Author: Kamalian Hagop

WORLD BANK ALLOCATES 22.5 MLN DOLLAR CREDIT FOR REFORMING ARMENIAN
COURT AND LEGAL SYSTEM

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The World Bank allocated 22.5 mln USD
credit for reforming the Armenian court and legal system. The
respective agreement was signed on March 9 by the RA Minister of
Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatrian and the WB Yerevan Office Acting
Director Naira Melkumian. The credit is provided for 20 years, with
10-year grace period and 75% interest rate. V. Khachatrian said that
the Japanese government will also provide a 3 mln dollar grant.
According to him, the program’s aim is to improve administration in the
Armenian court and legal system and form high-quality infrastructures.
Under the program, repairs of courts in marzes will be completed, and
construction of the RA Cassation Court will start.

IN HOVHANNES HOVHANNISIAN’S WORDS, QUALITY OF POLITICAL FIGURES FALLS
YEAR BY YEAR IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The quality of political figures and
parties nominated for the elections falls year by year in Armenia and
this is just a disgrace for the country. Hovhannes Hovhannisian,
Chairman of Liberal-Progressive Party of Armenia, expressed such an
opinion at the March 9 press conference. In his words, today no
progress is registered in political processes, which means that the
rates of country’s development will become slower. The reason of all
this, in H. Hovhannisian’s words, is that the current National
Assembly failed to become a "political institution." H. Hovhannisian
mentioned that he has been nominated by majoritarian system at
electoral district N 5. As he forecast, he will succeed "if only the
public orients itself what kind of parliament is wishes to have –
political or criminalized and gives its preference to the political
one." He said that the slogans of LPPA at the forthcoming elections
are power shift, European integration, deepening of relations with
NATO.

Indiewire

Production Report

March 7, 2007

by Jason Guerrasio

"Float"

In writer-director Johnny Asuncion’s debut feature, a middle-aged man
attempts to give two guys in their twenties some guidance while trying to
work out the struggles in his own life.

Set in Glendale, CA, "Float" follows ice cream shop owner Ray (Gregory
Itzin) who finds himself in a mid-life crisis when his wife of 30 years
leaves him. Ray shacks up at the ice cream shop until two of his
twentysomething employees (Hrach Titizian and Asuncion) find him sleeping
there and invites him to live with them. But soon the bachelor lifestyle
gets old and Ray realizes he must get his family back. At the same time his
roommates come to the harsh reality that they can’t be young and stupid
forever.

Ascuncion came up with the story over a year ago and based the Ray character
on a friend in an acting class who was going through a similar situation.
"The guy was 60-years-old and his wife left him and he was in shock and went
through this whole phase where he got a tattoo and an ear ring, I guess
things he wasn’t able to do because he got married so young, and I found
that interesting," commented Asuncion. After convincing his acting teacher,
Itzin, to play the lead, the project took a serendipitous turn when Itzin
got an Emmy nomination for his performance in "24." Asuncion says this
helped greatly in getting financing.

Shooting in Glendale was also an advantage as the heavily Armenian community
supported the project by letting them shoot in their stores and came out in
droves to play extras. In fact, the Armenian ties helped Ascuncion get
Borat’s sidekick, Ken Davitian, to come on for a small role. "Ken Davitian
is a family friend of Titizian’s and liked the script," Ascuncion says. "It
was right before the Golden Globes [where Sacha Baron Cohen recalled an
uncomfortable scene with Davitian that had the crowd in stitches] and we got
really lucky because apparently since then he’s been booked solid."

Currently in post, the film had a 20-day shoot in January. Shot on HD by
Matt Egan, the editor is Aaron Toaso. The producer is Peter Paul Basler.

roduction_repo_15.html

Turkish court shuts down YouTube

By Vincent Boland in Istanbul
Financial Times

Published: March 7 2007 17:05 | Last updated: March 7 2007 17:05

Turkey’s largest internet services provider shut down access to the YouTube
video-sharing web site on Wednesday after a court ruling that some of its
content insulted Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.

The decision followed days of furious insult-sharing among Turkish and Greek
users of the popular and controversial site.

The result was a flood of complaints to the site and to the media from
Turkish users angered by what one newspaper said were "fanatic Greeks
broadcasting videos" insulting Ataturk.

Turk Telekom acted first by removing the offending items, but a court
ordered access to the site to be blocked late on Tuesday after prosecutors
brought a case against YouTube.

A message posted on the site late on Wednesday said access had been
suspended following a decision by an Istanbul court. One video posted on the
site allegedly claimed that Ataturk and Turks were "homosexuals". Ataturk,
who died in 1938, is a revered figure in Turkey and it is a crime to
"insult" him or state institutions. Many writers, including the Nobel
literature laureate Orhan Pamuk, have faced trial for work that allegedly
breaches this law.

Paul Doany, chief executive of Turk Telekom, said the company had received a
faxed copy of the court’s decision on Tuesday. "YouTube’s services have been
suspended in Turkey in accordance with this decision," he said.

The site would remain blocked until the court decided otherwise.

The decision to shut off access to the site was not a judgement on the
material broadcast, he added, but a response to a legal decision. The
government has promised to look at ways of amending article 301 of Turkey’s
penal code, under which prosecutions of writers can be brought. But it
appears unlikely that the article will be abolished, as campaigners have
urged.

Copyright < > The Financial
Times Limited 2007

U.S. CONGRESS GENOCIDE RESOLUTION IS RATHER MORAL THAN POLITICAL STEP

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.03.2007 13:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Adoption of the Armenian Genocide bill by
the U.S. Congress cannot become a subject of speculations and
pressure on Armenia by the United States, political scientist Levon
Melik-Shahnazaryan told a press conference in Yerevan. He said, it
is a rather moral than a political step. "However, currently it is
being viewed in the political aspect.

After all, United States’ guilt in 1896-1923 Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Empire is rather small. In this crime more guilt have Russia,
Germany, France and Great Britain. Here France’s example is very
instructive, which despite anything recognized the Armenian Genocide
and even adopted a bill on criminal punishment for denying it,"
the political scientist stressed. He expressed confidence that the
United States will not demand support from Armenia in the Iranian
problem in return for adoption of the bill.

THE CHURCH OF AKHTAMAR HAS NO CROSS YET

armradio.am
06.03.2007 12:33

"Construction or renovation of the Church completes only when the
cross is placed," RA Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs
Gagik Gyurjyan told Armenpress, commenting on the recent disagreements
in Turkey connected with placing the cross on the Holy Cross Church
of Akhtamar.

Currently the Turkish Ministry of Culture is discussing the question
of placing a cross on the Church of the Holy Cross. The Deputy Culture
Minister is confident that the Turkish side will not oppose the idea
of placing a cross on the Church, since it is compulsory for Armenian
Churches. Besides, there are a number of Armenian Churches in Istanbul,
which carry a cross.

When starting the reconstruction of the Church, the Armenian side
presented its suggestions.

One architect and one bricklayer from Armenia participated in the
reconstruction works.

Gagik Gyurjyan informed also that RA Minister of Culture and Youth
Affairs has not received an official invitation from the Turkish side
to attend the opening ceremony of the Church on March 29.

REPS. PALLONE AND KNOLLENBERG SEND LETTERS TO CONDOLEEZZA RICE AND ROBERT KOCHARYAN

armradio.am
06.03.2007 15:56

US Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
co-chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, sent
letters today to both US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, regarding the
Armenian Parliamentary elections due in May.

The lawmakers asked Secretary Rice to provide the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues with a written status report regarding the
USAID-funded pre-election efforts as well as give a briefing to the
Caucus members within seven business days of the status report.

Referring to the Turkish weekly, ArmInfo informs that the Congressmen
address to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requesting a
pre-election status report.

In their letter to President Kocharian, the Co-Chairs commended his
commitment that Armenia will conduct free and fair parliamentary
elections this May. They stressed that a positive election outcome
"will most certainly enhance and deepen US-Armenia relations, while
also elevating Armenia’s reputation regionally and internationally."

5. März 2007, 19:12, NZZ Online

Perincek gibt sich vor Prozessbeginn selbstbewusst
Nationalist leugnet Genozid weiter
Der türkische Politiker Dogu Perincek hat sich einen Tag vor dem
Prozess wegen Verstosses gegen die Rassismusstrafnorm vor dem Lausanner
Polizeigericht gelassen gezeigt. Er glaube nicht an einen Schuldspruch.

(ap) Dogu Perincek gibt sich vor dem Prozess wegen Verstosses gegen die
Rassismusstrafnorm selbstbewusst. Es werde keinen Schuldspruch geben.
Zum Prozess wird ein Grossaufmarsch seiner Anhänger erwartet.

Völkermord an Armeniern geleugnet
Er habe Dokumente aus russischen Archiven bei sich, sagte Perincek am
Montag vor den Medien im Kulturzentrum im waadtländischen Renens.
Diese bewiesen, dass es keinen Genozid gegeben habe. Er bezeichnete den
Völkermord an den Armeniern von 1915 als «internationale Lüge».
Einen Tag vor dem Prozess vor dem Lausanner Polizeigericht zeigte sich
der Vorsitzende der türkischen Arbeiterpartei gelassen. Er vertraue
sich der Schweizer Justiz an und glaube nicht an eine Verurteilung.

Perincek hatte im Sommer 2005 in Reden in den Kantonen Waadt, Zürich
und Bern zur Armenienfrage gesprochen. Gleich wie auch die türkische
Regierung bestritt Perincek die Massaker von 1915. Nach diesen
Auftritten wurden auch gegen ihn Strafverfahren wegen Verstosses gegen
die Rassismusstrafnorm eröffnet. In der Schweiz hatten der Nationalrat
und der waadtländische Grossrat die Existenz des Genozids gleich wie
auch andere Länder anerkannt. Laut Perincek stellt die Anerkennung
«das Ergebnis eines zutiefst verankerten antitürkischen Vorurteils,
das nicht der Wahrheit entspricht» dar.

Rassismus-Strafnorm belastet Beziehungen
Der Vorwurf des Verstosses gegen die Rassismusstrafnorm gegen den
Linksnationalisten belastete die Beziehungen zwischen der Schweiz und
der Türkei bereits seit geraumer Zeit. So wurde Bundesrat Joseph
Deiss, der 2005 eine Reise in die Türkei geplant hatte, unter Angabe
von Termingründen ausgeladen. Unmut und Kritik löste umgekehrt im
letzten Oktober Bundesrat Christoph Blocher aus, als er bei einem
offiziellen Besuch in der Türkei seine Pläne zur Revision der
Rassismusstrafnorm bekannt gab. Aufsehen erregte zudem, dass Blocher am
vergangenen Freitag und Samstag den türkischen Justizminister zu einem
Besuch empfing.

Die Rassismusstrafnorm müsse abgeschafft werden, sagte auch Perincek.
«Es ist sehr wichtig für die Freundschaft zwischen der Schweiz und
der Türkei», erklärte er. Das Gesetz verbiete die Redefreiheit und
sei eines europäischen Staates mit demokratischen Werten unwürdig.

Für den Prozess sind zwei Verhandlungstage anberaumt. Perincek kann
dabei auf grosse Unterstützung seiner Landsleute zählen. So reisten
aus der Schweiz, aus Deutschland, aus Frankreich und den
Beneluxländern Anhänger an. Am Dienstag findet eine Kundgebung
statt, erwartet werden bis zu 1000 Teilnehmer. Laut Perincek soll es zu
keinen Ausschreitungen kommen.

Focus News, Bulgaria
March 2 2007

Armenia appreciates highly relations with Bulgaria: Armenian Deputy
Foreign Minister

2 March 2007 | 21:50 | FOCUS News Agency

Yerevan. `Armenia appreciates highly its relations with Bulgaria’,
Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Baibourtian said on the
occasion of Bulgaria’s celebration of the 129th anniversary of its
liberation, Novosti-Armenia reported.
`The Armenian – Bulgarian relations are many sided, but the
cooperation in culture in outstanding’, Baibourtian stated.
Bulgaria’s ambassador to Armenia, Stefan Dimitrov expressed his
confidence that the cooperation between the two countries would be
expanded due to Bulgaria’s EU membership.

Hürriyet, Turkey
March 2 2007

PM Erdogan to oversee re-opening of restored Armenian church on Van
Lake

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in what many are viewing as a
surprise response to Armenian diaspora efforts to get the so-called
Armenian genocide bill accepted in the US Congress, has announced
plans to personally open up the Armenian Sacred Cross Church on Van
Lake’s Akdaman Island.

The church, which has been carefully restored in a Ministry of
Culture and Tourism project, will be re-opened on March 29, a date
which some speculate has been chosen to proceed the April date when
the Armenian bill is to be debated in the US Congress. Erdogan is
reportedly planning to attend the opening ceremony for the Sacred
Cross Church with a crowded delegation of ruling AKP cabinet and MP
members. High ranking members of the Armenian diaspora are reportedly
also to be invited to the opening, including Armenia’s own Minister
of Culture and Tourism, Hasmik Poghosyan.

Meanwhile, debate as to whether or not a cross is to be put on the
top of the Sacred Cross Church’s steeple rages on. Atilla Koc, the
Minister of Culture and Tourism, has noted "If it turns out the
original had one, then this one will too." The church, which sits on
the Akdaman Island in Van Lake, was originally built by Vaspurakan
King Gagik I between the years of 915-921 AD.