PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA MEETS RUSSIA’S FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF
armradio.am
05.05.2009 16:56
President Serzh Sargsyan received Mikhail Fradkov, Chief the Foreign
Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, President’s Press
Office reported.
The parties discussed a broad framework of issues related to
Armenian-Russian cooperation and exchanges views on regional
developments and security questions.
Tehran Times , Iran
May 3 2009
Film critic Qukasian honored in Tehran
Tehran Times Art Desk
TEHRAN — Tribute was paid to veteran Iranian film critic, writer and
filmmaker Zaven Qukasian during the second edition of Iran’s Cinema
Book of the Year ceremony held at Iran’s House of Cinema Thursday
evening.
Managing director of the House Mohammad-Mehdi Asgarpur and a group of
cinematic figures attended the ceremony.
The ceremony continued with screening a short film on Qukasian in
which cinematic figures Khosro Sinaii, Kianush Ayyari, Minu Farshchi
and Jamshid Arjmand talked about Qukasian.
Filmmaker Bahman Farmanara next made a short speech on Qukasian and
said, `I have been friends with Qukasian for years. We are both from
Isfahan and whenever I get the chance to travel there, I would be sure
to meet him. Actually, it is hard to befriend a critic, especially
when you are a filmmaker, and he is a critic. But he is the kindest
critic I know.
`He might be kind, however, he informs us of his views too, but he
doesn’t tear apart the filmmaker with his criticism. He never left
Isfahan and tried to develop cinema in the city and actually brought
cinema experts to Isfahan.
`Qukasian has been the source of major cinematic events in Isfahan. He
organized one of the most successful short film festivals there, but
someone prohibited the event. He never complained about it and went on
to publish a magazine of Persian art, which was warmly received at
that time.’
Farmanara later pointed to the active presence of the
Armenian-Christian nation residing in Iran and continued, `Iran’s
cinema is indebted to the Armenian minority (of Iran). They have made
great progress in the technical aspect of cinema. For example, Samuel
Khachikian and Varuj Karim-Masihi are two examples of veteran Armenian
filmmakers.
`Qukasian is a successful documentary filmmaker but he also worked
hard on the educational part as well. I am so happy the House of
Cinema is holding a ceremony in his honor and wish him all health and
success,’ Farmanara concluded.
Actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya was next to make a short speech and said,
`I am so happy to talk about Zaven. I always learned many things
working with him. He never forgets where you stand in the world. His
delicate characteristics are rooted in the magnificent architecture of
Isfahan.
`When you are with him in Isfahan, part of his words goes back to the
love his mother had toward him. For me Qukasian is like a child from
whom I learn a lot. His honest personality and manner are what allow
me to tell him what is in my heart, and only to him and nobody else.’
Afterwards, the honorary plaque was handed to Qukasian who also made a
short speech and stated, `Newton has said in one of his statements,
`If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants
who have come before me.’ And all these years, I tried to put myself
on the shoulders of the dear and splendid giants around me to see a
few steps more in front of me. Their breath gives me life and hope.
`We must understand first to learn more. I made great efforts to
understand myself and others, to understand the films, filmmakers, and
the critics in the country and overseas.
`In order to see a few steps further, I talked a lot with filmmakers
Masud Kimiaii, Bahram Beizaii, Mohammadreza Aslani, Bahman Farmanara,
and even young filmmakers and critics,’ he remarked.
Managing director Asgarpur also talked about Iran’s Cinema Book of the
Year award and announced that the number of the books published in
this field has increased over the past year and 35 books were judged,
and expressed hope to have more in the future.
The ceremony continued with presentation of the award to Ahmad
Zabeti-Jahromi for his articles in the book `Thirty Years Cinema.’
At the translation section, the award went to Mohammad Gozarabadi for
the `The Writer’s Journey’ by Christopher Vogler.
At the writing section, the award went to Rokhsareh Qaem-Maqami for
the book `Documentary Animation, A New Method of Narration.’
Photo: Iranian film critic Zaven Qukasian (1st from left) bows to the
audiences attending the ceremony in which he was honored for his
lifetime achievement at the House of Cinema in Tehran on April 30,
2009. Director Bahman Farmanara (C) and actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya
are also seen in the photo. (Mehr/Mohammadreza Abbasi)
TREES TO BE PLANTED IN YEREVAN ON EARTH DAY
ArmInfo
2009-05-01 13:38:00
ArmInfo. On 22 April environmental events dedicated to the Day of
Earth were launched by the initiative of Protection of Wild Nature
and Cultural Values of Armenia foundation. The events will last till 2
May and it will start with Green Generation campaign, the foundation
reports. Tree planting and garbage cleaning will be organized in
different communities of Armenia, pan-Armenian photographic competition
and big fete dedicated to Day of Earth will take place in Yerevan. The
first tree in the frames of the project will be planted in Gyumri
and another bigger tree planting will take place in Yerevan, near the
church of St. Grigor Lusavorich. Green Generation Armenia project is
supported by the Embassy of the United States of America to Armenia,
VivaCell-MTS and the Municipality of Yerevan.
SUSURLUK’S CATLI WAS KILLED BY ERGENEKON, NEW WITNESS CLAIMS
Today’s Zaman
April 29 2009
Turkey
The main figure in a scandalous 1996 car crash that for the first
time brought evidence to light showing links between the state and
illegal formations was killed by Ergenekon, a clandestine terrorist
organization charged with plotting to overthrow the government,
and not in the crash, according to new evidence made public on
Monday. Dossiers of evidence from the second indictment in the trial
of suspected members of Ergenekon were handed to defense attorneys
on Monday evening.
According to a witness whose testimony is included in the new dossiers,
Abdullah Catlı, an ultranationalist criminal who was thought to have
died in the 1996 Susurluk car crash, which exposed links between the
Turkish state, the criminal underworld and Turkish security forces,
was killed by Ergenekon. The Susurluk incident revealed that Catlı, a
leader of the ultranationalist Grey Wolves group, worked for the state.
Huseyin Kocadag, a former police chief; Sedat Bucak, a southeastern
tribal leader whose men were armed by the state to fight separatist
violence; and Catlı, an internationally wanted mafia boss, were
involved in an accident near the small township of Susurluk while
riding in the same car. Kocadag, Catlı and his girlfriend, a former
model, were allegedly killed in the accident. No arrests of major
figures were made as a result of the ensuing investigation, which
had actually exposed, for the first time in modern Turkish history,
a gang with links to the state. Retired Brig. Gen. Veli Kucuk, who
is currently in jail as an Ergenekon suspect, was detained but later
released during the Susurluk investigation.
The dossiers contain the testimony of a secret witness, referred to
as Kıskac (Pincer), who told the prosecution on Nov. 30, 2008, that a
senior gendarmerie master sergeant he identified as Hakan, who worked
for JÄ°TEM — an illegal organization founded inside the gendarmerie
accused of hundreds of atrocities against civilians in the Southeast
— revealed to him that Catlı had not died in the accident. Kıskac
said Hakan had told him: "Abdullah Catlı’s arm was broken in the
accident. We killed him by bludgeoning him to death." JÄ°TEM is
believed to be the most important armed branch of Ergenekon.
Kıskac, who asked Hakan why Bucak had not been killed by JÄ°TEM’s men,
received the reply: "This man has 14,000 armed men; he has control over
a route from Antep to Silopi. We don’t want to lose this route." Hakan
also said the accident had been arranged by JÄ°TEM and that Osman
Gurbuz, another Ergenekon suspect, had followed the Mercedes Catlı
and the others were in.
"They told me to work for them. They said they’d guarantee me
immunity. JÄ°TEM was a unit established to fight terrorism, but they
are dealing with every kind of business but terrorism, including
extortion and assassinations," Kıskac told the prosecution.
There are 248 dossiers containing evidence backing up the allegations
brought by the prosecution against the suspects in the Ergenekon
trial. The new documents reveal that retired Gen. Å~^ener Eruygur,
who was arrested but then released pending trial after suffering a
severe fall and sustaining cerebral injuries, ordered his assistants
to clean up any incriminating documents that might be found in
his office during police raids. The dossiers include transcripts
of a phone conversation between Eruygur and a woman named Nermin,
apparently Eruygur’s secretary. In response to the woman’s questions
regarding certain documents, Eruygur says: "Tear them apart; throw
them away." The dossiers reveal that Eruygur hid a large number of
confidential documents crucial to the organization’s coup plots in
his office.
Allegations put forward by a newsweekly accusing former military
commanders of plotting a coup d’état have also made their way into
the second indictment of the Ergenekon trial. The allegations leveled
in the summer of 2007 by the Nokta newsweekly — which claimed that in
2004 now-retired Adm. Ozden Ornek and the four force commanders at the
time had made plans to stage military coups to be named AyıÅ~_ıgı
(M oonlight) and Sarıkız (Blonde Girl) — will be brought before
a court for the first time. The new dossiers include excerpts from
Ornek’s diary as well as personal notes of Ergenekon suspect and
Cumhuriyet daily columnist Mustafa Balbay. Gen. Eruygur is accused of
being the mastermind behind Moonlight and Blonde Girl, as well as two
other coup plans the group called Yakamoz (Sea Sparkle) and Eldiven
(Glove).
The documents also reveal that the group gathered intelligence and
compiled lists of information about Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) politicians. In these lists, some AK Party members are tagged
with labels such as "Kurdish-Arab hybrid" and "Kurdish rebel Sheik
Said’s grandson." Next to one of these figures, a statement reads,
"He is a leader in the mobilization of Kurdish population movements."
The organization also compiled detailed information on the politicians
closest to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including Mucahid
Arslan, Huseyin Besli, Cuneyt Zapsu, Egemen BagıÅ~_ and Omer Celik. In
addition to biographies and detailed information on these politicians,
Eruygur’s team also categorized AK Party politicians into two groups —
supporters of Erdogan and supporters of Abdullah Gul.
The new dossiers also include evidence that generals planned to ban
civilian political activity for at least two decades.
The second indictment accuses Eruygur of "establishing or leading
an armed terrorist organization, recording private information of
various individuals illegally, attempting to overthrow the government,
influencing the judiciary, inciting people to armed revolt and
attempting to destroy the Turkish Parliament." The prosecution demands
three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole
and an additional 142 to 246 years in jail without the possibility
of parole.
Other evidence included in the dossiers reveals that the generals’
coup-plotting group within the military, named the Republican Work
Group (CCG), actively supported Turkish Cypriot politician Rauf
DenktaÅ~_.
Dink murder suspect and Dalan The dossiers also include concrete
evidence showing that Professor Ercument Ovalı, who was arrested last
year on suspicion of possible links to the murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink in 2007, had frequent meetings with fugitive
Ergenekon suspect and former Ä°stanbul Mayor Bedrettin Dalan. This
information was obtained from a phone conversation between Ergenekon
suspect Kemal Aydın and Ovalı.
‘I found Eruygur collapsed on the floor’ Retired Gen. Eruygur
suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on Sept. 17, 2008, at Kandıra Prison,
where he was jailed at the time. The new documents also include
Ergenekon suspect and retired Gen. HurÅ~_it Tolon’s testimony to the
prosecution about Eruygur’s fall in prison, in which he sustained
a head injury. In his testimony, Tolon is quoted as saying: "In the
morning, I opened my eyes to a loud noise. I heard a noise between
a snore and a grumble. The grumbling wasn’t too far away. I got up,
thinking I had fallen asleep in the wrong place. When I reached the
stairs, I saw that he was lying on his back right at the spot where
the stairs turned 90 degrees to the right, with his legs open like a
V. I could see that he was breathing. I ran down the stairs. I tried
to get him up, but he didn’t come to. I started banging on the door
so a security officer would come. One came within a minute or two."
CLINTON: ROADMAP IS HISTORICAL STEP
Today’s Zaman
April 30 2009
Turkey
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has lauded as a historical step
the roadmap agreed by Turkey and Armenia in the ongoing process to
normalize ties between the two neighbors.
Clinton recently had a phone conversation with Armenian Minister of
Foreign Affairs Eduard Nalbandian in which she urged him to move
forward with the roadmap in an effort to normalize relations, the
Armenian Mediamax new agency reported.
The Turkish-Armenian rapprochement started with President Abdullah
Gul’s visit to Yerevan in September 2008 for a World Cup qualifying
match between the soccer teams of the two countries. This visit
was then followed by diplomatic talks in which a breakthrough in the
long-standing crisis between the neighbors emerged. These efforts drew
praise from various parties, including the European Union, the Council
of Europe and US. President Barack Obama, who expressed satisfaction
with the roadmap in a commemorative address delivered on April 24.
Clinton also talked about the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis with Nalbandian
and said she also expects the sides to take a step forward on the
issue. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a war over the region in the
early 1990s that ended with Armenian occupation of the region and the
surrounding seven Azerbaijani districts. Turkey then closed its border
with Armenia in solidarity with Azerbaijan’s cause. Azerbaijan demands
the evacuation of the entire region and the surrounding districts
which, Baku argues, then need to be resettled by Azerbaijani migrants.
ELDAR SAFAROV: "ARMENIAN MILITARY UNITS VIOLATED CEASEFIRE REGIME FOR 236 TIMES OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS"
APA
May 1 2009
Azerbaijan
Baku. Ramil Mammadli – APA. "Field assistants to the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office held 9 monitoring
over the first four months of 2009. Armenian military units violated
ceasefire for 236 times in that period. The ceasefire regime was
violated mostly in the direction of the regions of Aghdam, Khojavand,
Goranboy, Tartar, Gazakh and Tovuz. The territory of these regions
were fired by the Armenians almost every day", press officer of the
Defense Minister Eldar Safarov said at a press conference on Friday,
APA reports. He said Armenians had more losses during the short
confrontations in the line of contact. "There are no large-scale
operations in the line of contact, but the position battles are always
taking place".
Safarov spoke about the changes of call-up procedures and said the
military commissariats were not discontinued. "According to the
legislation, military commissariats are the local administrative
organizations of Defense Ministry. Simply, by the Defense Minister’s
order the call-up procedures were commissioned to the Organizing and
Mobilizing Office of the Defense Ministry. The military commissariats
will provide medical examinations, census and deferment rights of the
draftees". The ministry spokesman said the Defense Ministry knew the
number of soldiers the military units need and deployed them according
to it".
POLITICAL COALITION CALLS ON ARF TO PRESERVE THE OFFICES OF HEADS OF NA COMMISSIONS
ARMENPRESS
APRIL 29, 2009
YEREVAN
The political coalition calls on the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) to take back the applications of resignation of heads of NA
Permanent commissions of foreign relations and defense, national
security and home affairs, NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamian stated, noting
that there was a time when the NA Speaker was a representative of
the opposition.
"We have even registered this opportunity in the October 2008 "NA
Regulation" law by fixing the corresponding resolution which gives
an opportunity to the representatives of the opposition to occupy the
offices of heads of commissions and their deputies", – Hovik Abrahamian
said and added that though the changes will function for the NA which
will be formed in the next elections, but today the political coalition
calls on the two heads of the commissions to preserve the offices.
Head of the ARF faction Vahan Hovhannisian thanked for the suggestion
of the political coalition and noted that the issue is within the
frameworks of implemented reforms and stated that they will discuss
the issue and present the answers to the NA Speaker.
The Deputy NA Speaker Hrayr Karapetian, Head of the NA Commission of
Foreign affairs Armen Rustamian and the NA Commission of Defense,
national security and home affairs Arthur Aghabekian presented
applications of resignation on April 27.
According to the "NA Regulation" law in case the applications are
not taken back within three days the resignations will be considered
adopted. The three-day period expires on April 30.
ARMENIAN ARTISTS’ WORKS TO BE EXHIBITED IN FRANCE
NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY
APRIL 29, 2009
LYON
49 artists coming from France, Europe and Armenia will exhibit their
artworks at Palais de Bondy in Lyon, France. The 400 works show the
variety of their cultures on a bottom of common origin. The event is
organized by ADCARLY (Association for the Developpement of Armenian
Culture in Lyon) and the CLFA (Lyon’s Circle of Armenian Women).
KAVKAZ INSTITUTE DIRECTOR: ‘CAUCASUS-2008’ SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE IS ALMOST THE ONLY PROOF OF UNITY OF THE REGION COUNTRIES
ArmInfo
2009-04-28 13:07:00
Our scientific conference is one of the few if not the only proof
of unity of the region countries, Director of Kavkaz Institute,
a political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan said when opening the
international scientific conference "Caucasus-2008" in Yerevan today.
‘Interesting and important events happened in South Caucasus and
around it in 2008 will be discussed during the seminar. Moreover,
the political, social and economic processes in Caucasus, the policy
of the USA, Europe, Turkey and Russia in Caucasus, the unrecognized
Caucasus republics, ethno-political conflicts, as well as the regional
security will be discussed at the seminar’, he said.
According to Iskandaryan, the year 2008 was quite interesting for
Caucasus: such events as a five-day war happened there during a year,
which significantly changed the configuration in Caucasus and around
it, as well as the dynamic events in the Northern Caucasus. ‘Serious
changes happened in Armenia as well: this was a year of serious
internal political shocks. It was interesting also for Georgia and
Azerbaijan and for the countries around us’, A. Iskandaryan resumed.
Scientific conference ‘Caucasus-2008’ is held in Yerevan on
28-29 April. Scientists, journalists and politicians from Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Russia and some European countries are
taking part in the conference, organized by ‘Kavkaz’ institute. The
conference is a part of the programme Building Capacity for Policy
Debate in Armenia, financed by European Union as well as Swiss
Foundation for Development and International Cooperation and Henry
Bell Foundation.
ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TAKE A FIRM STANCE ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER OPENING
PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2009 19:13 GMT+04:00
"The RA President stood firm in his position: Armenia cannot open
its border with Turkey until autumn. This is a kind of pressure
against Turkey," political scientist Alexander Iksansaryan told a news
conference in Yerevan. Mr. Iskandaryan believes that the route map will
be published, but that won’t ease public dissatisfaction. Despite its
content, the route map will arise criticism against the authorities,"
Mr. Iskandaryan noted. In the meantime, the political scientist
finds that it is necessary to take certain measures to relieve the
increasing wave of dissatisfaction in Armenia and Diaspora.
"As regards the date of signing the agreement, that should have taken
place between April 16 and 24. Before April 16, the parties were
not ready for it, and after April 24, the Foreign Ministries might
not have signed any agreement in view of President Obama’s speech,"
Mr. Iskandaryan said.
The Armenian-Turkish joint statement on the normalization of bilateral
ties was adopted on April 23 by the Armenian and Turkish Foreign
Ministries and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.