California Courier Online, September 22, 2005
1 – Commentary

Truth Defeats Turkey, State Dept.,
Turkish & Jewish Lobbying Groups
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The Califorrnia Courier
2 – Apo Torosyan to Show Documentary
At Arpa Film Festival in Hollywood
3- Crescenta Valley Talin ARS Chapter
Responds to Hurricane Katrina
4 – Project C.U.R.E. Donates $400,000 to
Stepanakert’s Pagoumian Polyclinic
5 – California-Armenia Trade Office
Passes State Assembly and Senate
6 – 1600th Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet
To be Celebrated Oct. 2 at Alex Theatre
7 – House International Relations Panel
Adopts Armenian Genocide Legislation
8 – Victims’ Telethon Collects $92,000

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1 – Commentary
Truth Defeats Turkey, State Dept.,
Turkish & Jewish Lobbying Groups
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The truth easily triumphed over some of the world’s most powerful political
forces in a David vs. Goliath battle that took place in the chambers of the
House International Relations Committee on Sept. 15.
Marshaled against the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide were the
combined forces of the Turkish government, American lobbying firms hired by
Turkey, the American Turkish Council, the Assembly of Turkish American
Associations, several Jewish-American organizations, and the U.S.
Department of State.
Two resolutions were simultaneously presented to the Committee last week:
Res. 195, calling for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and urging
the Republic of Turkey to acknowledge the culpability of its predecessor
state, the Ottoman Empire, for the Armenian Genocide; and Res. 316, calling
upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States
reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues
related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide as documented in
U.S. archives on the Armenian Genocide.
Given the fact that the U.S. government has all along acknowledged the
heinous crimes committed against the Armenian people, there would normally
be no need for such resolutions. In addition to the thousands of
contemporaneous reports and documents in the U.S. national archives, both
the House and the Senate have adopted resolutions on these mass killings as
early as 1916, and signed by Pres. Woodrow Wilson. In more recent years,
Armenian Genocide resolutions have been adopted by the full House in 1975
and 1984. In addition, two amendments concerning the Armenian Genocide were
adopted by the House in 1996 and 2004. Furthermore, Pres. Ronald Reagan
issued a Presidential Proclamation on April 22, 1981, acknowledging the
Armenian Genocide.
Despite all of these acknowledgments, Armenian Americans try to pass such
resolutions in order to counter the continued denial of the Armenian
Genocide by the Turkish government and its U.S. cronies. The attempt to
counter the denialists have regrettably made these commemorative
resolutions a test of political will between the unholy alliance of
revisionist forces and the Armenian American community.
Since 1999, the Turkish government has engaged the services of The
Livingston Group to block these congressional resolutions. The lobbying
firm is led by the highly influential former Cong. Bob Livingston. However,
judging from the results of the votes in the Committee in favor of both
resolutions (40 to 7; and 35 to 11), it appears that the Turkish government
has basically wasted the more than $10 million it paid the Livingston Group
in the past 5 years (figures based on a recent study conducted by Public
Citizen). Prominent Turkish journalist Sami Kohen agreed with this negative
assessment when he stated in his Sept. 16 column published in Milliyet: “We
can’t say that the professional lobbyists working for Turkey are very
successful.” Thus, it would not be surprising should the Turkish government
terminate the services of the Livingston Group in the coming months,
particularly since Mr. Livingston has been quite pre-occupied with the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that devastated his home state of Louisiana.
Sami Kohen also attributed the passage of both resolutions to “Turkey’s
incompetence in promotion – in conveying its ideas and influencing pubic
opinion.” Since Amb. Faruk Logoglu is responsible for carrying out the
initiatives of his government in Washington, his abject failure to block
these resolutions in Committee may cost him his job. Except for the one
letter (most probably written by the lobbying firm) that Amb. Logoglu
circulated to the members of the House panel, he was surprisingly inactive
and ineffective.
Also ineffective were the efforts of the American Turkish Council (ATC) and
the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) in countering these
two resolutions. ATC Chairman Brent Scowcroft sent a letter to Speaker
Dennis Hastert on Sept. 9, warning him of dire consequences for American
firms doing business with Turkey, should the resolutions be even discussed
in the House. In response, the Armenian National Committee issued a press
release accusing Scowcroft, a former National Security Advisor to Pres.
George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford, of “compromising his integrity in pursuit
of personal business interests.”
The ATAA, in its turn, issued an Action Alert to its members on Sept. 8,
urging them to contact the members of the House panel and sent a letter to
Cong. Henry Hyde, the Chairman of the House International Relations
Committee on Sept. 14. The ATAA warned its members that “inaction on the
part of the Turkish American community will compromise U.S.-Turkish
relations, encourage more acts of harassment, violence and terrorism
against people of Turkish and Turkic descent, and could potentially lead to
territorial and compensation claims against the Republic of Turkey.”
The ATC and ATAA are the two groups whose officials, according to an
article in this month’s Vanity Fair magazine, had allegedly discussed
making illegal campaign contributions to Speaker Dennis Hastert, in order
to block the passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution in fall 2000. The
magazine said it had based its report on FBI wiretaps.
The Turks also failed to enlist the services of various American-Jewish
groups to their cause. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was in the
U.S. on the eve of the House Committee vote, personally asked the leaders
of the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League to lobby
against the Armenian Genocide resolution. According to the Turkish press,
these Jewish groups pledged their support to the Prime Minister. However,
judging from their inaction on this issue, it appears that they did nothing
more than paying lip service to the Turkish leader.
Another loser in this latest political tug-of-war was the U.S. State
Department. In a letter addressed to Chairman Hyde on Sept. 15, Matthew A.
Reynolds, the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs,
reiterated “the Administration’s strong opposition” to these resolutions.
Beyond writing this letter, the Bush Administration did not do anything
substantial to pressure the Republican Chairman of the Committee into
blocking the two resolutions. After the vote, when Adam Ereli, the Deputy
Spokesman of the State Dept. was asked if the Administration would try to
prevent these resolutions from reaching the House floor, he would only
reiterate that the Administration did not support the adoption of these
resolutions in the House Committee. The Turkish press speculated that the
U.S. government’s lackluster effort to counter these resolutions was due to
the American anger at the Turkish Parliament’s refusal to allow U.S. troops
to enter Iraq from Turkey prior to the Iraqi war.
While the Bush Administration may have couched its displeasure at Turkey,
Cong. Tom Lantos (D-CA), a staunch supporter of Turkey and a rabid opponent
of previous Armenian Genocide resolutions, stunned everyone when he
brazenly announced during the Committee meeting that he was going to vote
for both resolutions in order to teach the Turks a lesson for not
supporting the U.S. on the eve of the Iraqi war. Only 3 of the 50 members
of the House International Relations Committee spoke against these
resolutions. More than 20 others spoke in favor. It was, therefore, not
surprising that the Committee overwhelmingly approved both resolutions.
The Committee’s Republican Chairman, Henry Hyde, was unwavering in his
support for these resolutions. He dismissed out of hand Turkish warnings
that their adoption would damage U.S.-Turkish relations. He said that the
resolutions “merely recognize the fact that the authorities of the Ottoman
Empire deliberately slaughtered the majority of the Armenian community in
their empire. Denial of that fact cannot be justified on the basis of
expediency or fear that speaking the truth will do us harm.”
Given the overwhelming support in Committee in favor of these resolutions
and the lackluster efforts of their opponents, it is almost certain that
the entire House would easily vote to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.
Speaker Hastert should promptly bring one of these resolutions for a vote
on the House floor. The duly elected representatives of the American people
should not be deprived of the opportunity to express their position on this
important issue. The Speaker would be also honoring his pledge of five
years ago that he would allow a full floor vote on the Armenian Genocide
resolution.
By allowing such a vote, Speaker Hastert would also clear his name from
boastful allegations made by some Turkish officials that they have bought
his opposition to the Armenian Genocide resolution by making illegal
contributions to his campaign.
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2 – Apo Torosyan to Show Documentary
At Arpa Film Festival in Hollywood
LOS ANGELES – Apo Torosyan will show his poetic documentary, “Discovering
My Father’s Village – Edincik”, 2003, at the Arpa International Film
Festival, at ArcLight Cinemas, Hollywood, Oct. 3-7. The Arpa awards
ceremonies will take place at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on
Oct. 7.
“Discovering My Father’s Village – Edincik” is a “poetic documentary”
about the artist’s roots in Turkey and the relationship between Turkey and
Armenians throughout history and today. For this movie, Apo traveled to
his father’s village to interview villagers, who directly or indirectly
talk about the Armenian genocide of 1915 and 1922, and to record
dilapidated Armenian homes. Since the film was released in 2003 and Apo
began lecturing about the subject of the Armenian Genocide in public, he
now cannot return to his homeland of Turkey.
Torosian was honored to participate as a workshop presenter at the
International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) Biennial Conference
at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL on June 4-7. The theme of
this year’s Conference was “Ninety Years After the Armenian Genocide and
60 Years After the Holocaust: the Continuing Threat and Legacy of
Genocide.” The artist’s co-presenters were artists Robert Barsamian, from
Dallas, Texas; Perouz Seferian from London, Ontario, Canada and Dionne
Haroutunian, Director of Sevshoon Gallery, Seattle, WA. Their session was
moderated by Dr. Stephen Feinstein, Director of the University of Minnesota
Center for Genocide and Holocaust Studies. Apo’s film “Witnesses” was
shown to the larger group at one of the general sessions, presented by Dr.
Frank Chalk from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Upcoming Events include an exhibition, lecture and movie presentation at
the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church in Burbank, Calif., in January
of 2006. The Ararat Museum will also sponsor a presentation and an exhibit
in Los Angeles, in January.
For Arpa Film Festival information, refer to or call
Elizabeth Tohikian at 818-259-0791 or e-mail [email protected].
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3 – Crescenta Valley Talin ARS Chapter
Responds to Hurricane Katrina
MONTROSE, Calif. – In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane
Katrina, the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) “Talin” Chapter is committed in
supporting American Red Cross Relief efforts by making it easy for the
community members to participate in donation collections for humanitarian
relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina.
Through “Donate Now! For Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts” program,
Crescenta Valley community members can visit the Crescenta Valley Armenian
Community Center and make their donations in support of those affected by
the hurricane.
“ARS has always strived to deliver and respond to those in need” said Emma
Garabetian, chair of ARS CV “Talin” chapter. “One of many ARS roles as
charity organizations is to turn kindness and generosity of people into
action by working and assisting local American Red Cross organizations
during unprecedented natural catastrophe such as Hurricane Katrina,
Northridge Earthquake, Tsunami disaster or by assisting local Red Cross
efforts to provide humanitarian aid and lifesaving programs and services.
”
Tax-deductible donations to ARS-Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts can be
accepted at Crescenta Valley Armenian Community Center located at 2633
Honolulu Ave. Monday through Friday between 5 -9 pm till Oct. 25. Contact
the Crescenta Valley Armenian Center by calling 818-248-1100 for further
information.
“The collected contributions will be donated to American Red Cross,” adds
Garabetian. “I encourage everyone in our community to open their hearts,
come with love and help someone in need. Your donation will bring a smile
to a child’s face, hope to a mother and shelter to a survivor. Let’s show
the survivors that we care about them and they are not alone.”
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4 – Project C.U.R.E. Donates $400,000 to
Stepanakert’s Pagoumian Polyclinic
Y – Armenia Fund USA announced last week the generous donation of medical
supplies and equipment valued at more than $400,000 and designated for the
Armine Pagoumian Polyclinic and Diagnostic Center in Stepanakert,
Nagorno-Karabagh.
The humanitarian aid provided by Project C.U.R.E. includes goods ranging
from basic healthcare supplies such as ventilator tubing and respiratory
system supplies to medical laboratory equipment – lights, microscopes and
refrigerators. This will be of major assistance to the newly-constructed
Polyclinic which, located in the region’s capital, is the first and only
full care outpatient medical center in the Republic of Nagorno-Karabagh. As
a humanitarian project of this scale, it is expected to improve the lives
of thousands.
Established in 1987, Project C.U.R.E., based in Centennial, Colorado, is
devoted to distributing medical surplus to countries where it is most
needed. The organization is currently shipping to more than 100 different
countries including North Korea, Cuba, China, Russia, Vietnam, countries in
Africa, South America and Central Asia.
Armenia Fund USA is honored to add Project C.U.R.E. to its family of
donors, knowing that such partnerships spread a powerful message – sharing
a common vision of integrity and accountability, and making it possible to
reach those in need.
The Armine Pagoumian Polyclinic and Diagnostic Center was funded by a U.S.
businessman in memory of his aunt. The Polyclinic, one of the Fund’s major
initiatives, has created a strong, long-term quality health care center in
the conflict-torn region. Through comprehensive training and prudent
administration, the Center – opening in the fall of 2005 – has already
secured its future and ensures the long-term viability of the program, the
effectiveness and efficiency of the services provided and safety of its
clientele and patients. The implementation of such a large-scale project
has brought together such major health care providers and health
authorities as UCLA’s Center for International Emergency Medicine,
Yerevan’s Academy of Medicine, the American University of Armenia’s Center
for Health Services Research and Development, and John Hopkins University’s
Center for International Emergency Disaster and Refugee Studies and
MediTech Company.
The list also includes a recent joint initiative with Medical Missions for
Children (MMC) – an international non-governmental organization dedicated
to providing quality healthcare to critically-ill children throughout the
world. The result of the new partnership is the program that establishes a
high-quality videoconference link between the Karabagh Telecom in
Stepanakert and MMC’s headquarters in Patterson, NJ. The successful
completion of this project will provide virtual real-time delivery of
healthcare through global communications.
To learn more about Armenia Fund USA, go to the website at

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5 – California-Armenia Trade Office
Passes State Assembly and Senate
SACRAMENTO, CA – The International Trade and Investment Office: Yerevan
bill (SB 897), introduced by California State Senator Jack Scott
(D-Pasadena) in February of this year, recently passed in both the
California State Assembly and Senate, announced the Armenian National
Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR). The bill passed the chambers
of the legislature with overwhelming bi-partisan support, having gained a
vote of 77-1 in the Assembly and 32-1 in the Senate. The bill was enrolled
and sent to the desk of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 8th for
his signature.
“Once again through the leadership of Senator Scott and his tireless staff,
Californians and Armenians alike can move forward towards establishing
closer business and trade relations with one another which will benefit
both peoples equally,” said Steve Dadaian, Chairman of the ANCA-WR. “We
look forward to Governor Schwarzenegger’s approval of this commonsense
measure aimed to allow the State of California to properly operate its
trade office in Armenia.”
For over five years, the ANCA-WR has worked to improve trade relations
between California and Armenia. SB 897 aims to extend the sunset date for
the creation and operation of the California International Trade and
Investment Office in Yerevan, Armenia which was established by state statue
in 2002. The current sunset date for the trade office is set for January 1,
2006. However, the bill would extend this deadline to 2008. SB 897 was
introduced by Sen. Scott, with principal coauthors Senators Chuck
Poochigian (R-Fresno) and Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo), Assemblymembers Juan
Arambula (D-Fresno) and Dario Frommer (D-Glendale), as well as coauthors
Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), and Assemblymembers Greg Aghazarian
(R-Stockton) and Carol Liu (D-Pasadena).
Last month, ANCA-WR Government Relations Director Armen Carapetian
delivered testimony in the Capitol to secure passage of SB 897 in key
committees and met with Assemblymembers and staff to galvanize support for
the measure.
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6 – 1600th Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet
To be Celebrated Oct. 2 at Alex Theatre
LOS ANGELES – In 405 A.D., Mesrop Mashtots, a cleric of the Armenian royal
court, invented the letters of the Armenian alphabet, allowing for the
creation of a vast literary tradition. In celebration of the 1600th
anniversary of the alphabet, the Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural
Society is organizing a free public cultural event at the Alex Theatre in
Glendale on Oct. 2.
S. Peter Cowe, Professor of Armenian Language and Culture at UCLA, will be
featured as one of the keynote speakers along with Dr. Stephan Astourian,
Director of Armenian Studies at UC Berkeley. Horizon TV anchor and host
of the weekly program Focal Point, Manoug Seraydarian, is teaming up with
TV producer and director, Ani Hovannisian-Kevorkian, to be the evening’s
co-Masters of Ceremony.
The event will feature musical performances by the Lark chorus and the
eclectic Mediterranean sounds of the 7-person Armenian folk group, Element.
Hamazkayin’s Ani Dance Ensemble will perform traditional Armenian folk
dancing and the evening will include an original theatrical performance,
written and directed by Elly Award winning director Aram Kouyoumdjian, with
original music composed by Sebu Simonian. There will also be poetry
recitations by students from various Armenian schools throughout
California.
For more information on the event, visit or write to
[email protected].
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7 – Despite Opposition from State Dept. and Turkey
House International Relations Panel
Adopts Armenian Genocide Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – The House International Relations Committee on Sept. 15
approved two measures calling for proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and urging Turkey to end its decades long denial of this crime
against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA). The votes clear yet another hurdle toward full House recognition
of the Armenian Genocide.
“We are very gratified by the House International Relations Committee’s
broad bipartisan support for today’s action towards
U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” stated ANCA Chairman Ken
Hachikian. “The Armenian American community deeply appreciates the
leadership of Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA),
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and the support of all our
friends on the panel. As we work to build on the Committee’s favorable
action, we look to Speaker Hastert to honor his pledge and to schedule a
full floor vote on Armenian Genocide legislation at the earliest
opportunity.”
“This is an important, resounding vote acknowledging the historical truth
and squarely combating Turkey’s denial of the Armenian genocide,” Bryan
Ardouny, the executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America, told
RFE/RL. “We hope that it will encourage Turkey to come to terms with its
past.”
Rep. Schiff, a lead cosponsor of H.Res.316 and author of H.Con.Res.195
opened the Committee’s discourse on both resolutions. Commenting on
Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide, he stated, “Ankara’s
behavior is as inexplicable as it is shameful. Turkey bears responsibility
for its decades of denial and for compounding the suffering of the Armenian
people by attempting to blame the victims for the crime.” Rep. Schiff also
recognized three Armenian Genocide survivors — Mrs. Rose Baboyan,
Yeretzgeen Sirarpi Khoyan and Mrs. Lusazine Tatarian — whose presence at
the hearing was arranged by the ANC Washington DC chapter.
“This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,” stated
Rep. Schiff. “We are working to ensure our country
recognizes this terrible tragedy while some of the victims are still alive,
including the three brave survivors here today.”
In his concluding remarks, Chairman Hyde responded to arguments that
passage of the Genocide resolutions could potentially harm U.S. – Turkey
relations. While noting that, “I very much believe the [U.S.-Turkey]
relationship is of great importance to us,” Rep. Hyde stated, “I don’t
believe that these resolutions will harm that relationship. They merely
recognize the fact that the authorities of the Ottoman Empire deliberately
slaughtered the majority of the Armenian community in that Empire.” Rep.
Hyde went on to note that “denial of that fact cannot be justified on the
basis of expediency or fear that speaking the truth will do us harm.”
In all, 24 members of the International Relations Committee spoke on the
measures, with 21 voicing support for Congressional recognition of the
Armenian Genocide and three speaking against. The speakers represented a
broad bi-partisan spectrum of the Committee, with 15 Democrats and 9
Republicans voicing their positions on the issue. Both H.Res.316 and
H.Con.Res.195 were adopted by overwhelming margins of 40 to 7 and 35 to 11,
respectively. The total vote tallies is provided on the ANCA website —
Following passage of the measures, Reps. Radanovich, Schiff, Pallone and
Knollenberg hailed the Committee’s overwhelming approval of the
legislation. Rep. Radanovich noted, “The U.S. National Archives is replete
with thousands of pages documenting the premeditated extermination of the
Armenian people. As the Armenian Genocide was being committed, the United
States launched an unprecedented diplomatic, political, and humanitarian
struggle to end the carnage and protect the survivors.” He continued,
noting that “I appreciate the bipartisan support for this resolution
[H.Res.316], which properly acknowledges the Armenian Genocide, reaffirms
the proud and groundbreaking chapter in U.S. history to halt the Genocide,
and renews our commitment to preventing other occurrences of man’s
inhumanity to man.”
“This is
a Turkish Ottoman crime of brutality and death called genocide not o – nly
to Armenians but to all of humanity. Proper acknowledgment by our
government is long overdue. All eyes are on House Speaker Hastert to honor
his pledge and to schedule a full floor vote o – n Armenian Genocide
legislation,” stated Hygo Ohannessian Chairwoman of the Armenian National
Committee, Central California, congratulating Rep. Radanovich for his
initiative and vote.
Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone stated “Today the House
International Relations Committee moved this Congress one step closer to
finally recognizing the atrocious acts inflicted by the Ottoman Turks on
the Armenian people. It is now up to Speaker Hastert to realize the
importance of this legislation, and finally allow a floor vote. I continue
to believe that if the entire House has an opportunity to vote on
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the truth will win out and American
recognition will finally occur.”
Rep. Knollenberg echoed these remarks, noting that, “this legislation will
show the world that America is not going to forget
this horrible crime. The victims of the Genocide and their families
deserve to have the crime recognized for the atrocity that
it was. The committee’s action today – and hopefully the approval of the
full House soon – will help make sure that this terrible
offense is never forgotten.”
H.Res.316 calls upon the President to ensure U.S. foreign policy reflects
appropriate understanding of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution includes
30 detailed findings from past U.S. hearings, resolutions and Presidential
statements, as well as references to statements by international bodies and
organizations. As of today, a bipartisan group of over 140 Representatives
have already pledged their support for the measure.
H.Con.Res.195, cosponsored by over 80 Representatives, was offered
following direct negotiations with House International Relations Committee
Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL). The Chairman agreed to Committee-level
consideration of Armenian Genocide legislation in return for Rep. Schiff
tabling a planned June 8th Armenian Genocide amendment to the House Foreign
Relations Authorization bill.
Turkish Ambassador Faruk Logoglu and his lobbyists – including the
Livingston Group – actively made the rounds to members of the International
Relations Committee, seeking to block any action on U.S. reaffirmation of
the Armenian Genocide. As part of this effort, the Livingston Group
distributed a four-page genocide- denial document to Congressional offices.
During the mark up, former Reps. Livingston and Stephen Solarz and their
team of lobbyists, were actively seeking to defeat these measures.
Earlier last week, American Turkish Council Chairman, former National
Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft warned Speaker Dennis Hastert that even
the discussion of the Armenian Genocide on the floor of the U.S. House
would be “counter-productive to the interests of the United States.” In
his September 12 letter, Scowcroft, speaking on behalf of the corporate
members of the ATC, accused Congressional supporters of Armenian Genocide
legislation (H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195) of trying to “pull Turkey away
from the West.” He stressed that: “The careless use of genocide language
provides an excuse to do so, delivering a direct blow to American interests
in the region.”
The Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) also urged Committee
members to oppose the measures. In an unusual development, the ATAA urged
their supporters to actually use the ANCA website and its powerful WebFax
capabilities to attempt the defeat of the measures. The ANCA blocked all
efforts along these lines.
Both the ATC and ATAA have come under scrutiny in recent weeks as the
result of a 10-page story in Vanity Fair detailing FBI
whistleblower Sibel Edmond’s reports that it’s officials were involved in
illegal efforts to defeat Armenian Genocide legislation
in the fall of 2000. According to the article by contributing editor David
Rose, Edmonds claimed FBI wiretaps – including those
of the Turkish Embassy and Turkish groups such as the American Turkish
Council (ATC) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) –
reveal that the Turkish government and its allies boasted of bribing
members of Congress as part of an alleged deal to stop consideration of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution.
“We have never termed the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
a genocide. That is why we do not support this resolution,” a senior Bush
administration official, who asked not to be identified, told RFE/RL from
Washington.
“We believe that the use of the term genocide would not contribute to
reconciliation and dialogue between the two communities,” the official
said, speaking shortly before the House committee vote. He would not
speculate on whether Bush will follow Clinton’s example and ask Hastert to
effectively kill the resolution.
The Bush administration official noted that despite its reluctance to call
the mass killings a genocide Washington supports “serious examination of
the history of that period.” He pointed in particular to a “good” study
conducted by a New York-based human rights organization at the request of
the U.S.-backed Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC). The
International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) concluded in January
2003 that the Armenian massacres fit the definition of genocide set by the
1948 UN convention. Armenian members of the former TARC say the study dealt
a serious blow to Turkish denial of the genocide.
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8 – Victims’ Telethon Collects $92,000
By Alex Dobuzinskis
Los Angeles Daily News
GLENDALE – A telethon on an Armenian-American cable channel netted more
than $92,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief, with the money going to the
Glendale-Crescenta Valley chapter of the American Red Cross.
Armenian-Americans packed the alley behind the studio of the ArmenianMedia
Group of America’s studio at 1520 Glenoaks Blvd., bearing checks and money
orders to help victims of the hurricane. Most donations were between $50
and $100, and $3,000 was the biggest single check.
“This was from the people,” said broadcaster Chahe Keuroghelian, 48, who
led the telethon effort. “That is (more) important, in my opinion, than
necessarily the amount itself.
“It (being) collected from the regular citizens with limited income, that
needs to be appreciated.”
Wednesday, Keuroghelian presented more than $92,000 in donations to the
Glendale-Crescenta Valley chapter of the American Red Cross. Including the
money from the telethon, the Red Cross chapter has collected $210,000 for
hurricane relief.
Many donors remembered American generosity after Armenia was rocked by a
disastrous earthquake in 1988. The quake killed 25,000 people and left
500,000 homeless, according to U.S. government Web sites.
“We were overwhelmed with the generosity that the people have shown,” said
Ron Farina, executive director of the Glendale-Crescenta Valley chapter of
the American Red Cross. “They, I believe, understand how disasters can
devastate a community because they were so badly hit back in the Armenian
community in ’88. So they can relate to this.”
The telethon started Monday evening and went until 2 a.m. Tuesday on
Channel 26 in Glendale. Broadcasters on the channel continued issuing pleas
for donations on the days after the initial telethon.
Keuroghelian, who has a show on Channel 26 but also works as an immigration
attorney, said he expects additional donations that will bring the total to
at least $100,000.
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zaman.com
Turkey Bails out Georgia for Kars-Tbilisi Railway
By Economy News Desk
Published: Monday, September 19, 2005
Turkey will solve the financial problem of the Kars-Tbilisi railway with
action Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim took for a project,
which has been waiting for the last 13 years to be accomplished and has
failed due to financial and political reasons.
On Monday, Georgia and Azerbaijan transportation ministers met in Istanbul
in line with the efforts.
Georgian financial problems that have caused interruptions to the $252.7
million project will be discussed during the meeting.
Georgia faces difficulties finding appropriate resources as its credibility
is low in the eyes of international finance foundations. For this reason,
Georgia will be offered the opportunity to take the credit for the project
via Turkey.
Turkey’s economic performance shown in recent years has increased its
credibility with international finance foundations.
Azerbaijan will also provide Georgia with financial support.
After the credit is received, a repayment plan protocol will be signed among
the countries.
The railway line will connect Asia and Europe, and will provide huge
advantages in the frame of cost of transportation. In this way, it will be
possible to reach the oil and natural gas reserves in the Caucasus region by
railroad through Turkey.
The Silk Way Project will be realized with railroads again. A train
departing from London will be able to travel to China non-stop. Turkey will
spend $200 million and Georgia will spend $52.7 million to realize the
project.

RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 8, No. 37, 20 September 2005
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL’s Newsline Team
************************************************************
HEADLINES:
* AHMADINEJAD ADDRESSES UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TWICE, AFTER
RECEIVING U.S. VISA WAIVER
* TEHRAN DENIES PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
* NUCLEAR WATCHDOG WANTS NO ACTION ON IRAN
* TEHRAN STRESSES PERCEIVED NUCLEAR RIGHTS
* NEW SECURITY MEASURES NOT WELCOMED BY ALL
* NATIONAL AND MILITARY LEADERS TALK TO REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS
* SUPREME LEADER CALLS FOR GOVERNMENTAL UNITY
* AHMADINEJAD MAKES MORE APPOINTMENTS
* NEW GROUND FORCES CHIEF AND IDEOLOGIST APPOINTED
* BUS DRIVERS ARRESTED, JOURNALIST JAILED
* NO JAIL VISITS FOR DISSIDENT, SAYS WIFE
* ARMENIA MOVES FORWARD ON GAS PIPELINE TO IRAN
* PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADER VISITS IRAN
************************************************************
AHMADINEJAD ADDRESSES UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TWICE… President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad left for New York on 13 September, state television
reported. Before leaving Tehran, Ahmadinejad suggested this would be
an opportunity to discuss the contentious nuclear issue, saying: “We
believe that nuclear energy is a divine gift. It…belongs to all
nations and all people. All of the people on the surface of the Earth
have the right to use this clean energy.”
Supreme National Security Council official Ali Aqamohammadi
said on 13 September that Ahmadinejad would probably submit his
suggestions on how to proceed on the atomic front, the Iranian
Students News Agency (ISNA) reported. “Naturally we cannot know what
promises to be an innovative idea, but we have heard a few things and
have an idea what the framework of his talks will be. However, he
will reveal the plan,” Aqamohammadi said, adding that rejection of
the plan will hurt those who have benefited from dialogue with Iran.
In his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on 14
September, Ahmadinejad criticized the United States, saying the host
of the event should not have special privileges. Two channels of
Iranian state television, as well as Iranian satellite television and
state radio, broadcast the speech live. Ahmadinejad complained that
neither an Islamic nor an African state has a permanent seat on the
UN Security Council. He also expressed concern about a breakdown in
spirituality and morality, and described unilateralism as a “vicious
malady.” “Unilateralism, production and use of weapons of mass
destruction, intimidations, resort to the threat or use of force, and
imposition of destructive wars on peoples for the sake of security
and prosperity of a few powers” mean that the UN must try to
institutionalize justice, Ahmadinejad said.
The U.S. delegation was not in the assembly hall to hear
Ahmadinejad’s stinging comments, news agencies reported.
Ahmadinejad announced the Iranian position on the nuclear
issue in a 17 September speech to the General Assembly (for the full
text of the speech, see
).
Predictably, he preceded the discussion of the nuclear issue by
denouncing the United States. “The Islamic Revolution toppled a
regime, which had been put in place through a coup, and supported by
those who claim to be advocates of democracy and human rights,
thwarted the aspirations of the nation for development and progress
for 25 years through intimidation and torture of the populace and
submission and subservience to outsiders.”
Ahmadinejad accused the United States of violating the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, arming “the Zionist occupation
regime with WMDs [weapons of mass destruction],” and trying to block
other countries’ access to nuclear technology.
Ahmadinejad accused the United States of supporting Al-Qaeda
and hinted at a conspiracy in which the United States was behind the
terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.
After going on in this way for some time, Ahmadinejad got to
the point. “Peaceful use of nuclear energy without possession of
nuclear fuel cycle is an empty proposition,” he said. “In accordance
with our religious principles, pursuit of nuclear weapons is
prohibited.” He went on to express concern about the creation of a
nuclear “apartheid.” He called for a nuclear-weapons-free Middle
East.
As a confidence-building measure, Ahmadinejad said, Iran is
willing to partner with public and private groups in its
uranium-enrichment program. He added that Iran will continue to
cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, he
dismissed promises that other countries will be the source of fuel
for the Iranian nuclear program.
Ahmadinejad returned to Iran on 18 September. (Bill Samii)
…AFTER RECEIVING U.S. VISA WAIVER. The State Department announced
that the United States had waived regulations banning suspected
terrorists from entering its territory and given Iranian President
Ahmadinejad a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York,
Radio Farda and the “Los Angeles Times” reported on 8 September.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington
on 7 September that Iran’s UN mission applied for a visa on 5
August, allowing Ahmadinejad to attend events around the opening of
the 60th session of the UN General Assembly on 13-18 September, and
the U.S. consulate in Berne, Switzerland, issued the visa on 6
September, the State Department website reported.
McCormack added that while Ahmadinejad would have been
refused a visa for what the United States suspects are past
terrorism-related activities, in accordance with the Immigration and
Nationality Act, his ineligibility has been waived by the Department
of Homeland Security at the request of the State Department. The visa
“in no way indicates a change of U.S. views or policy toward the
Iranian government,” McCormack stressed. U.S. officials believe
Ahmadinejad might have been among a gang of radical students who took
U.S. diplomats in Tehran hostage in November 1979, a charge Iran
rejects.
A number of expatriate Iranians protested outside the UN
building on 14 September against Ahmadinejad’s presence, Radio
Farda reported. Approximately 1,500 people from various exile
opposition groups — royalists, constitutionalists, the Mujahedin
Khalq Organization, the Green Party of Iran — waved placards and
chanted different slogans. The protesters expressed opposition to the
Iranian nuclear program and the country’s purported support for
international terrorism, and they called for political prisoners’
freedom. Their overriding sentiment was that they do not accept
Ahmadinejad as Iran’s representative, Radio Farda reported.
Among the protesters outside the Iranian mission to the UN in
New York were Barry Rosen and Kevin Hermening, Radio Farda reported
on 15 September. Rosen is a former U.S. government official and
Hermening is a former U.S. Marine who were held hostage in Iran when
the U.S. Embassy was seized by militants. In a press conference the
day before, former UN Rapporteur on Human Rights Manuchehr Ganji said
that President Ahmadinejad was involved in the interrogation of the
hostages, as did another former hostage, Colonel Dave Roeder. (Bill
Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
TEHRAN DENIES PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Nuclear weapons do not have
a role in Iranian defense policy, Minister of Defense and Armed
Forces Logistics Mustafa Mohammad Najjar said on 15 September, state
radio reported. Najjar explained that Iran insists on the acquisition
of nuclear technology so it can produce energy.
In New York, President Ahmadinejad told Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Tehran is willing to transfer
nuclear technology to other Islamic states, the Islamic Republic News
Agency (IRNA) reported. Ahmadinejad insisted that Iran has no
interest in nuclear weapons. (Bill Samii)
NUCLEAR WATCHDOG WANTS NO ACTION ON IRAN. Muhammad el-Baradei,
director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is
asking the United States to give Iran another opportunity to cease
alleged nuclear-weapons-related activities, AFP reported on 15
September, citing anonymous diplomats. Reuters reported the day
before that the IAEA suspects that referring Iran to the UN Security
Council will lead to divisions within the council. An anonymous
diplomat suggested a three-to-four-week delay would be “in
everybody’s favor.” El-Baradei reportedly told U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice that the IAEA governing board could set a
deadline for Iran to resume the suspension of its nuclear activities.
Tehran, however, has told the IAEA it will cooperate only if it can
enrich uranium, Reuters reported.
The United States would like to see immediate action by the
UN Security Council, but its efforts to persuade other countries are
not going well, the “Financial Times” reported on 15 September.
Neither China nor India have made any commitments in this regard,
according to the newspaper.
Earlier in the week, U.S. Energy Department officials made a
presentation to IAEA officials and governing board members that
purportedly shows evidence of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons,
“The Washington Post” and ABC News reported on 14 September (to view
the presentation, go to
().
The presentation describes Iran’s violations of nuclear
safeguards and a pattern of concealment. The U.S. presentation
rejects Iranian claims that the nuclear program is for power
generation and argues that it is on the scale of a weapons program.
Furthermore, Tehran has submitted a 131-page response to
el-Baradei’s earlier report on the Iranian nuclear program, IRNA
reported on 13 September. The IAEA report called for greater
cooperation and transparency on Iran’s part, and it referred to
some specific concerns (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 5 September 2005).
The Iranian response stressed Tehran’s belief that the issue has
become politicized and said the IAEA is being swayed by a propaganda
campaign. The response referred to efforts to divert attention from
recent violations of the Nonproliferation Treaty by other countries,
the proliferation of nuclear warheads, and the purported Israeli
threat.
IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told Radio Farda on 7
September that its recent report will be a reference for the IAEA
board of governors when it meets on 19 September to discuss
Iran’s program. She said Iranian officials have cooperated with
IAEA inspectors, but they should cooperate more, and give the agency
access to all “places, documents, and people” able to clarify
persistent questions such as the source of traces of highly enriched
uranium found on certain nuclear components in Iran. Iran has said
they came from Pakistan with the equipment. Fleming said this cannot
be ascertained, adding that there has been much progress made on
discovering the source of the traces, Radio Farda reported. (Bill
Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
TEHRAN STRESSES PERCEIVED NUCLEAR RIGHTS. Iran’s ranking nuclear
negotiator, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani,
stressed in Islamabad on 7 September that Iran will not halt its
nuclear program, but it is prepared to hold talks to alleviate
international concerns, news agencies reported the same day. On his
return from Pakistan, Larijani said that Iran “is not trying to
expand” the number of parties negotiating over its nuclear program,
and the IAEA remains its formal negotiating partner, ISNA reported on
8 September. He said third-party proposals “can be useful or
helpful,” but “Iran’s conduct is that everything should be in its
place, and we face the [IAEA] in this case,” ISNA reported.
In meetings with Pakistani officials, Larijani said, they
stated their acceptance of Iran’s “natural right” to have a
peaceful nuclear program. “I have no doubt that brotherly and Muslim
Pakistan is by our side,” he said. But Larijani also conveyed
“concern” to Pakistani officials over their recent contacts with
Iranian foe Israel. “I stated my concern” at the contacts, Larijani
said according to ISNA, and “stated my reasons, and I think they have
taken on board our perspective.” The foreign ministers of Pakistan
and Israel met in Istanbul on 1 September in the first high-level
meeting since those two states emerged in the mid-20th century, AFP
reported on 7 September.
In Tehran on 7 September, Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki
said that “nobody” should overlook “the rights of the Iranian people”
in negotiations over Iran’s contested nuclear program, ISNA
reported. He said after a meeting with foreign envoys that “no
organization can deprive us of our rights, against international
laws,” referring to Western pressures on Iran to once more suspend
all nuclear-fuel production and related activities, and negotiate
over its program. He said that “there is a rational and clear view
based on international laws that one cannot tell a country its
duties, but deprive it of its rights.”
Iran says that, within the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty,
it has the right to make fuel for what it says is a civilian program.
Mottaki said the Ahmadinejad government gives great importance to
justice, and in foreign relations that means “a balance between
rights and duties” for countries signing up to international
treaties. Iran may reconsider certain bilateral agreements, he added,
as some parts have yet to be implemented, ISNA reported.
Mottaki told the press in Tehran on 11 September that Iran
will not reseal a uranium-ore-conversion plant in Isfahan, central
Iran, in response to Western demands to halt all fuel production and
related activities, and he warned that nobody will win if Iran’s
dossier is referred to the UN Security Council, agencies reported the
same day. Given Iran’s “transparent activities and clear
cooperation” with the IAEA, he said, “we see no juridical or legal
reasons” for a UN referral, and “our positions will be clear in that
regard,” ISNA reported. Going to the UN Security Council would be
“political,” he said, and would initiate “a lose-lose game, and we
prefer this not to happen.” He described a “win-win” situation as an
international community assured of the peaceful nature of Iran’s
nuclear program, and Iran being able to exercise what it says is the
right to make nuclear fuel for power stations it has yet to build.
Iran, he said, welcomes the “unconditional” resumption of talks on
its dossier, ISNA reported.
Mottaki said on 12 September that Iran’s nuclear policy
is entirely clear, and if its “natural right” to have a peaceful
program is recognized, “we respect the right of the international
community to be assured of the peaceful nature” of its activities,
ISNA reported the same day, citing an interview with Turkish
television. He dismissed as unlikely the threat of U.S. strikes on
Iranian nuclear installations. “The Americans threaten all the
world…. We do not believe a military attack is likely, but if that
happens, our response will be firm and painful.”
Mottaki said Western concerns about Iran’s program are
only partly to do with fears over its abuse for military objectives.
“The second part of the issue is that they are not inclined to have a
developing state become a first-class state” and attain advanced
nuclear technology “with numerous applications” for a country, he
said. Mottaki said Iran’s nuclear policy is based on the “duty”
it feels to reassure the international community that its program is
strictly civilian, ISNA reported. (Vahid Sepehri)
NEW SECURITY MEASURES NOT WELCOMED BY ALL. Recent steps by Iran’s
new government under President Ahmadinejad demonstrate the rightward
drift in the country’s affairs that became apparent in the months
preceding the June 2005 presidential election. These steps include
the appointment of provincial governors-general with a security
background, as well as a crackdown on social malefactors. The impact
of the provincial appointments will be felt for years to come,
whereas pressure in Tehran is likely to ease off.
Provincial Appointments
Interior Minister Mustafa Purmohammadi said in the 14
September “Iran” that the selection of provincial governors-general
will begin the next week and will only take place after consultations
with legislators and local Friday-prayer leaders. He said most of the
officials will be replaced. “Iran” reported that definite changes
include the governors from Fars, Isfahan, Khorasan Razavi, Markazi
(Central), Mazandaran, Sistan va Baluchistan, and Tehran provinces.
An anonymous Interior Ministry official said he had no knowledge of
the possibility that individuals with links to intelligence and
security agencies will be selected.
Parliamentarians’ reactions to this news varied. On the
one hand, an unnamed representative from Urumiyeh said in “Kayhan” of
14 September that Purmohammadi has shown his sensitivity to
individuals’ qualifications rather than politics in making his
choices.
On the other hand, Tabriz parliamentary representative
Mohammad Hussein Farhangi accused Purmohammadi of appointing former
officials of intelligence and security agencies as provincial
governors-general, “Iran,” “Aftab-i Yazd” and “Mardom Salari”
reported on 14 September. “At the present juncture, some intelligence
and security personalities are among the favorites to become future
governors-general,” Farhangi said. He advised against this, saying:
“The interior minister must heed the demands of the parliamentary
deputies about not employing people with intelligence and security
links and background as government officials [in the provinces],
otherwise he will certainly encounter problems in the future.”
The issue prompted two legislators to submit their
resignations. Iranshahr parliamentary representative Golmohammad
Bameri said on 14 September that he had resigned, ILNA reported.
Bameri said he was protesting Purmohammadi’s failure to
coordinate his appointment of new governors-general with the
legislature. Zahedan parliamentary representative Peyman Foruzesh
resigned the same day to protest Purmohammadi’s appointment of a
new governor for Sistan va Baluchistan Province. Foruzesh complained
that the interior minister had not fulfilled his promise to
coordinate his choices with legislators and local Friday-prayer
leaders.
The Interior Ministry’s appointment of new
governors-general will have an enduring impact. The new officials
could stay in place for at least eight years — the length of two
presidential terms. The Interior Ministry runs the elections, so the
new officials could have a profound influence on voting for members
of the Assembly of Experts (2006 and 2014), legislature (2008 and
2012), executive branch (2009 and 2013), and municipal councils (2007
and 2011). Even though President Ahmadinejad has promised to
decentralize governmental affairs, these appointments suggest an
effort by the central government to exert greater influence in the
periphery.
In The Capital
While events affecting the provinces are still developing,
security measures in the capital are already under way. Justice
Minister and judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimirad told reporters on 6
September that a crackdown on people who disrupt security in Tehran
has begun, “Jomhuri-yi Islami,” “Aftab-i Yazd,” and Radio Farda
reported. “This plan, which has been put together by the office of
the Tehran prosecutor-general, will be implemented for a period of 20
days with the cooperation and coordination of the relevant organs,
such as the Law Enforcement Force, the Intelligence Ministry, the
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and the Basij force.
Karimirad described the individuals who would suffer as a
result of this campaign: “The elements who flex their muscles and
show off their power by the use of knives and daggers; the thugs and
the mob engaging in extortion and bullying; threatening actions and
behaviors; attempts to create fear and tension in the society;
disruption of public order and safety; acts of sabotage; those
involved in selling, buying, possessing, or carrying unlawful
weapons; abduction; and gang interfighting and violence.” The
harassment of women, sexual assaults and other sorts of lewd
behavior, the establishment of brothels and gambling houses, drinking
alcohol publicly or public drunkenness, and the sales or purchase of
drugs are to be targeted as well.
Tehran police chief Morteza Talai described the type of
criminals one encounters in the capital, “Jomhuri-yi Islami” reported
on 7 September. One group carries scimitars and goes to different
parts of the city to commit random acts of aggression. A second
group, known as “lumpens,” gets drunk in public and engages in rowdy
behavior. A third group, he said, has the talent and potential for
membership in the second group.
The judicial police will be tasked with maintaining public
security in Tehran once it is equipped, financed, and ready to work,
Radio Farda reported on 10 September. Tehran judiciary official
Mahmud Mirkuhi said the force enjoys greater powers than the ordinary
police. Judicial police patrols include a judge who can convict and
sentence a person on the spot, and oversee his or her punishment,
Radio Farda reported.
One of the security measures described by police chief Ismail
Ahmadi-Moghaddam is action against “joy caravans” — cars filled with
celebrating relatives driving behind a newly wed couple, Radio Farda
reported on 11 September. He termed the celebrants “louts” and a
traffic nuisance. Radio Farda cited Moghaddam as telling the daily
“Jomhuri-yi Islami” that such celebrations block Tehran traffic and
lead to acts of “moral corruption” like dancing and alcohol
consumption.
Tehran’s provincial judicial chief Abbas Ali Alizadeh
told the press on 12 September that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei has ordered the judiciary to give a “firm response” to
“louts” and criminals, Fars reported the same day. Khamenei has
ordered “God’s laws” to be implemented against criminals, after
reading a report on crime that he found “shocking,” Fars reported. In
an undated letter to judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmud
Hashemi-Shahrudi, Khamenei ordered authorities to combat crime “as
vigorously as possible,” and to give “mischievous” people “the
harshest punishments set by God.”
Alizadeh said he showed Khamenei’s letter to a judge who
recently asked him what to do with a man charged with forcibly taking
money from people and cutting off someone’s hand. That
“criminal,” Alizadeh said, must be considered a man “spreading
corruption on Earth,” a charge applicable to various activities and
possibly punishable by death in Iran.
Just as legislators have mixed responses to possible
security-related assignments in the provinces, their enthusiasm about
this social crackdown is mixed.
Musa Al-Reza Servati, a member of parliament’s Social
Affairs Committee, has urged Iranians to show a certain “balance”
when celebrating, “Aftab-i Yazd” reported on 12 September.
“Unfortunately in Iran people go beyond accepted norms for the
slightest celebration,” he said, adding that the Islamic Culture and
Guidance Ministry should define what type of celebrations are
acceptable.
But Social Affairs Committee head Abdolreza Mesri said that
“it is much more necessary” for police to deal with armed criminals
that block city streets than with “joy caravans,” according to
“Aftab-i Yazd.” People can wait a little for a street celebration,
and “share in the joy of people around them, but waiting in traffic
for hours because a man with a knife has blocked the street is
impossible,” “Aftab-i Yazd” quoted him as saying.
The security-related developments in Tehran will not have as
enduring impact as those in the provinces. The crackdown in the
capital is scheduled to last just 20 days. Furthermore, the
government routinely implements such measures, especially at the
beginning of the school year. Therefore, there could be an easing of
pressure over time. (Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
NATIONAL AND MILITARY LEADERS TALK TO REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS. Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a 14 September speech in Tehran
at a conference of Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC) commanders
that everybody is expected to be pious and patient when confronted by
hardship, IRNA reported. He added that one must resist temptation and
show restraint when one is trying to fulfill the obligations defined
by God. The country’s officials, he continued, must be
spiritually pure and morally upright.
IRGC commander Yahya Rahim-Safavi told the audience
beforehand that the June presidential election showed that the nation
supports revolutionary values, state television reported. Discussing
Iraq and regional developments, Rahim-Safavi said, “America’s
incompetence in crisis management in the region has become more
obvious recently.” He described the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as a
defeat for the United States.
Speaker of parliament Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel spoke on the
afternoon of 14 July, IRNA reported, saying U.S. policy is demagogic
and hypocritical. Its hidden objective is to control world oil
resources, he said, and its strategic aim is world domination. Talk
of spreading democracy is just a cover for these goals. He said the
United States uses cultural tools — books, films, NGOs, satellite
television — as well as economic and military ones to influence
other countries.
The next day, Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics
Mustafa Mohammad Najjar told the conference that his ministry has
presented its plans to the legislature, ILNA reported. Among the
objectives in the plan are budget increases, a stronger air-defense
capability, attention to the ministry’s research and industries,
and information security. He also mentioned greater unity between the
armed forces headquarters and the ministry, as well as the
elimination of duplication. To compensate for budget shortfalls, he
said, Iran will export more goods. Najjar said some of the military
industries will be relocated in order to create jobs.
Brigadier General Ali Akbar Ahmadian said in a 15 September
speech at the IRGC conference, “We have formulated a new and
evolutionary strategic management system in the corps,” ISNA
reported. Once Supreme Leader Khamenei approves this system, relevant
plans will be distributed to all branches of the armed forces.
Ahmadian mentioned long-term plans and programs, and added that the
IRGC’s Imam Hussein University will implement the strategic
training programs. He did not provide any details on the system,
plans, or programs. (Bill Samii)
SUPREME LEADER CALLS FOR GOVERNMENTAL UNITY. Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei said in Tehran on 8 September that senior clerics and
politicians must support the government and end outstanding rivalries
that stem from the June presidential polls, given what he described
as foreign hostility to Iran’s government, ISNA reported the same
day. Khamenei told the Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics
ostensibly charged with supervising Khamenei’s performance, that
the primary duty of politicians is to preserve “unity and cohesion”
and end “the disagreements and offenses” of the elections. He added
that “this duty pertains above all to those with a higher status in
society, and those who work against society’s unity cannot be the
friends” of Iranians and their government, ISNA added.
The election results upset some candidates, including
Expediency Council Chairman Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who alleged
he was the victim of a campaign of vilification, and Mehdi Karrubi,
who denounced malpractice at polling stations. Former President
Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami has also recently warned that
unspecified reactionaries and religious bigots are returning to
positions of power.
Khamenei said the government should not be undermined “for
certain expectations or grudges,” while “religious elites” must
counter the “organized effort” of “the enemies of the revolution” to
weaken Iran’s religion and political system. (Vahid Sepehri)
AHMADINEJAD MAKES MORE APPOINTMENTS. President Ahmadinejad has
appointed his brother, Davud Ahmadinejad, as his adviser and chief of
the presidential inspectorate, state radio reported on 13 September.
State radio noted that presidents tend to appoint close relatives to
this position — Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami selected his brother,
Ali, and Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani selected his son,
Mohsen.
In addition, Ahmadinejad has selected Fada Hussein Maleki as
secretary of the Drug Control Headquarters and Tehran municipal
council head Mehdi Chamran as a special adviser, IRNA reported on 13
September.
Ahmadinejad will appoint Tehran municipal council member
Masud Zaribafan as his spokesman, Mehr News Agency reported on 12
September, citing an anonymous “informed source.” Zaribafan is a
member of two hard-line political organizations, the Islamic
Revolution Devotees Society (Jamiyat-i Isargaran-i Inqilab-i Islami)
and the Islamic Iran Developers Coalition (Etelaf-i Abadgaran-i
Iran-i Islami). Zaribafan was mayor of Mahabad and deputy governor of
Kurdistan Province.
Ahmadinejad appointed Parviz Davudi as his first vice
president on 10 September, IRNA reported.
Separately, Foreign Minister Mottaki appointed Muhammad Reza
Baqeri as deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs; Mehdi
Safari for Asia, Pacific, and Commonwealth of Independent States
affairs; and Said Jalili for European and American affairs, “Aftab-i
Yazd” reported on 12 September. (Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
NEW GROUND FORCES CHIEF AND IDEOLOGIST APPOINTED. Supreme Leader
Khamenei appointed Major General Ataollah Salehi the head of
Iran’s regular ground forces on 11 September, replacing Muhammad
Salimi, “Aftab-i Yazd” reported the next day. Salehi entered the army
in 1967, helped organize revolutionary “committees” in Isfahan during
the 1979 revolution, and more recently ran the personnel and
inspectorate departments at the armed forces joint headquarters, Fars
reported on 12 September. Salimi now serves as a “special adviser” to
Khamenei, IRNA reported on 11 September.
Meanwhile, Hojatoleslam Seyyed Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem has
been appointed deputy head of the armed forces’
political-ideological department, “Iran” reported. The former head of
the department, Seyyed Reza Akrami, will serve as a senior adviser to
the political-ideological department. (Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
BUS DRIVERS ARRESTED, JOURNALIST JAILED. An unspecified number of
Tehran bus drivers were arrested after driving on 7 September with
their lights turned on to protest against unpaid or insufficient
wages, Radio Farda and “Aftab-i Yazd” reported on 8 September.
Company managers said they have paid wages owed to drivers and blamed
the drivers’ union for fanning discontent, Radio Farda reported.
Union member Mansur Hayat-Gheibi told Radio Farda that managers have
had some protesting drivers arrested and others sacked.
Separately, a journalist is in jail in Arak, central Iran,
for charges relating to previous press activities even though the
plaintiffs have withdrawn their original complaint, Radio Farda
reported on 8 September. Masud Bastani is being kept in the general
criminal population, and the Arak judiciary has rejected his request
for transfer to a Tehran jail where political and press prisoners are
kept, Radio Farda reported, quoting Tehran-based journalist Muhammad
Reza Ruhbakhsh.
Ruhbakhsh said the Arak judiciary has also convicted Bastani
of violating an earlier conviction, which carried a five-year ban on
press activities, by recently reporting on a Tehran protest, and the
court is expected to hand him another sentence. This conviction and
Bastani’s detention are illegal, Ruhbakhsh claimed, but he
currently has no attorney.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Jamal Karimi-Rad said in Tehran
on 6 September that the judiciary is ready to present parliament with
a bill to define political offenses, “Aftab-i Yazd” reported on 7
September. Iran often jails dissidents or politicians on charges such
as subversion or making false allegations, and is unlikely to
consider them political dissidents. Karimi-Rad said the five-year
development plan starting in 2006 requires the judiciary to define
political offenses. A similar bill was passed by the last parliament,
but rejected by the Guardians Council, a body of mostly conservative
jurists that confirms the legality of legislation (see “RFE/RL Iran
Report,” 31 December 2001). (Vahid Sepehri)
NO JAIL VISITS FOR DISSIDENT, SAYS WIFE. Paris-based Reporters
Without Borders on 6 September criticized the Iranian judiciary’s
decision to send back to jail dissident Akbar Ganji, who was on
hunger strike to protest his detention , Radio Farda reported on 7
September. Ganji ended his 70-day hunger strike on 22 August and left
hospital on 3 September, Reporters Without Borders reported on its
website. The judiciary, it added, has apparently broken a promise to
let Ganji recover at home.
Masumeh Shafii, Ganji’s wife, told Radio Farda on 11
September that she has not been allowed to visit her husband or speak
to him for a week. She said she now believes he is being kept in a
special wing outside the prison chief’s authority, though prison
authorities have told her he is being held in an ordinary cell. Every
time she calls, she said, she is told “he is in a meeting, or in the
wing, unavailable, or call in half an hour…tomorrow morning, or in
the afternoon.” She said she would “no longer keep quiet,” and has
written a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urging him to ask
visiting President Ahmadinejad “to respect justice regarding
[dissident prisoners], including Mr. Ganji.” She handed the letter to
the UN representative office in Tehran on 11 September, Radio Farda
reported.
Shafii told Radio Farda on 13 September that she has not seen
or heard from her husband for 18 days. Justice Minister Jamal
Karimirad, who serves as the judiciary spokesman, said on 12
September that Ganji is being kept in a shared cell at Evin prison
while he recuperates, Radio Farda reported on 13 September. However,
Tehran prisons chief Sohrab Suleimani has said that Ganji is in
medical quarantine. If Ganji is in quarantine, Shafii asked, what
kind of quarantine does not allow him to use the telephone? Shafii
told Radio Farda that prison authorities have sent Ganji to solitary
confinement. Whenever she asks about her husband, she continued, the
authorities refer her to Tehran chief prosecutor Said Mortazavi.
(Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
ARMENIA MOVES FORWARD ON GAS PIPELINE TO IRAN. Armenian Energy
Minister Armen Movsisian announced on 13 September that the
government has formally granted permission for the Iranian company
Sanir to continue construction of the second section of a natural-gas
pipeline connecting Armenia and Iran, Arminfo reported. Construction
of the first section of the new Armenia-Iran gas pipeline is under
way and the Armenian government is still engaged in an
environmental-impact study of the full route. Energy Minister
Movsisian also reported that the Iranian MAP group will complete the
fifth energy unit of Armenia’s Razdan thermal power plant. The
first significant bilateral agreement on the 140-kilometer
Armenia-Iran gas pipeline was reached in September 2001 (see “RFE/RL
Newsline,” 13 September 2001). (Richard Giragosian)
PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADER VISITS IRAN. Palestinian Islamic
Jihad leader Ramadan Abdallah Shallah met in Tehran on 13 September
with Expediency Council Chairman Hashemi-Rafsanjani, Mehr News Agency
reported. Hashemi-Rafsanjani told his guest that the provision of
spiritual and political support is part of Iranian policy. He added
that the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza is a sign of Israeli weakness
when confronted by Palestinian resistance, and warned of anti-Islamic
U.S. and Israeli conspiracies. Shallah said resistance will continue.
Shallah met with Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, in Tehran on 9 September, IRNA reported on 10 September.
Khomeini said the Palestinian issue was a major concern of his
grandfather’s. (Bill Samii)
*********************************************************
Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The “RFE/RL Iran Report” is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
the basis of materials from RFE/RL broadcast services, RFE/RL
Newsline, and other news services. It is distributed every Monday.
Direct comments to A. William Samii at [email protected].
For information on reprints, see:
Back issues are online at

SEPARATIST S OSSETIA CELEBRATES ‘INDEPENDENCE’
By Giorgi Vashakidze and Susanne Gentz in Tbilisi
ISN, Switzerland
Sept 19 2005
ISN SECURITY WATCH (19/09/05) – The breakaway republic of South
Ossetia on Monday began celebrations for the 15th anniversary of its
“independence” from Georgia, in a ceremony that turned out to be a
gathering of separatist leaders from across the region and beyond,
provoking anger from Tbilisi.
The de-facto leader of the breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia,
Sergei Bagapsh, attended the ceremony, as did delegations from
Moldova’s separatist region of Transdniester and Azerbaijan’s
Armenian-occupied breakaway enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Notably,
representatives from the Russia State Duma (the lower house of
parliament) were also expected to attend.
The de-facto president of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, announced
that the republic would sign a cooperation agreement on Tuesday with
Abkhazia on economic, cultural, and science exchanges.
In an interview with Russia’s Vremya Novostei newspaper last
Friday, Kokoity accused Georgian special services of masterminding a
provocation against Georgian peacekeepers stationed in the conflict
zone to initiate conflict on the eve of celebration.
Kokoity dismissed Tbilisi’s peace proposal to grant broad autonomy to
South Ossetia within Georgia as lacking constructivism and as a mere
“PR campaign” to please Western countries.
On Sunday, Kokoity agreed with the leader of Russia’s North Ossetian
republic, Teimuraz Mamsurov, to set up a commission to draft a
comprehensive bilateral agreement on “special relations” between
North and South Ossetia. The newly appointed Mamsurov responded by
suggesting that his republic annex Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia.
“I think that there is only one possible way. Ossetia is a divided
nation, which was split within one country [Soviet Union]. That’s
why there can be no other option than reunification,” he was quoted
as saying.
In an interview with ISN Security Watch on Monday, Georgia’s Minister
for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava said: “Any person
crossing the territory of Georgia without state permission must be
considered a criminal and face sanctions according to Georgian law.”
“Kokoity and his government can join whatever country they want,
whether Russia or China does not matter, but the Tskhinvali [South
Ossetia] region is and will remain an integral part of Georgia,”
he said, adding that joining Russia was a “political illusion” that
served to keep the local population appeased.
Dr. George Khutsishvili, head of the Tbilisi-based International
Center on Conflicts and Negotiations think tank, told ISN Security
Watch on Monday that the Russians had far-reaching plans to create a
“small CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States]” comprising Abkhazia,
South Ossetia, Transdniester, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
He said Bagapsh’s visit to South Ossetia for the celebrations was
“no surprise”. “They [the governments of Abkhazia and South Ossetia]
have been traveling to and fro for the last couple of years simply
to show how much they support each other,” he said.
Georgia and South Ossetia were at war from 1990 until 1992, when
the Georgian government was forced to accept a ceasefire with the
separatists in order to avoid a confrontation with Russia. In a parting
shot, Tbilisi also decided to abolish the region’s autonomous status.
In June 2004, after the “Rose Revolution” that ousted veteran leader
Eduard Shevardnadze, the newly elected government under Mikhail
Saakashvili attempted to force Kokoity’s government out of office,
resulting in several clashes that claimed the lives of 17 Georgian
servicemen and an unknown number of Ossetian militiamen that same
month.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE INTENDS TO EVICT PEOPLE ON THE EXAMPLE OF DALMA GARDENS
ArmInfo News, Armenia
Sept 19 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19. ARMINFO. “Yerevan Prosecutor’s Office intends
to evict 1,200 families settled in the area of 40 ha near the Yerevan
Zoo in 1960,” a lawyer of the public organization of the Armenian
Human Rights Center after A.Sakharov Mary Khachatryan told ARMINFO.
The people call the given populated area Nork Berdadzor and
Kakavadzor. However, this are has no legal status. Yerevan Municipality
has rejected all the applications of the residents for privatization or
legalization of the buildings erected there in the period of 1995-2003,
“to avoid problems in case of future purpose-oriented construction.”At
the same time, the Municipality calls this are “the territory of
gardeners of Nor Nork,” it is not a juridical organization, Mary
Khachatryan says.
The territory is not the property of the CJSC “Armles”(“Armforest”)
of the Agricultural Ministry. Neither it has been included in the
register. Nevertheless, “Armles” Director Martun Matevosyan addressed
a letter to the lawyer Mary Khachatryan wherein he informed that
the territory was recognized the property of “Armless”. However,
he failed to present any document confirming the property.
It should be noted that the divisions of the State Realty Register
were to register the buildings at least on August 22. However, it was
impossible for lack of the legal status of there buildings. “Yerevan
Prosecutor’s Office also applied to the Avan Community First Instance
Court against the illegal builfdings in Berdadzor and Kakavadzor.
However, the third party, CJSC “Armless,” is not summoned,” Khahcatryan
says.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO USA: ECONOMIC FREEDOM IN ARMENIA HIGHEST IN LIST OF TRANSITIONAL STATES
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14. ARMINFO. Armenian Ambassador to the USA Tatul
Margaryan met with Head of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation,
an independent US Government agency, Ross Connelly, Tuesday. The
press-service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told ARMINFO, during
the meeting, the Ambassador stated that due to the reforms by the
Armenian Government, the country is in the lead of the group of the
transitional states as to economic freedom. The economic field of
Armenia is favorable for foreign investments, the Ambassador said.
In his turn, Ross Connelly expressed readiness on behalf of OPIC
to stimulate investments of American businessmen in the economy
of Armenia, as well as the cooperation to upgrade the awareness of
American businessmen of the programs OPIC implements in Armenia. The
largest of the programs is financing of the Marriott-Armenia repairs.
According to the economic freedom rating prepared by the US Heritage
Fund, Armenia ranks the first in the CIS, and in the 44th place among
155 countries in the world.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL GALLERY REPLENISHED WITH WORKS OF 24 RUSSIAN PAINTERS
NOYAN TAPAN
Sept 14, 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by Valentina
Matvienko, St Petersburg Governor, that arrived in Yerevan on the
occasion of the Year of Russia in Armenia, donated works of 24 Russian
painters to the Armenian National Gallery. Valentina Matvienko
declared this at the opening of the exhibition of these works
on September 14 at the gallery. Mrs Matvienko expressed hope that
these works will find their deserved place in gallery’s department
of Russian painters. She also mentioned that many Armenian painters
got education at St Petersburg Academy of Art and were fostered by
the traditions of Russian painting.
According to Mrs Matvienko, the first Armenians settled in St
Petersburg already since 1708 (St Petersburg was founded in 1703)
and had an impact on city’s establishment and development with their
practical, scientific and cultural activity.
In the affirmation of Gagik Gyurjian, RA Deputy Minister of Culture and
Youth ASffairs, this visit will become a kind of a bridge restoring
the traditional scientific-cultural and educational cooperation
already formed between the 2 peoples.
“Last I was in Armenia 18 years ago. We arrived at night but it was
pleasant to see that the city was illuminated, of course, it wasn’t
so light as in New York and there is no such need. Yerevan is Yerevan
with its peculiar attraction, its mystery and secrets,” V.Burov,
Chairman of St Petersburg Committee of Culture, mentioned.

INTERNATIONAL PEN CALLS FOR AN END TO PUBLISHER RAGIP ZARAKOLU’S TRIALS
IFEX, Canada (International Freedom of Expression Xchange)
Sept 19 2005
Country/Topic: Turkey
Date: 19 September 2005
Source: Writers in Prison Committee, International PEN
Person(s): Ragip Zarakolu
Target(s): publisher(s) , writer(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): charged , legal action
Urgency: Bulletin
(WiPC/IFEX) – Members of International PEN, the world association
of writers, are protesting the decision to take to court one of
Turkey’s most well-known writers, Orhan Pamuk, for comments seen
to be “insulting” to the Turkish state. His trial is due to open in
mid-December (see IFEX alerts of 2 September and 6 April 2005). This
move has been widely condemned internationally. At the same time
other writers and journalists are on trial for commentary also seen
to be insulting to the Turkish state, its officials and institutions.
Most well known of these is the publisher Ragip Zarakolu, who has
rarely been out of the courts because of his publications since the
late 1970s.
In the next four weeks Zarakolu will be brought before courts three
times in three separate cases. On 20 September an Istanbul court will
preside over the latest in a series of hearings initiated in March this
year against Zarakolu’s publication of George Jerjian’s book History
Will Free All of Us/Turkish-Armenian Conciliation. The book is said
to be “insulting” to the memory of Kemal Ataturk by suggesting that
leading government figures close to Ataturk had been responsible for
the mass deportation of Armenians in 1915. Zarakolu is being charged
under articles of the Penal Code (art. 159/1 and art. 5186) that have
since been removed following penal revisions put into place in June
this year. The next day, another hearing will be held under the same
law – this time for Zarakolu’s publication of a book by Professor
Dora Sakayan’s An Armenian Doctor in Turkey: Garabed Hatcherian: My
Smyrna Ordeal of 1922. On 11 October, Zarakolu will yet again appear
in court to hear the latest in a series of hearings that started
in May 2004 for an article published in 2003 entitled, “Sana Ne”
(“Of No Interest”) that criticised Turkey’s policy towards the Kurds
in Iraq. As for the hearing on 20 September, he is being tried under
a law that has changed since the introduction of the new Penal Code.
Zarakolu has long been an advocate for minority and human rights
in Turkey. In 1968 he began writing for “Ant” and “Yeni Ufuklar”
magazines. In 1971 a military government assumed power in Turkey
and convicted Zarakolu of working with an international communist
organisation. He was imprisoned for three years. On his release
Zarakolu steadfastly refused to abandon his campaign for freedom of
thought, striving for an “attitude of respect for different thoughts
and cultures to become widespread in Turkey”. Unable to publish
certain works within Turkey, Zarakolu turned to the international
market, whilst he circumvented the ban on criticism of Turkey’s
military regime by turning his attention to abuses of human rights by
governments in South America and elsewhere. The Belge Publishing House,
established in Istanbul in 1977 by Zarakolu and his equally eminent
wife Ayse Nur, has been a focus for Turkish censorship laws ever
since. Charges brought against the couple – at one point there were
over thirty government-brought actions – resulted in imprisonment for
both Nur and Zarakolu, the wholesale confiscation and destruction of
books and the imposition of heavy fines. In 1995 the Belge Publishing
House offices were firebombed by an extremist rightist group, forcing
it to be housed in a cellar. Since his wife’s death in 2002 Zarakolu
has continued to face numerous prosecutions of which his current
trials are all too familiar.
PEN recognises that today the situation is much improved from when
the Belge Publishing House was first set up. But it is far from
perfect. PEN has on its records 50 ongoing court cases against writers,
journalists and publishers. Most cases end with acquittals or fines,
and rarely imprisonment, but the legal process moves slowly, often
taking months, sometimes years, before coming to a conclusion. The most
recent revision to the Penal Code, put into place in June this year,
shaved away a little more of the problematic elements that had in the
past led to sentences that included life imprisonment. Yet there still
remain laws that continue to penalise free speech. On 13 September,
the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rhen, agreed that there are
serious concerns about the Turkish Penal Code, adding that the trial
of Pamuk is clearly in contravention of the European Convention on
Human Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory.
International PEN, the world association of writers with centres in
99 countries, is deeply disappointed that, despite further changes
to the Penal Code, there remains repression of freedom of expression
in Turkey. PEN calls on the Turkish authorities to make further
reviews of articles contained in the Penal Code that breach the
international standards to which Turkey is committed. These standards
include Article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, as well as Article 10 of the European
Convention on Human Rights. PEN recommends that pending such review,
all trials against writers and publishers on charges that contravene
international standards be halted.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Send appeals to authorities: – protesting the
fact that Zarakolu is on trial in direct denial of his rights as
guaranteed under the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, to which the
Turkish government is a signatory
APPEALS TO: Prime Minister Racep Tayyip Erdogan TC Easbaskanlik Ankara,
Turkey Fax: +90 312 417 0476
Cemil Cicek Minister of Justice TC Adalet Bakanligi Ankara, Turkey Fax:
+ 90 312 417 3954
Similar appeals should be sent to the Turkish Embassy in your own
country.

ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER WELCOMES MILITARY COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA
Arminfo
Sep 05
Yerevan, 13 September: Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan does
not see any obstacles or misunderstanding in relations with Russia,
the minister told journalists during the 10th Armenian-Russian tactical
exercise at the Marshal Bagramyan training ground.
He gave an optimistic assessment to Armenian-Russian military
cooperation. The minister believes that the conduct of a joint military
exercise is the best indication of the level of cooperation.
“We conduct the Armenian-Russian military exercise annually and at
the highest level,” Sarkisyan said.
Commenting on Azerbaijan’s belligerent statements, the defence
minister said that the Armenian army’s combat readiness is high and
it is ready to accomplish any task.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ELECTIONS TO LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES IN YEREVAN
ArmInfo News, Armenia
Sept 19 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19. ARMINFO. The incumbent prefect of Yerevan
Kanaker-Zeytun community, non-party man Ruben Sinoyan, has not been
re-elected, preliminary data of the elections say.
The Armenian CEC informs ARMINFO that the preliminary results
of the elections in the Kanaker-Zuytun community are as follows:
Valery Haroutiunyan – 7.492 votes, Ruben Sinoyan – 6,330 votes,
Araik Kotanjyan – 7,575 votes and Petros Soghoyan – 311 votes. The
candidates are nonparty.
The preliminary results for Erebuni community: the incumbent prefect
and the only candidate Mher Sedrakyan received 30,545 votes. In
Nubarashen community the preliminary results are as follows:
Ruben Asaryan – 509 votes, Karapet Barbaryan – 76 votes and Mher
Hovhannissyan – 3,016 votes. The results will be announced later.