Author: Emil Lazarian

TRIAL OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH NEWSPAPER EDITOR POSTPONED AFTER RUCKUS IN ISTANBUL COURTROOM
Benjamin Harvey

AP Worldstream
May 16, 2006

An Armenian-Turkish newspaper editor faced nationalist lawyers and
shouts of “traitor” as he went on trial Tuesday, forcing the judge
to postpone the case because of the ruckus in the courtroom.

Prosecutors have charged that Hrant Dink, a Turkish citizen, committed
the crime of “attempting to influence the judiciary” when his bilingual
Turkish-Armenian newspaper ran articles criticizing a law that makes
it a crime to “insult Turkishness.”

The law has been used to try writers and intellectuals, including the
novelist Orhan Pamuk, for commenting on the mass killings of Armenians
by Turks around the time of World War I, which a number of governments
and scholars have said were the first genocide of the 20th century.

Dink has been careful to avoid public comment on the issue, but has
supported an open discussion of the issue among historians and has
become a target of nationalist lawyers who see genocide allegations
as treason.

Armenians say around 1.5 million of their ancestors were killed in
a genocidal campaign carried out by Ottoman Turks beginning in 1915.

Turkey acknowledges mass killings, but insists the numbers are inflated
and vehemently denies that Turks committed genocide, saying Armenians
were killed as the Ottoman Empire tried to secure its border with
Russia and stop attacks by Armenian militants.

Three other writers at the Agos newspaper, including Dink’s son,
also went on trial Tuesday.

Turkey has been struggling to balance EU demands for tolerance of
free expression with a reluctance to discuss the mass killings of
Armenians or to tolerate arguments that they constituted a genocide.

The subject is rarely discussed openly in Turkey, and those who say
Turks were guilty of genocide can end up in a Turkish court and be
branded as traitors.

Nationalist lawyers led by Kemal Kerincsiz of the Turkish Lawyers’
Union frequently stand in on trials dealing with what they see as
threats to Turkish interests, and can be disruptive to proceedings.

At Dink’s case on Friday, the lawyers argued heatedly with defense
lawyers, yelled for the removal of the judge and apparently threw a
coin at Dink, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Saying “the trial’s discipline has been broken,” the judge postponed
the case to July 4, Dink’s lawyer Fethiye Cetin said.

Internationally, Turkey has been struggling to fight genocide
recognition by other countries with a combination of political and
economic threats.

In the past week, Turkey has lobbied French politicians and companies
to help kill a proposed French bill that would make it a crime to
deny that Armenians were victims of genocide, in the same way that
denying the Holocaust is a crime in France.

The French parliament is expected to vote on the bill on Thursday.

Turkey also briefly recalled its ambassadors to both France and
Canada last week after developments in those countries related to
the genocide issue, and pulled out of a Canadian military exercise
because Canada’s prime minister said he supported a parliamentary
declaration stating that Armenians were victims of genocide.

Prosecutors have asked the court to sentence Dink to a jail term of
up to three years.

As he left, protesters threw eggs and chanted the Turkish slogan,
“How happy the person is who says ‘I am a Turk.'”

In addition to the trial for attempting to influence the judiciary,
Dink has also been tried previously for “insulting Turkishness”
and for saying the Turkish national anthem was discriminatory.

V. CHITECHYAN PRESENTED WORKING OPPORTUNITIES IN ARMENIA TO BELGIAN BUSINESSMEN

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.05.2006 19:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Ambassador to Belgium Vigen Chitechyan had
a meeting with Belgian entrepreneurs of Armenian origin, initiated by
the Belgian-Armenian Chamber of Commerce. During the meeting at which
representatives of advertisement, insurance, transport, electronic,
diamond cutting and confectionery business were present, the matter
of unification of all Armenian businessmen of Belgium into a common
information network was discussed. The matter on possibility for
Armenian businessmen to work in Armenia was also considered. The
meeting participants discussed the coming third Armenia-Diaspora
forum and Belgian delegation’s participation in it, reports the Press
Service of the Armenian MFA.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AGENDA OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN FMS’ MEETING NOT SPECIFIED YET

Today, Azerbaijan
May 16 2006

There is no exact agenda of the meeting planned between Azerbaijani
and Armenian FA ministers in Strasbourg yet, said Agshin Mehdiyev,
permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe.

As ANS reports, the meeting is planning. First, OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen are expected to meet, while an extended meeting is
not excluded as well, told Mr. Mehdiyev. According to him, the two
ministers will attend meetings of Committee of mInisters of the Council
of Europe. Informal meetings of ministers will be held at the resident
of Terry Davis, the CE Secretary General in the evening of May 18.

May 19 a plenary session to be held – told Azerbaijani diplomat.

According to him the meeting agenda will include a number of
questions. Particularly documents and communique, election of
Chairman, and so on. The passing of chairmanship from Romania to
Russia is expected.

“For the first time over the history of the organization Russia will
be in the chair of this structure” told Mr. Mehdiyev.

URL:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARLIAMENTARIANS WARN FRENCH COUNTERPARTS AGAINST PASSING ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL

New Anatolian, Turkey
May 16 2006

Turkish Parliamentarians Union head Hasan Korkmazcan said yesterday
that a bill about the so-called Armenian genocide facing the French
Parliament this week will set a historical test for bilateral
relations, while French Ambassador to Ankara Paul Poudade asserted
that the French government opposes the bill.

The debates about the bill proposing prison terms and fines to those
who question the claims are mounting as the date for debates of the
bill looms.

Speaking at a press conference in Parliament yesterday, Korkmazcan
said that all the propaganda steps taken regarding the so-called
Armenian genocide are aiding and abetting terrorism.

Underlining that some politicians who have been trapped by the web of
the Armenian lobby in France, which has a limited political influence,
accepted the Armenian genocide claims, Korkmazcan said that the real
leaders of the slander campaign in France are the underground forces
behind the terrorist Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
(ASALA).

Calling propaganda over the so-called Armenian genocide a crime against
humanity, Korkmazcan said that this crime has been committed by many
Western countries since 1974.

“The bill set to be debated on Thursday extinguishes the human struggle
for the establishment of scholarly research and freedom of expression,”
said Korkmazcan, adding that the Turkish Parliament will take steps
to effectively respond if the bill is passed.

In related news, French Ambassador to Ankara Paul Poudade said
yesterday that the French government opposes the bill. Poudade also
expressed hope that the bill won’t be passed and Turkish-French
relations won’t be harmed.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DIASPORAN ARMENIAN WRITER JIRAYR ATTARIAN PASSES AWAY IN NEW YORK

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 15 2006

NEW YORK, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Diasporan Armenian
writer and publicist Jirayr Attarian passed away in New York on May
9. The Istanbul “Marmara” daily informed about it, quoting information
of the “Hayrenik” (Fatherland) weekly published in the U.S. Jirayr
Attarian was born in Konya on August 7, 1914. He lost his father when
he was 2 years old, then when he was 9 years old he moved with his
uncle first to Damascus, then Lebanon. In Lebanon he collaborated
with the “Orian” radio. Attarian was one of the first editorial
staff members of the “Bagin” literary magazine. He was in Lebanon
a member of the Education Council for many years. During the first
years of the literary activity he wrote in the French language, then
translated his works into Armenian. In 1971 Jirayr Attarian moved
to the U.S. and settled in New York where he led the post of the
National Primacy Divine Head. Attarian is an author of two books,
the first of which is “Life is Beautiful,” was published in 1981
in Beirut, and the second “Verj, Hajordiv” (The End in Succession),
in New York in 1991. He translated in 1987 Henry Vernoy’s “Mother”
novel. Jirayr Attarian’s 4th work was given to the publishing house
and was to be published in few days, but the writer was not fortunate
enough to see publication of his new book. His articles and stories
are gathered in this book of new type, consisting of 400 pages.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AFTER ORINATS YERKIR’S LEAVING COALITION NUMBER OF PARTY MEMBERS IN SYUNIK INCREASES

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2006

KAPAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. No one has put in application on
leaving the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) Party at the Syunik
“Kapan” main regional structure of the party. The structure has 980
members. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed from the structure,
33 persons have applied for joining the Orinats Yerkir Party since
the party’s leaving the ruling coalition up to this day. According
to some information, Lernik Petrosian, Head of Syunik “Dzork”
regional structure, has an intention to leave OYP. L.Petrosian is the
former Head of the Education, Culture and Sport Department of Syunik
Administration and he was dismissed in April as, according to him, he
had been made to become a member of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA). In his telephone talk to Noyan Tapan correspondent on May 15
Lernik Petrosian said that he was non-partisan until May 6, whereas
they informed from OYP that he has been a member of OYP since 2006
February. Heads of some village communities and employees of other
structures who are members of OYP remain on theis posts. To recap,
Chairman of Syunik district electoral commission N 37 is also a member
of OYP.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GYUMRI INHABITANTS PROUDLY SEE OFF THEIR SONS TO NATIONAL ARMY

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2006

GYUMRI, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The spring call-up has started in Gyumri:
30 conscripts have been already called up for service in the national
army.

According to the Noyan Tapan Gyumri correspondent, the parents had
high spirits and were proud to see off the conscripts gathered in
the yard of the Military Registration and Enlistment Office. “I say
proudly and I do not afraid as I know that the ministers are also
parents, they have sons and see off their sons in the same way,”
many of the parents said. And some of them mentioned: “If neither
our sons nor I and others leave for the military service, who should
serve for our homeland?” As Aram Grigorian, Head of the Call-up
Department of Gyumri Military Registration and Enlistment Office,
informed, various diseases have been revealed as a result of medical
examinations of young men of call-up age this year. At the same time
it was mentioned that the number of young men suffering from diseases
is almost the same as compared with the previous call-ups. According
to A.Grigorian, the number of those evading the call-up and applying
for the alternative military service has considerably decreased this
year compared with the previous years.

MHER SHAHGELDIAN: EACH STEP AGAINST ORINATS YERKIR WILL RECEIVE ADEQUATE ANSWER

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. “During this period a number of
politicians, persons, in their opinion, tried to make use of the
situation, there were and I think there will be those who will
cast political stones at the Orinats Yerkir” Mher Shahgeldian,
Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) Party Vice-Chairman, Chairman of
RA NA Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal
Affairs, expressed such an opinion about the recent home political
developments. Meanwhile, he reminded that “there is time to cast
stones and there is time to gather stones”. According to him,
attempts to apply “dirty technologies” are being already made at
present but each step against the party will receive an adequate
answer. OYP coalition partners, the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) and the ARF Dashnaktsutiun, are rather reserved in their their
comments. The ARF considers OYP’s leaving the coalition as a “normal
civilized fenomenon” and thinks that “there is no need to look for any
tragedy here”. In particular, according to Hrayr Karapetian, Secretary
of NA ARF Dashnaktsutiun faction, it is up to each political force
to decide its future policy and actions plan. RPA also considers
the recent home political developments to be “natural”. According
to Galust Sahakian, Head of the party’s parliamentary faction, the
above-mentioned developments are also conditioned by the circumstance
that 2006 is a preelection year. The above-mentioned two coalition
forces reaffirm that they will continue to act within the framework
of the memorandum signed on June 11 2003 being ready for cooperation
with other political forces.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSAL GETS 7-YEAR $23 MLN LOAN TO MODERNIZE ARMENIAN FOIL PLANT – 1

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 16 2006

(Adds details in and after lead)

MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) – RUSal said Tuesday it had taken out
a 7-year $23-million loan from the Black Sea Trade and Development
Bank to finance final modernization of Armenia’s Armenal foil plant.

Modernization will implement a full production cycle and broaden the
range of products the plant produces, said the leading international
aluminum and alloy producer, which also acted as guarantor on the loan.

The first stage of the $70-million modernization program began in
2004 and was completed in December 2005. Armenal, a joint venture
of RUSal and the Armenian government, is slated to come into full
operation in June 2006.

Founded in March 2000 after a merger of major aluminum plants in
the former Soviet Union, RUSal exports aluminum to 50 countries,
and operates in nine Russian regions and 13 countries. The company
holds 75% of the Russian market and 10% of the international market,
and bought Armenal in January 2003.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBOTIC DEVICE DEPLOYED TO FIND BLACK BOXES

The Moscow Times, Russia
May 17 2006

The federal government launched an operation Tuesday to recover the
flight recorders from an Armenian passenger plane that crashed in
the Black Sea, sending a robotic device with a hydraulic arm to the
sea floor in an attempt to bring up the “black boxes.”

Authorities hope the recorders will help determine the cause of the
May 3 crash of the Armavia Airbus A320, which plunged into the sea
in heavy rain and poor visibility as it approached the airport on
a flight from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to the resort city of
Sochi, killing all 113 people on board.

An official involved in the operation said the recovery device was
lowered from a ship and reached the sea floor, where the recorders
were believed to be lying about 5 meters apart at a depth of just
under 500 meters, Itar-Tass reported.

The RT-1000 apparatus has been used by geologists to lift natural
objects weighing up to 40 kilograms from the sea floor, but has
not been used at such depths, Itar-Tass quoted a Transport Ministry
official, Alexander Davydenko, as saying. He said authorities believed
the device could lift fragments weighing up to 12 kilograms and the
flight recorders, which weigh 7 kilograms, the report said.

The operation to retrieve the boxes could take three days, officials
said.

Prosecutors dismissed the possibility of terrorism, and officials
pointed to the rough weather or pilot error as the likely cause. But
Armavia officials suggest air traffic controllers should at least
share the blame.(AP)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress