Author of biography on Ataturk’s wife charged with insulting late leader
By SUZAN FRASER
AP Worldstream; Aug 18, 2006
A Turkish prosecutor has charged an author with insulting the revered
late leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in a biography about his wife,
the book’s publisher said Friday.
Ipek Calislar, the latest in a series of writers charged under Turkey’s
freedom-curbing laws, faces up to 4 1/2 years in prison if found
guilty of insulting Ataturk, said Vahit Uysal of Dogan Publishing.
The European Union _ which Turkey hopes to join _ has been exerting
heavy pressure on the country to get rid of repressive laws and to
improve freedoms.
The prosecutor also filed charges against Necdet Tatlican, an
editor for Hurriyet newspaper, which published excerpts of the book,
“Latife Hanim,” Uysal said.
In the book, Calislar says that the Turkish leader, facing an
assassination attempt, left the presidential palace in a chador,
disguised as a woman.
The charges were initiated by a Hurriyet reader, Huseyin Tugrul Pekin,
who petitioned the prosecutor saying, “to claim that … Ataturk,
whom no one could even attempt to weigh his courage, would have done
something like this … is the greatest insult.”
Trial was set for Oct. 5.
Calislar’s book is the first comprehensive biography of Latife Ussaki,
who was married to Ataturk for about two years until he divorced her
in 1925.
The book became a best-seller within days of its publication in June
and helped to dispel a long-held image of her as a reviled woman
blamed for the break up of the marriage. It portrayed her, instead,
as a strong-willed woman who advanced women’s rights in Turkey.
Calislar said Friday that the passage in question was based on accounts
from Latife’s sister Vecihe Ilmen and other sources.
“The assassination attempt … is a historic fact,” Calislar said in
a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. Ataturk’s escape in a
woman’s clothing “was a decision Ataturk made at a critical time and
was successful,” she said.
“Historians may discuss the issue, but I don’t think that the issue
is of any concern to lawyers.”
Calislar joins a long list of journalists and writers charged with
insulting Turkey, “Turkishness” or state institutions.
In the most prominent case, novelist Orhan Pamuk stood trial this
year on charges of insulting “Turkishness” for commenting on the
mass killings of Armenians by Turks around the time of World War I,
which a number of governments and scholars have said was the first
genocide of the 20th century.
The charges were dropped amid intense international pressure.
Turkey vehemently denies that the mass killings were genocide, saying
the death toll is inflated and Armenians were killed in civil unrest
as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.
On Sept. 21, author Elif Safak is to stand trial because of the words
uttered by a fictional Armenian character in her novel “The Bastard
of Istanbul.”
In the book, an Armenian character refers to “Turkish butchers.”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has made clear
it has no plans to change laws used to prosecute Pamuk and others,
saying the charges are eventually dropped and defendants are acquitted.
EU officials argue, however, that even if the charges are dropped,
the threat of prosecution remains as a deterrent against people
wishing to express opinions.

Armenian Caucus Established in California State Assembly
ArmRadio.am
18.08.2006 13:48
A bipartisan group of legislators formed the Assembly Armenian-American
Legislative Caucus, which is modeled after a similar grouping that
has been addressing Armenian-American issues in Congress, the Glendale
News Press reported.
Co-founded by Assembly majority leader Dario Frommer, a Democrat
who represents Burbank and Glendale, and Stockton Republican Greg
Aghazarian, the caucus aims to address issues of concern to the more
than 700,000-strong California-Armenian community, Asbarez reported.
“Our intent is for it to be a working caucus and a group of folks
who reach out and educate others,” Frommer told the Glendale News
Press. “Here in California we have a large and vibrant Armenian
community, not just in my district, but in Fresno and other places,
and we want to bring those folks together.”
Frommer and Aghazarian expressed hope that the California State
Senate will follow suit. Such a caucus is long overdue, Burbank
Unified School Board member and Democratic candidate for the 43rd
Assembly District, Paul Krekorian said. “I’ve been a little surprised
that legislators who consider themselves friends of the Armenian
community did not create one like this years ago,” he said, adding,
“But what matters to most to Armenians is the same that matters to
all Americans: Excellent public schools, good jobs, health care for
seniors and the opportunity to send their kids to college.”
Frommer, who currently represents the 43rd District, will vacate his
seat this year because of term limits.

There are 300,000 Refugees from Azerbaijan in Armenia
ArmRadio.am
18.08.2006 13:47
Overwhelming majority of families of refugees from Azerbaijan
is provided with accommodation; Armenian Directorate on
Migration and Refugees Chief Gagik Yeganyan stated to a REGNUM
correspondent. Armenian government approved program in May 2004,
which is about $20mln worth, in accordance with which 3470 families
of refugees will be provided with apartments within 2-3 years.
As Gagik Yeganyan informed, according to the Armenian Directorate
on Migration and Refugees, there are about 300,000 refugees from
Azerbaijan in Armenia; 80,000 of them are Armenian citizens.

Azeri minister warns about “environmental disaster” in Karabakh
Azerbaijani news agency APA
17 Aug 06
Baku, 17 August: “If the fires started by the Armenians on our
occupied land are not countered, this will lead to an environmental
disaster. Azerbaijan has made specific proposals to Armenia regarding
ways to counter the fires,” Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has
told journalists, according to APA news agency.
He said that the personal representative of the
OSCE chairman-in-office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, accepts this
position. “Currently, Kasprzyk is in Yerevan and is conducting talks
with Armenia on countering the fires. He will also brief Yerevan
on our proposals. Once he returns from there, we will discuss his
impressions,” the minister said.
If the proposals are accepted, then joint work with international
organizations will start in the occupied territories, Mammadyarov
said. “It is still too early to say how the clearance will be carried
out. However, I can say that all relevant agencies will take part in
it,” he said.
Armenia is responsible for everything that occurs in the occupied
territories. The issue of responsibility has been reflected in
international conventions, the minister said.
[Passage omitted: Mammadyarov spoke about the new Diplomatic Academy]

Azerbaijan hands over three captives to Armenia through Red Cross
Arminfo
17 Aug 06
Yerevan, 17 August: Today three Armenians (all civilians), who were
in captivity in Azerbaijan, were returned to Armenia through the
mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The handover took place between the Armenian town of Idzhevan and
Azerbaijani town of Qazax, the press service of the ICRC told Arminfo.
The ICRC, which implemented its neural mediation mission at the request
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities, assisted in repatriation
of prisoners only after delegates of the ICRC visited them and found
out that the prisoners were returning to their homes voluntarily.
To recap, there is no information who are they and how they were
taken hostage.
The ICRC has mediated in the return of 659 people since the beginning
of its mission in the zone of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict in
1992. The organization is ready to further help with similar mission
in future too.

EU allocates funds to facilitate Georgian-Ossetian dialogue
Kavkas-Press
17 Aug 06
Tbilisi, 17 August: The European Union has allocated 140,000 euros
to facilitate meetings of the Joint Control Commission [JCC] for the
settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, the head of the European
Commission Delegation to Georgia and Armenia, Torben Holtze, has said.
“The European Union has allocated 140,000 euros to facilitate meetings
of the Joint Control Commission. We hope that these funds will allow
the meetings to become regular and effective,” Holtze said at a JCC
meeting in Moscow [on 17 August].
Holtze described JCC as an important body fostering the exchange of
views between the parties to the conflict.
“We highly evaluate the fact that peace is the top priority at these
meetings,” Holtze said.

Aznavour, Chucho Valdes in New Record
Prensa Latina, Cuba
Aug. 18, 2006
Paris, Aug 18 (Prensa Latina) The famous French singer of Armenian
origin Charles Aznavour is expected to travel to Cuba to record a
new album with the outstanding Cuban director, pianist and composer
Jesus Chucho Valdes, announced Le Figaro newspaper on Friday.
During the presentation of a biographical volume he authorized,
the French star, who will soon count on a museum paying homage to
his brilliant career in Armenia, described himself as a “writer”
and not as a “songwriter”.
The new book entitled “Charles Aznavour or the Restrained Destiny”
was written by journalist Daniel Pantchenko and published two years
after the presentation of the Aznavour´s memories (Le temps des avants)
written by the artist himself.
–Boundary_(ID_ezH2nMk4zvJvkNH8qIlhBA)–

Rocky Mountain News, CO
Aug. 18, 2006
Walks planned for genocide awareness
By STORY TOOLS
August 18, 2006
Journey for Life and Journey for Humanity plan walks through five
Front Range cities to honor the memory of genocide victims and raise
awareness and action to prevent future genocides.
The walk will be lead by Essie Garrett, 1996 Olympic Torchbearer for
the State of Colorado.
Journey for Humanity, sponsored by the United Armenian Students, a
non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, began the journey on
June 27 and will terminate in Washington, D.C. in November.
The Dead Weight of Complacency, a photographic exhibit created by the
Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, shows a series
of genocides. It will be displayed outside the Denver City and County
Building.
The exhibit will advance to Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Fort Collins
and Greeley where the group will speak on how Americans can help end
genocide in the future.
Times and locations for the walks and exhibits are:
~U 10 a.m. Monday, steps of Denver City and County Building
~U 3 p.m. Tuesday, band shell, southwest corner of Broadway and
Canyon, Boulder
~U 11 a.m. Wednesday, Longmont Free University, 505 Main St.
~U 3 p.m. Thursday, Peters Park at Loveland Museum, corner of 5th and
Lincoln in Loveland
~U 1 p.m. Friday, Old Town Square Plaza, Fort Collins
~U 11 a.m. Aug. 28, Greeley History Museum, 714 Eighth Street, Greeley

NEW RADIATION SAFETY STANDARDS TO BE INTRODUCED IN ARMENIA ON JULY 1, 2007
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 18, 2006
YEREVAN, August 18. /ARKA/. New radiation safety standards are to
be introduced in Armenia on July 1, 2007, Head of the Nuclear and
Radiation Safety Inspection Ashot Martirosyan told reporters. He said
that at its sitting today the Armenian Government is to approve the
new standards.
“The period left until July 1, 2007, will be used for necessary
preparations,” he said. Martirosyan stated that the standards have
been elaborated in conformity with the requirements of IAEA and WHO.
Stricter radiation safety requirements will be set to nuclear-power
facilities and to the population. Specially, the radiation level for
employees of enterprises and organizations using sources of nuclear
energy has been reduced from 5 Rem to 2 Rem, and for the population
from 0.5 Rem to 0.2 Rem.
“The document also separates the responsibility and competence of
relevant bodies,” Martirosyan said.
He reported that advanced experience of Russia, the USA and European
countries was used in the elaboration of the standards.
He pointed out that 2 Rem is not at all a reduction of the radiation
level because it is extremely low in Armenia’s enterprises and doe
not even reach the standards set. P.T. -0–

CONCEPT OF SCIENTIFIC REFORMS TO BE SUBMITTED IN NOV-DEC 2006
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 18, 2006
YEREVAN, August 18. /ARKA/. A concept of reforming Armenia’s scientific
sector is to be submitted for a public discussion in November-December
2006, RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtichyan told
reporters.
According to him, the Armenian Government has approved a list and
schedule of necessary measures. An interagency task group has been
formed as well.
“During one month the group is to elaborate a comprehensive program of
scientific reforms. The program is supposed to settle all disputable
issues by March-April 2007,” he said.
The formation of a single system of managing Armenia’s scientific
sector is to get under way in the second ten-day part of December 2007.
The Minister pointed out that in 2007-2008 funding of the program
will be received, particularly under the EU-implemented program.
Mkrtichyan said that the implementation of the program will resolve
the problem of forming a special scientific fund in Armenia.
“It should be noted the schedule of implementation is rather strict,
and the interagency group will supervise its fulfillment,” P.T. -0–