Armenian News Sent by A Topalian

Today's Zaman, Turkey

June 28 2012

Turkish minister defends anti-Armenian remarks as `national response'

Education Minister Ã-mer Dinçer has thrown his support behind a book

accused of hate speech against both Turkey's Armenians and

non-Armenians who supported a campaign to apologize for the 1915

deportation of Armenians, referring to it as a natural `national

automatic response.'

The District Governor's Office in Ä°stanbul was involved in a scandal

earlier this year when it distributed a book titled `I Am Closing This

File' to schools in the Kartal district. The book included

inflammatory remarks targeting artists, intellectuals and writers who

supported a petition offering an apology to Armenians for the 1915

incident, which Armenia and the Armenia diaspora around the world

claim amounts to genocide.

The book referred to the signatories of the petition as of `bad

blood,' `the devils among us' and similar phrases. Republican People's

Party (CHP) Ä°stanbul deputy Gökmen Ã-Ä?üt recently submitted an inquiry

to Parliament regarding the racist statements in the book, demanding a

response from Minister Dinçer. The inquiry demanded to know whether

the distribution of the book itself did not constitute a hate crime.

Dinçer in his response claimed that the contents of the book amounted

to a `humorous' musing on the Armenian issue arising from an automatic

national response.

However, an earlier statement from the Ministry of Education on the

book admitted that it contained hateful statements targeting certain

groups, and noted that it was likely to have adverse effects on young

readers. The ministry had also launched an investigation into the

claims that the book was being distributed free of charge.

Agence France Presse

June 29, 2012 Friday 3:19 PM GMT

UNESCO urgently lists Bethlehem church as world heritage

 SAINT PETERSBURG, June 29 2012

The UN cultural body UNESCO overrode Israeli objections Friday to

urgently grant world heritage status to a church in the Palestinian

city of Bethlehem venerated as the birthplace of Jesus.

UNESCO's 13-6 secret vote to add the Church of the Nativity and its

pilgrimage route to the prestigious list was received with a round of

rousing applause and a celebratory fist pump by the beaming head of

the Palestinian delegation, and deep disappointment from Israeli ally

Washington.

"These sites are threatened with total destruction through the Israeli

occupation, through the building of the separation wall, because of

all the Israeli sanctions and the measures that have been taken to

stifle the Palestinian identity," the Palestinian delegate said after

the vote.

He called the vote a powerful sign that the international community

had rallied to the Palestinian cause and was ready to accept it as an

independent state with borders that included territories captured by

Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.

"It is testimony to the fact that the world as a whole is intent on

protecting Palestine... and making sure that the Palestinian state is

created within the 1967 border the capital of which would be east

Jerusalem.

The US delegation to UNESCO said it was "profoundly disappointed"

while stressing that "this body should not be politicised."

The Israeli delegate for his part said the Jewish state supported

awarding world heritage status to the ancient church under a

completely different procedure that carried no implications for the

Middle East peace process.

"The decision taken now was totally political and does great damage in

our opinion to the (UN) convention and its image," the delegate said.

The bid -- the first since the Palestinians won controversial

membership of UNESCO in October 2011 -- was submitted "on an emergency

basis" because the Palestinians say urgent restoration work is needed.

Their membership has cost the body tens of millions of dollars in lost

funding from the United States.

Israel said the "emergency basis" status essentially meant that the

United Nations as a world body was backing the Palestinian view that

the church was threatened by the Jewish state's troops.

It had proposed co-sponsoring the church's application at a future

date -- an idea whose prospects seem remote amid continuing stalemate

in the gruelling Middle East peace process.

The three Churches involved -- the Catholic as well as Greek Orthodox

and Armenian -- for their part have only given lukewarm approval to

the idea because of the dangers the move potentially poses to their

own rights to the shrine.

"It is impossible to inherently pass the sovereignty over the church

by fiat from the Churches to a non-existent state," the Israeli

delegate said after the vote.

"It is moreover irresponsible for the committee to cancel in a sleight

of hand the status quo that organised the management of the Church of

the Nativity for 500 years."

The Palestinian bid had faced other hurdles that included a negative

report from the body that evaluates sites for UNESCO and reported

disagreement among Palestinian leaders themselves.

The historic vote was preceded by an extended afternoon debate and

then more than an hour of heated discussion over procedures.

The motion had required a two-thirds majority because it was

overriding a draft recommendation by UNESCO not to support the

Bethlehem candidacy because of the evaluation committee's report.

The Palestinian delegation promised more battles at UNESCO in the years to come.

"Palestine is rich in world heritage and we are therefore going to

have other nominations," the delegate chief said.

Armenian officer detained over attempt to blow up Harsnakar restaurant

July 1, 2012 - 16:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - On the night of July 1, Armenian army colonel

lieutenant Vardan Samvelyan made an attempt to blow up Harsnakar

restaurant where 35-year-old military doctor Vahe Avetyan and two of

his colleagues were severely beaten by the guards of Harsnakar owner,

tycoon and MP Ruben Hayrapetyan (nicknamed Nemets Rubo) on June 17.

Avetyan died in hospital after being in coma for 12 days.

On June 30, dozens of people gathered at the restaurant demanding

justice and punishment for those guilty.

Police officers, who arrived at the scene, discovered two grenades,

cartridges and explosives, presumably belonging to Samvelyan. After

three hours of negotiations Samvelyan allegedly gave up the idea of

blowing up Harsnakar and was transferred to a police station.

At the moment, over 200 people gathered at the Armenian President's

residence in Yerevan calling for fair investigation into the case.

Istanbul Armenian is buried in accordance with Islamic rites

news.am

June 30, 2012 | 14:45

ISTANBUL. - Another news item published in Istanbul's Agos Armenian

bilingual weekly is widely covered by the Turkish press.

According to the news article, in order to organize the funeral

service of Istanbul Armenian Harutyun Kambarizoglu who died at the age

of 87, the Surp Garabet Armenian Church of Istanbul had asked for

8,000 Turkish liras (approx. US$ 4,420) from his daughter Anna

Tasciyan, but since she could not pay that amount, she buried her

father in accordance with Islamic rites and in a Turkish cemetery.

In an interview with Haberturk, Anna Tasciyan noted that she very much

wished to bury her father with Christian customs, but their financial

capabilities were insufficient for this, Beyazgazete website reports.

It is noted that Tasciyan had asked the Church to allow her to pay the

8,000 liras in installments, but she was denied this request.

`[So,] I had to accept that my father be buried in accordance with

Islamic rites and in a Turkish cemetery,' said Anna Tasciyan.

Armenian Church representative Osin Mumcuyan, on the other hand, noted

that they had informed the relative of the deceased about the price

list of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and there was

nothing else to do.

But the Patriarchate's Spiritual Council Chairman, Reverend Father

Tatul Anushyan claimed they were uninformed of all this and had they

known, they would not have allowed it.

Over past 5 years Armenia increased green energy output for four times

arminfo

Friday, June 29, 16:17

 Over the past 5 years Armenia increased the electric power output of

small hydropower plants (HPPs) for four times, which is the main

achievement in the green energy production, Deputy Minister of Energy

and Natural Resources of Armenia, Areg Galstyan, told ArmInfo.

He said that four years ago the small HPPs of Armenia generated 120

mln KW/h of electric power, in 2011 -  a bit more than 400 mln KW/h,

and in 2012 this index will approach 500 mln KW/h, which will be 8% of

the total energy output in the country. "This is a brilliant result

and it is the most essential achievement of Armenia in the green

energy production sphere for the past few years", said Galstyan.

He pointed out that renewable energy is pollution-free energy, as the

small HPPs cause the least damage to the environment. Galstyan thinks

the economically demanded and grounded potential for the small HPPs is

about 300 mln KW/h for the next few years.

According to Galstyan, Armenia is trying to develop the renewable

power generation, and observes all the environmental requirements at

the same time. "We word out all our programs with due regard for

environmental standards", he said. He also pointed out that the

Ministry sees that the HPPs are not built in national parks and

sanctuaries.

He said that according to the strategy of the Water Code, it is first

of all necessary to supply the communities with drinking and

irrigation water, and only after that to use the water for electric

power generation. He added that the prime cost of electric power of

the small HPPs is comparatively low, though it is higher than the

prime cost of the electric power generated by the Nuclear Power Plant.

To note, since last year the maximum admissible capacity for the small

HPPs in Armenia has been increased to 30 MW against the former 10 MW.

There are over 100 small HPPs in Armenia.

Azerbaijan has intentions to declare a law on considering NK visitors

`' persona non grata''

 12:06, 30 June, 2012

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS: Parliament of Azerbaijan frequently

comes forth with absurd and ridiculous statement, `'decisions''

pertaining to Nagorno Karabakh Republic. This time they intend to

introduce to the international arena one droller draft.

 Azeri MP Ganira Pasahayeva  in Azerbaijani  Parliament June 29

session proposed to declare a law on considering NKR visitors `'

persona non grata'', Armenpress reports citing SalamNews web site.

`' In recent years, different countries' parliamentarians,

politicians, business   sphere representatives visit Nagorno-Karabakh

illegally, take part in elections and other activities. The same

parliamentarians, politicians, businessmen intentionally or

unwillingly violate international law, coming forth with groundless

statements and phrases in the areas not under the control of

Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan definitely announces its stance and qualifies

those people with '' persona non grata'' expression'' the MP stated.

According to Azerbaijani media, Ganira Pashayeva is considered the

"most intelligent and respectable" woman MP, who represents the

country in various international organizations and events. If the most

intellectual Azeri MP comes forth with similar suggestions `' punish

those who visit the land out of the control of Azerbaijan'', it

becomes clear what kind of intellectuality have the rest ones.

It is obvious that any person regardless being Armenian or foreigner,

MP or official, frankly speaking do not care what neighboring

Azerbaijan ponders of it.