Author: Frangulian Shushan

NON-OFFICIAL CIS SUMMIT TO TAKE PLACE DECEMBER 19 IN ASTANA

ARMENPRESS
Dec 17, 2008

ASTANA, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: The CIS non-official summit will take
place December 19 in Astana. Official representative of the Foreign
Ministry of Kazakhstan Erzhan Ashikbayev informed that presidents of
Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan are invited to the summit.

"It is supposed that during the meeting of the presidents they
will exchange ideas on the urgent issues of development of regional
cooperation as well as will discuss issues connected with the world
financial crisis", E. Ashikbayev said.

According to him, "possible means of confrontation of the crisis and
not allowing its uncontrolled spread in the region" will be discussed
during the non-official summit.

"Heads of the countries will give their assessment to the situation
in the region connected with the fight against military-political
security, challenges and threats", noted the official representative
of Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: "ARMENIA MUST CONTINUE PROCESS OF REFORMS AS IT STEMS FROM INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE"

ARMENPRESS
Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: Session of the Monitoring Committee
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) took
place in Paris during which the draft report on the implementation
of PACE’s 1609 and 1620 resolutions by Armenia was presented by
co-rapporteurs John Prescott and George Columbien.

In this respect at a short briefing Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian said that during the session unfavorable suggestions
concerning Armenia have been made. "It is a working process and only
15 of 80 members of the Committee where present 10 of which voted
for the voiced suggestions. The very issue on Armenia will be put for
voting at the January session of the PACE," the foreign minister noted.

According to him, before the January session co-rapporteurs John
Prescott and George Columbien will visit Armenia. "I think that
in January such developments will take place which will give an
opportunity to review today’s suggestion and approve that Armenia has
carried out the major part of the 1609 and 1620 resolutions. Our
position and approach is that we must continue the process of
reforms as it corresponds to the interests of our people. This is
our decision and not the advice of anyone. Of course we respect all
those establishments the members of which we are and the commitments
we have assumed. We implement them and will continue doing it,"
Edward Nalbandian said.

TURKISH PM SAYS APOLOGY CAMPAIGN TO ARMENIANS UNACCEPTABLE

Hurriyet
Dec 17 2008
Turkey

It is unacceptable to affirm support to the recent internet campaign
launched to issue a public apology to Armenians, Turkish Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry said
the issue is highly sensitive for them.

Around 200 Turkish academics, writers and journalists launched
a website issuing an apology to the Armenians regarding the 1915
incidents and calling for people to sign on in support.

The efforts of the intellectuals drew fierce reaction in Turkey.

"I neither accept nor support this campaign. We did not commit a
crime, therefore we do not need to apologize," Erdogan said, adding
the issue is still being discussed by historians.

He said such initiatives only reverse the positive steps taken
by Turkey.

Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915.Turkey
rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at least
as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took
up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.

Turkey has opened an air corridor to the land-locked country and
renovated a historic Armenian church, while opening its archives to
researchers to study incidents.

The issue remains unsolved as Armenia drags its feet on accepting
Turkey’s proposal to form an independent commission to investigate
the claims.

A spokesman from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the issue is
highly sensitive for the ministry, reminding that many bureaucrats
were victimized by Armenian terror organizations in the past.

Burak Ozugergin said the ministry does not support reacting to this
move and that it did not urge the retired diplomats and ambassadors,
who said Monday the campaign is "unfair, wrong and unfavorable for
the national interests", to respond.

Ozugergin said Turkey’s stance on the 1915 incidents was well known
by everybody, adding people should be able to comfortably discuss
all issues in Turkey.

"However our foreign policy is not so flimsy as to shift as a result
of daily debates. We will continue to act on principles," he said.

TURKEY, ARMENIA AND PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA WHAT NEXT?

Turkish Daily News
December 15, 2008 Monday

Bad timing in foreign policy decisions can make even the most
attractive initiatives look hollow. This is indeed the case with the
current chorus of calls for conciliatory steps and gestures towards
Armenia. These calls have become more vocal in the wake of Obamas
election as U.S. President. The pundits defending this position argue
that Turkey should take the initiative in order to dissuade the new
American President from supporting Armenian genocide claims and do all
it can especially before the critical date of April 24. The emphasis
is on timing and on the need to act now. Unfortunately, however,
this chorus of well-intentioned appeals is ill timed and as a result,
misplaced as well.

President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, the designated
Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the leadership in both wings
of the Congress have all in the past identified with the Armenian
thesis. During the election campaign, Obama made explicit promises to
the Armenian lobby in writing to recognize the claimed genocide. They
and many others on Capitol Hill actually believe the Armenian version
of events. There is therefore a greater risk (this time) than ever
that both the White House and the Congress might this time accept
the Armenian narrative, accusing the Turkish side of genocide.

At the same time, the Armenian lobby will surely exert its maximum
effort to seize this opportune moment in American history. The
distribution of the political cards seems to favor their chances of
realizing their long cherished goal of imposing their claims on the
U.S. Government. The Armenian community is first to press for the "g"
word in the traditional April 24 declaration by the U.S. President
and than to take their case to the Congress. Knowing that the stakes
are uniquely high this time, the Armenians will try to obtain the
widest possible assurance for the acceptance of their views before
making their moves. In other words, Turkey, the Turkish-American
community and American friends of Turkey are going to face their
toughest challenge yet in the upcoming Obama Presidency.

In the light of this political backdrop in the United States,
it is probably not wise for the Turkish Government to make any new
gestures toward Armenia before April 24. First, the aim of any Turkish
move would be too obvious and look like a political bribe. Second,
it may add fuel to the Armenian claim that pressure on the Turks
works. Third, it may not have the desired effect on the White
House and/or the Congress after all. Finally, rather than focusing
on the United States, any steps taken by the Turkish side in this
connection should be part of a broader strategy to engage Armenia
and the Armenians in a full-fledged dialogue with Turkey to resolve
all the outstanding issues between them.

SITTING OF THE COMMISSION COORDINATING ARMENIA’S DEFENSE STRATEGY REVIEW

armradio.am
15.12.2008 18:15

On December 15 the recurrent sitting of the interdepartmental
commission coordinating the review of the Defense Strategy of the
Republic of Armenia was held at the Ministry of Defense. The sitting
was chaired by Co-Chairs of the Commission, RA Minister of Justice
Seyran Ohanyan and Secretary of the National Security Council Arthur
Baghdasaryan.

Participants of the sitting discussed the draft document on assessment
of RA security atmosphere and challenges. All the suggestions of
the members of the Commission and the disputable questions were
agreed upon.

The Commission took the decision to edit the document and present it
for the approval of the President of the Republic of Armenia.

THEATERS STAR IN OWN DRAMA

Hurriyet
Dec 15 2008
Turkey

ISTANBUL – The theather mapping project will mark the theaters of
Istanbul from the Tanzimat period, a time of modernization in the
mid-19th century of the Ottoman Empire. This academic project would
document a rapidly disappearing legacy that the closing of theaters
has hurt theater life.

A new project that will map the theaters of Istanbul from the Tanzimat
period a time of modernization in the mid-19th century of the Ottoman
Empire, began last week as part of Istanbul’s European Capital of
Culture projects for 2010.

"A tradition of parting curtains for the future: Istanbul Theatre Map"
is one of many performing arts projects that will be an important part
of the 2010 cultural capital activities, said Istanbul 2010 European
Capital of Culture Agency’s Performance Arts Director Dikmen Gurun.

Gurun said their department had organized a 2008 Theater Festival
as part of a inter-universities theater festival, and were planning
a Turkey’s Universities Theater Festival in 2009 and a European
Universities Theater Festival in 2010. She said the department hoped
these programs would become permanent.

On the theater-mapping project, Gurun said the closing of theaters
had hurt theater life in the global city of Istanbul and this academic
project would document a rapidly disappearing legacy.

She said Istanbul was introduced to western-style theater at the
beginning of the 19th century, in that period theatre buildings were
constructed and foreign theater companies were invited to perform
in them.

Gurun said old theater buildings were so rare, they were almost
nonexistent and theaters built during the Republican period had ceased
to be functional.

Theater fires The project is a serious attempt to identify, showcase
and protect theaters, a critical element of a city’s culture and
art. Gurun said they will comb areas where theater buildings had been
concentrated, such as Beyoglu and its environs, Å~^iÅ~_li, Ortaköy,
Dolmabahce, Å~^ehzadebaÅ~_ı-Direkleraras& #xC4;±, including Aksaray and
Fatih, on the European side and Kadiköy, Uskudar on the Anatolian
side.

They are going to research the title deeds, registries and archive
records of the locations to establish whether there were theaters there
and will use Refik Ahmet Sevegil and Metin And’s books to lead them
to identify theaters from the time of the Tanzimat period up to today.

Gurun said Istanbul University Literature Faculty’s Theatre Critique
and Dramaturgy Department supported the project and had created a
team to assist. The project commended two months ago and will be
completed in 2010.

The project will combine field work and archival research on theater
halls and buildings and comb newspapers to uncover the company’s and
artists that performed, a theater’s repertoire and audience profiles
that would show the impact of each theater on the city’s culture
and arts.

Many of the historic theater buildings were destroyed by fire, Gurun
said, and those that remained were difficult to locate, some were in
narrow passages and others have been converted into movie theaters.

English translation The data will be collected into a book that will
be translated into English. The book will contain old photographs,
pictures of locations, various documents and architectural drawings.

"The cosmopolitan culture of the city will be revealed, particularly
when we analyze the Beyoglu theaters frequented by British, French,
and Italian performers on tour and the Direklerarası-Å~^ehzadebaÅ~_& #xC4;±
theaters which raised Turkish and Armenian artists," Gurun said.

"Today, theaters in many cities around the world are being preserved
due to the results of similar research. This project will overcome our
own shortcomings in this area. There has been previous research done
on theaters before, but ours is deeper and more detailed," she added.

Gurun said they wanted to identify theaters that had shut or were
on the verge of closing, make a new generation aware of the value of
theater and embrace its past and present, and reinforce the permanence
of theater in all its forms. She said she hoped the research would
remain a permanent archive that would contribute to the academic and
cultural elements of theater life.

–Boundary_(ID_roU88vSl4aCZwbDCE71n0g)–

THE CRITIC IS NOT THE ENEMY
By Avedis Kevorkian

6 December 2008

There are very few people I have ever met who can match the passion
and zeal, and the boundless energy, of Bagrad Nazarian when it comes to
matters-Armenian. To add to these, he has put his money where his mouth
is (to use an apt, but clumsy, cliché) and has invested in Artsakh.

Having worked with him for many years, during my time in London, I can
attest that keeping up with him was a challenge–but one undertaken
with joy.

Thus it is with heavy heart, and no joy, that I respond to his
comments about my recent essay and also, it would appear this
web-site’s policies.

My essay was about corruption in Armenia and I used as the peg on
which to hang the essay the petition on this web-site protesting the
threat to freedom of the press in Armenia and I expressed my view
that it will have no affect on the crooks and thieves and thugs who
are ruining Armenia. (I say, again, however, if there are among you
those who think such petitions will do any good in Yerevan, please
sign and send the petition.)

To those of you who have just joined us, permit me to suggest that
you read both the petition’s text and my comments.

As a journalist, I am aware more than most about the threats to
journalists aro und the world–and, especially, in Turkey. But I
wasn’t commenting about the threats around the world. I am aware,
also, that corruption exists elsewhere, but I wasn’t writing about the
universal corruption (though my essay in July, "The Remittance Curse"
touched on the world-wide corruption and the role the diasporas play
in abetting corruption in "homelands").

For Bagrad to suggest that Armenians in the Diaspora remain silent
about the corruption in Armenia because it exists elsewhere is to
suggest that because starvation exists in Zimbabwe, for instance,
people elsewhere should not eat anything.

Whatever shortcomings may exist in America and its press, rest assured
that investigative journalists in America win Pulitzer Prizes,
and my own organization–the Society of Professional Journalists,
to which I have belonged for more than 60 years–awards prizes for
excellence in investigative journalism and other aspects of journalism,
as do many state-based journalism associations. The only case of a
murdered investigative journalist I can recall was about 40 years
ago, and the reaction was such that journalists from throughout the
country descended on Arizona and continued the investigative work of
the slain journalist and not only helped expose the corruption he was
investigating but also helped find the murderer–who was arrested,
tried, and convicted. Our press may not be perfect, but we don’t beat
journalists as20is done in Armenia.

Neither the petition nor the essay touched on the matter of recognition
of the fact of the Armenian Genocide, so there was no need for this
web-site or me to be criticized.

What I find interesting is that after I wrote about corruption in
Armenia, earlier this year (for which I received nasty comments,
which I chose to ignore), there followed shortly thereafter a damning
report which showed that Armenia had slid down the scale of corrupt
countries. Now, following my essay under challenge, there appears
on this web-site a truly obscene report about the poor housing for
some young people in which corruption has played a hand. Would I be
considered immodest if I were to say quod erat demonstrandum?

While reading that report, I could not help but think about other
reports of the huge, luxurious villas that house the government
officials. The land on which these villas stand were more than likely
stolen from poor Armenians who could not fight back, and the money
to build these villas came from money that was supposed to have been
spent on the poor Armenian people.

Dare I ask, "Where did their money come from?"?

This is not the time or the place for me to relate my sad record
of failure to help Armenia and Artsakh during and following my two
visits to the former. But I will mention that after I narrated to
someone who =0 Aknew how things worked in Yerevan my disappointment
over the failure to get anywhere with any of the projects, I was
asked, "But after you finished your proposals, did you also say,
‘and, of course, we will give you. . .

.’?" I said "No. It was his job." He laughed so hard and so long,
I feared he would die of a heart attack.

In his reaction to my essay, Nazarian also is critical of Bruce
Tasker. I did not recognize the name nor why he should be criticized,
until I noticed his name attached to a recent essay on this web-site. I
had read it, but failed to note the name. Re-reading it, I can
understand why he, too, is on Nazarian’s "nasties" list. Tasker is
critical of things in Yerevan.

Nazarian is not a spokesman for Armenia, and there was no need for
him to be so aroused, but knowing him as I do, I am not surprised;
he will not tolerate any criticism of Armenia. (He should hear and
read my criticism of this country!) However, I would have hoped that
he would have kept his remarks private.

This is not an apology, for I have no reason to apologize, but I must
say that because I criticize the shortcomings in Armenia does not mean
that I am an enemy nor that I am encouraging the enemies of Armenia
(as someone has accused me–in private).

Armenia’s most dangerous enemies are in the Armenian government.

–Boundary_(ID_/RfaGGHK/VZcbm/8T57V4Q )–

ARMENIANS RALLY OUTSIDE GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT

The Messenger
Dec 12 2008
Georgia

A group of Armenians living in Georgia has carried out its threat
and held a rally in front of Parliament, Akhali Taoba writes. The
Coordination Council had planned the protest rally a few days before
Tigran Sarkisian the Prime Minister of Armenia visited Georgia
on December 10. There are some rumours that the organizers of the
rally had wanted to attract the Armenian Government’s attention, but
others suggest that Russian Special Services were the instigators of
the rally.

The rally didn’t pass without incident. There was a clash between
protestors and representatives of the political party For Georgia’s
Future. Participants of the rally also abused ethnic Armenian member
of the Georgian Parliament Van Baiburt. Some also say that he is an
instigator the rally. The Georgian Patriarchate has released a special
statement stating that the problems the protestors had gathered to
complain about should be settled by negotiation.

According to information released several forces are involved in an
attempt to aggravate a conflict between Georgia and Armenia in the
near future.

MARSEILLE PAYS TRIBUTE TO ASSASSINATED JOURNALISTS GEBRAN TUENI, ANNA POLITKOVSKAYA AND HRANT DINK

iloubnan.info
Dec 12 2008
Lebanon

MARSEILLE (France) – As it hosts the great report days as well as
the international Free Word award, Marseille Province Press Club
puts today, Friday, December 12, in Marseille (France) a sheave as
a tribute to assassinated journalists Anna Politkovskaïa (Russia),
Hrant Dink (Turkey) and Gebran Tueni (Lebanon). The sheave will be put
at 4 p.m. before Press freedom cedar planted at the 26th centenarian
park entry in March 2006 for the everlasting commemoration of Gebran
Tueni who was assassinated in Beirut.

"The three assassinated journalists shared in common democracy,
freedom and human rights battle. They had not but the pen as their
only weapon", Marseille Province Press Club chairman explained in an
opening statement.

To her part, Rakel Dink, the widow of the Armenian-Turkish journalist
will also attend the ceremony which will be closed by a silent minute
standing.

Reporters without Frontiers, Land of Armenia, CRIF, Human Rights
League, Provence-Communication Club and Media and Communication City
are all associated and sheduled to attend this meeting.

–Boundary_(ID_1pQ88FNTe8X1w+vW/zYwiA)–

NKR PRESIDENT VISITED SOME SITES IN CAPITAL STEPANAKERT

De Facto
Dec 8, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 08.12.08. DE FACTO. On December 8 President of the
Nagorno-Karabagh Republic Bako Sahakian, accompanied by NKR minister
of municipal engineering and mayor of Stepanakert, visited industrial
concrete plant construction site and a territory of the Center of
children’s creative work where a new kindergarten is to be built.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the Central
Department of Information of the Office of the NKR President,
both objects are located in capital Stepanakert and sponsored by
"Four Direction" company. The Head of the State got acquainted with
construction activities and plans on site.