Author: Karakhanian Suren

The Economist
July 24, 2004
U.S. Edition
King Mikhail the good?;
Nationalism
The persistence of nationalism in ex-communist hot spots is a puzzle
Georgia’s leader may succeed as a nationalist who believes in law
CAN there be such a thing as a good nationalist, in regions where
violent chauvinism – asserting the interests of one nation, ethnic
group or faith at the expense of all others – has already taken a
terrible toll in blood? In the wilder bits of the ex-communist world,
that is something more than just a brain-teaser for political
scientists.
Mikhail Saakashvili, the charismatic young president of Georgia, is
trying to persuade the world that this question has an affirmative
answer (see page 33). Since taking power half a year ago, he has
tugged hard on his people’s patriotic heart-strings. He has devised
new state symbols and displayed them prominently; and he can deliver
thumping nationalist speeches when the occasion demands.
But in fairness, Mr Saakashvili has also been quite careful to tell
the world, and his compatriots, what his gestures do and do not mean.
He does want to extend the writ of Georgian government to the whole
of its territory, including the breakaway South Ossetia region; but
he has pledged to deal generously and inclusively with non-Georgian
minorities, amounting to at least 30% of the population. That is in
healthy contrast to the early years of Georgian independence.
Boris Tadic, the new Serbian president, is another pro-western
politician who knows how to beat the patriotic drum. At his
inauguration this month, he caused a sensation by playing Serbia’s
monarchist anthem, “God of Justice” – not heard in official places for
many decades – and pointedly kissing the Serbian flag. Nobody suspects
Mr Tadic of being an ultra-nationalist, but he clearly feels he must
assuage his compatriots who do lean in that direction.
For the western institutions that have spent billions of dollars
trying to exorcise the demon of chauvinism from the Balkans and the
Caucasus – and to promote the idea that nations and ethnic groups must
co-operate to solve their post-communist problems – the persistence of
nationalism is a puzzle and a disappointment. Bosnia’s protectors are
frustrated by the fact that after eight years of foreign tutelage,
politics there is still dominated by parties which assert the
interests of one ethnic group – Muslim, Serb or Croat – rather than the
whole country. Meanwhile, Kosovo’s protectors would rejoice if
Albanians and Serbs merely stopped killing each other; a wave of
anti-Serb violence in March was a severe setback. In the Caucasus,
years of international mediation have brought the conflict between
Armenians and Azeris no closer to a solution, and there is a powerful
lobby in Azerbaijan which favours going back to war.
Given that nationalism shows no sign of disappearing, can there be a
meaningful distinction between the “good” and “bad” varieties? Here
is one possible litmus test: is nationalism being used to promote the
rule of law, or to defy it?
At its mildest, nationalism can be a galvanising force, and perhaps a
necessary device, for any leader who is struggling to construct a
law-based state in places where government of any kind has all but
collapsed. That is what Mr Saakashvili says he wants: if he can turn
his ramshackle polity into a minimally efficient machine for
collecting tax, providing services and guarding its citizens, then it
should automatically earn people’s loyalty – whatever their ethnic
background.
At the other extreme, nationalism has often been a cover for exactly
the opposite: policies which stir up hatred both inside and outside a
country’s borders, and use the resulting conflict as a smokescreen
for behaviour which mocks the rule of law – stealing from the public
purse, robbing the victims of war and maintaining irregular armies
which live off larceny. In the chaos, and above all uncertainty over
property rights, which followed the collapse of communism, the
anti-law variety of nationalism was an irresistible temptation for
politicians who wanted to play on people’s fears and grab a share of
the loot. Serbia’s strongman, Slobodan Milosevic, was perhaps the
prime exponent of this tactic – but by no means the only one. From the
Adriatic to Central Asia, the politics of the ex-communist world have
been marred by warlords who steal or smuggle while exercising
authority in the name of tribal, national or ethnic sentiment.
If Mr Saakashvili can prove that his nationalism is of the
law-promoting, rather than the law-scoffing kind, then he will have
performed a valuable service – not just for his own country, but for
all the hard-pressed policymakers who are wondering how to put
conflict zones together again.

Turkish PM in France, says joining EU not only option
NTV television, Istanbul
21 Jul 04

[Announcer] Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey’s
ambition to join the EU is not its only option. Evaluating his visit
to France in a news conference, Erdogan stated: If necessary, we will
rename the Copenhagen criteria the Ankara criteria and implement
them. The prime minister also said that the Progress Report to be
issued by the EU Commission will be decisive in determining France’s
stand.
A large group of journalists attended Erdogan’s news conference
following his contacts in France. Most of the questions posed to the
prime minister were about Turkey’s reaction in the event it receives a
negative response or a conditional negotiation date from the EU in
December.
[Erdogan] There is no provision in the EU acquis or in the rules
outlining the way to become a member on giving a date for a
conditional negotiation process or granting the right for full
membership. Moreover, Turkey’s ambition to join the EU is not its only
option. We have only one issue. We adopted the Copenhagen political
criteria with the aim of raising our citizens’ standard of living. If
the EU accession process proceeds positively, all well and good.
Failing that, we will rename these criteria the Ankara criteria and
proceed on our path.
[Announcer] Underlining the fact that the EU summit to be held on 17
December 2004 is not a summit for full membership as far as Turkey is
concerned, Erdogan said that the allegations of Armenian genocide,
which is a problem between Turkey and France, do not constitute a
criterion for EU accession.
Asked by a journalist how Turkey will implement the resolutions of the
European Parliament, Erdogan recalled the EU stance on Cyprus.
[Erdogan] Turkey will implement all the decisions that can be
implemented and it will not implement those that are impossible to
implement, in the same way as other countries fail to implement such
decisions. Those who are calling on us to withdraw from Cyprus should
have said the same thing at the time to those who should have
withdrawn from southern Cyprus. Under the EU acquis, a country that
has a border problem cannot become a full member of the union.
Cyprus, however, has become a full member under the name of Cyprus.
[Announcer] The prime minister also contended that the EU should give
Turkey a negotiation date in order to prove that it is not a Christian
club.
[Erdogan] Still approaching Turkey with apprehension shows that one is
driven by Turkey’s culture and concept of civilization. The date of 17
December 2004 is very important and I believe that this date will
exonerate the EU from such a charge.
[Announcer] At his news conference, Erdogan also made important
statements in connection with foreign policy. Pointing out that there
is no crisis between Israel and Turkey, Erdogan said: It was wrong of
Israel to bomb Rafah, and we warned Israel. Friends tell the bitter
truth. Erdogan also warned about developments that could trigger a
civil war in Iraq.
Foreign journalists in particular asked Erdogan questions about
Turkey’s foreign policy. He was asked if the crisis between Turkey and
Israel has been overcome.
[Erdogan] There is no crisis between Turkey and Israel. Any stance or
any mistake is open to criticism. I, for my part, criticized a mistake
that was made, that is the bombing of the Rafah refugee camps in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This was a friendly statement about a
stance and a mistake. In Turkey we have a saying: Friends tell the
bitter truth, but they tell the truth.
[Announcer] Even though Erdogan denied the existence of a crisis with
Israel, he stood behind the phrase of state terrorism.
[Erdogan] As you know, 14 members of the UN Security Council condemned
this. Why is this condemnation not disturbing Israel? In this case,
Israel should ask itself where it went wrong and what mistake it made
to evoke the condemnation of so many countries. Only the United States
abstained. If we question ourselves, I believe that we can attain
peace much more quickly.
[Announcer] Erdogan was also asked to comment on the allegations that
Israel is conducting secret operations in northern Iraq, allegations
that caused tension in Turkish-Israeli relations.
[Erdogan] We are not a country that acts on rumours. We conduct our
business on the basis of negotiations and intelligence and we take
steps when necessary.
[Announcer] Assessing the developments in Iraq, Erdogan warned that
developments are occurring that could trigger a civil war.
[Erdogan] At present, the developments in Iraq are not satisfactory or
cheerful. There is no one that does not have an account to settle over
Iraq. It would be wrong to say that only Iran has such
calculations. There are many designs over Iraq. It is difficult to
estimate the extent of each country’s calculations, but it appears
that everyone has an account to settle over Iraq.

Laksamana, Indonesia
July 17 2004
Bush Names New Ambassador to Indonesia

Laksamana.Net – US President George W. Bush plans to nominate B.
Lynn Pascoe, a deputy assistant secretary of state and former
ambassador to Malaysia, as the next US ambassador to Indonesia, the
White House announced Friday (16/7/04).
If the US Senate approves the nomination, Pascoe will replace
incumbent Ambassador Ralph L. `Skip’ Boyce, who has held the position
since October 2001.
Pascoe currently serves as deputy assistant secretary in the European
and Eurasian Affairs Bureau at the State Department. His areas of
responsibility include countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, the
Caucasus, and Central Asia.
Prior to that position, he was ambassador to Malaysia from January
1999 to August 2001.
He earlier served as US co-chair of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group that sought to resolve the
dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
>From 1993 to 1996, Pascoe was director of the American Institute in
Taiwan. He has also served as principal deputy assistant secretary in
the State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau.
Born in Missouri in 1943, Pascoe received his bachelor’s degree from
the University of Kansas and his master’s degree from Columbia
University. He has also attended the US National War College. He
speaks Chinese and Russian.

Albany Times Union, NY
July 16 2004
Ex-priest pleads guilty to tax fraud
Albany– Former pastor avoids prison time, again told to repay Troy
church

By BRENDAN LYONS, Staff writer
First published: Friday, July 16, 2004

A former priest who took more than $90,000 while he was pastor at an
Armenian church in Troy was sentenced on federal charges this week to
six months of home confinement and three years of probation.
Megerdich Megerdichian, 48, who now lives in Cranston, R.I., was a
priest at Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church for about 16 years
until January 1998. In the mid-1990s, Megerdichian opened a bank
account in which he deposited thousands of dollars in checks made out
to the congregation.

The deposits were made without the knowledge of a four-member church
finance board, and Megerdichian withdrew money from the account for
several years, beginning in 1995, to pay personal expenses.
In federal court Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn
heard from a church member who urged him to sentence Megerdichian to
life in prison, according to federal authorities. But Megerdichian
faced a maximum punishment of only about three years in prison and a
fine of up to $250,000. In addition to home confinement and
probation, Kahn fined him $20,000 and ordered him to repay the
embezzled money to the church.
Megerdichian was removed from ministry in 1998 and was required in
2000 to repay the parish. It’s not clear from court records if the
money has been repaid. It totaled more than $93,000, including
$82,000 in checks made out to the church.
Megerdichian pleaded guilty to a single count of filing a false and
fraudulent income tax return. The charge, which was part of a plea
agreement, was based on his not having declared the income or having
reported it to the Internal Revenue Service. Megerdichian paid
$10,293 in restitution to the IRS, authorities said.
Church finances were controlled by a four-member board during
Megerdichian’s tenure, officials said. They were signatories on all
church accounts and were required to approve church expenditures.
But from at least May 1995 until sometime in late 1997, those board
members had no idea that the priest had established a private account
at a Fleet Bank in Troy in which he deposited the thousands of
dollars.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
“ARCHBISHOP SCOTT SERVED THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT WITH A CLEAR VISION OF THE
UNITY OF THE CHURCH”
Said His Holiness Aram I
Antelias, Lebanon – Archbishop Edward Ted Scott, the 10th primate of the
Anglican Church of Canada and former Moderator of WCC Executive and Central
Committees, died Monday afternoon in a car accident near Parry Sound, Ont.,
north of Toronto. He was 85. On this occasion His Holiness Aram I sent the
following condolences to the Most Rev. Archbishop Andrew S. Hutchison, the
Primate of the Anglican Church.-
His Grace
Most Rev. Archbishop Andrew S. Hutchison
80 Hayden Street
Toronto, ONM4Y 3G2
Canada.
Your Grace ,
I just learned, with deep sorrow, the passing away of Archbishop Ted Scott.
Indeed, he was a gifted minister and a strong church-leader. He served his
church with firm commitment and profound love. Archbishop Scott also served
the ecumenical movement in general and the World Council of Churches in
particular with a clear vision of the unity of the church. As Moderator of
the Central Committee of the WCC from 1975 to 1983, through his reports and
reflections, Archbishop Scott emphasized the centrality of the local church
and the critical importance of the pastoral di – mension in our ecumenical
engagement. The ecumenical movement owes a great deal to the ecumenical
contribution of Archbishop Scott.
May God accept his soul in His eternal kingdom.
Prayerfully
ARAM I
CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA
&
MODERATOR OF THE WCC
****************
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.

PRAVDA, Russia from RIA Novosti
July 9 2004
Russia wants relations with CIS to be more practical
In his interview to Rossiiskaya Gazeta published Friday, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov promised that Russia would make its
relations with the CIS more practicable and less declarative. “I see
a clear-cut recent tendency toward abandoning slogans in relations
with the CIS nations for the benefit of vitally-important
activities,” said the minister.
In his opinion, the chief priority is to examine all the outstanding
problems with each of the CIS countries in a complex.
“They want our fuels; we want them to level the economic models, to
create favorable conditions for people-to-people contacts and for
business exchanges, to develop joint economic projects and to enable
the CIS countries that are prepared for advanced integration to
progress without being dependent on those who are not yet ready for
such integration,” noted Lavrov.
He claims this logical basis was meant when establishing the CIS and
is reflected in its charter.
“Therefore forming a common economic space (to include Russia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine), developing the Eurasian economic
community (incorporating Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan as well as Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine as observers),
promoting work on the establishment of a Union of Russia and Belarus
as part of a common European economic space are extremely pertinent
for pulling down the barriers that have been artificially erected to
dismember the once single economic organism,” thinks the Russian
foreign minister.
“The necessity of uniting efforts is also caused by matters of
security, protection from common threats, from terrorism and drug
trafficking in our Southern borders, which is the responsibility of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia),” he added.
Dealing with the presence of the United States in the region, the
minister made a point of Russia’s unwillingness to let the CIS become
an area of confrontation.
“If the U.S. presence helps settle conflicts and thus crush breeding
grounds of terrorism and tensions around Russia with the prospect of
its being surrounded by friendly states, we welcome such
developments. But when the aims of such presence are unclear for us,
we seek answers to our questions,” said Lavrov.

The Guardian, UK
July 10 2004
Hacked flesh and great ideas
James Buchan assesses an epic engagement with the aftermath of the
Ottoman empire in Louis de Bernières’s Birds Without Wings
Read an interview with Louis de Bernières

Buy Birds Without Wings at Amazon.co.uk

Birds Without Wings Louis de Bernières
625pp, Secker & Warburg,
£17.99
The destruction of the Ottoman empire in the first world war and its
aftermath put an end to a tradition of religious and ethnic tolerance
in Asia Minor, the Balkans and the Arab lands. In place of the
corrupt but uninquisitive old order, a half-domesticated nationalism
ruined the old cosmopolitan cities of the eastern Mediterranean –
Istanbul, Salonika, Smyrna, Beirut, Alexandria – broke up any
affinities between Muslims, Christians and Jews, and undermined every
effort to establish liberal and prosperous states. There has been a
century of war.
Romantic nostalgia for a lost world of pashas and cohabitation
prompted Lawrence Durrell to write The Alexandria Quartet of 1957-60.
A brilliant and overdue Levantine society worked out its destiny in
prose as honeyed and indigestible as Oriental confectionery. The
swansong of exotic English literary modernism, The Alexandria Quartet
is now the deadest of dead dogs.
Louis de Bernières has chosen in place of a sophisticated commercial
city of the 1930s a picturesque village on the Lycian coast in about
1900. This is Eskibahce, now just another ghost town on Turkey’s
southern shore but once a place where Christians and Muslims lived in
friendly intimacy, illiterate in both Greek and Turkish, and more
alike than they knew. A beautiful Christian girl makes veiling all
the rage, while the village molla halts the stoning of an adulteress
by appealing not merely to the sharia but to the doctrines of Jesus,
son of Mary. It is a place, as one might expect from De Bernières,
that is folksy, capricious, sentimental, superstitious, good-hearted
and brutal in the extreme.
In place of a single complex life story or family narrative, De
Bernières introduces and sets in motion a mob of characters
restricted, necessarily as in Dickens, to a single salient
characteristic. There is the beautiful Philothei, a Christian girl
betrothed since infancy to Ibrahim the Goatherd; two boys who play at
birds nicknamed Karatavuk (Blackbird) and Mehmetçik (Robin, or so
we’re told); Father Kristoforos with his religious doubts and
Abdulhamid Hodja with his beloved mare; the Greek schoolteacher who
stays up all night corresponding with irredentist secret societies;
the landlord Rustem Aga, his unfaithful wife and Circassian mistress
who is not who she seems; and Ibrahim the Potter, who has a talent
for such leaden aphorisms as “If the cat’s in a hurry, she has
peculiar kittens.”
As he tells their stories, De Bernières interleaves a biography of
Mustafa Kemal, founder of modern secular Turkey and known as Atatürk
or Father of the Turks. This old-fashioned piece of hero-worship
introduces a 19th-century solemnity which jars with the genre scenes
in Eskibahce, but does no real harm. Indeed, for those who don’t know
the modern history of the Middle East, the 22 biographical chapters
may be of some use.
As the old order begins to disintegrate, the Muslim boys of the town
are called up to do their religious duty and fight for the Sultan.
They are surprised to find they are fighting one set of infidels
(Australian Franks, British Franks, even French Franks) while allied
with another set of infidels (German Franks). Mehmetçik, who despite
his name is a Christian, is shipped off to a labour battalion. The
Armenians are told to collect their belongings and, in a scene kept
scrupulously free of hindsight, marched out of the town.
Karatavuk finds himself on the Gallipoli peninsula. In a terrific
literary set-piece, far beyond anything De Bernières has attempted or
achieved up to now, the boy fights his way through the Allied
invasion and defeat. The story winds its way through the
opportunistic Greek invasion of the Aegean coast, the Turkish defence
under Mustafa Kemal, the mass departure behind their icons of the
Christians from Eskibahce to mainland Greece, and the burning of the
Christian quarters of Smyrna.
For De Bernières, who sometimes cannot resist the 19th-century
manner, “history is nothing but a sorry edifice constructed from
hacked flesh in the name of great ideas”. His historical bugbears are
religious absolutism and “the devilish false idols of nationalism”.
Yet in the saintly village molla Abdulhamid Hodja or Karatavuk and
his comrades at Gallipoli, De Bernières the novelist shows that
religion and patriotism can also produce acts of heroism and
generosity. Those sections are a reminder that a book doesn’t have to
have complex characterisation to convey the less obvious truths of
life.
In his early novels, set in Latin America, De Bernières appeared to
be working off some debts to the magical-drippy school of Gabriel
García Márquez. There is an unfortunate scene here in which the
foul-mouthed corpse of a Greek merchant denounces the Greek and
Allied leaders as he sinks to the floor of Smyrna harbour. There is
also a Latin American copiousness that becomes more evident after
Karatavuk’s ordeal at Gallipoli. In the last third of the book, the
story loops away in distant meanders, like a river approaching the
sea. In those chapters, I learned some words of Turkish but many more
of English, such as immanitous, mommixity and phatic.
For those readers who liked the Italian officer in Captain Corelli’s
Mandolin, there’s an Italian officer here too. His name is Granitola.
He is part of the Italian army of occupation in southern Anatolia and
makes friends with Rustem Bey; he passes a few pages pleasantly
enough. A new character is introduced on page 607. If historical
novelists since Walter Scott have had difficulty starting – why begin
then? Why not a bit before? – De Bernières finds it agony to stop.
The reader closes the book with a satisfied thud only to hear the
yelping of two trapped epilogues and a crushed postscript.
But then, all critics say books are too long and all authors say they
are precisely the right length.
· James Buchan’s novels include Heart’s Journey in Winter. To order
Birds Without Wings for £15.99 plus p&p call Guardian book service on
0870 836 0875.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Sunday Herald (Sydney)
July 11, 2004 Sunday
Hamdan marks Abraham for destruction
By ADRIAN WARREN
NADER Hamdan will adopt a “destroy or be destroyed” approach for a
fight he recognises is risky, but too good an opportunity to turn
down.
Hamdan heads to Germany next Sunday for a WBA International
middleweight title showdown on July 24 with Armenian Arthur Abraham,
who has won all 12 of his fights by KO.
Described as the “best kept secret” in European boxing, 24-year-old
Abraham has the same trainer and manager as former super-middleweight
world champions Markus Beyer and Sven Ottke, who defeated Danny Green
and Anthony Mundine respectively.
Frustrated at the lack of big fight opportunities his seven-year
professional career has generated, 30-year-old Hamdan is dropping
down a division.
Winning the vacant title would give him a top-10 ranking and move him
closer to a fight with New Zealand’s WBA champion Maselino Masoe.
“I did have reservations about going to Germany and about going back
to middleweight, but it’s a huge opportunity and I’ve always been
waiting for one to come,” Hamdan said.
“I’ve been waiting for opportunities for five or six years and I’m
not going to say no to it now that I’m here.
“It’s a big risk, but that’s what fighting is about. I’ve never said
no to a challenge.”
Not surprisingly, Hamdan is wary of fighting in Germany after Green
suffered a controversial disqualification loss and Mundine was hit
with a two-point deduction by the referee.
A chat with Green on Thursday left him in no doubt about the tactics
he would need to employ in Germany, where Abraham lives.
“Even if I give him a boxing lesson, there’s no way I’m walking away
with a points win,” he said. “I know it’s knockout or be knocked out.
“Greeny basically told me to go in there with that attitude, destroy
or be destroyed, don’t give him any respect.”
With 17 KOs in a 36-1 record, Hamdan believes the extra power he has
displayed since moving up from junior-middleweight will serve him
well.
He has acquired a video of a couple of Abraham’s fights.
“He’s got a very good left to the body and a very good right to the
head,” he said.
“Billy [Hussein] told me the guy is very tight in his defence and
very strong,” added Hamdan, who has also targeted Germany’s Danilo
Haussler as a potential opponent.
Hamdan has sparred with prominent local fighters and has a couple of
sessions scheduled this week with Mundine, whom he helped prepare for
his world title defence against Manny Siaca.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GIBRAHAYER
e-newsletter
[email protected]
http: //gibrahayer.cyprusnewsletter.com
CYPRUS WELCOMES THE OLYMPIC FLAME
Archbishop Hergelian and the Armenian community of Nicosia greet the flame
as it crosses Armenia Avenue at 5:30 p.m.
July 8, 2004 (CNA/Gibrahayer) – The Olympic Torch has arrived in Cyprus,
final stop in its long journey back to Athens.
The plane ”Zeus”, carrying the Olympic Tor ch landed at Paphos
International airport at 8:30 a.m. where it received a red carpet welcome,
normally accorded to heads of state. It was then placed on a sailing boat
just outside Paphos International Airport and arrived at Paphos Harbour an
hour later where the official celebrations began.
The Torch then followed a route covering literally all government controlled
areas of Cyprus, through many communities and past many of the island’s
great landmarks and locations, before arriving at its final destination in
the centre of Nicosia.
The Torch arrived in Nicosia at 4:45 p.m. and headed west on Armenia Avenue
an hour later where hundreds were waiting to get a glimpse of it.
Archbishop Hergelian greeted the Torch at the entrance of the Armenian
Prelature where many Armenian Cypriot residents of Armenia Avenue had
gathered.
The gathered crowds chanted and app lauded the Olympic Torch Relay
entourage.
Ceremonies continued on Thursday night at the Presidential Palace and at
D’Avila Moat. The relay continued its journey into Larnaca on Friday.
80-1 OUTSIDERS GREECE WIN EURO 2004
Nicosia July 7: (Gibrahayer) – 80-1 outsiders Greece, won the Euro 2004
Football tournament in style, sending an entire nation into an extended
state of delirium.
They knocked out host nations Portugal twice, once in the opening game and
once in the final. They ousted European and world champions France in the
quarters, broke the winning streak of the Czechs in the semi-finals and
completed their Hudini act last Sunday against Portugal by 1-0.
The celebrations across Greece, Cyprus and the entire diaspora are still
going on and the world remains dumbfounded in front of the
near-to-impossible achievement.
On Monday the new European Champions were welcomed by more than three
million Athenians who took the streets to see their new Gods. In the
celebrations that followed at the Panathinaikos Stadium, the champions and
their coach Otto Rehhagel were decorated by the Mayor of Athens, the
Ministry of Sports and the Greek Orthodox Church of Greece.
KURDS REARM AND INFILTRATE TURKEY FROM IRAQ
04/07/2004Â AFP ANKARA – Turkish Kurd rebels hiding in northern Iraq are
rearming and1,500 of them have crossed into Turkey to engage in violence,
CNN-Turk television said Sunday, citing an intelligence report.
According to the report, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), known
also as KONGRA-GEL, had purchased weapons worth 1.7 million dollars from
unknown sources in Iraq, Iran and Armenia in the past year and had
intensified military training for members in camps in northern Iraq,
CNN-Turk said on its web site.
The increased activity was thought to be a preparation for a possible
military operation against the group by Turkey or the United States, both of
whom view the PKK as a “terrorist” organization.
Ankara has repeatedly urged Washington to take action against PKK rebels in
neighboring northern Iraq since last October, when the two countries agreed
on an action plan, including military measures, against the PKK.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated the call during talks
with US President George W. Bush in Ankara last week.
The Turkish authorities estimate that about 5,000 PKK militants have taken
refuge in northern Iraq since 1999, when the group announced a unilateral
truce with the government following a call for peace by its jailed leader,
Abdullah Ocalan.
The rebels ended the ceasefire on June 1 this year.
CNN-Turk quoted the intelligence report as saying that 1,500 armed militants
had infiltrated Turkey in the past six months.
The PKK has been blamed for a recent series of deadly attacks on Turkish
security forces in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey, bordering northern Iraq,
including the mining of roads.
On July 2, officials accused the group of carrying out a car bomb attack on
a convoy carrying the governor of Van province, which killed three people
and wounded 25 others.
The PKK waged a bloody 15-year campaign for self-rule in Turkey’s
predominantly Kurdish southeast between 1984 and 1999. The conflict has
claimed some 37,000 lives.
The southeast enjoyed relative calm during the ceasefire period and Ankara
improved the cultural rights of the Kurdish minority in a bid to boost
Turkey’s chances of being allowed to join the European Union.
CYPRUS AND ARMENIA SIGN HEALTH AND MEDICINE COOPERATION AGREEMENT
Nicosia, Jul 5 (CNA) — Cyprus and Armenia signed today an interstate
cooperation agreement in the fields of health and medicine. Cyprus Minister
of Health Constantina Akkelidou and Armenia’s Ambassador to Cyprus Vahram
Kazhoyan signed the agreement.
NOURITSA MATOSSIAN PRESENTS GORKY SHOW IN TURKEY
Cypriot writer Nouritza Matossian, writer of the life of Arshile Gorky
presented her one-woman show in Bolis. which received excellent comments
from the local and Armenian (Agos) press during her visit where she gave a
lecture and did excerpts from show. Enclosed her interview in the local
press in Turkish.
Araþtýrmacý yazar Nouritsa Matossian, geçmiþteki köklerin sanatçýlarý
yakýndan etkilediðini düþünüyor ve VanlýManug’un izini sürüyor
Arshile Gorky’nin gizemi
Kýsa bir tatil için Ã=9Dstanbul’a gelen – Amerikan sürrealizminin tetikçisi
Ermeni asýllý ünlü ressam Arshile Gorky’nin yaþamýný ve sanatýný anlatan
`Black Angel’ adlý kitabýn yazarý – NouritzaMatossian, gazetemizi ziyaret
etti. Atom Egoyan’ýn kitaptan etkilenerek Gorky karakterini Ararat filmine
taþýdýðýný söyleyen Matossian, bizleriçalýþmalarý hakkýnda bilgilendirerek,
Arshile Gorky’nin gizemli yaþamýný bu kez AGOS okurlarýyla paylaþtý.
РNeden Arshile Gorky? Sizi bu uzun yolculu̡a iten neydi?
N. MATOSSIAN – Arshile Gorky’nin eserleriyle ilk karþýlaþtýðýmda henüz genç
bir üniversite öðrencisiydim. Sanatla yakýndan ilgileniyordum. Ã=9Dlk anda
anlayamadýðým þaþýrtýcý duygularla sarsýldým. Kara gözlü bu esmer adam beni
son derece etkilemiþti. Ermeni olduðunu bilmiyordum. Fakat görüntüsü
ailemden birini andýrýr gibiydi… Ã=9Dnanmayacaksýnýz o anda bir Ermeni soluðu
hissettim… Ben Kýbrýslýyým, anneannem Kayserili, babam Antepli, Birinci
Dünya Savaþý’nýn öncesinde göç etmiþler Anadolu’dan… Yaþlý ninemin
anýlarý, tüm anlatýlanlar, ailem, çocukluðum bir anda herþey yeniden
canlandý. O coþkuyla ressam hakkýnda bilgi aramaya koyuldum.Kýsa bir yazý
iliþti gözüme, yaklaþtým, okudum… Ve o yazýtokat gibi patladý yüzümde…
Yanýlmamýþtým! Gerçek adýnýn Vostanik Manug Adoyan olduðu, Van’da doðduðu,
sonradan Amerika’ya göçettiði kýsa bir notla belirtilmiþti. Ã=9Dþte o an
araþtýrmacý ruhumun kabardýðýný hissettim.
– Gorky kitabýnýz nasýl oluþtu? more
Dear Friends, two new articles are added in website.
They are: Nmanutyun Hisus Qristosi, Girk A. Saghmosneri Meknutyune
The previously added articles are:
Yete mi enker unes  Prktchi Mayre  Anmah Hayrer
Avetaranakan Yeranutyunnere Parisezin u Maxavore
Amenayn Srboz Sere vaxtchan chuni Khosqin havatarim, Masn A.
Khosqin havatarim, Masn B. Khosqin havatarim, Masn C.
Khosqin havatarim, Masn D.  Zisagitutyun, Masn 01 Mankan xndranq
Mashtoz Vahe Lazaryan [email protected]Â Â Â
NEWS IN BRIEF
– Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh territory detained an Azerbaijani
soldier, Gusein Aidyn of Baku, who crossed into Armenian positions.
– Repercussions of a earthquake in eastern Turkey that destroyed houses,
killing 18 people and injuring 21 more on Friday, measured 5.1 Richter in
Turkey and 3 in Armenia.
– Azeri foreign ministry issued a statement yesterday condemning a US
decision to provide 5 million dollars to Nagorno Karabagh as part of its
assistance to foreign countries.
– 34.9 million dollars will be allocated for defence expenditure in
Azerbaijan constituting 2.3 per cent of the GDP.
– A worker was killed and seven others received injuries when a tank holding
sulphuric acid expl oded on Wednesday at an Armenian power station.
– A small X-32 agricultural plane crashed while surveying forests outside
the Agveran village Wednesday in northeastern Armenia, killing the pilot.
g i b r a h a y  c a l e n d a r
– THE TEKEYAN YOUTH MOVEMENT OF CYPRUS is organizing a unique excursion to
Armenia, 7-14 August. Participants will exclusively be Armenian youth (ages
13 to 35) from all over the world. The one-week programme is specially
organized to include an optimum amount of sightseeing, led by expert guides.
Trips to Shushi, Stepanakert, Noravank, Gladzor, Lake Sevan, Dilidjan, Barz
Lidj, Khor Virab, St. Etchmiadzin, Zvartnots, Sartarabad, Garni, Keghart,
Dzidzernagapert are included in the meticulously prepared programme. Lodging
will be at the “Lousakert” Hotel, 20 kilometres North of Yerevan, ideally
situated in an orchard. The hotel rooms are fully equipped with all the
necessary facilities. The price of the WHOLE PACKAGE, including FULL BOARD,
all the excursions, transfers from and to the airport, return air fare from
Cyprus and visa to Armenia is only 335 Cyprus pounds. Those interested
should immediately call 99747798 or 99929343, as availability is very
limited.
– Khanasor and Lisbon 5 Expeditions commemoration at Troodos Picnicsite of
“Kampos tou Livadhiou” on Sunday July 25, 2004, organised by AYMA,
Dashnaktsoutiun Cyprus Committee, The Armenian National Committee of Cyprus,
AYF, Larnaca and Limassol Armenian Clubs, Hamazkayin and ARS (HOM) Cyprus
Chapters. Hayer hishek nviragan ayn ore, Houlis amsoun ksanhinkin gadaretsek
mer done. Commemorative Programme begins at 12:00 noon.
– The Armenian Youth Federation is organising its Annual Summer Camp at the
Camp Site of Morphou Prelature from 9-15 August 2004. To receive more
information or to register please contact the following: Nareg Tavitian,
Nora Sarian or Simon Aynedjian.
– A Tour to Armenia is being organised by the Central Executive of
Hamazkayin from August 20-September 3, 2004 with the participation of
members and friends from Armenian diaspora communities. Trips to Karabagh
are also scheduled. To receive more info and to apply for the trip please
contact the Cyprus Hamazkayin committee members immediately.
– HAMAZKAYIN FORUM 2004 The 10th Forum, Lebanon:From July 12-18 (Optional)
Armenia: From July 19-31, 2004. Thought provoking lectures, trips to
historic and amazing destinations, and nights of dancing and entertainment
are only some of the Forum highlights. For many Armenian students across the
globe, the Hamazkayin Summer Forum is one of the most anticipated events of
the year. Those interested should visit the website for more details on how
to apply.
– The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus announces that the next permit for the
Armenian Cemetery visitation at Ayios Dhometios on the Green line, is
scheduled for Sunday 11 July, 2004.
– The Armenian Youth Federation has organised three events for Armenian
Cypriot youth for the month of July as follows: Limassol outing on Monday
July 12. Weekend in Ayia Napa on 17-18 July and Beach Party on Saturday July
31. Details to follow from the pages of Gibrahayer e-newsletter.
– POSTPONED The Annual General Meeting of The Hamazkayin Cultural and
Educational Association “Oshakan” Cyprus Chapter has been postponed for
Tuesday September 14, 2004.
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ArmenPress
July 8 2004
COLORS OF CHILDHOOD 2 PROJECT TO ENLARGE ART WORLD OF CHILDREN

YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS: About 600 schools children from 180
schools, all connected with each other through Internet, presented
their pictures, sculptures, goblins and other handicraft at the
Colors of Childhood exhibition which is launched by a project with an
identical title. The best works of children posted by the project at
were presented during this one day exhibition. This is
the initiative of Youth Achievements educational organization with
the financial support of the Open Society Institute.
“The ability to present works for starting talented artists is as
important as for professional artists. Internet is a place where many
people can learn about young artists and encourage them,” project
responsible Sona Manucharian told Armenpress.
This is the second exhibition by the project Colors of Childhood.
The first was an exhibition sale the raised money of which was
provided to a number of schools.