Author: Karapetian Hovik

NEW AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED CONCERNING RA AND NKR COOPERATION IN EDUCATION SPHERE
Noyan Tapan
Oct 24 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Serious reforms take place today
in the educational field of Armenia, and their consonant responnse
in Nagorno Karabakh, where the system change is also a primary task,
is also important. It was mentioned at the October 23 meeting of Levon
Mkrtchian, the RA Minister of Education and Science, and Karo Atayan,
the NKR Minister of Education, Culture and Youth Issues. According
to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA Ministry of
Education and Science, programs of the two countries’ cooperation
in the education sphere during the coming years were discussed
at the meeting. The first program on the Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh cooperation in the sphere of education was signed still
in 1999. Summing up steps taken within its framework, the sides
discussed new programs to be implemented in the spheres of both
secondary education and higher one. An agreement was reached between
the Ministers to meet in Nagorno Karabakh during the second ten days
of November to fix the discussion results by a new document and adopt
the clear schedule of implementation of the programs.

BOYCOTT OF FRENCH PRODUCTS
Turkish Press
Oct 23 2006
KONYA – “If the resolution submitted to French parliament to make all
denials of so-called Armenian genocide a crime is approved, we will
start to boycott one French product every week,” said Bulent Deniz,
Chairman of the Turkish Consumers Union, on Monday.
In a written press release, Deniz reminded that the French Parliament
will vote on a draft law on Thursday, October 12th, that makes all
denial of so-called Armenian genocide a crime.
“The vote on so-called Armenian genocide will show how much respect
the French attach to freedom of thought and expression,” told Deniz.
Deniz stressed that if the resolution is accepted by the French
parliament, the Turkish Consumers Union will boycott one French product
every week beginning on October 12th. “Our boycott will continue until
the law on so-called Armenian genocide will get annulled,” noted Deniz.
Bulent Deniz added that Turkey must place a ban on all French firms
so that they can not participate in tenders organized by Turkish firms.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs to Hold Consultations
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 19 2006
Source: Trend
Author: E.Huseynov
19.10.2006
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for the peaceful settlement
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict intend to hold consultations in Paris,
the Russian co-chair of Minsk Group, Yuri Merzlyakov exclusively
told Trend.
The consultations will take place on 23 October in Paris on the eve
of the next round of the negotiations between the Foreign Ministers
of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, and Armenia Vardan Oskanyan. In
addition, the mediators will conduct consultations regarding the
results of the meeting of the Ministers.
Commenting of the proposal of the personal envoy of OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Andzey Kasprzyk, to organize the meeting of the
Defense Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Merzlyakov stressed that
this initiative was made as a confidence-building measure between the
two sides. The matter was discussed at the meeting of the Foreign
Ministers, but the final decision will be made by Kasprzyk, the
Diplomat underlined.

Armenian MPs voice support for arrested Georgian Armenian activist
Regnum, Russia
20 Oct 2006
Armenian members of parliament have released a statement in support
of one of the leaders of the United Javakhk Democratic Alliance,
Vaagn Chakhalyan, which says, in part:
“Armenian members of parliament express their concern and deep
anger over Armenia’s position in relation to the United Javakhk
organization. It is common knowledge that this alliance, which
consists mainly of young people, adheres to the position of national
ideas, protection of the native language, of Armenian spiritual and
cultural values, the protection of rights and a solution to other
major problems of the Armenians of Javakhk (the Armenian-populated
region of Georgia). It is no accident that on 10 October in Yerevan,
over a short period of time, Vaagn Chakhalyan, the activist Gurgen
Shirinyan and others were subjected to an organized attack, as a
result of which they sustained injuries to their body and were sent
to hospital. Gurgen Shirinyan’s life was saved thanks to an operation.
Instead of trying to solve a crime committed against national
figures, the Armenian law-enforcement bodies decided to punish the
victims by “legal” methods, as a result of which the injured Vaagn
Chakhalyan was arrested a few hours after the incident by members of
the Armenian National Security Service, and two days later was taken
into custody on a ridiculous charge of ‘illegally crossing the Armenian
border’. Consequently, there is clearly a direct shameful link between
the attack on national figures and Vaagn Chakhalyan’s arrest. In
condemning this incident, we demand that the law-enforcement agencies
(i) expose those responsible for the crime against the activists of
United Javakhk and institute proceedings against them in accordance
with the law and (ii) immediately release Vaagn Chakhalyan or at
least change his form of preventive punishment of arrest.”
The statement was signed by Amayak Ovannisyan, Vazgen Manukyan
(leader of the National Democratic Union), Stepan Demirchyan (leader
of the Armenian People’s Party), Aram Sarkisyan (leader of the
Republic Party), Arshak Sadoyan, Viktor Dallakyan, Edmon Tsaturyan,
Manuk Gasparyan, Armen Ashotyan (member of the Republican Party of
Armenia), Grigor Arutyunyan, Tatul Manaseryan, Stepan Zakaryan and
Rafik Petrosyan.
In the evening of 10 October, at about 2200 Moscow time, the vehicle
belonging to the leader of the United Javakhk Democratic Alliance,
Vaagn Chakhalyan, was stopped by unknown persons as it entered
Yerevan. In the vehicle were members of Chakhalyan’s family and his
friend Gurgen Shirinyan. Vaagn Chakhalyan was dragged out of the car
and beaten up and Gurgen Shirinyan sustained knife wounds as a result
of the attack.
It will be recalled that at local self-administration elections in
Georgia on 5 October, representatives of the United Javakhk movement
cast their votes in a municipal sakrebulo [assembly] based on the
proportional lists of the Industry Will Save Georgia Party. For
four days the Akhalkalaki constituency electoral commission No 40
failed to make public preliminary information regarding the election
results. Despite the fact that a deadline of five days had been decided
for releasing this information (up to and including 10 October),
on 9 October supporters of the movement occupied the building of the
constitutional commission (the prefecture of Akhalkalaki District is
located there), and later took it by storm.
As a result, supporters of the ruling United National Movement used
fire arms, and some activists were beaten up and sent to various
hospitals. The incident in the evening of 10 October, as a result
of which Gurgen Shirinyan was sent to a Yerevan hospital with knife
wounds, is also being linked with the storming of the building of
the Akhalkalaki prefecture in which the electoral commission sat.

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO OSCE DISCUSSED MG ACTIVITIES WITH ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.10.2006 18:10 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Foreign Minister’s Deputies Arman Kirakossian
and Armen Baiburtian met with U.S. Ambassador to OSCE Julie Finley to
discuss the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement, the Armenia-Turkey relations, energy security
issues and the forthcoming parliamentary election in 2007. Special
attention was paid to human rights protection and reform of the
legislative field. The parties also referred to the activities of
the OSCE Yerevan office and its programs. For her part Ms. Finley
briefed on the U.S. activities within the OSCE, reports the RA MFA
press office.

TURKISH PARLIAMENT SLAMS FRENCH BILL ON MASS KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS STRONGLY WARNS AGAINST LEGISLATION
Associated Press Worldstream
October 17, 2006 Tuesday 3:13 PM GMT
Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday condemned a French bill making it a
crime to deny that the World War I-era killing of Armenians in Turkey
was genocide, warning the law would permanently damage ties.
The bill was approved by lawmakers in France’s lower house last week,
but still needs approval by the French Senate and President Jacques
Chirac to become law. Turkey has said the decision has badly damaged
relations with France.
The Turkish parliament condemned the bill in a statement, calling
it an “unfriendly” move aimed at domestic politics and said it
was “surprising to see France as a decision maker when it comes
to historical incidents related to Turkey, while defending it to
leave to the historians when it comes to its actions that led to the
killings of more than 1 million innocent people in Algeria, Indo China,
Madagascar and some African countries,” where it ruled.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told parliament that the government
would consider every measure including legal action to prevent the
legislation of the bill.
“From now on, it won’t be Turkey that loses but France,” Gul warned
against legislation of the bill.
Chirac’s government is thought to be unlikely to forward the bill
for passage by the Senate.
“It is obvious that legislation of this bill will lead to irreparable
wounds in political, economic and military ties between Turkey and
France,” the parliament said in a statement.
The parliament reiterated Turkey’s call to Armenia to respond to a
Turkish proposal to jointly research the incidents, warning that
“Armenia’s use of lobby efforts in France and in other countries
and its hostile policies against the rights and pride of the Turkish
nation will cost dearly to them.”
The European Union on Friday criticized the French bill, saying it was
unhelpful at a critical stage in the Muslim country’s EU entry talks.
France, which is home to hundreds of thousands of people whose families
came from Armenia, has already recognized the 1915-1919 killings of
up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.
Under the bill, those who contest it was genocide would risk up to
a year in prison and fines of up to US$56,000 (euro44,750).
Turkey acknowledges that great numbers of Armenians were killed
in fighting and mass expulsions, but vehemently rejects the label
of genocide.

BARROSO: “20 YEARS BEFORE TURKEY JOINS EU”
Tiscali Europe, UK
Oct 16 2006
Commission clears ground for pessimistic progress report
Speaking in Brussels last weekend Jose Manuel Barroso, President of
the European Commission, gave the EU executive’s most pessimistic
evaluation yet of Turkey’s accession saying it could take “up to
20 years”.
A critical progressive report on the status of Turkish efforts to
meet the EU’s accession criteria is due on 8 November and is likely
to paint a bleak picture for Ankara.
Barroso, vice-president Guenter Verheuguen amd enlargement commissioner
Olli Rehn have all criticised to varying degrees elements of Turkey’s
civil code which limit freedom of expression.
Despite that, the commission’s top brass had remained generally
optimistic, until President Barroso’s recent statement, that is.
It has been a difficult few days for the Turkish government’s European
policy: Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, a fierce critic of the country’s
laws that limit civil liberities, won the Nobel Peace for Literature
and France’s parliament passed a law criminalising the denial of the
1915 Armenian genocide carried out by Ottoman Turkey and denied by
the modern Turkish state.
Pamuk’s award was greeted with a mixture of pride and acrimony,
the French law, however, was widely condemned both in Turkey and
in many quarters abroad. President Barroso called the move “inapt”
and Nobel winner Pamuk said that it was unhelpful.
section=Current%20Affairs&level=preview&co ntent=518002

ORHAN SPOKE FALSELY
Sabah, Turkey
Oct 16 2006
Nobel winner Orhan Pamuk’s mother, ªekure Basman, has commented on
her son’s controversial words after 1.5 years: “He spoke falsely.”
Orhan Pamuk’s mother, ªekure Basman, has commented on Pamuk’s words;
“1 million Armenian and 30,000 Kurds were killed.” ªekure Basman
said: “Orhan spoke falsely to a small European Newspaper. However,
the Turkish press exaggerated his false statement. The government
tried to cover it up, but the press scooped it up.”
“My son said false things”
Orhan Pamuk’s mother has commented on her son’s words regarding the
death of 1 million Armenians on Turkish land: “Orhan spoke falsely.”
ªekure Basman has given an interview to SABAH Newspaper, as the mother
of the first Turk to have ever received a Nobel Prize. ªekure Basman
said: “I am very happy for my son but when I heard he won a Nobel
Prize, I thought ‘God knows what they will write about him this
time…’. Orhan probably knew false things about history. I don’t
think he has much information about the subject. No one teaches these
things in school. I myself have no idea about this issue. Orhan spoke
falsely to a reporter from a small Swedish newspaper. However, the
Turkish press overexaggerated his statements. Although the government
tried to cover it up, the Turkish press scooped it up and took great
pleasure from doing so. I think it is the press we should blame.”
–Boundary_(ID_itDUNMj1Lf9nTfI6AhtXn g)–

ARMENIA SHOULD ELABORATE POLICY OF EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTHCARE SECTOR
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 16 2006
YEREVAN, October 16. /ARKA/. Armenia should elaborate a policy of
evolutionary development of the healthcare sector, Deputy Minister
of Healthcare Tatul Hakobyan told students of the American University
of Armenia Saturday.
He said that the policy should be based on the analytics and monitoring
of the sector, as dynamic changes currently take place in the society.
“The policy should not be dogmatic, but flexible to respond to
developments in the society,” Hakobyan reported.
He pointed out that the policy should take the socioeconomic situation
and political developments in the country into account.
He also reported that the strategy in the healthcare sector should be
coordinated with other sectors that are related to heath, particularly
ecology, transport and water supply.

ARMENIAN PATRIARCH IN TURKEY SLAMS FRENCH GENOCIDE BILL
AKI, Italy
Oct 16 2006
Istanbul, 16 Oct. (AKI) – The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople
(Istanbul) Mesrop Mutafyan has criticised last week’s decision by
France’s lower house of parliament to approve a vote which would make
it an offence to deny that the massacre of Armenians under Ottoman
rule was a genocide. “Ultra-nationalist groups will benefit from the
draft that the French Parliament had approved and a risky period will
start,” Mesrop said in an interview with Turkish newspaper Milliyet
published on Monday.
“I’m concerned that the hard-won bridges between Turks and Armenians
will collapse after this draft”, he said.
Though small the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople has exerted an
influential role among Orthodox churches. It represented the largest
Christian community in Turkey.
Last week’s vote by the French lower house has provoked angry reaction
in Turkey.
Some shops and supermarkets in various cities have stopped selling
French products. A private language school in the city of Konya
removed French courses from its programme and some travel agencies
cancelled their tours to Paris originally scheduled for the 3-day
end-of-Ramadan holiday later this month.
“I don’t want to name what has happened in 1915. Tragic things have
happened. The Nationalist Ottoman party has role on that issue, the
seperatist motives of Armenians have a role as have the policies of
Western countries have role on that,” Patriarch Mesrop said in the
Milliyet interview.
“The Armenians living abroad put all their efforts to win official
recognition for the ‘genocide’. They also do not take our views into
account. We Armenians living in Turkey support dialogue and peace.
But the disapora think that we are forced to say these things since
they think we are hostages”, he said.