a nuclear plant across the Cyprus seas‏

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TURKISH PARLIAMENT APPROVES CONSTRUCTION
OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN MERSIN

July 20 Gibrahayer e-magazine - The Turkish Parliament on Thursday approved a bill on an agreement between Russia and Turkey for the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant in the coastal town of Akkuyu, in Mersin.
According to the agreement, which was signed during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s official visit to Turkey in May, the two countries will cooperate in the construction and operation of the power plant. A consortium led by state-controlled Russian builder AtomStroyExport will construct the plant in Akkuyu, which is estimated to cost around 20 billion dollars.

TURKS CELEBRATE 36 YEARS OF CONQUEST
Gibrahayer e-magazine 20 July - Candidate for the European Union - Turkey - celebrated the invasion of Cyprus of 36 years ago with aerial violations of the Cyprus air space, the arrival of naval vessels in Famagusta and Kyrenia ports, and a military parade of the Turkish occupation forces, in Nicosia.
The representative of the Turkish Government Jemil Chichek said that if Turkey was to choose between the European Union and Cyprus, it would choose the latter.

DINK WAS FIRST ON A LONG LIST OF TARGETS

Gibrahayer e-magazine 18 July - Assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was the first on a long list of targets on the Sledgehammer (Bayloz) plan - a suspected military plot to overthrow the government of Turkey, Star revealed last week.
The plan was to assassinate opponents of the planned coup using professional gendarmes. Among other “targets” were Star columnist Professor Mehmet Altan, Milliyet columnist Hasan Cemal, Professor Toktamis Ates, Agos Editor-in-Chief Etyen Mahcupyan, sociologist Ali Bulac, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan and former Vatican representative George Marovic.

INTERVIEW WITH VARTAN TASHDJIAN
GIBRAHAYER e-magazine

Click here to view the two-part interview: www.gibrahayer.com//index.php5?page_id=110


UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS TO BEGIN ARMENIAN LANGUAGE COURSES

Gibrahayer 20 July, 2010 - With the initiative of the Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian, the University of Cyprus will commence part time Armenian Language Courses as of September 2010.
The details of the Course are as follows:-
• The Course will run for two academic years from September to June
• It will be offered once a week 2hrs/session, 75hrs each year
• The Course will take place at the premises of the University of Cyprus
• The cost will be €2 per hour, €150 per year for each student
• Students completing the course will receive a certificate from the University of Cyprus Language Centre.
For enrolment and more information kindly contact the Office of the Armenian Representative
on Tel. No: 22-454540

MOSQUE IN ANTIOCH BUILT ON SIX ARMENIAN CHURCHES

VAKYFLY, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: A mosque was built on the 350-years-old complex of six Armenian churches in Samandag district of the Antioch. The first Christian church - Saint Peter Cave Church - is situated in Antioch as well.
Turkish Sabah daily reports that the mosque was built by the Turks on the Armenian churches in 1940 - "after the period (1915), when the Armenians left the village". It is now a place, where the Turks come to pray.
The villagers told the reporter of the daily that the reason of building the mosque on the Armenian churches was that they did not have enough money to build a new mosque at that period, so they just transformed the Armenian churches into a mosque. The villagers used the churches, which remained under the mosque, as a shed.
When talking to the villagers the reporters mentioned that they "would be glad if the church reopens as a chapel for the Armenians". The Armenians of Vakyfly city - adjacent to Antioch - think that the Armenian churches must reopen. They expressed readiness to provide financial assistance if necessary.

ARMENIA: MOTHERLAND OF METALLURGY
WINE-MAKING AND HORSE BREEDING

Yerevan, July 6 - Excavations have revealed that Mesopotamia's civilisation originated in Armenia, thus making it the motherland of metallurgy, jeweller's art, wine-making and horse breeding, according to archaeologists.
A group of archaeologists made unique discoveries as a result of excavations at Shengavit (4000-3000 B.C.) and concluded that 4000-3000 B.C. Armenia was a highly developed state with exclusive culture.
The excavations are carried out by an Armenian-American archaeological expedition.
Director of the Scientific and Research Institute of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the RA Ministry of Culture Simonyan said that for example, the glass beads discovered at the territory of Shengavit are of higher quality than the Egypt samples.
"Meanwhile, the amount of revealed horse bones at the territory has exceeded all expectations of the researchers," Panarmenian.net quoted him as saying.
With respect to this, German paleozoologist Hans Peter Wertman stated that he has not observed such a quantity of horses in the entire Ancient East.
A great number of stone tools have been found in workrooms.
"While the discovered evidences of copper production prove that a systematised iron production was established in Armenia," said Simonyan, adding that many surprises are still awaiting us.
For his part, Mitchell S. Rothman, a Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology and founder of the Anthropology Department at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, said that all the discoveries prove that around 6,000 years ago the culture of Shengavit has spread over the ancient world.
"All that was known in Mesopotamia came from Armenia. Armenia is the absent fragment in the entire mosaics of the ancient world's civilisations construction. Shengavit has supplemented the lacking chains, that we had been facing while studying the ancient culture of Mesopotamia," concluded Rothman.
FIRST ARMENIAN BAPTISM IN CHINA
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PRESS RELEASE - ChinaHay - On July 9th, 2010, with the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Armenian Community of China celebrated the first Armenian baptism on Chinese soil in recent history. Very Rev. Father Khoren Hovhannisyan, Pastor of Armenians in India, was specially flown to China to celebrate this historical event. The historical baptism was held in Shenzhen, in Southern China, with about 40 guests, mostly other Armenians living in the Greater China region.
The baptism was that of Enza and Aaron Sert, children of Harutyun and Liza Sert, a young and successful Armenian couple from France, who moved to China in the last decade and who now own several factories employing hundreds of workers making high end jewellery for European clients. As there are currently no Armenian Churches in China, the Sert family had beautifully transformed their house into an Armenian Church for the occasion.
Whilst relatively unknown to the rest of the Armenian Diaspora, the Armenian community of China, commonly known as ChinaHay, has grown in numbers in recent years with about 200 Armenians now living, working or studying in China, mostly in the coastal cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. These Armenians come to China to take advantage of the numerous economic opportunities from all the corners of the globe including France, Australia, Canada, Argentina, U.S., England, Russia, Lebanon, Syria and, of course, Armenia. These individuals are involved in a broad range of professions from jewellers and traders to fashion designers and lawyers. The ChinaHay community regularly gets together in various parts of China and is expected to grow substantially in the coming years due to China’s economic expansion. Anyone interested to learn more about the Armenian community of China is encouraged to visit their website www.chinahay.com or their Facebook ChinaHay group.



GIBRAHAYER e-magazine

Friday 23 July at 8:30 pm at AYMA
Briefing on Armenian National Committee activities
organised by The Armenian National Committee of Cyprus
Speaker: Kasbar Garabedian
member of the Armenian European Federation for Justice and Democracy

A press conference for the Cyprus press will be held a 12:00 on Friday 23 July at AYMA/HMEM

MINISTRY OF DIASPORA ANNOUNCEMENT

The Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia will be holding a Pan-Armenian Forum of Artists (painting, sculpture, design, graphic arts, etc.) in Yerevan from September 6 to 7, 2010.
Professional debates and discussions will be held within the frames of the forum, which will lead to the establishment of the pan-Armenian association of artists.
It is envisaged to organise exhibitions, master’s classes, and meetings with Armenian officials, clergymen, well-known figures, as well as cognitive, cultural and other events.
We strongly believe that the Armenian artists with their participation can make a great contribution to the promotion of cultural ties between Armenia, the Diaspora and Artsakh, the reinforcement of Armenian spiritual identity, national self-awareness, the expansion of cultural ties and opportunities for cooperation between Armenia, the Diaspora and Artsakh and the creation of mechanisms for partnership amid the intricate developments and challenges of the 21st century.
The Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia cordially invites all Armenian Artists to take part in the Pan-Armenian Forum of Artists.
If you would like to participate, please inform the RA Ministry of Diaspora by August 10, 2010.
Address: 26/1 V. Sargsyan, Yerevan - Tel.: (+37410) 58-56-01 (116) - Fax: (+37410) 58-91-57
E-mail: artconference@mindiaspora.am, Website: www.mindiaspora.am

visit www.gibrahayer.com



GIBRAHAYER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Friday 23 July at 8:30 pm - The Armenian National Committee of Cyprus is organising a briefing on its activities at AYMA. Speaker: Kasbar Garabedian, member of the Armenian European Federation for Justice and Democracy from Greece.
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Sunday 25 July - Commemoration of the Khanasor Expedition at Loumata ton Aeton camping area in Troodos by ARF Dashnaktsoutiun Cyprus Gomideh, AYMA-HMEM, Hamazkayin, HOM and AYF. Program starts at 12:00 sharp. Details to follow.
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July 16 to August 1 - Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Relief Society of Greece (Gabouyd Khach) - From July 16 to August 1 - For participants of the age group 10-16 years old. For more details please contact Louise Aynedjian on 99533684.
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Tuesday 10 August to Wednesday 18 August - AYF Youth Camp in Troodos. 33 years after the first time ARF Dashnaktsoutiun's youth organised its first panagoum in Cyprus, AYF Cyprus is organising its annual camp in Troodos. Details to follow: Contact Sevag Gurunlian on 99202923 and Kevork Keoshgerian on 99817806.
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Friday September 17 - Concert by Haroutune Bedelian (violin) and Lorna Griffitt (piano) at The Presidential Palace in Nicosia, organised by The Armenian Relief Society of Cyprus (HOM) on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Relief Society (HOM). More details to follow.
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Saturday 2 October - Main political event in Cyprus for the 120th anniversary of The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsoutiun at PALLAS Theatre in Nicosia. More details of the celebrations to follow.
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May - October 2010: Tatiana Ferahian is among 17 international artists participating in the "Out of Space" environmental art project, which takes place in the Nature Reserve De Rottige Meentein in Holland.
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Saturday 20 November 2010 at 7:00 pm at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre - Composer Ara Gevorgian and his entourage in Cyprus, performing in co-operation with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and participation of our SIPAN Dance Group. This unique event is organised by the Office of the Armenian Representative on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.
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Sunday 21 November 2010 at 6:00 pm at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre - Composer Ara Gevorgian and his entourage in Cyprus, performing in co-operation with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and participation of our SIPAN Dance Group. This unique event is organised by the Office of the Armenian Representative on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.