Author: Nadirian Emma

ORINATS YERKIR PARTY TO FURTHER STAND FOR IDEA OF TARGETED COMPENSATION FOR GAS TARIFF GROWTH

ArmInfo
2010-04-30 15:50:00

ArmInfo. Orinats Yerkir Party will further stand for the idea of
targeted compensation for the gas tariff growth, Hovhanness Margaryan
(Orinats Yerkir Party) , Head of the Armenian National Assembly
Commission for Territorial Administration, said at a briefing in the
parliament on Friday.

He said that residents of highly mountainous regions and the
disaster zone must be provided with higher pensions and benefits
as a compensation for the rise of the gas tariff starting April
1. In response, Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan called inexpedient
development of criteria not differentiating population categories. "I
raised this issue at the last four-day session of the parliament and
the finance minister replied that the issue would be discussed during
future sessions. If in Amasia and Ghukasyan winter lasts for 8 months
a year, the local population is reluctant to spend 4-5 times more on
heating," H. Margaryan said. He believes that increasing the size of
pensions and benefits to the residents of these regions will not cost
much to the budget, especially taking into account the continuing
housing provision in the disaster area. "The number of temporary
sheds where residents have to consume more gas will decrease," he
said. To recall, the government adopted a decision Friday to increase
the basic pension by 2.5 thousand drams (almost by 11%) starting Nov
1 2010 and social benefits by 3,000 drams (nearly 15%) starting May
1 to recompense rise of the gas tariff (from 96 to 132,000 drams).

ARMENTEL SUPPORTS MOBILE COMPETENCE OPEN LESSONS IN ARMENIAN REGIONS

ArmInfo
2010-04-30 18:56:00

ArmInfo. CJSC ArmenTel (Beeline trademark) and the Child Protection
Fund NGO have completed the second stage of the joint program on secure
mobile communication and development of skills among schoolchildren,
the press service of ArmenTel told ArmInfo. Under the program,
discussions were held in 5 regions of Armenia with participation of
school headmasters and teachers. The discussions were dedicated to
the problems of mobile security of teenagers. Upon completion of the
roundtables, open lessons on mobile security were delivered in 130
communities of Armenia. Over 3300 schoolchildren gained knowledge of
the bases of mobile communication using, and familiarized themselves
with the rules of secure using of mobile telephones.

"Being a single communication operator in the country, ArmenTel sees
its role not only in provision of a wide spectrum of communication
services, but also realizes its responsibility for disseminating
knowledge about the security of teenagers using mobile communication
and internet services",- said Director General of CJSC ArmenTel
Igor Klimko. At the final stage of the program in mid May 2010,
a commission of experts from the Education Ministry will select the
best compositions on the topic of mobile competence. The winners and
their teachers will receive diplomas and awards from ArmenTel and
Child Protection Fund.

To remind, at the first stage of the program, at the forum dedicated
to secure mobile communication held in Yerevan on 10 March 2010,
the Mobile Ethics Charter was signed in Armenia, which determines the
key principles of ethical and secure use of mobile communication. The
participants in the forum were representatives of the Public Council
under the Armenian president, Ministry of Education and Science,
Ministry of Labor and Social Issues, employees of the Armenian Police
and representatives of UNICEF.

ARMENIANS OF COLORADO GATHER IN DENVER FOR COMMEMORATION

Armenian Weekly
Thu, Apr 29 2010

DENVER, Colo.-Celebrated Los Angeles attorney Mark Geragos spoke
about the Armenian Genocide in his "Reparations: Beyond Recognition"
speech, as part of the Armenian Genocide remembrance events organized
by Armenians of Colorado (AOC), Inc. Geragos spoke to an engaged
gathering at the Waring Theatre of Arapahoe Community College. He
was one of the lead lawyers in a pair of groundbreaking federal
class action lawsuits against New York Life Insurance and AXA for
insurance policies issued in the early 20th century during the time
of the Armenian Genocide. These two cases settled for over $37.5
million in 2004 and 2005.

Community activists with Geragos "The statistical data about the
case that Mr. Geragos shared was amazingly powerful confirmation of
the genocidal process of the Armenian people and the crowd really
appreciated his lecture in Denver" said Kim Christianian, president
of AOC. The lecture was sponsored by Armenians of Colorado Inc. with
support from Sigma Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor
Society, Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, and
Facing History and Ourselves.

On Fri., April 23, the Colorado General Assembly unanimously passed
the 9th annual Armenian Genocide Resolution designating April 24 as
Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution
was sponsored by long-time supporter State Senator Lois Tochtrop and
State Representative Su Ryden. "Unlike previous years, there were
no reservations given by the legislators in passing the resolution,"
said Ken Allikian, the chair of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration
Committee (GCC) that coordinates the resolution every year, and
secures gubernatorial and mayoral proclamations.

Armenians of Colorado (AOC) organized the annual commemoration
ceremony the following day at the Armenian Garden, located on the
State Capitol grounds, where there is a memorial headstone dedicated
to the 1.5 million Armenians killed during the first genocide of the
20th century. Over 100 people gathered for the ceremony. The speakers
included State Senator Lois Tochtrop; Kim Christianian; Ken Allikian;
and Simon Maghakyan, secretary of AOC and former co-chair of the GCC.

Rosemary Rodriguez, the state director for Senator Michael Bennet,
read a letter from the Senator.

Below is the text of the 2010 Colorado state resolution "concerning
remembrance of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2010, and,
in connection therewith, designating every April 24 hereafter as
‘Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.’"

*** Sixty-Seventh General Assembly State of Colorado, Senate Joint
Resolution WHEREAS, This year marks the 95th anniversary of the first
genocide of the 20th century, the Armenian Genocide, when 1.5 million
men, women, and children of Armenian descent were victims of a brutal
genocide perpetrated by the Turkish Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923
and, as a result, there are fewer than 75,000 indigenous Armenians
living within the borders of modern Turkey; and WHEREAS, The former
United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau,
Sr., stated, "Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts of the
human mind can devise, and whatever refinements of persecutions
and injustice the most debased imagination can conceive, became the
daily misfortunes of this devoted people."; and WHEREAS, The killing
of the Armenian people was followed by the systematic destruction of
churches, schools, libraries, treasures of art, and cultural monuments
that continues to this day in an attempt to eliminate all traces of
a noble civilization with a history of more than 3,000 years; and
WHEREAS, The New York Times recently reported a newly exposed official
Ottoman document revealing that 972,000 Armenians disappeared from
population records within one year; and WHEREAS, Despite overwhelming
evidence, modern Turkey continues to deny and distort the facts of the
genocide, honor the perpetrators of that crime against humanity as
national heroes, and persecute its citizens who acknowledge or even
allude to the Armenian Genocide; and WHEREAS, Each April, Armenians
throughout the world honor their martyrs, and all the world’s people
should commemorate the Armenian Genocide and condemn any attempt
to deny its historical truth or mischaracterize it as anything less
than genocide, a term coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944 referencing
the Armenian extermination as a seminal example of genocide; and
WHEREAS, We must all fight against current injustices, such as the
ongoing first genocide of the 21st century in Darfur that is being
denied by the Turkish government, an ally of the Sudanese regime,
which demonstrates how the cycle of genocide continues; and WHEREAS,
We commend Armenians of Colorado, Inc., for organizing the April
2010 genocide commemoration events, which include a keynote speech
by attorney Mark Geragos entitled "Reparations: Beyond Recognition",
held April 17th at Arapahoe Community College; and WHEREAS, We commend
the growing number of Turkish citizens, including academics, writers,
and journalists, who challenge their government’s official account of
history amid threats of prosecution and imprisonment under article 301
of the Turkish penal code, which forbids denigration of the Turkish
nation and the Turkish government; now, therefore, Be It Resolved
by the Senate of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly of the State
of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein: (1)
That this legislative body pause in its deliberations to commemorate
the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, to be recognized at
a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, 2010, at the
Armenian Genocide memorial plaque in the Armenian Garden, located in
the northeast quadrant on the State Capitol grounds; and (2) That we,
the members of the General Assembly, hereby acknowledge April 24, 2010,
and April 24 of each year hereafter, as "Colorado Day of Remembrance
of the Armenian Genocide".

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be
sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States;
the members of the Colorado Congressional Delegation; the members
of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues; the Honorable Bill
Ritter, Jr., Governor of Colorado; the Armenian Assembly of America
in Washington, D.C.; the Armenian National Committee in Washington,
D.C.; and the Armenian and Turkish Embassies in Washington, D.C.

Armenians of Colorado, Inc. was established in June 1982. It is a 501©
(3) non-profit, cultural organization charged with a purpose to create
a cohesive Armenian community and to further the understanding of
Armenian history, culture, and heritage. AOC actively supports issues
and concerns of the Armenian American community here in Colorado
as well as those identified within the Armenian Diaspora throughout
the world. For more information about Armenians of Colorado, visit

REPUBLICANS WILL NOT SEE MAJORITY IN NEXT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS: TIGRAN KARAPETYAN

Tert.am
30.04.10

The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) will not have a majority seat
in the parliament during the next parliamentary elections, Leader of
Peoples Party Tigran Karapetyan said at a press conference today.

According to Karapetyan if previously only 1-2 parties were offering
bribes with an aim to buy votes, now "99%" of the parties, except
the Peoples Party, are doing it.

In his words some 8-9 parties are going to participate in the next
parliamentary elections, and that is why RPA’s expectations to win
most of the seats in the parliaments will not come true.

Further Karapetyan criticized the election system.

"In our country people are giving their votes upon their chiefs’
demands unaware that it is their future," said Karapetyan, adding
that the parties spend every effort to have local criminal personae
involved in the electoral race so that to use their authority for
gaining more votes.

Tigran Karapetyan also said he considered it unrealistic the
possibility of snap parliamentary elections.

MUTUAL DEFENCE ‘MORAL DUTY’ FOR AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY

news.az
April 29 2010
Azerbaijan

Novruz Mammadov 1news.az interviews Novruz Mammadov, head of the
international relations department at the Presidential Administration
of Azerbaijan.

The Turkish press have published many articles about the current state
of relations between Turkey and Armenia and Azerbaijan’s role in this.

Most articles see the restoration of relations with Armenia as
essential for the expansion of Turkey’s foreign policy and a serious
test for Turkey on the path to democracy, while Azerbaijan is accused
of getting in the way. What can you as an official of the presidential
administration say about these articles?

I am familiar with most of these articles and some of them even say
that Azerbaijan ‘is holding Turkey’s foreign policy hostage’. But I
think these articles, most of which are written on the basis of claims
voiced by Armenia, are untrue. The main issue hampering relations
between Turkey and Armenia lies in Armenia’s campaign abroad on
recognition of the ‘genocide’ in cooperation with the Armenian diaspora
and the open statement that does not recognize Turkish borders. Another
factor in these relations are the borders with Armenia that have been
closed since 1993 as a sign of protest at the occupation of Karabakh
and adjacent Azerbaijani land. European and American officials, who
determine their own positions on Armenia under the influence of the
Armenian lobby, have has been trying to improve Armenia’s situation
despite the country’s aggressive policy. America recently voiced
its intention to turn a blind eye to the Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijani land and is putting pressure on Turkey in an attempt to
make it open the borders with Armenia without any preconditions. The
main arguments put forward to force Turkey and Azerbaijan to accept
this plan, which favours only Armenia, are as follows:

first, Turkish-Armenian relations have nothing to do with Karabakh,
which is why these two issues must be settled separately; second, the
opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia neutralizes the issue of
the Armenian ‘genocide’ which is discussed in America every year and
causes a real headache for Turkey; third, both Turkey and Azerbaijan
are interested in opening borders as it will help soften Armenia’s
policy and thus contribute to the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

The mutual protection of interests by Turkey and Azerbaijan as one
nation in two states is their elementary moral duty. Whoever expects
Turkey to be tolerant about the occupation of Karabakh ignores the
fact that Armenian soldiers, judging from their own confessions, used
violence only with the intention of settling scores with Turks and
that over a million people lost their homes as a result of Armenian
aggression.

In this case, isn’t it natural for our fellow Azerbaijanis who were
subjected to ethnic cleansing to expect support from Turkey?

Yes, this is quite natural. You know, the US officials working on
bills on recognition of the ‘genocide’ to please their country’s
Armenian minority, which makes up less than 1% of the population,
and putting pressure on foreign countries should understand Turkey’s
sympathy for the sorrow of their fraternal country – Azerbaijan.

Beyond these frameworks, the opening of borders with Armenia cannot be
considered a convincing argument to neutralize the issue of ‘genocide’
and save Turkey from future problems. The Armenian diaspora views the
‘genocide’ issue as the source of life and turns this issue into a
political instrument in any country where it is present. Officials in
Armenia also call recognition of the ‘genocide’ a national struggle
and do not intend to give up on this. The issue of ‘genocide’ has
always been used as a political tool, both in America’s domestic
policy and its relations with Turkey. It is not logical that people
who use this trump card to put pressure on Turkey should say that
the ‘genocide’ issue will be off the agenda once the process of
normalization is complete. The real issue to pondered is what will
happen after recognition of the claims of ‘genocide’, as we know
that the other two pillars of the Armenian struggle lie are claims
for material compensation and land.

This must be news to the authors of articles about the potential
positive influence of the opening of the border on the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict, or about how Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan
on Karabakh promotes an irreconcilable position.

This is probably how it is. But the truth and the reality is that
20% of Azerbaijani land has occupied by aggressor Armenia for 18
years already and over a million people have become refugees. Though
Azerbaijan conducts intensive talks with Armenia within the framework
of the Minsk Group in order to settle the issue peacefully, the
non-constructive position of the enemy hampers any positive result.

Armenia’s policy of no compromise shows its intention to continue
this aggression. It’s not possible for Azerbaijan to compromise by
being reconciled to the occupation. One of the main factors able to
force Armenia to take a step towards a peace settlement is the closed
borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan. If these borders open without a
step by Armenia, this will cause serious damage both to Azerbaijan
and to the chances of a peace settlement.

And finally, are statements about a lack of support for Turkey from
Azerbaijan fair?

I do not think these statements or claims are fair or true. Azerbaijan
was not at Turkey’s side at the summit on nuclear security because
our country was not invited to the summit which was interpreted in
the press as the latest sign of US attempts to drive Azerbaijan out
of the talks between Armenia and Turkey. Turkey and Azerbaijan are
a single state on the issue of the so-called ‘genocide’ and on other
issues too. The state officials and diplomats of Azerbaijan, led by
President Ilham Aliyev, perceive the protection of Turkish interests
at all open and closed forums, beginning with EU membership, as their
duty. The Azerbaijani community was first to react to the appeal on
recognition of the ‘genocide’ in the Georgian parliament. Azerbaijan
has always accepted the issue of the ‘genocide’ as its own issue and
our country has made the fight against the use of these claims as a
political tool into a component of its own work abroad.

In some cases Azerbaijan has been more active than Turkey, because
the claims of ‘genocide’ have caused the greatest damage to Azerbaijan.

Armenia, which showed aggression against its neighbouring country
from the first day of its independence, has managed to veil its
aggression and ethnic cleansing under the shield of its own campaign
of ‘genocide’. We are upset at the success of the campaign, even
in Turkey. The relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are based on
historical traditions; they are the relations of one people and, most
important, they are based on mutual interests. Azerbaijan has always
treated Turkey as a fraternal state. In the past 20 years Turkey has
been Azerbaijan’s gateway to the West, while Azerbaijan for Turkey has
been a gateway to Central Asia. Despite intensive pressure, Azerbaijan
has implemented its energy policy with respect to Turkey’s interests
and taken significant steps to transport natural gas and oil to world
markets via Turkey. Turkey, which actively supports Azerbaijan in its
difficult times, is favoured and respected among our people. In other
words, we believe that our relations, based on strong ties between
our peoples, will successfully overcome this difficult test that has
subjected us to great pressure.

DASHNAK LEADER HAILS SARKISIAN’S ‘AUDACITY’

e/2027271.html
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 20:28

RFE/RL — A leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) on Wednesday praised President Serzh Sarkisian’s
decision to freeze the normalization process with Turkey, seemingly
contradicting his party’s reaction to the move.

Dashnaktsutyun is a vocal critic of Sarkisian’s conciliatory line
on Turkey, having pulled out of his coalition cabinet a year ago in
protest. Its senior representatives have said that Yerevan should have
formally walked away from the Turkish-Armenian protocols, instead of
only suspending the procedure of their ratification by the Armenian
parliament on April 22.

But Aghvan Vartanian, a member of the nationalist party’s governing
Bureau, was more positive about the move, saying that the protocols
are now "effectively dead" and that Armenians should therefore
"appreciate the president’s audacity."

"Of course, we could have shut the door, rescinded our signature, and
that would have been right," Vartanian told a news conference. "But
unfortunately, our country is still not that strong and independent.

Unfortunately, we are still not Turkey."

"Nonetheless, I think the issue is closed, and that is good," said
the former labor minister.

The remarks contrasted with what another Dashnaktsutyun Bureau member,
Vahan Hovannisian, said in the Armenian parliament on Tuesday. He
downplayed the significance of Sarkisian’s move, arguing that
the National Assembly would not ratify the protocols before their
endorsement by the Turkish parliament anyway.

The former deputy parliament speaker argued that Sarkisian stopped
short of even recalling them from the assembly. "The president should
have recalled the protocols in order to send or not send them back
or to send them back with reservations later on," he said.

Hovannisian, who now leads Dashnaktsutyun’s parliament faction, said
the influential party remains of the opinion that the Armenian leader
should have scrapped the accords altogether. "As long as Armenia’s
signature remains in those documents, we will be susceptible to
[external] pressures," he said. "They [foreign powers] will make
every effort to open a new door to Turkey, in terms of ratification,
and I’m worried that that will be done at our expense. Namely, by
forcing us to make unilateral concessions on Nagorno-Karabakh."

GRAY WOLVES THREATENING TURKISH HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS FOR APRIL 24 COMMEMORATION

Tert.am
28.04.10

Human rights defenders are being scared in Turkey for paying tribute
to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide in the break
up of Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Representatives of the Istanbul branch of Union for Human Rights
Defense are being threatened to death by representatives of Turkish
nationalist circles for having organized a commemoration of the
victims of the Armenian Genocide on the central square in Istanbul
on April 24, reports Turkish Firat news agency.

In an interview with Firat Secretary of the Union for Human Rights
Defense Baki Bogan said they were receiving e-mails verbally assaulting
them and threatening to kill them.

"Last year too we made a statement over the Genocide and received
threatening e-mails. But this year the number of threats has
multiplied," said Bogan, adding they were planning to lodge a complaint
against the sender of those e-mails.

"We have not explored the source of those e-mails yet. But it can
definitely be said that their content corresponds to the ideas of
the extremist organization Gray Wolves," said Bogan, adding that what
happened in 1915 constituted Genocide.

"More than 1 million people died during the Genocide. It does not
matter whether the Turks or the Kurds perpetrated those killings. What
does matter is that it was implemented upon specific instructions by
the state," concluded Bogan.

IGOR POPOV INTENDS TO VISIT NAGORNO-KARABAKH

news.am
April 28 2010
Armenia

The newly appointed OSCE MG Russian Co-Chair Igor Popov intends to
visit Nagorno-Karabakh.

On April 27, Popov arrived in Yerevan from Baku. He held meetings with
RA President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The officials discussed recent developments in Karabakh peace process.

Popov replaced Yuri Merzlyakov and it is his first regional visit to
the South Caucasus.

95TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MARKED IN GEORGIA

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 26, 2010
TBILISI

TBILISI, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Church services and other events
to mark the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took place in
Tbilisi, Javakhk and other Georgian settlements populated by Armenians.

A matinee in memory of the Genocide victims was held at Tbilisi’s
Armenian school No 110 on April 23, during which the pupils gave
literary and music performances on the Genocide. In the next few days
such events will also be organized at Armenian schools of Kvemo-Kartli,
Javakhk, and Batumi. A concert by the singer Saribek Sargsyan is
scheduled for April 27 at the Tbilisi Conservatory.

A divine service took place in Surb Etchmiadzin Church of Tbilisi on
April 23, following which pianist Yesayi Abovian and singer Svetlana
Tatoyeva performed pieces of spiritual and classical music.

On the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Genocide committed in
the Ottoman Empire, liturgies and services for the repose of the soles
of the Genocide victims took place on April 24 in Surb Etchmiadzian
Church of Tbilisi and other churches of the Georgian Armenian diocese.

The repose of the soul service in Surb Etchmiadzin Church was
presided over by Head of the Georgian Armenian Diocese Bishop Vazgen
Mirzakhanian.

Following the church ceremonies, the participants went to the Khojevank
Pantheon of Armenian writers and public figures, where, on behalf of
the Armenian embassy in Georgia, they laid a wreath at the obelisk
to the Genocide victims.

The Cinema House of Tbilisi hosted a meeting on the evening of April
24, during which the Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Hrach Silvanian
made a speech and films on the Genocide were demonstrated.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the events
dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide were widely
covered by the Georgian mass media.

WPS Agency, Russia
What the Papers Say (Russia)
April 23, 2010 Friday

YEREVAN RESPONDED TO ANKARA’S ULTIMATUM;
The price Ankara insists on is too high, as far as Armenia is concerned

BYLINE: Yuri Roks
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, NN 83-84, April 23, 2010, p. 1

ARMENIA PUT ON HOLD NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH TURKEY; Ankara did
its best to ruin normalization of the relations with Armenia and
feigns surprise at Yerevan’s reaction now.

This Thursday, the ruling coalition in Armenia initiated removal of
the Swiss Protocols off the parliamentary agenda. President Serj
Sargsjan addressed the nation several hours later. Warned to expect
the address in advance, general public and experts anticipated
assessment of the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement and an update on the
Karabakh conflict resolution process. Considering the forthcoming 95th
anniversary of the genocide, some observers expected Sargsjan to
suspend the dialogue with Turkey due to stagnation of the processes of
normalization. Some even expected annulment of Armenian signature on
the Swiss Protocols, the plan of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations.

Sargsjan made a thorough report on his visits to Washington and Moscow
to the National Security Council, this Wednesday.

While in the United States, Sargsjan met with U.S. President Barack
Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.The process of
the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement displayed no progress even after
the meetings, though. All optimistic expectations proved vain.
Official Ankara chose to talk to Armenia in the language of ultimatum,
one language Yerevan naturally found unacceptable. Negotiations with
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev took place on Tuesday. No need to
explain exactly what the strategic partners discussed.

The preconditions Ankara kept insisting on remained unchanged: return
of Karabakh and adjacent districts to Azerbaijan, abandonment of the
campaign for recognition of genocide.

Armenia decided that Turkey was demanding too much. In fact, official
Yerevan had made a concession to Ankara with regard to the second
demand – one that earned it criticism from Armenian diasporas the
world over. Armenia accepted the offer to set up a joint commission to
"study circumstances of the 1915 tragedy" and began waiting for some
analogous gesture from Ankara. Waiting proved futile. After a brief
pause Turkey reverted to wanton promotion of the interests of
Azerbaijan and reiterated its ultimatum concerning Nagorno-Karabakh.

The ruling coalition comprising the Republican Party, Land of Law, and
Affluent Armenia responded by removal of the Swiss Protocols awaiting
ratification off the parliamentary agenda. Responsibility for it was
pinned on Turkey and personally on Erdogan.

"Considering that Turkey’s refusal to ratify the protocols in
reasonable time renders pointless continuation of the same process in
the parliament of Armenia, the ruling majority opted to strike the
item off the agenda pending demonstration of readiness to proceed
without preconditions on Turkey’s part," the coalition declared.

The coalition even allowed for the possibility that Armenia might void
its signature on the Armenian-Turkish protocols now. "Its policy of
ultimatums and preconditions plainly shows Turkey unready for
normalization of the relations," said a spokesman for the ruling
coalition. "It is up to the president, of course. We hope that he will
make up his mind later today."

This turn of events should have been anticipated but official Ankara
was taken by surprise all the same. Foreign Ministry Press Secretary
Burak Ozugergin said that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu already
briefed Erdogan on the latest developments. "We need time for analysis
of the statement made by the coalition in Armenia. We have to try and
understand what it is supposed to accomplish," Ozugergin said.

WPS’2010
[translated from Russian]