Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

AZG Armenian Daily #067, 15/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

ERDOGAN OFFERS KOCHARIAN TO CREATE ‘COMMITTEE FOR HISTORIC FACT RESEARCH’

Special Sitting at Turkish Parliament on ‘Armenian Allegations’

On April 13, the issue of the Armenian Genocide was discussed at the Turkish
parliament. Two resolutions “On the Armenian Allegations” were submitted to
the parliament. The first is “On Creating National Objective and
Unprejudiced Historical Relations between the Turks and the Armenians,”
submitted by Ramazan Toprak, member of Justice and Prosperity party. While
the second resolution is “On Finding Facts against the Armenian Statements
on the Armenian Genocide” submitted by Ali Topuz, member of the Republican
Democrat Party.

Ara Kochunian, editor-in-chief of Istanbul-based Armenian Zhamanak
newspaper, said in the interview to Azg that the chairman of the sitting
united these two resolutions, after which discussion was unfolded. Abdullah
Gul, Turkish deputy PM and foreign minister, held speech on behalf of the
government.

Ara Kochunian informed that Gul emphasized “the importance of unfolding a
united struggle against the Armenian accusations.” “Turkey is ready to face
its history. We will not allow to play upon the wounds of the past,” he said
and added that they should begin a struggle in the external world to reveal
the truth.

Gul said that till now Turkey was on defensive and carried out no “archive
works” against “the Armenian allegations.” The foreign minister stated that
“there are lies among the Armenian statements, exaggerations, false
accusations and violations,” adding that the Armenians “will unfold many
anti-Turkish activities” in connection with 90th anniversary.

Kochunian stated that the press conference of Vartan Oskanian, RA foreign
minister, that “most likely coincided with the discussions at the Turkish
parliament” aroused large-scale interest in Turkey. Vartan Oskanian said
during the press conference: “Turkey tries to reconsider its history without
any shame.”

Besides, Kochunian informed that the General Chairmanship of Turkish
Officers held a press conference and announced that they are going to open
the archives on the Armenian events. These archives are expected to be
published in two volumes, soon.

The site of the Turkish NTV posted an extract from the speech of Abdullah
Gul, acceding to which “Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister,
applied with a letter to Robert Kocharian, RA President, suggesting to
create a committee of the Armenian and the Turkish Parliamentarians, in
order to study the historical facts. If Armenia wants to have natural
relations with Turkey, Kocharian should immediately response to the letter
of Erdogan.”

Victor Soghomonian, press speaker of RA president, informed in the interview
to Azg that “the president’s staff hasn’t received any letter of the like.”

It was expected that a letter concerning “the Armenian Allegations” and “The
Blue Book” should be prepared and sent to the Great Britain. It’s worth
mentioning that the Armenian Genocide of 1915 was characterized as “a
massacre of a whole nation” in the book published during the years of the
World War I.

Anatolu agency published a statement on April 13, according to which, PM
Erdogan and Baykal, leader of the Republican Democrat Party signed the
letter addressed to the government of the Great Britain. In particular, the
letter demands from the British government to give explanations concerning
“The Blue Book” to the publicity. It is also demanded in the letter that the
Great Britain should announce that the book was published for propaganda.
It’s worth mentioning that the book was published by the British Military
Ministry at the Wellington House publishing house.

By Tatoul Hakobian

Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine
April 15 2005

Public Service Broadcasting – Lost in Translation

translated by Tanya Vodyanycka , 15.04.2005, 04:04

Original Ukrainian text by Taras Shevchenko, Media Law Institute
Director, Oxford University Media Law School graduate

The Council of Europe is largely to blame for the fact that nobody in
Ukraine knows what public service broadcasting is.

Yes, precisely the Council of Europe, which is one of the greatest
engines of the process of public broadcasting and democratic
reforming as well as being a trendsetter in the field of public
service broadcasting.

Council of Europe has wasted considerable efforts and resources to
popularize the term `public service broadcasting’, yet it failed to
clarify the meaning of this term popularly.

As a result, the majority of Ukrainians have heard about public
service television, nevertheless they have not the foggiest idea of
what it means. Unfortunately, even some of the experts, who offer
their own conceptions of creating public service television, are not
informed adequately about the Europian experience.

I may suppose this statement is true concerning some state officials
of the highest level as well.

Council of Europe managed to popularize the term, that,
unfortunately, doesn’t convey anything to Ukrainians by itself. What
is public service television?

At numerous round tables you may hear that `public service television
is the television of public organizations’ of that `public service
television is the television of territorial communities’.

Those are interesting linquistic estimates, which however have
nothing in common with what’s popularized by the Council of Europe,
which failed to bring its key idea that public service television
standard is a way of reforming state-controlled television to make
it, as much as possible, independent from the state and to place it
the service of citizens.

Namely this and nothing else. It means for Ukraine that National TV
company must be independent and mustn’t be controlled by any of the
government branches.

Documents of the Council of Europe at first contained the term
`national broadcasting’, but then total conversion to `public
service’ took place. From the beginning of 90’s, when Soviet camp
collapsed, it can be noticed particularly clearly.

Here is a quotation from PACE Recommendation 1147 on parliamentary
responsibility for the democratic reform of broadcasting in 1991:

`The basic problem facing the new democracies in Central and Eastern
Europe is the search for an audiovisual system to replace the former
centralised, politically controlled media. However, the alternative
should not be unbridled privatisation and complete liberalisation, as
they could lead to ruinous competition for exclusivity rights or even
monopoly. To prevent this, the legal void left by the collapse of the
totalitarian systems must urgently be filled with the notions of
public service broadcasting (as distinct from the state ownership),
pluralism, independence and balance… It should be recognised that
under appropriate circumstances the function of public service
broadcasting may be fulfilled by the state or privately organised
bodies.’

This quotation clearly indicates that public service television is a
direction of the state television reform.

Second conclusion is that Council of Europe has been working actively
on filling countries with information about public service
broadcasting. However, in my opinion such approach appears to be
incorrect. It by no means contributes to reforms in Ukraine and – on
the contrary – complicates this process because Ukrainians in no way
can agree upon what `public service television’ means and where it
must be established.

Instead they should have been filling countries with information
about the necessity of democratic reforming of the state television
and the principles according to which this reforming must take place.

There is almost no difference in the meaning, yet the terminology of
“state television reform” is more understandable and waives a
question about public service television never existing
simultaneously with state one.

Inconvenience of public service television terminology usage can also
be explained by the fact that it’s not an exact translation from
English.

In English, the term `public service broadcasting’ is used. We
translate it in different ways: for example, as public broadcasting
in official translations of Council of Europe documents and as social
broadcasting in Ukrainian laws. However word `public’ can be
understood as `public’ (connected with the public) or as `state’.

Instead, the metaphrase of `public service broadcasting’ sounds like
`broadcasting in the interests of public’ or `broadcasting serving
citizens’. In other words, none of the Ukrainian terms is in exact
correspondence or reflecting the essence of this special form of
broadcasting.

Another `side effect’ of the spread of `public service broadcasting’
terminology became apparent in some countries that seemed to have
introduced public service television: on request of Council of Europe
adopted particular laws about public service television and replaces
signs on state TV channels, calling them public service.

Nominally, the Council of Europe obligations are fulfilled, still
actually nothing has changed – TV channels remained totally
controlled by the state.

Glaring examples of such reforms are the television networks in
Moldova and Armenia. In the latter for instance, the country’s
president personally forms the governing body of the TV channel and
in that way influences completely the broadcasting content.

There is a serious threat of application of a similar approach in
Ukraine: to call a TV channel a “public service network” – using that
title to mean something else.

It is interesting that in countries of western Europe the public
service broadcasting networks do not include the term “public” or
“public service” in their title: British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC), Spanish television, National Radio of Spain, Second German
Television (ZDF), France-2, France-3, Swedish television etc.

It is above all that television in practice should serve the
interests of citizens. Why then do Ukrainians need to call their
state television “public service”? Ukraine should reform namely the
state television so that it would work in the interests of citizens
and not the government bodies.

With all this going on, it can be called not public service, but
`Ukraininan’, `national’ or `people’s’, which will be more
understandable and closer to Ukrainians.

Change of title, though influencing the reformation process, still is
not its most important part. The most important is that new
television should correspond to the Council of Europe standards: work
in the interests of citizens, be out of the state’s control, have
appropriate financing and give objective information.

INSURANCE COMPANY GRAND INTENDS TO START LIVE INSURANCE

YEREVAN, APRIL 14. ARMINFO. The insurance company Grand will start
insuring life within the nearest future, Director of the company Artak
Antonyan informs ARMINFO.

He says that the license for life insurance was received in December
of 2004. IC Grand has already started negotiations with several
foreign companies. “I have some concern that this type of insurance is
economically unprofitable. But we approach this issue from the other
side. Insurance needs development in Armenia and in particular life
insurance,” Antonyan says. He says that this type of insurance is not
enough in demand yet. The company intends to start insurance of life
in order the population get familiar with it and understands its
necessity. After introduction of this type of insurance, the company
plans to start money making and pension insurance. Antonyan thinks
that the pension insurance is favorable both to insurer and
insurable. One can invest the accumulated funds in other projects and
receive incomes, Antonyan says. He thinks it is also favorable to the
insurable as he will not only receive state pensions, but also
insurance pension much more exceeding the first one. Factually, it is
the second insurance company in Armenia after IC INGO Armenia to be
engaged in life insurance.

To note, according to data of the rating of the leading 11 insurance
companies of Armenia of the Agency for Rating Marketing Information
(ARMINFO), IC Grand occupies the second place as to the size of assets
– 767.9 mln AMD. As to the volume of the insurance premiums, the
company is in the forth place – 231.2 mln AMD, as to the volume of the
paid insurance compensation – in the tenth place – 2.252 mln AMD. As
regards the net profits – the company is in the 5th place – 7.9 mln
AMD. The size of the authorized capital of IC Grand totals 1-00 mln
AMD at present.

Investment Opportunity in the Republic of Armenia

BISNIS Search for Partners
13 April 2005

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– Construction Materials (drywall)

**********************************************************
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In late 2004, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
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University Wire
April 13, 2005 Wednesday

Slander by former Malaysian leader degrades Jewish feats and efforts

By David Keyes, Daily Bruin; SOURCE: UCLA

LOS ANGELES

Jews control the world. They have infiltrated the top echelons of
American politics. They dictate policy and tirelessly pursue their
“Jewish” agendas.

While this is mostly untrue, I only wish it were so.

Far from being ashamed, I proudly salute the prominence, prestige and
vast contributions of the Jewish people.

In fact, my people are so beautiful and so ethical that I wish we
controlled more. Much good will come of our extended inclusion in
society and politics.

Former Malaysian Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad recently reiterated
the age-old canard that Jews rule the world.

What could he have meant by such a statement? Do Jews not deserve
power? Surely it is bigoted to mark people of a certain faith as
unacceptable for assuming prominent positions.

To treat Jews specifically by a double standard is an attribute of
anti-Semitism, pure and simple.

Beyond the stupidity of such a statement, it is flat out ignorant.
Jewish contributions to the world are as numerous as they are
wonderful. They should be cherished — not stigmatized and repelled.

>From the shackles of Egyptian enslavement to the Holocaust, Jews have
suffered a long and arduous history.

And throughout it all we have found refuge in belief, customs, debate
and upright morality.

Based on our own suffering, the Jewish people have gained a unique
insight into the anguish of the weak, the cruelty of absolutist
ideology and the consequences of indifference to evil.

>From the beginning, Jews have been among the leading voices
denouncing genocide and crimes against humanity.

Starting in 1915, America shamefully looked away as over 1 million
Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Empire.

The United States chose neutrality and silence, hardly issuing a
whimper of disapproval.

It was up to Henry Morgenthau, Sr. — a Jew — to vociferously oppose
the Armenian Genocide. As American ambassador to the Ottoman Empire,
Morgenthau spoke out against the viciousness of Mehmed Talaat, the
Turkish interior minister, and the flaccidity of American
policymakers.

Similarly, the United States barely condemned the Khmer Rouge and
their notorious killing fields on which 2 million Cambodians died.
Later, America even supported that same genocidal regime.

But a brave few, led by Jewish Congressman Stephen Solarz, were
outraged at the pathetic response to the genocide.

Solarz drew upon his people’s history in the Holocaust to understand
such evil. He spent a year and a half trying to pass a resolution in
the House urging President Carter to stop the killings.

Israel, the Jewish homeland, was in fact the first country to speak
of the Cambodian genocide in the United States. Jewish New York Times
columnist William Safire assiduously called on the world to act
against the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.

Christopher Hitchens, another writer of Jewish descent, remains one
of the foremost Kurdish sympathizers and supporters. While the world
stood by as Kurds were massacred by Saddam Hussein’s poison gas,
Hitchens advocated well-deserved Kurdish autonomy, protection and
human rights.

Of course, this is not to say that every Jew is a good person. Good
and bad people obviously exist among every faith.

Nor is this to say that Jews are better than anyone else.

In the final analysis, it is one’s actions, not gender, religion or
nationality, that matters most.

That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with patriotic and
believing Jews attaining positions of power in America or anywhere
else.

What, for example, do Jews do with our supposed vast sums of money?
We donate to charity.

In one year alone, in the 1990s, the “United Jewish Appeal raised
more money than any other charity in America, including the Salvation
Army, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities and the American Cancer
Society,” according to one study.

Jews also put their brains to great use. Vitamins and the vaccine for
polio were invented by Jews. Forty percent of America’s Nobel Prize
winners in science and economics have been Jews as well.

Not bad for a people that constitute about 2 percent of the American
populace.

Perhaps most importantly, it is directly from Jewish tradition and
the Hebrew Bible that the world received the basis for our system of
Western ethics — not to mention the radical idea of absolute
monotheism.

The lessons of Jewish history have taught us great justice, morality
and a keen understanding of humanity.

Just as the prophets did in ancient times, today’s Jews serve as a
conscience to the world.

Anti-Semitic slander, such as comments from Malaysia’s former prime
minister, are utter rubbish and only do a disservice to the world.

>From the Ten Commandments to advocating human rights, the Jewish
people’s deeds and accomplishments should be celebrated and emulated
by all.

“IT IS SURPRISING THAT THE COUNTRY’S OFFICIALS DO NOT SPEAK ABOUT THE
ECONOMIC GROWTH CONSEQUENCES,” RA PRESIDENT NOTES

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 11 meeting at Yerevan
State University, the RA President Robert Kocharian said: “Armenia’s
2005 budgetary expenditures exceed the 2004 expenditures by over 77
bln, 53 bln of which is the net tax revenues expected. This means
allocating an extra amount of 19 bln to the Ministry of Education and
Science, another 7 bln for health care and 2 bln for sports and
culture.” According to R. Kocharian, in 2005, 50 thousand teachers
receive 50,000 drams (about 101 USD) instead of the previous salary of
30,000. The average salary of the army officers has also risen from
70,000 to 120,000 drams. “And all this has happened in a year. It is
surprising that the country’s officials do not speak about this, have
a “complex” about stating the consequences of the country’s economic
growth,” he noted. R. Kocharian said 20 bln drams is used today for
road construction, with considerable part of this funds allocated to
build roads in Syunik and other marzes. 8 bln drams is envisaged for
the irrigation system of Armavir and Vayots Dzor marzes. “It is
necessary to present all this courageously to the public in the form
of figures and fact, and also to tell where the economic growth is
directed,” the President noted.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: “NO REVOLUTION THREATENS ARMENIA”

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. “The power shift in all of the 3
countries – Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrghyzstan, has much in common, none
of which coincides with the political and economic situation in
Armenia, which won’t let the rumours about revolution spread for a
long time realize in the nearest future,” RA President Robert
Kocharian declared during his April 11 meeting with economics faculty
students of Yerevan State University. In R.Kocharian’s opinion, in all
of the 3 above-mentioned countries the revolutions were carried out in
the period of elections, all of the 3 countries had weak authorities,
a change of generations took place, high-ranking officials who
formerly worked in power structures came to power in these countries.

None of these 4 communities, in RA President’s opinion, threatens
Armenia as we have strong authorities in the country, change of
generations took place twice in Armenia: in 1991 and 1998, there are
no former officials relieved of their posts among the Armenian
opposition and, at last, the nearest elections will be held in two
years in Armenia. The Armenian President called on the opposition “not
to have complexes” that they are weak and failed to do what they
planned: “They failed as the country and authorities are better.”

AZG Armenian Daily #065, 14/04/2005

Bookshelf

COMMENTARIES OF GRIGOR TATEVATSI IN ASHGHARABAR

“Ankyunaqar” (cornerstone) publishing house that started its activities in
1998 issues only books of spiritual character and dictionaries. The
publishing house presented the readership with the legacy of Armenia’s
Christian writers. The commentaries of St. Grigor Tatevatsi to Solomon’s
Proverbs, Song of Songs and Leviticus were put out in ashgharabar (new
Armenian) in 3 separate books (translation from ancient Armenian by Khachik
Grigorian). It must be noted that none of Tatevatsi’s works was ever totally
published, let alone translation into ashgharabar. Only “The Commentaries to
Solomon’s Proverb’s” was put out by “Ankyunaqar” 5 years ago combining
grabar (old Armenian) and ashgharabar versions.

St. Grigor Tatevatsi wrote his works once to tutor the students of his
university, and all his writings have the form of questions and answers.
Tatevatsi’s publication grants our compatriots the opportunity to study and
understand the Bible and follow the bright mind of philosopher and great
spiritual father of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

By Khachik Grigorian; “Ankyunaqar”

Agence France Presse — English
April 11, 2005 Monday 3:10 PM GMT

Iran’s Khatami to inaugurate new dam on Turkmen border

ASHGABAT

Turkmenistan made final preparations on Monday for the inauguration
of a new dam on the Turkmen-Iranian river border by Turkmenistan
President Saparmurat Niyazov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad
Khatami, Turkmen officials said.

The two men will meet on Tuesday to open the new Dostluk (friendship)
dam located on the Tejen River, known in Iran as the Harir-Roud, in
the Germab mountain range 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the
Turkmen town of Serahs and 250 kilometres (155 miles) east of the
Iranian city of Mashhad, a senior official at Turkmenistan’s water
resources ministry said.

The project reflects growing ties between this former Soviet republic
and its south-western neighbour Iran.

This “is a symbol of our good neighbourly relations,” the water
resources official told AFP.

Built at a cost of some 167 million dollars (130 million euros), the
structure measures some 655 metres (2,150 feet) in length and is
entirely located on Turkmen territory.

Its reservoir spans the border however and will eventually hold some
1.25 billion cubic metres (43.75 billion cubic feet), said Muratgeldy
Akmamadov, project director for the Turkmen side.

The dam will initially be used for irrigation, although the
possibility of generating electricity has also been mooted.

“This structure, important for the economies of both countries, will
irrigate more than 50,000 hectares (125,000 acres) of Turkmen and
Iranian territory,” Akmamadov told AFP.

The project is one of a number of joint water projects involving Iran
and neighbours such as Turkmenistan and Armenia aimed at meeting
northern Iran’s growing irrigation and energy requirements, a
regional water expert told AFP.

Turkmenistan has in recent years begun supplying north-east Iran with
electricity generated from its important natural gas reserves.

A1plus

| 14:34:15 | 09-04-2005 | Politics |

THEY CHEAT AS THEY HAVE BEEN CHEATED

An article from Ayb-Fe newspaper.

Representative of Group of Caucasian Communications, the new owner of the
Dvin Hotel, Andreas Ghukasyan still in early autumn 2004 promised that he
will provide the detailed information on the future plans and the mysterious
owners of the hotel. Months passed by, but the Group of Caucasian
Communications has nothing to report either to journalists or to the
society. To remind, Andreas Ghuklasian did not refute the hearsay binding
the sale of Dvin with Russian singer Josif Kobzon.

On the face of it the hotel is not cared of and some people in military
uniforms can be noticed in the yard. According to the hotel director thay
are police officers. Construction works are carried out inside. On all the
14 floors the unnecessary walls have been demounted, the
engineer-communicative elements opened. So why did not the promised meeting
take place? The reason is obvious: the meeting with the journalists purposed
a certain aim. The administration ran into debt to several tens of former
employees. According to various documents the size of the debt was
exaggerated and the employees took of the opportunity of the tensed
political situation and organized a rally pressing for public resonance. To
date 149 out of 157 suits have been settled, the rest 9 will be examined
this week. Thus the conflict between the present owners and former employees
can be considered settled.

However the conflict aroused through the government~Rs fault. Judging from
the resolution of the government on the sale of Dvin, the executive power
practiced deceit when selling the hotel. In other words, it got rid of it.
Today, having settled the problems with the debts the owners came across
unexpected problems connected with the height of the walls and the scenery
of plain old houses around. According to the contract on purchase the hotel
complex should be finished within 5 years. But the uncomely scenery will
hardly change by 2009 and can damage the image of the hotel providing for
high class service.

Sevak Grigoryan