SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIV, NO. 10, Issue 4304 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Armenian Schools in Benefactor Aleppo Reopened ALEPPO (Armenpress) — Armenian schools in Gerard Aleppo have reopened after summer holidays on September 17 and received local Armenian pupils, a source in Aleppo reported. “Today is the first day Cafesjian Dies of opening the schools. Children attend schools. Life goes on in a normal way,” he said. ST. PAUL (Combined Sources) — He also spoke about inflation, suggesting prices Prominent Armenian benefactor Gerard had not changed much from the previous week. Cafesjian died at the age of 88 on “Sometimes prices for goods are very high but now September 15. food and bread are available. Compared with the Cafesjian was a businessman and philan - previous week when it was difficult to find, bread thropist who founded the Cafesjian Family now it can be found but it is expensive. There is no Foundation (CFF), the Cafesjian Museum fuel at all,” he added, noting that the blockade of Foundation (CMF) and the Cafesjian the city continues. “At the end of last week three Center for the Arts. Armenian young men were kidnapped and there is He was born April 26, 1925 in the not any information from them,” he said. Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. His parents had come to the Hovannisian Slams CU Musician Alan Semerdjian Decision YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Heritage oppo - sition party leader, former presidential candidate Alan Semerdjian: Exploring Raffi Hovannisian slammed President Serge Sargisian’s decision to join the Russian-led Universal Truths through Art Customs Union (CU), comparing the move to the 1921 deal between the Turks and Bolsheviks. NEW YORK — Musician Alan Semerdjian, According to Hovannisian, the country’s acces - By Gabriella Gage who recently released his album, “Quiet sion to the CU limits its sovereignty. Mirror-Spectator Staff Songs for Loud Times,” presents a fresh, Armenia’s ties with the European Union (EU) personal take on the challenges that affect have cooled following Sargisian’s declaration of society as a whole, but the music can also Gerard Cafesjian intention to join the Customs Union, with further be viewed as a return to basics for the singer who has spent the last 20 years ded - plans to be involved in formation of Eurasian icated to creative expression through music, writing and art. United States preceding the Armenian Economic Union. From an early age, Semerdjian exhibited the qualities of a writer, composing Genocide of 1915. However, the European Commission said the poems and lyrics. Semerdjian was born in Woodside, Queens and grew up in After amphibious training, he served in Association Agreement with Armenia can be com - Melville, Long Island. His musical journey began in high school, when he was the United States Navy in WWII aboard JP patible with economic cooperation with the mem - asked to fill in for a lead singer in a local alternative rock band who had taken Morgan’s yacht, the Corsair III. The ship bers of the Commonwealth of Independent States. ill. Semerdjian continued writing lyrics and composing songs for the band, did extensive survey work in and around named Surreal. “I suppose the passion to make something as ethereal and as Guadalcanal and other Solomon Islands. haunting as the Armenian church music I heard my grandfather play on Sundays Soldier Fired Because He also served aboard the USS Andres throughout our house was present as a child, but the impetus to seriously con - (DE45), a destroyer escort for convoys from sider making music came a bit later,” said Semerdjian. Of Armenian Origin the United States to North Africa. see SEMERDJIAN, page 16 When he returned after the war he VAN, Turkey — After serving in the Turkish army in see CAFESJIAN, page 16 Edirne, Seifetin Bozan began working as a special - ist sergeant in the army, but was fired in 1994 because of his Armenian origin. Dink Murder Trial Reporter Naif Karabatak of Radikal newspaper Restarts, Arrest Warrant recently wrote about the case. After his firing, the sergeant began to work in a Van military unit. For Ex-informant Issued Bozan grew up in a Muslim family and practiced Islam. His Armenian grandparents had their chil - ISTANBUL (PanArmenian.net) — The dren taken from them and raised in Muslim trial for the murder of Armenian-Turkish homes, so he had little exposure to his Armenian journalist, Agos weekly editor-in-chief Hrant ancestry. Dink restarted on September 17, following After working 10 months in the army, a flag of an overturn of the first verdict due to the “insubordinate” was placed in his work file and he victim’s family protest of the trial. only later realized that this was because of his “As the Dink family, we will no longer be Armenian heritage. tools to the state mechanisms that have been After keeping silent for 20 years, Seifetin is now mocking us and we will not attend the hear - trying to reinstate his right to serve and receive ings of the retrial,” the Dink family said in a benefits, but thus far, no success. statement issued before the trial. “The crime coalition that is called ‘the state’ recommit - ted the murder in every hearing, every day while it showed itself as if seeking for justice. Lebanon ADL District Committee, That coalition is the crime gang itself that INSI DE planned the murder and then covered it up,” Tekeyan Founders Meet the family’s letter said. In today’s hearing, the court issued an BEIRUT — ADL Lebanon’s District Committee initiated a meeting with Detroit arrest warrant for Erhan Tuncel, a former Lebanon’s Tekeyan Founders’ Committee on Monday, September 16. police informant and suspect in the murder Both committees were represented by former deputy Hagop Kassardjian, case who was released after the first verdict. chairman of ADL Lebanon’s District Committee Harout Yerganian, and mem - Concert Tuncel is seen as a key in linking the bers Michael Vayedjian, Eddy Bahadourian, Nar Khatchadourian, Dr. Avedis murder to the state institutions as members Dakesian, Ardavazt Melkissetian, Hovsep Emirian, Ohan Bodrumian and Sarkis Page 8 of the Police Department in the Black Sea Seferian. province of Trabzon, the suspects’ home - The meeting was held at the Tekeyan Cultural Association Center in Beirut. town, have been accused of failing to relay Also attending the meeting was Hagop Vartivarian, a member of the ADL intelligence provided by Tuncel to the District Committee of the US and Canada, who was in Beirut for this occasion. INDEX Trabzon Gendarmerie Command in a In the meeting issues about Lebanon’s District Committee and about the report prepared by Turkey’s State Armenian Democratic Liberal Party worldwide were discussed. Arts and Living . 10 Armenia . 2 Supervisory Council (DDK). As the meeting progressed smoothly and collaboratively, the committees Dink was shot in front of his office on Community News. 5 decided to have more such exchanges regularly. Editorial . 14 January 19, 2007. — Armenian Democratic Liberal Party International . 3,4 The triggerman, Ogün Samast, a 17-year- Lebanon District Committee old at the time of the murder, and Yasin see DINK, page 3 2 S ATURDAY , S EPTEMBER 21, 2013 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenian Assembly Representative Participates In NKR Independence Celebrations FM Hosts Delegation of STEPANAKERT — On September 1, a Among the awardees was Armenian able unity, Artsakh would achieve the British Parliamentarians solemn awards ceremony was held in Assembly of America Country Director realization of it’s national goals. connection with the 22nd anniversary Armina Darbinian. Sahakyan expressed Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Foreign Minister Eduard of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s his appreciation to the decades-long the Armenian Apostolic Church Nalbandian on September 17 hosted the delegation (NKR/Artsakh) proclamation of inde - activities of the Armenian Assembly, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, speak - of members of United Kingdom House of Commons, pendence at the residence of the while also emphasizing the personal er of the NKR National Assembly Ashot headed by vice chairman of Armenian-British par- Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan. contribution of Darbinian to the pros - Ghoulyan, and other officials participat - liamentary friendship group, John Whittingdale. In his speech, Sahakyan ranked the dec - perity of Artsakh. ed in the event. Nalbandian at the meeting praised the closer laration of Artsakh’s independent state - The president congratulated every - Armenian-British cooperation, giving credit to the hood as the country’s most important one on their state awards and expressed two nations’ parliaments. Nalbandian said parlia- achievement, calling it one of the brightest confidence that together, with the mentary diplomacy is an important additional stim- pages in modern Armenian history. Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora’s unshak - US Stepping up ulus for developing mutual understanding between two countries and strengthening the relations. Efforts on Karabagh Minister Nalbandian mentioned that remembers with warmth his visit to the UK in May. As Armenia Opts for Thanking him for their reception, the British par- liamentarians highlighted that they will continue Integration with efforts to further strengthen and expand friendly Russia relations between the two countries. Nalbandian spoke about the efforts made by Armenia and the international community aimed at the settlement of Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. By Naira Hayrumyan YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — The new Karekin II Receives American co-chair of the Organizaiton Pilgrims from Austria for Security and Cooperaiton in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group James Warlick YEREVAN (Armenpress) — On September 15, alone, without his Russian and French Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of colleagues, has visited the region of the All Armenians, received a group of pilgrims from conflict where he has already met with Austria at the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin.