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Main Gate, Magazine of the American University of Beirut
Spring Vol I, No. 3

In Memoriam

Haroutune Kalayan (BSE ’46), who was born in 1908 in Aintab, Turkey,
died on December 21, 2003, at the age of 95. In 1915, after his older
brother and father were massacred in the Armenian genocide, he moved
with his mother and brother to Aleppo, where he attended Aleppo
College. He then came to the American University of Beirut, where he
graduated with a BS in engineering.
In 1937, he married Berjouhie Shirajian and moved with her to Cyprus,
where he taught at the Melkonian College for a few years. After
Lebanon gained its independence, he returned to Beirut and worked at
the Lebanese Department of Antiquities and also taught part-time at
AUB’s Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. He is known for his
restoration of the ancient ruins in Lebanon and received the Said Akl
Award for his work.
In 1978, he went to Jordan and worked with its Department of
Antiquities until he retired in 1989. Shortly after his retirement,
he moved to the United States to live with his children. He is well
known in the archaeology community, and during his lifetime gave many
lectures in the Middle East and Europe on the ancient sites he loved
so much, among them Palmyra, Baalbeck, Anjar, Sidon, Byblos, Jerash,
and Petra.
His two daughters, Alice Ispentchian and Shoushan Samman; five
grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren survive him.

Garo S. Matossian (MD ’49) passed away surrounded by family on March
11, 2004, at his son’s home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was 83. Born
Garabed Setrak Matossian in 1921 in Aintab, Cilician Armenia, he was
the son of Professor Setrak Matossian of Central Turkey College and
educator Eliza Ayvazian Matossian. The Matossians and their children
were forced into permanent exile in 1922 during the aftermath of the
Armenian genocide. They eventually settled in Aleppo, Syria.
Matossian graduated first in his class from the medical school of the
American University of Beirut, where he met his future wife,
historian Mary Allerton Kilbourne. He immigrated to the US in 1952 to
continue his studies at Harvard University’s School of Public Health.
He was married in 1954 and became an American citizen in 1958. After
holding medical positions in Boston and in Buffalo, New York,
Matossian joined the Yater Clinic in Washington, DC, where he
remained for 28 years and served as chairman of its board. While
professor of hematology at the Georgetown University School of
Medicine, he received the Vicennial Award for teaching. He also was
attending physician at Georgetown University Hospital, Washington
Hospital Center, and Sibley Memorial Hospital. Matossian was a fellow
of the American College of Physicians and resided for 40 years in
Bethesda, MD.
Long active in Armenian affairs, Matossian was a steadfast supporter
of the Armenian Assembly of America (Fellow Trustee), the Armenian
General Benevolent Union, the National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research, the Armenian Library and Museum of America, and
the Armenian Numismatic Society.
He is survived by his wife Mary, daughters Lou Ann, Kristine, and
Michele Irene, and sons Viken Raffi and Mark Garo.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANIS RALLY AGAINST ARMENIA IN MOSCOW

YEREVAN, JULY 24. ARMINFO-TURAN. Representatives of the Azerbaijani
Diaspora in Moscow held a rally yesterday in “Teatralnaya” square on
the occasion of “the 11th anniversary of Azerbaijani Aghdam region’s
occupation by Armenia.”

According to TURAN, the action was initiated by the Movement for
Azerbaijan. The rally participants demanded that OSCE Minsk Group
refuses from double standards as well as fulfillment of the four
relations of the UN Security Council on release of the occupied
territories of Azerbaijani. They also urged for Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan’s “transfer to the international court for
organization of ethnic purge in Karabakh.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A NUMBER OF ARMENIAN ECOLOGICAL NGOs COMPLAIN OF ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION
OVER YEREVAN’S GREEN AREAS

YEREVAN, JULY 24. ARMINFO. A number of Armenian ecological NGOs are
collecting signatures to apply to court with facts of illegal
construction over Yerevan’s green areas.

The leader of Social-Ecological Party of Armenia Armen Dovlatyan says
that the claim will be filed as soon as 5,000-10,000 signatures are
collected. A number of political forces among them Justice bloc,
Communist Party, Ramkavar Azatakan, Liberal Progressive Party,
National Democratic Bloc have agreed to join the action. Dovlatyan
says that in court the facts will be qualified as high treason.

He says that the NGOs are also going to apply to foreign embassies in
Armenia particularly he embassies of Canada and Switzerland so that
they prevent the construction projects carried out by their respective
citizens at the detriment of Yerevan’s green zones. Particularly, the
Armenian office of Frank Mueller i planning to carry out some
construction in the Dalma orchards while some Canadian has launched a
construction project in the area of the Victory Park. Also building
in Dalma are businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan, football player Khoren
Hovhannissyan, Armenian-Italian company Renco-Armenia.

Building in the Victory Park are Territorial Administration and
Infrastructure Coordination Hovik Abrahamyan, Center community prefect
Gagik Beglaryan and many other officials.

Dovlatyan says that if necessary the NGOs are ready to ask European
structures particularly the European Parliament’s Ecological
Commission to hold a monitoring in Armenia. “We have repeatedly
offered cooperation to the government but have received no response,”
says Dovlatyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

POLITICAL SITUATION IN ARMENIA UNPREDICTABLE: VAHAN KHACHATRYAN

YEREVAN, JULY 24. ARMINFO. The political situation in Armenia is
chaotic and unpredictable, therefore it has no prospects, the ex-mayor
of Yerevan, member of the “Armat’ public and political organization
Vahan Khachatryan told a press conference. The “Armat” organization
was founded by representatives of the former ruling party, Armenian
National Movement (ANM).

According to Khachatryan, the country’s authorities have no long-term
development program (the ones available are only a cover for the
international community), and their actions are aimed personal
enrichment. Corruption in all spheres, arbitrary rule in economy and
election system may not even me mentioned, as last year’s presidential
and parliamentary elections, dispersion of peaceful demonstration and
other acts of disgrace are still fresh in the people’s memory. In the
current situation everything depends on the opposition, the “Justice”
bloc and the “National Unity” party, on their commitment to the
principles proclaimed by them. In this context, September must give
answers to the questions as to whether the opposition return to
Parliament, resume rallies and so on. Khachatryan pointed out that
boycotting the Parliament means boycotting trips abroad (except for
OSCE sessions), and returning to Parliament means putting up with
election rigging,, political arrests, etc.. Political life in Armenia
is unfortunately full of criminal, and the authorities do not bear any
responsibility to society because they are illegal, so everything
depends on the opposition, Khachatryan said. He pointed out that all
the talks about a third force have been invented by the authorities to
“shatter” the opposition’s unity.

Khachatryan strongly disagrees with the opinion that the foundations
for corruption, election rigging and other unlawful acts were laid
under the ANM. “We were fully open, acted publicly. The incumbent
authorities tried to slander and condemn us, but nothing was
proved. Our real blunder was allowing the former party officials to
come to power,” Khachatryan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE BEST WAY TO COMBAT SHADOWED ECONOMY IN ARMENIA IS AN INCREASE IN
DRAM CIRCULATION: CHAIRMAN ARMENIAN CB

YEREVAN, JULY 24. ARMINFO. The best way to combat shadowed economy in
Armenia is an increase in dram circulation, and strengthening of the
national currency observed during the recent days can become a crucial
point for solution to this important task of the country, Chairman of
the Armenian CB Tigran Sargsyan said in his interview to RFE/RL.

It is not a secret that shadowed economy turnover is considerable
enough in Armenia, and, it is mainly the spheres dealing with US
dollars in cash, Sargsyan said. According to estimations of the
Armenian Ministry for Finance and Economy, the share of shadowed
turnover in GDP is 30-35%.

The growth of dram circulation supposes an increase in the spheres of
economy dealing with national currency, AMD. Besides, the chief banker
of the country thinks that the public should overcome the
psychological barrier and keep their savings in the Armenian drams,
and not dollars.

Sargsyan said that the rates of AMD strengthening in the current month
necessitate adoption of a new currency legislation in order to toughen
the country demands to currency operations and to create more
favorable conditions for circulation of the Armenian dram.

The CB adheres a policy of the “floating rate,”which means that its
level is dictated by the market, Sargsyan reiterated. At the same
time, he pointed out that the CB cannot interfere and dictate the
market-participants the level of the exchange rate artificially. He
added, the CB is not committed to artificial strengthening of AMD or
USD.

He said that a sharp increase in the USD circulation during the last
two months in Armenia has led to speculations observed on the currency
market during the last two weeks. That is, some individuals occurred,
who tried to take advantage of the situation for their personal
benefit hereby making the CB to purchase US dollars from the
market. However, the CB kept a neural strategy. Otherwise, the
“cheap” dollars bought by these individuals would have been sold to
the CB on much higher rates in future. All the participants of the
market understood very quickly that the CB had no intention of
currency interventions which would result in further artifical
reduction of the USD exchange rate, and in this connection, they took
an expectant position. He said that after the sharp strengthening of
AMD in the current month by 7%, beginning from July 21 the exchage
rate began returning to its normal course, reaching 525-530 AMD/1USD
today.

Tigran Sargsyan said that the major goal of the CB is security of
stable prices, which was not influenced by the sharp reduction of USD
during the last two weeks, as it lasted a short period of time.

He stated that the citizens having AMD incomes in the period of the
reduction of USD suffered no losses, and these people make up majority
in Armenia. Taking into account the prior task for today i.e. poverty
reduction, it is necessary to secure stable prices, first of all, and
not to allow a devaluation of AMD incomes of economic entities and the
country’s citizens, and not to solve the exchage rate’s fluctuation
problem. Simultanously, it is impossible to prevent losses of the
citizens who have AMD and USD incomes.

As regards the private transfers to Armenia, they increase year by
year. According to the CB’s estimations, money transfers to natural
persons only through the banking system increased 46% in the first
half of 2004, and 31% in the first quarter, and 55% in the second
quarter as compared with the same period of 2003. It testifies to an
increase in USD incomes of the population. This factor also
contributes to strengthening of AMD, as the citizens receiving
transfers in terms of USD from abroad, “pay tax” during conversion in
case of USD’s devaluation. It is, naturally, within the interests of
our country, aiming no artificial strengthening of USD positions and
contribution to development of U.S. economy, Sargsyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish Daily News
24 July 2004

When you don’t care about life…

Let’s not find someone to pin the blame on.

Mehmet Ali Birand

What will happen if we find out that the train driver was going too fast or
the rail tracks were too old.

Nothing.

We will learn more about the responsibilities of the train driver, the
Turkish Railways (TCDD) general manager’s and the transportation minister.

When we find out who is responsible, our job will be done.

Everything will return to the way it has always been.

However, the real problem lies with our respect for human lives. A society
that respects human-beings would act differently.

The train driver would go a different speed.

The general manager or the political chief makes more detailed analysis.

Yes. Such accidents happen all around the world. However, the reasons behind
these accidents are not the differences between developed and undeveloped
nations.

The rail tracks laid in developed countries are different. The education the
train drivers receive are different. Security precautions taken are entirely
different.

In countries like ours, every project starts with: “Let’s just make do for
now and will take care of it later.” Such an attitude results in such
tragedies.

The only victims are those who lose their lives for nothing.

Paris Embassy should be congratulated
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul should be proud of his team.

Especially the entire personnel of the Embassy in Paris did a great job.

If you permit, let me give my assessment as a correspondent who has been
following such official visits for the last 40 years.

This perfect visit was organized by a team led by Ambassador Uluc Ozulker,
together with the councils in various French cities, public relations and
tourism representatives.

Nothing was out of synch.

In today’s world, everything running smoothly is a very important factor.

Ambassador Ozulker was like a very successful orchestra conductor.
Unfortunately, he will be vacating his post at the end of the year, due to
the procedural practice in the Foreign Ministry.

Ozulker not only excelled in the visit’s organization, passed the test in
every matter including, the briefing of the press and explaining facts to
the French. Moreover, he is such an experienced ambassador that he needs to
prove himself to nobody.

I am sure no one from the Foreign Ministry called him to tell him: “Thank
you for all your help. You did a great job.” Especially those among the
200-strong Turkish delegation, including the prime minister, will not call
him.

I would at last like to thank the team in Paris, lead by the ambassador, and
the young people at the Prime Ministry Press Bureau for helping us for all
my colleagues.

Turkey made up for the helicopter fiasco
I don’t know if you remember, but in 2000-2001, Turkey, all of a sudden,
forced France out of its helicopter tender. Until then Turkey had made many
promises to French President Jacques Chirac on the matter, and had told them
that France had a good chance on winning it. For Chirac, this was a matter
of honor. He was preparing to show how his policy of having closer links to
Turkey would pay of.

And then one day, before notifying Chirac or explaining the reasoning behind
it, France was removed from among the countries that had reached the last
stage of the tender.

Paris was shocked.

Without any explanations, it received a slap in the face. I don’t exactly
remember, but Ankara had got angry because of a law on Armenians or another
matter, and had decided to punish the French. However, that decision
resulted in a complete severing of all the bonds between Chirac and Ankara.
Since then, the French president is a little lukewarm towards Turkey. He had
lost his trust in those governing Turkey.

He openly said he had lost his trust.

This visit made amends for this gaffe that was made four years ago. I am not
talking about not giving France the helicopter tender. You decide on who you
are going to give the tender, depending on your political and economic
interests. However, if you are a little polite and clever, you will notify
your friends beforehand about your decision and try not to disappoint them
too much.

However, I don’t know why, we like to smash things.

Why is Gurel angry with the Ecevits?
Once upon a time, he couldn’t say enough about the Ecevits. When he was
chosen by the Ecevits as the foreign minister, he was seen as Democratic
Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit’s right hand man.

Sukru Sina Gurel is very angry with the Ecevit’s these days. Those who used
to stand to attention when Bulent Ecevit’s wife DSP deputy-leader Rahsan
Ecevit entered a room are now up in arms.

The reason is simple.

Ecevit’s chose a different candidate for leadership for the DSP to replace
them. Former pro-Ecevit supporters are very angry with the Ecevit’s for not
chosing them as their candidate. Gurel is saying that Rahsan Ecevit can
remain as the head of the party organization, adding that if he is elected,
he would remove her from that post.

We will never understand what goes on in politics. I guess the Ecevits chose
the best possible candidate to replace them.

NOTE: This article appears in daily Posta and, on the same day, in daily
Hurriyet’s all foreign publications, on Hurriyet’s internet site
(), on Milliyet’s internet site ()
and, after being translated by the Turkish Daily News staff, in both that
newspaper and on the Turkish Daily News internet site
().

Contra Costa Times, CA
July 24 2004

Helping Armenians fulfills a family

RELATIVES TRAVEL TO ARMENIA WITH DONATIONS – Alamo resident Mary Kate
Tengler; her mother, Nancy Tengler, and grandmother Lorraine Caven
recently returned home from a trip to Armenia, where they delivered
school supplies to Norashen Michnagarg School, which had recently
been built thanks in large part to Lorraine.

The Tengler family and Lorraine are members of the Bay Area Friends
of Armenia. It turns out that Lorraine, 80-plus years young and young
at heart, works in the copy room at Walnut Creek Intermediate School
and has been sending her entire paycheck to BAFA with the expressed
purpose of funding the rebuilding of this school, destroyed in a 1988
earthquake.

“The school needed to raise 10 percent of the construction cost to be
eligible for government funding. My mother’s contribution comprised
virtually all of the 10 percent, and through her efforts the school
rebuilding was accomplished,” said Nancy.

Mary Kate, 13, began her project of helping the students of this
school last year. It started when the pastor of Community
Presbyterian Church in Danville, Scott Farmer, distributed $100 bills
to the congregation with the intent that the money be used to help
others. A member of the church donated a total of $10,000.

Mary Kate took the $100 and used it to buy supplies to make Salvation
Bracelets, which she sold to other children at her school. Together
with her sales and other donations, Mary Kate collected $700, which
she in turn used to purchase New Testament bibles and school supplies
for two Armenian schools. During this time, Mary Kate, Nancy and
Lorraine collected stuffed animals, refurbished and cleaned them and
had them sent to a soup kitchen in Armenia.

This year, Mary Kate’s eighth-grade class at San Ramon Valley
Christian Academy and the junior high student council raised money
and collected school supplies and more stuffed animals, which are
being shipped this month to more schools in Armenia.

Even though the Norashen Michnagarg School has been open for a year
now, this is the first trip the three women have taken to Armenia,
and they missed the school’s official opening ceremony. During this
recent trip, the Norashen officials decided Lorraine should have a
special ceremony during the visit.

A dedication plaque was hung outside the gymnasium and a ceremony was
conducted thanking Lorraine for her contribution. Children sang songs
and recited poems, and even though they don’t speak the language,
Lorraine and her family appreciated the heartfelt performance. A
translator helped them to understand some of the wonderful messages
of thanks the children were conveying.

“It was an experience of a lifetime; each day I recall a special
memory,” Lorraine said. “All of the kids shouted out ‘thank you’ in
Armenian. I could cry thinking about it now.”

This time, Mary Kate hand-delivered the school supplies and bibles to
the children and had the opportunity to meet them; some of them are
her age.

And Lorraine finally got to see the school she helped build.

“One of the kids thanked me and asked if there was something nice
they could do for me in return, and I told my mom they already did,”
added Mary Kate.

Nancy agreed it was a rewarding trip for the three ladies — “It is
one of the most fulfilling things I can think of to help people who
are so eager to join in and help themselves,” she said. “They simply
need a little something to work with.”

The end of the trip left the three exhilarated and with lots of
memories.

Driving away from the schools and soup kitchens, Nancy reflected on
the similarities of Mt. Ararat and the people of Armenia. In an
excerpt from an article she wrote for the BAFA newsletter, she
reflected on their experience. “At each twist and turn in the road,
Mt. Ararat loomed in the background. It is magnificent to behold and
the ease with which it rises to its height of almost 17,000 feet
gives off a surreal image that is impossible to erase from your mind.
Much like the Armenian people, I mused. Strong, magnificent and
rugged,” she wrote.

For more information on BAFA contact the Tenglers by email at
[email protected].

Have a great week!

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri leader, OSCE mission head discuss ties

525 Qazet, Baku
24 Jul 04

Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 Qazet on 24
July headlined “Azerbaijan will continue its integration into the
European family, President Aliyev tells the head of the OSCE’s Baku
office”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received Maurizio Pavesi, head of
the OSCE mission in Baku, on 23 July. Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is
an active member of the OSCE and is constantly taking part in the
organization’s events. Azerbaijan attaches great significance to
cooperation with the OSCE, he said.

Talking about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagornyy
Karabakh, Aliyev noted that the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to resolve
the conflict have yielded no results yet. He stressed the importance
of settling the conflict in line with international legal norms and
principles.

As for the country’s ties with international organizations, Aliyev
said that over the three years of its membership of the Council of
Europe, Azerbaijan has fulfilled all its commitments before the
organization. Azerbaijan will continue its integration into the
European structures and the European family.

In turn, Maurizio Pavesi said that the OSCE is keeping to the
principles of cooperation in Europe and that cooperation between
Azerbaijan and the OSCE is successfully developing. He voiced his
confidence that cooperation will continue in the future and said that
he will work to strengthen the OSCE’s ties with Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Interfax
July 23 2004

American ambassador upbeat on Armenian-U.S. cooperation

Yerevan. (Interfax) – U.S. ambassador to Armenia John Ordway has
expressed optimism over the future of his country’s cooperation with
Armenia.

The quick pace at which relations are developing is the result of the
situation in Armenia and the region as a whole, as well as
international processes, Ordway told a news conference in Yerevan on
Thursday.

The United States plans to continue working with the Armenian
authorities to help them carry out democratic reforms and strengthen
the country’s economy, he said.

The construction in Armenia of the largest U.S. embassy in the world
has proved that Washington views its relations with Yerevan as stable
and long-term, Ordway said.

The U.S. will continue its assistance to the Armenian armed forces,
the ambassador said, adding that Armenia is on the road towards
participation in the peacekeeping operation in Iraq.

Commenting on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ordway said the time has
come for the conflict to be resolved. Resuming hostilities would have
a devastating impact on Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the entire
region, he said. The ambassador expressed hopes that the conflict
will be settled within the next few years.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Messenger, Georgia
July 23 2004

Zurabishvili meets president of Armenia

After meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili in
Yerevan Thursday, the president of Armenia Robert Kocharian declared
Yerevan’s interest in Georgian stability, Mediamax reports.
According to the Armenian president’s press service, Kocharian and
Zurabishvili discussed Armenian-Georgian relations and the prospects
of development of the South Caucasian region.
Pointing at that the two countries’ actual economic relations fall
short of both the potential and aspirations of Armenia and Georgia,
Kocharian underlined the necessity of the two governments’ working
together to further economic cooperation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress