Author: Emil Lazarian

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
January 19, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA STATEMENT REGARDING THE ASSASSINATION OF
HRANT DINK

The Armenian Assembly of America grieves the tragic murder of one of the
most prominent Armenian voices in Turkey, Hrant Dink, who was gunned
down in broad daylight for his public statements on the Armenian
Genocide and his tireless civic activism. The Armenian Assembly
condemns this blatant political assassination and mourns the loss of an
exceptional human being and civil rights advocate who, well aware of the
personal risks to him, was determined to serve as a catalyst for mutual
understanding, tolerance and dialogue. Hrant Dink consistently
championed democratic change in Turkey. He will always be remembered for
his strong leadership and commitment to human rights.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR#2007-010

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN REPORTER
PO Box 129
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
Tel: 1-201-226-1995
Fax: 1-201-226-1660
Web:
Email: [email protected]

BREAKING NEWS, Updated January 19, 2007, 1 p.m. EST
Added statements by "Milleyet" DC Bureau Chief, Ara Sarafian, AAA, and
Cong. Schiff

Armenian editor Dink killed in Istanbul
Murder condemned as a "literal killing of the truth"

YEREVAN–Hrant Dink, 53, the outspoken editor-in-chief of the
bilingual Turkish and Armenian weekly "Agos," was shot dead in front
of his central Istanbul office around 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m.
Eastern) today.

The murder in broad daylight was greeted with horror in Turkey.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the assassination an attack
against "Turkey’s stability," Bloomberg reports.

"This attack against Hrant Dink is against the Turkish nation’s
togetherness and peace," Mr. Erdogan said. "A bullet was fired at
freedom of thought and democratic life."

The Turkish broadcaster NTV said Mr. Dink had been shot three times in
the neck and police had arrested two people in connection with the
murder. Police believe a male aged 18 or 19 may have killed Mr. Dink,
CNN Turk television reported, citing unidentified police officials.

Armenia’s foreign minister, Vartan Oskanian told Armenia TV he was
"deeply shocked by the news of the assassination" of Mr. Dink, "a man
who has lived his life with the belief that understanding, dialog, and
peace are possible among people."

"Hrant Dink was a friend and colleague who will be dearly missed by
everyone who had known him," Yasemin Congar, the Washington Bureau
Chief of Istanbul’s "Milliyet" told the "Armenian Reporter." "Dink was
prosecuted, convicted, and continously threatened for exercising his
freedom of speech. And now he paid the ultimate price. It is a
terrible day for freedom of speech and freedom of press in Turkey."

"I hope this will be an eye-opener for those who use and/or provoke
the intolerant discourse of extreme nationalism in the Turkish public
sphere," Ms. Congar continued. "It’s time for all responsible parties
in Turkey to help build an environment of tolerance and freedom so
that we can discuss our country’s history without fear of prosecution
and punishment."

"Both in his life and by his untimely death, Dink showed how much the
Armenian issue matters in Turkey today," said the historian Ara
Sarafian, who knew Mr. Dink and interviewed him for the documentary
"Screamers."

Mr. Dink "was disliked by extremists because he did not back, nor did
he thrive on, sectarian divides. Instead, he struggled against such
divisions by standing firm, building bridges, and speaking out. He
always maintained that Turks, Kurds and Armenians should be the best
of friends and neighbours," Mr. Sarafian added.

An editor at the "Turkish Daily News" told the "Armenian Reporter" in
tears, "We all thought the time was past" when people were shot in
Turkey for taking unpopular positions.

In a statement condemning the murder, the Committee to Protect
Journalists noted, "In the last 15 years, 18 Turkish journalists have
been killed for their work, many of them murdered, making [Turkey] the
eighth deadliest country in the world for journalists."

Ross Vartian, executive director of USAPAC, said, "Turkish government
denial of the Armenian Genocide and prosecution of those who dare
speak the truth breeds an environment of extreme intolerance. The
government is ultimately responsible for this murder–this literal
killing of truth."

Protesters at the scene chanted "shoulder-to-shoulder against fascism"
and "the murderer government will pay," Reuters reports.

"This bullet was fired against Turkey," said CNN Turk television
editor Taha Akyol. "An image has been created about Turkey that its
Armenian citizens have no safety."

Television footage showed Mr. Dink’s body lying in the street covered
by a white sheet, with hundreds of bystanders gathering behind a
police cordon.

Last year Turkey’s appeals court upheld a six-month suspended jail
sentence against Mr. Dink for referring in an article to the Armenian
Genocide.

The court said the comments went against article 301 of Turkey’s
revised penal code which lets prosecutors pursue cases against writers
and scholars for "insulting Turkish identity." The ruling was sharply
criticised by the European Union, which Turkey wants to join.

Mr. Dink was one of dozens of writers who have been charged under laws
against insulting Turkishness, particularly over the Armenian
Genocide.

The European Union’s enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn issued a
statement saying he is "shocked and saddened by this brutal act of
violence."

"Hrant Dink was a respected intellectual who defended his views with
conviction and contributed to an open public debate. He was a
campaigner for freedom of expression in Turkey," Mr. Rehn’s statement
continued.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a statement saying it was "shocked
and deeply troubled" by the news.

In a letter to colleagues, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said, "I met
Mr. Dink in Turkey in 2003 and we talked at length about the Armenian
Genocide and about the effects that the Turkish blockade of Armenia
was having on Turkey’s landlocked neighbor. In our meeting, Mr. Dink
was candid about the difficulties that he faced as an Armenian
journalist in Turkey, but he was quietly determined to create a better
world for the peoples of both countries."

Mr. Dink "was a brave man, an outspoken advocate of human rights,
genocide recognition, and of the Armenian community in Turkey," Arpi
Vartanian, the Armenian Assembly of America’s country director for
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, told Armenia TV. "The work that Hrant
was doing and all of us were doing will not stop with the murder of
one man."

Mr. Dink wrote in "Agos" that he had been receiving "angry threats."
He said he found one letter "extremely worrying" and said police took
no action after he complained.

Mr. Dink’s notoriety had also led him to get calls every day from
Turkish citizens who wanted to "come out" as Armenians. "He was the
point person for people who were deciding no longer to keep their
Armenian identity a secret," an acquaintance who asked to remain
anonymous told the "Reporter."

Mr. Sarafian, the historian, said, "Dink’s death should be a rallying
point in denouncing all violence, building bridges across human
divides, and working to resolve the Armenian issue as a matter of
common humanity."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

660 MLN DRAMS ALLOCATED BY 2007 STATE BUDGET FOR PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF MONUMENTS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 17 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. 660 mln drams were allocated by
the RA 2007 state budget for works of preservation and restoration
of monuments. As Gagik Gyurjian, the RA Deputy Minister of Culture
and Youth Issues mentioned in the interview to the Noyan Tapan
correspondent, this sum of money is 60 mln less of the money
allocated in 2006. In the Deputy Minister’s words, the 2007 state
budget allocations will be mainly directed to restoration works of
4 monuments.

Besides, the Ministry envisaged to start this year works of
preservation of ten other historic-cultural monuments. Sketch drafts
of their restoration works have already been discussed at sittings of
the Scientific-Methodological Council of the Agency for Restoration
and Preservation of History and Culture Monuments.

The Deputy Minister also stated that this year the agency will continue
implementation of works of preservation, improvement of about 24
thousand monuments in the territory of the republic, specification
of their preservation zones, certification, registration of newly
discovered monuments, works of specification of lists of the monuments
in the marzes of the republic.

MEETING BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENTS TO TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 24 IN SOCHI

Noyan Tapan
Jan 18 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting between Armenian President
Robert Kocharian and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place
on January 24 in Sochi. Radio Liberty was informed about it from RF
President’s Press Service.

Priority directions of bilateral economic and political cooperation,
in particular, cooperation in the sphere of energy, abilities of
extension of volumes of Armenian-Russian commodity circulation,
issues regarding Russian investments in Armenian economy are planned
to be discussed during the meeting. The sides will also touch upon
regional issues, current stage of Nagorno Karabakh settlement.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WHERE WILL THE FOOTBALL TEAMS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN MEET?

ArmRadio.am
18.01.2007 18:00

During the UEFA Congress to be held January 25-26 in Dusseldorf Heads
of Football Federations of Armenia and Azerbaijan will discuss the
details o the matches between the national teams of the two countries
in the framework of the qualification round of European Championship
2008, Press Service of the Football Federation of Armenia told ArmInfo.

Let us remind that the Football Federation of Armenia has been
repeatedly confirming the readiness of the Armenian side to hold the
match in Yerevan, while Azerbaijan continues to insist on holding
the matches in a neutral zone.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are included in Group A together with Finland,
Serbia, Poland, Portugal, Belgium and Kazakhstan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA: COLLEGE BRIBERY RIFE
By Karine Asatrian in Yerevan

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
Jan 18 2007

Survey exposes a system of payment for good test and exam results at
some universities.

A group of ten students at Armenia’s State Agrarian University laughed
loudly when asked if there was corruption in their college.

"How can they do without it?" claimed third-year student Armen.

Now, the issue of alleged bribes being given in order to receive
good marks has been brought out into the open after the results of
a startling new poll, conducted by the Sargis Tkhruni Youth Student
Union, affiliated to Armenia’s Social Democratic Party. Out of 2000
students – five per cent of all the students in Armenia – 1821 said
that there was corruption in their colleges, according to the survey.

Sargis Tkhruni has already submitted the results of the study to the
country’s education minister and asked him to take action to tackle
the problem.

Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian has been non-committal so far. "We
must get an understanding of the quality of this poll," Mkrtchian
told IWPR. "If it’s been conducted professionally, we will send the
results to colleges and ask to have them discussed by these colleges’
management boards.

"Definitely, if we are convinced that they are serious and
well-founded, and the boards have their say, it is possible that this
will raise organisational issues."

The survey appears to have exposed a system of "fixed prices" for
tests and exams at some universities.

Lilit, a third-year economics student, said a top exam mark – a
"five" – cost 250 US dollars at her faculty, while a "four" could be
bought for 200 dollars. "I’ve never had to pay myself, but I’ve heard
about others who did pay," she said. "It’s all a matter of learned
habits. If they come to expect to be paid, teachers begin demanding
it themselves. Between themselves, they know who will pay and who
won’t. Out of every 60 students, at least twenty will give a bribe."

Students told IWPR that prices for good exam results at certain
colleges ranged between 15,000 and 50,000 drams (between 33 and
135 dollars).

Anna, a second-year student, said teachers tended not to demand a
bribe openly, confining themselves to hinting that a student should
pay up. "They tire you to death to make you pay," she said.

One student described how palms were greased at his college, "An
assistant [lecturer] comes and names the price. The situation is
beneficial to us – we pay, if we are unable or don’t want to study,
and thus escape expulsion."

Students agree that it is possible to resist giving bribes and
that there are honest teachers, who refuse to be bought. "There is
corruption, but if you study well and give no bribes, no one will ask
you to pay anything," said Ruzanna, a political science student. "If
you have knowledge and show it, not money, to your teacher, you will
pass your exams."

A striking 93 per cent of respondents to the poll suggested that
lecturers’ salaries should be increased to discourage them from
taking bribes.

However, Laert Hovannisian, pro-rector of Yerevan’s State Engineering
University, said lecturers’ salary were not actually so small. "The
situation has improved, and the average salary amounts to 87,000 drams
(230 dollars)," he said. "I wouldn’t say this is a lot, but there
was a time when we dreamt of a 100 dollar salary for lecturers."

Hovannisian said his university was tackling corruption by having
students examined by more than one person or not by the person who
was teaching them.

He argues that Armenia should move to the "credit system" used by
most American universities where marks are accumulated in the course
of the year through course work.

In 2005, Armenia joined the Bologna Process, which aims to regularise
academic standards across Europe. It’s hoped this will lead to the
overhaul of the current Soviet-era system of marking.

Most believe that change needs to be implemented from above.

Eighty-seven per cent of the polled students said that there should
be a tightening of discipline in the management of higher education
establishments. Some said that the minister of education should be
sacked, others suggested exiling bribe-taking teachers to Siberia.

Amalia Kostandian, head of the Transparency International Armenian
office, said that corruption in higher education was a systemic
problem.

"Corruption will persist in the country, the system will remain
unhealthy until a top-down revolution happens," said Kostandian.

The organiser of the survey, Sahak Manukian, head of Sargis Tkhruni,
warns that in the meantime the culture of corruption is very
deep-rooted.

"Nowadays those who pass their exams with a bribe are regarded with
respect and envy, and not with pity," he said.

"Instead of being condemned these students are examples for others
to follow."

Karine Asatrian is journalist with А1+ television in Yerevan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LOCAL FANS WARM TO SOCCER, ARMENIANS
By Ken Robison / The Fresno Bee

Fresno Bee , CA
Jan 18 2007

This much we know after Wednesday’s soccer exhibition at Chukchansi
Park, a 3-1 victory by the Armenian national team over the Fresno
Fuego:

Soccer can sell in Fresno.

Even on a freezing night. Even with tickets priced at $20 and $30.

Even with Justin Timberlake playing indoors across town at the Save
Mart Center.

Timberlake is popular, but can he bend it like Beckham? Soccer
made headlines from Liverpool to Little Rock last week when British
superstar David Beckham announced he is moving to Los Angeles to play
for the Galaxy.

Wednesday’s game rode that wave of attention when 4,167 watched the
Fuego play Armenia amid a flurry of Armenian flags and nationalistic
chants. All 24suites were sold to those who wanted to stay warm.

The crowd count fell short of the nearly 7,000 that watched the Fuego
play the Orange County Blue Star in a Premier Development League
match in July.

But that game was in fair weather, tickets were priced at $7 and it was
staged and promoted by the Fresno Grizzlies/Falcons management team.

Wednesday’s game was not, and given its short lead time – just a few
weeks from announcement to kickoff – Fuego co-owner Brain Glover was
upbeat about the attendance.

Watch for the next two

Fuego exhibitions against Major League Soccer teams, Glover said.

Then you’ll see the marketing blitz.

He believes all three exhibitions, including Feb. 24 against Chivas
USA and March 24 against Real Salt Lake, are a build-up for the
Fuego’s regular season that begins in April.

"The season is where we’ll see what happens," Glover said. "How many
people will come for eight home games?"

Based on the noise level, most of those who showed up Wednesday came
to see the Armenian team.

Vicken Kalamkarian, a Bullard High senior soccer player, painted his
chest in the red, blue and orange of the Armenian flag.

"The national team came to Fresno," he said. "It’s a really big deal."

Phillip and Florence Parnagian and teenage son Sam, not regular soccer
fans, attended because, as Florence said, "Where else could we see
the Armenian national team play?"

Fuego coach Jaime Ramirez welcomed the partisan crowd.

"To feel that sense of patriotism," he said, "it was wonderful."

Three other things we found out Wednesday:

Sodding the baseball infield worked well, and will work better
as grounds crews become expert at making seamless transitions from
permanent grass to sod. The sod also will be used for the exhibitions
against the MLS clubs.

Fuego management is bullish on soccer. Glover believes Fresno can
someday support a major league sports team. Soccer, he said, is
that sport.

This will not be the Fuego we see in the PDL this summer. Three of
Wednesday’s players – Mike Chabala, Milton Blanco and Noah Delgado –
will return to their professional soccer teams and Ramirez might not
be able to keep all his over-23 players.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA AND GEORGIA TO REINFORCE CULTURAL TIES

ArmRadio.am
18.01.2007 15:50

In April 2007 Armenia and Georgia are expected to sign an agreement on
cooperation programs in the sphere of culture, RA Minister of Culture
and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosyan told the journalists after the
meeting with the First Lady of Georgia Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs. In
Hasmik Poghosyan’s words, Georgia and Armenia have already taken
certain steps to agree upon the cooperation programs, and in the near
future Georgian Culture Days will be held in Armenia, and Armenian
Culture Days are expected to be held in Georgia. The Minister highly
appreciated the projects implemented in Armenia under the auspices
of Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HOAGLAND NOMINATION IN THE HANDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ArmRadio.am
17.01.2007 15:08

Richard Hoagland’s appointment as US Ambassador to Armenia is
currently in the hands of the Department of State, Elizabeth Chuljian,
Press Secretary of the Armenian National Committee of America, told
Armenpress. "Now we have nothing to do but to wait for the decision
of the Bush Administration."

According to legislation, the President can confirm the nomination,
bypassing the Senate affirmation. "However, let’s hope that things
will not go that way. At last, no one wants the interests of America
to be represented in Armenia by an Ambassador unable to carry out
productive work. Certainly, the Department of State is also concerned,
said Elizabeth Chuljian.

Let us remind that a few days ago President Bush re-nominated
Hoagland, following which Senator Bob Menendez placed the second
"hold" on his appointment.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA HAS OVERCOME TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND HAS APPEARED IN NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAGE, KHOSROV HAROUTIUNIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 17 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia indeed has a high rating of
economic freedom, the data of the report "The Economic Freedom Index
of 2007" publicized lately by the Heritage Foundation organization
correspond to reality.

Khosrov Haroutiunian, Chairman of Christian-Democratic Union of
Armenia, declared this at the January 17 press conference. According to
this report, by the level of economic freedom Armenia is in 32nd place
in the world and in first place in CIS, while Georgia is in 35th place,
Turkey in 83rd place, Azerbaijan in 107th place, Iran in 150th place.

In Kh.Haroutiunian’s words, the organization’s experts estimated
corruption, protectionism, risks of immunity of right of ownership
rather low in Armenia. As he affirmed, the estimation of abilities
of organization of entrepreneurial activity, state’s comparatively
"modest participation" in public life, in particular, in economic
system, presented in the report also does not give rise to doubt.

In Kh.Haroutiunian’s words, the fact that Armenia is in 32nd place
among 161 countries makes clear that the past 15 years did not
pass in vain. He declared that Armenia has already come out of
the "transitional" period and has appeared in a new development
stage. "Today public life requires reforms of second generation from
us," Kh.Haroutiunian said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress