AZG Armenian Daily #175, 30/09/2005
Diaspora
‘LEBANESE ARMENIANS: THEIR PAST AND FUTURE’
Conference within Framework of Haykazian University’s 50th Anniversary
“The Lebanese Armenians: Their Past and Future” conference launched at the
Haykazian University under the aegis of Doctor Tarek Mitry, Lebanese culture
minister. The conference is dedicated to 50th anniversary of the Haykazian
University. 16 scientists from over 10 countries participated in the
conference. Mira Yardemian, head of PR Department of the University,
informed.
Dr. Fauzi Atuen, representative of the Lebanese Culture Ministry,
Christopher Murray, US deputy ambassador to Lebanon, Juliet Woor, PR
official of the US Embassy to Lebanon, Hakob Bagratouni and Yeghia
Tcherechian, members of the Lebanese Parliament, as well as the
representative of Beirut’s Mayor were present at the conference. Various
scientists from the United States, Canada, France, Argentina, Egypt, Syria,
Germany and Italy, including Claude Mutafian, Hilmar Kazer, Vahe Tashchian,
Ara Sanjian, Aida Buchikanian, Nikola Miliorino, Araksi Terunian-Khacherian,
Khachik Ter-Ghukasian, Ohannes Gyokchian, Rouben Avsharian, Armen Urneshian,
Nora Salmanian, Rubina Artinian and Aspet Kochikian held speeches. Verzhina
Svazlian and doctor Shoghik Ashekian represented Armenia in the conference.
By Hakob Tsulikian

AZG Armenian Daily #175, 30/09/2005
Culture
RESIDENTS OF KAZAN DELIGHTED WITH ARMENIAN CULTURE
One of Russia’s most ancient cities, Kazan, marks its 1000th anniversary
this year. The exhibition of artists from Armenia within the frameworks of
celebrations in Kazan in late March astonished the residents of the city as
well as the Armenians of Kazan. At the House-Museum of Parajanov yesterday,
the head of the Armenian community in Kazan and the head of the city’s
cultural department presented the participants of the exhibition with gifts
and thank-you notes. Arkadi Karbayev, head of the cultural department, said
that the canvases, statues and articles of decorative art created a little
Kazan. “We bow before you; you make a tale of a stone and work miracles”,
Mr. Karbayev said. Head of the Armenian community of Tatarstan, Mikhail
Khachaturian, added that Armenia’s cooperation with Kazan will continue as
there are new exhibition ahead to be stage in the town.
The Armenian settled in Kazan nearly 10 centuries ago, promoted trade and
preserved their culture. Mr. Khachaturian said that though the Armenian
community was officially formed only 11 years ago, its traditions and
history is older by far.
An Armenian khachkar dated 1335 was found at the University of Kazan.
By G. Alikhanian

EU enlargement
Time to talk to Turkey
Leader
Friday September 30, 2005
The Guardian
Turkey has already waited more than 40 years to join the European
mainstream, but there are still a few more tense days left before there can
be certainty that its ambition will eventually be realised.
The hope is that last-minute hitches will be resolved by EU foreign
ministers on Sunday, allowing the accession talks to begin the following
day, as promised. Since the rules require such big decisions to be agreed by
all 25 member states, Austria alone has been able to block this one,
demanding that instead of negotiating full membership like every other
country seeking to join the club, Turkey should be offered only a “special
partnership”. Ankara rejects such an approach as discriminatory. So, to
their credit, does everyone else, including the governments of France, the
Netherlands and Germany, despite the strong anti-Turkish feeling that played
a big role in the paralysing rejection of the EU constitution this summer.
Austrian opposition to Turkish membership is a toxic blend of historical
prejudice and contemporary fear, of Ottoman janissaries at the gates of
Vienna, of Habsburg nostalgia, and Muslim gastarbeiter flooding in from
deepest Anatolia. Wolfgang Schüssel, the conservative chancellor, does not
say openly that the EU is a Christian club, but has signalled that he will
only back the talks if there is a parallel launch of accession negotiations
with neighbouring – and Catholic – Croatia. That process has rightly been on
hold because of Zagreb’s failure to cooperate with the UN war crimes
tribunal. If as expected, prosecutors report cooperation has improved, then
it can resume.
Next Monday should be a big day, but even a positive result is unlikely to
end rancour over double standards. Turkey, once plagued by military coups,
torture and hyper-inflation, has met the EU’s criteria for membership –
democracy, the rule of law, human rights, protection of minorities, a market
economy and the capacity to manage competition. Even if implementation of
new laws has been patchy in Kurdish areas the very prospect of EU membership
has been a powerful spur to unprecedented reform. More will take place and
the country will become richer in the 10 or more years it will take to
complete the negotiations. Outstanding issues over Cyprus should not block
them. It is to be hoped too that calls on Turkey to recognise the Armenian
genocide of 1915 will at least promote a more mature attitude to the
country’s past. But Turkey’s secular Muslim democracy has demonstrated that
it is ready to join a tolerant, multicultural Europe. Let the final deal be
done and the talks commence.
,3604,1581325,00.html

Daily Herald
September 28, 2005
Kane County edition
Band urges Hastert to identify genocide
By Gala M. Pierce
Daily Herald Staff Writer
System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian kept a promise
Tuesday he made to his 97-year-old grandfather, who as
a child saw his infant brother thrown on an animal’s
horns during the Armenian Genocide – ask the Speaker
of the House to help the world remember.
The Beirut, Lebanon, native did so by leading a rally
in front of U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert’s Batavia office,
urging the Plano Republican to hold a vote on pending
legislation that would recognize Turkey’s killing of
1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as
genocide.
`This is not just a political event for us; it’s a
personal event,’ Tankian said to the crowd of more
than 125 people. `We’re a small percentage of our
original people, and that’s a profound thing.’
The band, which organized the rally along with several
Armenian-American groups, is no stranger to mixing
politics with its music. The Los Angeles quartet’s
songs regularly hit on topics like genocide and petty
criminals doubling prison populations.
The House International Relations Committee approved
two resolutions Sept. 15 that would recognize the
Armenian Genocide.
According to historians, as the Ottoman Empire began
to crumble in Turkey, the Armenians became more
isolated as the only major Christian minority in an
area dominated by Turks. Calls for Armenian
independence were met with violence.
`We’re not just trying to recognize a crime that was
committed 90 years ago but also trying to end the
cycle of genocide that’s taking place today,’ said
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian
National Committee of America.
The groups contend that despite his previous public
support for the measure in 2000, Hastert twice has
prevented the Armenian Genocide legislation from
coming to a full vote.
`At that time there was a personal request from the
White House to not call that resolution to a House
vote because of the diplomatic concerns of what it
would mean in the Middle East,’ Hastert spokesman Brad
Hahn said.
Hahn said he appreciated how peaceful and civil the
rally went. At this time, Hastert neither is
preventing the resolutions to come to the full House
nor is he leading the charge in an effort to do so.
The Turkish government, which has not acknowledged the
genocide itself, remains an ally to the United States,
protesters said.
Members of the crowd hoped Hastert was listening
although he wasn’t physically in the Batavia office.
Nairee Hagopian, 33, of Hoffman Estates, said only
four people in her family survived the horrific
events. Her grandfather and great-grandmother were
thrown at the bottom of a firepit with about 50 others
in 1915 in Zeitoun, Turkey. Most perished when the
blaze was lit. `Luckily, because they were at the
bottom, they lived,’ Hagopian said of her relatives.
Riley MacDonald, a senior at Batavia High School,
ditched class to show her support for the cause.
`It shocks me that it would ever be a question,’ she
said of acknowledging the genocide.
Drummer John Dolmayan, the other member of the
multi-platinum quartet who appeared in the rally, also
lost family members in the tragedy. His grandfather,
who suffered from emphysema, was shot and killed in
1915. He was discovered hiding in a tree by a Turk
soldier after he coughed, which gave himself away.
`We don’t blame the Turkish people today for what
happened at that time, but we think it’s a shame they
don’t even know their own history,’ Dolmayan said. He
said it’s the band’s only rally on their tour, and
they plan to stay in the Chicago area all week until
their concert Friday at the Allstate Arena.

Armenpress
KOCHARIAN, EU REPRESENTATIVE DISCUSS ENP, KARABAKH AND CONSTITUTION
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian and Heikki
Talvitie, a special representative of the UE to the South Caucasus,
discussed today issues related to preparation of a plan of actions, stemming
from Armenia’s inclusion into European Neighborhood Program (ENP).
Kocharian press office said the two men also discussed the latest
developments in the Karabakh conflict resolution process and referred also
to regional problems, as well as to the process of constitutional
amendments. Kocharian and Talvitie were reported to emphasize the
constitutional reform, describing it as ‘a new opportunity for Armenia to
advance and strengthen democracy.”

Armenpress
OSKANIAN SOUNDS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT KARABAKH RESOLUTION PROSPECTS
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian echoed today president Robert Kocharian, who sounded cautiously
optimistic on Tuesday about prospects for the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Speaking to a joint news conference in Yerevan with Heikki Talvitie, EU’s
special representative for the South Caucasus, Oskanian said there was a
positive shift in the negotiating process, but warned that both sides would
have to exercise efforts to catch the rare chance to register further
progress. According to Oskanian, this prospect is likely to come after
parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. Oskanian described Talvitie’s
impression from a visit to Baku earlier this week ‘interesting,’ underlining
there was ‘a momentum’ for the conflict resolution. Oskanian also said the
date and venue of his next meeting with Azeri counterpart, Elmar Mamedyarov
was not clear yet.
Talvitie added that the EU was interested in establishing stability in
this region and that all sides should work to achieve it. Asked to comment
on a yesterday European parliament resolution reiterating that Turkey must
recognize the Armenian genocide before the start of EU accession talks,
Talvitie said: “if accession talks begin Armenia-Turkey relations will be on
their agenda. This will give an opportunity to regulate their sensitive
relations.”
Oskanian in turn urged EU to keep this issue high on its agenda, saying
the more EU discusses it the more it will contribute to normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. Referring to constitutional reform process in
Armenia Talvitie said the EU supports the process “as it would be a
significant step forward in terms of making the basic law of the country
more democratic.”

Armenpress
CRIME RATE IN CIS UP 12 PERCENT
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS; CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir
Rushailo said today in Yerevan crime rate in CIS member countries went up 12
percent in the first six months of the year from a year ago, arguing also
that effective fighting against crime was possible only given cooperation of
police forces in these countries with appropriate bodies of the UN.
Rushailo was addressing a regular conference of the Council of CIS
Interior Ministers that has brought together the ministers from Armenia,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan,
Ukraine, Uzbekistan and even Azerbaijan. The conference’s agenda is
dominated by issues on fighting corruption and illegal migration. Rushailo
called also for setting up a task force that would develop proposals on how
to best crack down on organized crime and to block roads for export of
heroine manufactured in Afghanistan to reach the CIS.
In early June a UN narcotic and crime agency signed an agreement with CIS
executive committee, calling for reinforcing border check points across the
CIS and equipping police forces with modern labs. Rushailo complained that
out of 16 agreements on fighting crime, terrorism and illicit narcotics
sale, signed by CIS members, only 2 were enacted by September, 2005 and
called on CIS interior ministers to step up the process of their enactment.

Armenpress
INDIA NAMES NEW AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: The outgoing ambassador of India to
Armenia, Deepak Vohra, told Armenpress that Ms. Rina Pandei was picked to
replace him.
He said Rina Pandei, who served as India’s consul general in Istanbul,
Turkey, will arrive in Armenia on October 15. Vohra’s diplomatic tenure in
Armenia expired in August, but in connection with India’s vice-president
Bharion Singh Shehavat’s visit to Armenia in the first days of October he
was instructed to stay here.

TVNZ, New Zealand
Sept 30 2005
Austria blocks EU Turkey agreement

Sep 30, 2005
Austria blocked European Union agreement on Thursday on a mandate to
start entry negotiations with Turkey next week, forcing EU foreign
ministers to call an emergency meeting for the eve of the talks to
seek a deal.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said it was possible
negotiations might not start on Monday as scheduled, although intense
efforts were continuing to solve what he called serious problems.

A 24-1 deadlock at a meeting of EU ambassadors means the vast, poor,
overwhelmingly Muslim candidate country will be kept on tenterhooks
until hours before Gul is due to fly to Luxembourg to open the talks.

Diplomats said Austria stuck to its demand that Turkey be offered an
explicit alternative to full membership if it failed to meet the
criteria for membership or if the EU was unable to absorb it –
something Ankara vehemently rejects.

Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel also insisted in newspaper interviews
that the EU open talks immediately with Croatia, Austria’s historic
ally and Roman Catholic neighbour.

Those negotiations were due to have started in March but have been
frozen because of Zagreb’s failure so far to satisfy a UN war crimes
tribunal of its cooperation.

“We are facing serious problems with the start of negotiations. We
are in intense negotiations,” Gul told a hastily arranged news
conference in Ankara.

Asked if there was a possibility that talks would not begin, Gul
said: “Undoubtedly there is but there are intense efforts … We
still have time to solve the problems.”

He said he would not go to Luxembourg until there was clarity on the
negotiating mandate.

A spokesman for EU president Britain said foreign ministers would
meet on Turkey on Sunday evening. He rejected any linkage with
Croatia’s candidacy, which he said would only be discussed on Monday.

Democracy

Austria demanded substantial changes that Britain had told the envoys
would require a political decision to go back on EU leaders’
unanimous agreement last December that the objective of the talks was
accession, diplomats said.

Schuessel, whose conservative Austrian People’s Party is battling to
avert defeat in regional elections in the province of Styria on
Sunday, said European politicians should learn from the failed EU
constitution votes in France and the Netherlands.

“Democracy means you have to listen to the demos,” he told the
International Herald Tribune.

His comments reflected strong public opposition in western Europe to
admitting Turkey, which opinion polls show 80% of his own electorate
opposes. Austria holds two other regional elections later in the
month after Sunday’s poll.

Gul did not comment directly on a non-binding European Parliament
resolution on Thursday that sought to pose new conditions unpalatable
to Ankara, including recognition of the 1915 killing of Armenians as
genocide.

But he said there were conditions Turkey could never accept and
members of the bloc were well aware of this.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan earlier said it was up to the
EU to demonstrate its good faith, underlining the strategic benefits
to Europe of embracing his country.

“If the EU is not a Christian club, this has to be proven,” the state
Anatolian news agency quoted Erdogan as saying.

“What do you gain by adding 99% Muslim Turkey to the EU? You gain a
bridge between the EU and the 1.5 billion-strong Islamic world. An
alliance of civilisations will start.”

Austria takes over the EU presidency from Britain in January and its
stance could jeopardise its relations with the United States, which
strongly backs Turkey’s accession process.

Schuessel accused European governments of applying double standards
to Turkey and another EU candidate, Croatia.

“If we trust Turkey to make further progress, we should trust Croatia
too … It is in Europe’s best interest to start negotiations with
Croatia immediately,” he told the Financial Times. “It is not fair to
leave Croatia in an eternal waiting room.”

Other EU countries say the start of talks with the former Yugoslav
republic depends on chief UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte
certifying that it is cooperating fully with her office in the hunt
for fugitive ex-general Ante Gotovina.

Kane County Chronicle
September 28, 2005
Rock band leads rally at Hastert’s office
By ERIC SCHELKOPF
[email protected]
BATAVIA – Batavia High School senior Julie Allen is
not a big fan of the rock band System of a Down.
But Allen said she appreciates that the band takes a
stand on social issues. That is why she attended a
rally Tuesday in front of U.S. House Speaker Dennis
Hastert’s district office.
System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian and drummer
John Dolmayan urged Hastert to call for a vote on the
pending Armenian genocide legislation, which would
recognize that Turkey murdered 1.5 million Armenians
between 1915 and 1923.
“I think it is awesome what they are doing,” Allen
said.
Allen said she is concerned about the 1994 genocide in
Rwanda and recent genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
“I am concerned that genocide keeps reoccurring,”
Allen said.
The Armenian National Committee of America, Axis of
Justice and the Armenian Youth Federation also
sponsored the rally.
System of a Down’s four band members are of Armenian
descent. Tankian’s 97-year-old grandfather survived
the Armenian genocide.
“This is not just political, it is personal. If my
grandfather hadn’t survived, I wouldn’t be here,”
Takian said to crowd of about 125 people. “I really
believe there are a lot of good people in Congress who
are going to do the right thing.”
The rally was peaceful and no one was arrested.
“Everything has gone great,” Batavia Police Cmdr. Greg
Thrun said.
Tankian and Dolmayan gave Batavia police a letter
addressed to Hastert, who in turn gave the letter to
Hastert’s staff. The speaker was in Washington, D.C.,
on Tuesday presiding over Congress.
Hastert in October 2000 withdrew the Armenian Genocide
resolution from consideration shortly before it was to
reach the House floor.
“President Clinton asked the speaker not to bring the
resolution to the floor,” Hastert spokesman Brad Hahn
said. “He was concerned about how it would affect the
situation in the Middle East and how it would affect
diplomatic relations.”
The House’s International Relations Committee on Sept.
15 approved two resolutions that denounced the deaths
of Armenians early last century as genocide.
However, the State Department said in a letter to
committee members that the “resolutions could
undermine efforts to rebuild a partnership between the
United States and Turkey in pursuit of America’s broad
national security interests in the eastern
Mediterranean, Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle
East.”
“Discussion is going on. No vote is scheduled.
(Hastert) is taking a step back and letting the will
of the House work its way through the process,” Hahn
said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress