Author: Toneyan Mark

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
March 24, 2010

ATP Nurseries Are Backbone of Community Tree Planting and Environmental
Education Programs

An Interview with Samvel Ghandilyan

Samvel Ghandilyan has been managing Armenia Tree Project’s nurseries in
Karin and Khachpar villages since their establishment in the mid-1990’s. He
has a doctorate in Agricultural Mechanization Technologies and has worked as
an associate professor at the Armenian Agricultural Academy. Dr. Ghandilyan
has written scientific articles about agricultural production and
educational processes. He is married and has a son and a daughter. This is
the second in a series of interviews with ATP program managers.

What is the background of the ATP Nursery Program? Can you tell us about the
early days when ATP was founded and the nursery program was initiated?

The early 1990’s are marked in the history of Armenia as those of hardship
and poverty. Everywhere, trees were being cut and Armenia faced
deforestation. Day by day the areas covered with trees was decreasing. ATP
was founded in 1994 by philanthropist Carolyn Mugar who, together with the
organization’s Executive Committee, has been involved in preventing total
deforestation in the country.

The idea of establishing our own nursery originated in 1995 and the first
nursery was established in Karin in 1996. The main purpose of having a
nursery was to work freely without depending on other nurseries, which would
give us the opportunity to produce high quality trees and shrubs in the most
cost efficient manner.

How did ATP choose the villages of Karin and Khachpar to establish
nurseries? What was unique about these areas and how does the program impact
these villages?

The selection of these villages was influenced by several factors. Most
importantly, the sites were in areas inhabited by Armenian refugees which
meant the project would create jobs to help them support their families. The
sites also had nutrient-rich soil that allowed us to grow different kinds of
trees, including fruit and nut trees as well as decorative evergreens and
shrubs. Finally, many significant symbols of Armenia like Mount Ararat,
Aragats, and Ara can be seen from our nurseries.

The nurseries have created jobs and have changed people’s attitude towards
nature and trees. Previously, only vegetables were grown in Karin and
Khachpar and the areas were very dry, but now residents ask for trees for
their neighborhoods and roads leading to their villages which are making the
whole territory green.

What types of trees are grown in the ATP nurseries and how many trees have
been distributed to plantings sites in Armenia to date?

We propagate 69 species of indigenous trees including deciduous trees and
conifers, 12 species of fruit trees including apple, pear, apricot, peach,
and cherry, nut trees including almond, walnut, and pistachio, and various
shrubs.

I’d like to mention that 12 sweet cherry trees produced in the very first
year of the establishment of Karin Nursery were planted in Lachin. To date
512,930 trees and shrubs have been produced in both nurseries and provided
to over 800 different planting sites throughout Armenia and Karabagh.
Currently, 50,000-60,000 high quality trees and shrubs are being produced
each year.

How does the Nursery Program collaborate with other ATP programs?

The trees from the Karin and Khachpar nurseries are provided to ATP’s
Community Tree Planting program for planting at urban and rural sites, while
ATP’s other reforestation nursery in Margahovit supports the Rural and
Mountainous Development program.

In addition to growing trees, we work closely with ATP’s Environmental
Education program to conduct classes and other events at the nurseries. We
organize Earth Day celebrations at Karin Nursery and host hundreds of
visitors from all over the world each year.

The Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Educational Center at Karin
provides a venue for classes and trainings for schoolchildren and university
students. Practical trainings are being carried out for university students
and professionals on irrigation techniques, propagation methods, and nursery
management.

The nursery program collaborates with other organizations as well. We have
carried out research with specialists from Yerevan State University,
Armenian State Agrarian University, and Armenian Institute of Biotechnology
Research. We have also trained farmers from different regions on crop
irrigation methods.

What is your vision for the Nursery Program over the next few years?

One of our goals is to increase the production of decorative trees due to
the great demand from residents who hope to reverse the effects of
deforestation in Yerevan and other regions. Given the huge demand for fruit
trees, the establishment of a new ATP fruit tree nursery in a different
climate zone is of utmost importance. If we established a new nursery this
year, we would have our first fruit tree seedlings in 2012 since the
propagation of these trees takes so much time and care. In general, the
nursery program continues to do everything possible to re-green Armenia and
to provide trees for families in villages with the fewest resources.

ALARM ON PLACING A BOMB IN THE BUILDING OF ARMENIAN STATE REVENUE COMMITTEE RECEIVED

5572/lang/en
2010-03-23
YEREVAN

Today at 12:45 pm, Armenian State Revenue Committee received an
alarm from an unidentified person who said a bomb is placed in the
building. Nikolay Grigoryan, consultant to the director of the Rescue
Service of the Armenian Emergency Situations Ministry told Armenpress
that employees are being evacuated and searching works are being
carried out.

Few weeks ago a similar alarm was received, but it turned out to
be false.

BOMB ALERT AT PUBLIC REVENUE COMMITTEE BUILDING

Aysor
March 23 2010
Armenia

Armenian police on Tuesday ordered the emergency evacuation of the
building of the Public Revenue Committee of Armenia after receiving
a bomb alert by telephone.

Today at 12:45 pm police officials received a call about a bomb at
the building of the Public Revenue Committee of Armenia. "Sappers,
cynologists are looking for a bomb; all people are evacuated; search
activities are going on," said Colonel Nikolai Grigorian, Adviser to
Chief of the Emergency Rescue Service of Armenia.

It’s worst mentioning that on February 25 there was received a false
bomb alert by telephone.

ALEXANDER ISKANDARYAN: KARABAKH CONFLICT NOT TO BE RESOLVED OVER NEXT FIVE YEARS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.03.2010 15:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE MG co-chair Bernard Fassier did spoke
in Yerevan about impossibility of Azerbaijan’ victory in the war,
Alexander Iskandaryan , director of the Caucasus Institute said.

"The same thing I told to the Azerbaijani Vesti.Az web portal:
the OSCE Minsk Group is unable to resolve the conflict instead of
the conflict parties. As long as the parties block the possibility
of the solution, the solution wouldn’ be achieved. The positions
of the conflict parties are so incompatible, that one cannot speak
about a compromise. The Karabakh conflict will not be resolved over
the next five years. Armenia will continue to adhere to the policy of
complementarity, which combines the military and strategic cooperation
with Russia and the slow expansion of the Western direction in the
frames of the Eastern Partnership initiative and cooperation with
NATO," he stressed.

Bernard Fassier said at the 73rd Seminar of the NATO PA Rose Roth in
Yerevan that in case of a military solution to the Karabakh conflict,
Azerbaijan cannot win.

ARF SMELLS AGAIN

7246.html
16:42:29 – 22/03/2010

Apparently, ARF Dashnaktsutyun relies very much on its sense of smell.

For example, years ago, when PACE adopted a document on the NKR issue
with unbeneficial formulations for Armenia, one of the authors of
which was British Atkinson, ARF Bureau member, Vahan Hovhannisyan,
vice-speaker of the National Assembly of that time, said that document
smells of oil. The response of the Armenian NA head and the head of
the PACE delegation of that period Tigran Torosyan was that he does
not smell documents but works on them.

The ARF seems to be keeping smelling as the HAK "100 steps" smells of
socialism, at least the ARF parliamentary member, economist Artsvik
Minasyan made such a statement on March 22. He said the ARF, as a
structure, did not discuss that program because the party has its own.

As an economist, Artsvik Minasyan said the HAK program smells
of socialism "which is surprising, considering the fact that an
ultra-liberal force is presenting it".

According to Artsvik Minasyan, it is positive such programs are
presented but he thinks there are essential elements of populism in
"100 steps". "Which I do not criticize but they are just needed to
be corrected", said the ARF MP.

By the way, he said that ARF is going to hold discussions on its own
social-economic steps on March 26. On the same day, ARF is organizing
an international conference in Yerevan to discuss their program in
the context of which issues relating the foreign policy and home
democracy will be discussed too.

JOHN MCCAIN: WE SHOULD CONDEMN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BUT LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.03.2010 15:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Republican presidential ex-candidate, U.S. Senator
John McCain characterized the Armenian Genocide as an important issue.

"We must condemn the Genocide, but on the other hand, we must look to
the future. Nobody can blame the present-day Turkey for the Armenian
Genocide," he said

"Of course, the Genocide issue is important but Turkey is our partner
and ally and we need its support in combating the Islamic movement,"
the senator said, adding that democracy is gradually evolving in
Turkey, Haberturk.com reported.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 21 2010

Deep state did great injustice to non-Muslim minorities, says Ã?elik

`The deep state and the pro-single-party spirit of the Republican
People’s Party [CHP] lies behind the injustices that were done to
non-Muslims in Turkey, which runs entirely contrary to the foundations
of our culture,’ said Hüseyin Ã?elik, the Justice and Development
Party’s (AK Party) deputy chairman.

Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman in an exclusive interview, Ã?elik, who was
formerly Turkey’s education minister, said the CHP and Turkey’s deep
state have `otherized’ most of the population, which he identified as
being villagers, Alevis, Kurds, non-Muslims and the pious.

The single-party period of Turkey begins with the CHP being the only
party after the founding of the republic on Oct. 29, 1923 and ends in
1946 with the establishment of the National Development Party (MKP).

`Serious injustices were done to all these groups during the
single-party era in Turkey; however, the injustices done to the
non-Muslims were more severe. The wealth tax was a disgrace. The
closure of the Greek seminary was a great shame. The Sept. 6-7
incidents were an inhumane conspiracy that humiliated Turkey in the
eyes of the world. The alienated villagers were unable to enter
Ankara’s city center until 1946. The violation of the rights of the
humiliated Alevis, Kurds and the pious have continued until today,’
Ã?elik explained.

The wealth tax was a tax levied on the wealthy citizens of Turkey in
1942, with the stated aim of raising funds for the country’s defense
in the event of eventual entry into World War II. Those who suffered
most severely from this tax were non-Muslims: Jews, Greeks, Armenians
and Levantines, who controlled a large portion of the economy.

Established on Oct. 1, 1844, on Heybeli Island — or Halki in Greek —
in the Marmara Sea, the Halki Seminary was the main school of theology
for the Eastern Orthodox Church’s patriarchate in Ä°stanbul until its
closure by Turkish authorities in 1971.

The unfortunate events of Sept. 6-7, 1955 started after a newspaper
headline said the home of the nation’s founder, Atatürk, in Greece had
been bombed by Greek militants. Fired up by the media, mobs killed and
harassed non-Muslims and non-Turkish minorities in a massive campaign.

Ã?elik explained that the first group that saved itself from the
`otherization’ policy were the villagers. The votes of these people
made it possible for Turkey to adopt a multi-party system in 1946 and
played an important role in ensuring this.

Indicating that 80 percent of the public was living in villages back
then, Ã?elik said: `Since the politicians had to ask for the votes of
the villagers, they were saved from being an `otherized’ group. It was
forbidden for the villagers to enter Ulus and Kızılay [neighborhoods
located in central Ankara] until 1946.’

He stressed that it was also crucial to end the `otherization’ of
other groups, showing democracy as the only way to achieve this.
Complaining about the ongoing debates in Turkey about non-Muslims,
Ã?elik said these debates led to an unnecessary public sensitivity
about non-Muslims in the country.

`We have been having `ecumenical’ debates for a long time. Is
Bartholomew ecumenical or not? It’s none of our business. Why do
Muslims debate the world leader of the Orthodox community, why do they
want to be decision-makers regarding this issue? Let the Orthodox
community decide on this. If they see Ä°stanbul Fener Patriarch
Bartholomew as ecumenical, do we have any right to debate this as
non-Orthodox people? Let the Orthodox people decide of their own free
will,’ he said.

Ã?elik described the closure of the Greek seminary as another great
injustice done to non-Muslims and said it was very embarrassing that
Turkey had failed to overcome the resistance of the pro-status quo
circles to reopen the school.

When asked what kind of obstacles the government has faced regarding
its efforts to reopen the seminary, Ã?elik said: `We cannot overcome
the status quo. We cannot act alone. Why was a reform package which
was approved by 411 deputies cancelled by the Constitutional Court?
Can Parliament and government decide on a reform, can they put it into
force in this country?’ asked Ã?elik.

He was referring to a reform initiated by the government in 2008 that
would remove the headscarf ban at universities but which was cancelled
by the Constitutional Court, despite getting overwhelming support from
Parliament. The reform was challenged by the CHP at the Constitutional
Court.

Recalling another incident that took place in 2004, Ã?elik said former
secretary-general of the National Security Council (MGK) Tuncer Kılıç
visited him, as education minister, and asked him to issue a
regulation for the closure of all private schools. He said since the
closure of private schools opened by followers of Turkish religious
scholar Fethullah Gülen could not be closed down alone, closing down
all private schools would ensure their closure as well.

`I told him such a thing was impossible to do and that doing something
like this would be no different to bringing in communism. I tell you
this because other schools were also closed down along with the Greek
seminary. It was totally a wrong decision to close down the seminary,
and it should be reopened,’ Ã?elik said in further remarks.

Minority status may be changed

The AK Party deputy chairman, who said all citizens of the Turkish
Republic were first-class citizens no matter what their religion or
language, explained that the minority status granted to the non-Muslim
communities in Turkey by the Lausanne Treaty may be altered.

`In my view, none of our 72 million citizens should be treated as a
minority,’ Ã?elik said. Indicating that believers of the three
monotheistic religions along with many other religious communities
lived in peace during the Ottoman Empire, Ã?elik said the state
approached all religions and beliefs with tolerance back then. `The
slogan that reflected this in the Ottoman Empire was `Diversity in
unity,’ a slogan which is now promoted by the Council of Europe. The
two cultures met at the same point centuries later.’

Ã?elik, who launched the restoration of the Armenian Akdamar Church in
Van, said there was no problem in holding religious services in the
church and hanging a crucifix on its wall.’

The Akdamar Church on Akdamar Island on Lake Van was opened in 2007 as
a museum after it was restored by the Turkish government between May
2005 and October 2006. The restoration cost $1.7 million (TL 2.6
million).

Ã?elik said it was hypocritical of some to demand the survival of
Ottoman-era works of art in other countries while opposing the
restoration of Akdamar Church.

`Genocide’ allegations used as a political trump card

Remarking on the approval of resolutions that recognize killings of
Armenians in 1915 as `genocide,’ by the US House Foreign Affairs
Committee and the Swedish parliament, Hüseyin �elik, the Justice and
Development Party’s (AK Party) deputy chairman, said the `genocide’
issue was being used as a political trump card against Turkey. `No
parliament of one country can make a ruling about the history of
another country. It is the historians and scientists that will decide
on history. Politicians cannot make decisions regarding this. Even if
they do, their decisions will be meaningless,’ he said.

21 March 2010, Sunday

ALÄ° ASLAN KILIÃ? ANKARA

Le Monde, France
14 mars 2010 dimanche

Suéde; Le Parlement fâche la Turquie

STOCKHOLM. La Turquie a rappelé son ambassadrice à Stockholm et le
premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a annulé sa visite prévue
en Suède le 17 mars, après que le Parlement suédois eut voté, jeudi 11
mars, la reconnaissance du génocide arménien de 1915. Les trois partis
de l’opposition suédoise ont obtenu une majorité à une voix près,
grâce au soutien de quatre députés de droite. En Suède, l’un des
meilleurs alliés de la Turquie au sein de l’Union Européenne, les
partis de droite gouvernementaux estiment que ce n’est pas aux
politiques d’écrire l’histoire. Le ministre des affaires étrangères a
" regrett̩ " ce vote. Р(Corresp.)

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION CANNOT BE BLOCKED: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

news.am
March 18 2010
Armenia

The resolution on the recognition of Armenian Genocide adopted by
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs would go forward despite
the position of Obama administration, U.S. Assistant Secretary for
European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon told the journalists,
Associated Press reports.

He refuted any deal with congressional leaders to block the resolution.

"Congress is an independent body, and they are going to do what
they decide to do," Gordon emphasized in his speech at Brookings
Institution.

Meanwhile, Gordon said the vote slowed down U.S.-Turkey relations at
the time when the country is seeking assistance from Turkey to rein in
Iran’s nuke program. However, he added U.S. has not seen deterioration
in cooperation with Turkey on a wide range of foreign policy issues.

According to him, the resolution is an obstacle for Turkey-Armenia
normalization talks, however, the process did not come to a deadlock.

"I really think the leaders of two states are determined to do this,"
he underlined.

Obama administration thinks the historical issues are solved by
two countries within the framework of reconciliation talks, Gordon
outlined.

In his speech, Gordon called Turkey to exert pressure on Iran,
considering Ankara a major trading partner. He criticized Turkey for
not supporting the resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) demanding that Iran suspend construction of nuke facilities.

"While the international community has sought to present a single,
coordinated stance to Iran, Turkey at times makes inconsistent
statements," Gordon noted.

TURKEY MUST BE AS UNITED COUNTRY WITH AZERBAIJAN – PROFFESOR

news.az
March 18 2010
Azerbaijan

"I consider the Prime Minister’s decision about deportation of
illegally-working Armenians from Turkey as belated action".

"I know that there are 46 000 Armenian citizens in Turkey, but not 100
000, but Prime Minister can have other sources to receive information.

Turkey violated its laws and created condition for 100 000 or 46 000
Armenians to work here", director of "XXI Century Turkey" Institute
Professor Umit Ozdag told APA Turkish bureau. He said every year
Armenians transferred from Turkey a large amount of money to their
accounts in Armenia. "Armenians can take about 1.2 billion dollars of
benefit from the Turkish economy and it is emergently large figure
for the small economy of Armenia. I consider the Prime Minister’s
decision as a belated action and expect for concrete urgent measures".

Umit Ozdag said Turkey must understand that it was wrong to pursue
loyal policy towards Armenia. "I believe that Turkey took serious
lessons from the decision of US House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The most mistaken side of the "Armenian policy" is that the relations
with Azerbaijan were not coordinated correctly. You may work out the
best policy, but if Azerbaijan says "No" to that policy, it must be
bad policy. Turkey must be as united country with Azerbaijan while
determining its Caucasian policy. If it is not so it will seriously
damage the Turkey’s South Caucasian and Central Asian policy.

Azerbaijan also shouldn’t make its reaction heart-breaking. The
reactions should be expressed by the governments and peoples shouldn’t
suffer from this. Governors of our countries should remember that
they are brothers and friends first of all".