Armenian News...A Topalian
HDP LEADER WANTS TO REPRESENT ALL OF TURKEY'S 'OPPRESSED'
EuroNews, EU
June 8 2015
The 80 - of 550 - seats the People's Democratic Party (HDP) picked
up in Turkey's parliamentary elections on Sunday marks a huge victory.
As well as smashing President Erdogan's bid for greater presidential
powers it also, for the first time, gives parliamentary representation
to a party speaking for the nation's Kurds, who make up about 20
percent of the population.
But the HDP leader, Selahattin Demirtas, says he wants to represent
all people:
"This is a joint victory of all the oppressed - Turks, Kurds,
Arabs, Caucasians, Armenians and Bosniaks, Alawites, Sunnis,
Christians, Jews, Yazidis, all of the discriminated that want to
live free with their beliefs."
The HDP was established in 2012 and it is the continuation of several
Kurdish Parties which have now joined with leftist groups, minorities,
Gezi Park groups and arch-rivals of the president.
TURKEY AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES: LESS OF A MONOLITH
The Economist
June 8 2015
YESTERDAY'S general election in Turkey was a landmark in several
different ways. The Islamist Justice and Development (AK) party saw a
sharp drop in its vote, dealing a massive blow to the hopes of
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a change in the constitution which
would invest his office with executive powers. The pro-Kurdish HDP
crossed the 10% threshold and entered parliament. And for the first
time in half a century, there is a decent sprinkling of newly elected
parliamentarians who are open about the fact their heritage is neither
Muslim nor Turkish.
Our coverage of Turkey's general election
As the daily Hurriyet reported, the new crop of deputies includes at
least four people of Christian background: Selina Dogan, an Armenian
lawyer who stood for the CHP, the secular-nationalist opposition
party; Markar Esayan, a journalist with Armenian roots who ran on an
AK party ticket; Garo Paylan, another Istanbul Armenian, who stood for
the HDP; and Erol Dora, a lawyer of Syrian christian orthodox
background. On top of that, two HDP deputies are Yazidis, members of
another religious minority that has suffered terribly in neighbouring
Iraq at the hands of Islamic State.
The CHP ranks also include one Roma, and a good number of Alevis whose
practice of Islam differs from the state-encouraged Sunni norm. The
female share of parliamentary seats has risen to 16% from 9%, mainly
thanks to the HDP's good gender balance; and the lady parliamentarians
range from devout wearers of the Muslim headscarf to women who totally
reject such garb. Although there is still a long way to go in the
representation of women, "this is a dramatically different and more
colourful picture than the all-male, monochrome and monofaith
assemblies of decades past," says Karabekir Akkoyunlu, an assistant
professor of Turkish studies at Graz University.
And for history buffs this marks a modest reversal, at least, of a
century-old trend towards homogeneity. Religious minorities had a
significant role in the parliaments of the final years of the Ottoman
era; the legislature elected in 1908 included 147 Muslim Turks, 26
Greek Orthodox, 14 Armenian Christians and four Jews. The Christian
component fell after the Balkan wars of 1912-13 when the empire lost
most of its European territories. But as late as November 1918, three
Greek deputies were asking parliamentary questions about the suffering
of their co-religionists. In the war that engulfed Anatolia over the
following four years, relations between Christians and Muslims broke
down, and the founders of the new Turkish republic did not hide their
view that the "treacherous" Christian minorities would have little or
no role in the new order. There was a breakthrough when a
Greek-Orthodox surgeon was elected to the Ankara parliament in 1935,
and the parliament elected in 1950 was unusually diverse with three
Greeks, three Armenians and four Jews; but these were exceptions.
America's State Department reckons that non-Muslim minorities now make
up less than 1% of Turkey's 80m people; they include 90,000 Armenians
(including many migrant workers), 25,000 Roman Catholics, 23,000 Jews
and 2,500 Greek Orthodox. There are still dozens of functioning
Christian churches in the Istanbul area, such as the Armenian one
pictured, but they face a perpetual struggle to gain permits to
maintain and repair buildings, and to reclaim property that was taken
by the state in various waves of confiscation.
None of the new cohort of Christian-origin deputies is known to be
especially devout. And nobody should expect sessions of the newly
formed assembly to begin with lusty renderings of "Onward Christian
Soldiers". The significant thing is not so much the beliefs or family
background of the new parliamentarians, but the fact that they and
their parties no longer find it necessary (as they would have a decade
or two ago) to cover up their background. Among the many trends at
work in Turkey's complex social mix is an increasing openness about
true family stories. People no longer feel compelled to rewrite their
personal sagas so as to eliminate any forebears who were neither
Muslim nor Turkish.
In short, the fluidity of Turkish society is now matched, to some
degree, by its official representatives. That is an encouraging straw
in the wind for hard-pressed minorities, ranging from isolated
Roman-Catholic communities who fear for their safety to the Greek
Orthodox adherents who yearn to reopen their famous Halki seminary, on
an island near Istanbul. (That theological college has been closed
since 1971 although it still hosts events such as the
culture-and-ecology conference I am now attending.)
Perhaps the most impressive bit of recent news is the open presence of
an ethnic Armenian in the ranks of the CHP, the standard-bearer of the
Turkish-nationalist ideology proclaimed by state founder Kemal
Ataturk. "We do not want division in our society, we want to grow and
develop together," declared the party's leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu,
when announcing her candidacy. Contrast that to earlier phases of the
Turkish republic, when the approach of the political class to
overcoming divisions was to pretend they did not exist.
The HDP was established in 2012 and it is the continuation of several
Kurdish Parties which have now joined with leftist groups, minorities,
Gezi Park groups and arch-rivals of the president.
TURKEY AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES: LESS OF A MONOLITH
The Economist
June 8 2015
YESTERDAY'S general election in Turkey was a landmark in several
different ways. The Islamist Justice and Development (AK) party saw a
sharp drop in its vote, dealing a massive blow to the hopes of
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a change in the constitution which
would invest his office with executive powers. The pro-Kurdish HDP
crossed the 10% threshold and entered parliament. And for the first
time in half a century, there is a decent sprinkling of newly elected
parliamentarians who are open about the fact their heritage is neither
Muslim nor Turkish.
Our coverage of Turkey's general election
As the daily Hurriyet reported, the new crop of deputies includes at
least four people of Christian background: Selina Dogan, an Armenian
lawyer who stood for the CHP, the secular-nationalist opposition
party; Markar Esayan, a journalist with Armenian roots who ran on an
AK party ticket; Garo Paylan, another Istanbul Armenian, who stood for
the HDP; and Erol Dora, a lawyer of Syrian christian orthodox
background. On top of that, two HDP deputies are Yazidis, members of
another religious minority that has suffered terribly in neighbouring
Iraq at the hands of Islamic State.
The CHP ranks also include one Roma, and a good number of Alevis whose
practice of Islam differs from the state-encouraged Sunni norm. The
female share of parliamentary seats has risen to 16% from 9%, mainly
thanks to the HDP's good gender balance; and the lady parliamentarians
range from devout wearers of the Muslim headscarf to women who totally
reject such garb. Although there is still a long way to go in the
representation of women, "this is a dramatically different and more
colourful picture than the all-male, monochrome and monofaith
assemblies of decades past," says Karabekir Akkoyunlu, an assistant
professor of Turkish studies at Graz University.
And for history buffs this marks a modest reversal, at least, of a
century-old trend towards homogeneity. Religious minorities had a
significant role in the parliaments of the final years of the Ottoman
era; the legislature elected in 1908 included 147 Muslim Turks, 26
Greek Orthodox, 14 Armenian Christians and four Jews. The Christian
component fell after the Balkan wars of 1912-13 when the empire lost
most of its European territories. But as late as November 1918, three
Greek deputies were asking parliamentary questions about the suffering
of their co-religionists. In the war that engulfed Anatolia over the
following four years, relations between Christians and Muslims broke
down, and the founders of the new Turkish republic did not hide their
view that the "treacherous" Christian minorities would have little or
no role in the new order. There was a breakthrough when a
Greek-Orthodox surgeon was elected to the Ankara parliament in 1935,
and the parliament elected in 1950 was unusually diverse with three
Greeks, three Armenians and four Jews; but these were exceptions.
America's State Department reckons that non-Muslim minorities now make
up less than 1% of Turkey's 80m people; they include 90,000 Armenians
(including many migrant workers), 25,000 Roman Catholics, 23,000 Jews
and 2,500 Greek Orthodox. There are still dozens of functioning
Christian churches in the Istanbul area, such as the Armenian one
pictured, but they face a perpetual struggle to gain permits to
maintain and repair buildings, and to reclaim property that was taken
by the state in various waves of confiscation.
None of the new cohort of Christian-origin deputies is known to be
especially devout. And nobody should expect sessions of the newly
formed assembly to begin with lusty renderings of "Onward Christian
Soldiers". The significant thing is not so much the beliefs or family
background of the new parliamentarians, but the fact that they and
their parties no longer find it necessary (as they would have a decade
or two ago) to cover up their background. Among the many trends at
work in Turkey's complex social mix is an increasing openness about
true family stories. People no longer feel compelled to rewrite their
personal sagas so as to eliminate any forebears who were neither
Muslim nor Turkish.
In short, the fluidity of Turkish society is now matched, to some
degree, by its official representatives. That is an encouraging straw
in the wind for hard-pressed minorities, ranging from isolated
Roman-Catholic communities who fear for their safety to the Greek
Orthodox adherents who yearn to reopen their famous Halki seminary, on
an island near Istanbul. (That theological college has been closed
since 1971 although it still hosts events such as the
culture-and-ecology conference I am now attending.)
Perhaps the most impressive bit of recent news is the open presence of
an ethnic Armenian in the ranks of the CHP, the standard-bearer of the
Turkish-nationalist ideology proclaimed by state founder Kemal
Ataturk. "We do not want division in our society, we want to grow and
develop together," declared the party's leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu,
when announcing her candidacy. Contrast that to earlier phases of the
Turkish republic, when the approach of the political class to
overcoming divisions was to pretend they did not exist.
armradio.am
ARMENIANS HAVE PRESERVED THEIR ANTHROPOLOGICAL
TYPE OVER THE PAST 3,000 YEARS
05 Jun 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Armenians have not undergone serious genetic changes and have
preserved their anthropological type at least in the course of the
past three thousand years, the research by the Copenhagen University
has revealed, said Professor Levon Yepiskoposyan, Head of the
Ethnogenetics Laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Biology at
the Armenian National Academy of Sciences.
The Copenhagen University has studied 101 ancient genetic samples from
different Eurasian regions. The genetic data from different ancient
sites of the bronze and iron ages of Armenia have been included in
the research for the first time. The study was aimed at revealing
the genetic characteristics of the European population.
Armenia was the only country in the region included in the study.
"Why? Because we have no problems and no complexes," Prof.
Yepiskoposyan said. According to him, Azerbaijan turned down the
proposal.
05 Jun 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Armenians have not undergone serious genetic changes and have
preserved their anthropological type at least in the course of the
past three thousand years, the research by the Copenhagen University
has revealed, said Professor Levon Yepiskoposyan, Head of the
Ethnogenetics Laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Biology at
the Armenian National Academy of Sciences.
The Copenhagen University has studied 101 ancient genetic samples from
different Eurasian regions. The genetic data from different ancient
sites of the bronze and iron ages of Armenia have been included in
the research for the first time. The study was aimed at revealing
the genetic characteristics of the European population.
Armenia was the only country in the region included in the study.
"Why? Because we have no problems and no complexes," Prof.
Yepiskoposyan said. According to him, Azerbaijan turned down the
proposal.
tert.am
SHORTAGE OF JUSTICE TOP PROBLEM IN ARMENIA: PARLIAMENT
SUMS UP PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S REPORT
The political forces represented in Armenia's National Assembly
criticized the situation with justice as very deplorable as they
summed up the report submitted by the prosecutor general.
Ruben Hakobyan of the opposition Heritage faction pointed out to
the general distrust in the judiciary, which he said is due to
malfunctioning all the government bodies and political forces.
"We all are to blame for this situation, both the opposition and the
authorities," he said.
Noting that the prime principle of justice is to ensure equality of
all people before the law, the opposition MP addressed Prosecutor
General Gevorg Kostanyan, to criticize him for falling short of
meeting the demand.
"Very often we see an act of hooliganism committed by the children of
a government official or a functionary go unpunished. Once you confirm
that you were able to prove that everybody is equal before the law,
we will hail you with applauds. And also, if you get together to hear
the political majority say that they too, must - starting from this
moment - become a role model for the society with their families,
justice will take its course in just a couple of years to ensure a
respectable life for us," he said.
The opposition Rule of Law faction's leader, Heghine Bisharyan,
said she doesn't absolutely question the prosecutor general's
professionalism but called for more efficient and active efforts on
his part to make his work visible.
"Belief is not just dead or non-existent; the idea of it is simply
gone. So it is important for us to make conclusions to increase belief
in the nation and people as the prosecutor or one political force or
individual alone cannot raise trust among the people," he said.
Gagik Jhangiryan, a former military prosecutor who now represents the
opposition Armenian National Congress in parliament, referred to the
updated Criminal Procedure Code which he said attempts to reduce the
authorities of the Prosecutor General's Office.
"The new code leads me to the belief that the Criminal Procedure Code
was written under the law enforcement bodies' strictest pressure,"
he added.
He added the amended legislation does not allow officers from the
Prosecutor General Office to head to a crime scene to meet with an
expert or a witness or identify an aggrieved side.
"I wonder how [a prosecutor] is expected to defend [the aggrieved]
without seeing him or her. It's just like a doctor who is expected
to provide treatment to a patient s/he hasn't ever seen," he added.
Noting that the report was being debated in a heated atmosphere,
the opposition Prosperous Armenia faction's leader, Naira Zohrabyan,
said she sees a deficit of justice in the country.
"In a country where the poverty rate crosses the threshold of one
million, corruption in the judiciary is the number one problem people
speak. They say that an average citizen never goes to court to avoid
getting into trouble," she said, complaining further of the privileges
granted to certain classes of people.
Hovhannes Sahakyan, who spoke on behalf of the ruling Republican
faction, described some of the speeches as very formal or populistic.
"We need to understand whether it is the form or content that really
matters. In a number of cases, form seems to be given preference,
so what they do instead of making an issue debatable, is to attract
more "Like-s" on their Facebook pages," he said, attaching importance
to content.
The Republican MP said he hopes that next year's report will be more
content-oriented.
criticized the situation with justice as very deplorable as they
summed up the report submitted by the prosecutor general.
Ruben Hakobyan of the opposition Heritage faction pointed out to
the general distrust in the judiciary, which he said is due to
malfunctioning all the government bodies and political forces.
"We all are to blame for this situation, both the opposition and the
authorities," he said.
Noting that the prime principle of justice is to ensure equality of
all people before the law, the opposition MP addressed Prosecutor
General Gevorg Kostanyan, to criticize him for falling short of
meeting the demand.
"Very often we see an act of hooliganism committed by the children of
a government official or a functionary go unpunished. Once you confirm
that you were able to prove that everybody is equal before the law,
we will hail you with applauds. And also, if you get together to hear
the political majority say that they too, must - starting from this
moment - become a role model for the society with their families,
justice will take its course in just a couple of years to ensure a
respectable life for us," he said.
The opposition Rule of Law faction's leader, Heghine Bisharyan,
said she doesn't absolutely question the prosecutor general's
professionalism but called for more efficient and active efforts on
his part to make his work visible.
"Belief is not just dead or non-existent; the idea of it is simply
gone. So it is important for us to make conclusions to increase belief
in the nation and people as the prosecutor or one political force or
individual alone cannot raise trust among the people," he said.
Gagik Jhangiryan, a former military prosecutor who now represents the
opposition Armenian National Congress in parliament, referred to the
updated Criminal Procedure Code which he said attempts to reduce the
authorities of the Prosecutor General's Office.
"The new code leads me to the belief that the Criminal Procedure Code
was written under the law enforcement bodies' strictest pressure,"
he added.
He added the amended legislation does not allow officers from the
Prosecutor General Office to head to a crime scene to meet with an
expert or a witness or identify an aggrieved side.
"I wonder how [a prosecutor] is expected to defend [the aggrieved]
without seeing him or her. It's just like a doctor who is expected
to provide treatment to a patient s/he hasn't ever seen," he added.
Noting that the report was being debated in a heated atmosphere,
the opposition Prosperous Armenia faction's leader, Naira Zohrabyan,
said she sees a deficit of justice in the country.
"In a country where the poverty rate crosses the threshold of one
million, corruption in the judiciary is the number one problem people
speak. They say that an average citizen never goes to court to avoid
getting into trouble," she said, complaining further of the privileges
granted to certain classes of people.
Hovhannes Sahakyan, who spoke on behalf of the ruling Republican
faction, described some of the speeches as very formal or populistic.
"We need to understand whether it is the form or content that really
matters. In a number of cases, form seems to be given preference,
so what they do instead of making an issue debatable, is to attract
more "Like-s" on their Facebook pages," he said, attaching importance
to content.
The Republican MP said he hopes that next year's report will be more
content-oriented.
ROW OVER ISTANBUL ARMENIAN ORPHANAGE SITE RUMBLES ON
Bgnews
Now the Council of Europe could become embroiled in the dispute
which has revived issues regarding Turkey's minority groups and their
property rights. This is despite claims from the landowner that he
intends to return the building to the religious foundation from which
it was expropriated in the 1980s. Camp Armen, a historic building
in the Tuzla district of Istanbul, has been the site of vigils by
activists for the last 30 days. The protests are aimed at stopping
a possible demolition of the historic structure.
"We demand Camp Armen to be returned to its real owners ...
unconditionally and urgently," Sayat Tekir, a spokesman for the Nor
Zartonk campaign group, told reporters in Istanbul on Thursday. His
remarks came after attempts to partially demolish the building on
May 6. The work was suspended after protests held by activists and
leading figures from the Armenian community.
"Our resistance for the camp will continue till our demands are
entirely met," Tekir added.
Camp Armen was constructed in 1962 by Istanbul-based Gedik PaÅ~_a
Armenian Protestant Church and School Foundation. At one time it was
home to around 1,500 orphans.
Important one-time residents included Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink -- who was assassinated in 2007 -- his wife Rakel and
pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party deputy Erol Dora. In 1987, the
camp was expropriated under old legislation which deemed 'inactive'
religious trusts to be forfeit of their assets.
The Nor Zartonk members have also rejected reports circulating in
some media organizations recently claiming that the camp had been
returned to Armenians.
"Neither the camp has been returned nor any victory gained," Tekir
told reporters.
Ankara-based Human Rights Association is preparing to apply to the
Council of Europe on the grounds that the case violates minority
rights and property rights, Istanbul branch member Meral Cıldır
said at today's press conference.
After the press conference, landowner Fatih Ulusoy said that he
had submitted a petition to the Armenian foundation to transfer the
building to them.
"The process has lengthened out because of the official transaction
process and workload," he said, adding: "It will start in the coming
weeks."
Last month, Rakel Dink wrote an article for Armenian-language
newspaper Agos, running a photo of herself and her husband, together
with other children.
"The biggest wish of my husband was for Camp Armenia to survive,"
she wrote.
RFE/RL Report
U.S. Firm Completes Takeover Of Armenian Power Plants
Sargis Harutyunyan
08.06.2015
In a $250 million deal which Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian called a
significant boost to U.S.-Armenian economic ties, a U.S. energy
company completed on Monday the repeatedly postponed purchase of
Armenia's largest hydroelectric complex.
The New York-based group ContourGlobal thus became the first Western
firm to buy a major asset in the Armenian energy sector currently
dominated by big Russian corporations.
Under a takeover agreement signed in Yerevan by its chief executive
Joseph Brandt, ContourGlobal will pay $180 million for Vorotan Hydro
Cascade's equity and invest another US$70 million in the facility's
modernization over the next five years.
The acquisition welcomed by the U.S. government was initially due to
be completed by April 2014. Abrahamian put it on hold shortly after he
was appointed as prime minister over a year ago. He said that some of
its provisions run counter to Armenian law and need to be
renegotiated.
The move fuelled media speculation that Russia is pressuring Armenia
to sell Vorotan to a Russian energy company instead. Armenian
officials denied such pressure.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Yervand Zakharian announced in
January that the Armenian government and ContourGlobal are now close
to sealing the renegotiated deal. Brandt signed it with Zakharian
following talks held with Abrahamian.
A government statement said the Armenian premier described Vorotan's
sale as an "important step towards strengthening bilateral economic
relations" between the United States and Armenia. In that context,
Abrahamian also stressed the importance of the U.S.-Armenian Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) that was signed last month
during President Serzh Sarkisian's visit to Washington.
Sarkisian announced the impending competition of the Vorotan deal just
hours after the signing ceremony in the U.S. capital. "It will be the
largest ever American investment in Armenia," he said.
The Vorotan Cascade consists of three hydroelectric plants that were
built in Soviet times on the mountainous Vorotan river flowing through
Armenia's southeastern Syunik province. With a combined operational
capacity of 405 megawatts, they are nearly as powerful as the Metsamor
nuclear plant that accounts for roughly 40 percent of Armenian
electricity production.
"We decided to sell [Vorotan] not because we needed money," Davit
Harutiunian, the chief of the government staff, told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday. "First of all, we are diversifying
the [energy] market. The second important factor is proper
management."
"The head of the [U.S.] company expressed hope that within the
framework of this modernization program Vorotan will generate much
more electricity than it does now," said Harutiunian.
Greater output at Vorotan would lower the overall cost of electricity
production in Armenia. Nearly 40 percent of it is power generated by
thermal-power plants mostly using Russian natural gas. It is
considerably more expensive than nuclear energy and hydroelectricity.
All but one of those thermal-power plants are controlled by Russia's
Gazprom and RAO Unified Energy Systems (UES) giants. The latter also
own Armenia's gas and electricity distribution networks.
mediamax.am
SHADOWMATIC BRINGS APPLE DESIGN AWARD TO ARMENIA
June 9, 2015
Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian Triada Studio was awarded Apple's annual
Apple Design Award for Shadowmatic computer game released this January.
The awards ceremony took place in the U.S. on June 8. Nine other
companies from various countries also received Apple Design Awards.
Apple's official website has listed Shadowmatic as first among the
winners.
Mediamax's interview with Triada Studio Director Ara Aghamyan in
February this year is available here.
The team of Shadowmatic developers is comprised of four people -
technical artist Bagrat Dabaghyan, game designer Arsen Avoyan, sound
designer Serge Melkonyan and Ara Aghamyan.
Ara Aghamyan told Mediamax that Shadowmatic had evoked Apple's interest
a year before.
"In summer 2014, Apple representatives contacted us. They said their
editors liked our concept very much and were willing to give us some
assistance upon the launch. In fall, Apple invited us to a meeting
during which we presented Shadowmatic in details. We said we wanted to
place it on App Store in the second half of December, during Christmas.
They recommended us not hurrying and organizing the launch in early
2015. I think the reason was that it would be hard for them to give
their full attention to Shadowmatic during Christmas.
We worked hard in the final phase as well and presented the game to
Apple only 3 days before the official launch. As a result, we didn't
work with the media beforehand and the publications were written only
after the launch.
But Apple's assistance exceeded all our expectations. On the day of
the launch, Shadowmatic was placed on Apple Store's Editor's Choice
section in almost all the countries. Naturally, it aroused the interest
of not only users but also leading media outlets," said Ara Aghamyan.
Bgnews
Now the Council of Europe could become embroiled in the dispute
which has revived issues regarding Turkey's minority groups and their
property rights. This is despite claims from the landowner that he
intends to return the building to the religious foundation from which
it was expropriated in the 1980s. Camp Armen, a historic building
in the Tuzla district of Istanbul, has been the site of vigils by
activists for the last 30 days. The protests are aimed at stopping
a possible demolition of the historic structure.
"We demand Camp Armen to be returned to its real owners ...
unconditionally and urgently," Sayat Tekir, a spokesman for the Nor
Zartonk campaign group, told reporters in Istanbul on Thursday. His
remarks came after attempts to partially demolish the building on
May 6. The work was suspended after protests held by activists and
leading figures from the Armenian community.
"Our resistance for the camp will continue till our demands are
entirely met," Tekir added.
Camp Armen was constructed in 1962 by Istanbul-based Gedik PaÅ~_a
Armenian Protestant Church and School Foundation. At one time it was
home to around 1,500 orphans.
Important one-time residents included Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink -- who was assassinated in 2007 -- his wife Rakel and
pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party deputy Erol Dora. In 1987, the
camp was expropriated under old legislation which deemed 'inactive'
religious trusts to be forfeit of their assets.
The Nor Zartonk members have also rejected reports circulating in
some media organizations recently claiming that the camp had been
returned to Armenians.
"Neither the camp has been returned nor any victory gained," Tekir
told reporters.
Ankara-based Human Rights Association is preparing to apply to the
Council of Europe on the grounds that the case violates minority
rights and property rights, Istanbul branch member Meral Cıldır
said at today's press conference.
After the press conference, landowner Fatih Ulusoy said that he
had submitted a petition to the Armenian foundation to transfer the
building to them.
"The process has lengthened out because of the official transaction
process and workload," he said, adding: "It will start in the coming
weeks."
Last month, Rakel Dink wrote an article for Armenian-language
newspaper Agos, running a photo of herself and her husband, together
with other children.
"The biggest wish of my husband was for Camp Armenia to survive,"
she wrote.
RFE/RL Report
U.S. Firm Completes Takeover Of Armenian Power Plants
Sargis Harutyunyan
08.06.2015
In a $250 million deal which Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian called a
significant boost to U.S.-Armenian economic ties, a U.S. energy
company completed on Monday the repeatedly postponed purchase of
Armenia's largest hydroelectric complex.
The New York-based group ContourGlobal thus became the first Western
firm to buy a major asset in the Armenian energy sector currently
dominated by big Russian corporations.
Under a takeover agreement signed in Yerevan by its chief executive
Joseph Brandt, ContourGlobal will pay $180 million for Vorotan Hydro
Cascade's equity and invest another US$70 million in the facility's
modernization over the next five years.
The acquisition welcomed by the U.S. government was initially due to
be completed by April 2014. Abrahamian put it on hold shortly after he
was appointed as prime minister over a year ago. He said that some of
its provisions run counter to Armenian law and need to be
renegotiated.
The move fuelled media speculation that Russia is pressuring Armenia
to sell Vorotan to a Russian energy company instead. Armenian
officials denied such pressure.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Yervand Zakharian announced in
January that the Armenian government and ContourGlobal are now close
to sealing the renegotiated deal. Brandt signed it with Zakharian
following talks held with Abrahamian.
A government statement said the Armenian premier described Vorotan's
sale as an "important step towards strengthening bilateral economic
relations" between the United States and Armenia. In that context,
Abrahamian also stressed the importance of the U.S.-Armenian Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) that was signed last month
during President Serzh Sarkisian's visit to Washington.
Sarkisian announced the impending competition of the Vorotan deal just
hours after the signing ceremony in the U.S. capital. "It will be the
largest ever American investment in Armenia," he said.
The Vorotan Cascade consists of three hydroelectric plants that were
built in Soviet times on the mountainous Vorotan river flowing through
Armenia's southeastern Syunik province. With a combined operational
capacity of 405 megawatts, they are nearly as powerful as the Metsamor
nuclear plant that accounts for roughly 40 percent of Armenian
electricity production.
"We decided to sell [Vorotan] not because we needed money," Davit
Harutiunian, the chief of the government staff, told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday. "First of all, we are diversifying
the [energy] market. The second important factor is proper
management."
"The head of the [U.S.] company expressed hope that within the
framework of this modernization program Vorotan will generate much
more electricity than it does now," said Harutiunian.
Greater output at Vorotan would lower the overall cost of electricity
production in Armenia. Nearly 40 percent of it is power generated by
thermal-power plants mostly using Russian natural gas. It is
considerably more expensive than nuclear energy and hydroelectricity.
All but one of those thermal-power plants are controlled by Russia's
Gazprom and RAO Unified Energy Systems (UES) giants. The latter also
own Armenia's gas and electricity distribution networks.
mediamax.am
SHADOWMATIC BRINGS APPLE DESIGN AWARD TO ARMENIA
June 9, 2015
Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian Triada Studio was awarded Apple's annual
Apple Design Award for Shadowmatic computer game released this January.
The awards ceremony took place in the U.S. on June 8. Nine other
companies from various countries also received Apple Design Awards.
Apple's official website has listed Shadowmatic as first among the
winners.
Mediamax's interview with Triada Studio Director Ara Aghamyan in
February this year is available here.
The team of Shadowmatic developers is comprised of four people -
technical artist Bagrat Dabaghyan, game designer Arsen Avoyan, sound
designer Serge Melkonyan and Ara Aghamyan.
Ara Aghamyan told Mediamax that Shadowmatic had evoked Apple's interest
a year before.
"In summer 2014, Apple representatives contacted us. They said their
editors liked our concept very much and were willing to give us some
assistance upon the launch. In fall, Apple invited us to a meeting
during which we presented Shadowmatic in details. We said we wanted to
place it on App Store in the second half of December, during Christmas.
They recommended us not hurrying and organizing the launch in early
2015. I think the reason was that it would be hard for them to give
their full attention to Shadowmatic during Christmas.
We worked hard in the final phase as well and presented the game to
Apple only 3 days before the official launch. As a result, we didn't
work with the media beforehand and the publications were written only
after the launch.
But Apple's assistance exceeded all our expectations. On the day of
the launch, Shadowmatic was placed on Apple Store's Editor's Choice
section in almost all the countries. Naturally, it aroused the interest
of not only users but also leading media outlets," said Ara Aghamyan.
Daily Sabah, Turkey
June 5 2015
Armenian church, community divided over patriarch's illness
BURCU ÇALIK
Demand for an election of a new head of the Armenian Patriarchate in
Turkey has pitted community figures against church leaders who are
undecided over an election
The election of a new patriarch is dividing dignitaries of Turkey's
Armenian community and the patriarchate.
Incumbent Patriarch Mesrob II of the Patriarchate of Turkish Armenians
has been in a vegetative state since 2008 after he was diagnosed with
dementia. Archbishop Aram AteÅ?yan is the acting head of the
patriarchate but the community has repeatedly called for the election
of a new patriarch. AteÅ?yan had reportedly pledged that an election
would be held last year, though the council of bishops failed to reach
a consensus on an election. Bedros Å?irinoÄ?lu, president of the
Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Hospital Foundation, which represents the
Armenian community, has called for a fair election. "It is time to
hold an election. You cannot have an acting head of the patriarchate
for seven years," he said.
Garo Paylan, the administrator of the YeÅ?ilköy Armenian School and a
prominent figure in the Armenian community, said Mesrob II has an
incurable disease, and having an unelected figure leading the church
for a long period is wrong.
Angered by the call for an election, AteÅ?yan said people calling for
the election merely represent foundations and that the decision on the
matter rests with the patriarchate.
Dr. ArdaÅ? AkdaÄ?, chief physician of the hospital where Mesrob II is
confined to said there was no sign of improvement in the patriarch's
condition. "A patient in his condition wouldn't survive, but he has
clung to life. Nevertheless, the probability of a recovery from a
vegetative state is almost zero," he said.
Mesrob II, 59, is the 84th patriarch of Turkey's Armenian Orthodox
community who succeeded Karekin II in 1998.
Turkish law bans the election of a new patriarch while his predecessor
is alive. A patriarchal election is required to be held by the synod,
and the synod has to apply to the Interior Ministry after approving
the election. The government ruled out an election of a new patriarch
but a group of Armenians filed a lawsuit for the removal of
regulations blocking the election. The legal process is still
underway.
Another debate is over whether the new patriarch will be a
"co-patriarch" or not. According to reports in the media, members of
the synod advocate for the election of a co-patriarch instead of a new
patriarch while Mesrob II is still alive. In 2010, a group of
Armenians had filed a petition to the Interior Ministry to allow the
election of the patriarch by the vote of the congregation rather than
the synod.
Agos daily reported that the synod, which convened last month,
discussed the election but the majority opposed it - though Agos
quoted sources claiming the clerics faced pressure from AteÅ?yan to
vote nay.
The Armenian patriarchate was established in Istanbul after the city's
conquest by the Ottoman Empire and oversees Armenian churches
throughout the country.
June 5 2015
Armenian church, community divided over patriarch's illness
BURCU ÇALIK
Demand for an election of a new head of the Armenian Patriarchate in
Turkey has pitted community figures against church leaders who are
undecided over an election
The election of a new patriarch is dividing dignitaries of Turkey's
Armenian community and the patriarchate.
Incumbent Patriarch Mesrob II of the Patriarchate of Turkish Armenians
has been in a vegetative state since 2008 after he was diagnosed with
dementia. Archbishop Aram AteÅ?yan is the acting head of the
patriarchate but the community has repeatedly called for the election
of a new patriarch. AteÅ?yan had reportedly pledged that an election
would be held last year, though the council of bishops failed to reach
a consensus on an election. Bedros Å?irinoÄ?lu, president of the
Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Hospital Foundation, which represents the
Armenian community, has called for a fair election. "It is time to
hold an election. You cannot have an acting head of the patriarchate
for seven years," he said.
Garo Paylan, the administrator of the YeÅ?ilköy Armenian School and a
prominent figure in the Armenian community, said Mesrob II has an
incurable disease, and having an unelected figure leading the church
for a long period is wrong.
Angered by the call for an election, AteÅ?yan said people calling for
the election merely represent foundations and that the decision on the
matter rests with the patriarchate.
Dr. ArdaÅ? AkdaÄ?, chief physician of the hospital where Mesrob II is
confined to said there was no sign of improvement in the patriarch's
condition. "A patient in his condition wouldn't survive, but he has
clung to life. Nevertheless, the probability of a recovery from a
vegetative state is almost zero," he said.
Mesrob II, 59, is the 84th patriarch of Turkey's Armenian Orthodox
community who succeeded Karekin II in 1998.
Turkish law bans the election of a new patriarch while his predecessor
is alive. A patriarchal election is required to be held by the synod,
and the synod has to apply to the Interior Ministry after approving
the election. The government ruled out an election of a new patriarch
but a group of Armenians filed a lawsuit for the removal of
regulations blocking the election. The legal process is still
underway.
Another debate is over whether the new patriarch will be a
"co-patriarch" or not. According to reports in the media, members of
the synod advocate for the election of a co-patriarch instead of a new
patriarch while Mesrob II is still alive. In 2010, a group of
Armenians had filed a petition to the Interior Ministry to allow the
election of the patriarch by the vote of the congregation rather than
the synod.
Agos daily reported that the synod, which convened last month,
discussed the election but the majority opposed it - though Agos
quoted sources claiming the clerics faced pressure from AteÅ?yan to
vote nay.
The Armenian patriarchate was established in Istanbul after the city's
conquest by the Ottoman Empire and oversees Armenian churches
throughout the country.
ARMENIA WELCOMES FIRST INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL
Georgia Today, Georgia
June 4 2015
By Baia Dzagnidze
Uniting people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable
future has been the mission for United World Colleges (UWC) since its
foundation in 1962, which has spread across 15 schools worldwide with
more than 50,000 alumni, including UWC Dilijan College in Armenia.
Opened last year, UWC Dilijan Collegeã~@~@in Armenia, isã~@~@the
first academic institution in Eastern Europe and the CIS to join
the UWC network and in its first year welcomed 96 students from 48
countries, of which 2 were Georgian, 8 Russian and 10 Armenian. It
provides instruction to students aged 16-19 in English underã~@~@the
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program recognized by the
world's best universities.
Founded by Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend, with the support of
other founding donors, the biggest advantage of the college is being a
large-scale philanthropic initiative making study available to anyone,
regardless of their socio-economic background.
John Puddefoot, the Founding Head of the college, explains that
the reason for bringing such a school to Armenia is to set a world
class benchmark in this part of the world, as well as becoming a
'window' for the rest of the world to look into the region. He also
noted that expenditure on the school's construction came entirely
from charitable donations, totalling $115 million.ã~@~@Meanwhile,
the school's operating budget over the next five years will average
$8 million annually.
Covering 88 hectares of land, UWC Dilijan College is partially located
within Dilijan National Park, creating a perfect environment for
educational purposes together with outstanding design and all the
necessary equipment and infrastructure including a medical center,
outdoor and indoor sports facilities and performing arts center.
Tuition fees for UWC Dilijan cost $35,000 per year. However, as the
school is founded on donations, it can offer full scholarships for
certain students. For instance, 58 students of the current 96 were
on 100% grants this academic year.
Daria Brodnikovskaya, representative of UWC National Committees in
Russia, Armenia and Georgia, states that there were four places opened
for Georgian students last year who were assigned to three different
colleges: two to UWC Dilijan, and one to UWC Robert Bosch College in
Germany and one to UWC Atlantic College in the UK.
"In 2015 seven more Georgian students will join the UWC community to
study a 2-year IB Diploma Program. Three students will begin their
studies at UWC Dilijan and one at each of four different colleges:
UWC Adriatic in Italy, UWC Maastricht in the Netherlands, UWC
Pearson College in Canada and UWC Robert Bosch College in Germany,"
she continued.
The reason for the small number of places being offered to Georgian
citizens, is the lack of donations from Georgian donors.
Puddefoot states that the college has 25ã~@~@lecturers from 10
different countries, of which 11 haveã~@~@previously taught in other
UWC colleges.
However, as 96 other students are coming in August 2015, there will
be a need to add to the faculty. While talking about the campus,
he notes that gradually the capacity of the college will increase,
accommodating up to 252 students.
It should be mentioned that the school grounds were designed
by a leading, London-based architectural firm and built from
environmentally-friendly materials, and is fitted with the latest
technology. Due to this, the collegeã~@~@has been recognized by BREEAM
- one of the world's finest standards for sustainable construction,
making it the first certified "green" building in Armenia.
future has been the mission for United World Colleges (UWC) since its
foundation in 1962, which has spread across 15 schools worldwide with
more than 50,000 alumni, including UWC Dilijan College in Armenia.
Opened last year, UWC Dilijan Collegeã~@~@in Armenia, isã~@~@the
first academic institution in Eastern Europe and the CIS to join
the UWC network and in its first year welcomed 96 students from 48
countries, of which 2 were Georgian, 8 Russian and 10 Armenian. It
provides instruction to students aged 16-19 in English underã~@~@the
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program recognized by the
world's best universities.
Founded by Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend, with the support of
other founding donors, the biggest advantage of the college is being a
large-scale philanthropic initiative making study available to anyone,
regardless of their socio-economic background.
John Puddefoot, the Founding Head of the college, explains that
the reason for bringing such a school to Armenia is to set a world
class benchmark in this part of the world, as well as becoming a
'window' for the rest of the world to look into the region. He also
noted that expenditure on the school's construction came entirely
from charitable donations, totalling $115 million.ã~@~@Meanwhile,
the school's operating budget over the next five years will average
$8 million annually.
Covering 88 hectares of land, UWC Dilijan College is partially located
within Dilijan National Park, creating a perfect environment for
educational purposes together with outstanding design and all the
necessary equipment and infrastructure including a medical center,
outdoor and indoor sports facilities and performing arts center.
Tuition fees for UWC Dilijan cost $35,000 per year. However, as the
school is founded on donations, it can offer full scholarships for
certain students. For instance, 58 students of the current 96 were
on 100% grants this academic year.
Daria Brodnikovskaya, representative of UWC National Committees in
Russia, Armenia and Georgia, states that there were four places opened
for Georgian students last year who were assigned to three different
colleges: two to UWC Dilijan, and one to UWC Robert Bosch College in
Germany and one to UWC Atlantic College in the UK.
"In 2015 seven more Georgian students will join the UWC community to
study a 2-year IB Diploma Program. Three students will begin their
studies at UWC Dilijan and one at each of four different colleges:
UWC Adriatic in Italy, UWC Maastricht in the Netherlands, UWC
Pearson College in Canada and UWC Robert Bosch College in Germany,"
she continued.
The reason for the small number of places being offered to Georgian
citizens, is the lack of donations from Georgian donors.
Puddefoot states that the college has 25ã~@~@lecturers from 10
different countries, of which 11 haveã~@~@previously taught in other
UWC colleges.
However, as 96 other students are coming in August 2015, there will
be a need to add to the faculty. While talking about the campus,
he notes that gradually the capacity of the college will increase,
accommodating up to 252 students.
It should be mentioned that the school grounds were designed
by a leading, London-based architectural firm and built from
environmentally-friendly materials, and is fitted with the latest
technology. Due to this, the collegeã~@~@has been recognized by BREEAM
- one of the world's finest standards for sustainable construction,
making it the first certified "green" building in Armenia.
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