Month: December 2008

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN: "ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS WILL NOT BE NORMALIZED UNTIL THE SOLUTION TO THE NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 22 2008
Azerbaijan

Yerevan-APA. "Armenia-Turkey relations will not be normalized and
borders will not be opened until the solution to the Nagorno karabakh
conflict", said former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, APA
reports quoting the News Armenia agency.

He said the Armenia-Turkey relations depended on Ankara’s principal
and constructive position and its impact on Azerbaijan as well. "The
Turkish side considers establishing of Armenia-Turkey historic
commission to research Armenian genocide in the context of the
relations with Armenia. This forgotten idea was brought on agenda as
a result Serj Sargsyan’s unstable policy. Establishing of the joint
commission will be a serious barrier for settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict and normalization of the Armenia-Turkey relations,
because Turkey will not leave the idea of joint commission and on
the other hand, Serj Sargsyan, even if he wants, cannot succeed in
realization of this idea under the pressure of public opinion".

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: "THE NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT CAN BE RESOLVED ONLY BY PEACEFUL MEANS"

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 22 2008
Azerbaijan

Khankendi-APA. "The Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be resolved
peacefully only through the negotiations", Armenian foreign minister
Edward Nalbandian told journalists during his visit to the occupied
lands of Azerbaijan.

APA reports quoting the News Armenia agency as saying that Nalbandian
offered only diplomatic ways for the solution to the conflict. "Nagorno
Karabakh’s participation in the negotiations process is particularly
important and we respect the Nagorno Karabakh administration. The
settlement of the conflict is impossible without the Nagorno
Karabakh’s participation. The conflict can be used only by taking
the Karabakh people’s self-determination rights into consideration",
said Nalbandian.

E. NALBANDIAN PRESENTS THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS OF KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION IN STEPANAKERT

ARMENPRESS
Dec 22, 2008
YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian paid a one-day visit to
Stepanakert on December 19. Press service of Armenian Foreign Ministry
told Armenpress that in the evening December 19 President of Nagorno
Karabakh Bako Sahakian received Edward Nalbandian.

During the meeting the latest developments in the regulation of
Karabakh issue have been discussed. Minister E. Nalbandian presented
to the Karabakh president the results of the Helsinki meeting of OSCE
Foreign Ministers as well as the details of his Helsinki meeting
with OSCE Minsk group co-chairs and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammedyarov.

The sides highly assessed the statements of foreign ministers of OSCE
Minsk group co-chairing countries and the council of OSCE Foreign
Ministers over the Karabakh issue regulation.

In the morning December 20, Edward Nalbandian visited Artsakh
State University, where he first put flowers on the memory-stone
of university members who were killed during the war. Afterwards
the Armenian Foreign Minister delivered a speech in front of the
professors and students of the University presenting the prospects
of the negotiation process of Karabakh conflict regulation.

Edward Nalbandian also answered a number of questions of the
students. Referring to the issue of participation of Karabakh
authorities in the process of conflict regulation E. Nalbandian
stressed that no agreement can be reached without a full participation
of the Artsakh side in the negotiation process.

The Foreign Minister also had a briefing with the local journalists
in the Artsakh State University.

Edward Nalbandian also met with the Speaker of Karabakh parliament
Ashot Ghulian and Foreign Minister Georgi Petrosian. On the same day
he returned to Yerevan.

WHEN YOU CON YOUR OWN
Gregory Rodriguez

Los Angeles Times
Dec 22, 2008
CA

Will Madoff’s scheme go down as the affinity fraud of all time?

We’re obsessed with race and ethnic relations in the U.S., so much
so that we tend to believe that most crime, violent or otherwise,
is committed across racial, ethnic or religious lines. We make a
special category for "hate" crimes. Governments compile statistics on
them. Journalists, always looking for the next great divide, eagerly
read intergroup conflict into just about any form of antisocial
behavior.

To a point it makes sense — we know that humans are capable of
terrible atrocities against the "other." But in other ways, the focus
on such crimes leads us to forget that the overwhelming majority of
criminal activity is intra-ethnic, not inter-ethnic. The news about the
financially ruinous criminal acts confessed by Bernard L. Madoffis a
stunning example. Madoff is Jewish, and so are most of his victims. He
ran in privileged circles, and so did they. Forget strangers —
Madoff’s alleged $50-billion fraud is a good example of the fact that
it’s people like us who can easily be our biggest enemies.

Consider the data about who does what to whom. From 1976 to 2005,
86% of white murder victims were killed by whites. In that same
period, 94% of black victims were murdered by blacks. And victimizers
and victims don’t just share racial categories, they also tend to
know each other. We’ve all heard the statistic that the majority of
victims killed by handguns are murdered by people they knew. Likewise,
according to the Department of Justice, three in four women who have
been raped and/or physically assaulted since age 18 are victimized
by men they either know, dated or were once or currently married to.

Cons, like violence, tend to be intra-ethnic and
intra-communal. Between 1998 and 2001, more than 90,000 investors
in 28 states lost more than $2.2 billion in what the Securities
and Exchange Commission calls "affinity fraud" schemes, in which a
member of an affinity group targeted and took his neighbors, friends
or co-religionists. Madoff’s scheme could take the affinity-fraud cake.

The element of betrayal in any "intra" crime makes it especially
devastating. That’s because, in these cases, trust — which is crucial
for intimate relationships and society at large — is destroyed. When
we’re wronged by the people we’ve let into our circle — or worse,
the people we’ve loved — the heartbreak adds insult to injury.

Only two years ago, the SEC issued a warning about a rising tide of
affinity fraud. These scams, it said, "exploit the trust that exists
in groups of people who have something in common."

Perpetrators of affinity fraud often succeed by claiming that because
they are "just like" their investors, they are in a unique position
to help them. They also leverage group pride. One recently indicted
scammer said he wanted to create more black millionaires; another
said he was "proudly Hispanic." Others can highlight the tensions
between their affinity group and others, sometimes accusing outsiders
of keeping them out of investment markets.

The government’s list of such frauds shows that ethnic groups and
churches are especially vulnerable. According to the SEC, in Glendale,
an Armenian American took other Armenian Americans for $19 million,
and elderly Jehovah’s Witnesses and Korean immigrants have also been
targeted. Pyramid schemes like the one Madoff said he ran– where
later investors provide the return for those who get in earlier — are
especially common. Indeed, Charles Ponzi, who gave pyramid schemes his
name in the 1920s, mostly defrauded his fellow Italian Americans. In
part because these crimes do target identifiable groups and shatter the
victim’s notions regarding the relative trustworthiness of their group
members, University of Maryland law professor Lisa M. Fairfax argues
that affinity fraud should be added to the roster of hate crimes.

I’m not sure that it makes sense to add to or change that definition —
hate crimes are complicated enough to understand and prosecute. But
Fairfax’s notion that affinity fraud deserves special notice is worth
considering. You might be tempted to say that Madoff only hurt his
own, but don’t be too smug if you and yours weren’t among them. The
destruction of the social fabric inherent in Madoff’s actions affects
us all. When trust is defeated, everyone loses.
From: Baghdasarian

APOLOGY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN TURKEY NOT TO HELP ARMENIAN DIPLOMACY
B. Hasanov

Trend News Agency
Dec 20, 2008
Azerbaijan

Despite efforts of the Armenian diaspora to take advantage of the
apology campaign launched in Turkey in favor of their own interest,
the campaign will not help them with this regard.

"Though Armenians have made efforts to inform the world of their
so-called ‘genocide’ for many years, they have not achieved success
and their future success does not seem convincing," Vafa Guluzade,
political expert and former advisor to President for foreign affairs
of Azerbaijan, told Trend News.

Some Turkish academics, writers and journalists launched a website
issuing an apology to the Armenians regarding the 1915 incidents
and calling for people to sign on in support. Over 5,000 people have
registered on the website, Turkish media reported.

Armenia and Armenian lobby worldwide state that in 1915 the Ottoman
Empire, Turkey’s predecessor, committed genocide against Armenians
living in Anatolia. Armenians striving to make their statements
recognized worldwide have strengthened their propaganda of the
so-called genocide in several countries and have achieved recognition
of the "Armenian genocide" at several Parliaments.

Nicolas Tavitian, European expert of Armenian origin, says apology
campaign is a necessary step and it can open good opportunities in
future. "As it was hoped, Turkish society made the first step and
government officials will also follow their example once," Tavitian,
director of Inside Europe, Armenian research center, said to Trend
News by e-mail from Brussels.

Apology campaign is a right move by Turkish society and efforts
by the Turkish government to prevent this campaign will lead to a
disaster for the country. Prevention of campaign will mean distrust
of Turkish governmental figures for freedom of speech and democracy,
Tavitian added.

Turkish expert Mahir Kaynak says apology campaign will not have any
impact of Turkey’s official position. "Though Turkish government
seeks to normalize ties with Armenia, it will not make any compromise
regarding ‘genocide’," Kaynak said to Trend News by telephone from
Istanbul.

Expert believes that Armenians can use apology campaign while trying to
persuade parliaments of different countries to recognize the so-called
‘genocide’. "They can justify their intentions by describing the
apology campaign as public opinion in Turkey," Kaynak added.

Azeri expert Guluzade says apology campaign can not be come wide-spread
in the Turkish society. "It will neither change position of the Turkish
government nor it will lead to ‘success’ of Armenian diplomacy, he
said. This campaign has been initiated by marginal groups in Turkey
and small ethnic minorities including Armenians and lacks political
means of influence," Guluzade said.

Over the last days there has been a sharp criticism against apology
campaign in Turkey. Turkey’s prime minister, speaker of parliament
and foreign minister have expressed their protest against the
campaign. There are also protest actions against this campaign within
the Turkish society.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY RULES OUT POSSIBLE PRESSURE ON ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER

Today.Az
s/49719.html
Dec 22 2008
Azerbaijan

Spokesman for Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Shahsuvaryan refuted
the statements, voiced in Baku, about pressure on Azerbaijani soldier
Rafig Hasanov.

"Hasanov decided to speak before the cameras himself and
representatives of the Red Cross know about it. It was done upon
their previous consent and under their support", said Shahsuvaryan.

He noted that Armenian side had no intention to hold Azerbaijani
soldier in Armenia.

It should be noted that along with Armenian sources Armenian
TV channels showed TV speech of Rafig Hasanov in which the soldier
said he does not intend to return to Azerbaijan. Hasanov also voiced
intention to received Armenian citizenship.

NERKIN GETASHEN’S SAINT STEPHAN TEMPLE CONSECRATED

ARMENPRESS
Dec 22, 2008
GAVAR

The newly built Saint Stephan temple of Nerkin Getashen village of
Gegharkunik province has been consecrated December 21 by the primate
of Gegharkunik Diocese bishop Marcos Hovhannisian.

The temple which is in the territory of historical Kotatown, 100
meters to the south of Kotavank has been built on the ruins of the
old temple. The sponsors of the construction are sons of a resident
of Nerkin Getashen village Usubek Aveyan – Davit and Sasoun.

A cross-stone of 14th century at the entrance of the temple has been
preserved, which testifies that the place was considered a holly
place from the early times. Cross-stones of ancient times have also
been placed on the walls of the temple.

"After the researches we couldn’t find out the old and exact name of
the temple therefore we decided to name it St. Stephan connected with
the upcoming holiday of St. Stephan", bishop Marcos Hovhannisian said.

A ceremony of christening took place after the consecration of
the temple.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHP DEPUTY ARıTMAN UNAPOLOGETIC AS GUL DENIES ARMENIAN ROOTS

Today’s Zaman
Dec 22 2008
Turkey

President Abdullah Gul released a statement yesterday about his
family’s ethnic origins in response to a Republican People’s Party
(CHP) deputy’s attempt to link the president’s attitude toward a
recently launched apology campaign for the Armenian killings at the
hands of the late Ottoman Empire in 1915 to his ethnic roots.

As CHP deputy Canan Arıtman who claimed that President Gul’s mother is
of Armenian origin, continued to attack the president in an interview
published in the Milliyet daily yesterday, saying that she would like
to throw a shoe at the president when she sees him in the same way
an Iraqi journalist last week hurled a shoe at visiting US President
George W. Bush. Gul released a statement denying claims that his
family has Armenian roots.

Arıtman last week attacked the apology campaign initiated by a group
of intellectuals to apologize for the Armenian massacres of 1915,
which Armenians claim constituted genocide. "The false scientists
signing it should apologize to Turkey," she said, claiming that Gul —
because of his "ethnic origins" — was rubberstamping the campaign. "We
see that the president supports this campaign. Abdullah Gul should be
the president of the entire Turkish nation, not just of those sharing
his ethnicity. Investigate the ethnic origin of the president’s mother
and you will see."

Arıtman drew ire with her comments, with some critics accusing her
of racism.

In his statement yesterday, Gul announced that his mother’s side,
the Satoglu family from Kayseri, and his father’s side, the Gul family
also from Kayseri, are Muslim and Turkish, according to centuries of
written genealogy records.

"I respect the ethnic background, different beliefs and family ties of
all my citizens and see this as a reality and also the wealth of our
country with its imperial history. I also would like to emphasize
that all my citizens are equal to one another regardless of any
differences. No one has any superiority whatsoever over another
one. Everybody has the equal and same rights under the guarantee of
our Constitution," the statement read. "I am proud of our country,
which has reached this level of understanding."

When Gul was asked for his opinion on the campaign, he said the
state’s stance is to improve relations with its neighbors. "We
believe dialogue to be the solution for problems we have with our
neighbors. Perpetuating problems is not useful to anyone," he said.

"I would toss a shoe and draw attention to this issue," Arıtman told
Milliyet. She also responded to Gul’s brother Mehmet Mecit Gul, who
said that the Gul and Satoglu families (the family of Gul’s mother)
would be suing her. "I wouldn’t recommend suing me. They would
be embarrassed. There is no legal basis for such a lawsuit," she
said. "If I do sue the president on charges of supporting incidents
that might lead to an ethnic conflict, that would have a legal basis."

Arıtman also dismissed claims that her remarks were aimed at insulting
a particular ethnicity. "The nation has got me. I don’t understand why
the press just wouldn’t," she told Milliyet. She said she had known
about Gul’s alleged Armenian background for a long time, adding that
she should be appreciated for not revealing the information during
Gul’s election campaign.

Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan, speaking to journalists at Ankara’s
Esenboga Airport on Sunday before his departure for Macedonia for
an official visit, said the apology campaign was unfair as it was an
attempt to unilaterally convict Turkey. However, he said, Arıtman’s
words were "extremely improper."

"She said things that would have never been said under the oath we take
in Parliament," he said. "We can never engage in a behavior such as
researching each other’s roots and then drawing certain conclusions
from there. I would have expected to hear Arıtman agree that her
expression went overboard. But I was saddened by her new statements
today in newspapers confirming her earlier statement."

Speaking at a CHP congress yesterday, Arıtman responded to Gul’s
statement. "I never asked the president to announce his genealogical
background. I just wanted him to protect his nation and state, the
duty assigned to him by the Constitution."

"Why doesn’t the president show the principled stance shown by the
prime minister?" Arıtman asked during the congress. Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted harshly to the statement, saying he had
nothing to apologize for.

"It is wrong for the president not to demonstrate the same stance. How
can a president not protect the rights and pride of his state and
nation?" she asked, telling Milliyet that the campaign had worked to
create the impression in the international community that Turkey had
accepted the allegations of genocide.

"Armenian intellectuals posted an online thank you letter to Gul,"
Arıtman said. "An Azerbaijani deputy I know will translate and send
it to me. They are telling Gul: ‘Thank you. You have [made yourself
a place] in history by being the first president to recognize the
genocide.’

"How come the president — who never remembers democracy and freedoms
in Workers’ Day celebrations when women on the ground are being kicked
by the police — supports those who say we committed genocide and who
apologizes for that?" The CHP also reacted to Arıtman’s comments on
Gul’s Armenian background.

CHP issues warning for Arıtman

Meanwhile, the CHP administration issued a warning for Arıtman
after she appeared on two TV news shows about her allegations over
Gul without the CHP administration’s permission.

The warning reminded Arıtman that, according to the party bylaws, CHP
deputies are supposed to inform the party administration about the TV
programs they will appear on and the press statements they will make.

It said Arıtman’s television appearances ran counter to the party’s
regulations.

–Boundary_(ID_tsEzT45Q8zLn5 lWMpDBRLg)–

ARDSHININVESTBANK ANNOUNCES FIRST ISSUE OF NONDOCUMENTARY BONDS

ARKA
Dec 22, 2008
YEREVAN

Ardshininvestbank has announced its first 1.5bln AMD issue of
nondocumentary bonds. The bank’s press service reports that 154
investors (121 individuals, 33 legal entities, with 152 of them being
residents and two nonresidents) have made investments in the bonds.

Quarterly coupon payments (250 AMD for each coupon) are to be effected
during next year, with the first coupon payment scheduled for March 5,
2009, second for June 5, third for September 5 and fourth for December
5, which day is also the maturity date. During the circulation,
the bank may redeem bonds at a pre-fixed price.

"Considering the successful first issue of the bonds, Ardshininvestbank
plans a second issue during 2009," the report says.

The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) issued Banking License #83 to the
Ardshininvestbank CJSC on February 27, 2003. The Ardshininvestbank
principal stockholders are the Region investment corporation (86.82%)
and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which purchased 10%
late last year.

The bank is an affiliate member of the MasterCard/Euriopay system
and a share holder of the Armenian Card CJSC.

As of December 30, 2008, Ardshininvestbank’s capital totaled 22.7bln
AMD, assets 119.2bln AMD, liabilities 94.5bln AMD, credit assets
79.8bln AMD and retained earnings 4.1bln AMD.

The bank has 55 branches, with six of them in the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR). The bank also has a representative office in Paris,
France.

According to the information at ARKA’s disposal, the bank is
among the leaders as to key performance indicators. From January
through September 2008, the bank had the second largest assets and
liabilities, being leader in crediting, amount of deposits attracted
from clients and net profits. The bank also had the third largest
total capital.

DIRECTOR OF POLITICAL ECONOMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE: NO REAL PROGRESS IN TURKEY’S RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXPECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 18:18:00

To all appearances, the Armenian Genocide will not be recognized
by Turkey in the near future due to the powerful oil lobby there at
least, Director of the Political Economy Research Institute Andranik
Tevanyan told ArmInfo corespondent when commenting on the apology
campaign initiated by Turkey.

"The official stance of Ankara stressed for several times is that it
will not open the border with Armenia until the Karabakh conflict is
settled in Azerbaijan’s favor. So, no real progress is most likely
expected in this issue in the near future",- the expert said.

He added that real discussion is currently being held in Turkey on the
issue that Turkey’s past should be "edited". "At the moment, there are
two conceptions in Turkey: liberal and fundamental. I think that only
liberal Turkey may recognize the Genocide, establish normal relations
with its neighbors and integrate into Europe. But on the other hand,
if Turkey becomes a liberal state, this may shake its foundations as
independent Kurdistan will be created, the Armenian Issue and many
other issues will arise. One can draw an analogy with the Soviet
Union as Turkey, like the Soviet Union, is a kind of empire. If
"their Gorbachyov" comes to power in Turkey and catalyzes all these
processes, Turkey may simply disappear. And if someone like Andropov
comes to power and the conception of the "steady hand" is established,
which doesn’t accept its past, Turkey will have to fight with the whole
West and may simply fail to stand this fight",- Tevanyan concluded.