Author: Karagyozian Lena

THREE FREE BUS ROUTES TO BE AVAILABLE NEAR HRAZDAN STADIUM ON APRIL 24

Noyan Tapan
April 23, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, NOYAN TAPAN. With the aim of transport servicing
of visitors of the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex on April
24 – Commemoration Day of the Armenian Genocide, visitors of the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex will be carried free of charge along
three routes from the area adjacent to Hrazdan Stadium to the Complex
from 9 am to 10 pm on April 24.

NT was informed by Yerevan mayor’s office that the following routes
will be available:

1. Route 1: Hrazdan Stadium – Atenk St. – Victory Bridge – Argishti
St. – Italy St. – Shahumian Square. Return route: Beirut St. –
Argishti St. – Victory Bridge – Atenk St. – Hrazdan Stadium.

2. Route 2: Hrazdan Stadium – Atenk St. – Victory Bridge – Mashtots
Avenue – Koryun St. – Abovian St. – "Yeritasardakan" subway
station. Return route: Abovian St. – Moskovian St. – Sarian St. –
Mashtots Avenue – Victory Bridge – Atenk St. – Hrazdan Stadium.

3. Route 3: Hrazdan Stadium – Tsitsernakaberd Highway – Leningradian
St. – Kievian St. – "Barekamutyun" subway station. Return by the
same route.

PAMUK’S "YOUTH" TO BE PUBLISHED IN ARMENIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.04.2008 14:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia holds negotiations with Nobel Prize winner,
Turkish author Orhan Pamuk on publication of his novel "Youth"
in Armenian, chairman of the Union of Writers of Armenia told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"The book on the Armenian Genocide will be published with assistance
of ARF Dashnaktsutyun," Levon Ananyan said.

"Armenia should help the Turkish society to understand what happened
to Armenians in early 20th century.

Unfortunately, we are badly familiarized with the Turkish public and
Turks are badly informed about the Armenian life," he said adding that
the book will apparently published through endeavors of the Armenian
community of Istanbul.

EFFECTIVE CONTACTS SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN STATE AND SOCIETY IN ARMENIA

ARKA
April 23, 2008

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. Effective contacts should be established
between the state and the society in Armenia and monitoring of civil
servants’ testing by public organizations can facilitate this process,
said the Chairman of the Civil Service Council Manvel Badalian.

The Council is for cooperation with public organizations, especially
when the cooperation helps reveal and control possible shortcomings
in the council activities, Badalian said.

According to him, monitoring implemented by public organizations in
testing of civil servants allows finding out even small deficiencies
in the work of testing commissions.

"It is important to us, as an outside eye can notice even small defects
– technical, methodical, methodological – which do not see anymore,"
Badalian said.

According to him, the practice of such monitoring is to be expanded
to provide wider coverage than the current three ministries. Badalian
reported 42 various state agencies under competence of the Council.

The monitoring anticorruption network was established in 2006 by
the Civil Servants Union of Armenia under financial assistance of
Eurasia-Cooperation foundation. Seven public organizations of Armenia
are part of the network.

In the scope of the program, monitoring is conducted on the testing of
civil servants in three ministries – education and science, healthcare,
labor and social issues.

AZERBAIJAN’S STATE COMMISSION ON WAR PRISONERS RECOMMENDS TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT AZERBAIJANI WAR PRISONERS FROM ARMENIANS

Today.Az
ty/44466.html
April 22 2008
Azerbaijan

The State Commission on War Prisoners, Hostages and Missing People
does not confirm information about the deportation of Azerbaijani army
serviceman Yagub Allahverdi oghlu Mukhtarov, captured by Armenians,
to Azerbaijan.

The due announcement was made by Eldar Samedov, deputy chairman of
the work group of the state commission.

Commenting on the return of Azerbaijani serviceman, captured by
Armenians, Samedov said: "As the information about Mukhtarov’s return
has been spread by Armenian mass medias, you should appeal to them".

Samedov refused to confirm the fact of tomorrow’s return of Mukhtarov
to Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that Armenian mass medias spread information that
on April 23 Yadub Mukhtarov will be deported to Azerbaijan. He was
captured by Armenians in Tovuz on March 9 of this year.

Turkish Foreign Minister Calls On Armenia To Begin Dialogue

ITAR-TASS
April 21 2008
Russia

ANKARA, April 21 (Itar-Tass) – Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
called on Armenia to begin a dialogue.

The Turkish minister sent a message to his Armenian counterpart
Vartan Oskanyan on Monday in which he called on him to start a
bilateral dialogue.

Babacan told journalists that Ankara sought to normalise relations with
Yerevan. "Turkey wants to normalise relations with Armenia. We make
our channels open for the dialogue with the new Armenian leadership,"
Babacan said.

"Turkey is opened for a dialogue with Armenia in order to normalise
Turkish-Armenian relations in a new epoch," Babacan said. In his view,
"The resumption of the bilateral dialogue will help solve the existing
problems in relations between the two countries."

In February the presidential elections were held in Armenia. Serzh
Sarkisyan won the elections. At present, Turkey and Armenia have no
diplomatic relations.

TOWARDS 93RD ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Panorama.am
20:48 18/04/2008

On 21 April the official presentation of web site of the Armenian
Genocide museum-institute will take place. The
information is provided by the museum-institute press service. At the
same day the presentation of the virtual museum will take place which
was prepared by the support of the museum and "Memco Soft" company.

The scientific funds of the museum are improved: exclusive photos,
videos, ancient books, albums and handicrafts, and many other documents
and maps.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
14 April 2008
BELARUS: BAROQUE MONASTERY TO BE LUXURY HOTEL – OR RETURNED TO CATHOLICS?
cle_id=1114
The Belarusian state appears to have scaled down plans to turn a baroque
Catholic monastery into a luxury hotel and entertainment complex, Forum 18
News Service has learnt. Unofficial reports suggest that the cultural
monument will now house a mini-hotel and/or museum. As Minsk Catholics
marked a third year of daily prayer vigils outside the monastery’s St
Joseph Church, however, there is still no sign that the government intends
to fulfil a 17-year-old promise to return the building to believers. Local
Catholics have maintained to Forum 18 that a nationwide petition for the
return of the monastery, which gained 50,000 signatures, led to a more
modest development project. Protestants active in a separate petition to
change the country’s harsh Religion Law joined the Catholic campaign. No
state officials were available to discuss the issue with Forum 18. Although
some 95 per cent of historical Orthodox churches in Belarus have been
returned, all but a handful of Jewish synagogues remain state property.
Lutherans and Calvinists have also had little success in winning back their
historical churches.

18 April 2008
TURKMENISTAN: "IT IS OUR DUTY TO CHECK UP ON RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS"
.php?article_id=1116
Some ten officials from the local Religious Affairs Department, the
police, secret police, Justice Ministry and Tax Ministry raided a Bible
class held by the Greater Grace Protestant church in a private flat in the
capital Ashgabad on 11 April. Asked the reason for the check-up, Murad
Aksakov of the local administration told Forum 18 News Service they wanted
to find out how many people attended the classes, who those people were,
and whether everything was in order with the church’s documents. Pastor
Vladimir Tolmachev told Forum 18 he was warned that the church was not
allowed to teach its own members without permission from the government’s
Religious Affairs Committee, even though its officially-recognised Charter
allows this. Officials told Tolmachev he would receive an official warning.
Further such warnings could lead to the church’s registration being
stripped from it, rendering all its activities illegal. In an illustration
of the problems even registered religious communities face, the church has
no building of its own and has already had to move its services ten times
this year.

15 April 2008
TURKEY: ONE YEAR AFTER MALATYA MURDERS, TIME TO ADDRESS THE CAUSES
id=1115
Turkey’s Protestants are this week commemorating the first anniversary of
the murders of three Protestants – Necati Aydin, Tillman Geske and Ugur
Yüksel – in Malatya. Güzide Ceyhan, a Turkish Protestant, in a personal
commentary for Forum 18 News Service <;, notes that
Turkey’s Alliance of Protestant Churches described 2007 as a "dark year"
for their community. She says little has changed to give greater protection
for the religious freedom of small religious communities, with some hiring
private security companies or locking their doors during worship services.
Ceyhan argues that dialogue with all religious communities and
non-believers must begin so that the State’s claim of being "equally close
to all religions" becomes a reality; long-term educational efforts must be
initiated to foster pluralism and the equality of all citizens; and the
state must urgently take steps to remove imminent threats of attacks on
smaller communities, as well as punish those who have committed attacks. If
Turkey does not do this, she argues, "we will not have started to genuinely
address the causes of the three murders."
* See full article below. *

15 April 2008
TURKEY: ONE YEAR AFTER MALATYA MURDERS, TIME TO ADDRESS THE CAUSES

_id=1115
By Güzide Ceyhan

Turkish Protestants are this week commemorating the deaths one year ago of
Necati Aydin, Tillman Geske and Ugur Yüksel. On 18 April 2007, the three –
two Turks and a German national – were brutally murdered in their office in
the south-eastern town of Malatya. The murders left behind grieving
families, a community in fear and a country with mixed emotions about the
incident.

The trial of the five alleged killers of Aydin, Geske and Yucel – finally
begun late last year in Malatya – drags on. But it raises numerous
questions as to who else was involved in planning or inciting this terrible
attack (see F18News 29 November 2007
< e_id=1053>).

In its January 2008 report of violations of the human rights of the
Protestant community, Turkey’s Alliance of Protestant Churches described
2007 as a "dark year" for the community. The motivation to compile such a
report was to draw attention to the community’s problems and provide
concrete information for those concerned for the protection of human
rights. Sadly, Turkish media coverage of the report was minimal.

The report includes a long list of incidents of alleged violations of
human rights and provides a chilling insight into the hardships and attacks
this group is subjected to.

First of all, it is interesting to note that all the incidents were
committed by non-State actors, not by the State as such. This of itself
indicates enormous societal intolerance against Protestants in Turkish
society. Yet this does not relieve the State of its obligations to protect
the life, liberty and freedom of religion or belief of its citizens.

Secondly, as well as the horrendous murders in Malatya, the list includes
many other attacks against members of this community or their places of
worship. These include seven attacks on church buildings (ranging from
attempts to burn the building to throwing stones), four threats to kill
church leaders, one plot to murder a church leader, and two attempts to
kidnap a church leader and his 11-year-old son.

The report stresses that this list contains only those incidents where the
victims were willing to come forward. It also acknowledges that many other
incidents occur, where people are not prepared to make a public complaint
for fear of being exposed.

The third striking feature of the report is that, with few exceptions, the
authorities have not been able to find the perpetrators. The report calls
on the Government and State institutions to take a proactive attitude to
the "lynching campaign" directed against the Protestant community, whose
members are mainly people who have converted to Christianity from Islam.

But it is not only Protestants who have suffered violence. This year a
Catholic priest, Fr Adriano Franchini, was stabbed by the 20-year-old R.B.
in Izmir, though thankfully the priest survived. The statement of R.B. at
the start of his trial on 9 April is a striking testimony to the causes of
violence against Christians in Turkey (see F18News 29 November 2007
< e_id=1053>). He testified that he
had observed that after the murders in 2006 of the Catholic priest Fr
Andrea Santoro and in 2007 and of the Armenian Turkish journalist Hrant
Dink, the alleged killers were received as heroes (see eg. Compass Direct 6
February 2007
< hp?page=news&lang=en&length=long&idele ment=4764&backpage=archives&critere=&c ountryname=Turkey&rowcur=0>.
R.B. thought he would become a hero like them.

R.B. also said that he was inspired by the popular television series "The
Valley of Wolves", which in some episodes portrayed Christian missionaries
in Turkey as enemies of the nation and (see F18News 29 November 2007
< e_id=1053>). His statement
confirms that he sees his act as a commitment to nationalism (see Hurriyet
9 April 2008
< ber.aspx?id=8661073&tarih08-04-09>).

A number of church leaders had already complained about the broadcast of
this series both to the public prosecutor and to the RTUK (Radio Television
Supervisory Organ), regarding it as incitement to hatred. However, the
prosecutor did not regard it as constituting a crime, while the RTUK took a
long time to issue a warning to the producers and the channel which
broadcast it (see Hurriyet 11 April 2008
< 659378.asp?gid=222&sz=62545>).

The current President of the Alliance of Protestant Churches, Zekai
Tanyar, warns that in the past year Protestants, particularly in smaller
cities and towns, have felt intimidated by rising intolerance against their
community. He says they are reluctant to go to the police when they receive
anonymous threats or face what can only be described as discrimination in
their dealings with public authorities: they fear they will only draw more
attention to themselves and, in any case, will not succeed. Only in some
cases where there have been serious attacks on church buildings and serious
threats to the lives of church leaders, as referred to in the Alliance’s
report, has the State provided protection.

A number of churches have instead hired private security companies, while
others make sure they lock the doors during worship services. While they
are thankful for the cases where the State has provided protection, they
are also troubled by the constant reminder of the need for such protection
against potential attacks. Inevitably, questions are raised. Why is police
protection needed for a place of worship, where it ought to be possible for
the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief to be exercised
without interference by anyone? Why should a church leader need
round-the-clock protection wherever they are? How long will such protection
be needed? Increased worries about security have also frightened church
members when coming to worship services with their families and children.

According to Tanyar, the Protestant Churches’ concerns and expectations
are no different than in 2006, before the Malatya murders, as the
conditions have not changed. He acknowledges that the necessary changes
will need a long time to take effect. Securing freedom of religion or
belief for all belief communities requires work on many different fronts;
it has political, legal and societal aspects. Creating conditions conducive
for a tolerant society – where not only Protestants, but a wide range of
groups that are distinct from the dominant or majority of the population
will be tolerated – will take a long time.

Tanyar also notes that, for many months, the Government has been held up
by successive crises in domestic politics, such as the problems around
lifting the ban on the wearing of headscarves by female university students
and the recent lawsuit aiming to close down the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP). Like many other reforms, legal steps that need to
be taken for better protection of everyone’s freedom of religion or belief
are postponed, while the government deals with what it regards as more
urgent matters. However, concrete steps must be taken in this direction,
otherwise this goal can never be achieved.

But despite the progress that has been made in the legal sphere, even the
steps that have been taken are sadly incomplete. The long-promised new
Foundations Law does not allow Muslim or non-Muslim religious communities
to legally exist as themselves, and so they are not themselves allowed to
own their own places of worship. As Dilek Kurban of the Istanbul-based
TESEV Foundation noted, the Law is "incompatible with the principle of
freedom of association, which is guaranteed by the European Convention on
Human Rights, the Constitution and the Treaty of Lausanne" (see F18News 13
March 2008 < 1100>).

Tanyar is clear that, as a community, the Protestant Churches do not wish
to become simply a tool for the political ends of various groups. In this
context he points to politicians who exaggerate the level of missionary
activities and numbers of those who have converted to Christianity as a
result of these activities. Such politicians do this to reinforce criticism
of the Government which has enacted legislation making spreading a religion
a legal activity.

Amid all these debates, it seems that the small Protestant community’s own
voice is not heard by the Turkish public and state officials. There is no
forum or tool whereby the community could effectively respond to
allegations, or take part in a meaningful discussion, involving all Turkish
citizens, that might contribute to clarification and allow for the
Protestant perspective to be heard. In addition it lacks the resources to
respond to everything that is said in public about it. The voice of
Turkey’s other smaller religious communities also needs to be heard by our
fellow Turks.

While it is difficult to remain hopeful about what the future might hold
for Turks in general and religious or belief communities in particular, it
is vitally important to continue to strive for better protection of freedom
of religion or belief. In this context I believe four concrete steps which
would have the effect of better protection for all belief communities are
essential.

The first step in the right direction would be for relevant state
officials and institutions to engage in dialogue with leaders of believers
of both religions that have existed in Turkey for centuries and those
groups that are new. This would of course also include atheists and
agnostics, as freedom of religion or belief is also a right for
non-believers. Such a dialogue would enable individuals and communities to
voice the difficulties they encounter in the exercise of their right to
freedom of religion or belief. It would also send a strong message to
Turkish society that the secular State is "equally close to all religions",
as the authorities like to proclaim. Such a dialogue would also enhance the
prestige and societal acceptance of groups that now face intolerance.

The vital second step would be to engage in long-term educational efforts
to foster pluralism, the equality of individuals with different religions
and beliefs, and a culture of democracy that would encourage and teach
discussion of different ideas without resorting to violence. This would
also include reforms in public education of religion which would bring it
up to a standard reflecting true freedom of religion for all non-Muslim
groups, as well as various groups within Islam such as the Alevis (see
F18News 29 November 2007
< e_id=1053>). Extreme nationalism
is a major obstacle to this within the educational system (see F18News 26
July 2006 < 817>).

Thirdly, there is in Turkey great controversy around the term "missionary
activity." Some use it as a negative term, while others recognise that
everyone being able to share their beliefs in a non-coercive way is
inseparable from everyone’s freedom of religion and belief. In 2005 a
parliamentary motion was brought to the Ministry of Interior about
missionary activities in Turkey. The response of the then Minister of
Interior Abdulkadir Aksu named three groups as engaging in missionary
activity: Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Baha’is. He stated that this
activity is watched closely in the interests of national security – even
though this is in international law an unacceptable reason to limit freedom
of religion and belief. Sadly, such comments are common from both
politicians and officials (see F18News 10 July 2007
< e_id=990>.) So Turkish society
needs to discuss what is meant by "missionary activity": if it is different
>From exercising one’s religion or belief, and maybe examine what is proper
and improper proselytism. It is my opinion that Turkey would gain much from
a genuine public debate on this, based firmly upon respect for pluralist
democracy and tolerance.

Finally, the fourth important step – and one that needs to be taken
immediately – is for the state to enact measures to remove imminent threats
of attacks against places of worship and religious leaders. Doubtless
finding and punishing the perpetrators of previous attacks would have a
deterrent effect on those who contemplate further such attacks. The
authorities must strongly condemn such threats and attacks and do their
utmost to enforce laws protecting members of belief communities who are
vulnerable to such attacks. It is important that such attacks are condemned
by the whole of society, so that the perpetrators will not have the
perception that they will be received as heroes by a significant group in
society.

If Turkey wishes to seen as a republic genuinely committed to a secular
pluralist democracy, it is necessary for our government to: have an open
public dialogue with all religious communities, as well as non-believers;
initiate long-term educational efforts to foster pluralism and the equality
of all citizens; have a public discussion on what missionary activity
actually means in a pluralist democracy; and, most urgently, take steps to
remove imminent threats of attacks against places of worship and religious
leaders, as well as punish those who have committed attacks. For if we do
not, we will not have started to genuinely address the causes of the three
murders whose first anniversary we are marking this week. (END)

– Güzide Ceyhan, a Turkish Protestant, contributed this commentary to
Forum 18 News Service <;. Commentaries are personal
views and do not necessarily represent the views of F18News or Forum 18.

PDF and printer-friendly views of this article can be accessed from
< e_id=1115>. It may freely be
reproduced, redistributed or quoted from, with due acknowledgement to Forum
18 <;.

More analyses and commentaries on freedom of thought, conscience and
belief in Turkey can be found at
< mp;religion=all&country=68>.

A printer-friendly map of Turkey is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=mideast&Rootmap=turk ey>.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

PRESIDENT APPOINTS FOUR NEW MINISTERS

armradio.am
18.04.2008 17:17

According to RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree of April 18 the
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Armenia was renamed the Ministry
of Energy and Resources of the Republic of Armenia.

With another decree signed by RA President Serzh Sargsyan, Armen
Movsisyan was appointed RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources,
Harutyun Kushkyan was appointed RA Minister of Health, Aram Harutyunyan
was appointed RA Minister of Environmental Protection and Aghvan
Vardanyan was appointed RA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs,
Presidnet’s Press Office reported.

DIRECT INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIAN ECONOMY GROW BY 34% IN 2007 AS COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
April 16, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The total amount of foreign investments
in the real sector of the Armenian economy (without sums received
through the state governance and banking systems) made 845 mln 377.3
thousand dollars, growing by 34.6% on the previous year. Out of the
indicated amount, direct investments made 582 mln 314.1 thousand
dollars, exceeding by 34% the 2006 index.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, in 2007, the
funds received from the privatization of resident organizations of
the Republic of Armenia to nonresident organizations made up 7%
or 40 mln 703.6 thousand dollars of the total amount of direct
investments. The amount of foreign investments in the real sector
(without privatization resources) grew by 33.9%, that of direct
investments – by 32.9% as compared with 2006.

Investments in the communication sector made up 30.9% of foreign
investments made in the real sector of the country’s economy and 25.7%
of direct investments in 2007. 38.3% of direct investments was made
in the production and distribution of electricity, gas, hot water and
steam, while 10.7% of direct investments was made in mining industry.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE GENERAL SECRETARY
OF CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE OF ASIA

Catholicos Aram I received the General Secretary of Christian Conference of
Asia (CCA) Dr. Prawate Khid-arn on Tuesday morning. The Pontiff and his
guest discussed the inter-church activities of the Conference and dialogue
with Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions in the region.

His Holiness had paid an official visit to a number of countries in the Far
East about eight years ago. On the basis of his experiences during this
visit, the Catholicos made a number of suggestions to the Secretary General
for strengthening cooperation between the region’s churches, which form a
minority.

##
View the photo here:
c/Photos/Photos244.htm#3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.