Author: Vardanian Garo

TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO US LEFT FOR WASHINGTON TODAY

Tert.am
12:35 â~@¢ 06.04.10

Turkey’s Ambassador to the US, Namik Tan, left for Washington this
morning weeks after he was recalled as a sign of protest for the
US House Committee on Foreign Affairs adopting a resolution which
recognized the mass killings and deportations of Armenians (as well
as Assyrians, Syrians, Greeks and Chaldeans) in 1915 as Genocide.

"We received satisfactory messages from the United States. I am going
back to Washington to my responsibilities. I will see Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu there,"
said Tan at the airport before leaving, adding he hoped that the
positive atmosphere in bilateral relations would be preserved.

A World Nuclear Summit is planned to be held in Washington from April
12-13 and attended by Erdogan and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. A
meeting between Erdogan and Sargsyan is expected to be brokered by
US President Barack Obama.

DEPUTY FROM ARFD: INFLATION HAS ‘EATEN’ THE FORTHCOMING RAISING OF PENSIONS LONG AGO

ArmInfo
2010-04-06 10:19:00

ArmInfo. Inflation has long ago neutralized the forthcoming raising
of pensions in Armenia beginning from 1 November, deputy of National
Assembly from ARF Dashnaktiutyun parliamentary faction Artsvik Minasyan
said at today’s press-conference. He added that taking into account
the level of the GDP deflator-index, which according to Armenian
National Statistics Service was 10,6% in Jan-Feb 2010, to speak about
overcoming of the crisis means not to own the real economic situation.

"The dynamics of the economical indices, which are evidence of social
security of population, does not inspire optimism. This is regarding
the dynamics of the GDP, the level of trust in the financial system,
the level of unemployment and living standards of population. The
tendencies noticed today are far from the quality changes. Not
wishing to present white for black and mentioning the decision of the
government to raise pensions and allowances, I do not think this step
may radically change to better the state of poor layers of population>,
– Minasyan said.

To recall, beginning from 1 November 2010 the size of the main part
of pension in Armenia will grow from 8 up to 10,5 thsd drams, and the
size of the basic family allowance will grow from 10 up to 12,5 thsd
drams beginning from 1 May.

FIRST PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA LEVON TER-PETROSYAN AND INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (FIDH) PRESIDENT SOUYER BELASSEN MEET

ArmInfo
2010-04-06 15:17:00

ArmInfo. First president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan and
International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) President Souyer
Belassen met on April 4, the Armenian National Congress reported.

Ter-Petrosyan informed Belassen of the poor state of affairs in the
sphere of democracy and human rights in Armenia, in particular, the
full dependence of the judicial system on the political authorities
and the fact of political prisoners. "If FIDH congress fails to
display a principal position on these problems, this will disappoint
the Armenian public, on the one hand, and become a good gift for the
Armenian leadership, on the other hand. This will even more encourage
the authorities to increase political pressure on the opposition,"
Ter-Petrosyan said.

ARMENIAN, TURKISH INTELLECTUALS TO MEET IN ANKARA FOR DIALOGUE

Yerkir
02.04.2010 12:40

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Intellectuals from Turkey and Armenia are set to
gather in the Turkish capital on the anniversary of the 1915 killings
of Armenians during the last days of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkish and Armenian intellectuals will meet in Ankara on April 24
and 25 to discuss the events of 1915 and attempt to improve dialogue
between the two nations in an event organized by the Ankara Freedom
of Thought Initiative.

Participants in the forum will talk about the events leading up to
the 1915 Genocide as well as its political implications. Topics of
discussion are set to include "The Armenian issue from a historical
perspective," "From [the Committee of] Union and Progress to
Kemalism – official ideological denial and termination of the issue,"
"The Turkification of the capital" and "The Armenian issue: How to
handle it?"

ARMSWISSBANK BECOMES MARKET MAKER FOR ARTSAKH HPP STOCKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.04.2010 19:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ From April 3, 2010 Armswissbank will provide buy
and sell prices for the stocks of Artsakh HydroPower Plant, listed
on NASDAQ OMX Armenia since October 29, 2009 under ticker symbol AHEK.

As the press office of the RA stock exchange reported, a total of
5,962,074 common nominal stocks of the company with nominal value of
AMD 1,000 are currently included in the B list of the stock exchange.

In its status of a market maker Armswissbank will ensure that investors
will always be able to buy and sell the stocks of "Artsakh HPP" on
NASDAQ OMX Armenia, thus promoting the liquidity of the securities
in the secondary market.

Armswissbank has been a member of the stock exchange since September
14, 2007 and, apart from AHEK, is also the market maker for corporate
bonds issued by "ArmRusGasprom" (HRGAB2), which is currently the only
security on NASDAQ OMX Armenia Abond list.

Artsakh HPP was the first company to carry out an initial public
offering (IPO) of stocks in the Armenian capital market. Currently,
no other company listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ OMX Armenia
has a market maker for its stocks.

In January 2008, Nordic exchange operator OMX Group acquired 100%
of shares of the Armenian Stock Exchange (Armex) and the Central
Depository of Armenia (CDA). After the combination of NASDAQ and OMX
in February 2008, Armex and CDA have become fully owned by the NASDAQ
OMX Group, Inc. For more information on the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

visit

On January 27, 2009, Armenian Stock Exchange was officially renamed
as NASDAQ OMX Armenia. On June 5, 2009, NASDAQ OMX Armenia became
the owner of 100% of the shares of the Central Depository of Armenia.

ARMAVIA LAUNCHES FLIGHTS TO RIMINI

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.04.2010 18:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Starting May 22, 2010, Armavia airway company starts
operating regular flights to Rimini.

Yerevan-Rimini -Yerevan flights will be carried out on Saturdays.

Armavia airway company is Armenia’s national air carrier, which fully
complies with the international requirements of IATA. Currently,
Armavia conducts over 340 flights per month to 35 destinations in
20 countries.

Rimini is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy
and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the
Adriatic Sea, near the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the
ancient Ariminus) and Ausa (Aprusa). Coast navigation and fishing are
traditional industries and, together with Riccione, it is probably
the most famous seaside resort on the Adriatic Riviera.

FIRST BOOK OF ART TRANSLATED INTO ARMENIAN

Hurriyet
m/n.php?n=-2010-03-30
March 31 2010
Turkey

Turkey and Armenia have initiated a common project. A theater play
by Hasan Erkek has been translated into Armenian by the Armenian
Publishers Union with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

‘EÅ~_ik’ (Cradle) is the first book that breaks the trend of
translations only touching on historical problems between the
neighboring countries

Hasan Erke, writer of ‘EÅ~_ik.’

The Armenian Publishers Union and the Turkish Ministry of Culture
and Tourism have collaborated on a special project. Armenian readers
will now be able to read a book on art rather than ones that examine
historical problems between the two countries.

The book will be promoted at a ceremony in May at the Armenian
Publishers Union. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism participated
through subsidizing the translation through the Opening Turkish
Literature to the World, or TEDA, a project, which works to publish
Turkish cultural, artistic and literary works in foreign languages.

The writer of the book, titled "EÅ~_ik" (Cradle), Anadolu University
State Conservatory member and the Playwrights and Interpreters
Association Chairman Hasan Erkek said his book was published in
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. "I hope this coincidence will make
a contribution to peace among these three countries. I believe that
we will progress more by developing a culture of empathy through art
rather than harsh political statements."

Speaking to the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review, the Armenian
translator of the book, Meline Anumyan, who is a member of the Hracya
Acaryan University Turkish literature department and the Armenian
Society Radio Turkish broadcast editor, said, "I am very pleased to
translate a book on art rather than history and politics."

First contact in Istanbul

"EÅ~_ik" is a theater play. Depicting various periods of human life,
the play tells about these stages in a very effective way through
a young girl who grows into a woman. The play has been viewed by
more than 60,000 people in different Turkish cities, according to
Erkek. In addition to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the book, which
has many national awards, was published in France in 2001 with the
title "Le Seuil" and initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The idea of publishing the book in Armenia came up in 2008. The
Armenian Publishers Union President Vahan Khachatryan, who was the
guest of honor at the International Istanbul TUYAP Book Fair, met
Erkek during the fair.

"It was a very nice meeting. I thought we would be able to collaborate,
and I sent him my book," said Erkek. "They decided to publish the
book. TEDA gave a small budget for the project, and ‘EÅ~_ik’ met
Armenian readers thanks to it. It makes me happy that my play reaches
more people."

View of Armenia in Turkish literature

During the time of the Soviet Republics, Turkish literature was
followed in Armenia through Russian translations. Although the country
gained its independence in 1991, the first translations into Armenian
only gained speed during the last two years. The firsts were Fethiye
Cetin’s "Anneannem" (My Grandmother) and Nobel laureate writer Orhan
Pamuk’s "Kar" (Snow). In her book, Cetin tells the story of her
grandmother, who was an Armenian, but became a Muslim and changed
her name after 1915.

Right before he won the Nobel Prize, Pamuk gained empathy in Armenia
and among the diaspora, saying, "one million Armenians and 30,000
Kurds have been murdered on this land." But in his book, Erkek did
not make any reference to the Armenian problem or give place to an
Armenian hero. "I don’t know why they wanted to translate ‘EÅ~_ik’,"
he said. "Maybe its poetic language, characters or folk songs had
an influence."

Themes same with Hovhannes Tumanian

Even though Erkek did not comment on why his book was appreciated
in Armenia, Anumyan said: "Erkek’s style has similarities with the
immortal poet of Armenian literature Hovhannes Tumanian’s themes. We
thought this feature of the book would be familiar to our readers."

Anumyan said more works from Turkish literature would be translated
into Armenian. Erkek also said similar work could be done in Turkey.

"Such things are necessary for both societies to know each other
better. I hope my book will be the first step for common projects,"
he said.

WORLD-FAMOUS JAZZ MUSICIAN TIGRAN HANESYAN TO PERFORM IN YEREVAN

Tert.am
11:52 ~U 01.04.10

On April 5, Yerevan’s Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall (also known
as the Opera House) will host a concert by famous Armenian piano
player and composer Tigran Hamasyan and ARRATA REBIRTH. The concert
is sponsored by the US Embassy in Armenia and Armenian Jazz 70.

Born in 1987 in Armenian’s second largest city, Gyumri, Hanesyan became
a revelation for the Armenian jazz community when he participated
in the first Yerevan jazz festival in 1998. In 2000, he became
acquainted with Stepan Kochoyan who played an important role in
presenting Hamasyan to a European community of jazz lovers.

He has won several prizes in competitions such as Jazz a Juan
Revelations (2003), Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition (2003),
the Monaco Jazz Soloist Competition, and Martial Solal.

In 2004, he released his debut album recorded with WORLDS PASSION
quartet. He was awarded the Thelonious Monk Prize in 2006 and recorded
his Red Hall with ARATTA REBIRTH before he moved to New York in 2008.

ARMENIANS WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT TURKEY

Hurriyet
March 30 2010
Turkey

The Armenian people get up each morning thinking of genocide, talking
about Turkey during the day and watch news on TV about Erdogan before
going to bed. Of course, I am exaggerating but I see the same things
here in Armenia that I used to experience in Greece.

Previously when I came to Armenia people would talk about genocide
but not this much. During the Soviet term a struggle for genocide was
forbidden. People would argue about it but it wouldn’t be carried as
far as a fight with Turkey. With the dispersion of the Soviet Union
and the independence of Armenia this passion increased. Since my last
visit in 2000 everything has gotten out of control.

Today’s passion is best described by Dr. Hovanisyan of the Yerevan
University:

"For us genocide is the start of a history, being kicked out of heaven
meant starting from scratch, a milestone. It is our collective memory.

As long as Turkey does not accept genocide no relationship can be put
on track. Accept it and forget about it, there is no other way. That
way we’d stop playing a mutual game."

Genocide is a passion now.

Ignoring genocide means ignoring the Armenian presence, people started
to believe something as unrealistic as "fire won’t burn."

You might guess how big an excitement and political argument emerged
in respect to the signed protocols in such an environment. In Turkey
this subject remained within the frame of the opposition-administration
fight. The border lines of this argument have expanded. Here it has
created an effect as if a dynamite exploded.

Sarkisian is in a difficult situation, Erdogan is being questioned

President Sarkisian took on a great risk in political respect when
he gave a green light to the protocols. For, according to some,
he made a historic mistake in respect to genocide.

"Do you know what it means to sent the genocide issue before the
historians commission? It means to reopen an issue which we made
the world accept and to create suspicion as to whether it was right
or wrong which would mean destroying a work done over the past 100
years," says the Armenian expert.

He also says, "Historians won’t be able to agree on a mutual decision.

One will say there has been genocide committed. The other will say
no there hasn’t. Our opportunity to make Turkey accept or have the
parliament approve of it will be destroyed."

Hovanisyan’s reply to the question what would Armenia’s answer be
in case Turkey would want to apply to the The Hague’s International
Court of Justice together with Armenia was the following:

"Why would I go to the International Court of Justice? I am not
after anything. What would I want to prove? Genocide is for real,
why would I want to argue over it?"

Now this is the suspicion part of Armenians and part of the diaspora
seriously carries. That is the reason why Sarkisian is in a difficult
position.

If the protocols are not approved Turkey experiences a loss in
different ways. I.e. it will lose the opportunity to freeze genocide
allegations or put them on hold.

Erdogan has a strange reputation here.

On one side they praise him for his brave steps and applaud him as
a leader who started initiatives no one else could. They believe if
one day a solution is to be found Erdogan will find it. Especially
the Armenian community in Turkey for the first time praises Erdogan
as a Turkish Prime Minister.

On the other side he is criticized for being a leader who allies with
the Armenians and would deport illegal Armenian workers which revives
in them previous exile days. And even attempts of a gesture like
apologizing to the leaders of the Armenian community in Istanbul or
opening the Armenian church on the island of Akdamar for worshipping
once a year did not satisfy people. I met people saying, "What does
opening the church for worship once a year mean? It’s like a donation.

If you want to do some good then keep it constantly open…"

Like an academic said in respect to Erdogan, "Can’t live with him,
can’t live without him."

We can’t wait for too long

The Armenians are about to attack in a diplomatic way.

"We will knock on the doors of those who were standing behind our two
ministers of foreign affairs and applauding while they were signing
the protocols to ask them to make Turkey comply with its signature,"
says an upper level official. He continued saying that the first step
will be taken in April in Washington with President Obama and others
will follow because they are not willing to wait for months. He also
said, "As we wait, the Azerbaijanis will become stiffer in respect to
Karabag. And since they have leaned their backs on Turkey, negotiations
are becoming a drag."

So, do we know what will happen in case the protocols are approved
and borders opened? Will the Armenian become richer? What will happen?

I will talk about it tomorrow.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN CANADA UNITES TO JOINTLY COMMEMORATE THE 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Azg Daily
March 30 2010
Armenia

April 24th, 2010 will mark the 95th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, a heinous and unpunished Crime against Humanity that has been
recognized by numerous countries including Canada. On this occasion,
Armenians everywhere will mourn their martyrs, celebrate their rebirth,
and renew their commitment to stand for Truth and Justice for all the
victims of genocides in the world. It will also be an opportunity to
apply international pressure on Turkey to finally come to terms with
its past by abandoning its denialist policies that have prolonged
this crime, recognizing the Genocide and facing the consequences.

Armenian organizations operating in Canada, comprised of the three
traditional political parties, the advocacy groups, international
and national philanthropic organizations, and cultural, educational,
sportive and compatriotic organizations, have united under the auspices
of the three religious denominations to jointly organize events that
will commemorate this milestone anniversary.

Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the 95th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide calls upon all Canadian Armenians and Armenian
organizations to show their solidarity by supporting and actively
participating in these events. This is also a call to make the 95th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide a turning point in the struggle
for the undeniable rights of the Armenian nation.