Author: Emil Lazarian

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
THE EXTREME UNCTION AND BURIAL
OF ARCHBISHOP GHEVONT CHEBEYAN
Headed by His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicosate of Cilicia, the members of
its Brotherhood, the representatives of its structures and its believers bid
farewell on March 10 to the senior member of the Cilician Pact and loyal
member of the Cilician Brotherhood Archbishop Ghevont Chebeyan.
The Holy Mass started in the morning with the participation of the
Brotherhood members and the attendance of believers as a preparation for the
extreme unction of the late Archbishop. His Holiness Aram I presided over
the Holy Mass and carried out the extreme unction.
Bishop Dirayr Panossian conducted the Holy Mass during which the tomb of the
late Archbishop was carried by the members of the Brotherhood to the Holy
altar, where His Holiness conducted the extreme unction.
During the hymns of farewell the Archbishop’s tomb was turned West, East and
South respectively, after which His Holiness ordained his forehead and right
hand with Holy Chrism for the last time. Members of the Brotherhood and
spirituals then came up to the altar and kissed the late Archbishop’s
forehead and right head.
His Holiness Aram I highlighted Archbisop Ghevont’s dedicated service of
more than seven decades. Considering the Archbishop’s love for his spiritual
career to be “contagious” for the new generation, His Holiness justly
praised the Archbishop’s care for the church’s ritual life.
“Archbishop Ghevont was not only himself zealous towards the rites and
rituals of the Armenian Church, but he demanded zealousness from those
surrounding him, both during his service in the Dioceses and inside the
Catholicosate. The Archbishop was a spiritual man with the literal meaning
of the word, aware of his calling and the mission of the Catholicosate of
Cilicia,” His Holiness said.
His Holiness then spoke about the Archbishop’s brave position of a loyal
servant of the Catholicosate of Cilicia and defender of its principles even
during the most difficult and critical times. “Archbishop Ghevont became and
remained the kind of member of our brotherhood who, with his persistent
brave stand, was able to remain loyal to the Catholicosate of Cilicia when
many others deserted our Holy See and betrayed their brotherhood,” His
Holiness said.
After the Pontifical funeral oration believers approached the tomb of the
Archbishop to kiss his right hand for the last time and bid him farewell.
The clergy then carried the tomb on their shoulders to the Zarehian
Tomb-Monument where the tomb service was held by His Holiness Aram I.
Brotherhood members then descended the tomb into its last rest place, the
Cilician Pact tomb. Bishop Dirayr then blessed the land and the grave.
Following the service, believers expressed their condolences to His Holiness
Aram I and the members of the Brotherhood in the hall of Veharan.
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View photos here:
res21.htm
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“JAVAKHK” COUNCIL CONVINCED THAT IF NECESSARY, ARMENIA SHOULD OPEN SECOND FRONT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 14 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The “Javakhk”
Council consisting of 15 NGOs calls on RA authorities to pay proper
attention to the problems of Javakhk Armenians, in particular, to
recognize the political component of the Javakhk problem. This was
said in the statement publicized by the Council on March 14.
“Encouraged by the absolute indifference of RA authorities, the
Georgian circles became more unbridled,” the statement authors
insist. Among the anti-Armenian actions carried out recently in
Javakhk they mention facts of dimissing a number of Armenian judges
in Javakhk because of their not mastering the Georgian language,
foundation of a diocese in the territory of Armenia by the Georgian
church, the murder of the young Armenian in Tsalka.
“Not excluding the participation of the third party, including Turkey
and Azerbaijan, in provocation and instigation of these anti-Armenian
acts, the “Javakhk” Council considers that first of all the Georgian
authorities and Georgian Orthodox Church are responsible for it. RA
authorities, who have done nothing in the direction of solving the
Javakhk problems, also have their share of responsibility,” the
statement read.
“The pivot of Javakhk problem is political, as long as Javakhk
political status isn’t clarified and Javakhh has no guarantees that
there will be no infringement of Armenians, it’s senseless to solve
other problems,” “Javakhk” Council representative Hrazdan Madoyan
declared.
According to the him, the prevailing majority of Armenians living
in Armenia is anxious about the Javakhk problem as they understand
that there is no separate Javakhk problem. “On the one hand, this is
the problem of Hay Dat, on the other hand, the problem of Armenia’s
physical existence, as today Javakhk is the only possibility for
connection with Europe. We understand that if the Armenians leave
Javakhk, their place will be taken by the Turks: this means that
Armenia will appear in a complete blockade,” the speaker declared.
According to Madoyan, there can be two possible developments of
Javakhk problem: either it will become a second Nakhichevan or a
second Karabakh.
According to him, if Armenia wants to exist as a state in the region,
it should be able to preserve what is still Armenian.
According to the Council representatives, if necessary, Armenia
should bring troops into Javakhk. In response to the question, if
Armenia is able to open the second front, Council representative
Gagik Ginosian said that this will be already the fourth front for
Georgia. According to him, we shouldn’t avoid war in case of a danger
of losing the homeland and the national dignity, and in the issue of
Javakhk we deal with the physical existence of the Republic of Armenia.

ARMENIA WILL HAVE TO OPEN SECOND FRONT IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, JAVAKHK SAYS
Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 14 2006
Tbilisi. March 14 (Prime-News) – The Council of Javakhk, which
includes fifteen funds, appeals to the government of Armenia to ask
“to pay more attention to the Javakheti region of Georgia and admit
the political meaning of problem of the local residents of Armenian
origin”, Noyan Tapan says.
The corresponding statement was published by the Javakhk Council
on Tuesday.
“Encouraged by the absolute indifference by the Armenian authorities,
the Georgian forces became more unbridled”, the statement says.
According to Armenian Noyan Tapan, the dismissal of the local judge
of Armenian origin for his ignorance of the Georgian (state) language
and murder of an Armenian young man were the most violent among the
recent anti-Armenian actions.
“Admitting possible participation of some other forces, Azerbaijan and
Turkey in particular, in sponsoring and incitement of the anti-Armenian
actions, the Javakhk Council considers that the Georgian government
and the Georgian Orthodox Church must bear full responsibility for the
recent developments. Republic of Armenia is also responsible for its
indifference for solution of the problems in Javakhk (Javakheti region,
as termed by the local pro Armenian forces)”, the statement says.
“The core of the problems in Javakhk is political, as the political
status of the region is yet to be defined and there is no guarantee
for security of the Armenian population. Thus the problems remain
unsettled”, Razdan Madoian, Council Chairman said.
According to him, the overwhelming majority of the Armenian population
of the region are deeply concerned as they understand that there is
no problem in Javakhk to be regarded separately.
“It is a matter of survival of Armenia, as Javakhk (region) is the
only way for communication with Europe. We understand that if the
Armenians leave the region, the Turks will settle here. It will equal
to complete isolation of Armenia”, Razdan Madoian said.
According to him, there are two options for further developments –
it might become another Nakhitchevani (place of Armenian genocide)
or the Nagorno-Karabakh, and if Armenia wants to retain its position
in the region, it must maintain whatever Armenian is left.
He claimed that the Armenian troops must invade in the region in case
of necessity.
When asked about the possible second front for Armenia, Gagik Ginosian,
representative of the Council said that it would be the forth one
for Georgia.
One must not be afraid of war when there is a challenge to lose a
motherland and national dignity. As for Javakhk, the matte is about
survival of Armenia, he said.
Gevork Gevorkian, 24, was killed in the town of Tsalka of the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region in a drunken clash two days ago.
The local residents of Armenian origin claimed that it was a deliberate
action and raided the local branch of the TbilisiStateUniversity,
local court and local governmental unit in protest.
The participants of the protest rally demanded Armenian record
keeping and introduction of Armenian language in education in the
local branch of the StateUniversity. They also tried to invade the
office of the Georgian Patriarchate, claiming that its was used for
storage of weapon. But as they met a local clergy and checked the
office to make sure that no weapon was kept there.
As Prime-News was told by the local police, the situation in the
region was eased and kept under control.
Van Baiburt, Georgian MP of Armenian origin says that the tension in
the region, which is mainly populated with Armenians, was artificial.
In his interview to Prime-News Van Baiburt condemned the raid of the
University and local court.
According to him, the sponsors of the rally were enemies both for
Georgia and Armenia.

EUROPEAN CENTER FOR SECURITY STUDIES’ AUTHORITY ISSUED LAST WARNING TO ARMENIAN OFFICER
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
The administration of the George Marshall European Center for
Security Studies (ECSS) issued a sharp warning to the representative
of Armenian’s Defense Ministry, Major Artyom Akopyan.
The Europe bureau of APA reports that Akopyan made offensive
expressions on Georgian government during the training. Addressing
the discussions, the Armenian officer said that Samskhe-Javakhetia
province in Georgia belongs to Armenians, and the official Tbilisi
is functioning as “US gendarme” in the region.
Georgian participants in the training strongly protested to the head
of the Armenian delegation for this statement, and demanded taking
an action about Akopyan.
When the Armenian delegation rejected taking any action about the
military cadet, Georgian cadets appealed to organizers of the training
course as well as to the ECSS.
On investigating the incident, the administration of the European
Center for Security Studies made a decision. According to the decision,
if Armenia’s Defense Ministry representative Artyom Akopyan reiterates
the same expressions, he will not be allowed to join the trainings
and will be driven to Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GHARIBJANIAN: RA FM NEEDS FINANCIAL MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTING PURPOSEFUL STRATEGY
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. So much money is to be invested in
the foreign policy that it is possible to implement some strategy.
Gegham Gharibjanian, the RA Deputy Foreign Minister stated this at the
October 14 joint sitting of the NA Standing Committees on Financial,
Credit and Budget Issues and Foreign Relations, dedicated to the
discussion of the 2006 draft state budget.
He mentioned that it’s only within the current year that the Ministry
was able to implement some mission programs: particularly, organization
of the Yerevan conference dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide and publication of its materials, organization of
events dedicated to the 90th anniversary in a number of countries.
Gegham Gharibjanian mentioned that the Ministry prepared and spread
a special certificate with the help of which Armenian participants of
international conferences will be able to give a proper counterblow to
Azeri and Turk participants’ misinformation. According to him, during
the next year work in that direction will continue and giving necessary
information, including to deputies as well, will become periodical. The
Deputy Minister emphasized the necessity of a more close cooperation
between the Ministry of Foreing Affairs and the Parliament, regular
contacts and exchange of information among diplomates and deputies.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DISCUSSIONS ON TURKISH MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU HAVE SPARKED A HEATED DEBATE.
BUT WHERE SHOULD PROGRESSIVES POSITION THEMSELVES ON THE ISSUE?
by Steve McGiffen
Morning Star
October 17, 2005
Feature – Turkey and the EU;
The question of Turkey’s possible accession to the European Union
poses a number of dilemmas for left critics of this “Europe.”
On the one hand, many objections to Turkey’s membership are based on
nothing more than thinly disguised racism and Islamophobia.
On the other, there are perfectly sound reasons to question whether
Turkey is a suitable candidate for EU membership.
The Bush administration is enthusiastic for Turkey’s entry for purely
militaristic reasons and an EU member state bordering several Middle
Eastern countries would provide Western imperialism, whether directed
from Washington or Brussels, with a major asset.
It must also be remembered that EU membership would benefit only
the rich elite which already controls the country, being at best an
extremely mixed blessing for the mass of the country’s population and
more certainly a complete disaster for the millions of Turks living
in poverty.
I would argue, however, that this is something which Turkish people
and the progressive forces in Turkey must work out for themselves.
For the moment, there are more pressing concerns, as the European
Commission’s most optimistic estimate is that talks will take at
least a decade.
In the meantime, it would be foolish not to admit that the EU decision
to establish accession negotiations offers supporters of basic human
rights an opportunity to demand improvements in the country’s record
on a number of fronts.
Refusing to open negotiations or delaying them would, under
current circumstances, only have strengthened the fundamentalist,
anti-democratic forces which have acquired increasing strength both
among ordinary Turks and within the ruling circles in recent years.
Negotiations could enable progressives within Turkey and their
supporters elsewhere to exert pressure for effective democratic
reforms.
The changes which have already come about as a result of the elite’s
desire to join their country to the EU have been more than purely
cosmetic. Negotiation will make monitoring of such reforms more
effective, provided that we keep up the pressure.
Nevertheless, we should be demanding that negotiations be broken off
immediately should Turkey fail to hold to agreements affecting the
position of religious, ethnic and political minorities in the country
or regarding its armed forces’ illegal occupation of Cyprus.
Cyprus will, in fact, provide the first measurable test of Turkey’s
preparedness to hold to agreements, as Ankara has agreed to withdraw
ships and military planes within a few months.
As long as 40 per cent of Cyprus’s territory remains under Turkish
occupation, there should be no question of its being admitted to the
EU. The EU position in relation to this question is already seriously
compromised, given that the terms of Cyprus’s own admission accorded
the illegal occupation a degree of legitimacy.
If that were not the case, Turkish, an official Cypriot language,
would already also be an official language of the European Union.
Equally serious are continuing human rights abuses within Turkey
itself.
Arbitrary arrests continue to occur, as does torture, while censorship
and laws and practices interfering with the freedom of assembly
are regarded as entirely legitimate by both the army, which remains
the country’s most powerful institution, and ruling political and
economic elites.
This repression is uneven. I have personally addressed perfectly open
meetings of a Marxist organisation in Istanbul and was assured by my
hosts that I had nothing to fear, though I was also warned to avoid
any open criticism of the military.
Gradual improvement of the situation on the ground in Kurdistan
and the relaxation of laws aimed at the destruction of the Kurdish
people’s language and culture should not lead to complacency.
The situation remains volatile. The Kurdish people continue to be the
object of serious human rights abuses and, even if Turkish aggression
were to cease completely, perpetrators of crimes against humanity
should not go unpunished.
The Turkish armed forces have come close at times to a systematic
policy of genocide in the region and, until the guilty are punished,
there should be no talk of simply “moving on.”
A much older genocide, which was perpetrated on the Armenian minority
in 1915, also hangs over the modern Turkish state.
In this case, it is too late for the guilty to be punished. However,
it is not too late for Turkey to admit what happened and to take
steps to purge its conscience of this shameful episode in its history.
Its doing so should be an absolute condition for a “successful”
conclusion of negotiations.
Turkey has shown on many occasions that improvements will come only in
the face of pressure and those seeking to exert such pressure within
the country, generally at great risk to themselves, need our help.
In the negotiations to take place over the coming 10 years, we should
be insisting that Turkey fully adhere to the human rights aspects of
the Copenhagen criteria – the conditions which an applicant country
must fulfil if it is to be accepted – and that negotiations be
suspended in the event of transgressions.
Kurdistan, the Armenian genocide and the illegal occupation of Cyprus
must all be addressed.
For all its talk, the European Commission will not prioritise
such matters above the economic advantages it believes that the
developed countries which form the core of the EU will gain from
Turkish accession.
It is hard to see how progress can be made unless the issue of
Cyprus is dealt with, but it will be up to us to ensure that Turkey’s
minorities, her political prisoners, the rights of Turkish women, the
Armenian genocide, the victims of war in Kurdistan and the right of
all Turkish people to basic freedoms are not allowed to slip quietly
from the agenda.
– Steve McGiffen edits – a left internationalist
website which focuses in particular on EU affairs.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH WRITER FACING TRIAL DENIES CALLING KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS A GENOCIDE
Associated Press Worldstream
October 16, 2005 Sunday
ANKARA, Turkey
A Turkish novelists who could face prison over charges he insulted
his country has defended himself, insisting he did not describe the
killings of Armenians in the early 20th century as a genocide.
Orhan Pamuk, one of Turkey’s best-known writers, is to go on trial
on Dec. 16 and could face up to three years in prison for comments
on the killings of Armenians and Kurds. The United States and the
European Union have called on Turkey to drop charges to ensure freedom
of expression.
“I did not say, we Turks killed this many Armenians,” Pamuk told
private CNN-Turk television late Saturday. “I did not use the word
‘genocide’.”
Turkish prosecutors filed charges against Pamuk after he told a Swiss
newspaper in February that “30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians were
killed in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it.”
He was referring to Kurds killed during Turkey’s two-decade conflict
with autonomy seeking Kurdish guerrillas, branded as a terrorist group
by the U.S. and EU, and to Armenians killed around the time of World
War I.
Armenians say that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks,
which Armenians and several nations around the world recognize as a
genocide. Turkey 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.
Asked about the numbers of people killed that he referred to in his
interview with the Swiss newspaper, Pamuk said “they were spontaneous
remarks.”
“There are martyred Turkish soldiers among those 30,000 to 35,000
killed people. Let’s express our respect to them,” Pamuk said,
complaining that he has become a victim of a “defamation campaign.”
The EU, which Turkey aspires to join, has said it will be watching
closely when Pamuk goes before a judge in December.
Pamuk’s books, which include the internationally acclaimed “Snow” and
“My Name is Red,” have been translated into more than 20 languages
and the novelist has received numerous international awards.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DETAINMENT OF SHAREHOLDER OF “ROYAL ARMENIA” AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR
OF THAT COMPANY WAS ORDERED AND ARRANGED BY CUSTOMS COMMITTEE
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17. ARMINFO. “The detainment of a shareholder of
“Royal Armenia” LTD and the Deputy Director of that company was ordered
and arranged by the Customs Committee,” reported the lawyer of the
“Royal Armenia” company, Gevork Minasian.
The Head of the Customs Committee Armen Avetisian reported to the
President of RA about contraband at the amount of 1,5 billion AMD.
But Mr. Minasian stated that the 1,5 billion AMD is nothing else
but the amount of the customs values, disputed at the court. “If the
customs values are nullified by the court, the Head of the Customs
Committee will seem to have deceived the President. And that is why
the Customs Committee arranged the detainment of Mr. Hakobian and Mr.
Kazarian,” he added. “The Customs Committee tries its best to prevent
me from appearing before the court and thus to gain time,” said the
representative of the “Royal Armenia” company.

IMAM REZA SHRINE RECEIVES BELGIAN TOURISTS
Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency, Iran
Oct 18 2005
A group of Belgian tourists will visit Imam Reza and Hazrat-e Masumeh
Mausoleums during January holidays.
Tehran, 18 October 2005 (CHN) — European tourists leave on holiday
trips around the world every January. This coming January a group
of Belgian and Luxembourgians will make a 14-day visit to historical
cities of Iran, visiting two holy shrines of Shiites.
The group is going to visit Kerman, Shiraz, Isfahan, Yazd, Qom, and
Mashhad, spending the New Year Eve in the shrine of Imam Reza, the
8th Imam of Shiite Muslims, in Mashhad city in the eastern province of
Khorasan-e Razavi, and Hazrat-e Masumeh, Imam Reza’s sister, in Qom,
near Capital Tehran.
“Last year we arranged for our European tourists to participate in
the New Year ceremony of Armenians of Iran. This year, with the
coordination of the international office of the shrines, we have
arranged for bringing European tourists to the religious ceremonies of
Muslims and to give them the chance to have a talk with the clerics
of the shrines,” says Mehdi Yavar Negoon, manager of Shideh travel
agency in Shiraz which is in charge of bringing in the tourists.
According to Yavar Negoon, since Europeans are the most adve6nturous
tourists of the world, who are always interested in experiencing new
things, “one of the various programs which can be proposed to them
is participating in Muslim religious ceremonies which will be a new
experience for them.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IS SATISFACTORY
Panorama.am
17:55 17/10/05
“The local elections were generally in keeping with the Council of
Europe’s electoral standards. The electoral process was generally
satisfactory”, – said today a delegation of the Congress of Local
and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe who arrived
to observe local elections in Yerevan and in various towns and
villages in the Tavoush, Lori and Armavir regions. To the question
“Have you heard about illegalities and kidnapping in Etchmiadzin?”,
head of the delegation Sean 0’Brien answered, “Of course, I heard
about such actions, but we cannot say something exactly”, and added,
“For example, we were present during the ballots counting in one of
the polling station in Etchmiadzin, everything was normal”.
The members only said that there were some little irregularities,
like somebody didn’t find her/his name in the electoral rolls or
there were some persons’ names who died long time ago etc. “We’ll
inform the authorities about these, as we are sure that they will,
by all means, correct these mistakes”, – said the member of the
delegation Christopher Newbury.
David Lloyd-Williams told that during their visit in Vanadzor they saw
150-200 angry people opposite the headquarter of one of the candidates.
People came with their passports to get bribes. But inside the
headquarter they found out that it was only nonsense. “And we left
the area”,- claimed Mr. Lloyd-Williams. /Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress