Author: nina hovnanian

IF TUVALU RECOGNIZES KARABAKH’S INDEPENDENCE, WILL TURKEY ASK TUVALU TO RETURN FOOTBALLS?

news.am
March 26, 2012 | 14:48

Turkish Hurriyet daily’s journalist Ugur Ergan had written that
Armenia recently established diplomatic relations with Tuvalu to
persuade the latter to recognize Karabakh’s independence in return
for some measures. And Hurriyet’s columnist Yilmaz Ozdil and Radikal
daily’s reporter Deniz Zeyrek reflected on this information.

In his column, Yilmaz Ozdil recalled that the aforesaid information
noted that Tuvalu does everything for a ‘gift.” For example, in return
for the amount provided by Russia last year, this country recognized
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. And in this regard Ozdil noted that Turkey
was the first country to present a “gift” to Tuvalu in return for
something, and the other countries learned from Turkey to do the same.

Deniz Zeyrek likewise recalled that Turkey, in its campaign to become
a UN Security Council temporary member, had started close diplomatic
contacts with Tuvalu. And “Turkey became generous in terms of
constructing public buildings [in] and sending footballs [to Tuvalu].”

And how will Ankara-which manifested a generous attitude to buy the
[UN] vote of Tuvalu-react if Tuvalu recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh in
return for money? Will Ankara ask for its footballs back from Tuvalu?”,
Radikal’s reporter asks.

OBAMA, ERDOGAN DISCUSS KARABAKH, ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILLS AT SEOUL TALKS

26.03.12 | 12:15

Photo:

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan (left) and U.S. President
Barack Obama

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has suggested to U.S. President
Barack Obama that Turkey and the OSCE Minsk Group join efforts in
solving the long-standing Karabakh conflict.

Meeting in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday, ahead of the Nuclear
Security Summit, the two leaders reportedly focused on the current
situation around Syria, but also discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Erdogan also expressed Turkey’s discontent over the new
resolution in the U.S. Congress regarding the Armenian Genocide.

“I reminded Obama that during the past two decades the OSCE Minsk
Group has not succeeded in settling the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. And since the issue has reached a deadlock, I suggested
that we talk to Azeris and Minsk Group co-chairing France, Russia
and the United States try to persuade Armenia, so that they can solve
the issue,” said Erdogan, as quoted by the Turkish Sabah newspaper.

“I told Obama that we are tired. Every year in April we face the same
problem, whether Republicans come [to power] or Democrats, the issue
remains the same. I showed him the steps we had taken, brought Akhtamar
as an example,” said Erdogan, referring to the reconstruction of the
medieval Armenian church in the Van lake island of Akhtamar in 2010,
and the permission to Armenian Christians to hold liturgies there
once a year.

The Turkish premier called on Obama “not to mistake U.S. senators,
lawmakers and politicians for historians”.

A number of U.S. House Resolutions calling for the recognition of
the Ottoman-era killings and deportations of 1.5 million Armenians
as genocide have been submitted to the U.S. Congress over the past
few years; the most recent one was formally introduced at the Senate
last week.

BUSINESSMAN, OPPOSITION CANDIDATE KHACHATUR SUKIASYAN APPEALS TO ELECTION COMMISSION

epress.am
03.26.2012

On Mar. 17, 2012, SIL Group Co. Ltd. co-owner, former Member of
Parliament and current candidate for the upcoming parliamentary
election Khachatur Sukiasyan asked the no. 10 territorial election
commission (TEC) not to take into consideration the Mar. 15 RA Police
Passport and Visa Department letter and to register him according to
procedure as an election candidate.

Recall, the RA Police Passport and Visa Department states that
Sukiasyan is ineligible to run in the May 6 parliamentary election
because he hasn’t been permanently residing in Armenia in the past
5 years.

In a statement issued by the businessman and opposition candidate
today, Sukiasyan says that the TEC has not yet made its decision.

“Foreseeing the No. 10 TEC’s decision, which becomes obvious from the
information unilaterally disseminated by mass media outlets controlled
by the government, considering that, I believe, a negative decision
will made as late as possible so that you try to deprive me of the
opportunity to make use of my rights, and also in terms of time
(and we know quite well that election campaigning is implemented at
certain times), I ask you to please make the decision regarding me
as early as possible,” he writes.

TURKEY CALLS FOR INCREASED PRESSURE ON ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 26, 2012 – 12:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during
his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama proposed to intensify
negotiations to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, today.az
reports citing HaberTurk newspaper.

“Turkey is ready to intensify negotiations with Azerbaijan to resolve
the conflict. But to this effect, France, the United States and Russia
should also increase pressure on Armenia,” Erdogan said.

He also stressed that the OSCE Minsk Group has failed to find a
solution to this problem for the past 20 years.

ERDOGAN ASKS OBAMA TO BLOCK ARMENIAN BILLS IN US CONGRESS

news.am
March 26, 2012 | 10:59

Following his meeting in Seoul with US President Barack Obama,
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a news briefing to Turkish
reporters about the meeting.

Erdogan noted that he and the US President had discussed matters
concerning Syria, Iran, Iraq, Cyprus, and Armenia, Milliyet daily of
Turkey informs. The Turkish PM said he told Obama-in connection with
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict-that although the OSCE Minsk
Group is carrying out activities in this regard for twenty years, there
are no results. Erdogan also claimed that Turkey will do what it can
if pressure needs to be applied upon Azerbaijan to resolve this matter.

Also, the Turkish PM reflected on the US Congress bills that condemn
the Armenian Genocide, and stressed that politicians should not be
turned into historians.

“The Republicans come, it is the same [thing]. The Democrats come,
it is the same [thing]. These bills should not appear in the Congress
every April,” Erdogan noted, and added that Obama had expressed
an appreciation for Turkey’s policy toward the country’s religious
minorities.

ARMENIA’S MINISTER OF NATURE PROTECTION RESPONDS TO VIDEO RECORD

Tert.am
26.03.12

Armenia’s Minister of Nature Protection Aram Harutyunyan responded
to the report on illegal felling of ten trees in one of Yerevan’s
communities.

Press Secretary Hasmik Lazarian told Tert. am that the minister
ordered the local nature protection inspection to examine the problem.

The task group is now studying the report to assess the damage to
the environment.

Yesterday, a local resident video recorded the felled trees and spread
the video. He says that a colonel purchased the local kindergarten
and is now trying to “lay his hands” on the green area.

BENEFACTOR DONATES APARTMENT TO HOMELESS FAMILY IN GYUMRI

Tert.am
26.03.12

A family living without a roof in the second largest city of Gyumri
received a three-room apartment from an unknown benefactor after a
video material telling about their plight appeared on the internet.

The 11-member family of Avetisyans had been earlier offered a two-room
apartment, but only one of the brothers moved there with his family.

Six other members continued living in a shack.

According to the Gyumri based center Shirak, the unknown donated the
new apartment a month after the video appeared online.

Tert.am joins Shirak center to express its gratitude the benefactor.

OBAMA’S FINGER AND NALBANDYAN’S CHEEKS

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:15:55 – 27/03/2012

The worldwide media focused on the hand gesture of the U.S. president
Barack Obama who called the Turkish foreign minister Ahmed Davutoglu
with his finger, who immediately rushed to Obama.

According to the international media, this is an insulting gesture
for Davutoglu and Turkey.

The gesture was televised by the Armenian TV channels. They could
not afford to miss the chance of showing humiliated Turkey.

Three years ago, Turkey was presented by the Armenian television
under the positive light because Serzh Sargsyan’s football diplomacy
supposed so.

The interesting thing is that a no less humiliating incident involving
Armenia was reported during football diplomacy when Javier Solana,
NATO Secretary General, immediately after signing the Armenian and
Turkish protocols, tapped Nalbandyan’s cheeks, like adults do with
children to encourage or caress them. Fortunately, three years after
this incident, the finger gesture towards Davutoglu showed that
they do not take Turkey more seriously than Armenia. This can sound
comforting. But in terms of international importance, if they can
“play” with our cheeks whenever they want, it makes no difference
for Armenia with what they can call up Turkey.

ON THE OCCASION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE PROCESS FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SERZH SARGSYAN SENT MESSAGES TO THE PRESIDENTS OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIR STATES

26.03.2012

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the peace process for the
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which was initiated by
the decision of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe,
President Serzh Sargsyan sent messages to the Presidents of the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chair states – Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian
Federation, Barack Obama, President of the United States and Nicolas
Sarkozy, President of France.

Serzh Sargsyan expressed gratitude for the consistent efforts
undertaken by the Co-Chair states and personally by the Presidents
in the last twenty years and aimed at the resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.

Noting, that even though the main objective of the process –
settlement of the conflict remains unattainable, President Sargsyan
noted that nevertheless it is impossible to underestimate tremendous
work conducted in the last twenty years by the Co-Chairmanship of
the Minsk Group aimed at the approximation of the positions of the
Parties, development of the basic principles, easing of tension and
upholding peace.

Serzh Sargsyan assured that Armenia, being greatly interested in the
settlement of the conflict, will continue its positive and constructive
engagement in the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
in the framework of the Minsk Group for the benefit of the regional
stability and cooperation and the brightest future for the peoples.

‘WHEN CINEMA WAS BORN, THEATRE WAS BELIEVED TO DIE, BUT IT SURVIVED’

Panorama.am
27/03/2012

Theatre has been, is and will always be, People’s Artist of Armenia,
actor Arthur Utmazyan lavished praise today on theatre in a meeting
with the journalists.

“When cinema was born, theatre was believed to die, but it survived.

When television was born, theatre was again standing at risk; and now
social networks and internet seem to threaten it, however theatre lives
and will always be living. Live communication with the audience will
never be changed with anything else. Everything on stage is real and
live. Perch Zeytuntsyan has made a wonderful description of cinema and
theatre – movie is shown to you, while you are to see the performance
by yourself.”

Hovhannes Tekgyozian, troupe manager at State Dramatic Theatre after
H. Ghaplanyan, said theatre is a real fete for him, and that it doesn’t
matter what he’s going to play – a tragedy, a drama or a comedy?

Read also: World Theatre Day marked on March 27