EAF: INCIDENT WITH ARMENIAN CHURCH LEADER IS ANOTHER EVIDENCE
OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH VIOLATION IN TURKEY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 19 2006
YEREVAN, July 19. /ARKA/. Scandalous incident happened in the course
of Armenian Apostolic Church leader Catholicos Garegin II visit to
Istanbul came as another evidence of freedom of speech violation
in Turkey, European Armenian Federation, EAF, says in its press
release issued Wednesday. Garegin II, who was in Istanbul from June
20 to 27, stated there at a press conference held on June 26 that
Armenian genocide fact must be admitted also by Turkey and pointed
out irrelevance of Turkish side’s proposal to set up a commission of
historians for conducting scrutiny over this genocide. EAF Executive
Director Laurent Leylekian urged European Commission to condemn
Turkey’s policy of denial and pay greater attention to violation of
ethnic minorities’ rights and gender equality principle in Turkey.
Garegin II arrival to Istanbul started with a scandal. A group of 50
staged an action just outside Istanbul airport protesting Armenian
Church leader arrival. The protesters hurled eggs at the cars carrying
the high-level clerics. Armenian political and public activists have
condemned the incident. M.V.-0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RPA VICE CHAIRMAN: RA DEFENCE MINISTER BECOMES MEMBER OF RPA
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 19 2006
YEREVAN, July 19. /ARKA/. Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA) Razmik Zohrabyan told journalists Serge Sargsyan,
Defence Minister of Armenia has officially become member of the RPA.
“Sargsyan’s membership in the party is just an official action,
since he has been working with it since 1998”, he said, emphasizing
that Sargsyan’s active cooperation with the party has a long history.
The Republican Party of Armenia was established in 1990. Since 1992,
Andranik Margaryan, the Prime Minister of Armenia since 2000, has been
the leader of the party. Following the parliamentary elections of 2003,
the party has become part of the ruling coalition of Armenia together
with Dashnaktsutyun ARF and Orinats Yerkir parties. The number of RPA
members reaches 22 thsd people; the party has 11 regional structures
and 56 departments. S.P.–0–

EU Criticizes Turkish Law on “Insulting Turkishness”
Brussels Journal, Belgium
July 19 2006
EU Enlargment commissioner Olli Rehn demands that Turkey amend
its laws on curbing free expression, in particular Article 301 of
its penal code. Recently, Turkish courts upheld a prison sentence
against a Turkish editor, Hrant Dink. The Turkish citizen, Elif
Shafak – author of Father and Bastard – also faces renewed charges of
“insulting Turkishness” under the notorious Article 301 of the Turkish
Criminal Code, despite the earlier dismissal of the case.
Shafak’s case has already been fraught with complications. The
original trial in June of Elif Shafak and her publisher (Semih Sokmen
of Metis Publishing House) declared that, after the publication of
her bestseller Father and Bastard, there was no evidence to prosecute
her on the charges of “publicly insulting Turkishness.”
A subsequent trial brought by The Unity of Jurists – led by the lawyer,
Kemal Kerincsiz – overturned the dismissal. It was in Istanbul’s
Seventh High Criminal Court that the original decision to dismiss the
case was reversed. After that ruling, the case file was passed back
to the original court of prosecution, Beyoglu Republic Prosecutors’
Office.
The charges of “publicly insulting Turkishness” stem from the notorious
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. After previously reviewing the
trial of Orhan Pamuk, it is clear that there is now an extensive list
of journalists and writers whose freedom of expression continues to
be intimidated and suppressed.
In a reaction to an earlier article of mine, comparing the Pamuk trial
to that of Italian writer Oriana Fallaci, who is being prosecuted in
Italy because she “defamed Islam,” the weblog Parenthetical Remarks
writes:
What’s curious about McConalogue’s article is the way in which
he couches Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk’s famous battle with the
government over charges that he had “insulted Turkishness” by public
ally mentioning the Armenian genocide and Turkey’s treatment of
the Kurds.
McConalogue would like to draw a parallel between Pamuk and Italian
journalist Oriana Fallaci, who has been charged with defaming Islam
in Italy. To this end, he chooses to see Pamuk as somehow having run
afoul of a Muslim status quo in Turkey.
The only problem is that Pamuk’s case doesn’t demonstrate this in
the least. Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which prohibits
insulting Turkishness and the Turkish military, was dreamed up not
by Muslim extremists, but by the militant secularist diciples of
Kemal Ataturk. The people behind the prosecutions of Pamuk and other
writers are nationalists who adhere to a vision of the Turkish state
that is anathema to radical Islamists in Turkey and beyond.
I agree with McConalogue on the importance of free expression, but
there is absolutely no connection between Pamuk and Fallaci. The
juxtaposition appears to be based on a rather lazy assumption that
because Turkey is a Muslim country, to run afoul of its government
must be to run afoul of Islam. Nothing could be further from the case.
I disagree with the blogger’s critique since in my view, the cases of
both author’s are trials of intimidating/suppressing free expression
through religious forces. I am in agreement with the critic’s issue
of defending free expression and I must apologise for where I did
not clarify the points I made on the Turkish problem in my article.
The basic contention of the criticism seems to be this: Fallaci’s
case concerns the suppression of free expression based on religion
following the author’s vehement attacks on Islam, whereas Pamuk’s case
concerns the suppression of free expression based on nationalists in
the political sphere following his claims of past atrocities by the
Turkish state and its military power. This leads my critic to suggest
that “there is absolutely no connection between Pamuk and Fallaci.”
I attempt to keep myself aware of lazy assumptions that I am likely
to make of cultures that I do not belong to. However, Turkey is a
predominantly Muslim country and in assessing its government’s policy
to literary cases, I would assess the geo-political culture in which
its laws are conceived. That is to say, I take a step back from the
immediate legislative developments since June 2005 i.e. Article 301.
(Certainly, I would agree, I may have taken too many steps back in
this article). I am aware that Pamuk is being prosecuted under the
banner of Article 301 and Fallaci is being prosecuted for the rather
odd charge of defaming Islam – both of which are very different
charges and circumstances – but they are essentially a part of the
same trend. They are both concerned with free expression and Islam.
More to the point, both sets of recourse to the law are nothing more
than quick-fix efficient methods of intimidating author’s on matters
relating to religion.
At the centre of my critic’s remark is a passion for intricate
historical divisions in the Turkish political topography at the cost of
forgetting the generalized patterns of social and political analysis
(although I can appreciate that it is important to examine this
immediate evidence before approaching more generalized patterns). My
own analytical framework, for quite some time, has been based upon
Michael Mann’s legendary three volumes of The Sources of Social
Power, which assesses the inter-related historical developments of
ideological, economic, military and political spheres in modern social
and political powers. So when I took to analysing Pamuk’s case, it
was not limited to the military/political divisions in modern Turkey –
I understood religion to play a significant part in underpinning the
nationalist instinct in Turkish society. In short, I believe something
deeper underpins that free-floating secular nationalism. Of course,
this certainly remains a debatable issue.
Yet, Article 301, should we forget, refers to “publicly insulting
Turkishness.” Are we then assuming that Turkishness, for Turks, is
now a non-Islamic concept? I can’t help but think that “Turkishness”
in Pamuk’s claims was devoted to a provocation over two issues
irrevocably related to Islamic politics: a discomfort over the
Armenian genocide and the persecution of the Kurds. Thus, a case on the
Turkish nationalist-military-political framework overreaching into the
private realm is very likely to signify a general case of religious
intrusion into free expression. As for the claims of “secularists”
and “secularism”, this is a difficult concept to talk of in all
cultures, including in my home country of parochial Christian-centric
islanders. Accordingly, I find it difficult to think of the Turkish
state as “anathema” to the Islamic culture (radical or non-radical)
it is responsible for governing.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

More Lebanon Residents To Be Evacuated To Armenia
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 19 2006
By Ruzanna Stepanian
Some two hundred more Armenian citizens and other residents of Lebanon
will be evacuated to Armenia on Thursday amid the continuing Israeli
assault on the tiny Arab state, the Foreign Ministry in Yerevan said
on Wednesday.
A ministry spokesman, Vladimir Karapetian, told RFE/RL that the
evacuees will be transported to Syria by bus and then fly to Yerevan on
board two Armenian airliners. “Most of them are citizens of Armenia,”
Karapetian said. The evacuees will be accompanied by Armenian diplomats
during the high-risk journey from Beirut to Aleppo, he said.
According to the ministry, 160 Armenians and dozens of Lebanese
citizens of Armenian descent have already escaped to Armenia since the
start of devastating Israeli raids on civilian and guerilla targets
in Lebanon on July 12. It says some 1,200 Armenian nationals lived
in the country before the assault.
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian has promised to provide “state
support” to them and other Lebanese residents who would like to take
refuge in Armenia. Two Armenian diplomats have been sent to Lebanon
and Syria to assist in their voluntary evacuation. Yerevan’s ambassador
in Beirut, Vahan Ter-Ghevondian, was scheduled to hold a special news
conference for Lebanese-Armenian media on Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t say there is a big influx of evacuees from Lebanon right
now,” said Karapetian. “It’s just that we are prepared for such an
influx because it is not clear when all of this will end.”
The official added that no Armenian casualties have been reported
so far. The Lebanese authorities say at least 280 people, the vast
majority of civilians, have been killed in the Israeli air strikes
launched in response to Hezbollah guerillas’ deadly cross-border
attack on Israel. The Armenian criticized the Israeli retaliation as
disproportionately harsh last week.
Lebanon is home to an estimated 80,000 ethnic Armenians that are
represented in the country’s government and parliament. Most of
them live in the Christian neighborhoods and suburbs of Beirut
that have largely been spared bombardment so far. “There is no mass
exodus of Armenians yet,” Shahan Kahandarian, editor of the local
Armenian-language “Aztag” daily based, told RFE/RL from Beirut.
The situation appears to be far more dangerous in the
Armenian-populated village of Anjar in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley that
has been targeted by the Israeli air force. “There are roughly 2,500
Armenians living here,” Kaloust Polazian, a local resident, said by
phone. “Authorities here are taking all necessary precautions. But
we don’t know what will happen. We are at the mercy of God.”
“One is left to think that Lebanon’s Armenians have no future,”
he added grimly. The country is in serious trouble.”

DEZINFORMATSIYA ALIVE BUT TRANSPARENT
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
By Vladimir Socor
Two forgeries now circulating in Europe and North America bear the
classic imprint of Soviet disinformation, presented, however, in
modern-looking packaging developed by Modest Kolerov’s department of
the presidential administration in the Kremlin.
One of these forgeries attempts to portray Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili as suffering from “psychiatric disturbances.” Handed out
discretely to Western journalists in recent weeks, this “study” is
attributed to mental health institutes with prestigious-looking titles
in six West European countries. However, the document is written in
awkward English and with occasional telltale Russianisms (“convinced
in,” “diceased.”) It purports to “diagnose” Saakashvili with various
psychiatric “syndromes” and “dysfunctions” without substantiating these
in any way, resorting instead to simple assertions and occasionally
innuendo. Significantly, no direct claim is made that any of those
six institutes ever examined or interviewed the Georgian president;
instead, their “contribution to the study” is acknowledged.
The “study’s” political goals are also apparent in the forecasts it
derives from that “diagnosis.” It warns that the Georgian president
may provoke social and military conflicts and that he tends to situate
himself in opposition to the Georgian public.
To lend credence to such predictions it clearly misrepresents
Saakashvili as an insecure, “paranoid” personality; and his
public speaking style as reflecting those alleged traits as well
as difficulties of expression while under pressure. In reality,
however, this Georgian president’s defining message is one of
optimism and confidence in the nation, while his speaking style
in English and Russian makes him undoubtedly one of the most
effective political orators in today’s international arena (albeit
one in which oratorical talent is in short supply). Even as this
“study” was being circulated, the June meeting of Saakashvili with
Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg saw a relaxed
and articulate Georgian president easily dominating his stilted
Russian counterpart throughout their lengthy joint news conference
(see EDM, June 16). Economist correspondent Edward Lucas has
wittily debunked the psychological “study” on his widely read blog
().

Concurrently with the anti-Georgian “study,” a report on Transnistria
was released apparently by the same workshop or a related one, with
false attribution to seven highly reputed academics from leading U.S.
and British universities. This report backs Transnistria’s “right” to
secede from Moldova and to be granted international recognition. The
document describes Transnistria as a “democratic” polity meeting
the criteria of state sovereignty under international law. It passes
over in silence Russia’s military and economic support that enabled
Transnistria’s secession from Moldova.
Some parts of this report are easily recognized as having been lifted
from an earlier report about Karabakh. Other parts are written in
awkward English. The news agency Regnum, a Kolerov outlet (he was
its founder and chief executive prior to his move into the Kremlin)
first publicized this report.
The seven purported co-authors have, in the meantime, denied any
involvement in the preparation of the report on Transnistria and
asked that their names be removed from the authors’ roster. Some
other scholars, whose work is referenced in the report’s footnotes
in distorted or misleading ways, have similarly asked for removal of
those references. Indeed, most of those names have in the meantime
disappeared the website of the organization that sponsors this report.
The sponsoring organization, the “International Council for Democratic
Institutions and State Sovereignty,” at , was found
to share an IP address with when it posted the
report. The reference to democratic institutions and state sovereignty
reflects this Council’s function to advocate for recognition of the
post-Soviet secessionist enclaves. Meanwhile, that same “Council,”
along with something called the “United Euro-Atlantic Forum,” has
released a report criticizing Ukraine’s cooperation with the European
Union in enforcing customs regulations against Transnistria’s “external
trade.” Names of disinformation outlets that use misleading references
to Western values (the “Free Europe Foundation,” also propagandizing
for recognition of the secessionist enclaves, is another case) are
typical of Kolerov’s growing network of such organizations.

CONGRESSMAN DAN BARTON CALLS HIS COLLEAGUE TO TAKE NEUTRAL STANCE IN
NAGORNO KARABAKH QUESTION
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
July 19 2006
The Republican Congressman Dan Barton representing in the Congress of
the USA state of Indiana has called colleagues-legislators to take of
the neutral position In the Nagorno Karabakh question. He considers,
that supporting this or that party interferes with peace process.
Speaking at the House of Representatives, Dan Barton said some of his
colleagues try to lay the blame on Azerbaijani side. Supporting the
rights of the population of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination,
they even acknowledge its efforts ‘by ignoring animosity of Azerbaijan,
to construct in this historical Armenian territory democracy and
market economy”.
Dan Barton reminded that Nagorno Karabakh has never been a part of
Armenia. Distortion of the mentioned fact and to put responsibility
for the Nagorno Karabakh problem on Azerbaijan complicates peaceful
settlement of the conflict. The Congressman also noted that the
United States officially recognizes neither Nagorno Karabakh,
as an independent state, nor its government. Such policy in the
past was pursued by the government of Clinton, and now – by Bush
Administration. It is necessary to make it invariable so that any
attempt to exert pressure or change neutral position will lead only
to approval of artificial peace.
Congressman Barton regretfully noted that though on the threshold
of the G8 Summit, it was stated that for support of the peace
negotiations of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, they would
be invited to the forum, and however, that did not occur. He said:
‘I think, a good chance was lost for move in the peace talks. At
the same time, I am optimistic, and am convinced that we along with
other states shall help Azerbaijan and Armenia to achieve peace,
finally solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, essentially hampering
development of both countries, and also the entire region’.

OSCE co-chair Matthew Bryza to visit region on 29 July
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 19 2006
US deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs, US co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza will pay his
first visit to the region as co-chair on July 29 this year.
APA reports quoting diplomatic sources Mr.Bryza will first visit the
Armenian capital of Yerevan and then the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.
The US co-chair is due to meet with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister,
President Ilham Aliyev and other government officials. The Minsk
Group co-chairs will meet in Paris in the first ten-day of August this
year. Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers are not expected to
attend this meeting, which will determine next steps./APA/

SPAIN BUSTS VEHICLE-STEALING GANG HAVING BULGARIAN PARTICIPATION
Sofia Echo, Bulgaria
July 19 2006
An organised criminal group, responsible for stealing luxurious
vehicles in Spain has been busted.
The group had Bulgarian and Armenian members, an Interior Ministry
press release said.
Interior Ministry experts aided the Spanish police in the operation.
Most group members were Armenians. The group is responsible for a
series of vehicle stealings in Madrid and the nearby areas.
Once stolen, the vehicles were transported through France and Italy
to Turkey. From there, the cars were taken to Armenia.
The group used electronic technology. Gang members worked on false
documents and car numbers, as well as on ensuring transportation for
the stolen vehicles.
During investigation, police found nine stolen luxury vehicles.
One of the Bulgarians detained has previous criminal record. She was
involved in an illegal vehicle trafficking ring previously.

NKR FM: “SOLUTIONS MAY BE FOUND ONLY WITH PARTICIPATION OF LEGALLY ELECTED NKR LEADERSHIP”
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
July 19 2006
Nagorno Karabakh Republic FM Georgy Petrosyan commented on the
statements made in the course of the Great Eight summit held in St.
Petersburg to REGNUM Information Agency. “One may only welcome the
statement of the Great Eight countries on the maintenance of the OSCE
Minsk Group’s mediation efforts and the necessity of coordination
of the basic principles of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict’s peaceful
settlement. Nagorno Karabakh has always advocated peaceful settlement
of the issue and is ready to do its best to reach an agreement
over establishing long-term peace in the region. Unfortunately,
not everything depends on the mediators. Taking into consideration
Azerbaijan’s extremely destructive position, its unwillingness to
contact with Nagorno Karabakh, it is quite hard to find an acceptable
and just solution today. President of the Russian Federation has fairly
noted that Russia will not impose any solution on the conflict parties
and that the compromise must be reached by the nations. Taking into
account the Russian Federation’s readiness to become a guarantor
of fulfillment of the agreements, we remind once again that only
with the participation of the representatives of legally elected
leadership of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic that is the main and the
most suffered conflict party it is possible to achieve the solutions,
which immediately concern the future of our country and people”.

Detroit Armenians offer lahmajoun
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
July 19 2006
BY ROBIN MATHER JENKINS
Pine nuts and feta cheese bring a salty, rich finish to lahmajoun.
(JOHN DZIEKAN/McClatchy-Tribune)
Related articles:
Lahmajoun A stop at a Middle Eastern bakery and a stack of freshly
baked pitas rekindled my appetite for lahmajoun, a dish I learned
to make from Armenian-American friends in Detroit. It’s a terrific
solution for the dinner rush. I’m told that lahmajoun (la-ma-ZHOON)
translates from Arabic to “meat dough,” but if you think of it as
individual pizzas, you would be closer to the mark.
Here are a few tips:
If lamb isn’t your favorite, substitute ground beef or even ground
turkey.
Try adding diced tomato or tomato paste to the meat while browning.
If you can find za’atar, the Middle Eastern blend of sumac, oregano
and sesame seeds, use that instead of the oregano.
Lemonade and limeade are both so easily made at home that you can
make a pitcher while the lahmajoun bakes. The juice from half a lemon
or a whole lime should be adequate for a glassful. Sweeten to taste.
Serve with chopped salad of cucumbers, onions and tomatoes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress