Author: Nahapetian Boris

HRANT DINK’S BOOK "TWO CLOSE PEOPLE, TWO FAR NEIGHBORS" RELEASED IN ARMENIAN

Noyan Tapan
Dec 23, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. "Two Close People, Two Far
Neighbors" book by Hrant Dink, the assassinated editor-in-chief
of Agos daily, has been released in Armenian with the support of
Hrant Dink International Foundation. Its presentation took place
at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RA National Academy of
Sciences on December 23. The book contains the author’s contemplation
on relations between Armenia and Turkey and displays an entirely new
approach to building the common furture of the two countries.

The book was published in Turkish in 2008, 18 months after Hrant
Dink’s murder. In the words of Mkrtich Somundjian who had translated
the book, he had difficulty finding the Turkish version. H. Dink’s
brother Yervand Dink helped him in this issue.

M. Somundjian said that this book provides the Armenian public with
an opportunity to learn more about H. Dink. "It is necessary to speak
more about his legacy rather than about his tragic death. The book is
quite interesting and it is well worth reading", the translator stated.

The Armenian Minister of Diaspora Ms. Hranush Hakobian said
that the primary wish of Hrant Dink as a Turkish citizen was the
Armenian-Turkish normalization and the opening of borders. "When I
took an unpublished version of the book in my hand, I read it without
a moment’s respite as it was just impossible to leave it unfinished.

Each footnote contains deep thoughts. Dink wished that there would be
peace in our region," she said, adding that Dink’s pain regarding the
genocide was evident, and he used to say that "if a person is displaced
from his native land in a gilt plane, all the same it is genocide".

According to the political scientist Alexander Iskandarian, Hrant Dink
did consider Western Armenia an ordinary place where Armenians used to
live at one time, nor was it a grief over a lost homeland. "To him,
Armenia was a viable native land. His Armenia was neither dead nor
deplorable: it was breathing. And geography has no relation in this
issue," he said.

1,000 copies of the book were printed. It is already available in
bookstores.

CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION TO EQUIP AND FURNISH HALL IN WRITERS’ UNION

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.12.2009 18:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In 2010, the Writers’ House will acquire new sound
and light equipment and furniture under the financial support of
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, according to Levon Ananyan, President
of Writers’ Union of Armenia.

"The third stage of repairs is finishing this year, yet certain things
still remain unfinished," he told Wednesday a news conference.

Stressing the importance of large-scale repairs, Mr. Ananyan said
new equipment and furniture will help make effective use of the hall.

AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY RESPONDS TO ARMENIANS’ FALSE THREATS

news.az
Dec 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Seyran Ohanian has recently become
popular for his statements of a "political scientist" about Azerbaijan,
spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry

Ohanyan leaves an impression of not the defense minister of Armenia but
an expert, specializing on Azerbaijan, said spokesman for Azerbaijan’s
Defense Ministry Eldar Sabiroglu, commenting on the statement from
Armenia’s Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan that Armenians are ready
not only to respond but also take definite action.

According to E. Sabiroglu, Seyran Ohanian has recently become popular
for his statements of a "political scientist" about Azerbaijan.

"After reading his statements posted on panorama.am and other Armenian
media, it is easy to see similarities. He is seriously concerned about
the growing defense potential of Azerbaijan and the leading role of
it army in the region. He understands that in the case of the second
war the fate of Armenia will be poor. This concern makes him voice
statements about "offensive" against Azerbaijan.

The killer of Khojaly residents can’t stop emotions, therefore, it
is not worth paying special attention to him. Ohanyan sets a special
task to make statements intended for internal audience. Today this
is of special need for him. He views it as the most effective way to
cover up his crimes. Innocent citizens against whom he turned the army
on 1 March are still pursued. Evidently, he could not find any other
way but to turn his angry thoughts and hatred to Azerbaijan ", said E.

Sabiroglu.

Seyran Ohanian earlier stated that Armenia tries to ignore the
bellicose threats from Azerbaijan, but if necessary, it is ready not
only to respond but also take definite actions.

GUL BACKS MINISTER’S CRITICISM OF PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

Today’s Zaman
Dec 22 2009
Turkey

President Abdullah Gul on Monday joined the government’s harsh
criticism against Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, whose remarks,
in which he likened his treatment by the government in Turkey to
crucifixion, have led to disappointment and anger in Ankara.

Speaking in an interview with CBS’ "60 Minutes" for a story broadcast
in the United States on Sunday night, Patriarch Bartholomew said
Turkey’s Greek Orthodox community does not feel they enjoy complete
freedom as Turkish citizens and feel they are treated as "second-class
citizens."

Asked whether he would consider going to Greece, he said he would
stay in Turkey. "This is the continuation of Jerusalem and for us an
equally holy and sacred land. We prefer to stay here, even crucified
sometimes," said Bartholomew. Asked if he feels crucified, he replied,
"Yes, I do," according to excerpts published by CBS on Friday.

Ankara’s response was swift, as Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on
Saturday told reporters: "We consider the crucifixion metaphor an
extremely unfortunate metaphor. In our history, there have never been
crucifixions, and there never will be. I couldn’t really reconcile
this metaphor with his mature personality." President Abdullah Gul,
speaking at a press conference on Monday ahead of his departure
from Ankara for an official visit to Kuwait, was reminded of the
controversial remarks by Bartholomew.

"The foreign minister spoke of the issue extremely well. There is
nothing further to say on the issue," Gul responded briefly.

Ankara’s criticism towards Bartholomew had already garnered a response
from Athens on Sunday when Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gregory
Delavekouras issued a statement saying that among Turkey’s obligations
for joining the European Union is "that respect for freedom of religion
and for the rights of minorities takes precedence."

"It is the duty of all, and mainly those who are responsible for
the situation of the ecumenical patriarch and the Greek minority,
to pay attention," Delavekouras said.

Bartholomew’s remarks sparked further criticism from both the
government and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
on Sunday.

In Ä°zmir, speaking at a conference organized by the ruling Justice
and Development Party (AK Party), Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arınc
called the patriarch’s criticism "unacceptable," while reiterating
that Turkey doesn’t consider the patriarchate to be ecumenical in
line with the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which governs the status of
the Greek Orthodox Church in Turkey.

Arınc recalled a rare meeting during which Bartholomew and leaders
of the small Armenian, Jewish, Syriac Orthodox and Syriac Catholic
communities had lunch with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
senior ministers, including Arınc, on Buyukada, an island near
mainland Ä°stanbul.

At the meeting held in August, Erdogan promised democratic reforms,
highlighting the issue of minority rights, a key stumbling block
in Turkey’s EU membership bid. Arınc said all religious leaders
attending the August meeting, including Bartholomew, then stated that
they enjoyed their religious rights during the AK Party government
and thanked them for that. "If a speech like this is delivered four
months later, then it is an unfortunate speech," Arınc said.

The CBS interview was recorded in May, months before the Buyukada
gathering.

In Ankara, CHP Deputy Chairman Onur Oymen released a statement in which
he criticized both the patriarch and Davutoglu. Calling Bartholomew’s
remarks "inappropriate," Oymen suggested that Davutoglu’s response
to those remarks was "too weak."

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND TO AZERBAIJAN’S NOTE OF PROTEST AFTER CHRISTMAS

Today
/58423.html
Dec 22 2009
Azerbaijan

The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry’s note of protest against the U.S. Congress assistance worth
$8 million for break-away Nagorno-Karabakh, adviser to Azerbaijani
ambassador to the U.S. Khazar Ibrahim said.

He said heavy snowfall and a period run-up to Christmas slow down
Washington’s response.

Ibrahim said there is heavy snowfall in the U.S capital. "Even
the roads have not been cleared yet. We hardly got to work. Only
Azerbaijani embassy is working among other embassies," he said.

Ibrahim said the response will be available after the holiday.

On Dec. 18, the American side stated that they will provide a response
in a short timeframe.

ARMENIAN TOURIST OPERATORS: ‘IN TURKEY WE CAME OUT AS A WHOLE TOURIST INDUSTRY OF ARMENIA’

ArmInfo
2009-12-21 16:45:00

ArmInfo.To become better known on the world map of tourist routes,
Armenia must become a component of the regional tours, said Armenian
tourist operators after the regional seminar on tourism development in
Izmir, Turkey, on Dec 13-14. Nearly 10 representatives of Armenia,
Georgia, Azerbaijan as well as nearly 40 operators from Turkey
participated in the event.

The tourist operators said it was for the first time that Armenian
tourist operators came out at such international meeting as a whole
tourist industry and not as separate companies. "At present cultural
tourism is growing and visits to historical monuments in the territory
of Eastern Turkey and further to Armenia is quite prospective regional
route. Considering that the border with Turkey is still closed, the
route may be via territory of Georgia making it one of the directions
of the trip," the operators said. They are sure that preference of
foreign tourists must be taken into account since they, especially
the tourists from the USA, prefer visiting several countries in a trip.

Such a regional route will be more attractive for them than
just a tour of Armenia. A number of tourist operators said the
Turkey-Georgia-Armenia trip tickets had already been included in
their offers and are in demand rather than just tours of Armenia.

KARABAKHI SIDE COMMENTS ON MURDER ON CONTACT LINE

news.am
Dec 21 2009
Armenia

December 20 at 4:30 p.m., an Armenian woman was shot on NKR-Azerbaijan
armed forces’ contact line near Aghdam, Azerbaijani Anspress reports.

According to the source, a woman was killed in an attempt to leave
for Azerbaijan from the territory controlled by Armenia. Her body is
presently in Azerbaijani side.

Meanwhile, information was not officially confirmed by either side.

According to Azerbaijani media, presently Defense Ministry checks
the facts. December 21, NKR Defense Ministry press secretary Senor
Hasratyan told NEWS.am that information is untrue. According to him,
no incident was registered near Aghdam, "If the body was on Azerbaijani
or neutral territory, as they report, we would have been officially
informed of it. Meanwhile, Ministry holds no information about the
incident."

RA AMBASSADOR TO ARGENTINA MEETS CHIEF OF BUENOS AIRES GOVERNMENT

news.am
Dec 18 2009
Armenia

RA Ambassador to Argentina Vladimir Karmirshalyan held a meeting
recently with Chief of Government of Buenos Aires Mauricio Macri,
reported Diario Armenia.

During the meeting Ambassador Karmirshalyan pointed out that the
cooperation convention between Yerevan and Buenos Aires signed in
2000 is an excellent opportunity for the two capitals to develop
bilateral relations. The Armenian Ambassador expressed his regret
that the sides missed the opportunities afforded by the agreement and
proposed attaching more importance to developing the Yerevan-Buenos
Aires relations.

Mauricio Macri, in turn, expressed his regret he failed to visit
Armenia at the invitation of Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan. He pointed
out he would be happy to receive a Yerevan Municipality delegation
led by the Yerevan Mayor.

On this occasion the Armenian Ambassador proposed organizing a Yerevan
Week cultural program, and Mauricio Macri welcomed the initiative.

ARMENIA AND TURKEY MUST HOLD BALANCE IN BILATERAL TIES’ NORMALIZATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.12.2009 17:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey, like Armenia pursues its national interests.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have bilateral interests. Armenia and Turkey
must hold balance in bilateral ties’ normalization, Sabah Turkish
newspaper foreign policy correspondent Bilge Eser said.

As Bilge Eser told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Turkish society is ready
for a dialogue with that of Armenia.

Dwelling on article 301 of Turkey’s Criminal Code, Bilge Eser
emphasized that many people in US as well as Europe are opposed to it.

Turkish citizens who insult Turkish identity through their articles,
statements, books and publications are subject to legal prosecution,
yet none of them is arrested. "Currently Turkey faces a number of
crucial issues, so art.301 is not discussed at present," she noted.

NEW HNCHAK LEADERS TO CONTINUE COOPERATION WITH ANC

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
17.12.2009 18:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Social Democrat Hnchak party’s extraordinary sitting
was convened by the demand of 90 % of party representatives, according
newly elected Hnchak leader Gevorg Perkupekyan.

The session elected 7 governing board members and a chairperson,
as well as adopted amendments to the party’s charter, he told today
a news conference organized jointly with new governing board member
Narek Galstyan.

For his part, Galstyan said that Lyudmila Sargsyan’s statements
on receiving a non-confidence vote were untrue. With regard to the
decision on excluding 3 party members, he characterized it non-valid
considering that the governing board consists of 3 members while
decision was made by 3 representatives.

Asked by journalists whether new Hnchak administration would continue
cooperation with Armenian National Congress (ANC), Vardan Khachatryan
said no such issue was included in party’s agenda. "So, we’ll have no
problem should the party express willingness to cooperate with us,"
he noted.

As to Lyudmila Sargsyan, the newly elected chair stressed that that
December 16 elections automatically terminated her competences. In
that connection he added that the Administration elected by Hnchak
party’s governing board should be considered valid.