SEPTEMBER 15, 2012 THE ARMENIAN Mirror -Spe ctaItn Ouor Mirror -Spe ctatror 80th Year Volume LXXXIII, NO. 9, Issue 4254 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 2,000 Flock to Mass in Restored Church ANKARA (AFP) — Around 2,000 Armenians from World Chess Champs Turkey and the diaspora flocked to a recently- restored ancient church on the isle of Akhtamar on Lake Van, to the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross, Anatolia news agency said. Turkish authorities restored the church between 2005 and 2007, which then opened as a museum. Mass was celebrated there for the first time in 95 years in 2010. According to the Turkish tourism ministry, the church attracted nearly 30,000 visitors in 2010, and similar number in 2011. Archbishop Aram Atessian, the acting Armenian patriarch, presided over this year’s mass, attended by 2,000 parishioners, of whom only a few dozen were able to watch inside the church, the rest fol - lowing proceedings from outside. The congregation prayed for peace at a time when Turkey’s neighbor, Syria, which also has a large community of Armenians, is being torn apart. The church is one of the rare surviving indicators of the large Armenian presence in Turkey under Ottoman rule, before the Armenian Genocide wiped out the population. Iraq to Open Embassy In Armenia The Armenian men’s team at the podium in Istanbul BAGHDAD (Zawya.com) — The Iraqi government is planning to open its embassy in Armenia in the near future, it was announced this week. The deci - Armenia’s Men’s Team Wins Speaking at a ceremony organized at his Armenia’s coach Arshak Petrosyan and lead - sion for the opening of the embassy came in an offi - residence in honor of the team, Sargisian ing Grandmaster Levon Aronian were awarded cial visit by an Iraqi delegation headed by Deputy World Chess Olympiad said that this latest chess victory once with St. Mesrop Mashtots Orders, while Iraqi Prime Minister Rozh Nouri Shawais and ISTANBUL and YEREVAN again shows that while Armenians can be Grandmasters Vladimir Akopian, Sergei included several ministers among them Trade (ArmeniaNow) — Armenian chess players strong individually, they can also be strong Movsesian, Tigran Petrosian and Gabriel Minister Khairullah Hassan. returned home to a hero’s welcome after as a team. Sargissian received Orders of Honor. A number “Both Iraq and Armenia agreed on opening the winning the 40th World Chess Olympiad in “This is a message to all of us as to how of chess officials also received medals from the Iraqi embassy in Armenia soon. Also, the Iraqi gov - Istanbul, Turkey, on Sunday. each of us should be working in their own president for promoting the sport in Armenia. ernment asked the Iraqi Foreign Ministry to take President Serge Sargisian personally place,” said Sargisian, who also heads the In a short speech Aronian, speaking on steps for the opening,” Hassan told AKnews. went to the airport on Monday to meet the Armenian Chess Federation. behalf of the team, said they were humbled Armenia opened an embassy in Iraq recently. chess players who won Armenia’s third For their “brilliant victory” at the World by the warm feelings towards them from The Iraqi delegation met with Armenia’s top offi - Olympic gold, matching the result so far Chess Olympiad and promoting the image the people and state officials and thanked cials including the vice president and prime minis - achieved by only two nations in the world of Armenia abroad, the five members of the the president personally for his support and ter, as well as trade, industry, agriculture, health — the Soviet Union (which does not exist team and its coach received awards from promotion of chess. and human rights ministers. anymore) and its legal successor, Russia. the president. see CHAMPS, page 2 Armenia Hosts Luxembourg FM Artsakh Can Feel Itself to Be Secure AGBU Issues Urgent Appeal YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Armenia’s President Only After It Is Independent: Serge Sargisian received the Deputy Prime To Help the Armenian Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Ara Abrahamyan Proposes Azg: Mr. Abrahamyan, what will be Luxembourg Jean Asselborn during his official visit Community in Syria the steps of the Union of Armenians in Armenia, on September 11. Concrete Steps of Russia [UAR]? What do you plan, The two discussed not only the development of NEW YORK — With the worsening political MOSCOW (Azg) — After the extra - since the Armenians formed the bilateral relations between the two countries, but turmoil in Syria, the Armenian General dition and heroization of the largest community [of the diaspora] also the development of relations in the framework Benevolent Union (AGBU) has announced a Azerbaijani murderer, a flood of opin - in Russia and in this sense a substan - of European institutions. major fundraising campaign to help the ions started as to how Armenia’s gov - tial portion of the work must be real - The two spoke about the settlement of the Armenian community there, including Aleppo, ernment, the Armenians of the dias - ized in general by the Armenians of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh) issue, as well as Damascus, Homs, Kamishli pora and all Armenians of the world Russia? What proposals does the regional issues. and Latakia, as well as must behave. Azg’s interview with the UAR have? other cities with president of the Union of Armenians Ara Abrahamyan: Several days Armenian populations. of Russia (UAR) and the World ago the Union of Armenians of Months of fighting and Armenian Congress (WAC), Ara Russia held consultations in which INSI DE instability have left an Abrahamyan, addresses these issues. Armenia’s Ambassador Oleg Esayan, otherwise lively and pros - The interview took place Saturday, clerical leader Ezras Srpazan perous community facing September 8. see ABRAHAMYAN, page 16 the loss of homes and busi - Iraqi nesses, with some even suffering personal injuries; fatalities have also been reported. Hundreds of Armenian families have been Sen. Kerry ‘Shocked and Appalled’ at Primate forced to relocate within Syria or to the neigh - Release of Azeri Axe Murderer Safarov boring countries and Armenia. Page 4 While already providing critical humanitarian WASHINGTON — Senate Foreign assistance through its District Committee of Relations Committee Chairman John Syria and its local chapters, AGBU now appeals Kerry (D-MA) last week condemned to the greater Armenian Diaspora to help con - President Ilham Aliyev’s release of Ramil INDEX front this increasingly dire situation. Given the Safarov, the Azerbaijani army lieutenant Arts and Living . 10 urgent need for financial support, donations can who was convicted of brutally axing to Armenia . 2 be made immediately online, by telephone or by death Armenian soldier Gurgen Community News. 4 mail as outlined below. Markarian in his sleep, during a 2004 Editorial . 14 “As AGBU has done numerous times during NATO English-language training course. John Kerry International . 3 see SYRIA, page 7 see KERRY, page 5 2 S ATURDAY , S EPTEMBER 15, 2012 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenia Men’s Chess Team Son of Republican MP Interrogated in Beating Wins World Championship Case CHAMPS, from page 1 YEREVAN (Arminfo) — Makar Petrosyan, the son of Sargisian replied, “The best way for the Republican Member of Parliament Aleksan you to thank me will be winning the Petrosyan, was summoned to the police station on world champion’s title.” September 10 to be interrogated in the case of a Aronian, who is currently ranked sec - beating of an election agent for a candidate run- ond in the world by the World Chess ning in the local elections in a village. Federation (FIDE), will engage in an Arman Sargisian, the election agent of Varuzhan eight-man tournament in London next Vardanyan, one of the candidates, was hospitalized March to determine the challenger of the following the September 9 scuffle in Bambakashat, reigning World Chess Champion from in Armavir Province, where the residents were India, Viswanathan Anand, in the match electing members of the local council. According to for the chess crown later in 2013. the media reports, Sargisian was beaten by Makar About 150 nations competed in the Petrosyan and his friends. championship in Turkey. The organiz - Petrosyan denied the charges, saying he was ers of the 40th World Chess Olympiad brought up knowing that he could not solve his raised the Armenian flag and played the problems through violence. Armenian anthem as the Armenian men’s team stood on the podium hav - ing accepted the trophy from FIDE Grandmasters Levon Aronian, left, and Garbriel Sargisian Armenia’s Deputy PM President Kirlan Ilyumzhinov. Meets with Iraqi This is the third Olympic win for Armenia that first won the Olympic well for the Armenian team as Aronian hard to achieve a draw against the Counterpart gold in Turin, Italy, in 2006 and then and his teammates gained five victories strong Russian quartet and then repeated the success two years later in in the first five rounds of the tourna - dropped the match against China. YEREVAN (News.am) — Armenian Deputy Prime Dresden, Germany. ment. Days 6 and 7 proved the toughest Those eventually proved the only points Minister and Territorial Administration Minister The tournament in Istanbul began for the team as they first had to work missed during the whole Olympiad. Armen Gevorgyan last week received a delegation Having beaten Hungary in the 11th and led by Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rose Nuri final round of the competition Armenia Shaways. gained 19 points (same as Russia) and Gevorgyan underscored the Iraqi delegation’s was declared the winner due to having visit to Armenia, in terms of enhancing bilateral better additional performance showings relations and deepening ties, the Territorial than the Russians.