Author: Kanayan Tamar

The New Anatolian, Turkey
May 2 2005
Armenia rejects conditions for political relations with Turkey
The New Anatolian / Ankara
Armenia rejected the proposal of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
on Saturday to establish political relations while jointly
researching the killings of Armenians during World War I.
The proposal by Erdogan, made on Friday, “does not contain anything
new,” said Armenian presidential spokesman Viktor Sogomonyan. “We
have proposed to establish diplomatic relations without
preconditions, and examine outstanding issues between our two
countries within the framework of an intergovernmental commission,”
Sogomonyan said.
Armenia insists the killings constitute genocide, and refuses to make
establishing relations conditional on agreeing to review what it says
is fact. Turkey denies a genocide was committed.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogansaid earlier in an
interview that Turkey might establish political ties if Armenia
agreed to his proposal for investigating the events. “Political
relations might be established on one side and studies (about
killings) can continue on the other side,” Erdogan said.
Earlier this month, Erdogan invited Armenia to set up a joint
research committee. Armenian President Robert Kocharian responded by
saying ties should be formed first.
Armenia opens its national archives
On the other hand, the head of the Armenian national archives,
Amatuni Virabyan, said Saturday that the first Turk to be allowed to
carry out research there. Ektan Turkyelmaz, from Duke University in
the U.S. state of North Carolina, would begin work Monday, Virabyan
said.

Turkey not to open border crossing with Armenia for now – minister
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
29 Apr 05
Kayseri, 29 April:”Actually we are not intending to open a border pass
to Armenia,” Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullah Gul said on Friday [29 April].
Replying to a question whether or not border pass with Armenia would
be opened, Gul said, “there is nothing about this, at the
moment. Prime Minister (Erdogan) expressed Turkey’s goodwill on this
issue. There will definitely be some developments if there is common
goodwill. We hope neighbours will show a similar and constructive
approach”.
Mentioning the interest of foreign investors towards Turkey, Gul said,
“there are several big companies and they come to invest in
Turkey. Turkey becomes an attractive country for investors.”
He emphasized that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder would come to
Turkey accompanied by 600 businessmen, and noted that some of those
businessmen were from Turkish origin. He said the delegation will come
to set up partnership with Turkish businessmen.
Gul stated that Turkey has a promising future.

Armenian police continuing to search opposition members’ homes
Arminfo
29 Apr 05
YEREVAN
The Armenian law-enforcement bodies are continuing to search the homes
of members of the Armenian opposition New Times Party.
The law-enforcement bodies yesterday evening detained and questioned
two drivers and the political secretary of the party, Edik Grigoryan,
the secretary of the party leadership, Emanuel Markaryan, told our
Arminfo correspondent.
Apart from this, the home of the party leader’s assistant, Vardan
Astvatsaturyan, was also searched. Emanuel Markaryan has learned that
the law-enforcement bodies intend to search his house within the next
few hours.
Commenting on the situation, Emanuel Markaryan noted that “we are the
ones who were shot, but they are looking for weapons in our houses”.
To recap, during the disturbances that took place at a rally in Sevan
on 20 April, an activist of the New Times Party, Garegin Petrosyan,
received a bullet wound. Thirty-two parties of Armenia condemned the
disturbances and acts of hooliganism that took place in Sevan on 20
April.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 16:30:16 | 28-04-2005 | Social |
ALTERNATIVE TO GAS AND ENERGY
The sources of hydrocarbon are exhausting all over the world to date
resulting in rise in prices for gas, oil and electric power. Proceeding from
energy security the problem was solved long ago in the Scandinavian states,
where alternative sources for heating the dwelling houses or other domestic
demands are used. Taking onto consideration the fact that climate conditions
of Armenia are alike those of Sweden and Norway, this novelty can be
implemented in Armenia as well.
However the program initiators did not take into account the fact that more
than a half of the Armenian population are poor people. Thus, TermoTex
Swedish company, which is trying to solve energy problems with the help of
nature, will face hardships in the Armenian market. With the help of modern
equipment the company is going to process energy from air, water and earth.
However the price of one device makes 8 thousand euros, what questions the
advisability of its implementation in Armenia. TermoTex representative
Vladimir Potapov noted that presently 90% of Swedish population use the
system. At that it should be noted that the government provides a credit
amounting in 75% of the device price.
The company representatives have not held talks with the Armenian
authorities on the issue yet. `If the government and crediting companies are
interested the program is real’, Potapov said.
Anyway they did not take into account the fact that besides the insolvency
of the population the Armenian banking system contrary to the European one
demands incomparably high interest.

–Boundary_(ID_Y9ukKx0YnNNSW3z0i3nHBw)
Content-typ e: message/rfc822
From: Mihran Toumajan
Subject: Schrempp Wins Big In High-Profile Case; Ruling setback for Kerkorian
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
DCX’s Schrempp wins big in high-profile case
Ruling is setback for billionaire investor Kirk
Kerkorian, who sued on fraud claims.
The Detroit News
Friday, April 8, 2005
By Christine Tierney and Ed Garsten
DaimlerChrysler AG CEO Juergen Schrempp won a big victory Thursday
against a bitter adversary after a U.S. judge cleared him of fraud
charges leveled by Las Vegas billionaire Kirk Kerkorian.
U.S. District Judge Joseph Farnan said Kerkorian, Chrysler’s biggest
investor in 1998 when Germany’s Daimler-Benz AG acquired Chrysler
Corp., was a sophisticated investor who had failed to prove that he
had been misled about the nature of the deal.
Kerkorian and his investment arm, Tracinda Corp., sought more than $1
billion in damages from Schrempp and DaimlerChrysler, claiming that
then-Daimler-Benz CEO Schrempp never intended the deal to be a merger
of equals, although the deal was described that way at the time.
In a 125-page ruling, Farnan said Tracinda appeared in 1998 to be
concerned primarily with the prospect of financial gain.
“Tracinda did not find corporate governance or the ‘merger of equals’
label to be important at the time of the merger,” Farnan wrote.
“Kerkorian supported the merger and thought there ‘would be good
value’ in the transaction before he had any discussions about
corporate governance.”
The judge agreed with DaimlerChrysler’s defense that it had complied
with the deal’s terms as they were spelled out in the proxy statement
and other documents vetted by Kerkorian’s counselors and lawyers.
Although Kerkorian is weighing an appeal, Farnan’s ruling comes as a
huge relief to Schrempp, who is still trying to restore the
profitability of his auto empire. Chrysler has recovered from heavy
losses to become profitable, but Mercedes is now struggling to improve
earnings and quality.
Financial analysts said the company could afford the damages, but a
victory was the best outcome. As for Schrempp, “he dodged a bullet,”
said analyst David Healy at Burnham Securities.
Kerkorian filed suit against Schrempp and other DaimlerChrysler
officials in 2000, citing two interviews in which Schrempp appeared to
suggest that he always intended the deal to be a takeover. In that
case, Kerkorian argued that he was entitled to a takeover premium for
his stake.
The value of Kerkorian’s Chrysler stake soared from just under $3.7
billion to $4.8 billion after the deal was announced. But his
attorneys argued that Tracinda would have received more if
Daimler-Benz had openly proposed a takeover.
“By calling the transaction a merger of equals, Daimler saved $7
billion to $8 billion in the acquisition, Chrysler management got
rich, and Chrysler shareholders got cheated out of a control premium,”
Kerkorian attorney Terry Christensen said last year.
In a notorious interview with Britain’s Financial Times newspaper in
November 2000, Schrempp said he had always wanted to make Chrysler a
division but had gone about it in a “round-about” way for
psychological reasons.
In another interview with Barron’s, he said he had what he wanted: “I
have Daimler, and I have divisions.”
In a 13-day trial in Wilmington, Del., Schrempp did not deny the
statements but said he was misinterpreted. He said his intention had
been to structure Chrysler’s operating business as a division of the
new company, much like Mercedes-Benz.
Kerkorian’s attorneys also pointed to the shrinking number of former
Chrysler officials on the DaimlerChrysler management board — only one
when the trial ended in February 2004 — as further evidence of a
German takeover.
Kerkorian testified in court that he had relied on assurances from
former Chrysler Chairman Bob Eaton that the deal would be a merger of
equals.
But Farnan said Kerkorian should not have relied only on his
“reasonably general” talks with Eaton, as he had thorough access to
details of the negotiations.
The 87-year-old casino mogul had appointed a representative on
Chrysler’s board — James Aljian — after his own aborted takeover bid
in 1995.
That year, Kerkorian also hired Jerry York, Chrysler’s former CFO, who
was concerned that the Auburn Hills automaker might run into serious
difficulties if it did not pair up with a strong automaker.
“The court cannot ignore the sophistication of Tracinda as an investor
and its subjective views regarding the transaction in light of the
information that was available to it, which was far more than that
which is available to the average investor,” Farnan wrote.
Before the trial began, DaimlerChrysler settled similar suits from
other investors claiming to have been duped.
“While we are clearly disappointed in today’s judgment, we are pleased
that other DaimlerChrysler shareholders who followed Tracinda’s lead
and filed lawsuits based on our exact claims … were successful in
reaching a settlement with DaimlerChrysler for $300 million,”
Christensen said. “It is obvious that, as an individual shareholder,
Tracinda was held to a different standard.
You can reach Christine Tierney at (313) 222-1463 or
[email protected].
*********************************************
Tracinda vs. DaimlerChrysler: A bitter trial
Kerkorian’s claim:
Daimler-Benz executives duped investors by billing the
1998 deal as a “merger of equals” when they planned a
takeover, robbing Chrysler shareholders of a takeover
premium. He relied on published comments by
DaimlerChrysler CEO Juergen Schrempp that he always
wanted Chrysler as a division.
DaimlerChrysler’s defense:
Kerkorian, with a representative on the Chrysler board
at the time of the merger, was intimate with and
approved all details of the discussions and terms of
the final combination agreement. Kerkorian made $2.7
billion on the deal and didn’t object to it at the
time. DaimlerChrysler complied with all contract
terms.
What the judge found:
Kerkorian, Chrysler’s largest shareholder, was a
“sophisticated investor” who should have known that
the “merger of equals” tag was a “promotional phrase”
that was “vague”. Kerkorian “wouldn’t have reasonably
relied on” such representations for “such a complex,
multi- billon-dollar transaction.”
__________________________________________________
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–Boundary_(ID_Y9ukKx0YnNNSW3z0i3nHBw)–

UNION OF ARMENIANS OF TRANSDNIESTRIA CREATED
YEREVAN, APRIL 27. ARMINFO. A Union of Armenians of Transdniestria
(UAT) was established on April 24 in the town of Grigoriopole.
Rerpesetnatives of the Armenian communities of the towns of
Grigoriopole, Tiraspole (capital of Transdniestria) and Dubossari were
included in it. The press-service of the newly establishment UAT
informs Regnum NA that the communities of the towns of Benderi,
Rubnitsa and Kamenka are to be included in the union in future. A
Tiraspole businessman Gegham Gevorgyan has been elected Chairman of
the UAT Board. Besides, a Community Council has been established,
which will convene sittings twice in a year on April 24 (Day of
Remembrance of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide) and on October 13
(Day of Holy Gregory the Enlightener).
According to the source, at April 24 sitting, the Armenian community
of Transdniestria observed a minute of silence in memory of the
Armenian Genocide Victims in the Ottoman Empire as well as laid
wreaths on the old Armenian cemetery of Grigoriopole.
According to different data, at least 1,000 Armenians life in
Transdniestria. The first Armenian settlement occurred there on July
25 1792 when in conformity with the decree of the Empress Yekaterina
II the town was founded with participation of Armenian emigrants. The
settlement was given the name Grigoriopole in honor of the first
Catholicos of All Armenians Gregory the Enlightener.

Turkish Press
April 27 2005
Press Review:
Sabah:
BAYKAL: `SAYING WE’LL OPEN OUR ARCHIVES TO LOOK INTO THE
SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISN’T ENOUGH’
Addressing his party’s group meeting yesterday, opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal evaluated
recent developments on the so-called Armenian genocide issue, and
criticized the government’s stance, saying, `Saying we’ll open
up our archives isn’t enough. We should also consider the political
dimension.’ /Sabah
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO GEORGIA
26.04.2005 05:56
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ April 28 Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia
Artur Baghdasarian will leave for Georgia on a two-day formal call. The
Armenian Parliamentary Speaker and officials accompanying him will arrive in
the Georgian capital via Sadakhlo checkpoint by car. On the arrival day Mr.
Baghdasarian will meet with Georgian Speaker Nino Burjanadze, heads of
parliamentary committees and factions and members of the Georgian
Parliamentary Standing Delegation for Relations with Armenia. April 29 A.
Baghdasarian will meet with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Prime
Minister Zurab Nogaideli and Georgian Orthodox Church leader,
Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. April 30 Artur Baghdasarian will return to
Yerevan.

Der Tagesspiegel, Deutschland
Montag, 25. April 2005

Verräter und Drohanrufe
Wie türkische Blätter über das Gedenken zum Genozid an den Armeniern berichten
Die ganze Woche über berichtete die Hürriyet groß über die
bevorstehende Gedenkveranstaltung am Sonnabend im Abgeordnetenhaus
und Berliner Dom zum 90. Jahrestag der Vertreibung und Ermordung der
Armenier im Osmanischen Reich. Am Sonntag konnte der Leser die
Nachrichten über die Veranstaltungen in Berlin leicht übersehen. „Er
hat sich bei den Armeniern entschuldigt`, schrieb die
Boulevardzeitung in der Überschrift der Meldung auf der ersten Seite
der Europa-Beilage. Gemeint war der Ratsvorsitzende der Evangelischen
Kirche in Deutschland, Wolfgang Huber. Dieser hatte in seiner
Ansprache im Berliner Dom das armenische Volk wegen der deutschen
Beteiligung am Völkermord um Verzeihung gebeten. „Die armenischen
Veranstalter ließen keine türkischen Journalisten rein`, schrieb die
Milliyet in ihrer Nachricht.
Dagegen berichtete die Hürriyet am Sonntag auf ihrer Titelseite
„exklusiv` über die Vorbereitung zu der Gedenkfeier in Bremen. „Das
passt nicht zu Deinem freundschaftlichen Wesen`, zitierte das Blatt
in der Überschrift des Aufmachers einen „türkischen Freund` von
Bürgermeister Henning Scherf (SPD). Dazu zeigte die Zeitung ein Foto,
auf dem die beiden Männer gestikulierend miteinander plaudern. Am
gleichen Tag widmete die Stadt Bremen unter der Schirmherrschaft von
Scherf einen bereits bestehenden Gedenkstein zum armenischen Denkmal
um. „Dies ist der Stein des Hasses`, schrieb dazu die Hürriyet zuvor
in ihrem bebilderten Aufmacher auf der Titelseite der Europa-Beilage.
Den kurdischstämmigen Politiker Giyasettin Sayan aus Berlin hat es in
der vergangenen Woche am härtesten getroffen. Weil er befürwortet,
dass die Bundesrepublik Deutschland den Völkermord offiziell
anerkennt, bezeichnete die Hürriyet ihn am Freitag als den „Brutus
unter uns`. „Seitdem werde ich am Telefon anonym als Bastard der
Armenier beschimpft`, sagte der PDS-Abgeordnete des
Abgeordnetenhauses gegenüber dem Tagesspiegel. Brutus war einer der
Mörder des römischen Kaisers Julius Cäsar. Suzan Gülfirat

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of the South Bay Cities
2222 Lomita Blvd. – Lomita, CA 90717
Contact: Lori Khajadourian
Tel: 310-541-2610
Email: [email protected]
2005-04-21
SOUTH BAY CITIES AND ARMENIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY MARK 90TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Torrance, CA – The City Councils of three South Bay Cities have joined
other California cities and Armenians around the world in
commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The
Cities of Lawndale, Rolling Hills Estates and Lomita have passed or
will be passing proclamations to remember the atrocities committed
against the Armenians and honor the memory of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide.
On the evening of Tuesday, April 12, 2005 the Mayor of the City of
Rolling Hills Estates read a proclamation declaring April 24, 2005 as
a `Day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1925.’ The
Mayor presented the proclamation to Councilmember Frank Zerunyan whose
grandparents survived the genocide. Councilman Zerunyan was also one
of the featured speakers at a commemorative event organized by the
Torrance chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) that took
place Friday, April 22nd at the Armenian Community Center in Lomita.
The City of Lawndale followed suit on the evening of Monday, April
18th passing a similar proclamation as the City of Lomita will be
doing during its City Council meeting on Monday, May 2nd. `It is a
great thing to witness our civic leaders recognizing an issue that is
so important to members of our community both young and old’ said
chairperson of the South Bay ANC chapter Khajik Khajadourian `By
working together the South Bay’s ANC and AYF chapters hope that next
year more South Bay cities will join the growing number of California
cities joining our community in commemorating the Armenian Genocide.’
The South Bay cities are located in the south end of the Santa Monica
Bay and are bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the south and west and by
the City of Los Angeles on the north and east. The diverse South Bay
Cities are famous for their quality of life, beautiful beaches and
thriving industries. The Armenian-American community in the South Bay
includes active chapters of the Armenian Relief Society, which
operates a weekly Armenian language school, Armenian National
Committee, Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union and `Potorig’
Armenian Youth Federation.
The South Bay ANC is part of the largest and most influential Armenian
American grassroots political organization. Working coordination with
a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a
broad range of issues.
#####