Author: Chakrian Hovsep

Die Welt Online 3. Juli 2007, 13:25 Uhr

Von Boris Kalnoky
Türkei
Geheimdienst in Mord an Hrant Dink verwickelt?

840/Geheimdienst_in_Mord_an_Hrant_Dink_verwickelt. html

Im Prozess gegen den Mörder des armenischen Journalisten Hrant Dink
untersucht das Gericht nun die Rolle der Sicherheitskräfte. Zwei Angeklagte
gaben an, im Auftrag des türkischen Geheimdienstes gearbeitet zu haben.
Spuren führen auch zu anderen Verbrechen.

Im Prozess gegen den Mörder des türkisch-armenischen Publizisten Hrant Dink
und 17 mutmaßliche Komplizen hat das Gericht die Ermittlungen ausgeweitet –
und zwar gegen die Sicherheitskräfte. Im Klartext bedeutet dies, dass
Elemente der Sicherheitskräfte in einem Fall impliziert werden könnten, in
dem einer der Anklagepunkte "Bildung einer Terrororganisation" lautet. Zwei
Hauptangeklagte, Yasin Hayal und Erhan Tuncel, gaben an, für einen
türkischen Geheimdienst gearbeitet zu haben.

Weiterführende links
a.. Ermittler untersuchen Rolle türkischer Behörden
b.. Bilderstrecke: Der Mord an Hrant Dink
c.. Hrant Dinks Mörder stehen vor Gericht
d.. Der zerbrochene Traum der Türken
e.. Christen als Freiwild
f.. Staatlich verordnete Hetze gegen Missionare
In den türkischen Medien macht ein Brief Furore, den Yasin Hayal am 9. Mai
an den Staatsanwalt geschrieben haben soll. Darin heißt es: "Eine Gruppe
innerhalb der Polizei, ob legal oder illegal, hat uns gelenkt. Das ist
offensichtlich. Obwohl Sie das erkannt haben, haben Sie unsere Rechte nicht
geschützt. Wenn wir einen Auftrag für den Staat erfüllt haben, müsste der
Staat dann nicht seine Aufgabe erfüllen und unsere Rechte schützen?"
Mit anderen Worten, Hayal, der dem Mörder, Ogün S., mit Geld half und ihn
auch zu der Tat angestiftet haben soll, versteht sich als ein Instrument der
türkischen Sicherheitsorgane und diese als die Auftraggeber für den Mord.
Der Hauptverdächtige will acht Geheimdienstler benennen
Ein weiterer Hauptverdächtiger, Erhan Tuncel, gab in einer dreiseitigen
schriftlichen Aussage an, er wolle die Namen von acht Geheimdienstlern
bekanntgeben, mit denen er in Kontakt gewesen sei. Er habe sie wiederholt
gewarnt, dass Dink ermordet werden sollte, sei aber immer mit den Worten
abgewiesen worden, man sei sehr beschäfigt.
Noch brisanter wird das Verfahren dadurch, dass aus der Gruppe der
Angeklagten Spuren zu anderen politischen Morden der jüngeren Vergangenheit
führen, etwa die Ermordung dreier Mitarbeiter eines Bibelverlages im
vergangenen Mai und der Mord an einem Verwaltungsrichter vor rund einem
Jahr. Auch die meisten problematischen politischen Prozesse der letzten
Jahre, etwa gegen Literatur-Nobelpreistraeger Orhan Pamuk, gehen auf einen
Mann zurück, der enge Verbindungen zur Gruppe der Angeklagten hat:
Rechtsanwalt Kemal Kerincsiz, der prolifischte Anzeigen-Erstatter des Landes
gegen Intellektuelle, meist wegen vermeintlicher "Beleidigung des
Türkentums".
Der türkische Staat als eigentlicher Mörder?
Der Prozess begann als Verfahren gegen einen zur Tatzeit 17-jährigen
arbeitslosen Jugendlichen, der Dink auf offener Straße erschoss. Inzwischen
ist daraus in weiten Kreisen der Öffentlichkeit und der Medien ein Prozess
gegen den türkischen Stat als eigentlichen Mörder geworden. Dinks Witwe
formulierte es dem Gericht gegenüber schriftlich: Das andauernde Gerede von
Separatisten und Staatsfeinden in der Türkei, propagiert von allen möglichen
staatlichen und mit dem Staat verbundenen Stellen, erziehe Kindern zu
potentiellen Mördern. Es sei diese Rhethorik, die an Dinks Tod schuld sei.
Schlagworte
Türkei Prozess Hrant Dink Christen
Im Prozess geht es somit von nun an um die Frage, ob es einen "tiefen Staat"
in der Türkei gibt, verwurzelt in den Sicherheitskraeften, der durch Worte
oder vielleicht sogar Taten aus vermeintlichem Patriotismus zum Mörder wird.
Das Verfahren ist bis zum 1. Oktober vertagt.

GOOD GOVERNANCE HELPS FISCAL POLICY SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH

World Bank Group, DC
,,contentMDK:21392999~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theS itePK:4607,00.html
July 2 2007

New World Bank Report Recommends Spending and Tax Reforms to Enhance
the Impact of Public Finance on Growth in Eastern Europe and Central
Asia

BRUSSELS, July 2, 2007-Well-run governments get better results out of
their budget resources, according to Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth:
Lessons for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, released today by the
World Bank. The study draws on quantitative analysis and case studies
to confirm that more productive public spending, lower fiscal deficits,
and greater reliance on non-distorting taxes can spur economic growth.

The report reviews trends in public spending and taxation in Eastern
Europe, Turkey, and Central Asia (ECA) since the 1990s and how they
compare to trends in high-growth countries elsewhere in the world.

Middle-income countries in Eastern Europe typically have bigger
governments than comparator countries in Asia or Latin America because
of large social transfers. Primary public spending in Croatia is more
than double the size of that in Thailand, and the 8 Eastern European
countries that joined the EU in 2004 spend on average three times
as much on social transfers as Korea. The lower-income countries
in ECA have smaller governments, closer in size to the high-growth
comparators.

Once public spending exceeds about one-third of GDP, higher spending
is associated with lower growth in countries with weak governance,
but no such relationship exists in well-governed countries. "High
levels of public spending are risky when public institutions are
weak," says World Bank Country Manager and report co-editor Aristomene
Varoudakis. "Money is less likely to be well-spent, fiscal deficits
are more likely to emerge, and higher taxes needed to finance such
spending are more likely to distort business and worker decisions."

"The biggest challenge in most countries in ECA is to increase the
efficiency of public spending," emphasizes World Bank Sector Director
and co-editor Cheryl Gray. "This is particularly important to enhance
growth prospects and ensure that populations benefit from expenditures
in health, education, pensions, and infrastructure."

The study offers policy recommendations to enhance the efficiency
and effectiveness of public spending in these four sectors, drawing
on experience in high-growth countries such as Chile, Korea,
and Ireland. In education and health, for example, Eastern Europe
achieves good results but at a high cost. Reorienting spending away
from expensive vocational programs and high-cost hospital care,
moving to per capita financing, and realigning cost-sharing between
governments and students or patients can both help make public spending
more effective and yield better results.

Investing in infrastructure can help boost economic growth if project
selection is appropriate and operations and maintenance costs are
adequately funded. Removing implicit subsidies, especially in power
and water, can make resources available for maintenance while also
making infrastructure more attractive for private investment.

Armenia, for example, has taken important steps to reduce pricing
subsidies and improve collections in the power sector to ensure
financial viability, while ensuring an adequate safety net for needy
households.

Given aging populations, low employment ratios, and a legacy of
generous social protection, pension spending in Eastern Europe tends
to be much higher than in fast-growing countries elsewhere. Reforms
of pension systems need to create fiscal space for growth-enhancing
public spending while continuing to protect the most vulnerable. In
middle-income countries, public pensions need to be further streamlined
and complemented by privately-funded pillars and means-tested social
assistance. In low-income countries, a universal or means-tested
low-rate pension financed out of general revenues-as has recently
been adopted in Georgia-may be the best option.

On the revenue side of the budget, the study focuses on two questions
that are central in today’s debate: (1) What are the economic
impacts of the flat-rate income tax reforms sweeping through Eastern
Europe? (2) How can labor taxes be reduced to stimulate employment?

"Flat-rate income tax reforms have generally had positive effects in
Eastern Europe, but need to be complemented with additional steps to
modernize tax administration and reduce labor taxation," says World
Bank Senior Economist and co-editor Tracey Lane. The flat-rate income
tax reform in Slovakia closed tax loopholes and improved compliance,
and well-designed exemptions and changes in social benefits maintained
the progressiveness of the overall fiscal system.

Despite income tax reforms, labor taxes are still much higher in
Eastern Europe than in comparator countries and are associated with
lower formal employment and growth. The key to reducing labor taxation
and stimulating employment is to reform social benefits and move some
financing to general revenues rather than relying on wage taxes.

PARANOID, AND LOVING IT

Strategy Page –
June 24, 2007

July 2, 2007: Russia will veto a Kosovo independence vote in the UN,
fearing that the dismemberment of Serbia will encourage separatists
in Russia and some of its neighbors (Georgia, Armenia and Moldova).

Russia also fears that an independent Kosovo will become a refuge
for Islamic terrorists, as it believes Bosnia has.

July 1, 2007: The government has passed laws that make it more
difficult for new political parties to be formed, and to operate. In
addition, existing parties are complaining of many hacker attacks
on their web sites and network access. This is seen as a government
Cyber War capability, which the government denies, but which keeps
showing up when the government needs it.

June 30, 2007: There are still terrorist incidents in Chechnya, but
they occur about once a week, about as frequently as new arrests
of terrorists are made. Most of the surviving Chechen terrorists
have moved to neighboring areas, or farther abroad. The Chechen
government, now run by Chechens, wants to end the amnesty program,
because those who were serious about using it have, and those who
haven’t just use the amnesty program to catch a break between bouts
of terrorist activity.

June 28, 2007: After several failures, there was a successful test
of the new ballistic missile, the Bulava. This is a naval version of
the Topol-M ICBM, which has finally entered mass production. Topol-M
uses solid fuel, and is similar to the American Minuteman.

June 26, 2007: Russia does not believe Iran would be stupid enough
to fire missiles at Europe. Therefore, the Russians cannot believe
the American anti-missile system being installed in Eastern Europe
can be anything but a sneaky way to begin construction of a missile
defense against Russian rockets. After all, Russia knows it is hated
and feared in Eastern Europe, which is why those nations offered to
host parts of the anti-missile system. Russians love a good conspiracy,
and this missile defense situation fits the bill.

June 24, 2007: Russia is pouring billions of dollars into research,
reviving the vast research organization that existed throughout
the Soviet period. Most of the Soviet research institutes were
inefficient, and only 3,500 of them, containing about 600,000
researchers, survive. But many of these are operations that adapted,
and found work in a market economy. Modeling their government research
efforts on programs used successfully in Western nations, Russia sees
the possibility of finally taking the lead in many key areas, like
nanotechnology. Any technology edge can be translated into a military
edge, because Russia has managed to keep key defense industries
intact. New weapons are being produced, and future ones developed.

Majority of US House members cosponsor Armenian Genocide Resolution

armradio.am
30.06.2007 11:22

The Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106) reached an important
milestone today with the number of cosponsors for the human rights
measure growing to 218 ` a majority of the US House of Representatives,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

`We welcome the growth of Armenian Genocide Resolution cosponsors to
the 218 threshold ` and want to extend our appreciation to Congressman
Schiff and his colleagues who helped us reach this mark, as well as to
each and everyone of the two hundred and eighteen cosponsors of this
measure,’ said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. `We look
forward in the coming days and weeks to working with our chapters and
activists across the country in maintaining and expanding the
bipartisan majority in favor of the timely adoption of this human
rights legislation.’

"In gaining 218 cosponsors, we have demonstrated that a majority of the
House strongly supports recognizing the facts of the Armenian
Genocide," said lead sponsor, Congressman Adam Schiff. "While there are
still survivors left, we feel a great sense of urgency in calling
attention to the attempted murder of an entire people. Our failure to
acknowledge these dark chapters of history prevents us from taking more
effective action against ongoing genocides, like Darfur."

Introduced on January 30th by Rep. Adam Schiff along with
Representative George Radanovich (R-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Rep. Anna
Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Rep. Thaddeus McCotter
(R-MI), the Armenian Genocide resolution calls upon the President to
ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects
appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to
human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United
States record relating to the Armenian Genocide. A similar resolution
in the Senate (S.Res.106), introduced by Assistant Majority Leader Dick
Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) currently has 31 cosponsors,
including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

The Armenian Genocide resolution is supported by a broad-based
coalition of over 47 human rights, religious, civic, and ethnic
organizations, including the (in alphabetical order): American
Federation of Jews from Central Europe (New York, NY), American
Hellenic Council of CA (Los Angeles, CA), American Hellenic Institute
(Washington, DC), American Hungarian Federation (Washington, DC),
American Jewish World Service (New York, NY), American Latvian
Association in the U.S. (Rockville, MD), American Values (Washington,
DC), Arab American Institute (Washington, DC), Belarusan-American
Association (Jamaica, NY), Bulgarian Institute for Research and
Analysis (Bethesda, MD), Center for Russian Jewry with Student Struggle
for Soviet Jewry (New York, NY), Center for World Indigenous Studies
(Olympia, WA), Christian Solidarity International (Washington, DC),
Congress of Romanian Americans (McLean, VA), Council for the
Development of French in Louisiana (Lafayette, LA), Estonian American
National Council (Rockville, MD), Genocide Intervention Network
(Washington, DC), Global Rights (Washington, DC), Hmong National
Development, Inc., Hungarian American Coalition (Washington, DC),
Institute on Religion and Public Policy (Washington, DC), International
Association of Genocide Scholars (New York, NY), Jewish Social Policy
Action Network (Philadelphia, PA), Jewish War Veterans of the USA
(Washington, DC), Jewish World Watch (Encino, CA), Joint Baltic
American National Committee (Rockville, MD), Leadership Council for
Human Rights (Washington, DC), Lithuanian American Community
(Philadelphia, PA), Lithuanian American Council (Rockville, MD),
National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (New York, NY), National
Council of Churches USA (New York, NY), National Federation of American
Hungarians (Washington, DC), National Federation of Filipino American
Associations (Washington, DC), National Lawyer’s Guild (New York, NY),
Polish American Congress (Chicago, IL), Progressive Jewish Alliance
(Los Angeles, CA), Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote, PA),
Slovak League of America (Passaic, New Jersey), The Georgian
Association in the USA (Washington, DC), The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter
Ring (New York, NY), U.S. Baltic Foundation (Washington, DC), Ukrainian
Congress Committee of America (New York, NY), Ukrainian National
Association (Parsippany, NJ), Unitarian Universalist Association of
Congregations (Washington, DC), United Hellenic American Congress
(Chicago, IL), Washington Chapter Czechoslovak National Council of
America (Washington, DC), and the Women’s International League for
Peace and Freedom (Philadelphia, PA).

TO MR. SERGEY KALANTARYAN, HEAD OF THE ELECTION HEADQUARTERS OF NKR
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MASIS MAYILYAN

30-06-2007 16:48:47 – KarabakhOpen

We hereby inform in answer to your letter to the NKR Central Electoral
Commission that in accordance with the powers vested in it by the NKR
Electoral Code, its May 20, 2007 decision N 35/135 on the order of
election campaign of presidential candidates, parties and alliances
registered under the proportional system and parliamentary candidates
running under the majority system and the June 20, 2007 decision N
37/150 on the order of providing airtime for the election campaign of
the candidates running in the July 19, 2007 NKR presidential election,
the Central Electoral Commission regulates the order of election
campaign of the candidates through the media and the order and
schedule of providing airtime on the public channel, which is mainly
observed.

As to control on the Public Television and Radio for compliance to the
order of the election campaign, according to Article 21 Point 7 of the
NKR Electoral Code, the NKR Public Television and Radio Council must
provide control. The Central Electoral Commission has recommended the
NKR Public Television and Radio Council to observe Article 11 of the
NKR law on television and radio and prevent similar breaches of the
election campaign by the Public Television of Artsakh.

AYDIN MAMMADOV: WE CONDUCTED PROPAGANDA WITH FOOTBALLERS AND FANS TO PREVENT CONFLICT IN THE MATCH WITH ARMENIAN

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 29 2007

"We did our utmost to prevent conflict in the match of Azerbaijan
and Armenia teams under 17 in First Black Sea Games. Azerbaijan
Delegation’s head, department head at Youth and Sport Ministry Aydin
Mammadov told APA-Sport. According to him proper proactive measures
were taken to avoid conflict in Azerbaijan-Armenia match to be held
within First Black Sea Games in Trabzon.

"General Secretary of First Black Sea Games Organizing Committee
Alvan Yurtchu phoned us and asked whether we were ready to hold the
match in safe environment. We said there is no problem from our side.

We conducted propaganda with footballers and fans". Youth and Sport
Ministry’s official said they aim to be at least runner-up in the
A group booking spot in the semi-final. Aydin Mammadov said they
expect medals from Azerbaijani sportsmen. Azerbaijan is represented
in 8 kinds of sports of 10.

PACE PRESIDENT GOING TO VISIT SOUTH CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.06.2007 18:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Rene van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, intends to pay a visit to the South
Caucasus. As a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter came to know from the PACE
communication unit, the terms of the visit have not been exacted yet,
but it will take place.

The PACE President announced his intention to visit the South
Caucasus during a meeting with delegations of Azerbaijan, Armenia
and Georgia. It will be a protocol visit conditioned by expiration
of PACE presidential mandate in January 2008.

BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION SUMMIT TALK EU, ENERGY

Serbianna.com, MI
June 25 2007

ISTANBUL, Turkey-Leaders and officials from 12 Black Sea countries
discussed closer cooperation with the European Union and new energy
routes through their oil-rich region during a summit Monday in
Istanbul.

The Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization, or BSEC, founded 15
years ago, is aiming to boost its energy sector, particularly as the
EU seeks to diversify its energy routes and supplies.

With combined oil and gas reserves second only to those of Persian
Gulf countries, BSEC members have launched several pipeline projects in
hopes of becoming an energy corridor for Caspian and Black sea energy
supplies to the West. The plans, however, face financial questions
and rivalry from Russia, which has assumed a central role in energy
supply to Europe.

"Securing energy resources is one of the main sources of development,"
said Russian President Vladimir Putin, who attended the summit. In
a closing statement, member countries said they would increase
coordination in the energy industry as well as cooperation with the
European Union.

This year’s summit was the first attended by a representative of
the European Union, in which three BSEC countries, Greece, Romania
and Bulgaria, are members. Others such as Turkey are negotiating
membership. Also attending were ministers and leaders from Turkey,
Greece, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria,
Georgia, Moldavia and Romania. The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Ross
Wilson, came as an observer.

On Tuesday, BSEC energy ministers open a three-day energy conference.

"Common projects with the European Union and the reforms by the
organization are the two most significant successes of this summit,"
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said, without giving details
of the reforms.

The EU is encouraging the BSEC members’ pipeline projects, as well
as a plan to build a highway around the Black Sea to connect member
nations and boost regional trade.

The 2,000-kilometer-long (1,240-mile-long) ring road project was
launched at a BSEC summit in April, but funding was yet to be
determined. It also was unclear when construction might begin.

Turkey, a founding BSEC member, has initiated several pipeline
projects to supply energy-hungry Western markets. Last year an oil
pipeline opened from Baku, Azerbaijan, through Georgia to Ceyhan,
Turkey’s Mediterranean oil hub. Construction of another, to carry
Kazakh and Russian oil from the Black Sea coast to Ceyhan, started
in April. That pipeline was expected to open in 2009.

However, Turkey faces tough competition from Russia, which has
launched rival projects or studies for linking energy sources from
the Black Sea and Caspian Sea to the EU through Bulgaria, Serbia,
Macedonia and Hungary.

The EU imports more than 40 percent of its natural gas, almost half of
which comes from Russia. Some central and eastern European countries
depend almost entirely on Russian gas.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the
"dialogue with the European Union is encouraging." Erdogan’s comment,
made at a closed-door meeting, was provided to journalists by BSEC
officials.

The EU in April launched the "Black Sea Synergy" initiative to promote
peace, energy projects and transportation, saying that since Romania
and Bulgaria became EU members in January, it has a bigger stake in
the region’s stability and prosperity.

Several BSEC countries are still struggling to overcome disputes.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were embroiled in a six-year conflict over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is inside Azerbaijan but controlled
by ethnic Armenian forces. Some 30,000 people were killed before a
1994 cease-fire ended hostilities.

Turkey and Armenia also have no formal ties because of a dispute over
the World War I killings of ethnic Armenians in the last days of the
Ottoman Empire. Armenia calls the killings a genocide; Turkey says
they were a result of civil conflict.

COURT SITTING ON CHALLENGING NA ELECTIONS RESULTS BY MAJORITARIAN SYSTEM AT ELECTORAL DISTRICT N 36 POSTPONED TILL JUNE 29

Noyan Tapan
Jun 25 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Examination of the application of
candidate for deputy mandate Mushegh Saghatelian on challenging the
results of NA elections by majoritarian system at electoral district
N 36 started on June 25 at RA Constitutional Court.

According to the claimant, indeed the number of inaccuracies at
the above mentioned electoral district was 9643, that is, more than
the officially registered 134 it and exceeds the difference of votes
received by the first two candidates, which, according to the Electoral
Code, can be a basis for invalidating the elections. According to
the final protocol of the constituency electoral commission, the
difference of the votes received by the winning candidate and his
main rival made nearly 1000 votes.

B. Stepanian, the Chairman of district electoral commission N 36,
that was recognized as a respondent, and his lawyer V. Grigorian
stated that there is no ground to invalidate the results of the May
12 elections. In their words, though some violations and shortcomings
were registered at the electoral district, they could not have an
impact on the final results of the elections.

Many data in the protocols presented by the respondent party needed
additional clarification, so the Constitutional Court postopned the
sitting until June 29. Before that term CC will demand initial data
from 20 polling stations in order to clarify them. It is planned that
the sides will make final speeches on June 29.

SCHOOL OF YOUNG LEADERS CONTINUES FUNCTIONING IN KAPAN

Noyan Tapan
Jun 25 2007

KAPAN, JUNE 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of the Women’s
Republican Council’s Kapan branch, with the sponsorship of the OSCE
Yerevan Office and OSCE Office of Syunik Programs Development, the
4th educational stage of School of Young Leaders started in Kapan. It
will last for a month. This time 29 schoolchildren of different ages,
who have been able to pass the test, will study at the school.

Sven Holdar, Democratization Officer at the OSCE Yerevan Office,
addressing his good wishes to the youths during the solemn opening
of the school, attached importance to their role in the issue of
building a democratic society.

As school headmaster Susanna Martirosian said, though the school
is guided by a clear-cut program, the program has been localized to
some extent this year. "We wish to draw attention to environmental
protection issues, as they exist both in Kapan and in the region in
general. Children should try to contribute to solution of region’s
environmental problems as far as possible, to put forward new ideas
and proposals," the headmaster said.