LOUSSAPATZ 1002- 2013-10-5

32-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԻ, ԹԻՒ 1002 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 5 ՀՈԿՏԵՄԲԵՐ 2013

Notice

To subscribeEmail to: loussapatz@gmail.com

 Armen Shirakatsi

610–685 AD Was an Armenian mathematician, astronomer and geographer. He is commonly attributed to having written the Geography “Ashkharhatsuyts”, in Armenian

1

Ո՞ՒՐ Է ՎՐԻԺԱՌՈՒ ՀԱՅԸ Մեթր Պարգեւ Դաւիթեան

Վերջերս Երեւանի մէջ բարձրացաւ նոր յուշարձան մը նուիրուած հայկական բա- նակի սպայ Գուրգէն Մարգարեանին, որ վայրի արարքի զոհ գացած էր (կացինահար- ուած) Հունգարիոյ մէջ, 2004 թուականին, ազերի սպայի մը կողմէ (Րամիլ Սաֆարով), երբ երկուքը միասին կը մասնակցէին Ատլանտեան Ուխտի (ՆԱԹՕ-ի) կողմէ կազմա- կերպուած երեք ամիս տեւող անգլերէն լեզուի դասընթացքի մը՝ Partnership for Peace ծրագրին տակ։

Ի՜նչ հեգնելի partnership եւ ի՜նչ ծիծաղելի peace, որ հրէշ ազերիին ընծայեց առիթ՝ որ յօշոտէր անմեղ հայ քնացող սպան։

Հունգարիոյ մէջ ցկեանս բանտարկութեան դատապարտուած Սաֆարովը տուն վերադարձաւ անցեալ տարուան Օգոստոսին, ուր փոխանակ բանտ դրուելու, ըստ կնքուած համաձայնութեան, ընդունուեցաւ որպէս հերոս եւ անոր ներում շնորհուեցաւ ու տրուեցաւ աստիճանի բարձրացում եւ հանգստեան թոշակ։

Որպէս բողոքի նշան, Հայաստան խզեց իր յարաբերութիւնները Հունգարիոյ հետ եւ նախագահ Սարգիսեանի խիստ ճառը այդ օրերուն՝ մեզմէ շատերուն տուաւ այն տպա- ւորութիւնը որ բան մը պիտի կատարուէր, որովհետեւ եղածը անընդունելի էր եւ հայ պետականութեան արժանապատուութիւնը վիրաւորուած էր։

Իրօք, ամէն հայու արժանապատուութիւնը տակաւին վիրաւորուած կը մնայ այդ հրէշին ազատ եւ անպատիժ մնալովը։

Շնորհաւորելի են անշուշտ բոլոր անոնք որոնք պետական կամ անձնական ճիգ թափելով յաջողցուցին մեծարանքը տարաբախտ հայ սպային, բարձրացնելով անոր յիշատակին նուիրուած արձանը Երեւանի մէջ։

Սակայն մեր պանծալի հայկական բանակին կողքին կ՚ակնկալուի որ իրենց զգալի կարող դերը խաղան մեր հայրենի գաղտնի սպասարկութիւնները, որպէսզի գտնեն մի- ջոցը Երեւան բերելու կալանաւորուած Սաֆարովը...։

Անցեալին եղած են վրիժառու պետութիւններ, որոնք ամէն ջանք թափելով յաջո- ղած են իրենց սեփական միջոցներով պատժել անպատիժ մնացած ոճրագործները։

Անցեալին մենք ալ ունեցած ենք մեր վրիժառու հերոսները, որոնք անպատիժ մնա- ցած ոճրագործներ ահաբեկեցին Եւրոպայի փողոցներուն վրայ։

Կը յուսանք որ գաղտնի սպասարկութիւններ, հայրենի եւ ոչ հայրենի, որոնք ար- դարութեան ջատագովներ են, ամէն ինչ կը կատարեն որպէսզի Սաֆարովը ետ բանտ առաջնորդեն։

Մինչ այդ, թարգմանը հանդիսանալով Գուրգէն Մարգարեանի եղերական մահով տառապողներուն, հարց կու տանք. «Ո՞ւր է վրիժառու հայը, որ դառնայ Սաֆարովը հալածող շուքը...»։

17

GURGEN MARGARYAN SLAIN BY SAFAROV OPENS IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN/News.am. – A monument to Gurgen Margaryan, an Armenian officer slain by Ramil Safarov, opened in the Armenian capital on Saturday.

The opening of a monument coincided with the birthday of the Armenian officer who would have turned 35 on September 26. Margaryan’s mother and Baroness Caroline Cox opened the monument.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Defense Ministry, students of school bearing Gurgen Margaryan’s name, public figures and representatives of the diplomatic missions

In her address, Baroness Cox said she, being a mother, shares the feelings of the Margaryan family.

“I was shocked by the reports about a murder of a sleeping man. I was shocked when Ramil Safarov was pardoned in Azerbaijan. It raises concerns in terms of educating the Azerbaijani youth,” she said.

As reported earlier, Ramil Safarov, a then-lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31, 2012 from Hungary, where he was serving a life sentence—and with no expression of either regret or remorse—for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004. Safarov had planned on killing the other Armenian military serviceman, who likewise was attending the aforesaid program, but he was unable to carry out this plan.

Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president immediately granted him a pardon, he was declared a national hero, promoted to a higher military rank, and was allocated housing and pension.

And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31, 2012 that Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary. Also, Sargsyan instructed the Ministry of Justice to take all measures to petition to the international judicial tribunals, and with respect to the Safarov case.

Ramil Safarov’s pardoning was condemned by virtually all international organizations. The Armenian party had applied to ECtHR in February, in connection with the Ramil Safarov case. The complaint is with respect to Articles 2 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Armenian and foreign

specialists are included in the working group that is preparing the complaint.

BARONESS COX ABOUT AZERBAIJAN’S “BLACK LIST”: WE REGARD IT AS A BIG JOKE

YEREVAN/News.am. – Baroness Caroline Cox said by initiating a “black list”, Azerbaijan tries to intimidate and threaten people who intend to go to Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I think this is because Azerbaijan is afraid that people will know the truth,” Baroness Cox told correspondents of Armenian News- NEWS.am, tert.am and haynews.am

“But second, those of us whose names are on the so-called “black list” treat it like a role of honor. We are proud to be next to other very good names on that list. We also regard it as a big joke,” she said.

Azerbaijani MFA issued the list of those individuals that are declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan for visiting Nagorno- Karabakh “without permission.”

The Azerbaijani “black list” comprises 335 names, including famous Italian singer and actor Al Bano, and world-renowned Spanish operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé.

18

MEETING WITH MEMBER OF THE BRITISH HOUSE OF LORDS CAROLINE COX

2013-09-26On 26 September Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received member of the British House of Lords Caroline Cox and accompanying her individuals.

Welcoming Caroline Cox President Sahakyan noted that her 80th jubilee visit was among the best manifestations of sincere friendship with Artsakh.

For services shown to Artsakh and its people President Sahakyan decorated Caroline Cox with the "Mesrop Mashtots" order.

The Head of the State rated high the input the Baroness has had in our republic's development as well as objective and fair introduction of the Artsakh issue in various international fora expressing confidence that hereafter Caroline Cox would continue her

humanitarian mission with the same zeal. National Assembly speaker Ashot Ghoulyan, writer and publicist, hero of Artsakh Zori Balayan and other

officials partook in the meeting.

FORMER AZERI COMMANDER VISITS ARTSAKH

STEP ANAKERT (RFE/RL) -- An exiled former Azerbaijani military leader currently campaigning for the rights of an ethnic minority in Azerbaijan visited Nagorno- Karabakh on Thursday two decades after confronting Karabakh Armenian forces on the battlefield.

Alikram Hummatov, a retired colonel who had served as Azerbaijan’s deputy defense minister, deplored the 1991-1994 war and called for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict as he met with university students in Stepanakert. His messages of peace and criticism of the current Azerbaijani government repeatedly drew cheers from an audience that is too young to remember the horrors of the war.

“It’s nice to be in Artsakh,” Hummatov declared, using the Armenian name of the disputed territory. “I believe that we must do everything to establish peace in the region so that our beloved children live, create and study in peaceful conditions.”

“I always say that if you fight in a war like a real man, you must also be able to make peace like a real man,” he added.

Asked by RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) how he feels about visiting a region which he had sought to forcibly put back under Azerbaijani control, Hummatov said, “Yes, I went to war against Nagorno- Karabakh and I don’t make secret of that, but today I hate war because of having seen it. What gave me the right to send young men to the battlefield? This and many other questions are keeping me restless?”

Hummatov, who also met with Karabakh parliament speaker Ashot Ghulian, rose to prominence in Azerbaijan in late 1991 as one of the organizers of first Azerbaijani army units. He set up a battalion, subsequently expanded into a brigade, that largely consisted of fellow Talysh, an Iranian-speaking ethnic group concentrated in Azerbaijan’s southeastern region bordering Iran. The unit battled Armenian forces at various sections of the Karabakh frontline in 1992-1993.

Hummatov became deputy defense minister several months before proclaiming in June 1993 a short-lived Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic amid political turmoil in Baku. He was deposed and arrested later in 1993. He subsequently received a life sentence on prison charges.

19

The Azerbaijani authorities pardoned and freed Hummatov in 2004 under pressure from the Council of Europe. The 65-year-old has since lived in Europe.

Hummatov traveled to Karabakh from Armenia where he inaugurated on Tuesday a graduate program of Talysh studies at Yerevan State University (YSU). Addressing dozens of university professors and students, he praised the initiative approved and clearly encouraged by the Armenian government. He claimed that the Azerbaijani authorities have been suppressing the cultural rights of Talysh as part of a long-running policy of forced assimilation.

According to the Regnum news agency, Hummatov also called for the revival of the Talysh republic, suggesting that it form a “confederation” with the rest of Azerbaijan.

Hummatov’s trip to Armenia and Karabakh has caused a stir in Baku, with many politicians there condemning it as high treason and accusing the Armenians of fanning Talysh separatism. “The Armenians are thus trying to show that Nagorno-Karabakh’s existence within Azerbaijan is impossible,” 1news.az quoted Zahid Oruj, a pro- government parliamentarian, as saying on Wednesday.

Another news agency, Salamnews.org, reported that Talysh leaders in Azerbaijan have issued a statement condemning Hummatov and saying that he cannot speak for their community. “The Talysh have given many martyrs in the battles for Karabakh’s liberation from the Armenian aggressors,” they said.

Azerbaijani officials accused the Armenian side of whipping up separatist sentiment among their country’s Talysh and other minorities even before Hummatov’s high-profile visit. In particular, they condemned the launch last March of Talysh-language radio broadcasts from Karabakh.

The Voice of Talyshstan radio station was founded by Garnik Asatrian, a prominent Armenian academic who also set up the Talysh studies program at YSU. Welcoming Hummatov at Armenia’s largest university on Tuesday, Asatrian denied any ulterior motives behind the Armenian interest in the Talysh people.

Asatrian insisted that YSU is simply expanding its department of broader Iranian studies. “The Talysh are one of the largest Iranian ethnic groups,” he said. “Besides, despite the religious difference, of all indigenous peoples, the Talysh are the closest to the Armenians in terms of culture and genetic parameters.”

NUMBER OF REFUGEES ARMENIA CONTINUES TO RECEIVE FROM SYRIA ALREADY EXCEEDS 10 THOUSAND – FM

NEWS.am -- Armenia remains alarmed by the worsening of the humanitarian situation in Syria, stated Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian addressing the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York City on September 28.

“Despite the fact that most of us share the understanding that elimination of violence and terror is essential for building peaceful, sustainable and prosperous societies, peace seems to remain an elusive phenomenon in many parts of the world.

“The number of refugees Armenia continues to receive already exceeds ten thousand, but tens of thousands of Syrian-Armenians still remain in that country that has become their second home after the Genocide of 1915, and they are struggling for their survival in unbearable conditions together with their Syrian countrymen,” Nalbandian said.

He also stressed that Armenia welcomes the resolution of the Security Council 2118 adopted unanimously on September 27 based on the agreement reached in Geneva between Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and US Secretary of State Kerry, which could lead to the elimination of chemical weapons and exclusion of their use in Syria and could pave the way to a political solution of the Syrian crisis, putting an end to the sufferings of the Syrian people.

20

SYRIA'S ARMENIANS RISK A WINTER WITHOUT FOOD,

SHELTER IN ANCESTRAL HOME Written by James Martone, Catholic News Service

YEREVAN, Armenia - Thousands of previously middle-class Syrians now stranded in Armenia are rapidly running out of resources and could soon have no shelter, food or medicine, said an international aid group official.

"There is a big need on the humanitarian side: food, shelter, medical needs," said Walter Hajek, head of international disaster management for Austria's Red Cross.

"The highest influx (of Syrian Armenians) was in early summer of last year, and those were mostly of middle- class status, and they came here thinking it would be temporary, and that was obviously not the case," he said.

Hajek said the Armenian government was helping Syrian Armenians with work permits and Armenian passports, free medical care at government hospitals and clinics, free schooling at government-run schools, and free space at several government shelters, but this aid was not enough.

"If you go to the hospital, they treat you for free, but (buying) medication afterward is a problem for them," he told Catholic News Service Sept. 28. He said he had seen urgent cases of asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions, medication for which was too expensive for many of the Syrians to buy.

Hajek estimated that at least 40 percent of the Syrian Armenians now in Armenia were children, and that many of them were in need of baby food and baby carriages, as well as pens, paper and other school supplies because their parents had run out of money.

"Most of the (Armenian Syrians) we met are living in apartments and say they have no savings left, and it will be crucial to support them," added Hajek, who was to return to Austria Sept. 29 to present his findings and push to get funding for a project he said he hoped would include paying the Syrians' rents and utility bills.

Hajek said his organization was already working with other international aid agencies, including the Catholic charity Caritas, to provide basic services to the Syrian Armenians. For instance, they were pay for classes in the local Armenian dialect, legal advice, and some materials needed to start small businesses.

The Armenians coming from Syria "want to work. They are not used to receiving (charity) and they want to earn their own money. We provide them equipment, such as ovens (and) kitchen utensils, tools they need to start their own businesses," Hajek said, adding that several Syrians had already opened small bakeries in Yerevan, and that at least one had a rented a farm and intended to grow and sell produce.

Armenia is currently sheltering 8,000-10,000 Armenian Syrians. They are the descendants of Armenians who, nearly a century ago, fled mass killings at the hands of Ottomans in what is now Turkey, then went on to flourish in Syria.

ARMENIA MUST ADOPT 'NO-INCH-OF-LAND' POLICIES – EXPERT

Tert.am -- The Azerbaijani foreign minister’s call for ruling out any concessions to A rmenia in the land dispute over Nagorno- Karabakh should be a good message to the Armenian authorities, an Armenian expert has said, commenting on Elmar Mammadyarov’s recent speech at the UN General Assembly.

“This is a good message to the Armenian authorities that Azerbaijan will never make any concessions. It is the best message for us to rule out any talks on mutual concessions,” Hayk Khanumyan, the president of the European Movement in Artsakh NGO, told a news conference on Monday.

He said that it is very important for the Armenian authorities to adopt the ‘no-inch-of-land’ policies' in the ongoing negotiation process.

In his speech at the Assembly’s 68th session, the Azerbaijani FM referred to a 1993 Security Council resolution on refraining from any use of force against Azerbaijan.

Commenting on his remark, the Armenian expert noted that it is very common to Azerbaijan to make references to UN resolutions. “They always seem to enjoy citing them both on the level of official meetings and in the frameworks of popular democracy. Those resolutions received their evaluation in time. I don’t think they are actual in nature.” Khanumyan noted.

21

With regard to Armenia, the Azerbaijani official said that they country keeps pushing ahead with territorial claims, taking consistent steps towards strengthening the status quo in what he called the occupied Azerbaijani lands.

As for the plans for populating Nagorno-Karabakh with Syrian Armenians and opening an airport in capital Stepanakert, Mammadyarov described them as an attempt to reinforce the blockade around Azerbaijan.

RUSSIA TO EXPAND MILITARY PRESENCE IN ARMENIA: MEDIA

PanARMENIAN.Net -- Russia plans to expand its military presence in Armenia, Haykakan Zhamanak daily said.

According to the paper, a staff addition is scheduled at the Gyumri military base No. 102.

Russian military officials with their families - up to 3000 persons – are expected to arrive for service at the military base. The Armenian city is getting ready for guests, with several Armenian families to be relocated to new homes.

At the same time, Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan neither confirmed nor denied the report.

Yerevan and Moscow are planning to ratify an important agreement, envisaging direct purchases from Russian military plants, in the near future, Hraparak daily said earlier

citing sources at parliament. According to the daily, the deal will provide Armenia with exclusive rights. “There’s a similar agreement with

Belarus, yet it contains some reservations, which the deal with Armenia does not,” the daily said. In June 2013, during the visit of the Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev to Armenia, a military and technical cooperation agreement was signed with Russia. The agreement stipulates for each side to supply military products with the same specifications as for one’s own armed forces. The agreement also enables the supplier to exert control over the presence of products and their compliance with the intended use to be

described in an additional treaty. According to another deal, Armenia and Russia will form a joint defense enterprise as well as the border

guards and emergency situation experts training centers. With Russia’s assistance, Armenia’s defense industry will launch production of ammunition, armory, as well as form a repair base for land, air and air defense forces.

ARMENIA AND RUSSIA SIGN LONG-TERM PROGRAM ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION

News.am -- Armenia and Russia signed a program of economic cooperation till 2020 within the framework of the 15th session of inter- governmental commission on economic cooperation that was held in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday.

The document was signed by Russian Transportation Minister Maxim Sokolov and Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan, government’s press service reported.

Commenting on relations between Armenia and Customs Union member states, Sargsyan noted that all prerequisites had been created for Yerevan’s joining the Union.

“The decision on integration with the Customs Union is a balanced, measured and conscious move,” he said.

In his address, Maxim Sokolov said Armenia and Russia had been maintaining mutually beneficial trade and economic relations for many years. Amid difficult economic situation in the world, dynamic of development of Armenian-Russian economic and trade relations remains stable.

22

“With the decision of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union, we are entering a new level of our relations. This choice corresponds to the full historical and economic realities, the achieved level of cooperation will definitely become an important part of our strategic partnership in all areas,” the Minister said.

US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA: ARMENIA NEEDS INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

managed to “destroy the media.”

Tert.am -- US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern commented on the Facebook message by Edik Baghdasaryan, Editor-in-Chief of the Hetq.am investigative website.

In his message Edik Baghdasaryan states his intention to close the website.

In his message, Ambassador Heffern expresses hope it will not happen.

“Initially, Armenia needs independent investigative journalism,” the US ambassador’s message reads.

In his Facebook message, Edik Baghdasaryan informed the public of the Hetq.am website’s intention to reveal how the authorities

PROMINENT ARMENIAN ACTOR SOS SARGSYAN DIES AT 84

YEREVAN — Prominent Armenian actor, People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia Sos Sargsyan passed away at the age of 84.

Sos Sargsyan was born in Stepanavan on October 24, 1929. He graduated from the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute in 1954.

From 1954 he performed at the Sundukyan Drama Theatre of Yerevan. In 1992 he established and headed “Hamazgain” Theatre.

Between 1997 and 2005 he was the rector of Yerevan Institute of Theatre and Cinema. Besides Armenian films he starred in a number of Russian films, most notable of which is Solaris (1972), directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

Sos Sargsyan starred in a number of movies including The Musical Team Boys as Artashes, Triangle as Master Mkrtich, Source of Heghnar as Master Mkrtich, Solaris as Dr. Gibarian, Nahapet as Nahapet, Star Of Hope as Movses, The Best Half of Life, Beyond the Seven Mountains as Hovsep, Dzori Miro as Miro, Gikor as Hambo, Sans Famille (TV movie) as Vitalis, Apple Garden as Martin, Yeghishe Charents – Known and Unknown Sides (doc. film), Pharmacy on The Corner as Adamyan, Where Have You Been, Man of God?, (doc. TV mini-series) as Stepham Yesayan, And There Was Light, The

Merry Bus as priest, etc.

BY 2050 ONE THIRD OF ARMENIA’S POPULATION WILL BE OVER 60, PROJECTIONS SHOW

YEREVAN -- Today UNFPA Armenia and RA Ministry of Labor and Social Issues (MLSI) held a joint press conference devoted to the 2013 International Day of Older Persons. Mr. Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA Armenia Assistant Representative, and Ms. Anahit Gevorgyan, Head of RA MLSI Division for Elderly Issues spoke at the press conference.

23

According to the speakers, Armenia is among the countries with rapidly growing share of elderly population. Around 14.4 per cent of the country’s population is already over 60. Fertility decline and migration of economically and reproductively active population contribute to aging; however, aging is also supported by the prolonged life expectancy that is partly due to the achievements of the modern medicine. According to the projections of the recent UNFPA expert analysis, by 2050 almost one third, 31.5 per cent, of Armenia’s population will be over 60.

“Such a growing share of elderly people among in the population structure implies a significant additional burden for the state, and it is very important to develop and implement appropriate policies beforehand. One of the solutions could be implementation of the concept of Active Aging according to which elderly people stay active members of the society, their own communities and families for as long as possible”, said Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA.

Ms. Anahit Gevorgyan, Head of RA MLSI Division for Elderly Issues, presented the state policies regarding elderly people, as well as the current and future measures to tackle problems of older part of the population.

Aging of a considerable portion of Armenian population would also mean worsening of the support ratio or the number of working population aged 15-63 per one 63+ person. As the UNFPA analysis shows, this ratio could mostly benefit of the combined growth in fertility and employment. However, whereas overcoming the unemployment seems to be a relatively achievable task, it is very difficult to increase the fertility because it is a rather expensive task, and also taking into account the natural growth of Armenia’s population that is expected to become negative soon.

ARMENIA POSTS 8,2% CONSUMER PRICE INCREASE IN SEPTEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net -- 8,2% inflation rate was recorded in Armenia's consumer market in September 2013 compared to the same period of 2012.

During the reported period, prices for foodstuff (including alcoholic beverages and cigarettes) increased by 8%, non-foods’ prices increased by 3,4%, with 10,9% growth in tariffs for services posted.

0,2% deflation rate was recorded in Armenia's consumer market in September 2013 as compared with August. 0,2% drop was posted in tariffs for services, with prices for non-foods growing by 0,6%.

Consumer prices decreased by 0,6-0,1% in September compared to August in 9 Armenian cities under study, while the highest index was registered in Vagharshapat and Martuni.

0,2% decrease was recorded in consumer prices in Yerevan.

ARMENIA POSTS 3,6% INCREASE IN BRANDY PRODUCTION

PanARMENIAN.Net -- 11 151,2 thousand liters of brandy was produced in Armenia in January-August 2013, with production volume increasing by 3,6% against the same period in 2012 (10 766,4 thousand liters).

According to the National Statistical Service, 5 498,7 thousand liters of vodka was produced in January- August 2013 against 6 466,3 thousand liters in 2012.

3 449,6 thousand liters of wine was produced in January-August 2013 against 2 598,4 thousand liters in 2012 (32,8% increase).

During the reporting period, beer production totaled 12 772 thousand liters, increasing by 31,3% against 2012 output (9 729,0 thousand liters). Production of champagne increased 86,8% totaling 172,4 thousand liters.

In January-August 2013, production of soft drinks in Armenia increased by 37,7% to total 25 196,1 thousand liters.

24

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT WAS EXCELLENTLY CARRYING OUT ARMENIA’S TASK TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATION PROCESS – POLITICAL SCIENTIST

YEREVAN/News.am – There will be no elections in Azerbaijan, the outcome of the election is predetermined, and therefore there can be no interest toward something that does not exist.

Caucasus Institute Director and political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan stated the aforesaid, during a press conference on Tuesday, as he reflected on the forthcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan.

Speaking on Armenia’s interests in these elections, he touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but noted that no prospect is observed toward its political settlement.

“Accordingly, Armenia is satisfied by the maintenance of the status quo on the borders and the continuation of the negotiation process. Azerbaijan’s incumbent president was excellently carrying out this task for Armenia. And if he continues this policy, he will be an acceptable candidate for Armenia,” Iskandaryan noted.

AZERBAIJAN IS GROSSLY VIOLATING THE GENEVA CONVENTION - ARMENIAN MP

News.am -- Azerbaijan is grossly violating the Geneva convention by dressing the Armenian soldier in Azerbaijani uniform and organizing stage-managed interviews for Azerbaijani television, member of the Armenian delegation to PACE Naira Zohrabyan said addressing the Assembly.

“Since 8 August of this year, the Azerbaijani authorities have been holding the Armenian soldier Hakob Injighulyan, who having lost his bearings found himself a prisoner in Azerbaijani territory. It was thought that Azerbaijan, as a member State of the Council of Europe, would at least respect international obligations and standards of international law, including humanitarian law, yet Azerbaijan is grossly violating the Geneva convention by dressing the Armenian soldier in Azerbaijani uniform and organizing stage-managed interviews for Azerbaijani television in which he clearly displays traces of physical and psychological violence,” Zohrabyan said.

She noted that despite the efforts of the Red Cross, Azerbaijan is limiting Hakob’s contact with his family.

“The Azerbaijani side replies with absurd information, emphasizing that Hakob is said to have expressed the will to go to a third country. It is clear that that supposed will was imposed on him following physical and psychological violence,” she added.

Armenian delegated stressed that the actions of Azerbaijan, a member State of the Council of Europe, are inadmissible.

“While the Council of Europe continues to keep quiet, the consequences continue to be deplorable. Let us recall the case of the Armenian shepherd Manvel Saribekyan, who, having been taken prisoner, was subject to torture by the Azerbaijanis and whose horribly tortured body was eventually returned to his parents. I repeat unambiguously that Hakob will not have to answer for anything in his country. Let us not allow the gross violation of international law by a member State of the Council of Europe lead once again to an irreversible tragedy. Hakob is still warmly awaited at home, and he must go home.”

25

AZERBAIJAN ARRESTS DOZENS OF ALIYEV OPPONENTS AHEAD OF POLLS: RIGHTS GROUP

PanARMENIAN.Net -- Azerbaijan has arrested dozens of President Ilham Aliyev's opponents in a pre-election crackdown that has more than doubled the number of political prisoners in the former Soviet republic, a rights watchdog said on Tuesday, October 1, according to Reuters.

The Azerbaijan-based Human Rights Club said 142 journalists, religious activists and human rights defenders were now being held in prison on political grounds, a week before an October 9 presidential election that Aliyev is expected to win.

That compares with 60 prisoners the group said were being held on political grounds in January in Azerbaijan, an oil-producing country of around 9 million people.

"The authorities seem intent on silencing all voices of criticism and dissent in the run-up to the election," said Rasul Jafarov, the group's chairman.

It said Aliyev had been emboldened to crack down on opponents since the defeat of a resolution in January by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that was intended to put pressure on Azerbaijan over human rights.

"Members of PACE must take action to address their failure to hold the Azerbaijani government accountable for these serious violations ... by calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners in the country," said Human Rights Club Advocacy Director Rebecca Vincent.

Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim country in the South Caucasus, dismisses accusations of human rights abuses and says its citizens enjoy full democratic freedoms.

The group added to concerns voiced by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Reporters Without Borders, who on Monday condemned the imprisonment of prominent Azeri journalist and human rights activist Khilal Mamedov.

He is serving a five-year jail sentence on charges of treason, drug possession and "fomenting national strife".

Mamedov, editor-in-chief of a newspaper in Azerbaijan's southern ethnic-Talysh region, was arrested in June 2012. His lawyers have called the case against him "absurd".

Rights groups accuse Aliyev, in power since his father Heydar's death in 2003, of curbing dissent and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan, which is criss-crossed by oil and natural gas pipelines and exports fuel to Europe.

Azerbaijan's strategic location between Turkey, Russia and Iran and its role as a transit route for U.S. troops to reach Afghanistan have cushioned it from Western criticism, rights activists say.

ERDOĞAN UNVEILS PACKAGE OF REFORMS “TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY”

PanARMENIAN.Net -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has unveiled a long-anticipated package of reforms designed “to strengthen democracy and keep on track a fragile settlement process” to end the conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), according to Today’s Zaman.

He said the reform package is a critical step to stop bloodshed in Turkey.

The announcement of the "democratization package" follows the declaration earlier this month by the PKK that it had halted its withdrawal of militants from Turkey because the government had failed to take steps it had agreed to.

The most important reforms include removing restrictions of wearing Islamic headscraves, possibility of education in mother tongue, restoration of original names of villages, districts and provinces that existed before 1980, sweeping changes in law on political parties, possibility of lowering 10 percent electoral threshold in entering Parliament, improving assembly freedom and other small rights for religious and ethnic minorities.

Other changes were related to law on political parties. Erdoğan said parties who exceed 3 percent of votes in 26

general elections will get necessary state funding. According to Turkish law, parties need to receive at least seven percent to be eligible for state funding.

Moreover, the reforms bring more freedom for citizens to become party members. Erdoğan said the package envisages lifting obstacles that restrict citizens to become members of political parties.

Another drastic and much-expected reform is education in schools in another language. The reforms will make it possible for students to receive education in their mother tongue in educational facilities. The schools will able to deliver education in languages besides the official Turkish language, the prime minister said. The measure opened the way for Kurds, who long demanded the government grant full education in Kurdish language, to establish private schools providing education in Kurdish language. Erdoğan said, however, certain lessons will again be provided in Turkish language.

Erdoğan said the reforms will also remove restrictions on the wearing of Islamic headscarves in public spaces. The ban, however, will remain in effect for judges, prosecutors and military personnel. Muslim but secular Turkey has long had tough restrictions on the garb worn by women working in state offices.

The reforms include returning properties of religious and ethnic minorities and establishing language and cultural institute for Roma citizens. Erdoğan announced plans to return Mor Gabriel monastery property belonging to Syriac Christians that was seized by the state. He said works are underway to return properties of other religious minorities.

He said several restrictions on charity activities are also loosened or lifted.

Parliament returns from its summer recess on Oct 1 to vote on the package and will vote on the package.

TURKEY WANTS TO EXTEND MANDATE TO SEND TROOPS INTO SYRIA

PanARMENIAN.Net -- The Turkish parliament is likely to extend by a year a mandate authorizing the sending of troops into Syria if needed after the government said the possible use of chemical weapons by President Bashar al-Assad posed a threat to Turkey, according to Reuters.

The government motion, due to be voted on by parliament on Thursday, Oct 3, paints a bleak picture of the conflict in its southern neighbor and says Turkey would be the country the most affected by escalating violence there.

"Developments show that the Syrian regime has reached a point where it is ready to use any methods or weapons against international law," the motion said.

Ankara and Western nations have blamed Syrian government forces a nerve gas attack on a Damascus suburb on August 21 that killed hundreds. The Syrian government, backed by Russia, blames the Sunni rebels.

"Turkey is the country which will be most affected by any attacks by the regime and the uncertainty and chaos in Syria," the government motion said.

Through its rights drawn from international law, Turkey is obliged to take necessary measures against any kind of action from Syria which presents an "open and near threat," it said.

Turkey, one of Assad's fiercest critics, has advocated military intervention in Syria and has grown frustrated over what it sees as Western indecisiveness.

While it has the second-largest military land force in NATO, it is unlikely to act alone in any military operation, with public opinion largely against intervention.

A current parliament mandate allowing Turkey to send troops into Syria expires on Friday. The ruling AK Party has a strong parliamentary majority and the extension is expected to pass despite opposition, especially from the main pro-Kurdish party.

Turkey, which shares a 900 km border with Syria, has seen the conflict frequently spill across its frontier and has responded in kind when mortars and shells fired from Syria have hit its soil, in some cases killing Turkish civilians.

Turkish warplanes shot down a Syrian helicopter last month after it crossed into Turkish air space, one of the most serious cross-border incidents of the two-and-a-half year conflict, drawing a rebuke from Damascus.

Turkey is also sheltering a quarter of the 2 million people who have fled the Syrian conflict.

It has bolstered its defenses and deployed additional troops on its border with Syria in recent weeks, with convoys of military vehicles ferrying equipment and personnel and additional short-range air defenses set up.

27

MARK GERAGOS CALLS U.S. STANCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE HYPOCRITICAL

NEW YORK -- Armenian-American attorney Mark Geragos voiced about the Turkish strategy of the Armenian Genocide denial and the double standards policy of the United States in this issue during CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 program on Thursday.

The panelist on the program were unanimous to condemned the policy adopted by Iran regarding the Holocaust of the Jewish people by Nazis. Mark Geragos reminded the interlocutors that the United States conduct similar policy in the Armenian Genocide issue, which was followed by the other genocides of the 20th century. Among other things Mark Geragos underscored: "Turkey is our greatest ally in that region. But Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide. As a presidential candidate Barack Obama stated that he will recognize the Armenian Genocide, if he is elected. So in my opinion the political dynamics in this issue is a little bit hypocritical."

Mark John Geragos (born October 5, 1957) is an Armenian-American criminal defense lawyer as the Principal with the internationally known trial lawyer firm of Geragos & Geragos, Mark Geragos cemented his national reputation as a trial lawyer a dozen years ago with back-to-back State and Federal Court jury trial acquittals for renowned Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, later securing a presidential pardon for Ms. McDougal for a conviction sustained prior to his representation of her.

Geragos was one of the lead lawyers in a pair of groundbreaking Federal Class Action Lawsuits against New York Life Insurance and AXA Corporation for insurance policies issued in the early 20th century during the genocide of over 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turk Regime, eventually settling these two cases for more than $37.5 million. He is currently suing the Government of Turkey for reparations arising out of the Armenian Genocide.

COMMENTARY ON RECENT ARMENIAN,

AZERI AND TURKISH DEVELOPMENTS

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Here are some thoughts regarding recent noteworthy news items:

-- Prominent Los Angeles attorney Mark Geragos, during his appearance on CNN last week, chided the United

States for its double standard on the Armenian Genocide. When panelists Christiane Amanpour and Anderson

Cooper were criticizing Iran’s denial of the Jewish Holocaust, Geragos reminded them about Pres. Obama’s unkept

promise to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. “Our greatest ally in that region is Turkey. Yet, Turkey denies the

Armenian Genocide. Obama as a candidate would talk about it, ‘when I am in office, I will recognize the Armenian

Genocide.’ He has been completely stultified when he is in. So there is a political dynamic here at play that is a

little hypocritical,” Geragos asserted.

-- During the German elections on Sept. 22, eleven lawmakers of Turkish origin were elected to the German

Bundestag, the country’s lower house of Parliament, more than doubling their number in the previous legislature.

Armenians should not blindly criticize these 11 Parliamentarians because some -- whether of Turkish or Kurdish

origin -- may be sympathetic to recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

-- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) fined Turkey over $200,000 for expropriating a Turkish

family’s house, without paying compensation. The Court found that Turkey had violated the family’s property

rights. The family had exhausted all appeals to Turkish courts before turning to ECHR for justice. A reader posted

the following ironic observation on the website of the Turkish Daily News: “It seems like the Court of Christian

Europe treats Muslim Turkish people with more respect than the Muslim courts in Turkey.”

-- Turkish Minister of EU Affairs Egemen Bagish claimed last week that “Turkey will probably never become

a member of the European Union because of stiff opposition and prejudiced attitudes from the bloc’s current

members.” Bagish is wrong, as usual! Turkey will fail to become an EU member not because of Western prejudice,

but due to its refusal to bring its laws up to European standards.

28

-- Thousands of Christians, including Armenians, have been kidnapped, killed or maimed by Al-Qaida

terrorists in Syria and yet not a single word of condemnation has been issued by any European or American official.

Even worse, Western leaders are supplying lethal weapons to the extremists so they can kill more innocent people.

It is time for the public in the Western world to show its outrage by mass protests and harsh rebukes. The US

Congress should ban the delivery of weapons to all foreign fighters in Syria. Last week, an Armenian Catholic

Church and a Greek Orthodox Church were desecrated and robbed in Rakka, Syria. The Jihadists shamefully

climbed over the dome of the Armenian Church and replaced the cross with their black flag!

-- The dictator of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, regularly and unwittingly assists the Armenian Cause by making

hateful announcements that create a negative impression about his country in the international community. Aliyev’s

outrageous statement that “Yerevan and Zangezour are Azeri territories” and “the time will come and we will live

there,” is the raving and ranting of a deranged man with a pathological personality. Aliyev is expected to be elected

to an unprecedented third term on October 9, meaning that Armenians will continue benefiting from his ‘helpful’

statements for several more years!

-- The war of words escalated at the UN General Assembly last week as the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and

Azerbaijan made opposing statements. Below are excerpts from Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s remarks,

accusing Azerbaijan for:

a) “Increasing warmongering and anti-Armenian hate-speech on a daily basis”

b) “Unprecedented accumulation of offensive weaponry in massive scale”

c) “Using mercenaries closely linked to notorious terrorist organizations”

d) “Glorification of an axe-murderer Safarov by Azerbaijani leadership”

Armenia’s Foreign Minister further stated that “the recognition, condemnation and prevention of genocide

remains a priority for Armenia and we will take necessary actions to prevent new occurrences of the crime of

genocide, while keeping high on the agenda the issue of responsibility for the crime against humanity and its

denial.... As a nation that has survived the first genocide of the 20th century, Armenia unequivocally welcomes the

clear position adopted by the UN member states in precluding any possibility of immunity or pardon for

perpetrators of crimes against humanity.”

NEW BOOK PRESENTATION: "PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE AND THE ARMENIAN ORPHAN RUG"

ARLINGTON, MA -- “The beautiful rug woven by the [Armenian] children in the [Ghazir] orphanage in the Lebanons has been received. This, their expression of gratitude for what we have been able to do in this country for their aid, is accepted by me as a token of their goodwill to the people of the United States. . . The rug has a place of honor in the White House, where it will be a daily symbol of good-will on earth.” These words of President Calvin Coolidge on December 4, 1925, were made in response to Dr. John H. Finley, Vice-Chairman of the Near East Relief Executive Committee, who presented the rug for the Armenian orphans who “have tied into it the gratitude of tens of thousands of children to you and to America. And what they have tied into it will never be untied. . . It is sent to adorn the dearest of our temples, the White House of our President.”

On Sunday, October 20 at 3:00 p.m. the Armenian Cultural Foundation will have a reception and presentation of Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian’s work "President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug". A labor of love it is dedicated to the memory of the Armenian orphan rug weavers of the Near East Relief orphanage in Ghazir, Syria (presently Lebanon). Successor to the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, the Near East Relief was established in 1915 in response to urgent pleas from Henry Morgenthau, the American Ambassador to Turkey, and through the efforts of industrialist and

29

philanthropist Cleveland Dodge and the support of President Woodrow Wilson. As such Near East Relief embarked on a herculean task of saving the lives of over 1,000,000 refugees, including over 100,000 Armenian orphans scattered throughout the Middle East and the Caucasus in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide. Over $100,000,000, an astronomical figure at the time, was raised between 1915 and 1930 and an army of 1,000 American physicians, nurses, civil servants, and volunteers labored to save countless lives.

The result of over three decades of research and investigation, Dr. Deranian’s work traces the history of the rug and the Armenian orphans: their transportation from Urfa to safety to the present day Lebanon by the great Swiss humanitarian and physician Jakob Kunzler, known as the “Father of the Armenian orphans.” He details its journey to the United States, presentation to President Calvin Coolidge in the White House, several decades in the possession of the Coolidges and its return again to the White House in the mid-1980s, where it is stored to this day.

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1922, Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian was born to genocide survivors the town of Hussenig, Kharpert Province, Ottoman Empire. He is named Hagop in honor of Hagop Bogigian, his mother’s uncle, who was a pioneer rug merchant in America and benefactor of education for Armenian young women. His mother, born Varter Bogigian, who died in 1929, was a survivor of the genocide, having lost six children, her first husband, and parents. His father, Marderos, who died in 1957, arrived in America in 1900 and operated a grocery store in Worcester. His father raised him from the age of seven.

Dr. Deranian, a graduate of Clark University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, served as Lieutenant (junior grade) in the United States Navy (1951-53) and has been engaged in the private practice of dentistry while at the same time serving on the faculty of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

His translation of his father’s memoir, Hussenig, The Origin, History and Destruction of an Armenian Town, was published in 1996; an earlier bilingual edition appeared in 1981. His second book, Worcester Is America, the Story of Worcester’s Armenians, appeared in 1995 followed by Miracle Man of the Western Front: Dr. Varaztad H. Kazanjian, Pioneer Plastic Surgeon, which was published in 2007.

The event, open to the public, is co-sponsored by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research and the Amaras Art Alliance, and will be held on Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. A reception will follow the presentation. For more information, please contact the Armenian Cultural Foundation during office hours (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) or check your local Armenian news outlets.

CHARLES AZNAVOUR: ARMENIA SHOULD ACCEPT ARMENIAN MUSLIMS

Armenian singer Charles Aznavour has had that Armenia should open its doors to Armenian Muslims.

World Bulletin / News Desk -- During a meeting with the Armenian president, the famous Armenian singer Charles Aznavour is reported to have told him, ‘Armenia should open its doors to the Armenian diaspora who have adopted Islam’.

The French national also told the Armenian president during their meeting in Paris that a society should be made up of people from different faiths and it was the responsibility of the state to secure job opportunities and accommodation for all of its citizens.

The singer, who is also Armenia’s ambassador to UNESCO, told the Le Dauphine newspaper that he also supports the diplomatic coming together of Armenia and their neighbor Turkey.

Despite ongoing disputes between the two countries since the alleged Armenian genocide 100 years ago, Aznavour said that the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border was a more important issue to focus on.

He also said that he wanted to return to Turkey, the country where his mother was born, for the first time since he was a child. Although he stated that he didn’t have a problem with the Turkish people, he admitted to disagreeing with Ankara’s views on the Armenian problem.

He expressed no fears in stepping foot in Turkey once again.

30

WOMAN IN TURKEY REVEALS ARMENIAN IDENTITY AFTER 82 YEARS

T24.com.tr -- A woman in Turkey who had hidden her Armenian identity for 82 years, revealed the secret to her youngest son the day before she passed away.

Hoşana, who was brought up as an Alevi in a Kurdish village, told the secret to her youngest son, journalist Ahmet Abakay.

Abakay, who is the president of a journalists’ association, has now published a book, titled Hoşana’nın Son Sözü (Hoşana’s Last Word), detailing his mother’s story.

“How can a person hide her Armenian roots for 82 years from her family, children, grandchildren, and her environment?” asks Abakay, according to an article on the Turkish website .

In recent years, countless stories of Turkish and Kurdish persons revealing their Armenian identity have appeared in the media.

FORCED TURKIFICATION, ANTI-SEMITISM AND LOBBYING AGAINST RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

A Public Lecture by Rifat N. Bali

Against the background of the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, noted scholar Rifat Bali discusses the Jews of Turkey, one of the key elements in the strategic relationship between Israel and Turkey. His recent book, Model Citizens of the State: The Jews of Turkey during the Multi-Party Period (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2012) describes the struggle of Turkish Jews from 1950 to the present for their constitutional rights, their fight against anti-Semitism, and the attitude of the Turkish establishment to these problems. It details the Turkish-Jewish leadership's involvement in the lobbying efforts on behalf of the Turkish Republic against the acceptance of resolutions in the US Congress recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The book gives insight into the situation of all minorities in Turkey today.

Here is a sample of what others have to say about this important publication:

"With the publication of the highly original Turkish Jews in the Republican Years, Rifat Bali established himself as the leading authority on Turkish Jewry."

-Marc David Baer, author of The Donme: Jewish Converts, Muslim Revolutionaries, and Secular Turks

"Model Citizens of the State is carefully researched, clearly written, and persuasively argued. It narrates masterfully the complex history of Turkish Jews' relationship to the modern Turkish Republic, exposing the tightrope act they have often undertaken as they moved between the position of suspect and model minority. Bali's monumental book promises to become the ultimate reference work on Jews in twentieth-century Turkey for a long time to come."

-Julia Phillips Cohen, assistant professor of Modern Jewish History, Vanderbilt University

Rifat N. Bali is an independent scholar specializing in the history of Turkish Jews and an associate member of the Alberto-Benveniste Center for Sephardic Studies and the Sociocultural History of the Jews (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes/CNRS/Université Paris-Sorbonne). He is the winner of the Alberto Benveniste Research Award for 2009 for his publications on Turkish Jewry.

Bali’s appearances will take place at the following venues on the following dates: Location: Columbia University, Hamilton Hall Room 302

130 Amsterdam Avenue at 116th Street, New York Date: Monday, October 14, 2013 Time: 8:00 p.m.

Location: St. Leon Armenian Church, 12-61 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn, NJ 31

Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Time: 7:45 p.m.

Organized by the Zoryan Institute, with the participation of the Armenian National Committee of NJ, Armenian Network of America – Greater NY, National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), New York Armenian Students Association, St. Leon Armenian Church, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Tibrevank Alumni

Location: NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA Date: Thursday, Oct. 17 Time: 8:00 p.m. Organized by the Zoryan Institute, with the participation of the National Association for Armenian Studies and

Research (NAASR)

Location: Bolsahay Community Centre, 2855 Victor Doré, Montréal, Québec Date: Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013 Time: 7:30 p.m. Organized by the Zoryan Institute, with the participation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union of

Montreal, the Armenian National Committee, and the Bolsahay Cultural Association of Montreal.

Location: Beth Tikvah Synagogue, 3080 Bayview Ave, Toronto, Ontario Date: Monday, October 21, 2013 Time: 8:00 p.m. Organized by the Zoryan Institute, with the participation of Beth Tikvah Synagogue and the Centre for Israel

and Jewish Affairs.

Location: AGBU Alex Manoogian Centre, 930 Progress Avenue, Toronto, Ontario Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Time: 7:30 p.m. Organized by the Zoryan Institute, with the participation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the

Armenian Missionary Association of Canada, the Bolsahay Cultural Association of Toronto, Daughters of Vartan- Artemis Ortyag #28, Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Knights of Vartan-Alishan Lodge, and St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church.

For more information, contact the Zoryan Institute, 416-250-9807, zoryan@zoryaninstitute.org

WHY ARE 700 GREEKS PRAYING IN A TURKISH HOTEL By: Orhan Kemal Cengiz for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse

There is a small town on Turkey’s western Aegean coast, called Ayvalik. On Sept. 29, a striking photo from this town hit the newspapers. A local hotel was hosting a religious service, attended by 700 clerics who came from various Greek islands.

Those familiar with the historic tensions between Turkey and Greece could assume that the clerics prayed in Ayvalik in a show of defiance. The actual story, however, is quite different, offering a good perspective of how much religious freedom non- Muslims enjoy in Turkey.

The clerics had in fact come to Ayvalik to hold a religious service at the local Taxiarchis Orthodox Church. But as they failed to obtain the “required” permission from the authorities, they had to make a last-minute arrangement and pray at a hotel.

The Taxiarchis Orthodox Church in Ayvalik in an undated photo. (photo by bianet.org)

32

Let’s see how things unfolded, as reported in the Taraf daily: “When the governor’s office denied them permission for a service at the Taxiarchis Church in Ayvalik, the 700 Greeks decided to book the conference hall of a hotel. The service, held in the conference hall of the Halic Park Hotel in Ayvalik, was attended by a total of 700 people, including 400 from the island of Lesbos and 300 from Athens, Crete and elsewhere. The Greek consul in Izmir, Theodore Tsakiris, a parliament member from Lesbos and the Orhomenos mayor also attended the service. A member of the Greek Orthodox community in Turkey, who requested anonymity, told Taraf : “Back in April, we applied to hold a service at the Taxiarchis Church on Sept. 29. We waited six months for a reply. The rejection came only three days before the scheduled service date. Why did they wait for six months? We believe they did so deliberately. Concerts are being organized in the church where we want to pray. It is hard to understand why our religious service becomes a problem while concerts are allowed to be held in the church.”

The Taraf story contains also the following information: “The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul applied to the governor’s office in April for a permission for a religious service on Sept. 29 at the Taxiarchis Church, which has a ‘museum’ status. The governor’s office, in turn, sought an approval from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The ministry rejected the request on the grounds that ‘the Taxiarchis Church does not figure in the 2000 catalogue of churches where religious services could be held.’”

You may already be confused. Why has a church become a museum? Why does worshipping in a church require the permission of administrative authorities? Why do Greek clerics hold prayers in Turkey?

Let’s start with the last question. The Greek Orthodox patriarchate in Istanbul is an ecumenical patriarchate, according to the title it uses. The title signifies a declaration that the ecumenical patriarch is the spiritual leader of all Orthodox Christians in the world, just as the pope is for Catholics. Even though some Orthodox churches do not recognize the patriarch’s authority, many others around the world accept the patriarchate in Istanbul as their universal spiritual leadership.

Turkey, however, refuses to recognize the patriarchate’s ecumenical title. Officially, the patriarchate is considered to be the religious institution of the Greek community in Istanbul, which has today dwindled to 3,000 people.

Since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power, restrictions on the patriarchate have been eased to a certain degree, but measures that would meet the genuine needs of the institution have never materialized. A decision to reopen the Halki Theological School was removed at the last minute from the democratization package that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan unveiled on Monday, Sept. 30. The seminary is vital for raising future patriarchs.

This brief explanation should have made it clear why 700 Orthodox Greeks would come to Turkey for a religious service. They did so on the call of their spiritual leader to pray in a church which is historically theirs.

Like many other churches, the Taxiarchis Church, built in 1844, has lost its bond with the patriarchate over the years. Until recently, Turkey’s Orthodox Christians were unable to use their ancient churches. And this was true not only for Greek Orthodox churches, but also for churches and synagogues that historically belong to the Armenian and Jewish communities. Many such shrines across Turkey were left abandoned and dilapidated.

Under a 2010 decision, the AKP government reopened some of those ancient churches to worship. The examples include the Sumela Monastery in the Black Sea province of Trabzon and the Armenian Akhtamar Church on the island with the same name in Lake Van, eastern Turkey. As the Ministry of Culture and Tourism renovated the shrines, many wondered who their proprietors would be once the restoration was finished. The churches were then declared to be “museums,” and thus the ministry became their proprietor. Then, the shrines were opened to worship only once every year. Hence, Turkey’s Armenians and Greeks had to suffice with one-day yearly permissions to pray in the churches that belonged to them in the past.

Some shrines, meanwhile, were allocated for other purposes after restoration. According to the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Surp Pirgic Church in Diyarbakir, southeast Turkey, became a center to “teach women manual skills” after it was renovated by the Directorate-General of Foundations.

Similarly, the synagogue in Gaziantep, southeast Turkey, was renovated by the Directorate-General of Foundations, and then rather than being returned to the Jewish community, it was handed over to Gaziantep University to be used as a “culture museum.”

The Hagia Sophia Church in Trabzon, on the other hand, became a museum first, and was then opened to worship in June — as a mosque.

The Taxiarchis Church, where the 700 Greeks wanted to pray, was also renovated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, on a budget of 3 million Turkish lira (about $1.5 million). While the renovation was under way, there was talk that the church would attract a major wave of “faith tourism” to the district.

33

The latest incident, however, demonstrates that “faith tourism” is unwelcome, and that, when it comes to Christians, Turkey can never shrug off its prejudices. The incident, which coincided with Erdogan’s “democratization package,” is a clear indication that democratization should first take place in one's mentality.

Orhan Kemal Cengiz is a human rights lawyer, columnist and former president of the Human Rights Agenda Association, a Turkish NGO that works on human rights issues ranging from the prevention of torture to the rights of the mentally disabled. Since 2002, Cengiz has been the lawyer for the Alliance of Turkish Protestant Churches.

COVER PAGE Anania Shirakatsi

Scholars do not agree on where Anania was born. Some historians believe that he was born in Shirakavan; others, that the village of Anania in Shirak or the city of Ani was his birthplace. Unlike many other notable figures, Anania left behind an autobiography. It is known that he was the son of John (Hovhannes) of Shirak and possibly a member of the noble Kamsarakan or Arshakuni princes of the region. It is believed that he received his primary education at a school named Dprevank, and that from a very early age he found himself attracted to mathematics. He left Armenia and traveled abroad for eleven years in the hopes of getting a better education.

Upon the recommendation of several of his friends who were returning from Constantinople, he decided to find a suitable teacher in Trebizond in the Byzantine Empire. There he met and fell under the tutelage of a renowned Greek scholar who spoke Armenian, Tychikos, and spent eight years learning mathematics there. Anania profited greatly from his mentor's teachings, as evidenced from the writings in his autobiography, "acquired a perfect knowledge of mathematics. In addition, he also learned a few elements of other sciences." He left Byzantium and returned to his homeland in 651, determined to spread his knowledge among his fellow Armenians, opening a school that taught the quadrivium and authoring textbooks to educate his students.

Armenian calendar

The education center Anania established could not have come at a better time and was a welcoming sight during an era when the study of mathematics was waning. After teaching for only several years, he had gained a famous reputation all throughout Armenia and abroad. The beginning of one of his most significant accomplishments came in 667 when the Armenian Apostolic Church invited him to Dvin and asked him to modify the Armenian calendar from a movable to fixed system. Taking into account the incompatibilities of the seven-day week, the lunar month, and the solar year, he worked for two years and devised a system that was based on cycle of 532 years. Anania's solution, though, was never adopted by the Church.

Among all his works, Anania is best known for writing the Ashkharhatsuyts (Geography). Up until recently, it was attributed to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi but it is now believed by a number of experts such as Robert Hewsen and Suren T. Yeremyan to have been authored by Anania himself. Babken Harutyunyan, head of Chair of the History of Armenia at Yerevan State University, however disputes this and maintains that Movses Khorenatsi was the true author on the basis "that all the manuscripts of the 'Ashkharhatsuyts' preserving the author's name, without exception, point at the Patmahayr [father of history] Movses Khorenatsi as an author of the work."

The Ashkharhatsuyts is a historical atlas that gives detailed information on the fifteen provinces of Armenia. Anania gives general information on "the earth, its surface, climatic belts, seas" and also includes information on Armenia's neighbors. The oldest extant manuscript in the field of Armenian geography preserved at the Matenadaran in Yerevan is Anania's Ashkharhatsuyts.

Anania also authored Cosmography and the Calendar, a 48 chapter work that discusses astronomy, meteorology, and physical geography. He described the world as "being like an egg with a spherical yolk (the globe) surrounded by a layer of white (the atmosphere) and covered with a hard shell (the sky)." He also believed "that the Milky Way is a mass of dense but faintly luminous stars and agreed with earlier philosophers that the moon was a dark body by nature whose only light was that which it reflected from the sun."

Anania is considered the founder of the study of the natural sciences in Armenia. For centuries, his works were used at schools in Armenia as textbooks. The Anania Shirakatsi Medal is an Armenian State Award for scientists in the economics and natural sciences, engineers and inventors. In 2005, the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia issued an Anania Shirakatsi commemorative coin.

34

Kiva.org is a non-profit online lending organization. It helps to alleviate poverty in developing world. It allows individuals like YOU to make $25 or more loans directly to low income entrepreneur/farmers, through reliable micro- financing institutions. It has a repayment rate of 98.87%. It operates in more than 60 countries (including Armenia)

For more information, please visit Kiva.org, do your due diligence, and make $25 or more Loan (s) and join many other Armenians (and many more non- Armenians) to help reduce poverty in Armenia, and help keep Armenians in Armenia.

YOU CAN

For further information you can contact: Seta Ghougassian seta_gu@yahoo.ca (416)694-6142

Èàôê2 ́2ò Þ2 ́2Â2Âoð - LOUSSAPATZ - THE DAWN

Ðð2î2ð2ÎàôÂÆôÜ Üàð êoðàôÜ ̧ ØÞ2ÎàôÂ2ÚÆÜ ØÆàôÂo2Ü - ÂàðàÜÂú

333 DENISON ST. UNIT # 3 MARKHAM, ON CANADA L3R 2Z4 TEL: 905 – 752 – 1206

E-MAIL : loussapatz@gmail.com

Èàôê2  ́2ò Þ2 ́2Â2ÂoðÂÆ ì2ðâ2Î2Ü Î21⁄4Ø

îÜúð3⁄4Ü äoîðàê ØàôÞo2Ü MANAGINGEDITOR BEDROS MOUCHIAN îÜîoê2Î2Ü Úàìê3⁄4ö ¶2ܶàôðo2Ü FINANCE HOVSEP KANKOURIAN

335