Author: Tumanian Talar

WEEK THREE OF "COUNTDOWN TO ERDOGAN" TARGETS MEDIA

Asbarez
Nov 24th, 2009

Daily Activism Will Escalate Leading up to December 7th Obama-Erdogan
White House Meeting

WASHINGTON- Midway into the month-long Armenian American grassroots
campaign to encourage President Obama to personally confront Turkey’s
Prime Minister with the facts of the Armenian Genocide during their
December 7th White House meeting, the Armenian National Committee of
America’s (ANCA) "Countdown to Erdogan" has come under heavy fire
from a Turkish lobby that appears increasingly nervous about the
impact that Ankara’s growing rift with Washington will have on U.S.

complicity in its genocide denial campaign.

Turkish Lobby Attacks "Countdown to Erdogan" as a Blitzkreig

In a memo recently circulated to Members of Congress, the Turkish
Coalition of America (TCA) sharply attacked the "Countdown to
Erdogan" campaign, using words such as "blitzkrieg," "radical," and
"hatemongering" to describe the ANCA’s grassroots civic activism. The
TCA, in particular, attacked the ANCA for opposing unfair and dangerous
concessions forced upon Armenia in recently negotiated Turkey-Armenia
Protocols. The TCA supports these Protocols, and claims to stand in
solidarity with "moderate" Armenians who share the Turkish American
community’s support for provisions establishing a "historical"
commission and calling for the mutual recognition of the current
Armenia-Turkey border.

In a note posted on the ANCA Facebook page, ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian provided a translation of key terms in the TCA’s memo,
"for those not well versed in Turkish Lobby Speak":

1) Radical: People who believe the response to genocide should be
truth and justice.

2) Hate-mongering: Refusing to accept lies and genocidal cover-ups.

3) Blitzkreig: A public education campaign informing US leaders about
Turkey’s real record.

4) Intimidation: Giving voice to the civic concerns of the overwhelming
consensus of Armenians.

Read Hamparian’s note and the original Turkish Coalition letter
on Facebook

Media Encouraged to Cover All Facets of Obama-Erdogan Meeting

Starting on Monday, November 23rd, the third week of the "Countdown
to Erdogan" campaign began with a focus on media monitoring, urging
Armenian Americans to scan media outlets in their area and report
factual errors and bias to the ANCA. On Tuesday, activists were
encouraged to reach out to their local newspapers and encourage
them to cover the Obama- Erdogan meeting from a local angle, by
including expressions of Armenian American community concerns. On
Wednesday, attention will be focused on ending the cycle of genocide
by participating in a Save Darfur supported campaign to stop violence
against women. The weekend will focus on writing letters to the
editor and expanding outreach on the Armenian Genocide through blogs,
commenting on news stories and other social networking initiatives.

This Thanksgiving: Watch, Connect, Act

Family gatherings taking place this Thursday, will, in literally
hundreds of thousands of Armenian American homes, represent a vital
bridge and meeting place between those more actively engaged in
Armenian American civic life and those sometimes less aware of these
issues or not as involved in the Armenian Cause. To help leverage
these situations, the ANCA offers the following three suggestions:

1) Watch: Be sure to watch the Armenia Fund Telethon and support its
efforts to strengthen the city of Shushi –

2) Connect: Take a moment to talk to your relatives about the
latest news on Armenian issues and the efforts by Armenian American
organizations to seek truth, justice, strength, and security for the
Armenian nation.

Explore the ANCA website – – for interesting discussion
items.

3) Act: Take a photo of your family holding up a small sign saying:
"President Obama, Recognize the Armenian Genocide," (or the message
of your choice), and email it to [email protected].

About the Countdown to Erdogan Campaign

Countdown to Erdogan is a four-week, grassroots campaign urging
President Obama to speak truthfully about the Armenian Genocide when
he meets on December 7th with Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan.

Their White House meeting represents a vital chance for President Obama
– who earlier this year broke his pledge to recognize the Armenian
Genocide – to tell Turkey that America fearlessly and forcefully
condemns all crime against humanity.

On each day remaining until December 7th, the ANCA will organize a
new action – ranging from online advocacy, call-in days, and social
networking to coalition building, community outreach, and fieldwork.

The campaign’s first week addressed the U.S. Senate, the second the
U.S. House, followed by the media during the third week, and then,
in the final seven days, a final push with the White House.

Background on the Protocols

Commenting recently on the ANCA’s Facebook Page, Executive Director
Aram Hamparian explored the motives behind Turkey’s decision to launch
its Protocols initiative:

"Last year, Turkey’s leaders, fearful of the impact of an Obama
victory and keenly aware that their new foreign policy direction –
on Iraq, Iran, Israel and a host of other issues – would seriously
limit their traditional ability to beat U.S. policymakers into line,
shifted gears in their Armenian Genocide denial campaign, moving from
an outdated strategy of outright threats to the creation, instead,
of a pretense of dialogue with Armenia, in the form of the Protocols,
in order to stave off recognition of its genocidal crime by a new
and potentially unpredictable U.S. Administration. Today, the results
are clear: Ankara is using the Protocols "process" to help manage the
tensions caused by its increasing independence from Washington in a way
that both preserves its prerogatives to act against U.S. interests
(on Iran, Israel, etc.) while, at the same time, preventing the
U.S. from recognizing the Armenian Genocide."

ARMENIA’S MINISTRY OF HEALTH: NUMBER OF PATIENTS WITH A/H1N1 VIRUS REACHED 25 IN THE COUNTRY

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 18:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Number of patients with A/H1N1 virus has reached
25 in Armenia, the official website of Armenia’s ministry of health
reports. 22 people received necessary treatment and have already been
discharged from hospital, while the rest still remain in the "Nork"
infectious diseases hospital.

Dynamics to recovery is observed among patients, Ara Asoyan the
Armenian leading expert in infectious diseases told a PanARMENIAN.Net.

Recently the London laboratory confirmed presence of A/H1N1 virus in
the samples of tests taken from the Armenian patients.

ARMENIA’S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CONSIDERS PROTOCOLS SIGNED WITH TURKEY

APA
Nov 24 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Armenia’s Constitutional Court is considering the protocols
signed with Turkey. APA reports quoting Armenia today portal that
the initial consideration should determine whether there is ground
to investigate the case.

Judge Vladimir Hovhannisyan, who has been appointed rapporteur on the
case, is to submit his opinion to the chairman of the Constitutional
Court within 15 days. Within the following 10 days the chairman is to
hold the meeting of the court, set date of the court hearing. At least
within three months the Constitutional Court is to publicize the final
opinion whether the protocols harmonize with the Constitution or not.

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN TO MEET WITH ALI SAHIN

news.am
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

Armenian side confirms the information on meeting of RA National
Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan with his Turkish counterpart
Mehmet Ali Sahin in Moscow, RA NA Press Secretary Nairi Petrosyan
told NEWS.am.

According to Turkish Zaman daily, the meeting will take place within
the framework of PABSEC sitting. "We will try to establish dialogue
with Armenia," Sahin said.

Nairi Petrosyan did not rule out that Hovik Abrahamyan may meet
with other high ranking officials. "These events are used for
organizing bilateral meetings like in any international forum,"
Petrosyan outlined.

As NEWS.am reported previously, the 34th plenary sitting of the
Parliamentary Assembly of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) will
be held in Moscow, Nov. 23-24. Armenian delegation headed by RA NA
Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan will also attend the sitting.

BAKU TO MAKE CONCESSIONS TO TURKEY IN GAS ISSUE

news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Rovnag Abdullayev The next round of Turkish-Azerbaijan gas negotiations
has started in Baku today, SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev said in
his interview.

Notably, the issue of Azeri gas supplies to the European market via
Turkey is at a complex stage of negotiations. Now this issue depends
on parties’ mutual compromises. Turkey wants to buy Azerbaijani gas
at a lower price. Official Baku treats this as natural and does not
rule out possible concessions. SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev
noted that commercially Azerbaijan has always wanted to sell its gas
at higher prices yet strategic and fraternal relations are taken into
account in the relations with Turkey.

"We have always made discounts. We have never said we want to sell
our gas to Turkey at world prices. We have always drawn attention to
the fact that the price on gas supplied to Turkey is lower than the
global prices", Abdullayev said. It is not known whether Turkey will
make concessions in the issue of transit tariffs.

This issue may be clarified after negotiations. "The talks are held
in a package version. All issues are presented in a single package
because if there is no agreement on one issue, it is impossible to
reach it on other issues", Abdullayev added. The details of all these
issues will be discussed at today’s meeting of the experts.

SOCAR president says Azerbaijan will, anyway, supply gas to the
European market by transit ways. The transportation of compressed
gas on special tankers via the Black Sea is viewed as an option.

Notably, the gas problem between Turkey and Azerbaijan emerged after
protocols on the opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders were signed.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL INAUGURATED IN TWIN FALLS, US

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.11.2009 14:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Liyah Babayan envisioned an Armenian Genocide
memorial in Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States, to serve as a
permanent tribute to those who died in what has become known as the
Armenian Holocaust and to honor Armenian refugees who now contribute
to the community, Twin Falls Times-News reported.

"The 26-year-old Babayan, who spent much of this year lobbying and
raising money for the granite memorial that was placed at Twin Falls
City Park on Saturday. Armenian refugees planted a flowering pear
tree beside the granite stone.

The memorial is a permanent reminder that the Turks killed between
one-million and 1 1/2-million Armenians between 1915 and 1918 that
were living in what was then the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey).

"It really means a lot to my parents and my grandparents," said
Babayan, now a U.S. citizen who witnessed the fall of the Soviet
Union as a child in Armenia, then a part of the Communist union of
16 nation states.

"The Armenian American community in Twin Falls donated the tree and
plaque," she said.

Babayan approached Twin Falls Mayor Lance Clow early this year with
a petition requesting the memorial.

"He let me know that it might be an obstacle to place this type of
plaque and memorial on city property," Babayan said, explaining that
the city wants plaques to commemorate events that have direct historic
ties to the Twin Falls community. "The memorial commemorates a historic
event that happened overseas." She explained that the memorial brings
awareness to why Armenian refugees are in Twin Falls.

The Twin Falls City Council approved the memorial in September by a
4-3 vote after considerable debate," the article says.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 22 2009

Important progress made at Armenian-Azerbaijani talks

22.11.2009, 20.36

FRANFKURT-ON-MAINE, November 22 (Itar-Tass) — Important progress was
made at the Munich negotiations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents on Karabakh settlement on Sunday, French Cochairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier said.

Also, the meeting exposed certain difficulties in the negotiations, he said.

In the words of Fassier, the French, Russian and U.S. cochairmen of
the OSCE Minsk Group had agreed to prepare another meeting of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders. He did not say when the new meeting
might take place.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan did not make comments after
the Munich event.

That was the eighth round of their direct negotiations in the past 18
months. Four meetings were held in Russia.

The sides are coordinating a framework agreement based on the Madrid
Principles, which were signed by the cochairmen in November 2007. Once
the framework agreement is ready, the sides will start to draft a
fundamental political settlement document.

The Madrid Principles stipulate Azerbaijani control over lands
occupied by Armenia and an intermediate status of Karabakh, which
would receive security guarantees and administrative autonomy. Armenia
will be linked to Karabakh with a corridor, and the Karabakh legal
status will be defined in a referendum. The Madrid Principles confirm
the right of all displaced persons and refugees to return home.
Finally, the principles provide international security guarantees,
i.e. a peacekeeping operation.

The Munich meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on November
22 will be a crucial event, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at
the opening of a refugee compound on November 20.

`We will present our program at the meeting. The meeting will play a
crucial role in the negotiations. There have been several meetings
this year, but no results have been attained. If the upcoming meeting
fails, the hopes we pin on negotiations will be crushed,’ he said.

Aliyev does not rule out a military solution if the negotiations prove
to be abortive. `If the hope we pin on negotiations fails, we will
have no other way [to resolve the problem]. We must be prepared for
that,’ he said.

Azerbaijan has the right to use force for freeing its lands, the
president said. Yet Azerbaijan wants a peaceful solution, he added.

`If Armenia thinks we can negotiate forever, it is mistaken. We will
negotiate until we hope that the problem will be resolved, until we
have some hope. If we see that the Armenian side does nothing but
foot-dragging and wants to make the negotiations eternal, the
negotiations will stop,’ Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan does not want `an imitation of negotiations,’ he said.

Armenia must meet Azerbaijan halfway and free the occupied Azerbaijani
lands, Aliyev said. Refugees must return, and then the Karabakh status
will be considered, he said.

`Azerbaijan will never agree to independence of Karabakh,’ Aliyev concluded.

Indifference of the international community drags out the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict, Aliyev said earlier in the week, while
opening of a residential area for displaced persons.

`The world is indifferent. International organizations have passed
resolutions, but they are not fulfilled and thus become senseless,’ he
said.

Whenever lands are occupied in another region, international forces
interfere and apply political and military methods, `but this is not
the case,’ Aliyev said.

`The international community does not put pressure on Armenia, which
breaches international norms. Azerbaijan needs to make a thorough
analysis of the situation and to make corrections in its action plan,’
he said.

Certain progress has been made at the negotiations, the president
noted. `The pullout of Armenian forces from all Azerbaijani lands,
including seven districts outside Karabakh, and the return of
Azerbaijanis to Karabakh are on the agenda. This gives us hope and
encourages our further participation in the negotiations,’ he said.

So far, Baku sticks to negotiations, Aliyev said. `Azerbaijan will
continue political and economic pressure on Armenia until justice is
restored,’ he concluded.

Meanwhile, Sargsyan told the media that Armenia was seeking long-term
solutions, which would bring genuine and lasting peace to the region.

`We are very serious and responsible about the negotiations,’ he said.
`Reasonable solutions are possible, but only if the negotiating
parties assess the situation realistically.’

`It would be wrong to reach decisions, which may be acceptable at a
certain moment but will not provide lasting peace,’ Sargsyan said.

KTVB, Idaho
Nov 22 2009

New Memorial Marks Remembrance

By Benito Baeza
Story Published: Nov 21, 2009 at 9:37 PM CST

Today, despite the cold weather, a memorial was set placed in the Twin
Falls city park, to mark the Armenian genocide.

Multimedia Watch The Video About two dozen Armenian refugees and their
families showed up.
A tree and a small stone make up the memorial.

Spearhead of the project Liyah Babayan, says it was time for Twin
Falls to get a memorial.

Organizers say April marks the actual day of remembrance of the
genocide. There are plans for a special recognition next year.

l

Leonid Azgaldyan: This is Armenia. And that’s all
21.11.2009 14:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hero of Karabakh liberation war Leonid Azgaldyan was
an exceptional personality both in physical and intellectual-moral
terms, his companion-in-arms Hamik Sayadyan said in Yerevan.

`Leonid made serious contribution to the development of science in
Armenia. Besides, he possessed exceptional ability to predict events.
He was among to feel the need of organizing defense in Armenia and
Nagorno Karbakh,’ Sayadyan stressed. Being a professional servicemen,
he considered volunteers as the greatest value of independent Armenia,
he said.

Gagik Ginosyan, another companion-in-arms, characterized Leonid as
highly reputable personality both in Armenia and Karabakh. Azeris
offered 3 million roubles for his head, `The new generation should be
well-aware and proud of heroes like Leonid. Their image should serve
as example for future generations,’ Gagik Ginosyan stressed, quoting
the hero’s well-known words saying, `This is Armenia, and that’s all’

MEETING OF PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO BE HELD IN MUNICH ON NOVEMBER 22

NOYAN TAPAN
NOVEMBER 20, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the OSCE
Minks Group negotiation process on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, a meeting of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan with
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will be held in Munich on November
22. This will be the sixth meeting of the presidents of the two
countries this year, the RA presidential press service reported.