TURK ‘GENOCIDE’ AUTHOR FACES JAIL
BBC
Thursday, 1 September 2005, 18:03 GMT 19:03 UK
Orhan Pamuk is accused of publicly denigrating Turkish identity One
of Turkey’s best-known novelists faces three years in jail for making
controversial comments on his country’s killing of Armenians and Kurds.
Orhan Pamuk has been charged with insulting Turkey’s national
character. He was quoted in a Swiss paper as saying that only he had
dared to say that Turkey killed 30,000 Kurds and a million Armenians.
Turkey accepts thousands of Armenians were killed by Ottoman Empire
forces in 1915-17, but strongly denies genocide.
The “30,000 Kurds” referred to by Mr Pamuk are those who have died
since 1984 in the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish separatists.
‘Public denigration’
Turkey – which is keen to improve its human rights record ahead of
European Union entry talks next month – is sensitive over both the
Armenian and Kurdish issues.
Mr Pamuk’s comments angered Turkish nationalists and politicians when
they were quoted in the magazine of Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger
in February.
A prosecutor in Istanbul has now indicted Mr Pamuk on charges the
remarks amounted to a “public denigration” of Turkish identity.
This is a crime under the newly country’s revised penal code,
criticised by freedom of speech advocates.
The author, whose works including My Name is Red and Snow have
been translated into 20 languages, is expected to stand trial on 16
December, his publisher Tugrul Pasaoglu said. “We have to wait for the
court. Then he [Mr Pamuk] will make his speech in the court,” he said.
The EU has said Turkey must meet European standards on freedom of
expression. The row over the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks between 1915 and 1917 has festered for decades.
Armenia alleges that the Ottoman Empire systematically arranged the
deportation and killing of 1.5 million Armenians.
Fifteen countries, including France, Switzerland, Russia and Argentina,
have classified the killings as genocide.
Turkey says up to 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
during civil strife in eastern Turkey during World War I, but rejects
the term “genocide”.

TURKISH AUTHOR FACES CRIMINAL CHARGES
United Press International
Sept 1 2005
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk faces three years in prison if convicted
on charges of “public denigrating of Turkish identity,” his publisher
says.
Pamuk, 53, was charged after a Swiss interview in which he said
discussing certain topics such as the 1915 Armenian massacre and the
war with the Kurds were off-limits in his country, the Washington
Post reported Thursday.
Because no one talks about such topics, “therefore, I do,” he was
quoted as telling the newspaper Tages-Anzeiger in February.
Tugrul Pasaoglu, Pamuk’s publisher and an editor at the Istanbul
publishing house Iletisim Yayinlari, said the acclaimed novelist
faces trial for “public denigrating of Turkish identity” Dec. 16.
Pamuk’s attorney told the Post, “There is nothing that constitutes
a crime in this interview.”
Pamuk’s books including “My Name Is Red,” have been translated into
more than 20 languages.

PROTEST AT TURKISH AUTHOR’S CHARGES
Virgin.net, UK
Sept 2 2005
A former minister has written to the president of the European
Commission in protest at charges brought against critically acclaimed
Turkish author Orhan Pamuk.
Denis MacShane described the news as a “sickening blow” and has
pledged to attend the trial in December.
Pamuk, whose works include Snow and Istanbul, has reportedly been
charged with insulting his nation after an interview in which he
referred to the controversial issue of deaths of Armenians during
and after the First World War and, more recently, of Kurds.
He could face up to three years in prison.
Dr MacShane, ex Europe Minister and Labour MP for Rotherham, said:
“It is a sickening blow to all pro-Turks in Britain and Europe and to
all who love the tradition of the European novel to hear the news that
the Turkish authorities seek to persecute this great European writer.”
Calling on Jose Manuel Barroso to lobby Turkey to drop the charges,
he added: “I will continue to support and argue for the right to
start EU membership talks.
“But if the authorities persist with this attack on a great European
writer then many of us who are strong supporters of Turkey will be
forced to change our minds.”
The issue of Turkish admittance to the European Union is due to be
discussed at today’s summit in Cardiff.
The UK supports Turkey joining and discussions on membership are due
to start in earnest next month.

MASSIVER DRUCK AUF ORHAN PAMUK
_ B87A0FE6AD1B68/Doc~EFAE65F9586E14E_
(http://www.f az.net/s/Rub1DA1FB848C1E44858CB87A0FE6AD1B68/Doc~E FAE65F9586E14E)
A3ADE8A30B116F49B6~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html
Tu rkei
Istanbuls Staatsanwalt klagt Orhan Pamuk an
Von Hubert Spiegel
31. August 2005 Orhan Pamuk hat keinen Hehl daraus gemacht, daÃ~_ seine
persönliche Lage in der turkischen Heimat in den letzten Jahren zunehmend schwierig
wurde.
Die Hetze nationalistischer Kreise gegen den international bekanntesten
Schriftsteller der Turkei nahm dabei zum Teil beängstigende Formen an. Pamuk, der
in diesem Jahr den Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels erhält, hat dies
nur angedeutet, als er im Gespräch mit dieser Zeitung vor wenigen Wochen
sagte: â~@~^Zu oft – und jedes Mal mit mehr Nachdruck – wurde mir nun schon gesagt,
ich solle auf meine Worte achtgeben, auf meine Bucher, meine Kommentare, meine
Interviews, auf jede Ã~DuÃ~_erung, die ich Journalisten oder Ausländern
gegenuber fallenlasse” (Orhan Pamuk im Interview). Jetzt ist der Druck auf den
Friedenspreisträger noch einmal massiv erhöht worden: Die turkische
Staatsanwaltschaft hat ein Verfahren gegen den Dichter eröffnet, das Pamuk mit einer
Haftstrafe von bis zu drei Jahren bedroht.
Dafur hassen Sie mich
Der Staatsanwalt des Istanbuler Bezirks Sisli beruft sich dabei auf Artikel
301/1 des turkischen Strafgesetzbuches, der die Herabsetzung oder
Beschädigung der â~@~^turkischen Identität” und des â~@~^Turkentums” als Straftat definiert
und Freiheitsstrafen zwischen sechs Monaten und drei Jahren dafur vorsieht.
Pamuk werden Ã~DuÃ~_erungen aus einem Interview zur Last gelegt, das im Februar
dieses Jahres im Magazin des Schweizer â~@~^Tages-Anzeigers” erschienen ist. Damals
hatte Pamuk kritisiert, daÃ~_ die Massaker an den Armeniern in der Turkei noch
immer tabuisiert sind: â~@~^Man hat hier dreiÃ~_igtausend Kurden und eine Million
Armenier umgebracht. Und fast niemand traut sich, das zu erwähnen. Also mache
ich es. Und dafur hassen sie mich.”
Wie der Generalstaatsanwalt aus der bloÃ~_en Erwähnung historisch weitgehend
verburgter Opferzahlen ein Verbrechen wider das Turkentum konstruieren will,
bleibt vorerst sein Geheimnis. Ebenso rätselhaft bleibt, warum ein Land, das
seine Aufnahme in die Europäische Union energisch betreibt, einen seiner
prominentesten kulturellen Botschafter mit Freiheitsentzug bedroht, weil er sagt,
was in jedem Geschichtsbuch auÃ~_erhalb der Turkei nachzulesen ist. Orhan Pamuk
befurwortet den EU-Beitritt seines Heimatlandes. Nun muÃ~_ ihn neben der
persönlichen Bedrohung besonders schmerzen, daÃ~_ ausgerechnet sein Fall die
Hoffnungen der Turkei erheblich schmälern könnte. Denn wer in Europa wird sich noch
fur die Aufnahme eines Landes aussprechen, das seine bedeutendsten Dichter
verfolgt, weil sie historische Wahrheiten aussprechen? Wie immer der ProzeÃ~_
ausgeht, er hat schon jetzt mehr daruber verraten, welches Verständnis der â~@~^
turkischen Identität” von Teilen der Justiz des Landes gepflegt wird, als dem
turkischen Volk lieb sein kann.
Ein typischer Gummiparagraph
Der Artikel 301/1 ist ein typischer Gummiparagraph, denn weder die â~@~^
turkische Identität” noch der Akt ihrer Herabsetzung sind darin näher definiert. So
ist beides vollkommen ins Ermessen der Justiz gestellt und sind der Willkur
Tur und Tor geöffnet. In jungster Zeit soll der Paragraph Intellektuellen
gegenuber bereits mehrfach aus der Mottenkiste der Repression gezogen worden sein,
ohne daÃ~_ es aber zu Verfahren gekommen wäre. Deshalb schien ein ProzeÃ~_ gegen
Pamuk zunächst wenig wahrscheinlich, als die deutsche Ausgabe der
weitverbreiteten turkischen Zeitung â~@~^Hurriyet” vor einigen Monaten meldete, daÃ~_ die
Staatsanwaltschaft in Istanbul die Möglichkeit eines Verfahrens gegen den
Schriftsteller prufe. â~@~^Hurriyet” gehört zu den turkischen Zeitungen, die Pamuk
als â~@~^Hund” oder â~@~^elende Kreatur” zu bezeichnen pflegen.
Entscheidend fur die Einschätzung des Vorgangs durfte jedoch nicht zuletzt
die Frage sein, wie die treibenden Kräfte hinter dem Verfahren beschaffen
sind. Als vor einigen Monaten ein Landrat in der turkischen Provinz die in
funfunddreiÃ~_ig Sprachen ubersetzten Bucher Pamuks aus den öffentlichen Bibliotheken
seines Machtbereiches verbannen und vernichten lassen wollte, wurde der
Vorfall hierzulande eher als Kuriosum verbucht. Denn zum einen riefen
ubergeordnete Instanzen den Mann zur Ordnung, zum anderen stellte sich heraus, daÃ~_ in
den Regalen der betroffenen Bibliotheken ohnehin kein einziges Werk Pamuks zu
finden war. Aber auch diese Farce hatte einen ernsten Kern, zeigte sie doch,
wie blindwutig jene vorgehen, die allein ihr Ressentiment zum Handeln treibt.
Unklare Motivlage
Noch läÃ~_t sich nicht erkennen, welche Motivlage diesmal das absurde Vorgehen
gegen Orhan Pamuk steuert. Handelt hier ein Bezirksstaatsanwalt auf eigene
Faust oder auf Anweisung? Duldet oder unterstutzt der Justizapparat dieses
Vorgehen? Man darf gespannt sein, ob und wie die turkische Regierung das
Verfahren gegen den Friedenspreisträger des Deutschen Buchhandels kommentiert. Als
der Deutsche Bundestag im vergangenen Juni die Massaker an den Armeniern vor
neunzig Jahren verurteilte und dabei ausdrucklich die deutsche Mitschuld
betonte, fand der turkische AuÃ~_enminister erstaunlich deutliche Worte: Der
Bundestag habe â~@~^verantwortungslos, besturzend und verletzend” gehandelt.
Orhan Pamuk selbst hat gegenuber dieser Zeitung erklärt, daÃ~_ er sich vorerst
nicht zu dem Verfahren äuÃ~_ern möchte, das am 16. Dezember in Istanbul gegen
ihn eröffnet werden soll. Aber im Gespräch ist ihm anzumerken, wie sehr ihn
dieser Schritt der Istanbuler Staatsanwaltschaft bedruckt. Es ist ein Schritt
in die falsche Richtung. Denn er fuhrt die Turkei weg von Europa.
–Boundary_(ID_8Mh8jxWJQmoeZmZbCwavqg)–

CYPRUS ARMENIAN MP, BEDROS KALAYDJIAN DIES
01/09/2005
Bedros Kalaydjian, the Representative of the Armenian minority in
the Cyprus parliament, died Thursday after a long illness.
Kalaydjian, who turned 71 a week ago, served in the House of
Representatives for two terms. He was first elected in the by-election
of October 22, 1995 and at the parliamentary elections of May 26,
1996 and May 27, 2001.
Through his parliamentary duties, he often support for Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh, while like all his predecessors often raised the
issue of Turkey’s denial of the 1915 Genocide. At home, Kalaydjian’s
main priorities were educational reform and improvement of the Nareg
elementary schools in Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol.
He played a decisive role in the ratification and adoption by Cyprus
in 2002 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,
one of the first European countries to do so. The Charter anticipated
the continuation of the Melkonian Educational Institute school in
Nicosia, which the AGBU Central Board in New York decided to close
citing financial reasons.
Kalaydjian fervently opposed the decision to close the school and sell
off the land, but was unable to persuade the organisation’s leadership
of the importance of maintaining the only Armenian secondary school
in the European Union, with its unique boarding facility attracting
students from around the world. He assisted in securing a preservation
order and declaring most of the school grounds a ‘national historic
site.’
He was a founding member of the Cyprus – Armenia Friendship Association
and convinced the Cyprus government to sponsor dance, orchestral and
art groups from Armenia to visit the island.
Kalaydjian supported government decisions to maintain Armenian
monuments, including the 19th century historic cemetery near
Paphos Gate that was recently destroyed but was expected to
be restored. However, he did not live to see his dream project
materialise, the establishment of a ‘monument of gratitude’ that is
expected to be built on the Larnaca seafront to mark the arrival of
Armenian refugees and survivors of the massacres in Turkey and the
subsequent welcome offered by the people of Cyprus.
For many years he was president of the Larnaca AGBU club, on the
board of the Armenian Church Committee, chairman of the board of the
American Academy in Larnaca and Limassol and president of the Larnaca
Rotary Club.
Bedros Kalaydjian studied Business Administration at Fallowfield
College, Manchester, and headed the family business that included a
group of trading, real estate and hotel companies. After his brother’s
death ten years ago, Bedros worked hard to extend and upgrade the
Kalaydjian Rest Home they had established in Nicosia for elderly
people, adding a new floor and chapel in recent years.
He was married to Lisa Jackson and is succeeded by his son, Dickran,
and daughter, Julia, and three grandchildren.
The funeral will take place at the Sourp Stepanos (St. Stephen’s)
Armenian Church in Larnaca on Saturday, September 3, at 4pm.

MINISTER VOWS TO FOIL PLANS TO BUILD NEW RAILWAY BYPASSING ARMENIA
Mediamax news agency
30 Aug 05
Yerevan, 30 August: “Georgia and Azerbaijan have no moral right to
invest in the construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway,”
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in Yerevan today.
The Armenian foreign minister substantiated official Yerevan’s position
on this project with the fact that “there is the Kars-Gyumri railway,
and we consider it pointless to invest limited international and
domestic financial resources in the construction of a new railway”.
Oskanyan recalled that the Kars-Gyumri railway “has not been operating
solely because of Turkey’s wrong policy”. “I would like to recall that
Armenia has expressed its readiness not to use the Kars-Gyumri railway
at the initial stage but use it only to transport goods between Turkey,
Georgia and Azerbaijan,” Oskanyan said.
The foreign minister said Armenia would oppose the construction of
the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway by substantiating its approach
to the project’s international donors, in particular, the European
Union and the USA. “We have already said that it is impossible to
threaten us with this and other regional projects,” Oskanyan said.
“Even if the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway is built, Armenia will
not disappear from the map. On the contrary, we shall continue our
progressive development,” the Armenian foreign minister said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARGENTINEAN FOREIGN MINISTER UPBEAT ABOUT DEVELOPING TIES WITH ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan news agency
31 Aug 05
Yerevan, 31 August: Argentinean Minister of Foreign Relations
[International Trade and Worship] Rafael Bielsa and Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan assessed the current level of
Armenian-Argentinean relations and summed up the outcome of the
Argentinean minister’s visit at a joint briefing at Yerevan’s Zvartnots
airport before leaving for Argentina today.
The two ministers highly rated relations between Argentina and
Armenia and expressed their confidence that cooperation would
expand successfully. Bielsa described his visit to Armenia as very
productive. He told reporters that the opening of the Argentinean
embassy in Yerevan is planned as part of boosting Armenian-Argentinean
cooperation. Moreover, a candidate for the post of ambassador has
been named.
Bielsa also expressed the hope for the successful completion of
the construction of a new terminal at Zvartnots airport, which, as
is known, is being financed by an Argentinean of Armenian origin,
Eduardo Ernikyan.
From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER BRIEFS PUTIN ON RECENT JOINT EXERCISES WITH CHINA
RTR Russia TV, Moscow
31 Aug 05
[Presenter] Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov reported to the president
today on the results of the exercises in August: Russia and CIS
countries taking part in air defence live firing in Astrakhan Region,
and the big Russian-Chinese manoeuvres. Both events concerned not
only practising cooperation between troops but also the possibility
of creating new systems of regional security.
[Correspondent] When the minister of defence told the president that
August was a hot month, he meant of course not the air temperature.
It is a long time since the ministry held this many exercises. The
president himself watched over the ships of the Northern Fleet and
Long-Range Aviation [aircraft] in the Barents Sea. Sergey Ivanov
assessed the manoeuvres in the Yellow Sea which involved 10,000 men
together with his Chinese counterpart. Pacific Fleet ships, marines
and aviation, air assault troops and even Tu-95 missile carriers were
our contribution to the Russian-Chinese exercise.
[Ivanov, shown in Putin’s office, captioned Bocharov Ruchey] The
difficulty was that both we and the Chinese had to plan the passes by
the aircraft very precisely, to the second, and direct all this. It
was all carried out successfully, and our troops learned some very
good skills, both in mobility and in using modern types and examples
of weapons and equipment.
[Putin] Are there any agreements with our Chinese partners on any
future measures [words inaudible] of a similar kind?
[Ivanov] We would like to plan [word indistinct] exercises of this
kind. It is possible that our partners in the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization [SCO] could be involved, because all these exercises
are taking place within the SCO framework.
[Correspondent] Ivanov said the results of the exercise were still
to be analyzed in detail, but the first results were definitely
positive. He gave roughly the same assessment to Combat Commonwealth
2005, a CIS air defence troops exercise at the Ashuluk range in
Astrakhan Region. Armenian, Tajik, Belarusian and Russian servicemen
carried out successful launches. This was the sixth such exercise,
but in some respects it was the first.
[Ivanov] For the first time we succeeded in setting up a joint
command post, not one for each nation, but joint. Which in fact is
the prototype for setting up a regional air defence system within
the framework of the CIS. It could be eastern European, if it is in
Belarus, or it could be Caucasian if it is in Armenia, or it could
be Central Asian, naturally with our partners in the Collective
Security Treaty.
[Correspondent] Of course, Russia is not entirely indifferent to
precisely who will be taking part in the next exercise. Tomorrow,
800 foreign citizens, mainly from the CIS, will become students at
Russian military higher education institutions. But Putin recalled
that under Russian legislation foreigners cannot be on military duty
or stand guard like Russian citizens.
[Ivanov] We have allowed it. I don’t think anything terrible will
happen.
[Putin] I don’t think so either, but we do have to observe the law,
so we will have to give this some thought and ask the [Duma] deputies.
[Correspondent] Ivanov promised that the autumn would also be hot for
the military. Russian soldiers are expected in September at an Uzbek
mountain [exercise] range, and in October in India. Ivanov emphasized
that the joint exercises are not directed against third countries,
because the principles of Russian geopolitics were stated long ago:
fighting international terrorism, and defence of Russia’s own borders
and interests.

KAZAKH LEADER SAYS SAPPER BATTALION TO STAY IN IRAQ
Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty
1 Sep 05
Astana, 1 September: Kazakhstan does not intend to pull out its sapper
battalion from Iraq, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has said.
“I have had to discuss repeatedly our foreign political priorities
lately. They will remain unchanged. We are using this approach indeed
to consider the continuation of our sapper battalion’s mission to
help the Iraqi people,” the president said in Astana today, opening
a regular parliament session.
“They (Kazakh peacekeepers) are there to save people’s lives though
the number of the international coalition members has been reduced
lately,” Nazarbayev said.
The Kazakh sapper battalion of 27 people has been in Iraq since August
2003 in rotation. They are mainly engaged in mine sweeping.
“In the same way, we deem it very important to be an active member of
the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization comprising Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan] and the SCO
[Shanghai Cooperation Organization including China, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan] while deepening cooperation
with our closest neighbours,” the president said.
“Kazakhstan remains an active supporter of wide international
cooperation aimed at nuclear proliferation, fighting international
terrorism, religious extremism and drug trafficking and other
present-day threats,” the president noted.
“Developing cooperation with Russia, China, the USA and the European
Union is a priority direction for us,” the president said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Mediamax news agency
1 Sep 05
Yerevan, 1 September: The Armenian National Assembly passed the draft
constitutional reform in its second reading today. The draft law will
be put up for a nationwide referendum in November this year.
A total of 97 MPs voted for the draft with no-one opposing it and
one MP abstaining, Mediamax has said.
The opposition factions, the Justice bloc and the National Unity Party,
left the assembly hall of the parliament yesterday and did not take
part in today’s voting.
The draft constitutional amendments were prepared by the ruling
coalition and agreed with the Council of Europe Venice Commission.
The main purpose of the reforms is to ensure the equality of all
branches of power.
The constitutional reforms were one of the key points of Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan’s election programme and one of Armenia’s
basic commitments to the Council of Europe.
The Armenian president’s representative on the constitutional
amendments, Armen Arutyunyan, said today that the role of the
parliament will increase in the country if the constitutional reforms
are adopted in the referendum. Specifically, the National Assembly
will play the main role in forming the parliament and appointing
the prosecutor-general, and the president will be able to personally
adopt a decision to dismiss the prime minister.