Associated Press
Sept 25 2005

Forum examining Armenian massacre is a first for Turkey
Sunday, September 25, 2005

Benjamin Harvey
Associated Press
Istanbul, Turkey- Scholars held the first-ever public discussions in
Turkey on Saturday about the early 20th-century massacre of
Armenians, choosing words carefully, avoiding emotional language and
picking apart history year by year at a gathering that nationalists
denounced as traitorous.

The European Union called the academic conference a test of freedom
of expression in Turkey, which is hoping to begin talks for
membership in the bloc next month.

The participants were all Turkish speakers and included members of
Turkey’s Armenian minority like Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of
Agos, a weekly Armenian newspaper in Istanbul. Some 70,000 Armenians
are living in Istanbul.

The academic conference had been canceled twice, once in May and
again on Thursday when an Istanbul court ordered the conference
closed and demanded to know the academic qualifications of the
speakers. Organizers skirted the court order by moving the
conference.

Several governments around the world have recognized the killings of
as many as 1.5 million Armenians in the late Ottoman Empire as
genocide.

Turkey vehemently denies the charge, admitting that many Armenians
were killed, but saying the death toll is inflated and that Armenians
were killed along with Turks in civil unrest and intercommunal
fighting as the Ot toman Empire collapsed between 1915 and 1923.

Dozens of officers in riot gear kept hundreds of shouting protesters
at bay. Some protesters pelted arriving panelists with eggs and
rotten tomatoes.

Inside, the audience of more than 300 people was restrained, as only
those invited by the organizing committee and preapproved members of
the media were allowed past security.

The issue has been taboo for many years in Turkey, with those who
speak out against the killings risking prosecution by a Turkish
court. But an increasing number of Turkish academics have called for
a review of the killings in a country where many see the Ottoman
Empire as a symbol of Turkish greatness.

The panelists, all Turkish speakers, carefully avoided any emotional
language during the first day of the two-day conference.

“Everyone waits for you to pronounce the genocide word – if you do,
one side applauds and the other won’t listen,” Halil Berktay, program
coordinator of the history department at Sabanci University, said at
the conference Saturday.

Azad-Hye, United Arab Emirates
Sept 24 2005

Armenia – UAE relations a raw model for international cooperation

AZAD-HYE (Dubai, 24 September 2005): The Armenian – UAE relations
witnessed a great stride forward owing to the successful 3 days
official visit of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al
Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of the Emirates
of Sharjah to Armenia, during which he inaugurated the Sharjah
Cultural Week (Yerevan, 19-22 September 2005) in the National Art
Gallery of Armenia.

Activities of the cultural week included an exhibition of modern arts
(paintings of 22 UAE artists courtesy of the Sharjah Museum of Arab
Modern Art); exhibition of antiquities excavated in the area
surrounding Sharjah; exhibition of heritage items displaying way of
life in the desert environment (handcraft items, costumes,
traditional medicine), exhibition of award winning samples of Arab
calligraphy. During the opening ceremony a Sharjah folkloric group of
10 performers greeted the guests and the public. The second day of
the exhibition included theatrical performance by the group of
Sharjah National Theatre.

The program of the UAE cultural and official delegations was very
extensive. Besides the official meetings with the head of the State,
the Prime Minister and several Ministers, the delegates visited many
remarkable places, including the Armenian Natural History Museum, the
National Museum, University of Yerevan, National Academy of Sciences,
Saryan Museum, Yerevan Museum, Children’s Art Museum. Members of the
cultural delegation were invited to a morning program on the Armenian
public TV. It is worth mentioning that the Cultural Week is part of a
bilateral protocol that has been signed during the visit of Armenia’s
Minister of Culture and Youth to Sharjah last December.

Before the arrival of Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, the Armenian
Minister of Culture Hovik Hoveyan had the chance to meet with the
General Director of the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information
Abdullah Mohammed Al Oueis, who had arrived Yerevan few days earlier,
in order to arrange for the opening ceremony.

Heading the UAE cultural delegation Al Oueis visited the Marz
(Province) of Armavir, some 50 kilometers away from the capital
Yerevan, where the Mayor welcomed the delegation and expressed
gratitude to the Arab people who supported the Armenians during the
difficult period of 1915-1923 (Armenian Genocide) and he said: “The
Armenian – Arab relations have a history going back thousands of
years. There are many common elements in our cultures, in music,
arts, traditions etc. We have achieved in Armavir splendid relations
with the Arab World and we intend to build on our friendship and to
further develop these ties”. Mr. Al Oueis was given a painting
representing Mount Ararat, the symbolic mount of the Armenians.

In the evening of the same day Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi inaugurated the
Sharjah Cultural Week in Armenia. The program is part of Sharjah’s
plan to establish cultural interaction with peoples of the World,
especially with countries that have long lasting relationship with
the Arab World. The aim of these activities is to reflect the image
of Sharjah as a cultural hub and a capital of the Arab culture.

During the opening ceremony of the Sharjah Cultural Week, Sheikh Dr.
Sultan Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah congratulated the Armenian people
for the Independence Day. He pronounced that it is highly symbolic
that the conduction of the UAE cultural days coincides with this dear
occasion. He expressed the wish that Armenia overcomes the existing
difficulties and takes the path towards full economic development. He
highly appreciated the initiative of the Armenian Government to
organize the Armenian Cultural Days in Sharjah (December 2004), which
resulted in achieving even closer relations between the two sides and
introduced Armenia to the general public in his country. He stressed
that the Sharjah authorities did not want to miss the opportunity of
arranging these cultural days in Yerevan, although parallel
exhibitions are taking place in Germany and Spain, which needed also
some attention. He promised to organize a larger exhibition in the
future and said that the coming months will witness more extensive
cooperation in cultural and other fields between Sharjah and Armenia.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Armenian Deputy Prime
Minister Hovik Abrahamian, Deputy Foreign Minister Kegam Gharibjanian
(former Ambassador of Armenia to Iran and Qatar), Minister of Culture
and Youth Affairs Hovik Hoveyan (who has attended the Armenian
Cultural Week in December 2004 in Sharjah) and a number of UAE
officials and press representatives.

The highlight of the day was the meeting of Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al
Qasimi with President Robert Kocharian. The President decorated the
precious guest with the “Saint Mesrob Mashtots” Order, one of the
highest orders in Armenia, in recognition of his contribution to the
UAE-Armenian relations, in addition to his role in the fields of
education and culture. They discussed ways of promoting bilateral
relations between the two countries.

During the second day of his visit to Armenia, on 20th September
2005, Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi met with Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian, who stressed that Sheikh Sultan’s visit to Armenia is a
significant move towards strengthening the bilateral ties. The
meeting was attended by the Chief of the Sheikh’s Office (Isam bin
Saqr Al Qasimi), the Director of the Emiri Court (Rashid Ahmed Al
Sheikh), Director of Sharjah Islamic Endowment Authority / Awqaf
(Jamal Salim Al Taraifi) and UAE non-resident Ambassador to Armenia
(Khalifa Shaheen Al Merri).

In a separate meeting in the Armenian Academy of Sciences, the
President of the Academy Fadey Sarkissian praised Sheikh Dr. Al
Qasimi for his contribution to the development of science and culture
in the UAE and in the Arab World in general. It should be mentioned
that UNSESCO had chosen Sharjah as the Arab Cultural Capital for the
year 1998. Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi was awarded honorary doctorate from
the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia in recognition of his
contributions to the cultural and intellectual activities across the
world. This honorary title has been conferred so far to a limited
number of 60 personalities worldwide. Ambassador of Armenia in the
UAE Dr. Arshak Poladian praised the Sheikh for his efforts to turn
Sharjah into a center of cultural and scientific advancement in the
Arab World. Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi, who is also the Chancellor of the
American University of Sharjah and the Sharjah University, thanked
the Academy and stressed that Sharjah will continue to attract
institutions of higher education and Universities of worldwide fame.

On the same day Yerevan State University awarded its Golden Medal to
Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi. Speaking at the awarding ceremony University’s
Rector Radik Martirosyan said that Sheikh Al Qasimi is a great friend
of the University. Sheikh Dr. Al Qasimi granted a seat for Arab
studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies. He expressed his
happiness that the Department of the Arab Studies within this Faculty
has more than 300 students. (Click Read More)

On the same day he visited the Genocide Monument and planted a tree
of UAE-Arab friendship. He visited the Museum and witnessed the
sorrow and grief that war has cause to the Armenians. He placed
flowers on the monument of the victims and ended his visit to the
museum wishing that love and peace would prevail in the world.

Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi found time to visit also lake Sevan, one
of the highest lakes in the world, from where Hrazdan river is
originated, a main source of irrigation in Armenia. The Mayor of
Tavoush Marz (Province) welcomed the guest and soon after the
official lunch they headed to Dilijan, one of the finest resorts in
Armenia, where some of the houses date to centuries back. He also
visited the Municipality of Dilijan.

Back in Yerevan His Highness attended in the equestrian club of Hovig
Hairapetian a live show of the four horses that he presented as a
gift to the Government of Armenia. He expressed satisfaction that the
horses are in safe hands and under the care of people who adore
horses.

The third day was full of local cultural activities. Sheikh Al Qasimi
did not miss the chance to visit the famous Matenadaran (the
depository of ancient Armenian manuscript). He was impressed by the
huge number of manuscripts in the Matenadaran (total number 17.000
manuscripts, 700 of them in Arabic). The Director of Matenadaran Sen
Arevshatian presented him a book on horse breeding.

During his visit to Matendaran Dr. Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi declared
that a UAE delegation will visit Armenia next week. He stressed that,
issues of deepening bilateral cooperation in economy, science and
culture will be discussed during this upcoming visit of the
delegation.

On Tuesday evening 21st September 2005 Sheikh Al Qasimi returned home
at the end of his official visit to Armenia

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 23 2005

AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE TO AZERBAIJAN REQUESTED THAT THE ORGANIZATION
FOR LIBERATION OF KARABAKH SHOULD PUT AN END TO THREATS TO THE
EMBASSY

Ambassador of France to Azerbaijan Roland Blatmann requested that the
Organization for Liberation of Karabakh (OLK) should put an end to
threats to the French embassy. `I request to put an end to threats to
the embassy. I am ready for the discussions; however, I cannot admit
the fact that it may be used as a tribune against my country and my
compatriots’, runs Roland Blatmann’s letter to the OLK Chair.
To note, the message sent by OLK to embassy of France contained the
protest against French companies’ cooperation with `separatist
regime’ of Nagorno Karabakh. French Ambassador’s retaliatory message
runs, `Government of France informs French companies of the situation
in the region and requests that they should not be engaged in
activity in the above – mentioned region’.

PRAVDA, Russia
Sept 23 2005

UN condemned Turkey’s cancellation of conference on massacre of
Armenians during Ottoman Empire

14:46 2005-09-23
The European Commission on Friday condemned a Turkish court ruling
that ordered the cancellation of an academic conference dealing with
the massacre of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire.

Thursday’s ruling reflected badly on Turkey’s attempts to live up to
European democratic norms, just ahead of when it is to open entry
talks with the European Union, officials said.

“We strongly deplore this new attempt to prevent Turkish society from
freely discussing its history,” said EU spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy.

“The timing of this decision the day before the opening of the
conference looks like yet another provocation.” Nagy added that the
cancellation “illustrates the difficulties of Turkey, and in
particular of the judiciary, to ensure effective and uniform
implementation of the reforms in Turkey.”

She said the scrapping of the conference “will be reflected” in the
Commission’s regular progress report on Turkey’s reform plans, which
is to be released Nov. 9.

The conference was scheduled to deal with one of the most sensitive
issues in Turkish politics, the killings of Armenians during the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire around the time of World War I, which
an increasing number of countries have officially recognized as
genocide.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also condemned the
court’s decision.

Nevertheless, Turkey’s government has tried hard to counter an
Armenian campaign to have the killings recognized as genocide.

Turkey says the killings took place during civil unrest, and backing
the genocide claim in Turkey can be a cause for prosecution.

EU officials warn attempts to curb basic human rights such as freedom
of expression would reflect badly on its efforts to join the
25-nation EU. In its negotiating mandate for Turkey, the EU warns it
will freeze entry talks if Turkey backtracks on human rights
commitments.

Earlier this month the EU condemned a legal case against one of the
country’s most acclaimed contemporary writers, novelist Orhan Pamuk.

EU lawmakers at the European Parliament also announced they were
considering sending observers to monitor the trial of Pamuk, who has
been charged with insulting the country’s national character for his
comments on Turkey’s killing of Armenians and Kurds, and could face
up to three years in prison.

Senior EU officials say the case violates the European Convention on
Human Rights.

Mehr News Agency, Iran
Sept 23 2005

Armenia negotiating purchase of Iran-140 aircraft

TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (MNA) – Iran Aircraft Mfg. Company (HESA) is
negotiating with Armenia over the sale of 3 Iran-140 turboprop
aircrafts, executive director of HESA Abbas Fallah announced on
Thursday. However, there has been no actual demand or solid proposal
for purchase of this plane by domestic airlines due to their more
conventional view of employing jet planes and the prestige that is
associated with it, he added.

It seems that Iranian airliners prefer to buy or lease even used jets
for awhile in order to move more passengers from point A to B, while
Iran-140 offers certain advantages that compensates for the larger
capacity of jet planes and presents the buyers with more
profitability in the long run. For example, although due to its
technical specifications, the travel time takes longer with Iran-140
but, passenger boarding time is 7 minutes shorter than with the
larger jets. So, overall, a given trip requires less time by this
turboprop.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Fallah indicated that the production
capacity of Iran-140 is projected to be 32 to 40 planes by the end of
the 4th Socio-economic and Cultural Development Plan if adequate
market support is offered.

As to the criticisms set forth on having such a plane in Iranian
fleet, he maintained that the turboprop consumes 500 to 600 kgs of
fuel per hour compared to 2.2 tons of Fokker 100’s consumption. In
other words, this is 2 times more hourly fuel consumption per
passenger for the 100. Moreover, the 140 is designed for the
country’s wide ranges of climates and the tests performed testify to
this matter. For instance, most planes have landing and take-off
problems at Khorramabad Airport, whereas despite some limitations
140, like any other plane, performs the tasks with ease and
competence.

He also stated that the contract to sell 3 Iran-140s at the cost of
$27m to Sudan will soon be going into effect and HESA would be also
receiving $3m to offer necessary services and support for maintenance
and personnel training for a year.

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Sept 23 2005

2006-2007- Armenian Days in France

On September 23, Hranush Hakobyan, The Chairwoman of the NA Standing
Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth met Anni Monry,
councilor on coordination and cultural affairs and Mathieu Leblik,
coordinator for educational and linguistic affairs.

The issues related to the organization of 2006-2007 `Armenian Days’
declared in France and in order to choose 100 schoolchildren leaving
for France. By the proposal of Mrs. Hakobyan it was decided for the
productive organization of the activities to create a working group,
which will leave for marzes to get acquainted with the children,
choose them, taking into consideration the presented demands,
especially the knowledge of the French language and cultural
interests.

It was decided to organize the next meeting in November and do
practical steps, taking into account the concrete proposals for the
program to be carried out.

Middle East Times, Egypt
Sept 23 2005

Bashing the Turks
Tony Brittan
PARIS
September 23, 2005

In an article in the Middle East Times, the Turkish government point
blank denies that the Ottoman Empire killed some 1.5 million
Armenians in genocide (“Turkish court blocks discussion of Armenian
massacres,” September 23) and has banned a conference to debate the
issue.

Some European Union countries quite rightly are upset that
intellectuals are being silenced, considering that Turkey wishes to
join Europe.

But before we Europeans get too high-and-mighty, shouldn’t we clean
up our own house first? To deny the Holocaust in Switzerland is a
crime! Where is freedom of thought there? Talk about double
standards. Shouldn’t we look at ourselves before bashing the Turks?

Reporter.gr , Greece
Sept 23 2005
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Turkey: World Bank Estimates Turkey’s Inflation at 7.11%

16:08 – 23 September 2005 – The Central Bank’s latest survey showed
that inflation will reach 7.11% in December below the 8% end-year
target from 7.16% in the previous survey.

An EU member stated that a Turkish court’s decision to postpone a
conference on the Armenian genocide was a provocation two weeks
before accession talks begin.
Turkish government officials pointed out that this year’s primary
surplus would meet or exceed the 6.5% of GNP target.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

I-Newswire.com (press release)
Sept 23 2005
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Genocide conference to be attacked

Turkish nationalists are going to attack participants of the Armenian
Genocide conference; first Genocide conference in Turkey not
organized by the Turkish government.

(I-Newswire) – On 23 September, 2005, Turkish nationalists are going
to attack participants of the Armenian Genocide conference; first
Genocide conference in Turkey not organized by the Turkish
government.

As the Turkish media report, members of Turkish Retired Officers
Association are going to attack the Conference on Armenian Genocide
organized by Turkish academicians who do not share Turkish
government’s denialist approach against the Armenian massacres. A
Turkish news website, , has
posted the `plan of attack,’ which informs that protesters are to
gather at 7:45pm in the Uskudar district, take the ferryboat over to
Dolmabahce Palace and Taksim Square, and proceed to Bosporus
University in Istanbul.

In the meanwhile, other Turkish news agencies, such as
, have published various anti-Armenian
articles on 22 September 2005, just a day before the Conference
starts.

The Conference, organized by the Bosporus University and attended by
Turkish academicians and scholars throughout the world, was postponed
early this year due to threats from Turkish nationalists and
officials.

The Armenian Genocide was organized and carried out by the Turkish
government during 1915 and 1923. The Genocide resulted in the
complete annihilation of western Armenians in their historic
motherland. Turkish government and its agents spend millions of
dollars each year to deny the Armenian Genocide. Recognition of this
Genocide in Turkey is a legalized crime.

Genocide.com regrets the plan of this sinister attack and hopes that
the academicians won’t be harmed.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Winnipeg Sun, Canada
Sept 23 2005

Live Review: SOAD in Winnipeg

Intense SOAD reward fans

By ROB WILLIAMS — Winnipeg Sun

WINNIPEG – Talk about a mesmerizing night of music.

Last night’s System of a Down show at the MTS Centre featured three
bands playing heavy, challenging, experiential metal that both
thrilled and bewildered a crowd of 8,000.

Taking the stage an hour late after being delayed by Hurricane Rita
at LAX in Los Angeles, SOAD showed why they are one of the most
unique mainstream metal acts in North America with a jarring display
of hardcore thrash mixed with Middle Eastern textures inspired by
their Armenian roots.

>From the first notes of intro Soldier Side the floor was a swirling
mass of bodies and fists. The intensity was cranked to eleven when
they launched into the war-bashing B.Y.O.B., the first single off
their latest album Mezmerize.

Frontman Serj Tankian shared vocal duties with guitarist Daron
Malakian, who handled the grittier side of things while ripping
through the intricate guitar lines that make up their socio-political
manifests.

Bassist Shavo Odajian and drummer John Dolmayan were put to work
keeping up with the abrupt pauses, fractured rhythms, tempo
variations and time signature changes that make up the group’s
arsenal.

The set was heavy on material from Mezmerize and their 2001
breakthrough Toxicity, although they threw in a few numbers off their
1998 debut.

At press time the band were about half-way through their 90-minute
set getting the crowd airborne with Bounce.

Before SOAD, The Mars Volta tore through a one-hour set featuring
only four songs of absurdist avant-garde prog-metal and cerebral
psychedelia.

The Texas group performed as an eight-piece, including three
percussionists and two keyboardists, but the main focus was on
vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez,
formerly of emo-heroes At the Drive In. They may have ditched the
sound of their former band, but it’s nice to see they kept their
famous afros.

Bixler-Zavala was a madman on stage howling in English and Spanish
while convulsing like the bastard child of Iggy Pop. Rodriguez-Lopez
stood beside him at centre stage tearing through solos and thrashing
his guitar above a roaring wall of drums, horns and effects.

Each song was its own sprawling mini-epic, starting slowly and
building to a cacophonous climax before calming down to a dull roar
and rising again. For a similar effect smash a brick into your head,
relax with a therapeutic massage then beat yourself stupid.

As strange as some might have found The Mars Volta, opening act Hella
were just as mind bending.

The Sacramento, Calif. duo of Spencer Seim and Zach Hill, on guitar
and drums respectively, added a bassist and keyboardist-guitarist to
expand on their experimental noise rock.

Without following the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure, Hella
were anything but linear, venturing into adventurous spastic freak
outs of thrash, surf, electronica, jazz and no wave anchored by
Hill’s out-of-control non-stop drumming.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress