Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA-EU COOPERATION COMMITTEE TO CONVENE ITS REGULAR SESSION ON
OCTOBER 25 IN BRUSSELS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
YEREVAN, October 19. /ARKA/.Armenia-EU Cooperation Committee is to
convene its regular session on October 25 in Brussels, Armenian Trade
and Economic Development Minister Karen Chshmarityan said on Thursday.
“As co-chair of the committee, I intend to discuss first-priority
areas of cooperation, further work and schedule and presentation of
further programs”, he said.
Chshmarityan also said that Armenian President Robert Kocharyan gave
task to all ministers to submit own programs as part of EU’s New
Neighborhood policy. M.V.-0–

Armenian, Jewish minorities ready to attend Qods Day rallies
IRNA, Iran
Oct 19 2006
Tehran, Oct 19, IRNA — The representative of the Armenian minority
in Isfahan province in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis)
here Thursday voiced readiness of all Iranian Armenians to attend the
Qods Day rallies scheduled for the last Friday (tomorrow) of the holy
fasting month of Ramadan.
Robert Beglarian told IRNA that Qods Day is a day to demonstrate
support of all religions for holy Qods.
Holy Qods belongs to all religions and, therefore, the Armenian
minority will participate in the Friday rallies to express its hatred
for the criminal Zionist regime, he added.
Members of the Armenian minority will express their support for the
oppressed Palestinians by participating in the rallies, Beglarian
reiterated.
In a related development, the Jewish community in a statement on
Wednesday called on all Jews to participate in the Qods Day rallies.
Officials of the community urged all Iranian Jews to support the
rights of the Palestinian nation to live in peace and to coexist with
members of other religious minorities.
The late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, set aside
the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan as Qods Day to
remind the world of the decades of Israeli oppression against the
innocent and defenseless Palestinian nation.
On this day, Muslims and non-Muslims in huge numbers all over the
world come out to renew their support for the Palestinians and their
resistance against the cruel and illegal Israeli occupation.

ARMENIAN INDEPENDENT MP CALLED ARRESTED GEORGIAN CITIZEN A POLITICAL PRISONER
ARMINFO News Agency
October 19, 2006 Thursday
Amayak Hovhannisyan, independent MP of National Assembly of Armenia
(NAA), said at the meeting with journalists that Vahagn Chakhalyan,
member of presidium of Georgian democratic bloc ‘United Javahkh’,
is a political prisoner and not an executive of somebody’s orders.
A. Hovhannisyan said that he was denied meeting with the imprisoned
even after interference of Tigran Torosyan, speaker of NAA. Vahagn
Chakhalyan is kept in the Erevan-Center penitentiary. V. Chakhalyan
said that he would claim resignation of David Harutyunyan, Minister
of Justice of RA, because it was he who ordered the denial of the
meeting with A. Hovhannisyan.
Later, 15 MPs of NAA predominantly from ‘Justice’ party in opposition
signed a statement demanding law enforcement bodies to investigate
the Oct 10 attack on activists of the democratic bloc ‘United
Javahkh’. They also demand that either Vahagn Chakhalyan be released
or his preventive punishment be amended. Apart from the opposition
MPs, the document was also signed by – Armen Ashotyan, MP of the
‘Republican’ party of the governing coalition, as well as Raffic
Petrosyan, Head of the NAA Commission on State-Legislative Issues.

‘I HOPE THE FRENCH COME TO THEIR SENSES’
The New Anatolian
Oct 18 2006
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday assured Parliament that
Turkey would take all effective measures, including recourse to high
international courts, to combat the French bill that penalizes the
denial of Armenian “genocide.”
The declaration of Gul, his first to Parliament since France’s General
Assembly passed the law last week, indicated that Turkey would not
“forget” or “let go” if the bill, which still needs to go through
Senate and be ratified by French president, were enacted.
“I hope that the French come to their senses,” said Gul.
He also assured that the government would use all the tools it has in
its hands. “We will use all our rights from international accords. We
are already doing a great deal of preliminary work. Timing is, of
course, another question. We are fully benefiting from the experience
of our legal experts and diplomats,” he said.
“We hope that this bill will be left behind without being enacted,”
said Gul. “I hope that they also take into account the international
pressure.”
“If this law is enacted, the wounds could not be repaired. It would
be the political, economic and security-related ties which would
receive a large blow,” he said.
He also praised Turkish society, saying; “Racism that would be seen
in various countries, intolerance, has never been seen in Turkey. The
basis of our national culture is tolerance,” he said.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party leader Deniz Baykal, at
his party’s group meeting, offered a four-phase strategy to show a
response to France.
According to the CHP leader, Turkey should bring the case to
the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), asking the court to
suspend France’s membership in the Council of Europe. The country
also should go to the European Court of Justice, asking the body to
impose sanctions on France and to say the bill violated the European
Union acquis.
The third pillar of Baykal’s strategy was mostly about Turkish citizens
living in France. He proposed organized action against the law as a
response, which would also keep the matter in the headlines.
His last point was economic, Baykal said that Turkey should reconsider
its economic transactions with France. However, he didn’t call boycott
a must.
He said that accusing a people of having committed genocide is not
a simple allegation, and that nobody has right to accuse Turkey
of having done so. He also cited anti-France remarks from several
European countries, and said that truth cannot be hidden.
He also put emphasis on the security of the Armenians living in Turkey
and called on people no to feel hostility towards them for a mistake
made by France.
Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu’s focus was what he
called Turkey’s silence on the French bill, for which he criticized
the government.
He lashed out at the government for remarks urging the people to rule
out economic sanctions against France, and said that since France
had insulted Turkey, it should be responded to in kind.

GREENWAY BOARD WANTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OUT
By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff
Boston Globe, MA
Oct 19 2006
Panel cites group’s lack of progress on garden
The board created to run the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway
Conservancy in downtown Boston wants the Massachusetts Horticultural
Society stripped of its right to occupy three prime blocks of the
new parkland near South Station.
Frustrated by lack of progress on the 30 acres of parks and
cultural institutions intended to replace the old Central Artery,
the conservancy board made that request yesterday to the Massachusetts
Turnpike Authority, which is running the Greenway project as part of
the Big Dig.
It is one of several recommendations designed to speed development
and hasten the conservancy’s control over the corridor.
Peter Meade, chairman of the conservancy’s board, acknowledged to
Turnpike board members that eliminating the horticultural society
could be controversial. But, he said, the society is financially
“not prepared to build a significant Garden Under Glass, which was
the reason for their designation in the first place.”
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society has indeed struggled
financially, but recently has shown signs of stabilizing under new
leadership. Thomas Herrera-Mishler, the society’s executive director ,
reacted forcefully to the recommendation, saying he was “quite puzzled
by Peter Meade and the Conservancy’s whole approach. ”
“Mass. Hort has had three solid years of financial performance based
on audited reports,” he said.
The move to “de-designate” the horticultural society for the blocks
between the Evelyn Moakley Bridge and Summer Street comes after it
tried and failed for years to deliver on its plan for a “winter garden”
on the Greenway.
Because that vision was incorporated into state environmental
approvals granted about 15 years ago, the Turnpike Authority —
if it accepts the conservancy’s recommendation — would have to
undergo a potentially lengthy regulatory process to win approval of
the horticultural society’s removal.
Recently the society has geared up again and gained support for its
Greenway mission — though that has been scaled back to a plan for
gardens and a modest educational center. Those are not scheduled to
be completed until 2008.
Meade acknowledged the horticultural society “does not have nothing
to bring to the table.” The conservancy envisions working with the
society on horticultural issues the length of the Greenway.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, however, sided with the conservancy. “Mass.
Hort has been out there for 10 years trying to do something, and they
haven’t done a thing,” he said. ” We can’t live with all these false
and broken promises.”
The conservancy designated one of its board members, Edwin Schlossberg,
husband of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and grandson-in-law of Rose
Kennedy, to head a committee that would determine the future of the
three blocks. The parks are scheduled to be completed by the end of
summer next year .
The conservancy also recommended that other institutions with plans
to build on Greenway development blocks be given deadlines for
architectural and financial plans.
The YMCA of Greater Boston, which gave up on trying to build a facility
and community center on a North End block because of the high cost,
would have until the end of this year to reconsider. The Boston
Museum Project, the New Center for Arts and Culture, and the Harbor
Island Pavilion, designated for other blocks, would have until July
to submit plans.
Other recommendations in the 50-page report include:
Scrapping a tentative plan for a Greenway park commemorating the
Armenian Genocide of 1915, and placing it somewhere else in Boston.
Speeding up designation of the conservancy as “the single organization”
with authority for the whole Greenway — both parks and development
blocks — and responsibility for its maintenance.
Employing organic landscape management techniques in the corridor.
Turnpike Authority chairman John Cogliano said the board would take
the report and recommendations under advisement. Mary Z. Connaughton
and other board members said they want to be fair to all organizations
working on Greenway projects.

OPPOSITION LEADER MAKES GRAVE FORECASTS
Panorama.am
15:36 19/10/06
“Highly explosive situation is created in the region and we will not go
a lot forward with our present foreign policy. Concrete solutions are
required,” Hohvhannes Hovhannisyan, chairman of Armenian Progressive,
Liberal Party, said. “No one needs Armenia with its present status. The
only thing left to be done is to become a region of Russia,” he told
a press conference today.
He said the situation is explosive also due to Russian-Georgian
conflict because of which we will spoil relations both with Russians
and Georgians. He said Armenia’s policy is not flexible. Hovhannisyan’s
grave forecasts said Georgia will eventually close its railway and
automobile routs for Armenia.
Hovhannisyan said free and fair elections are a solution to the
situation. “Authorities elected in faked elections will always remain
the slave of Russian leadership,” he said.
Speaking about Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation, he said Armenia
will have to hand over 7 regions against the status of Nagorno
Karabakh. Asked by a reporter how the public will react to such
concession in case when it called All Armenian National Movement (HHSh)
leadership betrayers when they wanted to hand over 3 regions in 1997,
Hovhannisyan said, “It is the problem of the society.”

GENOCIDE : ANKARA NE DECOLèRE PAS CONTRE PARIS
De Notre Envoyee Speciale A Luxembourg Alexandrine Bouilhet
Le Figaro, France
17 octobre 2006
LE COUP de telephone d’apai­sement donne par Jacques Chirac au premier
ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, après le vote de la loi francaise
sur le genocide armenien, n’a pas suffi a calmer Ankara.
Loin s’en faut. ” Le peuple turc est très irrite : l’image de
la France est gravement affectee ” , a affirme, hier, le ministre
turc des Affaires etrangères, Abdullah Gul, en marge d’une reunion
europeenne a Luxembourg.
” La decision du Parlement francais, prise pour des raisons de
politique interieure, a eu un impact très negatif sur le prestige
de la France ” , a insiste le chef de la diplomatie turque. ” Par
ce vote, la France, pays fondateur de l’Union europeenne, a adopte
une attitude contraire aux critères de Copenhague ” , a-t-il ajoute,
en faisant allusion aux critères fixes par l’UE aux pays candidats,
notamment en matière de respect des droits de l’Homme et de liberte
d’expression. Assis aux côtes d’Abdullah Gul, le chef de la diplomatie
finlandaise, Erkki Tuomioja, et leur homologue allemand, Franck Walter
Steinmeier, n’ont pas pris la defense de la France. Au contraire. Lors
de la reunion de travail, la presidence finlandaise de l’UE a marque
sa distance avec la politique hexagonale, affirmant que la loi sur le
genocide armenien ” ne refletait pas la position de l’Union europeenne
” . La presidence de l’UE s’est joint a la Commission europeenne pour
critiquer le vote de ce texte juge ” dangereux et contre productif
” pour l’avenir des relations entre l’UE et la Turquie. Soucieuses
d’eviter un derapage des negociations d’adhesion cet hiver, la
Commission et la presidence finlandaise se sont montrees conciliantes
avec leur homologue turc hier. ” Il n’est dans l’interet de personne
que nous aboutissions a un echec ” , a souligne la presidence
finlandaise. ” Nous avons fete la première annee des negociations
avec la Turquie. Et ce ne sera pas la dernière fois ! ” a promis
le commissaire a l’Elargissement, Olli Rehn. ” Les relations entre
l’UE et la Turquie evoluent positivement ” , a-t-il ajoute, prenant
le contre-pied du pessimisme ambiant. Les negociations avec Ankara
achoppent toujours sur deux points cles : la liberte d’expression,
et la question chypriote. Liberte d’expression Sur le premier point,
la Commission europeenne a demande a Ankara d’amender l’article 301
du Code penal qui restreint la liberte d’expression. Hier, Abdullah
Gul a promis que le gouvernement turc ” examinerait des options ”
afin de modifier cette loi. ” Nous voulons la liberte d’expression de
toutes les idees en Turquie, y compris celles qui ne nous plaisent
pas ” , a affirme le ministre turc. ” C’est positif ! ” a reagi
Olli Rehn qui doit remettre un rapport decisif sur les progrès de
la Turquie le 8 novembre. Sur la question chypriote, Ankara n’a pas
ferme la porte a la proposition de compromis finlandaise. Le defi,
pour la presidence, consiste a amener la Turquie a ouvrir ses ports
et aeroports aux navires chypriotes avant la fin de l’annee. Faute
de quoi, les negociations entre Bruxelles et Ankara pourraient etre
suspendues par les Vingt-Cinq.
–Boundary_(ID_Q7OkeTUlRXpXMCR9JWtGKg )–

OSCE PRESS FREEDOM WATCHDOG URGES FRENCH SENATE TO REJECT ARMENIA GENOCIDE BILL
Associated Press Worldstream
October 17, 2006 Tuesday 5:46 PM GMT
The press freedom watchdog at a key European security organization
on Tuesday urged the French Senate to reject a bill that would make
it a crime to deny that mass killings of Armenians in Turkey in the
World War I-era amounted to genocide, a statement said.
Miklos Haraszti, media freedom representative at the Vienna-based
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, made his plea in
a letter sent to Christian Poncelet, president of the French Senate,
according to the statement.
“I acknowledge the humanitarian intentions of those members of
the Assembly who support this proposal. However, the adoption of
the amendment raises serious concerns with regard to international
standards of freedom of expression,” Haraszti wrote.
The bill was approved by lawmakers in France’s lower house last week,
but still needs approval by the French Senate and President Jacques
Chirac to become law. Turkey has said the decision has badly damaged
relations with France.
“Both the fact of criminalization of statements, and the severity
of the sanctions would infringe upon editorial freedom in France,”
Haraszti wrote. “The adoption of the amendment by France, a nation
with a long-standing tradition of freedom of expression, could set
a dangerous precedent for other nations of the OSCE.”
The Armenia genocide issue has become intertwined with ongoing debate
in France and across Europe about whether to admit mostly Muslim Turkey
into the European Union. France is home to hundreds of thousands of
people whose families came from Armenia.

Armenian Prelacy Eastern USA
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 689-7810
Fax: (212) 689-7168
Press Release
For Immediate Release ~ October 17, 2006 – (212) 689-7810
A gathering with His Holiness Aram I, December 1-3 in Dearborn, MI
New York, NY – Young adults ages 18-30 should mark their calendars
for Armenian Church 2006: Your Church. Your Future. Engage. – an
unprecedented gathering with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Great House of Cilicia, scheduled to take place December 1-3 in
Dearborn, MI.
According to Program Committee co-chair Nayiri Baljian, the event is
intended to “provide an opportunity for American- and
Canadian-Armenians to learn about their heritage of faith and to
experience some of the best of what the Armenian Church has to
offer.” A variety of media, including live speakers, film, music,
and liturgy will attempt to answer the questions: Where have we come
from? Where are we going? How far can we go?
Armenian Church 2006 will begin with an optional Hrashapar Service,
Friday, December 1, 7:00 pm at St. Sarkis Church in Dearborn, MI. The
main program will begin on Saturday, December 2 at 3:00 pm and
conclude on Sunday, December 3 at 2:00 pm. The two-day gathering
will also feature a dinner with Vehapar and a concert by renowned
Christian vocalist Salpi Keleshian. Anyone who is interested may
attend a Hrashapar service on Friday evening currently scheduled for
7:00 pm at St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Dearborn, MI.
Armenian Church 2006 will take place at the Hyatt Regency in
Detroit. Aram Hovagimian said on behalf of the Steering Committee,
“We encourage participants to sign up early and make their travel
arrangements soon.” A special hotel rate of $99 per night has been
negotiated. A $40 registration fee will include dinner on Saturday
evening and lunch on Sunday afternoon. Further details about the
program as well as a registration form are available at
Armenian Church 2006 is being sponsored by the Prelacies of the
Eastern and Western United States and the Prelacy of Canada.

TURKISH SUPERMARKET CHAINS BOYCOTT FRENCH GOODS
FreshPlaza, Netherlands
Oct 17 2006
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan declared that he did not support
any boycott against the French goods, yet some Turkish supermarket
chains started economic boycott against the French goods.
The passing of the controversial Armenian genocide denial bill in the
French parliament has prompted strong reactions in Turkish business
circles. Kiler and Afra, two big Turkish market chains, yesterday
declared that they will never sell French goods. Many French products
were removed from these market shelves.
Carrefour, French-Turkish market company, has also been one of the
boycott targets after the French Armenian bill. The number of customers
visited Carrefour has radically decreased in last two days.
The parking areas of the market mostly empty yesterday.
Some of the Turkish political parties list the names of the
French products not to buy. Turkish Labour Party (Isci Partisi),
leftist-nationalist, called all Turks inside and abroad not to buy
French goods and services.
Some of the Turkish citizens, who were in holiday in Paris, cut short
their holidays to protest France’s attitude in Armenian issue. Gulben
Ergen, Turkish famous singer, was one of these protesters. Ergen
arrived Istanbul yesterday and said that the reason is the French
Armenian bill. Many more Turkish tourists postponed their France
visits.