Author: Parkev Tvankchian

Russia-Turkey S-400 supply deal nearly finalized – Ankara

Parkev Tvankchian
Panorama, Armenia

Few nominal issues are left to clear up in a generally formalized contract on the delivery of Russia's S-400 missile systems to Turkey, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Friday, Sputnik News reports.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this week that Ankara and Moscow had signed a document on supplies of the S-400 Triumf systems.

"The negotiations are coming to an end. This I can clearly state. Minor points relating to the agreement remain to be clarified. However, in general terms, the agreement has already taken shape," Kalin said as quoted by Turkey's Anadolu news service.

Earlier, Ankara's ambassador to Moscow, Huseyin Dirioz announced that Turkey's membership to NATO does not impede the supply of Russia's S-400 air defense missile systems to the country.

Turkey has agreed to pay Russia 2.5 billion dollars for Russia's S-400 missile systems.

Iran likely to review policies toward nuclear program, Armenian expert says

Parkev Tvankchian
Panorama, Armenia


“The discussions during the [Iranian] election campaign mainly focused on two key issues – the first one referred to its nuclear program, with the second issue related to its ballistic missile program. And in the post-election period, Iran’s president-elect faced serious domestic and foreign challenges driven from the above-mentioned factors. The foreign challenges stemmed from the new U.S. sanctions on Iran, with the domestic issues related to the tensions in the relations between the president and the IRGC (Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps),” Armen Israelyan, a Yerevan-based expert on Iranian studies, noted in a Facebook post.

“The recent meeting between Hassan Rouhani and the IRGC leaders seems to have relaxed the existing tension in their relations. Meantime, Iran’s conservatives still continue to exert pressure reading the nuclear deal, demanding the government to be deprived of its powers on the program.

Hassan Rouhani will be officially inaugurated as Iran’s president in a few days, and it is likely that the president will introduce the government staff during that ceremony.

At the government session on July 27, Rouhani promised an adequate retaliation to the new U.S. sanctions. In this context it is not ruled out that the Supreme National Security Council, or another structure under the direct command of the supreme leader will begin dealing with the nuclear program instead of the government,” he concluded.

Nişanyan Granted Asylum in Greece

Parkev Tvankchian
Armenian Weekly



By Weekly Staff on  

ATHENS, Greece—On July 27, the government of Greece granted a six-month temporary residency permit to Turkish-Armenian fugitive Sevan Nişanyan, who escaped from a Turkish prison on July 14, after serving over three years of a 17-year sentence in Turkey.

Sevan Nişanyan

In an interview with Armenpress on July 25, Nişanyan indicated that he had sought asylum from Greece saying, “I have always thought of Greece as my second or third homeland. It is a very beautiful and civilized country. I’ll be very happy to spend the new phase of my life there.”

“I got a lot of support and love from my friends in Armenia when I was in prison. There are many people whom I’d like to thank,” Nişanyan told Armenpress.

The Turkish authorities have issued a warrant for Nişanyan’s arrest and have listed him as a fugitive from the law.

In a recent interview with Armenian Weekly correspondent Gulisor Akkum, Nişanyan, said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s regime’s days are numbered and that he will eventually return to his home country.

“I am sad that I will be away from my village and my home for a period of time. But I do not believe this political insanity in Turkey will continue for too long. This regime is going to go, and we will return!” the Turkish-Armenian intellectual, travel writer, entrepreneur, and researcher told Akkum.

Nişanyan was jailed on Dec. 2, 2014, for “construction infractions.” The charges that had him locked up stemmed from the renovations and additions to his hotels in Sirince, an old Greek village in Izmir that has become a tourist destination thanks to Nişanyan and his rustic hotel business.

“The bird has flown. Wish the same for 80 million left behind,” Nişanyan said in a Tweet on July 14 upon fleeing the country. He also changed his profile photo on Twitter in the evening hours of July 14 and replaced it with a photo of a flying bird.

Nişanyan has since posted three new photos on his Facebook page, without specifying his location. The caption of one of the photos, which has since been removed but continues to be shared among several media outlets, simply reads “fugitive” in Turkish.

Nişanyan confirmed the reports of his escape to Turkish Habertürk daily newspaper by phone, but declined to give details of when and how he managed to flee.

“I do not want to comment on that topic. It is a bit too early to talk about methods and procedures. I will tell all the details when the time comes, let no one have a doubt. But, it is not yet the time,” Nişanyan told the Turkish daily. “I thought the 3.5 years [I served in prison] was enough. Therefore, I thought it was now time to take a bit of a breath. This is what happened. Utilizing some unique circumstances or deficiencies of Turkey, in this situation, I have decided to go out of our state’s control,” he added.

According to some reports, Nişanyan was allowed to leave prison for one day every three months and simply did not return after his latest sanctioned leave. Nişanyan was sentenced to a total of 17 years in a number of cases.

Nişanyan came to public attention in Turkey in January, when he announced that Turkey’s Justice Ministry had banned all newspapers and books from prisons except for the Quran as of Jan. 9.

Armenia Refuses Russian

Parkev Tvankchian
Language Magazine

July 2017


July 24, 2017

Despite Russian leaders’ suggestions, Armenian politicians hold firm on opposition to Russian becoming an official language of Armenia. In July, Vyachaslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s State Duma suggested to Armenia that they grant Russian official status as an Armenian language. The suggestion is supposedly in hopes of clearing up a problem with Armenian driver licenses deemed invalid in Russia.

Armen Ashotyan, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs at National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia told the press that the Armenian language-policy hasn’t and won’t change. He went on to state that the refusal to accept Russian as an official language was purely constitutional, saying “There is no similar issue in Armenia even under the Council of Europe’s Language Charter. There are no legal and political reasons to comment on this issue from this perspective as well. The issue over an official, constitutional status is out of the question.”

While Armenia will remain the only official language of Armenia, Russian is still in the lead as the most common foreign language spoken in Armenia, with a 2010 Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs report stating that about 70% of Armenia’s population has the ability to speak Russian. The population also views speaking Russian as important, as according to the Gallup Organization’s poll, 75% of Armenians in 2007 said tha they think it is very important for children in the country to learn Russian.

Armenian Genocide Reparations: An Absolute Must

Parkev Tvankchian
Armenian Weekly

By Vart Ajemian on  

I found the article “Before We Talk about Genocide Reparations, There Is Another Accounting Due” by Henry Theriault an intellectually challenging read that raised several questions in my mind.

His philosophy background, vast experience, and involvement in issues related to genocide, and unique thought process and reasoning have resulted in a distinct approach and conclusions. I had to read the article several times to comprehend his argument. And even though I felt I agreed with some of the points he made, I cannot agree with his conclusion (or what I understood it to be).

Mount Ararat (Photo: Aaron Spagnolo)

Dr. Theriault says he believes and clearly states that reparations are just. But he strongly expresses his opinion that it is not the right time for action to be pursued because any compensation would be misused: “Political elites will enrich themselves instead of using it for what is desperately needed by the general population.”

His main argument is that the system and government in Armenia are full of rampant corruption and so they cannot be trusted. He makes a strong indictment by his statement that “the large-scale theft of assets through corruption, privatization and commu-capitalist exploitation of labor is a significant factor in the economic vulnerability and desperation of the Republic today.”

His analysis suggests that the situation is desperate. Admittedly, the points he makes are valid. My intent is not to argue against or question his analysis. However, I still hope and pray that the untenable current situation will change for the better. It has to. What is the alternative? The new government has announced major reforms and changes to governance. Hopefully, they will be implemented. Change is never easy, and it takes time.

Those thoughts led me to think about the Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights (ALC), announced in Sept. 2016. I feel, as many Armenians do, that reparations are an absolute must. And even though we have a very late start compared with the Jews and Israel (regarding Holocaust reparations from Germany), our cause is equally and clearly as just. Whatever the Turks do or say, the historical facts cannot be erased, altered, or denied.

Therefore, I contacted Kate Nahapetian, Executive Director of the ALC, to get some feedback on questions I had about developments since the ALC’s formation.

I sent Kate the following questions, which she kindly and most graciously answered. Her answers are reproduced verbatim.

***

V.A.: What was the response to requests for contributions/funding? Is the funding adequate to start the work needed?

K.N.: The initial funding for the creation of the Armenian Center for Justice and Human Rights came from the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Endowment Fund, which continues to support the ALC. Following the initial grant, we have received additional donations from individuals. Like so many nonprofits, funding is tight, so we welcome any donations big or small. Seeking reparations in the face of a powerful and intransigent foe such as the Turkish Government is a monumental task. It is not inconceivable, however. There are many examples of previous historical atrocities which were addressed decades later and after previous failed attempts. We currently have one staff member, but rely on many volunteers.

 

V.A.: Have we started to put together a legal team?

K.N.: The ALC has an international board with attorneys and experts on the Armenian Genocide in the US, Armenia, Canada, Austria, Australia, and Lebanon. We have collaborated with and have partnerships with law schools. We have partnered with some of the best law schools in the United States, including the University of Southern California Human Rights Clinic, which is drafting a report on the legal basis for Armenian Genocide reparations, and the George Washington University Law School, with which we cosponsored a talk by Harvard Post-Doctoral Fellow Umit Kurt, highlighting the injustice of Turkish laws used to plunder Armenian wealth during the genocide. We are in continuing communications with international lawyers from Argentina to Germany, in addition to lawyers with successful track records pursuing property claims against Turkey in both Turkish and European courts.

In addition, we have a team of lawyers and law students who have been examining issues surrounding the Treaty of Sevres, the Kars Treaty, and Turkish property laws.

 

V.A.: Is progress being made on legal actions to be taken?

K.N.: We have developed some potential cases and continue to work with international lawyers and clinics to develop innovative strategies for redress.

In addition to the mass murder and destruction of Armenian lives and cultural heritage on lands the Armenians inhabited for thousands of years, the Armenian Genocide was an evil enterprise of industrial, government-sponsored property theft.

The ALC seeks to catalogue the [property] deeds that still exist today. The records exist in Turkey’s land registry, which are virtually impossible to access. When Turkey considered allowing public access to these records as part of its bid to join the European Union, the military quickly intervened and stated that maintaining the secrecy of these records was a matter of national interest. Reports continue that even parties with deeds in hand are prevented from accessing Turkish land records, which would confirm family ownership.

Many individuals across the globe have deeds of family properties in their possession. By collecting all these individual records in one place, the ALC hopes to both learn of potential claims, which can be pursued for reparations, in addition to being a clearinghouse for this information for potential future negotiations.

The ALC’s website (https://armenianlegal.org/) has a link where people can provide documentation of their properties (https://armenianlegal.org/document-preservation-form/), whether it is a deed, sales contract, photograph, or family testimony. The key information we need are the names of the property owners, the town where the property is located, a description of the property, and, if possible, its exact location.

The more documentation we have collected in one place, the stronger our chances of recovery will become. As a community, we are empowered when we collect this information in one place.

***

I am most thankful to Kate for her responses and updates on the work accomplished by the ALC.

This needs to be pursued vigorously, with no hesitation. For it to be successful, and it must be successful, it needs the full active support of all Armenians worldwide, morally and financially. It is a formidable task, but it can be accomplished. We have to make it happen.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 07/18/2017

Parkev Tvankchian 
                                        Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Russian-Armenian Investors Said To Finance First Projects In Armenia
July 18, 2017

 . Anush Muradian


Armenia - Prime Minister Karen Karapetian (C) talks to
Russian-Armenian businessmen at the official launch of their Investors
Club of Armenia fund in Yerevan, 25Mar2017.

An investment fund set up recently by three dozen wealthy Russian
entrepreneurs of Armenian descent will start financing business
projects in Armenia this autumn, a senior government official in
Yerevan said on Tuesday.

The fund called the Investors Club of Armenia (ICA) was officially set
up in March at a ceremony in Yerevan attended by Prime Minister Karen
Karapetian. The latter has warm rapports with its key founders,
notably the Armenian-born billionaire Samvel Karapetian (no relation).

The Armenian government signed a memorandum of understanding with the
ICA in April. Minister for Economic Development Suren Karayan said at
the time that the fund's investments in the Armenian economy should
total around $300 million this year.

According to one of Karayan's deputies, Hovannes Azizian, the ICO will
likely launch its first investment projects in October or
November. "The projects to be implemented by the Club will mainly
target the areas of energy and renewable energy," he told a news
conference. "Now discussions are underway on the possibility of the
Club's involvement in some manufacturing sectors as well."

Azizian said that the Russian-Armenian investors are particularly
interested in hydropower and solar energy. The government, he said,
expects them to finance, among other things, the construction of
medium-sized hydroelectric plants.

One of those plants would be built in Samvel Karapetian's native Lori
province. The Armenian Energy Ministry estimates that work on the
76-megawatt facility would cost roughly $150 million.

Azizian would not be drawn on the amount of funding which the ICA has
set aside for its first projects. "When the projects are finalized we
will give information about the investment package," he said.

Foreign direct investment in the Armenian economy has rapidly declined
in recent years. Government data shows that it stood at a modest $130
million in 2016.

Prime Minister Karapetian has repeatedly promised to attract more than
$3 billion in investments in the coming years since he was appointed
as prime minister in September. The former business executive, who
lived and worked in Russia from 2011-2016, has said that at least $830
million of the sum will be invested in 2017.


Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (L) awards a state medal to
Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetian, Yerevan, 26Sep2015.

The Russian-Armenian businessmen voiced strong support for the
53-year-old premier's ambitious reform agenda when he paid an official
visit to Moscow in January. Samvel Karapetian reaffirmed that backing
at the official launch of the ICA in March.

In addition to his extensive business interests in Russia, the tycoon
owns Armenia's national electric utility, largest thermal power plant,
and a shopping mall in Yerevan. His Tashir Group is due to open
another sprawling trade center in the Armenian capital in September.

According to "Forbes" magazine estimates, Samvel Karapetian's personal
fortune is currently worth $3.5billion, meaning that he is most
probably the richest ethnic Armenian in the world.



Dashnaks To Discuss 2018 Government With Sarkisian
July 18, 2017

 . Sargis Harutyunyan


Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian greets leaders of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation before concluding a new power-sharing
agreement with them in Yerevan, 11May2017.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said on Tuesday
it will hold discussions with President Serzh Sarkisian soon on who
will be Armenia's prime minister after his decade-long presidency ends
next April.

Dashnaktsutyun is a junior partner in Sarkisian's coalition
government, having held three ministerial posts for more than a
year. It extended its power-sharing deal with Sarkisian and his
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) following parliamentary elections
held in April.

"Naturally, the question of who will be prime minister is important to
Dashnaktsutyun, but there is still time [left before April 2018,]"
said Aghvan Vartanian, a Dashnaktsutyun leader.

"In my view, the challenges facing the country have two main
components," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "One of
them is security, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the like, while the
other the economy # I think that there is enough room here for every
person willing to serve the country."

"Also, our coalition agreement makes it clear that the Republican
Party has the exclusive right to nominate the prime minister's
candidacy. This issue will be discussed when the time is right," added
Vartanian.

In televised remarks aired over the weekend, Sarkisian again declined
to clarify whether he plans to become prime minister or replace Prime
Minister Karen Karapetian by someone else after serving out his final
presidential term. But he praised economic policies pursued by
Karapetian's cabinet.

Vartanian said that Dashnaktsutyun is also "satisfied" with the
current government's track record so far. "Quite a bit of things have
already been done in terms of both security and socioeconomic issues,"
he said.

The veteran politician spoke the day after a joint meeting of
Dashnaktsutyun's worldwide Bureau and governing body in Armenia held
in Yerevan. The meeting adopted a statement which is due to be
publicized on Wednesday.

Dashnaktsutyun controls 7 seats in Armenia's 105-member parliament,
compared with 58 seats held by the HHK.



Jailed Oppositionists' Lawyers Face Disciplinary Action
July 18, 2017

 . Karlen Aslanian


Armenia - Arrested members of an armed opposition group that seized a
police station in July 2016 go on trial in Yerevan, 8Jun2017.

Armenia's national bar association may take disciplinary action
against two lawyers accused by law-enforcement authorities of
misconduct relating to the ongoing trials of radical opposition leader
Zhirayr Sefilian and his supporters.

The lawyers, Mushegh Shushanian and Arayik Papikian, represent
Sefilian and some of the members of his Founding Parliament movement
who seized a police station in Yerevan last year.

The Chamber of Advocates has launched disciplinary proceedings against
Shushanian and Papikian at the request of the Armenian police and a
senior prosecutor respectively. It will decide whether they violated
Armenian laws and statues regulating the work of lawyers.

In a letter to the chamber, the national police chief, Vladimir
Gasparian, claimed that Shushanian recently made offensive comments
about police officers which he said could "damage public trust in the
entire law-enforcement system." In particular, Gasparian cited an
interview with RFE/RL's Armenian service in which Shushanian denounced
the as police as an "armed gang" ready to execute "any criminal
order."

Shushanian on Tuesday stood by his statements and accused the
authorities of seeking to muzzle him. "This is interference in my
freedom of expression, which is aimed at inhibiting the performance of
my professional duties," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service. "They are
trying to silence lawyers so that lawyers do not make statements or
evaluations."

The prosecutors' complaint against the other lawyer, Papikian, stems
from his June 29 Facebook post which accused police officers of
torturing one of the arrested Founding Parliament gunmen in the
basement of a Yerevan court where he has been standing trial together
with 17 other men.

"The riposte will be just and very painful for the regime," read that
statement.It also charged that the Armenian police serve a "regime
that usurped power from the people."

Papikian too was unrepentant about his actions. He said the
disciplinary action sought by the authorities is part of what he
called serious violations of the due process in the two high-profile
cases.



Press Review
July 18, 2017

Armenia -- Newspapers for press review illustration, Yerevan,
12Jul2016

"Zhoghovurd" comments on the first anniversary of the violent seizure
by armed opposition members of a police station in Yerevan, saying
that the Armenian authorities have not drawn "appropriate conclusions"
from the bloodshed and failed to implement "radical changes" in the
country. The paper says that President Serzh Sarkisian only sacked
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian in September for creating an
"imitation of change" in the run-up to the April 2017 parliamentary
elections. It says that Abrahamian's successor, Karen Karapetian,
instilled some hope in the public and distracted it from grave
socioeconomic problems. Holding on to power remains Sarkisian's
supreme goal, concludes the paper.

"Hraparak" says that armed struggle against the ruling regime is
totally legitimate for "some circles" in Armenia. "It's just that when
armed struggle ends in success it is called a revolution," writes the
paper. "But when it ends in failure it is turned into a coup and its
participants end up in jail. Proponents of armed struggle must be
conscious of this simple truth and meekly carry the heavy burden of
imprisonment, condemnation and trials which the members of the Sasna
Tsrer [armed opposition group] and their relatives now do. It is nave
to expect clemency, civilized treatment or soft punishment from the
individuals against whom they took up arms."

"Aravot" reacts to the controversy sparked by the Russian authorities'
decision to ban citizens of Armenia and other countries where Russian
is not an official language from working as drivers in
Russia. "Apparently an official status of the Russian language
improves drivers' professional skills and they no longer need to pass
driving tests in Russia," the paper comments with sarcasm. "Is this
creating inconvenience for our drivers? Corresponding state bodies of
Armenia must negotiate [with the Russians] to overcome those
problems." The paper also says that the Russian ban is dealing a
serious blow to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). It
wonders whether Moscow will eventually drop its ambitious Eurasian
project.

"Hayots Ashkhar" reports on a renewed increase in imports of goods to
Armenia which comes amid government pledges to facilitate import
substitution by domestic manufacturers. The paper singles out a 70
percent year-on-year rise in imports of Turkish goods which was
registered by Armenia's National Statistical Service (NSS) in the
first five months of this year. It is very concerned about this trend.

(Tigran Avetisian)


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Expert: In Caucasian region ECHR renders least number of judgments against Armenia

Parkev Tvankchian
News.am, Armenia

Expert: In Caucasian region ECHR renders least number of judgments against Armenia
22:44, 22.07.2017

YEREVAN. – The confidence of the Armenian citizens in the judicial system of Armenia has grown, head of the Judicial Department Karen Poladyan told Armenian News – NEWS.am on Saturday.

According to him, the number of civil claims is indicative of this.

“In 2013, the Armenian courts received 45,000 civil claims, in 2014—87,000 and in 2015—117,000. In 2016 this number reached 132,000. Currently, there are over 100,000 lawsuits,” he noted.

Responding to the observation that the increase in the number of the lawsuits may be due to the growing injustice in the country, the large number of cases filed with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Armenia being indicative of that, the expert noted that ECHR renders relatively small number of judgments against Armenia as compared to other countries.

In his words, the assessment of the number of judicial acts, which the ECHR rendered against the Caucasian region countries, shows that Armenia is on the last line, leaving behind also Azerbaijan.

“Armenia is on the very last place in the list of countries in the Caucasian region both by the number of acts rendered by the ECHR and by the amount of funds paid as a result of the judgments,” Poladyan said. 

Cultural: The Story of a Silver Wreath: An Ethiopian Emperor, and an Armenian Jeweler

Parkev Tvankchian
Armenian Weekly

By R.P. Sevadjian on  

Special for the Armenian Weekly

The Museum Resource Center in Washington D.C. hosted a reception on June 15 in honor of my father, Bedros Sevadjian, jeweler and silversmith “By Appointment to His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia” (see “Jeweler to an Emperor: Bedros A. Sevadjian (1918-1977)“).

There, at long last, we saw the beautiful silver wreath he had made for the Emperor in 1963. In October of that year, during a state visit to the United States, Haile Selassie I laid the unique silver wreath at the Lincoln Memorial, on the National Mall in Washington D.C., as a tribute to abolitionist U.S. president Abraham Lincoln.

Bedros A. Sevadjian with the finished silver wreath, 1963 (Photo: The Family of Bedros Sevadjian)

A year ago, I was introduced to retired Marines Nanci and Eric Visser, who live in Alexandria, Va., outside Washington D.C. They had been posted to Ethiopia in the mid-’70s, and during that time they had formed a deep friendship with my father. The Vissers and I instantly formed a great rapport and bond.

Needless to say, my father was the subject of many conversations between us. In discussions about my father’s work, I mentioned the wreath that was somewhere in the possession of the U.S. government. Nanci immediately volunteered to look for it. Just a few days later, she confirmed that Eric had found it: It was stored at the Museum Resource Center.

Conservation details (Photo: Matt Andrea)

Not only that, but Museum Resource Center Director Bob Sonderman and Museum Curator of the National Mall and Memorial Parks Laura Andersen had immediately invited Nanci and Eric to visit and to see the wreath. Apparently, the silver was a bit tarnished and some of the leaves were bent, but otherwise it was fine. To my surprise and delight, Bob and Laura undertook to restore the wreath so that it could be readied for display in the future.

Of course, I very much wanted to see it for myself, as did my brother and sisters when I told them about it. I suggested we might all travel to Washington to see it, and then decided it would be great to hold a small reception so that others who were interested could also see it.

R.P. Sevadjian with Nanci and Eric Visser (Photo: Matt Andrea)

The project snowballed, and we eventually held our reception. His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie Haile Selassie, grandson of the Emperor, honored us with his presence. Friends came from Washington, New York, New Jersey, and Montreal; my cousin Ada Soaper flew in from Los Angeles, my brother Phillip from Hawaii, my sisters Jeanine and Anaïs and I from the U.K.

New friends and old friends came together to admire a remarkable work of art that is so important historically—a symbol of the longstanding ties between the United States and Ethiopia, as well as the ties that bind Ethiopians and the Armenians who were once an important part of their society.

H.I.H. Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie (Photo: Matt Andrea)

Lij Abiye Abebe, Ada Soaper, H.I.H. Prince Ermias, Jeanine Gulvanessian, R.P. Sevadjian, Phillip Sevadjian, Anaïs Cooper, and Solomon Kibriye (Photo: Matt Andrea)

The wreath itself exceeded all expectation. For although I had seen old black and white photos of it, I had no concept of the sheer size and beauty of it. Fully 580 Maria Theresa thalers were melted down to make it. It is about two and a half feet tall and weighs almost 14 kilograms. The wreath is in the form of two long stems of Ethiopian Tsegereda roses (Rosa Abyssinica), tied together at the base in a bow. A plaque bears an inscription in English and Amharic. In English, it reads as follows:

All men who cherish freedom and equality as the most precious of
God’s gifts owe a vast debt to Abraham Lincoln, whose life and deeds
Gave eloquent _expression_ to his belief that men of all races and creeds
Would one day live together in harmony and brotherhood. We express
Our admiration for this great man and pay tribute to him and to the
Principles for which he stood.

Haile Selassie I
Emperor of Ethiopia

The restored wreath (Photo: Jeanine Gulvanessian)

Detail (Photo: Jeanine Gulvanessian)

Gay Vitzke, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Bob Sonderman, and Laura Andersen made it possible for us to host the special viewing of this unique piece of history.

The Museum staff and H.I.H. Prince Ermias.

Phillip Sevadjian (Photo: Matt Andrea)

The wreath had been displayed for some time at the Lincoln Memorial after the Emperor’s visit, but eventually it was removed for safekeeping. It then disappeared from public consciousness as history took its course. The Kennedy assassination, the tumult of the Civil Rights Movement, and the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974 intervened, and the wreath became a memory, its image surfacing only in old newsreels.

This wonderful artifact has now been preserved and will be kept in top condition for years to come. We hope it will be displayed from time to time. It is an example of how different communities can come together to share a beautiful legacy.

***

With thanks to Solomon Kibriye.


Kerkorian Estate

Parkev Tvankchian 
El Paso Times (Texas)
 Tuesday


Kerkorian Estate



Eds: Attorneys Jill Basinger and Amin Al-Sarraf, for the Kerkorian

estate, can be reached at (310) 553-3000; Brendan Coughlin, for Davis, (949)

379-6500.

By BILL HETHERMAN

City News Service

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Lawyers for Kirk Kerkorian's widow want a judge to

order the estate's executor to provide an explanation for some of the

billionaire's management decisions, including the financing of a box office

flop and the distribution of $200 million in estate assets to charities.

Una Davis was married for a brief time to Kerkorian before his June 2015

death at age 98 from age-related causes. His estate's lawyers estimated its

value at $1.8 billion at the time of Kerkorian's death, but Davis' attorneys

say increases in MGM stock value make the assets closer to $3 billion.

``This may well represent the largest probate estate in Los Angeles

County history, if not the entire state of California,'' Davis' lawyers state

in their court papers.

An attorney for the estate could not be immediately reached for comment

on the Los Angeles Superior Court petition, which is set for hearing on Sept.

13.

Davis is seeking a one-third interest in Kerkorian's estate, saying she

was pressured by those close to him into signing a waiver to any interest she

had when the two wed in 2014. Kerkorian was married three times previously.

Judge Maria Stratton previously put a stay on litigation related to

Davis' petition while she appeals the judge's March ruling allowing the

Kerkorian estate's executor, Anthony Mandekic, to oppose her petition. Davis

maintains she is an ``omitted spouse'' who is entitled to the same amount of

money she would have received had Kerkorian died without a will.

Documents filed by Kerkorian's attorneys when his estate was opened

included a copy of his will, dated July 2013. Kerkorian designated that $15

million be given to Patricia Mary Christensen, the wife of longtime Kerkorian

attorney Terry Christensen, and $7 million to Mandekic, who also served as

secretary-treasurer of Kerkorian's Beverly Hills-based Tracinda Corp.

Davis' lawyers maintain that the time is ripe for Mandekic to explain

some of his actions.

``Petitioner has become aware of a number of circumstances that should

give the court concern as to the actions of Mr. Mandekic as executor and should

lead to his being ordered to file an (account) for his actions in regard to

this multibillion-dollar estate,'' Davis' lawyers state in their court papers.

Mandekic has obtained sole control of $900 million in cash by selling

$34 million in MGM stock, according to Davis' attorneys.

``Has Mr. Mandekic been using or investing in options or other risky

investment vehicles?,'' Davis' lawyers ask in their court papers.

Davis' lawyers also cite the April premiere of ``The Promise,'' a film

about the Armenian genocide that starred Christian Bale and was directed by

Oscar winner Terry George. They state in their court papers that they believe

Mandekic was a co-manager of Survival Pictures LLC, which produced the movie.

``Despite its star power, the film was a financial failure and the

production is expected to lose as much as $80 million,'' Davis' lawyers allege

in their court papers. ``Leaving aside its historical relevance, how precisely

was the flop of a film financed? All of this concerns (Davis) as a claimant to

one-third of the estate, as it should concern the court in its supervision of

Mr. Mandekic in performance of his ... duties.''

The Davis attorneys also ask why Davis was given an executive producer

credit for the film.

In February, Stratton allowed for the distribution of $200 million to

various charities picked by Mandekic and other members of a committee.

Attorneys for the estate said in June that most of that money had been

distributed, according to Davis' attorneys' court papers.

``Which charitable organizations did the selection committee ...

choose?,''? Davis' lawyers ask in their court papers. ``What amounts were

distributed to each?''

Unseen Armenia: Armenia’s Festivals

Parkev Tvankchian
Armenian Weekly
July 3 2017

By Hovsep Daghdigian on July 3, 2017

Travelers to Armenia visit our beautiful churches, fortresses, archaeological sites, and scenic vistas in Armenia’s mountains and valleys. But other venues can bring visitors closer to Armenian life and traditions. These are the numerous village celebrations, commemorations, and festivals of both religious and secular origin.

Unseen Armenia: Armenia’s Festivals (Photos: Hovsep Daghdigian)

Some of these include…

The Berd Berry and Honey Festival

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

The city of Berd is in mountainous Tavush province, northeast Armenia, the center of a region called Shamshadin—an Arabic name which retains popular usage. Many of the villages to the east of Berd are perilously close to the border with Azerbaijan.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

A church service at Berd’s Surb Hovhannes Church (consecrated 2014) was officiated by Der Aram Mirzoyan from Berd, and Der Dajad Davidian, the former pastor of St. James Church in Watertown, Mass. The badarak was mostly attended by women and children with few young or middle-aged men present. The choir was magnificent, with solo parts of the Mass sung by an immensely talented 14-year old young lady. Part way though the badarak, there was the shuffle of feet outside the church. In came soldiers, dressed in their fatigues, apparently done with their shift of securing the nearby border. Immediately, many of the children present went to be with the soldiers who were perhaps their fathers or older brothers.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

At a large field on the edge of town, booths were set up offering local handicrafts and foods. By the time I completed my visits to the booths, trying to decide which delicacies to select for my lunch, I was full from all the free samples I was offered! I did actually buy some food as well, and also bought a number of jars of local honey for ourselves and friends back in the U.S. The festival included Armenian music, with young people dancing. Der Aram and Der Dajad together blessed our soldiers who gathered in a group. There was a dance dedicated to our soldiers as well.

This was not part of the festival, but Der Aram accompanied us to a visit to a nearby military compound. At the compound’s entrance, two armed sentries looked inside our car. When they saw Der Aram, both sentries snapped to attention, saluted, and opened the gate. Such is the respect Der Aram has earned. During a brief talk with the local commander I asked, “What message do you have for the diaspora?” “Tell them that we are not fighting for this or that political party. This is our land. We will fight to defend it,” he said.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

 

The Dolma Festival

Since 2011, the Dolma Festival has been held in various sites around Armenia. In 2013, my wife and I attended the festival at the Sardarabad Museum and Memorial, the site of the victorious battle which, together with the victories at Bash Aparan and Karakilise, saved Armenia from extinction in 1918.

Master chefs from around Armenia produced some of the most amazing Armenian dishes I’ve ever tasted. There were dolmas stuffed with fish, and dolmas wrapped with the grape leaves still attached to lengths of vine—as if the dolma itself was growing on the vine. Present were then U.S. Ambassador John Heffern, wandering from booth to booth with his wife, chatting with the chefs and enjoying the food. There were dance groups from local schools, and live Armenian music featuring a group of bagpipe players (parkapzuk). I believe this instrument was more popular in medieval times, but it seems to be making a slight comeback.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

 

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

 

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

 

Vardavar–Christian Feast of Transfiguration

It’s hard to miss Vardavar since just about wherever you are, someone is likely to drench you with water, and it’s all perfectly acceptable on this day. This once pagan festival was transformed into a Christian feast, but it retains some of its pre-Christian tradition.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

Getting doused is not bad, as Vardavar is usually in July; it’s usually hot, and you may welcome a drenching as long as your camera stays dry. But to get a flavor of the pagan aspects, it’s best to visit the Garni temple. There, pagan priests offer their blessings to bread, apricots, flowers, and especially water, all of which are important to life and are distributed to attendees. There is, of course, Armenian music and dancing, and a spectacular view of the Garni temple and the valley below.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

 

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

 

Navasard

Navasard is the start of the ancient Armenian New Year, which is on Aug. 11. This commemorates the date that Hayk and his comrades, escaping the tyrant Bell’s tyranny, fled north to the Armenian highlands. As Bell approached, Hayk’s powerful arms let fly an arrow which passed through Bell, killing him instantly. Hayk established himself and his family in Armenia, in what Armenians call Hayots Tsor. Hayk’s descendants, Armenians, are called Haykazunk. This, according to Armenian tradition, was in 2492 B.C.

Again, for a pagan celebration of this pre-Christian holiday, visit Garni. Alternatively, there is usually a ceremony at the statue of Hayk on the highway in the Nor Nork district of Yerevan. A taxi driver can easily take you there.

 

The Raspberry (Aznavamori) Festival

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

The 2016 Raspberry Festival took place in Ashotavan, near Sisian in Syunik province. There were many craft and food booths from the various villages in the region, as well as booths set up by a number of NGOs operating in Armenia. Authentic Armenian music was provided by musicians playing traditional instruments such as the kamancha, kanoon, duduk, and zurna, with dance groups comprised of dancers of various ages from young children to young adults. Besides the music, there was the performance of a tightrope walker, a traditional Armenian art form, in which the performer on his tightrope seemed to levitate above the mountains of Syunik on the horizon.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

 

The Sheep Shearing Festival

In June 2017, the village of Khot hosted a “Sheep Searing Festival.” Khot, in Syunik province, is not far from Sisian and is next to Shinuhayr, the departure point for the aerial tramway ride to the Tatev Monastery. Various village crafts were demonstrated; foods such as pickles, preserves, and pastries were for sale. For those who wanted to get out of the sun for a spell, there was a restaurant at one end of the field. Music, both Armenian and non-Armenian, was provided with many of the young people dancing.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

The highlight of the festival, however, was the sheep shearing contest. Representatives of various villages competed to see who was best. Criteria for the best sheep shearer was not only time, but the wool had to be completely removed from the sheep, and the sheep must not be injured with cuts or nicks. Attendees from various villages loudly cheered for the shearer from their village. During the hot summer months, sheep will naturally shed their wool if not removed by their keepers.

(Photo: Hovsep Daghdigian)

***

Armenia’s festivals provide a unique opportunity for visitors to interact informally with Armenian culture and traditions. I believe the Armenian Ministries of Culture and Tourism should do more to promote information about such events, including village celebrations, festivals, and cultural performances (Armenian cultural performances, please, not more amateur western noise pollution). This should be done early each year, in time for visitors to plan their trips. Listings should include all events throughout Armenia and Artsakh and not just in or around Yerevan.

How about the two ministries cited above, working with tour agencies, getting on board with this?