Month: November 2006

EU ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR OIL-RICH AZERBAIJAN
By Andrew Rettman
EUObserver, Belgium
Nov 7 2006
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The EU rolled out the red carpet treatment for
Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on Tuesday (6 November)
for the signing of a new energy pact, with European leaders predicting
that increased trade will help raise human rights standards in Baku.
“We are creating a democratic society with strong rule of law and
human rights as well as a strong economy,” president Aliyev said.
“For us this [EU cooperation] is an opportunity in the coming years
to bring criteria in Azerbaijan very close to those in Europe. We
share the same values.”
The South Caucasus state has some 7 billion barrels of oil reserves
and sits on a key route to potential EU imports of natural gas from
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, but Mr Aliyev’s 2005 election fell short
of OSCE norms while NGO Human Rights Watch remains “very worried”
about use of torture in Baku.
Speaking on the murder of prominent anti-establishment journalist
Elmar Huseynov – shot dead outside his apartment in March 2005 – the
president blamed subversive forces keen to “destabilise” Azerbaijan
while saying that unnamed suspects are “very difficult to find”
as they have fled the country.
“Let us not forget that Azerbaijan has never had a democratic state as
we consider it in the EU,” European Commission president Jose Manuel
Barroso stated. “This [pact] is not just about energy…what we are
doing is exactly the way to promote democracy and the rule of law.”
Mr Barroso shook Mr Aliyev’s hand for the cameras and placed an
arm round the president’s back in a customary gesture of warmth,
but the commission president gazed around the ceiling in a tense,
unsmiling way during his guest’s “we share the same values” speech.
“Oh I don’t know, maybe it was a question of his metabolism on
the day,” an EU official later remarked. “We have our worries here
about Mr Aliyev’s government, but Mr Barroso is too professional to
communicate anything by body language.”
New energy pact Tuesday’s “Strategic Partnership” on energy calls for
“gradual convergence with the EU’s internal energy market, aiming
ultimately at its integration” as well as “increased transit of oil”
and “possible transit of natural gas” from the Caspian Sea basin via
Azerbaijan to the EU.
It mentions protecting existing EU oil flows via the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, but does not contain any explicit Azeri
commitment to more sensitive EU plans to import gas from the Caspian
region via the “Nabucco” or “Trans-Caspian” pipeline projects that
would bypass Russia.
The text “emphasises” EU support for the “territorial integrity”
of Azerbaijan “with a view of elimination of threats [to] European
energy security” at a time when Baku is threatening to use a military
solution to its breakaway southwestern region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
EU principles Mr Aliyev also received a warm welcome from Europe’s
top diplomat Javier Solana and energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs
on Tuesday, with the EU set to sign a more political “Action Plan”
for future integration with Azerbaijan in mid-November.
Meanwhile, Brussels is getting ready to drop most of its human
rights-related sanctions against Uzbekistan and to welcome Kazakhstan’s
controversial president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to the EU capital
in December.
“We are extremely worried by what we are seeing in the EU at
present,” Human Rights Watch analyst Veronika Leila Szente Goldston
told EUobserver. “They are losing credibility every day in terms of
building a principled foreign policy in Central Asia.”

TURKEY MAY RELAX FREE SPEECH LIMITS
By Dan Bilefsky
New York Times
International Herald Tribune
Nov 7 2006
ISTANBUL Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled that he is
prepared to amend a law limiting free speech, in an apparent 11th-hour
attempt to prevent a crisis with the European Union.
The surprise move Sunday by Erdogan came just three days before
the European Commission is expected to publish a report criticizing
Turkey for sluggishness on reforms necessary if it wants to join the
25-member bloc.
“The move looks desperate,” said Ilker Domac, a Turkish economist.
“It shows how badly things are going with Turkey’s EU membership
prospects.”
Talks with the EU have reached an impasse that could result in the
suspension of the country’s EU membership talks, some Turks fear.
Such a move would hobble a key European and American ally in an
unstable region and would risk slowing the pace of its political and
economic reforms.
The commission, the EU executive branch, has been particularly
concerned by Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which makes
insulting Turkishness a crime. The law attracted global criticism
earlier this year when the Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who was awarded
the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature, was put on trial for telling a
Swiss newspaper that more than a million Armenians were massacred by
Ottoman Turks during World War I. The case was later dismissed.
In an apparent attempt to gain favor with the European Union before
the commission’s report is released Wednesday, Erdogan signaled that
his party, Justice and Development, might be willing to amend the law.
“We are studying several options for how we can handle Article 301 in
harmony with the spirit of the reforms,” he said without elaborating.
Turkish analysts said this would likely entail narrowing the legal
definition of what constitutes an insult to Turkishness and amending
the law to make it compatible with the European Court of Human Rights.
Erdogan, who faces strong pressure from nationalists not to change
the law, all but ruled out doing so last week. But Turkish officials
said he had tempered his resistance after furious lobbying by human
rights groups, trade unions and the business community, which fear
that a break in EU membership talks would undermine Turkey’s stability.
EU officials cautiously welcomed the move, but warned that Turkey’s
membership bid still faced enormous obstacles, in particular a
simmering dispute over Cyprus that shows little sign of resolution.
“This is a positive signal, but there are other big hurdles that still
need to be overcome,” said Joost Lagendijk, the chairman of the Turkey
delegation in the European Parliament and a member of the Green group.
Turkey has said it will not open its ports to ships from Cyprus,
an EU member, until the European Union lifts trade restrictions
against Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus, which is recognized
internationally by Ankara alone. The Cyprus impasse has proved so
intractable that last week Finland, which holds the Union’s rotating
presidency, canceled talks because the parties refused to be in the
same room.

AZERBAIJAN: EU TAKING NOTE OF BAKU’S STRENGTH
By Ahto Lobjakas
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Nov 7 2006
Aliyev (left) is greeted by EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana in
Brussels today
BRUSSELS, November 7, 2006 (RFE/RL) — A visit to EU headquarters by
a confident Azerbaijani president on November 7 marked a new stage
in the relationship between the two sides.
EU officials in Brussels were left clearly impressed by President
Ilham Aliyev’s record — even if they do stress it is marred by
democratic shortcomings.
Azerbaijan owes much of the respect it is winning in the EU to its
huge oil and gas deposits — but not all of it.
The only blemish on the EU-Azerbaijani relationship remains Baku’s
conspicuously weak democratic record.It is also increasingly seen
in Brussels as a rare example regional example of a country able to
put its strengths to good use. Its economy is growing at what one EU
official today described as a “phenomenal rate.”
Balanced Approach
The country has a good relationship with Russia, but is seeking to
establish a balance by securing good ties with the EU and the United
States. Azerbaijan’s conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh
remains a problem, but does not appear to hinder its foreign-policy
objectives.
This was the backdrop to EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana’s
description of Azerbaijan as an “important country in an important
region” after his meeting today in Brussels with the country’s
president, Ilham Aliyev.
“We want very much to deepen our bilateral relationship with
Azerbaijan, not only in the field of energy — which is important.
But Azerbaijan is not only a producer of energy, it’s an important
country [in] an important region, with which we want to have a deep
relationship.” Solana said. “The EU is to sign European Neighborhood
Policy “action plans” with Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia next week
(November 14). The “action plans” set out the priorities for the
countries’ cooperation with the EU and will open, in Solana’s words,
“a new era” in EU-South Caucasus relations.
However, Azerbaijan increasingly stands out in the region. It alone has
been able to give up EU financial aid, which totaled some 400 million
euros before a steep hike in energy revenues made it redundant. Baku
also avoids controversy by speaking in general terms of its wish to
pursue “Euro-Atlantic” integration, while refraining from demanding
EU or NATO membership.
Position Of Strength
As one EU official noted today, Azerbaijan is also able to speak with
Russia from a position of strength without jeopardizing good-neighborly
relations. At the same time, it manages to get along with Georgia at
a time when that country’s relationship with Russia has hit a new low.
Aliyev, who signed a broad energy accord with the European Union today,
was careful to distance himself from more radical voices seeking to
diminish Russia’s dominant role as an EU energy supplier.
The Azerbaijani president promised oil and gas, but indicated that
Baku’s hand will not be forced regarding the selection of transit
routes.
“We never considered our country as any kind of alternative to any
other country [regarding energy supplies],” Aliyev said. “We just did
our job, did what was right for the country, [right] for the region.
And our energy infrastructure today allows us to transport large
volumes of oil and gas to European and international markets.”
Azerbaijan is currently exporting oil via Russia and Georgia, and gas
through Georgia. Aliyev today expressed interest in the development
of a Ukrainian-Polish oil pipeline. But along with Russian and Kazakh
authorities he also appeared to link deliveries to a wish to acquire
a stake in European processing facilities and distribution networks.
Not In The Pipeline
Hopes for direct gas links from the Caspian Sea region to the European
Union, on the other hand, appear to be fading. An EU official told
RFE/RL today that the so-called Nabucco pipeline — recently billed
as a major alternative to Russian supplies by transiting gas to
Southeastern Europe via Turkey — was not discussed at the meeting
with Aliyev.
In another bad sign for the future of the alternative pipeline,
Kazakh Foreign Minister Qasymzhomart Toqaev last month told the
European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee that the construction
of a gas link between his country to Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea
appears increasingly unlikely.Toqaev suggested that Kazakhstan is
content with continuing to use Russian transit facilities.
Another issue on which the EU is keen to cooperate with Azerbaijan is
neighboring Iran. While the EU is seeking to thwart what it fears
are Teheran’s ambitions to build nuclear weapons, Azerbaijan is
seeking backing for its efforts to improve the standing of the up
to 30 million Azeris living in Iran. Aliyev told EU officials today
that Baku is unhappy that the Azeri language is banned from schools
and the media in Iran.
Sore Spot
The only blemish on the EU-Azerbaijani relationship remains Baku’s
conspicuously weak democratic record. Both Solana and the president
of the European Commission, Jose-Manuel Barroso, said after their
respective meetings with Aliyev that they had raised the issue.
But Barroso also highlighted extenuating factors, praising Azerbaijan’s
relative successes. “Let’s not forget that Azerbaijan never had a
democratic state as we consider it in the European Union,” he said. “So
Azerbaijan is making efforts [toward] economic and political reform.”
Barroso also appeared to suggest that Baku is entitled to some sympathy
and understanding owing to its location.
“Let me tell you that what we are doing is exactly the way to promote
democracy and the rule of law in Azerbaijan,” Barroso said. “Today
in the meeting I raised also these issues with the [Azerbaijani]
President Aliyev, and he gave me his analysis and his assessment of
the situation; namely, the situation of a country that is in a very
peculiar region.”
Promises Of Reforms
Aliyev himself repeatedly said that a “strong” political system is
needed for a “strong” economy. He also said Azerbaijan and the EU hold
“shared values,” and promised political and democratic reforms.
However, in a sign that the EU considers such difficulties to be
relatively minor at this stage, foreign-policy chief Solana announced
after meeting with Aliyev that he will soon be visiting Baku.

RARE ARMENIAN MANUSCRIPTS ON LOAN TO GREECE
Athens News Agency, Greece
Nov 7 2006
Armenia’s prestigious Matenadaran manuscripts archive will loan out
rare translations of Greek texts from classical antiquity for the use
by scholars in Greece, under an agreement struck on Tuesday between
Greek Parliament Vice-President George Sourlas and his visiting
Armenian counterpart Vahan Hovanesian.
According to a press release issued by Parliament, the texts will
include works attributed to Plato, for which the original Greek text
has been lost.
Caption: A file photo of the Greek Parliament Building on Syntagma
(Constitution) Square in downtown Athens. EPA/ANA-MPA/ L. Gouliamaki.

WINNER OF MONK COMPETITION TIGRAN HAMASYAN IN CONCERT AT THE TRIBECA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Tigran Hamasyan
All About Jazz, PA
Nov 7 2006
The Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Borough of Manhattan Community College
Presents: Jazz In Progress-Monk In Motion – The Next Face In Jazz
Presenting, In Concert, The Winner of The Thelonious Monk
International Jazz Piano Competition
Other concerts include finalists: Aaron Parks – November 27
and Gerald Clayton – December 18
The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, in partnership with the Thelonious
Monk Institute, proudly presents Jazz In Progress-Monk In Motion,
featuring in concert, the top three finalists of the prestigious
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, now celebrating its
20th anniversary. This year the renowned competition was devoted to
jazz piano, and the three finalists, pianists Aaron Parks (Washington),
Gerald Clayton (born in the Netherlands, currently residing in
California), and Tigran Hamasyan (Armenia, currently residing in
California), were singled out from a strong field of twelve semi-
finalist musicians by the competition’s distinguished panel of judges,
including Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill, Danilo Perez, Renee Rosnes,
Billy Taylor and Randy Weston.
Each of the three concerts of the Jazz In Progress-Monk In
Motion Series will feature one finalist leading their ensemble,
demonstrating the perpetually diverse nature of jazz, and showcasing
three of the plethora of exciting, young musicians making jazz
their life’s work. Tickets are $25 General Admission, $15 Students &
Seniors. To order tickets and for additional information click on
or call the box office at 212 220 1460. The Tribeca
Performing Arts Center is located at 199 Chambers Street, New York,
NY 10007.
Jazz In Progress-Monk In Motion Concert Schedule:
Winner of the 2006 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition:
Tigran Hamasyan, Monday, November 20, 2006 at 7:00 PM: Tigran Hamasyan
was born in Gyumri, Armenia and began playing piano at age 10. He
currently attends the University of Southern California where he is
studying jazz piano. Influenced by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk,
Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, Miles Davis and Bud Powell, Hamasyan began
writing his first piano compositions at a young age. He recently won
first prize at the Monaco Jazz Soloist Competition and has performed
at concerts, competitions, festivals throughout Europe.
Aaron Parks – Monday, November 27, 2006 at 7:00 PM (3rd place
finalist): Aaron Parks was raised in Seattle, Washington and began
playing piano at age 10, learning mostly by ear. He began is career
in jazz at the age of 16 after leaving the University of Washington
to focus more intently on jazz studies at the Manhattan School of
Music in New York. Parks won first place in the 5th American Jazz
Piano Competition and is a Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianist
Association. Currently, he tours with Terence Blanchard and is featured
on Blanchard’s CDs Bounce and Flow.
Gerald Clayton – December 18 at 7:00 PM (2nd place finalist):
Gerald Clayton was born in Utrecht, The Netherlands and was raised
in Los Angeles. He began playing piano at the age of five. Currently,
Clayton is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies at the
University of Southern California. In addition to his studies, Clayton
performs frequently and has played with a host of well-respected
musicians including Benny Green, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Baron, and
Clark Terry. He recently appeared on Back in the Swing of Things with
the Clayton Brothers.
Since 1987, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz has presented the
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, the most prestigious
jazz competition in the world. Each year, more than $60,000 in
scholarships and prizes are awarded to talented young musicians
and composers. The scholarships help pay tuition for college-level
jazz education studies and provide funds for private, specialized
instruction. The competition focuses on a different instrument every
year and features an outstanding all-star judging panel. Branford
Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry, Dave Brubeck,
Marian McPartland, and Diana Krall have all served as judges at
past competitions.
The Institute has presented competitions for piano, bass, drums, hand
drums, saxophone, trumpet, guitar, vocals and trombone. In September
2006, the competition once again showcased piano, in celebration
of the Institute’s 20th Anniversary, with the semifinals taking
place at the Smithsonian Institution’s Baird Auditorium and the
finals at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. The judging panel
and special guests featured a number of distinguished jazz artists,
including Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill, Quincy Jones, Danilo Perez,
Renee Rosnes, and Billy Taylor.
This year, Quincy Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Billy Dee Williams hosted
the event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Herbie
Hancock served as chairman with Bill Cosby and Billy Dee Williams as
co-chairs. Honorary co-chairs included Madeleine Albright and Alma
and Colin Powell.
The 20th Anniversary Celebration was sponsored by General Motors
and Northrop Grumman. The Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano
Competition was sponsored by G.M.A.C Financial Services. For more
information visit
Located on the campus of the Borough of Manhattan Community College
(a CUNY school), the mission of Tribeca Performing Arts Center is
to provide a professional season of culturally diverse arts programs
of high quality for the Metropolitan New York area, the residential
communities of Lower Manhattan and the college community in which it
is located.
Tribeca PAC maintains two theatres: a 913-seat theatre and a
262-seat theatre. The company offers an extensive 9-month long
season of programming that includes jazz concerts, dance, theatre
and family performances. The company also offers a year long Artist
in Residence program to 8 different artists (4 choreographers and
4 theatre directors/playwrights) and presents their new, original
work every Spring in the annual “Work and Show Festival”. Tribeca
PAC also hosts many critically acclaimed events during the season,
including the Tribeca Film Festival in the Spring and Resfest in the
Fall. Please contact: John Malatesta, Marketing Director, Tribeca
Performing Arts Center, (212) 220-1459
?id=11584

TURKISH-BORN ARMENIAN RETURNS MEDAL FOLLOWING GENOCIDE BILL
By Anadolu News Agency (aa), Tel Aviv
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 7 2006
Israeli citizen Yuda Yagbes reacted to the French parliament’s passing
of a bill that would make it a crime to deny an Armenian genocide
by sending back his 1965 certificate and medal of “Merite Civique,”
which France awards to those who represent the country best.
Yagbes, 94, was born in Turkey and immigrated to Israel in 1980. He
returned his certificate and medal via a letter sent to the French
embassy in Tel Aviv.
Condemning France’s attitude, Yagbes commented that he never understood
why the country showed so much concern for the issue. He said he felt
very comfortable with his gesture, and added that if any problems
occur it is strictly between Turks and Armenians.
As to why he returned his medal, he replied he was born in 1912 in
Izmir where he served in the army; and when a fellow Turkish recipient
decided to return his medal, he was inspired to do the same thing.
;alt=&trh=20061107&hn=38035
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YURI MERZLYAKOV: CO-CHAIRS HAVE NO AGREEMENT ON NAGORNO GARABAGH REFERENDUM
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 7 2006
“We have no agreement on Nagorno Garabagh referendum, we will have
discussions on the eve of the Azerbaijani and Armenian ministers’
meeting on November 14 in Brussels and determine our position on the
referendum,” OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov told the APA.
The referendum on Constitution will be held in Nagorno Garabagh on
December 10. There is a special paragraph in the constitution to be
accepted by referendum on separatist Nagorno Garabagh regime.
Foreign Ministry Press and Information Policy Department Tahir
Tagizadeh told the APA world community and OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
should estimate Nagorno Garabagh puppet regime unambiguously.
“For Azerbaijan everything is clear – these actions are realized
by illegal regime, contradicts the Azerbaijani Constitution
and international legislative norms and can not influence peace
negotiations as to its features,” he said. The diplomat considers
that the steps made by illegitimate regime can not achieve legal
results.

ARMENIA SELLING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, INDUSTRY TO RUSSIA
By Vladimir Socor
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Nov 7 2006
In his November 6 news conference, Armenia’s de facto strongman and
presidential aspirant Serge Sarkisian welcomed the just-consummated
purchase of the Armentel telecommunications company by the Russian
giant Vympelcom. Sarkisian is defense minister as well as secretary
of the national security council (supervising the security agencies),
and concurrently the head of the Armenian side in the Armenia-Russia
Economic Cooperation Commission, thus also in charge of Armenia’s
economic relations with Russia. “I don’t see any risk at all in the
growth of Russian capital in our country,” Sarkisian averred (Interfax,
November 6).
Indeed he has, along with his long-time political ally President
Robert Kocharian, overseen the process of transferring Armenia’s
infrastructure and industrial assets to Russian interests. On October
31-November 1 in Moscow, Kocharian finalized the handover of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline and the Hrazdan electricity generating
plant’s fifth power bloc, the leading unit in the country, to
Gazprom in return for temporary price relief on Russian gas (see EDM,
November 3). Low-priced gas is only a recent rationale for selling
infrastructure assets to Russia. In 2002-2005, the rationale was debt
relief. Kocharian and Sarkisian oversaw the transfer of state-owned
industries to Russia in debt-for-assets swaps.
Vympelcom announced on November 3 in Moscow the purchase of a 90%
stake in Armentel from the Greek owner, Hellenic Telecommunications
(OTE). Vympelcom is paying $ 434 million in cash and assumes an
additional $ 52 million in OTE debt. OTE had bought Armentel from the
Armenian government in 1997 for $142.5 million and invested a reported
$300 million in it since then. Armentel currently has a 40% to 50%
share of Armenia’s mobile telephone market and operates the country’s
fixed-line telephony network. The Armenian government retains a 10%
stake in Armentel. According to government data (Arminfo, November 3),
Armentel has until now been Armenia’s second-largest taxpayer.
During Kocharian’s Moscow visit last week, Russia’s Comstar
Telesystems announced the acquisition of Armenia’s telecommunications
company CallNet and its subsidiary, the Internet service provider
Cornet. The fast-growing Callnet and Cornet comprise the second-largest
telecommunications group in Armenia. The Russian Comstar is acquiring
a 75% stake in that group for an as yet undisclosed price, with an
option to purchase the remaining 25%.
Also during Kocharian’s visit, Russia’s state-owned Foreign Trade Bank
(Vneshtorgbank) announced its intention to acquire the remaining 30%
of shares in what used to be Armenia’s Savings Bank. The Vneshtorgbank
had in 2004 acquired 70% of the shares in that bank, which became
Vneshtorgbank Armenia. The tycoon Mikhail Bagdasarov owns the
remaining 30% and is negotiating the sale to the Russian Vneshtorgbank
(Kommersant, SKRIN Market and Corporate News, October 30-31).
On the eve of Kocharian’s Moscow visit, Sarkisian presided over the
ceremony marking the completion of the ArmenAl plant’s overhaul by
Russian Aluminum (RusAl). The Yerevan-based ArmenAl, a major producer
of aluminum foil, idled in the 1990s, was acquired in 2002 by RusAl,
which two years later subcontracted the overhaul to Germany’s Achenbach
firm for $80 million (RFE/RL Armenia Report, Armenpress, October 26).
In September of this year, the Russian state-owned Inter-RAO UES
(a subsidiary of Russia’s Unified Energy Systems state monopoly)
completed the acquisition of the Electricity Networks of Armenia in
full ownership from the British-based Midland Holdings. Apart from
the transmission networks, Russia’s UES owns and operates some 80%
percent of Armenia’s electricity generation capacities and is the
financial manager of Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant.
During his meeting with Kocharian in the Kremlin on October 31,
Russian President Vladimir Putin professed to feel that the level of
Russian investment in Armenia is too low, “strangely and shamefully”
so. Widely cited in Armenia, this remark seems disingenuous on
several counts. Russia is by far the largest investor overall in
post-Soviet Armenia. Putin’s estimation apparently did not include the
transactions-in-progress that are being finalized now. Unlike Western
investors, Russian ones are focusing on Armenia’s strategic assets
and infrastructure as the economic basis for political influence and
control. Putin’s remark seems designed to goad official Yerevan into
selling more assets to Russian interests, in which case Yerevan would
have to start scraping the bottom of the assets barrel.
(Noyan Tapan, Mediamax, PanArmenianNet, Armenpress, November 1-6)

ALCATEL SA URGES ITS EMPLOYEES TO APPEAL THE SENATE
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 7 2006
Alcatel SA employees are made to take part in the campaign for the
recognition of Armenian genocide, APA reports.
Obeying the orders of the president of the company, Armenian Serge
Tchuruk the employees make appeals to the French Senate for the
adoption of the bill making Armenian genocide denial punishable.
Besides, the employees who don’t join the campaign for financing some
organizations headed by Armenians are dismissed on various pretexts.
After uniting with the US Company Lucent Technologies in April, 2006
Alcatel SA extended its activity. Serge Tchuruk asked his American
colleagues to do their best for the recognition of Armenian genocide
by the US legislative body in the conference held recently.
Serge Tchuruk was born in Marseilles, his parents moved to France
from Turkey. It is interesting that the French massacre in Algeria
coincides with Serge Tchuruk’s military service.
Alcatel SA founded in 1898 in Alsace is considered one of the leaders
in the telecommunication market. The company functions in 130 countries
of the world. Nearly 55 000 people are employed in the company. The
financial turnover of the company was $13.1bn last year.
Alcatel Deutschland GmbH participated in the Armenia – Germany economic
forum held in Yerevan recently.

TURKISH COSMETICS COMPANY CHANGES FRENCH NAME IN PROTEST
By Yasin Kilic, Istanbul
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 7 2006
A Turkish cosmetics company, which has been using a French name for
24 years, has changed its name out of anger over France’s passing a
bill in parliament that would make it a punishable crime to deny an
Armenian genocide.
CEO of the Yildirimlar Group, Hasan Yildirim explained that the
Armenian bill was an attack on the history and values of the Turkish
republic and announced that they would no longer use the “Francois
Patrick” trademark for their cosmetic products.
The group will begin to use the “MW” name for its products from now on.
“We could have established a medium-scale cosmetics company with the
money we spent on changing our name,” explained Yildirim.
“We were operating with the brand name ‘Francois Patrick’ in the
Turkish market but we couldn’t remain indifferent to the Armenian
bill passed in the French parliament. So, we decided to change our
name. We will market our new perfumes with the MW name within 10 days,”
clarified Yildirim.
Yildirim claimed that they made a courageous decision and noted that
they exchanged views with all their employees before doing so.
“This was a family decision,” said Yildirim.