SAMARA OBLAST GOVERNOR ARRIVING IN YEREVAN TODAY
Pan Armenian
17.10.2005 18:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today the delegation of the Samara Oblast headed
by Acting Governor Sergey Sychev is arriving in Armenia on a formal
visit, which is held within the Year of Russia in Armenia. October
17-22 government members, heads of industrial enterprises, art groups
will be visiting the republic.
The agenda includes meetings with the Armenian leadership,
exhibition-presentation of Samara Oblast, attending of the Armenian
Genocide memorial and exhibition of artist S. Scheglov. To note,
during the initial half of the current year the commodity turnover
between Samara Oblast and Armenia made $7.6 million.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WHAT DO TURKS READ… AND DON’T
Sender: Aris Babikian , Canada
Pan Armenian
Published: 13.10.2005 GMT+04:00
If what people read reflects their attitudes and interests then what
Turks are reading these days should worry-if not scare-civilized
people everywhere.
Adolf Hitler’s notorious racist creed ‘Mein Kampf’ is a bestseller
in Turkey these days, so is a novel about an imminent U.S. invasion
of Turkey.
‘Mein Kampf,’ the classic anti-Semitism text preaching and attacks on
non-Teutonic races, is a hot seller in Istanbul and beyond. According
to some estimates, over 100,000 copies of the book have been printed
in Turkey.
Uguz Tektas of the Manifesto publishing house, one of the two
publishing houses which have issued the book, said their first run
of 30,000 copies are almost sold out.
The publication of the book is threatening to create a diplomatic
incident between Germany and Turkey. The German Government has raised
its concerns about the publication of ‘Mein Kampf,’ which is banned
in Germany. The Bavarian state finance minister Kurt Faltlhauser
is contemplating court action to stop further publication of the
book. Bavaria holds the copyright of ‘Mein Kampf.’ Minister Faltlhauser
stated: “The book should not be reprinted.” A German embassy official
in Ankara said: “The availability and rising popularity of this book
in Turkey are matters of serious concern for us.”
The Jewish community of Turkey is also alarmed by the popularity of
‘Mein Kampf.’ Lina Filiba, the executive vice-president of the Jewish
community, called the book’s popularity “disturbing.” The publication
of ‘Mein Kampf’ and the ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ is a
” worrying trend,” she said. The latter is a well-known 19th century
forgery concocted by Tsarist Russia’s secret police to justify pogroms
against Jews.
Even more worrying is the sale of the books in mainstream and busy
department stores, Filiba said. “I think there’s an increase in
anti-Semitic, anti-American and anti-foreigner feeling…”
Silvio Ovadyo, a spokesman for the Jewish community of Istanbul,
attributed the popularity of ‘Mein Kampf’ to rising anti-Semitism in
the nationalist Turkish press. “This [‘Mein Kampf’] is an anti-Semitic
book and, yes, we are concerned about it,” the spokesperson said.
The other Turkish bestseller-‘The Metal Storm’-is a novel. The events
in the thriller take place in 2007 when an evil empire (the United
States) invades Turkey to take control of Turkey’s uranium, borax and
thorium deposits. The brave Turks, led by the military, resist the
new Crusade. The anti-American nature of the book is the main reason
for the book’s popularity, according to published reports. The book,
first published in late 2004, is now in its eighth printing of 50,000.
Repeated surveys show anti-Americanism is on the rise in Turkey. In
March, Ankara-based Pollmark Research Company found 31% of Turks
believe the United States will invade Turkey. Turkish public
opinion was almost unanimously against the war in Iraq. Turkish
anti-Americanism stems from the belief that the U.S. invasion of
Iraq will help the Kurds in Northern Iraq establish an independent
Kurdish state that in turn would encourage Turkey’s Kurds to rebel
and try to establish their own state in Eastern Turkey.
The Turkish government might be wrong, but it’s certainly consistent
in its misguided policies. So it comes as no surprise that while
Ankara allows the sale of anti-Semitic (“Mein Kampf,” and “The
Protocols of the Elders of Zion”) books and anti-American novel about
an impending U.S. invasion of Turkey, the government is using its
full might, under the new Turkish penal code, to intimidate, harass,
ban, prosecute and jail Turkish scholars, journalists, human rights
activists and professors who speak, write or publish anything to do
with the Armenian Genocide or the status of the Kurdish people.
The most famous case is the recent fatwa against the well-known Turkish
author Orhan Pamuk. In February Pamuk said in a series of interviews
with Turkish and Swiss newspapers that “Thirty thousand Kurds and
nearly a million Armenians were massacred on these lands [Turkey],
and no one, but me, has dared to speak about it.” Turkish nationalists
have since issued a fatwa against Pamuk; some government officials
have banned his books from libraries while his books were burned
in mass demonstrations. Recently, Pamuk was charged with insulting
Turkey’s national character. His trial is in December. If convicted,
he could be sent to prison for three years.
Journalist, publisher and human-rights activist Ragip Zarakolu is
another public figure who has been indicted for publishing books on
Kurds and Armenians.
Hrant Dink, the publisher of Turkish-Armenian “Agos” weekly newspaper,
has been found guilty for “insult to the Turkish national identity”
and sentenced to six-month suspended sentence by the Turkish state
for stating that he is not a Turk but a Turk of Armenian descent.
In the light of these regrettable developments, it’s incomprehensible
to learn that the Anti-Defamation League in the U.S. recently awarded
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey, the league’s
Courage to Care award.
Aris Babikian is a journalist with “Horzion” weekly and member of
the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada.

“ARMENIAN MEMORIES IN ITALY”
A1+
| 14:54:02 | 17-10-2005 | Social |
This was the title of the photo exhibition of the Canadian Armenian
famous photographer Hrayr Baze opened in the Yerevan municipality
dedicated to the Italian days in Yerevan.
The photographer tells in his works about the life of Armenians
in Italy since ancient times. The photos represent ancient
Armenian buildings, churches famous all over the world, schools,
cultural-scientific institution which played an important role in
the spiritual and cultural life of Italy.

FEW NON-BLACKS ATTENDED “MILLIONS MORE MOVEMENT”
by Kristina A. Maury
Chicago Defender, IL
Oct 17 2005
Despite Minister Louis Farrakhan’s goal of reaching out and uniting
with Latinos, Asians and Native Americans, only a few non-Black faces
dotted the crowd at the Millions More Movement. Yet, those few who
attended did so because they felt Farrakhan’s call for unity was
necessary in order to overcome hardships and make America a stronger
nation.
Not only was this event more diverse than the Million Man March,
including gay rights activists, a large number of non-Muslims,
women and children, but this year’s event definitely had more of
an international flair. This was evident in many aspects of the
movement. Performer Wyclef Jean rapped two verses in French and
Spanish; American Indian leader Russell Means delivered a speech; and
Ricardo Alarcon, the speaker of the Cuban National Assembly, addressed
the crowd in a video message. Not to mention that, the official
Millions More Movement website is available in Spanish as well.
In his long-awaited speech, Farrakhan said, “The time has never been
more right for a strategic relationship between the Black, brown,
Native American and poor.”
Share your thoughts on this story on the ChicagoDefender.com message
board.
Farrakhan also spoke of uniting with other ethnic groups and expressed
his belief that there is power in numbers.
“Think about 40 million Black people united; 45 million Latinos
united; 4 or 5 million Native Americans united; think about poor folk
united. Think about the impact that we will have,” he said.
The poor, disadvantaged and oppressed were one in the same at the
event on Saturday.
Jose Gonzalez, 27, and his brother Steve Gonzalez, 25, traveled from
New Jersey to attend the Millions More Movement. The Gonzalez brothers,
who are Puerto Rican, attended for numerous reasons.
Despite how the U.S government and leaders may appear to non-Americans,
Jose expressed his belief that “the poor people of the world are
going to see we are united.” In his opinion, the Black and Latino
community are one.
His brother, Steve, added, “This is no longer a Black and white thing,
but a class thing.”
Kevin Shaknazarian, 25, from Los Angeles, is an Armenian originally
from the Soviet Union. Shaknazarian said that it was important for
people to come out, regardless of their circumstance.
“You don’t get a real sense of this unless you are here,” he said.
Shaknazarian said that being Armenian, he can relate with the struggles
of life as well. In his opinion, the event was universal.
He stressed that humans are not too different from one another.
“Of the billions of people on earth, 94 percent of us want the same
thing: Peace, prosperity and a home of their own,” he said.
Raphael Perrino, 20, and his father also attended the event. The
Perrinos are Italians from Virginia. Raphael is a member of the
Neo-Underground Railroad Conductors, a group that stresses the
importance of unity.
“I believe fervently that Martin Luther King’s movement was essential
but I also believe the Black power movement that occurred afterwards
was essential,” he said.
Raphael stated that he thinks that King’s movement was more of a
damage control as opposed to Farrakhan’s movement, which he believes
is disaster relief.
“To have disaster relief you have to have justice, you have to have
unity, you have to have power and that’s what I believe Farrakhan is
about and that’s why I am here today,” he said.
Although the vast majority of individuals in the crowd were Black,
the attendants who were of other ethnicities were just as enthusiastic
and passionate as the majority.
“I am here watching the work of Jesus,” said Jose Gonzalez. “This is
an amazing event you’re witnessing. It’s really a cry out for peace.”
Kristina A. Maury is a student at Howard University who covered the
Millions More Movement for the Chicago Defender.

SINGAPORE AND ARMENIA DISCUSS KARABAKH ISSUE
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 16 2005
Melek TUZCAN, JTW (SINGAPORE) – Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan who is Asia on official visit met the Foreign Minister of
Singapore Mr. George Yeo. During the meeting both sides discussed the
possible development of bilateral relations and the regional problems.
Oskanyan represented the present state of negotiations of the Karabakh
conflict and Armenian perspectives.
Armenian forces have been occupying a large Azerbaijani territory
including the Karabakh region for more than a decade. The European
Union and OSCE named Armenia as occupier in Karabakh and urged Yerevan
to withdraw its forces. Armenia does not recognise neighboring Turkey’s
and Azerbaijan’s national borders.

ARMENIA HEIRS WIN $17M AXA PAYOUT WHILE TURKEY PROTESTS
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 16 2005
Cezmi ERSUZER, Turgut YENI and Jan SOYKOK, JTW (LOS ANGELES,
ANKARA and LONDON) – The descendants of Armenians who died in the
late Ottoman period have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit
against French insurance giant Axa. The case, filed in California,
accused Axa of failing to pay death benefits on policies bought by
Armenians who died. Under the deal, the firm will pay $17m (£9.7m)
to Armenian charitable groups.
Armenians say 1.5m of their people were killed or deported under
Ottoman Turkish rule in 1915. Turkey does not accept there was
a systematic massacre. Turkish historians and documents say more
than 520.000 Turkish people were massacred by the armed Armenian
groups and many Armenians were killed in the communal clashes and
war circumstances.
Under the terms of the settlement, announced in Los Angeles, Axa will
donate at least $3m to selected French-based Armenian charities.
Another $11m has been earmarked for the heirs of policyholders with
subsidiaries of Axa that operated in the Ottoman Turkish Empire
before 1915.
Axa is a French company and there is a strong Armenian diaspora
in France. Yesim Sahiner from ISRO says that Axa has no choice but
compromise: “The Axa company will pays millions of dollars, but it
will earn more. There are more than 300.000 Armenians in France and
they have close friends in the Government and political circles. By
the way California is home for another strong-Armenian diaspora in
the world” Sahiner added.
‘ULTIMATE GOAL’
In the chaos that followed the killings, many were unable to obtain
their insurance proceeds, lawyers for the claimants said. Most of the
Armenians died due to the bad weather, famine and communal clashes,
while about 1 million Armenians reached Syria, Caucasia and other
destinations. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians joined the Russian
side against their state during the First World War.
The Axa settlement is expected to be approved by California’s District
Court in November. The US state is home to the world’s largest
population of Armenians outside their own country. The Armenian
diaspora’s population is bigger than population of Armenia.
The diaspora is also more powerful than Armenia in terms of finance
and political influence.
Dr. Sedat Laciner, Turkish Armenian expert and director of ISRO,
says the Armenian Diaspora has a secret agenda. “The diaspora tries
to get territory and great economic compensations from Turkey. They
follow the Jewish example. They see the 1915 events a great chance
to get economic and political advantages.” Dr. Laciner added. However
Laciner argues that the way Armenians follow is wrong: “They actually
harm Turkey-Armenia relations and make the life harder for Armenia.
They just focus on their own interests instead of focusing on Armenia’s
security and economy.”
TURKS ARE ANGRY
Axa has not yet commented on the deal, which will be administered in
France. The company has business in Turkey and Turkish media argues
that the Turkish partner Oyak has to end the co-operation with Axa.
The French Insurance giant, AXA’s, announcement to pay compensation
to the Armenians in the US, who went to court with the allegation
of “genocide,” drew great reactions in Turkey. The French company
owns 50 percent of AXA-OYAK (the Turkish Armed Forces Pension Fund)
partnership in the Turkish insurance sector, which added a new
dimension to the issue. Non-governmental organizations asked OYAK
to give an end to the partnership. Turkish Grand Union Party (BBP)
leader Muhsin Yazicioglu termed the issue as “a very serious situation”
and called OYAK to break up with the French company.
Turkish Jurists Association Board of Directors member Kemal Kerincsiz
underlined that the material benefits are not important in this
matter. The development drew reaction also in Zonguldak Eregli
where Erdemir facilities, in which OYAK proposed $2.77 billion, is
situated. Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Ahmet Likoglu said,
“This is unacceptable.”
In Zaman’s headline “OYAK’s Partner AXA Agrees to Pay $17 Million
to Heirs of Armenians” on Friday, it was noted that the relatives
of the Armenians, who lost their lives during the forced migration
in 1915, had filed a class-action against AXA in California. The
French company agreed to pay $17 million to the plaintiffs before the
case was concluded. The Armenians that went to the court said their
relatives had life insurance from AXA during the Ottoman era and
asked for compensation on allegations that they “died in the genocide”.
Regarding OYAK’s French partner’s acceptance to pay compensation to
the Armenians with the allegation of “genocide,” BBP leader Muhsin
Yazicioglu said it was “a very serious situation;” paying compensation
can be considered natural in legal terms he said, but that making
this payment under the name of genocide is thought-provoking.
Can Baydarol from Istanbul Commerce University expressed the OYAK-AXA
relationship must absolutely be revised. The world view represented
by OYAK is clear, Baydarol reckoned.
Kemal Cetinoglu from Ankara-based ISRO told the JTW that “it is
ironic. OYAK is a army company and now they have business with AXA.
Turkish people are very angry about the decision. They may protest
the company. I am sure that the decision will harm Axa’s business
in Turkey.” According to Cetinoglu, the business opportunities in
France and US are more important for the Axa company. “That’s why they
accepted the Armenian allegations though they know that the claims are
baseless. They just consider how much they will earn or lose” he added.
ANY COMPENSATION MUST BE PREVENTED
Turkish Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Sinan Aygun said the
issue of forced migration will develop against Turkey if OYAK’s French
partner AXA pays the compensation to the Armenians. Aygun, who defended
that this must not be allowed since the rest will follow, said: “The
result of the compensation will mean that Armenia’s dream has come
true. Here AXA agrees to pay the compensation before the decision
is ratified by the court. In other words, it accepts the Armenians
claims. I strongly condemn this.” The OYAK Group, he further said,
must immediately step in and say “We have documents that Armenians
massacred the Turks” and prevent paying the compensation.
AXA CASE THE SECOND OF ITS KIND
The Axa case was the second of its kind to be brought in US courts.
Earlier, New York Life Insurance Company agreed to pay $20m (£11.4m)
to descendants of Armenian policyholders who died in 1915.
Lawyer Mark Geragos said the settlements were “important building
blocks… [towards]our ultimate goal, which is for Turkey and the US
to officially acknowledge the genocide”.
Turkey says up to 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
during civil strife in eastern Turkey during World War I, but angrily
rejects the allegation of a “genocide” of Armenians. The Armenians
rioted against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War while
the Ottoman armies were in clashes in against the Russian Empire
Armies. The Armenian armed groups attacked the Ottoman Army and
villages. The Istanbul Government decided to immigrate the Armenian
population near the war theatre to the southern provinces until the
end of the war. However thousands of Armenians lost their lives
during the 1915 relocation campaign. The bad weather conditions,
famine, epidemic diseases and communal clashes hit the immigrants.
Though the government allowed the Armenians to return their home
when the war ends, many could not return to Anatolia. Most of the
Armenians in the eastern towns supported the occupying French and
Russian armies against their Muslim neighbors and this caused great
clashes between two sides. After the First World War, the Armenians
argued that they were in war against the Ottoman Empire and they had
to be included in the peace negotiations. When the Ottoman Empire
collapsed and Turkish Republic established the new Turkish government
invited all Armenians to return Anatolia. However most of them had
immigrated to Armenia, Middle Eastern countries, Western Europe and
United States. Some Turkish historians argue that more than half
million of Turkish people were massacred by the Armenians.
–Boundary_(ID_PdrzWm3zhvYM/qxZV7xQWQ) —

RASUL GULIEV – THE LEADING AZERBAIJANI OPPOSITIONIST WHO LOST TWICE
Axis News
Oct 17 2005
Asim Oku, AIA Turkish and Caucasian section
The leader of Azerbaijan’ s opposition Democratic Party of Azerbaijan
Rasul Guliyev’s plans to end his nine-year exile in the USA and to
return to Azerbaijan to take part in the country’s parliamentary
elections caused serious tensions. In the capital of Azerbaijan,
police have blocked access to the city’s airport and said it will
arrest Guliev if he enters the country. He knew about that, and
claimed in an interview with the Azeri service of the BBC, he does
not fear arrest. “I come to fight for victory in the parliamentary
elections. My goal is to fight dictatorship, corruption and monopolies
in Azerbaijan.” However, his glorious homecoming turned into a farce
as at the last minute he got cold legs and decided not to come back,
but to stop in Ukraine. He refused to continue the flight on the
chartered plane. And there, at Simferopol’s airport he was arrested
by Ukrainian law enforcement, for he is on the international wanted
list. Guliev was detained at the request of Azerbaijani authorities,
which seek his extradition, the press secretary of Ukraine’s interior
Minister said. So he lost twice – he didn’t manage to get home and
got arrested anyway. And his supporters, who were ready to fight for
him with the Azerbaijani security services, known for their brutality,
are very disappointed.
“I urge the Azerbaijani authorities to avoid any oppression (of
civil rights) and I call on the nation to stage civil unrest against
violations of human rights,” Rasul Guliev said in an October 11
telephone conference call scheduled by the Committee for the Protection
of his rights. The people were ready but the leader failed them. Who
is this man and was he worth fighting for in the first place?
A Close Friend and the Harsh Foe of Heydar Aliev
Guliev is married and has two sons and a daughter. He was born in
1948 in Nakhichevan in a southeast of Azerbaijan, as well as Heydar
Aliyev. Since 1962, after graduating petro-mechanical faculty of the
Azerbaijan institute of oil and chemistry (today – Azerbaijan State
Oil Academy (ASOA), he worked at the Baky Oil Refinery. Has made
there an outstanding career – from the ordinary engineer up to the
general director. He is a candidate of Technical Science.
In 1990 year he was elected the Member of the Supreme Soviet of
Azerbaijan, and then, after Azerbaijan gaining independence, the
Member of National Parliament. Together with the opposition he
struggled against the regime of the President Ayaz Mutalibov.
At the beginning of the Nineties he contacted with Heydar Aliyev – the
former head of the KGB in Azerbaijan and the Member of the Political
Bureau. At the beginning of 1993, some months prior to revolution
as a result of which Aliyev came to power, Guliev received a post
of vice-president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijani Republic
(SOCAR), and later became the vice-Premier of Azerbaijan.
After his coming to power Aliyev appointed Guliev the chairman of
the Parliament.
In November, 1995 he was again elected to the Parliament, and again
held a post of the chairman.
Owing to the deterioration of relations with Heydar Aliyev in
September, 1996 Rasul Guliev abandoned the post “because of the health
problems” and leaves for the USA “for medical treatment”.
Already being in America he accused Aliyev and his coterie of
corruption, clanning and lawlessness. He issued three books in which
sharply criticized the ruling elite of Azerbaijan. (“Oil And Politics”,
“Path To Democracy” and “Purpose Of Our Struggle”.) At the end of
1997 under the decision of the Azerbaijani Parliament Guliev was
deprived of parliamentary immunity; criminal proceeding against him
was instituted. Guliev was accused that being in 1990-95 the director
of the Baku Oil Refinery he defalcated $107 million.
In 1998, already being abroad, Guliev was elected the co-chairman
of Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (established in 1992). After the
split of the party in 2000 Rasul Guliev became its only leader.
In the spring of 2005 Democratic Party enters oppositional bloc
“Azadliq”, which includes “Musavat” – “Equality” – the oldest and
the biggest opposition movement led by Isa Gambar, and the Azerbaijan
Popular Front Party (APFP) under the leadership of Ali Kerimli.
On August, 27, 2005, Guliev was registered by the Central Electoral
Committee as the candidate to the Parliament. After this in connection
with his statements on his return to Azerbaijan the Office of Public
Prosecutor of Azerbaijan issued an arrest warrant on him.
An Oppositionist or a Crook?
Guliev is rightfully considered to be the largest independent
Azerbaijani oligarch. Presumably, he gained his fortune at the
beginning of the Nineties by reselling oil abroad under cover of
“waste products,” when he headed Baku’s Refinery. He is extremely
ambitious and combines features of speculator and master of secret
intrigue. Being a director of the largest factory in republic and
vice-President of SOCAR, he actively influenced the policy of the first
two Azerbaijani governments, and Presidents Ayaz Mutalibov and Abulfaz
Elchibey. He used his financial opportunities and connections to assist
Heydar Aliyev’s coming to power and in 1993-96 became actually, despite
of a puppet post of the chairman of the Parliament, the second person
in the country after the President. However, it was insufficient for
ambitious magnate, and he made unsuccessful attempt to push Aliyev
aside from authority, and was compelled to flee the country.
Overthrown by Aliyev Abulfaz Elchibey openly accused Guliev of
treachery. “Rasul, you have knocked me down,” he declared, addressing
Guliev, who was already over the ocean.
The political program of Democratic Party is rather dim. Except for
appeals to “democracy and free economy”, Guliev did not define his
position on key questions for Azerbaijan, such as social problems,
strengthening of Islamic tendencies, and, most important, the Karabakh
question – an integral part of all political programs in Azerbaijan.
Towards the authorities he takes extremely radical position, demanding
from opposition a “revolutionary” – that is violent actions to
overthrow the regime. He asserts that the establishment of democracy
in the republic is possible only by applying force.
Main electorate of Guliev consists of the natives from Nakhichevan.
During all his political activity Guliev constantly changed allies
and views concerning the methods of political struggle. Being a short
time partner of Elchibey, he demanded to exclude from the Popular
Front of Azerbaijan (PFA) the “Yurd” – (Homeland) youth organization
led by Ali Kerimli. Guliev accused Kerimli of cooperation with
authorities. Today Kerimli is a partner of Guliev in “Azadliq” –
the largest oppositional bloc.
At the end of the Nineties he rejected the idea of creation of the
bloc of oppositional forces, sharply criticizing the oldest and
largest opposition party “Musavat”, however, before the presidential
elections in October, 2003, he declared of his support to Isa Gambar,
and in the spring 2005, he joined the “Azadliq” bloc.
Guliev’s Strange Choice Of Actions
At the initial stage Rasul Guliev received the US support, however,
because of a scandal around his financial swindles and unpredictable
changes in his political views and constant changing of political
allies Washington began to distance from him.
As the General Prosecutor of Azerbaijan Zakir Garalov stated “Claims
that the US will support Guliev are mere “political speculation”.
This may be the reason for such a strange behavior of Guliev. As the
AIA sources in Baku reported, his decision to come back home was not
coordinated with the US authorities.
He planned it with the other opposition leaders, who, after his
arrest by the Azerbaijani security would have publicly turned to
the USA demanding to support “the leading democratic leader”, and
to pressure Baku’s regime on his release. Of course in the case of
success his chances to win the elections would have skyrocketed,
for the people would see him as the leader, who is backed up by such
a superpower as America.
There are two possibilities, our sources note. The USA didn’t like
the idea to be presented with a fait accompli and actually blackmailed
in a certain way to take rush actions. It seems that Americans do not
consider Guliev as trustworthy ally and true democrat. Somebody, lets
say from the State Department may have hinted Guliev that his trick
will nor work and the Americans will not apply pressure on Baku. Or
there is an option that certain opposition leaders in Azerbaijan
decided to walk away from the plan, considering it unfair, for they
are struggling with the regime for many years and Guliev plans to
use them to gain what they where fighting for a long time.
Anyway, the “homecoming” fiasco may totally hamper not only his chances
at the elections but and cost him a bitter price, for his supporters
fell betrayed.
ticle=441

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER DEFENDS JUDICIAL INTEGRITY
By Vincent Boland in Ankara
The Financial Times
Oct 17 2005
Updated: 2:41 p.m. ET Oct. 17, 2005
A charge of treason against Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist, was
almost certain to be dismissed by the courts when his trial begins
in December but was damaging to Turkey’s image abroad regardless of
the outcome, the country’s foreign minister said.
Abdullah Gul said the publicity given to Mr Pamuk’s forthcoming trial
for “public denigration of Turkish identity” had overshadowed what he
insisted were notable efforts to modernise Turkey’s judicial system
and to enhance freedom of expression and civil rights.
“I have confidence that the judge will dismiss this case,” Mr Gul
said in an interview last week with the Financial Times.
Mr Gul said the government could not intervene because the judiciary
and the criminal justice system in Turkey were independent of
political control.
“I am not a judge, but I don’t think he will go to jail,” Mr Gul
said. If convicted, Mr Gul said, Mr Pamuk can appeal.
Two recent incidents raise doubts about Mr Gul’s optimism, however.
Recent sentencings of a newspaper editor on a similar charge, and of a
Kurdish politician for speaking in Kurdish, have added to discomfort
among Turkish reformers that penal and civil code reforms are being
wilfully ignored by some prosecutors and judges.
Mr Gul said the Turkish judiciary was “conservative” and that
“prosecutors were even more conservative, but there are higher courts
where the correct decisions are made”.
He insisted that the cases of Mr Pamuk and the others were “individual
cases” that should not deflect from the reforms the government has
passed to boost civil and human rights protection.
“We believe in freedom of expression and religion, and we are very
proud of the changes this government has introduced,” Mr Gul said. “I
know [Mr Pamuk’s case] is damaging and does not help us, but there
are many things happening that are more important.”
Mr Pamuk, who is better known and more widely read abroad than in
Turkey, has been charged with “public denigration of Turkish identity”
for remarks he made to a magazine about Turkey’s stance on the mass
killing of Armenians during the first world war.
Mr Pamuk is due to go on trial on December 16.
Turkey began accession negotiations with the European Union two weeks
ago but already Mr Pamuk’s plight is being cited as a reason why it
should not be allowed to join the union.
The man who brought the charges against Mr Pamuk is the prosecutor
for the Istanbul district of Sisli. He also pursued Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister and former mayor of Istanbul,
in the late 1990s.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES DENOUNCE BRITAIN’S POSITION TOWARD IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Oct 17 2005
TEHRAN, Oct. 17 (MNA) — Members of Iran’s religious minority
communities held a demonstration in front of the British embassy in
Tehran on Monday denouncing the British government’s approach toward
Iran’s nuclear program, which is currently on the top of the agenda
of the UN nuclear watchdog.
The group, which included Zoroastrians and Armenian, Chaldean,
and Assyrian Christians, issued a statement in which they condemned
both the biased attitude of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) in dealing with Iran’s nuclear dossier and the fact that the
three European Union negotiating countries, and particularly Britain,
reneged on their commitments by accepting the baseless U.S. charges
against Iran’s nuclear program.
The statement added that Iran’s religious minorities have never been
indifferent toward the destiny, territorial integrity, and political,
economic, and scientific independence of Iran and will never tolerate
a situation in which the country is deprived of its inalienable rights.
The protestors also announced that they are all followers of divine
religions whose prophets invited people to promote justice, monotheism,
and prosperity for all humanity.
As an inseparable part of the Iranian nation, the religious minorities
are also responsible for the development and prosperity of their
country, they pointed out.
Gaining access to civilian nuclear expertise is the inalienable right
of all signatories of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),
they added.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has proven the peaceful nature of its
nuclear activities over the past two years of sincere cooperation with
the IAEA. Therefore, any measure meant to prevent Iran from gaining
access to nuclear technology is regarded as a politically motivated
action influenced by the discriminatory attitude of certain major
powers toward Iran,” the statement read.
At the end of their statement, the Iranian religious minorities said:
1. Iran’s religious minorities believe that if the IAEA adopted an
independent approach toward Iran’s nuclear dossier, it would boost
the credibility of the agency, and therefore call on the IAEA to
ignore all political pressure in its handling of Iran’s dossier.
2. Iran’s religious minorities believe that negotiation is the best
way to close Iran’s nuclear dossier, and therefore call on Iranian
officials to continue negotiations within a framework that maintains
Iran’s inalienable rights.
3. Iranian religious minorities condemn the biased approach of
international organizations and countries toward Iran’s nuclear
dossier and regard it as nuclear apartheid.
4. Iran’s religious minorities believe that Western countries’ charges
about the human rights situation for religious minorities (in Iran)
is only a political move and regard it as a kind of interference in
Iran’s internal affairs.

RUSSIA, ARMENIA IN JOINT BID TO STAVE OFF ANOTHER EX-SOVIET REVOLUTION
By Emil Danielyan
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
The Jamestown Foundation
Oct 17 2005
The leaderships of Russia and Armenia have underscored their persisting
concerns about the spread of anti-government uprisings across the
former Soviet Union by holding a joint exercise of their special police
forces. The extraordinary move comes less than two months before a
tense constitutional referendum in Armenia that opposition groups will
likely use for another attempt to topple President Robert Kocharian.
The Armenian opposition, buoyed by the spectacular success of the
revolution in Georgia, already tried to do that in the spring of
2004. But its three-month campaign of nationwide street protests
fizzled out due to a lack of popular support and unprecedented
repression unleashed by Kocharian’s regime.
The police exercises took place near the southern Russian city of
Krasnodar from September 24 through October 12. As many as 1,500
officers (the bulk of them presumably Russians) reportedly practiced
quelling an anti-government demonstration in the presence of top
law-enforcement officials from the two states, including Russian
Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev and the chief of Armenia’s Police
Service, Hayk Haruitunian. The final and most important episode of the
exercises involved about 50 imaginary protesters seizing a government
building and taking hostages after demanding payment of their back
wages and the authorities’ resignation. Special police then burst
into the building and liberated the “hostages.”
According to Armenian press reports, participants in the exercises
simulated several violent methods of crowd dispersal dating back
to Soviet times. PanArmenian.net, a pro-government online news
service, reported that they also tested their shooting skills and
familiarized themselves with “rules for the use of firearms” and
“technical equipment” against those who challenge the authorities in
Moscow and Yerevan. “Russian and Armenian special forces are ready
to fulfill the tasks they are set,” Nurgaliev declared afterwards.
The presence of Russia’s and Armenia’s top policemen at the
drills attests to the great importance attached to them by the
two governments. They both have watched with alarm the wave of
ex-Soviet revolutions that set precedents for regime change through
the expression of popular will. Armenia is widely regarded as one of
the potential venues for the next such revolution, a prospect that
sets pulses racing in Moscow, Yerevan, and a number of other former
Soviet capitals.
“The Russian authorities have been having nervous breakdowns because
of the revolutions that took place in post-Soviet countries,” the
Yerevan daily Haykakan Zhamanak commented on October 12. “They are
holding joint exercises with Armenian special forces because there
has already been an attempt at revolution in Armenia and Russia fears
that it could be repeated.”
Apart from helping their Armenian counterparts, Russian security forces
also have something to learn from them. On the night of April 12-13,
2004, Armenian special police backed by interior troops brutally
broke up a peaceful demonstration near the presidential palace in
Yerevan that marked the climax of the last opposition offensive
against Kocharian. Scores of protesters were beaten up and arrested
by security forces armed with truncheons, stun grenades, and even
electric-shock equipment. “The excessive use of police force” was
strongly condemned at the time by Human Rights Watch.
The obvious purpose of the government-sanctioned violence was not
only to disperse the crowd of less than 3,000 people but also to
discourage as many Armenians as possible from attending further
anti-Kocharian rallies. Security forces also severely beat up
virtually all photojournalists that were present at the scene. One
of those journalists, who required hospitalization, insists that
Hovannes Varian, a police general who led the operation, personally
confiscated his camera before ordering subordinates to attack him.
Incidentally, Varian was among the Armenian law-enforcement officials
who monitored the Krasnodar exercises. Also in attendance was Ashot
Gizirian, the equally notorious head of a feared police unit that
is supposed to combat organized crime and terrorism, rather than
opposition activity.
The brutish police chiefs may again be called into action next month.
Armenians will go to the polls on November 27 to vote on a package
of constitutional amendments drafted by Kocharian and his governing
coalition. The draft amendments, endorsed by Europe and the United
States, are aimed at curtailing the sweeping constitutional powers
enjoyed by the Armenian president. But Armenia’s main opposition
forces dismiss the proposed changes as cosmetic and have pledged to
scuttle their passage. Opposition leaders have repeatedly pledged to
turn the referendum into a vote of no confidence in Kocharian.
“November 27 will be our day,” the most radical of them, Aram
Sarkisian, said in a recent newspaper interview.
With the Armenian public remaining apathetic about constitutional
reform, the ruling regime is widely expected to at least try to
falsify the referendum results. However, the kind of crude vote
rigging to which the authorities resorted in the last presidential and
parliamentary elections could give the opposition a powerful weapon
to spark a mass pro-democracy movement. Kocharian and his entourage
cannot fail to understand this. The Krasnodar exercises illustrate
the extent of their worries.
Aravot, another paper critical of the Armenian leadership, reported on
October 12 that the Armenian police are holding negotiations with the
Interior Ministry of Belarus over the purchase of anti-riot equipment
such as clubs, tear gas, razor wire, and even rubber bullets.
(Haykakan Zhamanak, October 12; Aravot, October 12;
, October 11; Human Rights Watch statement, April
17, 2004)