Author: Jilavian Emma

SINCE AUGUST 5 AVEA STOPPED CO-OPERATION WITH KARABAKH TELECOM OPERATING ON AZERBAIJANI OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Azerbaijan Business Center
Aug 8 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. One of the leading cellular operators of Turkey,
AVEA, despite official position of its country, has co-operated since
2005 with mobile operator Karabakh Telecom that operates illegally
on Azerbaijan’s territory occupied by Armenia.

The Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan informs that according to its data,
Karabakh Telecom has co-operation relations with about 100 countries,
including cellular operator AVEA of Turkey.

"In this connection the Turkish Embassy demanded information of that
from AVEA. The latter indicated that on the basis of the agreement
signed on March 13, 2005 between AVEA and Karabakh Telecom, in
April of the same year they launched mutual co-operation. In the
course of investigation it was established that in documentation
Karabakh Telecom wrote wrong illegal address, and since August 5,
2008 bilateral partnership was cancelled," it was reported.

AVEA was founded on February 19, 2004 following merger of two Turkish
mobile operators Aycell and Aria by Is Bankasi Group (51%) and Turk
Telekom&TIM (49%). Currently AVEA share at the Turkish market makes
17% and its subscriber network numbers 11 million users.

By the present Turk Telekom increased its equity stake in AVEA up to
81.13% and Is Bankasi owns 18.87% stake.

Is Bankasi Group, one of the largest in Turkey has considered
repeatedly prospects of activity in Azerbaijan. It studies an
opportunity of opening of a bank and a broker firm in the country. But
realization of these plans is impossible until the group cancels
co-operation with occupation regime in Nagorno Garabagh and adjoining
regions.

Earlier Russia’s Vneshtorgbank (VTB) encountered the same situation,
when its Armenian subsidiary opened a branch on occupied territories
of Azerbaijan. Since July 30 Azerbaijan stopped co-operation with
payment systems Western Union and Moneygram that declined to cease
receipt of money transfers to occupied lands of the country. Payment
system Migom stopped such activity aforehand.

It is obvious that the Azerbaijani government is losing fight against
illegal economic relations of occupants and separatists.

wap.apa.az
Russian aircraft bombing Tbilisi took off from Armenia – UPDATED

08 Aug 2008

Moscow – APA. Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that additional forces had
been sent to support peacekeepers in Georgia-Ossetia conflict zone, APA
reports quoting RIA Novosti.

The ministry said necessary assistance would be offered to the Russian
peacekeepers and citizens of unrecognized republic. North Caucasus military
district said that Russian combat equipment entered Tskhinvali. Georgian new
agencies report that Russian military aircrafts bombed Vaziani base near
Tbilisi at 15.10 by local time. Two bombs were reportedly dropped on the
military base. No casualties are reported in the base. Gruziya Online
website reports that the aircraft that bombed Vaziani base had taken off
from the territory of Armenia. The agency mentions that there is an air
regiment in Russian army’s 102nd base in Gumru, Armenia. According to the
agreement signed between Georgia and Armenia, Armenia can not allow any
other state to attack Georgia from its territory.

U.S. President George Bush met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in
Beijing and called on the parties to cease the fire in Georgia-Ossetia
conflict zone immediately. European Union and OSCE released analogous
messages.

Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

August 8, 2008
Contact: Ani Garabedian

ANCA-WR and Cong. Berman Discuss Genocide Denial in Universities

Van Nuys, CA – Members of the Armenian National Committee of America –
Western Region (ANCA-WR) met with long time friend and supporter
Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA-28) on August 5, 2008 to discuss
current issues relating to the Armenian American community.
Congressman Berman serves as Chairman of the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs (HCFA).

"The Armenian American community deeply appreciates Chairman Berman’s
keen awareness of and respect for human rights," stated ANCA-WR
Executive Director Andrew Kzirian. "We shall work closely with the
Chairman in the future to ensure that genocide denial has no place in
the United States," he added.

During the meeting the ANCA-WR expressed their appreciation to Berman
regarding the two hour hearing that he led on June 18, 2008, which
included over a dozen members of Congress questioning Assistant
Secretary Dan Fried on the U.S. policy of complicity in Armenian
Genocide denial, Turkey’s blockade, and Azerbaijan’s escalating
threats of war. The meeting set the tone for intense questioning of
Fried by Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA-33) over the Armenian
Genocide.

The hearing also served as prelude to a recent letter from the U.S.
State Department stating that the Ottoman government was responsible
for the acts of 1915. Additionally, the letter stated that a joint
project of archivists would be initiated from Armenia and Turkey to
study the history and preserve documents describing the Armenian
Genocide as it occurred by eyewitnesses and not to study whether
genocide occurred. This correspondence from the State department was
sent in response to requests from US Senators Boxer and Biden over the
nomination of Ambassador Yovanovitch to be the next U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia.

Attendees also shared their thoughts regarding the Turkish
government’s recent infiltration of American institutions of higher
education. The meeting participants discussed the Southern Poverty Law
Center’s recent feature on this phenomenon. Furthermore, the
Institute of Turkish Studies in Washington also was discussed as the
institute’s director resigned after the Turkish Ambassador reportedly
threatened to cut off funding for the program because the director
acknowledged the Armenian Genocide in a book review.

Among those present at the meeting were ANCA-WR Chairman Vicken
Sonentz-Papazian, ANCA-WR Board Member Avo Ovayan, ANCA-WR Executive
Director Andrew Kzirian, as well as ANCA-WR Interns Amy Kaladzhyan,
Shant Karnikian and Mikael Kourinian.

Berman represents northern areas of Hollywood, the eastern half of the
San Fernando Valley and the city of San Fernando. In 2007, Berman
served as a strong supporter of H. Res. 106, authoring a powerful dear
colleague letter espousing the Armenian Genocide resolution. The
letter discussed the classification of the Armenian Genocide as
historically accurate by the International Association of Genocide
Scholars and called for Turkey to recognize this crime against
humanity. On October 10, 2007, the HCFA passed H. Res. 106 by a vote
of 27-21, including supportive remarks by then-second ranking Democrat
Berman.

Berman has served in the House of Representatives since 1983
representing the 28th Congressional district of California. Born in
Los Angeles and educated at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA), Berman was a lawyer and a member of the California State
Assembly from 1972-1983.

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization.
Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and
supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

MORTAR ATTACK IN ISTANBUL TARGETED MILITARY GARRISON

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.08.2008 18:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A series of explosions ripped through central
Istanbul on Thursday but officials would not confirm reports they
were caused by mortars targeting a nearby military garrison.

Three people were slightly injured in the explosions outside a
municipal building in Istanbul on Thursday. A television report said
the blasts were caused by mortars that targeted a military garrison
near the municipal building in Uskudar, on Istanbul’s Asian side.

One blast occurred in a garbage-collecting truck in the car park of
the building, while two others ripped through a neighboring cemetery,
Uskudar mayor Mehmet Cakir said.

"Three workers were slightly injured," Istanbul police chief Celalettin
Cerrah said at the scene.

He said bomb experts were investigating the incident, but added it was
too early to conclude it was an attack against the building, raising
also the possibility that waste in the truck might have exploded.

The NTV news channel quoted police sources as saying that four
mortars were fired from the cemetery, located behind the municipal
building. The channel suggested the intended target was a military
garrison several hundred meters away. Witnesses had earlier said that
explosives were hurled from behind trees in the cemetery.

Hand grenades or small bombs designed to scare rather than kill are
thought to have been used, the CNN Turk news channel said. Two people
on a motorbike were seen fleeing the scene, it said. The explosions
shattered the windows of the building and damaged vehicles in the
car park, AFP reports.

ARMENIA’S DREAMS GO DOWN IN FLAMES
Khachik Chakhoyan from Yerevan

uefa.com
Aug 5 2008
Switzerland

The 2008/09 European season proved to be a dispiriting one for Armenian
clubs with all falling at the first hurdle with an aggregate defeat
of 19-3.

Brutal awakening

Four Armenian league sides were involved in the opening rounds
of the UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup and
none survived their opening fixtures. Of the eight games played by
Armenian clubs in European competition, six were lost and two were
drawn. Given the progress made at international level in recent years,
it was a brutal disappointment.

Away goals FC MIKA’s defeat by FC Tiraspol in the opening final UEFA
Intertoto Cup was almost a good result in the context. At home,
they surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2, and then dominated the
return leg in Moldova, losing on away goals after the match ended
goalless. Captain David Grigoryan fumed: "We were the better side. We
paid for our failure to convert chances. Those goals we let in at
home cost us dear."

Anorthosis strength Champions FC Pyunik took their 3-0 aggregate UEFA
Champions League first qualifying round loss to Cyprus’s Anorthosis
Famagusta FC on the chin. "We were beaten by strong opponents,"
said president Karen Harutyunyan. "Our players did their best but
Anorthosis had quality and skill. We have mostly young players and
such games are very useful for the future."

Banants mauled Banants could not put such a positive spin on their
10-0 aggregate UEFA Cup first qualifying round mauling at the hands of
FC Salzburg. "We put a black spot on the reputation of Armenian clubs
in Europe," conceded president Sargis Israelyan. "Our opponents were
a cut above and our young team were not ready for such games. The 17
and 18-year-olds were lost. It was a useful lesson for us."

‘Not enough’ Ararat fared slightly better against AC Bellinzona in
the same competition, losing 1-0 at home but playing well in a 3-1
away defeat. "We had one of our best games in Switzerland, but we
were not clinical up front again," said coach Varuzhan Sukiasyan. "I
liked the lads’ commitment. They did their best, but that was not
enough." A fitting epitaph for the Armenian clubs’ campaign, perhaps.

SHVARSH KOCHARIAN HAS BEEN APPOINTED DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Noyan Tapan

Au g 4, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Shavarsh Kocharian, president of
National Democratic Party, former member of PACE Armenian delegation,
has been appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs by Serzh
Sargsian’s decree. The President’s press office reports.

Shavarsh Kocharian has been member of the National Democratic Union
(NDU).

He has been deputy of the previous four convocations of Armenia’s
National Assembly, first as a member of the National Democratic
Union, then as a member of the parliamentary fractions of Ardarutiun
(Justice) Alliance.

(Shavarsh Kocharian left Ardarutiun Alliance in 2005.)

GENERAL ILKER BASBUG TO OVERTAKE TURKISH ARMY CHIEF POST, AS EXPECTED

Hurriyet
Aug 4 2008
Turkey

Turkey’s Supreme Military Council assigned Land Forces Commander
Gen. Ilker Basbug as the new army chief on Monday and he will overtake
the position from Gen. Yasar Buyukanit on August 30. (UPDATED)

Basbug will fill the post of General Staff Chief for two years,
reaching the retirement age limit in 2010, and will be replaced by
newly-appointed Land Forces Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner. Admiral
Metin Atac will continue to serve as the Commander of Naval Forces,
and Gen. Aydogan Babaoglu will continue to serve as Air Forces for
one year.

The new appointments on the top command line came at a critical time
as the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) just survived
a closure case and faces growing pressure to address both domestic
and international issues.

This is the first meeting of the Supreme Military Council for some
time in which no military officer was discharged due to reactionary
or indisciplinary acts.

The relations between the military and the government are expected
to change as Basbug is seen a different commander to his predecessors.

He thinks it is important to have connections and to establish dialogue
with the government, as well as with other state organs. He also
does not get involved in any debates through the media, excluding
international issues.

The new appointments on the top command line came at a critical time as
the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) just survived from
a closure case and faces growing pressure to address both domestic
and international issues.

The relations between the military and the government are expected
to continue in a different form as Basbug seen a different commander
than his predecessors.

He thinks it is important to have a connections and to establish
dialogue with the government, as well as with other state organs. He
also does not get involved in any debates through the media, excluding
international issues.

KEEPING ARMY OUT OF POLITICS

Basbug is expected to distance the Turkish Armed Forces from
politics. However, it would not be surprising to see him make harsh
statements in the case the red lines of the Turkish Armed Forces,
including the unitary structure of the republic and secularism,
are crossed during his term.

FIGHT AGAINST TERROR

Basbug is very experienced in the fight against terror, an issue he
sees as a priority, and is determined to continue the armed struggle
during his term. Turkey’s operations against the PKK continue, and
the Turkish army will undertake similar operations with determination
until reaching an absolute outcome, he had earlier said.

He is also expected to pay a comprehensive visit to the Turkey’s
terror-hit southeast region to show that he gives much importance to
the issue.

REACTIONARY MOVEMENTS

Basbug sees an ongoing, planned and tireless effort to fray the
revolutionary reforms of Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, and
thinks reactionary movements that threaten the republic have started
to become a cause for concern.

"It is the mission of "everyone who feels he is a member of Turkish
nation" to claim and protect the republic’s basic characteristics
of democracy, secularism, social and rule of law. The Turkish Armed
Forces has always been a party for protecting this body and these
characteristics and will continue to be so… It is a reactionary
attitude to act in a manner against the Turkish revolution… I need
to confess with deep sorrow that the reactionary threat has reached a
point of concern, it is even not accepted by some segment of society,"
Basbug said in the speech he delivered at the Military Academy in 2007.

CALLS FOR COMMON SENSE

Basbug usually adopts an approach to urge for common sense in periods
of high-tension. Recently he held a tet-a-tet meeting with Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan when the tension over the case before
the courts reached a peak and called on the media not to pressure
the judiciary. He also called for common sense during Turkey’s ground
operation against the PKK in northern Iraq in February.

U.S. PERSPECTIVE

Basbug desires that relations with the United States should be in a
form that protects Turkey’s interests. He has criticized the U.S. in
the past over its slow reaction to incidents relating to the outlawed
PKK; however recent progress between Turkey and the U.S. on this
issue has given him a more positive outlook.

He also prefers relations with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and
Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish administration in northern
Iraq, be held within a more controlled framework.

REACTIVE AGAINST EU IF NEEDED

Basbug is also expected to maintain his stance towards the European
Union and not hesitate to show his reactions at times he deems
necessary.

NO CONSESSIONS FOR ATHENS

Basbug is not expected to offer any concessions or show a softening in
regard to relations with Greece. Basbug is likely to stick Turkey’s
formal declaration that any attempt by Greece to increase the
territorial waters to 12 miles would be ‘casus belli’. He also is not
expected to support speedy action in regard in relations with Armenia.

BACKGROUND

Basbug, 65, was born in Turkey’s southwestern province of
Afyonkarahisar and is married with two children. He served as an
infantry officer and is experienced in international diplomacy. He
speaks English since he worked in the foreign representatives of
Turkey for more than six years. He is known to be a prolific reader
and closely monitors the world press daily.

BREAK-THROUGH IN NEGOTIATION PROCESS NOT TO COME SOON: MINISTER

Trend News Agency
Aug 1 2008
Azerbaijan

Russia, Moscow, 1 August /Trend News corr. R.Agayev/ There
is understanding between Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding peace
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but a break-through will
not come soon, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said
at a briefing in Moscow on 1 August.

Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandyan
met in Moscow on 1 August to discuss basic principles of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict settlement.

"We discussed how to overpass the stumbling blocks in settlement of
the conflict," said Mammadyarov.

According to Azerbaijani Minister, negotiations were intensive and
useful. The sides agreed to continue the talks.

According to Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandyan, next meeting
between the ministers may take place in New-York within the session
of the UN General Assembly, or earlier.

Nalbandyan said the negotiations were constructive. "We keep on
discussing to bring together our positions. Understanding is the main
thing between the sides. The more it is, the better," said Nalbandyan.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

PRESIDENT SUGGESTS UKRAINE INCLUDE ARMENIAN SURB-HACH MONASTERY ON UNESCO LIST

Interfax News Service
July 30 2008
Russia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has suggested to Ukrainian President
Viktor Yushchenko that he include the Armenian Surb-Hach monastery
in Ukraine on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization) list of world heritage sites.

Sargsyan made this statement at the celebration of the 650th jubilee
of the Armenian monastery located not far from the town of Old Crimea.

Three Armenian cultural properties in Iran have already been added
to the UNESCO list, the president said.

It is remarkable that the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of
Christianization in Ukraine coincided with the 650th jubilee of the
Surb- Hach monastery, an outstanding historical and cultural site,
the Armenian president said.

The celebration of the monastery’s 650th anniversary will be a worthy
stimulus to broaden and deepen the Ukrainian-Armenian relations not
only in the cultural, but also political, economic and other areas,
Sargsyan said.

Sargsyan thanked the Crimean parliamentary speaker and prime minister
for their participation in the restoration of the Surb-Hach monastery,
which has for centuries been a spiritual center for Armenians and a
pilgrimage site in Crimea.

YEREVAN HOPES FOR PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

Interfax News Service
July 30 2008
Russia

The Armenian authorities are doing everything possible to ensure the
peaceful resolution of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, the country’s
Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandian said.

"We are doing everything in our power to make sure that the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict is resolved peacefully, and we hope that the problem
will be solved solely by peaceful methods. We attach a great importance
to solution of this conflict and discuss all changes surrounding this
issue with the Nagorno-Karabakh leaders," Nalbandian told a press
conference on Wednesday.

"Today I am going to Moscow where on August 1 I will have a meeting
with Azerabaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov at the proposal
of the co-chairmen of the OSCE (Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group that mediates the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," Nalbandian said.

The meeting will focus on "those proposals that were made by the
mediators in Madrid and approved by the Armenian and Azeri presidents
at their meeting in St. Petersburg," he said.

The co-chairmen will hold separate meetings with the Armenian and
Azeri foreign ministers in Moscow, the ministers will meet one-on-one
and in a more extended format, Nalbandian said.