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By Nick, April 25, 2013 3:53 am

The Syriac [Assyrian] community in Turkey is represented in a new exhibition titled “The Life of Ottoman Syriacs before 1915,” which represents their past experiences in Anatolia regarding the 1915 incidents.

Photographs collected from various personal archives in Europe are being showcased at the exhibition, which opened yesterday. The exhibition will be on display at the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Istanbul’s Taksim district, opening on May 1 as part of commemorations of the tragic events of 1915.

Syriac intellectual Sabo Boyaci, who headed the organization of the event, said the IHD was the first to come up with the offer.

“At the beginning of this century, the ancient peoples of Anatolia, including Syriacs, experienced many bloody tragedies. Syriacs named the tragedies they faced ‘Seyfo’ [meaning 'sword'],” Boyaci said.

“They felt such great fears that they could not even express the misfortunes they experienced. With this exhibition, the disaster that Syriacs experienced will be reflected for the public,” he said.

“We particularly tried to choose the photos displaying the places where Syriacs were densely populated, which reflected their social life in the relevant years. We included pictures of intellectuals, schools and churches,” Boyaci said.

According to Boyaci, the exhibition will also cover a number of texts depicting “communal subversions” within the Syriac community. The Syriac community has so far preferred to remain in the background and has not brought their problems onto the agenda. When asked why they were now trying to make the “Seyfo” public, Boyaci said the time was right.

“It is a community that experienced bitter traumas. So we can’t expect them to easily express themselves. The point we have reached so far shows that we have partly overcome this trauma. Thanks to the works conducted by Syriacs who migrated abroad, we are managing to overcome our traumas,” he said.

‘Impossible a decade ago’

The current Syriac population in Turkey is said to be around 15,000, most of whom live in Istanbul. A large number of Syriacs migrated to Europe during the 1990s.

“The Syriacs in the diaspora are closely following the latest developments in Turkey. They have been able to see the changes that have taken place. Even if they are far away, their hearts belong to their homeland, where they were born. It is not easy to end this affection. They wish for the well-being of the country, while demanding respect for the tragedies experienced by their ancestors,” Boyaci said.

“We could not have opened such an exhibition only a decade ago. The improvement of democratic culture is still a little slow, but still we regard the point we have reached as progress,” he added.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, April 20, 2013 4:01 am

The new al-Hayrat [Khayrat] power plant in Karbala was officially opened on Friday.

At a ceremony to mark the event, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Hussein al-Shahristani, thanked the Turkish company Calik Energy for completing the project successfully and on time.

Ahmet Calik (pictured), CEO of Calik Holdings, said:

“Al Hayrat energy power plant has a strength of 250 megawatts. It will serve the Iraqi people for decades to come.“

Other reports say the plant has a capacity of 1,250 MW, and is Iraq’s biggest.

Calik is building 2,000 MW of power generation capacity in Iraq.

(Source: World Bulletin)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, April 5, 2013 4:17 pm

The Iraq Britain Business Council has boosted its operations in Iraq by opening a new office in Erbil.

The IBBC’s new office is inside UB Holding at UB Plaza in Erbil’s Gulan Street. In the coming weeks an office manager will be hired.

VIP guests included KRG Trade and Industry Minister Sinan Çelebi, British Consul Hugh Evans and Erbil Chamber of Commerce President Dara Jalil Al Khayat.

The new Iraqi bureau come less than year since the first opened in Basrah last July.

Baroness Nicholson said:

“Opening a new office in Erbil is a very important step in the IBBC’s history, especially after the success of our Basrah bureau which hugely increased our presence in the south. Basrah gave us a firm base on which to build and I am sure Erbil will do the same.“

Speaking at the Erbil opening ceremony Baroness Nicholson praised the KRG region’s rapid growth, fuelled by a booming oil sector.

She said:

“Each time I come here I am amazed at the pace of change after years of war, isolation and suffering by the Kurdish people. The KRG region is fast growing emerging market with relative political stability.“

The IBBC’s first office in Iraq was opened in Basrah last July and has been used regularly for receptions, delegations and press conferences

Earlier this year UK Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint paid a visit and it was also used for the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Basrah Governor. The office is run by IBBC employee Ahmad Hoobi.

(Source: IBBC)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, April 3, 2013 1:34 am

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird (pictured), issued the following statement on Monday:

“Today’s opening is a historic milestone in Canadian relations with Iraq and comes at a pivotal moment. Ten years after the Iraqi intervention, Iraq is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, despite deep and lingering sectarian tensions.

“With conflict raging in neighbouring Syria, with the Ayatollah [Ali Khamenei]’s regime relentlessly pursuing sectarian hegemony and nuclear ambitions, and with a NATO ally and economic partner bordering Iraq’s north, today’s opening here in Baghdad expresses Canada’s intention to expand our engagement with a key regional player.

“We know that security and prosperity are intrinsically linked, especially for those many Iraqis who have only ever known lives of war and strife. Iraq is situated at the intersection of intrinsic international security challenges that affect us all. At this intersection also rests a principal fault line between Sunni, Shia and Kurdish identities, historically mired in sectarian conflict but with the potential of one day becoming a multi-confessional, pluralist society at peace with its neighbours, one where Muslims, Christians and other religious and ethnic groups will live in security and social harmony.

“Canada’s trade and investment interests in Iraq have strong potential, including in the country’s north, where we will expand our dialogue with leaders in Erbil. To pursue our interests, we know that Canada needs to be on the ground in Baghdad.”

The new mission in Baghdad, an office of Canada’s Embassy to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Iraq in Amman, will be headed by a chargé d’affaires, Stephanie Duhaime. The mission will be co-located in the British Embassy Baghdad, consistent with the agreement signed last fall by Baird and U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague. Canada’s ambassador to Iraq will continue to be based in Jordan, and will continue to oversee the bilateral relationship at the strategic level.

(Source: Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, February 24, 2013 7:12 am

Officials from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their mission in Baghdad came together in Erbil yesterday to officially open their embassy liaison office.

The Secretary-General of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Renée Jones-Bos, was in the Kurdistan Region during the opening of the Erbil Embassy Liaison Office, which will be headed by Mr Jeroen Kelderhuis.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Dutch Ambassador to Iraq, Mr Harry Molenaar, welcomed government officials and diplomats to the ceremony, saying that the event marks a significant step in relations. He said, “I’m proud to host this event for two reasons; firstly because we conclude the first high-ranking official visit, and secondly of course is that we are officially launching our presence here in the Kurdistan Region.”

The Netherlands is the 26th country to have established a presence in Erbil.

Mrs Jones-Bos acknowledged the hardships that the Kurdish people faced under the former regime – many of whom fled to the Netherlands. She said, “We are here partly because of our good relations with the people of the Region and also because we think we have something to offer.”

She touched on the visible progress being achieved and the political maturity taking place, and praised Kurdistan’s leadership for their vision.

She also spoke of the monument in the Netherlands to commemorate the history and suffering of the Kurdish people.

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, February 22, 2013 8:59 pm

By John Lee.

Iraq’s deputy prime minister for energy affairs, Hussein al-Shahristani, has opened a new gas-powered electricity plant in southern Baghdad.

The plant has four 125-megawatt generators and cost $ 219 million to build, he said.

Iraq Business News understands that the plant was constructed by the Korean company Hyundai.

(Source: Al-Shorfa)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, February 14, 2013 1:28 pm

In line with its international expansion, Banque Libano-Française (BLF) has opened its first branch in Iraq.

The BLF branch, located on the Outer Karrada main street in Baghdad, will serve Lebanese and Iraqi businessmen as well as international companies operating in this growing and dynamic market, which has traditionally been one of Lebanon’s main destinations for exports and investments.

“Establishing a physical presence in Iraq is a strategic choice and we hope that being there will allow us to cater to the needs of our clients and partners and to contribute to the development of the banking and financial sectors“, stated Maurice Iskandar, Head of the International Division at BLF and Member of its Executive Committee.

(Source: BLF)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, January 26, 2013 7:07 pm

By John Lee.

Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikolay Mladenov (pictured), has opened a new Bulgarian Embassy in Baghdad.

The Minister’s Chief of Staff, Valeri Rachev, has been appointed Ambassador in Baghdad on a temporary basis until the Cabinet appoints a permanent representative.

Bulgaria had an Embassy in Iraq, but it was closed in 2003 over the war. The building is now inaccessible.

Bulgarian online news agency Dnevnik says the new building is outside the Green Zone but is near other diplomatic missions; the rent is $ 150 000 a year and the building is fully furnished.

The country also plans to open an Embassy in the near future in Erbil.

(Source: Novinite)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, January 20, 2013 3:04 pm

Kirkuk, Iraq — Authorities on Sunday opened what they billed as the first Christian cultural centre in Iraq in a decade, despite a dramatic decline in the country’s once significant Christian population.

The building was inaugurated in the northern city of Kirkuk, home to a diverse population of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, and is to host conferences and meetings to promote inter-faith communications between the city’s Muslim and Christian communities.

“This centre is the first of its kind in Iraq since 2003, it sends a message of peace, and promotes the language of dialogue,” said Louis Sakho, Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk.

“The communities of Kirkuk are one family,” he added.

Construction of the cultural centre, which lies next to Kirkuk’s Chaldean church, began in early 2012 and was completed at a cost of around $ 305,000, officials said.

Iraq’s Christian community is one of the oldest of its kind in the world, but they suffered persecution, forced flight and killings in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion.

Before 2003 there were more than a million Christians living in Iraq. Now they number around 450,000.

According to the UN refugee agency, many thousands fled after an October 2010 attack on a church in Baghdad.

From 2003 to May 2012, some 900 Christians were killed, while 200 were kidnapped, tortured and ultimately released for exorbitant ransoms, according to the Hammurabi Human Rights Organisation in Iraq.

Daily Star, Lebanon

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, January 4, 2013 11:16 am

By John Lee.

Shares in Asiacell, the first of Iraq’s mobile phone operators to list on the stock exchange, are now open for subscription.

According to a statement from the company:

• Investors are now invited to complete and submit their application forms to subscribe

• 67.503 billion shares, representing 25% of Asiacell’s share capital, are available to investors

• The offer is open to all investors who have a trading account with one of the registered brokers with the Iraq Stock Exchange (” ISX “)

• There is no minimum number of shares that investors can subscribe to

• The subscription period is open from today until 2 February 2013

• Asiacell will be trading on the ISX under the ticker “TASC” on 3 February 2013

• The Offer is expected to be the biggest in Iraqi history

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Faruk M. Rasool (pictured), Managing Director of Asiacell, said:

“It’s an exciting day for us all – we are inviting all Iraqis – whether they wish to buy small or large number of shares – to own a part of Asiacell, a truly Iraqi success story. We are building on very solid foundations and our plan is to continue to offer our subscribers ever better quality network coverage, the best customer service and innovative features. We want to share our future growth with an expanded group of Iraqis.“

How to participate

The offer is open to all investors, individuals and institutions with a trading account in Iraq.

Investors who would like to participate in the Asiacell Offer should contact a broker registered with the ISX (the “Brokers”) and obtain and read the full Offer leaflet which is available from the Brokers and from Asiacell stores. Investors can subscribe by placing a buy order to acquire Shares at at least IQD 22 per share, between the 3rd January and the 2nd February 2013, with one of the Brokers.

Investors can follow these simple steps:

1. Open a trading account with one of the Brokers. For a full list of Brokers, see the ISX web site www.isx-iq.net

2. The Brokers will be able to provide investors with a buy-order form which must be completed in full and returned to the Broker.

3. Full payment for the Shares must be made with the submission of the buy-order form.

Advisers

Rabee Securities, Iraq’s – premier independent brokerage, is acting as sole distributor and selling agent and Melak Iraq, an Iraqi Financial Advisory Firm, is sole adviser to the Company in respect of the Offer.

Iraq Business News