Armenian News
RFE/RL Report
Dink Family Lawyer Found Dead
04.06.2010
A lawyer representing the family of the assassinated Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink was found dead in his home Friday in unclear
circumstances.
The DPA news agency said Hakan Karadag was found hanging in his
Istanbul home. It was not immediately clear if foul play is suspected.
`Hurriyet Daily News' quoted unnamed source close to the Dink family
as saying that Karadag most probably committed suicide. `However, as
he was a lawyer working on the Dink murder case, the police are
looking at the possibility that he might have been murdered, although
it is only a slight possibility,' the source said.
But some relatives of the lawyer ruled out the suicide theory. `I just
saw him yesterday, he did not have any suicidal issues,' `Today's
Zaman' quoted his uncle Habip Karadag as telling journalists. `He said
he has a case that he has to attend and left saying `hope to see you
in the afternoon.''
Dink, who ran the Turkish-Armenian newspaper `Agos,' was murdered in
an Istanbul street while on his way to work on January 19, 2007. The
suspected shooter, Ogun Samast, accused of having ties to
ultranationalist groups, is currently on trial for the crime. Dink's
relatives and friends have repeatedly accused Turkish law-enforcement
authorities of not doing enough to identify and punish the masterminds
of the shock assassination.
Samast reportedly made a threatening hand gesture to Karadag during a
court hearing in his continuing trial. According to `Today's Zaman,'
the lawyer reported the incident to the presiding judge.
04.06.2010
A lawyer representing the family of the assassinated Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink was found dead in his home Friday in unclear
circumstances.
The DPA news agency said Hakan Karadag was found hanging in his
Istanbul home. It was not immediately clear if foul play is suspected.
`Hurriyet Daily News' quoted unnamed source close to the Dink family
as saying that Karadag most probably committed suicide. `However, as
he was a lawyer working on the Dink murder case, the police are
looking at the possibility that he might have been murdered, although
it is only a slight possibility,' the source said.
But some relatives of the lawyer ruled out the suicide theory. `I just
saw him yesterday, he did not have any suicidal issues,' `Today's
Zaman' quoted his uncle Habip Karadag as telling journalists. `He said
he has a case that he has to attend and left saying `hope to see you
in the afternoon.''
Dink, who ran the Turkish-Armenian newspaper `Agos,' was murdered in
an Istanbul street while on his way to work on January 19, 2007. The
suspected shooter, Ogun Samast, accused of having ties to
ultranationalist groups, is currently on trial for the crime. Dink's
relatives and friends have repeatedly accused Turkish law-enforcement
authorities of not doing enough to identify and punish the masterminds
of the shock assassination.
Samast reportedly made a threatening hand gesture to Karadag during a
court hearing in his continuing trial. According to `Today's Zaman,'
the lawyer reported the incident to the presiding judge.
Baroness Caroline Cox: Karabakh possesses strongest weapon - truth
June 5, 2010 - 16:27 AMT 11:27 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
On June 5, NKR Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Atajanyan received
delegation led by a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords,
Baroness Caroline Cox.
Atajanyan congratulated Caroline Cox on her 70th visit to Artsakh,
hailing her lasting support to the liberation struggle of the Karabakh
people. The Deputy Minister briefed the guests on basic stages of the
Karabakh conflict, saying that declaration of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic took place in compliance with then soviet laws and norms of
international law.
Atajanyan stressed that Azerbaijan reacted to the NKR people's
declaration of will with aggression. He noted with regret that
Azerbaijan does not refrain from its destructive policy and hopes to
solve the Karabakh conflict through application of force. `Artsakh has
never been a part of independent Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the
European structures do not take into consideration this and other
facts,' he said.
For her part, Caroline Cox emphasized the necessity of an adequate
response to the Azerbaijani information war. She added that the
Armenian Diaspora should be more actively involved in the process of
unbiased presentation of Artsakh and Karabakh conflict worldwide.
`Nevertheless, you possess the strongest weapon - truth. The issue
that Azerbaijan attempted to commit genocide against the Karabakh
people should be raised in international structures. Mass crimes
against Armenians in Maraga, Sumgait, Baku and other places should be
presented to the world. These are crimes against humanity,' noted
Baroness Caroline Cox, the NKR MFA press service reported.
June 5, 2010 - 16:27 AMT 11:27 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
On June 5, NKR Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Atajanyan received
delegation led by a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords,
Baroness Caroline Cox.
Atajanyan congratulated Caroline Cox on her 70th visit to Artsakh,
hailing her lasting support to the liberation struggle of the Karabakh
people. The Deputy Minister briefed the guests on basic stages of the
Karabakh conflict, saying that declaration of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic took place in compliance with then soviet laws and norms of
international law.
Atajanyan stressed that Azerbaijan reacted to the NKR people's
declaration of will with aggression. He noted with regret that
Azerbaijan does not refrain from its destructive policy and hopes to
solve the Karabakh conflict through application of force. `Artsakh has
never been a part of independent Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the
European structures do not take into consideration this and other
facts,' he said.
For her part, Caroline Cox emphasized the necessity of an adequate
response to the Azerbaijani information war. She added that the
Armenian Diaspora should be more actively involved in the process of
unbiased presentation of Artsakh and Karabakh conflict worldwide.
`Nevertheless, you possess the strongest weapon - truth. The issue
that Azerbaijan attempted to commit genocide against the Karabakh
people should be raised in international structures. Mass crimes
against Armenians in Maraga, Sumgait, Baku and other places should be
presented to the world. These are crimes against humanity,' noted
Baroness Caroline Cox, the NKR MFA press service reported.
Armenian Tourism Figures Questioned
04.06.2010
Ruben Meloyan
Government claims that hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists visit
Armenia each year are wide of the mark, according to private tour
operators and other individuals familiar with the country's tourism
industry.
They estimate that the real number of such visitors may be ten times
smaller than the one reported by the National Statistical Service
(NSS) and cited by the Armenian government.
The official statistics show that as many 575,000 tourists visited
Armenia from abroad last year. The government said earlier this year
that the figure will surpass 620,000 in 2010.
`Our data for the first quarter of this year gives us reason to
believe that we will have a growth of up to 8 percent this year,' Ara
Petrosian, a deputy minister of economy dealing with tourism, told
RFE/RL's Armenian service this week.
`Even in the conditions of economic crisis, we had growth last year
because we managed to give new impetus to regional tourism,' he
said. `There was a drastic increase in visits from Iran.'
Travel experts dismiss the tourist data as grossly inflated,
however. They say the official figures take account of all individuals
entering the country, including scores of Armenians working abroad and
spending holidays in their homeland.
Ara Vartanian, the chairman of the Armenian Trade and Industry
Chamber, thinks that the number of foreigners staying in Armenian
hotels is a far more objective indicator of the tourist influx into
the country. The NSS data show that there were only 65,000 such
visitors in 2009.
`They make up only about 10 percent [of all visitors,]' Vartanian
stressed, speaking to RFE/RL. `There is another very interesting point
[in the official statistics.] They show that the rest of the visitors
stayed in relatives' homes or rented apartments. I wonder how [the
authorities] counted them.'
Davit Khachiyan, the tourism director at the Levon Travel operator,
likewise contended that the real number of tourists is `much lower
than the figures cited by the government.' In his words, the vast
majority of tourists travel to Armenia in groups and their annual
number `doesn't exceed 50,000.'
Arkady Sahakian, who runs another Yerevan-based travel agency,
suggested another method of gauging external tourism: the number of
visas issued by Armenian consulates and other immigration services. It
stood at 137,000 in 2009. Many of the visa recipients were presumably
business travelers.
`It's probably more beneficial for [government officials,] in terms of
showing that they are doing a good job, to claim that 600,000 tourists
visit Armenia,' Sahakian told RFE/RL, commenting on the serious
discrepancy between the government figures and unofficial estimates.
Travel agents also question the effectiveness of government measures
to spur the development of the local tourism industry, which the
Armenian authorities declared a top economic priority a decade
ago. They say, in particular, that foreigners show little interests in
three Armenian resort towns that received an official status of
`tourism centers' last year. They say mountain scenery and ancient
churches remain Armenia's main tourist attractions.
The tour operators also argue that the cost of air travel to and
accommodation in Armenia is still disproportionately high by
international standards. `Armenia's tourism industry mainly targets
well-heeled foreigners,' acknowledged Petrosian.
`I think it's a cheap country in terms of food and transportation, but
accommodation is quite expensive, especially in comparison to Turkey
and Georgia,' said a young man from Portugal visiting Armenia.
For Annette, a group visitor from Bordeaux, France who has already
spend several days in the country, the cost is worth the
result. `Hotel prices are not that important to us,' she told
RFE/RL. `All we need is comfortable and clean rooms, which is what we
have received here.'
04.06.2010
Ruben Meloyan
Government claims that hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists visit
Armenia each year are wide of the mark, according to private tour
operators and other individuals familiar with the country's tourism
industry.
They estimate that the real number of such visitors may be ten times
smaller than the one reported by the National Statistical Service
(NSS) and cited by the Armenian government.
The official statistics show that as many 575,000 tourists visited
Armenia from abroad last year. The government said earlier this year
that the figure will surpass 620,000 in 2010.
`Our data for the first quarter of this year gives us reason to
believe that we will have a growth of up to 8 percent this year,' Ara
Petrosian, a deputy minister of economy dealing with tourism, told
RFE/RL's Armenian service this week.
`Even in the conditions of economic crisis, we had growth last year
because we managed to give new impetus to regional tourism,' he
said. `There was a drastic increase in visits from Iran.'
Travel experts dismiss the tourist data as grossly inflated,
however. They say the official figures take account of all individuals
entering the country, including scores of Armenians working abroad and
spending holidays in their homeland.
Ara Vartanian, the chairman of the Armenian Trade and Industry
Chamber, thinks that the number of foreigners staying in Armenian
hotels is a far more objective indicator of the tourist influx into
the country. The NSS data show that there were only 65,000 such
visitors in 2009.
`They make up only about 10 percent [of all visitors,]' Vartanian
stressed, speaking to RFE/RL. `There is another very interesting point
[in the official statistics.] They show that the rest of the visitors
stayed in relatives' homes or rented apartments. I wonder how [the
authorities] counted them.'
Davit Khachiyan, the tourism director at the Levon Travel operator,
likewise contended that the real number of tourists is `much lower
than the figures cited by the government.' In his words, the vast
majority of tourists travel to Armenia in groups and their annual
number `doesn't exceed 50,000.'
Arkady Sahakian, who runs another Yerevan-based travel agency,
suggested another method of gauging external tourism: the number of
visas issued by Armenian consulates and other immigration services. It
stood at 137,000 in 2009. Many of the visa recipients were presumably
business travelers.
`It's probably more beneficial for [government officials,] in terms of
showing that they are doing a good job, to claim that 600,000 tourists
visit Armenia,' Sahakian told RFE/RL, commenting on the serious
discrepancy between the government figures and unofficial estimates.
Travel agents also question the effectiveness of government measures
to spur the development of the local tourism industry, which the
Armenian authorities declared a top economic priority a decade
ago. They say, in particular, that foreigners show little interests in
three Armenian resort towns that received an official status of
`tourism centers' last year. They say mountain scenery and ancient
churches remain Armenia's main tourist attractions.
The tour operators also argue that the cost of air travel to and
accommodation in Armenia is still disproportionately high by
international standards. `Armenia's tourism industry mainly targets
well-heeled foreigners,' acknowledged Petrosian.
`I think it's a cheap country in terms of food and transportation, but
accommodation is quite expensive, especially in comparison to Turkey
and Georgia,' said a young man from Portugal visiting Armenia.
For Annette, a group visitor from Bordeaux, France who has already
spend several days in the country, the cost is worth the
result. `Hotel prices are not that important to us,' she told
RFE/RL. `All we need is comfortable and clean rooms, which is what we
have received here.'
Parliament Panel Backs Foreign-Language School Bill
04.06.2010
Karine Kalantarian, Tatevik Lazarian
A standing committee of the Armenian parliament approved on Friday a
watered-down version of a controversial government bill that would
allow the existence of schools where the main language of instruction
is not Armenian.
The move, backed only by committee members representing President
Serzh Sarkisian's Republican Party (HHK), paves the way for its
adoption, in the first reading, by the full National Assembly next
week.
The Armenian government has faced a storm of criticism from opposition
politicians, media and public figures, including those loyal to the
Sarkisian administration, ever since it drafted relevant amendments to
Armenia's laws on education and language in late April.
They believe the proposed changes endangers Armenian's constitutional
status as the country's sole official language. The critics include
virtually all members of the presidential Public Council, a panel of
prominent political and public figures making policy recommendations
to Sarkisian.
The uproar forced the government to make significant changes in the
bill late last month. It now makes clear that foreign-language schools
can only be private and above the elementary level. It also stipulates
that there can be no more than 15 such schools across the country. In
addition, they would be required to teach one-third of their subjects
in Armenian.
These changes failed to satisfy its opponents both inside and outside
the parliament. The parliament committee on science and education
endorsed the bill after a four-hour heated discussion that mainly
featured negative evaluations. The committee's Republican chairman,
Artak Davtian, said it might be watered down further before being
passed in the final reading.
`The draft law will be acceptable to us if foreign-language teaching
is allowed only in high schools,' said Naira Zohrabian of the
Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), a junior partner in the governing
coalition.
Representatives of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) and the Zharangutyun Party rejected the bill in
full. Dashnaktsutyun's parliamentary leader, Vahan Hovannisian, at the
same time berated those critics who compare the government measure to
high treason and question the patriotism of Armenians educated in
Russian-language schools during the Soviet era.
A broad-based coalition of Armenian intellectuals actively campaigning
against the bill also remained dissatisfied. About a dozen of its
members picketed the parliament building during the committee meeting
with banners rejecting foreign-language schools and demanding
Education Minister Armen Ashotian's resignation.
The protesters included Ruben Tarumian, an architect who designed a
popular Armenian-language computer font. `If well allow the opening of
even one foreign-language school, there will be a chain reaction of
second, third and fourth such schools coming into existence,' he told
RFE/RL.
`We are going to fight to the end,' said Armen Hovannisian, another
campaigner. `This variant also must not be adopted.'
Ashotian seemed untroubled by the protest as he made his way into the
parliament compound. `We don't see anything dangerous here and welcome
such civic activism,' he said.
Speaking to RFE/RL after the committee meeting, Ashotian stood by the
government line that foreign-language would help to boost educational
standards that have declined since the Soviet collapse. He said the
amendments would also allow renowned international schools to open
branches in Armenia.
PETITION TO BRING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE TO G20
SUMMIT AGENDA
Panorama.am
04/06/2010
The Armenian Cause Office of Toronto has launched an internet petition
to request Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, host of the G20
Summit, in Toronto, June 25-2, 2010 to bring the Armenian Genocide
issue to the table at the Summit.
The Armenian Cause Office asks in the letter to take advantage of the
upcoming G20 Summit in Toronto to bring the genocide matter into the
summit agenda by raising the following three issues:
1. Re-affirming recognition of the Armenian Genocide and encouraging
nations that have not yet recognized it to do so; 2. Pressing Turkey
to stop the denial and not only recognize but to also provide
restitution for the injustices it committed during the Genocide,
including re-opening the blockaded border; and, 3. Urging the Turkish
government to cease its oppression of minorities by extending support
to Christian Patriarchates and repealing Article 301 of its Penal Code.
You can join the petition here:
http://www.g20humanrights.com/action_for_armenia.
Panorama.am
04/06/2010
The Armenian Cause Office of Toronto has launched an internet petition
to request Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, host of the G20
Summit, in Toronto, June 25-2, 2010 to bring the Armenian Genocide
issue to the table at the Summit.
The Armenian Cause Office asks in the letter to take advantage of the
upcoming G20 Summit in Toronto to bring the genocide matter into the
summit agenda by raising the following three issues:
1. Re-affirming recognition of the Armenian Genocide and encouraging
nations that have not yet recognized it to do so; 2. Pressing Turkey
to stop the denial and not only recognize but to also provide
restitution for the injustices it committed during the Genocide,
including re-opening the blockaded border; and, 3. Urging the Turkish
government to cease its oppression of minorities by extending support
to Christian Patriarchates and repealing Article 301 of its Penal Code.
You can join the petition here:
http://www.g20humanrights.com/action_for_armenia.
LONDON AFTER ROSTOV
Lragir.am
04/06/10
Being back from Rostov-on-Don, Serge Sargsyan signed a decree on Vahe
Gabrielyan's dismissal from the post of Armenia's ambassador to the
United Kingdom. There seems to be no detail on the reasons. But there
can hardly be no reason. The Armenian power does not like to deal with
superfluous details and explanations to the public. And if it is not
done in case of issues of great importance for the country, what the
reason is why they explain anything about the dismissal of an
ambassador.
In essence, in the sense of the development of the country and the
society, the dismissal of the Armenian ambassador to Great Britain
will not have an axis and important significance. Even if Armenia does
not have an ambassador in Great Britain, nevertheless, the life of
Armenian citizens will not change. Since years, Armenia's ambassadors
have not had anything in common with the life of Armenian citizens and
have just been engaged in settling their own lives. Nonetheless, just
from the point of curiosity, the dismissal of Armenia's ambassador to
Great Britain is worth attention.
What Vahe Gabrielyan did or did not do to be dismissed. It is
interesting to note that Vahe Gabrielyan was doing before the
`revolution'. He used to be Robert Kocharyan's press secretary. Robert
Kocharyan appointed him Armenia's ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Vahe Gabrielyan was said to speak excellent English. Now it is of no
importance, sure if it was during his activities as ambassador. Even
if it was, nevertheless, it was either little or nothing for Serge
Sargsyan.
Maybe the reason for his dismissal was the often rain in Armenia which
rendered it England. Maybe Vahe Gabrielyan's mistake was that he
turned out to be unable to prevent the assimilation of Armenia's
climate to the one of England. Or maybe, when months ago, Serge
Sargsyan visited London, he expected Vahe Gabrielyan to organize a
better reception for him at the airport composed of not only the staff
of the Armenian embassy or clerics of the Armenian Church, who were
probably there because the Armenian Catholicos Garegin II was in the
delegation arriving from Armenia.
Serge Sargsyan is not excluded to have thoroughly studied the details
of his reception and to come to the conclusion that the Armenian
ambassador did not take up necessary steps to organize a reception
with a better representative graphic.
On the other hand, possibly, during his stay in London, Serge Sargsyan
noted that the Armenian former prime minister London-based Armen
Sargsyan has big influence and thought that it is not worth having an
ambassador to the UK, because Armen Sargsyan is there the same,
besides, the Armenian and British relations are not on a level to
require a formal status of ambassador. Say, for the level `Yerevan, My
Love', it is enough to have a cultural attaché, Armen Sargsyan will do
the rest.
HAKOB BADALYAN
Lragir.am
04/06/10
Being back from Rostov-on-Don, Serge Sargsyan signed a decree on Vahe
Gabrielyan's dismissal from the post of Armenia's ambassador to the
United Kingdom. There seems to be no detail on the reasons. But there
can hardly be no reason. The Armenian power does not like to deal with
superfluous details and explanations to the public. And if it is not
done in case of issues of great importance for the country, what the
reason is why they explain anything about the dismissal of an
ambassador.
In essence, in the sense of the development of the country and the
society, the dismissal of the Armenian ambassador to Great Britain
will not have an axis and important significance. Even if Armenia does
not have an ambassador in Great Britain, nevertheless, the life of
Armenian citizens will not change. Since years, Armenia's ambassadors
have not had anything in common with the life of Armenian citizens and
have just been engaged in settling their own lives. Nonetheless, just
from the point of curiosity, the dismissal of Armenia's ambassador to
Great Britain is worth attention.
What Vahe Gabrielyan did or did not do to be dismissed. It is
interesting to note that Vahe Gabrielyan was doing before the
`revolution'. He used to be Robert Kocharyan's press secretary. Robert
Kocharyan appointed him Armenia's ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Vahe Gabrielyan was said to speak excellent English. Now it is of no
importance, sure if it was during his activities as ambassador. Even
if it was, nevertheless, it was either little or nothing for Serge
Sargsyan.
Maybe the reason for his dismissal was the often rain in Armenia which
rendered it England. Maybe Vahe Gabrielyan's mistake was that he
turned out to be unable to prevent the assimilation of Armenia's
climate to the one of England. Or maybe, when months ago, Serge
Sargsyan visited London, he expected Vahe Gabrielyan to organize a
better reception for him at the airport composed of not only the staff
of the Armenian embassy or clerics of the Armenian Church, who were
probably there because the Armenian Catholicos Garegin II was in the
delegation arriving from Armenia.
Serge Sargsyan is not excluded to have thoroughly studied the details
of his reception and to come to the conclusion that the Armenian
ambassador did not take up necessary steps to organize a reception
with a better representative graphic.
On the other hand, possibly, during his stay in London, Serge Sargsyan
noted that the Armenian former prime minister London-based Armen
Sargsyan has big influence and thought that it is not worth having an
ambassador to the UK, because Armen Sargsyan is there the same,
besides, the Armenian and British relations are not on a level to
require a formal status of ambassador. Say, for the level `Yerevan, My
Love', it is enough to have a cultural attaché, Armen Sargsyan will do
the rest.
HAKOB BADALYAN
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