Author: Nalbandian Albert

Hrant Dink: Cyprus voiced its protest

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Sunday 28 Jan 2007: In a gathering organised by the Cypriot Armenian
political parties (Tashnak, Ramgavar and Hnchak), the Cypriot Armenian
community, together with representatives of Greek Cypriot political
parties and Euro parliamentarian Ioannis Kasoulides, voiced its
protest over the murder of Armenian Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. The
political gathering for Hrant Dink took place in the yard of the
Church at the Armenian Genocide Monument.

Before the gathering, a memorial service was held at Srp. Asdvadzadzin
Church in Nicosia. The gatheing was addressed by Archbishop Varoujan
Hergelian, while the last article by Hrant Dink at Agos was read by
Lena Poshoghlian. Euro parliamentarian Ioannis Kasoulides concluded
with a condemnation speech, which was followed by the laying of
flowers at the Genocide Memorial.

DANCING PAIR OF ARMENIAN HAS NO PROGRESS

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Europe figure
skating championship finished in Warsaw on January 27. As Samvel
Khachatrian, the Chairman of the Figure Skating Federation of Armenia
informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, the Anastasia
Grebyonkina-Vazgen Azroyan dancing pair representing Armenia took the
14th place among 27 participant pairs and it may be provided by the
circumstance that the last pair, one of Hungary, proceeding in the 7th
place of the free program did not perform. In S.Khachatrian’s words,
the Armenian pair has no progress. They were the 11th in the 2005
Europe championship, the 14th in 2006, and the 14th this year as well.
It means that they do not seriously relate to trainings. Samvel
Khachatrian also mentioned that he is anxious about this problem and
the issue will be discussed soon.

Ottawa Citizen, Canada
January 27, 2007 Saturday
Final Edition

Writers’ bloc

The Turkish response to the assassination of writer Hrant Dink has
been encouraging. "We are all Hrant Dink," said the protesters’
signs. It looks as if the people of Turkey are ready to defend their
freedom.

There is little doubt that Hrant Dink was killed because of his
opinions. He was shot to death on Jan. 19 in Istanbul. He was the
editor of a Turkish-Armenian newspaper who spoke his mind about the
1915 massacres of Armenians. The Turkish authorities have arrested a
17-year-old and say they suspect the teenager was incited by
nationalist militants.

Turkey has yet to come to terms with its history, and there is
resentment and tension between ethnic Armenians and ethnic Turks. In
such a climate, one might have expected the assassination of a
prominent advocate, on either side, to inflame sectarian divisions,
even to spark a cycle of revenge.

That hasn’t happened. There have been large and peaceful protests in
the streets. Non-Armenians carried signs that read, "We are all
Armenian." Crowd estimates from Mr. Dink’s funeral procession have
been on the order of 100,000 mourners.

This is an encouraging sign that the people of Turkey want to live in
a secular, pluralist and free society. As for the Turkish government,
the signs are not as clear. Despite the official display of mourning
over Mr. Dink, it must not be forgotten that Turkish law makes it a
crime to "insult" Turkey and its national character.

This law has led to charges against several writers, including Mr.
Dink. It may have been a misguided teenager who shot him, but it is
the government that is willing to send writers such as Mr. Dink to
jail for using the word "genocide" in the context of the Armenian
massacres.

When Turkish police brought a nationalist into a courtroom to face
charges in the Dink case, he yelled that Orhan Pamuk had better watch
out. Mr. Pamuk is the Turkish writer who won the 2006 Nobel literary
prize. He, too, has been charged with the crime of insulting
Turkishness, although his case was thrown out on a technicality. The
state is sending mixed signals to the nationalist zealots, as the
courtroom outburst — not to mention the Dink murder itself —
suggested.

Turkey’s policy of harassing its best writers is an embarrassment to
a country that wants to be seen as worthy of inclusion in the
European Union.

Most writers, and especially journalists, work to keep governments
accountable to the citizenry. In return, citizens will pressure their
governments to respect the press. In China, outcry over a journalist
beaten to death at a coal mine has caused President Hu Jintao to
become personally involved in the investigation.

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression puts the number of
journalists killed last year at 82 and calls 2006 the most deadly
year on record for journalists. Deciding whether a person is a
journalist and why they died isn’t always a simple task, so tallies
vary, but 2006 was a deadly year by anyone’s calculation.

Freedom of expression is the first freedom; without it, no country
can build democracy. Without it, Turkey cannot reach its potential.

People’s Daily Online, China
Jan 26 2007

Turkey asked to amend penal code following journalist’s killing

The Turkish government was under increasing pressure to amend a penal
code article after a Turkish- Armenian journalist was shot dead last
week, the Today’s Zaman daily reported on Friday.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe said that Turkey
should scrap Article 301 — which makes it a crime to insult Turkey’s
identity, state institutions and security forces — from its penal
code, the report said.

The existence of this article, which judicially limits freedom of
expression, only validates legal and other attacks against
journalists, the report quoted a resolution passed by the assembly as
saying.

Meanwhile, Mustafa Koc, a senior member of the Turkish Industrialists
and Businessmen’s Association, complained that resistance to changing
Article 301 "feeds pessimism" about the future of the country.

Article 301 has long been criticized by the European Union for
restricting freedom of expression. Many non-governmental
organizations also slam the article, under which numerous
intellectuals have ended up in court for "insulting Turkishness," the
report said.

Critics said that the article fueled hard-line nationalism and
contributed to the murder of Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the
bilingual Agos newspaper, who was shot dead by a 17-year-old gunman
outside his office in Istanbul last Friday.

Before his killing, Dink had been convicted by the article of
insulting Turkey’s identity over his comments on the alleged Armenian
genocide by Ottoman Turks during World War I and received a six-month
suspended sentence.

A number of intellectuals, including winner of the 2006 Nobel
Literature Prize Orhan Pamuk, had also been tried under the article.

Turkey has denied that up to 1.5 million Armenians died as a result
of systematic genocide during the Turkish Ottoman period between 1915
and 1923.

State Minister Ali Babacan, also Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, was
quoted as saying that the government was ready to change Article 301,
but amendments to the article would require consensus, something
difficult to achieve.

Source: Xinhua

Washington File, DC
Jan 27 2007

Killing of Turkish Editor Termed Assault on Free Expression

United States, world community condemn murder of journalist Hrant
Dink

By Eric Green
USINFO Staff Writer

U.S. Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns. (File photo; © AP
Images)Washington — The United States and the world community say
the assassination of independent Turkish journalist Hrant Dink
strikes a blow against freedom of expression.

In condemning Dink’s January 19 murder in Istanbul, Julie Finley, the
U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE), said the assassination of an independent-minded
journalist like Dink is `an assault that is felt by all.’ Finley
said the United States welcomed Turkey’s `quick and proper reaction’
and promise to solve the murder case as quickly as possible.

Finley added that Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was right in
characterizing the murder as a `repugnant and shameful attack’ that
`deeply wounded’ Turkey.

Sezer’s wish that Turkey `never experience such a sorrowful event
again’ is the United States’ wish as well, said Finley. She added
that the United States applauded the `new gestures of openness’
between Turkish and Armenian authorities in response to the
assassination.

In an interview with Mehmet Ali Birand of the Turkish television
station Kanal D January 19, Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas
Burns called Dink’s murder "an outrageous act of criminality."

"We look forward to see Turkish justice and we look forward to see
these killers brought to justice," he said. (See related article.)

At a January 23 memorial service in Washington for Dink, U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel
Fried said the slain journalist `stood for a civic virtue higher than
hatred, higher than ethnic stereotypes, higher than fears and
repression and ignorance. His was a vision of a better world. His was
a vision of the best in Turkey’s tradition. The measure of how our
world falls short must be judged by his murder at the hands of an
ignorant, hate-filled nationalist.’

Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE representative on freedom of the media,
said January 19 he was shocked by Dink’s murder.

Dink was one of Turkey’s `outstanding commentators on
Armenian-community related affairs," said Haraszti, adding that `this
is a cowardly act resulting in tragic loss."

The editor and columnist of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly
Agos, was gunned down outside his paper’s offices.

PRESS FREEDOM GROUPS UNITED IN CONDEMNATION

The Paris-based press freedom advocacy group, Reporters Without
Borders, said Dink was outspoken in his views regarding the massacre
of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The
organization said Dink’s murder `will distress and disturb all those
who defend the freedom of thought and expression in Turkey and
elsewhere.’ The Ottoman Empire was a vast Turkish state that existed
from 1299 to 1922.

Dink’s murder follows a report by Reporters Without Borders that more
journalists were killed around the world in 2006 than in any year
since 1994. At least 81 journalists were killed in 21 countries
while doing their jobs in 2006. (See related article.)

Reflecting on the dangers facing journalists worldwide, Karen Hughes,
the State Department’s under secretary of state for public diplomacy
and public affairs, told USINFO January 12 that `we live in a time of
unprecedented attacks on the media around the world. Journalists in
many countries face the threat of being harassed, abducted,
imprisoned, tortured, maimed or assassinated just for doing their
jobs. We need to talk much more in international circles about the
extent of this problem — what’s being done about it — and what more
we could do."

Another press freedom group, the New York-based Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ), said 18 Turkish journalists have been killed for
their work in the last 15 years, making Turkey the eighth deadliest
country in the world for journalists.

The CPJ said in a January 19 statement that Dink had received
numerous death threats from nationalist Turks who objected to his
views.

The group said that `through his journalism, Hrant Dink sought to
shed light on Turkey’s troubled past and create a better future for
Turks and Armenians. This earned him many enemies, but he vowed to
continue writing despite receiving many threats.’

Koïchiro Matsuura, secretary-general of the U.N. Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization, said January 22 that he
welcomed the speed with which the Turkish authorities were
investigating the case. Matsuura said the swift investigation was
`proof’ of the Turkish government’s determination to not let `this
heinous crime go unpunished.’

The State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices –
2005 discusses freedom of speech and press in Turkey. For additional
information, see the Turkey section of the report on the State
Department Web site.

(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information
Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
)

e.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&am p;y07&m=January&x0701261230161Xeneerg0.632 3511

PanARMENIAN.Net

Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway project likely to be signed in February
26.01.2007 19:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The final intergovernmental agreement on
construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars (BTAK) railway link
is expected to be concluded in February. Azerbaijan Transport Ministry
said the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey are scheduled to
meet in Tbilisi to sign three documents – a framework agreement, terms
agreement and loan agreement. The Ministry described the discussions
held by the Azeri and Georgian delegations as fruitful. The parties
agreed on the amount and procedure of the loan Azerbaijan is going to
lend to Georgia for funding construction of Georgian part of the
railway line. As per the agreement, Azerbaijan is going to extend a
$200 mln unsecured loan to Georgia’s Marabda-Kars Railroad LLC for 25
years at 1% interest rate annually. The parties agreed that
construction of Georgia parts of the project (98 km) will commence by
July, 2007. The preliminary cost of the project is estimated at US
$420 mln, reports APA.

Xinhua News Agency, China
Jan 21 2007

Turkish PM Announces Arrest of Journalist’s Suspected Killer

(Xinhua) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on
Saturday that Ogun Samast, the suspected killer of Turkish-Armenian
editor and writer Hrant Dink, was arrested.

Erdogan was quoted by the semi-official Anatolia news agency as
saying that Samast was arrested in the northern province of Samsun
earlier in the day.

The suspect’s father went to Trabzon police department after he saw
photos of his son on TV channels and informed police of the identity
of his son, Anatolia said.

Meanwhile, police were taking testimonies from five people, including
the suspect’s father, Ahmet Samast, and his wife.

It was reported that Ogun Samast had left his home three days ago,
saying he would go to Istanbul.

Hrant Dink, a 53-year-old Turkish citizen of Armenian descent, was
shot dead by an unidentified assailant in front of his office
building in Sisli district on the European side of Istanbul on
Friday.

Dink had been convicted of insulting Turkey’s identity over his
comments on the alleged Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turks during
World War I and received a six-month suspended sentence. He had
received threat from nationalists who considered him as a traitor,
local media reported.

Turkey has denied that up to 1.5 million Armenians died as a result
of systematic genocide during the Turkish Ottoman period between 1915
and 1923.

However, it does acknowledge that up to 300,000 Armenians and an even
higher number of Muslims died in fighting and efforts to relocate
populations away from the war zone in eastern Turkey.

Burbank Leader, CA
Jan 20 2007

EDITORIAL:
Time for dignity, not disgrace

OK. We want a nice, clean fight.

Nothing below the belt. Keep your hands up.

As this year’s political competition kicks in to high gear, let’s
make sure the discourse brings dignity to the city, not disgrace.

In a nation where ideology seems to trump pragmatism, we want to
remind the candidates running for the school board and the City
Council that political infighting and cynicism only bring on more of
the same.

And in the end, it clouds the issues and the voter pays the price.

There are many issues in the Media Capital of the World – from how to
deal with traffic congestion and land development to declining school
enrollment. And the candidates certainly need to debate how to best
tackle those issues. But they need to do so in an above-board manner.
advertisement

Burbank can’t afford the mudslinging, especially coming after recent
years of tumult in which its voters would have every right to be
skeptical of its leaders.

In 2005, Burbank earned a political black eye when former City
Councilman Stacey Murphy resigned after being charged with cocaine
possession and child endangerment.

Then last year a state Assembly election drew attention to Burbank
and its neighbor to the east when former Burbank school board trustee
Paul Krekorian and Glendale City Councilman Frank Quintero duked it
out in a race that got extremely ugly.

Voters were getting nasty campaign calls and a vicious mailer that
attempted to link Krekorian and the Armenian National Committee to a
suspected terrorist.

It was not pretty, nor was it good or clean politics.

Not that it ever really is. We realize that the nature of politics
can be dicey, particularly during a campaign season, and particularly
in a nation, where voters are sharply divided.

But the debate doesn’t have to be below the belt, whether it is in
campaign literature, online chats about the candidates, in letters to
the editor, candidate forums or discussions on the street.

The candidates and their supporters have the obligation to educate
the voters on how they could best direct the city’s future.

And voters should stay in tune to who could best do that.

But when the discourse gets ugly, and with unfounded allegations
abound, everybody loses.

Burbank deserves a campaign free from dirty fights.

Candidates and their supporters should go as many rounds as needed,
with vigorous debate on city issues and how to improve life here. But
let’s make sure the voter is not knocked out with dirty blows.

OK. As the famous boxing referee Mills Lane says, "Let’s get it on!"

STABLE ECONOMIC COOPERATION WILL PROMOTE ARMENIAN-SYRAIN POLITICAL RELATIONS, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONVINCED

Noyan Tapan
Jan 18 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. During the January 18 meeting with
the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, the members of the delegation
headed by the Chairman of the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Muhammad Saleh Mallah, who are on a three-day visit to Armenia,
expressed their satisfaction with the visit. The Syrian businessmen
noted that agreements were signed and long-term arrangements were
reached between the chambers of commerce and industry of Armenia
and Aleppo.

V. Oskanian in his turn underlined the importance of Armenian-Syrian
business links. He expressed confidence that stable economic
cooperation will promote the two countries’ bilateral political
relations that have already registered progress.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the sides
also spoke about the significance of the Armenian community in
Syria’s economic field, underlining the community’s role as a bridge
in bilateral cooperation.

BAKU: KARS-TBILISI-BAKU RAILROAD "CONSIDERABLE FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION"

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.01.2007 16:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The regional transport network will play an important
role in the development of Eurasia.

January 13 in Tbilisi the governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey
agreed on signing a project on reconstruction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway branch, reported the press office of the Azeri MFA, which
rates the project "as considerable event for the region trade and
economic cooperation."

"The regional transport network will play an important role in the
development of Eurasia and its security.

It will strengthen the social and economic development of the region
and will promote more global cooperation. The project will prove an
advance and will bring the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor
to a new level of development within the framework of reconstruction
of the Great Silk Road. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad will become
the basic element of the East-West energy transport communication,"
the statement says.

Construction of a railway corresponding to international standards will
ensure uninterrupted conveyance of passengers and cargo, development
of transport regional infrastructures and secure successful outlet
to the commodity market, reports Day.az.