Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Convicted, But Free, in Armenia
Inside Higher Ed, DC
Aug 17 2005
A Duke University doctoral student was freed Tuesday, after an Armenian
court found him guilty of illegally trying to take books out of the
country but suspended his two-year prison sentence.
Yektan Turkyilmaz had been held since June 17, when authorities at
Yerevan Airport in Armenia yanked him off an airplane as he prepared
to leave the country. They seized about 100 books that he had bought
at secondhand stores and compact disks that contained notes from
research he had done in the Armenian National Archives, for his
dissertation on the Ottoman empire’s reign of terror in Armenia in
the early 20th century. Turkyilmaz, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in
cultural anthropology at Duke, had been the first Turkish citizen to
request and receive access to the archives.
In July, Armenian authorities charged him with violating an article
in the Armenian Constitution that bars transportation out of the
country of certain “raw materials or cultural values” without prior
permission. Armenians customs regulations require travelers to declare
books that are at least 50 years old, as 88 of Turkyilmaz’s books
reportedly were.
Turkyilmaz and his supporters said that if he violated the customs
policy, he did so unknowingly, and that he was being treated far more
harshly than the charges warranted.
Scholarly groups from around the world rallied to his defense,
suggesting that the smuggling charges were a pretext for a crackdown on
a researcher studying a politically sensitive period in the country’s
tangled history with Turkey – and from a sympathetic viewpoint, no
less. Duke’s president and the former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole joined
scholarly groups in writing letters on his behalf.
In a trial that started last week and ended Tuesday, prosecutors argued
that they had clearly proven that Turkyilmaz had violated the law, but
cited “mitigating circumstances,” including his youthfulness and his
“at least partly truthful” testimony in accepting a largely symbolic
suspended sentence, according to the Web site Armenialiberty.org,
part of Radio Free Europe. The news service said that the judge had
ordered the confiscation of the 88 books, and that Turkyilmaz will
remain in Armenia for two weeks until the verdict becomes official.
Officials at Duke confirmed late Tuesday that Turkyilmaz had been
released, but said they had little additional information.
Orin Starn, a Duke professor of cultural anthropology who, as
Turkyilmaz’s adviser, attended the trial, told Armenialiberty.org
that “Duke University is very pleased that Yektan has been given his
freedom. The books that Yektan collected were a reflection of his
interest in Armenia. I know that Yektan will do wonderful work that
will help us to understand the history of this region and the facts
of the Armenian genocide.”
– Doug Lederman
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KAZAKH INSURANCE COMPANY “EURASIA” ENTERS INSURANCE MARKET OF ARMENIA
YEREVAN, AUGUST 12. ARMINFO. The Armenian insurance company Sil
Insurance has signed an agreement of cooperation with Kazakh insurance
company Eurasia today.
Speaking at a press-conference Acting Executive Director of Sil
Insurance Hayk Baghramyan said this agreement will allow the company
to provide new insurance services in the sphere of medicine and
financial sector. It is not known yet how the risks will be shared by
the companies as this issue is still discussed, Baghramyan said. In
her turn, Vice Chairman of Eurasia Board Larisa Slabkevich said the
company occupies the first place among 36 insurance companies in
Kazahkstan as to insurance premiums. In connection with dynamical
development of insurance market in Kazakhstan, the company has
accumulated much sum to invest part of it in Armenia to expand
the spheres of its services. Slabkevich did not mention the sum of
investment. She stated that Eurasia is ready to secure its presence in
Armenia either by opening of a branch or by attraction of investments
in Sin Insurance. Eurasia provides insurance services in the territory
of Russia, Ukraine and Georgia.
A. Baghramyan says as of August 1 2005 insurance premiums of Sil
Insurance were 72 mln AMD ($160,000) or 20% of Armenia’s insurance
market, with insurance payments totaling 52 mln AMD. On the whole,
the company established in 2000 with 231.5 mln AMD authorized capital
concluded 874 contracts on insurance of various types of risks for 18.5
bln AMD. 55% of these contracts was the share of property insurance,
45% – car insurance.
It should be noted that Eurasia was created in 1995. By the end of
2004, its authorized capital was $49 mln. In 2004 insurance premiums
totaled $51 mln or 300% of the total sum of insurance premiums in
the country.

ARTASHES GEGHAMIAN DISPROVES RUMOURS ABOUT HIS BEING IN MONTE CARLO
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, N0YAN TAPAN. “I came to disprove today’s
information in the “Aravot” newspaper about the issue that I and
Vazgen Manukian, the Chairman of the National-Democratic faction have
joined Serge Sargian, the Defence Minister; Hovik Abrahamian, the
Minister of Regional Governance, and Andranik Manukian, the Minister
of Transport, who are in Monte Carlo now. Artashes Geghamian, the
Chairman of the “National Unification” party informed journalists
about this, unexpectedly appearing at the August 13 press-conference
of Alexan Karapetian, his fellow party member in the “Azdak” club.
According to A.Geghamian, the publication in “Aravot” proves once more
that the authorities of Armenia are in agony. As for the position of
the chief editor of the newspaper, according to him: “Aram Abrahamian
is one of the most respectable editors who has just been tripped up.”

FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP OF VETERAN CHESS PLAYERS OF ARMENIA STARTS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The first championship of veteran
chess players of Armenia started the youngest participant of
which is 60 years old. The tournament has gathered a rather strong
staff, 4 participants of 32 ones of them are champions of Armenia of
different years. The championship also has an electoral character: the
participant taking the 1st place will get a right for participation
in the 2005 world championship of the veteran chess players as well,
besides getting the title of the champion of the country. 2 ronds
have already been held at the championship. Having 2 points each, 8
participants lead the competitive list. Only 9 rounds will be held at
the Central House of Chess Players of Armenia where the championship
is going on. The champion of the country and other prize-winners will
be known on August 18. The Chess Players Federation of Armenia defined
monetary prizes for participants played with success. The prize fund
is 245 thousand drams, 100 thousand of which will be given to the
champion of Armenia.

Schweizerische Depeschenagentur AG (SDA)
SDA – Service de base français
10 août 2005
Développement Négation du génocide arménien For unique pour les
procédures contre le Turc Dogu Perinçek
Rédaction étrangère f
Berne (ats) La justice vaudoise instruira toutes les procédures
ouvertes contre le politicien turc Dogu Perinçek pour négation du
génocide arménien. Le chef du Parti turc des travailleurs faisait
jusqu’ici l’objet d’enquêtes à Winterthour et Lausanne.
“Toutes les affaires liées à cette problématique sont regroupées
à Lausanne, sous l’autorité du juge d’instruction vaudois Jacques
Antenen”, a déclaré mercredi à l’ats Nicolas Cruchet, substitut de M.
Antenen. Il confirmait une information parue dans le quotidien
alémanique “Tages-Anzeiger”.
Interrogé par l’ats, un représentant du Ministère public de Winterthour
a précisé que cette instance restait compétente en ce qui concerne
l’enquête ouverte contre l’historien turc Yusuf Halacoglu, également
pour négation du génocide arménien.
Venu en Suisse à la fin juillet à l’occasion de la célébration du
82e anniversaire du Traité de Lausanne, Dogu Perinçek a critiqué à
plusieurs reprises, à Lausanne et à Glattbrugg (ZH), “le mensonge
international” à propos du “soi-disant génocide arménien”. Des propos
qui contreviennent à la norme pénale contre le racisme.
La justice vaudoise a par ailleurs ouvert à la mi-juillet une enquête
contre le chef du Parti des travailleurs turcs après le dépôt d’une
plainte de l’Association Suisse-Arménie concernant un discours tenu
en mai à Lausanne.
Les procédures contre MM. Perinçek et Halacoglu ont provoqué un
regain de tension dans les relations entre la Suisse et la Turquie.
Le ministère des affaires étrangères turc a notamment convoqué
l’ambassadeur de Suisse à Ankara le 27 juillet pour lui faire part de
“la mauvaise humeur des autorités et de l’opinion publique turques”
et lui demander de suspendre les enquêtes.
Quelques jours plus tard, le Département fédéral des affaires
étrangères (DFAE) convoquait à son tour l’ambassadeur turc à Berne
pour lui expliquer comment s’applique le droit suisse en matière
de discrimination raciale. Par ailleurs, Ankara a reporté sine die,
la semaine dernière, la visite prévue du conseiller Joseph Deiss à
Ankara, officiellement pour des raisons d’agenda.
NOTE: 3e paragraphe nouveau (enquête sur Halacoglu)
–Boundary_(ID_hlPVPqaUSMen0PA77BMJuw)–

IN ORDER TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS, ARMENIA AND TURKEY SHOULD FORGO FROM
PUTTING FORWARD ANY PRECONDITIONS, ACGRC HEAD SAYS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The Analytical Center of
Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC) and the Fridrich Ebert
Fund held on August 11 a seminar to discuss the current state and
perspectives of the Armenian-Turkish relations and the problem of the
recognition of the Armenian genocide. In the opinion of Arsen Avagian,
an advisor of the RA Ministry of Interior Affairs, today some change
regarding the issue of the recognition of the Armenian genocide can be
observed in the Turkish society. In particular, a mood has become more
pronounced among the Turkish intelligentsia, according to which the
problem of the Genocide cannot be solved by its constant denial.
According to A. Avagian, “many in Turkey speak in favor of taking the
issue of the Armenian genocide off the international agenda and making
it a subject of the bilateral Armenian-Turkish discussion.”
A. Avagian considered it desirable that the Turkish government would
recognize the Genocide under the pressure of the Turkish society
itsdelf, from which the truth about the tragic events of the beginning
of the 20th century was concealed for many years, rather than under
the influence of the international community. According to the ACGRC
Head Stepan Grigorian, the problem of the Genocide recognition should
be taken off the agenda of Armenia’s foreign policy, and only experts
and the Armenian Dispora should deal with it. “The experience of the
past ten years shows that the Armenian genocide has been recognized by
states either procceding from their own interests or thanks to the
activities of the Diaspora. It has no relation to the position of the
RA state institutions and the activities of the political elite.” In
the opinion of S. Grigorian, the issue of the Genocide recognition
should become a subject of the bilateral Armenian-Turkish
discussion. He noted that Armenia should clearly differentiate the
Armenian-Turkish relations and the Armenian-Azerbaijani ones in order
to normalize the relations with Turkey. Besides, both countries shou!
ld forgo from putting forward any preconditions and not take steps
that may lead to further escalation of the tension in the bilateral
relations, which actually took place as a result of arresting Ektan
Turkielmaz, a Turkish scientist, on smuggling charges.

BOARD OF CBA DECIDES TO REDUCE ANNUAL INTEREST RATE ON REPO CONTRACTS
FROM 3.75% TO 3%
YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. The Board of the Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA) decided to reduce the annual interest rate on REPO contracts
from 3.75% to 3%, the press-service of the CBA reports. The annual
interest rate on the attracted deposits was also reduced from 1.75% to
1%. The interest rates on Lombard credits were not unchanged (16%
annually). A.A. -0–

DISCUSSIONS OF “MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES” PROGRAM PASS SUCCESSFULLY
ArmenPress
Aug 4 2005
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS: This year the qualification round
of the “Millennium Challenges” program will end and afterwards the
negotiations over preparation of the agreement will launch, Tigran
Khachatrian, deputy finance minister, told at a press conference.
He said within the frameworks of the program a group of experts from
US arrived in Armenia to assess the separate points of the program
from qualification viewpoint. At present the effectiveness of the
points is being discussed i.e. whether they will secure economic
growth and promote the poverty reduction.
T. Khachatrian said the discussion of the program is going on
successfully and added that they have reached positive response over
two major points which are connected with the construction of community
roads and ensuring water supply. The two issues have been assessed as
important factors for securing economic growth and promoting poverty
reduction in Armenia. The deputy minister also noted that the first
real investments in the program will be made in 2007.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF HEALTH WORRIED
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
01 Aug  05
This year the NKR Ministry of Health included rounds to rural areas
in its annual programme. The visits showed that there is lack of
doctors in the communities. â~@~Many patients receive no treatment
and if this situation continues the doctors will no more be able to
help them,â~@~] said Karen Saghian, the head of the administration of
the ministry. This year the schedule of visits of doctors is more
concrete. The experts of the ministry know beforehand what
specialists the given region needs and take with them as much
equipment as possible. K. Saghian said this year visits to seven
communities have been planned. The doctors have already visited the
village of Mets, Taghlar, Hadrut region, and the villages of Gishi
and Berdashen in Martuni region and received 535 people. 150 people
were examined. After the examination several patients were sent to
the regional and republic hospitals. According to the head of the
department for organization of medical aid Karineh Alexanian,
patients with heart diseases and gastrointestinal diseases prevail.
Hypertension is also very common. â~@~The region of Hadrut we may
say has all the necessary specialists whereas Martuni and other
regions do not. That is why we have to send 10 or 12 specialists at a
time,â~@~] said Karineh Alexanian. The next visit is to the village
of Vank in Martakert region on these days. By the end of the year the
doctors will also visit the village of Astghashen in Askeran and the
region of Shushi. The seventh round will be for teachers in
Stepanakert in October, on the Day of Teachers. â~@~Many villages
have lack of specialists. We cannot propose a solution other than the
monthly rounds of the doctors of the regional hospitals, under the
control of the Ministry of Health.â~@~] Besides, the ministry
organizes prophylactic examinations of the staffs of different state
organizations and educational institutions. During these examinations
mentally deficient children, as well as children with weak eyesight
and hearing were found.
SRBUHI VANIAN.
01-08-2005
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ArmenPress
July 28 2005
EAR ACUPUNCTURE TO BE USED FOR DRUG DETOXIFICATION I N ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS: The UNDP Armenia Office said an
unprecedented five-day Training Workshop on Auricular Acupuncture
Detoxification was opened at the UN House in Yerevan today by the
Southern Caucasus Anti Drug (SCAD) Program, jointly implemented by
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the European Union.
Detoxification is the first stage of drug treatment.
The workshop is a joint initiative of the SCAD, the National
Institute of Health (NIH) of Armenia, the Narcological Clinic of
Psychiatric Medical Center of Armenia, and the Anti-Drugs Civil Union
NGO. Professionals from the Ministry of Health, National Institute of
Health, Psychiatric Center, as well as acupuncture specialists,
narcologists, and representatives of local NGOs participated in the
training. Dr. Richard Elovich, USA and Dr. Sona Tahan (Ouzounyan),
Canada, were the training coordinators. Practical part of the
trainings will be held at the Narcological Clinic through July
28-August 2, 2005. At the workshop, special training sessions will
cover issues such as location of acupuncture points, application
techniques, required clinical settings, modes of interaction with
patients/patients; there will be a demonstration session of auricular
acupuncture with patients. Participants will intensively practice
application of needle points; introduction of participants into
practice within clinical settings will be considered. In December
13-16, 2004, EU expert Mr. Patrick O’Gorman conducted a three-day
workshop on identification of two pilot projects. Representatives
from both governmental agencies and public sectors participated in
the workshop. At the workshop, a needs assessment of people with
injecting drug problems was conducted, and key interventions were
prioritized to address drug problems. As an outcome of the workshop
and further regular meetings of NGO representatives within the SCAD
NGO Networking Project, the following two pilot projects have been
developed and launched since July 1, 2005.
The Department of Intensive Narcology within the Narcological
Clinic of the Psychiatric Medical Center will be fully refurbished
and further will serve as a drug detoxification center. Making
facilities and conditions for patients better and more comfortable
and enhancing paramedical services are important in terms of demand
for drug treatment. The Center will serve for the organization of
training workshops on auricular acupuncture treatment of addictive
diseases, professional trainings and development of special training
and educational manuals for narcologists, development and release of
monthly newsletters in Armenian, posting of this information on
website, supporting physicians in scientific research
in the area of drugs, etc.
Both projects will be implemented together with the Psychiatric
Medical Center and through high-level cooperation between the
Government of Armenia and local and international organizations.
Outputs of both projects then will be presented to the Southern
Caucasus Regional Conference that will take place in Tbilisi, May
2006. Since its foundation, the EU/UNDP-funded SCAD Program aims to
support the Governments of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijani in their
efforts to reduce illicit drug trafficking from and through the
region towards EU Member State. Another issue of the SCAD Program is
the early prevention of drug abuse. The 4th phase of the SCAD Program
launched on May 12, 2004 when a Memorandum of Understanding on SCAD-4
was signed between the Government of Armenia and UNDP.