Author: Toganian Liana

International Herald Tribune

House sponsors of Armenian genocide resolution fear failure and ask
leader to delay vote

The Associated Press

Thursday, October 25, 2007

WASHINGTON: U.S. lawmakers sponsoring a resolution that would label as
genocide the mass killings near the end of World War I of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks have asked the leader of the House to delay a vote on
the measure because they feared it would fail.

Support for the resolution deteriorated this month, after Turkey
recalled its U.S. ambassador in protest and several lawmakers said
they feared it would cripple U.S.-Turkey relations.

"We believe that a large majority of our colleagues want to support a
resolution recognizing the genocide on the House floor and they will
do so, provided the timing is more favorable," the lawmakers told the
House leader, Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter on Wednesday.

The letter was signed by four primary sponsors, all Democrats.

The group said they would continue to work with leadership "to plan
for consideration sometime later this year, or in 2008."

The resolution had inflamed U.S. tensions with Turkey, which says the
death toll has been inflated and was the result of civil unrest, not
genocide. A member of NATO, Turkey is considered a rare Muslim ally to
the United States in its war on terrorism. A U.S.-run air base there
has facilitated the flow of most cargo to American troops fighting in
Iraq and Afghanistan.

The nonbinding measure, approved this month by the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, also came at a sensitive time. In recent weeks, the
U.S. has called for Turkey’s restraint in dealing with attacks by
Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

The House resolution "would really damage our relations with a
Democratic ally who is playing an extremely important strategic role
in supporting our troops," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a
House panel on Thursday.

Turkey denies the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Armenians
constituted genocide. It says the toll has been inflated, and those
killed were victims of civil war and unrest as the Ottoman Empire fell
into disarray. Many genocide scholars consider the Armenians’ deaths
the first genocide of the 20th century.

Other critics include many Democrats, including Rep. John Murtha, who
chairs the subcommittee on military spending. Last week, Murtha, a
Democrat, said leadership had miscalculated support for the resolution
and predicted it would fail easily.

On Thursday, Schiff agreed the votes were not there.

"I think the Turkish lobby has regrettably earned their money," he
said in an interview. "I think they were successful in a campaign that
was persuasion and coercion. Unfortunately it was aided and abetted by
our own State Department."

Schiff, who has many Armenian-Americans in his California district,
said it is hard to say when he will try again.

"We want to make sure that when the measure is brought to the floor
we’re confident the votes are there," he said. "I think the worse
thing would be that you take it up and you’re not successful, and
Turkey argues that it’s a denial of the genocide."

A spokesman for Pelosi said the speaker "respects the judgment" of the
lawmakers.

Republican Leader John Boehner, who opposes the resolution, called the
debate a "debacle" by Democratic leaders.

"This entire situation calls their judgment into question," Boehner said.

Source: NA-GEN-US-Armenian-Genocide.php

BELGIAN POLICE ARREST OVER 100 IN ANTI-KURD DEMO

Reuters, UK
Oct 25 2007

BRUSSELS, Oct 25 (Reuters) – Over 100 youths of Turkish origin were
arrested on Wednesday night in Brussels after clashing with Belgian
police during a banned anti-Kurdish demonstration, a local authority
spokesman said.

Tensions have been running high in some immigrant Turkish communities
in Belgium after 12 Turkish soldiers were killed earlier this month
in an attack by Kurdish PKK rebels based in northern Iraq.

Pierre Bruylandt, a spokesman for the mayor of Saint Josse-ten-Noode,
where the violence took place, said the youths were detained after
destroying cars, bus stops and garbage bins.

A number of the youths were armed with metal rods and had concealed
their faces with hoods and scarves, Bruylandt said, adding he had
witnessed the violence himself.

"They demonstrated following the clashes at the Turkish-Iraqi border,"
said Bruylandt. He said the demonstrators had no permit to hold
the protest.

Saint Josse-ten-Noode is a district of Brussels which is home to a
large Turkish community.

Turkey’s parliament has authorised the military to carry out a major
cross-border incursion against Kurdish militants after the surge in
guerrilla attacks on Turkish soil.

"This is exporting Turkey’s problems to Belgium… It is as if one
were demonstrating in favour of Belgian unity in Turkey," Bruylandt
commented.

Saint Josse-ten-Noode was also the scene recently of clashes between
the Turkish and Armenian communities after a committee of the U.S.

congress voted to call the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks genocide.

CRIMINAL CASE INSTITUTED TO SOME PARTICIPANTS OF OCTOBER 23 PROCESSION

Noyan Tapan
Oct 24, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A criminal case has been instituted
to some participants of the opposition procession organized on October
23 in Yerevan, on the signs of hooliganism and making resistance
to policemen.

Ararat Mahtesian, the First Deputy Head of the RA Police, informed
journalists about it on October 24 at RA NA. He refused to make any
commentary mentioning that a preliminary investigation is carried
out. At the same time, the Deputy Head of Police did not agree to the
journalists’ observation that the procession was peaceful mentioning
that "they have received many complaints from citizens."

Speaking at the parliament’s sitting of the same day, A. Mahtesian
stated that the demonstrants used foul language an behaved impudently:
they did not obey the policemens’ appeals to stop the procession,
moreover, "they made resistance and beat them." According to him,
4 policemen needed medical aid.

The Deputy Head of Police said that part of demonstrants was drunk,
about which there is the respective medical conclusion.

"If we should start our political struggle this way, I think the
Police, as they are empowered by the law, will always follow this
and will prevent acts containing crimes," A. Mahtesian stated. He
also mentioned that he does not think that if those breaking the law
are newspapers’ editors or heads of political parties, the right to
commit a crime is reserved for them.

NOT ONLY ORDINARY TURKS LIE
Translated by L.H.

AZG Armenian Daily #194
24/10/2007

Armenian Genocide

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s article has been published in Wall
Street Journal. The article repeats Turkish historians’ lies about
the Armenian Genocide and Armenia-Turkey relations. However, Turkish
PM doesn’t obtain complete satisfaction in it and tries to assure
its readership that his letter to Armenian President has remained
unanswered.

It’s worth to mention that Robert Kocharian in his letter to Turkish
Prime Minister persuaded to be engaged in the issues of improvement
of bilateral relations that is more important for the political
authorities of two countries.

ARMENIAN SCULPTOR SPENDS A MONTH IN TURKEY

ARMENPRESS
Oct 22, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS: Hayk Tokmajian, an Armenian sculptor,
who is back from the Turkish capital Ankara, said today in Yerevan that
he had been selected along with representatives from Bulgaria, Italy,
Japan, Georgia and Taiwan to participate in the 3-rd international
sculpture symposium in Ankara.

That was the first official invitation from Turkey to an Armenian
sculptor to attend the symposium. Hayk Tokmajian said applications
had come from 130 countries, but only seven were selected for
participation.

In Ankara the Armenian sculptor carved a sculpture out a marble rock
and called it ‘White Horse."

The symposium was organized by the art department of the Haceteppe
University in Ankara, which Tokmajian said is one of the best 10
universities of Turkey. The invited sculptors lived and created on
its territory for one month.

Tokmajian said Turks were very friendly and the environment and the
atmosphere were very favorable in terms of creation. He said all
expenses were covered by the Turkish university.

WINNER OF ESSENT KNOWN

Panorama.am
17:17 22/10/2007

Armenian chess master Zaven Andriasyan has scored 0 in "Essent" chess
championship held in Dutch town of Hogoven. So, our sportsman is in
the last place, Azerbaijani chess player Shahriyar Mamediarov has won
the championship with 4.5 points. Van Velin representing Holland has
won the second place with 4 points. Ukrainian Ruslan Ponomariov has
closed the best three places with 3.5 points.

The championship is held within the framework of Essent Schaaktoernooi
chess 11th festival. This festival started in 1996. It ran from
October 12-20, this year.

WHY TURKEY IS CONFIDENT OF WESTERN SUPPORT

First Post, UK
=9302
Oct 23 2007

Ashley Inglis sees the Turkish PM in bullish form on the eve of his
meeting with Gordon Brown

The Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan should have looked like a man under
intense pressure. The current impasse with Washington over how to
respond to Kurdish separatist attacks on the Turkish army threatens
another regional crisis. So why did Erdogan look so confident in his
Oxford Union address on Monday, ahead of talks today with Gordon Brown
(right)?

Despite his protestations that "our goal is to make friends not
enemies", Turkey’s build-up of troops on the border with Iraq has
caused dismay in Washington and therefore here in Britain.

Yet Erdogan is confident we will side with him. Why? Because he knows
we need what he’s got (trade and military supply routes, air space).

And because he’s been on our side all along.

Just look at the list of shared interests, he seemed to be saying:
Afghanistan ("Turkey Erdogan knows that the West will side with him –
we need what he has got twice commanded ISAF"), the ‘security’ of Iraq
("If they need us to train their army we will"), even global warming
(Turkey is moving towards Kyoto). And, of course, that common thread –
the war against ‘terrorism’.

Erdogan used the word 32 times in Oxford. He needn’t have bothered:
the point was made for him by a young Turkish girl who explained in
a choked voice how her uncle, a soldier, had gone to fight the PKK
and never returned.

Erdogan’s gentle smile at this – somewhere between compassion and
vindication – said it all: Turkey, just like the US and Europe,
must defend itself from the scourge of terrorism. All talk of genuine
Kurdish grievances, along with that unmentionable Armenian genocide,
was swept away.

Perhaps that was why Erdogan, reminiscent of a car salesman as he
listed Turkey’s international mod cons, was so confident. He was
selling us our own product. He knows he is talking our talk and – if
the current round of diplomacy fails – he also knows that, ultimately,
we’ll let him walk our walk.

IAEA: IRAN WOULD NEED THREE TO EIGHT YEARS TO PRODUCE A NUCLEAR BOMB

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.10.2007 16:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran would need three to eight years to produce
a nuclear bomb, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said in an
interview published on Monday.

"I cannot judge their intentions, but supposing that Iran does
intend to acquire a nuclear bomb, it would need between another
three and eight years to succeed," said Mohamed ElBaradei, head of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"All the intelligence services agree on that," he said.

ElBaradei said force should be used only when all diplomatic options
have failed, adding there was plenty of time for diplomacy, sanctions,
dialogue and incentives to bear fruit.

"I want to get people away from the idea that Iran will be a threat
from tomorrow, and that we are faced right now with the issue of
whether Iran should be bombed or allowed to have the bomb," the Nobel
peace prize winner said.

"We are not at all in that situation. Iraq is a glaring example of
how, in many cases, the use of force exacerbates the problem rather
than solving it," he said, Reuters reports.

Iran and the European Union (EU) are to resume their nuclear talks
October 23.

Although Ali Larijani, the country’s top nuclear negotiator, has handed
in his resignation, he will attend the talks with EU Commissioner
Javier Solana in either Vienna or Rome on Tuesday.

Saeed Jalili, a Deputy Foreign Minister and close ally of the Iranian
president, replaced Larijani at the post.

Azerbaijan | 19.10.2007

Nakhchivan authorities harass opposition journalist’s family

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the constant harassment of
journalist Hakim Eldostu Mehdiyev’s family by local authorities in the
autonomous republic of Nakhchivan since his detention for five days
last month. Mehdiyev is regional correspondent for the Baku-based
opposition newspaper Yeni Musavat.

`Mehdiyev’s relatives have been threatened with reprisals and have
been subjected to repeated intimidation by the security forces,’ the
press freedom organisation said. `We support his appeal to President
Ilham Aliev for guarantees for his and his family’s safety.’

Since his arrest on 23 September, his brother’s tea room has been
demolished and family members has been warned they could be beaten or
kidnapped if they complained to international organisations. Mehdiyev
is meanwhile now banned from leaving Nakhchivan, which is separated
from the rest of Azerbaijan bya strip of Armenian territory.
Exasperated by all the harassment, Mehdiyev has written to President
Aliev and to Nakhchivan’s leaders saying he will be forced to leave
the country and request political asylum abroad if he and his family
are not given guarantees of security.

Mehdiyev’s ordeal began on 22 September, when he was forced into a car
by national security ministry agents and was held all day in a
ministry building where, according to Reporters Without Borders’
sources, he was beaten because of his reports about gas and
electricity problems in the region.

After his release, he only had a few hours to warn his family and try
unsuccessfully to see a doctor about his injuries before a court had
him arrested the next day and sentenced him to 15 days in prison for
`resisting the police at the time of his arrest.’

Mehdiyev was released on 27 September after several international
organisations including Reporters Without Borders interceded on his
behalf.He currently needs treatment for his injuries and is unable to
work.

© Reporters Without Borders – 47, rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris – France

Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Oct 19 2007

PEOPLE – SICK AND TIRED OF DEMONTRATIONS

Yesterday HRAYR KARAPETYAN, Head of the ARFD Parliamentary faction
convened a press-conference in `Pastark’ club. Apart from the
correspondents of the printed press and the radio, the
press-conference was also attended by the film crew of `Yerkir Media’
TV Company.
`The presidential elections are drawing near, and the TV
Companies, which are subject to the counterbalance of this or that
political faction, are clarifying their approaches, depending on the
attitudes of the given political force. I am far from thinking that
this is the attitude of the country’s President or Prime Minister.
There are officials who take themselves for people influencing the
processes from behind the scenes and bestow a doubtful service upon
the individuals whose political interests they allegedly pursue,’ the
speaker announced in that connection.
H. Karapetyan believes that people who have some relationship to
the sphere of campaigns must realize that the achievement of freedom
is irrevocable in Armenia, and we can never return to the
totalitarian system.
The guest-speaker of the club considered it an exaggeration to
account for the pre-election logic of developments by the fact that
the Armenian pan-National Movement and LTP have joined the game. `The
factor of those forces’ participating in the upcoming political
processes is being exaggerated and overestimated by many propaganda
means and activists. Many of the present-day pro-Government activists
used to be Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters. I don’t know whether
they are planning to return or are still making up their minds. There
are simply people who always take sides with the heavy scale of the
weigh. We do not admit any change of intention with the purpose
clarifying a political attitude. The people have to be mature enough
to notice those people’s unsteadiness and avoid wasting their votes
on them.
Dashnaktsutyun can never support anyone who has a defeatist
attitude towards the Artsakh problem, can adopt a yielding policy in
issues regarding the Armenian Cause, jeopardize the country’s
internal political stability and implement a policy contradicting the
party’s socialist ideas.
The leader of ARFD Parliamentary faction definitely confirmed the
fact that Dashnaktsutyun is not going to participate in the October
26 demonstration and it doesn’t even need to listen to LTP. `We have
organized thousands of demonstration or participated in mass popular
events. There was a period when we made a speech from the same
platform, together with Levon Ter-Petrosyan, and we know very well
what he can say.
Personally I am sick and tired of demonstrations. I don’t think
the demonstrations can be as effective as they were at the end of the
80’s. I don’t think it is possible to return to the times of the
Armenian pan-National Movement and Levon Ter-Petrosyan, when the
freedom of press was restricted, and there was no television, so the
demonstration platform was the only place from where it was possible
to hear the truth.’
Besides, H. Karapetyan partially disclosed several trends of the
tactics adopted by Dashnaktsutyun. `Dashnaktsutyun has adopted a
policy which is characteristic to the party, and regardless the
political situation, it says all it has to say and carries out deeds
that derive from its traditional principles. This has always been our
tactics, both at the time when we were in the Opposition and now that
we form part of the ruling authority.’
Anyway, why did Dashnaktsutyun decide to run for election with a
candidate of its own? According to H. Karapetyan, `If the country’s
President, Prime Minister and NA Speaker belong to the same party,
this will give rise to very serious problems. The situation will be
fraught with dangers. This is one of the reasons Dashnaktsutyun
decided to participate in the presidential elections with a candidate
of its own. At least, the statements made by the Republican Party so
far come to prove that they are against a single-party government.
There are very many RPA members who have felt the consequences of a
single-party system on their own back.’

HAROUTYUN GEVORKYAN