Author: Jagharian Tania

Turkish PM Erdogan rebukes Germans over Armenian decision
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Jule 18 2005
ANKARA – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday
criticized the German Parliament’s decision this week urging Ankara
to examine its role in the so-called Armenian ‘genocide’.
Accusing the German Parliament of “sacrificing” this serious issue to
“simple lobbyists,” without making any meaningful investigation of it,
Erdogan called the decision “politically wrong and ugly.”
The German Parliament on Thursday urged Turkey to examine its role in
the so-called Armenian genocide, an issue that could thwart Ankara’s
hopes of joining the European Union. German lawmakers adopted a
cross-party resolution asking the Berlin government to press Turkey
to reexamine the so-called Armenian genocide.
“The word ‘genocide’ was not used in their decision,” Erdogan said,
speaking to reporters about the German Parliament’s decision on his
arrival to Turkey from Lebanon late Thursday. “They chose to use the
word massacre. But still, I think that it’s politically wrong and
ugly to make this decision without investigating or negotiating on
it. We opened our archives, but they showed no interest.”
Erdogan said that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s “attitude is
opposite to this decision.” He continued, “We expected the chancellor
to move on this and try to persuade some deputies to voice their
reservations about the decision.”
During the Armenian Riot, more than 520,000 Turks were masscred by
the Armenian armed groups. The Armenian Tashnaks aimed to establish
a separate state while the Ottoman Empire was struggling the Russians
during the First World War.

MORE THAN 1300 ARMENIAN SHOOL-LEAVERS OF JAVAKHK TO HAVE GREAT
DIFFICULTIES IN ISSUE OF ENTERING HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
BOTH OF GEORGIA AND ARMENIA
AKHALKALAK, JUNE 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The last bell rang
for school-leavers of all schools of Georgia on June 16. According
to the “A-Info” agency, in Javakhk populated with Armenians, 1313
pupils of the 11th grade, including 917 in the region of Akhalkalak,
396 in the region of Ninotsminda, left school this year. This year
school-leavers of schools in Georgia must take combined exams for
entering higher educational institutions. About 400 people from the
regions of Akhalkalak, Ninotsminda are going to participate in those
exams to enter Georgian higher educational institutions, particularly
the Akhalkalak branch of the State University of Tbilisi. But the
probability of their entering is very small as they do not know
Georgian at a level cooresponding to one of Georgian schools, and the
entrance exams will be held for all with the same standards. Hence,
one may suppose the most part of regular first year students of
the Akhalkalak branch of the State University of Tbilisi, which
(the branch) is said to have been created for those from Javakhk,
will be young people from other regions of Georgia. This year the
number of Armenians from Javakhk wanting to enter higher educational
institutions of Armenia imcomparably reduced because of even harder
social-economic situation of Javakhk.

HRANT MARGARIAN: OUR PEOPLE WON’T ALLOW ANYBODY TO RETURN LIBERATED TERRITORIES
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. “I don’t think that there can be people
in Armenia who would agree to return the liberated territories. Our
people paid a very high price for Nagorno Karabakh’s liberation and
won’t allow anybody to return these territories,” Hrant Margarian,
representative of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun Bureau, declared during
the June 16 meeting at the National Press Club. According to the
politician, today international forces exert pressure on Azerbaijan
for the latter to agree to joining of Nagorno Karabakh and Lachin to
Armenia. An analogous pressure is exerted on Armenia for it to make
a decision about returning the liberated territories. Meanwhile,
Hrant Margarian emphasized, any decision should be submitted to
people’s judgement. He reminded that NKR hasn’t announced about its
power over these territories by now. As regards possible realization
of the decision by the above-mentioned plan, H.Margarian declared:
“I will greet it if Azerbaijan announces about his consent to join
NKR and Lachin to Armenia. This will be half of our success, after
which I will wait for realization of another part of our success,
problem of territories.” Hrant Margarian expressed bewilderment in
connection with the fact that administrative-territorial issue can
be the basis of the Nagorno Karabakh problem’s settlement. In his
opinion, the historic aspect, as well as issue of Nagorno Karabakh’s
security should be the basis of the settlement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Desert Sun, CA
June 13 2005
Father, son get ready for president
Immigrant and entrepreneur set to meet Bush
Erica Solvig
The Desert Sun
June 13, 2005
Steve Balian grew up in a poor section of Beirut and with just $480
in his pocket, he came to this country in the 1970s in search of the
American Dream.
Thirty years later, the 58-year-old Rancho Mirage father of three has
done enough for the Republican party to score him an invite to this
week’s 2005 President’s Dinner and Salute to Freedom in Washington.
“Since I came to this country, I supported Republican party and I had
no money,” Balian said. “The issue is standing next to the president
and supporting his principles. That’s more important than money.”
The Salute to Freedom event starts today in Washington. The National
Republican Congressional Committee-sponsored dinner, which will honor
President George Bush, is Tuesday night.
Event organizers won’t disclose names on the 6,000-person guest list.
But neither Balian nor Coachella Valley Lincoln Club President Herb
Temple knows of any other Coachella Valley residents who were invited.
“It means the world for me,” Balian said. “What a privilege to go.”
Balian won’t disclose how generous he has been – “it’s personal,” he
says – but he did say he was a table sponsor. The event’s Web site
says that designation comes with a $25,000 price tag and includes
VIP reception tickets, tours of the capital and one photo with
President Bush.
Standing by Balian’s side will be his son and “backbone,” Michael
Balian.
“I’m excited,” said Michael, president of Carpet Empire Plus in
Cathedral City, where Steve is the marketing and sales director.
“You’re in the White House. It’s seeing what America is all about.”
That’s what prompted his father to come here in the first place.
The youngest of seven boys, Steve Balian says he came from poor and
humble beginnings.
Growing up in Beirut, Balian met some American missionaries and had
friends who attended the American University of Beirut.
It was his introduction to the culture of the United States.
“I said, if American people (are) this nice, I am definitely going
to go to this country,” Balian said.
At age 26, he and his wife at the time came here in 1974.
He became a citizen in 1979.
They lived in Sherman Oaks, and Balian moved to the Coachella Valley
in the early 1990s.
During his time in California, he’s had flooring businesses in
Riverside and San Bernardino counties. He now works at his son’s
flooring and window furnishing store, where their office is plastered
with enlarged photos of his family, President Bush and Air Force One.
The Salute to Freedom event is Balian’s first trip to Washington.
The event is the annual fund-raiser hosted by the National Republican
Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial
Committee.
In years when a Republican is not in the White House, the event is
known as the House-Senate dinner.
About 6,000 people are expected for the Tuesday night dinner, but only
1,500 of them are expected to attend the other tours, luncheon and
nighttime cruise, according to Carl Forti, congressional committee
communications director.
Conference members are part of the small business council, which
include small business owners from across the country, Forti said.
“Most of them choose to give to the party,” he said. “But you do not
have to give to be part of it.”
Balian has been a party supporter for years. Besides giving to the
Republican party, Balian has been involved in other fund-raising
events, including being named a major donor for the new Kirkjan Family
Hall at the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Desert in Rancho Mirage.
But Balian maintains it is not about the amount of money.
“It is more than fundraising,” Balian said. “It is principle issues
for me.”

“MASHTOTS-1600” E-CONTENT ALL-ARMENIAN CONTEST RESULTS SUMMED UP
YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. The results of “Mashtots-1600” e-content
All-Armenian Contest, held within the framework of World Summit
Award have been summarized. According to Armen Grigoryan, the
Executive Secretary of the Council for Assistance to IT adjunct to RA
Premier, the objective of the contest was to reduce the gap between
technological and e-content through encouragement of cultural variety,
creation of dissimilar resources of e-content and numeralization of
cultural and scientific heritage. The 8 winners will represent Armenia
at the IT international summit in Tunis, November 16-18, 2005. “The
perspectives for the development of Armenian-language resources
are rather broad, however everything depends on the demand in order
to create translation standards and programs that will facilitate
the use of resources in Armenian”, said Grigoryan. He said that 200
applications were submitted for the contest, 55 best were selected
in 8 nominations within the framework of the summit – e-education,
culture, science, management, healthcare, business and 3 of national
value – e- Armenian studies, e-native, Armenian e-fonts. Honorary
diploma and money prizes were given to 16 organizations, of which the
main prize at $1 thou was given to “Aram Khatchatryan: Life and Work”
CD, “Armenian Genocide”CD, “Paruyr Sevak” CD, as well as websites of
Electronic Payment System (), Armenian Tourism Development
Agency (), website on the life and work of the
renowned Armenian composer Komitas (), virtual storage
of Armenian manuscripts (), Electronic Armenian
Fund (). The first prize at $500 was given to Armenia
Public TV (), Internews (), RA Foreign
Ministry (), website on literature
() ,the Council of Europe (),
“Armenia 2020” project ( Internet-newspaper
“Hetq” (), Public Radio of Armenia (). 8
winners of the contest to leave for Tunis are the authors of “Aram
Khatchatryan: Life and Work” CD, “Armenian Genocide” CD, and the
winning websites are , Armenian Tourism Development Agency
(), Armenian Public TV (), Economic
Court of the RA (), medical website ,
Byurakan observatory Note, on the threshold of
the Geneva Summit held December 10-12, 2003, contest of web-sites was
held. The website of the Centre for Study of Cosmic Rays of the Yerevan
Physics Institute crdlx5.yerphi.am was among the 5 winners. L.V.-0–

Kurdish parliament agrees on Barzani as president
SULAIMANIYA, Iraq, June 9 (Reuters) – The Kurdish parliament in
northern Iraq has approved in principle a draft law naming veteran
Kurdish politician Masoud Barzani as president of the region, Kurdish
politicians said on Thursday.
The draft law, due to be approved formally by the parliament on
Saturday, stipulates that Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP), will serve for four years.
Kurds came in second in Iraq’s Jan. 30 national elections behind the
Shi’ites. Both groups, which were oppressed by toppled Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein, have been propelled to power.
But political rivalries have strained ties between the Kurds and
slowed efforts to build a regional government in the north.
Barzani’s rival Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK), is Iraq’s current president. The PUK and KDP fought a
civil war in the north in the mid 1990s.
The Kurds, who secured autonomy from Saddam’s rule in 1991 with U.S.
military help, have been pushing for a federal Iraq with the oil
centre of Kirkuk as the Kurdish capital. That demand has angered other
Arabs and Turkmen vying for influence in the city that lies south of
the present Kurdish region.
Barzani is the son of Kurdish nationalist leader Mustafa Barzani.
06/09/05 17:46 ET

ARMENIAN-JAPANESE BUSINESS FORUM TO BE HELD ON JUNE 24 IN MOSCOW
YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. Armenian-Japanese business forum is to be
held on June 24 in Moscow, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
said at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Junichiro
Koizumi. According to Armenian Government’s Press Service, the sides
expressed their satisfaction with the reached agreement, which will
give an impetus to bilateral business contacts activation. The heads
of Armenian and Japanese Governments’ heads voiced hope that this
event, where Armenian businessmen and Japanese companies having their
offices in Russia will participate, can lay another ground for getting
a direct idea about economic capacities of these countries,
establishing business contacts, promoting investments and widening
trade and economic ties. In the course of forum, a round-table
discussion is also to be held at the initiative of Japanese Business
Club in Moscow, Armenian Foreign Ministry and also some economic
organizations of Armenia. M.V. -0–

AZG Armenian Daily #103, 07/06/2005
Concern
TURKS SPENT $ 1MILLION ON FILM DENYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Liberty Radio informed that the videodisc attached to the latest issue of
the American Times denies the Armenian Genocide. The videodisc released in
Turkey informs the readers of the periodical that the events happened in the
Ottoman Turkey in 1915 were no genocide, but they were an exile. The disc
says that the Turkish Government provided the exiled Armenians with food and
water and very often they were fed better that the Turkish soldiers
escorting them. The authors of the film represented Taleat Pasha as a
national hero.
The Azeri representative of the film states that “the Armenians who
massacred the Turks earlier now kill the Azeris.” The disc says that the
Armenians fought in the army of Hitler and carried out terrorist acts
against the Turkish diplomats. “Those who keep saying that they were
massacred in the genocide, committed genocide themselves.”
Sinan Aygun, chairman of Ankara Trade House, said that $1 million were
required for shooting the film. They managed to accumulate the required sum
thanks to the donations. Half a million of Europeans will receive the
videodisc denying the Armenian Genocide with the help of Times.

AMERICAN SENATOR IMPRESSED BY DEMOCRATIC AND ECONOMIC REFORMS TAKEN PLACE IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JUNE 3, NOYAN TAPAN. A significant progress has been fixed
in Armenia since 1998. Chuck Hagel, a US Senator from the state
of Nebraska, a delegation headed by whom arrived in Yerevan the
same morning, stated this at the June 2 press conference. “I am too
impressed by those democratic as well as ecomomic reforms which took
place in Armenia, it is a very good news both for Armenia and whole
world,” the Senator emphasized. He mentioned that he first visited
Armenia in 1998 when President Kocharian was newly elected. At
the same time, Chuck Hagel attached importance to continuation of
the process of the democratic reforms in Armenia, holding just and
open elections. Senator Hagel called a good news the removal of the
Russian military bases from Georgia. As for the presence of the Russian
bases in Armenia, then this issue, according to him, must be solved
at the level of the Governments of Armenia and Russia. According
to the US Senator, where there are serious conflicts like the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, additional military forces may impede the
peaceful settlement. But if the military equipments and troops will be
removed to Armenia, it is an issue to be decided between Armenia and
Russia. The Senator assured that US will continue to do its best in
order that it becomes possible to reach a just and continual solution
of the Karabakh problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to
Chuck Hagel, the USA has numerous interests, partners and friends
in the Caucasian region. According to him, ties with Armenia are
attached importance both by US Congress and Bush’s administration. He
mentioned that the friendship and partnership between Armenia and
the USA comes out of common interests: the two countries has common
interests in issues concerning defence, security problems. The
Senator attached importance, particularly, to Armenia’s presence in
Kosovo and Iraq. The Senator mentioned that before visiting Armenia,
he had been to Turkey, then Azerbaijan, and will visit Georgia, then
the Ukraine after Armenia. Chuck Hagel presented buckles with the US
Senate’s stamp pictured on them to the heads of all those countries
he visited, including the President of Armenia.

Goal, UK
Soccer Age, Italy
June 4 2005
World Cup Group One Preview
6/4/2005 4:34:00 AM
The Netherlands and the Czech Republic have the chance to pull clear
of the rest of Group One on Saturday as Marco van Basten’s side host
third placed Romania and the Czech’s entertain group minnows Andorra.
Netherlands currently sit one point ahead of the Czechs, while Romania
are a further two points adrift and so really can’t afford to lose
to the group leaders when they meet in Amsterdam.
Two months ago Romania were shocked by a 2-0 home defeat to van
Basten’s troops, but will be encouraged by a string of absentees
from the home side. Experienced midfielder Phillip Cocu suffered an
injury in PSV’s Cup final win and was forced to withdraw from the
squad, while team-mates Wilfred Bouma and Ooijer will also miss out.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was another absentee, while Mark van Bommel
and Rafael van der Vaart are doubtful.
Romania included Juventus striker Adrian Mutu in their squad, but
he may not start due to being far from match fit having only just
completed his eight month ban for taking cocaine.
The three points should be a mere formality for the Czech Republic
when they host Andorra, who are bottom of the table with four points
to their name. The home team, who won 4-0 away to Andorra earlier
in the campaign, are almost at full strength, although Jiri Jarosik
misses out.
The two teams above them, Armenia and Macedonia, meet in the final
game on Saturday.
On Wednesday the Czech Republic have another home tie, against
Macedonia, while Netherlands must travel to fourth place Finland.
Romania will be expecting victory when they entertain Armenia.