Author: Kanayan Tamar

Martiros Saryan’s canvas sold at Sotheby’s auction for 623,650 pounds

15:24 27.11.20120

Martiros Saryan’s The Poet: On the foothills of Aragats has been sold
at London’s Sotheby’s auction for 623,650 GBP, RIA Novosti reports.

Dmitry Nalbandian’s Daisies was sold at $286.6 (175,250 GBP).

Portrait of Praskovya Mamontova by Russian painter Valentin Serov was
sold out at 1.2 GBP, which is a record price for the artist’s works.

Press TV, Iran
Dec 2 2012

Human rights violators cannot judge Iran: Christian MP

A Christian Iranian MP has said the UN resolution on the human rights
situation in Iran was a political move and known violators of human
rights are in no position to judge Iran.

`Every now and then, Western countries adopt such resolutions against
the Islamic Republic of Iran, which are all based on political
objectives,’ Karen Khanlari, an MP representing the Armenian Christian
community of northern Iran, said on Saturday.

Khanlari described human rights as a `global value’ and denounced
international organizations for using double standards in their
evaluations of the human rights situation in various countries.

Ahmed Shaheed, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation
in Iran, presented his third report to the world body last week, in
which he repeated his claims that there are human rights violations in
the Islamic Republic and accused the Iranian government of
discriminating against minority groups.

And on Tuesday, the Third Committee of the United Nations approved a
non-binding resolution against Iran, with 83 countries voting in
favor, 31 against, and 68 abstentions.

`The minorities recognized under the Constitution enjoy a favorable
position and have representatives in the parliament,’ Khanlari stated.

He also compared the situation of minorities in Iran with the
situation of minorities in European and other countries, where
religious groups and denominations do not have seats set aside in
parliament for their representatives.

The Iranian MP said it is remarkable that the parliamentarian
representatives of minorities in Iran have equal legislative powers.

The recent anti-Iranian draft resolution was initiated by Canada,
which is widely criticized for its discrimination against indigenous
people and immigrants.

A Zionist in disguise: Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan’s phony anti-Israel
rhetoricBy Cem Ertür
Global Research, November 30, 2012

[image: israel]

Propaganda alert compiled by Cem Ertür

Mr Erdogan’s Cairo visit took place in the midst of Israel’s eight-day
war
on Gaza. Notwithstanding his habitual posturing over Israel’s war crimes,
the focal point of his speech at the Cairo University was Syria:

`This carnage the Syrian people have been subjected to, is a disgrace not
only to the Syrian Regime, but also for the international community and the
entire humanity.’ [1]

The fact remains that for the past 20 years, Turkey, Israel and NATO have
maintained a high level of military and political cooperation against Iraq,
Iran, Syria and the resistance groups in Palestine and Lebanon.
Furthermore, since April 2011, Mr Erdogan’s government has been thoroughly
complicit in NATO’s war crimes in Syria.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert, Ankara, 22 December 2008

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert (2006-2009), Ankara, 22 December 2008

Five days after Mr Olmert’s meeting with Mr Erdogan, Israel launched a war
on Gaza. Towards the end of the three-week-long war, in a speech at his
party’s parliamentary group meeting, Mr Erdogan said:

`The Greater Middle East Project was an initiative launched with a view to
[bringing] peace to the Middle East as well as promoting its economic
development, civil rights, women’s rights and freedom of education and
carrying these rights further. Turkey was given a role in this project and
we have accepted .’ [3]

After the ceasefire, Mr Erdogan had a world-famous `outburst’ at the
Israeli President Peres during the World Economic Forum. [4] Only two
weeks later, he made the following remarks in an interview with the Turkish
daily Sabah:

`Our relations with Israel continue based on mutual interests. Those who
leave the table in fury return to it with losses. Some have suggested that
we end Israeli [Air Force] training flights in Konya (). The truth is that
not just Israel but ten countries pay to receive flight training in Konya.
Indeed, our General Staff also announced that relations with Israel will
continue in accordance with Turkey’s interests. Military contracts and
orders also remain in force. There are many agreements with Israel, old and
new. These all remain in force. We have to be very careful in interstate
relations. The Israeli state and the Israeli people are separate issues. I
always say that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity.’ [5]

() Mr Erdogan refers to the `Anatolian Eagle’ joint air force exercises
in central Turkey, which started in June 2001 with the participation of the
United States, Turkey and Israel.

Israeli President Shimon Peres toasts with Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul
and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their official dinner in
Ankara, 12 November 2007

Israeli President Shimon Peres toasts with Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul
and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a dinner in his honour, Cankaya
presidential residence, Ankara, 12 November 2007

`I thanked Mr Peres for his efforts to defeat a bill in the US House of
Representatives that defines the incidents of 1915 from an Armenian
perspective. I sincerely hope that Peres’ visit to Ankara will contribute
to peace in the Middle East. The speeches to be delivered by Peres and
Palestinian President [sic] Mahmoud Abbas at the Turkish parliament on
Tuesday will contribute to peace in the Middle East.’ [2]

Two months before President Peres’ visit, in an ultimate act of war,
Israeli jets used Turkey’s airspace to launch a bombing raid on the Syrian
territory. To this day, Mr Erdogan has remained silent about this incident.

Turkey’s PM Erdogan receives the ADL’s `Courage to Care’ award from ADL
National Director Abraham Foxman, ADL headquarters, New York, 10 June 2005

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Anti-Defamation
League’s (ADL) `Courage to Care’ award from ADL’s director Abraham
Foxman
at the ADL headquarters, New York, 10 June 2005

In accepting an award from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on behalf of
[Turkey’s] diplomats who saved Jews during the Holocaust, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned anti-Semitism and stressed
his country’s close relationship with the modern State of Israel. [6]

On the same day, Mr Erdogan conducted an interview with the New York Times:

‘Turkey cannot in any way approve of oppressive regimes, and at this point
there is nothing Turkey can take as an example from Syria, while there is
lots that Syria can take as examples from Turkey.’ [7]

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, Jerusalem, 1 May 2005

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (2001-2006) and Turkey’s Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jerusalem, 1 May 2005

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan invited Prime Minister Sharon to visit
Turkey. [=85] Erdogan said that the Turkish government views anti-Semitism
as a crime against humanity. [8] Ahead of a meeting with his Israeli
counterpart Ariel Sharon, Erdogan held talks with President Moshe Katsav
[2000-2007] […] `We have to drain the swamp of terrorism. We have to
show solidarity in our common war against terrorism,’ Erdogan was quoted
as
saying in a statement issued by Katsav’s office. [9]

Back in October 2002, in a campaign speech delivered six month prior to his
first electoral win, Mr Erdogan said:

`Sharon is unleashing state terrorism upon Palestine. Sharon must be
prosecuted just like Milosevic was [at the International Criminal Court] in
The Hague.’ [10]

Turkey’s PM Erdogan receives the ADL’s `Courage to Care’ award from ADL
National Director Abraham Foxman, ADL headquarters, New York, 10 June 2005

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives the `Profiles in
Courage’ award from American Jewish Congress (AJC) President Jack Rosen,
HSBC headquarters in New York, 26 January 2004. The person standing next to
Mr Rosen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of HSBC USA Martin
Glynn.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Erdogan echoed U.S. President George Bush and
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair [11]:

`Today, with the presentation of the `Profile of Courage’ award to the
Turkish Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, by the American Jewish
Congress at the New York building of HSBC, there is a strong message being
conveyed to archaic terrorist mentality. We will not tolerate terrorism and
we will act in solidarity to wipe it from the face of the earth. Our
country is against all kinds of terrorism and we support the United States
in its efforts in combating international terrorism whole-heartedly.’ [12]

Targeting two synagogues, HSBC bank headquarters and the British Embassy,
the November 2003 bomb attacks in Istanbul bear the hallmarks of an Al
Qaeda false-flag operation. Furthermore, only three months ago, two
suspects and the solicitor of the alleged mastermind were killed in Aleppo
whilst fighting NATO’s proxy war against the Syrian Army. [13]

A report published a month before the Istanbul bombings indicates the
actual motive behind the ADL award:

The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), an influential
Jewish group based in Washington, praised the Turkish Parliament’s decision
[on October 7th, 2003] to allow the deployment of peacekeepers [i.e.
troops] in Iraq and said the move boosted U.S. confidence in Turkey. That
might also give a privileged position to Turkey in garnering contracts in
the reconstruction of Iraq, the institute said in a statement. [14]

notes:

American Jewish Congress (AJC), Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) and
Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) are all prominent
Zionist organisations in the United States.

The quotes from the Turkish sources have been translated by Cem Ertür.

sources:

[1] Erdogan: Er ya da gec katledilen o masum yavrucaklarin hesabi mutlaka
ama mutlaka sorulacaktir

[Erdogan: Sooner or later there will be a holding to account for the
massacre of these innocent children]

Milliyet, 17 November 2012

[2] Turkish premier, Israeli president agree cooperation needed in region

BBC Monitoring European, 13 November 2007

[3] AK Parti Grup Baskani ve Basbakan Sayin Recep Tayyip Erdogan’in 13 Ocak
2009 Tarihli Grup Konusmasi

[Speech delivered by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Justice and
Development Party’s parliamentary group meeting on January 13th, 2009]

AK Parti website, 13 January 2009

[4] Dialogue between Erdogan and Peres

Hurriyet Daily News, 30 Janaury 2009

[5] Ties with Israel continue to be based on mutual interests – Turkish
PM

BBC Monitoring European, 16 February 2009

link to the original source in Turkish:

[6] Prime Minister Erdogan Tells ADL That `Anti-Semitism Has No Place in
Turkey’

ADL website, 10 June 2005

[7] Turkish Leader Spells Out More Vigorous Role in Iraq

by Warren Hoge, New York Times, 11 June 2005

[8] PM Sharon met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

[Israeli] Prime Minister’s Office, 1 May 2005

[9] Erdogan says Turkey, Israel must unite to drain `swamp of terror’
AFP, 1 May 2005

[10] Saron Lahey’de yargilansin

[Sharon must be prosecuted at The Hague]

Yeni Safak, 14 April 2002

[11] President Bush, Prime Minister Hold Joint Press Conference

U.S. Department of State website, 20 November 2003

[12] Turkish PM to AJC Congress: We will wipe terrorism from the face of
the earth

American Jewish Congress website, 27 January 2004

[13] Here are Tayyip’s `real sons’

Sendika.org, 17 August 2012

[14] US Jewish group praises Turkish decision to send troops to Iraq

Turkish Daily News, 11 October 2003

Turkmen President: Armenians living in our country speak Turkmen
better than our fellow citizens of other nationalities

10:23 30/11/2012 » SOCIETY

At the end of the official part of his visit to Armenia, Turkmen
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited Mesrop Mashtots Institute
of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran) on Thursday, November 29.

The Turkmen leader and the delegation accompanying him familiarized
themselves with the exhibits.

Speaking to Matenadaran employees, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov highly
evaluated the activities of the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in
the development of world science and culture.

When one of the Matenadaran employees noted that there is a large
Armenian community in Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said,
`The Armenians living in our country speak Turkmen better than our
fellow citizens of other nationalities. Being a dentist, I have had
frequent contacts with Armenians within the framework of my job, and I
can say that they are good specialists.’

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIE
La réforme du système des pensions va booster le marché des valeurs

Le changement de système de pension obligatoire en 2014 donnera une
impulsion forte au marché des valeurs a annoncé le ministre du travail
et de la Sécurité sociale Artem Asatryan.

Selon la réforme approuvée il y a des années par le gouvernement,
l’Arménie va changer de système pour un système de points pour la
retraite par capitalisation.

Le Service de la Sécurité sociale tient déjà la trace des
contributions à la Sécurité sociale de tous les ouvriers
officiellement enregistrés. Chacun d’entre eux a un compte personnel
de pension et un numéro de Sécurité sociale depuis 2005.

« La réforme contribuera au développement du marché des valeurs, car
le fonds de pension investira son argent dans des valeurs » a dit le
ministre en marge d’une conférence sur le travail convenable et les
pensions.

Selon des données du gouvernement, la main-d’oeuvre officiellement
enregistrée de l’Arménie compte environ 460 000 personnes est déjà
dépassée par les 520 000 pensionnés.

dimanche 2 décembre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIE
Le gouvernement américain va fournir 2,5 millions de $ à l’Arménie
pour l’exécution de programmes dans le système judiciaire

Le gouvernement américain fournira environ 2,5 millions de $ à
l’Arménie sous la forme d’une aide financière pour l’exécution de
programmes dans le système juduciaire du pays.

Les fonds proviendront grce à un accord entre les deux gouvernements
afin de coopérer dans le combat contre le trafic de drogue.

Le procureur général arménien Aghvan Hovsepyan et l’Ambassadeur
américain en Arménie John Heffern ont signé un protocole.

« Le financement sera dépensé pour développer la capacité de la police
afin de combattre les crimes au niveau international, le trafic de
drogue et la corruption et favoriser l’exécution de réformes
juridiques » a dit Aghvan Hovsepyan lors de la cérémonie de signature.

Il a dit que les Etats-Unis ont déjà fourni 18 millions de $ à
l’Arménie en vertu d’un accord et cet argent a été dépensé pour
l’établissement et le développement de la police scientifique et un
centre de contrôle financier.

dimanche 2 décembre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Al-Shorfa
Dec 1 2012

Raffi Yedalian looks at life with colour and character

2012-12-01 By Nohad Topalian in Beirut

Raffi Yedalian, a Lebanese artist and sculptor of Armenian origin, has
recently returned to the cultural scene with his second individual
exhibition, titled “A Glimpse of Life”.

The exhibition, held in November at the Piece Unique Gallery in
central Beirut, showcased 32 paintings inspired by stages in
Yedalian’s life that seek to reflect other people’s experiences as
well.

Yedalian, who is also exhibiting a sculpture at the Vatican Museum,
which he presented to Pope Benedict XVI during his historic visit to
Lebanon, spoke with Al-Shorfa about his exhibition and beyond.

Al-Shorfa: Can you tell us about “A Glimpse of Life”?

Raffi Yedalian: “A Glimpse of Life” is the name of my second
individual exhibition, following the first one in 1992. In my current
exhibition, I present 32 paintings that have themes revolving around
stages of my life since childhood.

Through these paintings, which are from the figurism genre, I have
tried to embody my childhood memories and the subsequent stages [of my
life]. Even though “A Glimpse of Life” is inspired by my personal
experience, it also mirrors other people’s lives.

Al-Shorfa: How so?

Yedalian: Through the themes of the paintings. In my childhood
painting, I deal with innocence. Every person is born innocent and
gradually moves on to another stage of their life where innocence
gradually fades away. Then a new stage begins where a person discovers
life, and all the different stages that stage has. For example, I
present the stages of love and marriage, family, motherhood, diversity
and co-existence. All these titles are stages in the lives of any
person no matter where they are.

Al-Shorfa: How do you deal with diversity and co-existence in your paintings?

Yedalian: As far as the subject of diversity goes, through painting, I
say in my own style that, at some point, we enter society and mix
[interact] with it. In society, every person has different
expressions, emotions and specialities. In the co-existence painting,
my goal is to say we should live together in this mix.

Al-Shorfa: Why does the colour grey dominate your paintings?

Yedalian: Because, like brown, it symbolises calmness. After working
for a long time with fiery colours, I found myself in the past three
years working with quiet colours. I do not know how long this stage
will last. I find myself in this phase for the time being.

Al-Shorfa: What is the philosophy in each painting?

Yedalian: It is a philosophy that has to do with how I look at life
and its relation to the otherworldly. I express that with a white line
present in all of my paintings. I consider this line to be the link
between earth and the heavens on the one hand, and on the other it is
the path of our lives.

Each person has a different path and life. This philosophy has a
connection with both white and grey, as the two symbolise happy days
and difficult ones. This is what I have expressed in the painting
“Circle of Life”, in which I try to show how a person’s face appears
throughout the seven days of the week.

Al-Shorfa: You had an experience with Pope Benedict XVI. Tell us about that?

Yedalian: During the pope’s visit to Lebanon, he visited the Our Lady
of Bzommar Monastery for Catholic Armenians, which we consider a
historical event because it was the first time a pope visited the
monastery, which dates back to 1774.

I presented the pope with a bronze sculpture of the monk Hagop
Megabard. This year Armenians are celebrating 500 years since he
printed the first Armenian book — “Friday Book” — in 1512 in Venice.
This tribute [sculpture] is currently on exhibition as part of the
Vatican’s art collection. I am proud of this accomplishment because I
am the first Armenian artist whose work is on display at the Vatican
Museum.

Al-Shorfa: As an artist of Armenian origins, you have a well-known
work of art exhibited in Armenia. Tell us about that.

Yedalian: In 2008, I did a painting called “Survivors’ Testimonies”
that includes 301 fingerprints from Lebanese citizens of Armenian
descent. The painting is now on display at the Genocide Museum in the
Armenian capital Yerevan.

Agence France Presse
November 30, 2012 Friday 12:43 PM GMT

Azerbaijan boosts defence spending in 2013

BAKU, Nov 30 2012

Azerbaijan’s parliament approved on Friday a 2013 budget which
forecasts slowing growth and high inflation but also boosts defence
spending amid a military standoff with neighbour Armenia.

The budget forecasts that the oil-rich Caucasus country’s gross
domestic product will grow by 5.3 percent next year against expected
5.7-percent growth rate in 2012.

Inflation is forecast at 5.7 percent.

The latest figures released by the World Bank offer even less
optimistic picture — predicting the country’s economy would only grow
by 3.5 percent in 2013.

Defence and military spending will rise by 0.9 percent to over 1.5
billion Azerbaijani manats ($1.9 billion/1.4 billion euros), amid the
continuing conflict with Armenia over disputed region of Nagorny
Karabakh.

Total budget revenues for 2013 are predicted to be 19.1 billion manats
($24.3 billion, 18.7 billion euros), with expenditure at 19.8 billion
manats ($25.2 billion, 19.4 billion euros) or 35.3 percent of GDP.

A largely Muslim country of 9.1 million people strategically located
between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is a key partner in projects
delivering energy from the Caspian Sea area to the West via pipelines
through Turkey, bypassing Russia.

It is locked in a long-simmering conflict with Armenia over Karabakh,
where ethnic Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized control
during a war in the 1990s that left some 30,000 dead, and no peace
deal has yet been signed.

eg-im/sjw/hd

Armenian soldier broke his commander’s chin

news.am
December 02, 2012 | 00:21

The 22-year-old soldier in Armenia is being accused of breaking his
commander’s chin, Armenia’s Goris first instance court has informed
Armenian News-NEWS.am, noting that the case is going to be
investigated at their court.

The 22-year-old soldier, R. Kh., was reprimanded by his commander,
Eduard Galstyan, for not properly implementing the command, an
argument broke, after which the soldier beat his commander, hit his
chin, and broke it.

A criminal case has been initiated according to the article 358, 2nd
Part, 3rd Point: violence against higher authority, which caused
medium harm to the health. This article is punished with 3-12 years of
imprisonment. The suspect is in detention. The case has been submitted
to the court on November 28, the date of trial will be finalized soon.

Ameria, Armenia’s Leading Business Advisory Group, Donates $ 50,000 To
Armenian Fund

Friday, November 30th, 2012

CEO of Ameria Group’s Los Angeles office Rafi Manoukian & PR Director
Anush Hovsepyan with Carla Garapedian at the 15th International
Armenia Fund Telethon

GLENDALE – Ameria Group, Armenia’s Leading Business Advisory Services
Provider, with offices in Los Angeles and Armenia, which also provide
financial services in Armenia, donates $ 50, 000 to the All-Armenian
Fund. Ameria also sponsored All-Armenian Fund’s 20th Anniversary Gala,
held at the renowned Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the LA Music Center,
in honor of All-Armenian Fund Benefactors.

Ameria Group strongly believes the Diaspora is instrumental in
Armenia’s development. `Ameria Group, as financial and advisory
services provider, not only has attracted millions of dollars in
successful foreign investments, needed to strengthen Armenia’s
economy, but has always been keen in giving back to the community.
When it comes to charity, All-Armenian Fund is that very organization
to make life-changing projects happen in Armenia. Ameria Group is
pleased to be able to donate $ 50,000 this year to Armenia Fund in
order to help our Syrian-Armenian brothers and sisters, and our
villages in Armenia and Artsakh. Ameria Group also makes donations to
a number of other charity projects in Armenia,’ says the CEO of Ameria
Group’s Los Angeles office Rafi Manoukian. Rafi Manoukian, who is also
presently a councilmember of the city of Glendale, has joined forces
with Ameria Group since July 2012.

`Being an Armenian is a gift and when we come together we can do so
much more. On behalf of Ameria Group, we congratulate the All-Armenian
Fund for having been able to bring together Armenia’s largest
resource-the Armenian Diaspora, in order to give water and gas,
education and health to Armenians and Armenia. Ameria Group is all
about making a positive change in our homeland, not only through
charity, but also through meaningful and profitable investments,’ says
Ameria’s LA office PR Director Anush Hovsepyan.

While the All-Armenian Fund brings together the Armenian Diaspora for
infrastructural changes in the country, Ameria Group connects the
Diaspora to promising business and investment opportunities in Armenia
in order to develop the country’s economy. In the past decade Ameria
Group has attracted more than 500 million dollars in foreign funds,
helping the local and international businesses grow in Armenia’s
emerging market. With branches across the country Ameria Group of
Companies has been expanding dynamically within and beyond the borders
of Armenia. The company has established a presence in the United
States since 2011 through Ameria Group Inc.

Ameria Group’s LA office bridges the Diaspora to Armenia’s investment
opportunities and serves as a one-stop resource for investors,
interested in Armenia, where they can receive cost-efficient
professional advisory services be it for their legal, management or
financial needs. Ameria Group Inc. LA office gives direct access to
Ameria Group of Companies in Armenia and provides the potential
investors with accurate information on promising business and
investment opportunities in Armenia, with major focus on Legal,
Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Equity Financing and Debt Advisory
Services.

Ameria Group Inc. in Los Angeles is expanding and on December 13th,
2012 will open the doors of its new offices, conveniently located in
the heart of downtown Glendale, at 330 N. Brand Blvd. For additional
information call: 818 646 1111.