DROUGHT HITS HARD ARMENIAN AGRICULTURE
Armenpress
Jun 22 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS: According to preliminary calculations
of authorities in the Armenian province of Gegharkunik the persistent
drought there has caused some 47 billion Drams damages to the region’s
agriculture.
Experts say wheat crops have been affected so strongly that they are
good now as only fodder. Potato and winter crops are also endangered
together with hay. Cattle-growers in the province stored every year
about 380,000 tons of hay for winter, this year they will hardly be
able to store 30,000 tons of hay.
Veterinarians say droughts are able to cause outburst of foot and
mouth and other diseases.

RAGIP ZARAKOLU IS “NOT CULPRIT”
Jean Eckian
Relayed Erol ONDEROGLU (BIA News Center), and belge international
publishing house
June 22, 2006
Endless Trials of Publisher Zarakolu
Belge Publications owner and journalist Ragıp Zarakolu now faces upto
13.5 years imprisonment if found guilty for printing and distributing
the Turkish translations of two books related to Armenians in Turkey.
Zarakolu appeared in court once again this week, this time on trial
for the Turkish language publication of Prof. Dr. Dora Sakayan’s book
“Garabed Hacheryan’s Izmir Journal: An Armenian Doctor’s Experiences
” and George Jerjian’s ” The Truth Will Set Us Free: Armenians and
Turks Reconciled”.
The prosecution demands 7.5 years imprisonment for the Turkish
translation book “The Truth Will Set Us Free” for which the court
has assigned Korkmaz Alemdar and Cafer Yenidogan of the Galatasaray
University and Prof. Dr. Emin Artuk of Marmara University as expert
witnesses. They are to read and analyse the book for an expert report.
“Garabed Hacheryan’s Izmir Journal: An Armenian Doctor’s Experiences”
promises Zarakolu up to 6 years imprisonment if he found guilty of the
charges but the court decided this week that statements taken were
fulfilling and an additional expert witness report was not required
for this publication.
Zarakolu: Court should interview author Sakaryan
Appearing before Istanbul’s number 2 Court of First Instance on
Wednesday and defended by attorney Osman Ergin, Zarakolu submitted
a petition to the bench where he explained that author Sakaryan was
a lecturer at the Mc Gill University in Canada and that his book put
on trial in Turkey had been translated into nine different languages.
Zarakolu said Sakaryan had been honours by the German Presidency for
his eminent services in recognition to 50 years of his contributions
to the German language.
He said that Sakaryan was author of the most comprehensive work on
the “Western Armenian” spoken in Turkey and requested the court to
interview the author for his views.
Judge Sevim Efendiler adjourned the case until June 21.
Charges based on controversial articles
Zarakolu faces 6 years imprisonment for the Turkish translation
publication of Sakaryan’s book on grounds that he violated the law
by publishing context that “degraded Turkisism” and “insulted and
ridiculed the Army”.
He faces 7.5 years imprisonment for Jerjian’s book on charges of
“insulting and ridiculing the State and Republic” as well as “Insulting
the memory of Ataturk”.
The two consecutive hearings on Wednesday were held in the presence
of International PEN representative Eugene Schoulgin, International
Human Rights Federation (FIË~YDH) deputy chairman Akın Birdal,
Pencere publications executive Muzaffer Erdogdu, Aram publications
editor Fatih Tas and author Oner Eyuboglu who attended the court in
support of Zarakolu.
Note: April 25, 2005, Ragip Zarakolu received hands of the mayor of
Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, the Medal of the town of Paris.
–Boundary_(ID_Wgoa5cBbvn2wHFWQ3fFS/w)–

FILM & MUSIC: JAZZ, WORLD, FOLK
Robin Denselow
The Guardian – United Kingdom
Jun 23, 2006
CD releases: The Rough Guide to the Music of Iran (Rough Guides/World
Music Network) pounds 9.99
Iran is a complex country where music has continued to flourish
even since the Islamic revolution of 1979, when western pop was
initially banned, and this wide-ranging guide is an eye-opening
introduction. There are gently sturdy classical performers, folk
musicians, virtuoso instrumentalists, and even rock bands such as
the laid-back Barad or upbeat O-Hum, whose lyrics somehow range from
contemporary angst to a beefed-up treatment of ancient Sufi poetry.
Then there are the regional bands like the sturdy and stirring Kamkars
from Iranian Kurdistan, famous for their Kurdish and Persian classical
styles played on long-necked lutes, fiddles and dulcimer. There are
Iranian Armenians such as virtuoso lute-player Hossein Alizadeh, and
black Iranians descended from African slaves, such as the Jahle band,
whose soulful, hypnotic Lullaby is one of the high points on a timely,
intriguing set.

GOVERNMENT DISPELS CRIMINAL CASE SUSPICIONS
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
23 June 06
Many people might think that the June 22 accident in Malatia-Sebastia
Community in Yerevan is just another criminal skirmish, another act
of settling accounts, which has become a usual thing in Armenia.
Perhaps, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first sight.
What happened in Armenia is really a usual thing, which is built
and supported. However, as a phenomenon it is much larger in scope
than just a skirmish. The accident in Malatia-Sebastia Community is
a manifestation of controversies inside the Armenian government. It
does not mean that the gunmen and the target are involved in these
controversies. The phenomenon itself is related to the atmosphere
inside the government, and it is not accidental that after a long
pause a skirmish took place at a moment when different branches of
the power are seriously concerned about their future, for they have
deep suspicions that the political career of the present system,
which guarantees their existence, is coming to its end. There are
a number of examples. These concerns naturally affect the criminal
as well, let alone that most government forces are the pageboys of
this criminal. And if the criminal is shattered, which underlies the
power pyramid, it will become impossible to keep it. Consequently,
the aim is clear – to assure the forces and the criminal gathered at
the “sides of power” that the government keeps the situation under
control. And the criminal accepts only one proof – freedom of actions,
which was enabled on the very first opportunity. It was necessary
to assure that nothing has changed, everyone remains in their scope
of “rights and duties,” the power-criminal “framework” agreement
remains. For the Police, it watches the public to prevent them from
making changes to the agreement. It is a real danger for the future
of the government because the criminal will endanger the government
sooner than the public. As soon as it discovers that the government
may lose the levers of guarantees of the criminal, it will not wait
to see how the developments will end.
Concerned about their own fate, the criminal will not wait for a
new government; it will establish a new government for itself as
soon as it doubts the “efficiency” of the old one. Consequently,
we may surely suppose that the necessity to relieve the doubts of
the criminal environment emerged in the context of home political
and pre-election developments.

NKR DELEGATES TO MEET U.S. OFFICIALS
Lragir.am
23 June 06
On June 23-30 NKR Speaker Ashot Ghulyan and Foreign Minister Georgy
Petrosyan will visit the United States. They will visit Boston, New
York and Washington, meet with representatives of Bush administration,
the Congress and the Armenian community. A wide range of questions
will be discussed from the Karabakh settlement to cooperation with
NKR. A visit to Capitol is scheduled on June 28.

ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS VISIT TO ISTANBUL ACCOMPANIED BY SCANDAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 13:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 20 Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II left
for Istanbul on a ministerial visit on the invitation of Armenian
Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian and Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I. The Turkish Public TV ignored Catholicos’
visit. Turkish NTV, central newspapers: the Milliyet, Sabah responded
to the arrival – even the news was in the headlines.
According to reports, due to arrival of Garegin II special security
measures were taken at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, journalists’
entry to the airport territory was banned. Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian
met Catholicos and they left not passing through VIP, as provided
before. Next to the airport entrance a group of 50 people organized a
protest action. Lraber, official bulletin of Constantinople Patriarchy,
notes that those protesting threw eggs on cars of two Patriarchs, who
were meeting Garegin II. Catholicos of All Armenians was received in
the Patriarchy building, which is guarded around the clock by Turkish
security forces.
“We are worried and this refers not to Catholicos but nationalism
and chauvinist moods,” Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian said. The same day,
Lraber reports, the Patriarch of Constantinople addressed a written
request to Istanbul governor take strong security measures.
Besides Armenian web-site, Lraber has also those in Turkish and
English. However, it is notable that aforementioned short reports on
Catholicos’ visit were published only on the Turkish page, while two
other versions said nothing of the visit of Garegin II.
Armenians of Istanbul know Turkish, however those of the Diaspora and
Armenia do not – they need information in English and Armenian. By
posting information on the Turkish-language page only Lraber has
deprived Armenians in the Diaspora and Armenia of opportunity to get
information on the visit of Garegin II so as to limit the response
to the visit of the Catholicos, reports the Azg newspaper.

ALERT WATCH OF PUBLIC ORDER
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
23 June 06
After the epic battle of Tetsi Krug in Yerevan everybody believes
that the society is regularly going to witness criminal skirmishes,
for the criminals were not punished. If a criminal is dismissed,
crime is automatically encouraged. And it reoccurs with some delay
to express itself more brazenly than before. The June 22 incident
proved this. If in Tetsi Krug the criminals nevertheless avoided
battle in broad daylight (although they may also have taken into
consideration tactical problems), Malatia was a “daytime show,”
let’s wait for the dawn.
Most probably, we will not have to wait long. Very soon the government
will encourage the valiant soldiers of Malatia in court.
After all, they have to show that intellect is not the only power of
the government. Intellect was useful in Torino, whereas in Yerevan they
need a “mauzer” not to let the people, excited about chess, think that
the ruling elite became intellectual. A long pause between gunshots can
shatter the government because dictatorship fears civilization. This
fear helps the police disperse peaceful protestors in a couple of
seconds, whereas they miss the raging criminal. And it would be too
ingenuous to think that the guilty will be punished this time. There
will not be such a thing, especially on the eve of elections. The
government will not break up with the criminal because very soon the
government will need it. And who knows, maybe it was the order of
the government to start exercising, and we should even be grateful
that they at least shoot one another.
However, passers-by suffer too. In other words, the public is already
in danger. It means that the law enforcement agencies fail. And
it is strange that on their professional day Robert Kocharyan
awarded law-enforcers with different awards and medals. As they
say, for good work. The job of a law enforcers is to guarantee the
security of the citizens. If the life of citizens is in danger, as
we become convinced every 6 months, so for what good work does the
president award the Police, the National Security Service and other
law enforcement agencies? What do they rely on to announce that the
Police succeed in maintaining public order? Maybe they really succeed,
whereas what happens outside the public order is not the business
of the Police. They are not awarded for this. They are awarded for
not interfering.

ICE DANCERS ANASTASIA GREBYONKINA AND VAZGEN AZROYAN TRAINING IN TSAKHKADZOR
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 16:18
Starting June 18 Anastasia Grebyonkina – Vazgen Azroyan ice dance pair
of Armenia has been training in the Olympic village of Tsakhkadzor.
The major aim of the trainings is to raise the physical preparedness
of the ice dancers. On July the 1st Grebyonkina and Azroyan will
leave for Moscow, where they will continue the trainings.

“MTS” PASSES THE QUALIFICATION ROUND OF THE TENDER DECLARED BY OTE
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 16:51
Russian cell operator “MTS” has overcome the first round of the tender
to purchase 90 percent of “ArmenTel” shares declared by OTE Company,
Press Secretary of MTS Kirill Alyavdin told MEDIAMAX Agency. At the
same time he noted that “they have not submitted the final application
so far.”
Press Secretary of “Vimpelcom” Company Yulya Ostroukhova preferred
not to say whether the “BeeLine” Company has passed the qualification,
saying the information is confidential.

RUSSIAN SCIENTIST: NK IS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’S PART
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 22 2006
Nagorno Karabakh is the international community’s part, and the
conduct of the international scientific conference in Stepanakert
is quite logical. A scientific worker of the Russian Institute of
the World Economy Victor Nadein-Raevsky, who is participating in the
conference’s work, expressed his opinion to journalists in Stepanakert,
Novosti-Armenia reports.
In his words, the international community should be informed of the
situation in the world’s “tense” region. “If we recall the Russian
President’s words concerning other regions, he stated “one should
consult with a nation on the issues’ resolution”. “Generally speaking,
the nation’s power has not been cancelled”, noted the Institute’s
worker.
The international scientific conference titled “Nagorno Karabakh
Republic: Past, Present, Future” dedicated to the 15th Anniversary
of the NKR’s declaration opened today at the Artsakh State University.
About 200 representatives of over ten countries, including RA, France,
the US, Russia, Germany and UK take part in the measure.
There will be three sections in the course of the conference –
historical, cultural, as well as political-legal and social-economic.