Author: Jidarian Alex

Fresno Bee , CA
Jan 21 2007

Slain Turk shown in documentary

By Christina Vance / The Fresno Bee01/21/07 05:56:27

Photo: Carla Garapedian, director of the documentary "Screamers," is
scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. today at the student recreation center
at California State University, Fresno.

Knar Kahkejian braved chilly Saturday night weather to hand
photographs of a murdered man to Fresno moviegoers.

The Fresno teen never met Hrant Dink, but she didn’t need to know him
to care about his death. She is Armenian, and so was he.

Dink, a Turkish newspaper editor of Armenian descent who challenged
his nation’s version of the Armenian genocide of 1915, was shot to
death Friday as he left his Istanbul office. A teenage boy was
arrested Saturday in Turkey in connection with Dink’s slaying.

An interview with Dink was included in "Screamers," a documentary on
genocide playing at the Edwards Theater at River Park. The film
combines footage of mass killings of the last century with music from
hard rock band System of a Down, whose members are Armenian.

Carla Garapedian, the documentary’s director, also stood outside the
Fresno theater Saturday night. She was in Los Angeles earlier in the
day with others who were memorializing Dink. She described him as a
charismatic bear of a man who lived with constant threats against his
life.

"Of all the dissidents in Turkey right now, he was the one who was
preaching peace and reconciliation," she said.

Garapedian chatted with people about to see the movie, many of them
Armenians. The documentary will open in New York, Boston and Chicago
in coming days, but she said it came to Fresno at the request of the
city’s Armenian community.

Fresnan Vik Sapatjian is close friends with one of the band members,
but he was going to the film first as an Armenian who is opposed to
genocide.

He questioned how many deaths might have been prevented in the last
century had the world stopped what happened to his people.

"People are still killing each other in mass quantities," he said.

Vache Jierian, who attends Fresno City College, said his 95-year-old
great-grandmother survived the killings. To him, the images in the
film are personal. "We can all relate to that, since we have
ancestors who were part of that," he said.

But Jierian said he was handing out posters on Dink’s death to
educate non-Armenians.

He wanted people to understand genocides – past and ongoing.

Garapedian decided to make the documentary in 2004 when she was at a
System of a Down concert and realized how many of the fans already
knew about the Armenian genocide.

She hoped the concert footage would draw filmgoers who don’t know
about such killings.

"I think we should all be outraged, and we’re not," she said.

Knar, who attends Bullard High School, said she has been taught about
genocide since she was young.

She admitted it can get discouraging because so few people know
what’s going on in the world.

Said Knar: "A lot of people are so ignorant to it, and they don’t
want to learn."

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 19, 2007 Friday

RUSSIA’S NATO;
Russia is trying to transform the CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization into an all-puropose military-political alliance

by Nikolai Poroskov

THE CIS COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION REPORTS RESULTS FOR
2006; Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha of the CIS Collective
Security Treaty Organization reported on results for 2006 yesterday.
Russia’s relations with some CIS countries and countries of the West
are deteriorating, and the CSTO may become a major tool for Russia’s
influence with its remaining allies.

Nikolai Bordyuzha, Secretary General of the CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), reported on results for 2006 yesterday.
Russia’s relations with some CIS countries and countries of the West
are deteriorating, and the CSTO may become a major tool for Russia’s
influence with its remaining allies in the former Soviet Union.

On the other hand, retaining influence won’t be easy. The CSTO
currently comprises Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, and Belarus. Relations with Belarus aren’t what they used
to be; Kazakhstan is promoting an independent policy; and even the
interests of Armenia aren’t exactly concentrated in Russia alone. As
for Kyrgyzstan, it is facing too many purely domestic problems to be
overly concerned with anything else.

Bordyuzha mentioned three events as hallmarks of 2006. First,
restoring Uzbekistan’s membership of the CSTO after Moscow backed the
brutal suppression of riots in Andijan in May 2005. Secondly,
drafting a declaration on the directions of future development of the
CSTO. The principle formulated by President Vladimir Putin remained
central: transforming the CSTO from a military-political alliance
into an all-purpose bloc capable of dealing with any and all threats
and challenges. In other words, the CSTO is supposed to become the
CIS counterpart of NATO. Thirdly, establishing the CSTO’s
Parliamentary Assembly.

Special attention was paid to Afghanistan in 2006. The government of
this country appointed a special envoy for dealings with the CSTO and
informed this international structure that it had no objections to
its participation in the pot-war restoration of Afghanistan.

Neither time nor effort was spared to establish contacts with
international security organizations. They were established with the
Counter-Terrorism Committee, UN Drug Trafficking Directorate,
International Immigration Organization, the Baltic States Council.
The CSTO worked on countering illegal migration, and on the
established Channel series of joint operations. Financial
intelligence services were used last year to expose illicit
transactions. The CSTO’s lists include 24 terrorist organizations.
Kazakhstan added several of them to the list last year.

The program for anti-drug and anti-terrorist resources of the CSTO
members was drawn up and set in motion. The matter essentially
concerns improving the performance of secret services and law
enforcement agencies. Documents were drafted that would allow for
their closer cooperation (documents on personnel training, discounts
on weapons and special equipment, and so on). The CSTO is considering
setting up coordinating councils of the heads of secret services and
law enforcement agencies.

But the emphasis was on the military element of CSTO activities.
Documents were drafted on establishing a united military group in
Central Asia, reequippiing rapid response forces, advancing the
united air defense system. A collective information security program
is under way. According to Bordyuzha, all this has enabled the CSTO
to make a more reliable forecast of what 2007 might bring.

Source: Vremya Novostei, January 18, 2007, p. 4

Translated by A. Ignatkin

Sabah, Turkey
Jan 20 2007

Demirel: provocation

"I was with Demirel. He set his eyes on the subtitle on the
television screen: "Hrant Dink was murdered." His first reaction:
"very bad. Very great provocation. There will be insults that we do
not deserve."

A gun shot while Demirel was talking about Mrs. Nazmiye

We were talking with Süleyman Demirel on Nazmiye Demirel, his wife.
As soon as he told thank God she is fine, he set his eyes on
television with the subtitle "Hrant Dink was murdered." His first
reaction: "very bad. Very great provocation. It is very bad in an
environment where Armenian claims are displayed in European
Parliaments. The world does not search for truth. It is not occupied
with the truth. What is behind that? A vulgar murder. Turkey is
wanted to be encumbered with new issues. We are faced with the
insults that we do not deserve. Everyone is going to speak whether he
knows or not. We should be calm and patient."

PanARMENIAN.Net

Meeting between Mediators on Georgian-Ossetian
Conflict May be Held in Yerevan
18.01.2007 14:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE offers to hold one more
non-official meeting between Mixed Control Commission
Co-Chairs for the Georgian-Ossetian settlement in
Yerevan in order to come out of the dead-end in the
negotiation process, said Russian Co-Chair Yuri Popov.
`During the meeting, which is offered to hold at the
end of January, we suppose to discuss the ways to come
out of the dead-end in the negotiation process,’ Popov
told, Interfax reports.

AZG Armenian Daily #010, 20/01/2007

Armenia-Azerbaijan Issue

MOURNFUL PROCESSION IN COMMEMORATION OF THE EVENTS IN BAKU

These days the Armenians commemorate the 17-th anniversary genocide
perpatrated by authorities in Baku. "The International Rights of the
Refugees" NGO in connection with the event made a declaration, signed
by numerous culture, social and political workers of Armenia, that the
massacre of Armenians in Baku must not be forgotten and the rights of
the victims’ relatives must be defended.

By Gohar Gevorgian

EUROPE HIGHLIGHTS IDEAS, NOT PEOPLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.01.2007 16:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The EU enlargement is accompanied by a number
of forces regarding elaboration of a common line in economics and
politics, Kenneth Munro (UK), the Deputy Chairman of the John Smith
Memorial Trust, said during a round-table discussion on the topic of
"Leadership as a diving force towards European integration." In his
words, proceeding from economic interests the European community
should move towards integration in politics and consolidation of
European values. At that the British expert reminded of two principal
criteria for any state aspired to the EU.

"First, the state should be geographically located in Europe, Second,
it should be democratic. As to these conditions as regards Turkey,
this is a separate subject of discussion and I would not like to touch
on it. Presently, the number of EU member states totals 27 and further
enlargement has been suspended. As for Ukraine and Georgia, this is a
matter of future. They are participants of the European Neighborhood
Program, which is not connected with EU accession," Munro said.

HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY RECEIVES A DELEGATION FROM THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA)
By Mira Yardemian,Public relations Director

AZG Armenian Daily
18/01/2007

President Haidostian: "Our biggest challenge is to promote hope amidst
the threat and reality of political instability"

Beirut, Lebanon (17/01/07)- During their solidarity tour with Lebanon
and the local church, Haigazian University represented by its President
and a number of colleagues, received Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick,
the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian
Church, accompanied by a high-ranking delegation.

In his welcoming words, President Paul Haidostian stressed on the
importance of this visit, specially during the Lebanese political
crisis, as well as he acknowledged the ecumenical efforts of Rev.

Kirkpatrick, with whom he has served for long years in the Executive
Committee of the "World Alliance of Reformed Churches".

Rev. Kirkpatrick praised the role of the churches in the region,
including Haigazian’s role in shaping the new generation, and in
preparing the future leadership.

Answering some questions and concerns, President Haidostian highlighted
the characteristics of Haigazian University which renders it unique
in its sector.

"We capitalize on our small size to maintain an open and tolerant
environment inside our campus ", said Haidostian.

After a period of constructive dialogue, President Haidostian
expressed his worries concerning the political instability in the
country. However, he considered the situation as a challenge, where
one should think and act positively.

"Our biggest challenge is to promote hope amidst the threat and
reality of political instability", noted Haidostian.

The meeting concluded by offering the delegation a trophy representing
Haigazian University’s heritage Mugar building.

THE PERIOD OF "MONEY TALKS BULLSHIT WALKS" IS OVER

Sabah, Turkey
Jan 15 2007

"The policy of silence against the claims regarding Armenians does
not work any more, we need to respond everything."

"Turkey is not the Ottoman Empire in its peak period. At that time
maybe "money talks bullshit walks" could be acceptable. But be
realistic. Today Turkey has lots of enemies."

The author and journalist Kenize Murad with the lineage of the Ottoman
Empire spoke: "the success of the Armenians are not because of their
rightfulness; but our disinterestedness. We can not remain in languor
any more."

The accusation of Armenian genocide threats all the foreign affairs
of Turkey today. After Sweden and France, Belgium, the Netherlands
and Austria also prepares to legislate denial of the genocide as a
penal action. Moreover, if the greatest and strongest ally of Turkey,
the USA, may acknowledge "genocide" if the ruling party becomes the
democrats. We can not remain in languor by believing that things will
settle by themselves. The Armenians do not let go of their thesis,
they make efforts to spread it all over the world. The success
of the Armenians are not because of their rightfulness; but our
disinterestedness. We can not remain in languor any more.

ARE KURDISH INTELLECTUALS FREE OF POLITICAL SIN?
Huseyin Bagci

New Anatolian, Turkey
Jan 16 2007

The most-asked questions in Turkey are about what’s going to happen
in Iraq and what peace Turkey is seeking.

The new Iraq plan announced by U.S. President George W. Bush last
Wednesday isn’t very promising, but rather it indicated that the U.S.
isn’t inclined to leave Iraq in the foreseeable future.

Even the confession by President Bush that the U.S. occupation has
brought more instability to the region doesn’t exclude the fact
that the Bush administration must have calculated this. The cardinal
question isn’t whether the U.S. is losing, but it is rather whether
the U.S. will stay in the region even longer than the British Empire
stayed.

The replacement of power in the Middle East between Great Britain and
the U.S. happened in the early 1950s, but now it looks that the U.S.
will stay — with all its technology and military might — and Iran,
Syria and some other Arab countries will face the stark reality that
the new Iraq has already joined the team as a "new strategic ally"
and "strategic partner" of the U.S.

In this framework, Turkey shouldn’t be considered a loser but a
country whose strategic importance has fallen to some extent, which
will further push it to make a new shift regarding its foreign policy
towards Iraq.

Indeed, Turkey’s concerns are growing. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s accusation that the U.S. doesn’t understand Turkey’s problems
regarding its fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK) and that the U.S. has been acting one-sidedly are certainly
true. Turkey, while so difficult to accept, has been described as a
"second-rate country" in U.S. strategic plans since March 1, 2003,
the day Turkey refused to back the U.S.’ Iraq invasion.

The Iraqi government in Baghdad realizes that northern Iraq is under
U.S. protection and no country can undertake any military operation
against the Iraqi Kurds. Today Massoud Barzani is so strong and
self-confident that not he personally but his spokesman threatens
Turkey that if it becomes involved in northern Iraq, some other
countries would also intervene in Turkey’s internal affairs.

Doesn’t this fit with the statement uttered by renowned writer Yasar
Kemal? In Ankara on Saturday at a conference entitled "Turkey is
seeking its peace," he said, "The best friends of Turks are the
Kurds." Doesn’t this also mean the Iraqi Kurds?

Turkey is facing a new challenge and this year, this problem will
dominate Turkish domestic politics. During the conference all the
speakers stressed how important domestic peace is but nobody offered
concrete steps to establish it.

With few exceptions, all the speakers could be considered the "usual
suspects" who have given over their lives to turning Turkey into a
socialist country since the ’60s. In their second fight to resolve
the Kurdish question without denouncing terrorism and separatism,
another failure seems preordained.

Nobody rejects the idea that the Kurds are there, but the Turkish
Constitution is still valid and there is only one nation. Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul’s statement that the Kurds are relatives of
the Turks is a good acknowledgement, but the issue is neither whether
there is a kinship nor is it how Turkey will cope with this problem
without further bloodshed.

Now, ahead of two crucial elections this year in Turkey, the Kurds
in Turkey also must make up their mind about what they actually want.

Suggestions like confederation or arguments that Turkey is composed
of the Turks and Kurds, as put by Democratic Society Party (DTP)
leader Ahmet Turk in an interview, do not heal the wound that PKK
terror caused in this country.

Modern Turkey, with all its institutions, is now facing the challenge
of the century and there is no concrete plan for reconciliation,
if it is described like this in the conference.

The Kurdish reality in this geography is a fact, as is the revenge
of Saddam Hussein since the first Gulf War. The genie is out of the
bottle and no doubt every country in the region faces this challenge.

The more the U.S. stays in the Middle East, the more the Kurds in
general get stronger.

It has already been written that the Kurds, besides the Turks, Arabs
and Iranians, are now the new political element that can shape the
Middle East with all their peculiarities and specific political
motivations.

No government in the Middle East can deny that the Kurds are also
part of European business circles and, in the age of globalization,
governments including Turkey’s can’t prevent this technological
infiltration with political ideas in the minds of the people.

Take the example of Roj-TV in Denmark. The Turkish prime minister’s
"nationalist behavior" preventing him from holding a joint press
conference with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen when he
visited Denmark in 2005 was applauded in Turkey, but Roj-TV is still
there and they broadcast in Turkish, too.

Europeans have two questions to ask of every Turkish citizen: Why
don’t you recognize the Armenian "genocide," and why don’t you give
the Kurds their freedom and land?

Let’s face it, even Kurdish intellectuals, including Yasar Kemal,
who declared for the first time in a Der Spiel interview in 1995
that he is a Kurd, but was known by Turks as the master of Turkish
language in writing, are also responsible for what happened in the
last 24 years concerning PKK terror. Still none of them has rejected
ethnic terrorism or told the Turkish people that the Kurds are the
best friends of Turkey as if it is something new.

There’s no need to rediscover America. There are more than 1 million
families having both Turkish and Kurdish origins. "Turkish" therefore
describes all citizens living in the Turkish state.

Moreover, Turkey’s social structure has been facing this reality,
but now the Kurds have to prove that there is still one Turkey and
every Turkish citizen, including those of Kurdish origin, agree on
the point that Turkey should be a democratic country of social welfare.

The regional and global challenges force everybody to work together.

What views do the Kurdish intellectuals have — for instance that
Turkey has to stop the population spiral in eastern and southeastern
Anatolia and end the tribal understandings that trigger "honor"
killings as well as prevent families from sending their daughters to
school? Kurdish intellectuals and politicians also have to declare
what their future perception of Turkey is. If Turks have failed
to modernize this region, which is partially true, what kind of
modernization plans do they have? There are many questions to ask
this year and in the years to come.

In all our writings, we have stated that this government under Erdogan
has been the most liberal and able government ever. But the prime
minister has also disappointed and so showed great resignation.

The simple question is why the Kurdish intellectuals who convened in
Ankara over the weekend did not give him enough political support.

Former socialist and communists, from Yasar Kemal to Vedat Turkali
and many others, should actually be self-critical in this respect.

They have done this before, and now it’s time to do it again.

Blaming Turkish governments and the Turks doesn’t solve the problem.

The main question on what they have put on the table that is viable if
they want to negotiate rather than fueling ethnic terrorism and killing
30,000 people remains open. Before they pelt the Turks, the Kurdish
intellectuals should ponder the sins they have committed over all these
years. A fresh beginning can only start if both sides get clean enough!

TURKISH STATE MINISTER CONTINUES DENYING THE UNDENIABLE

ArmRadio.am
15.01.2007 13:58

"Turkey is doing everything possible to prevent adoption of incorrect
decisions about the Armenian Genocide in different countries of
the world," Turkish State Minister Abdullatif Shener said in Izmir
yesterday, Trend agency reports.

"Despite the fact that the Armenian Diaspora is doing everything
possible to promote adoption of anti-Turkish decisions, official
Ankara will never allow the recognition of obviously made up,
historically ungrounded events during the last years of existence
of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish Minister noted. "We are ready
to discuss the events of those years in the framework of a special
bilateral commission and adopt a corresponding decision, which we
will recognize. However, Armenia does not agree to that," Shener said.