Pan Armenian
CE Sec. Gen. Hopes For Karabakh Issue To Be Solved Soon
06.10.2005 12:25
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Restoration of communication between Armenia and
Azerbaijan is only possible after settlement of the NK conflict, Council of
Europe Secretary General Terry Davis said. In his words a fortnight ago he
visited Azerbaijan and the Karabakh settlement was one of the major issues
discussed. «Restoration of rail communication between Armenia and Azerbaijan
is a very important question, however it cannot be achieved without solving
the main problem,» T. Davis remarked. The CE Sec. Gen. appreciated the OSCE
MG activities. «I hope the NK conflict will be solved soon,» T. Davis summed
up.

Panorama
15:54 07/10/05
TAX HUBBUB IN AKHALKALAKI
`The Tax officers from Akhaltsakha checked some ten shops in Akhalkalaki. In
some shops they found Armenian products without excises and closed them. The
result was that a group of people have gathered in front of the local
administrative building and organized the act of complain’, said today the
administrative member of `Hzor Haireniq’ party Shirak Torosyan commenting
the situation in Akhalqalaqi took place on October 5. `Then came newly
formed gendarmerie and fired in the air with guns. Fortunately there are no
victims. The head of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Akhalkalaki region) Georgi
Khachidze qualified it as a crime, and he has promised to punish the
criminals’, added Shirak Torosyan.
Panorama.am was also interested in the nationality of gendarmes, and
concerning this question Mr. Torosyan answered, `They are all Armenians from
Akhalkalaki and neighboring villages’. /Panorama.am/

Panorama
12:55 07/10/05
WANT PEACE, PREPARE TO …
Rose-Roth NATO PA International seminar dedicated to the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and the role of international community in it, is taking place in
Yerevan in these days. During the seminar the International Crisis Group
representative Sabin Freiser informed about the content of negotiations on
Karabakh conflict. Taking into consideration the observations of the
International Crisis Group Mrs. Freiser informed, `I think that next year
it’ll be possible to get the peace agreement, in case if it is not this
year.’ She also noticed that in Key West the sides were more than close to
the possible solution but it didn’t happen and added,’I’ll be optimistic
when I see that the governments through Mass-media are trying to explain the
people what is peace’.
OSCE PA Special Representative on Nagorno-Karabakh issue Goran Lennmarker
thinks that there is some progress in negotiating procedure and for reaching
mutual beneficial agreement the sides must do only one thing that is, to
prepare both societies for the possible solution. Optimism of two
representatives concerning to the positive solution of negotiating procedure
is based on the obtained arrangements in the frameworks of Minsk group.
According to their reports the conflict will be solved by stages. The first
stage is to give back of seven liberated territories, then to open regional
transportation communications and Armenian-Turkish border as well, the next
stage is resettling refugees. And only after 10-15 years, peace makers will
talk about the Nagorno Karabakh status.
But as some experts note presently this resolution can not be implemented as
the offered consensuses by Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan do not satisfy
the demands of the sides. /Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MGM MIRAGE, Press Release
PRNewswire-FirstCall
Oct 7 2005
In Memoriam: George Mason, Longtime Member of the MGM MIRAGE Board of
Directors and Senior Managing Director of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.,
1930-2005
Friday October 7, 6:03 pm ET
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — George Mason, a longtime
member of the MGM MIRAGE Board of Directors and a highly respected
member of the financial community as Senior Managing Director of
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Los Angeles, passed away October 5, 2005.
He was 74.

“We are deeply saddened at George’s passing,” said Terry Lanni,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MGM MIRAGE. “He was an
incredibly influential figure in the gaming and finance industries.
With his remarkable business instincts and extraordinary intellect,
he made valuable contributions to our Board of Directors for many
years. Personally, he had a warm and generous spirit and he will be
missed by the MGM MIRAGE family and so many others whose lives he
touched.”
Mr. Mason previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for
Mirage Resorts from 1973 to 2000, and was a member of the Board of
Directors of MGM MIRAGE from 2000 to present. He was a member of the
Audit, Stock Option and Bonus committees of Mirage Resorts from 1973
to 2000, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of
Directors of MGM MIRAGE from 2002 to present.
>From 1973 until his passing, Mr. Mason was Senior Managing Director
at the Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. Los Angeles office.
“George was not only highly gifted in his understanding of the world
of finance, but he was also a warm and compassionate person who was
loved and respected by all who knew him,” said Renee Fourcade, Bear,
Stearns Managing Director who, for the past 18 years was Mr. Mason’s
close business partner. “Every client was family to George and
nothing was more important to him than earning the confidence and
satisfaction of all those who entrusted him.”
Mr. Mason founded the first English-written Armenian newspaper called
the California Courier in Fresno in 1958 and served as editor of the
newspaper until 1970.
“I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that George’s California
Courier was and will be remembered as a journal of Armenian life in
Calfornia,” said Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Armenia. “It reflected his pride in his identity and his
heritage at a time when it was not fashionable to do so. George Mason
was a man of great integrity and sincerity. He will indeed be
missed.”
At Bear, Stearns, Mr. Mason created a newsletter for clients that he
looked forward to writing each month. Some of the top “Masonisms”
published by the prolific writer included:
“Borrow from pessimists — they don’t expect it back.”
“If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
“Here it is. In 2004, the market will go down dramatically. But it
could also continue to go up dramatically. The final possibility is
that it will just go up or down a little bit or stay about the
same. That is my opinion and I’m sticking to it!”
Mr. Mason also worked as an executive for Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda
Investment Company from 1970-1973.
Born in Los Angeles on Nov. 9, 1930, he was raised there and lived
his adult life in L.A. and Fresno. He served in the U.S. Air Force as
a Staff Sergeant from 1951 to 1954.
Mr. Mason is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sally, and their six
daughters, Cassandra Goehner, Melanie Goodman, Teresa Mason, George
Ann Mason, Dina Chakalian, and Mary Mason; and by his sister, Shirley
Rakoobian.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. at St.
James Armenian Church, 4950 West Slauson Ave., Los Angeles. A
reception will immediately follow at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101
Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of
George John Mason be made to: Nevada Cancer Institute, Continued
Research in the Field of Bladder Cancer, 10000 W. Charleston
Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89135. Attention: Ms. Jennifer Haley, phone
(702) 821-0018.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Peninsula, Qatar
Oct 8 2005
Turkey sentences journalist for comments
Web posted at: 10/8/2005 2:28:24
ISTANBUL: A Turkish court gave an Armenian-Turkish journalist a
six-month suspended prison sentence on Friday for `insulting Turkish
identity’ in an article he wrote, the journalist said.
The issue of freedom of speech has dogged every stage of Turkey’s
efforts to join the European Union. While the EU agreed this week to
start entry talks with Turkey, such court cases are likely to hinder
Ankara’s progress toward full membership.
The Istanbul court found Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the
bilingual Turkish and Armenian weekly Agos newspaper, guilty of
`insulting and weakening Turkish identity through the media’ in an
article he wrote last year.
`Whether the sentence was for one day or six years, it doesn’t
matter. The important thing, and what saddens me, is that I was
sentenced. I did not commit this crime,’ Dink said.

Hindu, India
Oct 8 2005
Shekhawat conferred with honorary degree
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was on Friday
conferred with a honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine by the Yerewan
State Medical University at Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
Mr. Shekhawat is the first Indian to receive this Armenian honour.
The degree along with a gold medallion was presented to Mr. Shekhawat
at a special convocation that coincided with the diamond jubilee of
the university, according to reports received here.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-President said that improving the
quality of education and providing effective healthcare were the two
primary means to achieve the objectives of human development and
happiness.
He said the challenge to build an affordable public health system was
very formidable and demanded an innovative approach.
Earlier, Mr. Shekhawat held talks with the Prime Minister of Armenia,
Andranik Margarian. He also visited the Holy Echmiadzin Church.

Athens News Agency
Oct 6 2005
DM meets with Armenian political leaders
YEREVAN, 6/10/2005 (ANA)
Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos met with Armenian officials
on Wednesday during his visit to Erevan.
Spiliotopoulos met separately with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan and Armenian
Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan.
The Greek minister reiterated Greece’s support regarding Armenia’s
aspirations to join NATO, while on a bilateral level, both sides
agreed to strengthen existing military cooperation.
A committee was created which will investigate how this can be
achieved.
Spiliotopoulos announced that Greece will provide defense materiel to
Armenia’s Peace Corps, while a Greek C-130 military plane will
transport Armenian soldiers who will replace peace-keeping forces
currently in Kosovo.
The defense minister also met with Patriarch of Armenia Garegin and
visited the Tsitsernakaberd Monument where he laid a wreath and
planted a tree in memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian is expected to visit Athens in
November.

Armenpress
ARMENIAN DM SAYS RUSSIAN BASE COMPONENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS: Addressing a NATO-sponsored Rose Roth
conference in Yerevan defense minister Serzh Sarkisian said the presence of
Russian bases in Armenia has no relation to the Karabakh conflict and
Armenian-Azeri relations.
Sarkisian said Russian troops are in Armenia at the request of Armenia
and “are a component of our national security and their presence is
contingent on Armenia’s relations with Turkey which is still hostile to us.”
Sarkisian said Armenia would agree to radically reform its defense system
given the final regulation of the Karabakh conflict and given Azerbaijan’s
accord to carry out similar reforms under the supervision of international
inspectors.
“Armenia’s major priority is to ensure its population’s physical
security, as we are a small country and even a middle-sized army can
encircle our territory,’ the defense minister said. He, however, said it is
a costly price to maintain army but added the country is not going to shift
to professional army in the foreseeable future.
Sarkisian also shrugged off speculations that Armenia’s cooperation with
NATO is detrimental to its participation in the Collective Security Treaty
Organization.

Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada
Oct 8 2005
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Armenians Want Elections to Choose Governors

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in Armenia believe their
regional heads of government should be selected through the ballot
box, according to a poll by the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies. 63.5 per cent of respondents say they would
like to elect their regional governor.
Armenia adopted its Constitution in July 1995. The document was
ratified in a referendum – deemed to have been fraudulent – and confers
virtually unrestrained powers on the president.
President Robert Kocharyan was re-elected to a new four-year term in
March 2003 in an election marred by fraud allegations. Armenia is
divided into 11 provinces. The provincial governors are appointed by
the head of state.
Under the current system, regional elections are limited to prefects
and aldermen. Each provincial governor retains the right to dismiss
elected officials. 36.7 per cent of respondents believe an elected
governor would be more accountable to the people, and 13 per cent
think he would be more interested in solving regional problems.
A nationwide referendum on proposed constitutional changes has been
scheduled for Nov. 27. The reform package would seek a balance of
power between the executive and legislative branches. At least
one-third of Armenia’s 2.4 million eligible voters must support the
amendments.
Polling Data
Would you like to elect your regional governor?
Yes
63.5%

No
10.4%

Difficult to answer
26.1%

If you elect the regional governor, then…
In the first place he would be
accountable to the people
36.7%

He would have more independence in
solving the problems of the region
12.5%

He would be more interested in solving
the problems of the region
13.0%

Nothing would change
15.2%

Difficult to answer
22.6%

Source: Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS)
Methodology: Interviews with 1,000 Armenian adults, conducted in
September 2005. No margin of error was provided.

World Socialist Web Site, MI
Oct 8 2005
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Turkey: trampling on free speech continues
Novelist Orhan Pamuk faces jail terms
By Kerem Kaya
8 October 2005
The prominent Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk will be tried on December
16 and faces up to four years imprisonment on charges of `public
denigration’ of Turkish identity for publicly speaking out about the
Armenian genocide. It is estimated that more than one million
Armenian were killed between 1915-1918 during World War I when the
Ottoman Empire – the precursor of the Republic of Turkey – was crumbling.
In an interview with the Swiss daily Tagesanzeiger published on
February 6, Pamuk was quoted as saying, `Thirty thousand Kurds and a
million Armenians were killed in Turkey. Almost no one dares speak
but me, and the nationalists hate me for that.’ This was the evidence
of his `crime.’
On February 18, after filing charges at the Kayseri state
prosecutor’s office, Kayseri Bar Association attorney Orhan Pekmezci
said, `Pamuk has made groundless claims against the Turkish identity,
the Turkish military and Turkey as a whole. I think he should be
punished for violating Article 159 and 312 of the Turkish Penal
Code.’
Despite having made the statements in February, Orhan Pamuk is
expected to be tried under the new Turkish Penal Code Article 301/1
passed only last June. According to this article, a person who
`insults … the Republic’ can be jailed for between six months to
three years. If `the insult’ was executed abroad, as Pamuk has done,
then Article 301/3 imposes a one-third increase in the length of
sentence.
The new Turkish Penal Code was passed by the parliament after a
two-month delay due to widespread opposition. It includes harsh jail
terms not only for journalists (as in the old code) but also for all
members of the media deemed to have insulted the state and/or any of
its institutions, such as parliament, the army, etc. It also
introduces a new clause that equates any member of these institutions
with the institution itself, should they be individually insulted. A
clear definition of insult is not included in the law – the only escape
clause being Article 301/4, which declares that any `critical
opinion’ does not constitute a crime.
The actions taken against Pamuk come amidst a wave of nationalistic
sentiment whipped up by the Turkish establishment (See `Turkey:
military’s nationalist campaign conceals rapprochement with US’). The
Turkish press was full of attacks on Pamuk in recent months, which
resulted in his receiving death threats.
The killing of Armenians between 1915-1918 is not disputed by the
Turkish state, but the number of the dead and the definition of
genocide are. Successive Turkish governments, Britain and the United
States, have never acknowledged genocide. In the recent discussions
of Turkey’s possible entry into the European Union, France and other
countries demanded that Turkey acknowledge the Armenian genocide as a
pre-condition for entry.
The victimization of Pamuk throws light on Turkey’s rejection of even
the limited demands of the EU to improve its record on democratic
rights. In fact the opposite is the case. It is the EU that has made
the concessions regarding democratic rights during the negotiations
and allowed the recent penal code to pass without opposition. Human
right abuses in Turkey are hardly news in the Western media unless
they are extremely dramatic, such as the beating of women at the
Women’s Day celebrations this year, or unless they represent a timely
bargaining chip in the EU negotiations for France or other countries
that view Turkey as too close to Washington.
In Britain, a close ally of Washington and therefore a backer of
Turkey’s bid for EU membership, the press has reacted nervously to
the charges against Pamuk. The Sunday Times wrote that `Pamuk’s case
has been an embarrassment for the Turkish government.’ The
Independent was concerned that Turkey is giving excuses to her
enemies.
The last thing on the minds of Europe’s ruling elites is Pamuk’s
right to free speech.
Pamuk is a household name in Turkey and he has gained prominence in
international literature over the last decade and a half, with his
novels translated into 20 languages. When he won the Independent
Award for Foreign Fiction in 1990 the New York Times confidently
noted, `A new star has risen in the east.’ He went on to win
international literature’s most lucrative prize, the IMPAC Dublin
Award, for his novel, Benim Adim Kirmizi (My Name Is Red), published
in 2000.
Pamuk has consistently opposed right-wing forces in Turkey. He once
wrote in an academy journal, `Turks gripped by romantic myths of
nationalism are keen to establish that we come from Mongolia or
central Asia…. scholars have come no closer to offering definitive
or convincing evidence to link us with a particular time and place.’
Against this right-wing theory of Turkish identity reaching back
thousands of years, Pamuk, in his novel Kar (Snow), chose the venue
of Kars – a formerly Armenian city – and made sympathetic references to
Armenian culture.
In 1999, he refused to accept the highest cultural accolade awarded
by the Turkish government – the title of state artist. He said, `For
years I have been criticizing the state for putting authors in jail,
for only trying to solve the Kurdish problem by force, and for its
narrow-minded nationalism, I don’t know why they tried to give me the
prize.’
Turkey has never been a safe country for artists. Virtually every
prominent writer who has something to say about the repression in the
country has been targeted for persecution by the state. Nazim Hikmet,
arguably the best poet the country has ever produced, was charged in
1925 as a secret (Communist) party member and sentenced to 15 years
hard labor. His works were banned between 1938 and 1965, until two
years after his death in exile in Moscow.
In 1939, Orhan Kemal, one of the most prominent Turkish writers of
the last century, was sentenced to a five-year jail term for his
political views. Having stayed in the same jail as Nazim Hikmet,
Kemal was intensely influenced by him.
On 1 July 1993, the humorist Aziz Nesin barely escaped with his life
from Madimak Hotel where he was staying with other artists attending
the traditional Pir Sultan Abdal festival in Sivas. The hotel was set
on fire by fundamentalist mobs, killing 36 artists and injuring 24. A
6,000-strong military brigade situated near the hotel did nothing for
eight hours, until the mobs achieved their mission. A group of
artists was finally rescued by the fire brigade, but when they
realized that Aziz Nesin was amongst them the firemen and the police
joined the mob attack – inflicting injuries to his head and body.
Eventually the military moved in to stop the lynching. Nesin’s crime
was to speak out publicly and consistently on behalf of secularism.
He too was jailed several times as a result of his socialist views.
More recently, a local administrator in the city of Isparta, Mustafa
Altinpinar, sent a circular to all libraries in the region demanding
that Pamuk’s books be seized and burned. The government was
negotiating at the time with the EU over membership. It was spared
further embarrassment because none of the libraries in the region
actually stocked Pamuk’s books.
Apart from these high-profile cases, literally thousands of
journalists and writers have been prosecuted and jailed over the
years. Only recently, a few days after the new laws were passed,
journalist-writer Emin Karaca was charged with `condemning the
execution of the three leaders of revolutionary youth’ – referring to
the executions of Deniz Gezmis, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin Inan, 30
years ago. PEN American Center, an organization that defends free
expression, reported that, according to their records, there are
today over 50 journalists, writers and publishers before the courts
in Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress