TAN: ANNAN THANKED TURKISH AUTHORITIES
Turkish Press, MI
Sept 11 2006
ANKARA – “United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan thanked the
Turkish authorities for contributing troops to the expanded United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),” said Namik Tan, spokesman
for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Tan said that technical details
were not discussed during Annan’s meetings with Turkish officials.
“Relevant authorities will start working on technical details in
the coming days. Then, we will hold a series of talks with the United
Nations. After necessary arrangements are made, the conditions on which
Turkish soldiers join the expanded UNIFIL, will be clarified,” he said.
“The Turkish party expressed its sensitivities to Annan about mandate
of the peacekeeping force. Annan told us that he understood our
perspective. He also indicated that the force would not be involved
in disarmament of the Hezbollah. Annan noted that the United Nation’s
resolution created the necessary legitimacy,” he said.
-CYPRUS-
Upon a question about the Cyprus issue, Tan told reporters, “Turkey’s
views are already known. We are in favor of finding a comprehensive
solution to the Cyprus issue under the good-will office of the United
Nations Secretary-General.”
“We attach great importance to lifting of the isolation of Turkish
Cypriots. It will be the most tangible step to be taken for a
comprehensive solution,” he said.
-KIRKUK-
Referring to the Kirkuk issue, Tan told reporters, “Turkey has
some expectations from the United Nations about Kirkuk. There have
already been some movements in the region to change the demographic
structure. Earlier, we stressed that those were extremely dangerous
attempts. Such attempts may jeopardize the balance in Iraq.”
-EP’S REPORT ON TURKEY DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING WITH ITS CURRENT SHAPE-
Tan said, “European Parliament’s report on Turkey does not mean
anything for us with its current shape.”
Stating that the report included some issues unacceptable for Turkey —
matters regarding so-called Armenian genocide–, Tan said, “we expect
that some baseless and imaginary issues included in the report would
be changed in the following period.”
Underlining that the important thing for Turkey was to boost reform
process, Tan stressed, “we will take concrete steps before the EU
releases reports in the following period. We have determination on
this matter. Our government has been working on it.”

“IRALI” REPUBLICAN YOUTH MOVEMENT BLAMED VISIT OF AZERBAIJANI YOUTH GROUP TO ARMENIA
Author: J. Shakhverdiyev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 11 2006
Today, on September 11, in the Baku International Press-Centre,
the Republican Youth Movement “Irali” has held a press-conference
devoted to the subject “Attitude toward Visit of a Group
of Azerbaijani Youth to Armenia”. All participants of the
press-conference blamed the visit of Azerbaijani youth to Armenia,Trend
reports.
It should be mentioned that, a meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian
youth took place in the youth camp “Gugark” within the activity of the
organization “Helsinki Civil Initiative”. The initiative was named “The
Camp of Mutual Trust”. Representatives of so-called Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic also participated in the arrangement. The Azerbaijani
delegation to the camp included Rena Yuzbasheva, local coordinator
of Helsinki Civil Assembly in Azerbaijan, Fidan Mammadova, journalist
Seymur Baydjan, Ismayil Abdulazimov, Khamis Massisov, and others.
In their speeches, founders of the Republican Youth Movement “Irali”
Farkhad Mammadov, Jeyhun Osmanli, Roya Talibova pointed out that
such trips contradict to Azerbaijan`s national interests. They also
pointed out that such arrangements cannot have a positive influence
on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue settlement.

E.P.’S TURKEY REPORT INCLUDES ISSUES FAR FROM COMMON SENSE AND OBJECTIVITY, TAN
Turkish Press, MI
Sept 11 2006
ANKARA – “It is obvious that the (EP) report (on Turkey) focused on
issues which has nothing to do with common sense and objectivity. We
hope that those points will be addressed before the vote in the
General Assembly at the end of this month,” Turkish MFA spokesman
Namik Tan said regarding the Turkey Report which was adopted by the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP), yesterday.
Upon a question, Tan said that the report, which was prepared by
Christian Democrat MEP Camiel Eurlings, would be voted at the General
Assembly on September 28th, 2006.
Tan noted, “several matters in the report which are far from to be
real and written with political impulses do not reflect EP’s esteem
and seriousness.” He mentioned as example issues like the so-called
Armenian genocide.
Tan said, “we expect the EP would encourage Turkey-EU relations. We
hope MEPs will demonstrate common sense to fix this situation during
general assembly meeting.”

US EMBASSY TO AZERBAIJAN: TERROR NOT EMANATES FROM ISLAM, AND AMERICA WELL AWARE OF IT
Author: A. Ismayilova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 11 2006
An Azerbaijani man was among the victims of the act of terror
happened on September 11, 2001, Jonathan Hanick, Head of the Press
service of the American Embassy to Azerbaijan told journalists today,
Trend reports.
According to him, there has not been such a death toll in America for
last 100 years. Representative offices of 90 countries were located
in the World Trade Center. Following these events, all civic countries
including Azerbaijan rendered their assistance to US.
Commenting Armenian terror, Mr. Hanick added that America is against
a death of any human. “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be settled
peacefully, and we hope that the conflict will be resolved in the
nearest time”, he pointed out.
Touching upon the issue on identification of Islam with terror, the
Head of the Press Service of the American Embassy told that terror
does not emanate from Islam, and America is well aware of it. America
has an excellent cooperation with Muslim countries. Several millions
of Muslims live in US.

ISESCO BLAMES ARMENIA`S AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS TOWARD AZERBAIJANI CULTURAL HERITAGE
Author: S. Agayeva
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 11 2006
ISESCO condemns aggressive actions taken by Armenia toward Azerbaijani
cultural heritage, Abdulaziz Eltvaidjiri, Director of Islamic Science,
Education, and Culture Organization (ISESCO) told journalists today,
Trend reports.
According to him, the organization resolutely blames the Armenian
aggression against Azerbaijan that contradicts all international norms
and regulations. “There were facts on violating international law on
the territory of Azerbaijan”, he told. “Armenia`s aggressive actions
against Azerbaijani historic and cultural heritage left on the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan contradict international law”, he added.
ISESCO Director pointed out that the organization is about to bring
all these facts to the notice of the international community and
authoritative and powerful international organizations.

OPPOSITIONIST IMPLICATES SARKISIAN IN EDITOR’S BEATING
By Hovannes Shoghikian and Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 11 2006
The leader of an opposition party that controls a leading Armenian
newspaper said at the weekend that he suspects Defense Minister
Serzh Sarkisian of being behind last week’s reported beating of its
editor-in-chief.
Hovannes Galajian of the “Iravunk” bi-weekly and his staff believe the
incident was the result of their hard-hitting coverage of Armenia’s
leaders and their loyalists. They have implicitly described Sarkisian
as one of its possible organizers, pointing to a recent “Iravunk”
article that attacked and derided the powerful minister.
Sarkisian dismissed such suggestions on Thursday, saying that Galajian
is too insignificant a person to incur his ire. “I don’t fight against
or punish wretched people. I just ignore them,” he said.
According to Hrant Khachatrian of the Union for Constitutional
Rights (SIM) party, which founded “Iravunk” more than 15 years ago,
the remarks only reinforced his suspicion that Sarkisian may have
ordered the violence. “We had a number of equally valid theories
relating to Hovannes Galajian’s discourse against both economic and
political criminal elements,” Khachatrian told journalists. “But
after Serzh Sarkisian’s reaction I began to have more suspicions
[about his involvement.]”
Galajian claims to have been beaten up by two unknown men outside
his Yerevan home on Wednesday. He says the attackers resembled the
notoriously violent bodyguards of wealthy businessmen close to the
government. They are usually beefy and have very short haircuts.
The reported attack, which is being investigated by the police, has
been widely condemned by Armenian human rights groups, journalist
associations and opposition parties. The country’s human rights
ombudsman, Armen Harutiunian, has also joined in the chorus of
condemnations, saying that the law-enforcement authorities are not
doing enough to prevent periodical violence against local journalists.
Sarkisian’s contemptuous description of the “Iravunk” editor prompted
on Saturday a scathing commentary by “Haykakan Zhamanak,” another
paper highly critical of the government. In a front-page editorial, the
popular daily said Armenia’s second most powerful man should look for
“wretched people” in his entourage, rather than the media. “As for us
[journalists,] the only argument in support of our wretchedness is
that we tolerate [Sarkisian] and the likes of him at the helm of our
state,” it snapped.

OPPOSITION PARTIES MULL ‘ANTI-CRIMINAL MOVEMENT’
By Karine Kalantarian and Hovannes Shoghikian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 11 2006
Leaders of a dozen opposition parties gathered in Yerevan on Monday to
discuss ways of countering what they called a growing role of “criminal
elements” in Armenia’s government and political life in general.
Some of them called for a broad-based “anti-criminal movement”
that would try to bring those elements into line and strive for the
freedom and fairness of next year’s parliamentary elections. However,
no agreements on its creation were announced after the one-hour
discussion, with participants saying only that they will hold more
such meetings in the coming weeks.
“We are witnessing a growing role of criminal elements in the country’s
political life,” Aram Karapetian, the leader of the radical Nor
Zhamanakner (New Times) party and one of the meeting’s initiators,
told RFE/RL. “They carry out murders and other actions that can not
leave us indifferent.”
By “criminal elements” the oppositionists as well as some political
commentators and journalists often mean wealthy and influential
individuals with questionable reputations and close government
connections. A number of such individuals have joined recently the
governing Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) along with Defense Minister
Serzh Sarkisian, raising fears that the HHK is intent on winning the
2007 elections at any cost.
Sarkisian angrily dismissed such concerns late last month, insisting
that those of his loyalists who are not well-educated, can only
speak the slangy language and have notorious nicknames are not crime
figures. “The criminal elements are those who spread such slander,”
he said.
However, the oppositionists who attended the discussion think
otherwise. One of them, Garnik Markarian, said his small opposition
party called Fatherland and Honor will initiate a meeting of prominent
Armenian intellectuals soon to publicly name “criminal elements”
holding senior positions in government. “We will put compelling
evidence on the table,” he said.
In a bid to substantiate its allegations, the opposition also points
to recent months’ upsurge in high-profile murders committed in
Armenia. Their latest victim, senior tax collection official Shahen
Hovasapian, was killed in a car bombing in broad daylight last week.
Aram Sargsian, a senior member of the opposition Artarutyun (Justice)
alliance, demanded on Monday that the Armenian parliament hold an
emergency debate on the law-enforcement authorities’ failure so
far to solve most of those murders. “The executive branch is simply
not performing its duties,” he charged at the start of the National
Assembly’s autumn session.
The demand was rejected by the deputy chief of the Armenian police,
General Ararat Mahtesian, who insisted that the law-enforcers are
doing their best to solve those crimes and that the overall crime
rate in Armenia remains low. “The police are also worried and are
taking serious measures to solve these crimes,” Mahtesian said.
“I don’t think that the situation with crime in Armenia is serious
now,” he added. “I believe that on the contrary the situation is
under control. Serious crimes have always been committed here and
they must be solved.”

AZERBAIJAN`S FOREIGN OFFICE SEES NO OBSTACLES FOR COOPERATION IN ISSUE ON FIRES PREVENTING ON OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI TERRITORIES
Author: A. Ismayilova
Trend
11.09.2006
Azerbaijan`s Foreign Ministry sees no obstacles in cooperation
in the issues on preventing of fires on the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan, Tair Taghizadeh, Chief of the Press and Information
Department of the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry told journalists today,
Trend reports.
Answering journalists` questions whether the destiny of the last UN
resolution concerning the situation on the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan will be those like four previous ones, Mr. Taghizadeh
said that the non-execution of documents adopted by UN and the
lack of mechanisms for it are problems not only UN, but also other
international organizations. That is why, Azerbaijan is a supporter
of UN reforming..
He pointed out that the mission`s dispatch to the region will be
the first step in the large-scale ecological operation. In its turn,
Azerbaijan will take all necessary measures for it. The first meeting
of the interdepartmental working group was held last week end.
Touching upon the information about China`s weapons of mass destruction
selling to Armenia, Mr. Taghizadeh told that Azerbaijan`s Foreign
Office gave commissions to their amabassadors in Beijing and Moscow
to investigate these issues. Only after that, the official Baku will
express its position.
Commenting recent frequent visits of Azerbaijanis to Armenia,
Mr. Taghizadeh told that after the completion of package solution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue by stages, such visits could be even
fruitful.
However, the efficiency of these visits at the existing stage is doubt.

IRANIAN SPEAKER TO VISIT ARMENIA AND KYRGYZIA
Author: Y. Ibrahimzadeh
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 11 2006
The delegation of Iran`s Parliament headed by Iranian Speaker Golam
Khaddad Adel has left for Armenia and Kyrgyzia on a four-day visit,
Trend reports.
The main aim of the visit is development of inter-Parliamentary
relations between Iran and the two above-mentioned countries, Trend
Special Correspondent to Teheran reports.
The Iranian Speaker is expected to hold meetings with his counterparts,
the Presidents, and the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Kyrgyzia, as
well as to deliver a speech to MPs of these countries during the visit.
Two Iranian MPs of Armenian origin – Robert Biglerian and George
Vartan will accompany Mr. Golam Khaddad Adel in his visit.

Armenian Assembly of America
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Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
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PRESS RELEASE
September 12, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY WELCOMES KNOLLENBERG IN CALIFORNIA
Beverly Hills, CA – The Armenian Assembly’s Western Region Office held a
dinner in honor of Representative Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI), Co-Chair of
the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, in Glendale, California on
August 29.
Nearly 30 Assembly supporters and local community leaders, including
Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian former Primate of the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church, Very Rev. Father Dajad Yardemian representing
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese and Harutyun Kojoyan,
Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Armenia, attended the event at
the Glendale Hilton Hotel.
Board of Trustees Member and Western Office Chairman Richard Mushegain,
who hosted the dinner with his wife Lauren, thanked Knollenberg for his
unwavering support of Armenia and Armenian-American issues during his
14-year tenure in the House of Representatives.
“Tonight I am pleased to welcome Congressman Knollenberg and his wife
Sandie to this gathering of representatives of the Armenian Assembly
community in Los Angeles,” said Mushegain.
Knollenberg, in his remarks, commended the Armenian Assembly and its
leadership for its work to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia and U.S.-Karabakh
relationships. He said he was pleased to report that Washington’s
support for Armenia continues to gain strength and pointed to the recent
signing of a five-year $235 million compact between Armenia and the
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) as a positive sign.
However, Knollenberg added that Armenia must continue on the path of
reform, stressing the importance of good governance, economic
development and sound social policy as a requisite for continued MCC
funding. The government grant program, which operates independently of
USAID, focuses on long-term growth and reassesses a country every year
with the expectation of improved performance.
As Subcommittee Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Knollenberg
has consistently worked to ensure robust U.S. economic assistance to
Armenia and humanitarian aid to Karabakh. He told event participants
that despite Armenia’s MCC grant, foreign operations funding continues
to be necessary to Armenia’s development and that he will work to
maintain assistance levels in Congress.
Knollenberg also provided an update on the South Caucasus Integration
and Open Railroads Act – a bill he introduced in the House of
Representatives last year along with fellow Armenian Caucus Co-Chair
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Caucus Member George Radanovich (R-CA).
Knollenberg said the bill, which would prohibit U.S. assistance for the
promotion or development of a railroad that would connect Turkey,
Georgia and Azerbaijan while bypassing Armenia, currently has 96
supporters. He expressed optimism that the bill would pass the House
and urged activists to increase their advocacy on the Senate side.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership organization.
###
NR#2006-076
Photographs available on the Assembly Web site at the following links:
76/2006-076-1.jpg
Caption: Board of Trustees Member and Western Office Chairman Richard
Mushegain presented Congressman Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI) with a book
about Armenia.
076/2006-076-2.JPG
Caption: L to R: Congressman Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI) with Fellow
Trustees Nora Hampar, Savey Tufenkian and Flora Dunaians and Life
Trustee Grace Kay.