Month: October 2008

A LA UNE – USA: UN HAUT DIPLOMATE SE REND A EREVAN

CollectifVAN.org
Publié le : 20-10-2008
France

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
soumet la traduction de cet article en anglais du journal arménien
Armenialiberty publiée sur le site de la Fédération Euro-Arménienne
pour la Justice et la Démocratie du 18 octobre 2008. Un Haut diplomate
américain a appelé a la normalisation des relations entre la Turquie
et l’Arménie et a souligné la nécessité d’une résolution rapide
du conflit du Haut-Karabakh, après avoir rencontré les dirigeants
arméniens, vendredi a Erevan. Les sources officielles arméniennes
ont indiqué que les deux sujets étaient en tête de l’ordre du jour
du Secrétaire d’Ã~Itat adjoint, Daniel Fried, lors de ses rencontres
avec le Président Serge Sarkissian et le Premier ministre Tigrane
Sarkissian.

Le Président Sarkissian a indiqué a Fried que l’Arménie
souhaitait approfondir ses relations avec les Ã~Itats-Unis, car
elle les considère comme un "élément important de la stabilité
régionale". Tigrane Sarkissian, pour sa part, s’est dit optimiste
quant a l’avenir des liens Américano-Arméniens. Il a souligné
que son dernier voyage a Washington était Â" très réussi Â" et
notamment ses entrevues avec le Vice-Président Dick Cheney et la
Secrétaire d’Ã~Itat Condoleezza Rice.

–Boundary_(ID_6+UmpkdIHBi07ZaYN67+cw)–

MEDVEDEV EN ARMENIE: COOPERATION COMMERCIALE ET SITUATION DANS LE CAUCASE AU MENU (KREMLIN)

RIA Novosti
10:09 | 20/ 10/ 2008
Russia

International

MOSCOU, 20 octobre – RIA Novosti. Le president russe Dmitri Medvedev,
en visite en Armenie les 20 et 21 octobre, examinera avec son
homologue Serge Sargsian la cooperation entre les deux pays dans la
sphere commerciale et economique et la situation dans le Caucase,
a appris RIA Novosti aupres du Kremlin.

Cette rencontre, organisee a l’initiative de M. Sargsian, sera la
cinquième entre les deux presidents depuis le debut de l’annee, ce
qui temoigne, selon l’interlocuteur de l’agence, du haut niveau du
dialogue politique et du partenariat strategique entre les deux pays.

"La rencontre des presidents permettra de passer en revue la
cooperation dans le domaine economique et commercial. Sur les huit
premiers mois de l’annee 2008, le montant des echanges a augmente de
13% en glissement annuel, pour atteindre 536,5 millions de dollars. La
Russie est le principal partenaire commercial de l’Armenie, et l’un
des principaux investisseurs dans le pays. Au premier semestre 2008,
les investissements russes ont atteint 428 millions de dollars",
a-t-il indique.

Le representant du Kremlin a rappele que la Russie participait a la
modernisation des chemins de fer armeniens, et que des compagnies
telles que Gazprom, la banque VTB et la compagnie electrique Inter
RAO EES operaient en Armenie.

Selon lui, le partenariat des regions russes est egalement extremement
satisfaisant, environ 70 regions cooperant avec le pays dans les
spheres economique, commerciale, scientifique, et culturelle.

M. Medvedev assistera en outre a la ceremonie d’inauguration de la
place de Russie a Erevan et a la creation du reseau de telephonie
mobile de la compagnie russe Komstar en Armenie.

"Lors des negociations, nous examinerons en outre la situation dans
le Caucase, suite a l’agression georgienne contre l’Ossetie du Sud
et les problemes internationaux actuels", a-t-il indique.

Selon lui, on fera grand cas des accords intervenus lors de la
dernière session de l’Organisation du Traite de securite collective
(OTSC) a Moscou le 5 septembre, visant a renforcer la coordination en
matière politique etrangère, notamment a la lumière de la presidence
armenienne de l’organisation.

Concernant le conflit du Haut-Karabakh, une enclave peuplee d’armeniens
en territoire azerbaïdjanais, la Russie reitèrera "sa position de
principe visant a trouver une solution acceptable pour toutes les
parties".

–Boundary_(ID_mSpgdbnbf5+rZN4 IVEuM2A)–

Boston Globe, United States

ADL statement on Armenian genocide reassures Watertown

by David Dahl, Regional Editor October 19, 2008 07:08 PM

Clyde L. Younger, the Town Council’s president, said he now feels
comfortable with assurances from the Anti-Defamation League’s national
leader, Abraham H. Foxman, that the organization recognizes the
Armenian genocide.

His change of heart followed Foxman’s tersely worded letter to Younger
on Oct. 3, reaffirming the league’s position that had been posted on
its New England office’s website in August. The statement read in
part, "ADL has never denied the tragic and painful events perpetrated
by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians, and we have referred to
those massacres and atrocities as genocide."

Last month, the Town Council asked Foxman to clarify the league’s
stance in person, after a senior official from Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Massachusetts had rebuffed the council’s request that the
company drop its support for the league’s No Place for Hate
program. The Blue Cross official said the insurance company was
satisfied that the ADL had acknowledged the Armenian deaths in 1915-17
as genocide.

— Christina Pazzanese

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MetroWest Daily News, MA

Memorial honors victims, survivors of Armenian Genocide

By Kathy Uek/Daily News staff

MetroWest Daily News
Posted Oct 19, 2008 @ 10:34 PM

FRAMINGHAM ‘ More than 200 members of the Armenian Church of the Holy
Translators stood against whipping winds yesterday during the
dedication of its memorial park in front of the Franklin Street place
of worship.

The park is a memorial to the victims of the genocide, which occurred
roughly from 1915 to 1923, and a tribute to the survivors, many of
whom came to the Boston area in the early 20th century, said Stepan
Piligian, chairman of the parish council.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, of the diocese of the Armenian Church of
America (Eastern) in New York City, blessed the park.

"Half of the Armenian population of 3 million perished in the
genocide, Barsamian said. "Today, there are 8 million Armenians in the
world, even in Singapore. We are here today because of those who
sacrificed their lives.

"The (Ottoman) Turks killed them because they were Christians," he
added. "The Ottoman Empire was getting weaker. They feared the
Armenians, who had asked for their rights back. Women and children
were separated from husbands and partners. The men were taken to the
Syrian desert and killed. The women were kidnapped and tortured. Even
children were raped."

Remembering them is a reminder that life goes on, said Levon Hanzatian
of Natick, who was born in Turkey and came to America in 1968. "They
are part of us."

The parents of Joe Kasparian of Milford survived the genocide. "My
mother, Virginia, was a young girl and so traumatized she never wanted
to talk about it," Kasparian said. "My father, John, didn’t talk about
it until later. He was fortunate. His next-door neighbor, who was a
Turk, told him about the attack and they got out. As they ran away,
they saw dismembered bodies. After the genocide, my mother’s family
went to Argentina and my father’s family went to France before coming
to America," he said. "It was sad for them to go through it."

His father died this year at 101.

A stone cross or khatchker, made from volcanic stone native to Armenia
and used on graves and monasteries, stands at the heart of the park.

Surrounding the elaborately cut cross, are brick walkways.

"Many of the bricks are engraved in memory of family members and for
special occasions, such as baptisms and weddings," Piligian said.

The bishop dedicated the park on the fifth anniversary of the the
church and the blessing of the Holy Muron (holy oil) made every seven
years.

"The oil is used for anointing in baptisms, confirmations, and for
those called to spiritual leadership," said the Rev. Father Krikor
A. Sabounjian, pastor of the church.

After the archbishop blessed the park, he did the same for the food
served in the lower church, where members enjoyed trays of meats,
fruits and vegetables and native treats, including Syrian bread, humus
and an unsweetened cheese pastry called borek.

Daily Star – Lebanon, Lebanon

Turkey’s ‘national bitch’ talks about perils faced by female authors

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Aurelia End

Agence France Presse

FRANKFURT: "Of course Turkish women are stronger than men," says
Perihan Magden with a laugh. Like her, many Turkish women writers
provoke the wrath of officials with uncompromising works. "I’m the
national bitch anyway in Turkey. I think they just want me to shut
up," she told AFP at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

But silence obviously does not sit well with the small woman in her
late 40s, who was dressed simply in black and had tied her hair up in
a quick knot.

Asked about freedom of expression, persecution of Armenians and the
situation of the Kurdish minority, she launches into animated
discourse underscored by lots of gesturing.

She also quickly forgets to speak about her book, "Two Girls," – that
has been translated into German – which describes the tumultuous love
affairs of two Turkish adolescents.

In Turkey, Magden is as well known for her novels as for her
commentary in leftist media.

In late 2005, she took up the defense of an imprisoned conscientious
objector and was taken to court by the army.

Booed by the public during her trial, she was nonetheless acquitted,
though several legal procedures are still ongoing.

Magden now has trouble hiding lassitude in the face of what she said
is chronic harassment.

The former communist militant, "I would even say I was Soviet," would
like to send her daughter to study in the United States "because in
Turkey it can be very claustrophobic."

While Magden has been attacked for her views on military service,
novelist Elif Shafak drew unwanted attention for comments made by
figures in her books on what Armenians charge is genocide by the
Ottoman Empire, a highly disputed subject in Turkey.

Armenia has campaigned for the the recognition of the mass killings of
Armenians during World War I as genocide.

Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000-500,000
Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when
Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided
with invading Russian troops.

Shafak was prosecuted under Turkish law that prohibits "defamation" of
the state, but was also cleared of the charges.

The France-born academic now wants to turn the page.

"I am too often assimilated" with the issue, she said in an interview
published Thursday by the German magazine Stern.

On the other hand, Shafak remains a staunch feminist. "We don’t say
enough about the history of women. History is always written by
men. Religion was written by men," she said.

Another Turkish writer, Fethiye Cetin also tackles taboos, raising a
fuss in the process.

In her novel "My Grandmother’s Book," a best seller in Turkey
according to the publisher, the human-rights activist searches for
Armenian and Christian roots that had long been hidden from her by her
own family.

Cetin, also a lawyer who represents the family of Hrant Dink, a
journalist of Armenian origin who was killed last year, tells the
story of how her grandmother escaped the early 20th-century slaughter.

Invited to the stand sponsored by Germany’s Green party, she said:
"You cannot bury the past. It always rises back to the surface!"

ITAR-TASS, Russia

Medvedev to pay two-day official visit to Armenia

20.10.2008, 00.11

YEREVAN, October 20 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
will arrive in Armenia on Monday on a two-day official visit at the
invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, the Armenian
presidential press secretary told Itar-Tass on Sunday.

That would be the first Armenian visit of Medvedev in the presidential
capacity and the fifth meeting of the two chiefs of state in 2008, he
said. The presidents met in Moscow on March 24 and June 24, in
St. Petersburg on June 6 and in Sochi on September 2.

Following the official welcome ceremony, the two chiefs of states will
go to the Armenian presidential residence and share a meal.

The presidents will have a one-to-one meeting, and delegations will
join in later on. It is planned to sign a number of bilateral
documents. Medvedev and Sargsyan will make statements in comments on
the negotiations and give a press conference.

The presidents will attend the opening of Russia Square in front of
the Yerevan City Hall and the House of Moscow cultural and business
center.

Medvedev will visit the Tsitsernakaberd Park and the memorial to
victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

The presidents will discuss Russia-Armenia interaction in the solution
of Caucasian problems.

Intensive summit contacts `are an illustrative example of the
high-level political dialog targeted at further strengthening of the
strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and Armenia,’ a
high-ranking Kremlin source told Itar-Tass.

`The main item on the agenda of the Yerevan visit of Medvedev is
negotiations with Sargsyan,’ the source said. ‘The chiefs of state
will discuss a broad range of bilateral issues.’

`In addition, they will consider the Caucasian situation following the
Georgian aggression against South Ossetia and pressing international
issues,’ the source said. `Much attention will be given to the
agreements the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) reached
at the September session in Moscow. The member countries said they
would enhance coordination of their foreign policies. The organization
is being chaired by Armenia.’

`Ways of the Karabakh settlement will be discussed in the light of
Russia’s active and constructive mediation. The Russian position is
invariable: Moscow will continue to assist the search for mutually
acceptable solutions,’ the source said.

Trade and economic cooperation will be in the spotlight, the Kremlin
representative said. `Bilateral trade grew by 13% in January-August
2008 to $536.5 million,’ he said.

`Russia is a key foreign economic partners of Armenia. It ranks one of
the first by the amount of investments: Russian investments in Armenia
amassed from 1991 through July 1, 2008, exceeded $1.6 billion. Russia
invested about $428 million in Armenia in the first half of this
year,’ the source said.

`The sides will highlight broader energy cooperation. Gas energy
projects are successful, and there are promising plans for atomic
energy, geological survey and uranium mining,’ he said.

`Russian businesses ` Gazprom, Inter RAO, VTB, Russian Aluminum,
VimpelCom, AFK Sistema, Russian Railroads and Alrosa – are
successfully operating in key Armenian sectors,’ he said.

`Transportation problems in Armenia are being resolved thanks to
Russian consistent efforts. The modernization of the Armenian railroad
infrastructure started early this year, as the Armenian railroad was
taken in concession management by Russian Railroads,’ he said.

`Medvedev will attend the opening of Russia Square in Yerevan and the
launch of the Comstar ` United TeleSystems (a component of AFK
Sistema) Armenian project ` a national telecom network
Comstar-OTS. The network will offer ViMax broadband wireless Internet
service in Yerevan and another 18 cites of Armenia. The country has
never had such a network before. Also, it is one of the first networks
of the kind in the world,’ the source said. `Telecommunication is very
important for highland areas difficult of access, as well as for
social, emergency situations and security services.’

`Relations between Russian and Armenian regions are on the rise. About
70 constituents of the Russian Federation have established contact
with Armenia, and 16 of them have signed agreements on trade,
economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation. Another two
inter-regional agreements will be signed during Medvedev’s visit: the
Sverdlovsk region will sign an agreement with the Armenian government,
while the Yaroslavl region will sign an agreement with the Armavir
region,’ the source said.

`Humanitarian cooperation is very dynamic. There were years of Russia
and Armenia in 2005 and 2006, the Year of the Russian Language in
2007, the Season of Russian Culture in Armenia in 2008, and the Season
of Armenian Culture in Russia in 2009. A Russian book center opened in
Yerevan this spring in the attendance of the presidents’
spouses. Another important humanitarian event is due this November ` a
Russian science and culture center will open in Yerevan. The center
will be a key floor for broadening cultural, educational and
scientific relations,’ the source said.

The previous official Armenian visit of the Russian chief of state
(then President Vladimir Putin) was paid on September 14-15, 2001.

Putin had two working visits to Armenia: one on May 24-25, 2001, in
order to attend a meeting of the Collective Security Council of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the other on March
24-25, 2005, in connection with the opening of the Russian Year in
Armenia.

Medvedev visited Armenia on May 30-31, 2005, as the head of the
presidential administration.

Boris Yeltsin made a brief visit to Armenia on September 21, 1991, in
the capacity of the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Russian
Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. He paid the visit together with
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in order to seek Karabakh
settlement ways.

Soviet leaders visited Armenia, as well. Nikita Khrushchev, then First
Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Central Committee, visited
Yerevan in May 1961 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Soviet
Armenia. Then Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party Central
Committee Leonid Brezhnev paid a similar visit in November 1970.

Then Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party Central Committee
Mikhail Gorbachev visited Armenia in early December 1988 after the
devastating earthquake in northern areas.

Russian Emperor Nicholas I visited Yerevan in October 1832.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

istockAnalyst.com (press release), OR

Medvedev, Sargsyan to Discuss Economic Cooperation

Sunday, October 19, 2008 10:57 PM

(Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow – English)MOSCOW. Oct 19
(Interfax) – Russian-Armenian trade and economic interaction will be
the main topic at talks between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who will visit Armenia on October
20 – 21 at the invitation of this Armenia counterpart. "The main
provision on the agenda of Medvedev’s visit will be talks in the
tete-a-tete and extended formats with Sargsyan. The presidents will
discuss a large number of issues of multifaceted Russian-Armenian
cooperation," a Kremlin source told Interfax on the eve of the visit.

This will be the fifth meeting between the two presidents so far this
year. They earlier met on March 24 and June 24 in Moscow, June 6 in
St. Petersburg and September 2 in Sochi. "This vividly proves the high
level of political dialog aimed at the further strengthening of
strategic partnership and allied relations between Russia and
Armenia," the source said.

"Trade and economic interaction will be one of the topical subjects at
the meeting of the two presidents," he said.

Bilateral trade grew 13%, to $536.5 million, in eight months of 2008
compared to the same period a year ago. Russia is Armenia’s leading
foreign economic partner, particularly in terms of Russia’s
accumulated investments to Armenia from 1991 to July 1, 2008 topped
$1.6 billion, while Russia invested around $428 million in the first
six months of this year.

The two countries pay serious attention to expanding bilateral energy
trade. They successfully implement joint gas projects. There are
prospects in the nuclear energy sphere, geological surveying and the
industrial development of uranium fields as well, the source said.

Russia’s leading companies Gazprom (RTS: GAZP), Inter RAO UES, VTB
(RTS: VTBR), RusAl, VimpelCom (RTS: VIMP), AFK Sistema (RTS: AFKS),
Russian Railways (RZD) (RTS: RZHD), Alrosa (RTS: ALRS) all work in the
Armenian market.

"Transport problems in friendly Armenia are solved thanks to Russia’s
consistent actions," the source said. A comprehensive modernization of
Armenia’s railroad infrastructure began after RZD took concession
management of Armenian railroads in the beginning of the year.

As of now, 70 Russia’s regions are involved in international contacts
with Armenia, while 16 of them have already signed trade- economic,
scientific-technical and cultural interaction agreements with Armenia,
the source said.

Two more interregional agreements: on trade-economic, scientific and
cultural cooperation between the government of the Sverdlovsk region
and the Armenian government and a trade-economic, scientific-
technical and cultural cooperation between the government of the
Yaroslavl region and Armenia’s Armavir region, are planned for signing
during Medvedev’s visit, he said.

Medvedev will also attend in the opening ceremony of the Square of
Russia in Yerevan as part of his visit.

The Russian president will also take part in the ceremony of launching
a project to create Armenia’s national communication network
Komstar-UTS by Russia’s Komstar-UTS company, a part of AFK Sistema. A
broadband wireless network based on the WiMAX technology will cover
Yerevan and 18 of Armenia’s largest cities and will be one of the
first telecommunication networks of its kind in the world. "The
network is of great national importance from the viewpoint of
providing distant and hard-to-reach districts, given mountainous
landscape, as well as social facilities and emergency and special
services with quality communication," the source said.

(c) 2008 Daily News Bulletin; Moscow – English. Provided by ProQuest
LLC. All rights Reserved.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.

Diamonds.net, NY

ALROSA to Resume Rough Diamond Supply to Armenia

By Avi Krawitz Posted: 10/19/08 05:17

RAPAPORT… ALROSA will resume its supply of rough diamonds to Armenia
after a three year break, Itar-Tass reported.

The diamond mining giant signed a contract with Diamond Company of
Armenia (DCA) to resume the regular delivery of rough diamonds for
cutting, Itar-Tass said citing DCA president Gagik Abramyan.

`Russian diamonds will be brought to us for cutting for the first time
in three years, and this has become possible thanks to efforts of the
intergovernmental commission on Russian-Armenian economic cooperation
and the policy of the ALROSA firm,’ Abramyan said.

The deal follows an agreement signed in August 2007 between ALROSA and
the Armenian government to cooperate in the jewelry industry.

Itar-Tass said ALROSA plans to deliver diamonds worth 28-30 million
U.S. dollars to four Armenian companies, the largest of which is DCA.

Armenia’s diamond polishing industry has been on a steady decline in
recent years as rough supplies from Russia dwindled.

The country’s polished diamond production fell 20.6 percent to 52,316
carats in the first of 2008.

IDEX Online, Israel

Armenia: Alrosa to Renew Rough Diamond Supply

(October 19, ’08, 7:40 Edahn Golan)

The Russian diamond miner Alrosa is to renew rough diamond supplies to
the Armenian polishing and jewelry making industry, according to Gagik
Abramyan, chair of the International Association of Armenian Jewelers.

Russian diamond producer Alrosa and the government of Armenia signed
in August 2007 a diamond polishing cooperation agreement. The
agreement was signed by Alrosa president Sergey Vybornov and Armenia’s
Trade and Economic Development Minister Nerses Yeritsian.

In December, a team of Alrosa experts has conducted a study of 20
diamond cutting enterprises and four were selected to receive rough
supplies. At the time Alrosa reported that it has already sold rough
diamonds to two of the diamond cutting factories.

Abramyan, an Armenian Parliament deputy, owns the Diamond Company of
Armenia (DCA).

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
20 October 2008, Monday

Ergenekon case: Trial of the century starts today

Journalist and Kanaltürk founder Tuncay Ã-zkan was taken
into custody in September at his home in Ä°stanbul as part of
the Ergenekon investigation.
Today marks the start of the landmark trial of 86 individuals
suspected of membership in Ergenekon, a crime network with links to
the state — including the military — accused of a number of
political murders and attacks designed to trigger an eventual military
takeover.

The trial is seen as a historic opportunity for Turkey to confront for
the first time a phenomenon coined here as the `deep state’ and
generally used to refer to highly influential individuals and groups
nested within the state hierarchy manipulating the political and
social environment in the country, typically through illegal and
illegitimate means, although definitions of the phrase vary
significantly from person to person.

The suspects, 46 of whom are currently under arrest, will be appearing
before a judge for the first time in 17 months since the investigation
started following the accidental discovery of a house being used as an
arms depot in Ä°stanbul.

The existence of Ergenekon, a behind-the-scenes network attempting to
use social and psychological engineering to shape the country in
accordance with its own ultranationalist ideology, has long been
suspected, but the current investigation into the group began only in
2007, when a house in Ä°stanbul’s Ã`mraniye district that was
being used as an arms depot was discovered by police. The
investigation was expanded to reveal elements of the deep state.

The Ergenekon investigation is not the first time dark elements have
surfaced from the `depths’ of the state, but it certainly is the first
time so many suspects are going to stand trial before the entire
nation.

The closest Turkey came to overcoming the powerful friends of the deep
state in the judiciary and the police was the Susurluk affair of 1996,
when the relationship between a police chief, a Kurdish deputy who led
an army of men from his family clan armed by the Turkish state
fighting against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and an
internationally sought mafia boss was fully exposed.

The three were in a Mercedes that was involved in an accident in the
town of Susurluk, killing the mafia boss and the police chief. The
deputy survived but said he had no memory of the crash and did not
testify in the course of the investigation. The scandal exposed, as
never before, the extent of the state’s links to organized crime, but
those implicated in the case refused to testify. Nor could they be
subpoenaed by the judiciary. Despite public outcry and protests
against deep state links around the country, the case was soon covered
up and forgotten.

Nine years later, a bombing against a bookshop owned by a Kurdish
nationalist in the southeastern town of Å?emdinli, during which
two members of the Turkish security forces were caught red-handed,
gave Turkey another chance to shed light on at least some of the
elements of the complex deep state network. However, the prosecutor on
the case was disbarred by the Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges
(HSYK) after indicting the land forces commander of the time as being
the founder of a gang that was responsible for the Å?emdinli
bookstore bombing. The three main suspects — two non-commissioned
officers and a PKK informant — were given nearly 40 years each by a
civil court at the end of a lengthy trial process that lasted close to
two years. However, the Supreme Court of Appeals in May of this year
declared the case a mistrial and ordered the suspects be retried by a
military court.

Notes from the Ergenekon indictment

The indictment, made public in June, claims Ergenekon is behind a
series of political assassinations over the past two decades. Close to
90 suspects will stand trial starting Monday. The victims of alleged
Ergenekon crimes include secularist journalist UÄ?ur Mumcu, long
believed to have been assassinated by Islamic extremists in 1993; the
head of a business conglomerate, Ã-zdemir Sabancı, who was
shot dead by militants of the extreme-left Revolutionary People’s
Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) in his high-security office in 1996;
secularist academic Necip HablemitoÄ?lu, who was also believed
to have been killed by Islamic extremists, in 2002; and the 2006
Council of State attack.

The indictment also says retired Gen. Veli Küçük,
believed to be one of the leading members of the network, had
threatened Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist slain by a
teenager in 2007, before his murder — a sign that Ergenekon could be
behind that murder as well.

The Ergenekon indictment accuses 86 suspects of links with the
gang. Suspects will begin appearing in court on Oct. 20 to face
accusations that include `membership in an armed terrorist group,’
`attempting to destroy the government,’ `inciting people to rebel
against the Republic of Turkey’ and other similar crimes.

20 October 2008, Monday
TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL