PARIS COURT OF APPEALS ADJOURNS ITS VERDICT ON SEZGIN CASE
Turkish Press
Oct 25 2006
PARIS – Paris Court of Appeals on Thursday adjourned its verdict in
the lawsuit which was filed by Armenians in France against Turkey’s
Consul General Aydin Sezgin in Paris to October 25th.
The chief judge of the court said announcement of the verdict was
adjourned to October 25th because of the problems in the computer
system.
An association in France which defends so-called Armenian genocide,
applied to Paris Civil Court of First Instance and filed a lawsuit
against Consul General Sezgin after transmission of a text (that
opposes to so-called Armenian genocide allegations) on the Consulate
General’s formal web-page.
The French Chamber 17 last year refused the application on grounds
that Sezgin has diplomatic immunity.
In the case which was heard on September 6th after the Armenian
association applied to Appeals Court, the Chief Prosecutor expressed
his opinion that the case should be rejected.
In this lawsuit, Sezgin’s lawyers stated that Sezgin has diplomatic
immunity, there is freedom of speech and parliaments can not write
history. They stressed that a consul general could freely state the
formal views of his country in the country he was assigned, and asked
the court to reject the lawsuit.
On basis of the law acknowledging so-called Armenian genocide which
was adopted in the French parliament in 2001, lawyers of the Armenian
association defended that the Consul General could not express views
about several areas apart from defending the rights of his citizens
so he could not have diplomatic immunity.

IF FRANCE ADOPTS THE DRAFT LAW, TURKEY DOES NOT LOSE ANYTHING, GUL
Turkish Press
Oct 25 2006
ANKARA – “If French Parliament adopts the draft law (which envisions
denial of so-called Armenian genocide as crime), Turkey will not lose
anything, but France will lose not only Turkey but also many other
things,” Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters after
his meeting with Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell of the Bahamas in
Ankara on Wednesday.
Upon a question about French Parliament’s debate the draft law
tomorrow, Gul said that Turkey has exerted every type of efforts on
all levels to warn France.
“Turkish politicians, businessmen, the government, Parliament, ruling
and opposition parties, deputies and intellectuals have all exerted
efforts. Also the EU stated that this issue is very wrong. I hope
France will not be the victim of small inner policy tools. I hope
France, which is the homeland of freedoms and liberty as well as
the pioneer of freedom of thought and expression, will not become
a country where people are imprisoned as they release the documents
and express their thoughts,” Gul noted.
Gul added that turning of EU’s locomotive country and pioneer of
freedoms into such a country will concern France more than Turkey.

DUTCH GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES 0.5 MLN EUR FOR OPENING PROGRAMMER RETRAINING SCHOOL IN ARMENIA
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 25 2006
The Dutch Government has provided Metris company from the Netherlands
with 0.5 mln EUR for opening a programmer retraining school in Armenia,
says the company’s representative in Armenia Levon Bagdasaryan.
For 10 years already Metris has been producing high-precision medical
equipment for leading hospitals in Europe and the US.
Bagdasaryan says that retrainees will be employed with Metris and will
get start-up salary of $500. Today Metris has 4 programmers in Armenia.
The company has its representations in Russia, Japan and Hong Kong
and almost 50 employees. Metris is going to enlarge its activities
in Armenia however it cannot find qualified personnel while Armenian
students do not hurry to undergo the retraining.

62 PERCENT OF ARMENIANS THINK THAT THE COUNTRY IS ON THE WRONG TRACK: GALLUP SURVEY
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 25 2006
62 percent of Armenians think that the country is on the wrong
track, while 31 percent think that the country is going in the right
direction, say the results of a national poll conducted by Gallup
Organization/Baltic Surveys in Armenia.
39 percent of Armenians see improvement in the country’s economy,
while 21 percent think it is declining.
26 percent of Armenians say their household’s financial situation
has improved, while 24 percent say it has declined.
29 percent of Armenians are satisfied with the development of
democracy, while 68 percent are not.
An overall majority of Armenians think that it will take a long time
to improve things in their country.
The poll was commissioned by IRI, was conducted by the Gallup
Organization/Baltic Surveys in coordination with the Armenian
Sociological Association, and was funded by USAID.
It was conducted from July 31 to August 10, 2006 among 1,200 Armenian
residents (voters) aged 18 years and over who were interviewed
face-to-face. The margin of error does not exceed 3 percent.
GALLUP INSTITUTE: MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS IN ARMENIA OPTIMISTIC
ABOUT FUTURE
Majority of respondents in Armenia (57%) are optimistic about
future, say the results of a national poll conducted by Gallup
Organization/Baltic Surveys in Armenia.
In addition, 31% of the polled have a neutral attitude to future,
and only 10% are pessimistic about the future. 5% of respondents feel
themselves insecure and feel fear for future, 4% feel apathy, 27%
do not pin hopes with future, 45% hope that situation will improve
in future. Majority of the Armenian respondents do not think that
the situation improved during the last year. 23% think the situation
worsened, and 18% see progress in the year passed.
The poll was commissioned by IRI, was conducted by the Gallup
Organization/Baltic Surveys in coordination with the Armenian
Sociological Association, and was funded by USAID.
It was conducted from July 31 to August 10, 2006 among 1,200 Armenian
residents (voters) aged 18 years. -M-
GALLUP INSTITUTE: MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS IN ARMENIA CONCERNED OVER
SITUATION WITH UNEMPLOYMENT IN COUNTRY
Majority of respondents (42%) in Armenia are concerned over the
situation with unemployment in the country, say the results of a
national poll conducted by Gallup Organization/Baltic Surveys in
Armenia.
22% of the polled connect their concern with the Nagorny Karabakh
conflict, 32% are concerned over the social-economic situation in
the country. 16% of the polled are concerned over the development of
economy and industry in the country, 10% are anxious at corruption,
10% at democracy and respect for human rights. In addition, 12%
of Armenian residents are concerned over migration problem and 7%
over the foreign political course. Recognition of Armenian Genocide
arises concern of only 3% of respondents in Armenia.
GALLUP INSTITUTE: ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT WILL ATTRACT THE SUPPORT OF
THE MAJORITY OF THE ARMENIAN POPULATION IF IT FULFILLS ITS PROMISE
TO CREATE JOBS
The Armenian government will attract the support of the majority of the
Armenian population if it fulfills its promise to create new jobs, say
the results of a national poll conducted by Gallup Organization/Baltic
Surveys in Armenia.
Thus, 37% of respondents think necessary the creation of jobs, 18% of
the polled are for the rise of wages and pensions, 14% are concerned
over the development of economy, 21% are concerned over the democracy
level, 15% of the polled think necessary fair elections. In addition,
8% of the polled residents of Armenia are concerned over insufficient
measures of fight against corruption, 3% are for the change of the
government, 3% are for assistance to the unsecured sections of the
population. Only 2% of respondents are concerned over attaching
Nagorny Karabakh to Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TAN: WE HOPE FRENCH AUTHORITIES TO REJECT IT
Turkish Press
Oct 25 2006
ANKARA – “We hope that French authorities will reject the draft law
(criminalizing denial of so-called Armenian genocide),” Turkish
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan said on Wednesday.
In his weekly press conference, Tan noted that French government has
launched some initiatives to counter the draft law, stating that it
was a positive development.
“(French) government has undertaken some initiatives against this
bill,” he stressed.
On the other hand, a delegation headed by Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the
Chairman of the Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
(TOBB), met representatives of French Economy & Social Labor Council
in Paris this morning.
Sources quoted Hisarciklioglu as saying in the meeting that the
bill was against freedom of expression, stressing that it would harm
relations between the two countries.
After holding talks in Paris, TOBB delegation left France for Turkey.

FRANCE IS 128 YEARS LATE TO REDEEM ITS FAULT BEFORE ARMENIA, SAYS ARMENIAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 25 2006
The fact that France adopted resolution criminalizing the denial of
Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 shows that France
tries to redeem its fault before Armenians. That is, it did not
fulfill the guarantees of security of Armenians inhabiting Western
Armenia provided by the 1878 Berlin Congress, political scientist
Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan said at the press conference today.
Armenian political scientist said that he is sure that the document
will be completely adopted by the Senate as well. It will deprive
Turkey and Azerbaijan of a possibility to continue the anti-Armenian
propaganda round the world. “French Parliament’s ratification of the
resolution is an important achievement of Armenia in foreign policy
for the last several years”, said L. Melik-Shakhnazaryan.
The lower chamber of the French parliament adopted the draft law
criminalizing the denial of Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in
1915 and imposing a 45 ths EUR fine. The document is to be passed to
French Senate and then be signed by President of the French Republic.

ARMENIAN DM: PEACE TREATY TO BE SIGNED BY NEW PRESIDENT
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 25 2006
“Who becomes the president he will sign the peace treaty,” Armenian
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan told journalists, Wednesday.
Asked if it will be he who will sign the treaty, Serge Sargsyan said: ”
it is possible if you help holding free and fair elections in 2007.” To
recap, the parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2007 in Armenia.
Commenting on the allegations by representatives of “Orinats Yerkir”
party, who said that the defense minister and the prime minister exert
pressure on the party, deprive “OY” leader Arthur Baghdsasaryan of air,
the minister said: “no one has a right to judge us and such statements
are just silly.” “I assure you that I have more important things to
do than just read someone’s interviews or focus of provision of air
to someone,” the minister said.

FROM PASTERNAK TO PAMUK, THE NOBEL AWARD FOR LITERATURE HAS HAD POLITICAL SUB-PLOTS
Eunice de Souza
Mumbai Mirror, India
Oct 25 2006
>From time to time we hear that the Nobel Prize for Literature has been
awarded for “political reasons.” Governments which say this usually
mean that there was an ulterior motive for giving the prize to one
of their critics. Ordinary people who say this normally mean that,
other things being equal, a particular writer has been chosen at a
particular time to draw attention to a problem or a crisis in his
country of origin.
Pasternak, who won the prize in 1957, gained a great reputation in the
West, but was reviled in the Soviet Union. The diplomat K P S Menon,
who was posted in Soviet Russia at the time, describes the event and
the abuse which followed. Pasternak was described as “a pig which
fouls its own sty”, and an official said it “would be an insult to
a pig to be compared with Pasternak.” The Americans thought of the
prize as a “slap in the face for Communism, for Dr Zhivago, which
is a saga of the revolutionary period , is by no means an euology of
the revolution.” Eventually, Pasternak declined the prize, because,
as he said, “of the meaning attached to it in the community in which
I live.” In a moving letter Pasternak wrote to Khrushchev, he said,
“For me emigration is impossible. I am bound to Russia by my birth,
life and work. I cannot think of existence separately and outside
her. Whatever may be my mistakes and delusions, I could not have
imagined that I would find myself in the centre of such a political
campaign as is being carried on around my name in the West.” In the
end, he was not forced into exile, but allowed to continue in peace.
But when he died, it was some days before newspapers mentioned the
fact. Members of the Writers’ Union did not attend the funeral,
but hundreds of students recited his verses at his grave.
Where Harold Pinter was concerned, it was generally thought that it
was because of his campaign against the war in Iraq and all the lies
that had justified it. In fact, Pinter has campaigned against a great
many things, the Nato bombing of Kosovo, the abuse of human rights in
Turkey and many others. He visited Turkey with Arthur Miller in 1985,
and the highlight of his trip is said to be the moment he was thrown
out of the US embassy in Ankara. His biographer Michael Billington
writes, “Pinter remains to his credit, a permanent public nuisance,
a questioner of accepted truths, both in life and art. In fact, the
two persistently inter-act.” True, but the plays are full of silences,
and the political speeches passionately articulate. Pinter’s Nobel
Prize speech, Art, Truth and Politics says that politicians quite
naturally have no interest in the truth, but if we are to survive
with dignity, “defining the real truth of our lives and societies is
a crucial obligation.”
And now, Orhan Pamuk. Unsurprisingly, given his criticism of the
Turkish government’s refusal to call the massacre of the Armenians
genocide, Armenian writers were extremely happy that he won the
prize. A spokesman said it was “both a literature prize and about
morality.” In Turkey, however, he was thought to have “blatantly
belittled Turkishness.” The case against him was dropped only because
of Turkey’s hopes of joining the EU. Again, Pamuk has been known
for years. Perhaps the Nobel committee chose this year because of
the worsening Islam-West conflict. “No other writer addresses that
relationship with such humanity and wit,” a journalist said when the
prize was announced, while another said it was “a rare if conspicuous
convergence of political motivation with literary merit.”

OSKANYAN BRIEFS ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION
Panorama.am
20:04 25/10/06
1939 map was taken as a base for drafting the border of Armenia and
Georgia. It is the only comprehensive document, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanyan told at the parliament today. He said at
some parts Armenians have entered Georgian territories and at others
Georgianshave violated 1939 map. We have to find golden middle,
Oskanyan said.
Oskanyan said he is going to meet Elmar Mamediarov once against on
November 14 in Brussels. “It is not a secret that return of territories
is part of package deal,” Oskanyan said. However, he said, that may
be reflected only “when a final clarification will be made about the
self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh and it future status.”
Speaking about Javakhk, Oskanyan said we must be utmost careful in
the question of Javakhk as it may become a “critical point under the
tense situation in the region and Georgia.” He said only 3 out of 30
citizens are now under arrest among those Armenians who were indicted
in violating Georgian-Abkhaz border.

KAFKAS OF A.K.P. RESIGNS FROM TURKEY – FRANCE PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP
Turkish Press
Oct 25 2006
ANKARA – Agah Kafkas, a deputy from the ruling Justice & Development
Party (AKP), resigned from Turkey-France Inter-parliamentary Friendship
Group as a reaction to adoption of the draft law criminalizing denial
of so-called Armenian genocide by the French national assembly.
In an interview with the A.A, Kafkas said that the decision was
totally unacceptable.
“I condemn this attitude of France which has ignored democracy and
human rights,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Turkish Parliamentary EU Adjustment Commission Chairman
Yasar Yakis said that France itself would suffer the heaviest loss.
“The bill will damage the image of France in the world. There is a
long process ahead of us. We can still prevent enactment of the bill.
But the measures we will take should not harm Turkey. We cannot reach
anywhere by insulting others,” he added.
From: Baghdasarian