Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Armenian minister denounces Turkish move to rename animals
Arminfo
7 Mar 05
Yerevan, 7 March: The “correction” of the Latin names of wild animals
by the Turkish authorities is nothing but political games, Armenian
Ecology Minister Vardan Ayvazyan has told an Arminfo correspondent
commenting on the Turkish environment and forestry minister’s edict on
renaming a number of species of the native fauna related to Kurdistan
and Armenia.
In particular, under the decision of the Turkish authorities, a red
fox known as Vulpes Vulpes Kurdistanica will be known now as just
Vulpes Vulpes. A species of wild sheep called Ovis Armeniana has
been changed to Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus. A type of deer known as
Capreolus Capreolus Armenus was renamed Capreolus Cuprelus Capreolus,
the Turkish media reported.
The director of Turkish National Parks and Wildlife, Prof [Mustafa]
Kemal Yalinkilic, said that these wild animals “have been renamed in
the interest of the country”, the Turkish media reported.
“At present strange games are being played against our country. Some
people are using the names of species of our fauna in order to stress
that Kurds and Armenians used to live here. By changing the names of
these species we will put an end to these games,” the professor said.
Commenting on this statement, Vardan Ayvazyan stressed that political
problems cannot be resolved through a struggle against Latin names.
“How the Turks will call sheep is their own business, but it will
remain as Ovis Armeniana on the international list of endangered
species,” Ayvazyan said, adding that “strange games” have been played
by the Turks themselves for the past five centuries.

ISSUE OF NORASHEN SURB NSHAN CHURCH TO TOP ARMENIAN AND GEORGIAN CHURCH
LEADERS’ MEETING AGENDA
Azg/arm
5 March 05
The Armenian diocese of Georgia issued a press release yesterday in
regard to the incident with the Armenians Surb Astvatsatsin church of
Norashen in Tbilisi. Daily Azg’s March 4 issue highlighted the issue
of this 15th century Armenian church in Leselidze Str in Tbilisi that
the Georgian Church attempts to appropriate. It must be noted before
turning to the release itself that during the last 15 years the
Georgian clergy, spearheaded by Iliad II Patriarch, took hold of and
consecrated few Armenian churches in Tbilisi including Kusanats Surb
Stepanos church, Surb Bethlehem, church of Khikho and others.
The Armenian Diocese blessed the Armenian and Georgian youth and hopes
to resolve the conflict surrounding Norashen during high level
negotiations
On 3.3.2005 a peaceful action planned by the Armenian-Georgian Youth
organization, which assembled more than 200 youth, took place in the
Centreof Tbilisi. The youths set out at the Cathedral Sioni located
near Norashen, then moved on to the latter and ended at the Armenian
Church Surp Gevorg. The Georgian youth joined the Armenians in this
peaceful action to express their disagreement with the actions of
Georgian priests aimed at the appropriation of Armenian Churches and
to underline the fact that not all Georgians support this position. At
Surp Gevorg they lit candles and received blessings from Father
Abgar. In his address to the youth, Father Abgar remembered former
times, when both nations observed mutual pilgrimages, with faithful
Georgians visiting Holy Etchmiadzin to take part in the liturgy with
Armenians and Armenians in turn came to Svetiskhoveli. He mentioned
this tradition was surprisingly kept alive even during Soviet times,
when religion was suffering suppression.
Unfortunately, despite the goodwill of the Georgian youth who had come
to express their solidarity with the local Armenians, many of them
refused to enter the Armenian Church Surp Gevorg and stayed outside in
the courtyard. Some of the Armenian youth decided then to continue
their action by planting their tents in front of Norashen and were on
the verge of declaring a hunger strike.
After the prayers and an appeasing sermon by Father Abgar, the tense
situation among the youth was defused and some of the Georgian youth
came forward to receive Father Abgar’s blessing. The Georgian and
Armenian youth then peacefully ended their action.
The Armenian Diocese hopes to be able to solve the tensions
surrounding Norashen and Surp Neshan on a high level during future
negotiations betweenKarekin II, the Catholicos of all Armenians and
Iliad II, the Patriarch of Georgia.
For recollection, tensions relating to the 17 years old conflict
around Norashen had arisen again after the obvious attempt by Georgian
priests to change historical facts. The Armenian Diocese had already
communicated these factsin a former Press Release of February 28.
A few months ago, hundred year old Georgian grave stones, carrying
Georgian inscriptions, suddenly appeared in the courtyard of the
Armenian Church Norashen. Rather, they were transported here. Our
photographer and cameraman had filmed these stones still wrapped in
their iron wires, thrown randomly intothe church’s courtyard. In the
meantime these stones have been neatly lined up and safely installed
along the church’s wall. The reasoning behind is crystal clear: these
actions serve to “prove” that the church is in fact a Georgian
orthodox one, as according to the words of the Georgian priest, Father
Tariel, “The Armenians would have never let the Georgians bury in
their dead in front of their own church”. At the same time as the
Georgian stones were brought from an unknown cemetery to Tbilisi, the
Armenian ones, located on the other side of the church were found
vandalised – the Armenian inscriptions had been destroyed.
Armenian Diocese in Georgia

OFFICIAL ANKARA THREATENS GERMANY WITH DISRUPTION OF EXCELLENT
TURKISH- GERMAN RELATIONS
YEREVAN, MARCH 4. ARMINFO. Necessary measures to prevent adoption of
draft resolution ”Commemoration of Armenians on the 90th anniversary
of their relocation and massacre on April 24th, 1915 – Germany should
contribute to provide peace between Turks and Armenians” were taken
both in Ankara and Belrin. Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik
Tan said on Wednesday. He said that Turkey believed that German
governmental party would not support the draft resolution prepared by
the opposition on the so-called Armenian genocide, Turkish press
reports. The question about the draft resolution will be submitted to
the German federal parliament in April, by CDU/CSU group. Recalling
that this was an initiative of the German opposition, Tan said, ”we
believe this will not be advocated by governmental party.”
He said necessary initiatives were made both in Ankara and Berlin to
prevent the draft resolution be adopted, and noted that decisions
taken in the parliaments of third countries did not help overcoming
problems between Turkey and Armenia.
”We believe that the issue will be assessed by both parties to
prevent disruption of excellent Turkish- German relations.”

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 3, 2005
HIGHLIGHTS:
FOURTEENTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW
DRAFT LAW “ON FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM” RESTRICTS THE RIGHTS OF MEDIA
REPRESENTATIVES
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN ARMENIA IN 2004
PRESS-SECRETARY OF THE RA PRESIDENT APPOINTED
THE THIRD DIRECTOR HEADS “KENTRON” TV COMPANY
ACCOUNTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BROADCAST REGULATORY BODIES PUBLISHED
EXHIBITION OF WORLD PRESS PHOTO-2004 WINNERS
FOURTEENTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW
On February 28 on the evening air of the Second Armenian TV Channel the
fourteenth “Press Club” show was issued. The cycle is organized by Yerevan
Press Club under a homonymous project, supported by the OSI Network Media
Program.
The heads of the leading media and journalistic associations of the country
spoke about public policy and whether it exists in Armenia. As the program
participants projected, the central issue of the current week will be the
ordinary four-day session of the National Assembly. As the “Press Club”
participants expect, the media will also pay attention to the worsening of
relations between the leaders of the parties, making up the ruling
coalition – the Prime Minister Andranik Margarian (Republican party of
Armenia) and the RA National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian (“Orinats
Yerkir” party).
DRAFT LAW “ON FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM” RESTRICTS THE RIGHTS OF MEDIA
REPRESENTATIVES
On March 1 the National Assembly of Armenia passed in the second hearing the
draft law “On Fight against Terrorism”. A certain concern of the
journalistic community was caused by the provisions of the draft,
restricting the rights of the media representatives to access and
dissemination of information, related to terrorism.
In particular, according to the draft law, in the area of antiterrorist
operations the activities of media representatives is regulated by the head
of the Republican Antiterrorism Headquarters (a new body to be formed in
accordance with the draft law). Besides, it is prohibited to disseminate
information that reveal the methods and devices of antiterrorist activities,
can impede the antiterrorist activities and constitute danger for the life
and health of citizens, and are directed to the promotion or justification
of terrorism.
Thus, terrorism can turn out to be a complete taboo for the media. The most
interesting fact here is that after the adoption of the law the journalists
will not have a right to disseminate information on the members of the
Headquarters above, on the bodies, involved in the antiterrorist activities,
the staff of the special services and their antiterrorist subdivisions, as
well as, remarkably, about people who provided assistance in the
antiterrorist activities.
In other words, understand this as you wish! And the danger is more than
great to have these provisions given quite broad interpretations in a
country, where the freedom of expression is not very well off as it is.
Having such a law, the authorities can simply prohibit the journalists from
covering the activities of the power bodies, the tax and customs agencies…
What is then to be done about another loudly proclaimed campaign, the
anticorruption one, if the structures that are commonly viewed to be the
major corruption sources, become closed for the press?
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN ARMENIA IN 2004
On February 28 the US Department of State released its annual report on
human rights practices in 2004 in different countries of the world, prepared
by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
Referring to the situation on freedom of speech and press in Armenia, the US
Department of State noted that while the Constitution provides for freedom
of speech and of the press, “the Government partially limited freedom of
speech, and there were several incidents of violence, intimidation and
self-censorship”.
The report notes that the majority of the newspapers of the country, with
the exception of “Hayastani Hanrapetutiun” and “Respublika Armenia”, are
privately owned, and the state printing house and the distribution agency
functioned as commercial enterprises – “with no apparent government
intervention”. “No newspaper was completely independent of patronage from
economic or political interest groups or individuals”, the report noted.
Because of low newspaper circulation, most persons in the country rely on
broadcast media for information, which are mostly privately owned. The news
coverage of the private TV companies in the capital and other cities of the
country, is generally independent and of good technical quality. However, in
the opinion of the report authors, the substantive quality of news reporting
varied due to self-censorship by journalists and the stations’ dependence on
patronage. As to the Public Television of Armenia, by the assessment of the
US Department of State, its news coverage continued to be significantly
influenced by senior officials within the office of the President of the
country; while its news reporting was mostly factual, it avoided editorial
commentary or criticism of the Government: “For example, it provided little
coverage of the April 12 and 13 political demonstrations in the capital.”
The report also noted that “A1+”, “one of the countries last independent
television stations”, did not get a broadcast license in 2002 “because of
sharp critical coverage of the President Kocharian’s administration”. The
report also mentioned the refusal of “Kentron” TV company in October 2004 to
continue broadcasting the program of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The statement that “major media outlets in the country were generally
pro-government” was illustrated by the report authors with the 2003
presidential election campaign, when “the majority of the media, including
Public TV of Armenia, most private television stations, and the major
state-funded newspaper, all provided heavily biased news coverage that
favored incumbent President Kocharian”.
The situation of freedom of speech and press in 2004 is also defined in the
report in the context with the cases of “harassment of journalists”. Among
the specific examples the incidents at the opposition rallies of April 5 and
on April 12-13. It was noted in particular that during the rally of April 5
men in civilian clothing caused material and physical damage to journalists,
and by eyewitness accounts the police stood up and did not intervene to stop
the attacks. On April 13 the police themselves exerted violence against
journalists, although, as the latter maintained, they had identified
themselves to the police as reporters covering the rally. The report also
mentions the violence against the photojournalist in Tsaghkadzor on August
24. “There also were unconfirmed reports of incidents of harassment and
intimidation of journalists outside the capital”, the report of the
Department of State mentions.
Despite the absence of official censorship, in the opinion of the US
Department of State, some print journalists “continue to practice
self-censorship to avoid problems with the Government and because of
pressure from official sources”.
The report also noted the adoption of amendments to the RA Criminal Code, in
particular, the certain mildening of the punishment stipulated for the libel
and insult of an official. However, it is stressed that the libel and insult
remain criminal offences.
When evaluating the freedom of speech situation, the report authors also
used the information of Yerevan Press Club.
In the section of the US Department of State’s report on the freedom of
religion in Armenia it was noted also that the head of “ALM” TV company
“frequently made anti-Semitic remarks on the air”.
PRESS-SECRETARY OF THE RA PRESIDENT APPOINTED
On February 26 the RA President Robert Kocharian appointed his new
press-secretary to be Victor Soghomonian. Victor Soghomonian was born in
1979. Having graduated from the Department of Russian Language and
Literature of the Yerevan State University in 2001, he continued studying at
the graduate school of the Abeghian Literature Institute of the RA National
Science Academy, has a PhD in philology. In 2000-2002 Victor Soghomonian
taught at the Armenian-Russian (Slavic) University. He started to practice
TV journalism since 1997. In 2000-2003 he was the political observer of the
“Lraber” newscast of “Prometheus” TV company. Since June 2003 till January
2004 he headed the administration of the Chairman of the RA National
Assembly.
The previous press-secretary of the RA President Ashot Kocharian was
appointed the RA Ambassador in India (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, February
18-24, 2005).
THE THIRD DIRECTOR HEADS “KENTRON” TV COMPANY
On February 28 the head of “Kentron” TV channel changed again: Petros
Ghazarian was replaced on the position of the director by Meruzhan Sargsian.
The latter, before the new position, was the director of “Lraber” newscast
of the Second Armenian TV Channel.
It should be noted that after “Kentron” changed its owner in April 2004
Meruzhan Sargsian is the third head of the company. Petros Ghazarian held
this position for about seven months, and his predecessor Aram Abrahamian –
less than three months. Aram Abrahamian explained his resignation by the
controversies he had with the TV company owners over the financial
management of the channel (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, August 26 –
September 2, 2004). As Petros Ghazarian told YPC, he resigned the position
of the director of his own accord, since he prefers to engage in creative
rather than administrative work. Petros Ghazarian will continue to host
“Urvagits” program on “Kentron” TV channel and is going to implement a new
project, “Compromise” Sunday analytical program.
ACCOUNTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BROADCAST REGULATORY BODIES PUBLISHED
“TV Alik” weekly (TV and radio program review) of February 28 – March 6,
2005 published the accounts of the Council of the Public TV and Radio
Company and the National Commission on Television and Radio on the
activities of these broadcast regulatory bodies in 2004. The accounts were
publicized in accordance with the RA Law “On Television and Radio”.
EXHIBITION OF WORLD PRESS PHOTO-2004 WINNERS
On March 3 at “Moskva” Cinema the reception on the opening of World Press
Photo 2004 Exhibition in Yerevan will be held. In this annual international
competition 4,176 photojournalists of 124 countries of the world took part,
presenting their works for 2003. The results of the competition were
finalized in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on February 1-12, 2004. The winners of
the competition were 62 journalists of 23 countries. The Grand Prix was
awarded to the photograph by a French photo journalist Jean-Marc Bouju
(“Associated Press” news agency), made at one of the prisoner camps in Iraq.
The exhibition has already been held in over 80 cities of the world. The
Yerevan exposition of the winning photographs of the World Press Photo is
organized by the Caucasian Media Institute and will be open from March 4 to
27.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]
Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]
Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 1) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 1) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

Family races for cure to deadly disease
News 14 Carolina (Charlotte, NC)
2/28/2005
By: Martie Salt, News 14 Carolina
On the field, famed Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian
was a winner. But there was one fight he couldn’t win
— three of his four grandchildren were diagnosed with
a deadly disease.
One of those children, Marcia, has a fatal disease
that will kill her. She knows because it killed her
older brother and her little sister.
Not knowing how to deal with their daughter’s looming
death, Mike and Cindy Parseghian created a foundation
to help other families dealing with similar
situations.
“We were hoping it would have a big impact on our
children’s lives,” Cindy said about the organization.
Niemann-Pick Type C disease usually affects children
of school age by interfering with their ability to
metabolize cholesterol.
The Parseghians know that time has run out to save
Marcia from the genetic disease Niemann-Pick Type C,
which is also known as NPC. It has destroyed her
ability to metabolize cholesterol, robbed her of her
ability to walk, talk and even move her eyes.
NPC is fatal — a diagnosis Cindy first heard for her
son Michael.
“He just couldn’t quite keep up with the other kids on
the playground,” she said.
After a year of tests, doctors finally found out what
was wrong.
“All of a sudden … we have not just Michael that is
seriously ill, but we have the potential for having
the two girls (who are sick),” Cindy said.
All three tested positive for NPC.
“We screamed, we yelled,” Cindy said. “I’m not
embarrassed to say that I cursed God.”
Then Cindy and Mike turned their anger into something
positive and started a foundation. Although research
did not help their children, the gene that causes it
has been discovered. Now the race is on for a cure.
“You see this one little toddler, of 1 year old, that
we know has the disease, yet is not showing signs, and
I have a real strong belief that we can make an impact
on that child’s life,” she said.
She and her husband say they pray other children will
be saved because of their work and the resulting
research.
Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, a
volunteer, nonprofit corporation, funds research
projects that will lead to a treatment and cure for
Niemann-Pick Type C disease.
Web Journalist: Megan Butler
On the Net: Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation
–Boundary_(ID_fYTR87cL11yb2iT8/0aSog)–

Toronto Star,Canada
Feb 9, 2005
Egoyan struggles to make Cannes deadline
Atom Egoyan is running out of time to participate at this year’s
Cannes Film Festival, and it’s all because he can’t stop the music.
The Toronto filmmaker is in post-production for his new movie Where
the Truth Lies, a murder whodunit starring Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth
and Alison Lohman. The film was expected to be a leading contender
for Canada’s chief flag bearer at the annual Cannes fest in May.
“I’m not so sure we’re going to be ready for Cannes,” he said in an
interview yesterday. “Because there’s a lot of music involved.
There’s a ton of stuff that has to be settled in terms of
post-production. It’s tricky. It’s a much trickier post than the
other films.”
The entry deadline “is coming right up,” Egoyan said, he didn’t
specify the date, “so we have to make a decision soon.”
But even if Egoyan misses the deadline, he might still be accepted as
a late entry, which is not unknown at Cannes.
He is popular with Cannes festival selectors, who have often chosen
his films for the main competition or sidebar programs. In 1997,
Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter won the second-prize Grand Prix at
Cannes.
– Peter Howell

PanArmenian News
Feb 25 2005
AZERBAIJAN’S AMBASSADOR TO IRAN CRITICIZED OSCE MINSK GROUP
ACTIVITIES
25.02.2005 15:30
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “During 13 years the OSCE Minsk Group has been
doing nothing but misleading Azerbaijanis”, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador
to Iran Abbas Ali Hasanov stated in Tehran. “We are ready to
cooperate with this group but the Co-Chairs submit proposals that are
not admissible”, Hasanov noted, The Ambassador stated that Azerbaijan
intends to return the territories “occupied by Armenia”. Presently we
do not have any political contacts with Yerevan and the only
condition for their establishment is the liberation of the seized
Azeri territories”, he stressed.

UCLA International Institute
Educating Global Citizens
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John M. Evans, Speaks at UCLA
from left to right: Vice Provost Geoffrey Garrett, Ambassaor John M.
Evans, Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John M. Evans, Speaks at UCLA
Recently appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, John
Marshall Evans, visited UCLA on February 17, 2005 to address students,
faculty, and the public in an informative talk titled “Report from
Armenia, 2005.”
His visit to campus was arranged by Professor Richard G. Hovannisian,
Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History, in
cooperation with the Armenian Students Association, the Burkle Center
for International Relations, the Center for European and Eurasian
Studies, and the departments of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and
Slavic Languages and Literatures.
Ambassador John Evans, Archbishop Mousegh Mardirossian, Dr. Richard
Hovannisian, UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale
Speaking before a capacity audience in the Viewpoint Conference Room of
Ackerman Union, Ambassador Evans gave a frank assessment of his
impressions of Armenia in the six months since he presented his
credentials to the president of the Republic in September 2004. The
ambassador touched upon the challenges and opportunities facing the
Republic, which regained its independence with the collapse of the
Soviet Union in 1991 and was immediately recognized by the United
States. Major external challenges include stabilizing conditions in the
strategic Caucasus region and finding ways to improve relations with the
neighboring states of Azerbaijan and Turkey so that they will lift their
blockade of the landlocked Armenian state and accept a compromise
solution to the territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabagh region.
Speaking of domestic issues, the ambassador stressed U.S. encouragement
of democratic institutions, free and transparent elections,
anti-corruption measures, and a revitalized economic and financial
infrastructure. He also acknowledged the concerns of the
Armenian-American community relating to U.S. recognition of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915.
The talk was followed by a brisk discussion session, during which UCLA
students questioned the ambassador about the U.S. policies in the South
Caucasus region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) and matters of importance
to the Armenian people. During the exchange, Robin Phillips, Mission
Director in Armenia of the US Agency for International Development
(US/AID) outlined the financial, educational, and moral assistance
extended by the United States and reiterated the objective of advancing
democratic institutions in Armenia.
Raffi Kassabian, President of the Armenian Students Association, closed
the forum by thanking the ambassador for his report and stressing the
importance of continued dialogue.
Ambassador John Evans, Consul General of Armenia Gagik Kirakosian, Betty
Jamgotchian, Armenian Bar Association
Ambassador Evans was also accompanied by Mrs. Donna Evans, former
president of the World Affairs Council of Washington D.C., Eugenia
Sidereas of the State Department’s Armenia Desk, and Political Officer
Aaron Sherinian, who served as the liaison with Professor Hovannisian in
arranging the ambassador’s visit to UCLA.
Prior to the public lecture, Ambassador Evans and his party were guests
of honor at a luncheon in the Faculty Center attended by UCLA
administrators and faculty and representatives of Armenian community
organizations. They were welcomed by Chancellor Albert Carnesale and
greeted by Provost of the International Institute Geoffrey Garrett and
Professor Hovannisian. On this occasion, Provost Garrett presented both
Ambassador Evans and the Honorable Gagik Kirakossian, Consul General of
the Republic Armenia in Los Angeles, with Vasa sculptures designed by
UCLA Design | Media Arts Professor Vasa Mihich, an internationally known
sculptor.
Date Posted: 2/22/2005
UCLA International Institute ¢ 11343 Bunche Hall ¢ Box 951487 ¢ Los
Angeles, CA 90095-1487
Campus Mail Code: 148703 ¢ Tel: (310) 825-4921 ¢ Fax: (310)
825-4591 ¢ [email protected]
© 2005. The Regents of the University of California. All rights
reserved.

Armenia, OSCE sign agreement on eliminating stocks of rocket fuel components
AP Worldstream
Feb 23, 2005

Armenia’s top security official and the local representative of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe signed a
memorandum of understanding on eliminating aging stocks of
environmentally harmful rocket fuel components.
The agreement signed Tuesday by OSCE representative Vladimir Pryakhin
and Serzh Sarkisian, who serves as secretary of Armenia’s National
Security Council and minister of defense, provides for the safe
recycling of 872 metric tons of the Melange rocket fuel components,
which will produce a useful byproduct, liquid fertilizer, the OSCE
said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hellenic News of America
Feb 23 2005
ISTANBUL GREEKS SEEK JUSTICE IN LAND CLAIMS
Turkey is trying to bring its laws on minorities in tune with those
of the EU, but ethnic Greeks living in the capital say they are
victimized through unfair land expropriations.
By George Gilson – Athens News
VARTHOLOMEOS, ecumenical patriarch and archbishop of Constantinople,
is wont to call the 2,000-strong Greek community of Istanbul a “drop
in the ocean”.
Shrunken and scarred by the violent vicissitudes of Greek-Turkish
relations over the decades, that drop is now in danger of
evaporating. Despite reforms for the protection of minorities
intended to bring Turkey in line with European Union law, the leaders
of Istanbul’s Greek community are struggling for basic rights.
That includes establishing the legal grounds to claim back around 400
pieces of prime Istanbul real estate gradually confiscated by the
Turkish state since 1974. “The confiscated property was certainly
worth billions of dollars. We are talking about entire apartment
buildings and tracts of city land that produced significant
revenues,” says Vasslis Kalamaris, an attorney for the patriarchate.
Based on a 1974 supreme court decision, the Turkish state refused to
recognize titles to Greek minority properties purchased or acquired
by donation after 1936, when Turkey conducted a mandatory
registration of minority properties. “Under the Turkish legal
framework, the state would come knocking at our door and say that you
had no right to possess this land you acquired in 1944, 1959 and so
forth, because it was not registered in the list you submitted in
1936,” Kalamaris told the Athens News.
New property law
In an effort to streamline its minority rights laws with those of the
EU, which it hopes to join, Turkey enacted a law last August. “The
new law passed in August said that we can acquire new property. The
reform was a worthless gift. None of our communities or foundations
want new property. All we want is to get back what was unjustly taken
away from us,” Kalamaris underlined.
The cumbersome requirements of the law also suggest that Turkey’s
reforms do not always achieve their goal. The law required cabinet
approval for the purchase or sale of property by communities. The
August law stated: “Community foundations, regardless of whether or
not they have a charter or foundation, can acquire or dispose of real
property with the permission of the council of ministers.” A further
directive issued by the directorate of foundations in October,
reportedly on instructions from the office of then premier Bulent
Ecevit, threw even more bureaucratic red tape in the way of community
organizations seeking to acquire or sell property.
After the EU refused to open accession talks with Turkey last
December, the law was revised in January, doing away with the need to
obtain cabinet approval to buy or sell property belonging to minority
foundations. But it is still necessary to obtain approval of both the
local directorate of foundations and the headquarters in Ankara.
But the real issue for the Istanbul Greeks remains the return of
confiscated property. Although the new law passed in January does not
specifically establish a right to reclaim confiscated property,
Kalamaris believes it provides sufficient grounds to legally
challenge in the courts past judicial rulings by which valuable real
estate was confiscated. Moreover, those properties acquired by the
Greek minority after 1936 and not previously registered in the land
registry can now be legally registered with proof of ownership like
rental agreements or utility bills.
“The Greek Balouki Hospital suffered most from this situation. They
have had 136 pieces of valuable real estate confiscated by the
state,” Kalamaris said.
Another key property is a huge real estate parcel that once housed an
orphanage on the posh resort island of Prinkipos off Istanbul, and
was owned by the patriarchate. This land was also expropriated by the
state, which blocked an effort by the church to develop the prime
property as a hotel unit. The patriarchate’s case against the state
is still under review in the Turkish Council of State.
But the problem is not exclusive to the Greeks, as the Armenian
community has faced a similar predicament on a much smaller scale.
Diram Bakar, a lawyer for the community, told the Athens News that he
was successful in reversing a handful of expropriations through legal
challenges in court.
Over several weeks until the February 8 deadline for registering all
property, a small group of Istanbul Greeks worked for hours on end
compiling the full record of title to hundreds of pieces of property
owned by dozens of Greek community foundations. These were submitted
to both the land registry and the directorate of foundations in
compliance with the new law. The registered properties are the legacy
of a once vibrant community of wealthy merchants and businessmen
numbering over 150,000 just half a century ago.
No equality for Istanbul Greeks
Although they are Turkish citizens, the Greeks of Istanbul complain
that they do not enjoy equality in the eyes of the law. Greek
Orthodox foundations are placed under the category of “foreign
foundations”, even though the Greek minority is comprised of
native-born Turkish citizens whose ancestors have lived in the
country for centuries.
Article 37 of the Treaty of Lausanne, which still largely determines
the rights of Istanbul’s Greek minority, stipulates that no Turkish
domestic law can limit the treaty rights of the Greek community,
including that of self-administration. But the Turkish state
frequently finds formal pretexts to dissolve the governing boards of
Greek community foundations, opening the way for the judicial
expropriation of the property of minority communities.
The majority of Greek-owned property is still in Greek hands – some
$10 billion worth – but there are fears that the process of
expropriation will soon target these properties as well.
Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis told the Athens News
that the revised EU accession partnership for Turkey, due to be
submitted at the end of March, will set forth a clear obligation for
Ankara to respect the property rights of the Greek minority –
including the right to reclaim properties arbitrarily expropriated by
the state over the last three decades.
“The EU Commission’s evaluation report last October refers to
religious foundations and their rights. It stresses Turkey’s
shortcomings and requests a change in the legal framework to address
that. We underlined this problem leading up to Copenhagen and will do
so again for the revised accession partnership. This will certainly
be a condition Turkey must fulfill,” Beglitis said.