Author: Hakobian Adrine

MEMBERS OF UNION OF THE DEAF OF ARMENIA ACCUSE THEIR CHAIRMAN OF ILLEGAL ALIENATING OF AREAS OWNED BY UNION

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, NOYAN TAPAN. In fact, the Union of the Deaf of
Armenia does not exist, since the deaf mutes have not paid their
membership fees for many years, the links with branches have not been
maintained, while the areas owned by the Union are being alienated
at prices lower than their real value. Pertev Muradian, a member
of the Union, stated at the August 16 press conference that Zhora
Varagian, who has been the Union Chairman for 18 years, is to blame. In
connection with the complaints lodged by members of the Union, the RA
Ministry of Justice conducted checks, which have revealed numerous
violations. According to P. Muradian, the act that the Ministry
compiled in March 2005, gives all grounds for transferring the case for
preliminary investigation, and they will apply to court. Particularly,
P. Muradian said that as early as 2000, the ground floor of the
apartment house at 67, Koghbatsi St, Yerevan, covering an area of 217
square meters and owned by the Union, was alienated to a US citizen
for 11.3 mln drams (20.2 thousand dollars), whereas its real value
made 70-80 thousand dollars at that time. According to P. Muradian,
the Union chairman struck a bargain with the regional administration of
Lori, as result of which the Union’s Vanadzor complex worth 42.5 mln
drams (including its dormitory and adjacent buildings) was exchanged
for the former dormitory of the local technical college “Gyughshin” of
the total value of 10.5 mln drams. P. Muradian said that the Union’s
complex in Martuni was also alienated, and a decision has been made
to alienate the complex in Agarak and the upper three floors of the
first edicational and production complex of the Union.

Porn, politics and videotape: Russian producer treads new path

Agence France Presse — English
August 11, 2005 Thursday 6:44 AM GMT

MOSCOW Aug 11 — A raunchy porn-and-politics film featuring characters
based on two of the youngest and most photogenic leaders to emerge
from the former Soviet Union is to start shooting in Russia next week,
the film’s producer says.

The two main characters in the short film, entitled “Yulia,” are
referred to only by that name and as Mikhail, but the audience will
be left in no doubt that they are based on Ukrainian Prime Minister
Yulia Tymoshenko, 44, and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, 37.

In the 26-minute film the two are shown holding a secret meeting in
Moscow, talking politics and making love in a helicopter flying over
the Russian-Georgian border, producer Alexander Valov told AFP.

Valov, a prominent Russian pop music producer, authored the script
with Aleksei Mitrofanov, a Russian nationalist politician from the
far right-wing Liberal Democratic Party.

“In the script, their surnames will not be used, nor their official
positions. There will be no diplomatic scandal,” Mitrofanov said.

But viewers should have no trouble guessing that the woman with the
trademark braid wound around her head is intended to be Tymoshenko,
the heroine of last year’s “orange revolution” in Ukraine that toppled
a pro-Russian government and replaced it with a pro-Western one,
the authors said.

Saakashvili came to power in a peaceful revolt dubbed the “rose
revolution” in November 2004, ousting the country’s veteran president
Eduard Shevardnadze.

Tymoshenko and Saakashvili are unpopular among many Russian
nationalists, who see them as anti-Moscow and pro-Washington.

Mitrofanov and Valov came up with the idea for an erotic comedy in a
restaurant after Mitrofanov claimed that Tymoshenko had made a secret
visit to Russia as prime minister.

Tymoshenko, who was appointed prime minister on February 4, is accused
of bribery by Russian prosecutors.

“I am not pursuing any political objectives with the production of
this film. For me it’s just business,” Valov said.

Yuliya is to be played by young Ukrainian porn star Elena Berkova,
20, and a little-known Armenian actor will play Mikhail, Valov said.

Valov said that if the film was successful he was considering a whole
series of erotic films featuring to political figures, including
Russian ones.

TRIAL OF TURKISH HISTORIAN POSTPONED

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS: The trial of the Turkish historian
Ektan Turkilmaz who was arrested in Yerevan while trying to smuggle
out of Armenia tens of books “of historical and cultural value” dating
back to 17 and 20 centuries started today at a local court presided by
Karen Farkhoyan but was postponed because of the involvement of new
defense attorney Hrayr Ghukasian who has to get acquainted with the
details of the case and needs time. The court decided to start the
process August 12.

Varduhi Elbakian, the defense attorney, said earlier official
Turkey is not interested in defending its citizen at all as, according
to her, Ektan Turkilmaz made statements condemning the Armenian
genocide. Moreover, it is possible that after Turkilmaz returns to
Turkey he will be prosecuted. If found guilty the Turkish historian
will be sentenced to 4-8 years of imprisonmentin Armenia.

Ektan Turkilmaz, 33, a Turkish citizen from Istanbul and a
studentof a US-based Duke University, in North Carolina, was arrested
aboard a plane bound from Yerevan to Istanbul June 17. The historian
does not plead guilty saying he violated the law unpurposed

DENMARK DOUBTS PROSPECTS OF TURKISH ACCESSION TO EU

09.08.2005 06:58

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Danish Premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen doubts
prospects of Turkey’s accession to the EU. At the latest congress of
the Liberal Party of Denmark, headed by him, the PM stated it was not
necessary for Turkey to bean EU member equally as the EU countries. He
spoke in favor of EU partners to hold discussion over EU enlargement.
«If the EU is too large, it will collapse,» he said. Heads of EU
countries and governments have determined October 3 as the day for
start of talks over Turkey’s accession to the EU.

SCIENTISTS FIND MONASTERY OF “BROTHERS ARMENIANS” IN KYRGHYZIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8. ARMINFO. Scientists has found a monastery of
“Brothers Armenians” in Kyrghyzia. According to ITAR-TASS, the
archaeological expedition of Kyrghyz-Russian Slavonic University has
founded a Middle Age Christian Monastery on the Northern beach of
mountainous Lake Issik-Kul. “We had known about the so-called
Catalonian map long ago. The map was drawn by Venice merchants
traveling of the Silk Road in the Middle Age. A monastery of “Brothers
Armenians” was mentioned in the map. The map was also saying that
relics of St. Matthew Apostle were buried near that monastery,” Head
of the research group of the expedition Alexander Kamishev told
ITAR-TASS.

The monastery was built in the 14th century, thinks Head of the
expedition, academician Vladimir Ploskikh. Kyrghyz archaeologists and
scientists thinks the find confirms the data of the Catalonian map,
which inspires with hopes for finding the relics of St. Matthew

Associated Press Worldstream – German
Freitag, 5. August 2005

Nach Calmy-Rey auch Deiss von Türkei ausgeladen;

Offiziell aus Termingründen – Spannungen zwischen der Schweiz und der
Türkei wegen Armenier-Frage wieder aufgeflammt

Bern

Die für September geplante Türkei-Reise von Bundesrat Joseph Deiss
ist von türkischer Seite offiziell »aus Termingründen« wieder
abgesagt worden. Der wahre Grund für die bereits länger anhaltende
Verstimmung zwischen der Schweiz und der Türkei dürfte allerdings in
der Armenier-Frage liegen. Das EVD bedauert dies.

Am 2. August teilte das türkische Aussenministerium dem
schweizerischen Botschafter in Ankara mit, dass die für September
geplante Türkei-Reise von Wirtschaftsminister Deiss nicht stattfinden
könne, wie Deiss-Sprecher Christophe Hans am Freitag Berichte von
»Tages-Anzeiger und »Le Temps« bestätigte. Begründet wurde die Absage
mit Terminproblemen von Deiss’ türkischem Amtskollegen Kürsad Tüzmen.
Sollte der wahre Grund aber – wie allseits vermutet – mit der
Einvernahme des türkischen Staatsangehörigen Dogu Perincek durch die
Winterthurer Justiz zusammenhängen, würde dies das Eidgenössische
Volkswirtschaftsdepartement (EVD) bedauern, sagte Hans und verwies
auf die Gewaltentrennung in der Schweiz. Das EVD hofft nun, dass die
Türkei-Reise von Deiss zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt nachgeholt werden
kann.

Bereits vor zwei Jahren war Aussenministerin Micheline Calmy-Rey von
der Türkei ausgeladen worden. Erst anderthalb Jahre später konnte sie
die Reise nachholen. Schon damals gaben unterschiedliche
Einschätzungen zum türkischen Massaker an den Armeniern von 1915 den
Ausschlag für die Absage. Die Türkei stiess sich daran, dass der
Waadtländer Grosse Rat kurz zuvor eine Resolution verabschiedet
hatte, in der ausdrücklich von Völkermord die Rede war.

Gegen Perincek, den Vorsitzenden der türkischen Arbeiterpartei, läuft
bei der Winterthurer Staatsanwaltschaft ein Verfahren wegen
Verletzung der Rassismusstrafnorm, weil Perincek Ende Juli an einer
Veranstaltung in Opfikon-Glattbrugg den Genozid an den Armeniern als
»Lüge von Imperialisten« bezeichnet hatte. Die Staatsanwaltschaft
Winterthur führt zudem bereits ein anderes Verfahren im Zusammenhang
mit der Verleugnung des Genozids an den Armeniern. Es richtet sich
gegen den Professor und Präsidenten der Türkischen Historischen
Gesellschaft, Yusuf Halacoglu. Dem Historiker wird vorgeworfen, am 2.
Mai 2004 in einem Vortrag in Winterthur den Völkermord an den
Armeniern geleugnet zu haben.

Der türkische Botschafter in der Schweiz, Alev Kilic, bezeichnete die
laufenden Verfahren gegen Perincek und den Historiker Halacoglu
kürzlich als gravierendes Signal und schloss diplomatische
Konsequenzen nicht aus. Er könne nicht garantieren, dass die geplante
Reise von Bundesrat Deiss nicht noch verschoben oder gar abgesagt
werde, sagte er damals.

Jutzet: Mangelnde Reife der Türkei

Die Präsidenten der aussenpolitischen Kommissionen (APK) von
National- und Ständerat sind empört über die Ausladung. Der Türkei
mangle es offensichtlich an der Reife, um in die europäische
Staatengemeinschaft aufgenommen zu werden, sagte der Freiburger
SP-Nationalrat und Präsident der APK des Nationalrates, Erwin Jutzet,
auf Anfrage. Der Türkei würde kein Stein aus der Krone fallen, wenn
sie ihre Geschichte endlich aufarbeiten würde; dies müsse auch der
Bundesrat der Türkei deutlich machen, sagte Jutzet. Die APK des
Nationalrates wird die Angelegenheit voraussichtlich an ihrer
nächsten Sitzung vom 29./30. August traktandieren.

Andreas Dreisiebner, Leiter der Gesellschaft Schweiz-Armenien,
kritisierte im »Tages-Anzeiger«, dass der Bundesrat die Türkei-Reise
nicht selber abgesagt habe und ein »duckmäuserisches Verhalten« an
den Tag lege. Kurzfristige wirtschaftliche Interessen würden im Fall
der Türkei wieder einmal höher gewertet als politische Aspekte.

–Boundary_(ID_A1K6ybQMkkude/CCbq6rMg)–

Azerbaijan close to deal on hosting US forces: report

Agence France Presse
August 3, 2005

MOSCOW, Aug 3 (AFP) – Azerbaijan is close to agreement with the United
States on the establishment of a US military presence following the
eviction of American forces from Uzbekistan, a Russian newspaper
said Wednesday.

“A decision wanted by Washington has almost ripened,” the Nezavisimaya
Gazeta newspaper quoted an unnamed source close to Azerbaijan’s
foreign ministry as saying.

The president of the strategic Caspian country, Ilham Aliyev, “in
the end will give his agreement to the deployment in the country of
an American military contingent,” the source said.

Last week the ex-Soviet Central Asian state of Uzbekistan announced
it was giving the United States 180 days to close an air base there
used to support operations in nearby Afghanistan.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta said the question of stationing US forces in
Azerbaijan was on the agenda of the country’s foreign minister,
Elmar Mamedyarov, who was in Washington this week for talks with
senior administration officials.

In talks at the Pentagon, Mamedyarov would discuss “not only general
prospects for military cooperation… but an extremely concrete
question — the possibility of transferring the American base from
Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan,” the newspaper said, summarising the views
of unnamed analysts.

In response to Wednesday’s report, a spokesman for Azerbaijan’s
defence ministry, Ramiz Melikov, told AFP the ministry had “not held
any discussions regarding this issue.”

“According to the constitution of Azerbaijan, there can be no bases of
other states on the territory of the country. But if such a decision
were to be taken it would be made by the president and we have not
received any such information,” Melikov said.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta cited a source in the Azerbaijani security forces
as saying that a team of US military instructors was already in
Azerbaijan looking at two possible sites for hosting the US military,
one close to the capital Baku and the other close to the border
with Iran.

The former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan could represent a highly
strategic location for US forces, in part because it borders Iran —
one of the countries named by US President George W. Bush in his
first term as forming an “axis of evil”.

The Caspian Sea region is being developed as a major alternative to
Middle Eastern oil sources and is considered by some analysts as a
potential terrorist target.

On Wednesday the main Uzbek state newspaper, Pravda Vostoka, denied
reports that the closure of the US base was prompted by Washington’s
calls for an independent investigation into a bloody crackdown in
Uzbekistan in May and by Washington’s support for the evacuation of
refugees who fled that violence.

According to that newspaper report, the base had originally been
scheduled to close in 2002, since when Uzbekistan had raised the
issue with the United States six times.

“It is necessary to recognise that in reality the American side used
various pretexts to avoid deciding this question,” the newspaper said.

Moscow has been wary of the growing US presence in the former Soviet
republics on its southern flank, long seen as Russia’s sphere of
influence.

The United States continues to use an air base in Kyrgyzstan, while
US military instructors have been helping to train the military of
Azerbaijan’s neighbour Georgia.

The Moscow Times, Russia
July 28 2005

Willing Darling of the Hateful

By Masha Gessen

Alexandra Ivannikova is a busy woman these days. Just in the last
week she has had to attend two ceremonies at which she received
awards. At the Golden Palace Casino on July 21, she was handed a
voucher for a tour of a country of her choice, awarded to her by a
jury of journalists who named her their news hero. A few days later,
Ivannikova attended the third-anniversary celebration of the Movement
Against Illegal Immigration, where she received 50,000 rubles
($1,700) “for courage in defending her honor.”

So who is this hero? She is a 30-year-old Moscow housewife who is
facing trial on charges of killing a man. Some facts of the case are
not in dispute: She admits that she stabbed a man with a knife she
carried in her purse. She hit an artery, and he died of blood loss.
There were no witnesses. She stabbed the man in his car, after, she
claims, he tried to force her to engage in oral sex in exchange for a
ride. She maintains that as soon as she stabbed him, she jumped out
of the car and screamed for help. The police who detained her say in
fact she was trying to run away from the scene of the crime and told
them what happened only after they questioned her about the blood
stains on her clothing. As often happens with Russian court cases,
the investigators did such a sloppy job that teasing out the facts —
a very difficult task in the absence of witnesses under any
circumstances — seems next to impossible.

But the facts of the case have become unimportant to Ivannikova’s
public persona, which emerged in the spring as a result of her
lawyer’s and supporters’ publicity efforts. In May, Ivannikova became
a media star, giving several interviews a day. Demonstrations in
support of Ivannikova took place in front of the courthouse where she
was tried. (She was found guilty and given a suspended sentence, but
her conviction has since been overturned by a higher court and now
she faces a new trial.) Television and radio personalities called her
a hero. Ultimately, even the City Prosecutor’s Office, in apparent
violation of procedure, said that the case should be dropped. Here
comes the really ugly part: The single biggest reason Ivannikova
garnered all this support is that the man she killed was an ethnic
Armenian. Here is what the Movement Against Illegal Immigration
writes in its announcement of Ivannikova’s award: “This young
beautiful woman should serve as an example of what should be done to
brazen foreigners who attack the honor of a Russian woman.”

About a month ago, I spent several hours interviewing Ivannikova. I
asked her in detail about what she thought of the sort of supporters
she had attracted. She explained that she couldn’t be choosy: Before
these people came along, no one would step up to defend her, and she
had begun to fear that she would actually go to jail. And then she
and her husband added something that has stayed with me ever since.
They explained to me that every political organization has its own
platform. That her supporters just happened to be ultranationalists,
and this was their prerogative. Hey, she said, if feminists had come
out in her support, she would have taken all comers.

This is what I find most frightening about the Ivannikova story.
Every country has a certain quantity of political scum. But what
really measures the health of a nation is the number of people who
are willing not only to tolerate the existence of hateful
ultranationalist organizations, but to go along with them when it
becomes expedient, accept their support and even their money. I am
pretty certain that Ivannikova is just a very ordinary woman who
carelessly got herself into a stupid situation that turned horrific.
But then she became the willing darling of the worst kind of people
there are in this country. What I fear is that many, many people in
this country are just like her — and when hateful ultranationalist
politicians offer them an alternative to their current bleak
existence, they will easily, even happily, go along.

Masha Gessen is a contributing editor at Bolshoi Gorod.

Armenian premier, Georgian president discuss relations

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
25 Jul 05

Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan’s working visit to Georgia
continues. The Armenian prime minister met Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili and Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze in
Tbilisi.

The sides discussed the results of a working meeting held between the
Armenian and Georgian prime ministers in Javakhk [Georgia’s
Armenian-populated Javakheti area].

The sides also discussed Armenian-Georgian cooperation in various
spheres.

‘ISSUE OF SEPARATING NAGORNO KARABAKH FROM AZERBAIJAN CAN’T BE DISCUSSED’
ALIYEV

Azg/arm
23 July 05

According to ITAR TASS, Azeri President stated that the issue of
separating Nagorno Karabakh can’t be discussed neither now nor after
10 or 100years. Ilham Aliyev said during a government meeting “that
the occupation of Azerilands can’t last forever, as its end is close.”
He said that when the Armenians leave the occupied territories, the
Azeri residents will return there, and only then the issue of Nagorno
Karabakh can be settled. “NKR can be given the highest rank of
autonomy that ever existed in the world, but only in the structure of
Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said.