ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGITION ISSUE TO BE REFERRED TO INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
Yerkir
18.05.2006 17:16
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – A commission of experts held a meeting in Yerevan
and discussed the possibility of referring the Armenian Genocide issue
to the International Tribunal to reach recognition of the Genocide
by Turkey and Turkey’s effective responsibility.
“For the first time, a group of experts is discussing the possibility
of implementing responsibility through court procedures or arbitrage,”
a press release acquired by PanArmenian.net said. “The members of
the commission are to discuss and clearly state their position on
the issue.”
The commission comprises scholars from Armenia, Russia, United States,
Germany, Israel and Austria.

RUSSIAN PUBLIC CHAMBER CONDEMNS AZERBAIJANI VANDALISM
Yerkir
18.05.2006 14:19
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – A committee of the Russian Public Chamber discussed
on May 17 the issue of the destruction of the Armenian medieval
cemetery in Djulfa in the Azerbaijani region of Nakijevan region.
As reported by the newspaper Yerkramas, published by the Armenian of
southern Russia, Chairman of the Armenian-Russian Friendship Union
Victor Krivopus kov reported on the vandalism carried out by Azerbaijan
in December 2005, when an Armenian mediaval cemetery in Djulfa with
4,000 cross stones was destroyed. He went on saying that 27,000
Armenian monuments dating to 7th-19th centuries have been destroyed
in Nakhijevan during the years of the Azerbaijani rule over the region.
The committee passed a unanimous decision condemning the Azerbaijani
vandalism in Djulfa.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY PROPOSES BILL THAT SAYS FRENCH COMMITTED GENOCIDE IN ALGERIA
Pravda, Russia
May 18 2006
The proposal was a tit-for-tat move, and the latest expression of
Turkey’s disapproval of NATO ally France, whose parliament on Thursday
postponed voting on a similar bill that would make it a crime to deny
that Turks committed genocide against Armenians around the time of
World War I.
Mahmut Kocak, a legislator from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development
Party representing the city of Afyon, said his proposal included making
May 8 of every year “The Genocide Carried out against the Algerians”
day. Under Kocak’s proposed law, anyone who denied that the French
committed genocide against the Algerians could be put in jail and
fined up to 100,000 Turkish lira (about US$70,000).
Turkey’s government has argued that designations of genocide should
be debated by historians, and not legislated by politicians.
Nonetheless, several countries, including France, have passed
resolutions recognizing the killings of as many as 1.5 million
Armenians in Turkey as genocide.
The bill in the French parliament would have taken recognition one step
further, however, by making it a crime to say Turks did not commit
genocide, similar to a French law that makes it a crime to deny that
Nazi Germans committed genocide against the Jews during World War II.
Turkey vehemently denies that it committed genocide against Armenians,
saying many were killed as the Ottoman Empire fell but it was not
part of an organized genocidal campaign, the AP reports.
The Turkish legislator’s remark was aimed to hit a sore spot in
French history.

CEMAL USAK: THE WEST AFFECTS ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS NEGATIVELY
Regnum, Russia
May 18 2006
“There are problems between Armenia and Turkey, which originate in the
far past, but they are solvable,” Platform of Inter-Cultural Dialogue
Secretary General, Vice President of the Istanbul Journalists and
Writers Foundation Cemal Usak stated to a REGNUM correspondent.
According to him, Turkey wishes peacefully to live with its neighbors –
“our problems are the conflict, which originated last century. We want
peacefully live with Armenia. We have been living with the country
for many centuries, for a very long history.” At the same time,
Usak stressed that “some partiality of the 1915 Armenian Genocide’s
research hinders” in Armenian-Turkish cooperation. “The problem of
Genocide should be studied relying upon unbiased sources.
Armenian politicians and government should be ready to cooperate,”
he stressed. Answering the question, whether the Turkish government
itself is ready to have a dialogue and cooperate, Cemal Usak stated
that “Turks are ready to do it, but pressure of the countries,
which are not involved in the problem, should be minimal.” “It is
fraught with danger that negotiation process may be broken. Many
problems appear neither because of Turkey nor of Armenia. Western
force interferes in the conflict,” the deputy president of Istanbul
Journalist and Writer Foundation believes.
Speaking about “Western force,” Cemal Usak meant, first of all,
the European Union, which, alongside with many other conditions,
requested Turkey, which strives for the EU membership, to recognize
the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

RUSSIA: SOCHI MUSLIMS WITHOUT MOSQUE, CATHOLICS HOPE FOR CHAPEL
By Geraldine Fagan
Forum 18, Norway
May 18 2006
In the Black Sea town of Sochi, close to the Georgian border, the
authorities have persistently denied the Yasin Muslim community
permission to construct a mosque, Forum 18 News Service has learnt.
The community has been trying to find a suitable site for 10 years but,
“whenever I find somewhere, the [city] architectural department says
that it’s already sold, obstructed by pipes, or something else,”
Ravza Ramazanova, the organisation’s chair, told Forum 18. The
community’s roughly 70 worshippers currently use three cramped cellar
rooms – which Forum 18 has seen – to pray and study. Similarly, local
Catholic priest Fr Dariusz Jagodzinski hopes that Sochi’s bid to host
the Winter Olympics in 2014 will assist plans for the construction of
a Catholic chapel in the nearby town of Adler. This, he explained to
Forum 18, was how the Catholic church in Sochi was built from 1995-97:
“They were hoping to hold the Winter Olympics here in 2002.”
Forum 18 noted that the Russian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jews and the New Apostolic Church
all have prominent houses of worship in the Sochi area.
The authorities in the Black Sea coastal town of Sochi, close to
the border with Georgia, have persistently denied the Yasin Muslim
community permission to construct a mosque, Forum 18 News Service has
learnt. Ravza Ramazanova, who chairs the organisation, showed Forum 18
the three cramped cellar rooms where its approximately 70 worshippers
are obliged to pray and study. “I’m so tired of writing letters –
whole files – it just drags on and on,” she told Forum 18 on 11 April,
adding that, although she has identified some 20 possible construction
sites over the ten years since her organisation was registered,
“whenever I find somewhere, the [city] architectural department says
that it’s already sold, obstructed by pipes, or something else.”
In one 2002 reply to Yasin, Krasnodar region’s Department for
Relations with Social Organisations explained that, in the absence
of an area in Sochi populated largely by those “oriented towards the
Muslim faith,” allocation of land must be accompanied by a survey
of public opinion in the area where the mosque would be situated
“so as to avoid conflict situations” (see F18News 7 December 2004
=470).
In fact, according to Ramazanova, there are positive community
relations in Sochi, with members of the local Tree of Friendship
nationalities society – “Estonians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Adygeis,
Armenians, Georgians, Greeks” – all supporting her campaign for a
mosque. While a prominent public figure – she showed Forum 18 numerous
photographs of herself with various local and national politicians,
including Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov and parliamentary speaker Boris
Gryzlov – Ramazanova said that even an appeal to the local authorities
on her behalf by Tatarstan president Mintimer Shaimiyev had failed
to yield any result.
Showing Forum 18 a copy of her latest – unanswered – 27 March 2006
letter to Sochi mayor Viktor Kolodyazhny, Ramazanova said that she
still retains some hope, however. “The town has got much cleaner
since he became mayor two years ago – I think he’ll get around to
us at some point.” The letter reminds Kolodyazhny that he promised,
at a 30 November 2005 Tree of Friendship meeting, to review the issue
of identifying a construction site for the Muslim community by the
end of the same year.
In the meantime, as Ramazanova complained to Forum 18, “all this stops
me from working – how are the young supposed to learn their religion,
to understand that God sees everything so they shouldn’t drink or
steal – without a mosque?” She pointed out that there is currently no
fitting place for Muslims in the area – Russia’s most popular holiday
destination – to come for naming or burial rites: “When the father of
a Tatar family here on holiday died, they had to come to this cellar!”
The telephone of Sochi administration’s press secretary Oksana
Velichkina went unanswered on 17 and 18 May, as did that of the city’s
department dealing with law enforcement agencies, religious and social
organisations, Cossacks and international affairs.
Similarly to Ravza Ramazanova, local Catholic priest Fr Dariusz
Jagodzinski is hoping that Sochi’s bid to host the Winter Olympics
in 2014 will assist plans for the construction of a chapel by his
80-strong parish of the Cappadocian Fathers in Adler, a town ten
minutes’ drive along the coast south of Sochi but coming under its
municipal authority. This, he explained to Forum 18 on 11 April,
was how the Catholic church of SS Apostles Thaddeus and Simon was
built in Sochi from 1995-97: “They were hoping to hold the Winter
Olympics here in 2002.” Currently, however, the Adler parish is
fighting court cases against ten different parties claiming to
have been promised the same 700-square-metre plot of land already
purchased by the Catholics for 25,000 US Dollars [675,750 Russian
Roubles, 153,000 Norwegian Kroner, or 19,550 Euros], said Fr Dariusz,
“but we have the official documents.”
According to Fr Dariusz, the Adler chapel – while apparently close
to Sochi – is sorely needed. He pointed out that some parishioners
currently spend all day travelling to and from Sunday Mass, and that
even the 100 Rouble [23 Norwegian Kroner, 3 Euros, or 4 US Dollars]
single fare to Sochi from nearby towns is too much for a household
where the monthly wage is 1,500 Roubles [340 Norwegian Kroner, 43
Euros, or 55 US Dollars].
Forum 18 noted that the Russian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jews and the New Apostolic Church
all have prominent houses of worship in the Sochi area.

EXPERT: BAKU HAS UNOFFICIALLY AGREED TO TAKE PART IN ANTI-IRANIAN COALITION
Regnum, Russia
May 18 2006
The USA is main initiator of various ways of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, as well as most active mediator of the negotiation
process, Azerbaijani analyst Arif Yunusov is quoted as saying by a
REGNUM correspondent at The Caucasus in Russian Policy: History and
the Present International Conference organized by Caucasus Research
Center at Russian Foreign Ministry’s Moscow State University of
International Relations (MGIMO).
According to him, Russian co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov,
who, according Yunusov, “sabotaged the talks,” did not practically
support activity of the American side. At the same time, Yunusov stated
that American diplomacy did not succeed in achieving any results to
settle the Karabakh conflict, and, according to Yunusov, American
co-Chair Steven Mann is to be dismissed, receiving a new appointment.
Also, the Baku analyst mentioned processes, which develop around
Iran, as well as Azerbaijan’s attitudes towards to them. According to
him, official Baku has unofficially agreed with Washington to take
part in anti-Iranian coalition, offering their airdromes and other
communications to satisfy US army’s requirements. Also, according to
him, main part of Azerbaijani public opinion is categorically again
such decision, because it realizes risks, which will become real,
if Iran is attacked. “Iranian authorities directly stated that if
the Azerbaijani side supports Americans, they will attack on 24 most
important objects in Azerbaijan, including BTC oil pipeline, which
will cause ecological disaster, and even, maybe – on Baku residential
areas,” the analyst stressed. Also, he informed that despite that,
seven airdromes have unofficially been handed over to Americans,
and appropriate conditions and infrastructure are prepared to settle
US servicemen in the south of Azerbaijan. The analyst pointed out
that there is danger of refugees’ afflux from Iran in the light
of possible attack against the country. Already now, according
to Yunusov’s information, confirmed, in his words, by the Iranian
ambassador in Baku, up to 50,000 Iranian citizens have settled in
the Azerbaijani territory.

AKHALTSIKHE LIBERATION BRIGADE AGAIN THREATENS ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHETI
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.05.2006 14:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ May 16 threatening leaflets in Russian were
disseminated in Akhalkalaki, the center of Samtskhe-Javakheti region
of Georgia mostly populated by Armenians. The leaflets that have
images of a crescent and star and are signed by so-called Akhaltsikhe
Liberation Brigade, literally say, “Time has come to pay for our
humiliation. Recall 1915.
Gevorgyan croaked, Rastakyan is the next.” We remind that Gevorgyan
was the surname of a young man, killed in Tsalka this March, while
Rastakyan is the distorted surname of co-chair of Virk unregistered
party David Rstakyan.
In this regard a representative of the Council of NGOs
of Samtskhe-Javakheti Khachatur Stepanyan reminded that similar
leaflets were disseminated in Akhalkalaki past October. In his words,
a representative of the National Security Service of Georgia in
Akhalkalaki “promised to find who is threatening the population as
soon as possible,” however, nothing is done up to now.
On his part David Rstakyan stated, “If the Minister of Interior and
National Security states regarding the withdrawal of the Russian
military base that he is sure he has control over the situation in
Javakheti, he has to identify those, who disseminate those leaflets,”
reports A-Info agency.
We remind that last December an anonymous source provided
PanARMENIAN.Net with a video file with “the last warning” of the
Akhaltsikhe Liberation Brigade.
Four members of the Brigade against a background of Turkish flag read
an address to the Armenians and Russians residing in the town of
Akhaltsikhe of the Armenian-populated Samtskhe Javakheti region of
Georgia. The address maintains the demand to Armenians and Russians
to leave Akhaltsikhe immediately and go to Armenia, Russia or America
otherwise the brigade members will eliminate the Armenian population
of the region. “All who stand in our way will die. We will not allow
mentioning of you here. The land of Akhaltsikhe will become ours
soon. All who don’t hear us now will regret they were born. Leave
your property for us and run. You and your ancestors should remember
the year of 1915 (the Armenian Genocide). Russians will not help
you. Their time is up on our land. We have warned you, this is our
last warning. Go and live or stay and die,” the address says. After
reading the address, the brigade members, shouting out Allah Akbar,
burnt the flags of Armenia, Russia and the U.S.

AZERI FM OFF TO STRASBOURG
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 18 2006
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov left for Strasbourg
on 18 May, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.
The key objective of the visit is to participate in a meeting of the
CE Ministerial Committee to be held on 18-20 May. The minister also
intends to hold a meeting with the senior official of this European
organization. The minister will have an informal meeting with special
representative of the UN Secretary General on issue of status for
Kosovo, Marti Akhtisaari.
Mammadyarov is expected to conduct consultations with the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs with his Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanian.

KARABAKH CONFLICT PARTIES MADE TO COME TO ANY AGREEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.05.2006 14:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 2006 is more favorable for progress in settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and it is obvious, Russian Co-Chair
of the OSCE MG for settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in
1992-1996, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov stated in an interview with
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, this year is not burdened
with electoral campaigns, that both parties will have next year.
“This does not mean at all that an abrupt break is possible. It is
merely necessary to maximally use the opportunities provided this
year at least to form preconditions for a peace treaty, which may be
reached by 2009-2010,” Kazimirov said. The Russian diplomat remarked
pressure is put on both parties at present.
“They are just made to come to any agreement. However, I do not doubt
it is a matter of the future. I would call signing a peace accord in
2010 forced, imposed peace,” he emphasized.

SCANDAL AT THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT
Jean Eckian
Paris, May 18, 2006
French members of Parliament prevented of vote
The heavy economic threats that Turkey put forward in France if the
French National Assembly voted the bill penalizing the negation of
the Armenian Genocide, were of all their weight this 18 May in Paris.
With the initiative of the French socialist deputy of the 8st district
of Marseilles, Mr. Christophe MASSE, a bill aiming at sanctioning
the negation of the Armenian Genocide purely and was simply evacuated
for a technical question of timing.
Actually this is subtle. The time assigned with the socialist party
which presented the proposal, could not exceed it time of 1:00 pm.
The debate started to 11:30 am, but in this time, two other questions
of French domestic policy were also to be mentioned. The mission,
consequently, became impossible, when the Foreign Minister, Philippe
Douste-Blazy spoke. He will leave it only 25 minutes later, after
having taken position against this law by asserting links which link
France and Turkey. When the deputies who support the law spoke, the
president of the Parliament, Jean-Louis Debre, will authorize only
5 minutes per anybody. Thus, with 1:03 pm, it announced: “assigned
time is past, the meeting is raised.”
This noxious operation, orchestrated on the most level of State,
did not allow the deputies present in the chamber of being able to
decide by a final vote, whereas, a vast majority for this adoption
was joined together between the various tendencies of the French
political parties.
In the street being next to the Parliament, 2000 French of Armenian
origin, listened to the retransmission of the debates by expressing
their distress, the French flag in the hand, while in the enclosure,
others stressed “the vote, the vote, the vote!”. They will be expelled
by the police force.
At the end of the meeting, the deputies have join the Armenian
public in the street to explain this incredible situation. All were
dissatisfied and in anger to denounce this scandal of the French
Republic.
Patrick Devedjian, council of the Minister of Interior Department,
Nicolas Sarkozy, known as her indignation, qualifying the Parliament
of “Shadow theatre”, while Alexis Govciyan (CCAF) noted “a broken
down democracy”.
If this text had been approved by the Parliament, the Senate should
also to him have decided at the time of a forthcoming transfer to
be ratified and added to the law of January 29, 2001 recognizing the
Armenian Genocide.
To support the French members of Parliament, several Armenian Community
delegations of France had joined Paris by the train, of Marseilles,
Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Valence and Lyon, with the call of the
Council of Coordination of Armenian Associations of France (CCAF),
with the support of Licra (International League against racism &
anti-semitism ), “S.O.S racism” and “Girls and sons of Jewish
deportees”, chaired by Serge Klarsfeld, celebrates it “hunter of
Nazis”.
Against Turkish demonstration was held not far from the enclosure from
the French National Assembly, to protest against the legalization of
this bill. No incident was announced.
It will be necessary to wait the year 2007 for a new bill.