Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 11 2006
Protesters Raid Court, University in Akhalkalaki
Couple of hundred protesters in Akhalkalaki, a town in
predominately ethnic Armenian populated Samtskhe-Javakheti region,
stormed a local court chamber and a building of the Tbilisi State
University’s Akhalkalaki branch on March 11.
Initial reason of a protest rally of about couple of hundred people
in the center of Akhalkalaki was to demand an immediate and unbiased
investigation of a murder of 24-year-old Gevork Gevorkian in Tsalka,
Shida Kartli region on March 11. Gevorkian died in a clash, which the
local population and some ethnic minority advocacy groups claim was
triggered by ethnic reasons. But the Georgian Public Defender
strongly denied that ethnic reasons were behind this clash in Tsalka
and said on March 11 that it was `an ordinary hooliganism.’
Later, the protesters voiced demands related with the right to
conduct the proceedings in courts and in the state structures in
Armenian language. Protesters dispersed shortly after the court
building and a local branch of the Tbilisi State University were
raided.
Khacatur Stepanian, one of the organizers of the protest rally said
that storming of the court and university could have been a
provocation.
`I can say for sure that nothing of this kind was planned by us. I
think it was a provocation, provoked by someone,’ Khacatur Stepanian
told Imedi television.
A group of non-governmental organizations based in Samtskhe-Javakheti
region requested the Georgian leadership to consider possibility of
granting the region autonomy with `broad authority for
self-governance, including the right to hold elections for all bodies
of governance.’

Haber Gazete, Turkey
March 11 2006
Bay Area ANC Hosts Publishers Hrant Dink And Ragip Zarakolu
SAN FRANCISCO–The Bay Area Armenian National Committee (ANC) hosted
its annual “Hye Tad Evening” at Treasure Island, with special guests
including Turkey’s Agos Armenian Weekly editor, Hrant Dink and Belge
Publishing House owner, Ragip Zarakolu.
Hrant Dink is the publisher and founding editor of the only bilingual
Turkish-Armenian newspaper, the Agos Weekly, established in 1996.
Dink thanked the Bay Area ANC for inviting him to the event. Speaking
in Armenian, he said, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet
the Armenian community here,” adding that he was happy to have had
the chance to meet and talk with ANC committees all over the world.
Dink grew up in Malatia, attended Armenian school in Istanbul, and
studied Philosophy and Zoology at Istanbul University. Through his
writings, publications, and public statements, Dink has been an
outspoken advocate for the democratization of Turkish society and for
the need to break the silence about the Armenian genocide.
Dink recently went on trial for “insulting the Turkish state,”
because of his remarks about reciting the Turkish oath. Dink said
about the oath, which says “I am Turkish, I am honest, I am
hardworking,” that although he was honest and hardworking, he was not
a Turk, but an Armenian. Although he was finally acquitted in that
case, he was later convicted of “insulting the Turkish identity” for
writing an article about the impact of the Armenian genocide on the
diaspora.
Although his suspended sentence requires that he not repeat the
crime, Dink said, “I will not be silent. As long as I live here, I
will go on telling the truth,” and vowed that he would appeal to
Turkey’s supreme court and to the European Court of Human Rights if
necessary. “If it is a day or six months or six years, it is all
unacceptable to me,” he said. “If I am unable to come up with a
positive result, it will be honorable for me to leave this country.”
Dink now faces new charges for attempting “to influence the
judiciary,” because of his comments about his conviction.
Despite government pressure on people who are speaking out, Dink
said, “It was a dream 10 years ago to imagine seeing the publication
of books and articles on the Armenian genocide. There is no doubt
that there has been some positive change.”
“People are starting to defend their rights,” said Dink, hoping for
“great changes.”
“The activities of the diaspora, the Genocide resolutions passed by
other countries every year, have contributed to the growing
consciousness in Turkey,” said Dink, who also attributed much of the
growing recognition of the Armenian genocide in Turkey to the Kurdish
struggle for national rights there.
“The government used to say, ‘We don’t have Kurds or a Kurdish
problem. Those people fighting up in the mountains are actually
Armenians,'” said Dink. “And to prove their assertions, they would
publish photographs in newspapers showing the uncircumcised corpses
of the defeated fighters. The Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan was
referred to as ‘The Armenian Bastard.'” Dink said that one of the
first things his paper did was to prove a certain priest who appeared
in a government newspaper photo with a Kurdish leader, was not, in
fact, an Armenian priest, as was claimed.
“We said we’re going to speak in their language,” Dink said of the
decision to publish Agos in Turkish as well as Armenian, against the
protests of many in the Armenian community. “Since then we began to
speak about our history and to counter their lies. We said, ‘Now,
it’s our turn.'”
Dink said that the process of democratization in Turkey can no longer
be turned back. “There is a movement to talk about the past and a
desire to know what happened to Armenians, ” he said. One of the
unexpected consequences of this movement was that many people in
Turkey are now revealing that their ancestors were Armenian.
“On the other hand, the Turkish government has responded with more
propaganda,” said Dink, citing the fact that four years ago, new
textbooks were distributed to all the schools which claim that
Armenians massacred the Turks.
Comparing the small number of books on the Genocide now being
published, with the millions of government textbooks denying the
Genocide, Dink said, “My hope is that those 3,000 books will vanquish
the governments’ millions.” He said that the process of recognizing
the Armenian genocide is going to take place from within the country,
starting from the general population. He said that outside pressures
for change must find a partner from within the country, or there is a
danger for extreme nationalism. Dink described a new ideological
movement within Turkey which brings together the Turkish and the
Islamic identities to form one unifying identity. He also pointed out
that the nationalist groups and Islamist groups are competing with
one another and as a result attacks against Armenians have increased.
Nevertheless, Dink expressed optimism about Armenian genocide
recognition. “One day they will recognize that the Armenian genocide
has to be addressed. But they will try to delay it and water it down
as much as possible.”
Regarding Turkey’s entry into the European Union, Dink said, “Turkey
is like a young man in love with a young European woman. But by the
time a union can actually take place, the man will be old and the
woman will be ugly… But love is the important thing. It keeps men
young, because they try to look better, act younger, take care of
themselves. Joining the European Union is not the important thing,
but being in love is important.” Dink also expressed his hope that
one day Armenia would join the European Union.
Ragip Zarakolu is the owner of Belge Publishing House. Through the
publication of books deemed subversive by the Turkish authorities,
Zarakolu has given voice to countless victims of injustice whose
stories have been silenced, denied, and banned by successive Turkish
regimes. The first book on the Armenian genocide which he published
in Turkish was Yves Ternon’s, Le Genocide des Armeniens, under the
title, Armenian Taboo, in 1994. Later came Vahakn Dadrian’s Genocide
as a Problem of National and International Law. When Zarakolu was
acquitted of charges against him for that publication, the
possibility of more free discussion about the Armenian genocide in
Turkey increased.
Among Zarakolu’s other translated publications about Armenian and
non-Armenian human rights issues is Mgrditch Armen’s Heghnar’s
Fountain, Franz Werfel’s Forty Days in Musa Dagh, Avetis Aharonian’s,
The Fedayees, Tessa Hoffman’s Talaat Pasha Trials in Berlin, Peter
Balakian’s Black Dog of the Fate, and most recently, Turkish
translations of Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story.
Because of his work, Zarakolu spent three years in prison in the
1970’s. His wife also spent several years in prison.
Zarakolu spoke about his first exposure to the Armenian genocide,
when his mother, a witness to the deportations, told him about being
kept in the house, while hearing Armenians being taken away outside.
“My mother said, ‘The Armenians were crying outside, and we were
crying inside,'” said Zarakolu. Referring to Turkey’s involvement in
WWI as a “stupid, adventurous war of the Ittihadists,” Zarakolu said
his mother lost both her parents. She was also able to save two
Armenian girls from deportation, but the government later removed
those girls from their home.
Zarakolu also spoke admiringly of Sarkis Cherkezian, an Armenian
genocide survivor born in a Syrian refugee camp who just passed away
at 90 years of age.
“We learned many things about the realities of what happened to the
Armenians,” he said of his close relationship to Cherkezian. He said
it was because of people like Cherkezian that he is able to write.
Zarakolu discussed the initial years of the Belge publishing house,
during which his work was not only banned but received little
attention. “We had a press conference for our collection of writings
of the first reports on the Armenian genocide, but there was no
coverage in the press,” said Zarakolu.
Since then he has withstood a constant barrage of criminal charges,
further imprisonment, confiscation and destruction of books, the
bombing of his publishing house, and heavy government fines and
taxes. His publishing house has endured more than 40 criminal
indictments. Zarakolu is currently being tried for publishing George
Jerjian’s History Will Set Us Free, and Dora Sakayan’s An Armenian
Doctor in Turkey: Garabed Hatcherian: My Smyrna Ordeal in 1922.
Economic means permitting, Zarakolu hopes to publish the Turkish
editions of the Blue Book from the United Kingdom, Armin Wegner’s
testimonies, Captanian’s testimonies, and a selection of Zabel
Yeseyan’s works, as well as a photographic documentation of the
Armenian deportation to the Syrian Desert.

Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 11 2006
Ombudsman Urges Police Of Tsalka Region To Activate Work

Tbilisi. March 11 (Prime-News) – Sozar Subari, Public Defender of
Georgia, urges law enforcement bodies of Tsalka region to activate
work owing to recent events.
Sozar Subari stated at the briefing on Saturday that a quarrel
between Georgian and Armenian citizens of Georgia occurred in Tsalka
on March 09, which ended with death of Armenian citizen and injury of
four people.
Representatives of Ombudsman’s office arrived in Tsalka on March 10
to get familiar with situation on the spot.
It turned out that the quarrel happened because of life conditions
and not on ethnic base.
Police detained several suspects on the same day.
Armenian population of Tsalka held a protest action outside the
building of local administration.
About 300 people gathered outside the Police building demanding
punishment of all guilty by Lunch law.
About 200 people entered administrative building, raided studies and
burned down documentation.
Sozar Subari stated that the Lynch law is not civil method.
Sozar Subari appealed to everybody to refrain from any groundless
statements and allow law enforcement bodies to investigate the case.

Zaman, Turkey
March 11 2006
Genocide Movie with Turkish Money
By Foreign News Desk, Istanbul
Published: Saturday, March 11, 2006
zaman.com
The Council of Europe decided to give financial support to the
Italian movie “The farm of the skylarks” which is about the so-called
Armenian genocide.
The Council of Europe foundation Eurimages decided to allocate
600,000 euros to Italian Antony and Paolo Taviani Brothers’ new film
titled “The farm of the skylarks,” which was adapted from Armenian
originated Antoni Aslan’s novel after its last meeting in Strasbourg.
Euroimages’, to which Turkey contributes a million euros yearly, drew
reaction from Ankara. Turkish Representative to Eurimages, Ihsan
Kabil, told Zaman that the movie insults the Turkish army and calls
an army officer a “donkey.”
The meeting in Strasbourg was reported to host many discussions about
this issue. All members, except Turkey, approved the financial aid
for the film, which had previously been approved by a 23-member jury
early this week.
Kabil said Ankara could not prevent the decision despite its
diplomatic efforts. He further noted Eurimages’s French Chairman
Jacques Toubon was quite influential in the decision. “Touban
delivered a 15 minute speech during the meeting and explicitly
supported the so-called Armenian Genocide. He said Turkey committed
the genocide, acting as if he was talking about a historical fact
rather than an unproven claim.” Kabil and Ahmet Boyacioglu, Turkey’s
representatives in Eurimages, gave speeches to criticize Toubon’s
speech and the film. Toubon, also a European Parliament (EP) Deputy,
is known to be a supporter of the so-called Armenian Genocide.
Kabil also remarked about the scenario of the movie and said one of
the Turkish army officers in the film was called a “donkey,” the
movie was not sufficient in artistic value. “There are many
cartoon-like scenes in the film which insult Turks and all of the
Turkish soldiers in the movie were portrayed as cruel people.”

>From The ANCA Desk
Th ursday March 19, 2006
“The Armenian Genocide’ on PBS
Andrew Goldberg’s documentary, `The Armenian Genocide,’ will be one of
the most important works for informing the American public about the
Ottoman Empire’s attempt to exterminate its Armenian minority
population. The movie includes affirmation from Turkish and other
non-Armenian scholars at Harvard, Princeton and other major
universities, thoroughly provides photographic documentation of the
genocide, uses the voice of a very well known television celebrity, and
crafts a visual narrative that is moving and inviting.
While there are parts of the film that Turkish denialists will distort
to subvert the entire movie, `The Armenian Genocide’ soundly exposes
Turkey’s nefarious campaign of denial and beautifully recounts America’s
response to the plight of Armenians at the time. The documentary tells
the story of the Hamidian massacres, the special organizations marshaled
by the Ottoman government as mobile killing squads, and other elements
essential to the intentional nature of the Young Turk genocidal
program.
The movie includes a television interview with Rafael Lemkin, who was
one of the driving forces behind the United Nation’s adoption of the
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
During the interview, Lemkin explained that he coined the word genocide
based on the cases of the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. On April
17, PBS will make `The Armenian Genocide’ available to its local
stations across the country. We must all stay tuned for it and encourage
anyone we know to view this invaluable program, which will teach the
American public about the horrible crime the Ottoman Empire perpetrated
against our ancestors.
####
2006-03-09
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 11 2006
Ombudsman Rules Out Ethnic Motives Behind Tsalka Clash
Georgian Public Defender Sozar Subari said on Saturday that a clash
in Tsalka, Kvemo Kartli region, on March 9 which resulted into death
of Gevork Gevorkian, 24, and injury of four other young men, was a
result of `an ordinary hooliganism’ which has nothing to do with
ethnic confrontation as claimed by the local population in Tsalka and
some minority advocacy groups.
At a joint news conference ethnic minority advocacy group
Multinational Georgia and union of ethnic Armenians in Georgia `Nor
Serund’ condemned the incident and demanded from the authorities an
immediate and unbiased investigation of the case.
Maria Mikoian of the `Nor Serund’ said that clash erupted after a
group of Georgian young men irritated by the Armenian music in a
restaurant in Tsalka attacked ethnic Armenian young men.
`Unfortunately ethnic confrontation more and more often becomes a
reason behind criminal acts in Tsalka,’ Agit Mirzoev, executive
director of the Multinational Georgia, said.
But Public Defender dismissed this reason as groundless. `Our
representatives traveled there and probed into the case. We can say
that this dispute has nothing to do with ethnic confrontation… Law
enforcers should immediately investigate the case and persecute those
who are guilty,’ Sozar Subari said on March 11.
Police said on March 10 that five suspects were arrested.
Meanwhile a group of about 200 local residents rallied in the town of
Akhalkalaki in Samtskhe-Javakheti region which is predominantly
populated by ethnic Armenians, on March 11, the Georgian media
sources reported. Protesters demanded a fair investigation of the
Tsalka incident.
Clashes between the locals erupt sporadically in recent years in
Tsalka district with population of 20 000. Ethnic Armenians comprise
57% of population, according to the Georgian department of
statistics. 4,500 ethnic Greeks, 2,500 ethnic Georgians and up to
2,000 Azerbaijanis also live there.

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 11 2006
US State Dept’s Fried to Visit Turkey Next Week
WASHINGTON – Reportedly, US State Dept. assistant secretary for
Europe Daniel Fried will visit Turkey next week.
The Department of State announced after visiting Azerbaijan, Georgia,
and Armenia next week, Fried will come to Turkey on Thursday, March
16.
Fried will discuss democracy, the Mountainous Karabagh region, and
the other matters in Azerbaijan where he will make contacts on
Monday, and Tuesday; on the same day he will visit Georgia, and head
to Armenia on Wednesday.
Reportedly, Fried will visit Turkey on Thursday, and conclude his
contacts on Friday.
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)

Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 11 2006
Armenian Population Of Akhalkalaki Raided Buildings Of Local
Administration, Court And University
Tbilisi. March 11 (Prime-News) – Armenian population of Akhalkalaki
raided buildings of local administration, Court and branch of Tbilisi
State University on Saturday.
Participants of the action gathered regarding the murder, which
happened on March 09, and named a murder of Gevork Gevorkyan, 24, an
ethnic opposition.
Later they demanded to allow using Armenian language in office work
in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, most part of which is Armenian
population.
They also stated that education process in Akhalkalaki branch of
TbilisiStateUniversity should be held on Armenian language.
Participants of the action also tried to enter the building of
Akhalkalaki Patriarchy of Georgia, as according to them there was
ammunition in large amount.
Representatives of the Patriarchy met several participants of the
action who ascertained that there was no ammunition.
Representatives of the Samtskhe-Javakheti regional Police stated that
the situation is under control.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
March 12 2006
Darchinyan has conquered world . . . now for Australia
By James Macsmith
March 12, 2006
Out of the shadows: Vic Darchinyan craves recognition in his new homeland.
Photo: Fiona-Lee Quimby
In 10 years, Vic Darchinyan will probably be seen as Australia’s best
boxer.
But while the power-punching flyweight has a 25-0 (20 by knockout)
record and is mobbed by fans when he walks down the street in his
birthplace of Armenia, in Australia he remains a virtual unknown –
despite being our only boxing world champion.
Darchinyan counts Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis among his biggest fans,
but the average Aussie would probably struggle to say who he is or
what he does.
Darchinyan craves recognition in this country for his feats in one of
the only truly world sports. In many other parts of the globe, he
would already have it.
His manager, Robert Joske, says Darchinyan should follow what he
calls the Kostya Tszyu model – keep turning it on in the ring and
sooner rather than later, he’ll find himself a place in Australia’s
heart.
Most people who have seen the man they call the “Raging Bull” fight
have become instant fans.
His eighth-round knockout of Diosdado Gabi last week resulted in a
broken jaw and the first stoppage of a 27-fight career for the
Filipino.
Darchinyan’s stand-and-deliver attitude and sledgehammer left hand
bring beauty to what some consider an ugly art.
He said: “I want to be the undisputed champion in not just one weight
division but two or three.
“In Australia, I know about Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tszyu – they are
great fighters and I want to be looked upon like they are.
“There is still not too much recognition of me but I hope that will
change the more people see of me and the more fights I have. I want
to show them what I can do.”
After a quarter-final appearance at the Sydney Olympics, Darchinyan
decided he wanted to call Australia home. In February 2001, he
settled here permanently.
He has already acquired a laid-back Australian attitude and has a
good sense of humour.
Once inside the ropes, however, he is a vastly different proposition.
“I have a hunger that comes from training with many other fighters,”
Darchinyan said.
“For the world title, only 20 fighters can fight out of 1000, so you
have to be the best.”
But to make it in Australia, sometimes you have to make it overseas
first, and Darchinyan intends to continue fighting in the United
States to try to raise his profile.
“I hope that more people in Australia get to watch me and like the
way I fight,” he said.
“This country has made me happy and I hope I can make it happy too.”
-has-conquered-world—-now-for-australia/2006/03/ 11/1141701734580.html

Zaman, Turkey
March 11 2006
First Turkish School Opens in Argentina
By Cihan News Agency, Buenos Aires
Published: Saturday, March 11, 2006
zaman.com
“Hercules Private School,” the first Turkish school in Argentina,
opened at the capital Buenos Aires on 6 March 2006.
The majority of the pupils are Argentinean, while many Bolivian,
Brazilian, Armenian, and Turkish origin children also attend the
Private school.
The school will serve as a kindergarten and primary school this year,
but officials are considering opening a high school in the upcoming
years.
Courses on computer, math, English, Spanish are given at the full-day
school.