Author: Toneyan Mark

CUSTOMS COMMITTEE EXCEEDS PROJECTED TARGETS

ARMENPRESS
Dec 19 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian had a
working meeting today with head of the State Custom Committee Armen
Avetisian.

Kocharian’s press office quoted Avetisian as saying that the Committee
has collected this year 203 billion AMD by mid-December, up from the
projected 188.1 billion. He said the forecast is that the Committee
will collect 209 billion AMD by yearend.

Armen Avetisian said in compliance with Kocharian’s instructions,
4 billion AMD were invested to furnish the customs system with most
contemporary technical devices and equipment.

Untitled DocumentPRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

DECEMBER 20, 2007

2008-YEAR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
proclaimed 2008 as the Year of Christian Education. In his pontifical
message to the faithful His Holiness speaks of the situation in the world
today with the serious concerns facing us, and his decision to proclaim 2008
the Year of Christian Education. The Catholicos emphasizes the need to
understand the significance of Christian education, its purpose, and its
necessity. His Holiness tell us that we must examine the reality that
surrounds us and find the most effective and efficient methods of
transmitting healthy religious education to the children of our nation.
The Armenian text and English translation of the pontifical message will be
available in an upcoming issue of Crossroads.

PRELATE AND VICAR IN AREA CHURCHES
This Sunday, December 23, Archbishop Oshagan will attend and preside over
the Divine Liturgy at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City, and
Bishop Anoushavan will attend and preside over the Divine Liturgy at Sts.
Vartanantz Church in New Jersey.

PRELACY RELEASES NEW MUSIC CD
The Prelacy has issued a new music CD. Entitled Yerkabsag (wreath of songs)
and dedicated to the genocide martyrs, the original was recorded in Armenia
on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, under the
direction of the well-known Armenian American musicologist Krikor Pidedjian
directing the Chamber Choir of Yerevan and the Alan Hovhaness Chamber
Orchestra. The CD, which includes fifteen beautifully executed selections,
is available at the Prelacy Bookstore for $15.00, plus shipping and
handling. Contact the bookstore for orders and information 212-689-7810.

ST. STEPHEN’S GOLDEN JUBILEEE YEAR
COMES TO A CLOSE WITH COMMEMORATION
St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, has been celebrating its
50th anniversary during the entire year with many celebratory and
educational events. The Golden Jubilee will come to an end this Sunday,
December 23, with a special commemoration in honor of the parish’s patron
saint, St. Stephen the first deacon and proto-martyr. Congratulations to the
parishioners of St. Stephen’s, and their pastor Archpriest Antranig Baljian,
on an impressive year-long celebration of this milestone anniversary.

CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN GENEVA MEETINGS
Two international conferences took place in the Geneva headquarters of the
World Council of Churches (WCC) in December. Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian,
Primate of the Diocese of Tehran, represented the Catholicosate of Cilicia
and Archbishop Avak Asadourian, Primate of the Diocese of Iraq, represented
the Catholicosate of All Armenians in Holy Etchmiadzin.
The first conference was dedicated to the protection of human rights and
integrity. About 40 representatives from various countries participated.
Archbishop Sebouh delivered a lecture on the status of Christians in Iran
throughout history. He described the centuries-old presence of Armenians in
Iran and their constructive participation in the life of the country.
The second conference was dedicated to Christian-Muslim dialogue. Dr. Samuel
Kobia, the General Secretary of the WCC, delivered the opening remarks.

VEHARAN RENOVATED
The first comprehensive renovation of the Veharan (residence and ceremonial
offices) of the Catholicosate of Cilicia since it was constructed several
decades ago was completed last week. The renovation was made possible
through a generous donation by Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Chemberdjian.
Renovations are also planned in the near future for Saint Asdvadzadzin
Monastery in Bikfaya and the Birds’ Nest Orphanage in Jbeil-Byblos.

BLESSING OF MURON IN 2008
The Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia announced that His Holiness
Catholicos Aram I will consecrate the Holy Muron (Holy Oil) next year on
June 7, 2008. The Holy Muron, symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit, is
traditionally blessed every seven years. Only the Catholicos can consecrate
the oil which is then distributed to the various dioceses for distribution
to the parishes. The oil consists of 48 different herbs, flowers, and oils
which are combined in a special vessel and mixed with some of the old Muron,
creating an unbroken chain with the past.
The Muron Blessing is expected to attract a large number of pilgrims from
various parts of the world. More details will be forthcoming.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING IN AUGUST 2008
An International Gathering of Youth is being organized by the Holy See of
Cilicia. His Holiness Aram I is inviting the youth, 18 years and older, to
attend this gathering which will include a one-week pilgrimage to Der Zor.
Details will follow.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
This Sunday, December 23, is the fifth Sunday of Advent. The readings for
this Sunday are Isaiah 40:18-31; Hebrews 4:16-5:10; Luke 18:9-14.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, December 20, are: Wisdom 3:1-8; Jeremiah 30:18-22;
1 Peter 4:12-19; John 15:17-25.
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will
ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and
their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be
their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others
they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been
disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them
and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them In the time of their
visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the
stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will
rein over them forever. (Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-8).

IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE.
The year 2007 is coming to an end and with it the Year of the Armenian
Language will come to a close. For the remaining issues of Crossroads during
2007 we will quote excerpts from the pontifical message issued by Catholicos
Aram on January 1, 2007.
".faith and language have been present in our history with an inseparable
association. After all, was it not largely by way of the Armenian language
that the Christian faith expressed itself with an Armenian imprint in the
lives of the Armenian people? Was it not by way of the Armenian language
that the most important works of Christian thought were written or
translated? The Armenian language Armenianized the Christian faith, giving
it an Armenian spirit and personality. Furthermore, it was by way of the
Christian faith that the Armenian language, in a certain sense, became
sanctified, becoming the most authentic voice, the most vigilant guardian,
and the most powerful defender of the Armenian faith."
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Great House of Cilicia

DAVID THE PROPHET KING; HOLY APOSTLE JAMES
This Saturday, December 22, the Armenian Church commemorates David the
Prophet-King and James the Brother of our Lord.
David was the youngest of eight brothers and was brought up to be a shepherd
where he learned courage, tenderness and caring. David became the second
King of Israel. In Scripture the name is his alone which indicates the
unique place he had as an ancestor and forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament there are more than 50 references to David, including
the title given to Jesus-Son of David. David was a poet and some of the
Psalms were written by him.
James, called the Brother of our Lord possibly because of his close
relationship with Christ, was granted a special appearance of the Lord after
the Resurrection. He is believed to have been a first cousin of the Lord, or
as some biblical scholars have speculated a son of Joseph. Following the
Resurrection and Ascension, while the other Apostles scattered all over the
world, James remained in Jerusalem where he served as the Bishop, and became
a leading advocate for the early church. Several years ago an ossuary with
the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" came to light.
Since then the owner of this ossuary has been charged with fraud and
forgery. The question of whether or not the ossuary did at one time contain
the bones of St. James is still being debated.

ST. STEPHEN THE FIRST DEACON AND PROTO-MARTYR
This Tuesday, December 25, the Armenian Church commemorates St. Stephen the
First Deacon and Proto-Martyr. After Christ’s Ascension, the apostles went
about spreading the Word of the new faith. It soon became apparent that more
people were needed to serve the growing community. A selection of seven
worthy individuals were called upon to serve the holy altar, and called
deacons (sarkavag). The most noteworthy of the original seven deacons was
Stephen-".a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit," (Acts 6:5). The Feast
of St. Stephen is a popular and important commemoration in the Armenian
Church. It is also a day of honor for all deacons of the church. St. Stephen
became the first martyr for his faith and is therefore often called
"proto-martyr." The only first hand source of information on the life and
death of St. Stephen is in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:8-8:2)

WINTER SOLSTICE
Saturday, December 22, is the winter solstice, hence the first day of
winter, the shortest day of the year, the longest night. In this season of
advent think about light shining in darkness; about the light of the world.

AT THE BOOKSTORE..
This week the bookstore has just received some new editions of books
originally printed years ago and now out of print:

The two-volume, Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times, edited by
Richard G. Hovannisian is a valuable reference tool, yet eminently readable,
and has been reprinted recently in paperback. The first volume is
sub-titled, "The Dynastic Periods: from Antiquity to the Fourteenth
Century;" the second volume is sub-titled, "Foreign Dominion to Statehood:
The Fifteenth Century to the Twentieth Century." Each of the sections is
written by specialists, and while the final result of such an attempt could
have been disastrous in style, the editor has done a superb job of bringing
it all together. Volume I is $31.95; Volume II is $34.95, plus shipping and
handling.

The Armenian Genocide: News Accounts from the American Press, 1915-1922,
compiled and edited by Richard Diran Kloian. This is a new edition of a book
that first appeared some years back. It is a compelling account of the
deportation and massacre of the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire between 1915
and 1922. It includes hundreds of news articles from the New York Times and
other newspapers and journals, accounts by German, Turkish, Italian and
Danish eyewitnesses, stories by survivors, historical documents, and much
more. $35.00, plus shipping and handling.

To order these books or for information contact the Bookstore by email at
[email protected] or by telephone at 212-689-7810.

CHRISTMAS-DECEMBER 25 OR JANUARY 6?
Next Tuesday, December 25, most of the Christian world will celebrate the
birth of Christ.
For most Armenian Americans the answer to the question "December 25 or
January 6" is simply, "Both!" In fact, we grew up with our parents telling
us how lucky we were to be Armenian and have two Christmases.
Originally all of Christendom celebrated the birth, baptism, and visit of
the Magi on January 6. For a variety of reasons, Rome officially adopted
December 25 in the year 336, and this date gradually became popular and was
officially adopted at the Council of Chalcedon (451)-a Council that the
Armenians did not attend nor accept. And so the Armenian Church has remained
faithful to the original date of January 6.
Of course, the actual date of Jesus’ birth is a mystery. Recent scholarship
even suggests it occurred in the spring. The older we get the more we
appreciate the wisdom of our parents who encouraged us to celebrate both
dates. December 25 became a more commercial type of celebration, while
January 6 remained very religious, very Armenian, very introspective. Is it
any wonder that last year Peter Steinfels, one of the religion reporters for
the New York Times devoted an entire article about Armenian Christmas with
the suggestion that "there is a lesson in the Armenian practice for many
Christians who desperately wish that the religious meaning of Jesus’ birth
could be rescued from angry culture wars and commercial frenzy."

"A wonderful and great mystery is revealed on this day; the shepherds sing
with the angels who announce the good news to the world.
"A new King is born in the city of Bethlehem; O you people, bless him, for
he became flesh for our sake.
"He whom heaven and earth cannot contain is wrapped in swaddling clothes,
without being separated from the Father, he rested in the holy manger."
Hymn of Censing for the Nativity from the Armenian Liturgy

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

December 23-St. Stephen’s Day Celebration, Watertown, Massachusetts. The
Golden Jubilee celebration will come to a close with a commemoration of the
church’s patron saint, the first deacon and martyr, St. Stephen.

December 31-New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance, Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield,
New Jersey, and ARF Dro Gomideh, The Sheraton Meadowlands, E. Rutherford,
New Jersey. For information 201-943-2950.

February 10-Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester,
Massachusetts, Annual Membership Meeting. Snow date: February 24.

February 24-Annual Membership meeting, St. Gregory Church (North Andover,
Massachusetts).

March 2-Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City,
featuring Aleksandr Nazaryan on viola and Karen Tchougourian on piano.

June 7-Blessing of Holy Muron in Antelias, Lebanon. Details will follow.

June 27 to July 6-St. Gregory of Datev Institute, Summer Christian Studies
Program for youth ages 13-18 at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson,
Pennsylvania, organized by the Armenian Religious Education Council.

August 15-17-International Gathering of Youth and Pilgrimage to Der Zor,
organized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Details will follow.

October 25-Gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America under the jurisdiction of the Great
House of Cilicia and the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the
Armenian Church of America. Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New Jersey.
Details to follow.

Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s web site.

To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox, add
[email protected] to your address book.

Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please credit
Crossroads as the source.

Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their
major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]

HEARINGS ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS KICK OFF AT RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

armradio.am
19.12.2007 17:20

The two-day parliamentary hearings on "Armenian-Turkish relations:
Issues and Perspectives" kicked off at the National Assembly today. The
hearings were initiated by NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.

Chairman of the Committee Armen Rustamyan noted that the necessity
to organize the hearings had matured long ago. He associated it with
the importance of the question, noting that there is no question
that would have a similar influence on the history of the Armenian
people – its past, present and future. Besides, according to him,
Armenian-Turkish relations exceed the boundaries of relations between
two states. "These relations really have a great importance and role
in the contemporary geopolitical developments, and the Parliament
had to get involved in the process. Thus, the aim of the hearings is
to clarify the reasons of the current crisis in the Armenian-Turkish
relations through these large-scale discussions, assess the nature of
the existing problems and make clear the opportunities and mechanisms
of parliamentary diplomacy in the normalization of these relations,"
Mr. Rustamyan noted.

Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan noted in his
speech that today’s hearings will not put an end to the issue of
Armenian-Turkish relations. On the contrary, the hearings are of
special importance: they open a broad opportunity for discussions. The
Speaker noted that the Parliament is ready to play an important role
in the normalization of the relations between the two countries on
the international level.

During the hearings speeches were delivered also by RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian, EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus Peter Semenby and NA Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan. The
event featured parliamentarians, diplomats accredited in Armenia,
experts, representatives of scientific and public circles.

Armen Rustamyan informad that a number of invitations were sent to
Turkey, but these were all denies because of different reasons. He
expressed hope that at last it would be possible to launch dialogue
and called on his Turkish colleagues not to reject the contacts in
the future.

CUSTOMS COLLECTION FORECAST TO REACH 209 BILLION DRAMS THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Dec 19, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The annual report of customs
bodies, the work on bringing the customs clearance process into
line with international standards and 2008’s work of customs bodies
were discussed at the December 19 working meeting of the Armenian
president Robert Kocharian and the chairman of the State Customs
Committee Armen Avetisian.

A. Avetisian informed the president about the results of customs
collections in 2007: as of mid December, 203 billion drams has been
collected instead of the envisaged amount of 188.1 billion drams and
it is forecast that 2007’s index will make about 209 billion drams
(about 696.6 million USD).

According to a press release submitted to NT by the RA president’s
press service, A. Avetisian said that in conformity with the previous
instruction of the president, in 2007 nearly 4 billion drams has been
invested to equip the customs system with modern equipment. According
to him, the modernization of the last – Bagratashen customs point
will be completed soon.

DIGITAL FIXED-LINE TELEPHONE: ASKERAN IS FOLLOWED BY SHUSHI AND BERDZOR

KarabakhOpen
19-12-2007 13:29:53

Digitalization of fixed-line telephone has already started from the
region of Askeran.

We learned from Karabakh Telecom that digitalization of fixed-line
telephone in Askeran was successful. Now work is underway in Shushi
and Berdzor and will finish this week. After New Year the regions of
Martuni and Martakert, and Stepanakert will be digitalized.

AZERI FM: PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CAN BE USED AFTER SOME AGREEMENT IS REACHED

armradio.am
19.12.2007 15:29

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told hournalists
Tuesday that after Armenia and Azerbaijan come to some agreement,
public diplomacy can be used. "I see no problem if representatives of
the two countries meet on the level of non-governmental organizations,"
he noted, adding that if any agreement is reached, "people will know
about it."

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

December 18, 2007

Heritage Follows Through on Its Promise

Yerevan–During a special session held on December 6, the Heritage
Party Council decided not to nominate a candidate for the presidential
elections scheduled for February 19, 2008. Having failed to reach
consensus on endorsing another candidate, the delegates of the Council
decided to empower the party board to make the final decision about
the party’s participation in the elections. To that end, the Council
instructed the board "to obtain from all nominees their vision for
Armenia and their proposed policies, programs, and governance
mechanisms, as well as their individual and collective qualifications,
and then to inform the Armenian public of its findings and
conclusions."

Following that instruction, the party board today held a special
meeting and officially forwarded a set of inquiries, comprising
twenty-two questions, to all presidential candidates in anticipation
of their truthful replies. The answers to these questions are of vital
concern not only to the party and its supporters, but also to a large
cross-section of the body politic. Heritage leader Raffi K.
Hovannisian explained: "This is neither an experiment nor a sudden
impulse. Our objective is to inform the voters about the political
positions, leadership qualities, and personal characteristics of the
future president of Armenia, and, in doing so, to determine Heritage’s
course of action."

Questionnaire for Public Information

1. Why do you want to become president and, if elected, which will be
your first five steps?
2. What, in your opinion, are the greatest external and domestic
challenges facing Armenia and Armenian citizens?
3. What do you consider to be the just solution to the Artsakh
dilemma, and what are the avenues through which it might be resolved?
4. What are the priorities of Armenia’s economic growth?
5. Do you intend to eliminate political, economic, and social
inequality in the country, to separate the state from any and all
political parties, and to eradicate the endemic conflicts of interest
between government and business? If yes, what steps will you take to
these ends?
6. Do you plan on exposing and prosecuting the wealthiest of tax
evaders and state officials who have embezzled or carried out
political persecutions? If yes, what will be your priorities?
7. What is your stand on the "Property for Debt" arrangement within
the framework of interstate relations and on similarly controversial
agreements that have been reached in the telecommunication, energy,
and other domains of strategic importance?
8. What is your strategy for and approach toward using the potential
of the Armenian Diaspora?
9. Which should be the individual and professional attributes of our
nation’s president? Do you possess these attributes?
10. Do you believe that your personal example and political activity
have assisted in the establishment of a free, independent, and
democratic social system that is anchored in the rule of law and the
rights of the citizen? If yes, please explain.
11. Does your track record include potentially unlawful activities,
corruption for example, which would enable others to influence your
judgment? If yes, please specify.
12. During your prior official tenure, if applicable, has an innocent
person ever been imprisoned, even if by a court verdict, with your
involvement or knowledge, or have you been informed of such
imprisonment in advance? If yes, please provide details.
13. During your prior official tenure, if applicable, have you made
substantive mistakes and errors? If yes, what were they and how do you
intend to rectify them?
14. Have you run in other elections and, if so, did you at any time
possess any factual information on election fraud or bribery committed
in your favor? If yes, please specify.
15. What is the difference between your and your family’s
assets–monetary, material and technical property, stocks and
equities, real estate, other personal possessions, and business
interests registered either under your or someone else’s name–as of
1991 and at present, and how do you explain that difference?
16. Who are your nominees for Armenia’s prime minister, prosecutor
general, chief of police, chief of national security service, and
ministers of defense and foreign affairs?
17. Whom would you like to see occupying the nation’s key official
posts, ministerial or otherwise?
18. Are you prepared to work together with the current National
Assembly, or do you believe that it needs to be dissolved?
19. Which one of the other eight presidential candidates do you trust
the most, and whose political vision do you share the most?
20. Is there a chance that you might withdraw your candidacy before
election day? If yes, which other presidential contender will you then
support?
21. Which are your principal virtues and shortcomings?
22. Do you believe that Armenian citizens have the guaranteed right to
ask these questions of you and to receive answers?

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land.
Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10)
532.697, email at [email protected] or [email protected], and website
at

INVESTIGATING THE CONSEQUENCES OF A SUCCESS STORY

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 17 2007

The policies of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government
on issues like EU-Turkey relations, Turkey’s Iraq policy and the
visibility of Islam in the public sphere have been closely followed
and documented by local and international media.

However, the impact of AK Party policies on Turkish political
economy has received less public attention, despite its enormous
significance. The AK Party has silently undermined the economic
underpinnings of Kemalist statism by facilitating the exponential
rise of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Turkey. By doing so the AK
Party has changed beyond recognition the country’s informal economic
constitution, premised on a historically state-created and subsequently
state-dependent business class of exclusively Turkish origin.

Under AK Party rule, Turkey has attracted approximately $50 billion in
FDI, far more than since the republic’s foundation by Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk in 1923 up to 2002. Significantly, this has been welcomed
by the country’s corporate elite, who fill the ranks of Turkey’s top
employers association, the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s
Association (TUSÝAD). The 2001 crisis separated the wheat from the
chaff in the Turkish corporate scene. The less reputable conglomerates,
whose success was solely based on incestuous relationships with the
state, were driven to the wall. Turkish economic nationalism, of
Kemalist vintage, lost its most vociferous corporate representatives.

The conglomerates left standing benefited from the post-2001
consolidation and were in position to expand partnerships with foreign
multinationals due to their best-of-breed characteristics.

They also recognized that FDI inflows were indispensable for
the country’s overall stability and, consequently, for their own
future survival domestically and internationally. Moreover, they
realized significant capital gains by the rise of valuations in the
Ýstanbul Stock Exchange (ÝMKB) or by selling non-core operations to
foreigners. Cumulatively these factors have led Turkey’s corporate
elite to effect a remarkably coherent shift in favor of an open,
well-regulated Turkish market place; a market place capable both of
welcoming FDI, even if that means increased competition in their home
turf, and also of generating ever-increasing amounts of capital flows
from international investors abroad to which they could have access to.

Rising FDI has also been instrumental in the AK Party’s political
dominance. By contributing to macroeconomic stability, FDI helped
remove one of the key threats to its rule, a recurrence of the
2001 economic crisis which would give an opening to the Kemalist
establishment. Equally important was the reinforcement of the AK
Party’s Western credentials. The vote of confidence, expressed
in billions of dollars by such names as Vodafone, Fortis and BNP,
speaks of an AK Party-led Turkey becoming increasingly integrated
into the world economy and with Europe in particular, rather than
one unmoored and drifting to an Islamic hinterland. And despite
the setbacks in the country’s EU accession process, FDI flows have
maintained the confidence of international portfolio investors that
Turkey is indeed a strong convergence story, just as much as other
EU pre-accession countries, featuring an accessible market place,
improved governance and rising incomes.

The alliance between the AK Party and Turkey’s corporate elite in
welcoming FDI has challenged the Kemalists’ economic modernization
monopoly. This classic expression of Ataturk that Turkey should always
strive to "reach contemporary levels of civilization" has now become
fully appropriated by the AK Party. Turkey has — by dint of its
economic growth and stability, its welcoming of foreign investors,
as well as its own increasingly confident business class — become
stereotypical under the AK Party’s rule as opposed to unorthodox,
of what it is to be a modern and contemporary country. By the same
token, the secularist establishment no longer has a positive economic
agenda. Historically it was the determination of the Kemalist
elite to replace the Ottoman minority bourgeoisie — the Greeks,
the Armenians and the Jews — with a Turkish business class that
underlay its success and wider societal acceptance. It has been a
long time since this project has been exhausted. And the corporate
names that this project has given birth to have themselves spelled
out its demise by essentially saying that we are strong enough to
accept foreigners in prominent positions in Turkey’s economic life.

Where does that leave the Kemalist establishment? Devoid of a
comprehensive agenda for the country’s future, it has been reduced
from the nation’s vanguard to a guardian of its privileged position.

Admittedly the establishment still attracts the support of a large
part of the country’s professional, secular middle class. Although
they have been among the primary beneficiaries of the AK Party-led
economic growth, they fear that the consolidation of AK Party rule
could lead to irretrievable regression in Turkey’s social life.

Important as these pillars of support are, they cannot camouflage the
absence of a realistic alternative. Barring a major international
economic crisis, the AK Party will continue to monopolize with the
vital support of the country’s corporate elite and of foreign direct
investors, the country’s only viable option for the future.

* Ioannis N. Grigoriadis is a lecturer at the Department of Turkish
and Modern Asian Studies at the University of Athens and a research
fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
(ELIAMEP). Antonis Kamaras has worked as investment banker in Ýstanbul
for the past three years and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the
London School of Economics and Political Science. This article is
based on a study which will appear in the upcoming issue of the
academic journal Middle Eastern Studies.

17.12.2007

Ioannis N. Grigoriadis & Antonis Kamaras* TODAY’S ZAMAN

–Boundary_(ID_d1hEiH6t99sqZnkruwi1TQ)–

30-METER CHRISTMAS TREE BEING PLACED IN REPUBLIC SQUARE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 13, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The assemblying work of a 30-meter
Christmas tree’s metal construction has already started in Yerevan’s
Republic Square. The work will be finished on December 20. The
pine-tree branches for the Christmas tree have been brought from
Goris and Hrazdan forests.

As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the Department of Culture,
Youth Affairs, and Sport of Yerevan Mayor’s Office, the New Year
festivities will start in Republic Square on December 31 and will
finish on January 13, 2008. Festive events will be also organized in
all other communities of Yerevan.

ARTASHES GEGHAMYAN ABOUT THEIR CAUGHT MICE AND HIS TORN CATS

Panorama.am
17:02 13/12/2007

"I do not exclude that there will be fraud during the presidential
elections but I believe this will be the last time," Artashes
Geghamyan, leader of National Unity Party (NAP), told a news conference
today, saying the people cannot tolerate fraud any more and will not
allow that the tradition continues.

Asked what is his answer to the question that he did not support either
Karen Demirchyan and Stepan Demirchyan, both from the opposition,
during 1998 and 2003 elections, NAP leader said that he did not support
Karen Demirchyan in 1998 because in 1996 Demirchyan publicly supported
Levon Ter-Petrosyan and he had no moral right to support a person who
4 months ago was in the camp of his opponent. Moreover, Geghamyan said
"Robert Kocharyan evokes hope" in terms of implementing programs.

Again going back to the topic of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Geghamyan said:
"It will be a great evil and tragedy if former authorities come to
power. They have taken the way of blackmail but I have patience like
a sea and I have torn cats as many as they have caught mice."