Author: Zaminian Bedik

Sabah, Turkey
Feb. 26, 2008

‘Rabid Armenians’ insult

At the trial for Dink’s assassination, the attorney of the defendant,
Fuat Turgut, shouted out "rabid Armenians."

The triggerman, O.S., swore at Hrant Dink’s wife Rakel and attorney
Kezban Hatemi during the trial for Hrant Dink’s murder. The
defendant’s attorney, Fuat Turgut, shouted out "rabid Armenians."

Insult to Armenians

O.S., the triggerman, swore at Hrant Dink’s wife Rakel during the
trial. The defendant’s attorney, Fuat Turgut, shouted out "rabid
Armenians."

During the third trial for the murder of Hrant Dink, the
editor-in-chief of Agos Newspaper, eight of the nineteen defendants
were tried after a suspension of 15 days. The trial was marked by the
insults of the defendants and the defendants’ attorneys against
Dink’s family and Armenians. The triggerman, O.S., swore at Hrant
Dink’s wife Rakel during the trial. The defendant’s attorney, Fuat
Turgut, shouted out "rabid Armenians".

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Feb. 25, 2008

Azerbaijan Calls on UN to Assist in Building Effective Democratic
System of Self-governance in Nagorno-Karabakh
25.02.08 12:15

Azerbaijan, Baku, 25 February / corr Trend News S.Agayeva /
Azerbaijan calls on the UN to allow an effective democratic system of
self-governance to be built up in the Nagorno-Karabakh region within
the Republic of Azerbaijan.

?It is necessary to provide normal, secure and equal conditions of
life for Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of the Republic of Azerbaijan,? says a draft resolution which
Azerbaijan recently presented to the UN General Assembly to be
included in the preliminary agenda of the 63rd UN General Assembly, a
source at the UN told TrendNews.

The 63rd UN General Assembly will begin in September. Since 1993 the
UN have taken several resolutions on the occupied territory of
Azerbaijan.

In the new resolution Azerbaijan calls on the Secretary-General to
submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session a
comprehensive report on the implementation of the present resolution
and to include on the provisional agenda of its sixty-third session
an item entitled ?The situation in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan?.

The document demands the immediate, complete and unconditional
withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all the occupied territories
of the Republic of Azerbaijan;

Azerbaijan calls on UN member-countries to reaffirm the inalienable
right of the population expelled from the occupied territories of the
Republic of Azerbaijan to return to their homes, and stresses the
need to create appropriate conditions for this return, including the
comprehensive rehabilitation of the conflict-affected territories;

Azerbaijan expresses its support to the international mediation
efforts, in particular those of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe Minsk Group CoChairmen, aimed at the peaceful
settlement of the conflict in accordance with the norms and
principles of international law, and recognizes the need to intensify
these efforts with a view to achieving lasting and durable peace in
compliance with the provisions stipulated above.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

Interfax, Russia
Russia & CIS
February 21, 2008

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ISSUES STATEMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN
ARMENIA

BRUSSELS, Belgium

NATO issued the following statement:

I was encouraged by the initial findings of the International
Election Observation Mission, which noted some signs of progress.
However, concerns have also been raised and they have to be
addressed. NATO looks forward to continue working with Armenia in the
framework of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) to lend
support, where we can, to the strengthening of Armenia’s democratic
institutions.

International Herald Tribune, France
Feb. 25, 2008

A $12 billion history lesson
By Timothy W. Ryback and Elazar Barkan Published: February 25, 2008

Last week, a senior French official flew to Istanbul to discuss
Turkey’s exclusion of Gaz de France from an $12 billion pipeline
project – designed to bring Central Asian oil directly to European
markets – because of recent French legislation making it a criminal
offense to deny that the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
in 1915 constituted genocide.

The Turkish government clearly takes history seriously. Just last
October, when the United States Congress considered a bill similar to
the French genocide legislation – without the punitive dimension –
Turkey threatened to restrict airspace vital to the American military
efforts in Iraq. Washington backed off.

Turkey objects to the term "genocide" to describe the historical
tragedy it calls the "events of 1915." Ankara is resolute in
defending this stance and has mirror legislation to that of France
making it a criminal offense to use the term "genocide." Turkey does
not deny that hundreds of thousands of men, women and children
perished in a series of population transfers across a rugged mountain
region, but it blames the deaths on the tragic combination of
bureaucratic ineptness and particularly harsh climatic conditions.

For Armenians, as well as nearly two dozen other countries ranging
>From Australia to Venezuela, this was "genocide" plain and simple.
This clash of historical narratives has become more than academic, as
France and the United States have recently learned.

George Orwell warned us about mixing history and politics, but after
nearly a century, it is perhaps time for governments and scholars to
cooperate in resolving this dispute by establishing an international
historical commission to explore these issues in a sustained,
comprehensive and, most important, cooperative matter, as the Czechs
and Germans did with their joint historical commission in the 1990s
when similar tensions strained their relations.

Unlike the Nazi persecution of the Jews, which was determined to
have constituted genocide by an international tribunal in Nuremburg,
and subsequent tribunals that made similar determinations for Rwanda
and for Srebrenica in the former Yugoslavia, the Armenian genocide,
or "events of 1915," has never been subjected to similar
international historical or legal scrutiny. There have been judgments
rendered on the tragedy, including expert opinions by the
International Center for Transitional Justice and the International
Association of Genocide Scholars. But there has never been a formal
independent historical commission that has had access to the complete
historical record or involved teams of scholars from Turkey and
Armenia, like the Czech-German historical commission established to
resolve historical disputes between those two countries or numerous
similar commissions.

There have been several attempts in recent years by Turks and
Armenians to address the issue collectively. In 2001, a
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation commission was launched to great
fanfare only to collapse a year later. In 2005, the late Hrant Dink
joined 30 Turkish and Armenian scholars and journalists at the
Salzburg Global Seminar to explore ways of advancing Turkish-Armenian
dialogue. Last April, a group of Nobel laureates led by Elie Wiesel
published an appeal for "understanding and reconciliation" that was
publicly greeted by Turkish scholars in an open letter.

In a gesture toward dialogue, the Turkish government published
full-page advertisements in major newspapers, including this one,
calling for a joint Turkish-Armenian historical commission. And just
this month, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
reiterated this position at an international security conference in
Munich.

Perhaps the time has come to take Turkey up on its offer and
establish an independent, international historical commission that
can explore the historical facts and legal definitions in a neutral
and sustained manner and render an independent and informed opinion.

Such a commission would need to have the historical authority and
legal expertise to review the historical facts and deliberate on the
legal implications. It would need the cooperation of Turkey and
Armenia as well as Russia, France, Britain, the United States and
other countries to provide access to pertinent archives. And it would
benefit from access to private archives that contain relevant
documents.

History is best when it is researched and debated before it is
lobbied and legislated. It will be a costly undertaking, both in
terms of time and resources – there is no question about that – but
as France and the United States know, unresolved historic legacies
often come with an even higher price tag.

Elazar Barkan and Timothy W. Ryback co-direct the Institute for
Historical Justice and Reconciliation.

NEW TIMES PARTY LEADER ARAM KARAPETYAN DETAINED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.02.2008 16:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New Times party leader Aram Karapetyan was detained
in Yerevan today. A source in the National Security Council confirmed
the information to a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

By evidence of witnesses, Aram Karapetyan was detained in Erebuni
district of Yerevan.

Aram Karapetyan has been a member of the Russian State Duma since
1996. He headed the Duma national security council and was an advisor
to presidents of several Russian banks. In 2002 he founded Perspective
center of strategic initiatives. In 2003 he filed his candidacy for the
post of RA President. In 2004 he founded and headed New Times party.

TURKEY’S MILITARY LEADERS TO CONTINUE CROSS-BORDER ATTACKS AGAINST PKK REBELS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.02.2008 12:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s military and civilian leaders vowed to
press ahead Thursday with cross-border attacks against Kurdish rebels
in Iraq as Turkish artillery shelled suspected Kurdish rebel targets
across the Iraqi border.

They issued a statement after a bimonthly meeting on national security,
saying cross-border attacks by the military would continue as long
they were "deemed necessary."

The document says that Ankara will not break off political, trade,
economic and military cooperation with neighborly Iraq. Turkey stands
for territorial integrity of Iraq, the military said, ITAR-TASS
reports.

Last October, Turkey’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to authorize
the nation’s military forces to invade northern Iraq to hunt for some
4,000 Kurdish rebels.

The PKK have struggled for formation of independent Kurdistan
since 1984

Armenian National Committee – San Diego
San Diego, CA 98008

PRESS RELEASE
February 20, 2008
Contact: Armen Donigian
Email: [email protected]

ANC Town Hall Meeting Held in San Diego

San Diego, CA – Members of the growing Armenian American community in
San Diego gathered on February 17, 2008 for an Armenian National
Committee (ANC) Town Hall meeting. The meeting provided an opportunity
for individuals to learn about the grassroots work of the Armenian
National Committee in addressing federal, state and local issues. The
town hall gathering, which was held at Khosharian Hall at St. Garabed
Armenian Church, was led by San Diego ANC Chairman Armen Donigian and
featured remarks by ANC-Western Region Chairman Raffi Hamparian. The
Town Hall meeting concluded with remarks from San Diego ANC Community
Relations Director Sergey Arutunyan.

"I am pleased we hosted this town hall meeting," commented Donigian
after the event concluded. "By reporting to the community on our
efforts, here in San Diego and in our nation’s capital, we remain true
to our grassroots mission. Our ANC chapter looks forward to regularly
hosting town hall meetings so more and more Armenian Americans in the
San Diego area can join our effort to advance the Armenian Cause," the
San Diego ANC Chairman added.

Speaking on behalf of the ANC-Western Region, Raffi Hamparian
addressed five major issues at the town hall gathering, including the
current state of the Armenian Genocide resolution pending in the
second session of the 110th Congress. Hamparian also shared
information on the status of the Millennium Challenge program in
Armenia, U.S. foreign aid to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh, U.S.
military aid to Karabagh and finally he touched on the destruction of
Armenian monuments in Turkey and Azerbaijan. He concluded his remarks
by encouraging all Armenian Americans, young and old, to be active in
public affairs that shape the policies of their government.

The San Diego ANC is led by a number of energetic young professional
Armenian Americans. During the past year, the San Diego ANC has been
working with several local Armenian Organizations including UCSD ASA
(Armenian Student Association), Knights of Vartan, Armenian Relief
Society and St. John Garabed Church to encourage Armenian American
activism throughout the community. Past events include a community
issues briefing in coordination with Genocide Education Project, study
day with UCSD ASA, and meetings with various California Assembly
members including Lori Saldana and Mary Salas. The upcoming year
features a lineup of events, including participation in March Advocacy
Week and a Genocide Symposium in April hosted at UCSD. The San Diego
ANC encourages activists to get involved through the various
subcommittees available and firmly believes that its most valuable
assets are the people.

Individuals interested in joining the San Diego ANC are encouraged to
email Armen Donigian at [email protected] or visit

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization.
Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and
supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Efficiency of Armenia’s constitutional court depends on citizens’ readiness to defend their rights

YEREVAN, February 19. /ARKA/. The efficiency of the RA Constitutional
Court depends on the citizens’ readiness to defend their rights,
President of the RA Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunian said today
in his district polling station.

"Our activities during the presidential election depend on whether
the citizens are willing to protect their rights," he said.

As a result of constitutional amendments, the citizens must lodge
their complaints about violations of electoral rights in ten days,
according to Harutyunian.

Today on February 19, 2008, Armenia is voting for a new president.

Nine candidates have been nominated by the RA Central Electoral
Commission. According to the RA Police, 2mln 328,320 people are
eligible to vote. All the 1,923 polling stations are open from 8:00
to 20:00.-0–

OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OBSERVATION MISSION EVALUATES ELECTIONS

Panorama.am
15:14 19/02/2008

The Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Anne-Marie
Lizin evaluates the process of the elections. She said that there
is a need to hold consultations with the soldiers in the army. She
expressed her opinion after visiting four electoral units. Lizin did
not say particularly what kind of consultation was needed.

The head of the observation mission also said that it was difficult to
evaluate, or to give definite explanations on the elections process,
as everything would be obvious later.

Lizin said that the European observers would be present at closing the
electoral units and calculating the results. The general evaluation
will be published tomorrow.

Source: Panorama.am

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: STATE BODIES ARE FULLY PREPARED FOR ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 17, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The state bodies with their
functions, as well as the electoral commissions are fully prepared
for the elections: all that is envisaged by the Electoral Code is
being implemented in accordance with the schedule, the Armenian
president Robert Kocharian stated in the February 16 interview with
four Armenian TV companies. According to him, during the election
campaign, incidents (their number as compared with their size) have
been within "reasonable limits".

The head of the country positively assessed the work of the observer
missions. "We did not have such constructive cooperation during
the last presidential elections and in general in 2003," he said,
underlining that "our demand has always been the same: an observer
mission should not be turned into an inspection mission, the observers
should register only what they see or the facts that are possible to
check and confirm by means of checks". In the president’s opinion, so
far "there has been quite an objective and balanced approach". In the
past, according to him, observer mission started to become part of the
political process, which is inadmissible. A number of nongovernmental
foreign organizations also displayed an inadmissible activity in
the past: there were facts that they directly edited statements of
the opposition, they worked for months for selection of a common
opposition candidate. Now they are much more balanced and are mainly
implementing training programs on organization of elections.

During the current election campaign, the Armenian president has
not seen any gross intervention of foreign forces and states. In his
words, it is due to the fact that the time of colored revolutions is
over, these revolutions showed that they do not notably improve the
life of the people but they create a tension and have the opposite
impact. Another circumstance, according to R. Kocharian, is that
"we have managed to conduct a balanced policy, developing friendly
relations with our traditional states and creating new formats
and new relations with units of these superpowers and states". The
Armenian president expressed an opinion that the relations with the
U.S. are excellent, and Armenia has entered "a new stage" with the EU,
with an action plan being implemented under the European Neighborhood
Policy. "All this has created a situation when the current authorities
are perceived as the main axis of stability, they are balanced and can
be dealt with. We have neither gone to extremes nor created motives
for gross intervention," he said.

R. Kocharian expressed his amazement at the contents of some
promises made by the presidential candidates during the election
campaign. "There is an impression that most of the presidential
candidates are not familiar with the Constitution: in 2003, the
president was in fact the head of the government, he ratified all
decisions of the government, on his instructions the prime minister
conducted sittings. The situation is quite different now: since the
parliamentary elections in May 2007, I as president have no powers
in the economic sphere. It is only thanks to my personal authority
and personal contacts that I can put forward some thesis or other
through the government". In particular, he expressed perplexity at
the promises to increase fourfold pensions and salaries. "How and by
whom will it be done?

There is a parliamentary majority which forms the government and
is responsible for these issues. Only one candidate – the current
prime minister can make such promises because he is the candidate
of this parliamentary majority: the Republican Party of Armenia and
Prosperous Armenia Party". There will be no conflict between various
branches of power in this respect, while a conflict alsways results
in deterioration of economic indices, consequently life quality. The
Armenian president pointed out: "What does our people need: an
improvement in life quality or pretexts for why some program or other
was not implemented? I think direct improvement in the life is needed".

The president said that promises made during the election campaign also
surprise many diplomats working in Armenia: there is an impression
that these are parliamentary rather than presidential elections: the
president is first of all responsible for the country’s security,
territorial integrity and foreign policy. This peculiarity of the
election campaign, according to the president, comes from the fact
that many do not clearly understand what has happened in the country’s
governance system after the constitutional amendments.