Author: Nahapetian Samvel

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio, President Serzh Sargsyan visited today Armenia’s Public Radio Company.

First, the President of Armenia familiarized with the activities of the Mass Media scientific and educational center whose main goal is to train high-level professionals for the TV and Radio. Later, at the Alley of Devotees of the Public Radio he was present at the unveiling of the personal plagues for the RA People’s Artists Nara Shlepchian and Ruben Matevossian as well as at the opening of the memorial dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio and 60th anniversary of the Armenian TV.

Accompanied by the leadership of the Council of the TV and Radio Company, the President visited the air studio where the digital production of the Public Radio was launched. According to the responsible officials, Public Radio from now on will be available on the entire territory of Armenia for any modern digital TV.

Serzh Sargsyan familiarized with the policy for the new season of the Public Radio, with the schedule of the programs aired on September 1 and the reviewed schedule which according to the administration of the Radio Company has been augmented with over 20 new political, social, health care related, economic and other programs. It will also provide for a feedback from the audience, offer social programs, and will be mostly society oriented.

The Executive Director of the Public Radio briefly presented to Serzh Sargsyan works carried out at the Radio, existing conditions, including renovation and reconstruction works at the Radio building which started in 2013 and development works at the adjacent territories.

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio, President Sargsyan awarded a group of employees with medals and letters of commendation as well as honorary titles for their contribution to the area of culture and journalism, for the years-long and diligent work.

The President handed the awards, congratulated on the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio and on receiving high awards. “This is one of those jubilees when congratulations go to us all. Certainly, for long years the State Radio as the second, inner voice was waking us up every morning, charging us, infusing with good spirit and sending out for work or studies, also was informing us on the events happening in the world, was educating us, presenting to us the treasures of the Armenian and world literature and music. Today too, in the widespread din and hubbub the voice of the Public Radio is nicely discernible. And as a radio listener, I was delighted to learn that the Public Radio is back to people’s homes, that the Public Radio will be available to this time in a digital voice, much clearer. You know, there are at least two great forges at the Alec Manukian Street: One of them is the State University – for the science and education, and the second one is the Public Radio – for the journalists. It was very nice to see at the Mass Media center that new and good conditions have been created to train new cadre; it is also very nice and symbolic that every morning our students, walking down the Alley of Devotees, will be inspired by their example and will ensure the continuity of our journalism.

Personally knowing the people, who have dedicated themselves to the development of the Public Radio, I am confident that using modern technologies, new methods, we will undoubtedly be able to preserve and uphold our traditions. I once again congratulate you all and wish every success,” said President Sargsyan at the festive event dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Armenia’s Public Radio.

Photo: AP

 

Swiss prosecutors are investigating German football legend Franz Beckenbauer as part of a corruption inquiry, the BBC reports.

In March, football’s world governing body Fifa began looking into six men for their part in Germany winning the rights to host the 2006 World Cup.

Swiss prosecutors now say they have launched their own investigations, linked to that of Fifa.

Mr Beckenbauer, who headed Germany’s bid, has denied corruption.

Last October, he said he had made a “mistake” in the bidding process to host the competition but denied votes had been bought.

Germany beat South Africa 12-11 in the vote, which took place in July 2000.

Germany’s Spiegel magazine reported on Thursday that the investigation centred on payments made from 2002-2005 that added up to more than 10m Swiss francs (£7.7m; $10.2m).

Further details are expected to be released by Switzerland’s attorney-general later on Thursday.

It is not yet known how many football officials are being investigated in Switzerland.

By Harut Sassounian
The California Courier

On July 13, two days before the coup attempt in Turkey, Professor Halil Berktay of Istanbul’s Sabanci University answered six written questions on the Armenian Genocide posed by El Pais, Spain’s largest newspaper. But when El Pais did not publish his answers, Dr. Berktay decided on August 15 to post his interview on a Turkish website, Serbestiyet, under the title: “With or without the coup, genocide was and is genocide.”

Berktay, a liberal Turkish scholar, told El Pais that he has repeatedly recognized the Armenian Genocide ever since 2002. He described the genocide as “the near-complete extermination and annihilation of Ottoman Armenians,” acknowledged that for his honest views on the Armenian Genocide, “especially before 2002, and even afterwards (though no longer by the government), there has been a huge amount  of informal, extra-legal pressure, blackmail, threats or other forms of psychological terror brought to bear on people like me, which I and others have all had to face.”

Answering a question from El Pais: “why does Turkey refuse to review the past?” Dr. Berktay responded: “Back in the 1980’s and 90’s… the denialism of the past was based on ancestor worship or ideological allegiance to Unionism and Ataturkism. What had happened to the Armenians in 1915 was seen as a black blot for Turkish nationalism. Also, while it was not committed by or under the Kemalist Republic, because the Republic had ended up inheriting the mantle of a territory ethnically cleansed of the Armenians, it was in the nature of an inadmissible impurity for the desired lily-white legitimacy of the Kemalist Revolution. So a taboo was placed on it; it became part of the unmentionable and undiscussable. Here and there a few academics, mostly living and working abroad, did speak up. They were lonely voices in the wilderness.” Berktay then added: beginning in 2000, “things began to change,” with an increasing number of Turkish scholars speaking out on the Armenian Genocide.

The most interesting part of Bertkay’s interview is his stated reason for the Turkish government’s reluctance to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide: “It may be that the Turkish government does not know what might happen if it were to go ahead and say yes, it was genocide. What would Armenia likely do or demand? Is it going to ask for material compensation, or even land? That is what the Dashnaks as radical Armenian nationalists have been saying all along: Three R’s, as they put it, Recognition, Reparation, Restitution (of land). Certainly the last is something that no Turkish government can possibly ever concede. It is very likely, therefore, that before they take any further step, they would like Armenia to show its hand. Conversely, as long as Armenia keeps its cards close to its chest, recognizing the genocide as genocide will have to wait.”

A careful reading of the Professor’s above statement indicates that he finds the return of lands to Armenia by Turkey not possible, but does not rule out reparations. In my view, while Armenians rightly claim their historic lands, they are willing to accept reparations as an initial step.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Berktay’s answers is his explanation of Turkey’s reasons for refusal to face its sordid past: “Faced with the peculiar challenge of recognizing the Armenian genocide, large sections of the Turkish public as well as the AKP keep asking, and will keep asking: Why us? And why only us? Are all nations being asked to atone for their past equally stringently? Or is it just Turkey? Meanwhile, what about what ‘they’ did to ‘us’ in the first place? If we recognize the Armenian genocide, will they, too, ever so slightly recognize the tragic plight of the Muslim Turks of Crete, mainland Greece, Bulgaria or Serbia? Who speaks for the Turk? Do we have any friends in the world?”

While I do not agree with some of Berktay’s explanations, I cannot expect him to have the same position on Armenian issues as I do. After all, he is a Turk, but a righteous Turk, which is not what one can say about Turkish leaders and large segments of Turkish society that still deny the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide!

Berktay has taken a great risk by posting his answers on the Armenian Genocide on the internet, particularly in the current brutal atmosphere since the July coup attempt when tens of thousands of innocent Turkish citizens have been summarily arrested and thrown into jail!

Photo: EPA    

An Emirates plane has crash-landed at Dubai International Airport. All 300 people on board were able to escape from the burning aircraft, the BBC reports.

The plane appeared to have landed on its belly, and images showed thick black smoke rising into the sky. The cause of the incident is not known.

The Boeing 777 was flying to Dubai from the southern Indian state of Kerala.

The Dubai government media office said all passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries have been reported.

It said all departures and arrivals from the airport have been suspended until further notice.

Emirates airline said there were 282 passengers and 18 crew on board from 20 nationalities, most of them Indian, with 24 Britons and 11 people from the United Arab Emirates.

“Our main priority now is the safety and well-being of all involved,” the airline said on Twitter.

The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party was on July 14 ordered to pay PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan compensation for calling him a “sham dictator,”  the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

An Ankara civil court ruled Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), should pay 50,000 Turkish liras ($17,200) on charges of  insulting the president.

Kılıçdaroglu made the remarks at the party’s 35th Ordinary Convention on Jan. 16 and in a parliamentary group meeting on Jan. 19. His lawyer denied the allegation.

Erdoğan’s lawyer argued that Kılıcdaroglu’s comment constituted “extraordinarily weighty insults” with the intention of attacking his client’s image.

According to the Turkish Penal Code’s Article 299, it is also a criminal offense to insult the president. The offense carries a jail sentence of between one and four years.

The CHP is the biggest opposition party in Turkey, with 133 seats in the 550-member Turkish parliament. Kilicdaroglu has led the party since May 2010.

On the occasion of National Holiday of France, President Serzh Sargsyan visited today the Embassy of France in Yerevan. The President of Armenia congratulated Ambassador Jean-Francois Charpentier, the staff of the Embassy and in their person – the people of France. The President of Armenia underscored that he was glad to say once again on the occasion of the Holiday that Armenia is proud to have special relations with the friendly France. In the development and strengthening of the interstate relations, President Sargsyan stressed the importance and highly valued activities of the Embassy of France in Armenia and wished the diplomatic staff of the Embassy new achievements for the benefit of the two peoples and countries.

Ambassador Charpentier expressed gratitude to President Serzh Sargsyan for the visit to the Embassy, warm congratulations, good wishes and for the high assessment of the activities of the Embassy. He noted that it is a great honor and responsibility for him personally and for the staff of the Embassy through their daily work to further deepen the centuries-long friendship between Armenia and France which, according to the Ambassador, needs constant care.

On the occasion of the holiday, President Serzh Sargsyan also sent a congratulatory message to the President of the French Republic François Hollande.

“I cordially congratulate and send my best to you and the friendly people of the French Republic on the occasion of National Holiday.

The high level political dialogue between our two friendly nations and atmosphere of mutual trust constitute a solid base for the future comprehensive development and deepening of the Armenian-French relations. I am confident that through our joint efforts, we will continue to strengthen the ties binding together Armenia and France in the bilateral as well as multilateral formats for the benefit of our peoples.

You personal persistent stance on the issue of the criminalization of the denial of the Armenian Genocide is highly appreciated in Armenia; it once again underscores France’s and personally yours devotion to the universal human values, particularly to the international fight aimed at the prevention of crimes against humanity.

We attach the utmost importance to the involvement and efforts of France, as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, together with Russia and the United States in the process of a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict for the benefit of peace and stability in our region.
I once again congratulate you on the occasion of National Holiday, wish you success and all the best, and I wish the friendly people of France greater advancement and prosperity,” reads the congratulatory message of the President of Armenia.

A session of Iran’s Cabinet made decisions on abolition of visa requirements between Armenia and Iran, reports. 

– The head of the Catholic Church in Armenia says Pope Francis’ recent visit to the country has helped to strengthen and confirm people in their faith. The Pope visited the Armenian capital Yerevan, the northern city of Gyumri and the ancient monastery of Khor Virap on the Turkish border from June 24th to 26th. He will return to the region for a visit to Azerbaijan and Georgia at the end of September.

Among those accompanying the Pope during his stay in Armenia was Archbishop Raphael Minassian who is responsible for the Armenian Catholic Church throughout the Eastern European region.

The Archbishop says there has already been a visible result “in the soul of the people” who heard the Pope’s message during the Mass at Gyumri and it resounded deeply within them. The heart of that message, he says, was the simplicity, spirituality and modest style that the Pope showed in his approach to all people in Armenia.

Archbishop Minassian says people have already reacted by visiting churches more frequently and contacting their clergy. He recalls the profound silence of the 30.000 people attending the Mass who were “hypnotized” by the Pope’s presence and atmosphere of prayer.

Commenting on the political implications of the visit, he says: “For me, the genocide is a historical fact” so the Pope’s use of the word to describe the 1915 massacre is not so significant. Also he notes that since the battle of Vartanantz in 451, so many thousands of Armenian Christians have been martyred for their faith.

He says that of all the places in the world where he has served in his 43 years of priestly ministry, it is in the Caucuses region where people of all ages are most strongly attached to their Christian faith.

Asked about his hopes for the Pope’s visit to Azerbaijan and Georgia, Archbishop Minassian speaks of the Holy Father’s “magic” way of reaching out to people but he adds that all Christians have an obligation to be messengers of peace like him.

French members of parliament voted unanimously Friday to criminalise the denial of all crimes against humanity, including failure to admit that the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman forces was a “genocide,” AFP reports.

The amendment, passed on the first reading, sets out penalties of up to a year in prison and a 45,000-euro ($50,000) fine for those who fall foul of the new law, which is expected to raise hackles in Turkey.

The French amendment, which must now go to the upper house Senate for approval, was a promise by President Francois Hollande during his 2012 electoral campaign.

An earlier law against Armenian Genocide denial was struck down by the country’s constitutional court for obstructing freedom of speech.

The new legal project covers all events which French law deems to be genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or slavery.

Currently, French law only bans Holocaust denial.

“This text will punish the challenge or the trivialisation of all crimes against humanity and war crimes,” said Ericka Bareigts, the junior minister in charge of equality.

She said that included the 1915-1917 killings that wiped out some 1.5 million Armenians.

“This is one of the greatest days of my political career,” enthused Henri Jibrayel, a member of parliament whose ancestors survived the mass killings a hundred years ago.

The new law’s backers hope to see it enter into force before the end of the year.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimyan participated in the Ministerial meeting dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The meeting was aimed at summing up the results of the work done since the signing of the treaty and focusing the attention of the international community to the need to ban nuclear tests. Speakers at the event referred to the irreversible consequences of nuclear tests, voiced regret for the failure of the treaty to come into force and urged the countries that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so.

Addressing the meeting,  Ashot Hovakimyan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to the full and unconditional implementation of the treaty. The Deputy FM hailed the support for the functioning of the subsidiary seismic station stationed in Garni since 2005, which is included in the system of international control and sends data to Vienna headquarters through satellite.

Ashot Hovakimyan reiterated the willingness of the Armenian government to carry out an open and transparent cooperation with all partner countries and international organizations. He denounced Azerbaijan’s false and groundless accusations of alleged violations of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by Armenia, which pursue the single goal of diverting the attention of the international community from the large-sale aggression unleashed against Nagorno Karabakh and the crimes committed against the civilian population.