Author: Chakrian Hovsep

BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TO TEMORA
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
September 18, 2006
This town’s the perfect spot for plane speaking, Kate Askew discovers.
THE Riverina town of Temora had never seen a gathering like it.
Standing in the sunshine at the Temora aerodrome on Saturday were
the country’s richest fellows, Frank Lowy and James Packer, talking
intently to Fairfax chairman Ron Walker. Lowy got a hug from his
close pal, the PM, who was also having a day out.
Thankfully Lowy’s eldest son, David, has thrown enough cash at Temora’s
World War II training aerodrome to ensure there was enough space for
all the private planes to park.
Recently departed Nine head honcho Sam Chisholm was out enjoying his
retirement and the opening of the new runway, which is capable of
landing a Boeing 747.
And Temora’s mayor, Nigel Judd, put in his two bobs’ worth, encouraging
the wealthy throng to buy up some land in town, or better still,
build a shopping mall.
Close call
It makes absolute sense. As the dynamic duo, they have been through
airports around the world, looked at a few ports and muddled over
telecoms.
The next piece of infrastructure on the list of two of Macquarie
Bank’s most loftily remunerated executives would obviously be an
industry mouthpiece of their own making, CBD figured.
Moss-in-waiting Nicholas Moore and his sidekick, Michael Carapiet,
are directors of the disconcertingly named Australian Financial
Publications.
CBD was relieved to hear the Mordialloc-born Moore and the
Calcutta-born Carapiet set up the company to own a slice of Peter
Charlton’s event management business cum magazine publisher, First
Charlton Communications.
Closer call
Even more disconcerting is Michael Carapiet’s other vehicle.
It’s called SMH Investments.
In a fit of paranoia CBD thought that having cast an eye over Telstra,
the voracious Macquarie bankers were casting an eye over the mastheads
of John Fairfax.
There’s a more prosaic explanation. SMH stands for Shahen, Michael
and Henry, the company’s three directors: Shahen Mekertichian, who at
one point had some involvement with Macquarie rival Babcock & Brown,
Australian-Armenian businessman Henry Hacobian, who has sponsored
the Armenian Sydney Dance Company, and Michael Carapiet himself.
Life begins at 55
So much networking, so little time. Being closer to 40 than 30,
your diarist was pleased to learn – as were many others in town –
that the secretive Young Presidents Organisation had come to a radical
juncture in its evolution.
Gentlemen approaching a certain age – 50, that is (though always
known as 49-ers because they were eternally afraid of turning five-o)
– will no longer have to graduate to the WPO, Well-Padded Oldies,
oops, World Presidents Organisation.
Now there will be a bunch of YPO-ers who, for another five years,
can avoid getting the dreaded farewell present – a rocking chair.
Sadly, such youthful and prominent entrepreneurs as Jack Cowin and
Marcus Blackmore won’t make the cut.
They’ll be WPO-ers for life.
Enjoying the nags
Stockmarket warriors turned horse flesh fanciers were out in droves
at the weekend.
Kingsgate Consolidated’s Ross Smyth-Kirk was on hand down at Kembla
on Saturday to see his five-year-old gelding Flavoursome have its
first start and come up trumps.
Later in the day Smyth-Kirk migrated to Rosehill, where another
corporate type indulging in the nags was stockbroker John Bowie-Wilson,
whose Rocking On couldn’t manage a place.
Smyth-Kirk will be hoping his luck holds for the election of the
Australian Jockey Club committee he’s standing for.
Last-minute letdown
Tim King walked up hill and down dale to be fit for this year’s
annual walkathon.
But when it came time for the Deutsche Bank head of research to don
his runners the flu had taken hold and he had to drop out of the team
of Doug Farrell, Matthew Prior and Jamess Forrest, which had raised
over $60,000, more than any of its competitors.
The Oxfam Trailwalker fundraiser, by the way, is the mad hike through
the night which usually results in bloodied toes, hallucinations and
vows from participants never to do it again – but which helps feed
people who simply can’t afford to eat.
And with competition for the flashest auto a driving feature of
Planet Investment Bank, it’s a wonder competition of other forms
doesn’t take hold in the same fashion.
The cheque from Switzerland must be in the post for the Slightly Warm
Turkey team from UBS which pledged $25,000 plus but has yet to crack
the $2000 mark.
Knowing how generous UBS usually is, CBD notes it is yet to match
the raisings from other finance outfits like Allco and one of its big
clients, Telstra, whose Holgate’s Heroes raised a whopping $34,000-odd.
State Street also deserves a mention for sponsoring the Trailwalker
year in, year out and giving sporty types the chance to stub their
toes on their midnight ramble – not to forget giving other people
the opportunity to eat.
Oh, that loss
Your diarist was terribly remiss in not finding Quickflix’s full-year
loss of a whopping $2.6 million buried in a bunch of dot points in
a press release.
Quickflix, if anyone missed it, is the latest stockmarket interest
of Lachlan Murdoch.
Just so you can get a feel for Quickflix’s exceedingly happy
perspective on its loss-making result, here’s an excerpt from its
press release:
“Quickflix today announced that it had increased revenue by 134.5
per cent and stabilised costs for the 2005-06 financial year while
establishing a platform for continued growth and enhanced services
over the coming years.
“The leading independent provider of online movie rental services
also announced that its total paying subscribers will this month
exceed the 10,000 milestone.”
“Quickflix chief executive officer Stephen Langsford said that over
the past year the company had consolidated its position as the second
largest online movie rental subscription service in Australia.”
Again, in case anyone missed it, the leading independent provider of
online movie rental services reported a full-year loss of $2.6 million.
Two new babies
And before handing the reins back to your regular diarist, Michael
Evans, let’s finish a tale begun last week …
After racing off from the Silliac dinner at Sydney University where
he was keeping company with legendary academic Harry Messell, Lee
Ming Tee, aka Gleaming Teeth, welcomed a granddaughter to the Lee
dynasty on Wednesday.
We can only assume that his driver that night, Albert Wong, was racing
home to put the finishing touches on what we hear is the prospectus
for his latest stockmarket plaything, Pluton, which joins a stable
of past and present companies including resources stock Zelos.
Kate Askew has a tiny stake in John Fairfax Holdings.
This town’s the perfect spot for plane speaking, Kate Askew discovers.
THE Riverina town of Temora had never seen a gathering like it.
Standing in the sunshine at the Temora aerodrome on Saturday were
the country’s richest fellows, Frank Lowy and James Packer, talking
intently to Fairfax chairman Ron Walker. Lowy got a hug from his
close pal, the PM, who was also having a day out.
Thankfully Lowy’s eldest son, David, has thrown enough cash at Temora’s
World War II training aerodrome to ensure there was enough space for
all the private planes to park.
Recently departed Nine head honcho Sam Chisholm was out enjoying his
retirement and the opening of the new runway, which is capable of
landing a Boeing 747.
And Temora’s mayor, Nigel Judd, put in his two bobs’ worth, encouraging
the wealthy throng to buy up some land in town, or better still,
build a shopping mall.
Close call
It makes absolute sense. As the dynamic duo, they have been through
airports around the world, looked at a few ports and muddled over
telecoms.
The next piece of infrastructure on the list of two of Macquarie
Bank’s most loftily remunerated executives would obviously be an
industry mouthpiece of their own making, CBD figured.
Moss-in-waiting Nicholas Moore and his sidekick, Michael Carapiet,
are directors of the disconcertingly named Australian Financial
Publications.
CBD was relieved to hear the Mordialloc-born Moore and the
Calcutta-born Carapiet set up the company to own a slice of Peter
Charlton’s event management business cum magazine publisher, First
Charlton Communications.
Closer call
Even more disconcerting is Michael Carapiet’s other vehicle.
It’s called SMH Investments.
In a fit of paranoia CBD thought that having cast an eye over Telstra,
the voracious Macquarie bankers were casting an eye over the mastheads
of John Fairfax.
There’s a more prosaic explanation. SMH stands for Shahen, Michael
and Henry, the company’s three directors: Shahen Mekertichian, who at
one point had some involvement with Macquarie rival Babcock & Brown,
Australian-Armenian businessman Henry Hacobian, who has sponsored
the Armenian Sydney Dance Company, and Michael Carapiet himself.
Life begins at 55
So much networking, so little time. Being closer to 40 than 30,
your diarist was pleased to learn – as were many others in town –
that the secretive Young Presidents Organisation had come to a radical
juncture in its evolution.
Gentlemen approaching a certain age – 50, that is (though always
known as 49-ers because they were eternally afraid of turning five-o)
– will no longer have to graduate to the WPO, Well-Padded Oldies,
oops, World Presidents Organisation.
Now there will be a bunch of YPO-ers who, for another five years,
can avoid getting the dreaded farewell present – a rocking chair.
Sadly, such youthful and prominent entrepreneurs as Jack Cowin and
Marcus Blackmore won’t make the cut.
They’ll be WPO-ers for life.
Enjoying the nags
Stockmarket warriors turned horse flesh fanciers were out in droves
at the weekend.
Kingsgate Consolidated’s Ross Smyth-Kirk was on hand down at Kembla
on Saturday to see his five-year-old gelding Flavoursome have its
first start and come up trumps.
Later in the day Smyth-Kirk migrated to Rosehill, where another
corporate type indulging in the nags was stockbroker John Bowie-Wilson,
whose Rocking On couldn’t manage a place.
Smyth-Kirk will be hoping his luck holds for the election of the
Australian Jockey Club committee he’s standing for.
Last-minute letdown
Tim King walked up hill and down dale to be fit for this year’s
annual walkathon.
But when it came time for the Deutsche Bank head of research to don
his runners the flu had taken hold and he had to drop out of the team
of Doug Farrell, Matthew Prior and Jamess Forrest, which had raised
over $60,000, more than any of its competitors.
The Oxfam Trailwalker fundraiser, by the way, is the mad hike through
the night which usually results in bloodied toes, hallucinations and
vows from participants never to do it again – but which helps feed
people who simply can’t afford to eat.
And with competition for the flashest auto a driving feature of
Planet Investment Bank, it’s a wonder competition of other forms
doesn’t take hold in the same fashion.
The cheque from Switzerland must be in the post for the Slightly Warm
Turkey team from UBS which pledged $25,000 plus but has yet to crack
the $2000 mark.
Knowing how generous UBS usually is, CBD notes it is yet to match
the raisings from other finance outfits like Allco and one of its big
clients, Telstra, whose Holgate’s Heroes raised a whopping $34,000-odd.
State Street also deserves a mention for sponsoring the Trailwalker
year in, year out and giving sporty types the chance to stub their
toes on their midnight ramble – not to forget giving other people
the opportunity to eat.
Oh, that loss
Your diarist was terribly remiss in not finding Quickflix’s full-year
loss of a whopping $2.6 million buried in a bunch of dot points in
a press release.
Quickflix, if anyone missed it, is the latest stockmarket interest
of Lachlan Murdoch.
Just so you can get a feel for Quickflix’s exceedingly happy
perspective on its loss-making result, here’s an excerpt from its
press release:
“Quickflix today announced that it had increased revenue by 134.5
per cent and stabilised costs for the 2005-06 financial year while
establishing a platform for continued growth and enhanced services
over the coming years.
“The leading independent provider of online movie rental services
also announced that its total paying subscribers will this month
exceed the 10,000 milestone.”
“Quickflix chief executive officer Stephen Langsford said that over
the past year the company had consolidated its position as the second
largest online movie rental subscription service in Australia.”
Again, in case anyone missed it, the leading independent provider of
online movie rental services reported a full-year loss of $2.6 million.
Two new babies
And before handing the reins back to your regular diarist, Michael
Evans, let’s finish a tale begun last week …
After racing off from the Silliac dinner at Sydney University where
he was keeping company with legendary academic Harry Messell, Lee
Ming Tee, aka Gleaming Teeth, welcomed a granddaughter to the Lee
dynasty on Wednesday.
We can only assume that his driver that night, Albert Wong, was racing
home to put the finishing touches on what we hear is the prospectus
for his latest stockmarket plaything, Pluton, which joins a stable
of past and present companies including resources stock Zelos.
Kate Askew has a tiny stake in John Fairfax Holdings.

Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 15 2006
The US does not threaten, it just warns Armenia
15.09.2006 12:43
`We are actively working with RA Government and civil society to have
the upcoming elections be free and fair as possible,’ US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State on Europe and Eurasia Matthew Bryza told
MEDIAMAX agency.
`I’m not about to come forth with any threats connected with the
Millennium Challenge Fund. However, the reality is that we take as a
basis the evaluations of the World Bank and the Freedom House. It is
theoretically possible that these evaluations will change if the
elections are too problematic and Armenia will no more correspond to
the Fund’s criteria. In this case we’ll be ready to suspend the
program. This is not a threat, I’m just establishing the fact. Out
objective is to do everything to avoid the slightest possibility of
this kind of scenario,’ Matthew Bryza said.

Panorama.am
16:22 16/09/06

WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS PROPOSES TO SET UP COORDINATION UNIT OF
ARMENIA-DIASPORA RELATIONS
The World Armenian Congress (WAC) proposes to set up a ministry or any
other structure for coordination of Armenia-Diaspora relations, Ara
Abrahamyan, WAC chairman and head of Union of Armenians in Russia,
told a press conference Saturday.
In his words, 10 years ago the political situation in Armenia was much
better than today. Any conflict in the region and any sanction to this
or that country negatively affect the political situation in Armenia.
`To meet the challenges, Armenia and Diaspora must unite,’
Abrahamyan said indicating to the need of a joint national program.
Abrahamyan says the Diaspora uses only 1-2% of its potential but it
can become much stronger if close ties are established with the
government. `We need the support and mediation of the Armenian
authorities,’ WAC chairman said.
Abrahamyan indicated that the major issues for WAC today is the
recognition of the Armenian genocide. The organization has submitted
mechanisms for such recognition to the Armenian foreign ministry in
May proposing to apply to the International Court in Hague. Besides,
Abrahamyan said WAC lawyers have found documents in Russian archives
that have been closed to everyone until today. /Panorama.am/

FIRST TIME HEADSCARF BAN IN EU REPORT
By Selcuk Gultasli, Brussels
Zaman Online, Turkey
Sept 10 2006
The European Parliament (EP), which is the target of harsh criticisms
both in Turkey and in Europe, has for the first time included the
headscarf issue in its annual report.
Cem Ozdemir, a Turkish origin deputy, and Dutch-born Joost Lagendijk
from the Greens Party, brought the issue of the headscarf ban, which
is implemented in Turkish universities, to the parliament’s agenda.
Ozdemir and Lagendijk believe it is the E.U. Commission’s turn to
take action. Both EP members acknowledged that the E.U. Commission,
which prepares a detailed report on Turkey each year, cannot remain
indifferent to such a problem, and added the progress report should
cover the headscarf issue as well.
The deputies managed to include the revision proposal suggesting
Ottoman tolerance as a model for Turkey in the draft report. The
draft report, which recommends Turkey should acknowledge the so-called
Armenian “genocide” in order to gain E.U. entry, now refers to Ottoman
tolerance as well.
Commission sources report that they will not make any comment until
the end of September when the EP report will be officially approved.
The commission has not covered the headscarf issue in the progress
reports until now claiming there has been no consensus over the issue
in the E.U. and in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Rapporteur Eurlings, who allocates extensive coverage to the religious
liberties of minorities in his reports, had initially objected to the
proposal of including the headscarf issue in the report. However, when
Ozdemir and Lagendijk suggested that this attitude could be perceived
as “hypocrisy” and would weaken the E.U.’s hand in demanding rights
for minorities, Eurlings gave the green light to the proposal.
Turkey-E.U. Joint Parliament Committee Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk
believes Turkey should at least allow the headscarf to be worn at the
country’s universities. Speaking to Zaman, Lagendijk indicated that
Turkey needs to reach an agreement about the headscarf and stressed
the E.U. is expected to acknowledge the problem exists and that heated
debate over the issue continues in Turkey in the report that it will
prepare on November 24.
The E.U. Commission termed the reaction of secularist circles disturbed
by the EP’s decision to cover the issue as “exaggerated.”
Lagendik stressed that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) should
clarify its attitude about the headscarf issue and the secularist
circles should be open the issue to discussion.
“At least France should be taken as a model”
The other architect of the change, Ozdemir, said the proposals
did not foresee any models, adding that Turkey could at least take
France as an example; implementing the strictest form of secularism
in Europe. “As you know, there is no headscarf ban at universities
in France,” he said.
Ozdemir believes a taboo has been broken with the inclusion of the
headscarf issue in the EP report and is optimistic that the problem
will be eliminated in the upcoming EP reports.
“The E.U. should no longer remain indifferent to the problem. Turkey
has taken France as an example in many issues. Why doesn’t it take
it as an example again on this issue? We did not ask them to take the
UK as an example, which is the most liberal model in Europe,” Ozdemir
said, adding that the French model could be a ground for consensus.
The proposal put forth by Ozdemir and Lagendijk, which has been
adopted in the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs
(AFET), will expectedly be approved in the final voting at the end
of the month and included in the report, if no surprises occur.
“There is an ongoing discussion about the headscarf issue in Turkish
society. There is no European rule about the issue, hopefully a
consensus will be reached allowing university students to wear
headscarves in Turkey,” the proposal read.

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN CALLS ON ISLAMIC WORLD FOR COMBINED FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Yerevan, September 11. ArmInfo. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Alitev
called on the Islamic world for combined efforts against terrorism,
Trend reports. The president made this statement at the 5th conference
of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Tourism Ministers
that opened in Baku on 11 September.
“Some forces want to relate Islam with terror. Islam is a religion
of peace and tolerance. We want to live in peace and we will achieve
it,” the president said. “Today it is the 11th of September. Five
years ago the world saw a horrible terror attack, which killed a
number of innocent people. The Islamic world condemned the fact. We
ought to unite all efforts for struggle against terror. The terror
should not be prevented independently,” the Azerbaijani President
stressed. Ilham Aliyev stressed the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,
which he regarded as the most painful problem in the region.
“Unfortunately, it has not been resolved yet. 20% of the Azerbaijani
territory is under occupation, whereas as a result of ethnic cleansing
by Armenia over 1 million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and
internally displaced people. It is a great humanitarian catastrophe,”
Aliyev stressed.
President Aliyev underlined that despite the resolutions adopted
by international organizations in this respect, the conflict still
remains unsettled. “Moreover, Azerbaijan suffered from the Armenian
terror attacks which resulted in death of numerous people,” he said
for conclusion.

TURKEY WILL RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN CASE THE COMMITTEE OF HISTORIANS DECIDES SO
ArmRadio.am
11.09.2006 14:33
Turkish Minister of Economy and Special Envoy in the negotiations with
the European Union Ali Babacan considers that the acknowledgement
of the fact of the Armenian Genocide by his will become possible in
case such conclusion is drawn by the joint Armenian-Turkish committee
of historians.
Ali Babacan made the statement in an interview to the Dutch NRC
Handelsblad newspaper titled “The Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by Turkey not ruled out,” MEDIAMAX agency reports.
In response to the question whether Turkey will accept the decision
of the committee to characterize the 1915 events as genocide, Ali
Babacan declared, ” We’ll agree to any decision.”
At the same time, the Economy Minister criticized the position of the
European parliament on the issue, noting that “parliamentarians are
not historians” and “the European Parliament is not the institution
that can assert what has happened in reality.
Ali Babacan declared that all Turkish archives are open for scientists,
and the suggestion to form a joint Armenian-Turkish committee of
historians remains in force.

EP’S TURKEY REPORT RADICALLY ACCUSES TURKS
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Sept 9 2006
The European Parliament (EP) late Monday approved a sharply critical
report on Turkey, calling on Ankara to recognize the Armenian genocide
claims before becoming a member of the European Union.
The report entitled “Turkey’s Progress Towards Accession,” which
was prepared by the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs Rapporteur and
MEP Camiel Eurlings, was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee
with some amendments which made it harsher towards Turkey than
it had been. It also criticized a number of issues, including
Cyprus, a slowdown in the EU reform process, the situation in the
southeast, problems with religious minorities, cultural rights and
civilian-military relations.
The report, which was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee,
isn’t binding but plays a role in making recommendations for Turkey
and will be put to a vote by the EP’s full 732-member assembly during
Sept. 25-28 meetings.
Taking note of a Turkish proposal to set up a bilateral committee of
experts to deal with controversial past incidents and of Armenia’s
position on the proposal, the report urged the Turkish and Armenian
governments to continue their process of reconciliation leading to a
mutually acceptable proposal and asked Turkey to take the necessary
steps, without any preconditions, to establish diplomatic and good
neighborly relations with Armenia and open their land border as soon
as possible. Armenia does not recognise Turkey’s eastern borders and
Turkey keeps its territorial borders with Armenia closed since the
Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
The report also claimed that Turkey committed “genocide against the
Pontic Greeks and Assyrians.”
Turkish experts argue that the genocide claims are added by the
Greek and Armenian lobbies to prevent Turkey’s EU process. Dr. Sedat
laciner from USAK, Ankara-centred Turkish think tank told the JTW
that there is no condition of recognition of any genocide claim:
“Turkey has fulfilled all main conditions for EU membership. That’s
why the anti-Turkish groups add new condition to stop the process”.
Dr. Laciner also claims that the EP report is so biased and accuse
only the Turks:
“The Armenian claims are historical claims. The Armenians believe
in that the 1915 Relocation Campaign was a genocide. It means the EP
gives great importance to the events happened almost a century ago.
Yet the same EP mention nothing about the Armenian occupation in
Azerbaijani territories. Yerevan does not recognise the Kars Treaty.
According to Armenians the Eastern parts of Turkey is Western
Armenia. I mean EP should also see the Armenian irredentism.Similarly
the Pontus and Assyrian genocide claims are baseless and not serious.”
EU rebukes Ankara on pace of reforms
In Eurlings’ report, EU lawmakers sharply criticized Turkey over its
‘slow pace’ of reforms and warned that failure to make progress on
the Cyprus dispute risks bringing entry negotiations to a halt.
Ankara Government does not accept the slow pace critics.
Turkey’s reservations about opening its airports and harbors to the
Greek Cypriots will have serious implications for the EU process and
could even bring it to a halt, warned the draft report, calling on
Turkey to take steps towards the recognition of the Greek Cypriot
administration during its accession process. It also raised the idea
of an early withdrawal of forces from the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC). It also called on the European Council to renew efforts
to implement trade regulations with Northern Cyprus.
The EU accepted only the Greek part of the Cyprus island as the
EU member.
Report urges progress in human rights
The toughly worded report also called on Ankara to take steps towards
making progress on freedom of expression and raised concerns about the
country’s treatment of religious minorities, the Kurdish population
and women.
Noting that certain progress has been made in women’s rights after
the revised Turkish Penal Code (TCK) came into force last year,
the report however then stressed that a lack of respect for women’s
rights in Turkey remains a matter of serious concern.
The EP report also urged Ankara to take concrete steps to remove
obstacles facing Christian religious minorities related to, in
particular, their legal status, the training of clergy, and their
property rights, and called for an immediate stop to all seizures
and selling off of property belonging to religious communities by the
Turkish authorities and the immediate reopening of the Greek Orthodox
Halki seminary and public use of the “ecclesiastical title of the
‘ecumenical’ patriarch.”
It also called for the protection and recognition of Alevis, including
the recognition of cemevis as religious centers, and for all religious
education to be voluntary and not cover just the Sunni branch of Islam.
Taking into consideration the amendment requests of MEPs Joost
Lagendijk and Cem Ozdemir, the report also called on Ankara to find
a solution to the headscarf ban in Turkish universities.
Solidarity with Turkey in fighting terror
The EP also condemned a resurgence of violence in the southeast by
the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and stressed that there
can never be an excuse for violence against Turkish citizens in any
part of the country. The report also expressed solidarity with Turkey
in fighting terrorism. The PKK is on the terrorist organizations list
of the EU and the US.
Turkish media however find the report unbalanced and radical. Many
Turkish newspapers blamed the report as ‘Armenian’ or ‘Greek-made
report’.
Dr. Mehmet Ozcan argued that the EP report should have been more
realistic to be taken consideration in Turkey. “The EU loses its
seriousness in the eyes of many Turkish people” Dr. Ozcan claimed.
Similarly Dr. Ihsan Bal says that the EU names all the political
problems regarding Turkey as ‘genocide’. He continued: “Armenian,
Greek, Assyrian, Kurdish, they name all of these issues as genocide.
What is the next, no one knows. According to the EP reports Turks are
the champion on genociding other peoples, but the reports never mention
Algerian genocide or many more genocide committed by the EU nations
in Europe and Asia. The report is not realistic and constructive. The
report undermines the Turkish people’s trust towards the EU”.

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
&quo t;THE UNITED NATIONS MUST RECAPTURE ITS
ESSENTIAL MISSION”
Said His Holiness ARAM I
His Holiness Aram I has welcomed the removal of the air and sea blockade on
Lebanon imposed by Israel, and he has praised the efforts of the Secretary
General of the UN. He said that in the past “the unilateral decisions of
some states were directed towards discrediting the role of the United
Nations as a model for governance expressed by the general will”, and that
“the removal of the blockade responds to the will of the Lebanese people to
rebuild their economy not only through aid, but primarily through their own
entrepreneurship.” His Holiness went on to say that “it also shows the
commitment of many sovereign states to the democratic values that place the
will of the people at the center of any viable strategy for peace.”
His Holiness Aram I has described the UN as “a concrete model of
multilateralism” and he has stressed the need of “strengthening the UN by
making it more active, effective and credible”.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Sept 7 2006
First Armenian Church plans Rally Day
Thursday, September 7, 2006
The First Armenian Church welcomes returning families and new friends
for the opening of the 2006-2007 Sunday School year on Sunday, Sept.
10 at 10:30 a.m.
The worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. with family worship, with
children invited forward each Sunday for a fun and meaningful message
designed just for them. Afterwards the children, ages pre-K through
high school, go to their respective classes where the curriculum
is Bible-based Christian material designed to make learning about
God’s love and grace in Jesus personally accessible, challenging and
enjoyable for each student.
Each week the church provides nutritional refreshments for the
children and once a month a luncheon is available. On Rally Sunday,
there will be a brunch for all the children.
This year the church welcomes from California a new ministry intern,
Razmig Minassian and his wife, Jennifer, who will be teaching the
high school students. Mr. Minassian is a recent graduate of Talbot
School of Theology, and Jennifer, from Biola University.
Members of the community are welcome to attend.

RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN: CRIMINOGENIC SITUATION OF ARMENIA REFLECTS SICKNESS OF SOCIETY AND STATE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 06 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The criminogenic
situation of Armenia, scandalous murders reflect the sickness of the
society and the state. Raffi Hovannisian, member of the Zharangutiun
(Heritage) Party Board, former RA Foreign Minister, expressed such
an opinion at the September 6 meeting at the Pastark club. “We can
for weeks, for months, from one press conference to another speak
about phenomena, about changing the system, about the national
transformation, argue, what is right, evolution or revolution, but
as far as responsibility is not concrete, as far as the law is not
used equally, from the current President to the last citizen, as
far as there is an army of privileged persons and these persons are
connected with this regime, as far the force, arms and land belong
to the same circle, when they exercise right and law on the basis of
the unity of this force and money, it will go on like this, but this
is not natural,” the speaker declared. In his opinion, this does not
correspond to the values adopted by the Armenian people and its rich
civilization heritage and on the threshold of the 15th anniversary of
RA sovereignty it brings to light the huge work the current generation
should do for completely returning Armenia to the legal field. Two
hours before the press conference Shahen Hovasapian, Chief of the
Investigation Department of RA Tax Service, was killed in Yerevan,
near his house.