Author: Maghakian Mike

MADNESS OF THE ‘VALLEY OF THE WOLVES’ BESIEGES TURKEY
AyÞe Karabat Ankara

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 21 2007

"We are all Turks, and we all are the Valley of the Wolves," wrote
a fan nicknamed "ozioo," of the controversial TV show "Valley of the
Wolves," on the infamous TV series webpage forum.

S/he referred to a slogan which was used during the protests following
the assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, namely
"We are all Armenians, we are all Hrant Dink." The slogan has later
come to be adapted to other uses as well.

Another fan, nicknamed "hayati unsal," a character from the series,
urges all fans to participate to a demonstration to be held in Ankara
in front of the sculpture representing the struggle for human rights
on Saturday afternoon. The fan says: "For the future of Turkey,
we should join this demonstration."

"Ozioo" and "hayati unsal" are not alone. The controversy surrounding
the TV series "Valley of the Wolves" has besieged Turkey since last
week, particularly after the privately-owned station Show TV decided
not to air the second episode, allegedly due to pressures from the
Supreme Council of Radio and Television (RTUK).

This madness started couple of years ago, when the TV series entered
Turkish social life. The series depicts a young man named Polat
Alemdar, who was adopted by a family and graduated from Political
Science Department, becomes an undercover agent to fight against the
mafia. But he uses illegal and brutal methods. After the success of
the series, came the movie: "Valley of the Wolves – Iraq," in which
Alemdar takes revenge for the Turkish soldiers who were "humiliated"
by American soldiers in Iraq. The movie contains heavily anti-Semitic
and anti-American elements. The movie became the most lucrative movie
ever produced by the Turkish film industry.

The movie was followed by the second season of the series: "Valley of
the Wolves – Terror." As the name implies, it was expected to discuss
the terror problem and address the Kurdish question. However, public
opinion was divided: some argued that it would provoke ethnic hatred.

RTUK reportedly claimed to have received thousands of petitions
against the series. RTUK officials deny accusations of forcing Show TV
to take the series off the air. Yet, instead of the second episode,
fans saw a farewell announcement from the producers speaking about a
"wheel of censorship." Since then, the mania over the "Valley of the
Wolves" has only gotten deeper.

Along with the discussion of censorship, many politicians including
some ministers have given statements on the TV show. According to
some conspiracy theories, there was a secret report sent to Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, which envisages a huge drop in votes
for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), and even
street clashes in certain cities if the show was broadcasted. Though
the prime minister’s office has dismissed this claim and denied the
existence of any such report, rumors continue, alleging this report
claims that the series will increase nationalistic sentiments, thereby
leading to an increase in votes for the Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP), and a drop in AK Party’s votes. The report further claims that
the series might lead to Turkish-Kurdish clashes in some cities.

Another rumor is that AK Party Diyarbakýr Deputy Ýhsan Arslan was
influential in Show TV’s decision. Reacting to this rumor, Arslan
felt obliged to make a statement. "Some people want to put an end to
my political career," he said. "Either they think that I am rich or
they might have another problem. All these claims that I am the one
who took the series off the air are just libels."

A number of nongovernmental organizations, from the Turkish
Health Workers Union to the Ankara Cubuk Terror Victims’ Solidarity
Association, have reacted to Show TV’s decision. Hundreds of comments
have been written. Among the protesters of the decision by Show TV
are a local newspaper from Corum and its workers, who put bandages on
their mouths to protest censorship. Also the Turkish Health Workers
Union made a statement which said: "Nowadays, the smoking age is
10 in Turkey and there are lots of immoral TV series. The decision
to cancel the airing of a nationalistic series which defends the
territorial integrity of Turkey cannot be justified." Another protest
came from the Ankara Cubuk Terror Victims’ Solidarity Association,
which condemned the decision to stop airing the series which would
"show the real face of terror."

The protests are not limited to written statements. The official
Web site of the series, kurtlarvadisi.com, is getting 120,000 hits
per second according to the ANKA news agency. Hundreds of thousands
of people are participating in the online polls run by newspapers
and forums.

Among the ministers who have made statements about the "Valley
of the Wolves" are Education Minister Huseyin Celik, Deputy Prime
Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin, State Minister Beþir Atalay and Deputy
Prime Minister Abdullatif Þener. However, the politician who made
the strongest defense for Show TV’s decision was AK Party Deputy
Chairman Mir Mehmet Fýrat. He said the decision was just as right
as the decision to abolish child pornography. The fans of the series
reacted harshly to Fýrat’s comments in the forums.

Meanwhile, some students attending a high school in Canakkale taped
themselves as they were playing with guns in their school and put the
video on YouTube under the title of "Youth of Valley of the Wolves."

Apart from numerous comments from columnists, the TV series has been
discussed in several scholarly studies. For instance, Gazi University’s
Faculty of Communication has published a special education of their
journal featuring the series.

Despite the fact that the series is associated with rising
nationalistic sentiments, there are several sociological reasons
behind its popularity, and one of the most prominent one is that
Turks take popular culture very seriously.

"Do not forget that sometimes art imitates the real life," sociologist
Tanýl Bora says. According to Bora, the magic of the series relies
on the fact that "Valley of the Wolves has an aesthetic fantasy of
destroying the enemy, and the enemy figures have a huge group." Bora
maintains that another reason for this mania is that the main character
of the series, Polat Alemdar, does not recognize any limit, as a macho
character. This character fits well to psychological shortcomings of
many members of the Turkish society, Bora remarks.

Mutlu Binark, a sociologist who specializes in communication, says
that the series has become a phenomenon because it makes references to
ever-increasing violence, especially in our daily lives. The people
from the middle and lower-class have started to consider violence
as a fact of daily life. Binark argues that the solution is not to
censor "Valley of the Wolves" or its kindred, but to develop the
consciences of individuals, with the ability to differentiate real
life from entertainment.

Despite the huge number of fans of the "Valley of the Wolves," the
planned protest in Ankara did not take place, as no one showed up. In
Istanbul, there were only 20 protesters or so. A fan on the forums,
nicknamed "polat," expressed his/her disappointment: "Is this all of
your love? Nothing can be done with you."

–Boundary_(ID_4wbPJKn7BlCPxFaUAE2fbQ) —

IN JANUARY OF 2007 ARMENIA’S GDP GREW BY 11,9%

Mediamax Agency, Armenia
Feb 20 2007

Yerevan, February 20 /Mediamax/. The growth of Armenia’s GDP in
January of 2007 totaled 11,9%, as compared to the same period of 2006.

As the press service of the National Statistical Service of Armenia
told Mediamax today, the GDP volume in January of 2007 totaled
83771.4mln drams.

The volume of industrial production in the republic in January of
2007 stood at 45038.4mln drams, having increased by 4%, as compared
to the same period of 2006.

The average monthly salary in Armenia in January of 2007 increased
by 28,8%, as compared to the same period of 2006, thus making 69145
drams. The salary of budget organizations has increased by 32,8%,
making 50628 drams during the accounting period, and the salary of
non-budget organizations stood at 82611 drams (growth – 24,8%).

The foreign trade turnover of Armenia in January of 2007 totaled
94,76bln drams or $260.3mln, having increased by 57,4% as compared
to the same period of 2006.

As the press service of the National Statistical Service of Armenia
told Mediamax today, the export volume during the accounting period
made 21,64bln drams or $59.5mln, and the import volume totaled 73.12bln
drams or $200.8mln.

The deficit of the foreign trade balance in January of 2007 stood at
51.48bln drams or $141.3mln.

ACP DIRECTOR: EXPLOITATION OF TEGHUT COPPER AND MOLYBDENUM MINE WILL NOT HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENTAL ECOSYSTEM

Noyan Tapan
Feb 20 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The exploitation of the Teghut
copper and molybdenum mine will not have a negative impact on the
environmental ecosystem. Gagik Arzumanian, Director of Armenian
Copper Program (ACP) CJSC that received the concessional right of
the mine’s exploitation for 25 years, stated this at the February 16
discussion. The event followed a discussion held on February 9, during
which Chairman of the Union of Greens of Armenia Hakob Sanasarian
expressed concern about environmental consequences of the project’s
implementation. H. Sanasarian was also present at the February 16
discussion. G. Arzumanian said that the Armenian government should
allow exploitation of the mine. He explained that the water balance
of the Teghut copper and molybdenum mine (the Shnogh River) will
not be violated because the necessary water will be taken from the
Debet River and used in a "closed cycle". Besides, he ruled out the
possibility of leakage of underground waters from the tailing dump as
ACP envisaged all measures to prevent this danger. The ACP director
considered as unreasonable the concern that the mine’s exploitation
will cause damage to surrounding forests because 357.16 ha of forest
(57.7 thousand cubic meters of wood) will be cut during 25 years of
the project’s implementation.

He cited information published in the Armenian press, according
to which about 1 million cubic meters of wood on the total area of
about 8 thousand ha is cut in Armenia every year, 500 thousand cubic
meters of wood is cut annually in Lori marz. "Let’s use our energy
to solve more important problems. Why make so much fuss over this
issue?," he said. H. Sanasarian expressed his discontent that no
representatives of the RA ministry of nature protection attended the
discussion. "This ministry does not fulfil its obligations envisaged
by law," he noted, adding that the ministry’s examination of the
project was imperfect. H. Sanasarian considered as contradicting the
Armenian legislation the fact that the project of mine’s exploitation
was developed not for the whole period of 25 years but only for 8
years. According to G. Arzumanian, the mine should be exploited on an
area of 200 ha but ACP managed to purchase only 100 ha from the current
owners. He noted that if the company fails to purchase the remaining
area, "the state will consider it as a supreme public right and require
its mandatory alienation." In response to NT correspondent’s question,
G. Arzumanian said that ACP envisages to implement a number of social
program in the local communities (construction of residential and
recreational zones, water supply and sewerage systems, as well as
staff training), some of which have already been launched. In his
words, although the mine’s exploitation has not started, "revenues
of Shogh and Teghut communities have increased tenfold."

YURI MERZLYAKOV: THE RECENT CONSULTATIONS WERE VERY PRODUCTIVE

ArmRadio.am
20.02.2007 16:56

"Consultations in Paris were very productive," stated Russian
Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov, commenting on the
recent meeting of Co-Chairs held February 15-16 in French capital. He
underlined that in Paris the mediators met also with Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian. Merzlyakov said this meeting was also very
productive. The diplomat regrets that Elmar Mamedyarov was not present.

Asked why he did not meet with Azeri President’s Personal
Representative on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict negotiations Araz
Azimov, who was participating in the international energy conference in
Paris, Yuri Merzlyakov answered that first there wasn’t any request,
and second, according to the information of American Co-Chair Matthew
Bryza, Araz Azimov did not participating in the conference.

Commenting on Azimov’s statement that "Armenia steps back from its
stance on uncoordinated issues", Yuri Merzlyakov underlined, "the
Azeri side really had put certain questions, but the Armenian side
did not give certain responses to them." "We have not discussed these
questions in detail to agree with his opinion that Armenia refuses
from its stance," the Russian diplomat noted.

The Russian diplomat underlined that the Co-Chairs are trying to
organize a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and
Armenia at the beginning of March, APA reports.

AUTHORITIES DISPUTE COSSACK ETHNIC CLASH

The Moscow Times
February 19, 2007 Monday

Police are dismissing reports of ethnic clashes in a Stavropol region
town following the shooting of a Cossack leader.

Andrei Khanin was shot in the head Tuesday in Novoaleksandrovsk. He
died Saturday.

Media reported that there were clashes between Cossacks and Georgians
and Armenians in the wake of the shooting.

Now, Ekho Moskvy radio reported, police and local authorities say
the reports are not true.

State Duma Deputy Sergei Ivanov, not to be confused with the former
defense minister and current first deputy prime minister, asked the
Duma’s Security Committee on Friday to investigate reports of the
clashes, which he compared to the disturbances in Kondopoga last year,
Ekho Moskvy reported.

Two people were killed in interethnic clashes in the Karelian town
of Kondopoga in September.

Alexander Belov, head of the ultranationalist Movement Against
Illegal Immigration, or DPNA, told Novy Region on Friday that kiosks
belonging to Georgians and Armenians were set on fire in the clashes
in Novoaleksandrovsk. Novy Region further reported that the Federal
Security Service imposed a ban on any media reports on the clashes.

The DPNA, among others, was accused of stirring ethnic tensions
in Kondopoga.

Police have arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with Khanin’s
shooting.

The local prosecutor’s office said the shooting was tied to a personal
grudge and was not racially motivated, RIA-Novosti reported.

Mikhail Serkov, another Cossack leader from the Stavropol region,
told RIA-Novosti on Saturday that Khanin’s death might be connected
to his investigation into a local factory that was releasing waste
into a local river.

"Khanin received threats after [he began investigating]," Serkov said.

IT IS PLANNED TO CREATE GENETIC REGISTER IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Yerevan Center for Medical Genetics
Primary Protection of Health is working in the direction of creating a
genetic register in Armenia. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed
by Center Director Tamara Sargsian, this will enable to clear up the
genetic characteristics of Armenian people. T. Sargsian stated that
23-26 thousand people are examined at the center annually. They
implement screening programs, through which they calculate the
frequency of some genetic diseases, prenatal diagnostics is also
carried out. The center director said that examinations on
acknowledgement of paternity will start to be implemented in the center
soon, as there are many people applying with this issue. T. Sargsian
said that one-week conference under the title "Achievements of Medical
Genetics and Diagnostics of Molecular Diseases" will be held in Yerevan
in March with participation of employees of Russian Scientific Center
for Medical Genetics. It was mentioned that the center also cooperates
with similar institutions functioning in France, U.S., Denmark and a
number of other countries.

LEADERS OF OPPOSITION YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS TO STRUGGLE FOR HOLDIND OF FAIR ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 14 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. "We will not permit the
authorities to commit falsifications, for which they are already making
preparations." Narek Sargsian, Chairman of Sargis Tkhruni Student Union
of Social-Democrat Hnchakian Party, declared this at the February
14 press conference of leaders of youth organizations. He called
leaders of other opposition parties’ youth organizations for joining
the Student Union’s initiative aimed at holding of honest and fair
elections. The other participants of press conference, in particular,
leaders of youth organizations of Hanrapetutiun (Republic) Party,
National Self-Determination Union, Armenian National Movement, Union
of National Democrats and Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party, supported
this initiative and proposed creating a united coordination council, in
which representatives of opposition parties’ youth organizations will
be included. Karen Karapetian, Chairman of Armenian National Movement
(ANM) youth wing, drew attention to the fact that the authorities
breaking the law have already started preelection agitation by using
all financial and administrative levers.

Rockers focus on more than sex, drugs: System of a Down tackles genocide

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune – Illinois – KRTBN
Feb 09, 2007

What are the roots of genocide?

"Screamers," a documentary/concert film that begins by focusing on the
Armenian genocide of 1915 and broadens to include mass exterminations
from the Holocaust on, tries to both give witness and provide an
answer. Mixing concert footage of the Armenian-American rock group
System of a Down–whose hypnotic protest ballads supply the
"screamers" of the title–with interviews and archive footage
detailing genocides throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries, director
Carla Garapedian makes us face again the appalling consequences of
untrammeled political dictatorship and of murder as a public policy.

The movie’s theme is simple. Genocides happen because of the mass
political pathologies and conditions that trigger them–but also
because the rest of the world chooses to look the other
way. Garapedian begins with the massacre in Armenia–when the Ottoman
Turkish government systematically slaughtered the Armenian population
during a time of forced deportations in 1915. (Death toll estimates
range from the Turkish government estimate of 300,000 to some Armenian
sources that cite up to two million fatalities.)

Gradually, she expands her story to include the Holocaust, Cambodia,
Rwanda, Bosnia, the Kurdish massacres in Iraq and present-day deaths
in Darfur. The Armenian slaughter remains her main concern–and also
that of System of the Down and their singer, Serj Tankian–but she
does try to tie everything together. It’s particularly infuriating,
after learning of all these often unrecorded deaths and national
coverups, to see ex-Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert–accused here
of helping bury Armenian genocide recognition bills in the
House–smugly dodging questions from Tankian.

"Screamers" is a commendably brave piece, but less focused and
powerful than you’d like. In the end, Garapedian might have been
better off concentrating her energy on the 1915 Armenian story–which
has been told on film various times (for example, in "Forty Days of
Musa Dagh" and Atom Egoyan’s "Ararat"), but never with the power of,
say, "The Pianist" or "Schindler’s List."

After a while, the other episodes of mass slaughter sometimes seem too
hastily covered and the theme not eloquently enough expressed. If you
know little about the terrible Armenian episode and its aftermath,
"Screamers" may be a good place to start. The worldwide cycle of
genocide, unfortunately, shows little sign of ending.

– – –

‘Screamers’

(star)(star)

Directed by Carla Garapedian; photographed by Charles Rose; edited by
William Yarhaus; music by Jeff Atmajian, System of a Down; produced by
Nick de Grunwald, Guardian, Peter McAlevey, Timothy F. Swain. An MG2
Productions/BBC Television/Raffy Manoukian Charity presentation; opens
Friday at the Kerasotes Webster Place Theatres, 1471
W. Webster. Running time: 1:31.

MPAA rating: R (for disturbing images of genocide and language).

(star)(star)(star)(star) EXCELLENT

(star)(star)(star) GOOD

(star)(star) FAIR

(star) POOR

[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected])

THE SCREAMERS – THE GENOCIDE AND ARMENIAN ROCK STARS

AZG Armenian Daily
08/02/2007

Documentary feature examining why genocides keep occurring — from the
Armenian genocide in 1915, to the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda and now
Darfur — through the eyes and music of the Grammy award-winning rock
band "System of a Down," based in Los Angeles, whose members are all
grandchildren of genocide survivors. As the band tours the world and
touches on the locations and stories of genocide in the last century,
the film follows the personal story of the lead singer’s grandfather, a
96-year old survivor of the Armenian genocide, one of the few remaining
survivors from his village in Turkey. With the arguments of Harvard
Professor Samantha Power, the personal stories of survivors from
Armenia, Rwanda and Darfur, policy critics and whistleblowers – the
"screamers" – the film targets the problem of genocide denial, with
specific reference to the Turkish government’s current campaign to
stop its citizens from discussing the genocide. When the band arrives
back in the United States, they confront the hypocrisy of U.S. foreign
policy in the debate on genocide recognition, with Speaker of the
House, Dennis Hastert, actively blocking a vote in Congress.

Through the band’s efforts to get Dennis to "Do the Right Thing" and
Power’s thesis that America’s interest has always been to stay neutral,
no matter how wide-scale the carnage, the film shows how successive
Presidents and corporate interests have conspired to turn a blind
eye to genocides as they are happening – whether it be Iraqi Kurds
in the 80s, Rwanda in the 90s or Darfur today. After the Holocaust,
we may say ‘never again’ — but we don’t mean it.

PROSECUTORS FILE CHARGES AGAINST EX-SENATOR CHAKHMAKHCHYAN

RIA Novosti, Russia
Feb 8 2007

MOSCOW, February 8 (RIA Novosti) – Russian prosecutors have filed
embezzlement charges against Levon Chakhmakhchyan, a former member
of the upper house of parliament.

Chakhmakhchyan, 54, an ex-senator from the Kalmykia Region in southern
Russia, is accused of "misappropriating property" worth $1.5 million,
the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

Prosecutors accuse Chakhmakhchyan of forming an organized crime group
to extort funds from companies, including air carrier Transaero.

Investigators said Chakhmakhchyan and his associates arrived at the
Transaero office June 2, where they were caught receiving $300,000
in cash specially marked by police.

"Last April, former senator Chakhmakhchyan and other members of
the criminal group pressed top managers of a major airline, through
deception and abuse of office, to give them $1.5 million for resolving
the company’s alleged problems with tax payments and customs duties,"
investigators said.

The ex-senator’s lawyer, Boris Kuznetsov, said he would appeal the
charges. "I will appeal with the Basmanny Court of Moscow against
the charges because I find them illegal and unsubstantiated," he said.

A former deputy head of the Federation Council’s committee for
self-government, Chakhmakhchyan was dismissed from the post after
being allegedly caught up in the bribery scandal in June 2006. He
was not arrested until February 1 for health reasons.

On that day, the Basmanny Court sanctioned a two-month custody for
Chakhmakhchyan, adding that the former senator could face up to 10
years in prison if found guilty. The judge also said Chakhmakhchyan’s
health allowed him to stay in custody.

Russia’s Supreme Court agreed in December to launch criminal
proceedings in absentia against Chakhmakhchyan, who was in the hospital
at the time. The former senator’s defense appealed the decision,
and the court will hear the appeal March 6.

In June, Federal security agents found $300,000 in cash, which
had been previously marked with special ink, in the office of the
chief accountant of the non-governmental organization, Association
of Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation. An ethnic Armenian,
Chakhmakhchyan was vice president of the organization.

Prosecutors said Chakhmakhchyan’s "crime group" also involved his
son-in-law, Armen Oganesyan, who was an assistant auditor in the
Russian Audit Chamber, and the chief accountant at the Association
of the Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation.

Chakhmakhchyan’s lawyer said the two suspects in the case had
been arrested but that his client dismissed all the accusations as
"absolute nonsense."