Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

SARGSYAN SECURED PRETTY GOOD BUY

News.am
13:20 / 10/17/2009

Armenian-Turkish relations arouse impassioned public attention even
in Taiwan, as well as Trinidad and Tobago.

Thai website Taiwan News commented on ARF Dashnaksutyun rally:
"More than 2,000 Armenians have demonstrated in the capital, Yerevan,
to protest plans to normalize relations with Turkey after a century
of enmity. Protesters urged parliament not to ratify the deal signed
last weekend, which would establish diplomatic ties with an eye toward
opening the border between the countries. Turkey closed the border in
1993 to protest Armenia’s war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh,
a region in Azerbaijan that’s been controlled by Armenians since the
conflict. Armenians want Turkey to acknowledge what they call Genocide
in 1915," the article reads.

October 17, Trinidad & Tobago Express website published an article on
Armenian-Turkish relations, saying that the first mass massacres in
the beginning of 20th century were perpetrated in Turkey. "Armenians
all over the world insist that their ancestors who died in those
events were the victims of deliberate Genocide and that there can
be no reconciliation with the Turks until they admit their guilt,"
the article reads.

The daily comments on Diaspora reaction, "Unfortunately, their views
are quite different from those of the people who actually live in
Armenia. For most of those who are still in Armenia, getting the
Turkish border re-opened is a higher priority," the source reads.

Armenia-Turkey Protocols do not "require Armenia to give back the
Armenian- populated ‘parts of Azerbaijan’ so in practical terms
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has got a very good deal."

"TURKEY SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO RATIFY THE PROTOCOLS"

Aysor.am
Friday, October 16

"As in the Armenian – Turkish relations the preconditions and the
closing of the boarder have been by the initiation of Turkey it is very
logical that the protocols should be ratified by Turkish side first
of all", – said Edward Sharmazanov the secretary of the RPA in NA.

The question of the ratification is not presented yet in the RA NA
even for putting it into the agenda.

This question according to E. Sharmazanov "is a question of a
political will". He reminded that the party of President Serzh
Sargsyan in Armenia and the coalition make the majority in the RA
National Assembly. In its turn in Turkey the majority in Mejlis is
making the "Justice and progress party" the head of which is Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and the representative is President Abdullah Gul.

E. Sharmazanov thinks that in the result of "presenting the political
will everything will go on by the planned scenario".

The secretary of the party doesn’t see the logic of other development,
– "If they were against the ratification why did they sign them."

THE ILLEGAL TREE FELLING WORRIED THE HRD OF ARMENIA

Aysor.am
October 15, 2009

Today the ombudsman and Human Rights Defender of the Republic of
Armenia Armen Harutyunyan learnt from the press that on October 11
in the center of Yerevan, in the park in front of the Conservatory
at night have been realized an illegal felling of a tree.

The ombudsman had a phone talk with the mayor of Yerevan Gagik
Beglaryan who told that no one from the "Center of the Green Service"
has cut a tree and it will be announced on the upcoming press
conference, informs the information and public relations department
of the Human Rights Defender office.

BURSA IS HOSTING MEETINGS BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND TURKISH DELEGATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.10.2009 20:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At he moment, Almira hotel in Bursa is hosting
meetings between Armenian and Turkish delegations. As PanARMENIAN.Net
correspondent reported from Bursa, the meeting is attended by RA and
Turkish Foreign Ministers, Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu.

No protest rallies were held in front of the hotel, RA President was
welcomed with applause. Accident control measures are undertaken.

Following the match, Turkish President will host a reception at the
Almira Hotel. After the game RA President-headed delegation will
return to Yerevan.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN HANDPICKS REPORTERS FOR BURSA TRIP

2009/10/14 | 15:54

Sport

Vercihan Zifiloglu, a Turkish-Armenian who writes for Hurriyet,
today reports that RoA President Serzh Sargsyan handpicked the 20
journalists who will travel with him to Bursa to watch the football
match between the national teams of Armenia and Turkey. President
Sargsyan is expected to arrive in Bursa around 4 p.m. local time.

She states in her article that sources claim that journalists of
Armenian origin from the world’s leading media organizations tried
to acquire accreditation for the match in Bursa through the Turkish
embassies in their countries but were unsuccessful as a result of
complications with the Turkish Football Federation.

It is not only journalists from the diaspora who are having trouble
with accreditations. Many Turkish journalists have also been denied
because tickets for the match are not on sale.

For security reasons, most of the tickets were handed out to select
groups, such as students from the police academy. And many of the
members of the Turkish press who have been accredited have not yet
received their entrance papers.

KOSACHEV: THE RATIFICATION WILL BE ADOPTED

Aysor.am
Tuesday, October 13

MK’s correspondent in the article titled "Ankara and Yerevan don’t care
about Baku" addressed to the head of State Duma Committee Konstantin
Kosachev to comment on signing the pact between Armenia and Turkey.

"This is a very positive development for Armenia since it was
landlocked country sandwiched between Azerbaijan and Turkey with
conditioned complex relations on the one hand, and Georgia which on
an ongoing basis used to practice "Armenian factor" negotiating with
Russia, on the other.

"So I believe that the signing of protocols will stabilize the region,
not bring it to a head. Running Armenian and Turkish governments
have a majority in Parliaments, so the ratification will certainly
be accompanied by debates; however, it seems quite clear to me that
the ratification will be adopted.

6 MEMBERS OF RAP WORLD COUNCIL REPRESENT DIASPORA, 5 MEMBERS REPRESENT ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Oct 9, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. At the unifying congress of the
Ramkavar Azatakan Party (RAP) and Armenakan-RAP held in Yerevan on
October 3, the RAP World Council was established with the aim of
coordinating work of various structures of RAP worldwide. Chairman
of Armenakan-RAP, editor-in-chief of Azg daily Hakob Avetikian
stated at the October 5 press conference that the head office will
be located in Yerevan. The Council will conduct regular analyses,
propose recommendations, and issue statements on events in Armenia.

The RAP World Council has 11 members, including 6 members from various
Diaspora colonies and 5 ones from Armenia.

DEMONSTRATORS IN YEREVAN PROTESTING AGAINST RA-TURKISH PROTOCOLS (PHOTO SPREAD)

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.10.2009 18:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At 5 p.m. today, ARF-Dashnaktsutyun organized
a protest march in Yerevan in connection with upcoming signature
of RA-Turkish Protocols, scheduled in Zurich on October 10. Around
4-5 thousand protesters are heading towards Presidential Residence
from Mashtots Avenue. After a short rally, march will continue to
Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial. Demonstrators are holding posters
with slogans saying "No to Protocols", "No Concessions to Turkey",
"No to Preconditions".

CIS YOUTH SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA TO PERFORM WALTZ FOR CIS PRESIDENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2009 18:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 10, Moldovan capital will host CIS Youth
Symphonic Orchestra’s final concert to be organized in the frameworks
of 2009 guest tour. 106 talented musicians from 11 Commonwealth
states and Georgia, as well as world-famous pianist Danis Matsuev will
participate in CIS leaders’ summit in Kishenev. Orchestra conductor
is maestro Mark Gorenshtein, Art Director and Chief Conductor of
Russian State Orchestra after E. F. Svetlanov.

Founded in 2007 under the aegis of CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian
Cooperation, CIS Youth Symphonic Orchestra has already won popularity
in several Commonwealth states. It consists of best young musicians
selected by Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

During its 2009 guest tours, orchestra met full crowds. Over 3
thousand music connoisseurs enjoyed its concerts in Odessa, Kiev,
Minsk and Yerevan. Audience in Yerevan enjoyed music by Tchaykovsky,
Bize and Gershwin. Concert program in each country included some
musical composition by a local composer (Nikolay Lysenko in Ukraine,
Yevgeni Glebov in Belarus and Aram Khachaturyan in Yerevan). During
the concert in Moldova CIS Presidents will listen to Yevgeni Dog’s
waltz from the film titled "My Tender and Affectionate Beast".

Orchestra first met in 2007 in Astana, Kazakhstan, to participate
in a concert dedicated to the II Forum of CIS Scholars and Creative
Intellectuals. A year later, after a selection contest, 98 musicians
from 10 states arrived in Moscow to prepare for a series of concerts
under the supervision of USSR People’s actor Yuri Simonov, Art
Director and Chief Conductor of Moscow Philharmonic Orcehestra. In
2008, orchestra performed guest concerts in Moscow, Dushanbe, Almaty,
Bishkek and Baku.

NO PRECONDITIONS IN PROTOCOLS: MARGARYAN

NEWS.am
10/09/2009

"No preconditions in Armenia-Turkey initialed Protocols," Orinats
Yerkir Party member Hovhannes Margaryan stated at the October 8 press
conference. Neither Nagorno-Karabkah, nor Genocide issues are mentioned
in the documents, Margaryan outlined.

As for the creation of historians’ sub-commission, Hovhannes Margaryan
said it will not be engaged in studying the fact of Genocide, but
its aftermaths. The politician believes that Turkey will eventually
recognize Armenian Genocide and beg Armenian nation’s pardon.

According to him, certain risks may emerge in the agricultural sector
of Armenia with border opening.