Loussapatz - The Dawn - HAMO SAHYAN (1914-1993) (Armenian Renaissance) - 33-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԻ, ԹԻՒ 1019 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 8 ՓԵՏՐՈՒԱՐ 2014

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COVER PAGE

Hamo Sahyan, Armenian poet, was born in 1914 in Lor village of Syuniq province. In 1927 he moved to Ba- ku where he received his secondary education. In 1935 he entered Baku pedagogical Institute and graduated from it in 1939. In 1939-1941 he worked at “Soviet Writer” magazine in Baku as literary employee. During the World War II in 1941-1945 he served in military navy. In 1945-1951 he worked at “Communist” newspaper of Baku as a liter- ary employee. In 1951-1954 he worked at “Avangard” newspaper in Yerevan as head of department and in 1954-55 he worked as head of department in “Vozni” magazine. In 1965-1967 he was editor in chief of “Literary newspa- per”.

During his career Sahyan wrote the following collections of compositions – “On the banks of Vorotan” (1946), “On the peak” (1955), “Nairyan green poplar” (1958), “Sezam open” (1972 Soviet Armenia state award), “Irikna- hac” (1977), “Green-red autumn” (1980), “Mint flower” (1986). He also wrote patriotic verses and did translations.

After the war starting from 1951 till the end of his life Sahyan lived and worked in Yerevan.

In lyrical poetry Sahyan was a perfect landscape painter. In homeland nature he noticed colors and patterns which were not seen by anybody before; he heard mystic whispers and melodies. The nature for him was not only a start of self identification and world understanding, but also a mean of learning human soul. The poet becomes a connecting link between nature and people and feels himself as a part of the nature.

Hamo Sahyan died in 1993 in Yerevan.

BERLIN — A member of the German parliament, known as the Bundestag, urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end the denial of the Armenian Genocide and apologize for the crime, reported the Bild newspaper.

Erika Stenbach, a member of German Chancellor Angela Mer- kel’s Christian Democratic Union Party made the statement ahead of Erdogan’s scheduled visit to Turkey on Monday.

“I urge Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to stop denying the genocide of Armenians and Assyrians by the Young Turk govern- ment of the Ottoman Empire 99 years ago,” Steinbach said, adding that it is high time for Turkey to apologize to the descendants of the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century.

“It is Erdogan’s duty to face the truth nearly 100 years after that terrible crime and ensure that the Turkish textbooks do not dis- tort this part of Turkish history,” said Steinbach.

Source: Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia

ERDOGAN URGED TO END GENOCIDE DENIAL

AHEAD OF BERLIN TRIP

Erika Stenbach, a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union Party

Erdogan traveled to Berlin Monday with the aim of boosting relations between Germany and Turkey and obtain Berlin’s support to reinvigorate Turkey’s EU membership pro- cess, reported Hurriyet Daily News.

Erdogan will meet with the German leadership, including Merkel, Vice Chancellor and Social Democratic Par- ty (SPD) leader Sigmar Gabriel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier tomorrow.

The Turkish prime minister is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and gather with the local Turkish community at a meeting to be hosted by the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD).

Merkel has long said Turkey should only be granted “privileged partnership” instead of full EU membership, but she expressed support for reviving Turkey’s stalled membership talks during her last visit to the country.

“We want the process to advance despite the fact that I am still skeptical about Turkey’s full membership in the EU,” Merkel said during her visit to Turkey in March 2013.

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FRANCE WORKING ON LEGAL INSTRUMENT CONDEMNING GENOCIDE DENIAL

PanARMENIAN.Net - French Minister of Justice confirmed that the coun- try’s government is working on a legal instrument condemning the denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Ms Christiane Taubira made the statement at the January 29 annual dinner of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), marking the anniversary of France’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2001, a Paris-based journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net

CCAF also presented a series of events to be implemented in the frame- work of "Mission 2015" action, with ringing of church bells throughout France on April 24, 2015, among them.

On January 23, 2012 the French Senate passed the bill making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide. The bill envisaged a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire. However, the French Constitutional Council ruled the bill as anti-constitutional. In a statement the Council said the document represented an “unconstitutional breach of the practice of freedom of expression and communication

Later, President Hollande pledged to redraft the law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial in France, stressing the need to ensure the legal framework to avoid censorship by the Constitutional Council.

TURKISH NATIONALISTS TRY HAMPERING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CONFERENCE

NEWS.am -- A group of young Turkish nationalists attempted to foil a conference organized by the Irkçılığa ve Milliyetçiliğe DurDe (Say no to Racism and Nationalism) initiative in Turkey.

During the conference entitled “Why states do not apologize,” which was held in Istanbul and ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a group of youth from the Workers’ Party of Turkey—which is led by Armenian Genocide-denying Turkish poli- tician Dogu Perincek—entered the conference hall and began chant- ing, “Genocide is a lie and a US project!” Marksist.org of Turkey reports.

In response, the conference participants began chanting, “Go out!” and “We are all Hrant [Dink], we are all Armenians!”

After leaving the conference hall, however, the nationalists went on to chant in front of the building. But the conference continued despite the incident.

ARMENIAN AND ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT TO BE PLACED IN SWEDEN

NEWS.am -- The A monument, devoted to the Armenians and the Assyrians who fell victims to genocide in Ottoman Turkey, will be placed in Botkyrka, which is the largest municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, not far from the capital Stockholm.

The Botkyrka City Hall held a voting at the request of the Assyrian associations of Stockholm, reports Cihan news agency of Turkey.

As a result, the City Council members sanctioned, with a vote of 54 for and 5 against, the placing of an Arme- nian and Assyrian Genocide monument.

Before the voting, however, a group of Azerbaijanis and Turks staged a protest across the City Hall building. The Armenian and Assyrian Genocide was formally recognized by Sweden in 2011.

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WHAT IS TURKEY’S 2015 STRATEGY? – TODAY’S ZAMAN

Armenian News-NEWS.am presents below an abridged version of Turkish analyst Orhan Kemal Cengiz’s arti- cle published in Today’s Zaman daily of Turkey.

“Upon putting some pieces together, we can get a picture of the likely strategy that will be used and steps that will be taken by Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government for 2015, which marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

“Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu visited Switzerland in Oc- tober and during his visit he spoke to Swiss authorities about Tur- key's sensitivities regarding a statue Armenians want to erect in Ge- neva. We can understand from this ‘sensitivity’ that the Foreign Min- istry's official position on 1915 has not changed even an inch.

“We should also take note of what Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, spokesperson for the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said about 2015: ‘It is the 100th year of both the Darda- nelles and the claims of an Armenian genocide. We are working seri- ously. There is work being done via symposiums, conferences, panels, publications and documentaries. But we are also engaged in very special public diplomacy activities that could affect the entire world.’

“His statement also shows that the government is quite determined to repeat well-known clichés of official state policies on this matter.

“You know our political parties cannot come together to reach an agreement on anything, but it appears that, except for the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), they all were in agreement on the necessity to do something for 2015.

“The Turkish History Institution (Türk Tarih Kurumu) is also making preparations for 2015. The president of the institution said they are working on a complete text of Turkey-Armenian relations in preparation for 2015.

“In addition to all of this, you can clearly see in Erdoğan's discourse that not only was the possibility of recon- ciliation altogether excluded, but non-Muslims were excluded from his discourse as well. He frequently describes Turkey as a mosaic made of diverse ethnic identities. You can often hear him mentioning Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Circassians and the Laz. But when describing this mosaic, Erdoğan never mentions Turkey's non-Muslims, includ- ing the Armenians, Greeks, Jews and Syriacs.

“When we put together all these pieces of preparation and discourse from the government and Erdoğan, we can predict that Turkey's defensive approach of denying the Armenian genocide is not going to change in 2015.

“Unless the government takes unlikely, unprecedented and bolder steps on the Armenian question in an at- tempt to repair its harmed image in the international arena, it would not be wise to expect dramatic changes in the official stance of Turkey with regard to 1915.”

SARKIS HATSPANIAN: ÖCALAN’S LETTER ADDRESSED TO TURKISH AUTHORITIES RATHER THAN THE ARMENIAN NATION

YEREVAN -- The jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) penned a letter to the Istanbul-based Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos. Speaking to reporters today, publicist, analyst and expert of Turkish studies Sarkis Hatspanian said “it was addressed to the Turkish authorities rather than the Armenian nation.”

According to Hatspanian, Abdullah Öcalan does not want to spoil the relations with the special services of Turkey. “He does not want to startle Erdogan’s government by raising sharp pro-Armenian questions. In this way he sends a message to Turkish authorities, reminding that 2015 is coming close.”

Assessing Öcalan’s letter, Hatspanian said only one sentence of it is a novelty. “For the first time, the PKK leader labeled the events of 1915 as genocide.”

The letter blurs the situation, making no reference to the Kurdish role in the Armenian Genocide, the exile of Armenians and the occupation of Western Armenia, he said.

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Hatspanian said the Kurdistan Workers’ Party has been recently speaking in favor of reconciliation with the Turkish authorities and has mostly adhered to an anti-Armenian position.

“Öcalan considers the fight of Kurds is the fight of other indigenous peoples. However, the movement he heads has never spoken about the condition of any of those peoples. Therefore, his words remain hanging in the air,” Sarkis Hatspanian concluded.

Öcalan's letter

“The Kurdish people’s fight for freedom and the cure for the Armenian people’s sorrows have overlapped in the fight to [be able to] live in this land as citizens who share the same rights,” Abdullah Öcalan said in the letter, published Jan. 30, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

He also said the killing of former Agos editor Hrant Dink was perpetrated with the same logic. “The true friend of the people Hrant Dink was mas- sacred by the representatives of this dirty mentality, to serve the purpose that I have attempted to describe above,” Öcalan wrote, urging the Arme- nian community to stand against such networks.

In the letter, the jailed PKK leader also urged the Turkish state to reckon with its past “regarding the Armenian genocide.”

“In our time, it is necessary that the whole world recognizes the Ar- menian people’s tragedy, paving the way for the mourning of their sor- rows. It is inevitable that the Turkish Republic will approach the matter with such maturity and reckon with this bitter history,” Öcalan said.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN CHURCH IN TURKEY ASKS GOVT. TO PAY STAFF WAGES

PanARMENIAN.Net - A priest from a local Armenian church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district has asked the Turk- ish government’s Department of Religious Affairs to cover the wages of the church’s staff.

Admitting that he is no longer able to pay the salaries, Boyacikoy Church head Nazaret Ozsahakyan requested the state’s religious affair department (Diyanet) to take over the responsibility. The Diyanet, however replied that they were already paying the electricity bill of the church and had no authority to pay the priests’ wages.

Upon receiving this reply, Nazaret Ozsahakyan complained to Turkey’s first ombudsman Mehmet Nihat Omeroglu, appealing for the wages of all church and synagogue staff to be paid for by the state.

The parliament’s former Human Rights Council leader Mehmet Elkatmis later met with Armenian, Greek Or- thodox and Syriac church representatives to discuss the issue.

Elkatmis said that Turkey does not pay of the wages of the employees of an individual church, and that should the government decide to accept the responsibility, it would cover the wages of all employees of all churches.

Should such a decision be made, it will be likely to include Turkey’s Jewish and Alevi communities as well.

Ozsahakyan reportedly said that having lived on Turkey’s soil for thousands of years, this was the first time his congregation was seeking this assistance, adding that just like everyone else in the country they have been pay- ing their taxes and should therefore be entitled to the same rights.

“Imams and priests should be treated equally,” he said, adding that he was willing to take the case as far as the constitutional court.

The spiritual leader of the Syriac Orthodox church Yusuf Cetin said that his congregation had 40 employees who had all done their military service, were paying their taxes and wanted to be given the same rights and wages as imams.

“We love this country and we have no other land,” the Syriac patriarch added.

Armenian Church patriarch Aram Atesyan said that after meeting with Mehmet Elkamis, the repre- sentatives had been asked to prepare a report including all the technical details of their demands.

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ARMENIAN CHURCH IN VAN TO BE RENOVATED

NEWS.am -- Turkish authorities plan to renovate the 1,700-year-old St. BartholomewMonastery, an Armenian monastery located in Van.

The church will be open to tourists by the end of this year, said Culture and Tourism Director of the Van province.

“Aside from the restoration of St. Bartholo- mew's, we also have many other projects that include environmental planning and restoration projects for several Urartu-era castles,” Muzaffer Aktug told Anadolu agency.

The church had been closed for years as it is lo- cated within the compound of an army base, the agen- cy reported.

The church was reopened for religious ser- vices in 2013.

TENSIONS GROW BETWEEN TURKEY, RADICAL ISLAMIST GROUP FIGHTING IN SYRIA

ISTANBUL/voanews.com — Ten- sions between Ankara and the radical group the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, have continued to esca- late. The Turkish army recently attacked an ISIS convoy and ISIS has targeted ethnic Turkmen leaders in Syria. Ankara is increasingly concerned that ISIS could now strike Turkish targets.

Turkish media reported that ISIS claimed responsibility for the killing four Turkmen leaders in Syria this week. The Turkmen, who are ethnic Turks, are sup- ported by Ankara and engaged in heavy

fighting with ISIS. The attack is the latest escalation in tensions between Ankara and the radical Islamic group. Last week, the Turkish army attacked an ISIS convoy close to its border after it said its forces came under attack.

Analyst Sinan Ulgen of Carnegie Europe in Brussels says the attack is an indication that Ankara is taking a more cautious policy towards the radical Islamic groups operating in Syria.

"This strike demonstrates that there is now willingness on the side of the government in Ankara to consider this threat much more carefully. There was a clear threat from ISIS, and ISIS is now more viewed under those terms," he said. "Al-Nusra, on the other hand, is also one of the extremist groups, but we have not seen the type of direct threat from al-Nusra to Turkish interests and the Turkish state."

Observers say Ankara has become alarmed at ISIS's growing strength along the Syrian border and its attacks other opposition groups. During a visit to Tehran last month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan con- demned terrorist acts in Syria, and his comments were widely interpreted as being aimed at ISIS.

Fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria.

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During a press conference last month, Bulent Yildirim, the head of the Turkish aid charity Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or IHH, which has close ties to Turkey’s ruling AK Party, strongly criticized ISIS for interfering in its relief efforts in Syria.

He said, "We can’t deliver aid to areas controlled by ISIS, he said. They have kidnapped two of our workers and executed one of them. If they saw a picture of this press conference with Western journalists, they would con- demn us as heretics."

According to analyst Ulgen, Ankara’s hardening stance towards ISIS comes from its realization that the group poses now a direct threat to Turkey.

"Once they perceived that Turkey has shifted its position and is not willing to support ISIS, that is the reason why they are bound to be more reactionary to Turkey and threaten Turkey. ISIS is one of those groups that alleged- ly has threatened the Turkish government with suicide attacks within Turkey," he said.

Citing Turkish security forces, local media have reported that as many as 50 ISIS suicide bombers could be in Turkey. The Syrian opposition based in Turkey is suspected of being potential targets.

Kadri Gursel, a diplomatic columnist for the Turkish newspaper Milliyet and Al Monitor website, says the specter of suicide attacks in Turkey puts the spotlight on the consequences of the AK Party’s Syria policy.

According to opinion polls, Prime Minister Erdogan’s policy of strongly backing the Syrian opposition is deeply unpopular even among his own supporters. With the country entering an 18-month election cycle, starting with key local elections next month, observers warn the prime minister could pay a high price for his Syria policy.

ARMENIN FUND PROVIDES ONGOING SUPPORT TO SYRIAN-ARMENIANS

YEREVAN -- The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund continues to assist the Syrian-Armenian community, with financial contributions made by various fund affiliates since the beginning of 2014 as well as proceeds from the fund’s 2013 Telethon.

A total of 100,000 euros raised by the French affiliate will benefit vari- ous Syrian-Armenian-relief projects through the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. Contributions by the fund’s German affiliate, totaling 35,000 euros, have already been transferred to the Syrian-Armenian Emer- gency and Rehabilitation Committee.

In addition, of the funds raised through the 2013 Telethon, 15 million Armenian drams will be allocated for continuing to address the social, healthcare, and education needs of Syrian-Armenian families currently resid- ing in Armenia. The assistance will include the defrayal of student tuitions as well as the costs of surgeries and funerals. Program beneficiaries are selected by the Ministry of Diaspora.

The fund has used the contributions to implement a range of healthcare, educational, and social-assistance pro- jects. As of June 2013, the fund has provided the following amounts in assistance to the Syrian-Armenian commu- nity:

One hundred thousand euros raised by the French affiliate, 12,000 euros from the German affiliate, and US 100,000 dollars from the Lebanese affiliate have been used essentially to pay the salaries of teachers at Aleppo’s Armenian schools.

Contributions from the Brazilian, Argentinean, and Swedish affiliates have been used to cover the tuitions of 110 Syrian-Armenian students attending various colleges and universities in Armenia; to pay for the heart surgeries of six Syrian-Armenian individuals; and to cover the cost of funerals for three others. The amount of 10,000 dollars raised by the US Western Region affiliate has been donated to Yerevan’s KilikianSchool, which has opened its doors to children from Syrian-Armenian refugee families.

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PLIGHT OF CHRISTIANS, ARMENIANS IN SYRIA FOCUS OF

HERITAGE FOUNDATION PANEL DISCUSSION By Taniel Koushakjian

This week, the Heritage Foundation in Washing- ton, D.C. held a panel discussion entitled "Marked for Destruction: the Plight of Syria's Christians with Syri- an Christian Leaders." The panel featured Reverend Adib Awad, General Secretary of the National Evan- gelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, H.E. Bishop Eli- as Toumeh, The Orthodox Bishop of Pyrgou-Syria, Reverend Dr. Riad Jarjour, Presbyterian clergyman from Homs, Syria and the former General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (1994-2003), H.E. Bishop Dionysius Jean Kawak, Metropolitan of the Syrian Orthodox Church, and His Grace Bishop Armash Nalbandian, Primate of the Armenian Church of Damascus. The discussion was co-hosted by the Westminister Institute and Barnabas Aid Fund, who was represented by International Director Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo. Bishop Julian Dobbs of the Anglican Church of North America made introductory remarks, while Becky Norton Dunlop, Heritage Vice President of External Relations, opened and closed the program.

To explain the current situation in Syria, the panelists provided a historical context of centuries-long persecu- tion and massacres of Christians in the greater Middle East. Speaking first was Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, who talked at length about the "indigenous Christians" of Syria. He expressed the uncomfortable feeling registered among Chris- tians, especially since Ottoman times, directly citing "what happened to the Armenians." Jarjour went on to state that Christians in Syria today do not feel safe "in the land they were born." He then reflected on current events, highlighting the kidnapping of priests and nuns, the confiscation of churches, and the brutal beheading of Armeni- ans all by Al-Qaeda/Al-Nusra Front and other extremist groups. "At least 80 people have been used as human shields in Homs," said Jarjour, "they are not allowed to leave the city." In a plea to all Syrians, Jarjour warned of the consequences of a "Syria without Christians," sharing his view that not only will the Christian community of Syria loose, but that Syria's Muslims will also loose a very significant segment of their society.

Bishop Dionysius Jean reflected on specific episodes of Christian persecution in the Ottoman Empire. He men- tioned the massacres of Christian Armenians "since 1860 and 1895," the latter a direct reference to the Hamidian Massacres that served as a precursor to the Armenian Genocide.

Unafraid to share some of the most alarming reports of recent Islamic extremism was Rev. Abid Awad. He called attention to "terrorists" in Syria "from 83 countries" that he said were "armed, supported and funded by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey." Rev. Awad talked about the recent beheading of Armenians who reportedly were killed when they refused to convert to Islam. According to Awad, their heads were sent to adjacent Christian villages, in order to instill fear among Christian populations in Syria. "The priests buried the bodies without their heads," he exclaimed.

In an expression of solidarity, with all the various religious groups in Syria, Bishop Nalbandian warned against heeding the calls of Islamaphobes. Nalbandian explained the uniqueness of the Armenian situation. "After the Ar- menian Genocide, Syrian Muslims accepted us, welcomed us," Nalbandian said. Nalbandian differentiated between secular Syrian Muslims who want peace and the foreign extremists who are kidnapping and killing Christians.

Addressing the panel from the audience, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) stated, "Three close allies of the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, are supporting terrorist groups in Syria." "What can America do to hold countries like Turkey accountable for support- ing extremists in Syria," he asked. The dignitaries tried to avoid delving into politics.

There are a number of steps that the U.S. can take, such as a drastic reduction and/or full cessation in the trans- fer or sale of U.S. military aid and equipment to such countries. It's not about dismissing the U.S.-Turkey relation- ship; it's about putting the relationship on an honest footing - be it Turkey's inexplicable campaign to deny the Ar- menian Genocide or its blatant support of Islamic extremists whose efforts run counter to U.S. values. Friends don't let friends support terrorists. It's time U.S. taxpayers stopped footing the bill, too.

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SARKISIAN CALLS ON TURKEY TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITHOUT PRE-CONDITIONS

PRAGUE -- President Serzh Sarkisian has urged Turkey to uncondi- tionally honor landmark 2009 agreements to normalize its relations with Armenia and accused NATO of doing little to end what he sees as a Turkish threat to his country’s security.

In an interview with the Czech newspaper “Lidove noviny” circulated by his office on Tuesday, Sarkisian complained about Ankara’s precondi- tions for implementing the two protocols that were signed in Zurich, Swit- zerland during an unprecedented rapprochement between the two neighbor- ing nations.

“We are ready to revive the process of normalizing relations if the Turkish side demonstrates the political will and steps off the ineffective path of preconditions,” he said. “The implementation of the signed protocols would also help to bolster stability in the entire region.”

The protocols envisaged the establishment of diplomatic relations be- tween Armenia and Turkey and opening of their border.

Shortly after the signing of the accords, the Turkish government made their parliamentary ratification condi- tional on a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable to Azerbaijan, its main regional ally. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu indicated no change in this policy during a December 2013 visit to Yerevan.

Sarkisian reiterated his administration’s rejection of Ankara’s Karabakh linkage. He emphasized that the Unit- ed States and other Western powers agree with Yerevan’s insistence on an unconditional Turkish-Armenian nor- malization.

Speaking to “Lidove noviny” during an official visit to the Czech Republic late last week, the Armenian leader at the same time hit out at NATO for not pressuring the Turks to end their continuing blockade of Armenia imposed in 1993 out of solidarity with Azerbaijan.

“Even though Armenia is quite productively developing its partnership with NATO -- implementing an indi- vidual partnership plan, participating in the [NATO-led] operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan -- we have never seen other NATO member states show Turkey, within the format of that alliance, that its actions cause substantial damage to a partner country,” Sarkisian said. “Paradoxically, we contribute to NATO’s security system while the policy pursued by a NATO member state [Turkey] directly damages our own security system.”

ARMENIA SECURITY CHIEF SAYS TURKEY MAY OPEN BORDER IF LEADERSHIP CHANGES

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- The Turkey may open the border with Armenia only after there is a change of power in the country, Armenian National Security Council Secretary said.

Arthur Baghdasaryan believes movement on opening of the border should not be expected either now or in 2015, since the approach of in- cumbent Turkish authorities is well known.

“Turkey, of course, can make an impression that Ankara wants to come to a mutually acceptable solution with Armenia. But in reality I do not see any possibilities to move on the issue this year, even more so in 2015. Some changes can be brought only with the election cycle and changes in Turkey’s leadership. If more tolerant and less nationalist forces come to power, the process may move forward,” Baghdasaryan explained.

There are newly established parties in Turkey that have expressed the need to improve relations with Armenia and open the border. But their behavior can have different grounds, Baghdasaryan emphasized.

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RUSSIAN MILITARY PRESENCE IN ARMENIA ATTRIBUTED TO TURKISH THREAT

YEREVAN -- Armenia hosts Russian troops on its territory primarily because of a security threat from Tur- key, rather than Azerbaijan, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian insisted on Wednesday.

“We have no problem from the Azerbaijani direction,” he said. “With the existing forces at our disposal, we not only can defend ourselves against Azerbaijan but also take, if need be, preemptive, counteroffensive or other measures.”

Speaking at a meeting with members of a pro-government youth organization, Ohanian stressed in that context the importance of a 2010 agreement that extended Russian military presence in Armenia until 2044. The agreement also upgraded the security mission of the Russian military base headquartered in Gyumri, an Armenian city close to the Turkish border.

Moscow has since beefed up the base numbering between 4,000 and 5,000 soldiers with heavy weaponry. It is due to deploy about two dozen combat helicopters in Armenia this year.

Azerbaijan’s military ties with Turkey also appear to have deepened in the last few years. Ankara is thought to have provided Baku with weapons and technical assistance since the late 1990s.

Ohanian suggested that the Turkish military would at least “indirectly” intervene in case of a renewed Armeni- an-Azerbaijani war for Nagorno-Karabakh. But he expressed confidence that the Russian-Armenian military alli- ance would neutralize such intervention.

“The presence of the Russian base as well as acquisition of modern weaponry, notably long-range precision- guided systems, allows us to put in place a mechanism of strategic deterrence and impose peace on the enemy,” said the minister.

The 2010 treaty commits Russia to supplying such weapons to Armenia. Ohanian hinted late last month that the Armenian army will obtain soon Russian Iskander missiles capable of striking targets more than 400 kilometers away.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT DISCLOSES ‘ROADMAP’ TO CUSTOMS UNION

YEREVAN -- The Armenian government has finally made public a “roadmap” to Armenia’s accession to the Russian-led Customs Union which it plans to complete in the next few months.

The 249-page document was posted on the government’s website over the weekend more than a month after being agreed with the union’s three member states -- Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan -- at a summit in Moscow. It lists 262 administrative and legislative actions concerning 20 areas of government policy.

At least 150 of those measures are due to be unilaterally taken by the Armenian side. Most of them are amendments that will bring Armenian laws and regulations into conformity with Customs Union legislation.

The government already approved late last month a timetable of concrete actions designed to implement the “roadmap.”

Artak Zakarian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on foreign affairs, suggested on Monday that the first government bills related to membership of the union will be submitted to the National Assembly by the end of March. The Armenian legislative framework should be ready for that membership by June, Zakarian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).

Russian officials say that they are pleasantly surprised by the speed with which Yerevan is carrying out the ac- cession process. “We are struggling to keep up with our Armenian partners,” President Vladimir Putin said in De- cember.

According to Zakarian, the Armenian authorities are taking “accelerated actions” because they want to join the Russian-led trade bloc in time for its transformation into a Eurasian Economic Union expected in January 2015.

Opposition politicians say the authorities are hastily pressing ahead with Customs Union membership without proper consideration of Armenia’s interests. “We are simply going to copy and paste Customs Union legislation,” said Hrant Bagratian, a parliament deputy and former prime minister.

Bagratian singled out significant increases in the prices of many imported products that are expected to follow Armenia’s entry into the union. He said trade concessions sought by Yerevan in the ongoing accession talks are not serious enough.

Zakarian claimed in that regard that the price hikes will be offset by the decreased cost of other goods and Ar- menian exporters’ easier access to the Russian market.

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EVERYONE IN ARMENIA WANTS CHANGE IN POWER – HERITAGE PARTY

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- This rate of emigration from Armenia be- speaks the fact that we have little time to pull the country out of this situa- tion.

Opposition Heritage Party Vice-Chairman Armen Martirosyan noted the aforementioned at a press conference on Tuesday.

“This is all due to our authorities,” Martirosyan noted, and expressed a conviction that everyone in Armenia wants a change in power in the coun- try.

In his words, Armenian soldier Armen Hovhannisyan, who was killed as a result of a repelled diversionary attack by the Azerbaijani military last month, proved that the Armenian nation can defend itself.

“Armen showed us all that we are strong. I am sure that all of us can create such a situation that the authorities will hold new elections and everything will change,” Heritage’s official said.

As per Armen Martirosyan, if the aforesaid is brought to fruition, all of Armenia’s civil initiatives will come together and celebrate their victory.

ARMENIAN NSS EXPOSE ATTEMPT OF ESPIONAGE FOR AZERBAIJAN

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) exposed an at- tempt of espionage for Azerbaijan.

Former police employee, resident of Yerevan Khachik Martirosyan was detained on January 31 as a result of special operation, NSS press service said.

Armenian NSS has irrefutable evidence that Martirosyan contacted the embassy of Azerbaijan in Georgia last August. He established contacts with the intelligence personnel working under the auspices of the Azerbaijani embassy and offered them his services to get financial assistance.

Special services of Azerbaijan offered Martirosyan to provide information about the military. Martirosyan received information in order to pass it to the Azerbaijanis, but his attempt was thwarted by Armenian NSS.

nia.

jan.

An investigation has been launched.

AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTRY DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN ESPIONAGE

NEWS.am -- Azerbaijan’s ministry of national security dismissed involvement in espionage attempt in Arme-

The ministry said they do not know the Armenian citizen mentioned in the Armenian NSS report. As reported earlier, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) exposed an attempt of espionage for Azerbai-

Former police employee, resident of Yerevan Khachik Martirosyan was detained on January 31 as a result of special operation. Armenian NSS has irrefutable evidence that Martirosyan contacted the embassy of Azerbaijan in Georgia last August. He established contacts with the intelligence personnel working under the auspices of the Azerbaijani embassy and offered them his services to get financial assistance.

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AZERBAIJANI FAMILY SEEKS POLITICAL ASYLUM IN ARMENIA

YEREVA -- A five-member Azerbaijani family has asked authorities in Armenia to grant them political asy- lum, claiming persecution by security services at home, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) said on Friday.

In a statement the NSS unveiled some details of the case, in particular, suggesting that 37-year-old citizen of Azerbaijan Javid Orujev, his wife and three children applied to the Armenian side at the Bagratashen checkpoint at the Armenian-Georgian border on January 29.

According to the NSS, Orujev was under pressure from Azerbaijan’s special services ever after marrying a Baku resident of Armenian origin. In particular, he had been forced into trying to obtain data about Armenia and its Diaspora through the relatives of his ethnic Armenian wife, identified as 30-year-old Roya Mirzoyeva, and for that purpose he also unsuccessfully tried to become a resident of a European country.

It is also reported that at present, the UN Yerevan office and the State Migration Service of Armenia are deal- ing with the matter.

There was no official reaction from Baku as of Friday afternoon.

This case comes amid a row over a 77-year-old Armenian civilian who is being held in Azerbaijan as a ‘sabo- teur’ after apparently straying into enemy territory in the borderland where he lives. The family of Mamikon Khojoyan and his fellow villagers say he suffers from a mental disorder and must have lost his way when going to his vineyard not far from the volatile border with Azerbaijan in the northeast of Armenia.

Military authorities in Baku insist, however, that Khojoyan acted as a guide for Armenian troops planning to carry out a cross-border incursion. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry claimed earlier that Khojoyan was wounded and detained on Tuesday after Azerbaijani forces repelled the “sabotage-reconnaissance group.” Some Azerbaijani news reports said, however, that the resident of Verin Karmiraghbyur, a village northeastern Armenia, was in fact detained by Azerbaijani villagers and handed over to military authorities.

The Armenian Defense Ministry has laughed off official Baku’s claims.

Khojoyan was paraded on Azerbaijani television on Thursday. He was shown sitting on what looked like a hospital bed, with his right arm in a cast, and talking to the ANS channel. “I broke my arm but I’m fine now,” he was quoted as saying. “My arm is now healing. They are taking good care of me.”

77-YEAR-OLD ARMENIA CAPTIVE WENT MAD AFTER DEATHS OF HIS WIFE, SON AND GRANDCHILDREN

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- A 77-year-old Armenia man who is being held in Azerbaijani captivity has gone mad after deaths of his wife, son and grandchildren, head of Verin Karmraghbyur village Kamo Chobanyan said.

Mamikon Khojoyan lost his wife when she was only 55 years old. His son died at the age of 35, Kamo Chobanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. His two grandchildren were killed in a car accident in Russia, another grandson died of illness.

The old man’s son tried to take him to Russia where he lives, but Mamikon escaped. He was found several days later in Moscow.

Chobanyan said the claims that Mamikon has a winery and cars are untrue.

A 77-year-old citizen of Verin Karmraghbyur village appeared in Azerbaijani captivity on January 28. The man has mental disorder. Nevertheless, Azerbaijani side tried to present him as “a saboteur” and then as a “guide”. ICRC representatives have not been given a permission to visit the captive, although he had already given “an in- terview” to ANS television.

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UNHCR YEREVAN OFFICE INFORMED ABOUT AZERBAIJANI ASYLUM SEEKERS

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- The The Yerevan office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been informed about an Azerbaijani family seeking asylum in Armenia, representative of the office Anahit Hayrapetyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The office welcomes the Armenian authorities’ decision not to exile the family and the fact that authorities de- cided to use alternative measures instead of detention. She expressed hope that the process will move forward in accordance with international norms and country’s legislation.

Resident of Baku Javid Orujev (born in 1976), his wife and three children on Wednesday applied to the Arme- nian side, at Bagratashen checkpoint at Armenia-Georgia border, seeking asylum for his family.

ICRC REPRESENTATIVES VISIT MAMIKON KHOJOYAN

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- The representatives of the Baku office of the Inter- national Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday visited Mamikon Khojoyan who appeared on the Azerbaijani side.

The ICRC conveyed information concerning his family, representative of Ye- revan ICRC office Zara Amatuni told Armenian News-NEWS.am. She said ICRC would closely follow the fate of Armenian citizen.

Mamikon Khojoyan (77), a resident of Tavush Region, was taken into captiv- ity on Tuesday. According to some reports, the man lost his way. Khojoyan has mental disorder. Nevertheless, Azerbaijani side made an attempt to call him “sabo- teur” and then “a guide of sabotage group”.

MEMBER OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL: CSTO TREATY WILL COME INTO FORCE, IF ONE BOMB IS DROPPED ON ARMENIA

NEWS.am -- There is no military solution to Karabakh conflict, and even in case of tactical victory of one of the ar- mies, the people living in South Caucasus will lose.

“The conflicting parties have large communities. There is no military solution to the conflict,” Alexander Sokolov, a member of the Russian presidential council for interethnic relations, told Vesti.az.

Asked about likelihood of new war, he expressed hope that the new war in Caucasus is not realistic.

At the same time Sokolov noted that Azerbaijani media, consciously or unconsciously, presents the idea that Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are not the same thing. There is a CSTO agreement that involves Russia and Armenia.

“God forbid there was a conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Until the moment when Azerbaijani army crosses the border of Armenia, this is not an Armenia-Azerbaijan political conflict. But if even one bomb drops on the sub- ject of international law, this would be considered as aggression. In this case, the conditions of international law and CSTO teraty will come into force. I hope that this will never happen,” Sokolov emphasized.

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ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS PARTICIPATE IN MULTINATIONAL EXERCISES

NEWS.am -- The 75-member peacekeeping division of the Armenian Armed Forces took part, from January 13 to February 2, in another multinational exercise.

The military drills were organized within the framework of the Kosovo Force (KFOR), and held at the training center of the US Armed Forces that are stationed in Germany.

The Armenian peacekeepers participated in the exercises to- gether with the armed forces from the US, Germany, Romania, Por- tugal, Slovenia, Albania, and several other countries.

Along the lines of the military drills, a fire-handling exercise was conducted for the first time.

The Armenian peacekeepers take part in the Kosovo mission since 2004, first under the Greek, and since July 2012, the American command units.

TER-STEPANIAN ELECTED HEAD OF FRANCE’S FRANCOPHONE AMBASSADORS’ GROUP

NEWS.am -- The meeting of the francophone countries’ am- bassadors accredited in France, and the representatives of the mem- ber and observer countries in the International Organization of La Francophonie was convened Tuesday in Paris.

Armenia’s Ambassador to France, Viken Tchitetchian, and Armenia’s representative in the Permanent Council of La Francophonie, Ambassador Christian Ter-Stepanian, also attended the event.

The objective of the meeting was to set up the Francophone Ambassadors’ Group in France, and Ter-Stepanian was unanimous- ly elected to head the newly formed group.

The Group activities will be aimed at the dissemination of the principles and values of La Francophonie.

IMF SIGNALS NEW LOAN PACKAGE FOR ARMENIA

The International Monetary Fund has signaled the impending release of a fresh $125 million loan to Armenia designed to support macroeconomic stability and more structural reforms promised by its government.

A high-level IMF mission announced late on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with the Armenian au- thorities on the terms of the Extended Fund Facitlity (EFF) credit and expects it to be approved by the fund’s ex- ecutive board early next month. The mission headed by Mark Horton has repeatedly visited Yerevan in recent months.

The new credit, which is due to be disbursed in several installments over the next three years, represents a sig- nificant reduction in IMF funding for Armenia’s government and Central Bank.

The fund’s previous three-year lending program completed last July was worth approximately $410 million. It was launched in 2010 to help the country recover from a severe 2009 recession. The loans were used for financing the Armenian government’s budget deficits and shoring up national hard currency reserves.

“The objectives of the IMF-supported program that concluded last July were largely achieved,” Horton said in a statement. He cautioned, however, that economic growth in the country slowed significantly last year and remains “volatile.”

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THE FIRST ARMENIAN TABLET OFFICIALLY PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC

Noyan Tapan -- On the 4th of Feb- ruary took place the official presenta- tion and exhibition of the first Armenian tablet ArmTab. The RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the founder of “Tech- nology and Science Dynamics” inc. Vahan Chakarian and the President of

MINNO Corp. Erik Ryan made open- ing speeches.

“The concept of Armtab was first introduced at the “DigiTec Expo 2013” information and telecommunication technologies exhibition and at the GITI- 2013 regional event it took the “Best Multimedia Project” and “Software of the Year” awards thus attracting every- body’s attention. Moreover, due to sus- tainable support from the RA Govern- ment it was possible to make the “Technology and Science” inc. the first registered production company in the “ALLIANCE” free economic zone in December 2013. By laying a milestone in the tablet production, based on the proposal of the RA Government, today we create incentives for more ambitious, comprehensive and strategic part- nership aiming at introducing the ArmTab tablets to the RA school system starting from 2015. Our colleagues have already developed Armenian operation system for ArmTab tablets, as well as educational applications, whose num- ber, we believe, will increase day by day. Thus, the Ministry of Education and Science of the RA will acquire a new and effective tool for creating serious environment for Armenian educational content, which will also create wide range of opportunities for cooperation between companies. We will take every effort to launch the production pro- cess in the second trimester of 2014, in the near future aiming at the design and development of PCB boards in Ar- menia, which are the basis of tablets,” said the founder of “Technology and Science Dinamics” Inc. Vahan Chakaryan.

The President of MINNO Corp, Eric Ryan admitted that this investment program was one of the best in terms of both the support provided by the RA Government and the volume, as well as the staff and partners involved. For this reason, Minno Tablet will ensure the transfer of financial resources, technologies and other possible support necessary for the project's successful launch and development. “I admire the technological ideas and potential of Armenia and strongly believe that very soon, also through our support, Armenia will gain wide recognition all over the world as a high tech country,” mentioned Erik Ryan.

The Minister of Education and Science, Armen Ashotyan, and the Minister of Economy, Vahram Avanesyan, stressed in their speeches the opportunities that are created in Armenia for the development of innovative education programs and the economy through the launch of ArmTab.

Currently ArmTab Company actively cooperates with local organizations. In particular, the "Aras" operating system and the "Vostan" user interface by "Instigate Design" company will be introduced in ArmTab tablets, as well as the educational attachments by "Locator", "Bitlis-MEN" companies and Mlab ECA Mobile Solutions re- gional laboratory.

Please note, that the Minno 8 tablets are already available at the service centers of "Orange Armenia" compa- ny. The Minno Android interface is fully developed by Armenian programmers.

The “ArmTab Technologies” and the “Technology and Science Dynamics” companies were founded in 2013, aiming at the development and introduction of ArmTab brand in the local and regional markets. The companies are in strategic cooperation with the “Technology and Science Dynamics” US Company and are a member of “MINNO” tablet producers.

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YEREVAN AIRPORT’S PASSENGERS FLOW INCREASES BY 15%

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- The passenger flow of Zvartnots International Airport of capital city Yerevan in- creased by 15 percent in January 2014, as compared to the same period last year.

In January 2013, a total of 112,443 passengers had used Zvartnots’ services while in January 2014, this num- ber totaled 128,919 passengers, informs the Armenia International Airports Company press service.

The growth in the number of flights during this period made up 11 percent. A total of 1,492 flights were con- ducted to and from Zvartnots in January 2014, against the 1,344 flights in the same period last year.

Owing to the entry of new airlines in the latter half of 2013, the highest indicator was recorded in the direc- tions of the CIS and the Middle East.

In January 2013, a total of 27 airlines were conducting regular flights to Zvartnots, but, now, 32 airlines fly to the airport.

JOHN KERRY: WE’RE WORKING ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

NEWS.am -- There is no place in the world that the United States are re- treating, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

“I can’t think of a place in the world that we are retreating, not one. And I believe we are engaged in a profoundly proactive and visionary way to try to give life to this partnership in ways that make a difference,” he said at the Mu- nich Security Conference.

John Kerry touched upon the Karabakh conflict and the Cyprus dispute.

“We’re working on Cyprus quietly. You’re not hearing about it. We’re working on Nagorno-Karabakh, the Caucasus,” he added.

AZERBAIJAN SUFFERS EIGHT KILLED AND OVER TWENTY WOUNDED IN ATTACKS ON KARABAKH

STEPANAKERT, February 3. /ARKA/. Azerbaijani army suffered total casualties of 8 killed and over 20 wounded during its attacks on the line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh in the period from January 20 to 31, press office of Nagorno-Karabakh ministry of defense reported.

Azeri commandos left also certain amount of specific weap- ons, says the report.

Karabakh suffered two killed as a result of two commando- type reconnaissance operations and about three thousand cases of violation of the cease-fire by Azerbaijan.

Tension continued throughout last week. Apart from differ- ent caliber firearms, the enemy took certain amount of armored force to the frontline, according to the report.

Azerbaijani subversive groups made attempts to penetrate in- to Nagorno-Karabakh overnight into Monday January 20, but were thrown back and suffered losses. A junior ser- geant of Karabakh Army of Defense Armen Hovhannisyan was killed in the clash. Tuesday soldier of Karabakh army of defense Karen Galstyan was killed by a sniper.

The press office said Karabakh air defense spotted training and combat carriers of the enemy flying 30-35 kil- ometers away from the frontline.

Azerbaijan violated the truce 1,700 times and fired more than 10,000 shots over the week, according to the re-

port.

Despite Azerbaijan’s attempts to continue frontline tensions, the facts show the advanced divisions of Karabakh army of defense are the ones dictating their will when required, says the report.

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The Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when prevailingly Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh declared withdrawal from Azerbaijan. On December 10, 1991, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh where 99.89% voted for independence from Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan responded by large-scale military operations that led to loss of control not only over Nagorno- Karabakh itself, but also over seven adjoining areas. About 25-30 thousand people were killed and about a million had to leave their homes during the military operations.

A trilateral cease-fire agreement was signed on May 12, 2004, and has been followed since then.

The ongoing Karabakh peace process started in 1992 under auspices of OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France.

BELARUS-AZERBAIJAN: WEAPONS IN EXCHANGE FOR OIL?

NEWS.am -- Azerbaijan Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov met with chairman Sergei Gurulev of the State Military Industrial Committee of Belarus.

They discussed the avenues for expanding cooperation be- tween Azerbaijan and Belarus in the defense sector, and the two countries’ contribution to regional security, informs the Azerbai- jan MOD press service.

Gurulev pointed to the great prospects for cooperation be- tween the two countries.

Political theorist Roman Yakovlevsky commented on this talk. In his view, the aforesaid cooperation can be in terms of arms supply, Charter97.org reports.

“Azerbaijan and Armenia are at war to this day, whereas Belarus has military commitments to Armenia, within the framework of the CSTO [i.e., the Collective Security Treaty Organization].

“And when we hear that military-technical cooperation is developing with one of the warring sides, this raises questions whose answers are not easy to find.

“The development of military-technical cooperation is full of prospect in terms of Azerbaijan’s solvency and, probably, in an interesting new product for Azerbaijan,” Yakovlevsky stressed, in particular.

KARABAKH PRESIDENT VISITS LIGHT INDUSTRY WORKSHOPS IN CAPITAL CITY

STEPANAKERT/NEWS.am -- Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) President Bako Sahakyan on Wednesday visited the tex- tile, sewing, carpet, and wool processing workshops in capital city Stepanakert, and got acquainted with their activities.

Sahakyan also visited several new light industry workshops, and the information technology (IT) development center to be put into operation soon, informs the Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR President.

The President underscored the development of various branches of industry and the IT, noting that these directions had a serious potential and they enabled to enter the international market with competitive products, at the same time creating new jobs in the capital city.

Sahakyan also gave precise instructions to the heads of the respective agencies, for the proper implementation of the activities.

The NKR President was accompanied by National Assembly speaker Ashot Ghulyan, Deputy PM Arthur Aghabekyan, and several other officials.

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EUROPEAN COURT TO RECONVENE ON SARGSYAN VS. AZERBAIJAN CASE

NEWS.am -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will reconvene on Wednesday to examine the Sargsyan vs. the Republic of Azerbaijan case.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, who is also the country’s representative to the ECtHR, likewise will attend the court session.

The ECtHR is considering two prototype lawsuits: Chiragov and others vs. Armenia, and Sargsyan vs. the Re- public of Azerbaijan.

The court session on the Chiragov case was held on January 22.

In 2006, Minas Sargsyan—a former resident of Gyulistan village of Shahumyan Region in Northern Karabakh—filed a lawsuit against the demolition of his house and their forcible expulsion from their place of resi- dence. Even though Minas Sargsyan has passed away since, his widow and children continue to follow the judicial process. It was in 2010 that the ECtHR started examining the Armenian Sargsyan family’s lawsuit filed against Azerbaijan.

It is noteworthy that, on the same day, the ECtHR also started examining a group of Azerbaijanis’ lawsuit (Chiragov and others vs. Armenia) that was filed against Armenia.

These cases are considered a prototype for similar lawsuits.

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS INTERVENES

IN ARTSAKH CONFLICT

By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier

It is noteworthy that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is holding simultaneous hearings on two rival lawsuits filed by Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Is this a mere coincidence or an attempt by the Court to inter- vene in a thorny dispute that political leaders have failed to resolve for over 25 years?

This week, ECHR is hearing the case of “Sargsyan vs. Azerbaijan,” dealing with Minas Sargsyan’s complaint against the Republic of Azerbaijan, claiming that he was forced to flee his Gulistan home in the Shahumyan region, after his property was destroyed by Azeri armed forces in June 1992. The Sargsyan case was first filed with ECHR on August 11, 2006. Interestingly, the Court held hearings on both the Armenian and Azerbaijani complaints on the same day: it heard the “Chiragov and Others vs. Armenia” case in the morning of September 15, 2010, and later that afternoon, the “Sargsyan vs. Azerbaijan” case.

In a preliminary decision on December 14, 2011, ECHR found Sargsyan’s complaint to be partly admissible. The Court rejected Azerbaijan’s contention that the case should be dismissed because it covered events prior to Azerbaijan’s ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights in 2002. Unfortunately, applicant Minas Sargsyan passed away in 2009, but his two children are continuing the complaint. ECHR will further probe the merits of the Sargsyan case during its February 5, 2014 hearing.

Two weeks earlier, ECHR heard the rival case of “Chiragov and Others vs. Armenia,” in which six Azerbaija- ni Kurds had filed a complaint against the Republic of Armenia. They claimed to be unable to return to their homes and properties in the Lachin district since May 17, 1992, having been forced to flee because of the Karabagh (Artsakh) war.

The Azeri complaint against Armenia was first filed with ECHR on April 6, 2005. In a preliminary decision on December 14, 2011, ECHR agreed to take up the case, finding that the ongoing negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan did not preclude the Court from dealing with this contentious situation. ECHR held a subsequent hear- ing on January 22, 2014, to consider the following questions:

1) Does Armenia exercise effective control over the territory of Artsakh?

2) Do the six Azeri citizens possess sufficient documentation proving their identity and ownership of the claimed properties?

3) Should the Azeri applicants have exhausted all domestic remedies (ECHR requirement) by applying first to

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Artsakh courts prior to filing a complaint with ECHR, considering the further complication that Artsakh is not a recognized state?

Here are some thoughts about ECHR’s crucial role in these two conflicting cases:

1) Both complaints were filed with ECHR almost 10 years ago and cover alleged human rights violations that had occurred over two decades earlier. Since the Armenian applicant and one of the six Azeris had died in the in- tervening years, neither one will ever see the justice that they had sought from the European Court. As the popular saying goes, “justice delayed is justice denied!”

2) ECHR’s obvious effort to take simultaneous action on these two separate yet opposing cases indicates that the Court might be trying to resolve not only these two complaints, but also lay the groundwork for the resolution of the Artsakh conflict, at least the refugees’ right to return to their homes.

ECHR’s even-handed treatment of Armenian and Azerbaijani applicants thus far would lead one to believe that the Court would eventually rule in favor of both cases opening the door to thousands of additional complaints from refugees on both sides who suffered a similar fate during the Artsakh war. Since all member countries of the European Council are obliged to comply with ECHR’s decisions, the Court may order that these refugees be al- lowed to return to their native homes, thereby imposing a partial humanitarian solution on an intractable conflict that the leaders of both countries and international mediators have been unable to resolve for over 25 years!

ARARAT-ESKIJIAN MUSEUM PRESENTS LECTURE ON “PORTRAIT AND REPRESENTATIONS: ALFRED OF WESSEX AND GAGIK OF VASPURAKAN: PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS"

MISSION HILLS -- Dr. Anne Elizabeth Redgat will present an illus- trated lecture on “Portrait and Representations: Alfred of Wessex and Gagik of Vaspurakan: Progress and Prospects, on Sunday, February 10, 2014, a 7:00 p.m. at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, Sheen Chapel, 15105 Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, CA. The event is sponsored by the Ar- arat-Eskijian Museum and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).

In this lecture Dr. Redgate will present her work comparing the early- tenth-century King Gagik Artsruni of Vaspurakan with his near- contemporary, the late-ninth-century King Alfred of Wessex (in southern England), and their ideas about kingship. Both kings commissioned works of art and historical writings, and the comparison draws on these. She will also discuss her most recent work on the sculpture that decorates a window at the seventh-century Armenian church of Ptghni and the family of its founders, the Amatunis, and their ideas and claims concerning political authority. She will reflect on the similarities between King Alfred and King Gagik, the importance of the Amatunis to the Artsrunis and some links between Amatuni Ptghni and King Gagik’s early-tenth-century Church of the Holy Cross on Aghtamar, Lake Van. These are the foundations for her next book, whose working title is Christian Kingship in England and Arme- nia from the Late-Ninth to the Mid-Eleventh Century; Liturgy, Law and Self-Representation (Edwin Mellen Press).

Anne Elizabeth Redgate is Lecturer in History at Newcastle University (Newcastle upon Tyne) in the UK, where she has taught Anglo-Saxon history, Armenian history, and World History. She is the author of The Armeni- ans (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1998) and Religion, Politics and Society in Britain, 800-1066 (in press, Routledge), contributions to conferences and volumes in the UCLA Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces series, and other articles. She is especially interested in the centuries between 300 and 1100 AD, in questions of national identity, vernacular liturgy, heresy, the use of artistic imagery as a medium of political expression, and comparative history.

For more information contact the Ararat-Eskijian Museum at 818-838-4862 or ararat-eskijian-museum@netzero.net or NAASR at 617-489-1610 or hq@naasr.org.

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