Author: Kalantarian Kevo

GARBAGE NOT FAR FROM THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING
A1+
[05:54 pm] 20 October, 2006
At the center of Yerevan, not far from the Republic square, a new
garbage site is being created.
The crossroad of Buzand the Republican streets can be characterized
as a place for throwing away plastic bottles. The reason is that the
garbage has not been removed from here for a long time. Of course
there are garbage cans, but our compatriots have thrown away the
garbage in and around them.
According to the people working on the construction of the nearby
building, citizens often throw away their plastic bags around
the area. “We have removed the garbage with our cars several
times. Sometimes they blame us for polluting the area, but how can
we do it if we are the first ones to breathe the polluted air?”
the head of the construction said.
By the way, the crossroad is in the neighborhood of the RA Ministry
of Finance and the third building of the RA Government. The state
officials pass it by every day and fail to notice the situation. We
met an official walking along the street and tried to find out his
opinion. He agreed to answer anonymously.
“It is too bad we are careless about preserving our city clean. There
are very few garbage cans. For instance, I don’t know where to throw
my cigarette now”, he said.

SWISS CABINET REBUKES JUSTICE MINISTER
Swiss Info, Switzerland
Oct 19 2006
The cabinet says it regrets comments made by Justice Minister Christoph
Blocher in Turkey earlier this month that he wanted to change the
Swiss anti-racism law.
Swiss President Moritz Leuenberger said this gave the impression that
Switzerland could be pressured into changing its laws depending on
the circumstances.
“The cabinet remains opposed to a pure and simple abolition of the
anti-racism law,” Leuenberger said on Wednesday. “This text will
remain in force and will continue to be used.”
He said it was legitimate to propose making modifications, but said
the cabinet regretted that the discussion had been started during a
visit abroad.
Blocher, a leading light of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, had
remarked during his Turkish trip that part of the anti-racism law –
which was adopted in 1994 and includes sections aimed at preventing
revisionist views about the Holocaust – gave him a “headache”.
The law has led to investigations in Switzerland against two Turks,
including one historian, for allegedly denying the 1915 Armenian
massacre.
Armenians say around 1.8 million of their people died as a result of
a forced mass evacuation by the Turkish government during the Ottoman
Empire. Turkey puts the figure closer to 200,000. Under Swiss law any
act of denying, belittling or justifying genocide is a violation of
the country’s anti-racism legislation.
However, Blocher said at the time that it was ultimately up to the
government, parliament and possibly the population, to decide on
any changes.
What’s this? Federal Commission against Racism Under scrutiny
According to Leuenberger, Blocher has told his cabinet colleagues
that a working group at his ministry was already re-examining the law,
in particular article 261bis, the cause of Blocher’s headache.
The justice minister was ready to include a member of the Federal
Commission against Racism in this work, Leuenberger added, refusing
to any further questions on the matter – which caused a media and
political outcry in Switzerland – saying the content of cabinet
meetings was confidential.
For his part, Blocher, speaking at a different media conference
earlier in the day, said he was simply waiting for the feedback from
his working group by the end of the year.
“It’s about making the anti-racism law clearer, more secure and
unambiguous,” he said.

TURKISH NATIONALISTS TO PROTEST FRENCH BILL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.10.2006 16:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 21 in Paris the Talaat Pasha Committee
and Turkish Labor Party will hold a rally in protest against the
French bill penalizing the Armenian Genocide denial. As reported by
“Armenia” Greek edition, Labor Party leader Dogu Perincek will also
take part in the action. The party is known for its ultra-nationalist
and kemalist position and collaborates with the radical party of
nationalistic movement.

PARLIAMENT TO TACKLE FRANCE PASSAGE OF ARMENIAN BILL
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 16 2006
Ahead of the Seker Bayram recess starting next weekend, Parliament
has a busy schedule this week as it’s set to counter its French
counterpart passing a controversial Armenian “genocide” bill as well
as the contentious foundations bill.
The repercussions of the French Parliament passing a bill to heavily
penalize those who deny an Armenian “genocide” will dominate the full
Parliament as a special agenda issue.
On Tuesday, after Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul briefs Parliament
on the issue, political parties will then voice their concerns and
opinions.
The controversial 93-article foundations bill will be assessed by
Parliament as a basic law in three different parts.
The bill, after significant changes, paves the way for community
foundations to officially register what they own.
Under the bill, foreigners would be able to establish foundations in
Turkey or be in the administration of existing foundations.
Foundations would also be entitled to open offices abroad. The
implementation of the regulation depends on the principle of
international reciprocity.
Deputies debating the seeds legislation — which aims to increase
the efficiency and quality in seed production and to restructure the
sector as called for in the latest European Union progress report —
are expected to submit their report to Parliament on Tuesday.
The same day the Justice Commission will debate a bill submitted
by a group of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party deputies,
led by Yozgat Deputy Bekir Bozdag. It proposes amendments to seven
laws in line with the adaptation of basic penal laws.
The only commission to meet on Wednesday is one probing the threat
of cancer posed by industrial waste in Dilovasi, Gebze.

ARMENIA SHOULD PREPARE TO MITIGATING CONSEQUENCES OF RUSSIA-GEORGIA OPPOSITION IN ADVANCE
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.10.2006 16:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At the given phase of the protracted confrontation
between Georgia and Russia there are no significant and moreover
catastrophic consequences for Armenia expected from economic and
political pressure put by Moscow upon Tbilisi, analyst of Spectrum
Center for Strategic Analysis Sergey Sargsyan told PanARMENIAN.Net. In
his words, firstly, the matter does not concern economic blockade
yet, but economic and psychological pressure. “Moreover, Russia is
interested to make these addressed, thus limitations will not concern
transit. Secondly, the next peak of anti-Russian campaign in Georgia,
marking local authorities elections is already overcome. Another matter
is that Russia used the occasion – the detention of its servicemen –
to radically reconsider its policy towards Tbilisi. Thus, one should
not rule out further aggravation of Russian-Georgian relations, up
to introducing complex sanctions. Thus, it would be good to prepare
to it in advance, e.g. changing transportation routes,” he remarked.
Besides, Sargsyan underscored that in the current situation repair
and expanding of Poti-Akhalkalaki-Gyumri road could be lobbied within
the Millennium Challenge Account. “Its sponsors will meet the idea
with understanding, as otherwise the cargo will go through Iran,
and this will tie Armenia with IRI even closer – both in economic
and political respects,” the Armenian analyst said.

“ECHO”: ON THE VERGE OF CONFRONTATION
Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Oct 17 2006
What does Iran attempt to build on occupied territories of Azerbaijan?
Today authorities of Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) continue
construction of dam at frontier river Araz, the region of historical
bridge Khudaferin, which unites occupied Jabrail region of our
country and South Azerbaijan. As head of Committee on Defense of
National Movement of South Azerbaijan, Jahandar Bayoglu, informed
“Echo” referring to local population of right bank (Iranian part,
author’s remark) of frontier river Araz, there are working heavy
technics and engineering installations.
It should be pointed out that recently “Echo” has published statement
of the Ministry of Energy of Iran, Parviz Fatahi, who during his
visit to Yerevan (September 28, 2006 – author’s remark) promised
to discuss construction process of dam “Khodaaferin” (Khudaferin,
author’s remark ) with Armenian part.
In this case the matter concerns the area neighboring Khudaferin bridge
on Araz river built in XII-XIII centuries between North Azerbaijan
and South Azerbaijan (Iran of today, author’s remark). On Azerbaijani
part, bridge is situated on now occupied Jabrail region.
Moreover, on the right bank of Araz river of this area there is
Iranian town Khoda-Aferin.
In turn, as Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan informed
referring to Embassy of our country to Iran, the said information is
denied by Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran.
Chief of administration of information policy and press of Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Tair Tagizade, informs that authorities
of Tehran make believe that any information on any works carried out
by Iran on occupied territories of Azerbaijan is false.
At the same time chief of administration of Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Tehran, stresses that Iranian part
recognizes that Iran and Armenia have energy project “being realized
on officially recognized territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan”.
Head of the Committee, Jahandar Bayoglu, was not satisfied with
position of head of diplomatic representatives of Azerbaijan to
Tehran. Accordingly to him, our diplomat “decided to insist on denying
the fact of construction of reservoir”. Head of the Committee thinks
that such conduct of Ambassador contradicts to national interests
of Azerbaijan. As J. Bayoglu underlines words of Iranian officials
(P. Fatahi, author’s remark) concerning ongoing works on construction
of dam, are confirmed by our officials, living on the region near
Khudaferin bridge, on Iranian bank of Araz.
In this connection he urges authorities of the country to clarify this
issue and to explain what is really going on in the region neighboring
Khudaferin bridge. Bayoglu stresses that local population say that
construction works are not large-scale.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan informed that they intend
“to be content with official response of Iran”. “If such information
concerning continuation of construction works is received in future,
then our Ambassador to Iran will have additional tasks”, Tagizade says.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs also informs that if after official
assurance of Iran, Azerbaijani part will make effort to clarify any
details again, then accordingly to international practice this stage
will be understood as rather confrontational one.
–Boundary_(ID_8LB6q+wgMJPOnvlQc2h3zg)–

IN TURKEY, WRITING HISTORY’S WRONGS
By Roshni Sharma
Jerusalem Post
Oct 17 2006
Last September, the rising young Turkish novelist Elif Shafak was
charged with “public denigration of Turkishness” under Article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code. The subsequent legal case became only one
of a series of trials aimed at suppressing internal discourse about
the 1915 Armenian massacre, with the Turkish government continuing
to reject responsibility and the term “genocide” when describing the
fate of 1.5 million Armenians in the country during World War I.
Since the Article’s induction last year, a number of distinguished
Turkish writers and journalists have faced similar charges, including
Orhan Pamuk, who received the 2006 Nobel Prize for literature last
week. (In a well-publicized interview with Swiss journal Tages
Anzeiger, Pamuk had stated, “One million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds
were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares talk about it.”
The case against him stalled and was eventually dismissed against a
backdrop of growing international outrage.)
France’s lower house of parliament approved a bill making it a crime
to deny the Armenian genocide last week, just as Pamuk was announced
as the Nobel prize winner. President Chirac is expected to block the
bill’s progress, but if the law is passed the Armenian genocide will
join the Holocaust as something illegal to deny in France. The law
cuts to the heart of European-Turkish tensions, with Turkey’s highly
contested “literature trials”threatening to undermine the Muslim
country’s application for European Union membership.
The case against Shafak, a critically acclaimed, bestselling
novelist, was considered exceptional even among the recent court
scandals. In contrast to Pamuk, Shafak was prosecuted not because of
public statements she had made, but because of the opinions of her
fictional characters.
The novel at the heart of the controversy, The Bastard of Istanbul,
follows four generations of women in two families – one in Turkey
and the second a group of migr s based in the United States. Among
the book’s offending statements is the line, “I am the grandchild
of genocide survivors who lost all their relatives at the hands of
Turkish butchers in 1915, but I myself have been brainwashed to deny
the genocide because I was raised by some Turk named Mustapha!”
Originally written in English, the novel was released in Turkey last
March and became an overnight bestseller, selling over 60,000 copies.
>From her home in Istanbul, Shafak spoke recently with the Jerusalem
Post.
You didn’t attend the September hearing against you because of your
pregnancy, but why was The Bastard of Istanbul a political target in
the first place?
I gave birth four days before my trial, so both the trial and the
delivery took place in the same week. The book became the target
of ultra-nationalists. These groups compose a very small segment
of the society, but because their voices are so loud and message so
aggressive, they manage to dominate the political agenda. There is
this nationalist backlash that wants to prevent Turkey’s European
Union membership. So they are targeting intellectuals deliberately.
We’re not the main targets. The main target is Turkey’s EU process.
What was the initial response to the novel? Were there changes to
this response during or following your trial?
The book came out on March 8, International Women’s Day. It was read
and circulated freely. The feedback that I received from different
segments of Turkish society has been incredibly positive … This
nationalist reaction, the backlash, came much later. My experience
with Turkish society is yes, I think people are discussing issues.
It’s not easy, but the civil society here is quite dynamic. That’s
why [the trials are] a pity, because nationalist groups are giving
the whole country a black eye.
Did thoughts of flight cross your mind during the trial, or did you
expect the verdict?
I wasn’t expecting this trial. It caught me by surprise, but I never
thought about abandoning Turkey, going away once and for all.
There is a metaphor I like very much in the Koran: it’s a tree called
Tuba that’s supposed to have roots up in the air. Sometimes when
my nationalist critics accuse me of having no roots, I say I feel
like the Tuba tree … My roots are in the air, not in the ground,
and when your roots are in the air you can feel connected to more
than one country, culture, and identity. I like that flexibility.
What is your response to this notion of a “clash of civilizations”?
What was your take on the Pope’s controversial recent statements
about Islam?
I found the Pope’s recent statements worrisome because we are living in
an increasingly polarized world and we don’t need further polarization
… There are very rigid ultra-religious within the Muslim world,
in the Christian world, and in the Jewish world, and I think that
these hardliners have a lot in common. They have the same mentality
based on exclusion, and they think they are better than others …
I do not believe there is a clash of civilizations between Islam and
the West, but I think there is a clash of opinions in each country. I
think Islam is … not one color or one voice. It is composed of
different voices, different interpretations, just like every other
religion. There are progressive, heterodox forces within Islamic
history and the Islamic domain. What worries me most is to see how
people on both sides believe in a clash of civilizations. I think
this is very dangerous.
What is the Turkish writer’s relationship with censored history?
For me, history is important, memory is important, a sense of
continuity is important. Turkey is a dynamic, future-oriented society,
but that potential for transformation came at the expense of memory
… The events of 1915 are part of that. Many Turks do not have a sense
of curiosity for our past. There is this mentality to let bygones be
bygones and a tendency to draw a clear demarcation line between past
and present.
Walter Benjamin has a metaphor I like very much. He said, “sometimes I
feel like I’m walking on a pile of rubble and I try to listen to the
sounds coming from beneath, to understand if there is still something
alive underneath that rubble.” Sometimes I try to see if there are
still stories or words that are alive under the ground and, when I
encounter something, I pull it from the ground, I shake off its dust
and put it in my novels so that it can live and circulate.
In fall 2005, you taught a course entitled “Gender Issues and Women’s
Literature in the Middle East” at the University of Arizona. You
asked, “Do women write differently than men? Are there essential
differences between Western women writers and those coming from the
Middle East?” How would you answer those questions?
These are questions that are very dear to me. I think about these
questions a lot. I don’t think there are fundamental differences
between women writers and male writers that are biologically determined
… our pen, our writing, should be bi-sexual; it should transcend
gender boundaries. And I am against making a distinction between
Middle Eastern writers and Western writers. I prefer to see each and
every writer in his or her own individuality.
Did you receive any threats to you or your family during the trial?
I have received some very poisonous letters, few in numbers, but
they were quite full of hatred and rage. That being said, it was
interesting to see that most of the [negative] letters came from Turks
living abroad, in America or in Europe. I tend to think immigrant Turks
[are] much more nationalist, religious or conservative than the Turks
in Turkey.
You’ve quoted Bertolt Brecht, “Unhappy the country that needs
heroes.” How would you respond to this, in terms of your relationship
with national heroes?
It troubles me very much. I think only true democracy can come from
below, from civil society, and it can be achieved collectively,
not individually.
When Turkish writers are persecuted, sometimes the Western media
treats us as if we were victims, and I don’t like that. I’m not a
victim. I’m not a hero, either. We don’t need individual heroes. We
need collective networks, collective movements of progressive people.
I think there should be more collaboration between progressive,
democratic forces in Turkey, in Israel, progressive democratic forces
in France. We don’t need heroes, but we need these movements, civil
society movements coming from below.

NOBEL WINNER PAMUK SLAMS FRENCH PARLIAMENT’S GENOCIDE LAW
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
October 14, 2006 Saturday 9:56 AM EST
DPA POLITICS Turkey Diplomacy France Pamuk Nobel winner Pamuk slams
French parliament’s genocide law Ankara Turkish Nobel Literature Prize
winner Orhan Pamuk has hit out at a French parliament decision to
make it a crime to deny the massacres of Armenians during the First
World War,
describing the move as a blow to freedom of speech.
Speaking to the private NTV television station, Pamuk said late
Friday the move was not in the French tradition – but that Turkey
should not overreact.
“We all know of the French traditions which defend freedom of
speech… We have all been affected by this. This move however does
not fit with the traditional French ideals,” Pamuk said.
Pamuk was awarded the Nobel prize on Thursday, the day the lower
house of the French parliament passed a bill making it a criminal
offence to deny that a genocide took place in Turkey by Ottoman Turks
on Christian Armenians.
While Turkey admits that massacres took place, it vehemently denies
that the deaths of Armenians during the war were part of a planned
genocide.
Earlier this year Pamuk was has himself on trial for “insulting
Turkishness” for his comments on the matter.
He was tried, but found not guilty on a technicality, for having told
a Swiss newspaper “30,000 Kurds and a million Armenians were killed
in these lands and nobody but me dares talk about it.”
While no official sanctions have been announced by the Turkish
government, public campaigns have already begun to boycott French
goods.
Pamuk though warned that Turkey should not go too far in reaction to
the French move, saying “one should not burn the whole quilt for the
sake of a single flea”.
Pamuk’s winning the Nobel prize has been widely welcomed by Turks
although nationalists have claimed the prize was awarded not for
his writing but for his politics, in particular his comments on the
killings of Armenians.

BOYCOTT ON WAY
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 16 2006
Friday saw calls for a sweeping boycott of French goods in response
to the passage of a controversial bill seeking the punishment of
deniers of Armenian genocide claims, despite protests and pressure
against the bill in both Turkey and Europe.
The Turkish Consumers’ Rights Union on Friday called for a firm boycott
until France withdraws the bill, which would make it a crime to deny
Armenian genocide claims in France.
The first calls for a total boycott came from politicians this week.
However there were also deputies who rejected the calls for strong
economic sanctions, underlining the country’s economic situation.
A similar move was seen in Turkey in 1998, when it emerged that
Abdullah Ocalan, the now-imprisoned leader of the terrorist Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK), was being sheltered in Italy.
Italian goods were boycotted and several street demonstrations took
place where angry people burned that country’s products.
During the boycott, state-owned Ziraat Bank declared that it would
not grant loans for the purchase of tractors or other Italian farming
equipment. Several Italian firms were disqualified from significant
contracts that also did harm to the Turkish economy. The Turkish
government also blacked out Italian TV stations, and Turk Telecom
suspended all commercial ties with Italian companies.
The consumer group has urged the public to boycott a French company
operating in Turkey to be nominated by them each week, with French
petrol giant Total chosen by the organization as the first target.
Bulent Deniz, head of the group, in a written statement released
on Friday, said that the boycott is meant to punish France and show
Turkish resolve. He also urged the public to maintain their stance
until the French deputies reconsider their mistake.
Stressing that it is a dangerous move to boycott a country’s goods
in a globalizing economic system, Deniz said that this is a last
resort that has to be tried. He added that they will add another
French company to the boycott drive each week.
Total has almost 500 gas stations throughout the country and earned
$2.5 billion in revenue last year.
A similar call came from the Turkish Tradesmen and Artisans
Confederation (TESK) on Friday, which said that all French goods
should be removed from store shelves.
TESK, which represents many professional chambers and federations
as well as individual artisans and tradesmen, called on its
sub-federations, chambers and individuals to follow their call.
“The Turkish government, which rules over 70 million people, should
pay the price of a small group of Armenians who are playing with
the rest of the world through lies,” said TESK head Dervis Gunday,
accusing the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party government of
failing to block the passage of the French bill.
He also criticized the Swedish Royal Academy’s decision to award the
Nobel Prize for Literature to Orhan Pamuk, a celebrated Turkish writer
who earlier stood trial on charges of insulting Turkishness for saying,
“1 million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in these lands.”
“It’s very interesting that a Turkish author who has advocated the
so-called Armenian genocide claims won the Nobel Prize on the very
same day the French bill was passed,” added Gunday.
Turkish business groups also called for a boycott or similar economic
sanctions, including barring French companies from participating in
state tenders.
Small- and Medium-Sized Industrialist Exporters’ Association of Turkey
(MUSIAD) head Omer Bolat also said on Friday that any boycott should
be firm.
“French companies should be excluded from tenders regarding the
environment, transport, energy and defense sectors,” said Bolat,
whose proposal was welcomed by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO)
and several other business groups.
Deputy returns Peugeot
In a move to protest the French decision, a deputy on Friday asked the
Parliament Speaker’s Office to replace his government car, a Peugeot.
Center-right Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) deputy group leader Suleyman
Saribas said he was ashamed of having a French car and urged others
to follow his move.
“If the state has no other car to allocate to me, I will use my own
car,” said the deputy.
He also said the Customs Union agreement between France and Turkey
should be suspended.
He also joined in the boycott calls, adding that there should be a
customs quota for French goods.
Arinc urges calm
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who on Thursday delivered a stern
statement criticizing France, on Friday urged, “We should stay calm.”
“We can’t achieve anything by shouting, insults or burning flags,”
he stressed, while praising behavior that expresses the Turkish
position in a cool-headed manner.
He expressed his appreciation of Hrant Dink, a Turkish journalist of
Armenian origin who on Thursday said he would go to Paris to violate
the bill if it becomes law, and to Mesrob Mutafyan, the Turkish
Armenian patriarch who also scolded France for its move.
He also proposed the release of a common manifesto by academics,
led by the head of the Board of Higher Education (YOK), on the matter.
He also said that France, with this move, has betrayed its own values
and long-established principles.
In another written statement, the Confederation of Turkish Employers’
Labor Unions (TISK), said that they will of course show their reaction,
but will also consider the economic interests of the country and the
Turkish people.

Agence France Presse — English
October 13, 2006 Friday
French historians come out against Armenian ‘genocide’ vote
A grouping of French historians on Friday issued a joint statement
condemning a vote by French MPs to adopt a new law which would punish
anybody who denied that the 1915-1917 massacres of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks constituted genocide.
The bill, which was adopted by France’s lower house of parliament
Thursday and sent on to the upper house for debate, was “a real
provocation”, the group, calling itself Freedom for History, said.
They said they intended to call on President Jacques Chirac to block
the bill if the upper house also voted in favour.
“So deep is the feeling of solidarity that we have for the victims of
history, we are rising in solemn protest,” they wrote, adding that
the bill represented an “ebb of democratic freedoms”.
The bill envisages a one-year prison term and a fine of up to 45,000
euros (56,000 dollars) on anybody who denies that the Ottomans
committed genocide against the Armenians as their empire fell apart
in World War I.
Turkey, the modern successor to the Ottoman Empire, has reacted with
fury to the bill, and threatened economic reprisals against French
firms.