BIRTHDAY OF BLESSED VIRGIN MARY CELEBRATED TODAY
A1+
| 14:01:04 | 08-09-2005 | Social |
The birth of Blessed Virgin Mary is not described in the Bible. The
story became known from evangelical sources only.
“The Blessed Virgin’s parents – Anna and Joachim – did not have
children for a long time. Once Anna went to the garden and there
an angel sent by God told her she will have a daughter and all the
peoples of the world will envy her.” This the first part of Saint
Mary’s birthday. She was the only to be granted the name of Blessed
Virgin by God.
“She was virtuous and pious mother and became the embodiment of family
hearth keeper. She serves as an example for each Armenian mother or
woman who is going to give birth to a child”, the Armenian Apostolic
Church instructs.
On September 8 the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the birth of
Blessed Virgin Mary.

ARINC SENDS LETTERS TO PARLIAMENTS WHICH RECOGNIZED SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Turkish Press
Sept 8 2005
Press Review
In letters sent this week to the parliaments of 16 countries which
have recognized the so-called Armenian genocide, Parliament Speaker
Bulent Arinc said that there was nothing in Turkey’s history to be
ashamed of. Sweden, Poland, Canada, Argentina, and Germany were among
these countries. Arinc stated that such recognitions had disappointed
Turkey. /Turkiye/

TURKISH-EU RELATIONS: A WAR OF NERVES?
Cem Oguz
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Aug 8 2005
Last December, the European Council announced that Turkey had
fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria and the EU would open
accession negotiations with Turkey on Oct. 3 this year. However, in
the same statement that gave Turkey the green light, it was clearly
underlined that the negotiations were to be an “open-ended process,
the outcome of which can’t be guaranteed beforehand.” Paradoxically,
it had to be ensured that Turkey would be fully “anchored in European
structures through the strongest possible bond,” even if it fails
“to assume in full all the obligations of membership.”
Given that these two prerequisites were accepted at the time by
the Turkish government, there’s indeed substantial irony in hearing
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s, as well as Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul’s, recent statements such as the “EU shouldn’t toy
with Turkey” or “Turkey would walk away from the EU for good,”
if there were attempts to water down its membership. Apparently,
similar to that prevailing sentiment among EU circles, there’s also
confusion in the higher echelons of the Justice and Development (AK)
Party government. I’m willing to assume that such statements are
either tactical maneuvers or, as characterized by political analysts
close to the government, must be part of sincere warnings rather
than empty threats. Yet it seems that, so far, they’re destined to
remain vain efforts. What I find more important is Erdogan’s remark of
“Turkey has nothing more to give.”
Readers will probably remember that a short while ago I wrote that none
of the so-called concessions on the issues relevant to EU accession
had created a notable outcry in Turkey. But I warned, as many other
people possessed of common sense did, that the honeymoon seemed to
be over and popular disappointment in Turkey was rapidly growing. At
present anger has reached such a level that almost the entire country
is engulfed by anti-EU feelings, although some domestic, as well as
foreign, circles are choosing to ignore it. Last week, I visited some
remote villages in the Taurus mountains and astonishingly witnessed
that even among the villagers living there the current stage of
relations with the EU unleashes powerful emotions. The question then
should be: What’s changed so quickly?
The answer is very simple: First of all, Turks, by and large, have
lost their hope, and secondly the repercussions of radical changes on
sensitive issues have eventually started to affect their daily lives.
The recent rise in attacks by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), for instance, is linked by a considerable number of ordinary
Turks to the biased attitude, as well as support, of EU circles.
Suffice to say that the EU right now is associated with the notion
of instability. Apparently, it’s the US administration that has
realized how acute the danger is. Washington, facing rising criticism
from the Turkish establishment about PKK hideouts in northern Iraq,
recently announced that it will help the Turkish government to combat
the PKK on European soil. Isn’t it a paradox to mention Europe,
while the Turkish fingers were pointing at Iraq? Washington can
indeed be accused of willing to deflect attention from itself. But
it’s not that simple. The US authorities are fully aware that
the surge of nationalism in Turkey, as well as reactions towards
the broadly-defined West, the EU in particular, must be balanced,
before it turns out to be detrimental to the interests of each party
concerned. It shouldn’t be allowed to reach a level that would result
in an ultimate breakaway. In that regard, they seem to be supported by
some prudent EU members. Measures recently applied by Germany against
the PKK, for instance, are a precise example of that phenomenon.
Some EU members, in turn, once again appear to be in denial about
the depth of rising discontent as well as reaction in Turkey.
Irreversible concessions on Cyprus, the Armenian allegations, and
minority issues are the three main subjects that have been the cause
of agonizing debates between Brussels and Ankara. They’re adding to
popular indignation in Turkey. Obviously, however, they’ll be used
increasingly by ardent Turkey-skeptics in Europe to block its full
membership. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, for instance,
sarcastically claims that he’s in favor of Turkey’s membership process,
as long as Ankara “has a calm and peaceful relationship with the whole
of Europe” and “as quickly as possible commits itself to the road of
recognizing [Greek] Cyprus.” Are we talking about the same southern
Cyprus that’s solely responsible for the current deadlock subsequent
to Kofi Annan’s efforts for a peaceful resolution on the island?
In the meantime, Turkish people have run out of patience and are
becoming more disgusted with each passing day. They’re tired of
endless conditions and aren’t willing to make more concessions
without concrete results. Inevitably, this leads to political
extremism in Turkey and the radicalization of Turkish politics.
Nationalist sentiments are running high. In such a milieu, Erdogan,
who’s based his party’s as well as the government’s entire vision
on the ideal of Turkey’s full membership, can’t simply say “enough”
and turn his back on EU prospects. People would then question why
sacrifices were made or concessions were given. At this point,
it’s Erdogan himself who’s believed to be playing to the gallery.
Consequently, it seems that there might be a war of nerves between
the Erdogan government and Turkey-skeptics in Europe, each trying to
leave responsibility for failure in the hands of the other side. This
stubborn war will probably continue until one side finally just gives
up. Whether this becomes a long-term disagreement and doors will be
closed to each other forever, is right now in the hands of visionary,
honest, and sincere circles in the EU itself.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION STILL HOPES TO TRANSFORM REFERENDUM ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS INTO REFERENDUM OF NO CONFIDENCE TO PRESIDENT
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8. ARMINFO. The opposition bloc Justice will
continue its meetings with electors to transform the referendum on
constitutional reforms into a referendum of the vote of no confidence
to Armenian President Robert Kocharyan. Secretary of the bloc Victor
Dallakyan made this statement at a press conference at the club
Pakagits today. He said the opposition will act in two stages to
fail the project of constitutional reforms at the referendum. At
the first stage, Dallakyan said, the bloc will carry out an active
anti-propaganda of the document, and at the second stage it will tale
relevant measures to fail the project at the referendum. The deputy
did not specify the measures to be taken. He expressed confidence that
the document will not be passed at the referendum, which will become
the political death of the ruling regime. “Even the authorities do not
doubt in the failure of the referendum, which is testified by their
recent statements that a failure would not mean public distrust in
the ruling regime. Hereby, the authorities try to insure themselves
from the possible failure,” Dallakyan said.
Meanwhile, he said that in the whole democratic world in case of a
failure of a project of Constitution at a national referendum, the
ruling regime that initiated the referendum sends in its resignation.
In some European states such cases have already been registered.
However, Dallakyan said the leadership of Armenia initiated
Constitutional reforms not to secure democratic development of the
country, but to secure Robert Kocharyan’s reelection for the third
term and to legitimize his power.
Dallakyan also said that after the extraordinary sitting on August
29 on the constitutional reforms attended by the parliamentary
opposition as an exception, Justice bloc has receive numerous
letters from electors urging oppositionist MPs to participate in the
parliamentary sittings. Taking it into account, it is not ruled out
the Justice bloc will return to the parliament, Dallakyan said. At
the same time, he said that a possible return to the parliament will
not mean that the bloc refuses from its demands. It should be noted
that another opposition force, the National Unity party, also intends
to stop boycott of the parliamentary activity and to participate in
the autumn sitting of the Armenian parliament.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BALKAN AND CAUCASIAN MUSLIMS SEEK HELP FROM TURKEY AGAINST
By Mukremin Albayrak
Zaman Online, Turkey
Sept 8 2005
Representatives of the Muslim states and communities in the Balkans
and Caucasus that took part in the “6th Eurasian Islamic Council”
hosted by the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate complain about
the missionary activities in their countries.
The Muslim representatives asked the Islamic countries to back them.
Caucasian Muslim Religious Administration Chairman Allahshukur
Pashazade said: “Missionaries generally come in the name of humanism.
The only way of resisting this is educating well our people in terms
of faith.”
Pashazade asked these countries for the support of publications of a
religious content. Belgrade Mufti Muhammad Yusuf Spohich called for
cooperation in order to save the Muslim population from the yoke of
the missionaries.
The 6th Eurasian Islamic Council that has been convening for three
days continued with sessions where the subjects of “Religion, Culture
and Identity in Central Asia” were the topics of discussion.
Representatives from different countries of Central Asia, in the
papers they presented, pointed out that they made huge efforts to
remove the gap in the religious field that appeared after communism,
and that some missionaries and banned sects who want to profit from
the same gap increased their activities.
Professor Vasif Mehmet Aliev from Baku State University Theology
Faculty said people are forced to change identity as well as religion.
The Azeris who were converted to Christianity are inculcated by
the missionaries saying: “You are Christian from now on. Your
co-religionists are the Armenians.”
Pashazade said they received the greatest support against missionaries
from the religious leaders and that the people are made conscious
about the perverted movements.
Kazakhstan Foreign Language and Professional Career University Rector
Professot Sabri Hizmetli claimed nearly half a million people in
Central Asia were converted to Christianity in the last 14 years.
“If people choose a religion voluntarily, this must be respected.
However, ignorant people are being deceived and converted to another
religion with the promise of finding a job,” Hizmetli said.
Belgrade Mufti Spohich on the other side pointed at the missionaries
as the biggest danger in the Balkans for Muslims.

TURKEY’S WAR WITH HISTORY
Los Angeles Times, CA
Aug 8 2005
ORHAN PAMUK, ARGUABLY TURKEY’S most famous novelist, knew it was
risky to ask what had happened to hundreds of thousands of Armenians
killed during the era of the Ottoman Empire. But the threats didn’t
silence him.
Pamuk wondered out loud about the fate of Turkey’s Armenian community,
and the more recent killings of 30,000 Kurds in a war against armed
separatists that began in 1984, during a February interview with a
Swiss newspaper.
Seven months later, and one day before European Union ministers were
scheduled to discuss Turkey’s bid to join the union, a Turkish public
prosecutor charged Pamuk with insulting his country.
In Turkey, it is a crime to “denigrate” Turkish identity, punishable
by up to three years in prison. It is up to government authorities
to define the meaning of “denigration.” Pamuk is scheduled to go to
trial on Dec. 16.
The timing of Pamuk’s prosecution suggests a deliberate attempt by
conservatives within the Turkish government to derail the country’s
EU negotiations. It clearly violates the conditions set for Turkey’s
EU membership, such as guaranteeing free-speech rights.
In spite of a plethora of evidence gathered by Henry Morgenthau, the
U.S. ambassador in Constantinople from 1913 to 1916, that detailed
how the Turkish government engaged in the systematic annihilation
of Armenians, the Turks still refuse to admit culpability. Instead,
they argue that Armenians who collaborated with the invading Russian
forces were deported to Syria and that many of them died of exposure,
famine and disease on their journey.
Pamuk, whose book, “My Name Is Red,” has been translated into more
than 20 languages, and other Turkish intellectuals have called for
a public debate on their country’s past.
Last May, Turkish academics organized a conference in Istanbul on
the fate of Ottoman Armenians. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek postponed
the conference the day before it was supposed to open.
These skirmishes are part of a bigger battle between traditionalists
and those who favor European-style modernization.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan should order a halt to Pamuk’s
prosecution, and his government needs to foster more freedom of
expression and thought in Turkey. Striking arbitrary laws that give
the government the right to imprison “critics” of Turkey would be a
start. So would an open debate on the fate of the country’s Armenian
population in the early 20th century.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SHOW COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRATIC FUTURE, U.S. URGES AZERBAIJAN; U.S. ENVOY ALSO CALLS FOR EARLY SOLUTION TO NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT
Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.
State Department
September 7, 2005
The United States is urging Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his
government to continue on a path that demonstrates their commitment
to Azerbaijan’s democratic future and to take all necessary steps to
ensure the success of the upcoming November elections.
Addressing a special session of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) September 6, U.S. Ambassador Julie Finley
said the United States is encouraged by the steps that Aliyev has
taken to ensure free and fair elections, citing in particular his
May 11 Election Decree.
“Such elections will depend on balanced media coverage, peaceful
campaign rallies, and prevention of election fraud, including allowing
domestic nonpartisan observers to monitor the elections,” said Finley,
the permanent U.S. representative to the OSCE, responding to remarks
to the Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, by Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
“The United States has heard reports of cases where organizers of
regional campaign rallies have had problems receiving timely permits,”
she said, calling on local and regional authorities in Azerbaijan to
allow peaceful political rallies.
Finley also reiterated U.S. support for the earliest possible
resolution of the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, over which Armenia
and Azerbaijan fought a bloody war from 1990 to 1994 after the
predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave attempted to break away from
Soviet Azerbaijan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Armenian President
Robert Kocharian and Aliyev August 25, just prior to a meeting of the
leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Russia’s
Volga River city of Kazan, to urge progress toward a settlement. (See
article.)
The U.S. State Department has a fact sheet available summarizing the
U.S. position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In her phone call to Aliyev, Rice emphasized “the importance of free
and fair parliamentary elections this November in Azerbaijan, and
noted his important role in this,” according to the State Department.
Following is Finley’s statement as provided by the United States
Mission to the OSCE:
(begin transcript)
United States Mission to the OSCE
Vienna, Austria
September 6, 2005
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO
REMARKS BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN
TO THE SPECIAL PERMANENT COUNCIL
As delivered by Ambassador Julie Finley
to the Permanent Council
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We welcome Foreign Minister Mammadyarov to the Permanent Council,
and express our appreciation for his remarks here today. We commend
the economic progress to which he has referred.
The United States strongly supports efforts to resolve the conflict
in Nagorno Karabakh as early as possible. As a Minsk Co-Chair,
we have been actively involved in the ongoing negotiations. We hope
that recent discussions in Kazan between the Presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia bear fruit. Resolution of the conflict would benefit all
citizens of the region.
We strongly support the efforts by Azerbaijan to hold free and fair
elections in November. We are encouraged by the steps that President
Aliyev has taken in this regard, and point particularly to the
President’s Election Decree of May 11th that sets the stage for the
elections. We urge President Aliyev and his government to continue on
a path that demonstrates their commitment to Azerbaijan’s democratic
future, and to take all necessary steps to ensure the success of
these elections.
We hope all members of the Government of Azerbaijan will stand by the
President and support his goal of elections that meet international
standards. Such elections will depend on balanced media coverage,
peaceful campaign rallies, and prevention of election fraud, including
allowing domestic nonpartisan observers to monitor the elections. Every
voter needs an ID card, and we support Government efforts to ensure
that every eligible voter can participate.
The new television channel, “Public TV,” went on air on August 28th.
The United States hopes it will offer fair and balanced coverage. We
urge the channel to focus on unbiased coverage of all political
parties in the campaign.
Mr. Chairman, the United States has heard reports of cases where
organizers of regional campaign rallies have had problems receiving
timely permits. We call on local and regional authorities in Azerbaijan
to allow peaceful political rallies. These are an integral part of
any political campaign.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, the United States is hopeful that recent
amendments to the election code will help ensure that the Government
can effectively prosecute election fraud. Key to this effort will the
prompt response by the Prosecutor General and the Central Election
Commission to complaints forwarded to them.
Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs,
U.S. Department of State.)

RESIDENTS OF BUZAND STREET AND MAIN AVENUE DID NOT LAY DOWN ARMS
A1+
| 15:40:33 | 08-09-2005 | Social |
Today the residents of Buzand Street will celebrate the birthday of
Pavstos Buzand. Children will arrange a masked ball. Yesterday films
were shown. First a documentary about the events of April 12-13 was
shown, then a film titled Yerevan jan with Mikael Poghosyan performing
the main part.
Today the residents of Buzand Street, the North and Main Avenues
together with the land owners of Malatia-Sebastia community organized
a protest action in front of the government building. The demand of
the protesters is unchangeable. “We will defend our lands”, they state.
The demonstrators are indignant with the words of Karen Davtyan,
the investment and construction office director. It is not true that
some residents were paid $900 per a square meter, they say. “For a
100 sq. m. land and 2 or 3-room flats with basement and corresponding
conveniences only $56 000 was paid ($215 foe sq. m.) 10% was deducted
as an income tax.
Besides the sum was given part by part. During this period the price
for real estate was raised and I couldn’t buy a flat,” resident of the
North Avenue Tsovinar Davtyan complaints. Knarik Arakelyan was paid
about $300 per sq. m. “I received $41 800 for 115.6 sq. m.”, she says.

AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY BUDGET TO DOUBLE IN 2006: ALIYEV
Agence France Presse — English
September 8, 2005 Thursday
Azerbaijan will double military spending in 2006 to 600 million dollars
(480 million euros), President Ilham Aliyev said Thursday.
He also warned Armenia that Azerbaijan’s armed forces were capable
of re-taking by force Nagorny Karabakh, a territory inside Azerbaijan
but currently controlled by Armenia.
“The unconstructive position of Armenia makes it impossible to make
progress with the talks. But, for the moment, we hope that a peaceful
solution is possible”, Aliyev said during a regional visit to Lenkaran,
near the Iranian border.
“At the same time, we are reinforcing our military potential. And if
defense spending in 2004 was 270 million dollars; in 2005, 300 million;
in 2006 it will equal 600 million dollars,” he said.
“The enemy must know that our army is always able to regain the
territory by military force,” Aliyev said.
The enclave of Nagorny Karabakh, inhabited today by some 145,000
Armenians and supported by Yerevan, won its de facto independence
from Azerbaijan through a 1988-1994 war that killed 25,000 people
and displaced one million.
Unrecognized by Azerbaijan, which considered the region to be under
Armenian occupation since the 1994 ceasefire, Karabakh’s status has
yet to be settled.

HELP COMES FROM ALL CORNERS OF COMMUNITY
Farmington Observer, MI
Aug 8 2005
Whether it’s a small collection of toiletries or a large-scale
cash collection for the American Red Cross, people all around the
Farmington_Farmington Hills community are stepping up and digging in
to help the victims of hurricane Katrina. Here are just some of the
efforts we’re aware of.
eBay for charity
Ara Topouzian, a local Armenian musician – and president of the
Farmington_Farmington Hills Chamber of Commerce – placed one of his CDs
on eBay to raise money for the American Red Cross. While admittedly,
he is new at using the charity arm of eBay, he was able to raise
the percentage from 25 to 50 percent of the proceeds to go to the
American Red Cross. He will list more CDs on the Internet auction
site to raise more money for hurricane victims. Now, that’s creative!
[parts omitted]