Author: Emil Lazarian

Federal News Service, Inc.
FNS DAYBOOK
February 8, 2005 Tuesday
DISCUSSION – THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PAUL H. NITZE SCHOOL OF
ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (SAIS)
SUBJECT: The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of
Advanced International Studies (SAIS) holds a discussion, “Track II
Diplomacy and the Prospects of Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation.”[AGENDA] Speakers’ comments are not for attribution
LOCATION: SAIS, Nitze Building, Kenney Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. — February 8, 2005
PARTICIPANTS: David Phillips, deputy director, Center for Prevention
Action, Council on Foreign Relations and Matt Bryza, National
Security Council deputy director of Europe and the Caucasus
CONTACT: Members of the public should RSVP to 202.265.4300; e-mail,
[email protected]; Felisa Neuringer Klubes, 202-663-5626;
e-mail, [email protected]; or
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Amir receives letter from Armenian President
Bahrain News Agency
February 7, 2005 Monday 12:21 PM EST
Manama, February 07
The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah received a letter
Monday from the Armenian President, Robert Kocharian.
The letter was delivered by the Armenian National Assmebly Speaker,
Arthur Baghdasaryan during his meeting with the Prime Minister,
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish Press, Turkey
Feb 7 2005
A Very Important Visit
BYEGM: 2/7/2005
BY YILMAZ OZTUNA
TURKIYE- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be in the world
media spotlight over the next four years as both the architect and
advocate of Pax Americana. Her visit to Ankara aimed to determine the
extent of US cooperation with Turkey over the coming months. Speaking
at a press conference following his meeting with Rice at Esenboga
Airport, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Washington a
strategic ally. This definition means that Turkey will support the
US’ Iran and Syria policies, because our bilateral ties are at a
turning point.
Rice’s visit was meant to put pressure on Syria and Iran to cease
their support of terrorist groups and quest to produce nuclear
weapons. If these efforts don’t bear fruit, the US will start
concrete action. Will Turkey hold up its end of the strategic
alliance? The US will arrange its policy accordingly. If Ankara
doesn’t support it, Washington will move closer to northern Iraq’s
Kurds as well as Armenia. The US is expecting understanding from such
key Arab countries as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Otherwise it will try
to bring democracy to them, as they seem unable to do so on their
own.

Agence France Presse
4 février 2005 vendredi 11:29 PM GMT
Patriarche arménien: la question du génocide doit être réglée par
historiens
ISTANBUL 4 fév
Le patriarche arménien Mesrob II a estimé vendredi à Istanbul que la
question du génocide arménien devait “être réglée par les historiens”
et n’était “pas une affaire politique”, a indiqué sa porte-parole
Luiz Bakar.
“Nous n’avons absolument rien à dire sur la loi française”, a ajouté
la porte-parole en rapportant les propos du Patriarche à l’issue de
son entretien avec la délégation française conduite par le président
de l’Assemblée nationale Jean-Louis Debré.
En 2001, la reconnaissance du génocide arménien en 1915 a été votée
par l’Assemblée nationale française.
“Nous sommes Arméniens, mais nous vivons en Turquie. Nous avons vécu
un évènement tragique, mais nous préférons regarder vers l’avenir”, a
poursuivi le patriarche, selon Mme Bakar.
En recevant, M. Debré, qui était accompagné des présidents des
groupes représentés à l’Assemblée, Bernard Accoyer (UMP), Jean-Marc
Ayrault (PS), Alain Bocquet (PCF) et Hervé Morin (UDF), Mesrob II a
affirmé en outre, selon M. Accoyer, que lui-même n’employait pas le
mot “génocide”, même “s’il l’avait fait lors de ses voeux et pensait
que ces évènements méritaient ce qualificatif”. Pour autant, a
poursuivi M. Accoyer, “il n’y a pas de sa part une exigence
sémantique”.
“Cette question est difficile mais les positions des uns et des
autres sont en train d’évoluer”, a relevé M. Debré.
Le patriarche “ne fait pas de la reconnaissance du génocide” par son
pays “un préalable”, a ajouté M. Ayrault, en indiquant qu’il avait
fait la veille une “ouverture” en proposant au Premier ministre turc
Recep Tayyip Erdogan la constitution d’une “commission internationale
d’historiens sous l’égide des Nations unies” pour régler cette
question.
“Nous aurons peut-être nous même besoin de cela concernant notre
passé colonial”, a-t-il poursuivi, en insistant sur le devoir de
vérité des nations face à leur passé.
Affirmant ne “pas regretter” son vote sur la reconnaissance du
génocide, M. Bocquet a insisté également sur la nécessité de
“rechercher une solution pour surmonter ce blocage”.
Le patriarche a par ailleurs affirmé son soutien à l’entrée de son
pays dans l’Union européenne. Il a fait valoir de plus, selon sa
porte-parole, que si la Turquie entrait dans l’UE “les gens ne se
seraient plus tentés d’y aller car ils y seront déjà”.

EMPLOYEE OF ZHVANIA STAFF FOUND DEAD
TBILISI, FEBRUARY 5. ARMINFO. The employee of the staff of late
Georgian PM Zurab Zhvania Georgy Khelashvili has committed a suicide,
reports RIA Novosti referring to the spokesman of the police and
public security ministry Guram Donadze.
Khelashvili, 32, was found dead in his house Friday evening. He is
believed to have shot himself from a gun he had taken from his
neighbor, says Donadze.
Meanwhile, the father of Raul Yusupov, deputy governor of Kvemo Kartli
region, found dead in the same house with Zurab Zhvania Thursday, does
not believe in the official version of his son’s death. “I want to
know the truth. My son did not die in that house,” he says noting that
he is going to contact Zhvania’s family to learn what really happened.
Mze TV company reports that Yusupov never lived in that house and
never rented it while the official sources say that a month before the
tragedy he rented the house and three days before changed his gas
heater (which officially caused the two’s death), reports Interfax.-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
February 05, 2005, Saturday
Five share victory in Gib
By Malcolm Pein
FIVE players shared first at the Gibtelecom Masters organised by the
BCF at the Caleta Hotel in Gibraltar. Kiril Georgiev of Macedonia and
Lev Aronian of Armenia both won their last-round games to join the
leaders on 7.5/10. The trio on seven points at start of play —
Alexey Shirov, Emil Sutovsky and Zahar Efimenko — all drew.
Danny Gormally drew with a second Armenian international, Gabriel
Sargissian, and gained nearly 30 rating points while ending as the
best-placed British player on 6.5/10. Peter Wells, who defeated Jon
Speelman, and Colin McNab, who overcame Juan Bellon, also scored 6.5,
but their results do not compare with Gormally’s, who was inspired
and faced six of the world’s top-ranked players and lost only once.
There were 120 players in the competition.
Round 10 results: 2 Kotronias (6=) = — = Efimenko (7); 3 Georgiev
(6=) 1 — 0 Erenburg (6=); 4 Sargissian (6=) = — = Gormally (6=); 5
Rogers (6) 0 — 1 Aronian (6=); 6 Spraggett (6) = — = Dreev (6) ; 7
Areshchenko (6) 1 — 0 Sasikiran (6) ; 8 Nakamura (6) 1 — 0 N Pert
(6) ; 9 Wells (5=) 1 — 0 Speelman(6) ; 10 Lahno (5=) 0 — 1 Avrukh
(5=); 11 Tregubov (5=) = — = Radziewicz (5=); 12 Postny (5=) = —
Skripchenko (5=); 13 Hamdouchi (5=) = — = Tissir (5=); 14 Hebden
(5=) = — = Thorfinnsson (5=); 15 Rendle (5=) = — = Ward (5=); 16
Arakhamia (5=) = — = Al Sayed (5=); 17 Bellon (5) 0 — 1 McNab (5=).
SHIROV mates his opponent after opening lines with a pawn sacrifice;
see if you can spot the finish in the diagram below.
A.Shirov — K.Spraggett
Gibraltar Masters (9)
Sicilian Defence
1 e4c5 2Nf3e6
3 d4cxd4 4Nxd4a6
5 Bd3Nf6 60-0d6
7 c4Qc7 8Nc3Be7
9 b3b510Bb2b4
11 Nce2Nbd712Ng3Nc5
13 Bc2Bb714Qe10-0
15 Rd1Rfe816f4d5
17 cxd5exd518e5Nfe4
19 Ndf5Bf820Rc1Qd7
21 Qe3Rac822Rfd1Qe6
23 Nd4Qb624Nde2Qb5
25 f5Nd726Bd3Rxc1
27 Rxc1Qa528e6!fxe6
29 fxe6Rxe630Nf4Re8
31 Nxe4dxe432Bc4+Kh8
1-0
Spraggett
Shirov
Final position after 32…Kh8 and Black resigned: why? Answer on
Monday.
THE Bermuda International is a top-class event, with a double-round
all-play-all that includes six of the world’s top 100 players.
Scores after five rounds: 1-3 Vescovi (Brazil) 2645, Gelfand (Israel)
2696, Harikrishna (India) 2632 3/5; 4 Dominguez, (Cuba) 2661 2.5; 5
Volokitin (Ukraine) 2; 6 Macieja (Poland) 2618 1.5.

Cyprus Press and Information Office, Occupied Northern Cyprus
Feb 5 2005
French Parliament Speaker reminded the Turks about the Turkish
occupation of Cyprus and the Armenian genocide
Ankara Anatolia news agency (03.02.05) reported from Ankara that the
Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and the President of the
French National Assembly Jean Louis Debre held a joint news
conference on Thursday.
When asked, ”do you think that a negative result will emerge in the
referendum which will be held in France about Turkey’s EU membership
and how do you interpret such a result?” Arinc said: ”Turkey is not
after a privilege about EU membership. However, we oppose to any
discrimination to be made against Turkey. EU should apply the same
procedure it applied on other candidates.
”A referendum for Turkey will be held in the future, not today.
Throughout this period, I believe there will be positive developments
in Turkey and France. I think a positive result will emerge from the
referendum.”
Replying to the same question, Debre said: ”It is a tradition to
hold a referendum (in France) when a situation is in question
regarding borders and structure of the EU. When time has come, French
people will make its decision.”
Meanwhile, Arinc said that they have taken up Turkey-EU relations
during meetings between Turkish and French delegations. He noted:
”We informed the French delegation about the details of the reforms
Turkey implemented.”
On the other hand, Debre said: ”It is impossible to stay indifferent
to the request of a country with a population of 71 million habitants
to join the EU. We should listen to each other. Of course, some
questions emerge in the French public opinion. Because, we want to
build a Europe we have questions to ask. Is the Turkish society ready
to adopt the reforms which will change the structure of their
society? There are also other questions like Cyprus, human rights and
Armenian issue, to be solved.”
Regarding the Cyprus problem and Armenian issues, Debre said: ”We
have discussed these issues with Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. I told him that Cyprus and Armenian issues are considered as
problems in France. Everything works more comfortably as long as
people are in peace with their own histories.”

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Cultural Foundation of Ottawa
P.O. BOX 23153
Ottawa, CANADA, K2A 4E7
Tel: (613) 234-1890
Fax: (613) 234-2568
E-mail: [email protected]
Armenian Genocide on CBC radio ONE on Sunday Feb. 6
Ottawa, Friday, February 04, 2005 – The Armenian Cultural Foundation
in Ottawa has learned from a reliable source, and is pleased to
announce that CBC Radio One, will interview Prof. Taner Akcam on its
weekly program: the Sunday Edition on February 6, 2005.
The interview has been prompted by the publication in “The Literary
Review of Canada (LRC)” of a powerful book review on the Armenian
Genocide and the Turkish Government’s policy of denial. The review,
by David Warner, is of Turkish historian Taner Akcam’s book “From
Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide.”
The review, spreads over two oversized pages, and is titled “History
Denied: A brave Turkish historian calls it the Armenian genocide. Are
his fellow citizens listening?” It is featured prominently on the
Jan/Feb cover of the LRC magazine in form of cover lines and an
illustration.
CBC Radio One program, “The Sunday Edition” will interview Prof. Akcam
on Feb 6, 2005. The Sunday Edition is a lively three-hour program of
conversation, documentaries and music. Michael Enright, an
accomplished and famous Canadian journalist and broadcaster, is the
host and tackles everything from politics to pop culture, in Canada
and around the world. Michael Enright is one of the most respected
journalists in Canada. He thrives on debate and ideas and each program
begins with his own thoughts. He has already interviewed twice, very
favorably, on his program Canadian Soprano, Isabel Bayrakdarian.
The Sunday Edition regularly airs on: CBC Radio One Sundays,
9:11a.m.-12:00 p.m.
“We have learned that the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa made an effort to
block the segment from being aired.” Said Vahe Balabanian, President
of the Armenian Cultural Foundation.
The program on CBC’s internet service is at:
To reach the CBC: E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 416-205-3700 (audience inquiries)
Fax: 416-205-6461
Mail: The Sunday Edition
P.O. Box 500, Station A
Toronto, Ontario
M5W 1E6

To reach the magazine: e-mail: [email protected]
Ms. Bronwyn Drainie
Editor, Literary Review of Canada
581 Markham Street, Suite 3A
Toronto, Ontario
M6G 2I7
Tel. (416) 531-1483

Iraq food aid chief ‘sought oil quotas’
Financial Times
February 4 2005
By Mark Turner at the United Nations and Claudio Gatti in New York
Benon Sevan, head of the United Nations office that administered
Iraq’s multi-billion dollar oil-for-food programme, “repeatedly
solicited” oil allocations from Baghdad, a UN-appointed inquiry said
yesterday.
“Iraqi officials provided such allocations for the purpose of
obtaining Mr Sevan’s support on several issues, particularly their
desire for funds to repair and rebuild the Iraqi oil infrastructure,”
it found.
The conclusions, in an interim report from an independent committee
led by Paul Volcker, deal a severe blow to the United Nations and to
Kofi Annan, its secretary-general.
Critics of the international body in the US Congress and elsewhere
accuse it of allowing Saddam Hussein’s regime to develop illicit
sources of funding as a result of corruption in the programme.
The Volcker report identified failings in the way the programme, set
up in 1996 to alleviate shortages created by international sanctions,
was administered and audited.
Mr Volcker also noted that the most serious violations of the
sanctions occurred outside the programme, and involved oil smuggling.
But the “most disturbing” findings concerned Mr Sevan’s role, which
“created a grave and continuing conflict of interest”.
“His conduct was ethically improper and seriously undermined the
integrity of the United Nations.”
The Financial Times revealed on Tuesday that the UN investigation was
targetting Mr Sevan’s efforts to steer lucrative contracts for Iraqi
oil to African Middle East Petroleum, a Panama-registered company
owned by a Swiss-based oil trader.
The report says Mr Sevan “was not forthcoming to the committee when he
denied approaching Iraqi officials and requesting oil allocations on
behalf of AMEP”. He also “failed to disclose the full nature and
extent of his contacts” with Fakhri Abdelnour, AMEP’s boss.
The report also queries declarations made by Mr Sevan about the source
of additional cash income – disclosed in a UN disclosure form –
between 1999-2003. Mr Sevan said the $160,000 (123,000,
£85,000)received over that period came from an aunt in Cyprus.
The woman, the Volcker report says, was “a retired government
photographer living on a modest pension”. Mr Sevan’s explanation was
“not adequately supported” by the information reviewed by the
committee.
A separate line of inquiry, into investigations into the procurement
of a contractor that employed Mr Annan’s son, Kojo Annan, were “well
advanced” and would be the subject of a further interim report.
Writing in The Wall Street Journal yesterday, Mr Volcker said UN
procurement procedures were “tainted, failing to follow the
established rules of the organisation” and that “political
considerations intruded in a manner that was neither transparent nor
accountable”.

`THE GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION OF THIS YEAR WILL BE A NIGHTMARE FOR TURKEY’
Azg/arm
5 Feb 05
Turkish Newspaper Alarm
Mehmet Ali Birandi, a famous Turkish publicist, warned the Turkish
society on January 4 in Turkish Daily News. “A huge tsunami is
approaching our shores”, wrote Birandi, “I can almost hear it. The sky
is getting darker and the water on the shore is retreating. The
tsunami I am talking about comes as a result of the earthquake among
the Armenian Diaspora and will soon be upon us. If the necessary
precautions are not taken in a timely manner, we might face a huge
calamity. We might never recover. The reason why this tsunami formed
is that on April 24, 2005 is the 90th anniversary of the symbolic date
of the Armenian genocide allegations”.
In a press conference to sum up the achievements of Armenian diplomacy
in 2004 foreign minister Vartan Oskanian confirmed that the
aftereffects of the ` tsunami’ will be alarming for Turkey. He
said that the year of 2005when the Armenian nation commemorates the
90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is the most proper time to
draw international community’s attention to theissue which is still
actual in many states of the world.
A month later after Birandi’s statement, on February 4, another
Turkish journalists, Oktay Eqshi, warns the Turkish government from
the pages of Hyuriet. But Eqshi does not use terms indicating natural
disasters to describe the threat Turkey face, instead comparing the
coming commemoration with a nightmare.
“As you know, the 90th anniversary of Armenian genocide, as Armenians
call it, will be marked this year on April 24. As the date approaches
we will face more claims, accusations and decisions. The foreign
minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, held forth at an arrangement
dedicated to 60th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation showing that the
Armenians are getting ready for serious activities”.
Alarming of `the coming nightmares’ he poses a question, “What
shall we do?” and answers: “We rejoiced when the Armenians refused to
come to Vienna to exchange documents with Turkish scientists. During
this time the voice of Professor Yusuf Halacoglu, president of Turkish
History Foundation, grew loader. He said: ‘Turkey has to take a
shocking step’. Hiqmet Ozdemir,head of the Center of Armenian Studies,
echoed saying that he is ready to take that step. The Armenians are
united in their actions. Reliable sources inform that they organize 30
thousand arrangements annually to convince the world of the genocide
and allocate $50 million for that purpose”.
Author of the article withholds the names of reliable sources and
incidentally sates addressing Turkish authorities: “Don’t get
surprised if the Bush administration proposes the Congress to take a
decision on `Acknowledgement of the Genocide’. And don’t say
`where did this disaster come?’ if England, Germany, Switzerland
and other states join the US. The French will say in this case: `
You will not join the EU unless you have not apologized to Armenians
as the Germans did to Jews’. There will come a point when they will
demandto `make amends to the Armenians following the Germans’
example’. Ifthey are not satisfied with the amends they may snitch
half of Anatolia calling it `restitution of lands belonging to
Armenians'”.
Oktay Eqshi rounds off appealing to regain consciousness. What does he
mean? If it is an appeal to push ahead the policy of negation then
the Turks should understand that Birandi’s `Armenian tsunami’ and
Eqshi’s `coming nightmare’ are the very results of negation. If
it is an appeal for the Turkish authorities to `take the
offensive in the genocide issue’ then for this goal either they need
to have a firmer ground.
By Hakob Chakrian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress