Author: Kanayan Tamar

THE HEADS OF VILLAGE COMMUNITIES OF ARMENIAN TAVUSH REGION ARE CONCERNED BY AZERBAIJANI ACTIVITIES

ARMENPRESS
25 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS: Field assistants of personal
representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk
Antal Herdic and Irji Aberle on July 25 met the leaders of Aigepar,
Nerkin Karmraghbiur and Movses communities of Armenian Tavush region.

Armenpress reports that the heads of communities introduced to field
assistants the situation in their communities, spoke about cases of
cease-fire regime violation and other issues.

Head of Nerkin Karmraghbiur community Manvel Kamendatyan mentioned
that in reality there are many problems in border villages as the
peaceful population has appeared in frontline. Especially during the
last year the main vector of the opponent has declined to peaceful
population in result of which there are victims and wounded people.

“They say the snake does not harm sleeping person and Azerbaijanis
shoot at peaceful citizens who work in hteir farms, shoot even on
kindergartens” said Kamendatyan. He also added that “Armenians are
Christian nation, does not want war, but are not afraid of it”.

Head of Movses community Ludwig Aperyan paid the attention of
representatives of international institutions to the fact that there
is not a day without shooting by the opponent. “The situation is
so tensioned that the population can not work in their farms or to
gather the harvest as there is not a guarantee that the opponent will
not shoot at tem” he mentioned.

Head of Aigepar community Andranik Aidinyan stressed that during
previous months the shootings became more frequent. “People are
not safe even in their houses though they closed their windows by
stones but are afraid that the bullet can penetrate inside the house”
said Aidinyan.

LES EXCUSES D’HURRIYET
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mercredi 25 juillet 2012

Le redacteur en chef du journal Hurriyet a presente des excuses a ses
lecteurs pour avoir attribue, dans un article, la nationalite italienne
a Sarkis Balyan (1831-1899), l’architecte concepteur du Palais et de
la mosquee de Yldiz commandes par Abdul Hamid II, inaugures en 1886.

Le 24 juillet, le journaliste apportait la rectification avec ses
excuses, precisant que Sarkis Balyan n’etait pas italien, mais
armenien.

Balyan fait partie d’une longue dynastie d’architectes et d’artistes
armeniens qui ont faconne l’aspect de Constantinople aux 18 et
19èmes siècles.

Le Sultan Abdul Aziz avait decerne plusieurs medailles d’honneur a
ces createurs. L’un des plus celèbres etant sans conteste Mimar Sinan,
architecte imperial (1489-1588).

Photo prise avant 1895 par le Studio photo des frères Abdullah,
Vicken, Hovsep et Kevork.

voir d’autres photos :

?q=Abdullah%20Freres&co=cph

CHANGES IN TURKEY’S BORDERS?
by MURAT YETKÄ°N

Hurriyet
July 26 2012
Turkey

The fact that some Syrian border posts are no longer controlled by
troops loyal to Bashar al-Assad but by Syrian Kurdish rebel groups, and
that Kurdish flags have been raised in some Syrian border towns with
Kurdish populations, has seriously disturbed the Turkish government.

One group in particular has attracted Turkey’s attention, the
well-organized Democratic Union Party (PYD), which according to
spokespersons “shares the same ideology” with the Kurdistan Workers’
Party (PKK). The PKK has been waging an armed campaign against Turkey
for the last three decades, claiming more than forty thousand lives
to date.

Concern about the rise of the PYD caused Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
to convene an emergency meeting in Ankara with his top security and
foreign policy team members. Another matter of concern to Ankara
was the fact that some of the Syrian Kurdish militants in Syria have
been sheltered and trained by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)
in Iraq, while the KRG’s leader Masoud Barzani has promised Erdogan
that he will convince the PKK (based in his territory) to give up
its “armed struggle” against Turkey. The government is going to take
some “additional measures” against the PKK presence along the Turkish
borders with Syria and Iraq, according to a statement issued following
the meeting.

Turkey’s border with Iraq was settled in an agreement with the United
Kingdom when it was the mandatory power there, following a serious of
Kurdish uprisings (supposedly assisted by British-backed agitators)
in 1926, three years after the regime change in Turkey from Sultanate
to Republic. The border with Syria was settled when the people of
the border province of Hatay voted to be a part of Turkey rather than
remain with the newly founded Syria under French mandate in 1938.

Actually, the territories of the failing Turkish Empire under the
Ottoman dynasty almost a century ago were “shared” among Britain,
France and Czarist Russia, via a secret agreement to the Sykes-Picot
plan of 1916, which was then exposed in the Brest-Litovsk peace
agreement in 1918 by the Soviet leadership who seized power in Russia
through the Bolshevik revolution of 1917.

Another wave of border changes came about with the collapse of
the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Some were peaceful, like the
reunification of Germany and the “Velvet Divorce” that gave birth
to the Czech and Slovak Republics. But Yugoslavia was split into six
parts via a human disaster that has not come to an end even today.

Borders in the Caucasus are also not in a stable condition yet, with
ongoing disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia and Russia and Georgia.

Following the instability of borders in regions northwest and northeast
of Turkey, now the Arab Spring has caused instabilities on Turkey’s
southern and southeastern borders, which consist mostly of straight
lines drawn in the sand by Mr. Sykes and Mr. Picot according to
their strategic value as determined by energy resources. As the
territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq is in greater jeopardy with
every passing day, the borders become more unstable and the Kurds
arise as independent actors in regional politics.

Yet there are three countries in the region which have the capability
to expand, rather than shrink: Israel, Iran and Turkey. There are
already political and economic actors trying to push Turkey to claim
some energy-rich parts of Iraq and Syria, which would mean a regime
change such as a federated Turkey, with Kurdish and possibly Arabic
members. But Ankara instinctively resists the idea of border changes,
which could drag the whole region into a chain reaction of wars. The
region is heading towards a dangerously unstable phase because of
the civil war in Syria.

SYRIA: HOMS: SECTARIANISM LEBANESE WAR STYLE

Muslim News

July 25 2012

Homs governorate, the largest geographical region in Syria, is now the
biggest arena for sectarianism and extremism, exacerbated by all sides
in the crisis: the Syrian regime, religious extremists, and warlords.

The city, whose citizens have coexisted for thousands of years,
is exploding along sectarian lines.

Developments there demonstrate a turning point towards a bleak future.

Despite all the analysis and slogans about a united Syrian people,
the reality on the ground is starkly different.

Diving into the details of the carnage in Homs, residents explain
the geographical distribution of the city and the different Alawi,
Sunni, and Christian districts.

The neighborhoods of al-Zahraa and al-Nuzha are home to two of the
biggest Alawi communities, after the mixed al-Muhajirin neighborhood
and the Armenian quarter.

Bustan al-Diwan and Wadi al-Masihiya are strictly non-Armenian
Christian quarters, in addition to al-Waer, al-Qusur, and al-Hamidiya,
which are considered to be some of the most populated areas.

As are the predominantly Sunni Bab al-Sebaa, Baba Amr, al-Khalidiya,
and Deir Balaa.

These Sunni districts have been emptied of their inhabitants, who fled
to other governorates due to the military operations conducted there.

Homs has been divided into two. One section was completely destroyed.

The other is full of life. Its markets carry all the basic commodities
needed for daily life.

But tension is rife between the different neighborhoods, which identify
themselves based on the religion of their inhabitants.

Sectarian animosity will likely be deeply ingrained for years to come.

There are those who now have but one dream – to eradicate those from
the other neighborhoods.

The problem has reached a crisis point: killings, the disfiguring of
corpses, and kidnappings.

The regime has remained silent over many cases of what it had called
security violations and mistakes, and this has made things even worse.

Many in Homs interpreted this to mean tacit support for such crimes.

Voices opposing and condemning the sectarian attacks were faint,
and sometimes led to encouraging religious zeal instead of reducing it.

Most of those wounded in the battles are now insisting on killing
and revenge, in a language replete with sectarian anger.

Nevertheless, voices of reason are not absent from Homs. Sunni
and Alawi activists have brought some people back to the grey area
at least.

During the sectarian battles, which in some cases reached the level
of massacres, the regime sometimes did not even issue a statement of
condemnation. They calmed peoples nerves and tried to convince them
that what had happened was a sectarian trap.

But at the same time, the media machines of the regime and some
opposition groups insist on promoting armed gangs who come to
exterminate people from the opposing sect.

Some activists are still defending the actions of the Free Syrian Army,
which is attacking Alawi neighborhoods with mortar shells.

They claim it is merely a reaction meant to terrorise the regime and
is a small response to the regime’s atrocities.

Neither side will rest without a radical solution to the crisis. The
majority Sunnis, who are in the opposition, believe the solution is in
the overthrow of the regime and the dissolution of the security forces.

The other side sees the solution in the elimination of armed gangs.

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition

RUSSIAN IMPERIALISM IN THE OLYMPIC APPLICATION

Experts’ club

July 25 2012
Georgia

Russia does not conceal its intention to annex territories of
neighbouring states. It has eyes not just on occupied Georgian
territories, but also on Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Russian athlete
list for the London Olympics 2012 has South Ossetia, Armenia, Baku,
and Gudauta all referred to as Russia.

On the official website of Olympic Games in London –
, where the files of athletes participating in the
Olympics are placed, mentions birthplace of the Russian national team
member Besik Kudukhov as “South Ossetia”, of Dennis Tsargush – as
Gudauta, Misha Aloyan – Armenian region and David Hayrapetyan – Baku.

This would not have been surprising if not for a note common to all
indicating that all these cities and regions is Russia.

The Georgian side has already responded to this fact. The National
Olympic Committee of Georgia sent a special letter to organizers of
the event, which points to the mistake. The Georgian Foreign Ministry
also reacted to this fact. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Tornike
Gordadze, before sending a protest note they should clarify what is
meant by this designation and whether it was a mistake on purpose.

RUSSIAN, ARMENIAN POLICE AGREE TO EXCHANGE REFORMS EXPERIENCE

Interfax
July 24 2012
Russia

The Russian Interior Ministry and the Armenian police will be
exchanging experience in their reforms, Russian Interior Minister
Vladimir Kolokoltsev said.

“We have agreed to exchange experience in reforming our agencies. Both
Russia and Armenia are conducting these measures. And our goal is the
same: to create a highly professional, authoritative law enforcement
structure that is trusted by the public,” Kolokoltsev told reporters
after a joint meeting of the two countries’ senior police officers.

“In my view, exchange of information in this sphere will help avoid
mistakes and ill-considered steps,” the Russian interior minister said.

SPEAKER PRAISES HIGH LEVEL OF PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

ITAR-TASS
July 24, 2012 Tuesday 02:29 PM GMT+4
Russia

Visiting Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergei Naryshkin praised
a high level of Russo-Armenian parliamentary cooperation at a meeting
with the leadership of the Armenian National Assembly on Tuesday.

Sergei Naryshkin heads a delegation of the State Duma which arrived
in Armenia on an official visit.

Naryshkin drew attention to the coincidence of the positions of Russian
and Armenian parliamentarians which they demonstrate on international
venues – the CIS Parliamentary Assembly, the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), Council of Europe. ” We often coordinate
our positions,” Naryshkin stressed.

Russia is prepared to continue to be a mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement, Naryshkin declared in a separate statement at a meeting
with representatives of the Armenian science held at Armenian Academy
of Sciences on Tuesday. The Duma speaker stressed it was important
to pool maximum efforts to reach settlement of the Nagorno-Karbach
conflict – one of the most difficult conflicts continuing for a long
time, he noted.

Mediatory efforts made by Russia and other co-chairmen of the Minsk
Group are aimed at overcoming the existing differences between the
parties involved in the conflict who should take a first serious step
to meet each other, Naryshkin said.

Russia hopes that in the near future positive steps would be made in
the process of negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh, Naryshkin stressed.

“Russia is prepared to continue its assistance as a mediator to reach
a mutually acceptable political settlement of the bloody conflict,”
Naryshkin declared.

ARMENIAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIST PROVES HARM FROM DIM LIGHT

news.am
July 25, 2012 | 20:46

The habit to watch TV or work on computer at night without switching on
the light may lead to depression, the Ohio State University researchers
claim, MEDdaily.ru reports.

The researchers checked the effect of dim light at the hamsters.

During the research, the focus group stayed for 8 hours in darkness
and for 16 hours in day light. At the same time, the second group has
lived for four weeks with day light for 16 hours, while with dim light
at nights. The outcome claimed that the animals of the second group
became less active in day time and they showed signs of depression.

Later the animals were returned to normal regime and in two weeks
their situation improved, RIA Novosti reports.

Researcher Tracy Bedrossian believes the fact that people do not sleep
in darkness has a negative impact on the statistics of prevalence
of depression.

RESPONSE TO ACTIVISTS’ SENTENCING: OPPOSITIONISTS SAYS RULING REGIME “FEELS THREATENED”
By Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow reporter
24.07.12 | 12:40

Kentron and Nor Marash district court in Yerevan has sentenced the
four young activists of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) who
clashed with police last year at the Swan Lake in downtown Yerevan
to between two and six years in prison.

Tigran Arakelian, a leader of the HAK’s youth wing, who has been in
jail since August 9, 2011, has received the longest prison sentence –
6 years – for hooliganism and assault against police officers applying
life- or health-threatening and non-threatening violence.

Another defendant in the same case Artak Karapetyan was charged with
hooliganism and non life-threatening assault against an authority
representative and sentenced to three years. The other two – Sargis
Gevorgyan and Davit Kiramjyan – were charged with hooliganism sentenced
t two years in prison.

During the trial Gevorgyan stated that their conviction is a message
to citizens of Armenia saying that they will be punished whether
guilty of committing a crime or not, if they go against the regime.

“If someone hears these charges I am sure many people will be shocked
to know that, for example, while reporting a policeman’s illegality
you can get convicted by the same policeman’s testimony. Hence, we are
calling upon people to be even more active and report illegalities
of the police and cover them in press, which, I believe, can become
a preventive measure at least to some extent,” he said.

Kiramjyan spoke, too, saying that the verdict is too strict, because
none of them is guilty of criminally punishable activities.

“The prosecutor [Hakob Martirosyan] is trying to create an impression
that a just system has been established in Armenia and each is treated
in accordance with their deeds. But even in that case all of us should
have received the same sentence, if this were fair justice. If the
prosecutor were fair rather than corrupt and chained by those bribes,
if this trial was fair there wouldn’t be claims and reproof now,”
he said.

The ANC has released a statement in this connection, saying in part:
“The regime feels threatened by the activity build-up among civil
society, and the vivid proof of that is the public outrage in response
to Vahe Avetyan’s murder at Harsnakar. Among the active participants
of that public protest were some of the detained activists who were
later released.”

The statement also says that prior to the forthcoming presidential
run the authorities’ goal is to put psychological pressure on free
young people standing up for their rights, as well as other citizens
to keep them from fighting against this administration.

ANC faction member Nikol Pashinyan believes the conviction of his
party activists is clearly political persecution.

“The ultimate purpose of it is to terrorize ANC and civil movement
activists prior to the presidential elections. By this verdict Serzh
Sargsyan did not say anything new, by this verdict Serzh Sargsyan
and his criminal administration continue ruling over Armenia,” he
said adding that within a month they will be appealing the case at
the Court of Appeal.

Helsinki Citizens Association Vanadzor office has demanded an end
to ANC activists’ persecution, saying instead to start investigating
the violence applied by the police against the activists.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES RUSSIAN INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER

news.am
July 24, 2012 | 20:41

YEREVAN. – President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received on Tuesday
a delegation headed by the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs
Vladimir Kolokoltsev.

The sides stated that the high level of political dialogue and
military partnership between Armenia and Russia serve as a strong
base to develop and deepen cooperation in all fields and on various
levels, including the law enforcement agencies, presidential press
service informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Russian Internal Minister and his Armenian counterpart, Chief of Police
Vladimir Gasparyan presented to the President the cooperation outcome
and future plans between the law enforcement agencies of both states.