Author: Hambardsumian Paul

PRISON PSYCHOTHERAPY MAY PROVE EFFECTIVE
Evika Babayan
Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 7 2006
Civic Action Center NGO has recently held a seminar for the staff of
the prison of Shushi on prison psychotherapy. “During the monitoring
of prisons our organization helps inmates who need psychologist’s
help. Moreover, the psychologist of the CAC works with the staff of
the prisons,” says the director of the center Albert Voskanian. Zoya
Mayilian, the psychologist of the center says the necessity for prison
psychotherapy occurred due to the need of inmates for psychologist’s
help, as well as the insufficiency of ordinary methods. In answer to
our question whether prison psychotherapy may have a beneficial effect
on the prisoner’s psychology, Zoya Mayilian said it may prevent clashes
between individuals and groups of inmates, suicides, as well as help
them get used to the prison life, correctional methods more easily.

DEPUTY ARRESTED FOR HOOLIGANISM
A1+
[03:23 pm] 09 October, 2006
On October 8 the Masis department of the RA Police received information
about a case of hooliganism in village Hayanist. The group sent to
the village revealed that the same day at about 02:30 p.m. RA NA
deputy Hakob Hakobyan (b. 1963) quarreled with members of the RA
Full Contact Karate Federation Gevorg Sargsyan and Vardan Vardanyan
on entering the calculating station of “ArmRusGasArd” guarded by them.
The police informed that as a result of the quarrel head of the
Federation Hayk Vardanyan, coach Edgar Poghosyan and driver Seryozha
Barseghyan, the driver of the NA deputy, were taken to hospital.
A rifle has been found at the site.
Deputy Hakob Hakobyan is arrested. A criminal case has been initiated
in the Prosecutor’s Office of Ararat region.

Armenian Genocide Issue Disturbs Dutch MPs
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2006 14:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Labour Party (PvdA) of the Netherlands is not yet
free of the Armenian Genocide question. Various media again cast
doubts on the position of prominent MP Nebahat Albayrak yesterday.
Meanwhile, PvdA Senator Erik Jurgens has proposed dropping the ban on
Holocaust denial. The PvdA broke with candidate MP Erdinc Sacan last
week. He is not running in the 22 November general elections because
he refuses to recognize the Genocide perpetrated by Turkey on the
Armenians. Albayrak, the highest-placed candidate on the PvdA list
after front-runner Wouter Bos, is however still refusing to provide
clarification of her position. According to Elsevier magazine, Albayrak
has been unavailable for comment since last week, when she “reduced
the debate” to a question of definition in an interview with Trouw
newspaper. Albayrak said it is not possible to take a clear position
because the historical sources are “polluted.” According to Elsevier,
there are virtually no independent academics that doubt that the term
‘genocide’ is appropriate. “In the Netherlands, a report appeared as
early as 1918 by a committee of very eminent politicians which spoke
unequivocally of the ‘systematic slaughter’ of 800,000 Armenians
in Turkey.”
Professor Ton Zwaan of the University of Amsterdam, specialist in
genocide studies, said yesterday in Trouw that “Albayrak, unhampered
by any knowledge, has made a series of dubious statements which are
closely related to negationism and denial politics. The question is
how she and her party think they will get away with this,” Abovyan
Cultural Center reports from Brussels.

Georgian elections: Saakashvili’s party collected about 60% of votes in Akhalkalaki – local Armenians dispute results
Regnum, Russia
Oct 6 2006
Local elections are over in Georgia; about 60% of voters participated
in the elections in areas populated by ethnic Armenians; A-Info
reports.
According to data of Javakheti regional electoral commission of
Akhalkalaki area populated by ethnic Armenians, Saakashvili’s United
National Movement (UNM) Party collected here about 60% of votes in
the majoritarian vote, and opposition Industry Will Save Georgia
Party – 40%.
However, according to Industrialists’ Akhalkalaki branch leader
Meruzhan Yezoyan, his party collected over 50% of votes in
Akhalkalaki. Yezoyan expressed concern about the commission’s being
silent on the elections’ preliminary outcomes and falsifying the
results. According to preliminary data, most deputies elected by the
majoritarian system were known in Akhalkalaki by noon Oct 6. They
are as follows: Vitalik Torosyan (Khando village), Simon Manasyan
(Alastan village), Grigor Tsormutyan (Azavret village), and Norik
Karapetyan (Kadjo village).
The UNM Party was reported to collect 96% of votes in Ninotsminda
region. However, no other parties participated in the area’s
majoritarian elections. Head of the local electoral committee Seyran
Kiuregyan said that votes given for candidates in the majoritarian
vote were still being counted, and preliminary results would be
published later.
According to a source of A-Info, Simon Tumasyan (Gorelovka village),
Sedrak Shakhbasyan (Khanchkali village), Valery Antonyan (Gondura
village) were elected in the majoritarian vote. Emin Baloyan was
elected local deputy in the only village of Damale of Aspindza
electoral district.
According to preliminary reports, the UNM collected about 85% of
votes in Akhaltsikhe area. Davitashvili-Khidashvili-Berdzenishvili
Bloc collected 7.5% of votes; Salome Zourabichvili’s Georgia’s Way
Party collected 2.5% of votes.

BASESCU IN ARMENIA: ROMANIANS PAY FOR TRANSITION FROM COMMUNISM TO CAPITALISM
Rompres news agency, Bucharest,
5 Oct 2006
Yerevan, 5 October: The transition from communism to capitalism is a
decision assumed by politicians and taken to effect only if they have
the populations’ support, who pays the costs of this transformation,
said on Thursday 5 October in Yerevan the Romanian President Traian
Basescu in front of the students and professors with the State
University.
The Romanian head of state made a presentation of the transformations
occurred in Romania since the revolution in December 1989. He said that
Romanians had the power and patience to bear the transition period,
for they wanted to join Europe that they had left against their will
50 years before.
“We are aware that the EU accession is a new beginning for Romania.
Our country, as NATO and EU member, regained its dignity by coming
back home and starts the difficult process of the effective EU
integration,” said Basescu. The Romanian president stressed that it
would take many years until Romania will be fully integrated into
the European structures.
Traian Basescu said that Romania grew economically and politically
since 2000, the first year when the Romania economy gave signs of
recovery and reported a 1.5 per cent growth of GDP, which proved that
the transition period was over.
The Romanian president received on Thursday the title Doctor Honouris
Causa of the state university in Yerevan, being his second such award
received since he became president. He also received the Diploma of
Honour and Merit of the same university.

MATTHEW BRYZA: ARMENIA SHOULD NOT BE LEFT OUT OF REGIONAL COOPERATION PROGRAMS
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues of regional cooperation in the
energy sector, Armenia’s energy security problems, and the necessity
to increase the country’s involvement in regional programs were
discussed at the October 4 meeting of the Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian and the US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
Matthew Bryza. M. Bryza, who as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
for European and Eurasian Affairs deals with Armenia-related problems,
stated that the position of the US on this issue is definite: Armenia
should not be left out of yhe regional cooperation programs.
According to him, during quite an efficient cooperation with the
former US ambassador to Armenia, considerable work has been done in
order to develop versions of possible US assistance for Armenia’s
economic development and strengthening of its security, democracy and
stability. In the words of M. Bryza, it is hard to succeed in these
issues without a close cooperation with the Armenian government.
A. Margarian in his turn noted that the Armenian government is prepared
to cooperate and support any proposal proceeding from the interests of
Armenia: the matter concerns democratization, the holding of national
elections in line with international standards, maintaining political
stability, and developing the Armenian economy.
The interlocutors also spoke about Armenia’s efficient cooperation with
the Millennium Challenge Corporation. M. Bryza noted with satisfaction
that Armenia was the first country to immediately set about its work
after signing the agreement. He wished success to the program.

ARMENIANS WITHDRAW FROM THE REGIONS BORDERING WITH AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 4 2006
Armenian government asks Armenian Diaspora organizations to solve
economical problems of villages bordering with Turkey and Azerbaijan,
APA Eastern European bureau reports quoting to Armenian Diaspora
organizations in Europe.
The Diaspora demands to promote democracy in the region.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said Armenian Diaspora
organizations allocated fund for construction of roads, schools and
restoration of irrigation system in over 50 villages. The government
hopes investors will make investment in the region and people will
come back.
The Foreign Minister said there are 159 villages to be reconstructed
each of which needs US $500-700.
In the meeting with The Diaspora organizations on September 31 Armenian
government said they will start economic struggle, because Azerbaijan’s
economic power has increased.

ARMENIA TO PRESENT ANTI-SMOKING REPORT TO WHO
Armenpress
Oct 02 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, ARMENPRESS: Next year Armenia will have to
present to the World Health Organization (WHO) its first report on
implementation of commitments it has assumed by joining the Framework
Convention on Anti-Tobacco Struggle. Armenia ratified the Framework
Convention in 2004.
According to Alexander Bazarchian, the coordinator of the national
anti-tobacco campaign, Armenia’s main commitments set by the Convention
are the passage of an anti-tobacco legislation, enforcement of a
full ban on tobacco advertisement before 2010 and the gradual rise
of tobacco products prices and besides 30 percent of cigarette packs
must have a notice about the smoking hazards.
So far Armenia has passed a law on restrictions to sale, consumption
and use of tobacco products. Local law on advertising bans street
advertisement of tobacco goods. According to Armenian doctors, the
number of smokers in Armenia is on the constant rise Some experts
estimate that more than half of all males are smokers. They say the
number of smoking women also increases, the bulk of them in Yerevan.
The World Health Organization estimates that 63.7 percent of Armenian
men are smokers – the highest rate in Europe. By comparison, an
estimated 60 percent of men in neighboring Georgia are smokers and
31.2 percent in Azerbaijan.
Armenia’s first ever restrictions on smoking in public places came
into force on March 2, 2005, prohibiting smoking in hospitals,
cultural and education institutions and public transportation.
There are no mechanisms in place for enforcing the measures, and to
date there is little evidence of compliance with the restrictions.

VISITE DE JACQUES CHIRAC AU PATRIARCHE DE TOUS LES ARMENIENS
Agence France Presse
1 octobre 2006 dimanche 6:21 AM GMT
Le president francais Jacques Chirac a rendu visite dimanche au
Patriarche Supreme et Catholicos de tous les Armeniens, Sa Saintete
Karenine II, dernière etape de sa visite d’Etat en Armenie.
“En souvenir de cette emouvante visite dans le coeur spirituel de
l’Armenie et du grand peuple armenien”, a ecrit a l’issue de la visite
le chef de l’Etat francais sur le livre d’or.
M. Chirac, qui etait accompagne de son epouse Bernadette pour cette
visite, devait regagner Paris dimanche.
L’Eglise apostolique armenienne est l’une des Eglises d’Orient et
elle est dirigee par le Catholicos de tous les Armeniens, Sa Saintete
Karenine II, 55 ans, qui a ete intronise en 1999.
Le christianisme, arrive très tôt en Armenie, y est devenu religion
d’Etat en 301. En 555, l’Eglise armenienne a opere un schisme, pour
des raisons theologiques mais aussi politiques, après son Concile
de Chalcedoine. Rome a leve au 17e siècle l’anathème qui frappait
cette Eglise.
En 1996, le pape Jean-Paul II et le Catholicos de tous les Armeniens
ont signe une “declaration commune sur la Christologie”, qui enterre
les querelles theologiques, sans trancher sur la question de l’exercice
de la primaute du pape.
–Boundary_(ID_8ol2pD5Wtk9Rm1IBIu6jig)–

TURKEY’S STRATEGIC BLUNDER
By Dr Fereydun Hilmi
Kurdish Media, UK
Sept 26 2006
At the end of the First World War, Kamal Attaturk was able to save
the rump of the Ottoman Empire from British and French occupation.
His springboard point was Anatolia where he was able to persuade the
Kurds in north Kurdistan to join forces with him and reject British
intrigues among them aimed at chipping away further land from what
had remained of the great sick empire.
The British duped the Kurds by first encouraging them to seek
independence and supporting the idea and pouring much money into
Slemanî and the Kurdish parts of Iraq. For nearly 4 years they carried
on establishing a Kurdish administration andarmy and trained them to
protect their areas simply because they were unable to send an army
to do so as a result of their economic troubles and losses in the
occupation of southern and middle Iraq. Kurdistan’s mountains reminded
them of their disadters in Afghanistan and India; in Particular the
difficulties of fighting locals in places like the Khyber Pass.
Therefore they wanted to achieve the same result and prevent the
Turks form reclaiming land which had belonged to the Ottoman Empire
administratively but not subjugated by Turkish army forces. Most of
Kurdistan was ruled by Kurdish proxies with local armed men until
the British arrived in Kifri. Once the local chief Sheikh Mahmud
heard of this he invited the British to come to Slemanî in what he
considered was a card to play against the Ottomans so that he might
have bargained with it.
The British who were aware of this insisted that he should work for
his upkeep and support but his natural instinct was anti-British and
pro-Turkish. Yet Attaturk ignored his approaches and tried instead to
use him in his struggle to save as much of what he considered to be his
national homeland as possible. Sheikh Mahmud and the rest of the Mosul
Wilayet ended up as a juicy bite for the British colonial stomach.
The British who were really only interested in the oil-rich areas
of the Mosul Wilayet easily sacrificed the Kurds of Anatolia and
signed agreements with Turkey exchanging the Mosul Wilayet which they
had sneakily occupied during the armistice just after the war had
stopped. And with that Turkey was cocooned into a hard nationalistic
shell which it was to remain in for nearly a hundred years.
Britain was a tired and economically warn out power who had suffered
along with its French ally greatly at the hands of the Germans. It
was probably as weak and tired as the Turks if not more. Yet, today
Turkey is a third world country while Britain is a super power with a
thriving economy and English is the standard language throughout the
world. Britain and now the United States have fingers in every pie
all around the world while Turkey remained isolated and lacking all
forms of influence in even the closest nations right on its borders.
People five thousand miles away from Britain speak English as a second
language who once spoke Turkish instead.
The Ottoman Empire lasted some six centuries reaching the height of
civilization and scientific progress and many nations such as Kurds,
Armenians, Greeks, Arabs, Albanians and others from the Middle and
Far East, Asia and African nations served to advance its culture and
power throughout a huge chunk of the world and enrich the central
power house at Istanbul. The Turkish people were truly a minority who
started as fighting tribes, adopted Islam and Middle Eastern Culture as
a result of which Anatolia became the home of a huge thriving empire.
All that disappeared because of Attaturk’s Xenophobic attitude towards
all the nations that had helped his race reach the positions they
had. Proof of this lies in the fact that once the Kurds, Armenians,
Greeks and Arabs were alienated Turkey became and remained a poor
mediocre and backward state unable to sustain itself without iys
subservient position within NATO.
Yet, Turkey had a great opportunity throughout the twentieth century
to occupy a better position among these nations than does Britain
and the west. We must remember that the nations surrounding Turkey
practice the same religion, are of a mixture of local races, share
the geography as well as six centuries of togetherness as parts of
the Ottoman Empire. But despite the fact that they shared none of
those characteristics with Britain and the latter’s great physical
distance, it was the west who captured the hearts and minds of the
Middle East nations, not by having their interests at heart but via
many sly and devious methods including tying them up with economic
contracts the greatest benefits of which return to the west.
Western culture has also begun to despise eastern and oriental cultures
to such an extent that they are now treating Islam (the main culture
of some 1.5 billion people) as their grand enemy. This is not just
a feeling or a suspicion but a fact which nobody can deny today.
Unfortunately all that Turkey is offering is more subservience to the
will of its sponsors and denial of its geopolitical position and more
and more copycat culture from the west.
There are those who have been brainwashed into thinking that
civilization and technical progress can only come from the west. If
the Americans or the western nations do not invent it then it is not
possible. Some would even link Japanese and Chinese technology to what
they must have copied from the west easily and conveniently forgetting
that China and the Middle East were the main source of all scientific,
logical and technological advancement in the world.
Science and Technology do not have a nationality or a race while oil,
gas and other natural resources do. Turkey gave up its position as
the most modern capital of eastern culture and became a follower of
the west rather than the leader of the east. It has been struggling
to enter the European and Christian world believing that it is now
destined to exist on the periphery not realizing that it would have
to be and remain a fringe nation deprived of major progress.
In the beginning of the twentieth century my father, uncle and many
other Kurds and Iraqis were educated in Istanbul. I know that their
education was superb and my father also a scientist had a magnificent
command of mathematics and physics. In true ancient Greek style,
they were taught not just science but philosophy, history the arts
and everything worth learning. I was educated in the UK and although
the British education system is superior to many I had to learn all
those other subjects by my self.
Attaturk’s Turkey became isolated from its natural and geopolitical
environment while all around it the British and French were forming
alliances with what should have been Turkey’s historic allies until
all that was left was a small part of Cyprus only because they were
Turks. This deprived Turkey of mutual exchange of wealth, knowledge,
know-how and all other forms of economic ties with the erstwhile
members of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey’s policies towards the Kurds were Britain’s best protection
against the rejuvenation of the nation and the wall which kept it
from Iraq, Syria and the previously united nations of the Ottoman
Empire. Instead of behaving like a sour grape and sulking with hatred
Turkey should have done the exact opposite by revising its old policies
and trying to mend fences – it should have been doing all it could
to keep the borders soft and temporary. It should have extended its
hands to all its Muslim and Middle-Eastern brothers to form a new
alliance (a commonwealth of ex-Ottoman nations) – not alienate them
and isolate itself.
Kurdistan should have been a great ally and a strategic depth for
Turkey and not a sore wound in its side. Yet the Kurd’s struggle has
not stopped for one day simply to gain equality as citizens of the
country. For some reason it seems the Turkish mind does not work as
efficiently on its own and needs the inspiration of the other nations
around them. I believe that the Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Armenians and
optionally Greeks can reclaim the ground by making a complete change
of policy starting from Turkey.
Below I will state a suggestion which I hope the Turkish leadership
will read.
1. Turkey should pass a law completely banning racism in the country
2. Offer the Kurds all rights in the Turkish state and concentrate
on the region which is wealthy as well as lacking of investment
and development.
3. Keep foreign investments in Turkey and in Kurdistan to the minimum
4. Be humane enough to admit mistakes of the Ottomans towards the
Armenians and stop discrimination and persecution against all the
citizens of Turkey 5. Offer a friendly apology for maltreating the
Ottoman nations and promise a new era of brotherhood and equality. It
would be a great gesture of good will if the name of the nation was
changed to a more representative name covering its multinational
nature.
6. Establish the best possible ties with its neighbours, Iran,
a yet-to-be-liberated Iraq and in particular the Kurdish part.
7. Abandon the application to become an unloved and unwanted little
step-brother if Europe. Thus firmly, proudly and unapologetically
placing its foot in Asia 8. Establish the best possible ties with the
Arabs 9. Abandon NATO because its ties with that imperial organisation
preclude it from re-establishing itself as a major Asiatic power.
10. Seek economic contracts with all former members of the Ottoman
Empire 11. Establish universities for the education of African, Asian,
Arab and other citizens of the world who do not have the opportunity
to get western or even local education.
12. Form close ties with Iran which is surviving very well without
any NATOI and EU links.
13. Form the best possible links with the rich and progressive South
American Nations.
14. Completely wrench itself away from supporting the aggressive
and war-like actions of Israel and the Americans 15. Reposition the
political attitude of the country towards the greater good of the
nations of the region and in this way offer Turkey’s own vision of
the Middle East.
It is by far better for Turkey and the Middle East to be masters
of their own decisions than lackeys and sycophantic extras on the
backside of someone else.
The present Government of Turkey seems to have a mindset close to
the above analysis but seems too timid in going all the way. I have
written about Turkish society today in the past on KurdishMedia.com,
in particular about the lack of scientific and technological
advancement evident from the lack of world-renounced inventions,
scientific breakthroughs, music or cultural products. However I am
now offering the above ideas which I believe will return Turkey and
the surrounding nations to their rightful and influential old glory.
All the relevant and necessary requirements and active factors are
available. All we need are the will of a great statesman and the
courage of the nations to follow and endure the painful but sure and
rewarding path.
–Boundary_(ID_B5Z+wrea1lkykJPHwLaL5A)–