Author: Chalian Meline

SECOND READING OF ISSUE OF GIVING STATUS OF REGIONAL LANGUAGE TO ARMENIAN MOVED TO NEXT SITTING’S AGENDA

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

AKHALKALAK, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. At the suggestion
of the Council of Armenian NGOs in the Samtskhe-Javakhk and Kvemo
Kartli regions, the issue of giving the status of regional language
to Armenian along with the state language of Georgian in the above
mentioned regions and of stipulating this by the Georgian Constitution
was placed on the agenda of the Akhalkalak Municipality Assembly.

Mr D. Rstakian, a deputy of the Municipality and a member of the
Council, said that the Assembly unanimously adopted the bill on
having the status of the Armenian language, but in consideration of
the issue’s importance and for the purpose of clarifying and editing,
the bill was moved to the next sitting’s agenda.

In the words of M. Torosian, a member of the coordinating group on
the issue of giving the status of regional language to Armenian and
stipulating this by the law, the same bill will be also submitted
for discussion to all municipal assemblies of southern regions of
Georgia populated with Armenians. He said that in the regions where
Armenian deputies have no majority they will express their attitude
to the bill in written form.

A1+

IN PROTECTION OF RFE/RL
[06:40 pm] 29 June, 2007

The draft laws on `Introducing Amendment to the RA Law `On Television
and Radio” and `On Introducing an Addition to the RA Law `On State
Duty”, presented at the extraordinary session of the National
Assembly upon the initiative of the RA Government, signify that the
Armenian authorities are consistent in adhering to the vicious policy
of the recent years, aimed at restricting and suppressing the freedom
of expression and media.

For many times already has the Government hastily submitted draft
media-related laws to the National Assembly – in secrecy, without
consulting the civil society, media representatives, experts, even
without the opinion of the appropriate committee of the National
Assembly. What issues, vital for the country and the society, are
these two draft laws to solve that they had to be necessarily
considered at an extraordinary session, instead of being included into
the agenda of the ordinary session, following all the procedures that
the law provides for? The draft authors have not presented any
convincing arguments as to the urgency of their adoption at this very
moment.

This way of acting, when hasty amendments are proposed in broadcasting
legislation, with no heed for the domain specifics and the legislation
rationale, is becoming a tradition: it suffices to remember that in
September 2006, too, the Government presented to the National Assembly
the draft law `On Introducing Amendments and Additions to the RA Law
`On Television and Radio” with the same haste. The draft caused the
dissatisfaction of the journalistic community and was ultimately
rejected by the NA. However, in February 2007, the Government had
another unacceptable draft law passed, ignoring all the proposals
made.

The analysis of the draft laws, presented to the NA today, shows that
they are primarily directed against the only broadcast medium out of
the control of the RA authorities – the Armenian Service of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, because their adoption in essence will stop the
broadcasting of the programs of the Service on Armenian radio
waves. The adoption of these draft laws will also damage the
reputation of the newly-elected National Assembly that will have
displayed itself as the adversary of democracy, of freedom of
expression by the very first laws passed.

We have always insisted that legislative changes in this sphere be
made systemically, according to a unified concept, and hence we call
on the RA NA deputies not to vote on the drafts presented by the
Government and to hold public hearing of the legislative package that
seeks to reform the sphere.

The statement was developed by a group of organizations, membering in
the Partnership for Open Society initiative and is open to be joined
by other organizations and individuals at the following address:
[email protected]

CANDIDATE OF REPUBLICAN PARTY TO BECOME RA PRESIDENT UNAMBIGUOUSLY: RPA MEMBER

arminfo
2007-06-29 16:16:00

Candidate of the Republican party will become RA president in
2008 unambiguously, RPA member Galust Sahakyan said at today’s
press-conference.

As G. Sahakyan said, the Republican party will work in a more active
and organized way during summer to prepare for the presidential
election. He assured that the party will work more correctly before
2008 presidential election than it did before the parliamentary
election 2007. He said that the party’s election programmes will be
carried out after the presidential election. He also emphasized that
the end, 2008 – the beginning, 2009 will be crucial for Armenia in
economic aspect.

As for possibility of consolidating the opposition around a single
presidential contender, G. Sahakyan said: "It is still questionable
if the opposition will manage to do all this, everything will be
clear in autumn".

LAWYER FOR MURDERED TURKISH-ARMENIAN JOURNALIST DINK’S FAMILY SAYS EVIDENCE WAS DESTROYED

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
June 29 2007

The family’s lawyer claimed that the murder was carried out by a very
well organised group.

ISTANBUL – The lawyer representing the family of slain Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink said Friday that evidence in the investigation
of his murder had been destroyed and crucial documents were flawed.

Haberin devamý

Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Dink family lawyer Fethiye
Cetin said that while the indictment of the defendants charged with
involvement in Dink’s killing was in keeping with laws had deficiencies
and mistakes.

Cetin also said that during preparation investigation evidence in the
case had been destroyed and that the plaintiff party was not allowed
to take part in the investigation process on the basis of secrecy.

The organised establishment behind the January 19 murder had been
brought to light but the investigation failed to get a larger picture
out of Pelitli district of Trabzon, from where most of the de18
defendants came.

Cetin also said that a court had efused their application to try four
officials from Trabzon gendarmerie, including the unit’s commander,
for negligence.

Human Rights Watch issued a written statement on Friday raising
concerns over the ability of Turkish officials to act in an unbiased
manner in the Dink case.

The first hearing of the murder trial will be held in Istanbul on
July 2.

–Boundary_(ID_UV7pFcMPjlRVLuM0/DILvQ)–

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA GROUP: 100 JOURNALISTS, MEDIA WORKERS KILLED IN FIRST HALF OF 2007

The Associated Press
International Herald Tribune, France

Jun e 29 2007

BRUSSELS, Belgium: One hundred journalists and media workers were
killed in the first six months of this year, putting 2007 on the path
of becoming the deadliest year for the news media, the International
News Safety Institute said Friday.

The 100-mark was reached Tuesday in Iraq – the most dangerous country
for the news media in modern times – with the killing Tuesday of
Hamed Sarha, a 30-year veteran of the Iraqi national news agency who
was shot by unidentified gunmen, a statement said.

According to statistics compiled by the Brussels-based group,
83 journalists and 17 other media professionals died covering news
stories between Jan. 1 and June 26. This compares with 68 deaths at
the same time last year.

INSI – a coalition of media organizations, media freedom groups, unions
and humanitarian campaigners dedicated to the safety of journalists
and media staff – said 2006 was the worst year on record with a total
of 168 murders and other work-related deaths among journalists and
media professionals.

"This is a shocking development," INSI director Rodney Pinder said.

"We have never known such a high death toll halfway through a year,
and we fear for what might be to come."

According to the statistics, 72 of the casualties worldwide appear
to have been murdered.

In Iraq, a total of 22 journalists and support staff were murdered
in the first six months of this year, while 14 others died in other
conflict-related incidents, the statement said.

"Democracy has even less chance of taking hold in Iraq while
journalists are being slaughtered like this," Pinder said.

After Iraq, the countries where most journalists were murdered in the
first half of this year were Afghanistan (5), Haiti and Philippines,
each with four dead, Somalia, Palestine and India (3) and Sri Lanka,
Mexico and Brazil (2).

The dead include some prominent cases such as Hrant Dink, an ethnic
Armenian journalist and advocate of minority rights murdered in
Istanbul, and Edward Chikombo, a cameraman who had filmed the injuries
of Morgan Tsvangirai and other opposition activists at the hands of
the Zimbabwe police.

Also, Ajmal Naqshbandi, a translator for Italian reporter Daniele
Mastrogiacomo, was beheaded by the Taliban after the Italian was
released unharmed.

REPORTER IRINA AROYAN CAN BECOME OWNER OF "PHILIPP KIRKOROV" BRAND

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.06.2007 18:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Dok.Finance company has issued an application for
registration of "Kirkorov" brand. If the application is complied the
well-known artist will be deprived of the right to use his last name
for earning income.

Dok.Finance company, member of Dok.Group network, has issued an
application for registration of "Kirkorov" brand. If the application
is complied the well-known artist will be deprived of the right to
use his last name for earning income. As a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter
came to know from the Dok.Group press office, the brand and service
symbol are meant for individualization of goods, works or services of
juridical or natural persons. Fearing that the names of the famous
show business figures will be used without their consent by various
companies, the "owners" of the names register them as brands, thus
receiving a juridical shield.

"Philipp Kirkorov" brand was registered October 18, 1998 by "Alla"
privately owned enterprise controlled by Alla Pugacheva. The brand
registration expired February 4, 2007. Although it still functioning,
according to the e-base of the federal service of intellectual
property, patents and brands.

Proceeding from all above mentioned, you can make one conclusion: any
moment any person can file an application to the chamber of patent
disputes (a body at the federal service on intellectual property,
patents and brands) on pre-term suspension of legal protection of
"Alla Pugacheva" brand due to its disuse. After the chamber decides to
suspend legal protection of the given brand and with written consent of
Alla Borisovna’s namesake, you can easily address the above mentioned
federal service and register "Pugacheva" brand.

Meanwhile, Dok.Finance company representative, Alexander Kalugin told
a PanARMENIAN.Net that after a year the right of brand ownership may
be suspended.

It’s not excluded that "Philipp Kirkorov" brand will be conveyed to
reporter Irina Aroyan, as a person "who suffered from Philipp Kirkorov
most of all."

During a news conference in 2004 Philipp Kirkorov insulted Irina
Aroyan, who asked the singer about the great number of remakes in
his repertoire. "You are a boor," said the reporter and left the
room. However, the singer’s bodyguards pounced on the woman and closed
her mouth. They took her camera and dictaphone and tried to break them.

MP GANIRA PASHAYEVA: ARMENIA’S OCCUPATION OF AZERBAIJANI LANDS IS MAIN OBSTACLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE REGION

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007

"The recommendation of Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly to
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on supporting
international investment projects in the South Caucasus are of
great importance," member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Ganira
Pashayeva said during the debates on the report on European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) drawn up by co-rapporteur
of the Committee on Economic Affairs Carles Gasoliba, APA’s Europe
bureau reports.

Ganira Pashayeva said that the recommendation on EBRD’s strengthening
its activity in the South Caucasus, contribution to the regional
cooperation, political and macroeconomic stability in the region
should be welcomed.

"Energy projects important not only for the region, but also for
Europe are being implemented in Azerbaijan. European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development supported the implementation of
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main pipeline, Shah Deniz gas field and
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline projects. Azerbaijan, Turkey
and Georgia have recently concluded an agreement on construction
of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. It will create conditions to travel
from Europe to Central Asia, China via railway and is an important
project. Cheap and high-quality railway will extend economic-trade
relations among Europe, South Caucasus, Central Asia and Caspian
basin. Therefore, we welcome EBRD’s future decision on financial
support to the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway," she said.

Ganira Pashayeva said despite occupation of 20 per cent of Armenian
territories by Armenia, problems of over million refugees and IDPs
Azerbaijan is developing rapidly. She said that Azerbaijan is of
strategic importance for Europe.

"The report says that Armenia’s economy deteriorates due to the
political factors – the lack of cooperation with Azerbaijan and
Turkey. I would like to clarify the issue. Azerbaijan has good
and broad economic relations with all its neighbors. But of course
Azerbaijan can not cooperate with Armenia, the country that continues
to occupy 2o per cent of its territories. 15 years have passed,
but Armenia ignoring the related resolutions of UN Security Council,
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) is still not going
to pull out its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Nearly one million Azerbaijani refuges and internally displaced persons
have become homeless for 15 years. Recent negotiations between the
two presidents [Azerbaijani and Armenian] in St.Petersburg failed
to reach an agreement because of unconstructiveness of Armenian
leadership. Moreover, official Yerevan puts obstacles to the
operation of corridors and communications linking Azerbaijan with its
part-Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic which pass through Armenia. As
the result, Nakhchivan has been suffering isolation for more than
15 years. We can help Nakhchivan only through Iran and Turkey. Of
course, at this background Azerbaijan can not possibly cooperate
with Armenia. Can a country possibly cooperate with another one
which has occupied its territories living one people as refugees and
IDPs?" Azerbaijani MP underlined.

Ms.Pashayeva stressed official Yerevanis responsible for future
development of Armenia, "Azerbaijani side states that it can
establish multi-sided cooperation, including economic-commercial
sphere with Armenia if it withdraws from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan. Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani lands is the main
factor that puts obstacle to the development of the whole region."

The MP agreed to the rapporteur Carles Gasoliba’s statement "Regional
cooperation is important for the future economic, political and social
development of the South Caucasus and the protracted conflicts hinders
the regional cooperation."

"It is a reality that the regional cooperation in the South Caucasus
passes through the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia, South
Ossetia conflicts. In this context, the international organizations,
including the Council of Europe should make stronger efforts for
the solution of these conflicts. Otherwise, the opportunities
of implementing the stability Pact for the South Caucasus as the
rapporteur underlined would be brought to zero," she underlined.

A SILENT REVOLUTION IN TURKEY
By A B McConnel

Asia Times Online, Hong Kong
June 25 2007

Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest
writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested
in contributing.

Here’s the latest news from Turkey: there will be no coup. Nor will
sharia law be imposed. Instead, the economy will continue to grow,
the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will most likely
consolidate its parliamentary majority in the July 22 elections,
and Turkey’s regional clout will continue to increase.

Sound counterintuitive? Only if one pays excessive attention to
reports about Turkey in the international press or the more

sensationalist or alarmist Turkish publications, and not enough
to actual developments in Turkish society. Turkey is undergoing a
silent revolution, but one that has nothing to do with soldiers or
fundamentalists.

According to data included in a recent report by progressive Istanbul
non-governmental organization TESEV (the Turkish Economic and Social
Studies Foundation), support among the Turkish population for a
government based on sharia (Islamic) law has fallen under 10%, 77%
believe that democracy is better than any other form of government,
and more than 50% believe that democracy can be preserved without any
"support" from the military.

Where has this support for democracy and rule of law come from? The
most likely source is the emergence of a "true" Turkish-Muslim
bourgeoisie into Turkey’s corridors of power. In fact, it may not be
much of a stretch to say that Turkey is undergoing its own form of
French Revolution, the Turkish-Muslim bourgeoisie rising to put an
end to aristocratic domination.

Can Paker, the president of TESEV, explained in a recent interview
that Turkey is experiencing the emergence of a "new" middle class
composed largely of recent migrants to Turkey’s main urban centers.

This new middle class, despite identifying itself as "Muslim",
is worried much more about its standard of living, the economy and
whether or not its children will be educated well than about imposing
sharia law.

As Turkish citizens are aware, the new Turkish-Muslim bourgeois may not
look as one expects: he wears a comfortable Polo, appropriate (but not
cheap) belt on slacks, sensible shoes, fashionable wire-rim glasses,
and a mustache; she may or may not wear a headscarf, but if she does,
the mark is most likely expensive, like Vakko. Their daughter may
(or may not) wear a headscarf, and may be smoking a cigarette as she
walks down Istiklal Street, the cultural heart of Istanbul and Turkey,
with her punk-rock friends. Their son dresses nicely, but not loudly;
it’s just as likely that he listens to Placebo or Eminem as to Ibrahim
Tatlises, the king of Turkish "Arabesque" music. If he’s not using
his iPod, then he’s chatting with his girlfriend on one of the most
recently released mobile telephones.

Most probably their roots are in an Anatolian village or burgeoning
Anatolian urban center such as Adana, Denizli, Gaziantep or Kayseri.

But they are thriving in increasingly cosmopolitan Istanbul, Izmir
and Ankara. Urban Kemalist-elite Turks constantly complain that they
are seeing more and more scarved women on the streets. But TESEV’s
numbers show that the percentage of Turkish women wearing scarves
has actually dropped. And only 4% of polled respondents thought
that the headscarf issue was one of the two most important issues
facing Turkey. Apparently, the new bourgeoisie have hit the streets
in Turkey’s big cities.

To the new Turkish-Muslim bourgeoisie, questions about whether Islam
is compatible with capitalism, or whether Islam is compatible with
democracy, are silly: of course capitalism and democracy are compatible
with Islam, and always have been. In reality, these questions will
soon be recognized for the risible red herrings that they are, put
forth by those who fear the writing on the wall: Turkey is coming, and
coming fast, leading the Islamic world as an example of independently
achieved development as well as economic and political stability.

The changes and statistics described above are the real reasons for
the current tensions in Turkish society, the 100,000-strong marches,
the midnight press releases from the Turkish military, the acts of
violence in urban areas committed by individuals loosely associated
with Turkey’s "deep state". The centers of power in Turkey are
surreptitiously changing hands. Little by little, the traditional
Turkish pseudo-bourgeoisie of Kemalist soldiers, bureaucrats
and old-guard intellectuals is relinquishing the real political
decision-making to an actual Turkish-Muslim bourgeoisie composed
of esnaf, ie, small-to-middle-sized-business people, and industry,
represented by TUSIAD, the Turkish business association dominated by
massive Turkish holding companies such as Koc, Sabanci and Eczacibasi.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the premier and head of the AKP, is a prominent
example of the Turkish-Muslim esnaf. His childhood and formative
years were spent in Kasimpasa, a working-class area of Istanbul,
after his family migrated to that city from the eastern Black Sea
city of Rize. Erdogan now has assets worth millions of US dollars.

His son, Bilal, graduated from Harvard and had an internship at the
World Bank, and Erdogan’s wife and daughters wear headscarves. The
AKP’s parliamentary candidate list, released for the July 22 elections,
was described by some commentators as a putsch against its last
Islamically inspired members.

This means that the party’s pragmatists, those who have no interest
in pursuing radical political programs, have achieved the upper hand.

But after all, a main goal of the Kemalist elite has always been to
create exactly this Turkish-Muslim bourgeoisie. That was the point of
such projects as the infamous 1942 Wealth Tax, which was, in essence,
a forced capital transfer from the Turkish minority bourgeoisie
composed of Armenians, Greeks and Jews to Muslim Turkish business
people. But for various political, economic and social reasons, the
true Turkish-Muslim bourgeoisie has only recently developed to the
point where it can flex its political muscles. As a result, Turkey
has been making fast headway on the road to economic development.

A last note for those interested in sports. The Turkish-Muslim
bourgeoisie’s favorite soccer club tends to be the same as that of
their most famous representative, Erdogan: Fenerbahce, Brazilian
Roberto Carlos’s new team.

A B McConnel is finishing a history master of arts program at Sabanci
University in Istanbul, with a focus on Republican Turkish history
and Turkish-US relations. He has lived in Istanbul since 1999.

26Ak02.html

Armenia, USA to fight human trafficking, expand cooperation

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
20 Jun 07

[Presenter] The US government will provide our country with 1.6m
dollars within the framework of an agreement signed between the US and
Armenian governments on drugs control and cooperation in
law-enforcement. The aid from the USA will reach 2.6m in 2007 in the
spheres of constant law counselling, the fight against human
trafficking, development of investigative and financial research
institutions and others, US charge d’affaires Anthony Godfrey has said.

[Armenian Prosecutor-General] Aghvan Hovsepyan and Anthony Godfrey have
detailed the evaluations in the US Department of State report
concerning the fight against human trafficking in Armenia.

[Hovsepyan] I should say that in the last few years the work of the
Prosecutor’s Office in this direction has been more active. The
Prosecutor’s Office has ensured the publicity and transparency of its
work in this field. I have examined carefully the evaluation in the [US
Department of State] report, and I would not say that it contains a
negative assessment. On the contrary, positive aspects are noted. I
have discussed the issue with my colleagues as well, and as
prosecutor-general, I think that a necessary and comprehensive
assessment of the law enforcement bodies has not been given.

[Godfrey] I agree with the prosecutor-general, but more can be done.
According to the document signed today, 200,000 [dollars] will be
allocated to strengthen the fight against human trafficking.

PROTOCAL SIGNED ON MAKING ADDENDUM IN LETTER OF AGREEMENT CONCERNING ARMENIAN-AMERICAN COOPERATION IN LEGAL SPHERE

Noyan Tapan
Jun 20 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 20, Aghvan Hovsepian, the
Armenian Prosecutor General, and Anthony Godfrey, the Charge d’Affaires
of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, signed a Protocol on making an addendum
to the Letter of Agreement on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement
Cooperation, which was signed by the Government of the United States
and the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The original letter of
agreement was signed on June 11, 2001 and since then the Government
of America has provided over seven million U.S dollars to Armenia.

According to the fifth addendum, Armenia will be given an amount
of 2m 629 thousand U.S. dollars, 1m 616 thousand and 927 of which
will be provided to the RA Government for implementing a number of
projects. Particularly, 200 thousand dollars will be given for the
implementation of the project against trafficking and about 1m 12
thousand U.S. dollars will be provided for technical assistance
projects and educational programs to be implemented by American
agencies.

Anthony Godfrey mentioned that the U.S. Government expects a
long-lasting and beneficial cooperation with the law enforcement
bodies of Armenia.

In response to the question of a journalist, Aghvan Hovsepian did
not agree to the fact that the mark given to Armenia in the report
of the U.S. State Department concerning Trafficking was a negative
one: there were positive aspects, as well as negative nuances in
the report. In the estimation of the Armenian Prosecutor General,
essential steps have been taken in the sphere of the struggle against
trafficking. A. Godfrey added in his turn that though important
measures have been taken, it is still necessary to continue the work
done in this direction.