Month: November 2006

SWEDEN TO INVESTIGATE FINDING OF ASSYRIAN MASS GRAVES IN TURKEY
By Afram Barryakoub

Assyrian International News Agency
Nov 28 2006

(AINA) — The finding of a mass grave in south eastern Turkey,
believed to date from the 1915 genocide of Assyrians and Armenians,
and the Turkish government’s silence regarding the finding has prompted
a debate in the Swedish parliament on the matter.

It was on October 17 this year that villagers from Xirabebaba (Kuru)
in south eastern Turkey came across a mass grave when digging a grave
for one of their deceased. The villagers took pictures of the skulls
and bones in the mass grave before Turkish military came and blocked
the site. The villagers were certain that they had found remains of
victims of the 1915 genocide. The military personnel forbade the
villagers to tell anyone about the site and then closed it. Some
of the villagers chose not to follow the orders of the military and
told the story to a local newspaper who followed up on the story. As
soon as the military learned that someone has leaked this information
to the press, they pressed the villagers to give the names of those
responsible for this. Since then journalists trying to get near the
mass grave have been denied access by the military.

Turkey still denies that its Christian population of Assyrians (also
called Chaldeans and Syriacs), Greeks and Armenians were subjected
to genocides. That could explain why the Turkish state and most of
the Turkish media has remained silent about the finding. But now one
of Turkey’s most popular weekly magazines, Nokta, has highlighted the
mass grave finding with a cover story in the latest issue with the main
heading "Again acting the three monkeys – a mass grave was found one
month ago in Nusaybin and the jurisdiction, execution and legislation
bodies as well as the media are silent." The writer, Talin Suciyan,
accuses the Turkish state of turning a deaf ear to the mass grave
finding. "None of the three ‘powers’ of our democracy, legislation,
jurisdiction or execution made a move to deal with the issue. And when
the fourth power – the media – swept the bones under the carpet (the
Turkish) public remained completely unaware of the issue." she writes.

In fact, the only Turkish group that has reacted to the finding is
the Turkish Human Rights Association who sent an open letter to the
ministry of interior calling for an investigation into the matter.

The mass grave finding has yet to enter Turkish politics but in
Sweden the matter has stirred up a debate on the highest levels,
much due to the efforts of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Association
(ACSA). The news about the mass finding was distributed by Tidningarnas
Telegrambyrå (TT), Sweden’s top news agency and was thereafter
published in several Swedish media, including the two leading
morning papers Dagens Nyheter (DN) and Svenska Dagbladet (Svd). As
a result of the above the mass grave issue has now entered Swedish
politics as MP Hans Linde from the left party recently submitted an
interpellation to the Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, asking
for an independent commission of scientists and historians to examine
the findings. The foreign minister must now ask the foreign ministry
to launch an investigation into the matter before he can respond to
MP Hans Linde. The response of the foreign minister on this issue is
due to be presented on the 12 of December before parliament.

–Boundary_(ID_baVlMl4GNXomN7l5s+fPwA )–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETING IS HELD IN MINSK

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 28 2006

The meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan began in Russia Embassy in Minsk, APA
reports.

First, the Foreign Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian,
Russia Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, OSCE Chairman-in-office Carl
de Guht, his representative Andrzey Kasprzyk, Russian co-chair Yuri
Merzlyakov took part in the meeting. Sergey Lavrov talked about
the importance of continuing talks on the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. After that meeting the presidents had one by
on meeting. It should be noted that it is the third meeting held
between the presidents in 2006. First meeting took place in Rambuye
in February, the second in Bucharest in June. After the meeting the
president will return to Baku.

COEXISTENCE AMONG RELIGIONS IN ISFAHAN PROVES FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN IRAN

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Nov 28 2006

Isfahan Governor General Seyed Morteza Bakhtiari here Tuesday said
that peaceful coexistence of Muslims and believers of other religions
in Isfahan is one of the prominent features of the city’s residents,
as is evident in all aspects of their lives and marks freedom of
religion in Iran.

He made the remark in a meeting with foreign guests from 15 countries
visiting Isfahan to attend the International Conference dubbed ‘The
Cultural Heritage Support in the Islamic World and Islamic Civilization
Role in Human Civilization’ (November 27-29).

"Despite unfair propaganda about lack of freedom of religion in Iran,
the Armenians residing in the city of Isfahan observe their religious
rites with full freedom.

"Many Isfahani Armenians were martyred during the Sacred Defense era
(1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war) and they are even represented in Majlis,"
he added.

Turning to the historical features and scientific background of the
city, the governor general noted that great scientists have been
raised in Isfahan and their works are being taught in universities
throughout the world.

"Besides, there are many prominent artists in Isfahan and the city
is considered as Iran’s hub of tourism on account of these artists,"
he added.

Head of Islamic Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization
(ISESCO) regional office in Tehran, Abbas Sadri, said that Isfahan has
a high capacity for cultural programs and that several international
conferences were held in the city in recent weeks.

"ISESCO programs marking the city’s designation as the cultural
capital of the world of Islam were conducted successfully and Isfahan
is expected to host more conferences in the coming months," he added.

The International Conference dubbed ‘The Cultural Heritage Support in
the Islamic World and Islamic Civilization Role in Human Civilization’
(November 27-29) opened at Isfahan’s Abbasi Hotel on Monday.

The event is attended by intellectuals from 18 countries. It has
been organized jointly by ISESCO and Iran’s Islamic Culture and
Communications Organization.

The three-day international conference aims to assess the current
status of cultural heritage in the world of Islam and predict the
prospect of cultural, economic and social development of Islamic
civilization.

ARMENIAN FORCES BROKE CEASE FIRE REGIME IN AGHDAM DISTRICT
Author: Sh. Jaliloghli

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 28 2006

Units of Armenian Forces broken the cease fire regime again, Trend
Regional Correspondent reports. On November 27, the positions located
in the occupied Azerbaijani villages of Bash Garvand and Sarichali
of Azerbaijan, units of Armenian Forces subjected the Azerbaijani
positions located in the villages of Chiraghli and Chamanli to a
gun fire for ten minutes. The enemy was stifled with a back fire. No
casualties have been reported.

FOOTBALL FEDERATION OF ARMENIA PRESIDENT RUBEN HAYRAPETYAN

UEFA, Switzerland
Nov 28 2006

The Football Federation of Armenia has held its fifth presidential
election, with the incumbent Ruben Hayrapetyan winning a second
four-year term in office.

Armenia’s football future
The 43-year-old Hayrapetyan, the only candidate in the federation’s
first uncontested election, said: "I am happy I could win your trust –
the fact we had only one candidate shows that nobody else wanted to
take on the task of plotting a future for football in Armenia. I will
do my best to continue our development."

Youthful promise
When Hayrapetyan took the post in 2002, there were only 2,000
associated young players in the country. Under his tutelage, the
Armenia Under-17 team has participated in the qualifying round for the
UEFA European U17 Championship, while the national U19s qualified for
the final tournament of their European Championship in Northern Ireland
in 2005. "These youngsters will eventually break into the senior team
and we will do our best to keep them progressing," Hayrapetyan said.

A REPRESENTATIVE OF AZERBAIJAN FOREIGN MINISTRY:
DURING ALL OF THE LAST CENTURY ARMENIA PURSUED ITS POLICY ON SEARCHING FOR AN EXTERNAL FOE
Author: A. Ismayilova

TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 28 2006

"Turkey realizes better than any other country that Armenian policy
in the region has been built on an idea of searching for an external
enemy", Tahir Taghizadeh, Chief of The Press and Information Policy
Department of the Azerbaijan Foreign Office, told Trend commenting the
statement of Armenia Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. Mr. Taghizadeh
said that at first this enemy was Turkey, then – Azerbaijan, and
finally GUAM".

The Armenian Foreign Minister lambasted Turkey state policy on denying
the Armenian Genocide, particularly, the fact that Turkey became a
more aggressive as the fact of the genocide was acknowledged by an
increasing number of countries. "Turks have never be so organized on
the state level to carry out the denying policy", said Mr. Oskanyan. He
admitted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was a serious barrier for
establishing relations with Ankara, and said that "Ankara undisputed
solidarity with Azerbaijan is working against Turkey itself, since
the trust to this country in the Caucasus is under threat, as well
as its claims on the role of a bridge between the East and the West".

Mr. Taghizadeh also said that Turkey position in the regional
development issues, particularly, in the development of bilateral
relations with Armenia was dictated by Turkey principal position to
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict based on norms and principles of
the international law, and Azerbaijan has always appreciated it.

Regarding that part of the statement where parallels between
Nagorno-Karabakh and Cyprus were exemplified, Mr. Taghizadeh said
that such parallel is absurd. The case of Nagorno-Karabakh is a direct
aggression of one state against another, and the internal element is
minimal, i.e. the role of the Karabakh Armenians.

Secondly, these two cases are differed from each other with the fact
that the Karabakh Armenians together with Armenian Forces had carried
out an efficient ethnic clearing out not only on the territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh, but also on the Azerbaijani bordering territories.

Moreover, this clearing out was not only an ethnic one, but also a
culture one", said Mr. Taghizadeh.

Having agreed that Cyprus and Armenia see obstacles on Turkey way
to EU, Mr. Oskanyan refuted an opinion that these two countries
were working against Turkey. "We actually have common issues, that
have been discussed by us, but we are not about to unite our efforts
against somebody", said the Armenian Foreign Minister.

For his part, Mr. Taghizadeh said that if the last words of the
Armenian Foreign Minister corresponded with the real policy of official
Yerevan, then this position may be only welcomed.

AZERBAIJANI ANSWER TO OIL GLUT: BATHE IN IT
By Andrew E. Kramer

International Herald Tribune, France
Nov 28 2006

NAFTALAN, Azerbaijan: Outside this improbable spa in a remote part
of the former Soviet Union, oil rigs bob on a hardscrabble plain of
rocks, shrubs and rusting industrial equipment that could easily pass
for a stretch of West Texas.

Inside, Ramil Mutukhov, a lanky 25- year-old, prepares to be pampered
and preened, scrubbed and peeled in a bath of pure crude oil. He
undresses, hangs his trousers and sweatshirt on a peg, pulls off socks
and underwear and folds up a wad of brown paper towels. He will need
those later.

Then he steps into a mess of what looks, smells and flows like used
engine oil. "It’s wonderful," he said, up to his neck in oil in a
sort of human lube job.

The petroleum spas of Naftalan in central Azerbaijan, one of the
little- known but once wildly popular vacation spots of the Soviet
Union, are having an unlikely revival in a country so awash in oil
that people are literally swimming in it.

Here in Naftalan, visitors bathe once a day in the local crude. They
say, and doctors here support them in the claim, that it relieves
joint pain, cures psoriasis, calms nerves and beautifies the skin –
never mind that Western experts say the practice may be carcinogenic.

Hoping to tap into the worldwide spa boom, Health Center, where
Mutukhov took a dip in crude recently, opened a year ago. Another
spa is under construction and two more are planned.

"Two years ago, all this was ruins," said Ilgar Guseynov, owner and
director of Health Center. "Every day, every month, Azerbaijan is
growing richer."

At their peak in the 1980s, Naftalan spas drew 75,000 visitors a
year. That flow became a trickle after war broke out between Azerbaijan
and ethnic Armenians in nearby Karabakh, in 1988, and with trips to
the spas no longer free under the Soviet vacation bureaucracy.

Five of the six Soviet-era resorts were converted into glum housing
for refugees, for example.

But this summer, 350 or so people visited the Health Center, according
to Guseynov. That was up from 250 last summer. A 15-day course costs
$450, including meals.

"Azerbaijan is standing on its own feet now," Amir Aslan, deputy
mayor of Naftalan, said in an interview. The town is banking on growth
in oil-spa demand, which he said would pull this dusty place out of
poverty. Aslan has his own project for a $3 million, 20-bath spread
and is looking for investors.

In her office overlooking the oil field that supplies Health Center,
Gyultikin Suleymanova, the head doctor, said that the local crude is
unusual because it contains little natural gasoline or other lighter
fractions of petroleum and is thus safe.

Naftalan crude is about 50 percent naphthalene, an ingredient best
known as the stuff of mothballs. It is also an active ingredient in
coal-tar soaps, which are used by dermatologists to treat psoriasis,
though in lower concentrations.

Authorities like the U.S. National Institutes of Health classify coal
tar as a possible carcinogenic. Suleymanova says it is not a carcinogen
when you bathe in it. The baths are lukewarm and last 10 minutes.

The therapeutic benefits come from natural antibiotic agents that
seep into the skin, Suleymanova said.

Arzu Mirzeyev is the bath master. With a green frock, jeans stained
with oil spots and a mustache, he looks for all the world like a
gasoline station attendant and he has a job to match. He changes
the oil.

Each bath uses about a barrel of crude, which is recycled back into a
communal tank for future bathers. Mirzeyev also uses paper towels to
wipe bathers clean, a long, hard process that involves several showers.

Mirzeyev said he liked his job.

Until Azerbaijan’s economy picked up in the past two years, the
40-year-old father of three worked seasonally as a laborer in Ukraine,
where wages were higher. At the spa, he said, "If we have visitors,
then we have work."

Unlike the oil from Azerbaijan’s offshore deposits, which is sold
internationally under the brand Azeri Light crude, Naftalan oil is
too heavy to have much commercial value. Luckily, as most of the bath
attendants and patients seemed to smoke, it does not catch fire easily.

The resort has 10 tubs, 5 for women, 5 for men. The tubs are not
scoured between baths. As might be expected, they have perhaps the
world’s worst bathtub rings – greasy and greenish-brown.

Oil has been Azerbaijan’s ticket for a long time. Oil seepages have
been here since at least the 13th century, when Marco Polo passed
through and took note of the place. A reedy marsh, about the size of
a football field, has a black film of oil on the water. The site was
a caravansary on the Silk Road to China.

Later, Azerbaijan’s larger oil reserves on the Caspian coast were
developed by the Nobel brothers of Sweden.

OPPOSITIONIST: GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA COALESCED WITH BUSINESS, FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION POPULIST

Regnum, Russia
Nov 28 2006

It is not for the first year that the government of Armenia is ruling,
thus it should know very well where the shadow sources are, member
of the Justice parliamentary faction Vardan Lazarian said during
discussion with chairman of the permanent commission on state-legal
issues of the Armenian National Assembly Rafik Petrossyan Nov 28.

The issue arises, why wasn’t it announced earlier about the budget
revenue of 70bn drams, and why have they started to talk about it right
now, REGNUM reports Lazarian to say. "It looks like bureaucratic
administration is more profitable for Armenia than the economic
growth," he observes. All this shows that the country’s government
has coalesced with business, and all the statements of the fight
against corruption are merely populist rhetoric, the deputy argues.

Rafik Petrossyan says that whatever definitions one would give
to Armenian budget 2007, the budget is a planned one. He says the
government is aware of the fact that shadow economy makes about 40%
of the whole national economy; however, the fight against corruption
is not an easy one, and the government should conduct this fight
gradually. "Moscow was not built in one day," the head of the
commission adds.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO DISCUSS XENOPHOBIA PROBLEM WITH POLICE AND POLITICAL PARTIES SOON

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. Russian President Vladimir Putin
intends to convene a meeting with law enforcement authorities and
the leaders of country’s twelve political parties soon to discuss
xenophobia-related problems, Russian Duma’s Speaker Boris Grizlov said
Thursday as met his Armenian counterpart Tigran Torosyan in Moscow,
Armenian National Assembly press office reports.

Grizlov admitted that crimes against strangers had become dangerously
commonplace in Russia.

He pointed out the jurors’ recent acquittal of the murderers in St.
Petersburg saying it had prompted serious discussions.

Armenian speaker, in his turn, said Russia is a large country where
numerous incidents happen. He doesn’t think these crimes are motivated
by anti-Armenian sentiments. Each of these cases must be considered
separately and wrongdoers must be tracked down and prosecuted to the
full extent of then law.

SOVA Russian analytic center’s figures show that the biggest number
of racism-grounded attacks, especially deadly, against Caucasianshas
been recorded between 2004 and 2006.

Of them, seven homicides have been recorded over a period between
January and May 2006, nine homicides in 2005 and 14 murders in 2004.

SOME LEGISLATIVE AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS BAR ARMENIAN RUSSIA-RUN ENTERPRISES FROM RE-LAUNCHING

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. Some legislative and technical problems
bar Armenian enterprises handed over to Russia for in exchange for
debt remittance from re-launching, Russian Duma Speaker Boris Grizlov
said as met with his Armenian counterpart Tigran Torosyan on Thursday
in Moscow.

In his words, no solutions are found for these problems.

He thinks Russian and Armenian governments will think over the mater
and find ways for overcoming these obstacles with joint efforts.

Property-for-debt agreement was signed in 2002 between Armenia
and Russia. Under the agreement, Mars plant, Yerevan mathematical
equipment research institute, Yerevan automotive administration systems
researches institute, Yerevan materials institute and Hrazdan Thermal
Power Plant’s property were handed over to Russia for $93-million
state debt remittance.