Author: Nalbandian Eduard

MEMBERS OF ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT VISIT MILITARY UNITS ON THE CONTACT LINE WITH AZERBAIJAN

Today.Az
July 14 2008
Azerbaijan

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan visited the military units and
military positions on the northeastern borders of the country Saturday.

Ohanyan visited the military units accompanied by country’s Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan and other government members.

"The aim of the visit to the military units, ensuring defense of
northeastern borders, is consolidation of ties between the army and
society, powers and people", Ohanyan told reporters, assessing the
visit as successful.

He noted that the government members took part in the event "I have
the honor to introduce", during which the unit commander familiarized
with draftees’ parents.

According to the Defense Minister, the Ministers also visited the
front, familiarized with the process and order of serving, dined with
the soldiers and them visited a polygon to take part in shootings.

"We have mostly reached our goal", said Ohanyan adding that the
Ministers also recalled the years of military service and skills,
which most of them have preserved.

"The engineering facilities are equipped so that servicemen may be
on duty, observe the enemy and move safely in trenches", said Ohanyan
Saturday. He added that the housing conditions in the military units
in Tavush are also normal.

According to him, the same conditions are observed in all backing
points of the country’s armed forces.

"Naturally, shortcomings, especially unexpected, have been revealed
during inspections and commanders are now working to eliminate them",
said Ohanyan.

SAROYAN PHOTO EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY IN SACRAMENTO

Fresno Bee
July 11 2008
CA

A Fresno photo exhibit from January featuring images of famed writer
William Saroyan now is on view at the California State Capitol Museum
in Sacramento.

The black-and-white photographs, all by award-winning photographer
Boghos Boghossian, were taken of Saroyan on visits to his ancestral
homeland of Armenia in 1976 and 1978. The Boghossian pictures
capture the dramatic visage of an older Saroyan in different moods
and surroundings.

The free exhibit started June 30 and runs through Aug. 24. The museum,
at 1315 10th St. near L Street, is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

The original Fresno City Hall show was curated by Varoujan Der Simonian
of the Armenian Museum of Fresno. It was part of the centennial
year celebrations marking Saroyan’s birth in Fresno on Aug. 31,
1908. (Saroyan died in Fresno, at age 72, on May 18, 1981.)

The Sacramento exhibit has been redefined with the help of museum
curator John Mello, but the photos are the same. The exhibit was
made possible through the efforts of Assembly Member Paul Krekorian,
D-Burbank, and the California State Assembly Rules Committee. It’s
co-sponsored by the Armenian Technology Group Inc. and the Armenian
Heritage Museum.

MAESTRO URGES TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS

A1+
11 July, 2008

World-known conductor Ohan Durian was in Northern Avenue today with
his spouse. Despite the poor health and the blazing sun, the maestro
had come to see the sit-down strikers. He was met by the leader of
the "Hanrapetutiun" (Republic) Party, Aram Sarkissian, member of the
political board Suren Abrahamian and other party members.

Ohan Durian embraced Commander of a Shushi Special Battalion Zhirair
Sefilian. He expressed his gladness on seeing Sefilian in freedom.

"Ohan Durian!" chanted the strikers.

"I am here to call on Serzh Sarkissian to release the political
prisoners," said the great maestro who was hardly standing on his feet.

Upon the request of A1+ he shared his opinion about the March
1 unrest. "Our people were subjected to recurrent rape on March
1.Our people want to live in freedom. It is high time we lived like
other civilized nations. We want to have a free and independent
Armenia. That’s all we want. We demand that the authorities
build a democratic country and release the political prisoners
immediately. Serzh Sarkissian is to meet our demand."

Ohan Durian stayed in the avenue about twenty minutes. Then he departed
filled with high hopes about Armenia’s brilliant future and strong
belief that one day we shall have the Armenia we have longed for.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 10 2008

Fuad Ismayilov: `Madrid proposals should be reprepared taking
Azerbaijan’s position into account’

[ 10 Jul 2008 14:10 ]

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva`APA. Fuad Ismayilov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to
Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, OSCE and International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) gave an interview to APA

-Presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan this year. Did OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and Parliamentary
Assembly form observation missions?

Missions have not been formed, because the Government of Azerbaijan
should send an invitation according to our legislation. After that,
composition of the mission will be formed. Such missions always
include representatives of OSCE, CE Parliamentary Assembly, NATO
Parliamentary Assembly and European Parliament. Two missions will be
established – long term and short term missions. Short term mission
will arrive in Azerbaijan during the elections.

-One of remarks on Azerbaijan is linked with freedom of media. OSCE
Special Representative on Media Freedom Miklos Haraszti stated that
he did not change his position in the prepared report on this
issue. Do you initiate to influence on his position?

We have good relations with Office of Haraszti, irrespective of
several painful factors. Reports of Office are their normal
activity. We are not satisfied with several assessments and told them
about it. I consider that the office will assist Azerbaijan to
increase qualification of mass media.

-Do you estimate OSCE as productive mechanism directed to the solution
to Nagorno Karabakh? Former President of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Goran Lennmarker was a rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh. Will new
rapporteur be appointed to this position?

New rapporteur will probably be appointed. One of the priorities of
OSCE PA is conflicts. Either Lennmarker, or other one can be appointed
to this position. Can OSCE PA new Chairman be a rapporteur? Everything
depends on whether he will be interested in this issue or not. Maybe,
priorities of new President will be different. However, OSCE MG is one
mechanism, which discusses solution to Nagorno Karabakh. We can take
stance on effectiveness of the work implemented by MG. We have
concrete questions to MG. We do not know how long the negations will
be continued. That is why we told them: the time is going, but there
is not any effect. Co-chairs cannot make aggressive country accept
international principles. Therefore, solution to Nagorno Karabakh
prolongs, it is not in favor of our interests. Unacceptable actions
are committed in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has sent survey to change co-chairs of OSCE MG and the body
replied it. What was the main goal of this step? Does official Baku
want to change any co-chair? There are rumours that the Government of
Azerbaijan wants to change Matthew Bryza?

The fact is not put so. These are issues of procedural character. We
have not supposed on MG as organization and its mandate. The fact is
that we want to change concrete co-chair. There can be created such
situation to substitute Mr. `A’ with Mr. `B’. Issue is not on the
agenda at present. The work on the list of Madrid proposals presented
by co-chairs during meeting of the presidents of the conflict parties
in St. Petersburg is underway. I also name the list of proposals, not
core principles like co-chairs. These proposals should be reconsidered
taking Azerbaijan’s position into account. The document should
envisage Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and withdrawal of troops
from the occupied lands. -To the point of occupied territories,
Bernard Snow’s mission for the assessment of burned areas visited the
region and laid everything upon the nature in his report. Will
Azerbaijan ask OSCE to send new mission?

-We cannot be satisfied with Bernard Snow’s recommendations. We
concern over the environmental situation in Nagorno Karabakh. Not only
arsons are the subject of question. As Snow says it is impossible to
conduct any joint environmental action by Azerbaijan and Armenia in
the occupied territories today, first it is impossible because of
security problem. In 2006 when we raised this issue before OSCE and
UN, we simply stated that occupant troops should be withdrawn from the
burned areas. It is important for the normal environmental
operation. How we can work at gunpoint? New arsons should be prevented
and earth blanket should be restored there. Instead of this they
proposed us to conduct some environmental operations. At first our
position on the issue of cooperation with the opposite side makes is
impossible. On the other hand, it is dangerous to operate even on the
Azerbaijan-controlled side of the contact line. Current situation
makes even the most primitive work impossible. It will be possible
only in that case that Armenian Armed Forces are withdrawn from the
occupied territories.

-Let’s move about the issue of cooperation with International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA). Director of Radiation Problems Institute of
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Adil Garibov said that
Azerbaijan would begin construction of nuclear reactor in 2009, but
IAEA official Andrei Chupov said it would be negotiations to begin
2009, but not construction. What is truth?

-Truth is in the middle. It is difficult to speak about the concrete
term and comprehensive discussions should be held within this
phase. Not only the construction and exploitation of nuclear reactor
are the subjects of question. There are legal aspects, security and
location issues as well. The negotiations have already begun. Our
experts visited Vienna and IAEA experts visited Baku. The concrete
term will depend on the progress achieved at the negotiations. If
there is progress, we can look forward to prepare construction area
in 2009 as the start of work. Otherwise it will be extended until
2010.

-How the mutual relations with Austria are developing? President of
this country planned visit to Azerbaijan. Why he didn’t realize it?

-The visit was postponed because Austria took over EU chairmanship and
there were other reasons too. This year Azerbaijan has much
work. Particularly energy and energy security cooperation is
developing between the two countries. Therefore Austrian leadership
is seriously considering the president’s visit to Azerbaijan.

-Does Austria, an active player of Nabucco Project, concern over the
visit of Russian president to Azerbaijan? What will happen if
Azerbaijan sells its natural gas to Russia?

-Austria does not concern over this issue absolutely. It seems to me
that this issue is approached in Azerbaijan differently from
Europe. They do not dramatize the issue in Europe. EU approach is so:
considering huge need in natural gas, all pipeline projects are seen
as possible and don’t exclude each other. Europe’s natural gas need
is increasing day by day, but production is reducing. Therefore
Europe is anxiously seeking new energy sources and is ready to take
advantages from all opportunities it gets. For example, Austrian
leading company OMW, one of the Nabucco participants, is ready to
cooperate with both Gasprom and Azerbaijan. But our participation
depends on our economic interests. We should decide is the project
useful for us or not? Europe has to create such terms that it make
our participation economically useful for us.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
July 11 2008

How patriotic are you?

Many Turks uphold links with the West and look for modernization at
every opportunity. First-time visitors to Turkey are always impressed
with many things they see.

They also will immediately notice Atatürk’s statue in every
public place, and may think that this is similar to former communist
countries. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: the founder of the republic
and democracy in Turkey.
Visitors notice many different ways that you can show your support of
Atatürk — the first being by wearing a lapel pin of him; many
secularist Turks do! Another way support is shown for Atatürk
is by hanging his picture up. You’ll see his picture hanging in the
majority of workplaces, offices, schools and government buildings. On
holidays his portrait is draped from multistory office buildings and
on banners everywhere. Also many important places such as dams,
airports, roadways and others are named after him.

While in the US over the Independence Day holiday on July 4, I saw a
few flags hanging from skyscrapers, but nothing like the impressive
show of flags that I see in Turkey.

I didn’t see any pictures of any of our American founding fathers of
the great nation¦ Hmm¦ Maybe I was not in the right place at the
right time.

Many people of other nationalities often comment on how "American"
Americans are. I used to think this meant they thought we are very
patriotic, but being back in the US on July 4, the most patriotic
holiday of the nation, it did not seem folks were that patriotic!
Everyone was having a fun day and eating barbecue ribs, but it
certainly doesn’t compare to Turkish patriotism.

If you visit some of the immigrant neighborhoods in the United States
where Turks live, you would think you were in Turkey. The first influx
of Turks to America was to Ellis Island — it was seen as a beacon of
hope to those thousands of Muslim Turks of the Ottoman Empire who came
to the United States between 1900-21, according to historian John
Grabowski.

"Religion was the dominant identity for millions of immigrants who
came from countries in which national identity was nascent and
subordinate to ethnic and religious identity," Grabowski says. "This
official transformation had its most significant impact on immigrants
from the Ottoman Empire."

Turks and others from the old Ottoman Empire were considered subjects
of their sultan and, beyond that, were identified as Orthodox,
Maronite, Armenian, Catholic, Muslim or people of other faiths or
ethnicities. Upon entering the US, they were registered not by their
religious identities but usually as immigrants from Turkey in Asia or
Turkey in Europe.

The first Turkish Muslim immigrants to America were predominantly
male, from the poor rural class and primarily from Anatolia or the
Balkan region of present-day Bulgaria and Albania. Their intentions
were to eventually return to their home country after working for a
period of time in the United States. The immigrants primarily worked
and earned money in such places as the leather factories of
Massachusetts, the railroad companies around Chicago, the steel mills
of Gary, the auto plants of Detroit or dye factories in Cleveland.

Traveling and living in Europe for a period of time, I noticed that
Turks from Turkey in the late 1970s congregated together and formed a
mini-Turkey. We used to joke about Berlin being the fourth largest
city of Turkey! Similar to Turks in Germany and Holland, the Turks in
America clustered together in enclaves nearby work and sometimes
formed alliances or groups to provide assistance or support to one
another.

Two more waves of Turkish immigrants would arrive in America: students
and army officers in the 1950s after Turkey became a member of NATO,
and larger numbers after 1965 when America’s old restrictive
immigration laws changed.

"The stories of the early immigrants raise questions about religious
differences and the creation of the modern secular Turkish identity,"
Grabowski said. "Did their time in the US and the way this country
identified them in secular terms move them away from a primarily
religious identity?"

I wonder, when did Turks become so nationalistic and patriotic?

Could it be that there was already a sense of national identity and
after they immigrated the American (or whatever experience abroad
wherever) helped cement that identity?

Haven’t you ever noticed that some Westerners tend to become more
patriotic and nationalistic when away from their homeland?

Let’s explore this further next time¦drop me a note and tell me
what you think!

Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure
this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman `s readers. Note:
Charlotte McPherson is the author of `Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.’
Email: [email protected]

APPLICATION ON PRE-TERM RELEASE OF ARMAN BABAJANIAN SUBMITTED TO INDEPENDENT COMMISSION

NOYAN TAPAN

Ju ly 9

The administration of the penitentiary institution has submitted
an application on the issue of Zhamanak Yerevan newspaper’s
editor-in-chief Arman Babajanian to the interdepartmental independent
commission on issue of pre-term release or replacing the non-served
part of punishment by a milder one. NT correspondent was informed about
it on July 9 by Arsen Babayan, the Spokesperson of the Penitentiary
Department Head of the RA Ministry of Justice. He also said that the
commission representatives have already met with Arman Babajanian,
listened to him, they will present the respective report on it for
the examination of the comission sitting.

It should be mentioned that Yerevan Kentron and Nork-Marash
communities’ general jurisdiction court, on the basis of
A. Babajanian’s complaint, had abolished the April 3 decision of the
administration of the Convicts’ Hospital penitentiary institution
(according to which, Babajanian needed social-psychological
work). A. Babajanian has been sentenced to 3.5 years’ imprisonment
with the accusation of evading the compulsory military service.

OSCE MONITORING DUE AT ARMENIAN-AZERI BORDER JULY 10

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.07.2008 17:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A regular OSCE monitoring of the contact line of
the Armenian and Azeri armed forces will be held in Chinari village
environs (Tavush region) on July 10 within the mandate of Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, RA Defense Minister’s
spokesman, col. Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net

On June 18, two residents of the above-mentioned village, Levon
Petrosyan and Rafik Soghoyan, were shot in a firing commenced by the
Azeri side.

CSTO DEFENSE MINISTERS TO MEET IN YEREVAN AUGUST 21

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.07.2008

According to an agreement achieved in Bishkek on July 2, Defense
Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization will meet
in Yerevan on August 21, RA Defense Minister’s spokesman, col. Seyran
Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net.

On August 22, CSTODefense Ministers are expected to attend the final
stage of Rubezh 2008 exercise.

When in Bishkek, the Ministers signed a number of documents on
cooperation, including anti-missile defense, flight safety and data
transmission systems.

CENTER OF CIVIL INITIATIVES TRYING TO PROTECT FORMER POWS AGAINST PUBLIC INDIFFERENCE

ArmInfo
2008-07-08 14:34:00

‘The former POWs feel indifference of the authorities and public.

There is no law to determine the status of a POW and there are no
stable social guarantees’. Director of NKR-based Center of Civil
Initiatives human rights protection NGO Albert Voskanyan told ArmInfo.

He is sure that the government is to determine their status at a legal
level and elaborate a program of their integration into public. At
the same time, A. Voskanyan said that unlike Azerbaijan, no POWs were
brought responsible in Karabakh under article ‘high treason’.

He underlined that Center of Civil Iniatives has elaborated and is
implementing own program of social rehabilitation of former POWs and
hostages, as well as their families and the families of the missing.

‘The problem of POWs, hostages and the missing is very topical for
any region which survived a long-lasting war. He said that there are
many factors hindering a full rehabilitation and integration of the
former POWs into the society. ‘This is strongly hindered by absence
of a status of the former captive. Almost all of them lost their
health being in captivity and gave away morally. Many of them feel
guilty to the society for having been taken captivity. One of our
goals is to bring the problem of POWs to the wide public, organize
events for the society to treat the former captives more tolerantly
and with understanding, A. Voskanyan said.

The Center of Civil Initiatives renders psychological and legal
assistance to the indicated category of persons. CCI has multiply
held Round Tables on the problems of former POWs, hostages and their
family members and multiply applied to the republic’s authorities
with proposals aimed at assistance in organization of regular events
for comprehensive rehabilitation of the former POWs and hostages.

The children of the former POWs and hostages are also always in
the center of attention. ‘The Center of Civil Initiatives’ conducts
computer courses for a group of children of POWS, hostages and the
missing, read lectures on different topical problems, as well as
carries out a group and individual psychological therapy, a rest with
an educational programme, etc.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey

07 July 2008, Monday

Untouchables put behind bars

Å?ener Eruygur – HurÅ?it Tolon
Two former senior generals who were detained last week on suspicion of
involvement in an illegal gang allegedly attempting to create a
climate that would trigger a coup d’état against the Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) government were arrested by a court
early Sunday, the first time such high-ranking members of the military
have been jailed for plotting for a coup.

Turkey has seen three coups in the last five decades, but no commander
has ever been prosecuted or convicted for overthrowing the civilian
government until now. Kenan Evren, the retired general who staged the
1980 coup, is currently enjoying retirement in a southern resort town
and keeping himself busy with painting.

In a sign that this may be changing, retired Gen. Å?ener
Eruygur, the former head of the Gendarmerie Forces who is now the
chairman of the Atatürkist Thought Association (ADD), which
helped organize mass anti-government demonstrations last year, and
HurÅ?it Tolon, a former commander of the 1st Army Corps, were
arrested after testifying in court during their time in custody.

The two were taken into custody on July 1 as part of an investigation
into Ergenekon, a gang suspected of having planned a shooting at the
Council of State in 2006 which resulted in the death of a senior
judge; an attack on the Ä°stanbul headquarters of the Cumhuriyet
newspaper; and even the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink, who was gunned down by an ultranationalist teenager over a year
ago. Eruygur was one of the main characters in former Adm. Ã-zden
Ã-rnek’s journal, which revealed senior military commanders had
planned to stage a coup against the ruling AK Party government in
2004. The diaries were published in a weekly last year, and a court
later established their authenticity.

Twenty-one people were detained last week in the latest stage of the
Ergenekon investigation, in the process increasing political
tension. Documents outlining a secret plan of the Ergenekon group,
including launching illegal protests on July 7 across 40 provinces,
assassinations and clashes with security forces, were seized during
Tuesday’s operation. The military — which has repeatedly criticized
the government and considers itself the guardian of Turkey’s secular
system — has denied any links to the Ergenekon group.

The generals face charges of being leaders of the Ergenekon "terrorist
organization." With the two latest arrests, 58 people have been
arrested so far in the Ergenekon investigation, which started in July
2007 when a cache ammunition and firearms was discovered in a shanty
house in Ä°stanbul’s Ã`mraniye district. The two retired
generals were taken to Metris Prison in Ä°stanbul on Saturday
night.

The police convoy carrying the two retired officers was accompanied by
a large number of press vehicles. The 58 currently under arrest
include Veli Küçük, another retired senior
general, and DoÄ?u Perinçek, the head of the
neo-nationalist Workers’ Party (Ä°P).

Meanwhile, the powerful chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce
(ATO), Sinan Aygün, and retired Col. Hasan Atilla UÄ?ur
along with other Ergenekon suspects Ä°brahim Ã-zcan, Birol
BaÅ?aran and journalist Barbaros Hayrettin
AltıntaÅ?, also detained in last week’s raids in the
Ergenekon operation, were arrested and sent to Metris on
Saturday. They have been charged with "membership in a terrorist
organization."

Most of the suspects detained last week had health problems. Eruygur,
the former commander of the Gendarmerie Forces, was reported to have
suffered from high blood pressure. Two other suspects, Kemal
Aydın and Neriman Aydın, detained in Ankara on July 1,
collapsed when they appeared before the judge.

Aydın, retired senior Adm. İlker Güven Cumhuriyet
daily Ankara Representative Mustafa Balbay and academic Ercümen
Ovalı, all detained last week over suspected links to the
group, were released by the court they had been referred to by the
prosecution, pending trial.

"I was detained on suspicion of being a member of a terror
organization, but I feel like I was wounded by terror," Balbay told
reporters after his release.

Other suspects detained last week include author Erol
Mütercimler and Adnan Türkkan, the head of the Turkey
Youth Union (TGB). They were also released pending trial.

The court ordered a ban on leaving the country for Balbay,
Güven and Aydın.

Meriç Turan, a lawyer representing Tolon, said they would
appeal the arrest on the grounds that his client is 67 years
old. Turan refused to share detailed information on the accusations
directed at his client, citing a confidentiality order placed on the
case.

In a statement made to journalists at an Ä°stanbul courthouse in
BeÅ?iktaÅ? on Saturday, Eruygur’s lawyer, Filiz Esen, told
reporters, "Our commander, who has loyally served his country for many
years, has been arrested today on baseless accusations," adding that
they would be appeal the arrest.

Kazım Arslan, a lawyer and the deputy secretary-general of
Eruygur’s ADD, stated that there were attempts to "associate retired
Gen. Eruygur with the Ergenekon terrorist organization." He said there
was no solid evidence in the hands of the prosecution to back this
association.

This is the first time top generals have been arrested in Turkey,
which has had four military coups in the last 50 years.

Ergenekon suspect dies in hospital

A businessman who was earlier detained, then released, in the
Ergenekon investigation due to health problems died on Sunday in the
Trakya University Hospital’s oncology department, where he was
receiving treatment for lung cancer.

President Gül on Ergenekon arrests

President Abdullah Gül, before his departure from the Kazakh
capital of Astana on Sunday, shared his opinion on the latest
developments at a press conference, saying, "Everything, most
certainly, moves on according to procedure, our Constitution, laws and
traditions."

07 July 2008, Monday

TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL