Author: nina hovnanian

ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADEH: “THERE ARE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SHAHADA IN AZERBAIJAN”

Azeri-Press news agency (APA)
January 28, 2014 Tuesday

Mubariz Aslanov; Chairman of Caucasian Muslim Board (CMB)
Sheikh-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh made demands on imams and
akhunds of Azerbaijani mosques regarding those who have recently gone
to Syria and other countries for shahada (martyrdom), APA reports.

Sheikh-ul-Islam said at today’s meeting that there are misconceptions
about shahada in Azerbaijan, imams and akhunds preaching at the mosques
also bear the responsibility for this issue: “Our real place of shahada
is Karabakh, but our citizens are leaving for other countries. What
are our imams and akhunds doing? I will require a written report from
them every week from today! Our imams and akhunds should preach about
real mean of shahada to restrain our citizens from wrong actions. They
will give written reports to me.”

AZERBAIJAN STATE COMMISSION REVEALS NAME OF ARMENIAN DETAINED ON CONTACT LINE

APA, Azerbaijan
Jan 28 2014

[ 28 January 2014 17:50 ]

Baku. Shahriyar Alizadeh, Vusal Mammadov – APA. The name of the
Armenian citizen detained on the contact line of the troops has
been revealed.

Secretary of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and
Missing Persons Shahin Sayilov told APA that civilian Khojayan Mamika
Tigranovich aged about 65 was detained by the residents of Alibeyli
village of Tovuz region at 16:00 and handed over to servicemen.

First Deputy Head of Tovuz Region Executive Authorities Mahir Hasanov
told APA that the Armenian citizen was detained while crossing
the river.

Khojayan Mamika was handed over to servicemen.

Defense Ministry’s press service reported that he is a member of the
Armenian subversive group. It also reported that the Armenian citizen
was armed when he was detained.

TURKEY FINALLY ENTERS FRANCE’S STRATEGIC VISION

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 28 2014

BARCIN YÄ°NANC

There was a time when Nicolas Sarkozy was the president of France,
and members of his Cabinet would shy away from being seen in the same
picture as the Turkish minister responsible for the European Union
accession process. Rather than meeting in their office, they would
suggest lunch in a fancy hotel during the Turkish minister’s visit
to Paris.

This is what I recalled when I saw seven ministers accompanying French
President Francois Hollande’s visit to Turkey.

France’s relations with three countries deteriorated purely because
of Sarkozy’s personality, sources close to Hollande say: Japan,
Mexico and Turkey.

However, Hollande’s visit to Turkey is not limited simply to
repairing relations that deteriorated during the Sarkozy period; it
is about placing those relations at a different level. I could suggest
ambitiously that Turkey has finally entered France’s strategic vision,
for it was absent even before Sarkozy’s presidency. Unfortunately,
France missed or chose not to see and realize the huge transformation
in Turkey from the early stages. Paris did not realize that Turkey
provided huge economic opportunities, and that it could make use of
the presence of a French cultural infrastructure which, although
getting weaker every day, provided a precious asset to seize upon
these opportunities. It preferred to turn a blind eye to the fact
that the foreign policies of the two countries overlapped, rather
than being in contention.

Today when you look to the rhetoric of French officials, Turkey
is identified as a “major partner in the international scene, an
important NATO ally with an essential role in a region marked by
conflicts and crises.”

Turkey’s huge economic potential, which was already known to the
French business community, has finally been grasped by Paris, and
this appears to be one of the main motivations behind Hollande’s visit.

All of this is good news. But there are two subjects which might
overshadow a fast improvement of relations. The first one is Turkey’s
EU membership bid; the second is the commemoration of what Armenians
consider to be a genocide, the mass killing of Armenians at the hands
of the Ottomans during World War I.

As for the first issue, we need to recall that in the past Sarkozy’s
team used to tell the Turks to ignore French obstruction on the EU
issue and continue “business as usual.” Ankara used to say it could
not ignore an act that was against Turkish interests and act as if
it did not exist.

Currently, France has lifted its veto on one chapter, the regional
policy chapter. Those talks started last year. But Sarkozy blocked
talks on four other chapters, one of which is also blocked as a
common decision of the EU. This leaves us with three chapters under
French blockage. Hollande avoided this issue, despite being asked
about it by a journalist. Instead, he talked about opening chapters
on issues pertaining to the separation of powers, the rule of law,
and the judiciary. But these issues are dealt with under chapters 23
and 14, which are blocked by Cyprus.

My understanding is that Ankara will show some patience, as Hollande
is facing elections for the European Parliament in March and has
to deal with a lot of euroskeptics and Turkey-skeptics. Ankara is
then counting on the fact that as there will be strong engagement,
especially in the economic dimension, France will at some stage have
to lift its vetoes on other chapters, most probably after the March
elections. Otherwise, it would not be normal to expect Turkey to
continue on with “business as usual.”

On the second issue, I hope the two capitals will start a healthy
dialogue, and that some bridges will be established between Ankara
and the Armenian diaspora in France. It is a pity that Hollande did
not include a representative of the French Armenian community, like
Charles Aznavour, in his delegation.

January/28/2014

CROSSING RED LINES IN THE ARMENIAN ISSUE

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 28 2014

28 January 2014 /GULAY GOKTURK, BUGUN
As the 100th anniversary of the 1915 tragedy approaches, mutual
preparations and tensions are gaining momentum between Turkey and
Armenia.

As I wrote in this column the other day, the Turkish government is
sending mixed signals. On the one hand, steps are being taken to revive
the Armenian initiative, boosted by remarks from Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu which show tentative support for reconciliation between the
two countries. On the other hand, however, there are also statements
coming from the government which could be described as efforts to:
expose alleged Armenian lies; respond effectively to the powerful
Armenian diaspora by exercising diplomatic and economic muscle; and
hold meetings and conferences in order to strengthen Turkey’s official
position. These actions lead me to conclude that the Turkish state
has nothing new to say about the issue; none of these steps seek to
ameliorate the existing situation but rather to maintain the existing
polarization and disorder.

ARMY’S ESTABLISHMENT IS AMONG MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR INDEPENDENT STATE – YEREVAN MAYOR

January 28, 2014 | 12:55

YEREVAN. – Mayor Taron Margaryan of capital city Yerevan released
a statement of congratulations on Army Day, the 22nd anniversary of
the Armenian Armed Forces.

“The formation of the Armenian Army took place in parallel
with the combat operations for the liberation of Artsakh [i.e.,
Nagorno-Karabakh]. And, perhaps, this is also the reason that our
victorious army is considered the most combat-ready army in the
region today.

“The establishment of the Army is one of the most significant
achievements of our independent state, owing to which there is a stable
situation and peace in the entire region today,” Mayor Margaryan’s
statement specifically runs.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

LEBANON STAMP TO HONOR THE MARTYRS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

17:45, 28 January, 2014

YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, ARMENPRESS: Lebanon is going to launch a stamp
to honor the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide in 1915,the Caretaker
Minister of Telecommunications Nicolas Sehnaoui announced Tuesday. As
reports Armenpress, referring to The Daily Star, the stamp will be
in circulation in a month’s time. It depicts a drawing of a statue
honoring Armenian martyrs found in Bikfaya.

Lebanon has a large and vocal Armenian community with around 200,000
Lebanese of Armenian origin in the country, a result of forced
displacement after the partition of the Ottoman Empire at the end of
the World War I. While Turkey still resolutely denies genocide took
place, last April saw over 10,000 Armenians rallying in Downtown
Beirut on the 98th anniversary of the genocide.

LIKELIHOOD OF RESUMPTION OF WAR IS MINIMAL – ARMENIA MOD

January 28, 2014 | 13:35

YEREVAN. – The situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the
Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact is under control.

Armenia Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, who visited Yerablur Military
Pantheon of capital city Yerevan on Army Day, told the aforesaid to
reporters on Tuesday.

“We are able to maintain the appropriate conditions for the military
turn of duty, and to deal the worthy counterblow to the enemy,”
Ohanyan said.

In his words, even though shots were fired last night, too, and they
were relatively more, the situation is under control.

As per the minister, the likelihood of the resumption of war is
minimal.

“Notwithstanding this, we are ready for war any time,” Seyran Ohanyan
stated.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

HOLLANDE: GENOCIDE DENIAL CRIMINALIZATION BILL SHOULD BE APPLIED

January 28, 2014 | 00:01

French President Francois Hollande, who is in Turkey on an official
visit, stated that there is a decision in France on criminalizing
the denial of genocide, and that it needs to be applied within the
framework of international agreements.

Following the talk between Hollande and Turkish President Abdullah
Gul, the two presidents held a news conference, Hurhaber website of
Turkey informs. To the query on the French bill that criminalizes
genocide denial, the President of France responded:

“History-related activities can be painful, but they need to be done.

We need to ensure peace with consent. We need to work to study,
to recognize what occurred much earlier. This year is the 100th
anniversary of the First World War, and, subsequently, the 2015 [i.e.,
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide]. We should use this
period to work.

“Do you ask what we will do? We will do the right thing, we will do
the lawful thing, we will seek justice, and we will see to it that
everyone may understand the topic. A law is passed in France with
this regard. And a framework decision is adopted in 2008. They need
to be applied within the framework of international agreements.”

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

TURKEY’S GUL SPEAKS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

January 28, 2014 | 13:16

Turkish President Abdullah Gul stated that unfortunate incidents took
place 100 years ago, but not solely the Armenians, but the Balkan
Muslims also suffered as a result.

Following his talk with French President Francois Hollande, who is
in Turkey on an official visit, Gul held a joint news conference with
Hollande, Aksam daily of Turkey reports.

At the news conference, the Turkish leader responded to a question
about the Armenian Genocide, and he yet again claimed that they are
ready to open all archives on this matter.

“From time to time, this topic casts a shadow upon our relations;
this matter cannot be solved unilaterally. The second point is that
there maybe different views on this matter.

“Our former laws were prohibiting the discussion of such issues; but
we have changed these laws. Numerous French friends think that they
cannot yet discuss many things in Turkey; [but] we want for everything
to be easily discussed, in connection with this matter, in France, too.

“Instead of passing on this pain from generation to generation, it is
indispensable to instill friendship,” Abdullah Gul said, in particular.

In response, French President Francois Hollande had stated that they
will work toward passing the French bill on criminalizing genocide
denial.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE NO POLITICAL WILL FOR REFORMS IN ARMY: STATEMENT

01.28.2014 12:08 epress.am

Jan. 28 marks the 22nd anniversary of the Armenian Army. On this
occasion, Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly Vanadzor office issued a
statement [AM] saying it cannot remain silent on the issues in the
army, which, due to their being unresolved, result in the death,
deterioration of health, and trauma of military servicemen.

“Unfortunately, last year we again documented serious violations in
the RA Armed Forces — incidents of violence, hazing, corruption,
and death.

“Violence continued to be concealed, and despite statements of a drop
in mortality, we had 3 deaths and at least 2 cases of violence in a
period of 27 days in 2014.

“The HCA Vanadzor Office documents continuous violations during both
the call [to military service] and military service. Young men who
had various health issues were drafted; the preliminary investigative
body did not conduct a full and objective investigation into various
cases, especially those involving a death, and did not give a proper
assessment; arbitrary and unpredictable legislative amendments were
made; and the defense department continued to display insufficiently
transparent and accountable activity.

“Thus, we again note the ruling authorities’ lack of political will,
to implement radical reforms, which would be aimed at preventing
human rights violations in the armed forces and shape public trust
in the armed forces,” reads the HCA Vanadzor office statement, in part.