime, in particular, heavy weapons, and air and missile attacks.

â~@~Friends of Syriaâ~@~] voiced regret over the increasingly growing death
toll of the conflict which already topped 40 000, the deterioration of
the humanitarian crisis and refugee problem, highlighting the need to
create conditions for a sustainable political resolution of the Syrian
crisis.

Morocco gathering voiced â~@~firm support to the efforts aimed at
prevention of the increasing threat, including NATO’s decision to
strengthen Turkeyâ~@~Ys support and the intention to deploy Patriot
missile complexes on Turkish territory.â~@~]

Meanwhile, the idea of the upcoming triumph of the Syrian opposition
and Assadâ~@~Ys dethronement is consolidating in the West. â~@~I believe
Bashar Assadâ~@~Ys end is close, you see, itâ~@~Ys apparent, and even Russia
realizes this. We may wonder whether Assad aims to stir a regional
conflict?â~@~] French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry refuted the French statement by saying
that Moscowâ~@~Ys stance on the Syrian conflict has remained unchanged.
The Friends of Syria are pushing the Syrian opposition towards
activation of armed fight, Russian foreign ministry spokesman
Alexander Lukashevich declared.

For their part, Turkey and Iran propose their own options for settling
the Syrian issue. Ankara believes the Syrian leader should step down
to make way for a consultative body comprising representatives of all
political factions. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ~_an already discussed
this plan with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Turkish media
report. Iran which recently granted several ambulances to Syria,
proposes a six-point plan offering suspension of bloodshed under UN
control, channeling of aid and renovation of infrastructures, amnesty
of political prisoners, and negotiations with involvement of all
parties.

In addition, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared that the
Syrian rebels would fail to win the 21-month-long confrontation.
Assad’s faithful ally, Nasrallah, in particular, stated: â~@~The
situation is Syria becomes more complex, but those believing that the
armed opposition is able to settle the situation on the ground are
very much mistaken.â~@~]

Nasrallas’ words are true, to some extent; the militants won’t manage
to bring peace to the country. Furthermore, if Assad is forced to step
down, this will do no good to either Syria or the West, in the first
place.

Karine Ter-Sahakian

AZERBAIJAN AWARE OF AFTERMATH OF WAR – ARF-D REP

19.12.12

Giro Manoyan, Head of the Hay Dat office, Armenian Revolutionary
Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), believes the probability of an
Armenian-Azerbaijani war is low.

However, it does not mean Armenia does not need to be on the alert.

“No matter how much ammunition Azerbaijan is acquiring and how often
it is violating the ceasefire, they are not sure of winning a war
should they unleash it. I would even say Azerbaijan does not want war.

Our strategic alliance with Russia is of high importance as well,”
Mr Manoyan said.

As regards the Stepanakert airport, he said that Azerbaijan made a
noise thus trying to prevent its operation. “But when the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs visited the region this July, they clearly stated that
the parties agreed not to threaten civil aircraft. I have an idea
that Karabakh somehow made Azerbaijan understand that their civil
aircraft will turn into targets should our planes be threatened,”
Mr Manoyan said.

Azerbaijan’s statements on the Stepanakert airport are panicky ones.

CONSULTATIONS POLITIQUES FRANCO-AZERBAIDJANAISES

armenews.com
mercredi 19 decembre 2012

Eric Fournier, Directeur d’Europe continentale du Ministère francais
des Affaires etrangères, s’est rendu a Bakou du 6 au 9 decembre
dernier pour des consultations politiques et des rencontres avec des
acteurs du monde politique et economique azerbaïdjanais.

Parmi les entretiens officiels, Eric Fournier a ete recu par le
Ministre des Affaires etrangères Elmar Mammadyarov, son vice ministre
Khalaf Khalafov et le conseiller diplomatique du President Aliyev,
Novrouz Mammadov. Il a participe a un dîner officiel offert par le
Ministère azerbaïdjanais des Affaires etrangères.

Les relations economiques franco-azerbaïdjanaises ont ete abordees
lors d’un petit dejeuner avec le Club d’affaires
franco-azerbaïdjanais. Les questions energetiques ont, elles, fait
l’objet entretien avec Elshad Nasirov, vice president de la SOCAR.

En marge de ces rencontres officielles, E. Fournier a rencontre des
representants de la societe civile et de l’opposition.

Le sejour s’est termine par une visite a Gouba et a Shahdag, sur le
site en construction de la première station de ski d’Azerbaïdjan.

mercredi 19 decembre 2012,
Stephane ©armenews.com

TURKEI: BISCHOFSKONFERENZ DEMENTIERT “VATIKANDOKUMENTE ZUR ARMENIERFRAGE”

Radio Vatican
18 dec 2012

[Catholic Bishop denies the existence of documents related to the
Armenian Question]

Der Sprecher der Turkischen Bischofskonferenz, Rinaldo Marmara,
dementiert Medienberichte uber angebliche Vatikandokumente zur
Armenienfrage. Marmara wurden Erklarungen zugeschrieben, wonach es in
den Vatikanarchiven Dokumente gebe, die den Ursprung des Volkermords an
den Armeniern 1915 auf interne ~DProbleme” der armenischen Gemeinschaft
zuruckzufuhren sollten. In den vergangenen Tagen war in der turkischen
Presse die Nachricht veroffentlicht worden, dass die Universitat
Bahcesehir eine Forschungsabteilung eroffnen wird, die sich mit
historischen Dokumenten aus den Archiven des Vatikans befassen soll.

Eine Million Dokumente?

Die Tageszeitung ~DVatan” hatte am 11. Dezember Erklarungen des
Sprechers der katholischen Bischofskonferenz wiedergegeben und ihn
dabei als ~DVerantwortlichen” des akademischen Forschungsprojekts
bezeichnet. Unter anderem soll der Sprecher der katholischen Bischofe
vertraulich mitgeteilt haben, dass unter den rund einer Million
Dokumente und Geheimkorrespondenz bezuglich des Osmanischen Reichs
und der Turkei, die in den Vatikanarchiven aufbewahrt werden, auch
solche sein sollen, die ~Ddie Ereignisse des Jahres 1915 bezuglich der
Armenier” betreffen. Diese Erklarungen, die Marmara zugeschrieben
werden, fuhrten zu heftigen Reaktionen in den einheimischen
christlichen Gemeinden, angefangen bei der armenischen Gemeinde. Auch
aus diesem Grund mochte Marmara nun den Fall der propagandistischen
Falschung, deren Opfer er wurde, aufklaren. – Der 63jahrige Rinaldo
Marmara wurde in Istanbul geboren und ist derzeit auch Vorsitzender
der turkischen Caritas. Er ist Autor zahlreicher Veroffentlichungen
zur Geschichte der lateinischen katholischen Gemeinde in Istanbul.

(fides 18.12.2012 mg)

HEAD OF DELEGATION: PACE REPORT ON AZERBAIJAN CONTAINS NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE

Trend
Dec 18 2012
Azerbaijan

The January session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) will approve the report of the co-rapporteurs of the
Monitoring Committee on commitments undertaken by Azerbaijan, the head
of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, Samad Seyidov said on Tuesday.

“We believe this report will be seriously discussed. Most important
is the fact that for the first time, the report contains large and
detailed section on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The section on Nagorno
Karabakh is very important to us. It is indicated in the document that
military aggression was committed against Azerbaijan. The addition
of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to the agenda of the Council of Europe
is an important factor, especially taking into consideration the fact
that the document is being prepared not by Azerbaijan, but rather by
European co-rapporteurs. This fact doubles its value. We will not be
surprised by Armenian attempts to create difficulties surrounding and
provide commentary on the report. Armenians will attempt to discredit
the report due to the fact that it reflects the predatory, criminal
policy of Armenia”, said Seyidov.

According to him, the report also contains criticism of the Azerbaijani
government.

“We have repeatedly stated that we are not afraid of criticism. We
listen carefully to it, and if it is constructive and reflects reality,
we work with it. What we are against? We are against International
organizations using the above-mentioned criticism to exert pressure on
Azerbaijan. We are ready to respond to such pressures, “- said Seyidov.

According to him, an example of such pressure is PACE rapporteur
Christoph Strasser’s report on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

“This is full of lies and slander, the report doesn’t reflect reality
and is being regarded as an attempt against Azerbaijan’s integration
into the CE. There are attempts to present Strasser’s position as a
position of the international organization. This is not the case. Our
relations are developing in a constructive and normal way. Azerbaijan
is willing to work off of constructive criticism “- Seyidov added.

Conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when
Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed
forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding
regions.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH AND 2012: ANOTHER LOST YEAR

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 18 2012

AMANDA PAUL
[email protected]

Almost two decades since the signing of the ceasefire agreement,
a solution to the protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia remains elusive.

While the conflict represents the biggest security threat to the
South Caucasus region, it is the regional conflict that has received
the least international attention.

2011 was a lost year for Karabakh. Unfortunately, 2012 has gone the
same way with the peace negotiations, under the auspices of the OSCE
Minsk Group, in deadlock. There has been less pressure from direct
stakeholders and negative discourse penetrating the two societies. The
two leaders have not met since February. Because the process has
been a secretive elite-driven affair, there has been little space
for input from civil society and ordinary people. This is wholly
unconstructive as society remains unprepared for the concessions that
will be a necessity for any final deal.

While at the recent Dublin OSCE Ministerial Council the Minsk Group
co-chairs called on “the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to
demonstrate the political will needed to reach a peaceful settlement,”
no meeting took place between the two foreign ministers, although
they are slated to meet at the end of January.

The situation on the ground remains dangerous. The fragile
ceasefire continues to be violated, with frequent exchanges of
fire in a trench warfare environment. In 2012 over 30 lives were
lost, including children. During the spring, violations across the
heavily militarized Line of Contact increased, as did attacks across
the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border. The visit of US Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton was accompanied by several deaths. While
both Azerbaijan and Armenia have, until now, been able to “control”
the violations and saber-rattling, it is a very risky situation,
with each side continuing to purchase even more advanced military
technology. A report earlier this year by Saferworld highlighted the
escalating dangers.

The humanitarian issue remains a real concern, as well. The conflict
displaced more than a million Azerbaijanis and Armenians. According
to the UNHCR, there were approximately 360,000 Armenian refugees and
internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and 25,000 Azerbaijani refugees
and 600,000 IDP’s. According to the UNHCR, this makes up one of the
largest IDP communities in the world, representing some 7 percent of
Azerbaijan’s population.

This autumn has been particularly tense. Firstly, because of the
decision by Hungary to extradite Azerbaijani Army Lt. Ramil Safarov
to Baku where he was pardoned and promoted. Safarov was sentenced
to life imprisonment after murdering Armenian Army officer Gurgen
Margaryan in 2006 during NATO training. The expected first flight
from Kojali Airport in Karabakh to Yerevan by the end of the year
has angered Baku, also increasing tensions.

Yet a new conflict would currently not seem to benefit the leaderships
of either Azerbaijan nor Armenia. The status quo serves to maintain
their hold on power. The consequences of war would also be horrendous,
spreading into the broader region, possibly drawing in other regional
powers as well as wrecking regional infrastructure including pipelines.

2013 is set to be a challenging year, not least because of presidential
elections in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The response of the
international community should be stronger and more proactive than
ever before. Greater efforts to promote sustainable peace and support
ordinary people who are the biggest victims are essential. This
should include ways to create “safe spaces” for civil society and
ordinary people to have a greater role and voice which will not put
them in danger.

While there is a need for more pressure to cooperate on
confidence-building measures of both a military and civilian nature,
there is also a need to breathe some fresh air into the peace-process.

While the existing co-chairs are not going to be replaced, it has been
suggested by some analysts that a new “Minsk Conference” be convened
to reflect the current situation and come up with some new thinking on
how to further promote and support efforts aimed at finding a solution.

TURKEY’S “OBJECTIVITY” IN OSCE MINSK GROUP ASPIRATIONS

December 18, 2012 – 18:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey, yet again, attempts to stress the need for a
“change in the OSCE Minsk Group composition.”

“There is a need to make changes in the OSCE Minsk Group,” a spokesman
for Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Selcuk Unal told APA.

He said that the OSCE Minsk Group has already lost its neutrality:
“It is out of question that the country, which has adopted slandering
draft laws against Turkey at the parliament, is neutral to Armenia,
so France’s membership in OSCE Minsk Group should be reconsidered.

Russia’s support for Armenia is not a secret. The countries such as
Ireland located far from the region, don’t need to be represented
in the OSCE Minsk Group. Turkey is ready to show it’s objectivity in
this issue.”

By “draft laws slandering Turkey” Unal, surely, means the bill on
criminalization of the Armenian Genocide denial, which has long
been an issue of Ankara’s special concern. In November 2012, current
French leader Francois Hollande announced plans to redraft the bill,
despite Turkey’s threats to sever ties with Paris.

Only Azerbaijan can believe in Turkey’s “objectivity,” it being
common knowledge that Ankara and Baku’s understanding of objectivity
is contrary to the universal one.

Turkey’s using every ruse to get into OSCE Minsk Group is no longer a
secret; however, that intention has never been supported by Armenia or
the Group’s co-chairs, who won’t be deceived by remarks about Ankara’s
“neutrality.”

On January 23, 2012, the French Senate passed the bill making it a
crime to deny the Armenian Genocide. The bill envisaged imposing a
45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies
this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Later, the French Constitutional Council ruled the bill as
anti-constitutional. In a statement the Council said the document
represented an “unconstitutional breach of the practice of freedom
of expression and communication.

Francois Hollande reiterated the pledge to redraft the law
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial in France, stressing
the need to ensure the legal framework to avoid censorship by the
Constitutional Council.

Marina Ananikyan / PanARMENIAN News

TURKISH CITIZENS SIGN PETITION AGAINST DENIALIST EXHIBIT IN DENMARK

December 18, 2012

ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)-In response to official statements that the
Royal Library of Denmark has agreed “to balance” an Armenian genocide
exhibition by allowing the Turkish government to mount its own,
“alternative” exhibit, a group of Turkish citizens-including academics,
writers, Members of Parliament, and mayors-have signed an open letter
to the Royal Library, which the Armenian Weekly publishes below in
full. (For a news report from Denmark on the matter, click here.)

The Royal Library of Denmark Don’t Stand Against Turkey’s
Democratization and Confrontation with its History!

The individuals whose signatures appear below have been distressed
to learn that the Royal Library of Denmark has given the Turkish
government the opportunity to present an “alternative exhibit” in
response to the Armenian Genocide exhibition.

It is incorrect to suggest that two different views of what happened
in 1915 are possible. Over one million Ottoman Armenian citizens
were forced out of their homes and annihilated in furtherance of an
intentional state policy. What exists today is nothing other than
the blatant denial of this reality by the Turkish government.

An honest reckoning with history is the non-negotiable precondition
of a true democracy. The Turkish government has been suppressing
historic truths and following a policy of denial for more than 90
years. In response to the many intellectuals in the nation who have
urged the government to confront history honestly, this systematic
suppression and intimidation policy, which reached its zenith with
the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink in 2007, continues unabated.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in several cases on this
subject against Turkey’s position and actions.

By giving the Turkish government the opportunity to present an
“alternative exhibit”, you support their policy of suppression and
intimidation. The support that you are extending to a regime that
has made opposition to confronting history and denial of the truth
a fundamental principle is equivalent to supporting a regime of
apartheid. We want to remind you that your support constitutes an
obstacle to democratization efforts in Turkey today.

There is a regional aspect of this policy also. Peace, democracy and
stability in the Middle East will only come about through regimes
that are willing to confront history honestly. Through its position
of denying historical truths, Turkey represents an obstacle to the
development of peace, democracy and stability in the Middle East. We,
citizens fighting for a democratic Turkey, urge you to reconsider your
decision to grant the Turkish government the opportunity to present an
“alternative exhibit” and withdraw the offer immediately and we invite
you to join and support the democratic civil initiatives demanding
that Turkey confront its history honestly.

Fikret Adanır (professor of history), Taner Akcam (professor of
history), Ayhan Aktar (professor of sociology), Cengiz Aktar (professor
of political science), Cengiz Algan (The DurDe civic initiative),
Ahmet Altan (Chief Editor Taraf Newspaper), Maya Arakon (professor
of political science), Oya Baydar (Writer), Yavuz Baydar (Columnist
Todays Zaman Newspaper), Osman Baydemir (mayor of Diyarbakır),
Murat Belge (professor of litterature), Halil Berktay (professor of
history), Ä°smail BeÅ~_ikci (professor of sociology), Hamit Bozaslan
(professor of political science), Ä°pek CalıÅ~_lar (Writer), Oral
CalıÅ~_lar (Columnist Radikal Newspaper), Aydın Engin (founding
Editor T24 webnews), Fatma Muge Göcek (professor of sociology),
Nilufer Göle (professor of sociology), Ä°Å~_tar Gözaydın (professor
of law and politic), Gencay Gursoy (professor of medicine) AyÅ~_e Hur
(historian, columnist Radical newspaper), Ahmet Ä°nsel (professor
of economics), AyÅ~_e Kadıoglu (professor of political science),
Gulten Kaya (music producer), Umit Kıvanc (writer), Omer Laciner
(chief Editor Birikim Review), Roni Margulies (Poet), Baskın Oran
(professor of political science), Cem Ozdemir (Co-chair German Green
Party), Esra Mungan (professor of psychology), Sırrı Sakık (MP),
Betul Tanbay (professor of mathematics), Zeynep Tanbay (choreographer),
Turgut Tarhanlı (professor of international law), Ufuk Uras (Former
MP), Å~^anar Yurdatapan (Initiative for Freedom of Expression).