Author: Antonian Lara

DEMIREL: DEEP STATE IS THE MILITARY

This article comes from Kurdish Info

Date: Monday, February 12 @ 14:04:54 CST

TDN-Interview with Suleyman Demirel, the ninth president of Turkey

Implications of gang activity in the state, murder and illegal deeds
are nothing but efforts to harm the image of the state, and what is
called the "deep state" amounts to nothing more than the Turkish
Armed Forces (TSK) taking over the administration of the country
three times since 1960 on grounds that the state was brought to the
brink of collapse, the "dean" of Turkish politics has said.

In an interview with the Turkish Daily News about the "deep state,"
nationalism and the contentious Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code (TCK) – the issues that have dominated Turkey’s agenda since
the Jan. 19 murder of Hrant Dink, the editor in chief of the
Turkish-Armenian weekly newspaper AGOS – former President Suleyman
Demirel said the state cannot commit murder or engage in illegal
activity. The veteran politician said nationalism was not something
to be feared, though a nationalist understanding tainted with racism
or based on skull measuring was something that scared him as well. He
refuted claims that there were gangs operating within the state and
that these gangs constituted the "deep state," saying that the state
cannot be allowed to engage in illegal activities. However, he said
there was a sensitivity regarding the security of the state. If there
was a deep state, it was the TSK, he said. Acting with that sensitivity
and with the pretext provided by the Internal Service Law – the law
that sets the guidelines for the duties and functions of the TSK –
the TSK has intervened in state administration three times. He said
apart from the TSK there was no power within the state that could
undertake anything on behalf of the state.

‘Erdogan is wrong!’

Opposing demands to lift the contentious Article 301 that regulates
penalties for insulting Turkishness, Demirel said, "Lifting 301 may
lead to confrontation. Illegal paramilitary forces may step in.

However, 301 may be amended in a manner that won’t offend the
people." Demirel said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was wrong
in his remarks on the "deep state" and gangs within the state. "I was
extremely saddened by such remarks. He has been leading a government
for the past five years. If he is convinced that there are gangs active
within the state, he is expected to get rid of them. Now he says that
‘others did not get rid of them, how could I?’ as if others ever said
there were gangs within the state. We said there were no such gangs
and naturally did not go after something which did not exist."

Deep state is TSK

The former president said the state cannot exist outside the frame
of law, cannot engage in murder and cannot be involved in illegal
activities. "I have served 12 years as prime minister and seven
years as the president of the republic. In these periods I have
never received a claim that the state was involved in such things,"
he said. Nevertheless, he said there was sensitivity in this country
against an existential threat to the state. Excluding the military
there is no other force in the state that has the power to touch the
state. Otherwise, there can be any such element in the state with
the ability to stage actions on behalf of the state."

‘Skies will collapse on them’

Demirel said the wrong discussion was continuing in the country and
people were engaged in "stoning ghosts." He said the government and the
security network of the country were obliged to track the criminals and
bring them to justice rather than dispersing the guilt and engaging
in petty polemics. "It is a gross injustice to implicate the state
in a murder. The state cannot kill anyone. There is no interest in
murdering Dink for the state. Whoever implicates the state in such a
heinous act must know that skies will collapse on him. No one should
look for a calf under an ox." The veteran politician said those
who claim there were gangs within the state were obliged to expose
them. "But if the government says the state has committed a crime,
I revolt against that claim."

‘I am scared of racist nationalism’

Demirel said there was nothing to fear from nationalism. He said
nationalism required one to work for the interests and well-being
of the nation. "Nationalism tainted with racism or skull measurers,
however, scares me," Demirel said. He said ethnic nationalism and
nationalism based on racist themes were very dangerous and added
the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was based on ethnic
nationalism and has been after establishing an independent Kurdish
state on Turkish territory. He said if the PKK could not be finished
off, it was inconceivable to prevent some other groups that oppose that
gang from organizing themselves. "This is Turkish ethnic nationalism. I
am scared of ethnic Turkish nationalism. However, Turkish nationalism,
as described by Ataturk, is the backbone of the Turkish Republic
because it is not based on a race but is an inclusive understanding
encompassing all elements who are loyal to this state and which treats
all elements forming this nation on an equal basis and considers
them equal citizens. Such nationalism exists in all states. Denying
nationalism will be a big mistake. The British, the Germans or anyone
else are not less nationalistic than the Turks. Nationalism must serve
peace, development, the well-being of the nation and public order. But,
if you opt for ethnic nationalism, that means confrontation."

301 can be amended:

Demirel said he always feared polarization in society and unfortunately
the contentious Article 301 of the TCK was becoming a source of
friction in Turkish society. He was against annulment of Article 301,
which regulates penalties against insulting Turkishness.

However, he said the contentious article could be amended in a way that
would not offend the Turkish public. "No one can insult the Turkish
state or institutions of the Turkish state. No one can explain to
the Turkish public a lifting of Article 301 because the people will
say ‘How can you say let them curse at our state?’ If you lift that
article, we may have serious frictions in society.

Paramilitary elements may step in to do what the judiciary is not
allowed to do because the article is lifted. Such a situation would
be opening an era in Turkey outside the rule of law. However, the
article can be amended in a manner that would not offend the feelings
of our people." We must always stand for the defense of the state. The
state cannot be blamed for the mistakes of some institutions or some
personalities. The state anyhow is an abstract description. It is a
sum of all the powers in the country. We should not harm it."

Turkey is floundering between etatism and liberalism

Turkey has been floundering between an etatist, or state-dominated,
economy and a free market economy and badly needs to undergo state
reform, Demirel said. Making an analysis of the latest global and
domestic developments in an exclusive interview with the Turkish
Daily News, Demirel listed the most prominent global threats as the
environment and global warming, energy, economic disparity between
peoples and regions, terrorism, narcotics, migration and poverty. The
former president said apart from the sole superpower of the United
States, China, Russia, the European Union, India and Brazil were also
emerging as the new global players.

Live volcanoes around Turkey:

Besides its own problems and the changing international climate,
Demirel said, Turkey was surrounded by many "active volcanoes."

"One of these is the Israel-Palestine problem. Another one is
Iraq. Even if we may not yet call it an active volcano, Iran is yet
another. The Afghanistan volcano is also very important. There are
eruptions of lava and gas from both southern and northern Caucasus.

The Georgia-Russia relations, the Chechnya issue, the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem are all included among those volcanoes," said Demirel. Demirel
advised that in devising its policies, Turkey’s administrators must
consider both global challenges as well as the so-called active
volcanoes of the region.

Global fever:

The globe is complaining about the harm done to it by mankind, Demirel
stated, adding that global warming and environmental challenges must
be taken very seriously by everyone. "The globe has a high fever and
its temperature is rising. Mankind must be at peace with the globe
and should take every measure for its protection. This is extremely
important. The globe’s problem is the increase in its population and
the gradual exhaustion of resources."

He underlined that the world’s daily oil consumption was currently
around 80 million barrels, and that the existing 145 billion ton global
oil reserve will dry out in 45 years’ time, while gas reserves will
be exhausted in 60 years and coal reserves in 100 years if current
consumption trends continue. He said that with the increased energy
consumption of China – a natural consequence of its industrialization
– these reserves could all be gone at a much earlier date. Thus,
Demirel said, the international community has been seeking alternate
energy resources, adding that this bleak energy situation was one of
the most important issues of the world at the beginning of 2007.

‘Turkey needs to abandon its etatist mentality… Reform is a must’:

Turkey must wake up to the realities of the present day and realize the
opportunities and challenges with which it is faced, Demirel stressed:
In both democracy, human rights and particularly in terms of market
economy, Turkey unfortunately still lags behind other nations. "Turkey
needs to undertake further democratization and human rights reforms,"
he said, complaining that Turkey had seen little success despite all
its efforts in moving toward a market economy.

"Turkey could not give up that etatist mentality. I believe that is
the most important handicap hampering Turkey’s development.

Turkey could not yet understand the new role of the state. The new
role of the state requires that it withdraw from the economy and
engage in areas that could not be shouldered by others. The most
prominent areas where the state must engage itself are defense,
public order and security." Demirel added that a state that cannot
successfully undertake such responsibilities cannot do anything else.

People don’t trust politicians:

For several reasons, Demirel said, the bridge between the people and
politics and politicians had been disrupted. He said that people’s
complaints regarding the functioning of the state was mostly attributed
to the disruption of the bridge between the state and the people.

The URL for this story is:
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U.S. DEBATES ‘GENOCIDE’; TERM FOR ARMENIAN DEATHS AFFECTS DIPLOMATIC TIES
by Staff

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Main Edition
February 4, 2007 Sunday

The touchy subject of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians at the end
of World War I is back in the news again, as a bipartisan group of
lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives last week introduced
the latest version of an Armenian genocide resolution.

After years of trying, members of Congress and their politically
active Armenian American allies now think they can prevail over the
Bush administration’s strong opposition to a measure that is guaranteed
to incite controversy with Turkey, a key U.S. ally.

The 10-page resolution, whose chief sponsor is Rep. Adam Schiff
(D-Calif.), is being called the "affirmation of the United States
record on the Armenian Genocide."

Essentially, it would put the House on the side of Armenians and many
historians who have studied the period between 1915 and 1923.

Some 1.5 million Armenians were killed as part of a policy of
extermination conducted during the final days of the Ottoman Empire,
the resolution asserts. The nonbinding resolution further calls upon
President Bush to use the word "genocide" in his annual April message
commemorating the horrific events.

Bush and preceding presidents, attentive to the concerns of Turkey
and the State Department, have delicately avoided using the term
when referring to Armenia. Turkey has adamantly denied claims by
scholars that its predecessor state, the Ottoman government, caused
the Armenian deaths in a genocide.

The Turkish government has said the toll is wildly inflated, and
Armenians were killed or displaced in civil unrest during the disarray
surrounding the empire’s collapse.

"Armenian Americans have attempted to extricate and isolate their
history from the complex circumstances in which their ancestors were
embroiled," the Turkish Embassy declared in a statement last week.

"In so doing, they describe a world populated only by white-hatted
heroes and black-hatted villains."

In Turkey, it is a crime to use the word "genocide" to describe the
deaths, and people have been prosecuted for it.

Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia.

Diplomatically, it’s an acutely sensitive issue. The Bush
administration has warned that even congressional debate on the matter
could damage relations with Turkey.

After French lawmakers voted in October to make it a crime to deny
that the killings were genocide, Turkey said it would suspend military
relations with France.

Turkey provides vital support to U.S. military operations. Incirlik
Air Force Base, a major base in southern Turkey, has been used by
the United States to launch operations into Iraq and Afghanistan
and was a center for U.S. fighters that enforced the "no-fly zones"
that kept the Iraqi air force bottled up after the 1991 Gulf War.

A member of NATO now hoping to join the European Union, Turkey
enjoys its own Capitol Hill clout with the assistance of well-placed
lobbyists, including one-time congressman Bob Livingston.

"I do think we have the best opportunity in a decade to succeed,"
said Schiff, "but no one should be under the illusion that this will
be easy."

AZG Armenian Daily #025, 10/02/2007

Probable Consequences of Political Agiotage

A LETTER BY FOREIGN MINISTER OF ARMENIA VARDAN OSKANIAN IN CONNECTION WITH
THE AGIOTAGE ABOUT THE KARS-AKHALKALAK-TBILISI-BAKU RAILROAD

Yesterday "Azg" received the following message of Vardan Oskanian, the
Foreign Minister of Armenia.

"I’ve been following our press for the last two days, and I’d like to
respond to those expressions which have appeared regarding my statement that
the Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku railroad can’t result in Armenia’s
isolation and can’t cause additional injury to Armenia’s economy.

I have great respect toward the members of our press corps and I know that
they are neither inattentive nor naïve, and that they cannot not see the
most obvious realities. Nevertheless, those defeatist attitudes which
appeared in our press and in various public statements, truly surprised me.

I understand that there are `objective’ reasons for these expressions. A
difficult election campaign awaits us, and each grouping is attempting to
acquire a piece of the pie, by exploiting various issues at all appropriate
and inappropriate opportunities, often, in my opinion, coming up against our
own national interests. In this context, I understand the motivation, but I
can’t justify it. Because we’re talking about elections, efforts are made to
plant such attitudes in the broadest possible electoral field. This is what
I think is dangerous and this is exactly what our adversaries desire.

In criticizing my assessment that even when this rail line becomes
operational, Armenia will not face any new problems, my critics do not
present any evidence. Let’s evaluate the situation together. What additional
problems could the Kars-Akhalkalak line create?

The reality is that if we take into consideration the economic conditions
which exist today and which have existed for the last 15 years, then it’s
obvious that this new railroad can’t be additionally damaging to Armenia’s
economy. If the existing Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi rail line were operating, and
this new railroad came to supplant it, or to run in parallel to it, then
yes, we could say that this new railroad would have adverse affects on
Armenia’s economy. However, that’s clearly not the case.

This criticism would also have been acceptable if the Armenian-Turkish
border were closed because of Armenia, or the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railroad
did not work, because of Armenia, or if Armenia insisted on preconditions to
normalizing relations with Turkey.

However, that’s clearly not the case, either. Today, the border is closed
because of Turkey and because the Armenian side refuses to comply with
Turkey’s demands. All those who insist that the gas pipeline or the oil
pipeline or the railroad could have gone thru Armenia, should have known
full well that that would have been possible only by relinquishing our
rights regarding certain issues which constitute our national interest and a
national value. That is the price we would have had to pay; yet we haven’t.

That is the political situation, and it is not possible to ignore that truth
and to irresponsibly insist that in this political atmosphere, things could
have been otherwise.

Those experts and organizations which have assessed this rail project have
said and continue to say that it is not economically sound and at the same
time, politically, it endangers regional cooperation. The decisions by the
US, the EU and other countries not to provide government assistance to this
project reflect these assessments.

We, too, consider this project to be, above all, a political project, aimed,
yet again, at bringing additional pressure to bear on Armenia and attempting
to secure certain concessions. In this context, this project can create
further complications in an already complex region.

The experience of these past years should have been sufficient for our
adversaries to understand that it is not possible to use such steps and such
language with Armenia, particularly regarding the Nagorno Karabakh issue.
There are matters which are non-negotiable values for us. We have repeated
frequently, and today, too, I will disappoint Azerbaijan and those who
support it by saying: Karabakh is not a tradeable commodity for Armenians.
>From this perspective, Karabakh was not negotiable during the Baku-Ceyhan
discussions, nor during the Baku-Akhalkalak-Kars discussions, and will not
be negotiable at any time in the future.

Our approach is different. We believe that as regional cooperation deepens
and includes all the countries of the region, then existing regional
tensions will weaken, it will fuel greater reciprocal trust, and strengthen
linkages. All this, taken together will create an environment so different
from today’s that the many complex political issues facing us will find a
resolution. This is not just a policy, but the guideline for the work that
we do every day.

What concerns me is not the political exploitation so much as its
consequence – the defeatism being sown in our people. What we have today is
not Armenia’s isolation. What we have is two neighboring countries who are
willfully attempting to isolate Armenia. And, in spite of such efforts, we
have an Armenia that is active – in some cases even more than those same
neighbors – in every international organization from EU, to Council of
Europe, the CIS, NATO, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and other
international organizations. Where is the isolation? It’s time to put an end
to this willful self-deception.

Don’t judge Armenia by what Turkey and Azerbaijan do. Judge Armenia by what
we do, by our own resources and opportunities.

We are faced with many foreign and domestic challenges, and we all know well
where they come from. To overcome them, it is essential that we consider
issues sensibly, assess the situation and the opportunities accurately,
demonstrate firm will, confidence and unity.

Vartan Oskanian, 09 February 2007"

UNDP AND THE ARMENIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER SIGN AN AGREEMENT

ArmRadio.am
08.02.2007 17:55

Today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Human
Rights Defender’s Office (HRDO) of Armenia signed an agreement that
marked the start of a new joint project in support of human rights
protection and promotion in Armenia.

Importantly, public awareness-raising is the one of the main components
of the project: a series of TV programmes, where the Ombudsman will
raise and discuss major human rights issues for the country, will be
produced and broadcasted on national television.

In addition, the capacity of the HRD office to annually report back to
the public on their activities will be enhanced, which will contribute
to the human rights promotion and protection in the country.

The Head of UN and UNDP in Armenia Ms. Consuelo Vidal noted in
her speech: "We are proud to continue our collaboration with the
Ombudsman’s office, with the support of the Swedish Agency for
International Development (Sida). We strongly believe in UN values and
human rights are the basis of the whole UN programme in Armenia. With
this project we will strive to ensure that public awareness of human
rights is increased and appropriate capacity is created for human
rights education, protection and promotion in Armenia."

Mr. Armen Harutyunyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of
Armenia stated: "This project will greatly contribute to the awareness
raising campaign regularly carried out by our institution throughout
the country. Due to TV-shows, envisaged in this project, the Human
Rights Defender will have an opportunity to provide transparency
as well as be accountable to the public at large on the activities
carried out by the Institution.

"I express my gratitude to the organisers and have the strong belief
that such activities can increase the level of legal awareness among
the population and create a culture of promotion of human rights." –
mentioned Mr. Harutyunyan.

Since the origins of the United Nations, promoting respect for, and
observance of, human rights everywhere in the world has been one of
the major tasks of the Organization. UNDP Armenia office has lent
great support to the promotion of human rights in Armenia.

The project will last from February 2007 to December 2008. The project
will be implemented in very close coordination with the project of
the Raoul Wallenburg Institute, which is enhancing the institutional
capacity of the Human Rights Defender’s Office.

PM: EAST-WEST RAILWAY LINK SIGNIFICANT STEP

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 8 2007

A key agreement on the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku (KTB) railway project was
signed yesterday at a ceremony with the participation of the Turkish
premier, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev.

The project aims to provide continuous, safe and fast cargo and
passenger transportation between Asia and Europe.

Erdogan, at a press conference before his visit to Tbilisi,
characterized the project as a "significant step."

He stressed that the KTB railway project would yield new
opportunities. "I will also have bilateral meetings with Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
during my stay. We will especially discuss recent developments in
the Southern Caucasus," he stated.

Erdogan added that he believed his visit would boost relations with
regional countries.

Erdogan will hold talks with Saakashvili and Aliyev and also attend
the inauguration of the Tbilisi International Airport, which was
constructed by Turkish-Austrian consortium Tepe-Akfen-Vie (TAV).

The KTB project aims to join the railroad networks of Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Turkey to further strengthen cooperation between these
three countries. Many analysts have described the project as important
as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline project.

The project aims at providing continuous, safe and fast cargo and
passenger transportation between Asia and Europe through connecting
the railways of the People’s Republic of China and Kazakhstan in the
east, through Turkey’s Marmaray (Commuter Rail Mass Transit System)
to the European railway system in the west.

Professor Suha Bolukbasi, who works on Caucasus and Central Asian
politics at Middle East Technical University (METU), told The New
Anatolian on Monday that Turkey has good relations among Azerbaijan
and Georgia, stressing that this project will help to strengthen and
deepen cooperation among these countries. He described the project
as a constructive step in Turkey’s regional interest.

"The project aims to unhook post-Soviet countries from the Russian
Federation’s impact. It also helps the European Union and the U.S. to
establish effective relations with post-Soviet countries," he said.

Bolukbasi stressed that the European Union attaches importance to the
initiative, saying, "Through the project, Turkey’s position with the
EU will be strengthened along with Caucasus relations. Turkey will
play a more influential role in its region."

The framework agreement for this wide regional cooperation project
will be signed tomorrow in Tbilisi, Georgia, with the participation
of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.

A total of 76 kilometers of the project will be built in Turkey. The
project’s infrastructure will be constructed as a double-track railway
line, while the superstructure will be realized as a single-track line.

The Turkish part of the project will cost an estimated YTL 380 million,
with YTL 40 million appropriated in the state budget for this year. In
1998 Turkish State Railways (TCDD) carried out a tender for the
project, but later cancelled it.

Azerbaijan will lend $200 million to Georgia to finance construction
of its portion of the railway linking Azerbaijan with Turkey, under
an agreement signed in Tbilisi last month.

Georgia will have to repay the loan with 1 percent annual interest
within 25 years. Georgian officials said last week that they plan
to use the revenues from the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway to cover
the loan. The construction of the KTB project is expected to begin
in June and finish in two years.

Armenian opposition Armenia, which has diplomatic problems with both
Turkey and Azerbaijan, has criticized the move. Armenian presidential
spokesperson Viktor Sogomonian branded the project as politically
motivated.

"Armenia has been always guided by the economic effectiveness of
projects," he said at a news conference last month, adding that
Yerevan will continue to oppose construction of the railway and will
use negotiations at different levels as a lever of influence.

TURKEY URGED TO TACKLE PKK PROBLEM THROUGH DIALOGUE WITH IRAQI KURDS

Southeast European Times, MD
Feb 8 2007

The best way to deal with separatist Kurdish rebels staging attacks
on Turkish territory from bases in northern Iraq would involve
dialogue with the Kurdish regional government, rather than military
intervention, a top US diplomat said on Wednesday (February 7th).

"I think there are serious risks if Turkey moves in, and I hope that
we’re able to work with Turkey so this choice can be avoided," the
AP quoted US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried as saying in
an interview broadcast on CNN-Turk.

The fight against militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),
who use northern Iraq’s Kurdish region as a launch pad for attacks
on Turkish territory, topped the agenda of Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul’s talks with US officials in Washington this week.

Outlawed in Turkey, the PKK is considered a terrorist organisation
by both the United States and the EU.

Gul, who began his six-day visit to the United States on Monday,
called for greater US co-operation.

"We have conveyed to US officials that they are late in taking action
in northern Iraq, and the Turkish people want to see an action," Gul
said in a statement late Tuesday. "US officials are aware of this," he
added hours after his meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Last August, Washington appointed retired General Joseph Ralston,
a former NATO supreme allied commander, as the co-ordinator of US
efforts to deal with the PKK.

"In terms of the PKK, I think that everybody is in agreement that we
want to try to resolve this issue," State Department spokesman Sean
McCormack told reporters during a briefing Tuesday. "General Ralston
is working to decrease those tensions on both sides of the border."

Another key issue on Gul’s agenda was a non-binding US congressional
resolution, likely to be discussed in March, that condemns the
killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians in the waning days of the
Ottoman empire as genocide. Such resolutions have no direct bearing
on policy and no legal impact. Nevertheless, the minister warned,
the bill could seriously affect ties.

"I believe that Turkish-American relations should not be taken hostage
by this issue," Gul said. [But] "I see this as a real threat to our
relationship."

The White House has opposed similar legislation in the past. On
Wednesday, McCormack said the administration understands the
sensitivities in Turkey, in communities in the United States and in
other parts of the world, and has conveyed Ankara’s concerns.

Other issues Gul and Rice discussed on Tuesday included Lebanon,
Iran, the Middle East, Turkish-EU relations and Kosovo. On Monday,
the Turkish foreign minister met with Vice President Dick Cheney,
Defence Secretary Robert Gates and the president’s National Security
Adviser, Stephen Hadley.

PETERSON BOAT COMING BACK: COUNTY MUST STORE EVIDENCE FOR YEARS OF APPEAL PROCESS
Garth Stapley

The Modesto Bee – California – KRTBN
Published: Feb 07, 2007

Scott Peterson’s fishing boat soon should be moved to Modesto from
where his double-murder trial took place in San Mateo County.

But don’t expect media cameras to capture the moment.

"For security reasons, we are not releasing any dates that may be
involved in that transfer," said John Goold, Stanislaus County chief
deputy district attorney.

Camera crews scrambled for images of the boat when it was used as
evidence in Peterson’s blockbuster trial, which took place throughout
much of 2004.

Proceedings were in Redwood City because of pervasive publicity in
and around Modesto.

Authorities said the fertilizer salesman dumped his pregnant wife’s
body into San Francisco Bay from the 14-foot Gamefisher just before
Christmas 2002. The remains of mother and son were recovered near
Peterson’s boating route four months later, and he arrived on death
row in March 2005.

Prosecutors must store the boat during Peterson’s appeals, Stanislaus
County Superior Court Judge Marie Silveira ruled in December. Death
sentence appeals typically require a couple of decades or longer.

Prosecutors initially objected to the move, not so much because
storing a boat and trailer poses a hassle. They were worried that
the judge had granted San Mateo County’s request to unload the boat
without giving Peterson’s defense team a chance to weigh in.

Silveira recently reaffirmed the decision that it will return to
Stanislaus County.

"We are now satisfied that the courts have complied with the notice
requirements of the law regarding transferring this evidence,"
Goold said.

"Our goal from the outset was to protect the record of the conviction,
and we believe that has been done."

The law sometimes allows photographs of evidence for use in
appeals. But Los Angeles defense attorney Mark Geragos previously
objected to that method.

On national television Saturday, Geragos said he is certain his client
eventually will prevail.

"I don’t have any doubt that the verdict in that case will be reversed
on a number of grounds," Geragos said on CNN’s "Larry King Live."

Geragos did not elaborate. He appeared on the cable talk show to
discuss a new book exploring aspects of justice for which Geragos
had written an essay about the Armenian genocide in Turkey.

Bee staff writer Garth Stapley can be reached at 578-2390 or
[email protected].

NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT REQUIRES NECESSARY PUBLIC ATMOSPHERE

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Feb 7 2007

YEREVAN, February 7. /ARKA/. The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict requires the formation of a necessary public atmosphere Head
of the Foreign Relations Commission, RA Parliament, Armen Rustamyan
stated at a meeting with a delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly led by Chairman Horan Lenmarker.

The Public Relations Department, RA Parliament, reports that
Rustamyan pointed out an important role of international structures
and parliamentary organizations in settling the conflict. He said that
it is not only the contents of the proposed solutions, but also the
formation of a necessary public atmosphere, namely, how the authorities
are preparing the countries’ public for compromises, that is important.

Rustamyan also stressed that the EU policy envisages open borders
and societies, free trade. Therefore, the conflicts can be settled
on condition of cooperation, particularly parliamentary and economic
cooperation.

In his turn, Lenmarker pointed out the necessity of intensifying the
dialogue between countries, stressing the importance of parliamentary
diplomacy and development of interparliamentary elections.

WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL CLUB OF YEREVAN TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO ORRAN

Noyan Tapan
Feb 07 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Members of Women’s International
Club functioning in Yerevan led by club chairwoman visited Orran
charity NGO’s office on February 7. The club unites wives of heads of
international organizations functioning in Armenia. As Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed by organization’s Spokesperson Susanna
Manukian, the visit’s goal was to find out on the spot what assistance
the club can provide to the organization’s beneficiaries. "If we want
to live in a moral world, all of us are responsible for children who
have appeared in streets," club’s chairwoman said. Orran’s founder
Armine Hovannisian presented organization’s activities and daily life,
as well as problems and troubles of beneficiary children and their
families to club members. Orran founded in 2000 by Raffi and Armine
Hovannisians during its activity has provided charity and humanitarian
aid to more than 1500 families and children caring for their food,
clothes, psychological assistance, education. Currently 75 children
and 50 old people are involved in Orran’s programs.

Ottawa Citizen
February 3, 2007 Saturday
Final Edition

Turkey: Officer suspended after posing with Dink suspect

Four police officers have been suspended from duty after posing in
front of a Turkish flag with the suspected murderer of an ethnic
Armenian journalist. Another four security police have been
transferred to other duties after film of the incident was shown on
Turkish television. It shows officials, some in uniform, arm-in-arm
with Ogun Samast, who has confessed to the murder of Hrant Dink, the
editor of Agos, a bilingual Armenian-Turkish newspaper. Mr. Dink, 52,
was hated by ultra-nationalists for his writings about the mass
killing of Armenians on Ottoman soil during the First World War.