ARMENIA’S KARABAKH PROPAGANDA ON EUROVISION

Hurriyet
May 19 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – Armenian politics intervened with Eurovision this
weekend. When the live feed shifted to Yerevan, a gigantic statue
that is the symbol of Nagorno-Karabakh appeared onscreen.

The 54th Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow on Saturday turned out
to be an arena of politics. When the host from Moscow turned the
live feed to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, striking pictures were
reflected to television screens worldwide.

Sirusho, the Armenian pop star who represented the country last year
with the song "Qele Qele," was onscreen to report the Armenian votes
when she lifted the card she was holding to cover her face. There was
a photograph of "Menk Yenk Mer Sarerı" (We Are Our Own Mountains),
in another name, "Dad u Bab" (Grandmother and Grandfather), the
gigantic statue that is the symbol of the Armenian administration
of Nagorno-Karabakh, on the card. The same picture was also on
barcovision.

Azerbaijan complained, Russia censored video Sisters Ä°nka and Anuysh
Arsagian, Armenian representatives with the song "Jan Jan," who landed
in 10th place, had images of Nagorno-Karabakh, alongside the cultural
beings of Armenia, in their video that was shown in the semifinals. The
mentioned images were cut from the video with Russia’s intervention
after Azerbaijan complained. The Armenian press put the matter on the
agenda after the contest. The press had two different approaches: Some
said Eurovision, as usual, was overshadowed by politics, and others
argued that Armenia presented its stance on Karabakh clearly once more.

Criticizing Armenia’s stance Levon Barseghian, president of a
journalists’ club called Asparez from Gyumri, the second biggest city
in Armenia, said: "The Eurovision is not a contest; it is baloney
in the strictest sense of the word. It is lacking seriousness and
integrity; that is why I do not even take it seriously."

Barseghian also criticized the images on television screens: "I am
aware of Karabakh’s importance to Armenia, but you cannot get results
to political problems with such simple solutions."

‘Armenia presented its determined stance on Karabakh’ Aram Abrahamyan,
editor-in-chief of Aravot, Armenia’s best-selling newspaper, said he
thinks Armenia’s stance is right. He believes Armenia presented its
stance on Karabakh clearly once more to the world. "Russia had the
Karabakh images cut from the video due to the acts of Azerbaijanis. I
do not believe they have a right to this kind of intervention. The
mentioned statue is the symbol of Karabakh; therefore it is ours, too."

Antranik Tevanyan, editor-in-chief for "7or" (Seven Days) newspaper,
also found Armenia’s stance appropriate: "The act of Armenia was
right and in its place."