Author: Kanayan Tamar

Dr. Death Jack Kevorkian dies at 83

June 3, 2011 – 18:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan pathologist
convicted and jailed for participating in assisted suicides of
terminally ill people, died early on June 3, his lawyer told local
media.

Kevorkian, 83, died at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., where he
had been hospitalized for about two weeks with kidney and heart
problems.

The lawyer, Mayer Morganroth, said it appears Kevorkian suffered a
pulmonary thrombosis when a blood clot from his leg broke free and
lodged in his heart, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“It was peaceful. He didn’t feel a thing,” Morganroth told the
newspaper. Morganroth told the Free Press that the hospital staff,
doctors and nurses said Kevorkian’s passing was “a tremendous loss and
I agree with them. He did so much.”

Morganroth said he doubts anyone will assume Kevorkian’s role in
assisted suicide: “Who else would take those kind of risks?”
Morganroth said there are no plans for any memorial, msnbc reported.

Kevorkian, believed to have assisted in 130 suicides, was convicted of
second-degree murder in 1999 and sentenced to 10-25 years in prison
but was released in 2007. Last year, he was the subject of “You Don’t
Know Jack,” an HBO movie starring Al Pacino.

Selection for OSCE secretary general deadlocked, as member states
oppose candidacies

14:24 – 05.06.11

The member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) prove unable to reach a common agreement over the
candidates nominated to run for the organization’s secretary general.

Armenia and Cyprus were earlier reported to have set up an alliance to
veto Turkish diplomat Ersin Ercin’s candidacy.

Turkey in turn has said it opposes Austrian former foreign minister
Ursula Plassnik to become the next OSCE secretary general.

The Turkish newspaper Sunday’s Zaman has cited a statement by the
country’s Foreign Ministry which expressed unwillingness to support
Plassnik because she opposes Turkey’s bid to become a full member of
the European Union.

Plassnik said back in 2008 that Turkey, a predominantly Muslim
country, should consider a tie-up with the EU short of full
membership.

“We have notified to not only Austria but also Lithuania that it is
impossible for us to accept a person who discusses our European
identity as the secretary general of such an important international
organization,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said,
according to the World Bulletin.

He reportedly added that Turkey’s candidate received a significant
support at first, however they were told that the Greek Cypriot
administration and Armenia would veto his candidacy,

“Then, Ercin was ranked the second in the voting,” Davutoglu was
quoted as saying.

The Turkish top diplomat’s stance spurred dissatisfaction in Austria.

In a subsequent phone conversations with Davutoglu, the incumbent
Austrian foreign minister, Michael Spindelegger, warned him that such
position was seen as a measure directed against his country.

He characterized that Turkish official’s statement as biased and unjust.

`By taking such step, Turkey will cast a shadow on [our] bilateral
relations,’ said the Austrian foreign minister.

Despite Austria’s efforts, however, Ankara stands firmly on its
decision not to back the country’s former foreign minister.

It claims its veto is against Plassnik, not Austria and says it might
support the country provided it proposes a new candidate.
The incumbent OSCE Secretary General is Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

Tert.am

BOXE
Vanes Martirosyan a gagné par K.O. face à Saul Roman
30e victoire de l’Arménien en 30 combats professionnels

Hier soir au Staples Center de Los Angeles (Californie), Vanes
Martirosyan (né en 1986 à Apovian en Arménie) s’est imposé par K.O.
sur le Mexicain Saul Roman pour le compte de la ceinture d’argent WBC
des mi-moyens. Ainsi en 30 combats professionnels, l’Arménien Vanes
Martirosyan reste invaincu. Gagnant ses 30 combats…dont 20 avant la
limite ! Lors du combat d’hier soir, prévu en 12 rounds, l’arbitre a
préféré l’arrêter par K.O. technique à la 7e reprise.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 5 juin 2011,
Krikor [email protected]

SWEDISH MP: RECOGNIZING SO-CALLED “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” BY SWEDISH PARLIAMENT IS HISTORICAL MISTAKE

Trend Daily News
June 2, 2011 Thursday 5:32 PM GMT +4

Recognizing the so-called “Armenian genocide” by the Swedish Parliament
is a historical mistake, Swedish MP from the Christian Democratic
Party Desire Petrus said at a meeting with representatives of the
Congress of Azerbaijanis in Sweden, the Congress said.

During the meeting, members of the congress informed Petrus about the
realities of Karabakh. The answers to MP’s all questions were justified
by historical facts. She got copies of the UN resolutions on the
unconditional liberation of Azerbaijani territories. It was reported
about the genocide committed by Armenians in Khojaly and other occupied
territories by demonstrating photos, video and written evidence.

She said that she was very saddened by these facts.

After the meeting, the books about Karabakh and Azerbaijan by famous
foreign historian was presented to Swedish MP.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claims that the predecessor of Turkey –
Ottoman Empire – made “genocide” against Armenians living in Anatolia
in 1915. Willing its recognition throughout the world, Armenians
strengthened propaganda of “genocide” and achieved its recognition
by the parliaments of several countries.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

EXPERT: CURRENT YEAR MAY BE CRUCIAL FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROCESS

Trend News Agency
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
June 1, 2011 Wednesday
Baku, Azerbaijan

June 01–JUNE 1 / , Azerbaijan, Baku — The current year may be crucial
for the Nagorno-Karabakh process, the expert at the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace, English journalist and author of the book
“Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War” Thomas
de Waal said.

“I believe the announcement by the three presidents in Deauville was
the most significant declaration on the Karabakh conflict for many
years”, he told Trend.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will meet in Kazan in late June.

This will be the ninth tripartite meeting between the presidents of
Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia.

The meeting held in Sochi on March 5 was the eighth tripartite meeting
of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia.

Astrakhan hosted a trilateral meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Russia — Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry Medvedev and Serzh Sargsyan
on Oct. 27. The parties signed a declaration envisaging the return
of POWs. It is of humanitarian nature.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group — Russia, France, and the U.S. —
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

The Basic Principles document has now been under discussion for more
than five years and, as the presidents say, continued delay over
agreeing on a short framework agreement raises questions as to whether
the presidents are genuinely committed to a peaceful deal for Karabakh,
he said.

Russia, France and the United States obviously believe that the time
has come to move forward, the expert said. Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev, U.S President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy called on the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders to demonstrate
the political will and to finalize the basic principles [the settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh] during the upcoming Armenian-Azerbaijani
summit in June.

This year could be crucial while there is agreement among the three
big nations and before an election cycle begins,” he said.

DEVELOPED STATES MUST FOLLOW ARMENIA’S EXAMPLE IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT OPERATION – IAEA

news.am
June 2 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Exploitation of the Armenian nuclear power plant may
be technically extended after 2016, said Gabor Vamos, head of
International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) team arrived in Armenia.

The world has examples of extension of operating NPPs with similar
reactors, he told journalists on Thursday.

However, he stressed that the question is not on the agenda of the
Armenian NPP. Vamos noted that operation of any nuclear power plant
is a risk, but in the case of Armenian NPP, this risk is acceptable.

The IAEA’s Operational Safety Review Team, consisting of 11 experts
from 8 countries, has monitored state of Armenian NPP’s equipment and
working processes. The experts also interviewed the NPP’s staff. They
gave recommendations on improvement of power plant’s work in six
directions.

However, Gabor Vamos expressed satisfaction with the work of the
Armenian NPP, stressing that other countries should follow Armenia’s
lead.

Head of IAEA’s team considers commendable the fact that Metsamor NPP
takes efforts to improve the safety of the plant on its own.

Meanwhile, special organizations are responsible for this work
in Europe.

Besides, Vamos noted that it was staff’s initiative to supplement a
three-level cooling system with the fourth one which increased safety
of the plant significantly.

MICHIGAN TO ARMENIA MEDICAL AID EFFORT GROWS

Published: Thursday June 02, 2011

L-R bottom row: Armen Topouzian, Bob Kachadourian, H. Manoogian.

Detroit – Since November 2009 to date a cadre made up of Bob
Kachadourian, Shakeh Basmadjian and Armen Topouzian, working together
with the local chapter of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), have been
successful in collecting and sending to Armenia several containers
of medical equipment. Networking is the key to it all.

There are many relief organizations, charities and other entities
vying for the material that would help Armenia.

However, Bob Kachadourian finds a way to find out about it first. Then
he goes with Shakeh and Armen to see the potential usable items.

Bob can be found on the phone most any day on the phone, emailing,
faxing or doing whatever it takes to locate items that otherwise
wouldn’t find their way to a nation in need of medical equipment.

Then Shakeh and Armen arrange to have the equipment picked up often
going with Bob to meet the pick up crew. The items are packaged,
inventoried and put in a central location.

For example, along with with many medical tools, 60 hospital beds were
sent to Armenia in late 2009. The beds donated by Dr. Shukri David
of Providence Hospital, Southfield, MI., were observed by Shakeh,
already in use at a Mother’s Care Hospital in Armenia, while she
visited there several months ago.

This year numerous panoramic xray machines, dental tools and so many
related items were sent that they’re too numerous to list here. The
same could be said for optometric equipment.

We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the following faithful
volunteers. Hovaguim Manoogian, Levon Kesishian, Ralph Garabedian,
Ed Garabedian, Bob Jacobs, Thomas Arakelian, Ken Kezarjhian and others
behind the scenes who helped get the health care equipment on its way.

Bob, Shakeh and Armen take it all in stride. Anyone can do it they
all agree.

Bob states, “People must talk to their friends, relatives, physicians,
dentists and indeed call up suppliers of health care equipment”. He
adds, “Hospitals are another source”.

Bob goes beyond the Michigan area as well. Last year he contacted
UCLA Hospital through a relative of his wife.

Adrineh Poulatian was very helpful; through the local ARS office and
Shakeh many items were picked up.

The rest as they say is history. It just takes a little effort
to reflect about who we know to begin our own networking for aid
to Armenia.

Bob works tirelessly at any project that serves Armenia. From the
YMCA in Armenia, to fund raising for Baroness Cox and many projects
he’s been involved in over the years, passion is what describes Bob’s
commitment to whatever he does.

Yes, Bob, Shakeh and Armen know how to get it done with their
indispensable volunteers. However, it’s all about networking.

TURKISH MILITARY OFFICERS SENTENCED TO 6 MONTHS IN DINK CASE

June 2 2011
Turkey

A colonel and a captain of the Turkish gendarmerie have been sentenced
to 6 months in jail for misconduct in Hrant Dink case.

Eight suspects including Colonel Ali Oz, the then provincial
gendarmerie commander in the Black Sea province of Trabzon, and Captain
Metin Yildiz, chief of intelligence unit of provincial gendarmerie
command in Trabzon, were standing trial for failing to prevent the
killing of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was killed
in Istanbul in 2007.

Also, the Trabzon court ordered 4 months prison sentence for four
other gendarmerie officers. The court acquitted two others.

Dink, the editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly
Agos, was shot dead outside the newspaper’s offices in Istanbul’s
Sisli neighborhood on January 19, 2007.

Police arrested the gunman Ogun Samast a day after the murder and a
suspected associate who was identified as Yasin Hayal. Hayal, together
with another suspected instigator Erhan Tuncel, was the man suspected
of giving the orders to Ogun Samast to murder journalist Hrant Dink.

Samast, Hayal and Tuncel were residents of Trabzon.

TURKISH NATIONALIST, PARTICIPANT OF KARABAKH WAR ARRESTED

news.am
June 2 2011
Armenia

A prominent Turkish nationalist Yusuf Ziya Arpacik was arrested
on charges of organizing a provocation at the rally of Nationalist
Movement Party to be held on June 6.

Turkish police arrested 17 people who intended to organize a
provocation at a campaign rally, Internethaber reports.

Yusuf Ziya Arpacik is a participant of Karabakh war. He was fighting
against Armenians in 1992. In 2003 he left for Iraq to fight against
Americans.

He is a member of ultra nationalist the Idealist Movement.

SPLIT ON FOREIGN POLICY DRIVE

Hurriyet
June 1 2011
Turkey

Foreign-policy perceptions in Turkey change from region to region,
with the biggest difference seen in the Kurdish-dominated Southeast,
according to a recent survey made public Wednesday in Istanbul.

Overall, 69 percent of those surveyed said they want Turkey to become
a European Union member, but this stance varied widely by region,
according to the report published by the Turkish Economic and Social
Studies Foundation, or TESEV. Ninety-one percent of respondents in
Southeast Anatolia said they want to see Turkey in the EU, followed by
87 percent in the country’s East. The Aegean region had third-highest
rate of support, with 74 percent.

In Central Anatolia, 58 percent of respondents said they favored
EU membership.

Respondents in the Southeast also had different opinions on the
relations between Turkey and the United States than did their
counterparts in other countries.

Fifty-two percent of all respondents said the approach of the United
States is not friendly toward Turkey, an opinion only 39 percent held
in the Southeast. Forty-one percent of those surveyed in the Southeast,
compared to 27 percent overall, said they found the U.S.

approach toward Turkey to be friendly.

Regional differentiations were also observed on reconciliation with
Armenia, with 60 percent in Turkey’s Black Sea region objecting
to establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia and opening the border
between the neighboring countries. Overall disapproval of establishing
diplomatic ties was measured at 44 percent.

The survey showed conflicting results when it comes to the United
States, which ranked second after Israel (40 percent) on the list of
countries with a hostile attitude toward Turkey. The United States,
however, also ranked third on the list of countries with a friendly
approach toward Turkey. Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said
the see the future of Turkish-U.S. relations as positive.

The high rate of support for Turkey’s EU bid and the outlook on
Turkish-U.S. relations were interpreted by analysts who worked on
the report as refuting claims that Turkey’s axis is shifting away
from the West.

“The results reveal that Turkish society is not emotionally distancing
itself from the concept called the ‘West,'” the report said.

Overall, Turkish foreign policy received a 65 percent approval rate.

Twenty-five percent said they believe the prime minister is the most
important person or institution in foreign-policy decision-making,
while 25 percent said it is the Foreign Ministry. Only 1 percent said
the citizens are influential in decision-making.

The results show that Turkish society has endorsed peaceful measures
that have come to the forefront in the country’s policies, said Mensur
Akgun, one of the contributors to the survey.

A low rate of 8 percent of respondents said they believe Turkish
Cyprus should become part of Turkey, while 22 percent want a peaceful
solution based on consensus to the Cyprus issue. Fifty percent
support Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, while 34 percent said the
current situation between Turkey and Israel is hurting the interests
of both countries.

Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said they are interested in
foreign policy. Eighty-eight percent said they get their information
on foreign policy from television, followed by newspapers, with 28
percent, and the Internet, with 12 percent.