Author: nina hovnanian

Mehr News Agency (MNA), Iran
July 27, 2012 Friday

Turkey’s chameleon policy toward Syria

TEHRAN, July 27 (MNA) — Since the start of the political unrest in
Syria, Turkey has changed its policy toward its neighbor several
times. Initially, Turkey made efforts to maintain its strategic
relations with Syria, and the two countries were expected to reap the
benefits of a decade of cooperation. Then Turkish officials demanded
that the Syrian government adopt a softer stance toward the
opposition.

However, as the internal conflict intensified, Syrian refugees flooded
into Turkey, and Ankara began to officially criticize Damascus.
Currently, Turkey has allied itself with the Syrian opposition, which
is trying to drive President Bashar al-Assad out of power, and
relations between the two countries are seriously strained. Turkey’s
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has adopted very unusual
policies toward Middle Eastern countries ever since they came to power
in November 2002. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was once
a good friend of Muammar Gaddafi and received the Al-Gaddafi
International Prize for Human Rights. However, after the outbreak of
war in Libya, Erdogan quickly changed his stance and began calling for
the ouster of Gaddafi. In Egypt, he took advantage of every
opportunity to establish closer ties with former dictator Hosni
Mubarak, but when the Egyptian revolution neared victory, Erdogan
suddenly established warm ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. In Syria,
Erdogan successfully normalized Turkey’s relations with its neighbor
in all areas, i.e., the political, economic, security, and cultural
spheres. However, after the escalation of the crisis in Syria, Erdogan
criticized Assad, saying he was stifling the democratic aspirations of
the Syrian people. In this criticism, Turkey aligned itself with
governments like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are some of the most
undemocratic countries in the world. The main goal of Turkey’s
ever-changing foreign policy is the protection of its economic
interests, and it has nothing to do with democratic values or freedom
of expression. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is the
architect of Turkey’s diplomacy, has been seriously criticized inside
the AKP for his failure to realize the policy of zero problems with
neighbors. Currently, Turkey has problems with Syria, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Iran, and Iraq, and instead of attempting to extricate the
country from the current problematic situation, Turkey’s foreign
policy team is only making things worse day by day. AKP leaders seem
to have come to the conclusion that by supporting the United States’
policies in the Middle East, Turkey can improve its economic and
political situation. However, if the U.S. fails to realize its
objectives in Syria, Turkey will have great difficulty maintaining its
position in the region. Seyyed Asadollah Athari is a senior research
fellow at the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran
and an expert on Turkey. MS/HG END MNA

ARMENIANS NOT USED TO BUY MEAT FROM REFRIGERATOR

news.am
July 27, 2012 | 15:34

YEREVAN. – Sale of meat, which is not preserved in a refrigerator,
is a violation of food safety norms, head of the State Service for
Food Safety at the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture Babken Pipoyan
told the journalists on Friday.

However, he added that control on the meat market and fines led to
no outcome. According to the sellers, consumers prefer fresh meat,
which was not preserved in a fridge. If the pavilions selling meat
with violations are not improved, consequences may turn out to be even
dangerous. They will lead to selling meat in yards and streets. As
a matter of fact, after fines and control, meat pavilions continue
violations. Pipoyan advised consumers not to buy meat from such
sellers who stand by the meat with a cigarette (and often unshaved).

ISRAELI INFORMATION AND DIASPORA MINISTER TO VISIT SOUTH CAUCASUS

news.am
July 27, 2012 | 18:10

JERUSALEM. – The Information and Diaspora Minister of Israel Yuli-Yoel
Edelstein plans to make a tour of the South Caucasus. The visit is
scheduled for the end of August.

The Minister will visit Armenia and Georgia, a diplomatic source
in Yerevan told IzRus portal. His advisor confirmed information on
Edelstein’s visit saying the details will be clear later.

Edelstein had planned to visit Armenia in May 2011, when the coalition
MP Aram Safaryan invited him to participate in an international forum
on Diaspora development in the context of globalization.

However, his visit was cancelled due to technical reasons. According to
the source, official Yerevan is interested in developing relations with
Minister Edelstein, who is representing ruling party, as pro-Armenian
lobby in the Knesset has significantly weakened within the recent
years, while the issue is particularly important in the context of
annual debates on the Armenian Genocide recognition in the Israeli
Parliament. That is why his Armenian colleagues seek for improving
relations with Edelstein and try to organize his visit for the
second time.

ARGENTINEAN OFFICIAL LISTENS TO CONCERNS OF ARMENIAN PROTESTERS

news.am
July 27, 2012 | 13:10

Representatives from Argentina’s Armenian community who protested
in Buenos Aires against Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov’s visit to
Argentina talked to Secretary of Domestic Trade Guillermo Moreno near
the Azerbaijani embassy.

He was intercepted by young Armenian activists who shared their
concerns about close political and trade ties with Azerbaijan, Diario
Armenia reports.

Guillermo Moreno listened to protesters and with a gesture invited
them to his office.

The picket was held Thursday in front of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Buenos
Aires. The protesters held banners that accused Azerbaijan of racism,
nationalism and xenophobia, and of organizing the Armenian pogroms
in the Azerbaijani cities of Sumgait and Baku.

ARMENIA’S EDUCATION MINISTRY ENGAGES SYRIAN ARMENIANS’ SCHOOLING NEEDS

news.am
July 27, 2012 | 14:58

YEREVAN. – Representatives from Armenia’s Education and Science
Ministry and capital city Yerevan Municipality held a joint
consultation Friday, which was moderated by Education and Science
Minister Armen Ashotyan.

The discussants examined the avenues for providing education to Syrian
Armenians who have come to Armenia as a result of the ongoing unrest
in Syria.

“A variety of problems are emerging in satisfying the educational
needs of our compatriots, and the state is obligated to create all
the opportunities to offer them education services. Everything must
be done to create favorable conditions for our compatriots,” said,
Ashotyan, the aforesaid Ministry’s press service informs.

Reflecting on the ways for providing public education to
Syrian-Armenian children, the Minister stressed that an agreement
is reached, with Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan, toward conducting a
uniform policy regarding this matter.

Armen Ashotyan noted that some of the problems are resolved in the
target schools. Also, he instructed the Department of Education Chief
to implement this process in several high schools, too.

And speaking about the teaching methods, the Minister noted that,
either intensive Eastern Armenian courses need to be conducted, or
the curriculum must be taught in Western Armenian, whose teachers’
quantity, however, as per Ashotyan, is currently lacking in Armenia.

“Not ruling out the second teaching option, the emphasis should first
be put on the [Armenian] teachers, who have come [to Armenia] from
Syria. An attempt should be made to hire them in the given schools,
and, also, to include appropriately qualified Western-Armenian
[language] specialists into this process,” stressed the Minister.

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY, REAL ESTATE CADASTRE NAMED MOST CORRUPTED BODIES IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 27, 2012 – 15:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 1580 complaints were filed to the Advocacy and
Assistance Center of Yerevan (ACC) over the last 10 months, according
to the center director Marat Atovmyan.

As he noted, 176 (10%) out of those were complaints of corruption
risks, with 42 cases solved in favor of complainants. 31 cases were
directed to the court, 211 to other legislative bodies.

Also, ACC developed 19 anti-corruption legislative initiatives, further
submitting them to the government of Armenia and the National Assembly.

Complaints as to the activity of Yerevan Municipality, real estate
cadastre, social services, Police departments topped the list,
with nearly no complains filed concerning educational and medical
institutions, ACC director said.

SERZH SARGSYAN WAS PRESENT AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES

ARMENPRESS
28 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVNA, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS: In the framework of working visit to
United Kingdom President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
on July 27 took part in the reception given on behalf of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II. Armenpress was informed from President’s press
office that on the same day in the evening Serzh Sargsyan with leaders
of other states and high rank officials was present at the solemn
opening ceremony of London 2012 Olympic Games.

Earlier Armenpress had informed that President of the Republic of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan during his visit to Great Britain will hold
meetings with the representatives of Armenian community of Great
Britain. Armenpress was informed about this from the representative
of Armenian National Committee of Great Britain Sevan Artin. This
is the first meeting of the President with the Armenian community of
Great Britain”.

ARMENIA’S ENGAGEMENT INTO EURASIAN PROJECT JUSTIFIED ONLY BY BILLIONS OF SUBSIDIES-EXPERT

tert.am
July 28, 2012 | 05:09

YEREVAN. – Russian Speaker Sergey Naryshkin’s statement had no clear
hinting that Armenian authorities have decided to join the Eurasian
project, expert Sergey Minsayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. His
comments came after the Russian Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin’s
statement that Armenia’s leadership is following closely the
development of the Eurasian project and is working to determine its
place acknowledging that Eurasian economic area is a basis for trade
and economic relations.

According to the expert, Russia realizes very well that Armenia’s
engagement into the project is possible only on one condition, which
may be justified only by billions of subsidies by the Russian side.

“Whether Moscow is ready for this, it is difficult to claim,”
Minasyan added.

To note, the Russian Speaker Naryshkin stated on Monday that he had
discussed perspectives of developing Armenia-Eurasia cooperation
in the framework of Eurasian integration project with the Armenian
authorities.

L’UNION SOVIETIQUE EST MORTE, VIVE L’UNION SOVIETIQUE !
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
samedi 28 juillet 2012

Après avoir releve plusieurs erreurs du Comite Olympique, notamment
dans l’attribution des drapeaux nationaux entre la Colombie et la
Coree : celui de la Coree du Sud a la place de la Coree du Nord,
plusieurs athlètes russes nes dans les annees 1980 dans d’anciennes
provinces sovietiques voient leur fiche officielle sur le site des
JO indiquer qu’ils sont en fait nes en Russie. “L’Union Sovietique
est morte, vive l’Union sovietique !”, ironise le site Armenianow.com.

Exemple, sur la fiche du judoka Arsen Galstyan, on peut ainsi lire
qu’il est ne le 19 fevrier 1989, en Armenie, Russie. D’autres athlètes,
nes en Azerbaïdjan, au Kazakhstan ou encore au Tadjikistan – “qui
ne font pas partie de la Russie, mais furent des regions de l’Union
Sovietique”, rappelle Armenianow.com – , ont observe la meme erreur
sur leur fiche. La Georgie a d’ores et deja envoye une lettre de
protestation officielle aux organisateurs de JO, indique le site.

L’Ukraine a egalement proteste et demande aux organisateurs des
jeux Olympiques de corriger “d’urgence” les biographies de plusieurs
athlètes.

capture d’ecran de la fiche d’Arsène Galstyan sur le site officiel
des JO.

ALI HASANOV: “WHICH EXPERT DID DETERMINE THAT AZERBAIJAN BOUGHT WEAPON ABOVE QUOTA?”

APA
July 27 2012
Azerbaijan

“The UN Secretary-General must consider the non-fulfillment of
resolutions by Armenians, which was adopted by the Security Council
in 1993”

Baku. Ramil Mammadli – APA. “We don’t think that Azerbaijan buys
weapon above quota. Azerbaijan strengthens its power. It is normal”,
Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee for Work with
Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov commented on the statement, issued
on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, about buying of weapon by
Azerbaijan above quota and its negative impact to the settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Deputy PM said that the UN Secretary-General must consider
the non-fulfillment of resolutions, which was adopted by the
Security Council in 1993, by Armenians: “It will be better for dear
Secretary-General to touch this issue and issue statement on adoption
of veto against Armenia, because this country disrespected the
orders of international organizations. But instead of it they issue
statement that Azerbaijan doesn’t observe weapon quota. Which expert
did determine that Azerbaijan bought weapon above quota? Azerbaijan’s
steps taken toward strengthening of its defense capacity is normal
and it is our right. Azerbaijan has right to strengthen its army for
liberating its lands”