TURKISH MPS WARNS FRANCE AGAINST ARMENIAN BILL
Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
4 Oct 06
Paris, 4 October: “If the French Socialist Party’s draft law, on
making a denial of the so-called Armenian genocide a crime in France,
is adopted, this would harm Turkish-French relations,” said Mehmet
Dulger, a deputy from the [ruling] Justice and Development Party
(AKP) and chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission,
in Paris today.
The Turkish parliamentary delegation held talks in Paris and lobbied
against the draft law that makes denial of so-called Armenian genocide
a crime in France.
In a press briefing at the Turkish embassy in Paris, Dulger stressed
that “French economic interests in Turkey will get (negatively)
affected if the draft law is accepted”.
Deputy leader of the [opposition] Turkish Republican People’s Party
(CHP) Onur Oymen indicated that the draft law in the French parliament
is against the freedom of expression of ideas and the European Human
Rights Treaty.
“No one can take away the right to freely express that Turkish
ancestors did not kill Armenians,” said Oymen.
The draft law will be voted on in the French parliament’s general
assembly on 12 October. The French Senate must also approve the
draft law for it to go into effect. The draft law makes any denial of
so-called Armenian genocide a crime to be punishable with one year’s
jail term or a fine of 45,000 euro.
The Turkish delegation departed from Paris and is heading to Turkey.

US CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MG URGES AZERBAIJAN TO BE PATIENT
ARMINFO News Agency
October 4, 2006 Wednesday
During a meeting with Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev the US
co-chair of the OSCE MG Matthew Bryza urged Azerbaijan to be patient.
AzerTag reports Bryza to say that Azerbaijan surpasses in Armenia in
all spheres and to urge the country to wait a little bit more. Bryza
said that, besides being the OSCE MG co-chair, he is also responsible
for the resolution of other conflicts in the region, for energy
security in Europe and the development of friendly relations between
the US and Azerbaijan. He said that Azerbaijan is important for
the US and Washington highly appreciates the country’s political
and economic achievements. Bryza thanked the Azeri authorities for
active support in the US’ anti-terror activities. He said that the
international community wants the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be
resolved through peace talks.
In his turn, Abiyev said that the talks are ineffective and that
the OSCE MG’s activities have not given positive results yet. He
said that the key obstacle to the further development of Azeri-US
strategic relations is the unsettled state of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Abiyev pointed out that “Armenia has occupied Azeri lands.
Azerbaijan will not yield a single inch of its land. The conflict
must be resolved in line with the international law and territorial
integrity principle. If the peace talks give no result, Azerbaijan
will restore its territorial integrity on its own.”
AzerTag does not specify if Bryza called for patience in response
to this phrase but gives the phrases exactly in this sequence, which
suggests a certain conclusion.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRENCH PRODUCER ROBER KESHISHYAN CHANGED SUBJECTS, FROM PAST FOR FUTURE
ARMINFO News Agency
October 4, 2006 Wednesday
The French producer Rober Keshishyan , the author of a well-known film
“Aram”, has completed the shootings of a new documentary film named
“Renascent Armenia”.
As the producer’s representative in Armenia, Haik Martorossyan, told
ArmInfo correspondent, the clients of the film shootings are several
French film-production companies. “I will not touch upon the Armenian
Genocide subject in this film since the “Aram” film had done it”,
Keshishyan said. In his opinion, the Armenians are associated for the
European audience with the Genocide subject only, thus, it is time
to show Armenia as a developing and prosperous country. “I want to
show the modern Yerevan to the West, the culture of Armenians with
its rich history”, Keshishyan noted. For this purpose, the producer
has already managed to shoot in Armenia a historical-cultural unique
monuments of the Armenian people.
Keshishyan has also decided to make a film about the Sept 30 Yerevan
concert of great Charles Aznavour. The film will show the concert
through the eyes of the audience. The project will be shown in Europe
in Jan-Feb 2007.
To note, Robert Keshishyan is economist, historian and expert on modern
literature but has been making films since 1986. He has taken part in
such projects as Beaumarchais, Bribe, Taxi, Asterix & Obelix: Mission
Cleopatre. The Armenian audience knows him better for his films Born
Rome! and Aram. The latter film is a story of French Armenian fidai –
a mixture of drama and thriller about the hard consequences of the
Armenian Genocide.

PRESENTATION OF THE “REVIVAL OF SHOUSHI” FUND AND MEETING OF TRUSTEES COUNCIL
ARMINFO News Agency
October 4, 2006 Wednesday
Today in Shoushi, the Republic of Nagorni-Karabakh, presentation
of the ‘Revival of Shoushi’ fund and a session of the Trustees
Council took place. ArmInfo reports that apart from the members of
the fund, Yervand Zakharyan, Mayor of Yerevan, Anoushavan Danielyan,
Prime-Minister of Nagorni-Karabakh, and other power representatives
were present at the meeting.
“The ‘Revival of Shoushi’ fund announces the union of material and
spiritual potential to rebirth the glory, educational and other
traditions of the city,.”
Anoushavan Danielyan noted that the Fund has gained credibility of
the Government of the Republic. He expressed hope that his further
work will add to the credibility.
The prime-minister of NKR said that all organizations supporting
Shoushi should cooperate. “Entrepreneurs of Artsakh and Armenia should
serve an example for others”, he pointed out.
‘The Revival of Shoushi’ fund under the initiative of the Mayor
of Yerevan was established in spring 2006 as a non-governmental
humanitarian organization. Members of the fund are famous people
dealing with social and religious spheres of Armenia: Sos Sargsyan,
Levon Ananyan, Flora Nakhshkaryan, Zory Balayan, Bakyr Karapetyan,
Pargev Martirosyan, the archbishop, and others. The fund has an
architecture council. Its key task is to work out the master plan
of the town to be a Pan-Armenian cultural, educational, scientific
and tourist center. The short-term program of the fund stipulates
creation and implementation of different programs including design
and construction works till the end of the year. The fund attempts
to present a complex investment and architectural program of Shoushi
town and to take measures to improve social and economical conditions
of the population.

VYACHESLAV IVANKOV CLAIMS MINISTERIAL POST IN ARMENIA: ARMENIAN MP
ARMINFO News Agency
October 4, 2006 Wednesday
The well-known Russian criminal figure Vyacheslav Ivankov, nicknamed
Yaponchik, has recently arrived in Armenia to realize his political
plans, Armenian parliamentarian Hmayak Hovhanissyan said in the
Armenian parliament, Wednesday.
He said V. Ivankov enjoyed a high level reception in the country,
which allows one to think that Yaponchik’s proposal was accepted.
That is, Ivankov intends to occupy a ministerial post after the
parliamentary elections in Armenia in the one of the ruling parties
known with its criminal authorities with various nicknames, the
parliamentarian said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA WILL GO ON CONCESSIONS IN KARABAKH ISSUE ONLY SUBJECT TO REFERENDUM FOR STATUS OF NAGORNY KARABAKH
ARMINFO News Agency
October 4, 2006 Wednesday
Even if the Armenian party goes on a territorial concession in the
Karabakh issue, it will be only in exchange for a referendum for the
status of Nagorny Karabakh, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
told journalists.
“We shall go on a concession only if all the steps in the package on
settlement of Karabakh conflict are clear for the Armenian party. It is
also important for Armenia that Nagorny Karabakh has an international
status before the referendum, he said. Let it be a status of an
administrative unit having direct ties with international structures
guaranteeing its security and not the status of an unrecognized
republic, the premier said.
As regards the UN Resolution “On the Situation in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan,” the premier said this document contains
sound title contradicting to the position of Armenia. However, it
plays no key role in the settlement of Karabakh problem.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: FURTHER AGGRAVATION OF RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS MAY CAUSE COMPLETE ISOLATION OF ARMENIA
ARMINFO News Agency
October 4, 2006 Wednesday
Armnfo. Today, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan stated
in the Parliament that the further aggravation of Russian-Georgian
relations may cause the complete isolation of Armenia.
Markaryan said that he discussed this issue with the US co-chairman
of the OSCE Minsk Group Mathew Bryza and emphasized the creation
of the mechanisms which will help Armenia avoid the results of
further aggravation of Russian- Georgian relations. At the moment
this aggravation has not affected Armenia, particularly, the cargo
transportation. As regards the land transportation to Armenia through
Russia and Georgia, the Prime Minister thinks, this way through
“Upper Lars” customs point closed six months ago. It turns out that
the two states solve their problems on account of Armenia’s interests,
Margaryan says. Transportation from Georgia to Armenia is stable
through the ports of Poti and Batumi. Speaking of the possibility
of Armenia to carry out the mission of a mediator between Russia
and Georgia, Margaryan said that there is no suggestion of that kind
from the sides. If we get such an offer we’ll discuss it, though the
intermediary mission between Russia and Georgia is already on a high
level, he stated. As to the Armenian citizens detained in Georgia for
intruding the state border of Georgia, Margaryan said this question
is being discussed with Tbilisi. “I have discussed the question
of the Armenian citizens’ release with the Georgian Prime Minister
lately and I think he takes a positive view of it”, he noted. At the
same time he condemned those citizens of Armenia who, despite the
Armenian government’s request to abstain from trips to Abkhazia and
South Osetia, violated the laws of the neighboring country.

TURKISH MINISTER URGES EU, FRANCE NOT TO “INTERFERE” IN ARMENIAN ISSUE
Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
4 Oct 06
Brussels, 4 October: Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullatif Sener warned the EU and some other countries not to
interfere in Turkish-Armenian relations.
Sener is in Belgian capital of Brussels to participate in events
organized by the Turkish Industrialists’ & Businessmen’s Association
(TUSIAD) and European Policy Centre to mark the first anniversary of
the start of Turkey-EU negotiations.
In an exclusive interview with the AA [Anatolia] correspondent,
Sener referred to French President Jacques Chirac’s remarks about the
so-called Armenian genocide allegations, and said: “Chirac said that
recognition of so-called Armenian genocide should be a precondition
before Turkey’s EU membership. A resolution is being discussed in
France and it foresees fine and imprisonment for those who deny
Armenian genocide. It is not possible to accept such an attitude.
This is against the cultural atmosphere the EU is trying to create.”
“Armenia is not a European country, it is an Asian country. So, it is
a third country for the EU. So, it is meaningless to bring this matter
up within the scope of Turkey’s EU membership process,” he stated.
Sener added: “Whether it is an EU member or another country, everybody
who is affecting the Armenian policy from outside should give up his
endeavours. Chirac’s remarks are not sincere, they aim to affect the
domestic policy.” [Passage omitted]

REBEL WITH A CAUSE AND A SIMPLE STRATEGY
by Peter Koven, Financial Post
National Post’s Financial Post & FP Investing (Canada)
October 4, 2006 Wednesday
Toronto Edition
George Armoyan is a tenant. Housing prices in Toronto are outlandish,
he says, so there’s no sense in buying. So each month he hands over
a rent cheque to his landlord, who happens to live next door: Ted
Rogers, CEO of Rogers Communications Inc.
This relationship, however, doesn’t mean the pair would get along in
a boardroom.
Mr. Armoyan has made a name for himself investing in some of the
worst income trusts on the market. Despite his attraction to the ugly,
there’s only two things that turn him off a company, both of which are
trademarks of Mr. Rogers: long-term debt and multiple-voting shares.
“Most of these income trusts, for the people selling them [in initial
public offerings], to get a higher price, they’re trying to put
long-term debt in with the idea that you don’t have to amortize,
you don’t have to pay for it,” he says.
“And when you do that — as my late grandmother put it — ‘Ultimately,
son, the ice will melt and the shit will come out.'”
In just a few short years, Mr. Armoyan has emerged as the foremost
activist investor in the income trust sector. His strategy is simple:
Buy minority stakes of up to 20% in troubled companies, primarily
trusts that have cut distributions. Start a dialogue with management,
get on the board, and do whatever is necessary to boost shareholder
value. He makes the investments through Clarke Inc., a publically
traded company and until recently private holding company Geosam
Investments.
His success speaks for itself. Whenever he reveals his latest target
company, that firm’s unit price inevitably jumps as other investors
follow him in. They like having a hands-on investor like Mr. Armoyan
in their corner.
And they have been following him a lot lately. In the past couple of
months, Mr. Armoyan has gone on a spending spree, buying stakes in a
wide variety of troubled companies that share little in common other
than that few other investors wanted to touch them until Mr. Armoyan
got involved.
“In just the last while, because there’s been so many failures, so
many cuts in distributions, quite a lot of people have lost faith in
the income trust, especially the business trust,” he says.
Mr. Armoyan isn’t necessarily a fan of the income trust structure —
he believes most of these companies should never have gone public
as trusts in the first place, and thinks the sector’s accounting
practices are a joke. But as trusts slash their distributions and
investors turn sour on them, he sees huge opportunities.
Entertainment One is a good example. The wholesale DVD and CD
distributor suspended its monthly distributions in June amid concerns
that it would violate its debt covenants.
As the units plunged and other investors bailed out, Mr. Armoyan
and his team of analysts sat down and took a look. He did the math
and couldn’t understand why the units would be down more than 80%
when the company was doing something he approved of: paying down debt.
“I”m not looking for the distribution. I’m looking for the
fundamentals. If a company stops distributions for the purpose
of paying their debt, that’s fine. That’s building equity for the
unitholders as far as I’m concerned.”
His investment has paid off already. Last week, Entertainment One
said it received an unsolicited takeover proposal, and has hired an
investment bank to evaluate a possible sale.
The units shot up 14%. He bought more of it.
Since he buys stakes in so many genuinely troubled companies,
Mr. Armoyan anticipates that some of his investments aren’t going to
pay off. There’s already a stand-out disaster: Hip Interactive Corp.,
a video game maker that declared bankruptcy last year. He was on the
board for less than a month, but was quickly appalled by the practices
of the company and its board.
But the successes greatly outweigh the failures. One of his biggest
triumphs was at Clarke, a Halifax-based trucking company. He bought
into Clarke in 2002, four years after it went public. In that time,
the shares had lost about half their value while management raised
their salaries. He ousted management, but then took another step and
appointed himself as CEO. Why do that? “I guess it was just easy to
get control of.” Clarke shares have been on a steadily upward trend
ever since.
Mr. Armoyan is of Armenian descent and was born in Syria. He immigrated
to Halifax when he was a teenager and studied civil engineering
at Dalhousie.
He never got around to earning an MBA but goes to Harvard every year
for about a week as part of an executive program. Once there, he works
on case studies non-stop with 150 other executives from more than 30
different companies. He likes it because it shows him how people with
different cultural backgrounds can approach the same problem. The
Harvard experience can also guide his own investing strategy.
“I like to see what the theme of the year is. Last year it was real
estate. A few years ago it was the Internet. So usually, by the time
Harvard professors get to some cases and they start doing it, that
means it’s time to get the hell out of that business.”
[email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, EU COMMISSIONER TELLS TURKEY
Agence France Presse — English
October 4, 2006 Wednesday 2:31 PM GMT
Turkey must take steps to ensure freedom of expression if it wants
to join the European Union, European Enlargement Commissioner Ollie
Rehn said Wednesday, adding the issue was non-negotiable.
“This is not a bargaining issue. Freedom of expression is one of
the fundamental values of the EU,” Rehn told the NTV television
news channel. “It will be in Turkey’s interest to guarantee freedom
of expression.”
Brussels has recently raised concerns over free speech in Turkey after
a string of intellectuals were brought to trial under a much-criticized
article of the penal code.
The code’s Article 301 foresees up to three years imprisonment
for “denigrating Turkish national identity” and “insulting state
institutions.”
No one has been jailed yet under the provision. But in July the
appeals court confirmed a suspended six-month sentence handed down
to Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, setting a precedent for
dozens of other pending cases.
“We need to see some steps being taken to amend the notorious Article
301 so that freedom of expression can be fully guaranteed in Turkey,”
Rehn told NTV.
“There is no charge in European penal codes about insulting Finnishness
or Britishness,” he said. “And when we look at the implementation in
Turkey, we see that Article 301 is interpreted by prosecutors, courts
and lawyers in a way that very much limits freedom of expression.”
The Turkish government has said it is committed to pursue democratic
reforms to ease its entry into the EU and said it is open to proposals
to amend Article 301.
Rehn’s remarks came ahead of a crucial annual report that the EU’s
executive arm — the European Commission — will issue on November
8 on Turkey’s progress in its membership talks with the EU, which
began in October 2005.
Apart from human rights concerns, the talks have also been clouded by
Turkey’s refusal to open its air and sea ports to Cyprus, an EU-member
state Ankara does not recognize.
The EU has warned Turkey that the talks could be suspended if it
refuses to grant trade privileges to Cyprus under a customs union
agreement with the 25-nation bloc.
Ankara insists that Cypriot ships and planes will remain barred from
Turkish ports unless the EU unless delivers on its promise to ease
trade restrictions on the island’s breakaway Turkish Cypriot state,
recognized only by Turkey.
The Finnish presidency of the bloc has proposed a formula to help
resolve the stalemate.
Rehn is scheduled to leave Turkey Thursday after talks with Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.