Author: Toganian Liana

US Congress may one day decide to recognize the independence of
Karabakh, Azeri MP is worried

armradio.am
19.10.2007 17:58

Expressing concern over the possible recognition of the Armenian
genocide by the US House of Representatives, Azerbaijani
parliamentarian Aydin Mirzazadeh declare during today’s sitting of
Milli Majlis that `no one can guarantee that tomorrow the US Congress
will not take a decision on recognizing the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh.’

`The fact that a democratic and civilized country like the US decides
to accept the made up genocide causes regret,’ the Deputy said.
Mirzazadeh noted that `the document will have a negative influence on
US standing in the region.’ `Therefore, the question must be discussed
in the Azerbaijani Parliament,’ he said. According to the Azeri MP,
`the Congress decision is directed not only against Turkey, but also
the Turkic world as a whole.’ `It is necessary for our parliamentary
group to hold discussions on the issue in the US Embassy in
Azerbaijan,’ Mirzazadeh added.

HOUSE SPEAKER NOW UNSURE IF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MOTION WILL REACH A VOTE
By Carl Hulse

The New York Times
Oct 18 2007

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that
she was reconsidering her pledge to force a vote on a resolution
condemning as genocide the mass killing of Armenians starting in 1915,
as President Bush intensified his push to derail the legislation.

Representative Alcee L. Hastings of Florida, left, an opponent of the
Armenian proposal, conferring with three other House Democrats, some
of whom also expressed doubts: from left, Robert Wexler of Florida,
and John Tanner and Steve Cohen, both of Tennessee.

"Whether it will come up or not and what the action will be remains
to be seen," Ms. Pelosi said in light of the decline in support
for the proposal, which, though nonbinding, has angered Turkey and
raised fears that the Turkish government could reduce its strategic
cooperation with the United States.

The comments by the speaker, a key supporter of the measure, added
to growing evidence that modern-day pragmatism was overwhelming
supporters’ demands that the House render a historical verdict on
the killings of the Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

Mr. Bush, who as a candidate in 2000 criticized what he called a
"genocidal campaign" against the Armenians, said lawmakers had better
things to do than be caught up in the past, pursuing legislation that
has unsettled an important ally.

"With all these pressing responsibilities, one thing Congress should
not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman
Empire," Mr. Bush said. "Congress has more important work to do than
antagonizing a democratic ally in the Muslim world, especially one
that is providing vital support for our military every day."

Backers of the resolution said they would push ahead despite mounting
opposition and try to rally support for the declaration, which they
said was essential to deter future genocide and protect America’s
credibility in speaking out against brutality in places like Darfur
and Myanmar.

It also was not lost on them that Mr. Bush was willing to risk
upsetting China by honoring the Dalai Lama in a ceremony in the Capitol
Rotunda in an expression of support for democracy and human rights.

"As we take this principled moral stand in defiance of the Chinese
government, we must similarly be willing to speak out on the Armenian
genocide," said a statement issued by the six chief sponsors of the
House resolution. "If we as a nation are to be a moral leader around
the world, we must have the courage to recognize genocide whenever
and wherever it occurs."

One of those sponsors, Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat
of California, acknowledged that the resolution had split Jewish
lawmakers, with some backing the resolution and others pointing to
the risk to Israel should Turkey’s role as a stabilizing force in the
region be diminished. He said it would be tragic if Israel’s security
became a rationale for not recognizing a case of genocide.

"There is no nexus, but Turkey would like to make one," he said.

A group of House Democrats pointed more to Turkey’s continuing
cooperation in the war in Iraq in urging Ms. Pelosi to refrain from
scheduling any vote on the proposal, which they said would not pass
in the current environment.

"I’ve got the compassion for the people, the Armenians that are
fighting for their ancestors," said Representative Steve Cohen,
a Tennessee Democrat who visited Iraq this month. "But these are
real-life situations, and sometimes your heart has to give in to your
head and do what makes sense for your country."

Other lawmakers questioned whether it was wise for Congress to pass
judgment on the behavior of other nations when it had yet to weigh
in on some of its own, like the treatment of American Indians in the
settlement of the continent.

"All the time when we won, it was a victory, and when they won, it was
a massacre," Representative Alcee L. Hastings, a Florida Democrat who
opposes the genocide resolution, said of the Indians. "Yet they were
the ones being chased all the way across the country, and no one has
ever apologized to them."

Congress occasionally embarks on delicate historical issues with
foreign policy implications. It did so this year when it approved
a resolution calling for Japan to acknowledge using women from
occupied territories as sex slaves during World War II. The vote
angered Japanese officials, but their objections failed to persuade
the House to drop the matter.

Armenian-Americans saw parallels in the vote on the Japanese issue
and the Armenian proposal, and they urged the House to move ahead.

"It is shameful and hypocritical that the Bush administration would
cede our moral authority in condemning genocide, thereby becoming an
enabler in Turkey’s worldwide multimillion-dollar campaign of genocide
denial," said a statement from the Armenian National Committee of
America, which painted Turkey as an unreliable ally.

But opponents of the resolution said that if Turkey should be lost
as a partner, any effort to bring the war in Iraq to a close could
be greatly complicated.

"This is not about Turkey, pro-Turkey or anti-Armenia, or vice versa,"
said Representative John Tanner, Democrat of Tennessee. "From my
perspective, it is about the United States being able to bring a
swift – hopefully – resolution to this conflict in Iraq."

Mr. Schiff, who had appeared close to expecting House approval of the
resolution after an initial victory in the Foreign Affairs Committee
last week, seemed resigned that it now might not prevail in light
of the push from the administration, Turkey’s government, lobbyists
retained by Turkey and worried lawmakers.

"We have the truth on our side," Mr. Schiff said, "but the truth
doesn’t always win."

ington/18cong.html?ref=europe

ROSS, BERRY BACK OFF ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL
By Aaron Sadler

Arkansas News Bureau
Oct 18 2007

WASHINGTON – Two Arkansas lawmakers withdrew their support this
week from controversial legislation that would declare as "genocide"
the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks almost a century ago.

Reps. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, and Mike Ross, D-Prescott, had been
co-sponsors of a resolution to condemn the World War I-era deaths of
about 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.

But Ross, Berry and eight others backed away earlier this week under
growing pressure from the White House and the Turkish government.

The Bush administration fears House action would fracture a fragile
relationship with a critical ally in the Middle East. Turkey maintains
that deaths of Armenians and others were not organized genocide but
a result of mass chaos during the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

"I think it’s a good resolution but the timing is horrible," Ross said
Wednesday. "Now is not the time to stick our finger in the eye of an
important ally over something that happened almost a century ago."

About 70 percent of supplies and equipment used by U.S. troops in
Iraq pass through Turkey, Ross said.

"I see this as members of Congress recognizing that Turkey is an
important ally. I support our troops," he added.

The measure initially had 236 co-sponsors, mostly Democrats, but as
support peels away House leaders have said they may not bring it to
the floor for a vote.

The nonbinding resolution was approved by the House Foreign Affairs
Committee last week. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, voted against it
in committee.

Boozman said he spoke to the commander of a U.S. military base in
Turkey, who said he was concerned a House vote might jeopardize
U.S. operations there.

Turkey has threatened to restrict U.S. access to its airspace and
military bases and said the resolution may further harm the country’s
diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.

"It’s just something that I don’t feel like we should be interfering
with right now," Boozman said, not discounting that the actions by
Ottoman Turks could have been considered genocide.

"It’s a significant incident," he said. "Where I have problems is
the Ottoman Empire and what was going on at that time in history is
totally different than at this time in history."

Boozman said he would support appointing a commission to study
the issue.

"I’m not minimizing at all what happened, but I feel like when you
weigh everything right now, it’s not in our interest to go forward
with this," Boozman said.

Berry, in a statement, said the House should be attending to other
legislation.

"(The resolution) is well intentioned, but in light of other issues
we are addressing in Congress, I do not believe this is the right
time to address this matter," Berry said.

Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, said he would vote against the
resolution.

The Armenian National Committee of America has lobbied Congress in
favor of the resolution.

Leo Stepanian of Fort Smith is a member of the committee who has
fought to have the mass deaths recognized as genocide in Arkansas.

Then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, now a GOP presidential candidate, signed a
proclamation condemning the killings in 2001.

Stepanian said he was surprised, but pleased, to see the House measure
pass the committee.

"The Turks exerted a lot of pressure back then and they still do,"
he said. "I’m not blaming the present Turkish government, but they
continually deny the Ottoman Turks did something like this."

007/10/18/WashingtonDCBureau/343687.html

ARMENIA NUMBER ONE IN REGION IN TERMS OF ENP IMPLEMENTATION EFFECTIVENESS

Panorama.am
16:04 18/10/2007

Today Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Baiburdyan received members of
parliamentary friendship group of Germany-South Caucasus of the German
Bundestag, spearheaded by Schtephen Raikhe. Armenian foreign ministry
press services inform that Baiburdyan attached importance to the visit
of the parliamentary group to Armenia, mentioning that Armenian-German
relations are at high level and have wide prospects for development.

Schtephen Raikhe said that South Caucasus has special significance
for Germany and Germany is largely interested in developing relations
with the South Caucasus countries. He also informed that Germany-South
Caucasus parliamentary friendship group has increased its number to 24.

Speaking about European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan,
he mentioned that Armenia is number one in the region in terms of
effectiveness of implementing the project. It was mentioned that
the European Neighborhood Policy is a good stand not only for the
atmosphere of trust but also for establishing a common value system
in the regional countries.

RUMORS ABOUT ARRESTS OF MANY ARMENIANS IN TURKEY NOT CONFIRMED

Noyan Tapan
Oct 18 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The Turkish authorities officially
declare that out of 542 persons who have been recently arrested in
Turkey for breach of the visa regime, only one was a citizen of the
Republic of Armenia, spokesman for the RA MFA Vladimir Karapetian
stated.

To recap, following the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress’ House of Representatives,
rumors started to circulate that Armenian citizens were being arrested
in Turkey.

In order to get explanations, the Armenian authorities applied to
the Turkish authorities via the embassy of the RA in Georgia.

HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II PAYS PERSONAL VISIT IN MIAMI TO ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS OF ATHENS & ALL GREECE

Hellenic News of America, PA
Oct 17 2007

Miami – His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos, the Greek Orthodox
Church of Athens and All Greece, was visited by His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, at a private
home in Miami this morning.

His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos traveled to the United States
earlier this year for medical treatment. His Holiness Karekin II,
aware of His Beatitude?s failing health, expressed his desire to
visit him. Taking time out from his pastoral visits to his parishes
as part of his 18 city, 14-state Pontifical Visit to the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), the Catholicos of All
Armenians paid a personal visit to his friend and collaborator,
Archbishop Christodoulos earlier this morning in Miami.

His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos expressed his sincere pleasure
in receiving His Holiness Karekin II, who was accompanied in the
personal visit by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate
of the Eastern Diocese.

His Holiness Karekin II and His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
were joined this morning by the Greek Consul General to Tampa, His
Excellency Andreas Psycharis, two Bishops from the Greek Orthodox
Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Theologos of Serres and Bishop
Theoklitos of Vresthena, and the Chancellor to His Beautitude, the
Reverend Thomas Synodinos and several assistants.

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, His Holiness Karekin II
and His Beatitude Christodoulos Praying In Armenian and Greek

The Catholicos shared with His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos that
the mutual respect and history between Greece and Armenia mean a great
deal to him. Together, the two faith leaders and friends reminisced
about their last meeting in Istanbul in 2006, which took place at the
invitation of His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch
of the Greek Orthodox Church which was joined with the invitation of
His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey.

As a pledge of his fraternal affection, His Holiness Karekin II
presented Archbishop Christodoulos with an Armenian Cross.

Afterwards, the two spiritual leaders prayed together in Greek and
Armenian. The Archbishop presented a silver plate to His Holiness
Karekin II and an icon to His Eminence Khajag Barsamian. The silver
plate given to the Catholicos bares the personal seal and signature
of His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos, marking it as an intimate,
personal gift. His Beatitude conveyed to the Catholicos that the
kindness he showed in taking time out from his Pontifical Visit to
pay his respects and pray with him provided considerable spiritual
consolation.

Before departing, His Holiness told His Beatitude Christodoulos that
he would continue to pray for his good health again that morning
during a service at St. Mary Armenian Church in Hollywood, Florida.

His Beatitude expressed his happiness to the Catholicos about
the Armenian Genocide Resolution out of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee being passed on October 10. Both noted the losses to human
life inflicted upon their respective peoples at the close of the
Ottoman Empire.

Relations between Greece and Armenia are very strong both emotionally
and historically, due to their long, shared history and their mutual
commitment to the Christian faith. Greeks and Armenians lived side
by side during both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.

Historically, relations between Greece and Armenia have been very
warm. The President of the Hellenic Republic, President Karolos
Papoulias, accompanied by First Lady Mei Papoulias, was invited to
Armenia on a three-day state visit in June 2007 by the invitation
of Armenia?s President, Robert Kocharian. President Kocharian had
previously been invited to, and visited Greece in 2000.

While making his State visit to Armenia in 2007, President Papoulias
made a pilgrimage to Holy Etchmiadzin where he was received by His
Holiness Karekin II at the Catholicosate. The President also visited
the cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin along with the Catholicos.

Following the visit to the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church
of Athens and All Greece, His Holiness Karekin II asked the Armenian
faithful to pray for the Archbishop’s good health at St. Mary’s
Armenian Church in Hollywood, Florida. As part of the service at St.

Mary Armenian Church, His Holiness Karekin II blessed the khatchkar?s
(Armenian stone crosses) on the altar of the Church.

The Catholicos, His Holiness Karekin II, began his Pontifical Visit
to his flock in the United States with a two-day visit to the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America in California
at the beginning of October. The Catholicos will be visiting
the faithful in the Eastern Diocese for an unprecedented 30 days
which will be concluded on November 3rd. During the course of the
Pontifical Visit, His Holiness Karekin II will visit 18 cities in 14
different states (a complete list of visits can be found online at:
).

Daily coverage of the Pontifical Visit can be found online on the
official Pontifical Visit Web Site (). The site
provides a wealth of information about His Holiness Karekin II, the
Armenian Church, and the Diaspora and includes daily photographic and
video updates to allow the faithful throughout the United States and
the world to stay abreast of events, activities and worship services.

For more information on the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Karekin
II, including supplemental media advisories and background papers,
please visit: and

m/readnews.html?newsid=7486&lang=US

BRZEZINSKI: US CONGRESS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR THE ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS

Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 16 2007

Former US statesman Zbigniew Brzezinski has criticized the US House
of Representative’s involvement with the Armenian bill on genocide,
noting that US Congress was not the right place for debate on the
allegations against Turkey.

In a statement to CNN, Brzezinski noted this week: "Until today,
I had no idea that the US House of Representatives was some sort of
educational academy, and that it could pass judgements on historical
events. The decision on whether to categorize this past historical
event as a genocide or as a massacre is not the business of the House
of Representatives."

WORLDWIDE PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2007

Reporters Without Borders
=24021
Oct 16 2007
France

Eritrea ranked last for first time while G8 members, except Russia
recover lost ground

Bloggers now threatened as much as journalists in traditional media

Eritrea has replaced North Korea in last place in an index measuring
the level of press freedom in 169 countries throughout the world
that is published today by Reporters Without Borders for the sixth
year running.

"There is nothing surprising about this," Reporters Without Borders
said. "Even if we are not aware of all the press freedom violations in
North Korea and Turkmenistan, which are second and third from last,
Eritrea deserves to be at the bottom. The privately-owned press has
been banished by the authoritarian President Issaias Afeworki and
the few journalists who dare to criticise the regime are thrown in
prison. We know that four of them have died in detention and we have
every reason to fear that others will suffer the same fate."

Outside Europe – in which the top 14 countries are located – no
region of the world has been spared censorship or violence towards
journalists.

Of the 20 countries at the bottom of the index, seven are Asian
(Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam, China, Burma, and North Korea),
five are African (Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Somalia and
Eritrea), four are in the Middle East (Syria, Iraq, Palestinian
Territories and Iran), three are former Soviet republics (Belarus,
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) and one is in the Americas (Cuba).

"We are particularly disturbed by the situation in Burma (164th),"
Reporters Without Borders said. "The military junta’s crackdown
on demonstrations bodes ill for the future of basic freedoms in
this country. Journalists continue to work under the yoke of harsh
censorship from which nothing escapes, not even small ads. We also
regret that China (164th) stagnates near the bottom of the index.

With less than a year to go to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the reforms
and the releases of imprisoned journalists so often promised by the
authorities seem to be a vain hope."

G8 members, except Russia, show slight improvement

After falling steadily in the index for the past three years, the
G8 members have recovered a few places. France (31st), for example,
has climbed six places in the past year. French journalists were
spared the violence that affected them at the end of 2005 in a
labour conflict in Corsica and during the demonstrations in the
city suburbs. But many concerns remain about repeated censorship,
searches of news organisations, and a lack of guarantees for the
confidentiality of journalists’ sources.

There were slightly fewer press freedom violations in the United States
(48th) and blogger Josh Wolf was freed after 224 days in prison. But
the detention of Al-Jazeera’s Sudanese cameraman, Sami Al-Haj, since
13 June 2002 at the military base of Guantanamo and the murder of
Chauncey Bailey in Oakland in August mean the United States is still
unable to join the lead group.

Italy (35th) has also stopped its fall, even if journalists continue
to be under threat from mafia groups that prevent them from working in
complete safety. Japan (37th) has seen a letup in attacks on the press
by militant nationalists, and this has allowed it to recover 14 places.

"These developments are good news," Reporters Without Borders said.

"Perhaps the repeated calls to these democracies to behave in an
exemplary manner has finally borne fruit. But we must remain careful
and vigilant. Nothing can be taken for granted and we hope this trend
will continue or even accentuate near year. We regret all the same
that only two G8 members, Canada (18th) and Germany (20th), managed
to be among the top 20."

Russia (144th) is not progressing. Anna Politkovskaya’s murder in
October 2006, the failure to punish those responsible for murdering
journalists, and the still glaring lack of diversity in the media,
especially the broadcast media, weighed heavily in the evaluation of
press freedom in Russia.

Bulgaria and Poland – Europe’s bad boys

All of the European Union member countries made it into the top 50
except Bulgaria (51st) and Poland (56th). In Sofia, journalists can be
physically attacked because of their work. The climate got even worse
after charges were withdrawn against police officers who beat up a
journalist in May. In Poland, the authorities refuse to decriminalize
press offences and the courts often pass suspended prison sentences
on journalists. Ever since Lech Kaczynski became president in October
2005 and his brother, Jaroslaw, became prime minister a few months
later, there has been an increase in prosecutions of news media.

The countries of northern Europe are always the ones who behave best.

The exception is Netherlands (12th), which has fallen 12 places
because it kept two Telegraaf journalists in custody for two days for
refusing to reveal their sources to the judicial authorities. On the
other hand, Denmark (8th) recovered its position near the top of the
ranking after the end of the crisis over the Mohammed cartoons and
the acquittal of Berlingske Tidende’s journalists.

In Spain (33rd), the Basque armed separatist group ETA broke off
its ceasefire, dashing the hopes the media of finally being able to
work without the threat of targeted violence hanging over them. Many
journalists continue to rely on close police protection.

Turkey (101st) is the region’s only country where a journalist was
murdered. The victim was Hrant Dink, the editor of Armenian minority
newspaper Agos, who was gunned down in January by radical nationalists.

The status quo has held in central Asia. No improvement has been seen
in Uzbekistan (160th) or Turkmenistan (167th).

Fickleness of young democracies

Some non-European countries have made their first appearance in the
top 50. They are Mauritania (50th), which has climbed 88 places since
2004, Uruguay (37th) and Nicaragua (47th). "We hope these improvements
will be lasting ones," Reporters Without Borders said.

"Bolivia (68th) rose dramatically last year, but that improvement
unfortunately seems to have been purely circumstantial as it has fallen
many places this year because of serious press freedom violations."

Some countries that traditionally held a good position have also
fallen noticeably. This is the case with Benin (53rd) and Mali
(52nd). Journalists have been imprisoned in these two African countries
for the first time in several years for defamation or insulting the
president. In the Americas, El Salvador (64th) also dropped from the
top 50, falling 36 places in two years.

Government repression no longer ignores bloggers

The Internet is occupying more and more space in the breakdown of press
freedom violations. Several countries fell in the ranking this year
because of serious, repeated violations of the free flow of online
news and information.

In Malaysia (124th), Thailand (135th), Vietnam (162nd) and Egypt
(146th), for example, bloggers were arrested and news websites were
closed or made inaccessible. "We are concerned about the increase in
cases of online censorship," Reporters Without Borders said. "More
and more governments have realised that the Internet can play a
key role in the fight for democracy and they are establishing new
methods of censoring it. The governments of repressive countries
are now targeting bloggers and online journalists as forcefully as
journalists in the traditional media."

At least 64 persons are currently imprisoned worldwide because of
what they posted on the Internet. China maintains its leadership
in this form of repression, with a total of 50 cyber-dissidents in
prison. Eight are being held in Vietnam. A young man known as Kareem
Amer was sentenced to four years in prison in Egypt for blog posts
criticising the president and Islamist control of the country’s
universities.

War and peace

War is largely responsible for the low position assigned to some
countries. The increase in fighting in Somalia (159th) and Sri Lanka
(156th) has made it very hard for journalists to work. Several have
been killed and censorship has been stepped up as clashes became
frequent. The belligerents refuse to recognise journalists’ rights
and accuse them of supporting the other side.

The battle raging between Hamas and Fatah is the main cause of the
large number of serious press freedom violations in the Palestinian
Territories (158th). Hostage-taking, arrests, physical attacks and
ransacking of news organisations – the Palestinian media and the few
visiting journalist are threatened from all sides.

As predicted last year, Nepal (137th) has jumped more than 20 places
in the ranking. The end of the war and the return to democratic rule
resulted in an immediate recovery of basic freedoms and created new
space for the media.

Reporters Without Borders compiled this index by sending
a questionnaire to the 15 freedom of expression organisations
throughout the world that are its partners, to its network of 130
correspondents, and to journalists, researchers, jurists and human
rights activists. It contained 50 questions about press freedom in
their countries. The index covers 169 nations. Other countries were
not included because of lack of data.

KOCHARIAN FIRES ‘DELINQUENT’ JUDGE
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 16 2007

An embattled Armenian judge was sacked by President Robert Kocharian
on Tuesday, a move which he described as a retaliation for his recent
acquittal of two businessmen at loggerheads with the government.

Kocharian signed a decree relieving Pargev Ohanian, a judge of a
district court in Yerevan, of his duties at the recommendation of
the Council of Justice, a presidentially appointed body overseeing
Armenia’s judicial system.

The council made the recommendation on Friday after considering
disciplinary proceedings launched against Ohanian by the Judicial
Department, another government-controlled body monitoring the work
of Armenian courts. The department claimed that his handling of two
dozen criminal and civil cases was accompanied by serious violations
of Armenian law.

The punitive action is being widely linked with Ohanian’s July 16
decision to acquit and free the owner and a top executive of the Royal
Armenia coffee packaging company who had been arrested on controversial
fraud charges two years ago. The arrests came after they publicly
alleged high-level corruption within the Armenian customs. In a rare
example of an Armenian court defying the government and prosecutors,
Ohanian dismissed the charges brought against them as baseless.

Ohanian believes that this is the reason why he lost his job.

Commenting on Kocharian’s decree, he said the violations allegedly
committed by him were too "negligible" to warrant his sacking. "That
gives me reason to claim that I am being persecuted for my [July]
verdict," he told RFE/RL.

Ohanian also claimed that the alleged persecution will not necessarily
be confined to his dismissal. "Everything can be expected," he said.

The Armenian authorities deny any connection between the businessmen’s
acquittal and Ohanian’s ouster, arguing that none of his alleged
violations relates to the Royal Armenia case. Still, former Justice
Minister David Harutiunian expressed concern last week at the timing of
the disciplinary action, saying that it "at least gives the impression
of a political link."

TURKEY FORCED TO DEVELOP NEW ROADMAPS AFTER US RESOLUTION – PREMIER

Anatolia news Agency
Oct 16 2007
Turkey

["NO ONE HAS RIGHT TO JUDGE TURKEY’S HISTORY WITHOUT ANY DOCUMENT OR
EVIDENCE, PM ERDOGAN" – AA headline]

ANKARA (A.A) -16.10.2007 -The allegations regarding the incidents of
1915 is now beyond our patience limits after the recent developments
in the United States, said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on Tuesday.

Speaking at the group meeting of the Justice & Development (AK) Party,
Erdogan said: "The recent developments at the House of Representatives
in regard to the incidents of 1915 have left a deep mark on the
memories of the Turkish nation."

"No one has the right to judge Turkey’s history without any document
or evidence in hand," noted Erdogan. "Such a judgment implies execution
without trial."

"Of course, in practice, such decisions have no value. We know who we
are and have confidence in our history. No one should expect Turkey
to bow its head to historical lies," underlined Erdogan.

"We have been forced to develop new methods and road maps after
countries with which we have close economic, cultural and social
relations – such as France and the United States – adopted resolutions
in favour of Armenian allegations," underscored Erdogan.

"It is unacceptable to agree with the arguments that not the Turkish
Government but the Ottoman Government is responsible for the incidents
of 1915. Such remarks can not be tolerated," said Erdogan.

"It seems like logic is being replaced by petty political gains
regarding the incidents of 1915," stressed Erdogan.