Turkish cultural center to open in Yerevan?

news.am, Armenia
March 27 2010

Turkish cultural center to open in Yerevan?

16:46 / 03/27/2010 Director General of the Yunus Emre Foundation ‘ Ali
Fuat Bilkan wishes to open a `Yunus Emre’ Turkish Cultural Center in
Armenia. Bilkan noted that if Armenia allows he will open the center
not waiting for ratification of the Protocols.

Bilkan informed that similar centers exist in Albania, Egypt and
Bosnia and soon new ones will open in Bulgaria, Greece, U.S.,
Kazakhstan, Syria, China and Russia.

Yunus Emre (1238-1328) was one of the most respectable Turkish poets
and Sufi mystic.

A.G.

Yerevan hosted first congress of Armenian Eagles social-patriotic or

Yerevan hosted first congress of Armenian Eagles social-patriotic organization

27.03.2010 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan hosted the first congress of the Armenian
eagles social-patriotic organization. The chairman of the organization
Khachik Asryan made a presentation and approved the composition of the
council and the control commission. The council includes RA Defense
Minister Seyran Ohanyan, the secretary of the National Security
Council of Armenia Arthur Baghdasaryan, as well as major general
Astvatsatur Petrosyan.

Asryan also said all members of "Eagles attackers’union, headed by
Major General Astvatsatur Petrosyan joined
the organization. RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan made a speech, he
welcomed the establishment of the organization, noting that activities
of such organizations will contribute to the prosperity of the
country.

The event was attended by about 500 people.

Before the congress participants of the event held a march from the
Square of France to the Square at the Institute of Ancient
Manuscripts.

Half of Turks Support Armenians’ Expulsion

HALF OF TURKS SUPPORT ARMENIANS’ EXPULSION

13:18:59 – 25/03/2010
hos17291.html

48 percent of Turks support the idea of the Turkish prime minister to
expel illegal Armenians living in Turkey, showed the result of a
survey carried out by MetroPoll center. Only 34 percent of polled
strictly disagreed with Erdogan’s statement. Radio Liberty reports.

Among the supporters of this idea are mainly youths. 56 percent of
people voted in support of the ruling party support the idea of
expulsion of Armenians. The numbers of people who agree and disagree
with this idea among the voter of the oppositional party are almost
equal. The most to support Armenians are fundamental Islamists. The
survey was carried out March 18, more than 1000 citizens from 31
cities participated in it.

http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/society-lra

Israeli and Serbian Parliaments to Discuss Armenian Genocide Bills

Israeli and Serbian Parliaments to Discuss Armenian Genocide Bills

11:45 – 27.03.10

The Israeli parliament is planning to hold discussions on a bill that
recognizes the Armenian Genocide.

As reported by Israeli press, in April, Meretz Party will once again
bring the bill on Armenian Genocide to the Knesset agenda for a vote.

The bill prepared by party leader Haim Oron condemns the killings of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and calls it Genocide.

The party had raised the issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide in
the past too, though all attempts had proven to be unsuccessful.

In addition, Serbia’s Parliament is preparing to discuss a draft
version of a bill, proposed by Serbia Radical Party, which recognizes
the Armenian Genocide.

Party press spokesperson Zoran Krasi said that the bill will be
brought to the parliament agenda in the near future.

Tert.am

Erdogan: Since Armenians Still Haven’t Withdrawn From Azerbaijani Te

ERDOGAN: SINCE ARMENIANS STILL HAVEN’T WITHDRAWN FROM AZERBAIJANI TERRITORIES, TURKEYWON’T OPEN ITS BORDER WITH ARMENIA

APA, Azerbaijan
March 25 2010

Baku – APA. Since Armenians still haven’t withdrawn from "Azerbaijani
territories," Turkey won’t open its border with Armenia, said Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an interview with German weekly
Die Zeit.

Asked by the interviewer why Turkey doesn’t open its border with
Armenia, Erdogan said: "The border was closed because the Armenians
attacked our Azerbaijani brothers and occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. The
UN also considers that occupation. When the Armenians leave those
territories, we will open the border."

Referring to the passing of Armenian Genocide resolutions by various
countries’ parliaments, the Turkish prime minister said that "That’s
the result of propaganda by the Diaspora."

"Parliamentarians occupy themselves with a subject that they have no
connection to. Such resolutions shouldn’t be passed by third-party
states. That’s only the political propaganda by the Armenian Diaspora,"
he said.

Armenian Official Says Changes To Media Law To Make Reporters More R

ARMENIAN OFFICIAL SAYS CHANGES TO MEDIA LAW TO MAKE REPORTERS MORE RESPONSIBLE

Mediamax, Armenia
March 23 2010

The changes suggested in the law on "Mass Information Means" are meant
to balance the rights for freedom of speech and protection of honour
and dignity, Director of the Public Relations and Information Centre
under the Armenian President’s Apparatus Ara Saghatelyan stated today.

Mediamax reports that he stated that the need of amendments, which
provide for bringing a journalist or a media outlet to administrative
responsibility on a charge of offence or bias, has appeared a few
years ago.

"Feeling of responsibility and confidence in protection of dignity
should be formed in the society", Ara Saghatelyan stated. According to
him, "to feel social responsibility is to be a normal mass information
means".

Speaking about external factors, Ara Saghatelyan stated that
"Armenia does not carry out an information war, it is in information
confrontation".

He noted that the situation in terms of information security develops
every day and one should be cautious and careful, since the "society
makes conclusions from the information it reads".

Yerevan To Lie In Darkness For An Hour

YEREVAN TO LIE IN DARKNESS FOR AN HOUR

n
03:12 pm | March 24, 2010

Social

Yerevan will join the global initiative "Earth Hour", thus becoming
one of the 6000 city-participants.

The campaign will take place from 8:30p.m. till 9:30p.m., March 27,
2010. The lights of Yerevan’s landmarks, main avenues and streets
will be turned off for an hour.

The campaign first started in 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where 2
million people united for an hour and switched off their lights to
show that they care about our living planet. The aim of the campaign
is to unite efforts in a struggle against clime changes.

More than 50 million people across the world participated in the
campaign in 2008. In 2009 over 1 milliard people in almost 4000 cities
and towns in 88 countries across 25 time zones turned off their lights
for one hour in support for decisive action on climate change.

The project is initiated by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

http://a1plus.am/en/social/2010/03/24/yereva

Home Political Intrigue Becomes Strained

HOME POLITICAL INTRIGUE BECOMES STRAINED

hos17267.html
11:23:54 – 24/03/2010

Robert Kocharyan gave a regular interview to Mediamax in which he made
some judgments about the current economic policy of Armenia as well as
he made comparisons with the policy led during his tenure. Naturally,
Robert Kocharyan’s comparison was in favor of the years of his tenure,
which is quite regular, because the economy in that period had better
statistics than it has now.

In fact, Robert Kocharyan tried to keep and bring the intrigue of
the latest days to its culmination which was born by his visit to
France parallel to Sargsyan’s one, where he met with Jacque Chirak,
was followed by Gagik Tsarukyan’s strict criticism towards the economy
minister Nerses Yeritsyan, and now the interview given by Robert
Kocharyan which contains economic criticism. Adding the interview
concerning foreign political issues of the former foreign minister of
Armenia Vardan Oskanyan, who directed the blow to Robert Kocharyan’s
tenure, the interview given to Mediamax may stand for Kocharyan’s
acceptance of the RP challenge.

Of course, it would be great if Robert Kocharyan dwelt not only on the
blames and criticism of his economic but also foreign policy. The point
is that his name has been circulated within these frames on these days,
though suppositions that Kocharyan makes determined steps to assume
the office of prime minister were many too. In general, pretentions
of Robert Kocharyan to return are covered by some veil of secrecy,
he neither refuse nor affirms his wish to return.

But it is also evident that by reminding about himself very often,
Robert Kocharyan tries to keep rumors on his return fresh. However,
judging by his 10-year tenure, Kocharyan is not a speaking figure. He
used to say something – good or bad, than do it. Consequently, if
now he just promotes rumors on his return, this means he has serious
problems to fulfill it, if the point is not about its impossibility
of course.

The exclusion of a public way of Kocharyan’s return is doubtless. It is
even difficult to imagine that by the example of Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
he can pretend to the public support after 10 years. Of course, the
same economic conditions may arouse "sweet" recollections about his
tenure, but in this case, Kocharyan will have to enter into open
contradiction with Serge Sargsyan. While, the society will never
forget that Robert Kocharyan played a tangible role in the formation
of the current government resorting even to March 1. Unlike Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan did not leave or was not forced
to leave the power, he just promoted the reproduction of the power
at the cost of the life of citizens. After all, Robert Kocharyan’s
presidency is remembered not only because of economic success but also
the institutionalization of power clans and oligopolies, surrounding
them with criminal walls, replacing laws by agreements, division of
economic benefits among several families, and that the rest of the
public served as a source of wealth for these families.

For example, in his interview, Robert Kocharyan said about capital
construction ensuing the years of his presidency, although it was "due
to" the construction, that thousands of people were evicted from their
homes, and in their place, luxury buildings were built for the elite.

So if Robert Kocharyan really wants to return, he should not rely on
the common people, but the elite, for whom he built the houses. While
it is not all right there. The fact is that formed in those years the
elite prefers "bird in the hand". And even if the elite is longing
for the days of Robert Kocharyan, when everything was much simpler,
predictable, however, the president of the elite is now Serge Sargsyan,
and they may prefer the stability of Sargsyan to the risk of returning
of Kocharyan. And what if it does not work"? They will have to give
explanations to Serge Sargsyan.

The elite, familiar with the methodology of formation of the Armenian
government, knows that if the power is not based on public support,
it means it has to rely on the international community. And in this
issue, "superiority" of Sargsyan is obvious. And while this is so,
the vast majority of the elite remains doubtlessly on the side of
Serge Sargsyan.

Perhaps my observations are just useless and Robert Kocharyan is
not going to return, but he is simply trying to help Serge Sargsyan
with the help of private visits and constructive criticism through
interviews. Then, what is thinking Serge Sargsyan since his team,
Republican Party, storms against Robert Kocharyan’s times?

HAKOB BADALYAN

http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments-lra

Spanish Government Does Its Utmost Not To Approve Genocide Bill

SPANISH GOVERNMENT DOES ITS UTMOST NOT TO APPROVE GENOCIDE BILL

news.am
March 23 2010
Armenia

Spain’s government does its utmost for the parliament not to approve
the bill on Armenian Genocide in 1915 by Ottoman Empire, Spanish ABC
newspaper reports.

According to the daily, "government fully acknowledges that Genocide
recognition will provoke negative response of Turkey that is one of
Spain’s key allies in NATO."

ABC also notes that "Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos
contacted Jose Bono, the President of the Congress of Deputies to
torpedo the initiative."

Catalonian Parliament already passed the bill recognizing Armenian
Genocide, thus Spanish government worries that it might happen in
Madrid as well. Spanish government fears that Spain might also face
aggravation of relations with Turkey, as it happened with U.S.-Turkish
and Swedish-Turkish relations following approval of Genocide resolution
in countries’ parliaments, the daily reads.

The source recalls that Turkey had never recognized massacres of 1.5
million Armenians, speaking about 300.000 people and referring the
events to World War I events.

Armenians Were Massacred In Ottoman Empire: Taraf

ARMENIANS WERE MASSACRED IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE: TARAF

news.am
March 23 2010
Armenia

Turkish press is shocked by the statement published in popular Taraf
daily, saying that it is a recognition of Armenian Genocide and
serious accusation against Turkish people.

Joint statement of 14 readers published in Taraf as of March 22 reads,
"Armenians were massacred in Ottoman Empire in 1915 and conscience
does not allow us to deny it. We condemn that injustice and share pain
of our Armenian brothers. We protest against Erdogan’s intention to
use needy Armenians as hostages and consider his statement immoral."

Murad Ozgunay, Omer Faruk, Huriyet Karadeniz, Yeter Ozdemir, Sahin
Adnan, Erdal Karayazgan, Serap Kayia, Nesrin Kayia, Ayla Sesan, Ali
Senalp, Muhtesem Ozdamar, Nejmi Demiji, Nedim Arul signed the letter.