Author: Ekmekjian Janet

IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
________________________________________ _________________________

ALERT – TURKEY

10 August 2007

Historian receives death threat, is harassed by newspaper, for questioning
official history

SOURCE: IPS Communication Foundation (BIANET), Istanbul

**For further information on previous harassment of Akcam over his position
on the Armenian genocide, see IFEX alerts of 30 and 12 July 2007**

(BIANET/IFEX) – Prof. Dr. Taner Akcam of the history department at
Minnesota University, who has consistently described in his work the events
of 1915 a "genocide", fears for his life since receiving death threats over
e-mail.

Researching the source of the threats, Akcam has found a person with the
assumed name "Holdwater".

The "Hürriyet" newspaper reported on this, saying that Akcam was "targeting
a person who was opposing his Armenian theses". The newspaper has published
a string of news items on Akcam.

Akcam told BIANET via the Internet that "Hürriyet" did not give him the
opportunity to have a say. The same reporters who claimed that he was
"making himself scarce" had no problems contacting him when a bridge
collapsed in Minnesota recently.

What frightens Akcam is the connection between the e-mail threats and the
"Hürriyet"’s spate of reports about him and the fact that the newspaper was
able to claim in its headlines that he was "making himself scarce". "I have
overcome much danger, but I don’t remember being this scared," he said.

"When they created that headline, they did not call anywhere. They did not
attempt to find me. This is a very frightening situation for me," he
continued.

He added that he could not but find mysterious similarities with the lynch
campaign against journalist Hrant Dink before his murder (see IFEX alerts
of 13 July, 2 April, 23 and 19 January 2007).

On 11 June 2007, Akcam received an anonymous e-mail, saying, "Today we have
started the struggle against you and those creatures you call friends. If
we do not get results, we will use alternative measures. For the peace and
truth in the world, it is better if sewer germs like you are eradicated.
Tomorrow will be much more difficult for you. Pray that the devil takes you
at once, or you will experience hell on earth."

The message continued, "You think you know who ‘Holdwater’ is. From now on,
the world will be full of millions of Holdwaters. One day you and your
Armenian blood brothers will drown in a sea of Holdwaters."

The message ended, "Who am I? That you will find out, Taner, you will find
out."

Akcam has drawn attention to frightening similarities between the language
of the e-mail threat and the newspaper’s articles. The articles started 10
days after he received the message.

Akcam argues that the "Hürriyet" newspaper has ignored the most basic
principles of journalism in its publications.

In a 16 July statement, he said: "Again, intellectuals and activists brave
enough to question the state’s official history are being warned. This
shameful campaign does not only threaten me, my family and my colleagues;
it makes light of freedom of expression."

For further information contact Nadire Mater at BIANET, Faikpasa Yokusu,
No. 41, Antikhane, Kat: 3, D.8-9, Cukurcuma, Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey,
tel: +90 212 251 1503, fax: +90 212 251 1609, e-mail: [email protected],
Internet:

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of
BIANET. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
BIANET.
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DAQLIQ QARABAQ CONFLICT CAN BE RESOLVED ONLY VIA PEACEFUL WAY

ANS
09.08.2007 18:10

US Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried said

War will become a catastrophe for Azerbaijan’s future, US Assistant
Secretary Daniel Fried stated. Answering the question if the hope
for the Daqliq Qarabaq conflicts settlement has become less and if
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have missed such an opportunity,
taking into account the fact that soon in both countries presidential
campaigns will launch, Daniel Fried said, "I do not want to criticize,
but I think we all are disappointed. The last meeting of presidents did
not produce any results that we were expecting. There were good talks,
I would even say a good dialog, a certain progress was fixed". He
expressed hope that "in a certain stage the presidents would find a
common way to move forward".

"After all, it proceeds from the interests of all parties.

Azerbaijan’s future is vague until this problem is resolved,"
the American diplomat underlined. He expressed assurance that the
Daqliq Qarabaq conflict can be resolved only via peaceful way. War
will destroy Azerbaijan’s future. Peaceful solution of the Qarabaq
problem is the way to go through. We have passed such a way and I hope
we will reach the solution of the problem," Daniel Fried concluded.

EDUARD KOKOITY ACCUSED GEORGIA OF MISSILE FIRING GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT ZONE

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.08.2007 16:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President of the unrecognized South Ossetian
Republic Eduard Kokoity accused Georgia of striking with missiles
the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone. "Warplanes of the Georgian
Defense Ministry have struck a location near Ossetian villages,
which is situated on the borders between the Leningorsk region
of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia and Gori region of
Georgia. The warplanes were flying long, free and fearlessly. And
only after making several strikes they flew away towards the Georgian
territory," the Committee of Information and Press of the unrecognized
republics brings the words of Eduard Kokoity.

"This is a well-planned provocation, its aim was to draw away
the attention of the world community from the state terror policy
carried out by Georgia on the territory of South Ossetia," E. Kokoity
stated. "If the target of warplanes was the Georgian radar station
illegally placed in the conflict zone, it would be possible to
understand such an allegation, and I am sure that Russian pilots would
handle this task. But the goal of this provocation was to intimidate
the Ossetian locals to make them leave their homes," he said.

The South Ossetian leadership will demand from the world community to
investigate all terror cases on the territory of the unrecognized
republic, E. Kokoity stated. "We will have to ask the Russian
leadership to supply Russian peacekeepers with corresponding means to
keep earlier achieved agreements on inadmissibility of unauthorized
flights over the conflict zone," he also stated, RBK reported.

FIRST INSTANCE COURT SENTENCES ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN TO 1.5 YEAR OF IMPRISONMENT

arminfo
2007-08-06 16:46:00

First Instance Court of Yerevan Center and Nork-Marash communities
sentenced Zhirayr Sefilyan, Head of the public and patriotic
organization "For Protection of Liberated Territories" to 1.5 year
of imprisonment. Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan declared the verdict
on Monday.

The people in the court hall welcomed Zhirayr Sefilyan, his
assistant and supporter Vardan Malkhasyan with applauds and slogans
"Feedom!" Moreover, there were numerous insults addressed to the
authorities. The police officers in the hall did not interfere into
the dialogue.

The judge declared Sefilyan not guilty in the first part of the charge
(calls for forced overthrow of power, Article 301.1) and sentenced
him for 1.5 year of prison for (illegal keeping of weapons and
armaments Article 235.1). Vardan Malkhasyan was sentenced to 2 yeas
of imprisonment for (calls for forced overthrow of power, Article
301.1). The third detainee Vahan Aroyan was sentenced to 1.5 year of
imprisonment for (illegal keeping of weapons and armaments Article
235.1). The lawyers intend to appeal against the verdict.

To recall, on July 2 First Instance Court of Center and Nork-Marash
communities started the trial of Zhirayr Sefilyan, a hero of
Karabakh war, the coordinator of the Union of Armenian Volunteers,
Vardan Malkhasyan, Sefilayn’s supporter, a member of Motherland and
Honor party, who are charged with public calls for overthrow of the
constitutional order, as well as of Vahan Arosyan. Zhirayr Sefilyan
was arrested on December 9 2006. He is charged with Article 301 of
RA Criminal Code.

DECLINE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS TO DILIJAN MAINLY DUE TO INCORRECT PRICE POLICY CONDUCTED IN SECTOR

Noyan Tapan
Aug 06 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The number of tourists to Dilijan has
declined in the summer of 2007. In particular, this resort city can
now receive 5-6 thousand people at once, whereas only 2,200 people
have been currently accomodated here, the deputy mayor of Dilijan
Armen Makarian said at the August 6 press conference.

He listed such main reasons as an incorrect policy being conducted
in the tourism sector, as well as large-scale construction work
currently underway in the city. Besides, according to A.Makarian,
the quality of services provided by tourist companies is low. "One
of the problems is that people not having any relation to tourism
are engaged in the sector," he noted.

In his words, only 10 out of more than 30 rest homes constructed
in Dilijan in the Soviet time are operating now. At the same time,
private motels are actively functioning.

A. Makarian expressed confidence that the sector’s problems have
temporary character as both Armenian and foreign investors show great
interest in the tourism sector. As proof of what he said, he noted
that the reconstructed health centers "Dilijan" and "Mountainous
Armenia" will soon be put into operation, as well as Dilijan’s
preserve-museum, whose construction is being done by Tufenkian
company. The reconstruction of Dilijan’s city hotel will be completed
soon, with 1.5 million dollars being allocated by a private investor
for reconstruction work.

The deputy mayor said that the geographic museum (where nearly
8,600 items of great historical and cultural value are kept) is now
undergoing major repairs.

The Messenger
Monday, August 6, 2007, #148 (1415)

Kavkaz-Poti ferry deal

Hakim Matchianov, Rezerv Capital Corporation chairman and owner of the
SMAT Kavkaz-Poti ferry, announced plans to sell 49 percent of his
stocks to Armenian companies on August 2.

He went on to emphasize the importance of the Kavkaz-Poti ferry route
for Armenian cargo. The Kavkaz port is in Russia; Armenia has had
difficulties getting its exports to the country since trade links
between Georgia and Russia were cut in late 2006.

Matchianov then outlined prospects for the recently established SMAT
ferry. Expressing regret that only three runs have been carried out by
SMAT since April 2007, Matchianov stated that from August onwards four
trips a month will be made.

He named some of the difficulties the company has recently faced,
including a lack of appropriate infrastructure for registering cargo
at Kavkaz, and acknowledged the stiff competition presented by the
seven other ferry companies operating the same route.

But he emphasized that SMAT offers a comparatively fast loading time
of one hour, and announced a USD 30 price reduction per train
carriage.

The SMAT ferry was launched on April 10, 2007, with a capacity of 50
train cars, but has since been dogged with problems.

"Mika" to compete with "Artmedia" in the second qualification round

armradio.am
04.08.2007 15:11

In the second qualification round of the UEFA Cup `Mika’ will compete
with `Artmedia’ of Slovakia. It was decided through a lot in the Swiss
city of Nion.

Let us remind that on August 3 `Mika’ defeated `MTK’ team of Hungary
1:0 and proceeded to the second qualification round of the UEFA Cup due
to the goal scored on the rival’s field. The first match in Budapest
ended 2:1 in favor of MTK.

`Mika’ ` `MTK’ matches will take place on August 16 and 30.

Russia plants flag on Arctic floor

Reuters
August 2, 2007

MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) — Russian explorers have dived deep below the
North Pole in a submersible and planted their national flag on the
seabed to stake a symbolic claim to the energy riches of the Arctic.

A mechanical arm on Thursday dropped a specially made, rust-proof
titanium flag painted with the Russian tricolor on to the Arctic seabed
at a depth of 4,261 meters (13,980 feet).

"It was so lovely down there," Itar-Tass news agency quoted expedition
leader Artur Chilingarov as saying as he emerged from one of two
submersibles that made the dive.

"If a hundred or a thousand years from now someone goes down to where we
were, they will see the Russian flag," said Chilingarov, 67, a top
pro-Kremlin member of parliament.

Russia wants to extend right up to the North Pole the territory it
controls in the Arctic, believed to hold vast reserves of untapped oil
and natural gas, which is expected to become more accessible as climate
change melts the ice.

President Vladimir Putin congratulated the expedition by telephone on
"the outstanding scientific project," local agencies reported.

Boris Gryzlov, who heads the State Duma lower chamber of parliament and
the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, hailed the expedition as "a new
stage of developing Russia’s polar riches."

"This is fully in line with Russia’s strategic interests," local media
quoted him as saying. "I am proud our country remains the leader in
conquering the Arctic. I am proud United Russia members took part in
this unprecedented mission."

Major Russian channels aired a message from the Russian crew manning the
International Space Station who said "this achievement must inspire the
younger generation".

Earlier on Thursday Canada mocked Russia’s ambitions and said the
expedition was nothing more than a show.

"This isn’t the 15th century. You can’t go around the world and just
plant flags and say ‘We’re claiming this territory’," Canadian Foreign
Minister Peter MacKay told CTV television.

Under international law, the five states with territory inside the
Arctic Circle — Canada, Norway, Russia, the United States and Denmark
via its control of Greenland — have a 320-kilometer (200-mile) economic
zone around the north of their coastline.

Russia is claiming a larger slice extending as far as the pole because,
Moscow says, the Arctic seabed and Siberia are linked by one continental
shelf.

"Then Russia can give foundation to its claim to more than a million
square kilometers of the oceanic shelf," said a news reader for Russia’s
state news channel Vesti-24, which made the expedition its top news story.

Russian media have said the move could raise tension with the United
States in a battle for Arctic gas.

A Tass reporter on board the mission support ship said crew members
cheered as Chilingarov climbed out of the submersible and was handed a
pair of slippers.

"This may sound grandiloquent but for me this is like placing a flag on
the moon, this is really a massive scientific achievement," Sergei
Balyasnikov, spokesman for Russia’s Arctic and Antarctic Institute, told
Reuters.

Russia says the mission is intended to show that the Lomonosov ridge, a
1,800-kilometer underwater mountain range that extends under the Arctic
to near the pole, is a geological extension of Russian territory.

It denied it was a land grab.

"The aim of this expedition is not to stake Russia’s claim but to show
that our shelf reaches to the North Pole," Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov told reporters in Manila, where he is attending a regional
security conference.

The Mir-1 submersible reached the seabed at 1208 Moscow time (0808 GMT)
and returned to the surface exactly six hours later.

A second Russian submersible, manned by Swedish businessman Frederik
Paulsen and Australian adventurer Mike McDowell, reached the seabed 27
minutes later. It reached a depth of 4,302 meters.

Soviet and U.S. nuclear submarines have often traveled under the polar
icecap, but until Thursday none had reached the seabed under the pole.

/arctic.sub.reut/index.html?section=cnn_latest

CONSTRUCTORS PROMISE THAT SPORTS BASES, WHICH ARE BEING REPAIRED FOR FOURTH ALL ARMENIAN GAMES WILL BE READY IN TIME

Noyan Tapan
Jul 30, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 30, the steering committee of
the fourth All Armenian games with Armen Grigorian, the RA Minister of
Sport and Youth Affairs, at the head visited the sports bases, which
are under repair now, that is to say, the Dinamo, FIMA, Hrazdan sport
grounds, where the last construction measures are being taken. The
constructors promised that all the sports bases will be ready to meet
the participants of the fourth All Armenian games.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
July 24, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

KARAKASHIAN EXPANDS ANCA CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS ON CAPITOL HILL

WASHINGTON, DC – New Jersey lawyer and Armenian American community
activist Raffi N. Karakashian, Esq., has helped maximize the
Armenian National Committee of America’s (ANCA) Congressional
outreach over the past several months, expanding the ANCA’s
presence on Capitol Hill and further leveraging nationwide
grassroots efforts in support of key legislative priorities.

Having joined the ANCA staff just weeks after the introduction of
the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106) on January 30, 2007,
Karakashian has quickly emerged as an effective and energetic
advocate of Armenian American issues, teaming with the ANCA’s
seasoned Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian, Esq. in
taking Congressional relations to a new level. Building on his
years of experience as a New Jersey activist and his past
experience in Washington, DC, Karakashian has hit the ground
running, educating Congressional staff about community concerns and
working with ANCA regional offices and local chapters to help
secure a Congressional majority in support of H.Res.106.

"With nationwide, grassroots mobilization for the Armenian Genocide
resolution in full swing and ongoing efforts to strengthen U.S.-
Armenia relations and ensure a brighter future for Nagorno
Karabagh, 2007 has been the perfect time to join the ANCA
Washington team," said Karakashian, who serves as ANCA Legislative
Affairs Director. "I look forward to continue working with Kate
and our affiliates across the nation as we work to increase our
Congressional outreach on behalf of our community."

"Raffi has been a tremendous addition to the ANCA team," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "His energy, intellect, skills,
and devotion have been critical to leveraging the grassroots power
of our community, advancing our legislative agenda, and creating
new opportunities for Armenian Americans to have our voice heard in
Congress and throughout Washington, DC."

Karakashian received his Bachelor of Science from Boston College in
1999 in Chemistry and Political Science. He then studied law at
Seton Hall University, graduating with his Juris Doctorate degree
in 2003. He went on to serve as law clerk to the Hon. Daniel M.
Waldman, J.S.C. of the Superior Court of New Jersey in the 2003-
2004 court term, followed by positions at Evans, Osborne &
Kreizman, LLC in Ocean Township and Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla,
P.C. in Middletown.

Karakashian has been an active part of New Jersey’s vibrant
Armenian American community. He is an alumnus and former executive
member of the Central New Jersey Armenian Youth Federation
"Yerevan" Chapter and served as deacon at the St. Stepanos Armenian
Church in Elberon. He has interned with the Armenian Assembly of
America in 1998 and 1999, in Washington, DC with Rep. Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and in Armenia, as the first Assembly intern at
Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A member of the ANC of New
Jersey, Karakashian has been active in New Jersey politics, having
worked on campaigns for former New Jersey State Assembly Speaker
Garabed "Chuck" Haytaian (R-NJ), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-
Chair Frank Pallone and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

#####

Photo Caption: ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi N.
Karakashian, Esq.