Author: Kanayan Tamar

“GOLDEN ANGEL” IS THE NEW YORK SYMBOL OF YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS: The symbol of Yerevan in New Year
holidays will be the golden angel, and the festive designs will be
implemented on the basis of the New Year concept: the Capital will
appear in this New Year holidays in golden and blue colours. As the
External Design and Advertising Department of Staff of the Yerevan
Municipality informed “Armenpress” the holiday preparations have
already begun and will last until December 20.

The Christmas Tree placed in the Republic Square will be ready on
December 15, and on December 20 the lights will be turned on. The
branches of the Christmas Tree will be brought from different regions.

The height of the Christmas Tree will be 32 meter. There are sufficient
resources for the decoration of the Capital for the holiday, which were
donated from the community budget, as well as granted by the partners.

All the Administrative Districts of the Capital will be decorated for
the holiday. A lot of surprises and celebrations are expected in New
Year holidays.

PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY COLLECTS $18,000 FOR SYRIA

Armenian Weekly
November 28, 2012

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.-The Philadelphia Armenian community banded together
on Fri., Nov. 9, at St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Founders Hall to
raise funds and support the Syrian-Armenians currently suffering from
the atrocities of war. Dr. Ara Chalian, the master of ceremonies for
the evening, kicked off the fundraising marathon, which raised more
than $18,000 in proceeds for this important cause.

A sense of patriotism was evoked early on that night when the
Homenetmen Scouts presented flags, and Anto Vartanian led the group in
singing the “Star Spangled Banner” and “Mer Hairenik.” After blessing
the food, Der Nerses invited guests to enjoy a mezza dinner. Members
of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), Ladies’ Guild, and Homenetmen
graciously served the food, and the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)
provided bar service.

AYF member Harout Vartanian presented a thought-provoking slide show
during the dinner about the current conditions in Syria.

In his opening remarks, Chalian asked the guests to stand if they
were either originally from Syria or have relatives in Syria. More
than half of the group, almost 190 individuals and committee members,
stood up, united with our Armenian brothers and sisters in Syria.

Jaq Hagopian Special guest speaker and editor of the Armenian Weekly,
Khatchig Mouradian, provided a compelling presentation titled, “When
Elephants Fight: the Syrian Armenian Community in Crisis,” in both
English and Armenian. He stressed the importance of how donations
and aid come full circle to those who are in need, and related his
own story as a young boy caught in Lebanon’s Civil War.

Mouradian said that the support Armenians in Lebanon received from
the Armenian Diaspora during those years, including from Armenians
from Syria, influenced who he is today. His presentation highlighted
the importance of helping Syria and ensuring it continues to serve
as a cultural base and home for the Armenians there. In closing, he
encouraged the group to make the connection and recognize the power
they have to change lives by helping families in crisis, and saving
our Armenian schools, churches, and organizations.

Jaq Hagopian from New Jersey and Anto Vartanian for Philadelphia then
took the stage to sing Armenian patriotic songs. Guests continued to
generously donate to the cause by making song requests for both to
perform. The band for the evening was comprised of Philadelphia AYF
alumni and current ARF members Jim Kzirian, Anthony Deese, and Aram
Hovagimian. The evening continued well after midnight and concluded
with “Arunod Trosh.”

The organizers thank the Armenian community of Philadelphia for their
generosity, including the participating organizations, St. Gregory’s
church board, respected Der Nerses, and all of the individuals who
volunteered and donated to the event. The evening would not have been
possible without the collaboration of the Armenian organizations in
Philadelphia. Individuals from each organization volunteered to create
and serve on the Fund for Syrian-Armenian Relief (FSAR) committee.

The committee extends a special thanks to the following participating
organizations, businesses, and volunteers: St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church, ARS “Artemis” and “Ani” Philadelphia Chapters, Armenian
Revolutionary Federation of Philadelphia, Armenian Youth Federation
Philadelphia “Sebouh” Chapter, St. Gregory’s Ladies’ Guild, Hamazkayin
of Philadelphia, Homenetmen of Philadelphia, Seroonian Community
Center, Armenian Delight, Fimi Ishkhanian Catering, Mihran Catering,
Mediterranean Kitchen, Sopranos Catering, and Zeps.

OSCE: ISSUE OF OPENING AIRPORT IN SEPARATIST KHANKENDI HEIGHTENS ATMOSPHERE OF MISTRUST

Trend
Nov 27 2012
Azerbaijan

The issue of opening an airport in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh led
to further heightening of mistrust atmosphere, Special Representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Patrick Murphy
said at a press conference.

“Whatever is done regarding this airport, it can not have any
consequences for the status of this territory,” he said.

While answering Armenian journalist’s question on the parallels between
Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts, Murphy said that each conflict
is different from the others in its coverage, underlying reasons,
history, involvement of international actors, and each conflict should
be settled individually.

Azerbaijan has banned the use of the airspace of Nagorno-Karabakh
occupied by Armenia, as no one can guarantee a safe air corridor in
the area, the head of the Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration,
Arif Mammadov said earlier.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European
Civil Aviation Conference (ICAC) also support the position of
Azerbaijan on this issue.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent 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 the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

AZERBAIJANI FM: “THE OUTCOMES OF THE CO-CHAIRS’ RECENT VISIT TO ARMENIA DO NOT GIVE GROUND TO SPEAK IN A POSITIVE TONE”

APA
Nov 27 2012
Azerbaijan

“Armenian side must give up the principle “neither an inch of land,
nor a step back”

Baku. Victoria Dementeva – APA. “The co-chairs are making efforts
to start the settlement process from the dead point. Unfortunately,
the outcomes of the co-chairs’ recent visit to Armenia do not give
ground to speak in a positive tone”, said Azerbaijani Minister of
Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov while commenting on the recent
visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region. He said that
Armenian side must give up the principle “neither an inch of land,
nor a step back”: The status quo must be changed. The protraction of
the conflict can lead the events to undesirable level. Everybody is
aware of the proposals on the solution and they have been discussed
for the several times. The position of Azerbaijan remains unchanged –
the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan is necessary for the development of the settlement process.

According to the minister, if Armenia says it accepts the co-chairs’
proposals, it is time to sign a peace agreement: “And if so,
Azerbaijan is ready to develop this agreement. For this, it is
necessary to initiate the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan, followed by negotiations on all
other items.”

KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD AIDING ARMENIAN MILITARY

El Dorado Times

Nov 27 2012
KS

Two leaders of the Kansas National Guard are in Armenia this week to
help the former Soviet republic improve training of noncommissioned
officers

Two leaders of the Kansas National Guard are in Armenia this week to
help the former Soviet republic improve training of noncommissioned
officers.

Lt. Col. Brent Salmans and Command Sgt. Maj. James Moberly are taking
part in a workshop with members of Armenia’s Defense Ministry. The goal
is to develop training and leadership programs for Armenia’s enlisted
personnel as the nation transitions to a Western-style military.

Kansas has partnered with Armenia since 2003, exchanging delegations
to share ideas and best practices for military and emergency
management. The partnership is part of a National Guard Bureau program
that pairs officials from participating states with developing nations
to promote better relations.

ILS POURSUIVENT UN ARMéNIEN EN VOITURE ET LUI TIRENT DESSUS

armenews.com
jeudi 29 novembre 2012

Châtellerault. Hier matin, trois personnes ont foncé sur un piéton.

L’une est sortie, l’arme a la main, et lui a tiré deux fois dans
le dos. Un règlement de comptesâ~@~I ? ” Il voulait le flinguer,
ca se voyait ! ”

Châtellerault n’est pas Marseille ni la Corse. Mais il faut bien
dire que la cité du bon accueil n’est pas habituée a ce genre de
faits-divers. Un Arménien de 39 ans poursuivi et tiré comme un lapin,
quasiment a bout portant par des individus en voiture, c’est la scène
qui s’est déroulée hier matin dans les rues du vieux Châtellerault.

Deux projectiles dans le fessier et les jambes

Il est 11â~@~Ihâ~@~I40 quand un piéton, accompagné de jeunes femmes,
est pris en chasse par une voiture, une BMW série 5 de couleur grise,
a la sortie du pont Henri-IV. Le véhicule fonce droit sur le trio. Les
deux jeunes femmes parviennent a fausser compagnie a la voiture folle,
rue des Cordeliers. Elles se réfugient au domicile de leur ami,
situé quelques mètres plus loin, dans la rue de Sully. D’après
les premiers éléments, l’homme, quant a lui, se serait caché dans
un recoin de la rue des Cordeliers avant d’être débusqué par ses
poursuivants. Ã~@ son bord, trois personnes, deux hommes a l’avant et
une femme a l’arrière, d’après un témoin de la scène. Le passager
avant serait alors descendu, aurait mis froidement en joue l’individu
et fait feu dans le dos de sa proie. Au moins a deux reprises. ” J’ai
vu le gars sortir de l’auto avec un pistolet. Il voulait le flinguer,
ca se voyait. Ce n’était pas pour le menacer ”, raconte un témoin
direct de la scène (lire son témoignage ci-dessous et en vidéo).

D’après la police, la victime, un Arménien de 39 ans, a recu deux
projectiles, l’un dans le fessier, l’autre dans les jambes. L’homme,
hospitalisé, est hors de danger. Dans l’attente des analyses
balistiques, les autorités refusent de communiquer d’autres
précisions concernant un éventuel troisième tir, l’arme, les
munitions et le calibre utilisés (22 et 6.35 selon nos informations).

Les agresseurs recherchés pour tentative d’assassinat

Une enquête de flagrant délit pour tentative d’assassinat est
ouverte, apprend-on du parquet. La police judiciaire de Poitiers est
chargée de l’enquête pour faire la lumière sur ce qui ressemble
a un règlement de comptes. ” Ca ne fait aucun doute, confirme une
source proche du dossier. Reste a savoir s’il s’agit d’un trafic
de stupéfiants, d’une rivalité sentimentale ou religieuse, ou une
affaire de prostitutionâ~@~I ?

” Selon nos informations, la victime n’est pas connue des services de
police, hormis une infraction a la législation sur les étrangers. Ses
agresseurs, qui pourraient être de la même origine que lui, étaient
toujours en fuite hier soir, et activement recherchés.

La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest

jeudi 29 novembre 2012, Stéphane ©armenews.com

TURKISH PARLIAMENT: SOME COUNTRIES DO NOT WANT PEACE IN CAUCASUS REGION

Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 28 2012

Some countries do not want peace and stability in the Caucasus to
carry out their own policies, and that is why the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is still not resolved, Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Cemil
Cicek told journalists in Baku.

He said the continuation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for over
20 years is not acceptable, and the OSCE Minsk Group should intensify
its efforts for its settlement.

“The international community, which promotes human rights around the
world, must first pay attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
make efforts to resolve it,” Cicek said.

Turkey’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is clear and
unchanging. Armenia must necessarily liberate the Azerbaijani territory
to stabilize the situation in the region, Cicek said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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 the peace negotiations.

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

As for the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Cicek said that
these relations are not just for mutual benefit. Relations between
Azerbaijan and Turkey – is a cooperation and partnership between the
two fraternal countries.

Turkey and Azerbaijan are two most important countries in the region.

Countries need to implement a lot of economic and energy projects,
he said.

In addition, according to the Speaker of the Parliament, Turkey and
Azerbaijan should join forces to prevent the distortion of the history
by the Armenian lobby, which promotes the worldwide recognition of
the so-called “Armenian genocide”, and this promotion will undoubtedly
be strengthened by 2015.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the
Turkish – Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against
those Armenians living in Anadolu and achieved recognition of the
“Armenian Genocide” by the parliaments of several countries.

ULTRA-NATIONALIST GROUP TARGETS TURKEY’S ARMENIANS

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 28 2012

28 November 2012 / HANIFE SEVDE KOSE / E. BARIÅ~^ ALTINTAÅ~^, Ä°STANBUL

An ultra-right group mainly active in the social media has been
targeting Armenian agencies, schools, churches, foundations and
individuals in Turkey as part of an anti-Armenian hate campaign.

Reactions by social media users have mounted over provocative tweets
from the chairman of a group that calls itself the International
Association to Fight Unfounded Armenian Allegations (ASÄ°M-DER). He has
recently been actively targeting Armenians and Turkish-Armenian
institutions on Twitter, claiming that these groups are part of a
conspiracy supported by the Armenian diaspora against Turkey.

ASİM-DER Chairman Göksel Gulbey has been tweeting the names of
Turkish-Armenian schools, churches and foundations, which civil
society members say is tantamount to turning them into targets for
ultra-nationalists in a country where prominent figures of Armenian
descent as well as Christians involved in missionary activities have
become targets of violence. The 2007 killings of three Bible
publishers in Malatya, the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink and the 2006 murder of an Italian priest in Trabzon are
some of the painful examples of the ultra-nationalist threat.

The group, founded in 2002, has been actively holding conferences and
organizing events to promote its cause, with its chairman saying they
had provisional and regional branches as well as a few chapters
located abroad. But it came under the national media spotlight earlier
this week, mostly due to the recent tweets.

According to Taraf columnist Markar Esayan, the campaign is part of a
larger plan to create an anti-minority atmosphere. Esayan, in remarks
to Today’s Zaman, recalled Turkey’s past experiences with the
demonization of Turkish Armenians and said, “These Turkish-Armenian
schools [whose addresses have been tweeted by Gulbey] were established
under the control of the Ministry of Education. I have also studied in
one of these schools and worked as a supervisor afterwards. On the one
hand, too much importance shouldn’t be attached to such campaigns, but
on the other hand, those responsible [for provocative claims] should
be held accountable for their claims,” he said, adding that
prosecutors should act.

Rober KoptaÅ~_, editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos,
also asserted that ASÄ°M-DER’s presence is the product of a deeper and
darker mentality than mere nationalism. KoptaÅ~_ said: “Gulbey argues
that the existence of Armenian institutions is proof of Turkey’s
freedom and tolerance. So, according to [Gulbey], the activities of
Armenian institutions in Turkey are not acceptable as they pursue
‘demonic’ goals. … This approach, which associates the Armenian
ethnicity directly with hostility and malignity, is a threat to our
national peace.”

KoptaÅ~_ also noted that illegal structures nested within the state
hierarchy in Turkey — referred to as the “deep state” — frequently
resort to anti-minority campaigns to create chaos and achieve their
shady goals. The involvement of such groups was also evident in the
trial regarding Dink’s murder. After a lengthy process, the court
found that the killer and one man who was found guilty of inciting the
shooter to undertake the murder had acted alone, although a large body
of evidence indicated an organized-crime link. The judge who heard the
case later told the media that he was also certain that the two hadn’t
acted alone, but accused the prosecution of failing to prove it
properly.

“Turkey cannot afford a new wave of hostility against its Armenian
citizens,” warned KoptaÅ~_.

ASÄ°M-DER Chairman Gulbey denied the claims that his organization was
“targeting” any groups. He said the lists he tweeted consisted of
publicly disclosed address data about Turkish-Armenian institutions,
saying there are too many in Turkey. “When we said in a press
statement that there are 57 foundations, 21 schools and 15
associations, we were accused of lying and exaggerating numbers.” He
said they had to share the names and address information to refute
these claims.

In response to a question on whether he would feel responsible if an
assault occurred on any of the organizations he publicly tweeted
about, Gulbey didn’t directly respond, but said he wondered if any
Armenian organizations would be upset if he was attacked by an
Armenian radical.

He also said they were “concerned” that these groups were associated
with the Armenian diaspora, admitting that his group’s statements were
only “allegations” with no solid proof.

Several rights groups are preparing to file a criminal complaint
against ASÄ°M-DER with prosecutors this week.

PRESS CONFERENCE OF PACE CO-CHAIRS IN BAKU POSTPONED FOR UNKNOWN REASON

20:18, 28 November, 2012

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS: Co-Chairs of the Monitoring Committee
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Pedro Agramunt
Font de Mora and Joseph Debono Grech, who are currently in Azerbaijan,
have unexpectedly postponed the preplanned press conference. As reports
Armenpress this was stated by PACE office in Baku to “Azatutyun”
radio station. The reason of the decision is still unknown.

It was supposed that during the press conference the results of PACE
Co-Chairs’ visit to Azerbaijan would be announced.

PACE Co-Chairs had have meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev on November 26. “Azertac” reported that during the meeting,
they stressed the importance of achievements in the cooperation
between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe. PACE Co-Chairs had
also have meeting with Baku advocates who reported that the number
of Islamist in jails exeeded the number of “prisoners of conscience”
and political prisoners.

AUSTRIAN MP: EUROPE OWES GENOCIDE RECOGNITION TO ARMENIAN PEOPLE

November 28, 2012 – 17:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – That Azerbaijan harbors a hostile attitude towards
the Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh is nothing new, Austrian MP,
European Parliament member said.

“But the accent of the Azerbaijani President reached a new level of
aggression. In addition I am deeply shocked that the international
interest in the fate of the Armenians is so small and that there were
slightly no reactions to the scandalous incitement of the Azerbaijani
President. Europe still owes the Armenian people the recognition and
the condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. The EU has to quit Turkey’s
status as a candidate country immediately,” Ewald Stadler told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

“Estimated thirty percent of Armenians cannot live in their ancestral
homeland because of the neighbor’s aggressions. Armenia is the first
country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. For this reasons it
is not understandable why the EU and the so called Western Community
of values is indifferent and inactive. The fossil energy sources of
the Caspian Sea seem to be more important than the fact that Armenia
and the EU share the Christian roots and values. Nevertheless, I wish
the Armenian people and especially the people of Nagorno Karabakh a
blessed and peaceful future,” he said.