ARMY TO LOSE ITS ROLE IN THE POLITICAL LIFE OF TURKEY
Azg/am
21 Aug 04
The importance of the Turkish army in the political life of the
country is out of doubt. Having assumed the role of a guarantee for
secular and republican order it also controls the legislative and
executive powers of the country. The National Security Council,
having more military than civil members, became the means of
supervision.
In other words, the president, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
foreign and home ministers oppose the head of the supreme
headquarters, commanders of the land, marine and air forces. The first
deputy of the supreme headquarters is also the secretary general of
the National Security Council.
The National Security Council was the body that discussed and made
decisions on issues like Turkey and the EU, the Cyprus issue, the
Kurdish issue as well as the issues of Armenian-Turkish relations and
the Karabakh conflict.
Though the Turkish policy towards all these issues of national
importance remained unchanged with the Justice and Progress party
coming into power, the role of the National Security Council reduced
as another major power, the EU, with its demands emerged. The discord
between Erdogan’s government and the supreme headquarters grew worse.
Though the pressure from the EU didn’t result in the dissolving of the
Council, there were created preconditions for considering its
staff. As a result of this the number of civilians in the Council
multiplied, two more ministers were included and the military
secretary general was replaced by a diplomat.
The former Turkish ambassador to Greece Mehmed Yighit Alpogan became
the new secretary general. On its August 19 publication the Turkish
Vakit writes that the president Ahmed Naced Sezer confirmed his
appointment.
This refill of the National Security Council with civil members
supposes weakening of military forces in its structure. We can
conclude that the supervision over the legislative and executive
powers will reduce, as the National Security Council was the main body
of control for the army. Now Erdogan will have more freedom to act
apart from the army. The initiative in national issues will pass to
executive power now, which will not have the backing of the army any
more.
By Hakob Chakrian

FIRST WEB PROGRAMMING COMPETITION TO BE HELD IN SEPTEMBER IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). From September 13 the first web
programming competition will start in Armenia. 17-30-year-old
specialists mastering Windows or Linux operation systems and Java/JSP
or PHP programming languages may participate in the competition. The
competition is organized by the Union of Information Technologies’
Enterprises, the “Incubator of Enterprises” fund and “Lycos Armenia”
company. Bids for participation in the competition will be received
till September 9 through Internet, by address. Arman
Valesian, the Executive Director of the Union of Information
Technologies’ Enterprises, reported at the August 20 press conference
that the goal of the competition is to reveal high-quality young
specialists of the web programming sphere. According to him, besides
the organizers, some companies of the sphere, Unicomp, Migma, CIT and
others will also hand prizes to the best participants of the
competition. It was mentioned that the winners of the competition will
receive computer accessories, monetary prizes, as well as proposals of
job. Hovhannes Avoyan, the Chairman of UITE, the Director of the
“Lycos Armenia” company, expressed a hope that like the first
Pan-Armenian programming competition held in late June this
competition also will pass successfully. To recap, more than 400
programmers from Armenia and Syria participated in the Pan-Armenian
competition. The best 10-15 participants of the competition have
already received invitations of job from different organizations of
the sphere.

AMERICAN-ARMENIAN YOUTH CONSTRUCTION DETACHMENT CARRIES OUT
CONSTRUCTION WORK IN ARTSAKH
STEPANAKERT, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). A youth construction detachment
composed of the American-Armenians who participate in the construction
work in the various locations of the republic is now in Artsakh. Lilit
Balayan, executive of the Artsakh ARFD Office of the Youth Union, told
NT’s correspondent that besides participating in the construction
work, the detachment members also organized computer courses, as well
as the English language courses for the Artsakh youth, and the latter
organized the Armenian language courses for their compatriotes.

ABOUT 400 GEORGIAN CHILDREN MOVED FROM GEORGIAN_OSSETIC CONFLICT ZONE
TO SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHK
AKHALKALAKI, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). Due to the tenseness of the
Georgian-Ossetic conflict and the resumtion of hostilities, Georgian
children were moved from the conflict zone and lodged in safer
locations. According to the A-Info Agency, about 400 children were
moved from the gorges of Great and Small Liakhvi to Samtskhe
-Javakhk. They were lodged in the rest houses of Borzhomi.
At the commission of Nikolos Nikolozashvili, Georgian President’s
Plenipotentiary in Samtskhve-Javakhk, with the purpose of taking care
of the children, the leaders of the regions, including the regions
populated by the Armenians, organized fund-raising. The leaders of the
regions pledged to obtain finance for the children from the
philanthropists or to allocate financing from the reserve funds of the
local budgets.

IN AKHALKALAKI GREEK DOCTORS RENDER MEDICAL SERVICE NOT ONLY TO LOCAL
GREEKS, BUT ARMENIANS
AKHALKALAKI, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). Doctors of the Greek polyclinic
of Tbilisi left for Tbilisi with the support of the Greek government
and the Greek International Organization (CAE), as well as the
“Hypocrat” company of Tbilisi.
They were invited by the Greek Union of Javakhk, which was recently
establised. According to the “A-Info” Agency, during the visit of the
Greek doctors not only local Greeks, but the Armenian population of
Akhalkalaki underwent medical examination. Besides medical examination
Greek doctors gave patients free medicaments.

LIST OF POINTS OF DISPOSITION OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES TO BE SPECIFIED
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). At the August 19 sitting the RA
government approved the proposal on the conclusion of the protocol “On
the Introduction of Amendments into the Agreement “On Order of
Assignation and Use of Lands for Disposition and Functioning of
Russian Military Bases in the RA Territory between the Governments of
Armenia and Russia of September 27, 1996”. The RA government’s press
service reported about it to Noyan Tapan. The purpose of the making of
the decision is to specify the list of the points of disposition of
the Russian military bases, as well as to provide the legal basis for
returning four military villages given back to the Armenian side in
accordance with the protocol. The order of expenditures and their
compensation to the organizations servicing the Russian military
subdivisions, including the Russian frontier troops stationed in the
RA territory, as well as the service of the intergovernmental military
transportations by the railroad on the basis of the agreements
concluded between the governments of Russia and Armenia on August 19
1994 and January 26 1996 was also approved at the sitting.

PRICES FOR APARTMENTS RISE BY ABOUT 70% IN STEPANAKERT
STEPANAKERT, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). At present 1-room and 2-room
apartments are of much demand on the Stepanakert immovable property
market. Their prices rose by about 70% compared with the previous
year. Average price for 1-room apartment in Stepanakert makes $5.5-6.5
thousand. Growth in prices for private houses also has been registered.
According to the data of the NKR State Committee of Immovable Property
Land Survey, the price for the territory of 1 sq.m. in Stepanakert
increased by 16% compared with the previous year and made about 130
dollars. And the average price for a private house with every
convenience and a land plot makes $15-20 thousand. According to the
“Aspar” agency of immovable property bargains, not only local
residents, but also buyers from Armenia and abroad apply to them for
buying an apartment in Stepanakert.

ARMENIA PROPOSES TO ESTABLISH ASSOCIATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
WITH PARTICIPATION OF FORMER USSR COUNTRIES
YEREVAN, August 20 (Noyan Tapan). Armenia proposed to establish an
Association of Information Technologies. The former USSR countries
will be its members. Arman Valesian, the Executive Director of the
Union of Information Technologies’ Enterprises, reported at the August
20 press conference that 9 countries have already responded this
proposal, including Russia, the Ukraine, Latvia and Belorussia.
A.Valesian mentioned that a portal will be also established where the
companies of the sphere of information technologies of the
country-members of the Association will be represented.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri prosecutor wants court to jail anti-Armenian protesters
Turan news agency
20 Aug 04

BAKU
The trial of Karabakh Liberation Organization [KLO] members continued
at Baku’s Nasimi district court today.
The deputy chief of the Yasamal district police department, Cingiz
Mammadov, appeared in court as a witness. He testified on the events
which happened on 21 June outside the Europe Hotel where the KLO
members protested against the participation of Armenian officers in a
NATO meeting.
Mammadov said that he beat up KLO member Rovsan Xafiyev who took part
in the protest. But he did it to pacify him as he had the right to do
so, defence lawyer Vidadi Mahmudov told Turan.
The state prosecutor delivered his speech and asked the court to
sentence KLO chairman Akif Nagi to six years in prison, the rest of
the KLO members to five years and KLO deputy chairman Firudin Mammadov
to four years in prison as he is a first-grade veteran of the Karabakh
war.
The court will continue its work on 26 August when the defence will
have its say.

Russia’s Putin offers help in settling Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
20 Aug 04

SOCHI
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is prepared to
act as a mediator and a guarantor in settling the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict.
“We did discuss the Karabakh problem and the discussion focused on
searching for additional opportunities for maintaining dialogue and
resolving the problem itself,” Putin said following his talks with
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
“There have been no breakthrough decisions, but it is important to
register the sides’ intention to look for a compromise. I formed the
impression that the Armenian and the Azeri presidents have this kind
of resolve,” Putin said.
“Like in other cases, Russia is prepared to play just one part – that
of a mediator and a guarantor, in case our input is required and the
negotiating sides express such a desire,” Putin said.
As for the overall situation in the South Caucasus, “we had to inherit
numerous conflict situations”, Putin said. “I hope that the
understanding of the need to improve relations between people living
in the region will prove stronger than ambitions, and we will be
settling these conflicts during the search for a compromise,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress