Author: Ekmekjian Janet

G. CHALIAND: L’ETAT NE DOIT PAS LEGIFERER SUR TOUT
Charente Libre
18 mai 2006
Historien du genocide armenien, Gerard Chaliand n’est pas favorable
au projet de loi socialiste. C’est une question complexe, explique
l’auteur avec Yves Ternon d’un ouvrage très documente sur la tragedie
et publie dans les annees 1980. A titre personnel, je ne suis pas
partisan que l’Etat legifère sur tout comme il l’a fait recemment
avec la colonisation. Je trouve plus democratique de pouvoir discuter
des choses en sachant de toute facon que les faits sont averes et
que seules des personnes mal informees ou de francs salauds peuvent
encore contester l’existence du genocide perpetre contre les Armeniens.
M. Chaliand note que la France a deja reconnu le genocide par une
loi en 2001 mais le fait de reconnaître est une chose, le fait de
sanctionner le negationnisme en est une autre, dit-il en se prononcant
sur le principe contre la punition. En revanche, il estime que si la
loi Gayssot sanctionnant le negationnisme de la Shoah s’applique aux
Juifs, on ne voit pas pourquoi la meme chose ne s’appliquerait pas aux
Armeniens. Mais pour lui, face a l’aneantissement de 1,2 million a 1,5
million d’Armeniens en 1915 et 1917 par le gouvernement ottoman des
Jeunes Turcs dans le contexte de la Première guerre mondiale, concu
comme une operation strategique, il n’y a plus rien a discuter sur le
fond, les archives sont la, celles des allies comme des adversaires. Le
pretexte etait la rebellion, le moyen officiel, la deportation.
–Boundary_(ID_gWyI43UzSpxpjg2LCvZjW A)–

HALIL BERKTAY : ” LE PAYSAGE INTELLECTUEL EN TURQUIE A CHANGE SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN ”
Propos recueillis par Sophie Shihab
Le Monde, France
18 mai 2006
Dans un entretien au ” Monde “, l’historien turc, qui reconnaît le
genocide, estime que la nouvelle loi preparee en France aurait des
effets desastreux.
Vous etes presente comme la première figure turque a avoir reconnu la
realite du genocide armenien en Turquie. Quelle a ete votre demarche
? Les premières voix turques dissidentes, critiques du discours
nationaliste officiel, sont venues, dans les annees 1990, de Turcs
residant a l’etranger, tels Taner Akcam, Fikret Adamir ou Fatma
Muge Gocek. En octobre 2000, je fus le premier historien travaillant
en Turquie a donner une interview pour dire ce qui pousse a croire
que les massacres de 1915-1916 repondaient a des ordres de l’Etat,
illegaux et secrets. Mes propos ont paru dans un quotidien national,
Radikal, et non dans des revues confidentielles. Cela a provoque une
immense fureur, et ce fut une brèche dans le mur du silence.
Mais cette brèche ne s’est guère elargie ensuite ? Au contraire. De
plus en plus de voix se sont alors elevees. En septembre 2005, nous
avons pu organiser une conference sur les Armeniens et le declin de
l’Empire ottoman. Ce qui a mis en exergue une realite qui ne plaît pas
du tout a nos milieux dirigeants nationalistes, a savoir qu’en moins
de cinq ans le paysage intellectuel en Turquie a change. Ce n’est
plus un groupe de marginaux, mais une large couche d’universitaires,
et les journalistes les plus connus, qui pensent a l’oppose du discours
negationniste officiel, ou semi-officiel.
Les lois reconnaissant le genocide armenien adoptees a l’etranger
ont-elles eu un effet ?
Un effet complexe, contradictoire. Car toute solution durable de
cette question suppose une democratisation de la Turquie. Le deni
de la realite est un problème qui fait partie de la tragedie de la
societe turque. Il doit etre surmonte en Turquie. Ce que d’autres
pays font est certes important, mais finalement secondaire.
Comment expliquer l’amnesie collective en Turquie sur ce passe ? La
Turquie moderne, nee en 1923, n’avait aucun interet a entretenir
la memoire de ce qu’ont fait ses predecesseurs. Les puissances
occidentales, alliees de la Turquie, non plus. Après des decennies
de refoulement impose, il y a un gouffre entre ce que le monde sait
sur ce passe et ce que la societe turque, dans son ensemble, croit
savoir en toute sincerite. Après les attentats de l’Armee secrète pour
la liberation de l’Armenie – Asala, dans les annees 1970 et 1980 –
visant des diplomates turcs, la politique du silence fut remplacee
par celle du deni.
La seule riposte possible, c’est de parler, et de se faire entendre.
Certains succès sont deja la. La repetition hypocrite des cliches
negationnistes a beaucoup diminue. Mais ce n’est qu’un debut. Nous
sommes en train de creer graduellement les conditions d’un debat
normal, sans hysterie, imprecations, terreur psychologique et menaces
de lynchages. La solution ne peut pas venir d’une decision autoritaire,
par le haut.
Mais cela peut aider ? Il faut etre realiste : l’establishment va
traîner des pieds. C’est a la societe civile de faire le travail.
L’Histoire suggère d’ailleurs que le despotisme eclaire, ca ne marche
pas. Le dynamisme doit venir des mouvements d’opposition. Or il y a
une tendance actuellement en Occident, y compris en France avec le
projet de loi criminalisant le deni du genocide armenien, a vouloir
imposer des solutions a la Turquie sous forme d’ultimatums. Mais la
politique n’a pas a dicter les savoirs.
L’experience du XXe siècle devrait suffire a s’en convaincre. Il
faut des debats ouverts, libres, forcement lents. Il ne s’agit pas
d’approuver ou non ces crimes. On peut criminaliser le fait d’en
faire l’apologie, mais peut-on juger criminelle une opinion sincère
sur l’Histoire ? Voyez les debats sur les très nombreux cas où on
parle de genocide. Où mettre les limites ?
Quelles seraient en Turquie les effets d’une adoption de la nouvelle
loi en France ? Ils seraient desastreux, avant tout pour l’action
des democrates. On peut craindre que le Parlement turc n’adopte une
contre-loi, criminalisant la reconnaissance du genocide. Il y a en ce
moment une forte vague nationaliste, anti-europeenne, en Turquie. Ces
forces seraient ravies de voir l’Europe refuser l’adhesion de la
Turquie. Elles la verraient volontiers isolee comme une Birmanie.
Si la France adopte la loi, elle se privera des moyens de faire
pression contre une telle evolution. La France des droits humains se
sera tire une balle dans le pied… Le parti du premier ministre,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a tente de se montrer plus flexible sur les
causes nationales, dont la question armenienne. Mais il est en butte
a de vives pressions. L’adoption du projet de loi en France serait une
invite directe a son parti de se debarrasser de ses habits europeens.
–Boundary_(ID_uKiauuykZ2MVABgmFX32/g) —

CANADA-TURKEY SPAT WON’T AFFECT NATO OPERATION
Embassy, Canada
Canada’s Foreign Policy Newsweekly
May 17 2006
Last week’s diplomatic storm over Stephen Harper’s use of the term
‘genocide’ will not affect Canada’s relations with the Turkish head
of NATO’s Afghan mission, but it does signal a policy shift.
The Turkish-Canadian spat over Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s comments
recognizing the Armenian genocide two weeks ago will not spill over
into Afghanistan where a senior Turkish diplomat presently occupies
the position of NATO’s top Civilian Representative to Afghanistan,
according to the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa.
Despite Ankara’s withdrawal last week from NATO military exercises
in the Canadian province of Alberta, Turkey’s leading NATO role
in Afghanistan with Canada will not be affected, says Yonet Tezel,
Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy.
“Our contribution is still going on and it is above our relations
with Canada,” says Mr. Tezel.
NATO is scheduled to take over military operations from the U.S. in
Afghanistan in the summer.
Mr. Tezel also says Turkey is not likely to pull out its most senior
diplomat, Hikmet Cetin, who is NATO’s Civilian Representative to
Afghanistan.
With 825 troops, Turkey has the third largest contingent in
Afghanistan, after Germany and Canada. Its role is considered important
because it is also the only Muslim country with troops in Afghanistan.
In what may signal a decrease in tensions between Canada and Turkey,
Mr. Yonet also says Turkish Ambassador Aydemir Erman is expected to
return to Canada this week. Turkey called its envoy to Canada back to
Ankara for consultations on May 6 in protest of Mr. Harper’s comments.
Mr. Harper became the first Canadian prime minister to utter the word
‘genocide’ in recognizing the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in
Turkey in 1915. The statement also marks a major shift in Canadian
foreign policy towards Turkey, which also temporarily withdrew its
ambassador to France as a result of an impeding vote in the French
parliament that would make it a crime to deny the that genocide was
committed in Armenia.
But while it withdrew its envoy from Paris, the Turkish government
also sent a delegation to meet French legislators on the issue. It did
not do the same thing in Canada. Mr. Tezel says the circumstances are
totally different, hence the type of reaction to the French situation.
“The situation is philosophically and intellectually unacceptable,”
Mr. Tezel says of France’s decision to make it a crime to deny that
genocide was committed in Armenia.
Kim Nossal, Professor and Head of Political Studies at Queen’s
University in Kingston, says Mr. Harper’s decision acknowledging
that genocide was committed against Armenians was likely made to
send a message that the Tory government is different from the former
minority government.
“[Mr. Harper] wanted to signal that his government is different from
the Liberal government, which actually talked a lot about human rights,
but did nothing,” says Mr. Nossal.
“It was a clear and conscious set of reasoning on this,” he says.
“All you have to do is think about the Liberals and Darfur and you
can ask ‘Where were you then?'”
[email protected] g.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2 006/may/17/turkey/

Armenia-Diaspora Rural Poverty Eradication Program
Interview with Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs
May 17, 2006
Armenia TV
Armenia TV: Minister Oskanian, you were in the United States recently, where
you talked about a new Armenia-Diaspora program. What is this program?
Vartan Oskanian: It’s a very broad effort to eradicate rural poverty in
Armenia. The strategic objective of this program is reducing poverty in
rural Armenia’s border villages through an integrated approach. The program
will provide the necessary intervention in the form of infrastructure and
technical support, and in partnership with the residents of the village, the
program will support economic development in order to enable the
sustainability and viability of rural communities. We’re proud that Armenia
has evolved so much over this decade and a half that we are now in a
position to imagine and launch such a far-reaching program.
Armenia TV: Everyone who has visited Armenia comments on the discrepancy in
lifestyle and standard of living between the cities and the rural areas.
Armenia’s economic growth indicators are impressive, but that growth really
has not reached the villages, has it?
Vartan Oskanian: You’re right. Even at this current fast pace, it will take
decades before we reach even the average European level of prosperity. If we
want to ensure that these rural communities are not destined to remain
stagnant, permanent pockets of poverty, if we want to ensure that Armenians
are not born into a cycle of poverty, then we cannot allow development to
simply take its course. We must take practical steps to intervene, to take a
short-cut towards an improved quality of life for our rural citizens.
Armenia TV: What is the scope of this program? There are nearly 1000
villages in Armenia. How will you decide where to begin?
Vartan Oskanian: Of those 1000 villages you just mentioned, 200 are within 3
miles of our borders. The effects of rural poverty and hopelessness on
migration, regional stability, geo-strategic and economic security are
obvious in these villages. That is why we have decided to begin with Armenia’s
border areas.
And, actually, in many of these villages, international organizations,
individual Armenians and the Armenian government are already engaged.
However, the extent of the damage wrought by the economic collapse and the
energy crisis was profound. As a result, it’s going to take a focused,
targeted collaborative effort to improve life for our compatriots in these
critical border areas.
In each of these villages, necessary infrastructure is simply non-existent.
Some have no paved roads, others have no running water, some have no gas or
electricity. Imagine trying to raise a family or make a living without these
basics. Then, in addition to weak infrastructure, they also are often not
economically self-sufficient. They either lack the markets for their
products, or lack the means to get the product to market. In some cases,
they have no viable product even. This is a problem throughout Armenia, but
I don’t think anyone will doubt that the border is critical.
Armenia TV: Why launch such an ambitious and novel program now?
Vartan Oskanian: Why now? There are three main reasons.
First, we want to build on the international momentum that already exists.
Over the next five years, the Millennium Challenge Corporation will build
roads and bring irrigation water to Armenia’s rural areas. In addition,
there is the generous new Lincy program that will build roads and schools
within and outside Yerevan. There are massive World Bank, USAID, DFID and
IFAD programs throughout Armenia. The Armenia Fund, too, has programs
throughout Armenia, as well as Karabakh, of course. We want to leverage
these programs and locate additional funds in order to bring comprehensive
development to the villages. Imagine that a village will, in a few years,
have irrigation water and roads, thanks to the MCC, for example. But imagine
that there will be no drinking water, no health care, no school, no gas or
electricity in that village. Imagine children growing up in a 21st century
rural community that has roads and water and electricity, but is without
access to telephone, television or internet. We can’t let that happen. Now
imagine what we could do together if the Armenian government, Armenia’s
business community, international organizations, and the Armenian Diaspora
came together to leverage the MCC contributions and to build on the MCC
momentum. Imagine a country where development is comprehensive, even, fair
and just.
The second reason to do it now is to sustain the pace of economic
development. Look, we’ve had high growth, at least in part because our point
of departure was low. Our economy had collapsed. But the more the economy
grows, the harder it will be to maintain double-digit growth. Additional
infusion and intervention is necessary and why not target that infusion
towards the areas that need it most?
Finally, Armenia has, over these 15 years, held a leading role in this
region. This may sound surprising, but it’s true. Georgia has a more
favorable geographic position and access to the sea, Azerbaijan has already
been pumping massive amounts of oil – more than 300,000 barrels a day over
the last several years, yet, according to the World Bank, per capita income
is still higher in Armenia. This is something to be proud of, but it’s also
something we must work at. We have to keep that edge even with the prospects
of additional oil revenues expected for Azerbaijan. We can do that only if
we aggressively mobilize our resources and clearly set comprehensive
economic development as our goal.
Armenia TV: In other words, you are reinforcing the adage that the Diaspora
has to make up for Azerbaijan’s oil.
Vartan Oskanian: I am saying that Armenia and Diaspora should decide that we
want every Armenian to be able to live in dignity, to be able to have hope,
to be able to believe in the future, to know that his children will be
educated, that her family can reach a doctor. That is development, that is
the path to a democratic society. Hopeless people don’t believe in
themselves or their leaders, they don’t protect or defend their votes, they
don’t care who wins or who pays them to win. We want a population that has
hope in the future, that believes in themselves, and that has the will to
take on responsibility and hold their leaders accountable.
Armenia TV: What will happen to the various organizations already working
towards rural development?
Vartan Oskanian: This program will make every effort to partner with all
existing organizations and programs in order to achieve maximum
effectiveness and efficiency. We have already spoken to every single
organization, individual and agency (more than 100 in number) with programs
in Armenia’s villages. Our program is not intended to replace or compete
with existing programs. On the contrary, we will work with them to build on
their efforts, to increase their capacity. Our website will reflect their
efforts as well, so that donors and participants receive a complete picture
of what is being done, and what is still needed.
Armenia TV: How will you seek support for this program?
Vartan Oskanian: This very serious and far-reaching program can only succeed
with the active engagement and involvement of a variety of actors and
participants. Individual countries have already expressed a willingness to
focus their development assistance on our rural areas. International
organizations are already focused on rural development. As are individual
Diasporans and Diaspora organizations. Now, we must also engage and involve
Armenia’s businessmen, and new elements of the Diaspora. Those who have
previously looked for specific projects and not found them will find them
now. This project is varied and broad enough that individuals can find a
variety of ways of getting involved. It will be implemented over 5 years,
and this should make it easier to fundraise.
Armenia TV: On the one hand, it’s good that the Diaspora is being offered a
concrete program. On the other hand, some in the Diaspora are not prepared
to engage full-heartedly or to make long-term commitments.
Vartan Oskanian: We know and understand that there are many aspects of this,
or any new program, which will have to be explained in detail in order for
individuals and organizations in the Diaspora to feel comfortable about
engaging and giving. That is why this topic will form the focus of the
agenda of the 3d Armenia-Diaspora Conference, to be held in Yerevan,
September 18 – 20. There, we will explain the program’s purpose, how it will
be implemented, how the funds will be raised and managed, and the key issues
of transparency and accountability will be addressed. We think that it is
possible to use this program as a model for how to handle fundraising and
program implementation, and to do it in a way that inspires confidence and
ensures maximum participation.
Armenia TV: Will the management of the program remain within the MFA and the
Diaspora Conference?
Vartan Oskanian: Between now and the Armenia-Diaspora Conference, we will
have completed the design of the program, the management structure and begun
the process of assessing needs and finding sponsors for villages. After the
Armenia-Diaspora Conference, we envision that the Armenia Fund is best
situated to take over as the umbrella which will appoint a governance board,
a fiscal agent, as well as the management team. This ambitious program is a
natural expansion of the Armenia Fund’s mission – to facilitate
infrastructure and development programs that are beyond the government’s
capacity.
It was a visionary step to create the Armenia Fund, soon after independence,
when its additional resources were sorely needed. It has since completed
projects which have invaluable, strategic significance for Armenia and
Armenians. Now, we are at a stage when we can and should broaden that
vision. Fifteen years after independence, we are no longer desperate and
focused on everyday survival. Today, we must project a vision for Armenia in
2020. Our task is to develop the Armenia Fund into the kind of structure
that will make possible the creation of a prosperous, evenly developed
Armenia for our children. This program is the catalyst for that kind of
transformation. If Armenians needed to strengthen Karabakh to ensure
Karabakh’s survival and prosperity, there can be no doubt that only a strong
Armenia can ensure Karabakh’s long-term future. This rural development
program, which will work to improve the life of all Armenians in Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh will go a long way toward ensuring the irreversibility of
those links.
Of course, the breadth and scope of the program will require the Fund to
increase capacity, to provide even greater transparency and to involve wider
segments of the Diaspora.
Armenia TV: Tell us more about the Armenia-Diaspora Conference. What else
will be on the agenda?
Vartan Oskanian: This conference will be held in the midst of the
celebrations of Armenia’s 15th anniversary. We’ve come a long way over this
decade and a half. We’ve survived against great, great odds. Over the next
15 years, we must work to transform Armenia into the land of your dreams.
That can happen if Armenia’s expectations of the Diaspora and the Diaspora’s
expectations of Armenia are more evenly matched. This conference will also
focus on those issues. In other words, with independence comes the need to
succeed economically. The rural development plan addresses that concern and
makes it possible for the Diaspora to participate in that direction. At the
same time, with independence come questions about identify, about
homeland-diaspora relations, about language and religion, about political
parties and diaspora institutions. And if our traditional organizations used
to look at these questions one way, today’s youth approaches these issues
very differently. They are looking for new answers to old questions. That is
why the second half of the conference will focus on exactly that – New
Answers to Old Questions – A Nation-State in the 21st Century.
This way, we will have addressed the two fundamental issues facing a people
and a country – identity and development — who we are and who we want to
become.
Armenia TV: Minister Oskanian, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

TV REPORTS RUSSIAN TROOPS PULLOUT FROM GEORGIA
NTV Mir, Moscow
15 May 06
Excerpt from report by Russian external TV service NTV Mir “Segodnya”
news on 15 May.
[Presenter] The first echelon with Russian hardware has left the
Akhalkalaki base. The military hopes that this train as well as all
the subsequent ones will not have problems while travelling across
Georgia. The first echelon left three hours ago. The Russian and
Georgian defence ministers have agreed to close down the base and it
has to be closed down completely by the end of 2007. Our correspondent
Vadim Fefilov was watching the withdrawal of the first consignment of
Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and reconnaissance patrol
vehicles from the Georgian territory.
[Video shows troops leaving] [Correspondent] Lt-Gen [Valeriy]
Yevnevich makes a short report by satellite telephone to his bosses
in Moscow and the first echelon with Russian hardware pulls out of
the Ahkalkalaki base to make its way across Georgia and Azerbaijan to
Russia. Russian servicemen, just as they had promised to the Georgian
side, have managed to move tanks, combat reconnaissance vehicles,
ammunition and missiles from Akhalkalaki to the railway station of
Tsalka. That was not simple.
[Passage omitted: they had to move along difficult routes in the
mountains at an altitude of 2,500 metres; but the vehicles are in
good order because soldiers are really professional; everything is
proceeding without problems so far.]
[Correspondent, continues] It has transpired that Armenia has feared
that some of the Russian equipment may be left in Azerbaijan for some
reason. Azerbaijan’s military attache are telling their Armenian
colleagues that there is nothing to worry about.
[Passage omitted: Russia and Azerbaijan have agreed the equipment will
not be stopped in Azerbaijan; locals around the base are primarily
ethnic Armenians and they are now losing their jobs because of the
withdrawal]
[Correspondent, continuing] In line with earlier agreements between
the Russian and Georgian defence ministers another 20 echelons with
Russian heavy hardware will leave the area before the end of the year.
[Passage omitted: the correspondent signs off]

Zaman Online, Turkey
May 14 2006
French Tension High Ahead of Armenian Bill
By Cihan News Agency
Published: Sunday, May 14, 2006
zaman.com
Tension in France has been rising ahead of French parliamentary
resolution which criminalizes denial of so-called Armenian genocide,
as Turkish and Armenian organizations are set to hold demonstration
before parliament on May 18 when the bill will be voted.
A group of Armenians sneaked into the congress of ruling Union for
Populist Movement (UMP) in Paris on Sunday, protesting against the
rejection of similar resolution at the French National Assembly
Judiciary Affairs Commission.
The protest of the Armenian Collectif Van group at the UMP congress
was blocked by the security forces. The group members chanted slogans
against Turkey.
The draft bill to be voted in the French parliament on May 18 brings
in up to a year of imprisonment and a fine of up to 45,000 for those
who deny the “Armenian genocide”.
The fate of the Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during WW1 is a
sensitive issue in Turkey. Armenians claim that over 1 million
Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed as part of an
campaign during World War I.
Turkey rejects the allegations saying that 200,000 Armenians died
during forced migrations due to cold weather and bad transportation
conditions. Turkish historians argue that same numbers of Turkish
citizens were killed by the Armenian gangs.

ARSHAK SADOYAN: IT IS POSSIBLE TO SOLVE SOME PROBLEMS EVEN UNDER BAD
AUTHORITIES

YEREVAN, MAY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. A NGO to protect the interests of
consumers in the telecommunication sector will soon be set
up. Chairman of the Alliance of National Democrats (AND) Party Arshak
Sadoyan said during the May 12 press conference that it is possible to
solve some problems even under bad authorities. The matter concerns a
recent decision of the RA Public Services Regulatory Commission, which
approved ArmenTel’s proposal to forgive the complaining subscribers
the sums to be paid for international calls made by error while using
the Internet in the period from November 2004 to April 1, 2006. The
company also expressed a willingness to register the already paid sums
as a prepayment for fixed-line phone services. According to A Sadoyan,
such bills sent to subscribers by ArmenTel total nearly 600 thousand
dollars. A. Sadoyan also stated that AND will struggle for the
independence of Armenia’s energy sector. In his words, “in this
sector, no other state should have a monopoly, and all the facilities
transferred should be returned to the Armenian people.”

IS IT TIME TO HAVE A NEW ARCHITECT?
A1+
[04:36 pm] 11 May, 2006
Three architects sat side by side in the club “Mirror” and criticized
the “bustle” of the capital’s construction works. The two former chief
architects of the capital and the recent one were among them. All
of them confessed that 6 years ago the capital wasn’t ready for the
constructive works, that’s why they couldn’t avoid mistakes.
One of the participants was the chairman of the architects’ union
Mkrtich Minasyan who opposed others.
The other was the head of the Yerevan project institute Gurgen
Musheghyan. The latter mainly supported his counterpart, the chief
of the municipality architecture and urban development department
and the chief architect of Yerevan Samvel Danielyan. Mkrtich Minasyan
claimed that the sore point of the capital is not the ugliness resulted
by the construction works. “The point is that we were to preserve
certain normative claims which existed earlier,” he urged. Asked the
question whether he liked the view of the capital from the heaven,
he answered negatively. We tried to find out whether he liked the
Yerevan of his period. “It wasn’t that good either,” said the chairman
of the architects’ union.
He also focused on the fact that constructors break “the red line;”
they want to use public territories as commercial objects. Architect
Musheghyan brought the example of Hrazdan gorge where multiple
entertainment objects were built and according to his words the
visibility of the gorge became obscure.
Samvel Danielyan also confessed that the gorge is a serious
environmental problem for the RA capital as the country doesn’t have
seas and lakes and claimed that all the new objects legalized their
buildings through the court system. As a proper way to avoid further
wilderness he suggested making the roofs of the buildings green.
The most interesting point was the chief architect’s contemplation over
his actions when he claimed that they were immature and unprepared
during the constructions of Northern Avenue and they will not repeat
their mistakes later on as they have already become mature and learned
a lot of new things.

SAMVEL DARBINIAN APPOINTED RA NATIONAL TEAM’S ACTING MAIN TRAINER
Noyan Tapan
May 11 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. By FFA Chairman Ruben Hairapetian’s
decree, Samvel Darbinian was appointed the acting main trainer of the
National Team of Armenia. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Press
Secretariate of the Football Federation of Armenia, S.Darbinian headed
the National Team of Armenia in 1995-1996 as well.

TURKEY QUITS INTERNATIONAL MILITARY MANEUVERS IN CANADA
By Cihan News Agency, Toronto
Zaman, Turkey
May 11 2006
Turkey, recalling its ambassador to Canada after Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harper used the word “genocide” in a statement he
made on April 24, the date Armenians remember the events of 1915,
also withdrew from international military maneuvers in this country.
Turkey Embassy officials announced aircraft and support craft of the
Turkish Air Forces that were earlier confirmed to take part in the
international maneuvers at Canada’s Cold Late Bay in the province of
Alberta on May 17-June 24, withdrew from the maneuvers.
Canada Defense Ministry spokesman Gordon O’Connor confirmed Turkey
withdrew from the military maneuvers on Friday.