Author: Felekian Ara

Panorama.am

17:26 24/08/2007

GAS LEAK WITHOUT PROMOTION

Interruptions in the supply of gas by `Hayrusgazard’ company due to
vigorous construction works in different communities of Yerevan
recently have given way to anxiety among residents.

Those who make calls to Panorama.am editorial office are concerned
that they may not be able `to be watchful’ to comings and goings of
the gas and there may be gas leaks in the apartments since `it is
difficult to feel this gas -it has no smell.’

In fact, the Armenian Emergency Service make more frequent reports on
gas explosions. Gas leaks cause different accidents, including with
fatal end. The most recent accident took place yesterday in 20
building of Shiraz street when one person died due to gas leak and a
blast.

`Hayrusgazard’ told Panorama.am there were cuts off in Ajapniak
community, however, `the police is investigating to find out the
reasons of the explosion.’

Whatever answer the investigation gives, one this is clear: not enough
warnings or alarm exercises are delivered to the residents related to
gas leaks for any reason.

Source: Panorama.am

Turkey condemns statement by ADL

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff | August 24, 2007

The Turkish government, reacting to a controversy that started in Watertown,
yesterday condemned the Anti-Defamation League’s decision to call the
massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a genocide.

"We consider the statement of the ADL as an injustice to the unique
character of the Holocaust, as well as to the memories of its victims," the
Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We expect it to be
rectified."

Burak Akcapar, first counselor of the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C.,
said Turkey has registered its concerns with Israel, the United States, and
"friends everywhere."

"We are concerned that a great injustice has been done by the ADL with this
statement," Akcapar said in an interview, adding that there is much
scholarly debate on the issue. "It has ignored our point of view about the
change of position. We are talking to all friendly parties about that. Our
position is very clear."

The swift and strong reaction from a major foreign government marked the
latest escalation in a revolt that started last week in Watertown Town Hall,
where town councilors voted 8 to 0 to withdraw from an Anti-Defamation
League program called No Place For Hate.

The councilors were protesting the Anti-Defamation League’s refusal to state
that the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians, beginning in 1915, was
genocide.

After the vote, the League’s New England director, Andrew H. Tarsy, defied
the organization’s policy and agreed to use the term. He was fired the next
day.

Jewish leaders in Boston and beyond protested, pointing out that Nobel
laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, among others, have recognized
the Armenian genocide.

Under mounting pressure, the Anti-Defamation League released a statement on
Tuesday saying that the killings were "tantamount to genocide," but it
stopped short of supporting a congressional resolution recognizing the
genocide, saying it was counterproductive.

The Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups had raised concerns that
passage of the resolution could jeopardize the safety of Turkey’s Jews.

Yesterday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated its continued opposition to
the resolution, but said the League’s concerns that it could lead to
retaliation against Jews was unfounded.

"The Jewish community in Turkey is part of our society, and its members do
not have any reason to worry," the ministry said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry said it objected to the use of the word genocide
because it is "historically and legally baseless" and said that contrary to
the Anti-Defamation League’s new position, "there is no consensus among the
historians on how to qualify the events."

"The attempt of the ADL to rewrite the history is in contradiction with the
realities, and the rationale behind this is incomprehensible," the ministry
said.

Dikran Kaligian, an Armenian-American living in Watertown, said he was not
surprised by the Turkish response.

"These are the tactics that the Turkish government uses," Kaligian said.
"They’re fighting a losing battle against history and against logic. So
about the only thing they have in their arsenal is blackmail. This is
another form of it: ‘How could you do this to us?’ "

Yesterday, the Anti-Defamation League released a statement reiterating that
it does not support congressional efforts to recognize the Armenian
genocide.

"The force and passion of the debate today leaves us more convinced than
ever that this issue does not belong in a forum such as the United States
Congress," the League said yesterday. "The proper role of those of us who
deeply believe the controversy must be resolved is to promote and support
Turkey and Armenia in efforts to bring them together to begin the process of
reconciliation."

This statement was issued a day after national League director Abraham H.
Foxman agreed to have the organization’s policy-making body reconsider the
resolution at its next meeting in November.

The Anti-Defamation League’s unwavering stance angered some Armenian
leaders.

"It’s an attempt to appease the government of Turkey by backtracking away
from their position and [to] avoid supporting the legislation," said Aram
Suren Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee, an
advocacy group in Washington. Hamparian called it "patently illogical" for
the League to acknowledge the genocide and not ask Congress to do the same.

"Although independent scholars may have reached a consensus about the
genocide, in an effort to help accomplish the reconciliation, there is room
for further dispassionate scholarly examination of the details of those dark
and terrible days," the League said.

Keith O’Brien of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Levenson can be
reached at [email protected].
(c) Copyright < right> 2007 The
New York Times Company

Source:
articles/2007/08/24/turkey_condemns_statement_by_a dl/

ARTHUR SHAHINIAN GAINS SILVER MEDAL IN WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP OF GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING

Noyan Tapan
Aug 23, 2007

BEIJING, AUGUST 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The World Youth Championship of
Greco-Roman Wrestling finished in Beijing. Among Armenian delegates
Arthur Shahinian (84kg, Etchmiadzin) received a silver medal.

VIMPELCOM AND MTS STRIVE FOR ARMENIA TELECOM

CNews
Aug 21 2007
Russia

MTS intends to continue its expansion into CIS, having bought the
Armenian cellular operator K-Telecom. The analysts estimate the given
asset value at $350-500 mln.

According to some information agencies, MTS negotiated purchasing the
Armenian cellular operator K-Telecom, operating under the trade mark
VivaCell. If the transaction is to take place JSC Systema daughter
company is to compete in Armenia with its permanent competitor
VimpelCom, which owns Armentel.

MTS did not comment on its interest in K-Telecom. "The Armenia
market seems attractive to us like most of the cellular markets in
CIS and abroad, – CNews conversable in the operator company says. –
It is a well known fact that one of our politics items is expansion
at the expense of acquisitions. We constantly study the possibility
to enter this or other market. As a rule, one of the main questions
arising is the relation of the assets value and their actual value".

Analysts consider K-Telecom price to come to $ 350-500 mln. Thus,
Margarita Zobnina, iKS-Media Expert believes the Armenian operator
might cost $ 400 mln., RBC reports. "The fact that MTS negotiates and
intends to buy the operator is positive, while K-Telecom is even more
interesting as it is rather profitable", – Mrs. Zobnina states.

K-Telecom started providing cellular communication services in July,
2005, having thus interfered with Armentel monopoly, 90% shares of
which, it should be noted, was acquired by VimpelCom in November,
2006 for [email protected] mln. ($436.7 mln.) MTS also put in a bid for tender
then but lost. In Spring, 2007 the Armenia Government agreed to sell
the remaining 10% of Armentel shares to VimpelCom.

The Armenia population at present amounts to more than 3.2
mln. people. According to J’son & Partners by 2007mid the cellular
penetration in the republic came to 39%. Armentel occupied 40% of
the subscribers’ base, while the remaining 60% fell to K-Telecom,
relatively. "K-Telecom managed to override Armentel in less than two
years, having started practically from the ground, – Irina Astafieva,
J’son & Partners senior analyst says. – That happens mainly because
of the active promotion. In 2005 K-Telecom significantly cut down the
tariffs and started distributing SIM-cards in every possible place".

But, to tell the truth, according to specialist, the "quality" of
K-Telecom subscribers in general is worse than at its competitor.

"MTS and VimpelCom have been long competing in Russia, and if they
enhance their competition on Armenia that will be only to the benefit
of the local subscribers", – Mrs. Astafieva says.

CASE ON ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANIS DEBATED IN GENEVA

Azeri Press Agency
Aug 21 2007
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Ombudsman Office’s scientific-analytical sector’s chief Zaur
Aliyev and Isabel Barras, International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) Eastern Europe Operation head officer in Geneva discussed the
issue regarding Azerbaijanis captured by Armenians, Ombudsman Office’s
press service told the APA.

The issue on releasing Armenian-captured Azerbaijani soldier Samir
Mammadov was discussed at the meeting, Azerbaijani Ombudsman Elmira
Suleymanova’s appeal to ICRC leadership regarding it was mentioned.

Zaur Aliyev also presented Ombudsman’s letter addressed to ICRC
President Mr.Kellenberger for soonest releasing of Armenian-captured
Azerbaijani civilians, Ashraf Jafarov and Anar Aliyev to Ms. Barras.

Ms. Barras said that ICRC regional offices meet with all the three
captured Azerbaijanis and control their condition. She said that they
will take into consideration Azerbaijani Ombudsman’s request regarding
Samir’s parents talking to him over telephone. ICRC representative
said that the Committee accepted that two captured Azerbaijanis are
mentally ill.

Zaur Aliyev had meetings at the UN office in Geneva, the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
World Trade Organization and Swiss Foreign Ministry.

Hayots Ashkharh, Armenia
Aug 18 2007

ORDERED … NOMINATED

`I would like to underscore a very important factor that is not
taken into consideration in Armenia. Levon Ter-Petrosyan is a member
of Armenian Pan National Movement. When the Chair of Armenian Pan
National Movement administration declares that the party is going to
nominate Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s candidacy it is not a rumor. It is
serious. It is a process about which we speak.’ Ararat Zurabyan
announced this yesterday, with a very serious, clever, a bit
mysterious, but extremely determined facial experience, touching upon
the circulated `rumors’ about Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination to
presidency.
That is why we shouldn’t ` consider them rumors or comment upon
them, saying, `Why he himself doesn’t say this. All in good time,’ he
said.

AMERICA GOES OUT OF FASHION

Hayots Ashkharh Daily Newspaper
Aug 17 2007
Armenia

During the recent seven months of this year 5 thousand 091 people
have applied to the US Embassy in Armenia for getting non-immigration
license to enter the USA. During the same period of the last year
the number of those people was 5 thousand 832, in 2005 it was 6
thousand 412.

We were informed from the Information Department of the US Embassy
in Armenia that only 2 thousand 115 of those people got the license
(42%). Whereas only in July, 81% of 973 applicants applied for tourist
visa. 383 foreigners living in Armenia have applied to the US Embassy
in Armenia for visa, and only 160 of them got permission.

A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ARMENIAN MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE DOESN’T RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AFRICAN SWINE FEVER’S SPREAD IN THE TERRITORY OF THE REPUBLIC

arminfo
2007-08-17 09:25:00

The possibility of African swine fever’s spread is not ruled out in
Armenia, the Head of State Food Safety and Veterinary Inspection of
RA Ministry of Agriculture Grisha Bagiyan told journalists on Thursday.

According to him, African swine fever may penetrate into Armenia from
the neighboring Georgia, where the fever has already penetrated.

To note, the first case of swine death from the African fever in
Georgia was recorded in May 2007. The African swine fever or Pestis
africana suum was first recorded in 1903 in South Africa. It is spread
in Africa, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Swine and boars of all ages
are sensitive to the disease in natural conditions. The carriers of
the disease may be insects, birds and beasts of prey.

INFLUENCE OF EXTERNAL SECTOR ON INFLATION IN ARMENIA, NET OF INTERNATIONAL WHEAT PRICES, ALREADY FELT

arminfo
2007-08-13 14:25:00

The influence of external sector on the inflation in Armenia, net
of international wheat prices, has been already felt since the third
quarter of 2007. At the same time, development of the foreign sector
in July met the forecasts of the Armenian Central Bank (CB), the press-
service of the Armenian CB told ArmInfo.

The source reports that since the third quarter of 2007, devaluation
of US dollar exceeded the envisaged indicators due to the return of
subprime loans to the real estate market. Moreover, euro rose to the
highest level in its history in the international market and exceeded
$1.38 USD/1 EUR. English pound reached its top in July over the last
26 years and totaled $20.5 USD.

As regards international prices for raw materials, they also
exceeded the envisaged level. Thus, oil prices in July stably grew
to the maximal level of $78 USD per barrel. Gold prices met the
forecasts. While, copper kept growing in price.

OhmyNews International, South Korea
Aug 11 2007

If Only Turks Were British
Turkey’s never-ending struggle for freedom of expression

Ozge Baykan (ozgeb)

"And how splendid it would be, if we could transform our people, oh
yes, our people who are frequently seen buzzing around some hideous
swamp like strange and wonderful horseflies -if only we could
transform those creatures into them; them, the marvelous and innocent
Englishmen, if only we could transform them into Englishmen with a
single touch of a magical wand."

The fictitious admirer in Kaya Genc’s short story would be happy to
see his country transformed into an exact copy of Britain. At times,
he finds himself wishing "with profound sorrow" that "those
respectable members of the House of Lords with their constant and
colorful wags and crowns on their heads" ruled the Turks.

Turkish writer and translator Kaya makes a mockery of this blind
admiration of the West, but some others read it from an another
perspective — under Article 301 of the new penal code, he was
accused of "insulting Turkishness."

Kaya obtained a master’s in English literature from the University of
Amsterdam. He has continued his graduate studies in the same field in
Istanbul. He is a devout reader and a big fan of contemporary British
and American literature.

When writing that story, he had Gogol’s "The Diary of a Madman" in
mind where the character imagines the dog of his beloved is capable
of talking. "When you read it, you can’t decide whether to laugh at
him or to take him seriously," Kaya says. "Even though his ideas
sound crazy, that’s how he thinks. I like his ideas, I like that
wonderland. But then again I don’t take it seriously."

In his case, however, some people did take the occidentalist’s dreams
seriously.

Kaya’s example is only one of the many Article 301 stories that have
recently attracted massive attention from international media. Nobel
Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and best-selling writer Elif
Shafak are two other intellectuals who stood trial due to their
writings or statements related to the mass killings of Armenians in
the last years of the Ottoman Empire. Since the introduction of
Article 301 in 2005, hundreds of writers, journalists, editors and
even translators have been tried.

While writer Perihan Magden’s defense of his refusal to perform
military service offended the military, the January assassination of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who had previously been
charged with insulting Turkishness in his writings on the Armenian
"genocide," became a turning point in Turkey’s struggle for freedom
of expression.

Article 301 stipulates imprisonment up to three years for publicly
denigrating "Turkishness," the Turkish Republic or the Grand National
Assembly of Turkey, as well as the judicial institutions of the
state, and military or security organizations. The article does not
criminalize criticism, but, due to its vagueness, it is not clear
where to draw the line between denigration and critical opinion.

Pamuk’s words to a Swiss magazine in 2005 — "Thirty thousand Kurds
and a million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody but me
dares to talk about it" — caused furious protests by Turkish
nationalists who threatened the writer with death. A group of
nationalist lawyers sued him under the penal code. The charges were
later dropped, but the impact of the trial left Turkey with a
negative image regarding its human rights and freedom of expression
record.

Trials might involve statements by real people or fictitious
characters, as in the case of Kaya Genc. Like Elif Shafak, who was
charged for comments made by her characters in her book The Bastard
of Istanbul, a reader filed a complaint against Kaya. "He [the
reader] mistook me for a character of my own creation, which is a
very common mistake among readers who don’t have good reading
skills," Kaya said.

"I am well educated, well read and very familiar with the literary
canon. Whereas those people, who like to complain about intellectuals
and novels so much, are completely unaware of what irony is or what
parody is," he added.

For Kaya, readers who like to complain "lack the knowledge of basic
linguistic and rhetorical concepts; they cannot distinguish the
voices of characters, the narrator and the author from each other,
which perfectly reflects the way they perceive this society. They
don’t know how to read properly, so they can neither see the irony in
my work nor in the world that surrounds us."

The law is designed so that anyone who feels offended by the
"intentions" of a writer can file a complaint. "That’s exactly the
problem because when someone filed a complaint against you, you will
have to go and tell them that you did not intend to do what they
charge you with, which is a real headache, as you may have to spend
the rest of your life claiming to be innocent," Kaya explained.

Among many others, Pamuk and Dink were made to prove their intentions
in public after the lawsuits were brought against them. Still, they
failed to convince those who felt offended, especially the
ultra-nationalists.

Threats against their lives continued, which meant they had to cancel
several meetings and interviews, and take more security measures.
After the murder of Dink, who had been receiving threats for over a
year but refused to leave his homeland, the climate of fear managed
to scare publishers and editors who now hesitate to publish texts
that might constitute a crime.

As an intellectual who felt the blade of Article 301 on his neck,
Kaya said with a vague smile,"I don’t feel threatened that much. I
feel threatened by the stupidity of certain readers but not Article
301 per se."

"I have no regrets, no. I am proud of having written it."