Month: May 2008

EUbusiness (press release), UK
May 8 2008

Free speech reform comes into force in Turkey

08 May 2008, 10:10 CET

(ANKARA) – A long-awaited law aimed at expanding freedom of speech
came into force in Turkey on Thursday after presidential approval.

The law, passed by parliament last week under European Union pressure,
was published in the Official Gazzette, after President Abdullah Gul
signed it into law late Wednesday.

It amends the infamous Article 301 of the penal code, which had landed
dozens of intellectuals in court for "insulting Turkishness" and
prompted harsh EU warnings that freedom of speech was under threat in
the membership-hopeful country.

Under the amendment, "Turkishness" — a term criticised as too broad
and vague — was replaced with the "Turkish nation" and the envisaged
jail term lessened from three to two years, allowing the sentence to
be suspended automatically or converted to a fine.

In a bid to make trials under the law more difficult, the provision
now requires the justice minister’s approval before prosecutors can
launch cases.

A clause calling for increased sanctions if the offence is committed
abroad was removed from the law.

Article 301 has mainly targeted people contesting the official line on
the World War I massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire,
which, much to Turkey’s ire, many countries have recognised as
genocide.

Dozens of intellectuals, including 2006 Nobel literature laureate
Orhan Pamuk and slain ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, have been
tried under the article, even though no one was jailed as sentences
were suspended.

During a visit to Ankara Tuesday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn welcomed the amendment, but cautioned that Brussels would be
closely watching whether it is properly implemented on the ground.

Human rights activists have slammed the revision as inadequate,
arguing that Article 301 should be scrapped altogether and that other
provisions restricting free speech remain in Turkey’s law books.

Ankara has so far opened accession talks in only six of the 35 policy
areas candidates are required to complete amid a trade row over Cyprus
and strong opposition to its membership in some EU countries.

Also late Wednesday, President Gul ratified a social security reform
that introduces tougher retirement conditions and has drawn harsh
protests from trade unions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EurasiaNet, NY
May 8 2008

ARMENIA: ADMINISTRATION, OPPOSITION TAKE TENTATIVE STEPS TOWARD
OPENING DIALOGUE

Marianna Grigoryan 5/08/08

They may still hate each other, but political necessity is pressuring
two arch foes in Armenian politics, President Serzh Sarkisian and
opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian, to start talking to each
other. Even so, significant obstacles stand in the way of the start of
a substantive political dialogue.

The March 1 violence in Yerevan created a political chasm dividing the
opposition and government, with each side blaming the other for the
loss of life. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Since
then, the international community has pressured the Sarkisian
administration to open a dialogue with Ter-Petrosian. [For background
see the Eurasia Insight archive]. More recently, Armenian politicians
representing varying shades of the political spectrum have started
pressing for the two to negotiate a political truce.

An April 17 resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) warned that Armenia faced expulsion from the
organization if it did not take immediate action to heal the rifts
created by the March 1 violence. Other organizations have also
threatened to punish Yerevan, including the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, which has cautioned that millions of dollars in
assistance could be lost if Sarkisian’s administration does not
promote national reconciliation. [For background see the Eurasia
Insight archive]. Meanwhile, inside the country, growing concern about
Azerbaijan’s intentions regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process
has played a significant role in generating pressure for political
unity in Yerevan. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

"It is necessary that these two major figures should meet each other
face-to-face," Raffi Hovannisian, the leader of the Heritage Party
stated during an April 30 news conference. A few days earlier,
Hovannisian announced that his attempt to arrange a meeting between
Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian had failed.

On May 2, Ter-Petrosian indicated that he was ready to talk to
Sarkisian, but the offer was conditioned on the government’s
compliance with the April 17 PACE resolution. "We are ready to begin a
dialogue with the regime. Such a dialogue, however, cannot be started
with the purpose of bringing one of the sides to its knees,"
Ter-Petrosian said.

The central demand of the PACE resolution is the release of all
opposition activists in government custody. According to the data
published by the Prosecutor-General’s Office, there are 58 individuals
in custody in connection with the March 1 events. Officials insist,
however, that the detainees are not political prisoners. Meanwhile,
the Ter-Petrosian camp fixes the number of detainees at 92, and
emphasizes that many of those in custody are high-level opposition
politicians.

Sarkisian aides have indicated that the president is ready to talk. At
the same time, the administration has made no move to release jailed
opposition leaders. Some opposition leaders contend that arrests of
Ter-Petrosian supporters have been continuing in the weeks since PACE
issued its resolution. Administration officials brush off criticism,
insisting the issue is not political, but a matter of law enforcement.

"If people broke law they must be punished within the framework of
law. Law must be equal for all. We have no political prisoners. One
shouldn’t make statements in advance, everything will be cleared up as
a result of the investigation," MP and spokesman for the governing
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Eduard Sharmazanov told EurasiaNet.

Sharmazanov hinted that the Ter-Petrosian camp was behaving in a
politically irresponsible way, putting personal interests above those
of the nation. "There should be dialogue in democratic countries, but
obscenities and political nihilism are not part of that," he said. He
also accused Ter-Petrosian of trying to bully the government, saying;
"To go for a dialogue with preconditions is no longer dialogue, but an
ultimatum."

Not surprisingly, pro-government politicians are backing talks without
preconditions, while opposition leaders insist that the PACE
conditions be met. Naira Zohrabian, an MP from the Prosperous Armenia
Party, suggested that Ter-Petrosian, in embracing the PACE resolution,
was trying to create a justifiable reason for avoiding talks. "Setting
forth preconditions is simply an excuse to somehow steer clear of
dialogue," Zohrabian said.

Suren Sureniants, a leader of the opposition Hanrapetutyun Party,
insisted that a dialogue could produce results only if opposition
activists could trust administration officials. The only way to build
such trust, he indicated, would be for the government to release
jailed opposition figures. Sureniants himself spent 52 days in prison
for his role in the organization of anti-government rallies following
Armenia’s contentious presidential election in February. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. "Speaking figuratively, a
dialogue cannot take place between the prosecutor and the accused,"
Sureniants said.

Richard Giragosian, an independent analyst based in Washington, DC,
suggested that the emphasis on "political dialogue" was missing the
main point of Armenia’s domestic crisis.

"What is needed is a `policy debate,’ not a political dialogue,"
Giragosian told EurasiaNet. "Such a policy debate is long overdue, and
as Armenia remains under blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, and under
threat from an arms race in Azerbaijan, the time has now come for a
serious re-examination and re-assessment of Armenia’s future."

Even if the opposition and administration do not straighten out their
differences soon, Ter-Petrosian insisted during his May 2 news
conference that domestic political divisions would not hamper
Armenia’s response to a foreign policy crisis, especially one
connected with the Karabakh issue. "Azerbaijan must realize that
regardless of the political situation in our country, it would meet
with united resistance of the Armenian people in the event of
unleashing military aggression against Karabakh," Ter-Petrosian said.

Editor’s Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a reporter for the ArmeniaNow.com
weekly in Yerevan.

Posted May 8, 2008 © Eurasianet

Interfax News Agency, Russia
May 7 2008

Armenian, Azeri foreign ministers discuss Karabakh settlement in Strasbourg

YEREVAN May 7

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Azeri Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov discussed the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict at a meeting in Strasbourg, the Armenian Foreign Ministry
told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.

Nalbandian told journalists following the talks that the meeting was
designed to help the two foreign ministers know each other better.

"We exchanged opinions about the Karabakh process, presented our
approaches, and agreed to continue the negotiations," Nalbandian said.

The ministers will brief their presidents on the results of the talks,
after which the presidents are supposed to make decisions on further
steps.

The meeting between Nalbandian and Mammadyarov took place during the
118th session of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in
Strasbourg on May 6. The bilateral meeting was followed by discussions
in an expanded format, which were attended by the co-chairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group mediating in the settlement of the conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, i.e. Bernard Fassier (France), Matthew Bryza (the
U.S.), and Yury Merzlyakov (Russia), plus Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
May 7 2008

AZERBAIJAN WANTS PEACE TALKS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO CONTINUE

Azerbaijan believes peace negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement should continue, Azeri presidential chief of staff Ramiz
Mehtiyev said.

"We believe these negotiations should be continued," Mehtiyev told
journalists on Wednesday.

"We should try to resolve this problem in a peaceful way and ensure
the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity," he said.

A meeting between the Azeri and Armenian foreign ministers, Elmar
Mammadyarov and Edvard Nalbandian, respectively, took place in
Strasbourg yesterday.

The meeting was attended by OSCE (Organization for Cooperation and
Security in Europe) Minsk Group Bernard Fasier (France), Matthew Bryza
(U.S.) and Yury Merzlyakov (Russia), as well as OSCE Chairman-in-
office’s personal representative Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Azeri foreign
minister’s spokesperson told Interfax-Azerbaijan.

Because the newly appointed Armenian foreign minister attended for the
first time, it was an introductory meeting, the Foreign Ministry said.

Mammadyarov said the parties had a constructive meeting during which
they held consultations concerning the arrangements for the next
meeting between the Azeri and Armenian presidents. There are several
possible ways of organizing such a meeting, the Azeri minister said.

"The meeting [between the presidents on the sidelines of the Economic
Forum in St. Petersburg] could be held in June this year. We will let
our presidents know the results of our meeting, and they will make the
decision about the meeting at their level," Mammadyarov said.

Based on the presidents’ decision the ministers can meet once again,
he said. "There is an opportunity and a desire to resolve the issue
and to find ways to deal with the problem," Mammadyarov said.

"There is a desire and opportunities to continue talks. We are
neighbors, we cannot just run off in different directions. We need to
find a solution and to resolve the situation," he said.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
May 7 2008

Azeri, Armenian foreign ministers hold ‘constructive’ meeting

BAKU May 7

A meeting between the Azeri and Armenian foreign ministers, Elmar
Mammadyarov and Edvard Nalbandian, respectively, took place in
Strasbourg yesterday.

The meeting was attended by OSCE (Organization for Cooperation and
Security in Europe) Minsk Group Bernard Fasier (France), Matthew Bryza
(U.S.) and Yury Merzlyakov (Russia), as well as OSCE
Chairman-in-office’s personal representative Andrzej Kasprzyk, the
Azeri foreign minister’s spokesperson told Interfax-Azerbaijan.

Because the newly appointed Armenian foreign minister attended for the
first time, it was an introductory meeting, the Foreign Ministry said.

Mammadyarov said the parties had a constructive meeting during which
they held consultations concerning the arrangements for the next
meeting between the Azeri and Armenian presidents. There are several
possible ways of organizing such a meeting, the Azeri minister said.
"The meeting [between the presidents on the sidelines of the Economic
Forum in St. Petersburg] could be held in June this year. We will let
our presidents know the results of our meeting, and they will make the
decision about the meeting at their level," Mammadyarov said. Based
on the presidents’ decision the ministers can meet once again, he
said. "There is an opportunity and a desire to resolve the issue and
to find ways to deal with the problem," Mammadyarov said. "There is a
desire and opportunities to continue talks. We are neighbors, we
cannot just run off in different directions. We need to find a
solution and to resolve the situation," he said.

kk md

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse
May 7, 2008 Wednesday 1:26 PM GMT

Armenian Church head urges ‘genocide’ be denounced

VATICAN CITY, May 7 2008

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II called on all
nations to condemn the 1915-1917 Armenian massacres as "genocide", at
a general audience with pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday.

"Today, we call on all nations to universally denounce the Armenian
genocide" so that "those in power judge which parties were
responsible," Karekin II told around 20,000 people gathered in
St. Peter’s Square.

More than 20 countries — including Belgium, Canada, Poland, Russia,
Switzerland and France — have officially recognised the massacre of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks committed between 1915 and 1917 as
genocide.

Benedict XVI’s predecessor, John Paul II, in 2000 condemned the
killings as genocide, provoking a protest from Turkey.

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

Turkey says 300,000 Armenians and at least an equal number of Turks
were killed in civil strife when the Christian Armenians, backed by
Russia, rose up against the Ottomans.

In 2007, Turkey removed its ambassador from Washington after a US
congressional committee approved a resolution recognising the events
as genocide. The resolution was never passed.

Karekin II, also known as the catholicos of the Armenian Orthodox
church, was to attend a papal audience Friday.

Brantford Expositor (Ontario)
May 8, 2008 Thursday

Armenian refugee story takes stage

by Elizabeth Yates, expositor staff

Seeing his dad’s story in print was a huge thrill for Brantford’s Carl
Georgian.

Watching it come to life on stage will be unimaginably exciting, says
Georgian, who heads off to a special gala performance of The
Georgetown Boys on May 14.

The play is based on two books by Brantford author Marsha Skrypuch:
Aram’s Choice, which came out in 2006, and a sequel called Call Me
Aram, due this fall.

Both draw upon the life of Kevork Kevorkian, who was 11 in 1923 when
he left an orphanage in Greece for a new life in Georgetown,
Ont. Kevorkian was among the first 50 youngsters rescued by the
Armenian Relief Association of Canada, thus escaping a brutal massacre
that killed more than one million of his fellow Armenians.

After five years in Georgetown, he went to a farm near Hagersville as
a foster child. Eventually, Kevorkian, who changed his named to George
Georgian, settled in Dunnville, becoming a popular figure in the
community as the town milkman.

But he still went back to visit his foster parents, the Wodskows, in
Hagersville. And, on the 14th, Carl Georgian will bring his dad’s
foster brother, George Wodskow, and his wife, Odeyne, to the
gala. He’ll also watch the show with daughters Susan Georgian and
Kelly Lee.

They’ll be among a large contingent of area Armenian descendants
watching their history portrayed by 25 members of the Georgetown
Little Theatre Youth Company.

"I just think it’s wonderful," says Georgian. "I’m really excited and
so is my family. I can’t wait to go."

Naturally, Skrypuch will also be on hand for the gala, along with a
limo full of friends and family.

The adaptation of her books is "stunning," says Skrypuch, adding that
the script by Sam Hancock nicely widens the scope of the story.

Hancock, a native of Georgetown, had always been intrigued by the
history of Cedar Vale Farm, but never tracked down any firm details –
until he happened upon the story of the Georgetown Boys.

In 1923, 110 young Armenian boys aged eight to 12 where brought to
Cedar Vale Farm as part of Canada’s first international humanitarian
effort. They were taught English and trained as farmers before leaving
to carve out their own lives.

"It’s not a negative story," says Hancock, a theatre veteran who works
by day as a writer for the Ministry of Transportation. "It’s so bright
and optimistic, I can’t believe it’s not celebrated more."

He proposed a play after moving back to Georgetown and, last fall,
Georgetown Little Theatre jumped on board. Skrypuch’s books proved a
helpful base for the script, says Hancock, who also incorporated
original letters and telegrams.

The Georgetown Boys opened on May 1 and response has been
overwhelmingly positive, with local residents "stunned" to discover
the history of their community. As well, busloads of Armenian students
have come from the Toronto area to watch.

"They were really moved. They said it is nice to see Canadians telling
the Armenians’ story."

Up to 1.5 million Armenians living in the then-Ottoman Empire were
killed during and after the First World War in a genocidal campaign
mounted by the new revolutionary Turkish government. They died in
massacres and forced marches under inhumane conditions. Rape was also
commonplace.

While Georgian’s grandparents survived the massacre, two of his great
aunts did not: they were bayoneted on the street.

But, until recently, their story was largely absent from historical
record. When Skrypuch met Georgian in 1989 and set out to research his
story, she found scant mention of the massacre in any books.

Now, she has written more historical fiction about the genocide than
any other North American writer. Daughter of War, released in May,
follows the stories of Armenian teenagers Kevork and his betrothed,
Marta, who survive the genocide and live disguised as Muslims. But
Kevork is living as an Arab in Syria while Marta remains in Turkey,
pregnant with another man’s child. Marta’s sister, Mariam, meanwhile,
has been sold into slavery. Daughter of War is a sequel to 2003’s
Nobody’s Child, which was nominated for several writing awards.

The new novel is being launched with a series of events, including
receptions at the Armenian embassy in Ottawa and at community centres
in North York and Montreal.

It’s all part of a rising wave of awareness about the genocide, which
was officially recognized by the Canadian government last fall.

"Now, you cannot pick up a newspaper without reading about it," says
the author. "It’s within the public consciousness."

Skrypuch’s books have been invaluable in educating people, says
Georgian, who hopes the play becomes another way of spreading the
message.

"A lot of people don’t even know what an Armenian is. We are happy
when anybody helps tell our history."

To that end, Georgian has been working to locate Georgetown Boy
descendants and invite them to the play. It’s a tough job, as the
Armenians spread all over the globe after leaving Cedar Vale.

He also helped the play secure a donation from Armenian-owned
Alexanian Carpets. And, on the 14th, he’ll present cast members with a
special token: pins emblazoned with the flag of Armenia.

"They’ll remember this story for the rest of their lives."

ó What: The Georgetown Boys, a play based on books by Brantford author
Marsha Skrypuch

ó When: tonight through Saturday, 8 p.m., also a 2 p.m. matinee on
Saturday.

ó Where: Georgetown Little Theatre, Stewarttown, Ont.

Tickets: $10; call 905-977-3422

GALA NIGHT PERFORMANCE

ó When: May 14, 6:30 p.m. reception, performance at 8 p.m.

ó Where: John Elliot Theatre, Georgetown

Tickets: $25; call 1-905-877-3700; quote number 1923 when ordering.

The Georgetown Boys will also be mounted at the John Elliot Theatre in
Georgetown on Sept. 12-13.

PRESS RELEASE
EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATIONfor Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel/ Fax: +32 2 732 70 27/26
Website :Eafjd

TOP LEVEL CONFIRMATION OF THE CHURCH COMMITMENT FOR THE UNIVERSAL
CONDEMNATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

7 May ` Karekin II the Catholicos of All Armenians called « the
whole nations » to `universally condemn the Armenian Genocide’
during an official visit to Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican. This call
was made on Piazza San Pietro in front of a public audience
exceptionally chaired by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in the
presence of more than 20 000 faithful.

In his welcome speech, Benedict XVI addressed this issue in recalling
that `at the beginning of XXth century, Christian Armenians suffered
cruel persecutions’ saying that `Armenia’s many martyrs are a sign of
the power of the Holy Spirit working in times of darkness, and a
pledge of hope for Christians everywhere’

Catholicos Karekin II then replied in asserting that Armenians `are a
people who have survived genocide’ and which thus knows well `the
value of love, brotherhood, friendship and a secure life’. His
Holiness Karekin II continued stating that `today, many countries of
the world recognize and condemn the genocide committed against the
Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey’ and that `the denial of these
crimes is an injustice similar to their perpetration’. He ended by
calling `all the nations to universally condemn the Armenian Genocide
so that who has power and authority can detect the accountability of
these crimes’

The European Armenian Federation recalls that Vatican already
recognized the Armenian Genocide through a joint declaration of John
Paul II and Karekin II in 2000.

« We commend the courage and the determination of both the
Apostolic Armenian and Catholic Roman Churches about this deep moral
failure represented by the Armenian Genocide and its denial. We call
upon the Heads of the States and of Governments to pay attention to
these Voices of Wisdom and Lucidity in recognizing, if not yet, the
Armenian Genocide’ stated Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the
European Armenian Federation.

`We call especially the European authorities to uphold the European
values in adopting provisions to prevent and to repress the crime of
denial as the 1948 Covenant represses the crime of genocide’ concluded
Tchoboian.

Armenian Lawmakers Waiting for Opinion Letter from European Experts

YEREVAN, May 8. /ARKA/. European experts will voice their opinion about
the amendments to Armenia’s law on meetings and processions before May
25.

If the opinion letter comes on May 19, the Parliament may pass the bill
in the first reading at its next four-day session, Speaker of the RA
Parliament Tigran Torosyan said.

On April 16, the Armenian side and experts of the Venice Commission and
of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutes and Human Rights (ODIHR)
reached an agreement on amendments to the law.

At his meeting with EU Special Envoy for South Caucasus Peter Semneby
Speaker Torosyan stated that the bill law was based on the memorandum
signed with European experts.

The Speaker said that after March events, the RA President set up a
group to consider the problems pointed out by international
organizations and find solutions.

The group will cooperate with international experts.

Torosyan also said that another group was set up at the RA Parliament
to study international organizations’ proposals for improving election
processes. The group is to submit proposals for improving Armenia’s
election law to the RA Parliament.

He expressed hope that all proposals will be summarized by mid-June and
ready for a joint discussion with international experts.

On March 18, the then Armenian President Robert Kocharyan signed
amendments to the law on meetings and processions to prevent the
recurrence of the March 1 events.

The amendments impose restrictions on public events if they pose a
threat to law and order in the country.-0–

EU Monitoring Post-Election Processes in Armenia

YEREVAN, May 8. /ARKA/. The European Union (EU) keeps on highlighting
the election and post-election processes in Armenia, EU Special
Representative in the South Caucasus Peter Semneby stated at his
meeting with Speaker of the RA Parliament Tigran Torosyan.

The EU pronounces for the release of the persons arrested for their
political activities, the removal of restrictions on rallies as well as
for a dialogue between different sections of Armenia’s population,
Semneby said.

The EU representative pointed out the importance of creating necessary
conditions for a political dialogue, for instance, an independent
investigation into the March 1 and following events. Various proposals
have been made, namely, the formation of an ad hoc parliamentary
commission and the involvement of the RA Ombudsman in the work.

Semneby pointed out that the RA Parliament may play a great role not
only in this process, but also in the establishment of a dialogue
despite the fact that some of the political forces are not represented
in Parliament.
Peter Semneby, who had held a meeting with Levon Ter-Petrosyan before,
also pointed out some changes in the views of Armenia’s first president
` he is ready to be immediately involved in political processes. The EU
representative pointed out the importance of a dialogue with the
parliamentary majority.

At Semneby’s request, Speaker Torosyan presented his approaches,
pointing out that the changes in Ter-Petrosyan’s positions were seen
during the congress, which is natural after some time has passed.

On the other hand, Torosyan said that the opposition keep on distorting
facts and accusing everyone ` from Armenia’s authorities to European
organizations.

He pointed out that Armenia’s legislation does not stipulate arrests
for political activities, and the country’s law-enforcement agencies
are well aware of that. Law-enforcers will be punished if the
investigation reveals arrests for political reasons.

Speaking of a possible dialogue, Torosyan emphasized the importance of
specifying the terms of dialogue ` who are the participants and what
particular problems are to be discussed.

According to Torosyan, no preconditions for a dialogue must be set.

As regards an independent investigation, he pointed out that the
possibility of forming an ad hoc commission to investigate the March 1
events is being discussed with the parliamentary factions.

Speaker Torosyan agreed that not all the political forces are
represented in Parliament. However, members of other political forces
and public organizations were involved an ad hoc commission set up at
the RA Parliament to reform Armenia’s Constitution. `0–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress