Author: Karakhanian Suren

FRENCH IN ARMENIA ‘GENOCIDE’ ROW

BBC News, UK
Oct 12 2006

Ethnic Armenian campaigners in France hailed the result The French
parliament has adopted a bill making it a crime to deny that Armenians
suffered "genocide" at the hands of the Turks, infuriating Turkey.

The bill, proposed by the Socialists and opposed by the government,
needs approval from the Senate and president.

Turkey called the decision a "serious blow" to relations with France.

It has already threatened economic sanctions.

Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people systematically
in 1915 – a claim strongly denied by Turkey.

The European Commission has said that the bill, if passed into law,
will "prohibit dialogue which is necessary for reconciliation"
between Turkey and Armenia on the issue.

The opposition against Turkey in the EU has begun to present an
ugly face

Cengiz Candar Turkish commentator

Turkish press divided Send us your comments

Turkey has been warning France for weeks not to pass the bill.

"Turkish-French relations, which have been meticulously developed over
the centuries, took a severe blow today through the irresponsible
initiatives of some short-sighted French politicians, based on
unfounded allegations," the Turkish foreign ministry said.

Nobel prize

The bill sponsored by the opposition Socialist party provides for a
year in jail and a 45,000-euro (£30,000) fine – the same punishment
that is imposed for denying the Nazi Holocaust.

Q&A: Armenian genocide Turkish writer wins Nobel prize

The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) did not back the law,
but gave its deputies a free vote.

It passed by 106 votes to 19, after most deputies left the chamber
in protest against what critics say is an attempt to attract votes of
the some 500,000 people of Armenian descent in presidential elections
next year.

Ethnic Armenians in Paris celebrated the result.

"The memory of the victims is finally totally respected," said Alexis
Govciyan.

But French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin distanced himself
from the bill.

It is "not a good thing to legislate on issues of history and of
memory," he said.

The vote came as controversial Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk won the
2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.

He has faced prosecution in Turkey for talking about the murder of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians during World War I and thousands
of Kurds in subsequent years.

The charges have since been dropped.

EU membership bid

Debate on the Armenian issue has been stifled in Turkey.

Arguments have raged for decades about the Armenian deaths

The official Turkish position states that many Christian Armenians
and Muslim Turks died in fighting during World War I – but that there
was no genocide.

The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says many Turks are angry
at what they see as double standards in the EU, where opinions are
sharply divided about whether Turkey should be allowed to join.

Turkey’s chief negotiator in EU membership talks, Ali Babacan, said:
"This is violating one of the core principles of the European Union,
which is freedom of expression."

"Leave history to historians," he added.

France’s President Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have
both said Turkey will have to recognise the Armenian deaths as genocide
before it joins the EU – though this is not the official EU position.

There are accusations in Turkey that the Armenian diaspora and
opponents of Turkey’s EU membership bid are using this issue to
prevent Turkey joining the 25-member bloc.

–Boundary_(ID_oiYkTkdql/I+I2PcSk2t/w)–

UAE PRESIDENT VOICED READINESS TO DEVELOP COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.10.2006 17:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 9 Armenian Ambassador to the United Arab
Emirates Vahagn Melikian among other 11 Ambassadors handed credentials
to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reported the RA
MFA press office. Vahagn Melikian conveyed Robert Kocharian’s best
wishes and voiced hope for strengthening bilateral relations in the
name of prosperity of the two peoples. For his part Sheikh Khalifa bin
Zayed Al Nahyan expressed readiness to deepen multilateral relations
with friendly states, including Armenia.

LEBANESE ARMY CONFISCATED ARMS IN SOUTH LEBANON

United Press International
Oct 11 2006

Beirut – The Lebanese army has confiscated weapons in south Lebanon
where it is being assisted by international troops to extend exclusive
government control.

Defense Minister Elias Murr said Tuesday the confiscation of
illegitimate arms south of the Litani River was in line with Security
Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Lebanon’s
Hezbollah and Israel on Aug. 14.

The area south of the Litani River is an 18-mile-deep area stretching
between the Blue Line, which divides Lebanon and Israel, and the river.

"Arms have been confiscated by Lebanese troops in the south," Murr said
without elaborating or identifying the party whose weapons were seized.

He stressed, however, that the Hezbollah organization was responding
well to the army’s mission and refraining from any armed manifestation.

The Iranian-backed Shiite group has said it supports the government’s
decision to arrest any of its gunmen and confiscate his weapons if
they are displayed.

Murr said the United States and several European countries will supply
the Lebanese army with equipment and arms.

In a related development, seven Turkish army officers arrived in
Lebanon ahead of the Turkish battalion taking part in the U.N.

peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, UNIFIL, whose number was increased
to 15,000 in line with resolution 1701.

Turkey decided to contribute troops to UNIFIL despite protests by
Lebanon’s Armenian community, which objects to Turkey’s military
participation due the Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915.

Picture: Lebanese army checkpoint . A hezbollah flag is shown in
the background.

MILLI MAJLIS ADDRESSES FRENCH PARLIAMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Oct 10 2006

The Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan has sent a message to the
French Parliament to express concern over the bill penalizing denial
of the Armenian genocide to come out for discussion here on October 12.

Members of the Milli Majlis called their French colleagues for being
more careful in an approach to controversial historical events. They
expressed opinion that adoption of the bill would undermine such
basic human rights as freedom of speech and freedom expression.

"Adoption of the bill at the time of growing necessity for deepening
of inter-religious and inter-ethnic dialogue, will merely confirm
the claims on existence of double standards," the message says.

"The allegations on so-called Armenian "genocide" in the Ottoman
Turkey in 1915 need to be investigated very thoroughly."

The Azerbaijani MPs reminded their French counterparts that Turkey
has recently invited Armenian scholars and politicians and any one
who is interested to familiarize with historical documents covering
the Ottoman Turkey in early 20th century.

"Unfortunately, the invitation to the healthy discussion was neglected
by the Armenian side."

They also reminded their colleagues that hundreds of thousands of
innocent Turks and Azeris were killed by Armenian nationalists at
the mentioned period.

"Should all this is taken into account, you will probably agree that
one-sided approach to historical events can lead to disrespect to
historical realities. The bill, which may be adopted under the pressure
of separate political groups and ethnic lobbies can only cast shadow
on reputation of France as the country of old democratic traditions."

Apart form that, according to the message, the bill, if passed, will
question objectivity of France as the Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group
dealing with peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh.

TURKISH INTELLECTUALS IN SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN FOR PERSECUTED WRITER
Submitted by Bill Weinberg

World War 4 Report, NY
Oct 9 2006

The New York Times notes Oct. 6 that charges were dropped against
Turkish novelist Elif Shafak, whose fictional character committed
the crime of refering to the "Armenian genocide." But almost
simultaneously, charges were brought against another writer, Hrant
Dink, who dared to uphold historical truth. This Sept. 29 report
from Turkey’s BIA news agency indicates growing dissent among Turkish
intellectuals:

A number of leading Turkish intellectuals have launched a new
civil disobedience action declaring themselves accomplices of
Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink whose most recent prosecution in
a series launched by Turkish courts is based on opinions he expressed
in an interview with the Reuters news agency.

The action comes in the wake of an Amnesty International (AI)
statement on Dink that said the human rights watchdog organization
was dismayed at recent reports that yet another case had been opened
against Dink on charges of "denigrating Turkishness" under Article
301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The AI warned that if Dink was arrested on any of the charges leveled
against him, he would be declared a "Prisoner of Conscience" on the
international arena.

The latest charge against Dink was brought up following a statement
he made to Reuters on July 14 in which he mentioned the massacre of
Armenians during the Ottoman Empire. "Of course I’m saying it’s a
genocide" he said in the report. "Because its consequences show it
to be true and label it so. We see that people who had lived on this
soil for 4000 years were exterminated by these events."

Civil disobedience underway

Those launching this week’s campaign in support of Dink from Turkey
have issued a public statement where they accept participating in
his offense subject to a new prosecution and request to be tried in
the same case.

Those who launched the statement were musician Sanar Yurdatapan,
spokesman of the Initiative Against the Crime of Thought, lecturer
Prof. Dr. Taner Akcam, teacher Erdal Yildirim, student Gulnur Elcik
and editor-author Nihat Ates.

But the statement is open for new signatories and expected to attract
dozens or hundreds other, under the statement "I participate in Dink’s
remarks, I undersign them. I want to be a defendant in this case."

The statement itself can be found at and those
willing to sign it are asked to email [email protected]/

Background of the case

In reality issue to the case are not Dink’s remarks reflected to
the Reuters report but a 21 July 2006 news article in the weekly
Armenian-Tukish Agos magazine that he runs. Subject to the original
investigation was that news item and the remarks it contained.

A nationalist group of lawyers known for filing complaints against
Turkish intellectuals and writers, a group also held responsible for
interrupting many court proceedings with physical violence and dub
themselves now as the "Union of Grand Jurists," brought up the first
criminal complaint against Dink on these remarks.

As result, under article 301 of the Penal Code, a case was launched
by the Istanbul Sisli Prosecutor’s Office where both Dink and Serkis
Seropyan, as executives of the newspapers, were put on trial.

Amnesty concerned

The recent civil disobedience action follows of a strongly worded
statement by Amnesty International on the Hrant Dink case which was
issued from London this week.

AI said it considers that this new prosecution was "part of an emerging
pattern of harassment against the journalist exercising his right to
freedom of expression," noting that this is a right which Turkey,
as a State Party to the European Convention for the Protection of
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, has a legal obligation to uphold.

AI’s statement said that the rights monitoring group was "particularly
concerned at this latest prosecution, the third against Hrant Dink on
charges under Article 301, because it seems to constitute a pattern
of judicial harassment against the writer for peacefully expressing
his dissenting opinion.

"Furthermore, he has already been given a six-month suspended
prison sentence following an October 2005 conviction on charges of
‘denigrating Turkishness’ (upheld by the Court of Appeal in July
2006), and therefore if found guilty again on the same charge would
be imprisoned. Should he be, Amnesty International would consider
him a prisoner of conscience," it explained.

The Amnesty International statement also said that it considers this
latest prosecution to be "particularly disappointing following the
welcome acquittal four days ago of another writer, novelist Elif Safak,
on charges under Article 301 relating to statements made by characters
in her novel The Bastard of Istanbul.

"The organization had seen this as a positive step for freedom
of expression in Turkey but fears this acquittal may prove to be
the exception rather than the rule and demonstrates yet again the
failure of certain members of the Turkish judiciary and prosecution to
internalize international law, as required by Article 90 of the Turkish
constitution. The organization reiterates its call for Article 301
to be abolished in its entirety, thereby putting an end to arbitrary
implementation of this ill-defined law."

The statement continued:

"Finally, Amnesty International notes that this prosecution reportedly
arises from a complaint lodged by elements of civil society opposed to
the abolition of Article 301, who have lodged similar complaints in
the past seeking to secure such prosecutions and who have repeatedly
staged provocative and sometimes violent protests at trials, creating
a threatening atmosphere in the courtroom. The organization calls
on the Turkish authorities to ensure that all necessary measures are
taken to ensure the protection both of the defendants, their lawyers
and supporters in such cases, and of the course of justice itself."

STATE ENTERPRISES IN ARMENIA INFLICT DAMAGE TO COUNTRY RATHER THAN BRING PROFIT TO IT

ARMINFO News Agency
October 9, 2006 Monday

The state enterprises in Armenia inflict damage to the country rather
than bring profit to it.

The Armenian State Property Department press-service told ArmInfo that
the monitoring of 424 enterprises having government shares in the
second quarter of 2006 showed that 112 of these enterprises worked
with damage and the total volume of the damage caused was 1.868
billion drams. 277 enterprises worked with profit for the period
under review. The total profit made up 1.294 billion drams.

It is not the full picture of the activity of state enterprises.

1,039 enterprises are registered in Armenia in which the government’s
share is 50% and more. 153 of these enterprises are in the process
of liquidation. The others are monitored by the Ministry of Finance
and Economy of Armenia.

PARLIAMENT SPEAKER EXPECTS "GOOD REPORT" OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ON ARMENIA

Panorama.am
17:02 09/10/06

Tigran Torosyan, speaker of parliament, told a press conference today
that Council of European (CoE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA) monitoring
committee may submit a "good report" on constitutional changes and
legislative improvements in Armenia.

Summing up CoE PA fall session, Torosyan said the committee reported
on the visit to Armenia giving positive assessments to the legislative
improvements followed by constitutional changes. The committee made
an exception for Stepan Demirchyan from the opposition allowing him
to participate in the committee session.

Torosyan praised Resolution 1416 which says that Armenia and Azerbaijan
must not increase their military might. Torosyan said the international
community must be persistent in the implementation of this resolution
urging to impose pressures on sides.

"It may be a very important and prospective document," Torosyan
said. The speaker also told reporters that Azerbaijani delegation
opposed the document saying, "Until Karabakh conflict settlement
they see no possibility of such document." However, Torosyan said
Azerbaijan’s speech made no effect.

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Oct 7 2006

Strict Measures Should be Taken against Armenia
07.10.2006

Rafael Huseinov, member of Milli Mejlis constant delegation to PACE
prepared new document. Issued on the third day of session work
document is called "Obstacles of dangerous precedent caused by
Armenia for future and integrity of Europe".

R. Huseinov told about it in written letter addressed to Committee of
Ministers:
– Since 2001, when Azerbaijan became CE member, members of our
delegation prepared tens of documents exposing the essence of
Armenian aggressive policy against Azerbaijan. These documents not
only contain the facts of military occupation of Azerbaijani
territories by Armenia but also the facts of commitment of different
crimes on occupied territories, mass violation of human rights of our
compatriots.

Owing to basis provided by these documents, the report on
Nagorni-Garabagh problem was presented to PACE for discussion.

Resolution adopted in January 2005 stated that Armenia is
aggressor-country which committed ethnic cleaning against
Azerbaijanis, and Nagorni Garabagh regime is called separatist one.

However, unless conflict is not fairly regulated, our delegation will
continue its endeavors to expose lie of Armenians. Preliminary
document reflects activity of Armenia against Azerbaijan, which
contradicts to principles of Council of Europe. In near future
document will be discussed in Committee of Ministers which is result
itself. During all meetings of the Committee of Ministers we discuss
Armenia.

We succeeded in drawing attention to Armenia as the country violating
CE principles in the course of all meetings of Committee of
Ministers.

Documents presented to Committee of Ministers states:
– Armenia is the only CE state-member, officially recognized by this
structure as aggressor in its separate resolution. Having occupied
20% territories of neighbor member-state – Azerbaijan- resorting to
military intervention, it has been controlling it over 15 years.

Armenia is the only CE member-state which having evicted from its
territories different nations with the use of different pressures and
created mono-ethnic surrounding. CE officially confirmed the fact of
ethnic cleaning policy in its special resolution.

Armenia is the only CE member-state directly connected with terrorist
network pursuing terrorist policy at state level, supporting
terrorism, granting to criminals being world terrorist state awards,
harboring terrorists, allowing them free activity, making training
camps at occupied territories.

Armenia is the only EC member-state which committed and continues
committing genocide against humanity, purposefully making ecologic
provocations in order to destroy population of neighbor countries.

Armenia is the only CE member-state which uses thousands kilometers
of territories out of international control for drug planting and
trafficking, preservation, sale and delivery of illegal weapons to
other states, burring of nuclear wastes and making nuclear
researches.

Armenia is the only CE member-state which forcibly evicted 300000 of
its citizens from the country, and turned them into refugees, and
having occupied the territories of neighbor state Armenia turned
700000 citizens of neighbor country into internally displaced
persons. Armenia is the country which keeps over 3000-4000 hostages
and prisoners in its secret prisons and clinics. Extracting people’s
organs, Armenia is involved with active transplant trade within world
black market.

Armenia is the only CE state-member being involved with illegal
activity totally contradicting to CE, remains to be non-punishable.

Bearing in mind the mentioned above facts, Rafael Huseinov, asks
Committee of Ministers:
Doesn’t Armenian precedent of illegal activity contradicting to
standards of international law and CE charter, fundamental measures
of democracy and human rights, represent threat of chain reaction?

Doesn’t this non-punishable syndrome impede further development,
integrity of Europe, stability and progress in South Caucasus? Does
the Committee of Ministers intend to undertake steps to prevent
illegal acts of Armenia which should have forfeited its CE membership
long ago?

After discussion response to the above document will be made and
spread in English and French languages, complete text of the document
will be republished with the response of the Committee of Ministers.

Published text of the document will be sent to all CE members.

–Boundary_(ID_fRATN+Dv3HC8ksbi7fDolQ)–

Turkish State Minister Warned EU Not to Meddle in Turkish-Armenian Relations

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 17:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish State Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday
warned the European Union not to meddle in Turkish-Armenian bilateral
relations. "French President Jacques Chirac said that recognition
of the Armenian Genocide should be a precondition to Turkey’s
EU membership. An Armenian bill is being discussed in the French
Parliament introducing fines and prison terms for those who deny the
Armenian Genocide. It is not possible to accept such an attitude. This
is against the cultural atmosphere the EU is trying to create," Sener
said. Stressing that Armenia is not a European and a third party for
the EU, Sener said "it is meaningless to bring this matter up as part
of Turkey’s EU membership process." The Turkish State minister went
on with his warning, saying, "Whether it is an EU member or another
country, everybody who is trying to influence Armenia’s policy from
the outside should give up their endeavors. Chirac’s remarks are
insincere," reports The New Anatolian.

QUEUE IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

A1+
[04:11 pm] 06 October, 2006

After the Constitutional reforms when the citizens were given the right
to turn to the Constitutional Court a number of applications have been
registered. Today more than 300 citizens have turned to the Court.

11 cases have been accepted, and two of the individual applications
have already been considered.

"There are no problems in connection with individual applications as
the procedure is clearly defined", President of the Constitutional
Court Gagik Haroutyunyan informed the journalists today. "The only
problem is that too many people apply to the Court".

After the Constitutional amendments the deputies can turn to
the Constitutional Court collecting the signatures of 1/5 of the
Parliamentarians, instead of 1/3, as before. The Ombudsman too has
the right to turn to the Constitutional Court.