Author: Jagharian Tania

ARMINFO News Agency
October 7, 2005
ARMY IS A GUARANTOR OF PHYSICAL SECURITY OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE: SERZH
SARGSSYAN
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7. ARMINFO. Armenia would be ready to fulfill
radical reforms in defence sphere only when the final settling the
Karabakh conflict, as well as if Azerbaijan is to be agree to conduct
the same reforms under the control of international forces, Armenia’s
Defence Minister Serzh Sargssyan informed journalists today.
Minister noted that radical reforms means the reduction of arms,
however, the guarantee of Armenian people’s physical security is the
task number one for Armenia. “Armenia is a small country with the
three-million population, and any army may pass our territory
thoroughly in the absence of capable army”, Sargssyan stated. He also
noted that it is not advantageous for Armenia to keep constantly a
numerous mobile army, however, Armenia have no economic potential to
keep a professional army.
Sargssyan also noted that the public opinion poll testifies that
Armenia’s people rather trust the Armed Forces than the rest state
structures.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
October 7, 2005, Friday
CAUCASUS TRANSIT
SOURCE: Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kurier, No 37, October 5 – 10, 2005, p.
3
by Sergei Minasjan, Director of the Research Center of the Caucasus
Regional Security and Integration of the Russian-Armenian (Slav)
State University
WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES FROM GEORGIA MAY POSE THREATS TO
NATIONAL SECURITY OF ARMENIA
Withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia (as far as Moscow
and Tbilisi are concerned, its schedule checks with the May 30
accord) may pose unexpected threats to the future of the
Russian-Armenian military cooperation and even national security of
Armenia.
Russia claims to have kept its commitments (2005) concerning transfer
of objects to Georgia and withdrawal of its bases from Batumi and
Akhalkalaki. Objects of the Russian Army Group in the Caucasus were
turned over to the Georgians in accordance with the existing
regulations to preclude complaints concerning their condition.
A delegation of the Russian Foreign Ministry under Ambassador Igor
Savolsky visited Tbilisi to discuss the process of withdrawal of the
Russian military bases. Negotiations over a legally binding document
on the withdrawal took place.
According to Savolsky, two-day consultations in Tbilisi were supposed
to dwell on the problems of Russian military transit to Armenia via
Georgia. It seems to be a major obstacle. Tbilisi does not want
Russian convoys to be escorted by Russian servicemen wielding arms.
It insists on having the Russian servicemen unarmed, their own
security seen to by the armed Georgians. In this manner, what Georgia
essentially aspires to is control over Russian troops’ military
communications in the region.
It is clear already that Georgia’s obstinacy on the matter will make
problems for the 102nd Russian Military Base in Armenia. Once the
bases are out of Georgia, it will remain the only Russian combat
ready military object in the southern part of the Caucasus with a
clear status (discounting the Gabala radar in Azerbaijan that
monitors missile launchers from the Indian Ocean, but that is a
different matter). If therefore maintenance of the Russian military
base in Armenia becomes dependant on Georgia with its clear
pro-Washington and pro-Brussels attitude, it will raise questions of
expediency of Russia’s military presence in the region. Professor
Anatoly Tsyganok, a prominent military analyst, claims that
withdrawal of military bases from Georgia compromises the
Russian-Armenian military cooperation because it will disrupt the
single antiaircraft defense system in the south (a lot of its command
posts have been in Georgia ever since the Soviet era). It will
grossly affect air control in the southern part of the Caucasus and
efficiency of the Armenian antiaircraft defense linked to the Russian
antiaircraft defense system.
There is more to it. Georgian military expert Irakly Aladashvili
points out that withdrawal of the Russian bases will make bringing
supplies to the base in Armenia much more problematic and – even
worse – jeopardize military transit into this country, an active
member of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization. In a
crisis (say, another round of hostilities with Azerbaijan), Armenia’s
allies from the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization will find
sending its weapons and military hardware extremely difficult.
Aladashvili is concerned that Georgia “will try to prevent additional
shipments of Russian arms across its territory” to “retain
neutrality”. It is clear, however, that Georgia will not be regarded
as an objectively neutral country because it will help isolate
Armenia from the rest of the world. (Armenia lacks access to the sea,
it has been blocked by Turkey and Azerbaijan for over a decade
already.)
There is another important aspect of the withdrawal that may pose a
threat to national security of Armenia. Georgian experts maintain
that even with the bases pulled out, Russia and its “sympathizers” in
the former Georgian autonomies and areas populated with ethnic
minorities will go on posing a threat to Georgia. Alexander Rusetsky,
a prominent expert of the SCIRS (Georgian Center of Security
Analysis), maintains in one of his articles that “Russia’s clout with
the southern part of the Caucasus is dwindling but its presence
(military presence included) in Georgia is inevitable in the
foreseeable future. An end may be put to it only through a massacre
and complete extermination or expulsion of pro-Russian politicians
and citizenry. First and foremost from the territory of Abkhazia, the
former South Ossetian Autonomous Region, and Samtskhe-Djavakheti. We
cannot expect the process to be as subtle as it was in Adjaria in May
2004.” It follows that once the Russian military bases are out of
Georgia, the Georgian authorities may bring up the matter of
termination of Russian peacekeepers’ mission in South Ossetia and
Abkhazia and mount a campaign to “neutralize” Armenian “politicians
and citizenry” in Djavakheti…
Gela Bezhuashvili, Secretary of the National Security Council,
clarified his position on the first point in an interview with Novye
Izvestia on September 5. “Our dissatisfaction with how Russian
peacekeepers perform in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are
well-grounded,” he said. “Peacekeeping mandate of these operations is
obsolete. Unless radical measures are taken to ameliorate the
situation, we will insist on amendment of the mandate and structure
of peacekeeping contingents.” No more need be said. Tbilisi only has
to bide its time and wait for the bases to be out of Georgia.
As for the situation in Samtskhe-Djavakheti, not everything with it
is that clear. There is no saying to what extent official Tbilisi
shares the expert’s views. It is clear in any case that as soon as
the 62nd Russian Military Base in Akhalkalaki is history, the
Georgian authorities may forget their loudly proclaimed determination
to handle the political and socioeconomic problems the Armenian
population of the region is facing. Should Tbilisi try a military
solution, including actions against Armenian political groups and
movements, it will become another threat to national security of
Armenia. Official Yerevan will not remain indifferent to the lot of
the Armenian population of Djavakheti.
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Financial Times, UK
Oct 7 2005
Court sentences Turkish editor for insulting the state
By Vincent Boland in Ankara
Published: October 7 2005 16:35 | Last updated: October 7 2005 16:35
A Turkish court yesterday sentenced the editor of an
Armenian-language newspaper in Istanbul to six months in prison after
finding him guilty of insulting the state in a series of articles he
published last year.

The sentence was announced three days after Turkey began accession
negotiations to join the European Union. Olli Rehn, the EU’s
enlargement commissioner, said earlier this week that Turkey had to
work hard to improve its human rights record.
The court found Hrant Dink, editor of the bilingual Turkish- and
Armenian-language weekly Agos, guilty of `insulting and weakening
Turkish identity in the media’.
The sentence was suspended, so he will not have to serve time in jail
unless he repeats the offence. Mr Dink, who is a Turkish citizen and
who denied the charge, said he would appeal to a higher court and, if
necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights.
Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s most acclaimed novelist, faces a similar charge
in a case due to come to court in December. He has criticised
Turkey’s stance on the mass killings of Armenians 90 years ago, and
faces up to three years in prison if he is convicted. The Armenian
diaspora claims this was an act of genocide, which Turkey denies.
Mr Dink said his articles argued that the Armenians had allowed the
genocide claim to `poison the blood’, and that he had not insulted or
denigrated Turkey in any way. The court, however, said Mr Dink
`intended to be insulting and offensive’ to Turkey.
It has long been a criminal offence in Turkey to slander the state or
to argue publicly against the official position on certain matters of
political or historical sensitivity. Armenia is one; other areas
that have attracted official opprobrium include discussion of
Turkey’s role in Cyprus or the position of the Kurdish minority in
Turkish society.
Revisions to Turkey’s penal code, made at the request of the EU, are
in theory supposed to have reduced the gravity of the offence of
insulting the state, although they have not abolished it. Some
prosecutors, acting independently of the government, still seek to
pursue these cases in deference to nationalist opinion.

AZERI PRESIDENT SAYS COUNTRY WILL CONTINUE DEFENSE BUILDUP
RIA Novosti, Russia
Oct 5 2005
BAKU, October 5 (RIA Novosti, Gerai Dadashev) – Azeri President Ilkham
Aliyev said Wednesday that his government would continue building up
the nation’s defense capabilities.
“We have to enhance our military potential as our lands are under
occupation,” Aliyev said during a tour of the National Guards’ new
headquarters. He said the government had increased defense spending
to $300 million this year, up from $175 million in 2004, and would
bring it to $600 million in 2006.
Aliyev said the negotiations with Armenia over the disputed region
of Nagorny Karabakh had so far failed to yield any positive effect,
meaning that having a strong army was of great importance to
Azerbaijan.
He said the National Guards were instrumental in maintaining stability
in the country and ensuring the security of regional pipelines.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF TORONTO CELEBRATES THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS
HOLINESS’ ENTHRONEMENT AND THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEMINARY’S
ESTABLISHMENT
The 10th anniversary of His Holiness’ enthronement and the 75th anniversary
of the Seminary’s establishment, the two main occasions of His Holiness’
Pontifical visit to Canada and North America, were marked in a great
ceremony by the Armenian community of Toronto on September 30.
Prelate Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, V Rev Fr. Meghrig Parikian, religious
officials, members of the National Authority, the board of trustees, also
other representatives from the community and Armenian unions and
organizations in Toronto, as well as a large crowd attended the joint
ceremony in the youth center of Toronto.
Sarkis Ghazarian, chairman of the board of trustees of the St. Asdvadzadzine
Church, welcomed His Holiness in the opening remarks of the event.
Prelate Archbishop Hagopian stressed the concept of service which ties the
two jubilees together. He considered the Seminary and His Holiness as giving
a life to this concept, the first as an institution and the second as the
worthy son of that spiritual house.
The audience was entertained by beautiful performances of Armenian songs and
poetry. A special piece written by His Holiness last year on the occasion of
the 1000th anniversary of Nareg’s writing was also recited.
V Rev Fr Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer of the Catholicosate,
spoke about the 75th anniversary of the Seminary’s establishment. He talked
about the Seminary’s history, highlighting the difficult mission the
Catholicosate of Cilicia took on its shoulders in the Diaspora.
Dr. Garbis Harboyan of the national authorities of the diocese delivered the
second lecture of the day, speaking about the 10th anniversary of His
Holiness’ enthronement.
Dr. Harboyan presented a realistic and an all-encompassing analysis of His
Holiness’ life, focusing on his 10 years of service as Catholicos of
Cilicia. He spoke about the work His Holiness has carried out and still does
with such dedication, will and continuity.
The lecturer considered His Holiness’ multifaceted service and dedication as
exemplary and ‘contagious’ to the members of the brotherhood surrounding
him, the religious officials and the Armenian people.
V Rev Fr Meghrig had prepared a special publication that represented the
biography and work of His Holiness Aram I.
The Pontiff expressed satisfaction for the well-prepared event, praising all
its organizers and particularly V Rev Fr Meghrig who worked hard to make the
ceremony a success.
In his speech to the people, His Holiness highlighted the Catholicosate of
Cilicia’s past and present dedication to the people and service for them,
especially after the establishment of the Antelias Seminary 75 years ago.
His Holiness saw the glory of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in all the
speeches delivered on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of his
enthronement, considering that glory to be the result of collective efforts.
“To speak about Antelias means to speak about a collective vision and
commitment. Antelias is not only in Lebanon; Antelias is where our
brotherhood members live and work; where they bring to life the spirit of
Antelias and distribute it to the people like consecrated bread,” said His
Holiness.
“It is with this spirit that the Antelias Seminary prepared a workforce for
75 years. At this moment we bow before the memory of all those catholicoi,
brotherhood members, teachers, philanthropists who took part in making our
life of service a success,” he continued.
In the second part of his lecture His Holiness spoke about the Cilician Seat
‘s international and ecumenical value, due to which the Armenian Church is
glorified.
The Pontiff expressed gratitude to his predecessors, particularly those who
had left a deep impression on him, namely Catholicos Zareh I Payaslian,
Catholicos Khoren I Paroyan and Catholicos Karekin II Sarkisian.
The Pontiff called upon the people to go towards the light, to gather around
the Armenian Church and community in order to enrich them and be enriched by
them.
The ceremony ended with the collective performance of “Cilicia”, “I veh
Partsranats” and “Hair Mer.”
Mr. and Mrs. Yervant Shahinian held an official dinner party in honor of His
Holiness Aram I after the ceremony. The leaders of the Armenian community of
Toronto attended the dinner party.
##
View pictures here:
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the dioceses of
the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RELIGIONS NEED TO TALK: ARAM I URGES CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM AND ISLAM TO PROMOTE PEACE
By Harvey Shepherd, Freelance
The Gazette (Montreal)
October 1, 2005 Saturday
Final Edition
One of the two world leaders of the ancient Armenian Apostolic Church,
Catholicos Aram I, is also a world leader in inter-church dialogue,
as moderator since 1991 of the World Council of Churches.
But his experience in the Middle East, where he is based in Antelias,
Lebanon, as the catholicos (world head) of the branch of the Armenian
church called the house of Cilicia, has led him to give even greater
priority to dialogue between religions.
The Christian churches of the Middle East, one of the three world
religions that began in the region, have “a tremendous responsibility,”
he said in an interview in Montreal this week.
Christianity, Judaism and Islam “are called to play a pivotal role
and become agents of peace-making, agents of reconciliation,” he told
a reporter in the north-end offices of the prelacy of Canada for the
house of Cilicia, next to Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic Cathedral.
The Orthodox pontiff, 58, was on his third pastoral visit to Montreal
since he became catholicos in 1995. It was the beginning of a North
American tour marking several anniversaries: the 10th of his service
as catholicos, the 75th of an Armenian seminary in Lebanon, and the
1,600th of the Armenian alphabet.
“Being a Christian is not just being part of a family,” he said.
“It’s also being part of a community and part of the fight being waged
today for principles different from the so-called values imposed on
us by so-called globalization. If we want to establish a healthy,
sustainable world it must be sustained by moral values.”
While the situation in today’s Middle East may leave people insecure
and helpless, it has always been a region where different cultures
interacted, whether through coexistence or conflict, he said.
Relations between them should move past coexistence to “a dialogue
of life where our community life is built on common principles.”
Fundamentalism and “blind traditionalism” are a source of problems in
all religions, he said, as is the blurring of the distinction between
what is and is not religion in public life. “Today, religion is being
exploited for non-religious purposes.”
In addition to attending weekend activities, including a liturgical
celebration and a big cultural celebration in honour of the alphabet,
the prelate also joined representatives of the Canadian Bible Society
Monday in launching the North American edition of a new translation
of the New Testament and Psalms into modern Armenian.
The translation is part of a worldwide effort to produce a new
version of the Bible to complement an ancient translation dating
back to the 5th century, which prompted the creation of an Armenian
alphabet and which is regarded as one of the great achievements of
early Christianity. The language of that old translation, however,
is now archaic and understood by few Armenians.
The translation is largely the work of Rev. Manuel Jinbashian of the
United Bible Societies, a Protestant minister based in France, in
collaboration with several prelates of the Armenian Church, including
Khajag Hagopian, the Montreal-based prelate of Canada. Jinbashian is
currently combining duties for the United and Canadian Bible Societies
with a teaching post at the Universite de Montreal.
“Classic and modern Armenian are as far apart as Latin and French,”
Jinbashian said in an interview.
Since the New Testament translation was completed in 1989, he said, it
has been introduced into the worship of many of the world’s Armenian
churches, including the liturgy that Aram celebrated in Laval this
weekend, complementing the ancient translation. For example, New
Testament readings are often from the new translation except for
those from the first four books, known as the Gospels, which are
chanted in the classical tongue.
A church official estimated that about half of Canada’s ethnic
Armenians live in the Montreal area. She said there are about 40,000
Armenians in the Montreal region, attending churches of either of the
two branches of the church, along with some Catholics, Protestants
and religiously inactive people. (This is about double the census
figure, but some ethnic Armenians identify their origin for census
purposes according to the country their family actually came from,
such as Lebanon.)
Aram is in Ontario for engagements in Toronto, Cambridge and St.
Catharines, and will head for Los Angeles Wednesday to begin the U.S.
leg of his trip. He is to speak at a conference in Los Angeles on
Christian responses to violence.
For more information, visit

Inside Higher Ed, DC
Sept 30 2005
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Freed Scholar Speaks Out
Four months ago, Yektan Turkyilmaz was a doctoral student in cultural
anthropology at Duke University, well-regarded but little known
outside his field. Then, on June 17, authorities at the airport in
Yerevan, Armenia ordered him off a plane and placed him under arrest,
confiscating nearly 100 books and CDs of research he had done as the
first Turkish scholar ever granted access to the National Archives of
Armenia.
Over the summer, Turkyilmaz became a cause célèbre among scholarly
groups that believed the smuggling charges against him (supporters
say he was the first person Armenia has ever charged with illegally
exporting books) to be a pretext for what they considered a crackdown
on a researcher studying a politically sensitive period in the
country’s tangled history with Turkey. Major scholarly associations
and human rights groups, as well as academic and political leaders in
the United States and throughout the world, urged Armenia to drop the
charges against him.
After a short trial last month, a court found Turkyilmaz guilty of
trying to take books out of the country illegally, but suspended his
two-year sentence and released him. He returned to Duke early this
month to get back to his studies and his research. In an e-mail
interview with Inside Higher Ed, he discusses his detainment, why he
thinks he was arrested, and the implications of his situation for his
career, his profession and beyond.
Q: In court, you apparently acknowledged breaking the Armenian law
unknowingly. Does that mean you believe your arrest was legitimate,or
did the government have another motive?
A. Yes I did acknowledge that I unknowingly broke a `law,’ an obscure
law which applies to the:
`Contraband of narcotic drugs, neurological, strong, poisonous,
poisoning, radioactive or explosive materials, weapons, explosive
devices, ammunition, fire-arms, except smoothbore long barrel hunting
guns, nuclear, chemical, biological or other mass destruction
weapons, or dual-use materials, devices, or technologies which can
also be used for the creation or use of mass destruction weapons or
missile delivery systems thereof, strategic raw materials orcultural
values.’
But I am convinced the book charges were just a pretext for my
arrest. KGB officials (Armenia’s police are now formally known as the
National Security Service, but everyone, including they themselves,
still call them the KGB) were certain that I was a spy. The first day
one of the KGB agents told me that their endeavor was to clarify –
given that Armenia’s ceasefire with Azerbaijan had ended very
recently – that I had not been involved in espionage on behalf of the
Turks (they do not differentiate between Azeris and Turks!). That is
why they arrested me.
The interrogators’ questioning in the initial few days of my arrest
was entirely devoted to my research, my political views and
connections with Turkish intelligence and state officials. The
concept of `scholar’ is meaningless to them. According to them, as
the investigator put it, `all scholars are spies.’ All my friends and
contacts in Yerevan (most of whom have nothing to do with the books
found in my suitcases) have not only been interrogated by the KGB but
were also harassed and threatened. They were all told that I was a
Turkish spy. My friends who were at the airport with me were
threatened not to let anyone, especially my family, know about my
arrest. (When my sister contacted them via phone they denied that
they were with me at the airport! For that reason my family did not
know about my situation for 15 hours.)
My case was a violation of academic freedom and the right to
research. Investigators went through every bit of my research
material. They looked one by one at almost 20 thousand images saved
on the CDs and on my laptop. I was asked to prove that I had
permission to reproduce every single image and also that they
contained no `state secrets’ even though I had official permission to
do research in the archives. They posed questions about my political
ideas, dissertation topic, why I had learned Armenian, if I
personally would have had enough time to read the material I had
reproduced at the libraries and the Archives, my relations with
Turkish military and intelligence, etc.
The staff at the libraries and archives where I was conducting
research were not merely questioned about their personal connection
with me, but also forced to testify against me. They asked one
librarian `how dare you take a non-Armenian guy to `our’ national
Archives?’ I am also informed that, they had been forced to confirm
that I got permissions to conduct research at their institutions not
through legal procedure (implying that I bribed them to get
permission to do research!).
It was only later, when the Armenian secret service could find no
basis for their claims, that the issue of legally purchased,
second-hand books in my possession came into the picture.
Q: Do you think you were detained for political reasons? If so, why?
A: I am convinced that not only my arrest but also my release were
political decisions taken by (few but) very high ranking Armenian
officials. I believe this Cold War-era conspiracy was organized, or
at least encouraged, by those who have no wish to see cooperation and
improved relations between Turkey and Armenia. KGB officials’
mentality – a mixture of the Soviet way of thinking and nationalism
with xenophobic overtones – played a crucial role in making the
decision to detain me. Unfortunately, in today’s Armenia (like many
other ex-Soviet republics), there isn’t adequate political control
over KGB. I should also underline that there is an ongoing fight
between pro-democracy advocates and pro-Russia Soviet-style rule. For
me, it is relieving to know that I have received a good deal of
support from the pro-democracy politicians and large segments of the
Armenian society, which is very important.
I think the basic reason why they targeted me is that they could not
put me in any of their nationalist, primordialist categories. I was
like a UFO to them: a citizen of Turkey of Kurdish origin, student in
the US, critical of the Turkish official stance on controversial
historical issues, an admirer of the Armenian culture, collector of
old Armenian books and records, speaker of the language, a researcher
who has visited Armenia several times without any worries and
concerns, a foreigner who is vocal about his ideas, etc. A story too
good to believe, because for them, the world can never be that
colorful. For the people who were interrogating me, you are either
Armenian-Armenian with the `full’ meaning of the word, or Turkish or
anything else. If I were a conventional `Turk,’ as they would have
rather preferred to see me as, I believe, I may not have had any
troubles. I think, my endeavor to cross boundaries was deemed as a
threat by the people who decided on my arrest and by those who
interrogated me.
Q: Is there reason, legitimate or otherwise, why the Armenian
government would view your scholarly work with alarm? Can it be
perceived as `anti-Armenian”?
A: My work is not only about the history of the region but also about
historiography. Therefore, I don’t think that it favors any
nationalist historiography including the Armenian version. In that
sense my work is critical not only of the Turkish nationalist
historiography but also of the Kurdish and Armenian counterparts.
Hence my work can neither be called pro- or anti Armenian. That
question itself is based on nationalist anxieties, which I try to
analyze and move beyond in my scholarship.
There are some Armenian circles that do not sympathize with the usage
of Armenian resources by the Turkish scholars. This, too, is a
nationalist (if not racist) stance that we as academics need to
challenge for a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the
past as well of today.
Q: Most scholars characterize the deaths of some 1.5 million
Armenians during World War I as a genocide, but relatively few
Turkish scholars do so. What is your take on what happened?
A: It is very clear that almost the entire Armenian population of
eastern Anatolia was subjected to forced migrations and massacres
beginning in the early months of 1915.
Q: Do you think your treatment by Armenian authorities will undercut
Turkish willingness to explore the treatment of Armenians under
Ottoman rule?
A: That may be the message people will likely take away. But I think
we should be stubborn and should not give up.
Q: Were you aware, while you were being held, of the breadth of the
effort on your behalf, both from other academics and from leaders in
the political world like Bob Dole?
A: To some extent I was. I knew that my friends would realize why I
could be detained and also that they would support me to the end. I
was getting some kind of information from the outside, but it was not
always very accurate.
Here, I would like to take the opportunity to thank especially my
colleagues, Turkish, Armenian and American, who have demonstrated an
exemplary and meaningful solidarity. One upshot of my case, I
believe, is that unprecedented number of scholars, intellectuals and
activists from both groups came together, united around a common
cause. It was really great. I am grateful to all of them who have
signed the open letter to [Armenia’s] President Kocharian and hope
that my case has opened up further space of dialogue and cooperation
between the critical intellectuals studying the controversial and
painful pages of the history of the region.
I would also like to present my gratitude to the entire Duke
community, especially to President Brodhead, to Provost Lange and, of
course, to my heroic adviser Orin Starn, and to the department of
cultural anthropology. I want to mention three other names who were
crucial in the process, Prof. Ayse Gul Altinay (who orchestrated the
`global’ campaign for my release) of Sabanci University,
Istanbul/Turkey; Prof. Charles Kurzman of UNC, and Prof. Richard
Hovannissian of UCLA. Their support was invaluable.
I am also extremely grateful to the American politicians who got
involved. Bob Dole’s intervention was really crucial. I thank him
very much.
Q: Did you ever consider yourself to be in true danger?
A: Yes I think I did, especially after the first week.
Q: Do you envision returning to Armenia to continue your research?
Can you complete your dissertation without going back?
A: This is really a very tough question. I should first underline the
fact that for me there is no difference between Istanbul and Yerevan.
I feel at home when I am in Yerevan. I love walking on the streets
(especially Mashtots) of the city, or sitting at the lovely cafes
around the opera building. I have very close friends over there.
However, there is also this bitter experience I have gone through. It
is very sad for me to know that there are people in Armenia who do
not want me to do research in the country. I know that those people
are a minority, yet they are powerful. They still keep their old
isolationist way of thinking which they have recently blended with a
xenophobic brand of `Armenian patriotism.’ Whoever it is behind the
provocation against me, there is no doubt that they have damaged the
image of Armenia in the international arena. As a scholar, I have
been deeply disheartened by this incident.
But there are also people like the director of the National Archives
of Armenia, Mr. Amatuni Virabian, who from the first day of my
arrest, understood what was happening behind the scene and diligently
supported me. I received considerable support from
pro-democratization Armenian intellectuals. I also know that majority
of the people in Armenia eventually understood that the officials
made a big mistake and also that I was not an enemy of the Armenian
people.
I don’t want those who have tried to intimidate independent
researchers through my own case to win over those who have been
seeking and struggling for improved relations and scholarly
cooperation between the two countries and communities. Therefore I
will definitely go back.
I think I have compiled enough material to finish my dissertation.
That is, it is not a must for me to go back to Armenia for my
dissertation fieldwork research.
Q: Should your case make scholars wary of studying contentious
subjects? Do you have advice for other researchers contemplating
exploring such a topic?
A: Caution, they have to be really very cautious. They should be very
careful about the laws and procedures especially about permissions
necessary for research. No signal of danger should be overlooked. It
might be a good idea not to be publicly very visible. I also
recommend them to always back-up their work and if possible to
download it to the internet.
Q: What are your career plans for after you have your doctorate? Do
you envision entering the academy, and if so, any idea in what
country?
A: I am willing to pursue an academic career in the U.S. where I can
attain a free environment necessary for my studies.
Finally, I want to emphasize that I am not angry or bitter. I want to
put everything aside and concentrate on my work. I am an academic not
a politician, notwithstanding the fact that I was caught in the
middle of a fight among hostile political actors.
– Doug Lederman

Daily Herald
September 28, 2005
Kane County edition
Band urges Hastert to identify genocide
By Gala M. Pierce
Daily Herald Staff Writer
System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian kept a promise
Tuesday he made to his 97-year-old grandfather, who as
a child saw his infant brother thrown on an animal’s
horns during the Armenian Genocide – ask the Speaker
of the House to help the world remember.
The Beirut, Lebanon, native did so by leading a rally
in front of U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert’s Batavia office,
urging the Plano Republican to hold a vote on pending
legislation that would recognize Turkey’s killing of
1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as
genocide.
`This is not just a political event for us; it’s a
personal event,’ Tankian said to the crowd of more
than 125 people. `We’re a small percentage of our
original people, and that’s a profound thing.’
The band, which organized the rally along with several
Armenian-American groups, is no stranger to mixing
politics with its music. The Los Angeles quartet’s
songs regularly hit on topics like genocide and petty
criminals doubling prison populations.
The House International Relations Committee approved
two resolutions Sept. 15 that would recognize the
Armenian Genocide.
According to historians, as the Ottoman Empire began
to crumble in Turkey, the Armenians became more
isolated as the only major Christian minority in an
area dominated by Turks. Calls for Armenian
independence were met with violence.
`We’re not just trying to recognize a crime that was
committed 90 years ago but also trying to end the
cycle of genocide that’s taking place today,’ said
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian
National Committee of America.
The groups contend that despite his previous public
support for the measure in 2000, Hastert twice has
prevented the Armenian Genocide legislation from
coming to a full vote.
`At that time there was a personal request from the
White House to not call that resolution to a House
vote because of the diplomatic concerns of what it
would mean in the Middle East,’ Hastert spokesman Brad
Hahn said.
Hahn said he appreciated how peaceful and civil the
rally went. At this time, Hastert neither is
preventing the resolutions to come to the full House
nor is he leading the charge in an effort to do so.
The Turkish government, which has not acknowledged the
genocide itself, remains an ally to the United States,
protesters said.
Members of the crowd hoped Hastert was listening
although he wasn’t physically in the Batavia office.
Nairee Hagopian, 33, of Hoffman Estates, said only
four people in her family survived the horrific
events. Her grandfather and great-grandmother were
thrown at the bottom of a firepit with about 50 others
in 1915 in Zeitoun, Turkey. Most perished when the
blaze was lit. `Luckily, because they were at the
bottom, they lived,’ Hagopian said of her relatives.
Riley MacDonald, a senior at Batavia High School,
ditched class to show her support for the cause.
`It shocks me that it would ever be a question,’ she
said of acknowledging the genocide.
Drummer John Dolmayan, the other member of the
multi-platinum quartet who appeared in the rally, also
lost family members in the tragedy. His grandfather,
who suffered from emphysema, was shot and killed in
1915. He was discovered hiding in a tree by a Turk
soldier after he coughed, which gave himself away.
`We don’t blame the Turkish people today for what
happened at that time, but we think it’s a shame they
don’t even know their own history,’ Dolmayan said. He
said it’s the band’s only rally on their tour, and
they plan to stay in the Chicago area all week until
their concert Friday at the Allstate Arena.

Azeri official chides breakaway Karabakh’s “independence” party in US
Congress
ANS TV, Baku
28 Sep 05
A ceremony to mark the 14th anniversary of independence of the
self-proclaimed Nagornyy Karabakh Republic held in the US Congress on
28 September does not reflect official Washington’s position, the
Azerbaijani commercial TV station ANS has said.
In an interview with ANS, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Xalaf
Xalafov said: “However, we denounce this ceremony and see it as a
propagandist meeting aimed at supporting separatism.”
The deputy foreign minister said that the ceremony was held in a room
rented by the pro-Armenian congressmen. He said that Azerbaijani
representatives also held meetings of this kind several times.
Xalafov went on to say that Baku would express its protest to the USA
over the issue.
In its report, ANS quoted the US embassy in Azerbaijan as saying that
the USA did not recognize the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic and
supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 28, 2005 Wednesday 3:09 PM Eastern Time
Russia Armenians Days in Armenia and Nagorno-Karebakh
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
The days of the Union of Armenians of Russia and of the World
Armenian Congress in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh began with a
concert in the Yerevan Opera House on Wednesday.
The Union of Armenians of Russia, which observes its fifths
anniversary this year “extended hope and faith in the future of the
Armenian diaspora in the Russian Federation.” The diaspora counts
over 2 million people, Ara Abramyan, the president of the two
organizations, prominent Russian public figure and entrepreneur,
UNESCO good offices ambassador, said on Wednesday. The Union now has
240 chapters in 72 subjects in the Russian Federation. It sponsors an
institute engaged in research into international politics and the
history of Armenian genocide.
“We enjoy much respect because of our deeds not only in Russia and in
Armenia but also far beyond their boundaries,” Abramyan said.
“Russo-Armenian economic cooperation strengthens and broadens due to
the efforts of the Union of Armenians of Russia”.
During the meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan on
Thursday, Abramyan, as head of the Union, is going to “discuss
mechanisms of systemic work” with the republic. Harmonious
interaction is lacking so far, Abramyan believes.
Abramyan said he would continue implementing his programme of
Armenia’s computerization. In its framework, 1,000 computers will be
distributed among institutes of higher learning, schools and other
educational establishments in Armenia. Every year Abramyan provides
several hundred thousand dollars for the National Academy of
Sciences, the Writers’ Union and Artists’ Union in Armenia. Abramyan
will be one of the benefactors contributing to the construction of a
temple of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Moscow.
“The Union of Armenians of Russia does not busy itself with politics,
and because of being Russian citizens, its members have no right to
intervene in Armenia’s political life,” Abramyan stressed. At the
same time, the organization cannot but participate, in the framework
of Armenian laws, in the republic’s social and political life,
Abramyan said.