Author: Toneyan Mark

P R E S S R E L E A S E
CONGRESS OF CANADIAN ARMENIANS
Me. Harry Dikranian – Board Member
Tel: 514-594-5968
e-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY LEADERS MEET WITH MINISTER JASON KENNEY

Montreal, February 23, 2007 – Several leaders of the Canadian Armenian
community met earlier today with Minister Jason Kenney, Secretary of
State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity. The meeting, which
was held in the Montreal offices of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of Canada, was organized by the Congress of Canadian Armenians at the
request of the Minister. The discussions centred on Armenian issues
and the concerns of the community.

The recent assassination of Hrant Dink in Istanbul was discussed with
the Minister. The Rural Poverty Eradication Program in Armenia, which
the Canadian Diocese and the Congress of Canadian Armenians have
committed to actively support, was explained. Suggestions were made on
how to streamline the Canadian visa application process in
Armenia. The community leaders also recommended that Canada play a
more active role in supporting a lasting solution to the
Nagorno-Karabagh issue based on its right to self determination.

During the meeting, Payam Akhavan, Professor of Law at McGill
University, thanked the Minister for his recent timely intervention in
facilitating Taner Akçam’s entry into Canada. Akçam, a Turkish
historian, visited Montreal last week to give two lectures. "Akçam is
a voice for Armenian-Turkish reconciliation," said Professor
Akhavan. "Thankfully, those who tried to silence him by making
slanderous accusations failed."

At the end of the meeting, Jason Kenney concluded his remarks by
saying: "I treasure my relationship with the Armenian community. I am
sensitive to its concerns, and am committed to help it achieve its
future aspirations."

"I am very encouraged by the Minister’s response to the several
suggestions we made to him," said Taro Alepian, Chairman of the
Congress of Canadian Armenians. "The Government of Canada has shown by
its actions that it is supportive of our community, and of our stated
positions on Armenian issues."

The member organizations of the Congress of Canadian Armenians include
(in alphabetical order): AGBU Alex Manoogian School, AGBU Montreal
Chapter, Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Holy Cross Church of
Laval, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Montreal, S.D. Hunchakian
Party, Society of Armenians from Istanbul, Tekeyan Cultural
Association.

ARKADI GHUKASYAN’S NOMINATION WILL BE "CATASTROPHY", NDU LEADER SAYS

Panorama.am
18:13 20/02/2007

The guarantee of victory for Karabakh is democracy and Karabakh must
be more democratic than other states of the region, Vazgen Manukyan,
National Democratic Union (NDU) leader, told a press conference today.

In his words, despite Arkadi Ghukasyan had said that he is not going
to nominate his candidacy for the third term, "some people have started
saying that his nomination would be right because he is irreplaceable."

Manukyan believes it would be a "catastrophy" for Karabakh. However,
he said we are not to decide. Let the Karabakh people decide.

‘TURKEY HAS RIGHT TO CROSS-BORDER OP INTO NORTHERN IRAQ’
Emre Caliskan – The New Anatolian / Ankara

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 21 2007

Turhan Comez, the Balikesir deputy from the ruling Justice and
Development (AK) Party, says that the U.S. is still failing to take
concrete steps against terrorists in northern Iraq, adding there are
some threats in that region to Turkey’s national unity.

"Turkey has right to secure its national unity under international
law," he argued. "Turkey will use these rights whenever it needs to."

"According to United Nations resolutions and the 1926 Ankara Agreement
which was signed between independent Iraq and Turkey, Turkey has
right to secure its border," Comez added.

In an exclusive interview with The New Anatolian, here’s what Turhan
Comez had to say:

TNA: During your recent visit to the U.S., major topics for discussion
were Iraq both in general and northern Iraq, the terrorist Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) and possible cross-border operations.

Turkey expects concrete steps against PKK militants. During your talks,
did you tell U.S. officials about Ankara’s uneasiness?

COMEZ: I had some talks with some non-governmental groups and
universities. I met with some U.S. officials including Joseph
Ralston, the special envoy for countering terrorism. I explained
Turkey’s position on the Iraq issue. The PKK problem is an important
issue for Turkey. There’s no doubt that Ankara should analyze the
situations which feed terrorism. However there are some steps that
Turkey’s allies should take. Nevertheless Turkey’s ally, the U.S.,
hasn’t taken any concrete steps yet. After 9-11, the U.S. sent troops
to Afghanistan to counter terrorism under the NATO charter. But on
the PKK issue the U.S. hasn’t taken concrete steps against militants.

There are some threats to Turkey’s national unity in northern Iraq.

Turkey expects the U.S. to take concrete steps against terrorism. I
held meetings on these issues.

TNA: While Ankara expects concrete steps, the U.S. suggests that the
PKK threat should be solved through diplomatic means. They oppose
military and cross-border operations. Recently there have been some
operations in Europe against the PKK. Reports say these operations
were supported by the U.S., but you characterized them as "fake."

Why?

COMEZ: During my meeting with Ralston, he underlined that the
operations in European Union member countries were supported by the
U.S. But I said that these operations are seen as fake. Because the
EU is protecting PKK militants. PKK militants have some actions and
activities in EU countries, including Belgium, France, the Netherlands,
and Austria. Turkey’s Security General Directorate spokesperson also
announced that EU supports the PKK by not blocking its financial
resources. Patrick Devedjian, an important Armenian-origin French
militant, already met with terrorists militants. On Feb. 6, about
1,000 Kurds joined a protest in Paris against the arrest of PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan. The PKK office called the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural
Association Center is situated near the office of French presidential
candidate Nicolas Sarkozy.

This is all evidence that the EU doesn’t deal fairly with Turkey on
the PKK issue.

TNA: You believe that the special envoy mechanism for countering the
PKK set up between Turkey and the U.S. isn’t working. Why?

COMEZ: There are some mechanisms to counter terrorism. However Turkey
can’t cope with the situation by itself. Turkey needs allies’ support
to solve this issue, such as Iraq and the U.S. But the Iraqi government
doesn’t recognize the PKK as a terrorist group. The U.S.

should take concrete steps against the PKK. For instance, the U.S.

has to close the routes to the Kandil Mountains (where PKK forces are
based). Moreover, observation towers which are under the control of PKK
militants have to be closed down. Terrorist leaders in northern Iraq
should be arrested and be extradited to Turkey. The communication
system among PKK militants has to be counteracted. The financial
resources of the terrorist groups and its logistics also have to be
blocked. But these steps wouldn’t be taken. As a result Turkey has
right to secure its national unity under international law. Turkey
will exercise these rights whenever it needs to.

TNA: Do you mean that if it’s necessary, Turkey should conduct a
cross-border operation into northern Iraq? What if the U.S. and Iraq
oppose this?

COMEZ: The U.S. and Iraq have no right to oppose this action. Under
United Nations resolutions, Turkey has the right to secure its
border. Moreover, according to the 1926 Ankara Agreement signed
between independent Iraq and Turkey, both countries have the right
to secure their borders. There is a security zone between the two
countries. These agreements give Turkey the right to counter PKK
terrorism. Turkey should take concrete steps against the PKK; this
is Turkey’s right.

TNA: The U.S. suggested that Ankara establish contact with the
Kurdistan regional administration, and Ankara signalled that this
was a possibility. But Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar
Buyukanit came out against this. How do you see this debate?

COMEZ: There are several options on the table for politicians and if
necessary, they will use alternative policies. But the conditions
for establishing contact are important. How can Turkey establish
ties with leaders who act in an unfriendly way towards Turkey? We
know that the PKK militants are supported by (Kurdistan regional
administration President) Massoud Barzani and its peshmerga. Two
leaders — Barzani and (Iraqi President Jalal) Talabani — are in
contact with PKK militants and leaders. I think the main question is
why the U.S. wants to establish contact between Turkey and regional
leaders who support the PKK. If the regional government continues
its support for the PKK, establishing contact is out of the question.

TNA: What do you think Turkey’s role in northern Iraq should be?

COMEZ: First of all we need to answer why the U.S. is in Iraq. Their
aim was to secure the Iraqis from Saddam Hussein’s despotism and
find nuclear weapons and establish peace in the region. But these
aims hadn’t been met. The U.S. didn’t watch Saddam’s move passively,
so why should Turkey be passive regarding its neighbor? Turkey has
political, social, and cultural relations with Iraq. Turkey has to have
a positive attitude towards the region. On the other hand, politicians
in the region have to have the same attitude towards Turkey.

TNA: What’s your opinion of the Kirkuk referendum scheduled to held
later this year?

COMEZ: PKK terrorists coming from the Mahmur camp in northern Iraq
are now in Kirkuk. Turkmens I’m in regular contact with are reporting
that scores of PKK terrorists are coming from Mahmur and other camps
into Kirkuk and are carrying Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) identity cards. The U.S. isn’t
able to control events in Kirkuk. The peshmerga have a monopoly over
control of the city. If the referendum is held in Kirkuk later this
year as planned, and Kirkuk goes under Kurdish rule, this would spark
a new civil war that would last decades. Turkey should announce that
it will not recognize the results of a referendum on the future of
Kirkuk under these conditions. And we should also announce that we’re
going to intervene if civil war erupts in Kirkuk.

THE COLONIAL STAG
by Ann Berg

Antiwar.com, CA
Feb 20 2007

in Rutting Season

It begins with the visible swelling of the throat. Displays of
agitation – bellowing, prancing, and stomping – follow and culminate
in a frenzy of rivalrous assaults.

The beastly nature of U.S. foreign policy becomes more apparent
daily. As William Pfaff recently wrote, the current and future
preemptive wars in the greater Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa
are late tremors of colonialism, driven by America’s deep-rooted
delusion over its own exceptionalism. Given its ascendant position
after World War II (comprising 40 percent of the world’s GDP), the
rapid dollarization of the global economy, and the embrace of military
Keynesianism (deftly described by Chalmers Johnson), it is no wonder
that the U.S. finds itself stuck in overreach and blustery denial. Vice
President Cheney in particular seems to concur with the neoconservative
view that Arabs only understand force. And when President Bush, four
years into a war with a populace lacking air and sea command, speaks
of accepting nothing less than "total victory," he means achieving
pacification by fearful subjugation to American killing power.

The inherent blindness and racism of such a policy explains how
Bush and his supine Congress switch targets with relative ease. It
matters not that the Taliban has replaced al-Qaeda in U.S. sights in
Afghanistan and that the adversaries in Iraq have expanded to include
whomever the military pronounces the "ever adaptable enemy." The
neighboring Persians are now mixed in with intractable Arabs. The
mission has metastasized to the Horn of Africa to further curb
the Islamic blight. The one stable democratic ally in the region,
Turkey (with 98 percent Muslim population), awaits chastisement from
Pelosi’s House in the form of a resolution declaring it guilty of
genocide against the largely Christian Armenians in 1915. Meanwhile,
Washington’s Greek chorus, the American Enterprise Institute, emits
a constant drone in the background: "If we withdraw, they will follow
us here."

The rutting stag clashes with trees, bushes, and other upright objects
– whatever clouds its field of vision and blocks its goal of herd
domination.

The bestial-colonial U.S. approach to developing regions is an utter
disconnect with today’s world. Setting aside the moral question,
colonialism hasn’t worked for over half a century, after reaching its
highest profitability in the mid to late 19th century. Evolving from
mercantilism (essentially syndicated piracy), colonialism adopted a
muscular and integrative approach to enrichment, thanks to industrial
advances. Whereas the mercantilist VOC (Dutch East India Company)
exploited the trading-post system with a fleet of 150 ships –
colonialist countries created monopsony embeds with host colonies.

They could dictate the labor terms (often slave), buy off the "upper
management," and use superior technology (including weaponry) to
strip-mine the country. When Britain occupied India, it didn’t pursue
a holistic infrastructure plan for the country but built railroads
that linked cotton, indigo, grain, and poppy production in direct
lines to seaports. Opium cultivation in India was so profitable
(several hundred percent) that Britain waged war against China in
1840 to gain treaty rights for the continued sale of the narcotic.

Belgium’s King Leopold pursued the lucrative rubber trade in the
Congo in the 1880s by brutalizing the population – killing up to 8
million people. In the Eastern world, Japan seized control of the
Manchurian railroad and the Port Arthur terminus in 1904 to ensure
a steady flow of iron ore to its island economy. The rise of modern
capital markets and the extensive use of credit poured accelerant on
the industrialized colonial process.

But by the early 20th century, the shrinking returns on colonial
assets strained the multilateral balance-of-power system, ending in
the eruption of the First World War. Following the Second World War,
the power vacuum left by colonial withdrawal produced a checkerboard of
failed states and political alignments split along Western/Communist
fault lines. Kleptocratic strongman governments, swelled by Western
aid packages, stunted the political and economic growth throughout
Africa and the Middle East. When the pan-African leader Patrice
Lumumba was elected Congo’s prime minister in 1960 and condemned
colonialism, the West arranged his execution. Thirty-seven years of
Mobutu followed. For the disenfranchised masses, ethnic and religious
fervor, which predated the imperial boundaries by centuries, became
uniting causes; these prevail today.

Because of colonialism’s horrific legacy, the U.S. wove elaborate
tales to pitch its noble enterprise for subjugating the Islamic
region and using Iraq as its central command post to oversee
regional energy development. Prior to all its "liberation" talk,
the administration extolled the invasion as a bona fide investment –
yielding instant dividends and a continuous stream of good will. The
fact that investment was impossible because of U.S. prohibitions
against American/Iraqi capital ventures went unmentioned. Once the
weapons threat and the Saddam- 9/11 connection fizzled, the U.S.

ramped up the struggle as a clash of worldviews, one it couldn’t afford
to lose. Details supporting this axiom appear closely guarded – hushed
circles must be envisioning Muslim hordes overrunning American soil –
turning symbols of culture, capital, and religion into rubble.

The U.S. is entangled in the most costly colonial experiment in
history. Ironically, 21st-century democratization, so glorified by the
Bush administration, has worked to the U.S. military’s disadvantage:
shared technological innovation and universal connectivity have lent
strength to an insurgency unimaginable in King Leopold’s time. Other
countries, particularly the developing ones, have managed to produce
economic growth without preemptive wars.

Indeed in 2006, the developing world surpassed the industrialized one
in terms of total GDP for the first time while the U.S. dipped to a
20 percent GDP share. China, the world’s largest importer of steel,
copper, nickel, and tin, achieves productivity by striking bilateral
trade deals and structuring loan packages with the former colonial
world – without brandishing a gun. The "debate" over troop numbers in
Iraq doesn’t go nearly far enough. The U.S. should vote for a wholesale
rejection of its mad colonial course, a course bound for ruin.

During the rut, the stag forgoes sleep and sustenance, losing up to
30 percent of its weight. Death from starvation and exhaustion often
precludes species propagation.

p?articleid=10552

DIASPORA INSURANCE PAYMENTS

Hurriyet, Turkey
Feb 19 2007

The former head of the Turkish-American Foundation Assembly (ATAA),
Ercument Kilic, has warned that Turkey could face heavy recompensation
payments to Armenia in coming years.

Asserting that Armenia’s aim in backing bills calling for the official
recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide was to receive monetary
recompensation, Kilic noted that certain American insurance firms had
already begun to pay out recompensation to Armenians claiming loss as
a result of genocide, and that these payments would continue. Kilic
maintains that the large insurance firms paying out Armenian
claims even now will later turn to Turkey for recompensation for
their financial losses. Kilic also indicated that applications from
Armenians to web sites such as were
already flowing in, and that the inevitable result would be pressure
by banking and insurance lobbies on Turkey to back these claims.

National Legal Internet Portal, Belarus
Feb 16 2007

Yerevan hosts session of commission for examining compatibility of
CIS air defence unified system

Yerevan hosted a session of the commission for examining the
compatibility of the CIS air defence unified system. The opening of
the session was attended by defence minister of Armenia Serzh
Sarkisian, who presented orders to several members of the commission
including its chairman Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the
Russian Federation Army General Vladimir Mikhailov, his deputy and
other officers.

`It is very important for us that a regular session of the commission
is held in Armenia as the air space of the country is partly defended
by the unified system. The air defence units of the Armed Forces of
Armenia and the Russian Federation are known to jointly defend the
air space of Armenia’, Serzh Sarkisian said. He also noted that the
joint work will give an opportunity to solve those problems which
have remained unsettled so far.

In turn, Vladimir Mikhailov noted that the joint work has been
robust, in particular with Armenia. `We have always found the ways to
arrive at understanding when addressing any problem and I think it
will remain so,’ Vladimir Mikhailov said.

Kavkazskiy Uzel, Moscow,
10 Feb 2007

Mailyan: There are no prisoners of war or hostages in Nagornyy
Karabakh

9 February: Leo Platvoet, rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe [PACE] on missing persons in the South
Caucasus, has prepared a report that was submitted to the foreign
ministry of Nagornyy Karabakh. A journalist from the Caucasian Centre
has asked the NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh republic] deputy foreign
minister, Masis Mailyan, to comment on this.

"Unfortunately, the PACE rapporteur included in his report unverified
information that he received in Baku. The Karabakh side has
repeatedly pointed out the fact that Azerbaijani data on missing
persons fails to represent the true situation. Through multiplying
this figure several times, the Azerbaijani authorities try to conceal
the true size of losses they suffered during the active military
operations. Moreover, the probability is high that a section of those
people whose names are put on the Azerbaijani missing lists have left
Azerbaijan during the war and now live in Russia or in other states.

"According to information provided by the International Committee of
the Red Cross [ICRC] for 1997, the total number of missing persons
within the Karabakh conflict zone, including both Armenians and
Azerbaijanis, was 2,229. If we take into consideration the fact that
the ICRC gathered the data during three years after the cease-fire,
it is not probable that they have changed very much since then,"
Masis Mailyan said.

"At the same time, it should be mentioned that the recommendations’
part of the report by Platvoet contains a number of provisions that
were insisted upon by the Karabakh side, namely, avoiding
politicization of the problem of missing persons as well as stressing
the need to establish contacts between the relevant government
commissions of Azerbaijan and Nagornyy Karabakh to ensure successful
cooperation in this sphere.

"As far back as in 1995, the Nagornyy Karabakh authorities handed
over to Azerbaijan all prisoners of war and hostages captured during
the military operations. After conclusion of a truce, there were some
cases when Azerbaijani soldiers were captured trying to cross the
contact line. In such cases, the NKR authorities, following their
international commitments within the framework of respective Geneva
Conventions, immediately report to the Stepanakert [Xankandi] offices
of the ICRC and the OSCE.

"After this, the prisoners are transferred to Azerbaijan with the
ICRC mediation and pursuant to the established procedure. As a member
of the NKR national commission on prisoners of war and missing
persons, I can claim that at present, there are no prisoners or
hostages on our republic’s territory.

"As to the fact of more frequent instances of capture of Azerbaijani
soldiers, there may be different causes. According to estimates made
by Azerbaijani military experts, such causes mainly include bullying
in the Azerbaijani armed detachments located along the contact line,
corruption among officers as well as low morals and spirituality and
the lack of professionalism of Azerbaijani soldiers," the NKR deputy
foreign minister added.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Oskanian and OSCE MG discussed possible terms of meeting with Mammadyarov
16.02.2007 13:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ February 15, in Paris, Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met with OSCE Minsk
Group Co-chairs and Personal Representative of OSCE
CiO, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, RA MFA Acting
Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. The Armenian Minister and the mediators
considered the current stage and prospects of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement talks. Besides,
they referred to the possible terms of the meeting
with Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov.

Armenian Youth Federation – Western United States
104 N. Belmont St. Suite 206 Glendale, CA 91206
Tel. (818) 507-1933 * Fax. (818) 240-3442 * [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
2-10-2007
Contact: Mary Ashdjian – 818.507.1933

AYF-WR Now Accepting "Nanor Krikorian" Scholarship Applications

The Armenian Youth Federation Western Region (AYF-WR) is now accepting
applications for the `Nanor Krikorian’ Scholarship.

All high school seniors of Armenian decent who will be attending a
college or university are encouraged to apply for the scholarship.
The scholarship not only looks at how well the student did in their
high school career, but it also focuses on community service and extra
curricular activities that help benefit the Armenian community.

Seven applicants will receive a scholarship totaling $3,500.

`The scholarship is now in its fifth year of existence and each year
the amount of applications received has increased’ said Saro Haroun,
chairperson of the AYF-WR Central Educational Committee.

The scholarship is named after a young AYF activist, Nanor Krikorian,
whose life was cut short by cancer.

You may download the application by visiting The
deadline is April 1, 2007

The Armenian Youth Federation of Western United States strives to
serve Armenian American Communities west of the Mississippi through
education, athletics, political activism, cultural activities and
social settings.

For further questions please do not hesitate to contact our offices at
818.507.1933

####

DINK FAMILY FILED SUIT AGAINST THOSE WHO FAILED TO PROTECT HIM

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.02.2007 16:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday in Istanbul, the widow of Hrant Dink,
Rakel Dink, accompanied by her children Arat, Sera, and Delal, appeared
in court to file a suit against both those who committed the murder
of her husband, and those who failed to protect her husband. Dink
provided one and a half hours of testimony.

Yasin Hayal’s father and lawyer arrived yesterday at the Trabzon
Criminal Courts to file a request for the Istanbul Prosecutor in the
case of Hayal, who was arrested as an accomplice and planner in the
January 19 Hrant Dink murder.

Hayal’s lawyer, Fatih Cakir, spoke yesterday to reporters, telling
them that his client was not the real planner behind the Dink murder,
but that instead it was fellow Trabzon youth, Erhan Tuncel. Tuncel is
also currently under arrest in Istanbul, with accusations that he,
like Hayal, gathered youth in Trabzon around him, encouraging them
in violent acts of nationalism, reports Hurriyet newspaper.