Author: Karakhanian Suren

RUSSIAN, ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTERS HOLD TALKS IN MOSCOW

Aysor
Jan 13 2010
Armenia

Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, who is on a visit to
Moscow, has met with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov. Both
officials confirmed the relations between the countries are partner
and strategic.

"The parties discussed military cooperation between the countries and
items of regional safety. Besides, the officials paid attention to item
of training courses for Armenian men-in-arms at Defense Universities
of Russia," a spokeswoman to Russian Defense Ministry Irina Kovalchuk
told journalists.

US TURKS PROPOSED US SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON TO MEET THEM TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROCESS

APA
Jan 13 2010
Azerbaijan

Washington. Isabel Levine – APA. US Turks proposed US Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton to meet them to discuss Armenian-Turkish
relations and Nagorno-Karabakh process.

According to APA’s Washington DC correspondent, some of Turkic and
Azeri organizations are going to send a letter to the department of
State. They think that it’s unequal to discuss South Caucasus security
problems only with Armenia, with whose Diaspora Clinton is planning
to meet next month.

A Turkish Diaspora member told APA’s correspondent that Clinton’s
decision to meet with Armenians will be hold under joint initiative-
both from Armenian and US side.

"If Secretary Clinton wants to find out the real situation in the
region he needs to keep in mind the opinions of all the parties of
the dialog",- said the Diaspora member.

Another Diaspora member Mehmet Gulan considers that H.Clinton’s
decision to discuss negotiation process with Armenian Diaspora members
creates a dilemma: "The whole world knows that H. Clinton is "the
mother" of the Zurich protocols, but Armenian Diaspora in the US is
against this deal, and does everything to protest".

RF FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEY LAVROV TO VISIT ARMENIA ON JANUARY 13-14

Noyan Tapan
Jan 12, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. At RA Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian’s invitation RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit
Armenia on January 13-14.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan will receive the RF Foreign Minister.

Within the framework of the visit the two Foreign Ministers will hold
negotiations, after which a joint press conference is planned.

Dynamically developing allied relations between Armenia and Russia,
South Caucasian regional problems, Nagorno Karabakh settlement process,
as well as a wide range of issues regarding cooperation between RA and
RF regions in political, military, trade and economic, humanitarian
spheres will be discussed during the meetings.

According to the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department,
E. Nalbandian will meet with S. Lavrov on January 14. The Foreign
Ministers will have a joint press conference after the meeting.

KAREKIN II MAY VISIT BAKU

news.am
Jan 11 2010
Armenia

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin does not rule out the participation
of His Holiness Karekin II in the World Summit of Religious Leaders
in Baku, April 2010, Head of Holy Etchmiadzin’s press service Vahram
Melikyan informed NEWS.am.

"Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has not received the invitation yet.

If we do, we will inform the public, but at the moment it is early
to speak of it," Melikyan stated. Asked whether Karekin II will visit
Baku if gets the invitation, he replied why not.

As NEWS.am reported previously, World Summit of Religious Leaders
will be held this April in Baku on the initiative of Chairman of
Caucasian Muslims Office and Chief of Advisory Council of CIS Muslims
Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh as well as the Russian Orthodox
Church.

According to Azerbaijani media, Catholicos of all Armenians will also
attend the event.

NEGATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECISION COULD BE CAUSE FOR TURKEY TO REJECT PROTOCOLS: CHAKRYAN

Tert.am
16:27 ~U 12.01.10

While the Constitutional Court is discussing the Armenian-Turkish
Protocols behind closed doors, Tert.am attempted to find out how the
Court’s decision would affect the process of ratifying the Protocols
in Turkey.

Tert.am spoke with Turkologist Hakob Chakryan, who said, "A negative
Constitutional Court decision will provide grounds for Turkey to reject
the Protocols in their parliament by announcing and substantiating
their decision to the world, saying that Armenia’s Constitutional
Court already rejected [the Protocols]."

The Turkologist is of the opinion that if Armenia truly has an
interest in ratifying the Protocols, it wouldn’t be right, in a
political sense, to provide cause for Turkey to substantiate its
rejection of the Protocols.

However, according to Chakryan, the Constitutional Court
doesn’t concern itself with politics, its issue is overseeing the
implementation of law, and so, if the Protocols truly do not correspond
with the Constitution or its individual tenets, then the Court must
make the appropriate decision, regardless of how much that decision
will provide grounds for Turkey to substantiate its own rejection.

THE NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE OF THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE SEYRAN OHANYAN

p;p=0&id=1116&y=2010&m=01&d=11
30. 12.09

Gentlemen generals, officers, ensign, soldiers, honorable
battle-comrades, dear compatriots, the year of 2009 has come to an
end. Like every year, this year, too, the preparations of the AF were
filled with various events and programs. And we can assure that it
has been a year of achievements for us. In 2009 the RA AF were guided
by the following slogan: "New quality to the RA AF, and a new course
to the defence reforms." The defence reforms were aimed at keeping
our Armed Forces in accordance with the modern demands and creating
such a defence system, which will be capable of responding to any
crisis conditions. The structural reforms in the Armed Forces made a
clear distinction between the functions of the Ministry and the GS,
which enabled us to improve the modern strategic planning process
under the defence strategic review process.

Indeed, the most important issue of our AF is the realization of
the teaching and educational function. Thus, I might say, that the
educational process is a most important path, where we have paid more
attention to the readiness of the management system and managing
organs. The operative-tactical, tactical and staff commanders’
military exercises, staff trainings and the commanders’ military
readiness trainings have shown that the theoretical and practical
knowledge of our commanders and chiefs has increased – today they
fulfill the organization, preparation and managements of the modern
infantry battle process.

We have paid serious attention to the individual readiness of our
militants, because it is due to the battle expertise, knowledge, skills
and capabilities of each individual that the work of military-units,
detachments and formations becomes harmonized and efficient. And
we have increased the capabilities of the troops solve realize the
unique issue which is present in our Armed Forces today.

By guarding our borders on the frontline we have realized an issue,
which is aimed at ensuring peace for the people. I might say that
another peaceful year passed in general and united conditions. Serious
attention has been paid to the improvement of the AF recruiting system
– first of all the staffing system. The drafting conditions have been
improved. We pay special attention to recruiting officers of modern
capabilities in our Army. The AF is being staffed with professional
sergeants – it is to say, we are gradually increasing the professional
element in the Army.

Great attention has been paid to the issues of logistics as well. By
satiating and modernizing the armaments and new military equipment
today we assure the compliance of the armaments and equipment of our AF
with the contemporary military requirements – we do everything not to
fall behind the leading armies of the world. The social-economic issues
have also been in the centre of our attention. Around 400 militants
have had a house-warming in the course of this year. And over 400
families of war-victims and the first, second, third degree disabled
have received compensations or their housing conditions have been
improved. We will continue this course in the coming year as well,
because the RA Government pays serious attention to the societal
issues of our militants and individuals who are equalized with them.

One of the most important issues is the development of the public
affairs sector. We believe that today the Army ought to be open to the
public, indeed, taking into consideration the confidentiality demands.

We have sought to strengthen the links with schools and higher
educational institutions. By this we can increase the reputation
and honor of the AF in the public, amongst our compatriots, for
everyone ought to be ready for the defence of our motherland. 2010
should be a year of more consistent work. Of course we are to follow
the same slogan, however, we will emphasize that in the AF 2010 is
announced to be a year of knowledge and we believe that the theoretical
knowledge of each individual, translating into skills and abilities,
must increase the fighting capabilities of our AF. Dear compatriots,
first of all I would like to congratulate our battle comrades. I also
want to congratulate the families and relatives of the war-victims,
the missing, and the disabled. We are to continue the work of our
battle comrades and we will take it to the end! I want to address
my words to the Armenian people – the Army will fulfill its task,
and we will make sure that the year of 2010 is a year of peace! I
especially want to congratulate our youth – the future is in their
hands – only due to their bold initiatives can we keep the fighting
capacity of our AF and can ensure the prosperity of our motherland.

Dear co-servers – generals, officers, contractors, ensigns, and
soldiers – I wish you a happy New Year. Above all I wish you success
and happiness, warmth in your families, and I pray for you to be happy
first of all in your families. And this happiness will convey to our
AF, ensuring continual success. I think that on these days of New Year,
especially at the night of New Year, each of our compatriots will take
a glass and first of all remember the soldiers guarding our borders,
thanks to whom we were, are and will be able to ensure the peaceful
labor of our compatriots.

Marry Christmas and a happy New Year and may 2010 be a year of peace,
success and nationwide achievements.

Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan
Ingrid Peterson Administrator
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan
1080 S. University, Suite 3633
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
Phone: 734.763.0622; Fax: 734.763.4918
email: [email protected]

2009-2010 Calendar of Events
All events will be held at the International Institute in room 1636
and are open to the public unless otherwise noted.

WINTER SEMESTER 2010

Jan. 11 Arman Grigoryan, (Manoogian Simone Foundation Post-doctoral
Fellow), "War, Fears of
Minorities, and Genocide," 5:00 PM.

Jan. 23 Armenian Student Cultural Association, "The 2010 Hye Hop
Charity Dance" Michigan Union-Rogel Ballroom (2nd floor), 8PM-1:30AM.

Jan. 25 Hrach Martirosyan, (Manoogian Simone Foundation Post-doctoral
Fellow,
Netherlands/Armenia), "Perspectives on the Origin of Armenian Language
and Culture"

Jan. 28 Performance, "Sojourn at Ararat," Nora Armani & Gerald
Papasian. Biomedical Research Science Building Auditorium, 109 Zina
Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 7:00PM.

Feb. 10 Paul Werth, Associate Professor of History, University of
Nevada, " ‘Foreign Confessions’ in Foreign Contexts: Religion Across
the Border of the Russian Empire." Sponsored by the Center for Russian
and European Studies, 12:00-1:30PM.

Feb. 11 Lunch/student seminar with Paul Werth by invitation. 1644
SSWB, 12:00-2:00PM.

April 18 Annual Holocaust and Armenian Genocide Commemoration, "The
Challenges of and Opportunities of Oral Testimonies," lectures by
professors Gerard Libaridian and Sidney Bolkosky. Bernath Auditorirum
of the David W. Adamany Undergraduate Library at Wayne State
University. (Co-sponsored by ASP), 2:00 PM.

May 8-9 Second Meeting of the workshop on Kosovo and Karabakh, "After
Kosovo Declaration of Independence and the August 2008 War: The New
Geopolitics and Role of Diplomacy in the Caucasus"co-organizaed with
CIMERA, in Geneva, Switzerland.

May TBD Second meeting of the International Workshop on the "State of
Armenian Studies" (by
invitation)

BIAnet, Turkey
Jan 4 2009

Press Freedom Wins at Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals overruled the decision regarding a compensation
claim to be paid by NTV for publishing a phone talk between Dink
murder case defendant Tuncel and police officer Zenit. The reversal of
the previous decree stresses the right to inform and the freedom of
the press.

Erol Ã-NDEROGLU Istanbul – BÄ°A News Center04 January 2010, Monday The
Court of Appeals 4th Law Office overruled a decision concerning a
compensation claim lodged against NTV. The Turkish news channel had
been convicted for publishing a telephone conversation between
intelligence police officer Muhittin Zenit and defendant Erhan Tuncel,
suspect in the murder trial of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

The Ankara 1st Criminal Court of First Instance had partly accepted a
90,000 TL (approx. ?¬ 41,000) compensation claim in a previous
decision. The Court of Appeals Law office overruled the decision
emphasizing the media’s "duty to inform".

"Within the boundaries of the right to inform"
"The complainant’s freedom of communication has not been violated by
the publication of the conversation. The issue of the case is a news
item which is related to the development regarding the Dink murder,
which induced a large echo in public, and to the significance of the
case. This kind of news ranges within the boundaries of the right to
inform and is accordant to the law".

Intelligence police officer Zenit had filed a 90,000 TL compensation
claim against NTV based on several news items published on 28, 29 and
30 September 2007. The news channel had reported about a telephone
conversation the police officer had with defendant and gendarmerie
informant Tuncel half an hour after the murder of journalist Hrant
Dink on19 January 2007. Zenit opened the case because of an alleged
attack on his personal rights by the news.

In the referring telephone conversation Zenit said, "What, they shot
him directly in the head… This is the only difference. He was not
going to run away, but this one did". Zenit also sues bianet for
publishing news about the content of the phone talk, the compensation
case is pending while the penal proceedings entered an order of nolle
prosequi in November.

After the publications, Zenit opened a case for damages at the Ankara
1st Criminal Court of First Instance claiming an ‘attack on his
personal rights’. Zenit also put forward that the record of the
conversation was published while the Dink murder case was still
pending and that the rules of secrecy had been violated.

The joint attorneys representing NTV emphasized in their defence that
the news items were published in the scope of the public’s right to be
informed and the media’s duty to inform. Additionally, the lawyers
drew attention freedom of the press. (EÃ-/VK)

Today’s Zaman
03 January 2010, Sunday
PAT YALE °STANBUL

°stanbul’s forgotten art nouveau heritage

M±s±r Apartment Complex

As the curtain finally lifts on °stanbul’s year as a European Capital
of Culture, attention will be focused as never before on its
magnificent architectural heritage, much of it newly spruced up and
reopened to the public after long years in the doldrums.
Of course when people think of °stanbul, the buildings that
immediately leap to mind are those associated with the Byzantines
(Hagia Sophia, the Yerebatan Cistern) or the Ottomans (Topkap±
Palace, Sultanahmet Cami [the Blue Mosque], the Süleymaniye
complex). But as with most cities with long histories tailing them,
°stanbul is a palimpsest on which every generation has left its
mark. There’s something here from every era for those with the time
and inclination to hunt it out.
Take art nouveau, for example. This is a wonderful, flamboyant style
of turn-of-the-20th-century architecture most strongly associated in
its different forms with France, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic
and Italy. But °stanbul too has its art nouveau legacy, much of it
concentrated in Beyo=9Flu, Sirkeci, Bebek, Arnavutköy and
Büyükada, but with the odd stray in Ã=87aml±ca, Tarabya, Yeniköy
and Ã=87ubuklu, too.
The best place to set out on an exploration of art nouveau in
°stanbul is the Galata/Tünel end of °stiklal Caddesi in what is now
Beyo=9Flu but was once Pera, the part of town where the ambassadors
and foreign merchants lived until the founding of the Turkish
Republic. Like most of °stanbul, Pera was originally furnished with
wooden houses, but a sequence of fires, most disastrously in 1870, led
to a decision that all new buildings should be in stone. It was this
more than anything else that threw open the doors for the modish
European style to infiltrate the area.
Architect Raimondo d’Aronco was first off the drawing board. Born in
Italy in 1857, d’Aronco arrived in °stanbul in 1893 to work on
designs for a planned °stanbul exhibition of agriculture and industry
that never materialized after a terrible earthquake struck the city in
1894. Fortunately, by then he’d caught the eye of Sultan Abdülhamid
II, who employed him to restore some of the damaged buildings. Between
1900 and 1901, he built a house for the sultan’s tailor, Jean Botter,
which was the city’s first art nouveau structure. Today it still
stands beside the Swedish Consulate, a soot-blackened, crumbling shell
of a building festooned with gorgeous stone roses, giant sphinx-like
heads and wonderful wrought ironwork that includes dramatic protruding
flowers. Inside, even the windows contain stained-glass roses,
although most are now cracked and filthy. It’s a crying shame that it
hasn’t been restored to its original splendor.
Not far from the Casa Botter is another suffering art nouveau gem. The
Markiz Pastanesi was a favorite meeting place for the late 19th
century chattering classes. It belonged to a man named Lebon who was
brother-in-law to the Levantine architect Alexander Vallaury, the man
responsible for the nearby Pera Palas Hotel. Today what was once a
stylish café with a whiff of Vienna about it has been turned into a
fast food café called the Yemek Kulübü. Pop inside for a cut-price
bowl of soup and you’ll be able to admire two wonderful ceramic panels
depicting spring and autumn that look as if they must be works of
Mucha but were in fact by the French ceramicist J.A. Arnoux.
A little further along °stiklal Caddesi is another forgotten art
nouveau gem: the interior of the Mudo Pera shop, which still retains
its original wooden cabinets and galleries. Keep heading along
°stiklal Caddesi towards the Galatasaray Lisesi (high school) and you
will pass on the right the vast M±s±r apartment block that houses on
its top floor the trendy 360 restaurant. This was designed by the
Armenian Hovsep Aznavuryan, one of only a handful of architects at
work at this time whose name is known to us. Although not pure art
nouveau, it still carries enough of its characteristics to warrant a
mention.
Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s not hard to spot the
classic features of nouveau °stanbul-style in the clusters of
stylized flowers carved on facades and the swirling, circular designs
on wrought-iron balconies, window grilles and metal doors. To modern
visitors, these look very attractive. However, at the time they were a
novelty that didn’t find approval with everyone. There were probably
as many complaints at the turn of the 20th century about the new
high-rise apartment blocks and their tiny interior spaces as there are
today about the even higher-rise concrete apartment blocks; and it
turns out that then, as now, many of the new stone buildings were
thrown up as investment properties by speculators who wanted to spend
as little as possible on them, hence the fact that the art nouveau
trimmings tend to be strictly façade-deep only.
Yet more fine examples of the style can be found in the narrow streets
running off °stiklal Caddesi, including the fine Ferah apartment
block at the junction of Mis and Kurabiye Sokaks. If you cut down
°skender Caddesi to Å=9EiÅ=9Fhane Meydan± (square), you will also be
able to inspect the elaborate Frej apartment block designed by the
Greek Konstantinos Kyriakidis, another of the rare architects whose
name has come down to us. Finally, for those who enjoy the quirky, a
stroll down Å=9Eair Ziya PaÅ=9Fa Caddesi behind the Galata Tower will
bring you to the Laleli Ã=87eÅ=9Fme (tulip fountain), the only art
nouveau fountain in the city and designed inevitably by d’Aronco.
There are yet more wonderful art nouveau apartment blocks to be found
on GümüÅ=9Fsuyu (°nönü) Caddesi as you stroll down toward the
BeÅ=9FiktaÅ=9F soccer stadium. These include the extraordinary
GümüÅ=9Fs uyu Palas, a vibrant, 3D extravaganza of a building. Almost
unbelievably, the name of the architect who created it is unknown.
To see some of the most impressive examples of art nouveau, you need
to venture a little further afield. Off Barbaros Bulvar± in
BeÅ=9FiktaÅ=9F, for example, you might like to look at d’Aronco’s
newly restored, one-off shrine to Å=9Eeyh Muhammed Zafir, the
spiritual advisor to Sultan Abdülhamid II, in which a library,
fountain and dervish lodge pool elements of art nouveau and Ottoman
revival architecture. Or you can head up the Bosporus to Bebek and
admire the art nouveau turrets on the enormous palace built for the
khedive of Egypt’s mother. Across the other side of the Bosporus, the
Hidiv Kasr± (Khedive’s Villa) at Ã=87ubuklu, with its distinctive
tower, doesn’t have any obvious external link with art
nouveau. Inside, however, it retains a period fountain as well as some
delightful tiles in the restrooms. Closer to Sultanahmet, you can
stand on the steps of the Büyük Postane (main post office) in
Sirkeci and admire the delightful Vlora Han filling the junction
between two streets and sadly blackened despite the lovely stone roses
that gamble across its façade.
Art nouveau is usually thought of as a style of architecture
appropriate to stone buildings, but Turkey, with its long tradition of
wooden houses, soon found a way to adapt it to local needs. Some of
the finest of all
°stanbul’s art nouveau buildings are those that line the waterfront
at Arnavutköy. Ironically these lovely houses that now look so
individual appear to have been built using ready-made window and
doorframes that could be fitted by local builders without the need for
expensive architects.
Nor is that the sum of it. In summer, no exploration of art nouveau
°stanbul would be complete without a boat ride out to Büyükada,
where, on Ã=87ankaya Caddesi, you will be able to pick out yet more
wonderful wooden carvings and wrought-iron balconies. Or you can head
up the Bosporus to Tarabya, where the summer residence of the Italian
Embassy was built in grand art nouveau style.

***

M±s±r Apartment
Vlora Han
Å=9Eeyh Zafir Shrine
Botter Apartment

Agos Weekly, Istanbul
Dec 31 2009

The long-sought document is found

Yusuf HalaçoÄ?lu is one of the people that have made the greatest
contributions to this country in recent years. As we learned from his
speech in Adana, this modest historian of ours has single-handedly
produced the database that made the signing of a protocol agreement
between Turkey and Armenia possible.

He relieved our official bodies by purchasing, for five hundred
dollars, 3200 documents held by Russia, and paved the way for forming
a `historical commission.’ Turkey has been understandably quite
anxious about this `historical commission.’ There may have been a fear
that the debates might lead to `genocide,’ and that Turkish and
Armenian historians might even agree on this issue. On the other hand,
we understand that the Ottoman archives fail to prove the
non-existence of genocide. Otherwise, this dear historian would not
have to pay five hundred dollars in vain, but could instead have used
the documents at his fingertips.

Do not assume that the documents in question are ordinary ones.
HalaçoÄ?lu stated that they should have been destroyed after reading,
but that he kept them. Why do you think Russians kept them for all
these years? Perhaps they thought they might sell them to a true
historian one day in future. Anyway, the important thing is that we,
as the nation, ultimately have 3200 documents proving that the
genocide did not take place, but that just the opposite of that was
true.

By simple division, the cost of one of the documents comes to 15.6
cents. But remember that HalaçoÄ?lu made this investment during the
1990s. It was almost 15 years ago even in the median¦ Taking the
annual interest on the dollar to be five percent, it comes to 108
percent in a compound interest calculation. When we add 10 percent
profit, the current value of the 3200 documents comes to 1090 dollars.

Honestly, as Agos, we would feel bad if we did not give a hand to this
fine attempt. This is why we made the calculation. We suggest that we
pay 1090 dollars to HalaçoÄ?lu and print those documents in our paper
one by one. Then Armenians would gain knowledge and the state of
Turkey would gain self-confidence.

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