Author: Khondkarian Raffi

Los Angeles Times
Oct 13 2006

EU Criticizes French Vote to Punish the Denial of Armenian Genocide
By Achrene Sicakyuz, Times Staff Writer
October 13, 2006

PARIS – Another potential barrier to Turkey’s entry to the European
Union surfaced Thursday when the French National Assembly approved a
bill that would punish anyone who denied that the killing of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks during and after World War I was genocide.

Under the legislation, asserting that the massacres, expulsions and
imprisonment that killed an estimated 1.2 million Armenians in the
former Ottoman Empire did not constitute genocide can be punished by
up to a year of imprisonment and a $57,000 fine.

The EU, which began discussing Turkey’s membership last year,
strongly criticized the vote, which also drew rebukes from the
Turkish government.

"In the case this bill would become a law, it would prevent the
dialogue and debate that are necessary for reconciliation," said a
spokeswoman for Olli Rehn, the EU commissioner for enlargement.

The Turkish government threatened to retaliate by boycotting French
products.

"No one should harbor the conviction that Turkey will take this
lightly," Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said. "From now on,
France will never describe itself as the homeland of freedoms."

Protesters in Ankara, the Turkish capital, hurled eggs at the French
Embassy, and in Istanbul demonstrators marched down the city’s main
commercial thoroughfare and laid a black wreath at the gates of the
French Consulate.

The Turkish government denies that genocide took place, and it has
prosecuted artists, authors and intellectuals for statements
regarding the issue.

The Armenian community in France, which numbers about 400,000,
pressed hard for the measure and hailed the vote as a long-awaited
victory.

"The memory of the victims is finally totally respected," said Alexis
Govciyan, a prominent French Armenian political activist.

The legislation passed on a vote of 106 to 19, with many abstentions
among the 577 assembly members.

It must also pass the Senate to be sent to the president. The current
government opposes the bill.

"Based on our experience, we know it is not a good thing to legislate
on such questions," French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said
Thursday.

ARMENIA INTENDS TO REALISE REFORMS IN 2007

A1+
[03:34 pm] 12 October, 2006

Today, the 27th conference of European Ministers of Justice titled
"Victims: Place, Rights and Assistance" was convened in Yerevan. RA
Justice Minister David Haroutyunyan received his counterparts from
the CoE member countries at the entrance of the government premises.

"God chose Armenia as a country of Paradise, and we chose it as a
site for the conference," said Gay de Vail, head of the CoE legal
issues department in his opening speech. He reminded the participants
of the conference about the importance of rendering assistance and
compensation to the victims.

Europe adopted the Convention on Compensation of Victims Suffering
Violence in 1983. The Conventions on Actions against Trafficking in
Human Beings and on the Prevention of Terrorism combat were ratified
in 2005.

By the way, today Armenia ratified the European Convention on
Cybercrime and the Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime
concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic
nature committed through computer system.

"At present we are working out the normative acts of gudicial system
amendments and we intend to realise the reforms in 2007," said Andranik
Margaryan, RA Prime Minister during the conference.

He also added that Armenia finishes the CoE commitments within the
framework of CoE integration and will undertake new commitments.

It is noteworthy that the Prime Minister’s speech wasn’t included in
the agenda of the 27th conference.

Instead, President Robert Kocharyan was to make a speech in the
conference but the latter didn’t come.

By the way, Armen Roustamyan, member of the Armenian delegation
was present at the Conference of European Ministers of Justice who
maintains that Armenia must be guided by the international practice
and use it in our country so that we could have perfect mechanisms,
and complete systems.

He claims that Armenian legal field will fully comply with the European
standards and the judicial system will become more independent and
transparent within two year’s time. He is convinced that "it will
contribute to the better protection of human rights in Armenia."

By the way, the representatives from Andora, Iceland, Cyprus and
Sweden were not present at the conference.

As soon as the conference started the journalists were denied entry.

RAILWAY COUNCIL OF CIS, BALTIC STATES MEETS IN ARMENIAN CAPITAL

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
11 Oct 06

Yerevan, 11 October: A session of the railway council of the CIS and
Baltic states opened in Yerevan today.

Opening the session, the chairman of the council and the head of
Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, said that under the council’s
auspices, the railways of its member countries have made great progress
in establishing an intergovernmental informational-computing system,
Mediamax has said.

Besides, Vladimir Yakunin noted that the council played an important
role in ensuring cooperation among the railway administrations [of
the member countries].

Speaking about the Armenian railway, Yakunin described it as the oldest
system in the former Soviet Union. He recalled that the decision to
set up the Armenian railway was adopted in 1895.

The session of the council will last till 13 October. About 133
representatives from 15 countries are taking part in the session.

COE JUSTICE MINISTERS LAUNCH A CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
20:51 11/10/06

27th conference of Council of Europe (CoE) member states’ justice
ministers will kick off in Yerevan tomorrow. The conference is
titled "Victims: status, rights and assistance." Only four out of 46
participants did not arrive in Yerevan.

"I think the topic of the conference complies with the principles of
the Council of Europe in relation to fostering human rights," Guy de
Vel, general director on legal issues of the CoE General Secretariat,
said in a joint press conference with the Armenian Justice Minister
Davit Harutunyan.

Guy de Vel said, "The conference is actually the continuation of the
wonderful cooperation that has been established with your country
long ago."

Speaking about Armenia’s CoE commitments Guy de Vel mentioned that
Armenia has implemented most of her commitments. "Armenia is making
constant progress but there is a lot to be done yet," he said. He
also said the conference will also decide on the venue of the next
conference.

Turkish Daily News
Oct 7 2006

Cicek signals changes in Article 301
Saturday, October 7, 2006

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, who has been determined in his
opposition to any changes in the much-criticized Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code (TCK), has begun to change his mind, according to
recent reports.

Speaking to journalists in Berlin, where he is was attending a
Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (TUSÝAD)
meeting, Cicek said there was no such thing that Article 301 could
not be changed, noting that the real problem was what changes were to
be introduced.

Despite government arguments that the new TCK, which came into
effect last year, constituted significant progress in terms of rights
and freedoms, Article 301, which criminalizes insulting Turkishness,
state institutions and Ataturk, has created an uproar with one
celebrated writer after another being tried as a result.

While writers Orhan Pamuk and Elif Þafak were found not guilty of
violating the article, many other lesser-known authors were
victimized as a result without attracting too much media attention.

The European Union, which Turkey wants to join, insists the article
needs to be changed or annulled, with the government seemingly
agreeing on the necessity of a review.

The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is opposed to any
such change and has said it would not support amendments to the
article.

Earlier this week the court that found Þafak not guilty said,
"Efforts to limit freedom of thought and expression may have serious
consequences" in its full opinion on the Þafak ruling. "It is
unthinkable to talk about crimes committed by fictional characters.
… It is necessary to define the boundaries of the ‘Turkishness’
concept and place it on firm ground."

The government has said it needs more time to assess whether it is
necessary to change Article 301. It fears a nationalist backlash
ahead of elections due next year if it tries to change the law.

Cicek said they were under pressure from the EU to change the
article but noted that he kept asking EU officials about the bill
French Parliament would soon discuss that criminalizes the refusal to
accept the Armenian genocide.

He said the government was working on changing the controversial
article. "However, citizens’ concerns need to be taken into account.
If we annul it, what will we tell the people when they ask: ‘Are you
ashamed of being a Turk?’?"

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has been openly insisting that the
article be changed, but Cicek was opposed to any such amendment,
arguing that the judiciary would fine-tune the article on its own.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has also said the government
would consider changing the article.

A European Commission source told Reuters that Brussels would study
the opinion but said a higher court has already imposed a suspended
jail sentence on another writer under Article 301 and that this
ruling set a precedent in the evolution of case law on the issue. "We
understand there is a will in Ankara to solve this issue through case
law, but this will take many years to build up. We believe Article
301 needs to be changed now," the source said.

–Boundary_(ID_svn7lxkZBwmkJ+7ErApbDg)–

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
October 5, 2006

Holy Etchmiadzin Welcomes Catholics, Anglicans and Muslims

On Sunday, September 3, the Chief Mufti of Syria and his delegation
attended the Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin
as guests of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians.  His Excellency Sheikh Ahmad Badr Ad-Din Hassoun,
the Mufti of Aleppo and spiritual leader of the Muslims of the Syrian
Arab Republic, was in Armenia last month upon the invitation of the
Catholicos of All Armenians.

As the liturgy commenced, His Holiness Karekin II and Sheikh Ad-Din
Hassoun were escorted by the pontifical procession into the Mother
Cathedral of All Armenians.  The celebrant was His Eminence Archbishop
Yeznik Petrosian.  In his message, the celebrant bishop once more
welcomed the high-ranking guests from Syria to Armenia and extended
the best wishes on behalf of all Armenians to Sheikh Ad-Din Hassoun
and his entire faithful flock.

Also present for the Liturgy this Sunday were Roman Catholic pilgrims
from the Vatican, led by His Excellency Abp. Claudio Gugerotti and
Anglican pilgrims from the Church of England, led by His Grace Bishop
Geoffrey Rowell.  Abp. Petrosian further mentioned how pleasing to
God it must be that Armenians, Catholics, Anglicans and Muslims were
united today in Holy Etchmiadzin raising their prayers of praise and
thanksgiving to heaven.

In attendance for the Divine Liturgy were the Ambassadors of Syria
and Lebanon to Armenia and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.

On the final day of his trip, the Chief Mufti visited Yerevan State
University and presented a lecture on the sanctity of man, divine love
and fraternal love.  He was welcomed by the President of the University
Dr. Aram Simonian and Dean of the Theological Faculty of YSU Very
Rev. Fr. Anushavan Jamkotchian.  Following his lecture to the students
and faculty, the Mufti answered questions from those assembled.

Additionally, the Chief Mufti visited the Vaskenian Theological
Seminary of Lake Sevan and the historic "Blue" Mosque in central
Yerevan.  Prior to his departure, Sheikh Ad-Din Hassoun and His
Holiness Karekin II participated in a joint press conference held in
Holy Etchmiadzin.

At the conclusion of the visit of the spiritual leader of Syria,
His Holiness offered prayers to heaven, asking the Almighty to bless,
keep and strengthen the Chief Mufti of Syria and to make his service
to his nation and people fruitful and successful.

##

–Boundary_(ID_yLQSe9SMwMVYAXWp+f kbiA)–

************************************************** **************************

Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Telephone: (818) 500-1918
Facsimile: (818) 246-7353
[email protected]
************************************* ***************************************

PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: October 5, 2006

Contact: Lerna Kayserian

Tel: (818) 500-1918

BOB COLLINS TO BE HONORED AT ANCA-WR ANNUAL BANQUET

GLENDALE, CA – Supporters and friends of the Armenian National
Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) gathered on September
29, 2006 at the home of Hovig and Aida Dimejian for the
organization’s traditional Banquet Kickoff Party. Community leaders,
organizational representatives, activists and benefactors were
among over 100 people in attendance.

"This year’s ANCA-WR Annual Banquet promises to be another sell out
event," commented Aida Dimejian, Chairwoman of the Banquet Committee
and a member of the ANCA-WR Board of Directors. "The attendees will
witness, first hand, all of the remarkable accomplishments our
organization achieves for the benefit of our community," the
chairwoman added.

Mr. and Mrs. Dimejian, who graciously hosted the event, welcomed
guests to their home and thanked those in attendance. Top donors at
the banquet kick-off event included philanthropists and long-time
ANCA-WR supporters, who pledged to sponsor tables at the Annual
Banquet. Attendees were also updated on the details of the annual
gala, which will be held on November 12, 2006 at the Marriott Hotel
in Downtown, Los Angeles.

ANCA-WR Chairman Steven Dadaian announced that Bob Collins, Chief
Instructional Officer for Secondary Education for the Los Angeles
Unified School District will be this year’s recipient for the Man of
the Year Award. This prestigious award is granted to individuals who
have made remarkable contributions in advancing the concerns of
Armenian Americans and the community as a whole.

The ANCA-WR will honor Mr. Collins for his leading role in
implementing the Armenian Genocide curriculum in the Los Angeles
Unified School District. His efforts in bringing a full and accurate
human rights education to the almost one million students in the Los
Angeles Unified School District distinguish him as a community
leader.

"Bob Collins is an exceptional educational leader," commented
Dimejian. "His bold steps are allowing hundreds of thousands of our
fellow Americans to learn about the Armenian Genocide and why crimes
against humanity represent a grave danger to us all."

Due to limited space, the event is expected to sell-out shortly.
Those interested in attending the banquet may contact the ANCA-WR
office at (818) 500-1918 to reserve a table or individuals tickets.

The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on
a broad range of issues.

BLOCHER’S REMARKS CAUSE A STORM IN SWITZERLAND

Swiss Info, Switzerland
Oct 5 2006

The Swiss justice minister has attacked Swiss anti-racism laws that
have led to investigations against two Turks for allegedly denying
the 1915 Armenian massacre.

Christoph Blocher made his comments during an official visit to Turkey
on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Turkey’s adoption
of the Swiss civil code. His words raised a storm of protest back home.

"Article 216 bis [of the Swiss penal code] gives me a real headache,"
the justice minister told the media, referring to Swiss anti-racism
legislation adopted in 1994 to prevent revisionist views about the
Holocaust.

"No one would have imagined that this law would have resulted in
proceedings against a prominent Turkish historian," he said, following
his talks with his Turkish counterpart, Cemil Cicek.

Blocher added that the justice ministry would be "examining what it
could do to prevent this situation from re-occurring", and that it
was up to parliament and the government to decide on any possible
changes to the law.

In 2005, Swiss authorities launched criminal investigations against
the historian Yusuf Halacoglu, the president of the Turkish History
Organisation, and the politician Dogu Perincek for allegedly making
comments in Switzerland denying the 1915 Armenian massacre.

Armenians say around 1.8 million of their people were killed. Turkey
disputes this, putting the figure closer to 200,000. Under Swiss law
any act of denying, belittling or justifying genocide is a violation
of the country’s anti-racism legislation.

Scolding

Blocher’s remarks in Turkey met with sharp criticism back home.

Georg Kreis, president of the Federal Commission against Racism,
criticised Blocher for once again ignoring the separation of executive
and judicial powers.

"As a Swiss citizen I find it disturbing to learn from the foreign
press that changes to Swiss legislation are being considered,"
he noted.

Christophe Darbellay, president of the centre-right Christian
Democrats, was equally vexed: "It’s strange to see a justice minister
go to another country, which is not exactly a model for human rights,
to criticise a Swiss parliamentary decision."

The heads of two other two parties in government – the centre-right
Radical Party and the centre-left Social Democrat party – also
criticised Blocher’s statement. Blocher’s own rightwing Swiss People’s
Party – the fourth party in government – declined to comment.

"We regret such irresponsible statements," said Sarkis Shahinian,
co-president of the Switzerland-Armenia association. The justice
minister, he said, makes a mockery of Switzerland by "giving the
worst-possible revisionists the red-carpet treatment".

Regarding the Armenian question, which has dogged Swiss-Turkish
relations over recent years, Blocher said that it was not up to
politicians to comment, alluding to decisions by canton Vaud’s
parliament and the House of Representatives, which have both voted
to recognise the Armenian genocide.

"We are convinced that the solution of an international commission
of historians [to shed light on the 1915 massacre] is a good one,"
he added.

During the official visit the Swiss justice minister also held
"extremely open" discussions with Cemil Cicek on asylum and the fight
against terrorism.

Anti-terrorism collaboration is said to have helped improve relations
between the two countries. Bern has recently handed over to Ankara a
suspected terrorist, and three other Turkish citizens also accused
of terrorism are being held in Switzerland pending extradition,
declared Blocher.

Earlier in the day the justice minister gave a speech at Ankara
University to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the adoption of
the Swiss civil code by Turkey, in which he underlined the solid,
long-standing historical ties between both countries.

Later he met Turkish Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, and before
leaving Ankara laid flowers at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
the founder of modern Turkey.

CONTEXT

Despite having a long history, Swiss-Turkish relations have recently
been strained. 2005 was an "annus horribilis":

In March 2005 Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey visited
Turkey and raised the sensitive issue of the massacre of Armenians
in Turkey early last century.

In June the Swiss public prosecutor launched a criminal investigation
against a Turkish historian in Switzerland who had denied the genocide,
a violation of Switzerland’s anti-racism laws.

In July Turkey’s foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, described the Swiss
investigation as "unacceptable" and "absolutely contrary to the
principle of free speech".

In August the Turkish authorities postponed a visit by Swiss
Economics Minister Joseph Deiss citing agenda problems of his Turkish
counterpart.

In November Switzerland beat Turkey in a vital World Cup playoff match,
triggering ugly scenes between players.

KEY FACTS

80,000 Turks live in Switzerland.

In 2004, Swiss exports to Turkey were worth SFr1.9 billion ($1.45
billion), 17% more than in 2003.

Swiss imports from Turkey in 2004 came to $410 million.

Among Swiss firms established in Turkey are Novartis, Nestle, ABB,
Ciba, Roche, Givaudan and Syngenta.

REFUSAL TO SHOW FILM ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ARISES SPLIT AMONG ORGANIZERS OF ISTANBUL FESTIVAL

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006

ISTANBUL, OCTOBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The administration
of the festival of documentary films organized in Istanbul refused at
the last moment to show the film entitled "I Hate Dogs" which tells
about the Armenian Genocide. It was accepted beforehand but at the
last moment the organizers informed film producer and author Suzanne
Khardalian that the participation application was refused.

As Marmara informs the decision on refusal arose split among members
of the festival organization body, in the consequence of what Necati
Sonmez, the deputy chairman of the board resigned his post, as a
token of complaint against the decision to refuse participation of
the film in the festival.

The festival board had to comment upon this fact on October 2 and
protect the viewpoint that at present we want imperatives of peace,
knowing each other and cleaning the surroundings from the feeling
of hate, so it would not be correct to show such a film in similar
conditions. We may meet face to face with our past just in such a
peace, the board speaker said.

Netaci Sonmez, however, stated that he considered an insult towards
both people and board and film producers at the last moment to take
out of the list a film accepted beforehand. "The Armenian cause
is not only the state’s taboo any longer, it became a monster of
self-censorship stamped in mind of each of us: what we may do if fear
started tormenting many people’s souls," Sonmez said.

To recap, the film entitled "I Hate Dogs" tells about 99- year old
Hakobian’s evidences about the 1915 Genocide. He saw how dogs wanted
to eat the dead body of his father killed before his eyes.

Film producer Suzanne Khardalian and her partner Pea Holmquist
officially protested against the festival organizers and demanded to
review this decision made against their film.

PROSECUTOR’S BROTHER MOVES TO BECOME YEREVAN DISTRICT CHIEF
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 4 2006

Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian has moved to retain his de facto
control of Yerevan’s western Ajapnyak district by having his younger
brother stand in the local mayoral election slated for October 29.

Ruben Hovsepian’s participation and likely victory in the poll should
also avert a new clash between two mutually antagonistic clans that
hold sway in the area.

Artsrun Khachatrian, Ajapnyak’s incumbent mayor who has governed
the district for the last six years, represents one of those
clans. Khachatrian is a prominent member of a broader faction led by
the influential prosecutor. It mainly consists of prominent natives
of the Aparan district in central Armenia.

The rival camp is headed by senior lawmaker Galust Sahakian and
his brother-in-law Ashot Aghababian. Both men are senior members of
the governing Republican Party (HHK) and longtime associates of its
official leader, Prime Minister Andranik Markarian. Sahakian’s son
Arman was narrowly defeated by Khachatrian in 2003 and planned to
again try to unseat the latter in the upcoming election. The previous
local polls were marred by violence and accusations of vote rigging,
and many observers expected more trouble this time around.

However, Arman Sahakian was effectively forced to pull out of the
race after the HHK’s governing board refused to back his candidacy in
August at the apparent behest of Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian. The
unexpected move fueled speculation about a deal cut by Sarkisian
and Hovsepian.

Samvel Yeranian, chairman of the Ajapnyak election commission, told
RFE/RL that Khachatrian is not among four men who have applied for
registration as election candidates before Wednesday’s deadline. It
turned out that all of them, including Hovsepian’s brother, are
members of the prosecutor’s Nig-Aparan organization. One of the
hopefuls, Gagik Sargsian, is at the same time affiliated with the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), the HHK’s junior
coalition partner that has an uneasy rapport with Hovsepian.

In a newspaper interview published on Wednesday, Khachatrian
claimed that he was not pressurized into quitting the race. "I
made that decision [not to contest the vote] for the sake of the
people of Ajapnyak because I don’t want the community to turn into
a battlefield," he told the "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily.

The Sahakians, for their part, have said they draw comfort from the
fact that Khachatrian will no longer run the area increasingly seen
as Hovsepian’s stronghold. Ajapnyak is home to several businesses
that are reportedly owned by the prosecutor.

Hovsepian underscored his far-reaching political ambitions last month
as he presided over the founding conference of a coalition of so-called
"compatriots’ unions" that unite prominent natives of various regions
of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Nig-Aparan is expected to play a
leading role in the grouping.

Nig-Aparan is also the driving force behind a recently formed
political party which intends to make a strong showing in next year’s
parliamentary elections. Leaders of the party, called Association for
Armenia, have not ruled out the possibility of forming an electoral
alliance with the HHK.