ARMENIAN PEACEMAKING CONTINGENT’S STAY IN IRAQ WILL BE MEANINGLESS IN 15-18 MONTHS: MEMBER OF ARF DASHNAKTSUTSYUN PARTY
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
The Armenian peacemaking contingent’s stay in Iraq will be meaningless
in 15-18 months, Kiro Manoyan, the head of the Armenian office of the
“Hay Dat” organization and a member of the ARF Dashnaktsutsyun Party,
said at a press-conference in the National press-club, Thursday.
He reminded that the ARF Dashnaktsutsyun Party strongly objected to
sending the Armenian peacemakers to Iraq for a number of reasons,
first of all, because of Diaspora’s concern about this. However,
the authorities of the country had to send the contingent under the
pressure of the USA. Official Yerevan has conducted complimentary
foreign policy – it yielded to the pressure of the USA, resisting
the pressure of Russia which was against, Manoyan noted. However,
he is convinced that in 15-18 months the necessity of the Armenian
peacemakers in Iraq will be no longer relevant, as even such a loyal
ally of the USA as Great Britain has already declared its intention
to withdraw its peacemakers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMBAT ACTIONS WON’T START IN THE NKR ZONE SOON, DEFENSE MINISTER OF ARMENIA
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
Serzh Sargsyan, Secretary of the National Security Council at the
President of Armenia and the Minister of Defense of Armenia, at the
meeting with relatives of the military men serving in Gyumri, said
that combat actions in the zone of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict won’t
re-start soon.
Notwithstanding the militarist calls of Azeri authorities, “Azeris
can’t commence military actions today, they won’t succeed in it and
it is not a secret to anybody”, said the Minister. He explained the
militarist statements of Azeri authorities with their intention to
justify their huge military budget and to draw grounds for it.
S. Sargsyan said that the one who starts the war first will lose. He
pointed out that Azeris will abstain from military actions because
of the pressure from international community. The one who breaks the
present ‘non peace non war’ conditions will lose because negotiations
on settlement of the conflict are in the progress now.

VENICE’S HAUNTED PALAZZO IS SOLD: GRISLY TALES HOLD NO FEAR FOR AMERICAN BUYER
National Post (f/k/a The Financial Post) (Canada)
Calgary & Vancouver Edition
November 16, 2006 Thursday
ROME – Venice’s most famous haunted house, the Ca Dario on the Grand
Canal, has been sold to an unnamed American entrepreneur, despite
its grisly past.
The four-storey palazzo, elegantly clad in pink marble, has lain
vacant for the past decade because Venetians are so scared of its
history. Almost all of its inhabitants in the five centuries since
it was built have come to an untimely end.
Its last owner, Raul Gardini, a business tycoon, shot himself shortly
after buying the house because he feared arrest for allegedly paying
out more than (ps)50-million ($107-million) in bribes to politicians.
Before him, in the 1970s, Giordano delle Lanze was bludgeoned to
death with a statue by his gay lover, an 18-year-old Croatian sailor.
Christopher Lambert, an Englishman who bought the house in the ’80s,
fell down the stairs of his London house shortly after signing the
deeds, in an apparent suicide.
Local folklore claims the curse on the house comes from the Knights
Templar cemetery it is built over. The palazzo was completed in 1487
by Giovanni Dario, a senator. He lived in it with his daughter and
son-in-law, until she committed suicide.
In the 16th century, the house was lived in by the Barbaro family
until their son, Giacomo, was killed in an ambush. An Armenian jewel
merchant went bankrupt after buying it.
In later centuries, there was a suicide at a party in front of guests
and an American who bought the house fled the country when rumours of
his homosexuality leaked out. His lover then killed himself in Mexico.
The buyer of the palazzo has not revealed his identity, but has
paid $11-million for it, according to the newspaper La Stampa. In
recent years, the Dario palazzo has been offered to the Guggenheim
and Benetton families, both of whom turned it down.
It has also been marketed to Woody Allen and Elton John. Venetians
currently go on ghost tours of the property during the day, but are
loath to stay there past sunset.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KYO PLANNING ‘ARMCHAIR’ CONCERT
Peterborough Examiner (Ontario)
November 16, 2006 Thursday
The Kawartha Youth Orchestra performs Nov. 26 at The Market Hall.
“The musicians of the Kawartha Youth Orchestra and their conductor
Michael Newnham invite you to join them in a musical excursion for
the ears, and no passport is required,” states a press release.
The armchair trip takes place at 3 p.m. “On this voyage you will
not only experience the impressive musicality of this group of young
talented musicians, but also discover a number of genres of music as
witnessed in the composers’ motivation.”
Composer Franz Schubert wrote his Rosamund Overture as a commission
for a well-heeled client, as incidental music to accompany an
ill-fated opera of the same name. The impetus for Aram Khatchaturian’s
composition Masquerade Suite came not only from Lermontov’s dramatic
saga of a couple’s jealousy and mistrust, but also from the troubled
history of his Armenian homeland.
Claude Debussy’s composition Petite Suite evokes, in part, the sense
of floating in a small boat on a stream. From a musical excerpt in
Jacques Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman written to illuminate a young
university student’s stories of his three greatest loves as recounted
to his drinking buddies, to Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata Jesu Joy
of Man’s Desiring drawn from a larger hymn meant to be played during
a church service, you the listener are in for a varied experience!
In a single afternoon’s concert the audience will travel musically
from Bach’s Germany of the 17th century, through Debussy’s France of
the late 1880s to Katchaturian’s adopted home of Russia in the mid
20th century.
Advance tickets are $10, available at Happenstance Books and Yarn
in Lakefield, Titles Bookstore in Peterborough or by calling 705
740-9018. Tickets will also be available at the door for $12.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH ARMY SUSPENDS RELATIONS WITH FRANCE OVER ARMENIAN QUESTION
Agence France Presse — English
November 16, 2006 Thursday 1:03 AM GMT
The Turkish army has suspended its military relations with France
in retaliation for a French parliamentary bill which would make it a
crime to deny that the World War I massacre of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks constituted genocide, the army chief said late Wednesday.
No high-level visits had taken place between the two countries for
that reason, General Ilker Basbug was quoted as telling journalists
at a reception here by the semi-official Anatolia news agency.
Turkey has warned that bilateral ties will suffer a great blow if
France adopts the bill, which foresees one year in jail for anyone
who denies that Armenians were the victims of genocide by Ottoman
Turks between 1915-17.
The bill was approved by the lower house of the French parliament last
month but still needs the approval of the Senate and the president
to take effect.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their people were slaughtered
in orchestrated killings during the last years of the Ottoman Empire,
modern Turkey’s predecessor.
But Turkey rejects the use of the term “genocide”, saying some 300,000
Armenians died when the Ottoman Empire fell apart, but at least as
many Turks did too.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRANCE DOWNPLAYS TURKISH SUSPENSION OF MILITARY TIES
By Jenny Barchfield, Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
November 16, 2006 Thursday 5:34 PM GMT
France’s Defense Ministry said Thursday there was no immediate impact
from Turkey’s announced suspension of military ties in a dispute over
the mass killing of Armenians in the early 20th century.
Turkey’s land forces commander, Gen. Ilker Basbug, announced the
cut Wednesday amid a debate over whether 1915 killings of Armenians
constitutes genocide. France’s lower house of parliament has passed
a bill outlawing denials that genocide occurred, angering Turkey.
Defense Ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau noted that the
suspension came from a military commander, not from Turkey’s civilian
government, and that French authorities had not received official word
from Turkey on delays or cancelations in joint military operations.
France believes that existing cooperation with Turkey will continue.
Specifically, Bureau mentioned operations in the Balkans and in
Afghanistan.
“There is a relationship of work and cooperation in these operational
commitments with Turkey that are extremely important and which,
in our eyes, will continue,” he said.
Bureau said Turkey could retract permission for French military
ships to dock in its waters and make it more difficult for France to
obtain permission to fly through Turkish airspace, but that had not
yet happened.
“Until now, the announcement has not had any practical and concrete
effects,” he said, although he added that they could come in the
future.
He described military cooperation between both countries, which include
joint exercises and training as well as peacekeeping operations, as
“constant” and “continuous.”
Turkey is scheduled to take over command of a NATO peacekeeping
operation in Kabul, Afghanistan, from France in April 2007, Bureau
said. He added that any Turkish decision to pull out of its engagements
in Afghanistan would hurt NATO more than France.
Turkey vehemently denies it committed genocide against Armenians,
although many nations have classified the killings as such and say
some 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died in mass
expulsions and fighting, but says the number is exaggerated and
that most were killed in interethnic battles as the Ottoman Empire
collapsed.
In France, which has a large Armenian community, the lower house
of parliament infuriated Turkey in October by approving a bill that
would make it a crime to deny that Turks committed genocide against
Armenians. But the bill is not expected to become law because President
Jacques Chirac does not approve of it.
The Armenian issue is one of the most divisive and emotional in
Turkey. Those who classify the killings as genocide are often accused
of treason.
The European Union has criticized the French bill, saying it does
not respect the principle of free expression and does not promote
dialogue with Turkey, a hopeful EU candidate.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei highlighted
the extent of cooperation between the two counties, saying their
armed forces work together “very closely in several theaters.”
“In Afghanistan, our troops, like those from Turkey and Italy, are
stationed at the same base in Kabul,” said Mattei.
“Our troops are also engaged side by side in Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo
and in Congo,” he said, “so there is close cooperation and great
mutual respect between the French and Turkish armed forces.”

TURKISH GENERAL SAYS MILITARY TIES WITH FRANCE “SUSPENDED”
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 15 2006
Ankara, 15 November: “Our military relations with France have been
suspended after the French national assembly approved the bill on
so-called Armenian genocide,” said Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen.
Ilker Basbug on Wednesday [15 November].
Tamer Gazioglu, Ambassador of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) to Turkey, hosted a reception in Ankara on the occasion of
the 23rd anniversary of foundation of the TRNC.
Replying to questions of journalists during the reception, Gen.
Basbug said: “Our military relations with France have been suspended
after the French national assembly approved the bill on so-called
Armenian genocide. Also, high-level visits do not take place between
the two countries.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul
said in his part: “Recent economic developments in the TRNC are quite
pleasing. Those, who are interested in the Cyprus issue, need to talk
to President Mehmet Ali Talat of the TRNC now. We hope that the best
solution proposals will be made by taking into consideration the
facts on the island.”

TURKISH BUSINESS OFFICIAL SLAMS FRENCH BILL ON “GENOCIDE”
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 16 2006
Paris, 16 November: “The bill approved by the French National
Assembly over the so-called Armenian genocide, is contrary to freedom
of expression,” said Pekin Baran, deputy chairman of the Turkish
Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD), on Thursday
[16 November].
The conference hosted by Paris-based Montaigne Institute on “Europe:
Which values, which borders?” became stage of an ardent argument
between Baran and Patrik Deveciyan, French MP of Armenian origin.
During the conference, Deveciyan claimed that Turkey could not be a
member of the EU since the EU did not approve nationalist feelings.
He said that the bill was submitted to the French national assembly
to prevent demonstrations like the one against Armenian monument in
Lyon in the past.
In response, Baran stressed that the freedom of expression was one of
the most important values of the Union, but France seriously violated
that value by approving such a bill.
Pointing out to political and economic contributions of Turkey to the
EU in future, Baran stressed: “Turkey’s EU membership is essential
for a powerful Europe in the globalizing world.”

TURKISH ASSOCIATION HEAD ACCUSES ARMENIAN DIASPORA OF AIDING KURD REBELS
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 16 2006
Erzurum, 16 November: “Armenian Diaspora supported and expended
large amounts of financial assistance to terrorist PKK [Kurdistan
Workers’ Party] to weaken and fragment Turkey,” Associate Professor
Savas Egilmez, the Chairman of Association on Fight Against Baseless
Allegations of Genocide, said on Thursday [16 November].
In an exclusive interview with the A.A correspondent, Egilmez said:
“We have been carrying out intensive efforts in the national and
international platforms to explain that so-called allegations of
Armenian genocide is a lie.”
“Despite the affirmative responses, we started to get negative
reactions recently. We have assessed that supporters of the terrorist
organization is the source of the reactions that were sent through
e-mail,” he noted.
Egilmez indicated that Armenian-PKK relationship was once again
revealed with the reactions, noting that “upon the reactions in the
world in 1980’s, the Armenian terrorist organizations changed tactics
and cooperated with the PKK terrorist organization”.
Egilmez said terrorist PKK organization in 1980 proclaimed 21-28
April the week of “Red Week” and remembered 24 April as the so-called
genocide day of the Armenians.
“Another remarkable example regarding Armenian-PKK relationship is
the meeting in Beirut between 6 and 9 January1993. Lebanese Armenian
Orthodox Archbishop, Armenian party executives and 150 youngsters
attended the meetings that were held in two separate churches. At
the meeting, the archbishop underlined that the Armenian society
was growing gradually and strengthened in economic means. He said
so-called genocide was started to be known better in the world thanks
to the propaganda activities,” Egilmez said.
“The Archbishop unveiled their real faces by saying, ‘Armenian state
was established and broadens its territories day by day. The support
to PKK activities in Turkey rises. Thanks to this support, Turkish
economy will drop to zero, the country will be dragged into chaos,
and Turkey will enter fragmentation process. Turkish territories will
be in the hands of Armenia tomorrow’,” Egilmez said.
PKK-Armenian agreement
Egilmez said the Armenian diaspora in Lebanon made an agreement with
the terrorist organization in 1987.
“A decision was made in the agreement that Armenians would get training
in PKK. It was also decided that Armenians would pay 5,000 dollars
to PKK for each person,” he said.
Egilmez said: “It was also decided in the agreement that Armenians
would make the intelligence in the activities against security forces
in Turkey. It was even stated in this agreement that the territory
that would be seized after fragmentation of Turkey would be shared
equally. Armenians also pledged to meet 75 per cent of the costs of
camps of the terrorist organization.”
US and others
Underlining that the United States and the European countries accepted
PKK as terrorist organization, Egilmez said: “The US and European
countries know about the relations of the Armenians with PKK. Those
who want to accuse Turkey should not forget this fact.”

RUSSIA’S VIMPELCOM CLOSES DEAL TO BUY 90% IN ARMENIA’S ARMENTEL
Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
November 16, 2006 Thursday 7:22 PM EET
Russia’s second largest mobile operator VimpelCom has completed a deal
to buy a 90% stake in Armenia’s incumbent telecom operator ArmenTel
for a total of 381.9 million euros, an official with VimpelCom told
Prime-Tass Thursday.
VimpelCom in early November agreed to buy the stake from Greece’s
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (OTE) for 341.9 million
euros plus assuming ArmenTel’s debt of about 40 million euros.
The Armenian government holds the remaining 10% stake in ArmenTel
and said earlier this month that it may sell the stake to VimpelCom.
ArmenTel is a fixed-line and mobile operator in Armenia with licenses
in the GSM 900 and CDMA standards. ArmenTel’s subscriber base
includes approximately 600,000 fixed-line subscribers and 400,000
GSM subscribers. Armenia’s population is about 3.2 million people.
VimpelCom operates in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan and plans to launch services in Georgia soon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress