Author: Emil Lazarian

THE LIBERATION OF ARTSAKH WAS THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT
A1+
[08:17 pm] 22 September, 2006
15 years is not a short period for the development of a country. On
September 21 the 15th anniversary of the RA Independence was
celebrated. The RA authorities spared no words to praise the progress
of the country. What do the people think about it? According to 47%
of the readers of the website A1+, the greatest achievement of the
independent Armenia was the liberation of Artsakh.
14% considered the greatest achievement the creation of the
army. Democracy, freedom of speech and free economy gathered 3%
each. 30% of the 426 participants of the poll think that there have
been no achievements.
This week the poll question is “How do you assess the level of
development of the Informational and Telecommunication Technologies
which is considered the major branch of the RA economy?”
As usual, we expect your active participation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margaryan’s Message on 15th Anniversary of Republic of Armenia’s Independence
Armenpress
Sept 21 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS: Dear Compatriots, I congratulate you
on the 15th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Armenia. The
Day of Independence is the brightest and most important day on our
State holiday calendar. It marks the realization of our people’s most
cherished hopes and national pride after a gap of 600 years.
Fifteen years ago, having adopted this historical decision and having
won the right to free and independent life, our people was well aware
of all the hardships and barriers on this way, however, they were
sure that independence had no alternative and that thereby they were
given the opportunity to control their destiny, to determine their
own course, place and role among several other States of the world.
By founding an independent State on a portion of historical homeland in
1991, the people of Armenia initiated an irreversible and ever-lasting
process.
While acknowledging independence as an absolute value and celebrating
the Day of Independence, we should not forget that this has been
possible due to decades-long heroic struggle waged by the devotees of
independence and was aimed at keeping up the freedom-loving spirit in
the hearts of new generations so as to take it to the long-awaited day
of independence. Let us pay a well-deserved tribute to all the devotees
of independence and, especially, to those who sacrificed their lives
to this end and leaved to future generations the duty of preserving it.
It is not fortuitous that we are celebrating the 15th anniversary
of independence together with thousands of our compatriots who have
arrived in Armenia from all over the world, driven by the desire of
being of some service to Homeland. Let us congratulate each other
on this significant to all of us day and wish lasting peace for our
State, as well as – dignified life, prosperity and realization of
long-cherished expectations – to our people.
I am confident that the people of Armenia will have enough will and
ability to join their efforts with the view of resisting to challenges
and keep on the 15-year-long march of independence with steady belief
in the future of the Armenian State.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION REWARDS BEST STUDENTS
Armenpress
Sept 22 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: Forty-five students of Yerevan
State University with best academic achievements received today a
total of $28,000 in money rewards from the Gulbenkian Foundation.
Yerevan State University pro-rector Alexander Grigorian said it is
the second year the best academic students receive rewards of the
Foundation. He said this is very instrumental for those students who
are in paid departments to pay their tuition fees.
The students were selected by a specially set up commission based on
their achievements and social conditions.
The money was transferred in US Dollars and because of unprecedented
fall of US Dollar’s value against Armenian Dram. the reward is not
enough to pay an annual tuition fee, but the University has pledged
to pay the rest.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKIC STATES GOING TO UNITE AGAINST ARMENIA?
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.09.2006 13:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 10th congress of Turkic states, which completed
its work in Antalya today, has passed a decision on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. The document says that the position of all the
Turkic states in unanimous – Armenia should “quit the seized Azeri
lands without any preconditions.” “The Turkic states will exert
every effort for the return of million of Azeris to their homes,” it
says. The resolution also notes that “if Armenia doesn’t abandon the
territories the whole Turkic world will join efforts for the purpose.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #180, 21/09/2006
Foreign Developments
TURKEY OBJECTS PUBLISHING LAND RECORD DOCUMENTS OF
OTTOMAN EMPIRE
The Internet version of “Huriet” touched upon the limitations
for the publications of the land record documents of the Ottoman
Empire. In particular, Turkey’s National Security council objects the
translation of the abovementioned documents from the Ottoman Turkish
into the modern Turkish language. They condition their position by
the concern that the documents may be used for political or ethnic
goals, including the claims concerning the Armenian genocide.
Turkey’s National Security Council sent a special letter to the
relevant land administration bodies of the country urging them to
keep them the documents in secret without letting anyone publish them.
By Aghavni Haroutiunian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Trend
Today 21.09.2006
Conference of Turkic-speaking Countries Calls on
Armenia to Immediate Withdrawal of Its Troops from
Occupied Territory of Azerbaijan
Source: Trend
Author: M.Tagiyev
21.09.2006
The 10th Conference of the Turkic-speaking counties, which concluded
its work in Antalia on 21 September, adopted a resolution on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Trend reports.
All Turkic speaking countries hold a unified position on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict – Armenia must leave the occupied
territory of Azerbaijan without any condition.
“Turkic speaking countries will put maximal efforts for repatriation
of 1 million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced people,”
the document underscored.
In case Armenia refuses from withdrawing its troops from the occupied
territory of Azerbaijan, the Turkic world will unify the efforts in
this direction.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN YOUTH UNITES WITHIN STRUCTURE OF WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS
AZG Armenian Daily #180, 21/09/2006
Armenia’s Future
The Armenian youth expresses readiness to unite and settle the current
problems of their motherland with joint efforts. The representatives
of a number of Armenia based and Diaspora youth organizations have
many interesting programs to unite and found the Association of Youth
Organizations. The Association of Youth Organizations will join the
World Armenian Congress and shape the youth branch of the organization.
Ara Abrahamian, Chairman of the World Armenian Congress, emphasized
the importance of the fact that 12 Armenian youth organizations
have already joined the WAC. He welcomed their initiative and stated
that the youth plays an important part preserving the stability and
development of our country.
In their turn, the representatives of the youth organizations,
touched upon their concerns, spoke of the new technologies and their
future activities. The youth organizations elected a governing body
and adopted the manifest for the Armenian youth of the world. As the
regulation of the Association of Youth Organizations at WAC had already
been adopted, the abovementioned structure began its activities with
participation of 12 members.
Ara Abrahamian, Chairman of WAC, offered them to open their own
informational body, a center and computer network to begin the
preparation works for a youth festival by the next year.
By Aghavni Haroutiunian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Monument to General Gurgen Dalibaltyan to Be Erected in Javakhk
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2006 15:09 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A monument to Soviet Army General, Armenian
President’s Advisor Gurgen Dalibaltyan will be inaugurated in the
Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti region of Georgia. Native of
Akhalkalaki region, Gurgen Dalibaltyan will mark his 80th birthday
in 2006. According to the source, the monument was designed by Levon
Lazarian. The monument will be 8 meters high and face Western Armenia,
reported Georgia Online.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia, Kyrgyzstan set to conduct antiterrorism exercise
RIA Novosti
Russia
13:38 | 21/ 09/ 2006
BISHKEK, September 21 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Kyrgyzstan will hold
a joint antiterrorism exercise in the Central Asian republic in early
October, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry said Thursday.
Kyrgyz police said in August that radical Islamic groups banned in
many countries across the globe, including Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of
Liberation), have stepped up their activities in the country.
Russia and Kyrgyzstan are both members of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), a post-Soviet security grouping, which
also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security body in Central
Asia that includes China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
The ministry said the exercise will begin October 2 and end October
5 with the firing of live ammunition at the Osh training grounds,
in the south of the country.
The main aim of the exercise is to plan and practice the coordination
of combat units in a joint antiterrorism operation, and to improve the
combat skills of military personnel during operations in mountainous
areas, it said.
The defense ministers of the two countries, foreign military attaches
and media are scheduled to attend the final phase of the exercise.
Russia maintains the Kant airbase, located about 20 miles west of the
Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The base was established in October 2003 to
enable Russian combat aircraft to provide close air support for the
ground units of CSTO member states.
So far, Russia has provided military equipment worth 15 million rubles
($554,006) to the Central Asian nation as part of their military
cooperation agreements.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

As Elif Safak trial begins, Erdogan warns police
Hurriyet, Turkey
September 21, 2006
As internationally-known Turkish author Elif Safak goes to court today
to face charges brought against her that she “insulted Turkishness”
in one of her most recent novels, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has reportedly given orders to the Istanbul police headquarters that
street demonstrations in support of convicting Safak by nationalist
citizens are not to be tolerated.
The case against Safak was brought about by well-known nationalist
lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, who heads up a conservative group of lawyers
based in Istanbul.
Kerincsiz, who gained notoriety for his attempts to stop the Armenian
conferences held earlier this year in Istanbul, has based his case
against Safak on the 301st article of the Turkish Penal Code, which
calls for prison terms for people convicted by the court of insulting
“Turkishness, the Turkish Republic, or the Turkish Parliament.”
In preparation for the Safak hearing, lawyer Kerincsiz has reportedly
sent an announcement entitled “National Duty” to supporters and members
of his legal group, telling them to come and demonstrate in front of
the Beyoglu courthouse where the trial is to take place.
In the group’s web site, a passage reading “Elif Safak is the
newly crowned princess of the neo-liberals, the ethnic minorities,
the separationists, the EU and US supporters, and the so-called
intellectuals” has been up all week.
Prime Minister Erdogan told Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah
yesterday “I do not want to see the Kerincsiz supporters on the
street.” Previous trials of famous authors such as Orhan Pamuk and
Perihan Magden have put Turkey in an uncomfortable international
spotlight, just as the Elif Safak trial, before it has even begun,
has managed to do. Whether or not the Turkish Parliament in Ankara
is going to move to alter the 301st article of the penal code is a
question many are now asking throughout Turkey and abroad.