Month: October 2005

TURKISH GOVERNMENT CAN’T INTERVENE IN PAMUK CASE: PM

Reuters
Indian Express, India
Oct 13 2005

PARIS, OCTOBER12: The Turkish government cannot intervene to help
a writer of world repute who could face prison for his views on the
massacres of Armenians 90 years ago, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
said in comments published on Wednesday.

Orhan Pamuk has been charged with insulting Turkish identity for
supporting claims that Armenians suffered a genocide under Ottoman
Turks in 1915. He faces three years in jail if convicted.

Pamuk further upset the establishment and nationalists by saying
that Turkish forces shared responsibility for the death of more than
30,000 Kurds in southeast Turkey during separatist fighting there in
the 1980s and 1990s.

Erdogan told the French Le Monde newspaper that ” the law is
independent from the executive or the legislative authorities … the
executive authorities cannot interfere with the judiciary”.

Pamuk, best known for historical novels such as My Name is Red and The
White Castle, goes on trial on December 16. His prosecution provided
the European Union a focus for its concerns over whether Turkey’s
human rights record is compatible with the EU membership Ankara seeks.

Media Buzz With Possible Nobel Lit Winner
By Matt Moore

Associated Press
Oct 13 2005

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – A Turkish writer facing prison and a Syrian poet
were mentioned as favorites Wednesday to win the 2005 Nobel Prize
for literature even as a dispute brewed over last year’s winner,
an Austrian feminist.

Trying to divine the winner has often proved futile. The Swedish
Academy will not even say who it has considered, much less who has been
nominated for the prize, which this year will be awarded on Thursday.

But Swedish media was buzzing with names like Adonis, whose real name
is Ali Ahmad Said, who now lives in Paris. One betting Web site even
gave him the best odds, ahead of Americans Joyce Carol Oates and
Philip Roth, and Swedish poet Thomas Transtromer.

Newspapers also mentioned Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who faces prison
after he was charged with insulting Turkish identity for supporting
Armenian claims they were the victims of genocide under the Ottoman
Turks in 1915.

Other contenders include South Korean poet Ko Un, Canadian author
Margaret Atwood, the Czech Republic’s Milan Kundera, Belgian poet Hugo
Claus, Italian poet Claudio Magris and Indonesian novelist Pramoedya
Ananta Toer.

Others, however, said the academy could look inward, citing Danish
poet Inger Christiansen, and Transtromer, the Swedish poet.

Whatever the academy decides, it will likely have two immediate
consequences: increased book sales and controversy.

On Tuesday, Knut Ahnlund, 82, a member of the academy, publicly
criticized his colleagues for giving the prize last year to Austrian
feminist Elfriede Jelinek, and he resigned his membership over the
selection.

“Last year’s Nobel prize has not only done irreparable damage to all
progressive forces, it has also confused the general view of literature
as an art,” Ahnlund wrote in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.

He called Jelinek’s writing “a mass of text that appears shoveled
together without trace of artistic structure” and questioned whether
academy members had read even a fraction of her work.

Previous literature winners have included literary stalwarts such
as William Faulkner (1949), Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez
(1982), Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1970) and Toni Morrison (1993).

The academy, founded in 1786 by King Gustav III to advance the Swedish
language and its literature, has handed out the literature prize since
1901. Its current members, who serve for life, include several writers
as well as linguists, literary scholars, historians and a lawyer.

Their meetings are held in secrecy and they usually receive around
350 nominations for the prize every year by the Feb. 1 deadline.

During the spring, the nominations are whittled down to about 20,
with another 15 removed just before the traditional summer break.

Like the other Nobels, the prize includes a $1.3 million prize, a gold
medal and a diploma, and is handed out on Dec. 10, the anniversary
of prize founder Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896.

MAZANDARAN’S INDUSTRIALISTS TO EXHIBIT PRODUCTS IN YEREVAN

Mehr News Agency, Iran
Oct 13 2005

TEHRAN – An exhibition of the products of Mazandaran’s industrial
plants and companies will be held in the Armenian capital Yerevan
from November 15 to 21.

An official from Armenia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries said
that a total of 80 food industries, chemical products and machinery
manufacturers will display their products in the 7-day fair.

AXA SETTLES SUIT BROUGHT BY HEIRS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Forbes
Oct 13 2005

LOS ANGELES (AFX) – The heirs of victims of the 1915 Turkish massacre
of Armenians have agreed to settle a class action lawsuit against
French insurer Axa for 17 mln usd, lawyers said yesterday.

The lawsuit, filed in a California court, accused Axa of failing to
pay death benefits for the insurance policies purchased by Armenians
living in the Ottoman Empire prior to the genocide in which up to
1.5 million people were killed.

‘This is an example where dead men can’t speak but they can file
lawsuits,’ said Vartkes Yeghiayan. ‘It writes another chapter about
persistence and hope. The resolution of the case helps the healing
process.’

Under the terms of the deal, announced in Los Angeles, Axa will donate
at least 3 mln usd to various French-based Armenian charities and
another 11 mln usd towards a fund designed to pay out policyholders
of Axa units that did business in the now defunct Turkish-run Ottoman
Empire.

‘Certain of these policyholders and beneficiaries were among the
1.5 million Armenians who perished and were unable to obtain their
insurance proceeds in the ensuing chaos,’ lawyers for the victims’
descendants said in a statement.

The Axa settlement follows a similar agreement with New York Life
Insurance Company in early 2004 under which it agreed to pay 20
mln usd.

‘The AXA and New York Life settlements are important building blocks
not only toward seeking financial recovery for the losses resulting
from the Armenian Genocide but also in our ultimate goal, which is
for Turkey and the US to officially acknowledge the genocide,’ said
US celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos.

Geragos, who has represented stars including Michael Jackson and
Winona Ryder, is of Armenian descent.

‘These cases are historical because they are the only cases ever
brought on behalf of genocide survivors,’ he said.

No comment was immediately available from Axa.

The settlement, subject to court approval, will be administered
in France, which was one of the first countries to recognise the
Armenian genocide.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

But the Turkish government strenuously denies this, saying that
300,000 Armenians and as many Turks were killed in a civil war when
the Armenians, backed by Russia, rose up against the Ottoman Empire.

KEBABS OF ALL KINDS TO SPICE UP FESTIVAL
By Pat Cahill

The Repubican, MA
Oct 13 2005

There may be people out there who think that shishkebab is the only
kind of kebab in the world.

Not so, as the upcoming Armenian fall festival at St. Gregory Armenian
Apostolic Church in Indian Orchard will deliciously reveal.

The ethnic festival will take place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

in the church hall at 135 Goodwin St. in the Indian Orchard section
of Springfield.

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Admission and parking will be free, with food and other items priced
individually. All proceeds will go to St. Gregory’s.

In addition to homemade Armenian cuisine from entrees to desserts, the
festival will include raffle prizes and bargain-priced collectibles.

Kebabs (as Armenians call kabobs) are chunks of meat on a skewer.

Shishkebab is made with lamb, while losh kebab is made with specially
seasoned ground lamb and beef.

Chicken kebab will also be served at the festival.

Kebabs of all kinds will come with rice pilaf, salad, and pita bread.

Other dishes on the menu will include stuffed grape leaves and spinach
pie, stuffed grape leaves, pickled vegetables, seasoned cracked wheat,
and a thin-crust Armenian version of pizza with meat called lahmajun.

Baked goods will include traditional Armenian breads and pastries.

Among the prizes to be raffled will be a 3-by-5-foot Oriental rug
donated by Charles Yenian and Co., a guardian-angel pin made by
David Yurman, a 14-karat gold cross donated by Hovsep Atchian, a
handmade clock made and donated by Harry Setian, and a year’s worth
of Megabucks lottery tickets.

Baskets filled with gifts for adults and children will also be
raffled. A “forgotten treasures” booth will feature crafts and
collectibles for sale.

Raffle drawings will take place in the evening, but winners need not
be present if they have bought raffle tickets earlier in the day.

ARMENIAN MASSACRE SETTLEMENT REACHED

Seven.com.au, Australia
Sydney Morning Herald , Australia
The Age, Australia
Oct 13 2005

The descendants of some of the 1.5 million Armenians killed under
Ottoman rule in 1915 will share a $US17 million ($A22.34 million)
settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought against French insurance
giant AXA for unpaid life insurance benefits, lawyers have said.

The settlement was due to be approved in November in the US District
Court in California.

California is home to the largest number of Armenians living outside
Armenia.

The class included Armenians living in the United States and abroad
who were descendants and heirs of policyholders who perished in what
Armenians say was a genocide perpetrated by Turks.

It was the second lawsuit of its kind to be settled in US courts
despite the fact the United States, along with Turkey, did not
officially recognise the deaths as genocide.

In February, New York Life agreed to pay $US20 million ($A26.28
million) to descendants of its Armenian policyholders killed in 1915.

Turkey always denied there was a systematic campaign to annihilate
Armenians, saying the deaths occurred in partisan fighting and chaos
during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Advertisement AdvertisementThe California settlement would be
administered in France, one of the first countries to recognise the
Armenian genocide.

AXA headquarters in France does business in the United States through
subsidiaries.

AXA agreed to donate several million dollars to various France-based
Armenian charitable organisations.

It would also contribute $US11 million ($A14.45 million) toward a
fund designed to pay valid claims of heirs of policyholders with AXA
Group subsidiaries that did business in the Turkish Ottoman Empire
before 1915.

In the chaos that surrounded the killings, many policyholders were
unable to obtain their insurance proceeds.

“The AXA and New York Life settlements are important building blocks
not only toward seeking financial recovery for the losses resulting
from the Armenian genocide but also in our ultimate goal, which is
for Turkey and the US to officially acknowledge the genocide,” said
Mark Geragos, an Armenian descendant who was one of the lawyers for
the plaintiffs.

NKR NA SPEAKER: “PARLIAMENT OF NEW CONVOCATION TAKING ACTIVE PART IN BROADENING POLITICAL TIES”

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

Previous period of Nagorno Karabakh Republic National Assembly’s
activity should be treated just as a starting point for the further
five years of the Parliament’s work. Today the NKR NA Speaker
Ashot Gulyan has stated it in the course of the press conference
in Stepanakert.

According to Ashot Gulyan, the NKR NA of the new convocation will
continue traditional ties with RA Parliament.

In his words, the new Parliament is taking an active part in the
process of broadening political ties. He added the fact that Karabakh
parliamentarians were taking part in the various international and
regional measures testified to his words.

While commenting on the political situation in Azerbaijan in the run
– up to the Parliamentary elections Ashot Gulyan stated “it fully
coincides with our forecasts”. In his words, “we were sure violations,
non – authorized meetings, pressure upon the opposition and dispersal
of the demonstrators would accompany the electoral campaign”. He noted
Nagorno Karabakh was interested in the stability in Azerbaijan; however
he is skeptical to such events. “I guess international observers will
have a chance to evaluate pre – election situation in Azerbaijan and
compare it with that in Nagorno Karabakh”, stated Ashot Gulyan.

In his words, the NKR citizens are not going to participate in the
elections. “It is clear that we are not going to participate in the
elections, we conduct our elections ourselves”, stated Ashot Gulyan.

Touching upon the process of Karabakh settlement, he noted the
impossibility of the conflict settlement in the atmosphere of mutual
distrust between the Karabakh and Azeri nations. Speaker said the
Karabakh party’s stand based on the NKR people’s will would not
be changed.

GROSSMAISTERS FROM ARMENIA WON INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT IN STEPANAKERT

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

The Second International Chess Tournament titled “Karabakh – 2005”
has been finished in the capital of Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Stepanakert. The measure was organized by the NKR government and RA
Chess Academy.

According to the De Facto correspondent in Stepanakert, 20
chess players from 11 countries of the world participated in the
tournament. A famous Hungarian grossmaister Liosh Portish arrived in
Stepanakert as the tournament’s honorable guest.

The winners are international grossmaisters from Armenia Levon Aroyan
(A group) and Tigran Petrosyan (B group).

In the course of the solemn ceremony of the tournament’s closing
the NKR President Arkady Ghoukasyan rewarded Liosh Portish with
“Gratitude” medal and RA Chess Academy President Smbat Lputyan with
“Vachagan Barepasht” medal for “great contribution to the organization
and conduct of the international chess tournament in NKR”.

In his speech a Ukrainian grossmaister Vasily Ivanchuk highly estimated
the tournament’s organization and “creative aura” and suggested that
the tournament should become traditional.

While commenting on Azerbaijan’s negative reaction to conduct of
the tournament in Stepanakert Vasily Ivanchuk stated: “I have come
here to play. I am not interested in the political issues”. He
expressed satisfaction concerning the fact that “Nagorno Karabakh
is reestablishing and developing, and people show great interest
in chess”.

NO VIOLATIONS FIXED IN THE COURSE OF NKR AND AZERI ARMED FORCES CONTACT LINE’S MONITORING

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

On October 11 the OSCE mission conducted a planned monitoring along the
NKR and Azeri armed forces’ contact line in the direction of Aghdam,
in the region of populated locality of Yusifjanly.

According to the De Facto correspondent in Stepanakert, from the
positions of the NKR Defense Army the monitoring group was headed by
the OSCE Chair – in – Office’s Personal Representative Ambassador
Andrzey Kasprzyk (Poland). The OSCE Chair – in – Office’s Field
Assistants Olexander Samarsky (Ukraine) and Harry Eronen (Finland),
as well as the OSCE Top Level Planning Group Head Tomaso Strgar
(Slovenia) participated in the observation mission.

Monitoring was held according to the schedule, no cease – fire
violations were fixed.

>>From the Karabakh party the observation mission was accompanied
by representatives of Nagorno Karabakh Ministries of Defense and
Foreign Affairs.

OSKANIAN TO VISIT SINGAPORE TODAY

AZG Armenian Daily #184
13/10/2005

Vartan Oskanian, foreign minister of Armenia, left yesterday Australia
for Indonesian capital of Jakarta where he met vice-president and
foreign minister of the country. This was the first ever visit of a
high-ranking Armenian official to Indonesia.

The sides discussed the ways of fostering bilateral relations and
concrete projects in the sphere of economy. The foreign ministers
exchanged information about Banda Ache and Nagorno Karabakh conflicts.

The visit was an opportunity for the sides to get to know each other’s
potentials and problems. Today Vartan Oskanian will head for Singapore.