Author: Nahapetian Samvel

HAYK DEMOYAN: ALIYEV WAS CAUGHT IN A TRAP SET BY AZERI PSEUDO-HISTORIANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.01.2010 19:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On December 30, 2009 Azeri President issued a decree
on setting a monument in memory of Azeri "genocide" victims in the
city of Guba, Armenian Genocide Museum director, Hayk Demoyan said.

As he told a news conference in Yerevan, Aliyev was caught in a trap
set by Azeri pseudo-historians. In reality, mass burial by the city
of Guba is burial grounds of 200 Armenians, banished from Guba and
killed by Azeris in 1918.

At the same time, Demoyan stated that Armenia is ready to fund
independent DNA expertise to prove that bodies buried belong to
Armenians.

THREE YEARS AFTER DINK MURDER, CASE REMAINS UNSOLVED

Asbarez
Jan 19th, 2010

ISTANBUL (Today’s Zaman)-Three years after Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink was fatally shot outside his office by an ultranationalist
teenager, the investigation into his murder has stalled as the
suspected perpetrator and his immediate accomplices have been put on
trial, but those who masterminded the plot to kill him still wait to
be revealed.

While the anniversary of Dink’s murder is being commemorated today
with a series of ceremonies in Turkey and abroad, Dink’s lawyers,
domestic and international rights organizations and activists
express their frustration that the murder investigation has not been
progressing. There is a lengthy list of suspicious irregularities
in the investigation, including deleted records and hidden files
suggestive of an attempted police cover-up.

"Much of the evidence indicates that the murder could have been
prevented," said Deniz Tuna, one of the family lawyers. "We filed
lawsuits indicating that security forces should have been tried
for manslaughter because they caused Dink’s death from negligence,
but they are continuing to be tried only for negligence," she told
Today’s Zaman.

Dink was editor-in-chief of the bilingual Agos daily until he was
killed on Jan. 19, 2007. Lawyers representing the co-plaintiffs in
the Dink trial have long alleged that the murder was the doing of
Ergenekon, a clandestine group charged with plotting to overthrow the
government. In the latest hearing they also petitioned the 14th High
Criminal Court to contact the prosecutors investigating Ergenekon
to request a copy of the documents that describe the organization’s
schemes against religious minorities in Turkey.

At the last hearing of the Dink trial in October of last year
co-plaintiff lawyer Fethiye Cetin stated that Dink’s murder, along
with that of an Italian priest in 2006 and the 2007 slaying of
three Christians in Malatya, was part of an operation carried out
by Ergenekon.

On Saturday, a group known as "The Friends of Hrant" called on people
to participate in a demonstration to be held in front of the Agos
daily headquarters today, the third anniversary of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink’s death.

Cetin also said that the acts of some Ergenekon suspects in turning
Dink into a target for ultranationalists were very "open." She
recalled that when Dink was facing charges under Turkish Penal Code
(TCK) Article 301, which then criminalized "insulting Turkishness,"
some of the people who are in jail now as alleged Ergenekon members
brought crowds of protestors and even attacked Dink and his supporters
as they entered and left the courtroom.

Indeed, this is what co-plaintiff lawyers Cetin and Tuna point out
in their "Third Year Report on Hrant Dink’s Murder," referring to a
devious plan called the Cage Operation Action Plan, which aimed to
intimidate Turkey’s non-Muslims and assassinate prominent figures. The
plan, revealed during the Ergenekon investigation, was allegedly
designed by a group of members of the Naval Forces Command.

Lawyer Tuna said that all the indications point to Dink’s murder being
part of a plan. "There is a willpower and a determination [outside of]
the court, and this is what needs to be exposed," she said.

Asked by Today’s Zaman who could expose it, she said, "the government."

"The security personnel were informed beforehand about the
assassination plot and did not take steps to stop it. They are being
protected by certain authorities in an attempted cover-up. We are
talking about the state’s security forces: the gendarmerie, police
and intelligence agencies. Therefore, it is the government which
is supposed to demonstrate the political will to make progress in
Dink’s murder."

She also explained that an inspection board under the Prime Ministry
had started an investigation in response to a petition by Dink’s wife
in April 2007. The investigation requested that some intelligence and
security forces personnel in Trabzon be investigated, and the board
approved this report at the end of 2008.

"We don’t know the result of the investigation in Trabzon. We requested
to be joint attorneys in those cases but were not allowed," Tuna
said, adding that they were prevented from doing this under Law 4483,
which relates to the judicial process for trying public officials.

"What we need is a government initiative to show the necessary will
in order to solve the problems in Dink’s murder which relate to the
bigger picture," she said.

The report prepared by Tuna and Cetin concluded that it is impossible
to shed light on Dink’s murder using the methods employed thus far.

"As it is impossible to believe that the murder is the work of
three to five youths who have nationalistic feelings, it is also
impossible to believe that an organized structure which has illegal
powers of authority and influence within the intelligence units and
the gendarmerie could have committed the murder by using those youths.

>>From the General Staff to the judiciary, from government spokespeople
to the security units, from the media to paramilitary forces, all
legal and political actors have responsibility in Hrant Dink’s murder,
by not preventing the murder and not exposing the real perpetrators."

FAJR FESTIVAL TO STAGE 20 FOREIGN PLAYS

Tehran Times
Jan 19 2010
Iran

TEHRAN — A total of 20 foreign plays will go on stage at the 28th
Fajr International Theater Festival.

Yong Hee Kim’s "Me, One, Anyone" (South Korea), Stephan Weiland’s
"The Last Seemorgh" (Iran and Germany), Salvatore Tramacere and
Fabrizio Pugliese "Frankenstein" (Italy), Francesco Gandi and Davide
Venturini’s "Butterflies" (Italy) as well as a play from Switzerland
will compete during the event.

Four plays from Czech will also compete during the festival including
"The Table" by the Karbido theater troupe, Jerzy Zon’s "The Scent of
Time" and "Phanto- mysteria" by the Teatr Novogo Fronta theater troupe.

Luiz Andre’s "Almost Nothing" (Brazil), Sultan Usmanov’s "Day Longer
than Night" (Tajikistan) will also go on stage at the competition
section as well as at the Nation’s Theater Section.

The Nation’s Theater Section will also host Cennet Selimova’s "Mashhadi
Ebad" (Azerbaijan), Francesco Dennis’s "Tiny Dreams" (Venezuela),
A. Mambetov’s "Kara-Guz" (Kyrgyzstan), Alvaro Arcos’s "Seven Against
Fever" (Columbia) and a play from Turkey entitled "Gilgamesh".

"And God Said" by Avra Sidiropoulou (Greece), "Mignone" by Anna
Shishkina (Russia), "Spouse Under Control" by Yan Wei (China) and
"Colors" by Tsolak Galstyan (Armenia) will be the honorary guests of
the International Section.

The festival will take place in Tehran from January 22 to 31.

AGBU Europe
131, Rue Stassart,
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 27 62 67 97
Fax: +32 25 02 62 30

Contact: Anush Nazaryan
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +32 2 762 67 07
Web:

EU News from AGBU Europe

Also in this newsletter:

1. Eastern Partnership Year Two: Opportunities for Armenia.

2. EU Council: Turkey Must Step Up the Pace of Reforms… and Ratify the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols

3. Vacancy: Internship at AGBU Europe’s EU office

The Nagorno Karabagh Campaign in short:

‘[The European Parliament] asks the Commission and Mr Semneby to extend
the same kind of aid and information dissemination to Nagorno-Karabakh.’
European Parliament, 17, January, 2008

– The small republic of Nagorno Karabakh suffers from a de-facto EU
boycott.

– The EU should engage with the people of Karabakh, provide humanitarian
assistance, promote confidence-building measures and help prevent war.

– Working with the people of Karabakh is a humanitarian imperative and
serves the interest of peace.

– Nagorno Karabakh Armenians secured their independence after a war,
between 1991 and 1994. An estimated 30 000 died on both sides. 17 years
after the end of the war, the territory’s independence has not been
recognized internationally and its status is still under negotiation.

What you can do:

– Raise the issue with a Member of Parliament, government official, civil
society organization or journalist

– Join the campaign on

facebook: []
http://ap ps.facebook.com/causes/300323

-Visit our campaign homepage at:
[ ]

– Contact us to find out more or help: [mailto:[email protected]]
anazaryan@agbueu rope.org

– More information and resources are available at:
[ arabakh]
o-kharabakh

AGBU Europe Campaign:

Europe Must Support Karabakh and Peace

Nicolas Tavitian

International co-operation and conflict resolution are among the European
Union’s core values. The reconciliation between France and Germany after
World War II is the ultimate reference in conflict transformation, and
served as inspiration for many an attempt at resolving disputes since 1991.

Then, as now, the European institutions combined economic development with
international cooperation to promote understanding between nations. Today,
the EU funds projects everywhere in Europe and in its neighbourhood,
including in conflict areas. It is particularly keen on promoting
cooperation across borders in all regions of Europe, including in the
fractious Balkans, in Cyprus or between Greece and Turkey for instance.
With creditable single-mindedness, the EU has promoted humanitarian or
development assistance in conflict zones.

In conflict areas, the Union also promotes «confidence-building»
initiatives and programmes aimed at supporting the civilian populations who
suffered from conflicts and their aftermath.
In Ossetia and Abkhazia, for instance, millions have been spent on
economic assistance. After the war of August 2008 between Georgia and
Russia, the EU redoubled its support with reconstruction and humanitarian
assistance [1].

In sum, Europe is present everywhere in Europe. Except in Karabakh. Since
the end of the war over the territory, in 1994, the European Union has
accepted no contact with the authorities of Karabakh or with its civil
society, has granted absolutely no humanitarian or economic support to
Karabakh and has authorized no confidence-building measures. The EU’s
special representative for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, has never
been to Karabakh, though he regularly travels to Sukhumi (Abkhazia) and to
Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). Two republics which EU Member States do not
recognize as independent countries any more than they recognize Karabakh.
Since the war, Azerbaijan’s approach has been to blockade Karabakh and
exclude it from negotiations about its own future. But Azerbaijan’s
policy of isolating Karabakh is neither effective nor justifiable. If
Azerbaijan is serious about conflict resolution, it will have to accept to
talk with the leadership of Karabakh proper and to engage in
confidence-building between the societies of Azerbaijan and of Karabakh.

[The] Azerbaijani army and society should be ready to liberate our lands
from occupants any time in every possible way. Heydar Aliyev, President of
Azerbaijan. 25, December, 2009
Yet the EU itself is acting as if it had joined this boycott, in stark
contradiction with its values and practices in almost every other part of
the world.
Isolating Karabakh is an ineffective policy from the point of view of
conflict resolution and reconciliation; it is also immoral. It is now
universally recognized that populations should not be held hostage to
international conflict. It is this logic which has led the Union to provide
support to populations, regardless of their country’s regime. The EU even
funded humanitarian aid in such pariah states as Iraq under Saddam Hussein,
in Myanmar and in North Korea as well as in non recognized states such as
Transnistria, Kosovo and many others.
In stark contrast with EU policy, the USA, for one, do provide
humanitarian aid to projects in Karabakh. The US Congress voted a new
budget of 8 million in December 2009.

The argument in favour of engaging with Karabakh and its society is
overwhelming and AGBU Europe is now running a campaign urging the European
institutions to establish contact with the leadership in Karabakh without
waiting any longer and to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of
Karabakh.

The organisation is also calling upon the EU to promote
confidence-building measures between Armenians in Karabakh and Azeris.
Without such confidence-building measures, the Minsk Group peace
negotiations are unlikely to bring about a lasting peace, regardless of the
skill or imagination of the diplomats involves.
Additionally, in view of the threats of war repeatedly made by the
leadership of Azerbaijan, AGBU also calls upon the European institutions to
consider deploying a presence on the contact line between the Armenian and
Azeri soldiers. This should help prevent the resumption of a war.
AGBU began its work in support of Karabakh at EU level in 2008. The
organisation hosted the first visit by NK representatives to the EU
institutions since 1999. It has also recently had the opportunity to hold a
round table to bring to the attention of EU decision-makers the numerous
instances of destruction of Armenian heritage which have recently taken
place in Azerbaijan.
Raising these concerns has already borne some fruit. The European
Commission organized an informal meeting bringing together representatives
of civil society in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Karabakh and it is currently
studying measures to be set in place to help promote exchanges between
Armenians and Azeris. But much remains to be done and AGBU Europe calls on
all people of goodwill to contribute to disseminating its message to
decision-makers in EU Member States.
Of all "non-recognized" territories in Europe, Karabakh has suffered the
most from a brutal repression, from the war, and from a 17-year blockade.
It deserves the humanitarian support of the European Union and will obtain
it, if its case is made.

1. A complete, official report on the subject is available at:
[ Nov09.doc]
ammes/Nov09.doc

EU Council : Turkey Must Step Up the Pace of Reforms… and Ratify the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols

In December 2009, the EU Council of Ministers adopted its annual statement
on EU enlargement, covering accession negotiations with Turkey.
While recognizing some progress, the Council also expressed concern about
the pace of reform and "invited Turkey to step up the pace of reforms and
to implement measures which have been started." The Council insisted that
"further efforts to ensure that Turkey fully meets the Copenhagen criteria
are required in a number of areas including freedom of expression, freedom
of the press, freedom of religion in law and in practice for all religious
communities, respect for property rights, trade union rights, rights of
persons belonging to minorities, civilian oversight of the military and
women’s and children’s rights, anti-discrimination and gender equality."

The Council also "welcomes the significant diplomatic efforts made [by
Turkey] to normalise relations with Armenia, resulting in the historic
signature of protocols for the normalisation of relations in October 2009.
It looks forward to the ratification and implementation of the protocols as
soon as possible."

The Commission report which informs this resolution provides an
instructive catalogue of Turkey’s shortcomings from the point of view of
EU law and practice.

In connection with Turkey’s treatment of Armenians, it refers to the
judicial system’s shortcomings in the context of the trial of the
assassins of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink; to remaining restrictions on
freedom of expression in Turkey, but also to the public apology by Turkish
intellectuals for what they called the "Great Catastrophe" (the 1915
Armenian Genocide); to discrimination against Christians in the courts and
to the reform of the law on (non-Muslim) foundations, to continuing
restrictions on the property rights of Christians, and more.

For further information:

–
[ docs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/genaff/111830.pdf]
8/12/2009 Council Conclusions

–
[ ess_corner/key-documents/reports_oct_2009_en.htm]
EC report on Turkey’s Progress Towards Accession

–
[ getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2009-0134+0+ DOC+XML+V0//EN]
The European Parliament’s resolution on Turkey’s Progress Towards
Accession

Eastern Partnership Year Two: Opportunities for Armenia On their last
Summit in 2009, on December 11, EU leaders celebrated the Eastern
Partnership, launched in May 2009, and `noted with satisfaction all the
recent steps and initiatives taken to strengthen and deepen the relations
between the EU and the Partners’.

The EaP is without a question a step forward in Armenia’s integration
into the European project and provides a number of new and significant
opportunities. The EU is considering an Association Agreement with Armenia.
This is also of practical importance, not least before this particular
agreement if successfully concluded, should establish free trade between
Armenia and European Union and bring Armenia fully into the European
economic sphere, the world’s largest economic block. The prospect of an
association agreement is also symbolically important, as an association
agreement can be a preliminary to EU accession.
Negotiations to make travelling to EU countries easier for Armenian
citizens are also on the cards, a welcome step, as current visa
requirements and procedures remain a hindrance to cooperation and
exchanges.
At a meeting with European Association working with European Commission
on the EaP, AGBU Europe expressed their support for the EaP and its
objectives. AGBU Europe also offered its support to the European Commission
in a recent letter signed jointly by seven European civil society
organizations in contributing to public involvement in the policy’s
development.
The overall purpose of the Eastern Partnership is to enhance cooperation
with the countries of the EU’s Eastern neighborhood – Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The policy was developed
following an initial proposal from Poland and Sweden.

The countries of the Eastern Partnership are strategically important for
the EU and improving their political and economic situation is a one of the
project’s priorities. The policy therefore envisages assistance to
domestic reforms and state-building in the six countries concerned,
reinforced relations through the negotiation of bilateral agreements and a
new multilateral framework of dialogue between EU and participating
countries aiming to develop common initiatives. Four `platforms’ bring
all 6 countries to work together on the following aspects:

1. Democracy, good governance and stability;

2. Economic integration and convergence with EU sectoral policies;

3. Energy security

4. Contacts between people.
The EaP, like the ENP before it, is not officially a step towards EU
membership, but it is an important platform for institutional integration
and a step towards membership prospects.
Armenia in particular welcomed the initiative, which it considers an
important step for establishing closer cooperation with its neighbours and
with the EU. Among other benefits the EaP will provide an opportunity to
strengthen the EU’s contribution to political, economic, legislative
reforms in Armenia.
In addition to cooperation at governmental level the EaP’s multilateral
framework promotes the active participation of civil society in
policy-making and implementation. A special Civil Society Forum first
assembled in November 2009 in Brussels and Parliamentary Assembly will
accompany the process.

The EaP’s official website is:

[ rn]

/index_en.htm

Traineeship in AGBU Europe, EU Office
The AGBU Europe EU office is seeking a trainee to support its
communication activities. The duration of the traineeship is between 3 and
5 months.

Main responsibilities:

– To update the data-base of contacts of the organization

– Correspondance and networking

– Assist with the logistical assignments for events organization

-Support working cooperatively with other organizations

-To support the coordinator of the organization’s EU office with
administrative work
Required qualifications:

– He/she should preferably be a last year student or graduate of political
science, international relations or any other field relevant to the work
assignments of the organization

– Good command of written and spoken English is necessary

– Dynamic person, good team player and with strong sense of
responsibility
We offer the opportunity to play a part in a dynamic organization, work
with challenging issu es and gain experience of public affairs with the EU.

Deadline for application: 5, February, 2010

Period of internship: 3- 5 months

Interviews: 18-19, February, 2010

Starting date: 1, March, 2010

Remuneration : a stipend to cover livingexpenses in Brussels

Please send a motivation letter and your CV attached to the following

email: [mailto:[email protected]] [email protected]

As an independent, non governmental organization AGBU Europe is dependent
on the involvement of all those who share its purpose and objectives. Help,
donations and feedback are always welcome. Please contact :

Anush Nazaryan

131, rue de Stassart,
Brussels,Belgium

[mailto:anazaryan@agbu europe.org] [email protected] Tel: :+32 27
62 67 97

131,rue Stassart,1050,Brussels,Belgium.T:+32 27 62 67 97,F:+32 25 02 62
30,E:[email protected],W:agbueurope.org
T his message was sent by: Anush Nazaryan, 131, Stassart street, Brussels, Brussels 1050, Belgium

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Hespèrion XXI: Istanbul
By David Honigmann

FT
January 16 2010 00:13

Hespèrion XXI
Istanbul
Alia Vox

A few centuries later, Dimitrie Cantemir could have been a world music
pioneer. As it was, born in 1673, he had to settle for being Prince of
Moldavia. But while in Istanbul, as diplomat-cum-hostage, he learned
and composed for the tanbur, the long-necked Islamic lute.

His music, mingled with Sephardic songs collected by Isaac Levy and
heartbroken Armenian duduk, is the centrepiece of a new album by the
tireless Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI. Like their previous
celebration of Jerusalem, it revels in the meeting of the Abrahamic
faiths.

news.am, Armenia
Jan 15 2010

If RA NA fails to make reservations, it will mean non-compliance with
CC judgment: Minasyan

15:28 / 01/15/2010Prior to RA CC judgment, ARFD set its immediate and
ultimate goals. The latter was having RA CC to make a decision on
Protocols’ non-conformity to the Constitution, which however did not
happen, ARFD faction member Artsvik Minasyan said today. The immediate
one was a CC decision giving opportunity to have the Protocols’
ratified in NA with reservations. `In here we succeeded,’ the MP said
adding that one of CC judgment positive aspects is carry on with
Genocide issue, as well as current border not to be taken as final.

`However these legal evaluations will be taken as a basis only in case
of becoming an integral part to the Protocols, which is possible only
if the Protocols are accepted with reservations,’ Minasyan stated.

He reckons that only in this case Armenians abroad can refer to CC’s judgment.

The MP dissented the opinion that there is no right of making
reservations in international bilateral documents, recalling an
Armenian-Danish agreement, which Armenia side ratified with
reservations.

`If RA NA fails to make those reservations it will mean that it does
not comply with CC judgment’, Minasyan concluded.

S.T.

26 AUDIT ORGANIZATIONS AND 8 PRIVATE AUDITORS HAD LICENSES IN ARMENIA AS OF 1 JANUARY 2010

Noyan Tapan
Jan 15, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Ministry of Finance granted 13
audit licenses in 2009. In the same period 10 licences were revoked,
6 licenses were suspended, decisions on suspension of 7 licenses
were cancelled.

Fines of 1,352,900 drams were imposed on auditors in 2009.

State duty collection from the sector amounted to 7,630,300 drams
in 2009, including 7,303,800 drams paid by audit organizations and
326,500 drams paid by private auditors.

Last year the ministry conducted 8 qualifying examinations for
auditors, as a result of which 29 applicants received an auditor’s
qualification certificate.

The Information and PR Unit of the Ministry of Finance reports that
as of 1 January 2010, there were 26 licensed audit organizations and 8
licensed auditors in Armenia, 115 auditor’s qualification certificates
were valid.

WILL AZERI GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING TEAM PARTICIPATE IN WORLD CUP DUE IN YEREVAN?

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.01.2010 19:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On February 12-14, Yerevan will host Greco-Roman
Wrestling World Cup.

As RA Greco-Roman Wrestling Federation Secretary General Bazmaser
Arakelyan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the federation has already
launched preparations for the event.

8 top teams will rival in Greco-Roman Wrestling World Cup. These
include teams from Armenia, Russia, Cuba, Georgia, Iran, Hungary,
Turkey and Azerbaijan.

According to Federation Secretary General, next week Azeri team will
inform as to their arrival to participate in the championship. "The
reply will decide whether Armenian team will participate in European
Championship due in Azerbaijan in April," he noted.

In 2009, Armenian Greco-Roman Wrestling team won the 3rd place at
World Cup. Teams from Russia, France, Armenia, Cuba, Kazakhstan,
Hungary, China and Azerbaijan participated, with Russia winning gold
at the championship.

Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practiced
worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896
and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held
since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three
two-minute periods, which can be terminated early by a pinfall. This
style of wrestling forbids holds below the waist which is the major
difference between it and Freestyle wrestling, the other form of
wrestling at the Olympics. This restriction results in an emphasis
on throws, since a wrestler cannot use trips to take an opponent to
the ground or avoid throws by hooking or grabbing their opponent’s leg.

Arm drags, bear hugs, and headlocks found in Freestyle have greater
prominence in Greco-Roman and throws especially known as a suplex
are used, in which the offensive wrestler lifts his opponent in
a high arch while falling backward on his own neck to a bridge in
order to bring his opponent’s shoulders down to the mat. Even on the
mat, a Greco-Roman wrestler must still find several ways to turn his
opponent’s shoulders to the mat for a fall without legs, including (but
not limited to) techniques known as the bodylock and the gut-wrench.

According to the International Federation of Associated Wrestling
Styles (FILA), Greco-Roman wrestling is one of the six main forms of
amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today.

RPA CONSIDERS FREEDOM HOUSE REPORT ON ARMENIA BIASED

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.01.2010 19:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The report of Freedom House Washington-based research
institute, stating that no positive changes were registered in Armenia
over the last 8 years, is unacceptable to me. I consider the report
biased, RPA parliamentary group secretary Eduard Sharmazanov said.

As he told a news conference in Yerevan, organization like Freedom
House, which used to speak in support of USA’s military intervention
to Vietnam, is incapable of providing a non-biased report. "I do not
think everything is ideal in Armenia, but still disagree with Freedom
House-provided assessment regarding our country," RPA parliamentary
group secretary emphasized.

The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political
party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent
Armenia to be founded (2 April 1990) and registered (14 May 1991). It
is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have
140,000 members. The party controls most government bodies in Armenia.

At the 2003 parliamentary elections on May 25, the party received
23.5% of the popular vote, winning 31 out of 131 seats. At the last
parliamentary elections on May 12, 2007, the party received 33.91%
of the popular vote, winning 64 out of 131 seats. The former prime
minister, Andranik Markaryan, was the leader of the party. Current
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is the chairman of RPA board.

ISRAEL SNUBS TURKISH AMBASSADOR OVER CRITICISM, MAKING HIM SIT ON A LOW SOFA
By Amy Teibel (CP)

The Canadian Press
Jan 12 2010

JERUSALEM — Israel publicly snubbed Turkey’s ambassador over his
country’s persistent criticism of the Jewish state, with a government
official refusing to shake the envoy’s hand and making him sit on a
lower seat at a meeting.

Turkey’s ties with Israel have been strained by Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s fierce criticism of the Jewish state’s use of
force against Palestinians.

On Monday evening, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon
summoned the Turkish ambassador to criticize a Turkish television
drama depicting Israeli security forces as kidnapping children and
shooting old men. Another show broadcast last year also portrayed
Israeli security forces as brutal.

As the meeting started, Ayalon told cameramen the ambassador was
pointedly seated on a sofa lower than his own chair. He also noted
there was no Turkish flag on display and that Israeli officials
weren’t smiling.

Asked before the meeting whether he would shake hands with Ambassador
Ahmed Oguz Celikkol, he replied, "No. That’s the point."

For years Israel’s isolation in the overwhelmingly Arab Mideast had
been eased by good ties with predominantly Muslim Turkey. In 2008,
it mediated several rounds of indirect talks between Israel and Syria.

But the alliance began to fray after Israel’s three-week military
offensive in the Gaza Strip early last year.

Erdogan, who heads an Islamist-oriented government, set off the latest
round of acrimony by accusing Israel of being a threat to world peace
and using disproportionate force in the Gaza war. The operation was
launched against Gaza militants, but hundreds of Palestinian civilians
were among the more than 1,400 dead.

"We can never remain silent in the face of Israel’s attitude. … It
has disproportionate power and it is using that at will, while refusing
to abide by U.N. resolutions," Erdogan said in Ankara Monday at a
joint news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Israel lashed back by insisting it had "the full right" to protect
itself against Islamic Hamas militants in Gaza, which had bombarded
Israel with thousands of rockets for years before the offensive,
and against Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas who struck Israel with
4,000 rockets during their 2006 war.

"The Turks should be the last to preach morality," Israel’s Foreign
Ministry said in a statement late Monday, an apparent reference to
Turkey’s past conduct against Armenians, Kurds and Greek Cypriots.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected that criticism, saying Turkey
has always been a friend to Jews.

"Deep-rooted relations between Turks and Jews that precede the
establishment of the Israeli state and the general structure of
our relations give us the responsibility to make such warnings and
criticism," it said in a statement.

Because Israel is so concerned about the deteriorating ties with
Turkey, there was much criticism Tuesday of Ayalon’s blunt conduct.

Cabinet Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer of the Labor Party, who has
been trying to repair ties, called it "uncalled for" and "humiliating."

Speaking to Army Radio, Ayalon refused to apologize. "It’s the Turks
who need to apologize," for both Erdogan’s remarks and the TV shows,
he said.

The Turks summoned Israel’s ambassador Gabriel Levy on Tuesday "to
express unease and seek explanation," Turkey’s state-run Anatolia
news agency said.

Turkey’s public fury with Israel peaked a year ago at the World
Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, where Erdogan
stormed off a stage he shared with Israeli President Shimon Peres,
after telling him, "you kill people."

Turkey later scrapped a military exercise involving Israel. Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out Turkey’s resuming its
role as mediator in Israel-Syria talks, which broke down with little
tangible progress after the Gaza war.