Author: Maghakian Mike

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER DEFENDS JUDICIAL INTEGRITY
By Vincent Boland in Ankara

The Financial Times
Oct 17 2005
Updated: 2:41 p.m. ET Oct. 17, 2005

A charge of treason against Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist, was
almost certain to be dismissed by the courts when his trial begins
in December but was damaging to Turkey’s image abroad regardless of
the outcome, the country’s foreign minister said.

Abdullah Gul said the publicity given to Mr Pamuk’s forthcoming trial
for “public denigration of Turkish identity” had overshadowed what he
insisted were notable efforts to modernise Turkey’s judicial system
and to enhance freedom of expression and civil rights.

“I have confidence that the judge will dismiss this case,” Mr Gul
said in an interview last week with the Financial Times.

Mr Gul said the government could not intervene because the judiciary
and the criminal justice system in Turkey were independent of
political control.

“I am not a judge, but I don’t think he will go to jail,” Mr Gul
said. If convicted, Mr Gul said, Mr Pamuk can appeal.

Two recent incidents raise doubts about Mr Gul’s optimism, however.

Recent sentencings of a newspaper editor on a similar charge, and of a
Kurdish politician for speaking in Kurdish, have added to discomfort
among Turkish reformers that penal and civil code reforms are being
wilfully ignored by some prosecutors and judges.

Mr Gul said the Turkish judiciary was “conservative” and that
“prosecutors were even more conservative, but there are higher courts
where the correct decisions are made”.

He insisted that the cases of Mr Pamuk and the others were “individual
cases” that should not deflect from the reforms the government has
passed to boost civil and human rights protection.

“We believe in freedom of expression and religion, and we are very
proud of the changes this government has introduced,” Mr Gul said. “I
know [Mr Pamuk’s case] is damaging and does not help us, but there
are many things happening that are more important.”

Mr Pamuk, who is better known and more widely read abroad than in
Turkey, has been charged with “public denigration of Turkish identity”
for remarks he made to a magazine about Turkey’s stance on the mass
killing of Armenians during the first world war.

Mr Pamuk is due to go on trial on December 16.

Turkey began accession negotiations with the European Union two weeks
ago but already Mr Pamuk’s plight is being cited as a reason why it
should not be allowed to join the union.

The man who brought the charges against Mr Pamuk is the prosecutor
for the Istanbul district of Sisli. He also pursued Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister and former mayor of Istanbul,
in the late 1990s.

ARKA News Agency
Oct 14 2005

ARMENIA TO REPRESENT CE MINISTERS’ COMMITTEE AT CULTURAL DIALOGUE
CONFERENCE

YEREVAN, October 14. /ARKA/. Armenia’s representative Christian
Ter-Stepanyan will represent the CE Ministers’ Committee at the
“Cultural Dialogue” conference in Faro, Portugal, on October 27-28,
as part of the 50th anniversary of the European cultural convention.
The goal of the conference is forming political approaches that will
serve as a basis for the CE’s strategy of developing cultural
dialogue within the European community and between Europe and the
rest of the world. The conference participants are to specify the
directions of implementing the strategy by means of intergovernmental
cooperation between the signatories to the European cultural
convention. The CE is for the first time elaborating clear mechanisms
of cultural dialogues. A number of documents are to be signed at the
conference. Also, the CE Ministers’ Committee decided to open a
framework convention “On values of cultural heritage” in Faro.
Christian Ter-Stepanyan is the RA permanent Representative to CE and
Head of the CE reporter group for education, culture, sport, youth
affairs and ecology. P.T. -0–

MURDER VICTIM ‘A MEMBER OF MAFIA’
Christine Cunningham

Norfolk Eastern Daily Press, UK
Oct 13 2005

A man who was shot and stabbed at a Norfolk factory before his body
was doused with petrol and set alight was said to belong to the
mafia and was wanted for questioning about a murder in Belgium,
a jury heard yesterday.

Detectives spent almost a year trying to identify the body of
42-year-old Armenian Hovanhannes Amirian, whose burning body was
found dumped in a field at Upton, near Peterborough in December 2002.

Armenians Nishan Bakunts, 28, and his father-in-law Misha Chatsjatrjan,
44, allegedly killed their countryman Amirian over a ‘family quarrel’,
then sought to destroy evidence linking them to the crime, Norwich
Crown Court heard.

Bakunts of Lichfield Road, Yarmouth, and Chatsjatrjan, who was living
in Holland, have both denied murdering Mr Amiran, also known as Sako,
who was the godfather of Bakunts and his wife Arpine Karapetian, 24.

A statement read to the jury yesterday revealed that Mr Amirian was
wanted for questioning about the murder of Pogosian Ernait, who was
killed on November 30, 2000 at Ostend, in Belgium.

Belgian police suspected Mr Amirian was the culprit and he was
described as a “self-confessed mafia man”.

Clare Matthews, junior barrister for the prosecution, said: “It was
known that he was involved in organised crime.

“He had a number of known associates and used a number of different
aliases.”

The jury also heard from Bakunts’s sister, Irina Aroustamian, who
said she had spoken to Chatsjatrjan and that he had confessed to
putting eight bullets into Mr Amirian’s head.

Speaking through an interpreter, she said that Chatsjatrjan told
her Mr Amirian had gone on his knees and said “don’t kill me, I
have children”.

The trial continues.

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L.A. Times names two new managing editors

Reuters
Tuesday, October 11, 2005

The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday named two new managing editors, one to
oversee newsgathering and the other to help attract more readers to the
newspaper.

One of its new managing editors, Leo Wolinsky, who is currently deputy
managing editor, will be responsible for gaining more circulation as
well as overseeing budget and staffing for the newsroom.

His appointment comes as the L.A. Times and the rest of the industry
struggles with declining readership, due to the loss of younger readers
and competition from new media like the Internet.

Doug Frantz, an investigative reporter currently based in Istanbul, will
become the other managing editor. Frantz will be in charge of news
operations, including foreign, metro, national, Washington, business,
sports, science and obituaries.

Both managing editors will report to L.A. Times Editor Dean Baquet, the
Tribune Co. newspaper said in a release.

“I wanted an aggressive way to address the issue of declining
readership, to have someone focus on it,” Baquet said. “And I wanted
someone to run the newsroom day-to-day. For a newspaper of our scope and
complexity, this would be enough work for more than one person.”

Baquet previously served as the newspaper’s managing editor, and was
promoted to editor in August.

USAID CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF ITS SEVAN HOSPITAL RENOVATION PROJECT

Armenpress
Oct 12 2005

SEVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS: On October 12, the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) celebrated the
completion of the installation of a central heating system at Sevan
Hospital. USAID Mission Deputy Director Karl Fickenscher, the governor
of Gegharkunik marz, the city mayor as well as city officials,
hospital representatives, Thermoservice energy service company, and
members of Advanced Engineering Associates International participated
in the ceremony.

As a result of this project, which was funded by the U.S. Government
and implemented by Advanced Engineering Associates International within
March – August 2005, Sevan hospital now has a modern and efficient
gas heating system. The total cost of the project was $86,773, with
approximately 70% of the funding having been provided by USAID and 30%
by the hospital itself.

LAWRENCE’S MID-EAST MAP ON SHOW

BBC News, UK
Oct 12 2005

Lawrence’s proposals were opposed by British authorities A map showing
Lawrence of Arabia’s proposals for the reconstruction of the Middle
East following World War I is set to be displayed for the first time.
The newly-found map shows TE Lawrence opposed the allied agreement
which eventually determined the borders of Iraq as it is now.

He said separate governments should operate in the predominantly
Kurdish and Arab areas in what is now Iraq.

The map is to go on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.

It is just one of a number of previous unseen items in the museum’s
new exhibition, Lawrence Of Arabia: The Life, The Legend.

Lawrence, who presented his proposals to the Eastern Committee of
the War Cabinet in November 1918, also mooted the idea of separate
governments for the Mesopotamian Arabs and Armenians in Syria.

Allied agreement

These proposed borders would have replaced those drawn up in the
1916 allied agreement, which was negotiated between Sir Mark Sykes
and Francois Georges-Picot on behalf of Britain and France.

Lawrence’s stance was formed during the Arab Revolt of 1916/18 when
he heard the views of men from across the Middle East who were serving
in the army of Britain’s Arab allies against Turkey.

He was also in contact with other British experts on the region,
such as DG Hogarth and Gilbert Clayton.

But Lawrence’s suggestions came across opposition by the British
administration in Mesopotamia.

The map shows that the opinions of those who knew the region well
were often ignored

Hania Farhan

Jeremy Wilson, Lawrence biographer and historical adviser to
the exhibition, said the discovery of the map was “particularly
interesting” because “it suggests that Lawrence’s proposals were
taken fairly seriously, at least in London”.

Mr Wilson added that the proposals “would have provided the region
with a far better starting point than the crude imperial carve-up
agreed by Sykes and Georges-Picot”.

Meanwhile, Hania Farhan, regional director of the Middle East and
North Africa, Economist Intelligence Unit, said: “The map shows that
the opinions of those who knew the region well were often ignored,
as the colonial powers in London and Paris had their own agendas and
did not appear to care about the facts on the ground or the people
of those areas.

“Lawrence’s proposed borders differ substantially from those that
ended up being put in place.”

The exhibition will run from 14 October to 17 April 2006.

It will also include the Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle Lawrence
was riding when he had his fatal accident on 13 May 1935.

PACE organises public hearing on gender equality in the South Caucasus

Strasbourg, 11.10.2005 – Parliamentarians from Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia will join with women’s groups in the three countries, as well as
experts from the UN, to discuss gender equality in the South Caucasus at
a public hearing in Tbilisi (Georgia) on Friday 14 October 2005.

“Not enough attention has been paid to the situation of women in the
South Caucasus,” said Rosmarie Zapfl-Helbling (Switlzerland, EPP/CD),
Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and
Men of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (APCE), which is
organising the event in collaboration with the Parliament of Georgia.
“This hearing – and the report which will flow from it – aims to
highlight the difficult situation many women in the area face, and to
push for gender equality to be made a priority.”

Participants will hear an overview of the situation in each of the three
South Caucasus countries before discussing topics such as women’s
health, violence against women and the role of women in conflict
prevention and resolution.

The conclusions of the hearing will form part of a report being prepared
by Vera Oskina (Russia, EDG) on the situation of women in the South
Caucasus.

A day earlier, on Thursday 13 October 2005, a regional parliamentary
seminar will look at ways in which national parliaments in the South
Caucasus can help promote equality. The event will be opened by the
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burdjanadze. Although the
seminar is closed to the press, a press conference will be held at 6
p.m. on Thursday 13 October in the Georgian Parliament.

Link to the programme of the hearing

The hearing, which is open to the press, will be held in the “Ilia
Chavchavadze” Room of the Georgian Parliament (8 Rustaveli Avenue,
Tbilisi) on Friday 14 October 2005, beginning at 9.15 a.m.

Contacts:
Tanja Kleinsorge and Jannick Devaux, PACE Secretariat, mobile + 33 6 63
49 15 62.

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CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN ARMENIA: DECLARATION BY THE CHAIR OF THE COE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Strasbourg, 10.10.2005

Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Portugal
and Chairman of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, made
the following statement:

“After several months of intense debate, Armenia’s National Assembly
has just adopted a number of constitutional amendments, in line
with the country’s commitment undertaken when joining the Council of
Europe. The referendum to be held on 27 November on this reform will be
vital for Armenia. By turning out to vote during the referendum, the
people of Armenia will indeed be deciding on changes of fundamental
importance for their future. The expertise of the constitutional
amendments by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has shown
that the reform will allow the alignment of the Constitution with
European standards by enhancing the independence of the judiciary,
providing a more balanced distribution of power between the executive
and the legislative branches, as well as promoting local democracy
and freedom of the media.

I appeal to the sense of responsibility and concern for the common
good of Armenia’s political parties, beyond their differences, in
order to support this reform, which is essential to the country’s
future as a democracy. By participating in the referendum and showing
their attachment to the values of freedom and democracy, the people
of Armenia will show their desire to see Armenia fully assume its
part in the European construction.”

“After several months of intense debate, Armenia’s National Assembly
has just adopted a number of constitutional amendments, in line
with the country’s commitment undertaken when joining the Council of
Europe. The referendum to be held on 27 November on this reform will be
vital for Armenia. By turning out to vote during the referendum, the
people of Armenia will indeed be deciding on changes of fundamental
importance for their future. The expertise of the constitutional
amendments by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has shown
that the reform will allow the alignment of the Constitution with
European standards by enhancing the independence of the judiciary,
providing a more balanced distribution of power between the executive
and the legislative branches, as well as promoting local democracy
and freedom of the media.

I appeal to the sense of responsibility and concern for the common
good of Armenia’s political parties, beyond their differences, in
order to support this reform, which is essential to the country’s
future as a democracy. By participating in the referendum and showing
their attachment to the values of freedom and democracy, the people
of Armenia will show their desire to see Armenia fully assume its
part in the European construction.”

IT TECHNOLOGIES MAY PROMOTE ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 10 2005

YEREVAN, October 10. /ARKA/. IT technologies may promote Armenia’s
economic development, Chairman of the Union of IT Enterprises
Hovhanes Avoyan told reporters. According to him, it requires a wider
application of IT in other economic sectors. Avoyan pointed out the
necessity of using all the potential of computers, while it is used
at the most primitive level in Armenia. “We mainly use games, and
accountancy programs in business,” he said. According to Avoyan, the
DigiTec 2005 exhibition held in Yerevan aroused keen interest in IT.

Avoyan pointed out that the exhibition displays solutions to computer
problems in various fields, particularly in healthcare.

Director of the Enterprises Incubator Foundation Bagrat Yengibaryan
said that this exhibition will occupy its worthy place among other
European and regional exhibitions and will help Armenian consumers
to find their way in diverse IT technologies.

Thirty IT organizations from Armenia and other countries participated
in the DigiTec 2005 exhibition. The exhibition was organized by the
Enterprises Incubator Foundation and Union of IT Enterprises.

SCIENTISTS COMPLAIN OF PRIVATIZATION

A1+
| 16:52:58 | 10-10-2005 | Social |

The work of the “General and Inorganic Chemistry Institute” has been
ceased for the last days. The problem is that the municipality has
sold the majority of the land belonging to the Institute. The Institute
staff tried to struggle against the unlawful act, but applying to the
three court instances was no use. Today the Institute staff intends
to organize a sit-down strike opposite the President’s residence.

The General and Inorganic Chemistry Institute had 5 hectares of
land which was a must for the Institute as s sanitary and security
zone. “In the Institute chemical experiments are realized”, said head
of the Institute Sevan Davtyan.

By this decision the Institute was factually deprived of the security
zone and hence of the possibility to realize secure experiments. “This
means the beginning of the end”, noted the head of the Institute
who is a doctor-professor of Chemical sciences. He realizes that if
they start to build luxury mansions in the security zone (some have
already been built), the Institute will be deprived of its building
in the closest future.

The Institute engages in the investigation of the lithosphere and
processes different technologies. Part of the work realized by
the Institute is used in the military field. Some of them are also
important for jeweler’s art which has been recognized as a prior
branch of economy by Robert Kocharyan.