Author: Nahapetian Samvel

E.U. COMMISSIONER REHN WARNS FRANCE: DRAFT WOULD HARM TURKEY – E.U. RELATIONS

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Oct 9 2006

BRUSSELS – EU commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn criticised
the draft legislation on the so called Armenian Genocide in French
Parliament and pointed out to the possible harm that will be caused
by steps taken to that end.

Expressing his views to the press, Rehn said "while the draft in
question was French parliament’s problem, it may however would lead
to serious problems in EU-Turkey relations".

Rehn said he is worried about the possibility of adoption of the
draft legislation punishing those who didn’t acknowledge the so called
Armenian genocide, and said such a development would harm the dialogue
between Turkey and EU.

Rehn also warned that if the draft was to be put to vote it would
block all the debate about the Armenian issue and would jeopardise
the steps taken towards freedom of thought in Turkey.

Rehn, in his remarks, also referred to his recent visit to Turkey and
pointed out that the Turkish public believe what France was trying
to do was in complete opposition with France’s approach to freedom of
thought in Turkey and France itself was harming freedom of expression.

Rehn called on the French MPs to fulfill their responsibilities and
said "I’m asking French parliamentarians to consider the possible
consequences of this draft. Our aim is to deal with this problem within
a serious framework of discussion. I believe French parliamentarians
will act responsibly".

OSKANIAN AND MAMMADYAROV TO MEET IN PARIS

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.10.2006 12:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During their talks in Moscow the Armenian and Azeri
FMs agreed to continue the consultations over the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement. As reported by the Azeri MFA, the next Oskanian-Mammadyarov
meeting will be held in Paris October 24, reports Day.az. We remind
that the meeting of the Ministers followed after their meeting with
Russian FM S. Lavrov. Both Oskanian and Mammadyarov met with Lavrov
privately and the Russian diplomat called the talks with each minister
productive.

DARCHINYAN CALLS OUT ARCE!!! FANTASTIC!!! CAN’T WAIT…IF IT HAPPENS.

SaddoBoxing.com
Oct 8 2006

Darchinyan calls out Arce

IBF and IBO flyweight champion, Armenian Vic Darchinyan, spoke briefly
after his win over Filipino Glenn Donaire.

"I couldn’t understand why it’s a technical decision," he said at
the podium. "His corner stopped the fight he turned away."

The powerful flyweight stated the he wanted to unify the titles at
112 lbs before moving up in weight, and that he is willing to fight
any belt-holder:

"I don’t have problem with my weight. I want to unify the belts at
112. If nobody wants to, I’ll do it at a different weight.

"I hope Arce stops running from me. I really want to fight him. I
respected him at first, and I liked the way he fought-that’s why
I wanted to fight him. But now, he runs, he talks a lot . . . but
that’s it."

According to Gary Shaw, Donaire was unable to attend the post fight
press conference, as he had gone to the hospital for a possible
dislocated jaw. Shaw also gave his word to Darchinyan that he will,
in the near future, allow him to fight in his native Armenia.

Turkish Daily News
Oct 7 2006

Ankara warns Paris not to risk its friendship
Saturday, October 7, 2006

Turkey’s people will perceive the adoption of controversial
‘genocide’ bill as a hostile attitude on the part of France, the
Foreign Ministry says, as the prime minister will today discuss the
problem with French businessmen in Istanbul

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

Turkey has reminded France of the importance it attributes to
bilateral political and economic ties between the two countries as
well as of the sensitivity of Turkey’s people regarding a highly
contentious bill that penalizes any denial of an Armenian "genocide"
at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

"The Armenian issue has poisoned bilateral ties in the past, but
the bill will inflict irreparable damage to our relationship,"
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namýk Tan said on Friday, referring to the
vote at the French National Assembly scheduled for Oct. 12 at the
request of the main opposition Socialist Party, the bill’s architect.

The spokesman clearly warned that the move could jeopardize
"investment, the fruit of years of work, and France will — so to
speak — lose Turkey."

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a letter this week to his French
counterpart, Jacques Chirac, on the issue and Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoðan will discuss the problem on Saturday with French
businessmen in Istanbul, Tan said.

Though the conservative majority in the French Assembly opposes the
bill, Turkey fears many opponents will not vote against it for fear
of upsetting France’s 400,000-strong Armenian diaspora ahead of
elections next year.

"The Armenian lobby should abandon backstage games and come up with
concrete arguments supported by historical facts," diplomatic sources
earlier said, referring to Ankara’s proposal last year to establish a
joint committee of Turkish and Armenian experts to study allegations
of an Armenian genocide in the final days of the Ottoman Empire.

–Boundary_(ID_gJCoGFNyIPa+seJFgxazRg)–

Vote sur le genocide armenien: Ankara menace Paris

Agence France Presse
6 octobre 2006 vendredi 10:55 AM GMT

La Turquie a lance une sevère mise en garde vendredi a la France,
estimant que les relations bilaterales allaient souffrir du vote prevu,
le 12 octobre, a l’Assemblee nationale francaise d’une proposition
de loi visant a penaliser la negation du genocide armenien de 1915.

"Le dossier armenien a beaucoup empoisonne les liens bilateraux
dans le passe mais la proposition de loi va provoquer des degâts
irreparables dans nos relations", a souligne le porte-parole du
ministère des Affaires etrangères lors d’un point de presse.

M. Tan a indique que la proposition aurait un effet particulièrement
nefaste sur les liens commerciaux. "Les investissements, fruits de
longues annees d’efforts, seront gâches et si j’ose dire la France
perdra la Turquie", a-t-il martele.

La France est le 5è fournisseur de la Turquie avec 4,7 milliards
d’euros d’exportations.

Les debats sur cette proposition de loi controversee qui divise la
classe politique francaise avaient ete reportes en mai dernier après
un debut de debat houleux.

Le texte, qui complète une loi de 2001 reconnaissant le genocide
armenien, fait de la negation de ce "genocide" un delit punissable
d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45.000 euros d’amende.

M. Tan a averti qu’"il ne sera pas possible de prevenir la reaction
de l’opinion publique turque" au cas où cette proposition serait
adoptee, en allusion a de probables mouvements de boycottage de
produits francais.

"Le peuple turc considerera l’adoption du texte comme une attitude
hostile de la part de la France", a encore souligne le diplomate qui
a ajoute qu’alors, "la France detruira la liberte d’expression".

Les Armeniens estiment que jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs ont peri
dans un genocide orchestre aux dernières annees de l’Empire ottoman
entre 1915 et 1917. Ankara affirme que des massacres ont ete commis
de part et d’autre et recuse les accusations de genocide.

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan doit rencontrer samedi a
Istanbul des representant de grandes entreprises francaises implantees
en Turquie, inquiets de l’impact de cette proposition de loi sur les
interets francais.

–Boundary_(ID_eifoBMXKNRQQXhnewPoRjQ)- –

Russia Searches for Reserve Options of Military Cargo Transit to Its Base in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2006 15:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian State Duma almost unanimously ratified the
agreement with Georgia on transit of Russian troops and arms across
the Georgian territory. The agreement also stipulates the order of
transit of arms and personnel through Georgia for the Russian base
in Gyumri, Armenia. The documents also define the term and order of
temporary functioning of the military bases in Akhalkalaki and Batumi:
the former should be closed before the end of 2007, while the latter
– before the end of 2008. By that time withdrawal of other Russian
military objects from Georgia will finish. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief
of the Russian Armed Forces Headquarters Alexander Skvortsov stated
today that Russia searches for reserve options of military cargo
transit to its base in Armenia, reports NEWSru.com.

PRESS RELEASE

National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: 617-489-1610
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Marc A. Mamigonian

"THE ARMENIAN LOBBY: THEN AND NOW" TO BE EXAMINED AT NAASR LECTURE

Gregory Aftandilian, currently a Research Fellow at the Belfer Center
at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, will
present a lecture entitled "The Armenian Lobby Then and Now: The
1918-27 Period and the Present Day," on Tuesday, October 10, at the
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center
, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA.

Aftandilian, a member of the NAASR Board of Directors since 2004, has
previously worked at the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and
the U.S. Department of State. A recognized expert on Middle East
affairs, he is the author of two books: Egypt’s Bid for Arab
Leadership: Implications for U.S. Policy and Armenia: Vision of a
Republic: The Independence Lobby in America, 1918-1927. He holds
degrees from Dartmouth College, the University of Chicago, and the
London School of Economics.

Shedding Light on Two Eras

This lecture will examine the activities of the American Committee
for the Independence of Armenia in the period of 1918 to 1927 and
compare it to today’s Armenian Lobby in terms of effectiveness,
shortcomings, access to leading policy-makers, and sustainability.

Key issues that will be addressed are the makeup of the lobby groups,
the socio-economic conditions of the Armenian-American community, the
impact of opposing lobbies and countervailing pressures, the
attitudes of Congress and the White House, and the salience of the
"Armenian issue" in the American political context.

Aftandilian will highlight some important similarities and
differences between the two eras. In both periods, the pro-Armenian
Lobby had the difficult task of supporting a small country that
lacked natural resources. Whereas in the earlier period the lobby
relied primarily on American public sympathy as well as important
political figures for support, the current period has witnessed a
reliance on the rising stature of the Armenian-American community and
its increasing involvement in the American political system.

Countervailing pressures in both periods have included the impact of
oil and other economic interests.

Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
Bookstore will open at 7:30 p.m. The NAASR Center and Headquarters
is located opposite the First Armenian Church and next to the U.S.

Post Office. Ample parking is available around the building and in
adjacent areas. The lecture will begin promptly at 8:00 p.m.

More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing [email protected], or writing
to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

Marc A. Mamigonian

Director of Programs and Publications

National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)

395 Concord Avenue

Belmont, MA 02478

Phone: 617-489-1610

Fax: 617-484-1759

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC TO INVEST IN ARMENIA’S IT SPHERE

Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 5 2006

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation intends to invest in the development
of the IT sphere of Armenia.

October 6 Representatives of the Mitsubishi Electric Company will
meet with RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan and the prospects of
implementation of programs will be discussed.

The Mitsubishi Electric will participate in the DigiTec2006 exhibition
to be held October 6-8 in Yerevan.

ARMAVIA FIXES 30% GROWTH OF MOSCOW-YEREVAN PASSENGER FLOW

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.10.2006 14:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armavia national carrier has fixed a 30% growth of
the Moscow-Yerevan passenger flow.

"Armavia national carrier fixes the growth of the Moscow-Yerevan
passenger flow from the airports of Vnukovo and Domodedovo," said
Armavia’s press service.

This is mostly conditioned by the suspension of air communication
between Russia and Georgia. It should also be noted that increase
of the number of passengers departing from Yerevan for Moscow is not
observed, reports newsarmenia.ru.

IS TURKEY CHANGING SIDES?
Perspective on the news by Jack Kelley

Prophezine , TX
Oct 4 2006

In the Qandil (Kandil) Mountains, where Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria
all meet lies the ancestral homeland of the Kurds, known in history
as the Medes, who were partners with Persia in defeating Babylon.

The Kurds call this area Kurdistan, but the land they refer to
technically belongs to the four neighbors mentioned above, none
of whom want to give it up. Turkey is perhaps the most determined,
having suffered numerous terrorist attacks at the hand of the PUK,
a group of militant Kurdish separatists. One of the reasons that
Turkey refused to help in the current war in Iraq is that the USA
refused to deny the Kurds a voice in governing post-war Iraq.

Turkey has been legitimately afraid that in return for Kurdish
assistance in deposing Saddam Hussein (it was the Kurds who
located Saddam and tipped off US troops) the US would permit at
least unofficial attempts to establish a Kurdish homeland on land
that Turkey claims. Turkey has maintained up to 20,000 troops on its
border with Iraq to prevent such a move.

And in fact the US has been vacillating on the Kurdish issue, even
publishing a map of the region showing the presence of a Kurdish
entity. US officials later claimed it didn’t accurately reflect US
policy. Turkey is skeptical.

Iran sees this situation as an opportunity to further strengthen its
regional position and has teamed up with Turkey to assist in removing a
force of 5000 PUK soldiers from the area where Iran abuts Iraq in the
Qandil Mountains. According to several news and intelligence sources
they already have positioned troops some 7-8 km inside Iraq and have
begun shelling the mountain hideouts. The situation for Turkey offers
some big incentives.

Not only do they get help in spanking the PUK, but have made it known
that they have their eye on Kirkuk, an Iraqi city in the area that
produces 40% of Iraq’s oil output, and that Turkey had made claim
to before.

For its part Iran also sees a chance grab a chunk of Northern Iraq
for itself. In addition Iran wants to destroy forward intelligence
positions the Israelis may have secretly placed among the Kurds to
help them receive the earliest possible warning of an Iranian attack
on Israel. Knocking out these posts would give the Iranians two
significant victories against the Israelis within the span of just
a few months, the war in Lebanon being the other. The loss of this
intelligence would no doubt reduce the possibility for a successful
US-Israeli attack against Iran, too. Russian and Iranian intelligence
experts are both predicting such an attack before the end of 2006.

Many observers believe it’s already too late to stop the Turkey-Iran
initiative. The question is whether it will blossom into yet another
Mid-East war pitting the US, Iraq, and Israel against Iran, Turkey,
and possibly Syria.

Students of prophecy should follow these developments closely. Turkey
is felt by most to be a modern component along with Armenia of the
Beth Togarmah mentioned in Ezekiel 38:6. We’ve long said that as long
as Turkey is aligned with the west Ezekiel 38 can’t happen. Bringing
Turkey into the Moslem alliance against Israel would remove one more
roadblock to its fulfillment. There aren’t many left.