TURKISH WRITER FACING TRIAL DENIES CALLING KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS A GENOCIDE
Associated Press Worldstream
October 16, 2005 Sunday
ANKARA, Turkey
A Turkish novelists who could face prison over charges he insulted
his country has defended himself, insisting he did not describe the
killings of Armenians in the early 20th century as a genocide.
Orhan Pamuk, one of Turkey’s best-known writers, is to go on trial
on Dec. 16 and could face up to three years in prison for comments
on the killings of Armenians and Kurds. The United States and the
European Union have called on Turkey to drop charges to ensure freedom
of expression.
“I did not say, we Turks killed this many Armenians,” Pamuk told
private CNN-Turk television late Saturday. “I did not use the word
‘genocide’.”
Turkish prosecutors filed charges against Pamuk after he told a Swiss
newspaper in February that “30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians were
killed in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it.”
He was referring to Kurds killed during Turkey’s two-decade conflict
with autonomy seeking Kurdish guerrillas, branded as a terrorist group
by the U.S. and EU, and to Armenians killed around the time of World
War I.
Armenians say that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks,
which Armenians and several nations around the world recognize as a
genocide. Turkey 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.
Asked about the numbers of people killed that he referred to in his
interview with the Swiss newspaper, Pamuk said “they were spontaneous
remarks.”
“There are martyred Turkish soldiers among those 30,000 to 35,000
killed people. Let’s express our respect to them,” Pamuk said,
complaining that he has become a victim of a “defamation campaign.”
The EU, which Turkey aspires to join, has said it will be watching
closely when Pamuk goes before a judge in December.
Pamuk’s books, which include the internationally acclaimed “Snow” and
“My Name is Red,” have been translated into more than 20 languages
and the novelist has received numerous international awards.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA’S DRAFT BUDGET 2006 TO ALLOCATE 39.1 BLN AMD FOR MEDICINE
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17. ARMINFO. Armenia’s draft budget 2006 allocates
39.1 bln AMD for medicine against 32.1 bln AMD in 2005, says Armenia’s
Health Care Minister Norayr Davidyants.
This includes the WB health care projects worth 3.7 bln AMD. Special
attention will be paid to the first aid – 14.3 bln AMD – 24.7% more
than in 2005. Out-patient treatment will be free of charge for all
ages except for dental services – free for children under 8 and people
over 65 only.
Family and children’s doctors will get 11,000 AMD more – 58,400 AMD
a month. Narrow specialists will get 50,000 AMD against 25,000 AMD
in 2005. 1 bln AMD will be allocated for the treatment of children
against 700 mln AMD in 2005. 1.2 bln AMD will be allocated for over
200 free first necessity medicines.
14.4 bln AMD will be allocated for in-patient treatment against 13.3
bln AMD in 2005 – 9,000 AMD per in-patient against 4,348 AMD per
out-patient. 2.1 bln AMD will be allocated for sanitary services with
sanitarians to enjoy 10,000 AMD raise to 45,000 AMD a month.
343 mln AMD will be spent on the repairs of hospitals.

DETAINMENT OF SHAREHOLDER OF “ROYAL ARMENIA” AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR
OF THAT COMPANY WAS ORDERED AND ARRANGED BY CUSTOMS COMMITTEE
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17. ARMINFO. “The detainment of a shareholder of
“Royal Armenia” LTD and the Deputy Director of that company was ordered
and arranged by the Customs Committee,” reported the lawyer of the
“Royal Armenia” company, Gevork Minasian.
The Head of the Customs Committee Armen Avetisian reported to the
President of RA about contraband at the amount of 1,5 billion AMD.
But Mr. Minasian stated that the 1,5 billion AMD is nothing else
but the amount of the customs values, disputed at the court. “If the
customs values are nullified by the court, the Head of the Customs
Committee will seem to have deceived the President. And that is why
the Customs Committee arranged the detainment of Mr. Hakobian and Mr.
Kazarian,” he added. “The Customs Committee tries its best to prevent
me from appearing before the court and thus to gain time,” said the
representative of the “Royal Armenia” company.

OSKANAYAN, LITHUANIAN LEADER DISCUSS EU, NATO COOPERATION
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2005
Yerevan, 17 October: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, who
is in Lithuania on an official visit, and Lithuanian President Valdas
Adamkus today discussed the need to further develop Armenian-Lithuanian
relations.
In this context, the sides stressed the need to intensify bilateral
ties, the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s press and information department
has told Arminfo news agency. Lithuania’s assistance is especially
important for Armenia’s broader integration into the European
Neighbourhood Policy of the European Union, as well as for benefiting
from Lithuania’s experience in joining European organizations, Oskanyan
said. It was noted that Armenia favours the individual approach of
the European Union to each country as regards the preparation of the
action plan. In the context of the aforesaid issues, the sides agreed
to cooperate within the framework of international organizations.
Vardan Oskanyan described as positive Lithuania’s role in expanding
cooperation and in exchanging experience between the Baltic and South
Caucasus countries. The Armenian foreign minister went on to brief
Adamkus on Armenia’s current programmes of cooperation with member
countries of the European Union and NATO, as well as on issues related
to Armenian-Turkish relations.
The meeting also discussed regional issues and especially, the
resolution of regional conflicts. Oskanyan briefed Adamkus on the
current situation surrounding the resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict.
This evening Oskanyan also met representatives of the Armenian
community in Lithuania.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US CONGRESSMAN BEAUPREZ JOINS ARMENIAN CAUCUS
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2005
WASHINGTON, DC, OCTOBER 17. ARMINFO. At the urging of the Armenian
Assembly, Congressman Bob Beauprez (R-CO) on October 6 officially
joined the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, bringing the total
Caucus membership to 147. Beauprez is the first lawmaker from the state
to be part of this all-important body, reports the AAA press service.
“I’m proud to have joined the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,”
said Beauprez. “I look forward to working with the Armenian-Americans
in the 7th District of Colorado and across the entire country to
ensure Armenian-American issues are articulated in Washington.”
The Assembly’s Western Office organized and led a meeting with the
Congressman’s district staff in August to discuss the community’s
concerns and encourage the lawmaker’s membership to the Caucus.
Armenians of Colorado, a coalition of local Armenian-American
activists, also participated in the meeting.
“We’re pleased Congressman Beauprez decided to join the Caucus as a
result of direct meetings with the Assembly and Armenians of Colorado,”
said Western Office Director Lena Kaimian. “The Congressman has been
highly receptive to our issues. We look forward to working with him
and his colleagues in securing continued robust assistance to Armenia
and Karabakh, combating Armenia’s isolationism and strengthening
democracy and the rule of law.”
ARAMAC State Chair for Colorado Pamela Barsam Brown added, “The local
effort of Armenians of Colorado coupled with the Assembly’s national
efforts, helped advance the interests of Armenia and American-Armenians
on the federal level with Representative Beauprez.
I welcome his membership to the Armenian Caucus and look forward to
working with him and his staff.”
Participants in the August meeting with Beauprez’s office included:
ARAMAC State Chair for Colorado Pamela Barsam Brown, Assembly
Western Office Director Lena Kaimian, Ken Allikian, Armene Brown,
Arous Christianian, Anahid Katchian and Simon Magakyan.
Beauprez is currently serving his second term in office and is a
member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Earlier this year,
he signed on to a congressional letter to President Bush urging him
to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LOCAL ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA’S REGIONS HELD IN COMPLIANCE WITH EUROPEAN STANDARDS: INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 17 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17. ARMINFO. The Sunday municipal elections in
Armenia’s regions were held in compliance with the European standards,
says the observer of the Congress of Local and regional Authorities
of Europe Sean O’Brien (Ireland).
Sept 25-Oct 16 O’Brien and his colleagues from the UK, the Netherlands
and Italy visited almost 100 electoral disticts of Tavoush, Armavir
and Lori regions.
The observers highly appreciate the commitment of the Armenian
authorities to establish and develop democracy in the country which has
been proved by their active interaction with international observers
and calm and peaceful voting process. There were some inaccuracies –
“dead souls” in voters’ lists and people missing therefrom. There
was even one case of ballot stuffing. But all this was due to
under-training of electoral commissioners.
Commenting on the reports from Echmiadzin on the beating of one
candidate by the supporters of another one O’Brien says that he has
heard of the incident but has got no confirmation of it. In any case
the case will be mentioned in their report. O’Brien criticized some
local media for unfair and unsatisfactory coverage of the elections.
The observers will be in Armenia till Oct 23 to later issue a final
resolution on the elections.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Defiant Turkish writer says ‘genocide’ taboo an obstacle to EU entry
By Ramsay Short
Daily Star staff
The Daily Star, Lebanon
Oct 18 2005
‘My aim was to start a bit of discussion’
BEIRUT: First it was the acclaimed novelist Salman Rushdie. He faced
death threats and an Iranian fatwa against him for his so called
perversion of the Koran and Islam in the novel “The Satanic Verses.”
Now, as the date nears for Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk’s criminal
trial over controversial comments he made regarding the Armenian
massacres of 1915 to 1917, the novelist has spoken out against his
detractors. But it seems freedom of expression for some writers in
the Middle East is as far away as ever.
Pamuk told CNN Turk Television on Saturday that he expects to be
acquitted over his remarks but warned that court cases against
intellectuals are damaging Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.
“I do not believe my case will result in a conviction, but one cannot
join the EU by making one’s writers suffer at the courts,” Pamuk,
53, said.
Pamuk is one of Turkey’s most well known authors, whose works have
been published world wide in over 20 languages. In 2003 he won the
International IMPAC award for “My Name is Red” and his 2004 novel
“Snow” met with similar acclaim. His most recent book, “Istanbul,”
is a personal history of his native city.
He is set to appear in court on December 16 on charges of denigrating
Turkish national identity by telling a Swiss newspaper that “one
million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in these lands and
nobody but me dares to talk about it.”
Pamuk was referring to the killings by Ottoman Empire forces of
thousands of Armenians in 1915-17. Turkey does not contest the deaths,
but denies that it can be called a “genocide.” His reference to
“30,000” Kurdish deaths refers to those killed since 1984 in the
conflict between Turkish forces and Kurdish separatists. Debate on
these issues has been stifled by stringent laws, some leading to
lengthy lawsuits, fines and in extreme cases prison terms. Pamuk
faces a jail term of between six months and three years if convicted
on charges of denigrating Turkish national identity.
For mainstream Turkish society the killings of the Armenians during
World War I are still a taboo subject. Earlier this year news of the
interview in the Swiss newspaper Das Magazin on February 6 sparked
protests and reports that copies of his books were burned. He also
suffered death threats from extremists, as Rushdie did.
A provincial official in western Turkey even ordered the seizure
and destruction of his books, but the order was retracted when the
EU-wary government intervened.
“I’m still standing behind my words,” a defiant Pamuk told CNN Turk.
“My aim was to start a little bit of a discussion on this taboo,
because this taboo is an obstacle for our entry into the EU,” he said,
referring to the killings of Armenians, which many countries have
recognized as genocide, much to Ankara’s ire. “What I say may not
be true, you may not agree with me, but I have the right to say it,”
he said.
Pamuk said he felt disturbed over what he described as attempts by
opponents of Turkey’s EU membership to use the court case against
him for their own political ends.
“I support Turkey’s bid to join the EU … but I cannot tell those
opponents of Turkey, ‘It’s none of your business whether they try me
or not’ … so I feel stuck in between. This is a burden,” he said.
Joanne Leedom Ackerman, International Secretary of International PEN,
the worldwide association of writers that works to promote friendship
and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere and to fight for
freedom of expression and represent the conscience of world literature,
said in a statement that Pamuk’s situation was particularly worrying.
“International PEN is deeply concerned by the efforts of the public
prosecutor to punish and therefore curb the free expression of Orhan
Pamuk, not only in Turkey, but abroad. It is a disturbing development
when an official of the government brings criminal charges against
a writer for a statement made in another country, a country where
freedom of expression is allowed and protected by law.”
According to PEN, Article 301/1 of the Turkish Penal Code under which
Pamuk will be tried is contradictory for it goes against Turkey’s
ratification of both the United Nations International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, and the European Convention on Human
Rights, both of which see freedom of expression as central.
As quoted on the PEN Web site, Article 301/1 says: “A person who
explicitly insults being a Turk, the Republic or Turkish Grand National
Assembly, shall be imposed to a penalty of imprisonment for a term
of six months to three years.”
It also adds that “Where insulting being a Turk is committed by a
Turkish citizen in a foreign country, the penalty to be imposed shall
be increased by one third.”
Just last week Pamuk was the subject of international attention once
again as his name was banded around as a strong possibility for the
Nobel Prize for Literature. It was eventually awarded to British
playwright and outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, Harold Pinter.
Despite making many comments against Prime Minister Tony Blair and
his policies over Iraq, Pinter has not faced trial for anti-government
comments.

GEORGIAN TEAM JOINS ABKHAZ RAILWAY STUDY
By M. Alkhazashvili
The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 18 2005
On eve of talks, Russian official warns Tbilisi not to connect railway
to return of refugees
After a two-month delay, Georgian railway specialists left for Sokhumi
on Monday, October 17, to take part in a study of the technical state
of the Georgian-Russian railway that transects separatist Abkhazia.
Russia and Armenia regard that the reopening of the railway – which
has been defunct since 1992 – has practically decided. At the same
time it is becoming increasingly obvious the railway will be put into
operation on conditions dictated by Russia.
Minister of Transport of Russia Igor Levitin will visit Georgia by the
end of October. He has expressed hopes that the Georgian side will not
present an ultimatum to him demanding that in parallel to the railway’s
reopening, Georgian refugees be allowed to return to the region.
In fact, however, Levitin’s words amount to an ultimatum in themselves,
one that the Georgian side is likely to comply with and afterwards
shyly request that progress must be made in terms of returning the
refugees.
On step forward is that now Georgians are participating in the study
of the remaining railway infrastructure. As opposed to when the study
began, in August, this time the Sokhumi separatist regime agreed
to allow the participation of Georgian specialists in the survey,
three of whom are refugees from Abkhazia.
The initial part of the study featured only Russian and Abkhaz
workers. Now, with their Georgian colleagues, they will attempt to
determine the cost of restoring the Psou-Enguri part of the Trans
Caucasian Railway.
Considering the interests of Russia and Armenia in the restoration of
the railway, it will not be a problem to find the necessary monetary
resources. During Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli’s visit
to Yerevan, an agreement was reached on the conduction of trilateral
negotiations (Russia, Georgia, Armenia) on the Abkhaz railway issue.
Artur Baghdasarian, chairman of Armenian National Assembly, also
stated that the issue of the Abkhaz railway would be raised at the
upcoming meeting of the presidents of the four Caucasian countries;
Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
However, according to the Secretary of National Security of Armenia
Serj Sarkisian, the issue has already been decided and the Georgian
side has agreed to reopen the Abkhaz part of the railway. He added
that Russia is already conducting the restoration-rehabilitation
works on the railway. “After this, God willing, the railway will
start functioning,” he stated, as quoted by the newspaper Akhali Taoba.
The Georgian government had several times before agreed to opening the
railway, though on the condition that Georgian refugees be returned
to Abkhazia in a “safe and dignified” manner.
But Russia, and naturally, the separatist authorities in Sokhumi,
would never consent to these terms. On the eve of his visit to Georgia,
Russia’s transport minister issued a warning that local authorities
“not say a word about the refugees.”
“During the meeting in Tbilisi I ask my Georgian colleagues not
to directly connect the issue of the return of the refugees to the
restoration of the railway. Otherwise the opening of the railway may
be postponed for a long period,” Levitin stated, as quoted by the
newspaper Rezonansi.
As of yet, the only Georgian government official to speak about
the local authorities’ position on this issue has been Deputy State
Minister of the Conflict Resolution Gia Volski. As he stated, Levitin
will be happy with his visit in Tbilisi. “We do not connect the return
of the refugees with the issue of the railway reconstruction, but
we do insist that progress is necessary in this issue,” Volski said,
as quoted by the newspaper Rezonansi.
But even if the Georgian government does not connect the railway
opening to the refugees’ return and if they trust Moscow once again,
it must demand on certain other conditions. Expert on conflict issues
Paata Davitaia laid out these terms as follows:
– A Georgian customs checkpoint must be opened at the Psou River (on
the border of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation); – The railway
should be protected either by Georgian or joint military forces,
because having a foreign state’s armed forces protect a railway in
a sovereign country is unacceptable; – The stretch of the railway
running through Abkhazia should be managed by the Georgian and not
the Russian Railway Department; – Sums received from goods transit
on the Abkhazia stretch must go the Georgian state budget.
If these demands are not satisfied, the opening of the railway will
amount to the concession of Abkhazia to Russia. If the government does
so, it will be interpreted by society as a betrayal of its interests.

BLOODIEST ETHNIC CLEANSING IN HUMAN HISTORY
OhmyNews International, South Korea
Oct 18 2005
Once again someone reveals that hatred of America does not need to be
based on facts. It is demonstrated by this provocative but baseless
statement.
“America started with the bloodiest systematic ethnic cleansing in
human history,”
This is just a blatant lie.
Stevo could be just making stuff up or he could be trying to blame the
United States for everything that happened in the Americas (North and
South) from the day the first Spaniards found the Caribbean islands
in 1492.
There are no solid number on how many native people lived in the
America prior to the arrival of the Europeans, but here is the
conclusion from an article that examines various estimates.
By 1650, records suggest that only 6 million Indians remained in
all of North America, South America, and the Caribbean. Subtract 6
million from even a conservative estimate of the 1492 population
-like Denevan’s consensus count of 54 million – and one dreadful
conclusion is inescapable: The 150 years after Columbus’s arrival
brought a toll on human life in this hemisphere comparable to all of
the world’s losses in World War II.
It is undeniable that the European Conquerors were brutal. It is
debatable as to whether or not their brutality was much different
than other societies at the time.
There were massacres of the native populations, but most of the deaths
were due to disease that came with the Europeans. There are cases
where disease was deliberately spread, but much of it was just the
natural result of interaction between two distinctly different peoples.
To address this issue properly we must begin with the most important
reason for the Indians’ catastrophic decline-namely, the spread
of highly contagious diseases to which they had no immunity. This
phenomenon is known by scholars as a “virgin-soil epidemic”; in North
America, it was the norm.
The most lethal of the pathogens introduced by the Europeans was
smallpox, which sometimes incapacitated so many adults at once that
deaths from hunger and starvation ran as high as deaths from disease;
in several cases, entire tribes were rendered extinct. Other killers
included measles, influenza, whooping cough, diphtheria, typhus,
bubonic plague, cholera, and scarlet fever. Although syphilis was
apparently native to parts of the Western hemisphere, it, too, was
probably introduced into North America by Europeans.
About all this there is no essential disagreement. The most hideous
enemy of native Americans was not the white man and his weaponry,
concludes Alfred Crosby, “but the invisible killers which those men
brought in their blood and breath.” It is thought that between 75 to
90 percent of all Indian deaths resulted from these killers.
That text came form long and fairly comprehensive article titled
“Were American Indians the Victims of Genocide?” (Guys like Stevo will
love this, it has lots of gory detail about atrocities committed by
European colonists).
Ok, that was mostly background, now to Stevo’s claim that “America
started with the bloodiest systematic ethnic cleansing in human
history”. The United states of America we know today didn’t take
shape until the 1800s. The United States formed from as a cluster of
rebellious British colonies along the East Coast of North America in
1776. By this point in time the native populations had been decimated
by nearly 300 years of diseases that came with the first European
arrivals. The simple fact is there were not enough Native American’s
left in the territories claimed by the US to allow the US to commit
“the bloodiest systematic ethnic cleansing in human history”. With
only a few million Native Americans left the US could not possiblly
have done what Stevo claims.
Pol Pot cleansed his nation of about 1.7 million people he deemed
unfit to live and the Ottomans cleansed about that many Armenians.
The Japaese deliberately slaughtered millions of Chinese. Hitler
systematically killed 12 million. If you count the effects of disease
the Spanish may have killed over 20 million by conquering the Inca
Empire.
If someone wants to criticize the US for the genocide that killed
hundreds-of-thousands to millions of Native Americans, that’s fine.
The Criticism is deserved. However before anyone levels baseless
allegations about the “the bloodiest systematic ethnic cleansing in
human history” they should at least check a few facts. That is unless
they are deliberately exaggerating and lying. In that case they are
just fraudulent individuals.
K/bbs_view.asp?ba_code=63&bb_code=319290

CLOSER COOPERATION URGED AMONG BALTIC, CAUCASIAN COUNTRIES
Xinhua, China
Oct 18 2005
2005-10-18 13:07:02
RIGA, Oct. 17 (Xinhuanet) — Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
called on Monday for closer cooperation among the three Baltic nations
of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the three Caucasian countries
of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, said reports from Lithuanian
capital Vilnius.
Meeting with visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan,
Adamkus said his country is willing to make efforts to boost such
cooperation.
On Armenia’s bid to join the European Union (EU), Adamkus said
Lithuania has always been supporting more active and coordinated
relations between the EU and Armenia.
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia joined the EU on May 1, 2004. Enditem