Author: Tambiyan Samvel

DASHNAKS SLAM U.S. PRAISE OF ARMENIAN RULING ON TURKEY

39419.html
25.01.2010

Armenia — An Armenian Revolutionary Federation flag flying against
the backdrop of the Constitutional Court building in Yerevan on
January 12 2010.

The opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
denounced on Monday the U.S. State Department for welcoming an Armenian
Constitutional Court ruling on Turkey that has sparked a diplomatic
dispute between Yerevan and Ankara.

Dashnaktsutyun leaders claimed that by effectively siding with
Armenia in the row, the United States is pressurizing its leadership
to unconditionally implement the controversial Turkish-Armenian
agreements which their party considers a sellout to Turkey.

While upholding the constitutionality of the two "protocols,"
the Constitutional Court ruled on January 12 that they place no
obligations on Armenia with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and can not inhibit its pursuit of greater international recognition
of the Armenian genocide.

Dashnaktsutyun welcomed this interpretation of the U.S.-backed
protocols, saying that the Armenian parliament should ratify them
with corresponding "reservations." Its top representatives said in
particular that the court effectively invalidated a protocol clause
that commits Armenia to explicitly recognizing the existing border
with Turkey.

The Turkish government has likewise claimed that the ruling runs
counter to the letter and spirit of the deal and jeopardizes its
implementation by Turkey. Armenia’s leadership has brushed aside
these claims, accusing Ankara of seeking "artificial pretexts" for
delaying its parliamentary ratification.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon told RFE/RL
on Friday that Washington regards the judgment as a "positive step
forward in the ratification process of the normalization protocols"
that "does not appear to limit or qualify them in any way." Armenian
pro-government politicians and media were quick to welcome the U.S.

reaction as a crucial endorsement of Yerevan’s position in the
dispute. Dashnaktsutyun strongly disagree with that.

"It was a statement made a bit prematurely, and I don’t think that
it is only aimed at somehow benefiting Armenia," Artsvik Minasian,
a senior Dashnaktsutyun member, told RFE/RL, commenting on Gordon’s
remarks. "What is more, I think that was a form of pressure on
Armenia aimed at making sure that we don’t ratify the protocols with
reservations," he said.

Giro Manoyan, the party’s chief foreign policy spokesman, also accused
Washington of pressurizing Yerevan. "When a representative of a foreign
state tries to teach us some lessons I don’t think that is acceptable,"
he told RFE/RL.

According to Minasian, Dashnaktsutyun has drafted legal amendments that
would empower Armenia’s parliament to ratify international treaties
and agreements signed by the executive branch with conditions or
reservations. He said they will be presented this week to 13 other
mostly small opposition groups aligned in a Dashnaktsutyun-led
coalition staunchly opposed to the protocols.

Leaders of those parties met at the Dashnaktsutyun headquarters in
Yerevan over the weekend to discuss their further actions. One of
them, Armen Martirosian of the Zharangutyun party, was skeptical
about the Dashnaktsutyun bill. Martirosian predicted on Monday that
the parliament majority loyal to President Serzh Sarkisian will
unconditionally endorse the protocols should they be put to the vote.

A deputy chairman of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia, which
has a clear majority in the National Assembly, confirmed that. "If
we add reservations to the protocols, the Turks will never ratify
them," Razmik Zohrabian told RFE/RL. "We should therefore avoid any
reservations."

Zohrabian also hailed the U.S. reaction to the Armenian court ruling,
saying that it shows just how "vulnerable and superficial" the Turkish
diplomacy can be.

HEAD OF CPA MONITORING MISSION APPLIES TO PACE DEPUTIES

Noyan Tapan
Jan 25, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Taking into consideration the
discussion of the report under the title Respect for Media Freedom to
be held in PACE in the future, Anahit Sargsian, the Head of the Center
for Parliamentarianism of Armenia monitoring mission, on January 25,
conveyed to PACE deputies information that all Armenian TV channels
grossly violating the demands of the RA Electoral Code did not take
part and in essence, boycotted the NA deputy by-elections at Yerevan
electoral district N 10, for which the opposition figure being under
arrest ran.

It was mentioned that the TV channels not only provided no information
to society about the process of elections but even refused to broadcast
the agitation materials presented by the opposition candidate. They did
not take part, either, in the press conferences of the only long-term
monitoring mission in the election campaign and did not broadcast
anything about it. As a result, the pevailing part of voters was not
aware of either the process of elections or the candidates.

As a motivation of such information, the January 15 decision of the
National Committee of Television and Radio was presented to PACE
deputies, according to which, the assertion on non-fulfillment of the
requirement of part 4, Article 20 of RA Electoral Code is ungrounded
as the TV channel cannot declare the price for each minute of paid air
in case it has not intended to provide paid air time for broadcasts
on election campaign."

Armenian-Turkish Process Can Fail: Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister

Tert.am
15:59 – 22.01.10

Asked by journalists today whether the process of normalizing
Armenia-Turkish relations might fail, Armenian foreign minister Edward
Nalbandian said:

`Of course, it’s possible, if the Turkish side is not – and won’t be –
prepared to ratify the Protocols; if it continues, as it does until
today, speaking in terms of preconditions, finding connections, [and]
hindering progress in this process.’

SPECULATION ENDS ON VAN’S HOLY CROSS CHURCH

Hurriyet
n.php?n=speculations-on-holy-cross-church-of-van-h as-ended-2010-01-22
Jan 22 2010
Turkey

The Culture and Tourism Ministry ends speculation about the historical
Surp Hac (Holy Cross) Church on Akdamar Island in Van. Officials from
the ministry say the church will be opened for prayer and a cross
will be placed on the roof by September 2010

Renovation of the historical Surp Hac (Holy Cross) Church on Akdamar
Island in the eastern district of Van helped begin the normalization
process between Turkey and Armenia, but the church remains a topic
of considerable debate.

The Armenian church was renovated and opened as a museum in 2007 by
former Culture Minister Atilla Koc; since then, debate has centered on
whether a cross would be placed atop the building’s dome and whether
the church would once again be opened for prayer.

Buildings designated as museums are not allowed to host religious
services under Turkish law.

Current Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay has told the Hurriyet Daily
News & Economic Review that the ministry is making the final legal
arrangements to allow the church to open for prayer once a year.

Last week, however, daily Milliyet and other Turkish newspapers
announced that the ministry was no longer considering opening Surp
Hac for prayer. The announcement naturally attracted the interest of
Armenian media and the Armenian diaspora as well.

‘The information is old; preparations are at the final level’

The Daily News spoke to ministry officials to get the latest
developments about the historical church. Denying last week’s news
story, the officials said the church would be opened for prayer in
September 2010 with a cross on the building’s roof. According to
the ministry sources, Milliyet’s story was based on old information;
in fact, they said, the legal preparations for opening the church to
prayer are continuing rapidly.

Disappointment caused by museum status

Gunay said there are obstacles to churches in addition to Surp Hac
being opened for prayer, adding that the ministry is handling the
legal arrangements very carefully to prevent similar difficulties in
the future.

The church has symbolic importance in the normalization process
between Turkey and Armenia. Although it is commonly believed that
Armenian-Turkish dialogue began with the World Cup Qualifier between
the two countries’ national teams in 2008, the actual process began
with the initial renovation of Surp Hac.

Former minister Koc contacted Gagik Gurciyan, the deputy culture
minister of Armenia at that time, to provide experts from Armenia
to come to Turkey to inspect the church. Despite the closed borders
between the two countries, Turkish and Armenian experts have engaged
in a coordinated effort aimed at restoring Surp Hac.

Leaving the church without a cross and opening it as a museum,
however, disappointed the Armenian world. During the restoration,
a replica of the original cross was prepared by experts according
to the traditions of the Apostolic Church. That cross was brought to
Istanbul and delivered to Mesrop II, patriarch of Turkish Armenians.

The cross is still at the Istanbul patriarchate, waiting to be placed
atop Surp Hac.

ARTHUR MALOYAN CAN RETURN TO "SPARTAK" IN SUMMER

Aysor
Jan 21 2010
Armenia

We have told to our readers before that Arthur Maloyan the forward
player of "Spartak" team left "Anzhi" of Makhachkala and now is on
probation period in "Salute – Energia". The official site of the club
informs that the trainers of the team have many expectations with
the 20 year old Armenian football player and they have suggested
him to play in "Salute – Energia" team, though the agreement does
not guarantee that the player will stay in that club for more than
one year. One of the points of the agreement allows the player to
return to "Spartak" team in the upcoming summer if it is necessary.

Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

January 21, 2010
Contact: Lerna Kayserian Shirinian
Email: <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]

ANC- WR WELCOMES FIRST ARMENIAN AMERICAN
LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMEMBER PAUL KREKORIAN

VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA – Friends, activists and leaders of the
Armenian National Committee – Western Region (ANC-WR) were pleased
to welcome newly-elected Councilmember Paul Krekorian to the Los
Angeles City Council during a ceremonial Swearing-in Ceremony and
Inaugural Celebration on Sunday, January 17, 2010 at Van Nuys City
Hall.

The ANC-WR joined hundreds of supporters for Councilmember
Krekorian, celebrating the historic election of the first Armenian
American to the Los Angeles City Council. The oath of office was
administered by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. Among the
supporters who spoke during the ceremony were Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, LA City Council
President Eric Garcetti, State Assemblymember Mike Feuer and former
Controller Laura Chick.

"We would like to offer our congratulations to Councilmember
Krekorian on his newly elected position in the Los Angeles City
Council," stated ANC-WR Government Relations Director Lerna
Shirinian. "Councilmember Krekorian has been a strong advocate and
voice for the Armenian American community within the State Assembly
and we look forward to working with him as he leads Council
District 2 in the City of Los Angeles," he added.

During his tenure as State Assemblymember, Krekorian introduced AJR
15, which designated April 24, 2007 as California Day of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 through 1923.
Krekorian’s AJR 15 urged Congress and the President of the United
States "to formally recognize and reaffirm the historical truth
that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people
constituted genocide," and called upon the Republic of Turkey to
"acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and to work toward
a just resolution." In 2008, Krekorian was the co-author of SJR 24,
a similar resolution, which noted that "by consistently remembering
and openly condemning the atrocities committed against the
Armenians, California residents demonstrate their sensitivity to a
need for constant vigilance to prevent similar atrocities in the
future."

To help highlight the enduring legacy of legendary Armenian-
American playwright and author William Saroyan, Assemblymember
Krekorian co-authored SCR 9, which designated the year 2008 as the
William Saroyan Year for enriching the cultural diversity of the
state, and in particular, for celebrating over 100 years of the
cultural contribution of Armenian-Americans to the people of the
state.

"Councilmember Krekorian is a strong voice for our community and a
principled leader," stated ANC-WR Board Member Avo Ovayan. "I am
confident that his creativity, energy and leadership will set the
standard for the Los Angeles City Council," he remarked.

Councilmember Paul Krekorian represents the 2nd Council District of
Los Angeles, which stretches from Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood
Hills to Big Tujunga Road in the Verdugo Hills. It includes the
communities of including the communities of Lake View Terrace, La
Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio
City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and
Van Nuys. Council District 2 is home to — Armenian Americans, the
largest concentration of the community in the City of Los Angeles.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots community
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the
country, the ANC-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American
community on a broad range of issues.

###

Photo caption: ANC-WR Government Relations Director Lerna Kayserian
Shirinian, ANC Burbank Activist Silva Kechichian, ANC Activist
Steve Dadaian, and ANC-WR Board Member Avo Ovayan.

THE EVENTS BEFORE DINK’S MURDER

Hurriyet
Jan 20 2010
Turkey

Numerous theories have been discussed about how power centers
played a role in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink. Whenever this subject is opened to discussion, I prefer to
start with the McDonald’s bombing that took place in the Black Sea
province of Trabzon exactly 25 months before the Dink killing.

In fact, most of the unknowns in the Dink murder case are covered in
this incident. We see that the actors of the bombing were key figures
in Dink’s murder. If the bombing had been investigated thoroughly,
if the trial process hadn’t had peculiarities, Dink could’ve been
alive today.

Why was Tuncel not on trial?

Let’s start from the beginning. The McDonald’s bombing in Trabzon
occurred on Oct. 24, 2004. Dink was killed on Jan. 19, 2007.

Six people were injured in the bombing. Perpetrator Yasin Hayal was
caught. One of the names involved in the incident was Erhan Tuncel,
the "big brother," who stands on trial as an instigator in the Dink
murder case. Despite plenty of evidence, the Trabzon prosecutor,
the Security Directorate and the gendarmerie didn’t touch him.

Hayal, the instigator in the Dink murder case, later said Tuncel
himself made the bomb for the McDonald’s incident. In the report
prepared by the Prime Ministry Investigation Board, it is clearly
stated that Tuncel and Hayal committed the McDonald’s bombing together.

The question that needs to be answered at this point is this: Why
did the Trabzon Prosecutor’s Office, the Security Directorate and
the gendarmerie not start proceedings against Tuncel? Although there
was a decision to take Tuncel forcefully to court for deposition,
it was not done. The gendarmerie couldn’t find Tuncel.

If Hayal had not been released…

Another challenging point is this: then-Trabzon Security Director
Ramazan Akyurek assigned Tuncel as "intelligence aid."

If Tuncel had been turned in rather than being appointed to the
intelligence staff, the course of events most probably would’ve taken a
different turn. In this case, Tuncel would have been prosecuted and put
behind the bars. Perhaps the Dink murder would not have been plotted.

Yet another key point we should dwell upon is this: Though Hayal
committed the bombing, his file was not followed by the prosecutor for
terror crimes but was studied as a plain judicial case file. If the
bombing had been regarded as a terror incident, the penalty for Hayal
could’ve been increased and he wouldn’t have been released. Therefore,
the Dink murder wouldn’t have been committed.

The peculiarities in the Trabzon courthouse are not limited to the
above. As proceedings continued, Hayal was released in September 2005
in the 11th month of his arrest.

The point we must focus on is that Hayal was released by the council
on duty, not the one in charge of the case. The release paper carried
the signatures of the judge of the Commercial Court. Besides, his
release took place while the council officially responsible for the
case was off duty.

If the appeal hadn’t been delayed

In the end, the Trabzon High Criminal Court sentenced Hayal to
six years and eight months imprisonment on June 14, 2006. After the
reduction of the sentence, Hayal’s penalty was settled at 32 months in
prison. Since the appeal process is pending at the Court of Appeals,
Hayal is not behind bars yet.

Now, let’s look at the peculiarities at the Court of Appeals. The
appeal process was completed on May 2, 2008. According to the ruling,
Hayal was supposed to be sentenced for 21 months in addition to the
11 months that he served. If the decision had been taken in a timely
manner, Hayal could’ve been sent to prison again and the Dink murder
wouldn’t have been plotted.

Regardless of how you put it, if the McDonald’s bombing case had been
conducted properly by both the prosecution and the security forces,
Dink could’ve been with us today.

* Mr. Sedat Ergin is a columnist for the daily Hurriyet in which this
piece appeared Wednesday. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff.

ILHAM ALIYEV GIVES INTERVIEW TO EURONEWS

news.az
Jan 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Ilham Aliyev gives interview to Euronews Azerbaijani president gave
an interview to Euronews correspondent Laura Davidescu on 19 January.

The president answered questions about the settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the process and
prospects of negotiations, regional and other issues.

At the end of November Euronews broadcast a one-sided report on the
conflict, Winds of Change in Nagorno-Karabakh, which prompted an
official note of protest from Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.

PREPARATIONS FOR TRILATERAL PRESIDENTIAL MEETING UNDER WAY

news.am
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

Official Yerevan has confirmed the preparations for an
Armenian-Russian-Azerbaijani presidential meeting, which is to be
held in Sochi, Russia, on January 25.

RA Presidential Spokesman Samvel Farmanyan told NEWS.am that the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs arrived in Yerevan today and held meetings with
RA President Serzh Sargsyan and RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

At present they are in Baku. Their visit to the region has to do
with the trilateral presidential meeting. At their recent meeting in
Moscow, the Armenian and Russian Presidents discussed the possibility
of the meeting.

Two meetings have already been held through Dmitry Medvedev’s
mediation – the Moscow meeting on November 2, 2008, when the Mayendorf
declaration as adopted and the meeting in Chisinau last October.

THOUSANDS IN ISTANBUL MARK ANNIVERSARY OF DINK’S MURDER

Armenian Weekly
January 20, 2010

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)-Thousands gathered Tuesday at the site
in Istanbul where Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was murdered three
years ago.

The crowd, numbering around 2,000 to 3,000 according to police,
braved snowfall to gather outside the offices of the Agos newspaper
where Dink was editor-in-chief, chanting "The murderer state has to
account for this!", "We know the murderers, we want justice!"

"As long as light is not shed on this murder, we will be here, we
will not give up," said one of the many people who addressed the
crowd from the window of the Agos office from which hung a picture
of the slain journalist.

Several people left carnations and candles at the place where then
52-year-old Dink was killed on Jan. 19, 2007.

This year’s slogan during the commemoration was "We know the killer,
we want justice."

"I am eminently enraged," retired teacher Semra Tugcu said as she
stood in the crowd.

She said she was not hopeful about Dink’s murder case. "I am a Turk,
but this does not mean that I am not a minority in this country,"
she said. "I feel like a minority, too."

Hrant Dink’s wife, Rakel Dink, and their son and daughter were also
at the Agos newspaper office.

Arat Dink, Hrant Dink’s son, spoke to the crowd. "Were those kids
[those suspected of murdering Dink] alone while they were making fun
of us in the court? … I do not trust justice in this country. But
being here for the last three years with you makes me hopeful,"
Arat Dink said.

Dink’s speech was frequently cut by slogans from the crowd such as,
"Murderer state will give account," "Despite fascism, you are my
brother Hrant," and "Either all together, or none of us, there is no
salvation alone."

The gunman, an unemployed nationalist who was 17 at the time, was
captured shortly after the killing. He went on trial along with 19
suspected accomplices in 2007. The investigation, however, has yet
to reveal the masterminds behind the killing.