The New Anatolian, Turkey
July 28, 2006
Turkey brushes aside differences with Canada in evacuation effort
The New Anatolian / Ankara
Turkey is winning praise and thanks from Canadians for its
humanitarian efforts to save its people escaping from war-torn
Lebanon, notwithstanding tense relations between the two countries
since April.
Leaving aside tensions stemming from the Canadian government’s
decision to recognize the Armenian genocide claims and Ottawa’s moral
support for Israel in the current Lebanese fighting, a view strongly
opposed by Ankara, Turkish authorities and even citizens rushed to
help the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon and to provide them
with all kinds of assistance before they left for their homeland.
While Canadian Ambassador to Turkey Yves Brodeur thanked Turkey
yesterday for its hospitality, the country’s newspapers called on
Canadians to take note and bear in mind that Turkey avoided
temptation by brushing aside differences when it comes to
humanitarian efforts. “The port of Mersin and the nearby airport in
Adana were instead opened wide for Canadians coming off chartered
ships,” wrote the Montreal Gazette.
“Although it would have been an easy matter for the Turkish
authorities to find themselves too busy to return calls last week
when Canada requested the use of a Turkish port and airport to funnel
Canadians out of Lebanon as the principal staging post at Larnaca,
Greek Cyprus was overflowing with people from many nations, the
cooperation of Turkey’s government simplified the evacuation process
for many Canadians,” the newspaper wrote. According to unofficial
data, authorities said yesterday that so far some 9,500 foreigners,
most of whom were Canadians and Australians, have been evacuated
through the port of Mersin.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, who arrived in Adana
yesterday to provide moral support to his country’s citizens escaping
the Israeli attacks in Lebanon, thanked Turkey in Turkish for the
country’s efforts in the humanitarian evacuation effort.
Turkish authorities also announced yesterday that the first
assistance sent by the Lighthouse Association has reached Lebanon.
According to the statement, 60 tons of aid reached and was
distributed in Beirut after a six-day journey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 28, 2006
VIEWS OF CURRENT AUTHORITIES, ARMENIAN PEOPLE ON KARABAKH PROBLEM
DIFFERENT
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. Views of current authorities and Armenian
people on Karabakh problem are different, Mikael Apresyan, Artsakh
(Karabakh) regiment commander, told journalist on Thursday.
In his opinion, Armenian authorities’ reaction to OSCE Minsk Group’s
statement showed something related to the talks that had been
conducted behind closed doors for years. “It has become clear that
the negotiations have nothing in common not only with Armenian
people’s interests, but also with the whole region’s interests”, he
said.
Apresyan finds cession of liberated territories unacceptable,
especially taking into account the fact that they are Armenian
historic areas. “Not a single inch must be ceded”, he said adding
that there are no acceptable clauses in draft agreement.
OSCE Minsk Group American Co-Chair Matthew Bryza unveiled key
principles of Karabakh conflict settlement last week.
Under this draft agreement, Armenian troops have to withdraw from
Karabakh-controlled “Azerbaijani territories” and peacekeeping forces
will be deployed there instead. M.V.-0—

Vancouver Sun , Canada
July 28, 2006
Happy days! We’re No. 10
Canadian Press
Published: Friday, July 28, 2006
Canada is the 10th happiest country on a map of “world happiness”
showing the degree of well-being of the population of 178 countries,
according to researcher Adrian White of the University of Leicester
in England.
What makes Canadians smile? Free health care, the country’s wealth
and access to secondary-level education are ranked as the top three
reasons Canadians are happy.
Asked why he’s happy to be Canadian, Vancouver resident Tariq Ahmet,
23, said he’s proud of his country.
“It is important for us, as a country of wealth, to be an example for
the rest of the world.”
White, who is known as an analytic social psychologist, used more
than 100 studies to create the first happiness world map, which was
released Thursday.
His research found the countries with the saddest populations are
those recovering from war or in a state of war, and that also have
high poverty rates.
In a press release White said, “when people are asked if they are
happy with their lives, people in countries with good health care, a
higher GDP per capita and access to education were much more likely
to report being happy.”
As for why Denmark ranked as the happiest country in the world, White
said it had the highest satisfaction-with-life rating.
North Vancouver resident Eirk Esmann immigrated to Canada from
Denmark 39 years ago, but said the country has changed a lot since he
left.
“It was harder then, than it is now,” said Esmann. Now, he said, “you
are assured you will have a decent living.”
Asked how Canada compares to Denmark, Esmann said: “It is a little
more laid back than it is here.”
As for why Switzerland, at No. 2, ranks so high in the happiness
stakes, Swiss immigrant Fabienne Burgener said it’s the high standard
of living, strong social security system and the country’s
predilection for orderliness.
“Everyone is very organized, and on time, that is a priority,” said
Burgener, 28, a Vancouver resident who has been in Canada for six
years. “It is a really nice country.”
The Swiss chocolate doesn’t hurt either, she added.
Armenia was close to the bottom of the happiness list, at 172nd, but
Armenian singer Mariam Matossian said it is a country with a lot of
hope.
“Armenia taught me not to take things for granted,” said Matossian, a
Vancouver resident. “They might not have a lot of stuff, I saw joy in
the people who are struggling.”
Study researcher White said that in recent years, there has been a
growing debate, particularly in England, over whether countries
should focus more on societal happiness than on wealth creation.
“When you look at the map, it really hits home that we’re actually
doing quite well [in the West] and it’s the poorer countries that are
deprived of the health care and education that we have.”
“Countries with huge populations like China, India and Russia —
82nd, 125th and 167th, respectively on the map — tend to do quite
badly,” White said.
[email protected]
– – –
WHERE CAN WE FIND HAPPINESS?
A study by Leicester University ranks 178 countries using health,
wealth and education as yardsticks of overall happiness. Canada ranks
10th in the study, while the U.S. is 23rd, China is 82nd and India is
125th.
MOST HAPPY
1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei Darussalam
10. Canada
LEAST HAPPY
1. Burundi
2. Zimbabwe
3. Congo Dem. Rep.
4. Moldova
5. Ukraine
6. Sudan
7. Armenia
8. Turkmenistan
9. Belarus
10. Georgia
On the web:
ht tp:// d=43d5bfde-08df-4f39-b445-4a977e186c8e

Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 28, 2006
NKR PRESIDENT MEETS WITH DELEGATION OF GREEK YOUTH UNION
YEREVAN, July 28. /ARKA/. President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
(NKR) Arkady Ghuykasyan held a meeting with a delegation of the Youth
Union of Greece, which is on a visit to Stepanakert.
The NKR presidential press service reports that Ghukasyan welcomed
the Union’s decision to include the NKR in its yearly itinerary.
According to him, such visits maintain good traditions among young
people in the Diaspora and will consolidate the close ties between
the NKR and the Armenian community in Greece.
During the meeting President Ghukasyan informed the guests of the
origin of the Karabakh movement and answered a number of questions
about the NKR’s past and future plans. P.T. -0–

Agence France Presse — English
July 28, 2006 Friday 2:09 PM GMT
Police detain 27 illegal immigrants at Polish-German border
WARSAW, July 28 2006
Polish border guards and German police detained 27 illegal immigrants
aboard two trucks attempting to cross from Poland to Germany,
officials said Friday.
The immigrants — 12 Chinese, nine Vietnamese, four Armenians, one
Egyptian and a man whose nationality has not been established — were
detained at the western Polish town of Swiecko, border guard
spokesman Andrzej Kaminski told Poland’s PAP news agency.
Checks found 19 people aboard one truck at around midnight Thursday.
Several hours later, eight were discovered in a second truck. None
had identity documents.
The drivers of the two trucks face a jail term of up to three years
if found guilty of people-smuggling. The illegal immigrants are to be
expelled from Poland.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 28, 2006
NEINK OMS NEW IMF REP TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, July 28. /ARKA/. Mrs Neink Oms has been appointed new
resident representative of the International Monetary Fund to
Armenia. The public relations department, RA Government staff,
reports that IMF Resident Representative James McHugh introduced his
successor to Armenian Premier Andranik Margaryan.
According to him, Neink has a 5-year experience in the IMF and works
at the IMF Policy Assessment Department. McHugh pointed out that the
Department deals with strategic policy of poverty reduction and
crediting, which meets Armenia’s present-day tasks. In his turn, the
Armenian premier expressed the confidence that the Armenian
Government’s cooperation with the new IMF representative will be
efficient.
The Armenian Premier held a meeting with James McHugh on the occasion
of his completing his mission in Armenia. Margaryan gave a high mark
to Armenia’s cooperation with the IMF during McHugh’s mission in the
country (since 2002). He pointed out that the positive results of
this cooperation are obvious for Armenia. P.T. -0–

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
July 28, 2006 Friday 2:55 PM MSK
Armenia partly agrees with commission’s conclusions on A320 crash
Yerevan does not fully agree with the conclusions of the Interstate
Aviation Committee on the causes of the May 3 crash of an Armavia
A320 aircraft near Sochi.
“We agree that the human factor played its role. However, we do not
think this is the final result,” head of Armenian civil aviation
Artyom Movsesian told journalists on Friday.
Armenia considers necessary to continue an unbiased investigation of
reasons behind the crash of the airbus, he said. “We tried not to
interfere into the work of the Interstate Aviation Commission all
this time. However, they claim that the existing data is enough to
elaborate the causes of the crash. We think these are preliminary
results,” Movsesian said.
“The question of whether any of the crew was suffering from health
problems or other possible factors still remains unanswered,” he
said.
The crash killed eight crew members and 105 passengers.

The New Anatolian, Turkey
July 28, 2006
WB says Turkey tackles corruption successfully
EkoTürk News Agency / Ankara
The World Bank released a new report titled `Anticorruption in
Transition 3-Who is Succeeding … And Why? ‘ taking a detailed look at
firm-level survey data and concluding that the studied region’s
progress in reducing corruption is unmistakable.
The study is the third in a series of World Bank reports tracking
levels of corruption in enterprise-state interactions since 1999.
Like its predecessors, the report draws on the Business Environment
and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS), a joint initiative of the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.
The triennial survey, conducted most recently in 2005, covers 26
former socialist countries and Turkey, as well as five western
European comparator countries. The non-transition European
comparators are Germany, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. More
than 20,000 firms have been interviewed since the inception of BEEPS.
“Since 2002, firms in most countries are paying bribes less
frequently and in relatively smaller amounts, and they report
corruption to be less of a problem than in the past,” explains James
Anderson, co-author and Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Europe
and Central Asia region, “The common assumption that corruption is
steadily worsening does not stand up to scrutiny.”
“Strong leadership is a key weapon in the fight against corruption.
Every country that has made measurable progress in reducing
corruption has had a strong champion who made transparency and
accountability top priorities,” explains Cheryl Gray, co-author of
the study and Sector Director in the World Bank’s ECA region.
The study also comments about Turkey where it stands out in a way.
Those parts say;
On general corruption:
`For the first time in 2004/5, the BEEPS also was conducted in a
number of nontransition countries, including five European
comparators: Greece, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. A sixth
comparator country, Turkey, has been included in all rounds of the
survey. The results confirm the widespread assumption that corruption
tends to be worse intransition countries than in Western Europe,
indicating that most transition countries – including the eight new
members of the European Union in Central and Eastern Europe – still
have a way to go in improving accountability in government. However,
along some dimensions of corruption the nontransition European
comparators – most notably Greece and occasionally Portugal, Turkey,
and the eastern part of Germany – fared worse than many transition
countries.
As with other measures of corruption, the impact of state capture is
perceived by firms to be somewhat lower in several European
comparators – Germany, Ireland, and Spain – but relatively high in
Portugal and Turkey and at about the average for transition countries
in Greece.
Firms in most transition countries – other than perhaps Estonia and
Slovenia – still report significantly higher levels of corruption than
Western European comparators – most notably Ireland, Spain, and
Germany, as some indicators in Greece, Portugal, and
Turkey are not too different than those in the transition countries.
Bribery appears to have worsened from already high levels in the
Kyrgyz Republic, from more moderate levels in Serbia and Montenegro,
and from previously low levels in Armenia. Of the comparator
countries, corruption in the tax system appears relatively higher in
Greece and Portugal, moderate in Turkey, and very low in Germany,
Ireland, and Spain.
Portugal and Turkey appear to have levels of corruption in customs
that are comparable to most of the new EU members, while bribery in
customs appears to be very low in Germany, Greece, Ireland, and
Spain.
Turkey appears to be tackling corruption successfully through a wide
variety of policy and institutional reforms, including a strengthened
supreme audit institution and a law on `Freedom of Information for
Citizens’ enacted in 2003 that has led to a major expansion in the
distribution of information to the public through government
websites.’

Agence France Presse — English
July 28, 2006 Friday 3:36 PM GMT
Another Turkish writer to stand trial for book on Armenian massacres
ISTANBUL, July 28 2006
A prosecutor has sought up to three years in jail for prominent
Turkish author Elif Shafak for a novel dealing with the massacres of
Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, the Anatolia news agency reported
Friday.
Shafak, 35, was charged with “denigrating the Turkish national
identity” in lines uttered by fictional Armenian characters in her
novel, “The Bastard of Istanbul,” or, in Turkish, “Baba ve Pic” (The
Father and the Bastard), Anatolia reported.
The case appears certain to draw angry reactions from the European
Union, which has warned Turkey that the prosecution of intellectuals
and journalists is casting a pall on its bid for membership.
The EU has urged Ankara to amend article 301 of its penal code, under
which Shafak is charged. The article has landed many intellectuals in
court.
They include Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who received a
six-month suspended sentence, and Turkey’s best-known novelist, Orhan
Pamuk, who saw the case against him dropped.
Much to Turkey’s ire, the massacres, which took place during World
War I, have been recognized as genocide by many countries and open
debate of the issue often sends nationalist sentiment into frenzy.
The proceedings against Shafak were initiated after a complaint filed
by Kemal Kerincsiz, a nationalist lawyer notorious for relentlessly
pursuing before the courts intellectuals who dispute the official
line on the Armenian massacres.
A first investigation resulted in the complaint being rejected, but
this was overturned by a higher court.
“The Bastard of Istanbul,” originally written in English, was
published in Turkish in March 2006 and quickly became a bestseller.
The novel moves between Turkey and the United States as it follows
four generations of women to tell the story of an Armenian family and
the descendants of a son left behind during the deportations, who
converts to Islam and lives as a Turk.
It was not immediately known when the trial will start.
Shafak, who was born in France and spent her teenage years abroad as
the daughter of a Turkish diplomat, writes both in English and
Turkish. Her books have been published in Britain and the United
States.
She is also an assistant professor at Arizona University’s Near
Eastern Studies department and divides her time between Turkey and
the United States.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their people were slaughtered in
orchestrated killings between 1915 and 1917 and want the massacres to
be internationally recognized as genocide.
Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000 Armenians
and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians took
up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with Russian
troops invading the crumbling Ottoman Empire.

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
July 28, 2006 Friday
THE CROSS AND CRESCENT OF LEBANON;
How to bring Christians back into the Crusaders’ camp
by Nadezhda Kevorkova
Christians in Lebanon comment on the conflict with Israel; Political
logic would seem to suggest that there’s no better country than
Lebanon for unleashing a major war in the Mideast: it has 17
communities, all of which have fought each other at some time in the
past. But the Lebanese aren’t interested in an “Islam versus
Christianity” war scenario.
The Lebanese themselves are no longer concerned about the idea of war
between Islam and Christianity. But since this topic does cause
concern in political clubs around the world, particularly as applied
to Lebanon, we decided to ask some Lebanese Christians whether they
regard themselves as “new Crusaders.”
In Lebanon, belonging to a particular community is a family tradition
going back a thousand years. Whether or not they’re believers, people
have a strong awareness of which community they belong to. It’s hard
to displace people whose ancestors have lived in the same location
for centuries.
The people of Lebanon include direct descendants of Phoenecians,
Greeks, Romans, Arimatheans, and Crusaders. Their heritage is in
their faces.
Long before politicians grew obsessed with the idea of a conflict
between civilizations, people in Lebanon were fighting wars and
making history, just as in the old days.
Political logic would seem to suggest that there’s no better country
than Lebanon for unleashing a major war in the Mideast: it has 17
communities, all of which have fought each other at some time in the
past. But the Lebanese aren’t interested in an “Islam versus
Christianity” war scenario. Right now, they’re concerned with far
more prosaic problems: how to bury the dead while bombs continue to
fall, how to provide water, food, and mattresses for 600,000 refugees
in a nation of 4 million people, and how to keep children fed when
jobs and homes are gone.
* * *
I’ve stopped in the Armenian quarter of Beirut to photograph some
children. Within moments I’m surrounded by a whole press conference
of people – a truly international mix. Jennifer, a Christian, and her
family are from Syria. Akop, 19, is an Armenian. Yasir, 32, and his
children are Sunni Muslims. Tony, a shopkeeper, is an Orthodox
Christian.
They all have refugees staying in their homes. Thirty people are
living in two rooms in the Jamili family’s home. There are no more
rooms to spare in the apartment. Madame Jamili tells us how shortly
before the bombing began, the refugees sought shelter at a United
Nations post. They weren’t allowed to cross the threshold; United
Nations personel wouldn’t even talk to them. While the people were
running back and forth seeking alternative shelter, the bombing
began. (And an Israeli air strike killed five UN peacekeepers on July
25.)
* * *
I approach an Armenian priest who is walking by with a friend. He
looks at my business card and flatly refuses to talk. Ten minutes
later, his friend catches up with me: “He’s not a Lebanese priest,
he’s from Jerusalem, and he fears he might get in trouble there if he
says anything against Israel – that’s why he’s afraid to talk.”
So that’s how it is. The Bishop of South Lebanon celebrates mass
under fire. Another priest is afraid of his own government.
* * *
Pierot Serhal, Maronite Catholic and a Lebanese member of parliament
representing Hezbollah, has been trapped since the start of the war
in his home town of Jezzin in southern Lebanon. He’s a surgeon,
trained in Paris and working at the local hospital. The Maronites are
Lebanon’s largest Christian community.
“We support Hezbollah because they’re fighting. The idea that
Christians are against Hezbollah is Israeli propaganda. We Christians
are in a better position to know whether we’re for them or against
them,” says Dr. Pierot. “The late Pope John Paul II visited Lebanon
and called on Christians to live in peace with Muslims. But
aggression against our countries is pushing Christians out of here.
Iraq had 3 million Christians before the war – now only 100,000
remain. The number of Christians in Lebanon is declining, and that’s
because of Israel, not Hezbollah.”
He can’t understand why the Russian Orthodox Church is keeping
silent: “The Orthodox know the problems of Lebanon better than the
Catholics.”
* * *
I knock on the door of the First Baptist Church of the Bible in
Beirut.
Pastor Richard Saddak starts off by preaching some Gospel at me, then
moves on to current events: “Thirty-four people have been killed in
Israel, 19 of them soldiers. Over 350 people are dead in Lebanon, all
of them civilians, mostly children! Is that what they call defending
their country? How does it fit in with international law? Or do
certain countries feel free to ignore the law?” Pastor Richard was
born in Australia and teaches at the American University in Beirut;
English is his native language. “Bombing a dairy farm – what’s that
all about? Do they feel threatened by Lebanon’s bridges, churches,
yoghurt factories, or television stations? A Baptist pastor in
Merdjayoun needs heart surgery, but it’s become impossible to get to
the hospital. This elderly man is having trouble breathing. Is he a
threat to Israel too?”
Pastor Richard points out that Israel and Hezbollah have always
exchanged prisoners. “Twelve years ago, Israel abducted two people
from the Bekaa Valley in order to exchange them for a pilot who was
shot down in 1967 and disappeared. Neither Hezbollah nor Lebanon
attacked Israel at the time. Why is Israel allowed to start a war
over two soldiers and call it self-defense? If they drop a nuclear
bomb in self-defense and wipe Lebanon off the map, would politicians
continue to keep silent? Politicians have forgotten the Sermon on the
Mount: blessed are the peacemakers.”
* * *
Bishop Elias Kfouri of Tyre, Sidon and South Lebanon (Antioch
Orthodox Patriarchate) has his residence in Merdjayoun, a district
capital in southern Lebanon – right in the border territory which
Israel intends to purge and turn into a buffer zone.
Question: You’re in a war zone. Why aren’t you leaving?
Elias Kfouri: Many residents have been able to save themselves by
leaving. But a great many still remain. Around a thousand people in
Merdjayoun alone. Last Sunday I celebrated mass on the border, in the
village of Derminaz. About 40 people attended the service. How could
I leave? My flock is here. I don’t fear for my own life. I’m worried
about the children, women, and the elderly who are unable to leave.
On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday there was heavy bombing in Nabatiye
and nearby villages. Seven people were killed in Nabatiye on Tuesday.
Merdjayoun and surrounding villages are being bombed from the air
every ten minutes – hitting the homes of people, ordinary people. The
longest interval between bombs is half an hour. The planes are
constantly overhead. The Orthodox church of St. George has been
severely damaged. We’re five kilometers from the border. There is
heavy fighting there.
Question: Is any aid reaching the people at all?
Elias Kfouri: Aid – yes, Greece is sending a great deal. The problem
is delivering the aid. Food products, medical supplies, water – many
villages don’t have any of these. Israel is making it impossible to
deliver anything. The only remaining road is the one through the
Bekaa Valley. It’s being bombed all the time. All the roads around
here have been blown up. The UN Security Council and the media should
make every effort to stop the blockade.
Question: Why are the Orthodox churches keeping silent? Why are
Christians around the world keeping silent?
Elias Kfouri: Ask the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Church is
our friend. I’m not sure they are keeping silent. Perhaps we’re just
not hearing them? Bishop Nifon is in Moscow – he’s an emissary of our
Church, a wise and effective bishop, the voice of our people. As for
Christians around the world, I’m cut off from information.
Question: Are you hearing any support from Russia and President
Putin?
Elias Kfouri: We love Russians and Russia. But you should ask
President Putin himself what he thinks of the situation in Lebanon.
Question: Many Western experts claim that Lebanese Christians are
hostile to Muslims in general and Hezbollah in particular.
Elias Kfouri: It’s not true that Christians are against Hezbollah.
There is no such problem. All Lebanese are against Israeli aggression
and Israel’s policies, not against Hezbollah. Individuals may have
their differences on political issues, but when you see someone
devastating your country, political differences are set aside.
Question: It is said that Hezbollah runs southern Lebanon. Do you
feel that’s true?
Elias Kfouri: Hezbollah does not govern us. But people do trust
Hezbollah. We have municipal and village administrations, elected by
the people. If they don’t perform well, the people elect someone
else.
Question: How dangerous would occupation be for Orthodox Christians?
Elias Kfouri: Israel is trying to start an occupation, and it may
succeed. I lived under occupation in the 1990s. They made no
distinctions between Christians and Muslims. Christians who disobeyed
the occupation regime, or showed resistance, were terrorized and sent
to concentration camps just like any other Lebanese. Now they’re
bombing Christian homes and Muslim homes alike. A hundred Christians
have been killed in the Christian district of Sabkha. Many Christians
were killed in the village of Rnish. They were buried on Monday. On
July 19, thirty families sought shelter in churches in Rashaya. The
air-strikes spared neither the churches nor the people.
Beirut Airport, destroyed by bomb – was that for Muslims only? Only
for Hezbollah’s use? In Lebanon, you can’t divide people into
“Christians here” and “Muslims there.” We’re all intermingled. And
the Christians are fighting occupation alongside the Muslims. The
bombing campaign has brought the entire Lebanese people to the brink
of humanitarian and economic catastrophe. And all the Lebanese people
believe that Israel’s actions, not Hezbollah, are to blame.
Source: Gazeta, July 27, 2006, p. 17
Translated by Elena Leonova