Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

EXPERTS: NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEEDS EU ACTION

United Press International
June 17 2009

The European Union should intervene in disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh
in order to avert dramatic regional consequences, analysts suggest.

War broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh
in the early 1990s, and the regional fallout from that row remains
tense despite a 1994 cease-fire.

Azerbaijan is spending some $2 billion on its military, which eclipses
the entire federal budget for Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenia is asking for
self-determination over the region, while Azerbaijan demands Armenian
troops leave and allow Nagorno-Karabakh to remain Azeri territory.

A review of the situation by The Atlantic Council, a Washington think
tank, said it is likely Europe would have a role in the aftermath of
any conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and should therefore play a role
in mediation.

"If Europe is to become the main implementer and guarantor of a peace
deal, Europe also needs to be a part of the deal-making process,"
the analysis suggests.

A conflict has the potential to pit Turkey and Russia against Europe
and the United States in a row that has a distinct possibility of
rippling through the regional energy sector.

Europe, the Council suggests, should therefore use its influence
to coerce Yerevan to abandon its military presence while making key
decisions on Azeri territorial integrity.

Brussels needs to use lessons learned from past regional disputes to
"become an active peacemaker in the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan," the report says.

LIMITS OF OBAMA BASHING
By Edmond Y. Azadian

AZG Armenian Daily
18/06/2009

Armenian Genocide

Since April 24 of this year, Obama bashing has become a national
sport in the Armenian press worldwide. President Obama had pledged to
the American-Armenian community to recognize the Genocide, upon his
election as president of the United States, yet on his first Martyrs’
Day statement he failed to fulfill his pledge. Adding insult to injury,
he reduced aid to Armenia, although as a continuing policy of reduction
that was working its way for many years during the Bush administration.

The big guns in the Armenian press turned against the president. Our
respected columnists resorted to extremes in characterizing this
non-fulfillment of his pledge. Some groups on the West Coast even
picketed fundraising banquets featuring as keynote speaker President
Obama.

The condemnation is in unison and uniform throughout the country, and
beyond, so much so that any opposite view or an analytical approach
could be interpreted as a sacrilege.

However, I would like to stop and ponder, because political processes
are not football games, whose conclusion is instantaneous and black
and white.

Having said that, I do not intend to play the devil’s advocate either,
because the jury is still out on the Obama pledge and performance,
and rash conclusions could prove to be unwise.

A political game involves give and take; Mr. Obama promised to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, in return, perhaps, for our support
for his candidacy. Now that we know President Obama thus far has not
kept his pledge, we need to analyze our side of the bargain.

To question Mr. Obama’s morality would not be fair as he stated in
Ankara, in the presence of the Turkish leadership, that he is on record
on his Genocide stand and that he has not changed his position. He
further took the Turkish leadership to task, when he gave a speech at
the Turkish parliament calling the Turkish government to come to terms
with its ugly history. There was no dearth of topics or problems for
the president to choose; but he took the opportunity to remind us
of his moral stand on this complex and painful issue. So much for
his morality in politics; we know that the two always don’t mix,
like oil and water.

Coming back to the use or non-use of the word "genocide," we may detect
in that speech Samantha Power’s handwriting, who most probably had
crafted the president’s speech, which had not avoided all the facts
around the act of genocide. She had tried to hide behind a precedent,
created by Pope John Paul II, when he visited Armenia. He was the
one to first transliterate the phrase "Medz Yeghern" to avoid using
the word "genocide"; while he was not a politician, he was supposed
to have the moral courage to call a spade a spade.

Samantha Power is too valuable to be lost to the Armenians, with
all apologies to our friend David Boyajian, who called for her
resignation. Ms. Powers was in Obama’s inner circle, during the
election campaign, when she had a public fall out with Hillary Clinton
and resigned as a result of pressure. Obama’s firm hand brought her
back into the center of power, and it is too early to count her out
as a person who reneges on her principles.

We still have three more years of the Obama administration to push
him to deliver on his pledge, and all the reminders, all the prodding,
albeit, sometimes very harsh and naïve, will have their role to play.

We still have an uphill battle to have HR252 Resolution pass. It is
very apparent that the president will keep his moral high ground,
making us believe that he will sign the resolution when it hits his
desk, yet the dirty work will be carried out by the legislators who
will fail to garner enough votes to approve the resolution, saving
the president another show down with the Armenian lobby.

When we come to judge the president for his action or inaction, we
must consider the political context of the issues, and the concrete
factors determining his conduct.

It is more the rule than exception that pledges of candidates are
always different from the pledges of elected officials. President
Reagan may be counted among the exceptions.

When a president is elected, cabinet members are replaced, political
favors are dispensed to the supporters. But rank and file, analysts,
career diplomats remain in place to analyze political situations
and to chart a course on every single issue of importance to the
country. Of course, in our case, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s
past dealings with the Turkish lobbying groups may have played their
role too in the Genocide issue.

Our press and our lobbying groups boast of a 1.5 millionstrong
American-Armenian community. Yet Obama’s well-calibrated election
machinery knew better than we did, that what percentage of that
force we could mobilize and what portion of that mobilization could
be translated into actual votes. Besides all niceties, they knew the
exact weight of our political clout in the country.

Let us be honest and acknowledge that a large group of Armenians are
not politicized. We also may hate to admit that some Armenians are so
bigoted that the skin color of the candidate was enough for them to
vote against him. Others failed to lend their support dogmatically,
not to tarnish their Republican credentials. Therefore, in the
political arena, we may bark but we can seldom bite.

On the policy balance of the US government, the Armenian factor is
weighed against Turkey’s strategic importance, at a time when a policy
change was charted to bring the war in Iraq to end and withdraw the
US forces out to Afghanistan through the Turkish territory. At that
very delicate point, when Ankara was exerting tremendous pressure on
the Genocide issue, the president had to choose between his strategic
priorities and some domestic concerns. Of course, the balance tipped in
favor of Turkey, which in its turn, had snared the Yerevan government
to sign on a fictitious "Road Map," which reinforced Ankara’s hand.

As far as foreign aid is concerned, the US administration will derive
its conclusions, based on relative importance of Armenia versus
Turkey’s strategic value, as well as Baku’s oil wells. We should not
forget that today Turkey has more leverage on the West than during
the Cold War period because it can count on Moscow’s support and
the solidarity of the Islamic world. Therefore, we may draw our own
conclusion – what does Armenia represent in the strategic balance of
the region versus Turkey and Azerbaijan and then swallow the bitter
pill that our voices are not heard in Washington or elsewhere, in
the major capitals of the world.

Therefore, the conclusion is that we have to politicize the masses,
to be able to deliver them to the highest bidder, at any given
election. Could any candidate in the US renege on his/her commitment
to any Jewish lobby?

Armenia, on the other hand, is divided internally. It lacks natural
resources, and its strategic importance does not measure up to that of
its neighbors. We cannot do too much to enhance Armenia’s strategic
relevance, but we can work harder to become a relatively important
political factor in this country to make our voices heard. It is absurd
in the realm of politics to believe that any power will support us
because our cause is just. Power talks, as money talks.

Before making assumptions, and raising our hopes, we need to figure
out our strengths and our assets, so that we may have the true
assessment of our potentials, which will eventually determine our
realistic expectations.

Unfortunately, besides our desires, there are other political factors,
which will shape our cause. Mr. Obama was elected to run this country,
based on its priorities. In the course, he may have to scrap many of
his pledges, which he made to different groups during his election
campaign. One casualty may also be our cause.

But we cannot rush to judgment. There are three more years to mobilize
and to muster clout, to make an impact on Washington politics.

In the meantime, Obama bashing is not politics.

TRABZON’S ‘ANGER’ FOCUS OF RESEARCH

Hurriyet
June 16 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – In recent years, Trabzon has made national and international
headlines for all the wrong reasons. Two academics, one from the Black
Sea port, conduct sociological research in the city and publish their
findings in a book called ‘Trabzon’u Anlamak’ (Understanding Trabzon).

The Black Sea port city of Trabzon has made national and international
headlines in recent years for its apparent lack of communal harmony,
as stories of murders and assassinations abound, leading two academics
to publish a book on the topic.

On Feb. 5, 2006, Father Andrea Santoro of the Catholic Church of
Santa Maria in Trabzon was murdered. Not a year had passed when
another murder put Trabzon back in the spotlight Jan. 19, 2007,
when Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, the editor in chief at
the bilingual daily Agos, was gunned down in Istanbul. The suspected
perpetrators of both murders were born in Trabzon.

Following these two crimes, which shook the world as well as Turkey,
two academics decided to collaborate on a sociological research
project about Trabzon, with the ultimate aim of preparing a general
sociological profile of the entire country.

Trabzon youth and the concept of nationalism

"Today’s youth does not live in its own modest world; therefore,
its expectations are high," coauthor Dr. Guven Bakırezer told the
Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "The young people of Trabzon
have no hopes for the future. There are no channels for their
intellectual or physical energy. Therefore, the youth easily turn
to the nationalistic right when the European Union, the Kurds or the
Armenians are the subject."

Yucel Demirer, Bakırezer’s coauthor, agreed. "It was important for
us to investigate why Trabzon was the place; [why] the offenders were
from here and whether the incidents were organized," Demirer said. "The
change in Trabzon should be considered within the scope of the process
of change that has occurred and is occurring throughout Turkey."

Although Trabzon is a city with thousands of years of history,
lately it is only mentioned for acts of violence. Bakırezer said
the cosmopolitan structure of the city was disrupted between 1915 and
1924 when its non-Muslim community was sent away. "The cultures and
ethnic minorities that lived in Trabzon for thousands of years are
never mentioned in any way," he said. "Trabzon does not stake any
claim to its multicultural history; it cannot even stomach historic
artifacts left from different cultures after nationalism put down
deep roots rapidly."

Bakırezer pointed to economic difficulties as the reason behind
Trabzon’s current problems, arguing that the economy of the city has
been worsening throughout the history of the Republic. According
to Bakırezer, the city’s industry has yet to develop and the
governments of the Republican era have been unable to find a solution
to overpopulation in the rural areas.

"The lack of industry and the high unemployment rates caused inflation
for the city," he said. "Trabzon is one of the provinces that suffered
the most during the economic crisis in 2001. It also happened to be
one of the provinces that experienced the fastest shift to the right
in politics. Yasin Hayal, the alleged instigator of the Dink murder,
bombing a McDonalds in Trabzon was a very important sign."

Demirer said the sociological changes that took place in the city
right after the fall of the Eastern Bloc were significant. "The
organized prostitution market affects the social structure deeply
and will continue to do so for years to come," he added. "We should
be prepared for the consequences."

Researchers’ backgrounds

One of the researchers, Bakırezer, was born in Trabzon. An
assistant professor at the faculty of political sciences and public
administration at Kocaeli University, he worked as a guest researcher
for the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the
University of Michigan from 1998 to 1999.

His coauthor, Demirer, earned a master’s degree in sociology
at Fisk University in Nashville and his doctorate at Ohio State
University. Their book, "Trabzon’u Anlamak" (Understanding Trabzon),
was published by Ä°letiÅ~_im Publishing and focuses on Trabzon’s
history and current state of affairs, particularly the Santoro and
Dink assassinations.

EU INFORMATION CENTERS TO BE FOUNDED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
June 16, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The first sitting of the working
group on elaboration of information strategy on European integration
in Armenia took place on June 15. Representatives of interested
departments included in the group discussed working issues connected
with strategy elaboration.

Artur Baghdasarian, the Secretary of the National Security Council,
Chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on Coordination of
Armenia’s Cooperation with European structures, presiding at the
sitting proposed submitting strategy’s general provisions for
discussion in a three-month term, discussing them with interested
structures and submitting the revised document for endorsement in
2010. Strategy’s endorsement will be followed by opening of European
Union information centers in Yerevan and in the regions.

According to the report of the National Security Council Staff Press
Service, experts from the European Union involved in the working group
expressed readiness to support strategy elaboration and creation of
EU information centers. They said that the information centers will
be of much importance in Armenia-European Union relations.

GILBERT SINOUE PRESENTS HIS "YEREVAN" NOVEL IN PARIS

NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY
JUNE 15, 2009
PARIS

Gilbert Sinoue presented his "Yerevan" novel during a report-debate
organized in Paris by the French Armenian Cultural Union.

Azg daily reported, citing The World newspaper (Paris) that in her
report Seda Azatikian spoke about the unusual creative way that
the author has passed, then she put questions to him. Many of those
present had read the novel about the events at the beginning of the
20th century, and there was an exchange of opinions.

Gilbert Sinoue made a speech, in which he particularly said that by
constructing the plot of his novel based on the early 20th century
events, he aimed to familiarize millions of uninformed French with
the ordeals the Armenian people underwent in that period.

Sinoue is familiar with old and new problems of the Middle Esat. He
is the author of several other historical novels.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN ARGENTINE DANCE ENSEMBLE "GAYANE" TO BE CELEBRATED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
June 15, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 50th anniversary
of "Gayane" dance ensemble of Argentina’s Armenian community will be
celebrated in Armenia and Arstakh in August and September, 2010. The
Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian and the Chairman of
the Armenian Cultural Union of Agentina Adrian Lomlomjian reached this
agreement on June 13. The dance ensemble was founded in 1960. During
its visit to Armenia, it will take part in "One Nation, One Culture"
festival and give performances in Gyumri, Vanadzor and Stepanakert. The
40th anniversary of the ensemble was also marked in Yerevan in 2000.

A. Lomlomjian expressed a willingness to host representatives of
Armenian culture in Argentina next year where they will participate
in the cultural events to be held in Buenos Aires in September, 2010.

H. Hakobian and A. Lomlomjian also discussed in detail the assistance
program on solution of educational and cultural problems of Armenian
communities in Latin America. The minister expressed her readiness
to assist Armenian schools in Argentina with the purchase of the
necessary textbooks and manuals.

An agreement, under which groups of Armenian Argentinian schoolchildren
will visit Armenia within the framework of "Come Home" Program in 2010,
was also reached.

KARABAKH DENIES PRESENCE OF ANY CAPTIVES

Interfax
June 11 2009
Russia

Stepanakert, 11 June: There are no captives or hostages from Azerbaijan
in the unrecognized Karabakh republic, Chairman of the Karabakh
State Commission for POW, MIA [missing in action] and Hostages Viktor
Kocharyan told Interfax.

Karabakh authorities "strictly comply with the Geneva Convention. Once
the military phase of the conflict was over, all the prisoners were
handed over to Azerbaijan with the mediation of the International
Committee of Red Cross (ICRC)," he said.

"Karabakh services timely inform Stepanakert [Xankandi] offices
of the ICRC and the OSCE of any crossing of the Karabakh border by
Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians. The latter are transferred to
Azerbaijan without preconditions," Kocharyan said.

Representatives of the international organizations have free access to
all detention centres in Karabakh. There is one Azerbaijani serviceman
in Karabakh. He crossed the border and explained his action with
hazing in the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Kocharyan refuted a statement of chairperson of the Azerbaijani
public council in support to captives and hostages Esmira Orucova,
who said that 21 Azerbaijani children were in captivity in Karabakh.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 13 2009

Military’s evil plot against AK Party, Gülen movement exposed

Documents recently discovered as part of the ongoing Ergenekon
investigation have revealed plans to defame the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) over claims of reactionaryism, weaken the
Gülen movement and support with individuals arrested on charges
of gang membership.

The Taraf daily published documents on Friday seized in the office of
Serdar Ã-ztürk, the lawyer of a retired colonel arrested
earlier this year on charges of membership in Ergenekon, a clandestine
criminal organization charged with plotting to overthrow the
government. The documents, prepared in April of this year, include a
detailed plan drawn up by Col. Dursun �içek and
submitted to a department of the General Staff.

The documents revealed that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had a
systematic plan to damage the image of the AK Party government and the
Gülen movement — inspired by internationally respected Turkish
scholar Fethullah Gülen — in the eyes of the public, to play
down the Ergenekon investigation and to gather support for members of
the military arrested as part of the inquest. Documents allegedly
prepared by a colonel on active duty have revealed that the TSK had a
systematic plan to damage the image of the AK Party government and the
Gülen movement in the eyes of the public

To date, dozens of people have been arrested in the Ergenekon
investigation, launched after the existence of a gang bearing the same
name was discovered in June 2007, when police found a house full of
munitions in Ä°stanbul. The neo-nationalist Ergenekon gang,
suspected of having ties to various individuals and groups within
state bureaucracy and the military, worked to create a chaotic
atmosphere in Turkey so people would welcome a military coup against
the ruling AK Party.
The multi-step plan calls on TSK members to be watchful about reports
appearing in the press regarding links between the military and other
groups and organizations.

`The TSK is seen as the only obstacle before the destruction of
Atatürk’s principles and the establishment of a new system
based on religious tenets. They are publishing documents that aim to
weaken the TSK in their own press organs. They are depicting the
rallies, which have captured huge public interest, as though they were
organized by Ergenekon.

They are claiming that the TSK has close cooperation with the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK] and other terrorist organizations under
the umbrella of Ergenekon. They are preparing news stories saying
high-level members of the military are of Jewish and Armenian
origin. They are releasing voice recordings that allegedly belong to
TSK personnel,’ the document warns TSK members.

Several recordings allegedly of conversations of TSK members and their
family members have been revealed in which they discuss their plans
against the ruling party and the government.

The documents go on to detail a plan to defame the AK Party government
and fight the alleged threat of reactionaryism in society. In
accordance with this plan, press organs are to disseminate propaganda
against reactionaryism and fundamentalism; TSK staff and their
families are to be informed about this threat; and the military is to
step up measures to prevent their documents from leaking to external
groups.

Plan to cast shadow on Ergenekon probe
The documents also mention plans to discredit the Ergenekon
investigation and reduce its credibility in the eyes of the public.

The TSK is to engage in an intense period of propaganda and stress
that the military is not against people’s religious sensitivities,
according to the documents. It is to make press organs prepare reports
on the immoral relations of TSK members who are suspected of
reactionaryism. In this way, the public will question the credibility
of religious individuals.

The TSK is also to urge newspapers to publish stories against the
Ergenekon investigation and claim that TSK personnel are being
arrested because of their fight against the threat of reactionaryism.

The documents also suggest that TSK members who are detained or put in
jail should make statements in accordance with an outline determined
by the military and emphasize that they are innocent and that they
have been put behind bars due to their fight against powers that wish
to change the regime in the country.

TSK documents target Gülen movement
Another section of the documents is dedicated to the fight against the
Gülen movement.

The TSK wishes to create a harsh public reaction against the movement,
the documents reveal. According to the documents, the military plans
to depict the Gülen movement as being engaged in acts against
the unity and regime of the country.

`Claims that followers of Gülen are attacking the TSK will be
focused on so that people will say, `We are also Muslims, but these
men are disseminating intense propaganda to wear down the military,’
read the documents.

The TSK plans against the movement are, however, not restricted to
smear campaigns. They aim to show followers of the Gülen
movement as being engaged in illegal acts.

`We will enable the discovery of weapons, ammunition and documents at
the addresses of Gülen’s followers as if they were members of a
terrorist organization. The movement will be named `Fethullah’s Armed
Terrorist Organization’ (FSTÃ-) and investigations into its members
will be carried out by military prosecutors. We will focus on the
concept of moderate Islam and emphasize that the Gülen movement
aims to cause Islam to deviate from its original form,’ continue the
documents.

The documents also aim to urge press organs to claim that there is
cooperation between the Gülen movement and the terrorist PKK as
the latter does not target in its terrorist acts the schools
established by the former in the eastern and southeastern parts of
Turkey and in northern Iraq.

Police raids against the residences of Gülen’s followers are
also to reveal documents to foment enmity against Alevi and Alevism in
the country, according to the documents.

As part of the plans, individuals are to be urged to appear in live TV
programs and make statements on various issues, adding they are
followers of the Gülen movement. "They will challenge everyone
and accuse everyone who does not agree with them of being an Ergenekon
member," read the documents.

The documents have drawn the anger of intellectuals, who have
criticized the military for plotting against the country’s citizens.

"A wing of Ergenekon infiltrates the military. But they don’t work to
expose it. The military’s weapons are discovered at the addresses of
Ergenekon members. They don’t work to find who’s behind it,
either. They are working to declare the government as a body engaged
in religious fundamentalism and labeling followers of the Gülen
movement as members of a terrorist organization. If Gülen’s
followers are guilty, then the state will find their documents and put
them on trial. No official body, including the state, judiciary,
police or military, can enable the discovery of weapons at the
addresses of these individuals. This is crime. And the state and the
military does not have the freedom to commit crimes," stated Taraf’s
Ahmet Altan.

The TSK documents also revealed that the General Staff was in
cooperation with fundamentalist groups to defame the Gülen
movement. "Our men, like Ä°skender EvrenesoÄ?lu and
Ã-mer Ã-ngüt, will appear in TV programs and associate
Gülen’s group with fundamentalist groups," suggests the
documents.

EvrenesoÄ?lu and Ã-ngüt are known to be members of
hard-core religious fundamentalist groups.

Plans know no boundaries
Some sections of the documents reveal that the mastermind of the
documents knows no boundaries when it comes to achieving its
objectives.

Among the plans is a smear campaign to be launched against state
schools where young students will be captured while praying.

Press organs will prepare news reports that AK Party members are
living in luxury despite the ongoing financial turmoil, which has made
thousands of citizens lose their jobs.

Box 1: Criticism against TV series also part of conspiracy

Taraf’s report also cites documents that the popular television series
Tek Türkiye (One Turkey) and Kollama (Patronage), run by STV, a
television station affiliated with the Gülen community, were
also a target of the action plan against religious fundamentalism.

A news story criticizing these two series in the Hürriyet daily
earlier had been criticized for distorting facts. According to this
story, the Police Department had provided real guns and rifles for use
in Tek Türkiye, and also allowed special operations officers to
act as extras in these series. Later, it became apparent that this
information was not true. The producers rented a real Kalashnikov
rifle from the police department, but that was done completely in
accordance with procedure and was not a special treatment of STV.

Newspapers in the DoÄ?an group have also published criticism of
STV’s Kollama series, with writers commenting that the series gave
dangerous messages to society.

Box 2: Questions await answers

Following the discovery of documents allegedly belonging to the TSK,
many urgent questions have been asked. Here are some of them:

Was Col. Dursun �içek, who allegedly prepared these
documents, called to account? If the documents really belong to the
TSK, was �içek removed from office? Why did the lawyer
of an Ergenekon suspect, Serdar Ã-ztürk, keep the documents
in his office? What was Ã-ztürk planning to do with these
documents? Were the plans included in the documents implemented? If
so, who has been subjected to a smear campaign so far?

Box 3: General Staff launches investigation into controversial
documents

The General Staff has announced that an investigation has been
launched into recently revealed documents allegedly prepared by a
colonel on active duty that aimed to defame the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) and the highly respected Gülen
movement and support individuals arrested on charges of membership in
Ergenekon, a clandestine network charged with plotting to overthrow
the government. `We saw this morning that a [Turkish] daily published
a report and comments on documents allegedly prepared by a department
of the General Staff.

The General Staff has immediately ordered military prosecutors to
investigate the issue,’ Brig. Gen. Metin Gürak said at a press
briefing in Ankara yesterday.

Asked whether the investigation would question whether the documents
really exist or how they could have been exposed, Gürak said,
`The General Staff has ordered an investigation into all aspects of
the issue.’

The question remains as to what the outcome of the investigation will
be; in similar incidents in the past the General Staff either denied
responsibility or accused the publishers of the documents.

A newsweekly that published excerpts of a diary allegedly belonging to
an admiral was forced to shut down after it angered the General
Staff. Nokta newsweekly claimed in 2007 that now-retired
Adm. Ã-zden Ã-rnek and four force commanders in 2004 had made
plans to stage two military coups. A military investigation into the
claims resulted in the acquittal of the admiral and commanders but the
shutting down of the newsweekly.

Then followed a high degree of tension between the General Staff and
the Taraf daily, which published classified documents regarding
serious security flaws existing during a terrorist Kurdistan Workers’
Party (PKK) attack on Oct. 3 of last year.

A lawsuit was filed against the daily’s editor for legal affairs for
publishing "confidential and prohibited documents." Adnan Demir may be
sentenced to up to five years in jail if convicted. Ä°stanbul
Today’s Zaman with wires

EBRD TO ALLOCATE EURO 180 MILLION FOR RA ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.06.2009 17:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD) announced an intention to allocate Euro 180 million for RA
economy development in 2009 – 2010. The bank plans to fund 30 projects
implementation to allow RA to overcome financial crisis consequences.

In current circumstances, EBRD follows the policy of supporting
medium-sized and small business, providing necessary funding through
partner banks, the announcement said.

Besides, EBRD will offer RA banks credits for energy-saving as well
as structural reform projects, on share holding terms. Total EBRD
investments for 64 projects’ implementation in Armenia comprised over
Euro 240 million, slon.ru reported.

LONG-KEPT SECRET OF A COUPLE IN FILM

Hurriyet
June 10 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – A new documentary reveals the 30-year secret of Omer and
Ankine, one of the most recent representatives of Turkish canto, who
is known as Aysun IÅ~_ık. Their story, told in 46 minutes, has been
adapted for the silver screen and will be shown in Istanbul on Thursday

Since she was a young girl, Ankine’s biggest passion has been canto,
and she was determined to become a canto dancer. Despite her family’s
protests, Ankine followed her dream as dancer and married a man from
a different religion. She is now starring in a documentary about her
enduring love of both dance and a forbidden man.

>From the start, Ankine’s conservative family forbade her from
pursuing her dream as a stage dancer. Their biggest fear was that
their daughter would be given a bad name. They asked her to stay at
home and get married one day just like the other girls her age.

But Ankine’s passion was so strong that she fought her way to the
stage despite her family’s protests. She made it to the stage for the
first time in 1978 when an ad about a dance contest in a newspaper
drew her attention. One of the jury members was revolutionary Turkish
pop musician Erol Buyukburc. Ankine won the competition.

Ankine and Omer’s 30-year secret Ankine was a member of a family of
Armenian origin. Marrying outside of her religion and dancing were
forbidden for her. Ankine once again defied her family’s rules and
married Omer, a Turkish Muslim and the love of her life. Ankine’s
family disowned their daughter. Omer’s family never knew that Ankine
was an Armenian and a dancer. The couple kept this secret for 30
years. Omer has never prevented her from dancing; instead, the couple
chose a stage name to conceal her identity, Aysun IÅ~_ık.

Ankine and Omer’s secret was revealed for the first time in a
documentary film titled "Hayatın Ritmi: Aksak" (When the Rhythm of
Life Misses a Beat). Documentary maker Yasin Ali Turkeri, who saw
Ankine dancing canto in 2004, asked for Ankine and Omer’s permission
to make a documentary about their story. Turkeri told Ankine’s 48-year
life from all perspectives in a 46-minute documentary.

"This is the finest example of Turkish-Armenian relations," Turkeri
told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review about the couple’s
love story.

Turkeri said Turkish and Armenian societies share the same conservative
mind. He said canto was a branch of art that was almost forgotten and
that Ankine and Nurhan Damcıoglu, Turkey’s best-known name in canto,
were the most recent representatives of this type of dancing.

Turkeri said he sometimes faced interesting questions during the
filming of the documentary. "People were asking me why I filmed Ankine
but not Damcıoglu. I always gave the same answer that I did not make
a documentary on the history of canto but the story of a big love."

"Hayatın Ritmi: Aksak" will be screened Thursday at the Ottoman
Bank Museum on Karaköy Bankalar Street at 6:30 p.m. Right after the
screening, there will be a discussion at 7:15 p.m. on "The Missing
Beat in the Rhythm: Being a Minority in Turkey." Metin Meric will
moderate the talk.

Turkeri said the documentary had been shot with a budget of 25,000
Turkish Liras provided by the Culture Ministry. "I named the
documentary ‘When the Rhythm of Life Misses a Beat’ because there
were missing beats in the lives of Omer and Ankine," he said. "Their
marriage was a secret one."