Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
29 Sep 06
TURKISH MP SLAMS DUTCH PARTIES FOR REJECTING CANDIDATES OVER GENOCIDE VIEWS
Ankara, 29 September: Canan Aritman, an MP of the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP), sent letters to leaders of Dutch
political parties to condemn their decision not to accept the
candidacies of three people of Turkish descent for they reject the
so-called Armenian genocide.
In her letters to Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende and Labour Party
leader Michiel van Hulten [title and name as published], Aritman
qualified this decision as an anti-democratic approach.
Aritman said that such a thing cannot be allowed in any political
party which advocates democracy, and noted that this decision is a
violation of freedom of thought, and is against human rights.
Stating that this is a stroke on the democratic rights and liberties
of Turkish community and the parliamentary democracy in the
Netherlands, Aritman said that such moves will prevent Turkish
community from participating in active politics.
Aritman wished that Dutch parties will change their mind soon to
ensure a real democracy, human rights and freedoms.
Three people of Turkish origin, namely Erdinc Sacan (Social Democrat
Labour Party-PvdA), Ayhan Tonca and Osman Elmaci (Christian Democrat
Party-CDA) were excluded from parliamentarian candidacy lists due to
the campaigns launched by the Armenian diaspora. They were running
for the early general election in the Netherlands due on 22 November.

The Courier Mail (Australia)
September 29, 2006 Friday
First with the news Edition
Darchinyan’s power trip doesn’t faze Filipino foe in Vegas battle
by Grantlee Kieza
AUSTRALIA’S world flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan has challenged
his hard-hitting opponent Glenn Donaire to stand and trade power
shots with him when they slug it out in Las Vegas next week.
At a heated press conference in Los Angeles yesterday ahead of their
big battle, Donaire, a California-based Filipino, said he was not
intimidated by Darchinyan’s reputation as one of the best punchers in
world boxing.
The unbeaten Armenian-born champion from Sydney has won all five of
his world title fights by knockout and says it will be no different
when he faces Donaire at the Mandalay Bay Casino on Sunday week.
But Donaire fired up Darchinyan yesterday with dismissive comments
about the IBF champion’s lack of technique.
”Darchinyan does not have a style,” said the 26-year-old Filipino
who has 16 wins and a draw from 19 pro fights.
”He waits for the lucky punch with his left hand. He can be strong,
but I will beat him. His past opponents have been intimidated by him.
Not me.”
But Darchinyan, 30, who defends his world title on the same night
that Gold Coast fighter Paul Briggs faces world light-heavyweight
champ Tomasz Adamek in Chicago, says Donaire is in for a shock.
”I have been sparring guys 12kg heavier than me in Los Angeles and I
will knock this guy out, too,” said Darchinyan, who has won all 26
of his fights (21 by KO) since turning professional after the Sydney
Olympics.
Meanwhile, Briggs, who leaves for Chicago with trainer Johnny Lewis
today, says sparring with Melbourne’s Sam Soliman has been the key to
his preparation for revenge against the lanky Pole. Adamek outpointed
him for the world title in Chicago last year.

The Japan Times
September 29, 2006, Friday
Half a glass in Turkey
The case of Turkish novelist Elif Shafak makes it hard to decide
whether the glass that is Turkey is half-full or half-empty.
Ms. Shafak is the author of a best-selling novel titled “The Bastard
of Istanbul.” The book, set in the waning years of the Ottoman
Empire, features an Armenian character who uses the term “genocide”
to describe the Turkish deportations of 1915 in which almost a
million Armenians died. Turkey denies there was a genocide, and its
recently updated penal code makes use of that term, or others deemed
critical of the government, a criminal offense.
Earlier this year, Ms. Shafak was charged under the code with
“insulting Turkishness,” punishable by up to three years in prison.
The glass certainly looks half-empty when one considers that this was
even possible, particularly in a country that casts itself as a
modern, secular bastion of democracy with credible aspirations to
join the European Union. Nor was Ms. Shafak alone. Her case followed
a string of others, including the arrest last year, on the same
charge, of Turkey’s best-known writer, Orhan Pamuk.
The glass looks half full, however, since an Istanbul court acquitted
Ms. Shafak on Sept. 21, citing lack of evidence. It would have done
better to cite the simultaneous frivolity and menace of the charge –
and to remind prosecutors that censorship of fictional characters is
incompatible with freedom of speech – but the decision came as a
relief nonetheless. Its speed and clarity presumably makes it less
likely that the law will be used against other artists anytime soon.
Turkey’s problem is that it is under pressure from two directions:
the European Union, which is urging the government to improve human
rights, and nationalists at home who would like nothing better than
to scuttle the country’s chances of joining the bloc. Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hinted that the government might revise the
part of the code used to prosecute Ms. Shafak. Revising it isn’t
enough: If Turkey is serious about freedom of speech, not to mention
the EU, it ought to abolish it. That would make the glass far less
murky.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 29, 2006 Friday
ALIYEV SEARCHES FOR A NEW PEACEKEEPING FORMAT
by Sohbet Mamedov
BAKU OFFERS EUROPE ENERGY IN RETURN FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION;
The authorities of Azerbaijan insist on an expansion in the format of
the peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev retains the hopes to enlarge the
format of the Karabakh conflict resolution and to have other
international structures pooling their efforts with those of the OSCE
Minsk Group. Aliyev was one of the authors and promoters of the idea
to include on the agenda of the session of the 61st UN General
Assembly of the issue “Latent conflicts in GUAM countries, their
consequences for international peace, security, and development”.
Aliyev also brought up the issue of Karabakh at the international
forum Bertelsmann’2006 in Berlin.
Aliyev made his point. He said that Europe should become deeper
involved in the Karabakh conflict resolution and therefore help
establish peace in the region if it wanted energy security for itself
and regular deliveries of energy resources from Azerbaijan.
Local analysts say that Aliyev’s initiatives in Europe indicate
Baku’s disappointment with the course of the peace process and world
powers’ performance (Washington and Moscow) as mediators in
resolution of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku political scientist Alpai Ahmed says that
Russia and the United States support territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan only in words but never take any practical steps in this
sphere. According to Ahmed, Moscow is even supplying weapons and
military hardware to Armenia (occupier of almost 20% of the territory
of Azerbaijan) while the US Administration prompted by the strong
Armenian lobby in the US Congress finances Yerevan.
Azerbaijani political scientists say that Azerbaijan does not really
have a choice in the situation being what it is. It needs a new
format in the conflict resolution or it will have to launch a
military operation to finally liberate its own territory. Calls for
the latter option become louder and louder in Baku. The powerful
non-governmental Karabakh Liberation Organization drafted the
National Platform of Karabakh Conflict Resolution the other day.
Organization leader Akif Nagi told journalists that the document
viewed a military solution as “the only acceptable means of conflict
resolution within the framework of Azerbaijani national interests.”
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 26, 2006, p. 6
Translated by A. Ignatkin

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
29 Sep 06
AGENDA OF FRENCH LEADER’S VISIT TO ARMENIA
Yerevan, 29 September: [French President] Jacques Chirac will attend
the opening of the France Square in Yerevan during his three-day
official visit to Armenia which starts today.
It is expected that Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and French
President Jacques Chirac will hold one-to-one talks that will be
followed by a joint news conference. A major concert called “Charles
Aznavour and friends” will be held in Yerevan’s central square –
Republic Square – on Saturday [30 September] evening. This event will
launch the Year of Armenia in France which will last until July 2007.
Chirac will also visit the memorial to the victims of the 1915
genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy See of
Echmiadzin where he will meet the head of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. A meeting with French
nationals living and working in Yerevan will be held at the French
embassy in Yerevan.
This is the first-ever visit to Armenia by the head of the French
state. The delegation headed by him includes Foreign Minister
Philippe Douste-Blazy; Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, Tourism
and Maritime Affairs Dominique Perben; Minister of [Civil Service
and] Administrative Reform Christian Jacob; and Minister of Culture
and Communication Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 29, 2006 Friday
FIRST LADY OF FRANCE ARRIVES IN ARMENIA
First Lady of France Bernadette Chirac has arrived in Yerevan.
ArmInfo’s correspondent reports from Zvartnots Airport that she was
accompanied by a group of French journalists. First Lady of Armenia
Bella Kocharyan and the wife of the Foreign Minister Nani Oskanyan
met Mrs. Chirac. President Chirac will arrive in Yerevan in a few
minutes.

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan,
28 Sep 06
ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN FORCES HOLD ANTITERROR EXERCISE AT NUCLEAR POWER
PLANT
[Presenter] A total of four seconds have been required for the
Armenian and Russian national security services to thwart a terrorist
attack on the [Armenia’s] Metsamor nuclear power station. In fact,
there was not any attack on the nuclear power station by terrorists.
It was only an exercise carried out on the territory of the nuclear
power station today.
[Correspondent over video of the exercise] Seven terrorists have
hidden in the wagon which is on the territory of Armenia’s nuclear
power station. The National Security Service’s rapid reaction group
will try to destroy them. This attack, which was carried out by the
Alfa group of the Armenian National Security Service, was the last
stage of the Atom Antiterror-2006 exercise.
[Passage omitted: background information]
[The chief of the General Staff of the Armenian army, Col-Gen Mikael
Arutyunyan, speaking in Russian with Armenian voice-over] Everyone
should fight terrorism. Both the state and the army, as well as the
National Security Service must be ready to fight them [terrorists].
This exercise proved that we are ready to fight terrorism. Let
terrorists know that we are able to destroy them.
[Passage omitted: more details of the exercise]
[Video showed the Metsamor nuclear power station, Armenian and
Russian rapid reaction groups attacking “terrorists”]
Ayk Ovannesyan, Tigran Babayan, “Aylur”.

Regnum, Russia
28 Sep 06
SECURITY TIGHTENED IN ARMENIA AHEAD OF FRENCH LEADER’S VISIT
29 September: Officers of the Armenian police and National Security
Service are taking security measures in Yerevan because of French
President Jacques Chirac’s official visit to Armenia.
In particular, control has been tightened on roads, patrol police
officers have been put on alert, and water, sewage and cable manholes
are being welded, our Regnum correspondent reports.
[Passage omitted: reported agenda of the visit]
[Chirac is expected to arrive in Yerevan on 29 September]

ARMINFO News Agency
September 29, 2006 Friday
ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONIST CRITICIZES CURRENT LEVEL OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN
RELATIONS
Today Armenian-Russian coopeartion often goes down from the level of
inter-state relations to the level of inter-clan ties between groups
of corrupt officials, says the leader of the opposition New Times
party Aram Karapetyan.
As a result, instead of creating JVs, especially in spheres where
Armenia is not self-sufficient, the sides sign agreements like Assets
Against Debts. Karapetyan strongly objects to the transfer of
Armenia’s property to other countries. It would be quite a different
story if Russia decided to set up, say, a JV to develop aircraft
construction in Armenia – a sphere our country has nothing to do
with.
Karapetyan says that the Assets Against Debts agreement was signed as
a result of pressure. This is an American approach – when a country
gains foothold in a region by obtaining its property. That’s exactly
what Russia is doing in Armenia. The participants in the
anti-criminal movement are going to investigate into the
circumstances of the singing of the Assets Against Debts agreement.
Karapetyan’s opponent RPA member Hamlet Haroutyunyan says that there
is hardly any politician in Armenia who will agree to grant our
strategic spheres to other countries. There was no pressure during
the singing of the Assets Against Debts agreement. As regards the
concessions to Russia, this is done for ensuring Armenia’s national
security.
To remind, Armenia has given Russia 5 companies against its $100 mln
debt to that country: Hrazdan thermal power plant, research
institutes of mathematical sciences, material study amd automatized
control systems and Mars plant.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 29, 2006 Friday
ARMENIAN OPPOSITION SAYS NEW KARABAKH WAR IS POSSIBLE
If the current tendencies develop they may lead to a new war in
Karabakh, says the leader of the opposition New Times party Aram
Karapetyan.
The international mediators are trying to find the golden mean but it
is very hard to draft a document satisfying both sides.
Karapetyan says that the current tendencies are not favorable for
Armenia. It is absolutely clear that the world community prefers
bringing Azeris back to the security zone to determining the status
of Karabakh.