Author: Jagharian Tania

ATTACK HELICOPTER BID POSTPONED ONCE AGAIN
By Cihan News Agency

Zaman, Turkey
Dec 13 2006

Turkey could not make a decision at the helicopter bid held on Tuesday
and postponed the announcement of the results to a later date upon
the General Staff’s request to test the helicopters again.

The Defense Industry Executive Committee convened on Tuesday, chaired
by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The committee was to
decide on either Italian Westland’s Mangusta or South African Denel’s
Rooivalk proposal for the attack helicopter deal, which is worth at
least $2 billion.

Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul told reporters following
the meeting that the bid was postponed once more for further tests
required by the General Staff on the helicopters. The decision on
the type of the helicopter will be made in the following days.

The South African helicopters use French engines, which may be an
obstacle due to the discord on the so-called Armenian genocide between
Turkey and France.

The contract is for the purchase of 50 helicopters and then
co-production of 20 helicopters with an option for 21 more.

The committee also decided to buy 130 F-35s from the United States
which will cost Turkey about $2 billion, Gonul added.

The Undersecretariat of the Defense Industry was also authorized
for the purchase of another 30 F-16 fighters for approximately $1.6
billion.

NEWS DIGEST: NEW YORK LIFE PAYS UP

Life Insurance International
December 11, 2006

It was a long wait, but descendants and heirs of some of the 1.5
million Armenians killed during the Ottoman Turkish rule of Armenia
in 1915 are to share in a $7.95 million settlement agreed to by New
York Life (NYL). The agreement follows a class action brought against
NYL for unpaid life insurance benefits. In addition, NYL has already
distributed $3 million to various Armenian charitable organisations.

NYL said it had reviewed thousands of claims and found that 2,515
claims could be traced to Armenians who had purchased life insurance
policies from NYL prior to 1915. In all, Armenians in 26 countries
will receive compensation. Armenians in Armenia will receive the most
($3.4 million) followed by those in the US ($2.6 million) and in France
($656,413).

The pay-out by NYL follows a similar settlement reached between
aggrieved Armenians and French insurer Axa in October 2005. This
resulted in Axa paying out $17 million in restitution.

ARMENIA DETAINS TWO FOR "PLANS TO ILLEGALLY INTERFERE IN POLITICAL PROCESSES"

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Dec 11 2006

Yerevan, 11 December: The press service of the Armenian National
Security Service reported today that a Lebanese citizen Zhirayr
Sefilyan and a number of his supporters, who were arrested on 10
December, "had planned illegal and forceful interference in the
forthcoming political processes in Armenia".

The press service of the Armenian National Security Service said that
"as a result of operative-investigative activities, irrefutable proofs
were received that the United Armenian Volunteers organization,
which has no state registration, set up by the Lebanese citizen,
Zhirayr Sefilyan, and a number of his supporters aimed at illegal
and forceful interference in the forthcoming political processes in
Armenia, in particular, planned to resort to radical actions in the
run up to the 2007 parliamentary elections", Mediamax reported.

The statement said that speaking at the 2 December closed meeting,
several leaders of the organization made public speeches on the need
to overthrow the incumbent authorities by means of armed struggle.

"Action plans in this direction were also presented," the press
service of the Armenian National Security Service said.

The statement said that the leaders of the United Armenian Volunteers
organization planned to provoke the Armenian opposition to civil
disobedience and clashes, "at the same time, they planned to put
pressure on the opposition structures to compel them to initiate
illegal actions against the authorities".

The press service of the National Security Service said that criminal
proceedings had been instituted and the leaders of the organization,
Vardan Malkhasyan and Zhirayr Sefilyan, were detained. An illegal
weapon was taken from Sefilyan.

JIRAIR SEFILYAN ARRESTED

ArmRadio.am
11.12.2006 11:00

Leader of the "Defense of Liberated Territories" civil initiative and
the " Union of Armenian Volunteers" organization Jirair Sefilyan was
arrested yesterday. Press Service of the National Security informs
that in the result of operative measures, proofs have been found for
the fact that Jirair Sefilyan and his supporters pursued the aim of
undertaking illegal measures in the forthcoming political processes
of Armenia, particularly to carry out radical actions during 2007
parliamentary elections.

The Pres Office of RA National Security Service informs that on
December 2, 2006 during a conference in Yerevan some leaders of the
organization called to seize state authority through violence and
force. They declared that the authorities in power should be dethroned
only via armed struggle and rebellion.

Action plans were elaborated in this direction.

Leaders of the "Union of Armenian volunteers" organization planned
to induce the opposition to political disobedience and clashes.

A criminal case has been launched on the fact in the Investigation
Department of RA National Security Service in compliance with Article
301 of the Armenian Criminal Code. Leaders of the organization Vardan
Malkhasyan and Jirair Sevilyan were arrested, Press Office of the
National Security Service informs.

IN U.S. CONGRESSMAN’S WORDS, TURKEY DOES NOT IMPLEMENT YET REGIONAL AND POLITICAL REFORMS TO JOIN EU

Noyan Tapan
Dec 11 2006

WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Turkey must first of all
accept its mistakes, stimulate cooperation in South Caucasus and
respect neighboring Armenia before becoming a European Union member,"
is said in the statement made public at the House of Representatives
by Joe Knollenberg, the Co-Chairman of the U.S. Congress Caucus on
Armenian Issues. The Congressman reminds that the time given to Turkey
by the European Union expired on December 6 of this year, when the
latter was to display will of making amendments. "We call on Turkey
to respect the obligations undertaken by it and to implement economic,
regional and political reforms to join the European Union," is said in
the statement. Addressing to members of the House of Representatives,
Joe Knollenberg emphasized that Armenia has friendly relations with
the U.S. and other countries of the world, and Turkey ignores the
important role of Armenia in the South Caucasian region. "The goal of
the European Union is to establish cooperation among countries having
similar interests, and Turkey, which, having history of terrorizing
other countries, does not correspond to those principles until it does
not change its way of actions, U.S. Congressman Joe Knollenberg stated.

From: CRRC-Armenia <[email protected]>
Subject: CRRC-Armenia/AIPRG Round table discussion on`Armenian-Turkish Relns

PRESS RELEASE
CRRC Armenia
Contact: Heghine Manasyan, CRRC-Armenia Director
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (+374 10) 58-13-30

Vahram Ghushchyan, AIPRG Yerevan office Research Director;
[email protected] (+374 10) 52-87-23

December 9, 2006

CRRC-Armenia and AIPRG Round table discussion on`Armenian-Turkish
Relations: Challenges and Perspectives’

On Saturday, December 9, 2006, the Caucasus Research Resource Centers –
Armenia (CRRC-Armenia), in cooperation with the Yerevan office of the
Armenian International Policy Research Group (AIPRG), organized a roundtable
discussion on `Armenian-Turkish Relations: Challenges and Perspectives’,
which was moderated by political analyst Richard Giragosian. The round table
was initiated by an independent Turkish think-tank TESEV (Turkish Economic
and Social Studies Foundation) that is implementing a project entitled, `The
Normalization of Turkish-Armenian Relations’. This TESEV project seeks to
address the problems between the two countries and to come up with policy
proposals for decision makers on both sides, with an overall objective of
proving that the normalization of relations constitutes a win-win situation.

The event was held at CRRC-Armenia premises and attended by a number of
participants (27), including representatives from leading Armenian academic,
scientific and public institutions, NGOs, and some journalists. Opening the
meeting, Heghine Manasyan, CRRC-Armenia director and AIPRG fellow, presented
a brief overview of the CRRC and AIPRG, explaining their activities and
upcoming events. In particular, she cited the CRRC Data Initiative and
Training programs and the AIPRG’s ongoing research on the possible
consequences of the Armenian-Turkish border opening, including a subsequent
AIPRG conference on the issue to be held in Yerevan in January 2007.

Following the opening of the meeting, Mr. Mensur Akgun, TESEV Foreign Policy
Program Director, and Mr. Richard Giragosian, international analyst and
AIPRG Fellow, introduced the framework of issues of Armenian-Turkish
relations that were to be discussed during the meeting. The meeting focused
on three specific areas of Armenian-Turkish relations, beginning with the
key question of what should be understood from `the normalization of
relations’?

Second, the meeting then addressed several `problem areas’ in
Turkish-Armenian relations, including the border, and its recognition, the
economic consequences of its closure, and the possible outcomes of reopening
the border for both sides; the effects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on
bilateral and multilateral relations; the current situation in the region;
the latest developments in negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict;
and the effects of the Armenian genocide issue on Armenian-Turkish
relations, looking at both mutual perceptions and the Diaspora factor.

The third issue addressed in the meeting was an analysis of Armenia’s
Euro-Atlantic integration process and its possible effects on bilateral
relations and regional stability (Armenian policy regarding NATO, Armenia’s
place in ENP). Much of the focus on these broader issues also included an
interesting look at the scale of change within Turkey as well.

The discussion was held in a friendly and professional atmosphere and raised
substantial interest among the participants and sparked a number of
questions, observations and suggestions, including the fact that Turkish
policy toward Armenia had largely become `hostage’ to Azerbaijan, with
Turkish foreign policy options for its possible `normalized’ relationship
with Armenia having become subject to considerations of Turkey’s relations
with Azerbaijan in general, and over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in
particular. The discussion also emphasized the importance of dialogue and
exchange between independent experts from both Armenia and Turkey and the
need for future collaboration, and studies on possible scenarios for the
future course of Armenia-Turkey relations within a broader perspective of
the next 15-20 years.

The Turkish participants noted that the economic and commercial
opportunities may present the most feasible start to a `normalization’ of
relations, with the economic incentives serving as dynamic catalysts for
beginning a fresh approach to the complexities of Armenian-Turkish
relations.

While the meeting was an important step forward in terms of a deepening of
dialogue and exchange, the participants agreed that it was merely a first
step toward an effort to break down misperceptions and misunderstandings on
both sides of the issue. And perhaps most notably, while the Turkish
participants never questioned the historical legitimacy of the Armenian
genocide issue, there was a stress on the need to focus on educating and
engaging Turkish society on the issue, rather than continuing with an
international diplomatic recognition effort alone.

The meeting, one of several scheduled during the Turkish group’s visit to
Yerevan, offers a sense of hopeful enthusiasm that the level of engagement
can continue, to both overcome the intransigence of some Turkish officials
and to exploit the Armenian government’s positive offer of establishing
relations with no preconditions.

———————————- —————————————–

CRRC are a network of resource and training centers established in 2003, in
the capital cities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with the goal of
strengthening social science research and public policy analysis in the
South Caucasus. A partnership between the Carnegie Corporation of New York,
the Eurasia Foundation and local universities, the CRRC network offers
scholars and practitioners stable opportunities for integrated research,
training and collaboration in the region. For more information on CRRC
activities, and a complete list of our independent advisory committee
members, please contact:

CRRC Armenia: 52 Abovyan Street, 3rd Floor, Yerevan, Armenia 375025;
Tel/Fax: +374 (10) 58-13-30, 58-14-50; [email protected];
To find out more about our activities in Georgia and Azerbaijan, please go
to

The Armenian International Policy Research Group (AIPRG) is a nonpartisan,
nonpolitical association that researches and encourages the discussion of
public policy issues in Armenia and the Diaspora. AIPRG aims to consolidate
the existing Armenia-related expertise by bringing together accomplished
researchers and practitioners who specialize in economics, political
science, law, and government affairs.

AIPRG: 50 Nalbandyan Str, Suite 16, Yerevan 0010, Armenia, Phone/Fax: (+374
10) 528 723; [email protected]
To find out more about AIPRG, please go to

WORKING VISIT OF FIRST LADY OF AZERBAIJAN TO USA ENDS

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Dec 9 2006

In the frame of her visit to the United States, First Lady of
Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has met Mr. Karen Hughes, the Under
Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy. Mehriban Khanum updated
on the projects being realized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation she
leads, in the humanitarian sphere, emphasizing that by the coming
of oil profits, the country develops the fields of education, health
and culture. Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, she noted that the Foundation she supervises persistently
takes care of the children deprived of parents as a result of this
conflict.

Mr. Karen Hughes, highly estimating the work done by the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation, underlined that this work is of vast importance for future
of Azerbaijan. The USA Undersecretary of State said Azerbaijan is
an example country from the point of view of respect for religious
minorities. She took interest in the conference on the subject of the
"Role of mass media in propaganda of tolerance" to be organized by
the Organization of Islamic Conference in Baku in 2007.

Noting the importance of this Conference for the country, Mrs. Mehriban
Aliyeva invited Karen Hughes to take part at this event.

Mehriban Aliyeva also met the Under Secretary of State for Global
Affairs Paul Dobrianski. In meeting, discussed were the issues of
cooperation between two countries, aimed at counter-action against
common threats, in particular, prevention of "bird flu". Paul
Dobrianski expressed readiness of his country to render to Azerbaijan
all-round assistance in this cause. Noting that there are joint
US-Azerbaijan working groups on economic issues and the question of
security, Paul Dobrianski stressed necessity of conducting discussions
also on the questions of democracy and human rights. At his words,
Azerbaijan as a modern secular state could play the role of bridge
between the West and Islamic world.

Noting existence of full religious and ethnic tolerance in Azerbaijan,
Mehriban Aliyeva said that she, as a UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill
Ambassador, is open to all suggestions in this field.

In meeting, the First Lady of Azerbaijan spoke of the processes ongoing
for further improvement of democratic institutions in the country.

Mehriban Aliyeva’s visit to the United States ended.

ASHOT ABOVIAN RELIEVED OF POST OF RA DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. By RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian’s decision, Ashot Abovian was relieved of the post of
RA Deputy Minister of Justice. As Noyan Tapan was informed from
RA government Information and Public Relations Department, he was
appointed as Deputy Head of RA Judicial Department.

REFERENDUM ON NKR CONSTITUTION – IMPORTANT STAGE OF INDEPENDENT STATEHOOD’S FORMATION

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Dec 7 2006

"The referendum on the adoption of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s
Draft Constitution is a current important stage of the formation of
our independent statehood and the further development of democracy
in the country", the NKR Central Election Commission’s appeal to the
Republic’s citizens runs. The appeal was adopted in connection with
the referendum on the NKR Draft Constitution to be held December 10.

The Commission urged all the citizens eligible to vote "to display
civil maturity, high level of orderliness, to come to the voting
districts and, fulfilling their civil and patriotic duty, to
participate in the Constitution’s adoption".

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, December 8, 2006

Application Deadlines Fast Approaching for 2007 AGBU New York and
Paris Summer Intern Programs

The AGBU New York and Paris Summer Intern Programs (NYSIP and PSIP)
are currently accepting applications for the 2007 summer sessions,
having concluded another successful year in 2006 with 34 interns from
seven countries.

Now in their 20th and 4th seasons respectively, NYSIP and PSIP
provide interns with unique and valuable opportunities to work with
some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Past
internship placements in New York have included the United Nations,
Columbia University Medical Center, Merrill Lynch and Sports
Illustrated. Internships in Paris have included the Louvre Museum,
Saint Ann Hospital, and Universal Music Mobile.

The New York and Paris Summer Intern Programs consist not only of
professional experience in the workplace, but also cultural and life
lessons for the up-and-coming Armenian youth. Participants take part
in seminars on résumé-writing, interviewing, and job networking tips,
as well as tourist activities in order to take advantage of all that
each city has to offer. The internship programs simultaneously
include community service and other activities that emphasize the
importance of giving back to the Armenian community.

NYSIP was launched in 1987, and was conceptualized by Vartkess and
Rita Balian out of the AGBU Central Office in New York. The Paris
Summer Intern Program was initiated in 2003 by the AGBU France
District Committee. The programs strive to give interns a solid
foundation for returning to their local communities with both
enhanced strength in their Armenian identity and increased direction
for their future careers. NYSIP and PSIP hope participants will
benefit from a closer connection to their cultural identity and
become successful professionals and future leaders in their
communities

Application deadlines are fast approaching; submissions are due
December 14, 2006 for NYSIP and January 12, 2007 for PSIP. Students
interested in receiving information or downloading applications can
contact NYSIP at [email protected] and PSIP at [email protected].

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please
visit

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