Author: Emil Lazarian

TURKISH AUTHOR STANDS TRIAL ON CHARGES OF TURNING TURKS AGAINST MILITARY SERVICE
Suzan Fraser
AP Worldstream
Jun 07, 2006
Turkish author and journalist Perihan Magden went on trial Wednesday,
charged with turning people against military service after she defended
the rights of a conscientious objector in a weekly magazine column.
Magden is the latest in a string of writers and journalists to stand
trial for expressing their opinions despite heavy pressure from
the EU _ which Turkey hopes to join _ to scrap repressive laws and
improve freedoms.
In her column published in weekly Yeni Aktuel magazine in December,
Magden defended conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan who was sentenced
to a record four-year term in a military prison for disobedience after
refusing to wear his military uniform. Turkey, she wrote, needed to
establish a civilian service as an alternative to compulsory military
conscription.
At an Istanbul court on Wednesday, Magden denied that she was trying
to turn people against military service.
“I only argued that conscientious objection is a human right. It is my
right and duty to defend conscientious objection,” she said, according
to CNN-Turk television. The trial was adjourned until July 27.
Conscription in Turkey is obligatory for men over 20, and the country
does not recognize the right to conscientious objection. Objectors
have been prosecuted on charges of turning people against the military.
Magden could face up to three years in prison if convicted of the
charge of “alienating the people against military service.”
Conscientious objections find few supporters in Turkey where the
military is revered, conscription has widespread support and young
men are sent off to do their military service amid celebrations.
Magden, the author of “Two Girls,” and “The Messenger Boy Murders”
faced a group of nationalists who jeered her as she entered the
courthouse Wednesday, the Anatolia news agency reported. Security
forces moved the group _ made up of mostly of veterans and families
of soldiers killed in fighting against Kurdish rebels _ away from
Magden and her supporters.
In the most high-profile case, novelist Orhan Pamuk stood trial earlier
this year on charges of insulting “Turkishness” 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.
The charges were dropped amid intense international pressure.
Turkey vehemently denies that the mass killings were genocide, saying
the death toll is inflated and Armenians were killed in civil unrest
as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has made clear
it has no plans to change laws used to prosecute Pamuk and others,
saying the charges are eventually dropped and defendants are acquitted.
EU officials argue, however, that even if the charges are dropped the
threat of prosecution remains as a deterrent against people wishing
to express opinions.
In an interview with Milliyet newspaper published Wednesday, Hansjoerg
Kretschmer, the EU’s representative in Turkey, criticized Magden’s
trial and similar trials.
“If you think that the right for conscientious objection should exist,
why shouldn’t you be able to say so?” the paper quoted Kretschmer as
saying. “These are things that are unacceptable in Europe.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BLACK SEA BUSINESS DAY IN BAKU
The Messenger, Georgia
June 8 2006
The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) will host Black Sea
Business Day, on 12 June 2006, in Baku.
The main goal of the conference, bank officials say, is to facilitate
contacts between economic decision-makers in BSTDB countries, as well
as to promote regional cooperation and investments in the Black Sea
region in general and in Azerbaijan in particular.
The Black Sea Business Day, which is an annual event, will address
the role of the financial sector in economic development, investment
opportunities in agribusiness and food processing, and infrastructure
development on a regional scale.
The Business Day is organized under the auspices of the Azeri
government and will be inaugurated by the President of Azerbaijan,
Ilham Aliyev.
High-ranking officials of BSTDB member-states, international
institutions, investors and businessmen are expected to be among the
participants, including Azerbaijani Minister of Economic Development,
Heydar Babayev; President of BSTDB, Hayrettin Kaplan; Minister of
Finance Samir Sharifov; Country Director for the Caucasus, Moldova
and Belarus of EBRD, Michael Davey; and Senior Regional Director of
German KfW Group, Oskar von Maltzan.
The Georgian delegation at the conference includes the President
of the National Bank of Georgia, Roman Gotsiridze, as well as the
Deputy Minister of Finance, Lasha Gotsiridze. The Executive Director
of Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Georgia, George Kakabadze,
will deliver a speech at the event.
Last year’s BSTDB Black Sea Business Day was held in Yerevan,
Armenia and the participants then discussed the role of international
institutions, the investment potential of the Caucasus, assistance
to SME sector development, and financial sector development.
BSTDB is an international financial institution established by
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova,
Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. With an authorized capital of
approximately USD 1.3 billion, the bank supports economic development
and regional cooperation in the region by providing trade and project
financing, guarantees, and equity for development projects supporting
both public and private enterprises in its member countries.
The Messenger’s Christina Tashkevich will travel to Baku to cover the
event and her stories about the conference will be available in next
week’s Messenger issues.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STEVE POUND MP TO DEBATE ARMENIAN AND ASSYRIAN GENOCIDES
Assyria Times, CA
June 7 2006
Steve is putting the Genocides of Armenians and Assyrians on the
agenda with an adjournment debate tomorrow (Wednesday, 7th June)
from 4pm in Westminster Hall.
Steve has long held an interest in this issue and it is a particularly
poignant point for many Ealing residents who are Assyrian or of
Armenian descent. Steve has raised these issues before in parliament
during debates about the Christian community in Iraq.
You can watch the debate live online via
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE MEDIATORS REGRET ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN FAIL TO REACH AGREEMENT
Mediamax news agency
6 Jun 06
Yerevan, 6 June: The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen today described the
peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict as “urgent and
achievable”, the mediators today said in a statement on the results
of the meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in
Bucharest on 4-5 June, Mediamax reports.
“The co-chairmen continue to keep to the opinion that a peaceful
solution is urgent and achievable and that 2006 remains a comfortable
‘window’ for such progress. The co-chairmen continue to consider
that the main principles of the settlement, which they identified and
submitted to the conflicting parties, are a basis for the settlement
that meets the interests of both sides. The co-chairmen regret that
the parties have not reached agreement on these principles yet,”
the statement reads.

PAWN QUEENS
By Caroline Davies and Malcolm Pein
The Daily Telegraph/UK
Filed: 07/06/2006
It was a most unorthodox opening move for a grandmaster intent on
vanquishing his opponent, but then this was on a dance-floor and not
a chessboard.
When Danny Gormally, 30, one of Britain’s leading chess players, spied
his Armenian rival and the world’s No 3 at the Turin Chess Olympiad
jiving with a beautiful chess queen, usual tactics were abandoned.
In a spectacular strategic blunder, Mr Gormally allegedly moved in
with clenched fist and sent Levon Aronian, the 23-year-old Armenian
national hero, sprawling.
As gambits go, it was to prove one of the worst. Not only did
Mr Gormally sacrifice both his dignity and place in the team,
but the following day found himself at the wrong end of a beating
as Mr Aronian’s hot-headed team-mates weighed in with a forceful
counter-attack.
Yesterday Mr Gormally, a professional player, was at his Durham flat
refusing to discuss the incident. The rest of the chess world was,
however, abuzz.
According to insiders, the catalyst for this whole sorry affair was
the appearance on the dance floor of attractive Australian female No
3, Arianne Caoili, 19, whom Mr Gormally’s team-mates believed him to
be fond of.
Neither shy nor retiring, Miss Caoili, of Filipino descent and who
aspires to be a professional singer, is clearly intent on enjoying
life. Her website lists her likes as “getting up to no good”, “fine
food and fine boys”, “Edward Norton and Johnny Depp” and “Pina coladas,
vodka, red wine, Kahlua, dwarfs and the odd Cuban cigar”.
Apart from improving her chess, which she has been playing since she
was five, her ambitions include earning “giant gobs of money”.
Clearly a party girl, she had a reputation, according to one source
on the chess circuit, “for coming back at 2am and waking people up,
then having recharged her batteries, leaving again at 5am”.
Mr Gormally is understood to have been in e-mail contact with her
prior to the Olympiad. However, he is not alone in being drawn, if
drawn he is, by her allure. For Miss Caoili is currently voted No 7
in the Top Ten Women’s Chess Beauty Contest on a website dedicated to
the charms of chess’s female finest in terms of looks if not always
in terms of rankings.
Lest anyone decry the site for being sexist, these women actually
apply to be on it, submitting their often risque photographs and
urging surfers to vote for them. Among them is Maria Manakova, a
32-year-old Serbian grandmaster, who has posed nude for magazines
and turned up at tournaments in skimpy clothing and towering heels.
She is currently at No 9 in the beauty contest. Another chess beauty,
though she has not chosen to take part in the contest, is Russia’s
Alexandra Kosteniuk, 21, currently No 3 in the Women’s World Chess
rankings, who became a grandmaster at 14 and is now a model whose
photograph has graced many a magazine cover. All of which rather
belies the traditional view of chess.
The Gormally incident took place at the “Bermuda Party” at the
nightclub, Hiroshima Mon Armour, one of many parties hosted during
the Chess Olympiad.
>From accounts that have emerged, most agree that Mr Gormally punched
Mr Aronian for innocently dancing with Miss Caoili.
Allan Beardsworth, the England team captain, said the following day
the England team promptly apologised.
It was hoped that a diplomatic incident could be averted, and all
could get on with the business of playing chess.
However, Armenia may be a small country, but it’s big on chess. And Mr
Aronian enjoys a similar level of hero-worship to, say, David Beckham.
Mr Gormally’s second strategic blunder was taking tea with some
team-mates on the pavement outside a cafe.
Had he not been so visible, perhaps Mr Aronian’s aggrieved colleagues
would not have found him. But, find him they did with one taking a
swing at Mr Gormally.
It was left to Jon Speelman, an England grandmaster who speaks Russian,
to intervene and calm the situation down.
Mr Gormally subsequently left the tournament and returned home.
Yesterday Mr Speelman was reluctant to elaborate on his role as
peace-maker. “I think it is a somewhat unfortunate story. Happily
there was more or less closure without anybody being hurt and I am
very grateful for that,” he said.
Mr Beardsworth was of a similar opinion. “I feel sorry for Danny. I
feel sorry for the whole incident. I feel sorry for the sport” he said,
stressing that Mr Aronian had been an innocent victim.
“The Olympiad is a very friendly event where nationalities from all
around the world come together. It’s just a great shame that this
one will be remembered for one little punch in a nightclub.”
One source said: “The Armenians won the Gold Medal so it didn’t affect
them too much.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA JOINED THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BUSINESS AND PARLIAMENTARISM
ArmRadio.am
07.06.2006 18:08
During the meeting with Armenian journalists on the occasion of
Armenia’s becoming member of the International Association for Business
and Parliamentarism Deputy Speaker of the European Parliament Edward
Scott McClellan declared he does not see any reason why Armenia should
not become an EU member. He added, “I am open to Armenia’s, as well as
Russia’s membership to the European Union when the proper time comes.”
Edward Scott McClellan coordinates the parliamentary cooperation of
states included in the New Neighbors Program and countries of the
Mediterranean Basin.
Today Armenia became the 17thmember of the International Association
for Business and Parliamentarism. According to member of the
coordinating body Vahan Hovhannisyan, the major aim of the structure is
to match the national legislations of other countries to the European
one. The coordinating council includes Deputies from all groups and
factions of the National Assembly. Members of the coordinating council
have no right to engage in lobbyist activity.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE OFFICE HOLDS OPEN LESSON TO COMMEMORATE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY IN ARMENIA
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
June 7 2006
YEREVAN, 6 June 2006 – The OSCE Office in Yerevan marked World
Environment Day yesterday by holding an open lesson for around 30
schoolchildren and teachers together with the Public Environmental
Information Centre (Aarhus Centre).
World Environment Day, established by the United National General
Assembly in 1972, aims to promote worldwide awareness of the
environment and attract political and public attention.
“Environmental degradation, unsustainable use of natural resources,
mismanagement of waters and pollution have a negative impact on
health, welfare, stability and human security,” said Ambassador
Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “Protecting
the environment is an obligation for all of us.”
During the lesson, Ambassador Pryakhin introduced environmental
publications and posters produced with the OSCE Office’s support
and encouraged participants to use resources available at the Aarhus
Centre.
The OSCE Office in Yerevan has been implementing an environmental
programme since 2000, focusing its activities on promoting the
principles of the Aarhus Convention, which include access to
information, public participation in decision-making and access to
justice on environmental matters. The Office has established a network
of Aarhus Centres in Armenia and organizes annual competitions for
journalists to encourage environmental journalism.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEXT MEETING OF COUNCIL OF CHAIRMEN OF POLITICAL COORDINATION CENTER OF OPPOSITION WAS HELD
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 7 2006
The next meeting of the Council of Chairmen of Political Coordinating
Centre of Opposition (CCPCCO) discussed three issues on June 7,
Ayaz Rustamov, the executor of the authorities of the chairman of
Azerbaijan National Independence Party (ANIP), informed Trend.
Two issues covered the continuing repressions against our compatriots
in South Azerbaijan. “We made a statement on a protest against arrest
of our compatriots and decided to combine our forces to take such
steps,’ told Rustamov.
Besides, the meeting discussed the social-political aituation
in Azerbaijan. “In particular, we discussed the final meeting of
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Bucharest on Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict,” stated Rustamov.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PROSECUTOR ‘ALARMED’ BY HUMAN TRAFFICKING
By Karine Kalantarian and Anna Saghabalian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
June 7 2006
A senior prosecutor dealing with human trafficking admitted on
Wednesday that transport of Armenian women for sexual exploitation
abroad has reached “alarming” proportions but denied that Armenian
law-enforcement authorities are too lenient towards traffickers.
Armen Boshnaghian, a member of an anti-trafficking task force at
the Armenian Prosecutor-General’s Office, said prostitution rings
operating in the country are making “large-scale criminal revenues.”
“I would say that the phenomenon is an alarming reality in Armenia,”
he told RFE/RL. “Some steps have been taken to counter it. They are
only the first steps. They are just the beginning of a very long and
difficult road.”
In an annual global report on the problem released on Monday, the
U.S. State Department said Armenia remains a “major source and, to a
lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls
trafficked for sexual exploitation.” The department placed Armenia
on its human trafficking “watch list” for a second consecutive year,
saying that Yerevan’s stated crackdown on the practice has made
little progress.
The U.S. report also said that despite a reported increase in the
number of trafficking-related criminal cases opened by Armenian
prosecutors only a handful of individuals were imprisoned on relevant
charges last year. “While the government increased implementation of
its anti-trafficking law, it failed to impose significant penalties
for convicted traffickers,” it said.
Boshnaghian disagreed, insisting that in fact 15 persons convicted of
involvement in trafficking were handed jail sentences in 2005. He did
acknowledge that Armenian courts are not tough enough on traffickers,
but said Armenia’s “lenient” Criminal Code is primarily to blame
for that.
The prosecutor also dismissed U.S. claims that the Armenian authorities
are reluctant to punish law-enforcement officials allegedly cooperating
with prostitution networks that recruit and send young women abroad,
mainly to the United Arab Emirates. He argued that an Armenian police
officer was fired and prosecuted on related charges last year.
The State Department report noted that another member of the Armenian
anti-trafficking unit, Aristakes Yeremian, was implicated by an
investigative journalist in extorting bribes from Armenian pimps and
prostitutes in Dubai. The Prosecutor-General’s Office said earlier this
year that it has investigated the allegations and found them baseless.
John Miller, a senior State Department official in charge of tracking
the problem around the world, insisted on Wednesday that there is a
public perception in Armenia that corruption among law-enforcement
officials seriously hampers the fight against human trafficking. “The
lack of public trust [in law-enforcement bodies] is a serious obstacle
to progress in this area,” Miller told Armenian journalists in a
video conference from Washington.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AUTHOR ELIF SAFAK ACCUSED OF ‘INSULTING TURKISHNESS’ IN LATEST NOVEL
By Cihan News Agency
Zaman Online, Turkey
June 7 2006
Ultra-rightwing Turkish Lawyers Association Chairman Kemal Kerincsiz,
who is infamous for filing complaints against journalists and authors
in the country, has filed a complaint against author Elif Safak for
her book “Baba and Pic” (Father and Offspring).
Kemal Kerincsiz, who has sued famous Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk and
ethnic-Armenian writer Hrant Dink, has now also accused Elif Safak of
‘insulting Turkishness’ – over remarks made by Armenian characters
in her latest book.
“Baba and Pic” is the story of relations between an Armenian and two
Turkish families.
Elif Safak, who also writes for Zaman daily, has been summoned by the
Beyoglu Prosecutions Office to make a statement following Kerincsiz’s
complaint. Safak said that the remarks of the Diaspora Armenians in
her book had been wrongly attributed to her.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress