COUNCIL ALDERMEN OF INTELECTUALS’ FORUM CALLS TO BOYCOTT REFERENDUM OF
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The Council of Aldermen of the
Intelecturals’ Forum calls on the citizens of the republic to boycott
the referendum on the constitutional reforms to be held in November.
This is said in the August 25 address of the organization. According
to authors of the document, the authorities’ stating the constitutional
reforms as of most importance follows one main goal: to make
legitimate the power not elected and formed by the people. “By this
regular simple and shameless step of disorientating the society, the
authorities want to give a legal and countinuable character to
shameful crimes committed and to be committed by them,” the address
reads. The Council of Aldermen of the Intelectuals’ Forum finds that
if parties participate in discussions of the Constitutional reforms,
and the people participates in the referendum, even with an intention
to say “No,” it will be considered as recognition of the authorities’
legitimacy by the people. According to the Council of Aldermen’s
estimation, it will be an inadmissible mistake “with all negative
consequences coming out of it.” According to the authors of the
address, particularly, if the authorities make decision not beneficial
for Armenia concerning the Artakh problem, “they may quote that they
are those elected by the people and fulfil the people’s will, in the
case, when the 2003 president’s and parliamentary elections were
widely falsified, the power was taken, and nobody has been punished
for that hard crime by now.”

DRAFT ARMENIAN PROPOSALS SUBMITTED TO MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES
CORPORATION ARE REALISTIC
YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, NOYAN TAPAN. At the August 25 meeting between RA
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and the delegation of the Foreign
Relations Commission of the US Congress, issues related to Armenia’s
participation in the Millennium Challenges Program were
discussed. According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department,
V. Oskanian presented the work done by Armenia within the framework of
the program, as well as the main elements of the Armenian proposals
submitted to the Corporation. The representatives of the US Congress
Commission noted that Armenia’s draft proposals have been developed in
detail and are realistic. They expressed hope that the Corporation
Council will approve them. During the meeting, the sides stated their
satisfaction at the current level of the Armenian-US relations. They
were unanimous in the opinion that bilateral contacts should be
promoted in all spheres of the relations between the two countries.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OF A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS PRESENTED TO MILLENNIUM
CHALLENGES FUND’S DIRECTOR ON ARMENIAN ISSUES
YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The Millennium Challenges Fund’s
Director on Armenian Issues Alex Rusin and the delegation of the
Foreign Relations Commission of the US House of Representatives were
received on August 25 by the RA Minister of Territorial Administration
Hovik Abrahamian. Issues related to the process of the activities
carried out with the Millennium Challenges Fund were discussed, as
well as Armenia’s bid was presented. According to the RA Government
Information and PR Department, H. Abrahamian told the guests about the
implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategical Program,
particularly, presented the programs implemented jointly with the
World Bank.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Department of Armenian Studies, Haigazian University
Beirut, Lebanon
Contact: Ara Sanjian
Tel: 961-1-353011
Email: [email protected]
Web:
HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ARMENIAN STUDIES
under the auspices of the Lebanese Minister of Culture
H.E. Dr. Tarek Mitri
invites you to the Opening Session of the Conference
THE ARMENIANS OF LEBANON: PAST AND PRESENT
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Aida Boudjikanian
(Montreal, Canada)
‘The Armenians and Lebanon: Changing Perceptions and Functions
(14th-20th cc.)’
[in English]
Monday, 12 September 2005, 7:00 p.m.
Haigazian University Auditorium, Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
N.B. Please accept this message as a personal invitation.
Haigazian University is a liberal arts institution of higher learning,
established in Beirut in 1955. For more information about its activities
you are welcome to visit its web-site at <;. For additional information on the activities of its Department of Armenian Studies, contact Ara Sanjian at
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MODERN SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE OF PENSION SPHERE TO BE CREATED IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, NOYAN TAPAN. About 2 mln dollars of the World Bank
credit program “In Improvement of Governance of Social Protection
Sphere” with the total budget of 5.71 mln US dollars will be allocated
to creation of a modern system of governance of the pension system in
Armenia. As Vazgen Khachikian, the Chairman of the RA Social Insurance
State Fund informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, an information
system of governance is envisaged to be created with the framework of
the credit program. Besides, the fund offices will be technically
equipted, the main working processes concerning the governance of the
central register (customers’ personal data base) will improved. The
program is envisaged to finish in 2007.

CHAMPION OF FIRST ALL-ARMENIAN BESKETBALL TOURNAMENT TO BECOME KNOWN ON
AUGUST 26
YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the time-table of the
first All-Armenian Basketball Tournament, the women teams held the 1/2
final and men teams the 1/4 final meetings on August 25. Basketball
players from Yerevan and Tehran contending for the 1st-4th places in
the women competitions won their rivals with great advantages. The
sportswomen from Yerevan won those from Gyumri with the score of
107-69, and those from Tehran won those from Tbilisi with score of
86-34. The Yerevan and Tehran teams will contend for the title of
champion, and the Gyumri and Tbilisi basketball players will compete
for the 3rd place on August 26. The 1/4 final meetings of the men
teams were held in a more persistent struggle. The following results
were fixed during them: Glendaile-Marseilles: 70-56, Vally-Gyumri:
105-63, Yerevan-Sochi: 71-50, Tbilisi-Tehran: 105-52. To recap, RA
President Robert Kocharian was present at the last
game. Glendaile-Valley and Yerevan-Tbilisi meetings of the 1/2 final
take place on August 26. Winners of these pairs will contend for the
title of champion at the August 27 final meeting.

AZG Armenian Daily #152, 27/08/2005
Neighbors
POSTPONED ‘OTTOMAN ARMENIANS AT DECLINE OF THE EMPIRE’ WORKSHOP TO BE HELD
IN SEPTEMBER
Abdullah Gul Accepted the Invitation of Preparatory Committee
On September 23-25, Bosphorus University of Istanbul will hold the “Ottoman
Armenians at Decline of the Empire. Scientific Responsibility and Issues of
Democracy” workshop that was postponed 4 months ago owing to fierce
opposition in Turkey. The Preparatory Committee announced about the workshop
on August 21, and Turkish central newspapers caught it up.
The postponed workshop, that was to take place on May 25-27, was initiated
by Sabanj, Bilgi and Bosphorus universities of Turkey and had in its
Preparatory Committee such scholars as Murad Belge, Halil Berktay, Selim
Deringil, Ethem Eldem, Zaglar Keyder, Haqan Erdem, Aksin Somel and Jalil
Kocak who reject Turkish denialist stance on Armenian Genocide issue and
define the events of 1915 as genocide.
As participants of discussions the Preparatory Committee invited Taner Akcam
and Fatma Myuge Gyocek and other Turkish scientists from Yale, Harvard,
Michigan and Minnesota universities as well as Turkish-Armenian editor of
Akos newspaper, Hrant Dink, and Zaman newspaper columnist, Etienne
Mahtchupian.
A day before the workshop was to start, two oppositional deputies of
Turkey’s parliament condemned the organization of the workshop with
participation of “pro-Armenian” Turkish scholars. The fact that it was to
take place at the state-fund Bosphorus University made the matter even
worse. Justice minister of Turkey, Jemil Cicek, labeled the initiative a
“manifestation of irresponsibility” and stated that it is a “stab at Turkish
people’s back”.
After the minister’s statements the Bosphorus University could do nothing
but inform Turkish public of its decision to postpone the conference. But
the postponement could not curb speculations that raged over the workshop in
Turkey. Not to give room for the West to accuse Turkey of crackdown on
freedom of speech, chairman of the Turkish parliament, Byulent Arinc,
declared, “Dissent should not be impeded in the country. It was certainly
permissible to hold the conference within the frames of freedom of speech”.
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined him. Reminding that the
workshop was the initiative of the country’s higher educational
establishments and scientists, Erdogan said it was meaningless to prescribe
the postponement to justice minister’s speech and added, “Let everyone
speak. We’ll learn at least what they think”.
It’s noteworthy that those circles that most fiercely responded to the
initiative of the workshop, displayed the same opposition to the Preparatory
Committee’s announcement about the September 23-25 conference.
The Union of Civil Society Organizations of Turkey appeared to be the most
aggressive one as it expressed resolution to make the organizers put off the
workshop once again, Terjuman paper informed August 23. A member of the
Union, Ramazan Kerek, threatened to spare no efforts to do that and added,
“No one living in this country can betray Turkey.” Meanwhile, justice
minister Cicek gave an elusive answer to Milliyet newspaper saying, “They
did not ask me while organizing the workshop nor did while postponing it.
We’ll see what they think at the conference”.
Those siding with the workshop answered the question of Hurriyet paper.
Hrant Dink greeted the Preparatory Committee’s decision to held the
workshop, called for the Turkish government political circles to contribute
to its holding and pointed out to the interested world community, saying
another postponement will damage Turkey’s reputation. Etienne Mahtchupian
also welcomed the revival of the conference and a columnist of
pro-government Yeni Safak, Ali Bayramoglu, added, “It is a profoundly
positive and not less important workshop. Fierce opposition within the
Turkish society of this unrealized workshop speaks well for holding it”.
Bayramoglu thinks that the workshop was politicized but it does not mean
further politicizing will occur once launched. The latter informed Hurriyet
about their invitation to take part in the conference. If their agreement
was predictable, foreign minister Abdullah Gul’s readiness to take part in
the conference came as a surprise. Yeni Safak paper thinks that Gul’s
participation will mark the beginning of the process of reconciliation with
history and will help acknowledge the fact of the Armenian Issue in Turkey.
By Hakob Chakrian

PERSONAL EXHIBITION OF ARTOUR OSHAKANTSI OPENS IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Artour Oshakantsi, painter, the
founder of abstractional naturalism represented more than thirty
canvases at the personal exhibition opened on August 26 in the
Armenian Union of the cultural ties with abroad. Works, dedicated to
the Armenian Genocide, Armenian Cause, as well as to Nature and human
relations, occupied a special place in the exhibition. Artour
Oshakantsi was born in 1953 in the village of Oshakan, now in the
Aragatsotn marz of Armenia. In the Soviet times, the painter was one
of the first artists who, with the help of abstractionism, tried to
express his political agression. “I use abstract art as a means of
expressing my political views and protest”, says the painter, who has
been living in London since 1992. According to the painter Arayik
Smbatian, Oshakantsi’s works are very unique.
“Having lived for a long time in London, he did not lose his national
identity in art, moreover, he created a tendency that has its
influence on foreign painters as well”, says Mr. Smbatian. Oshakantsi’s
works have been exhibited in different European countries and in the
United States. At present, many of the painter’s works are kept in
private collections. Another personal exhibition of Oshakantsi will be
held in September, in the Queen’s Hall of Justice in London, where
more than 60 works, created during the last years, will be exhibited.

AZG Armenian Daily #152, 27/08/2005
Neighbors
SURP KHACH CHURCH OF AKHTAMAR BEING RECONSTRUCTED
While Half a Century Ago it Was Under Threat of Elimination
Surp Khach Armenian church on Akhtamar Island in eastern Turkey, which is
presently undergoing reconstruction on $1.5 million from Turkish government,
was under the threat of being destroyed half a century ago, Turkish Vatan
newspaper informed on August 25. “Eminent writer Yasar Kemal saved the
Armenian church of Akhtamar at the last moment. Thanks to the Lord, our
historic consciousness has ripened during 50 years. The same church is now
being reconstructed by the administration of Van province”.
The publication in Vatan being incredibly interesting, we think it’s worth
to present it wholly. Here is what the paper writes: “It was June 25 of
1951. This was the day that the church of Akhtamar was spared destruction.
Who are the savers? They were Ilyas Kitapci, one of wise men of Van, who
spearheaded military surgeon, captain Javit Bey, world famous writer Yasar
Kemal and editor-in-chief of Jumhuriet paper, Nadir Nadi. Journalist Azer
Bortajina presents this breathtaking story of salvation in his book “Eastern
Anatolia: the Legend of Fertile Lands” citing the words of Yasar Kemal, ‘I
embarked on a ship from Dadivan heading for Van. I got acquainted with an
officer aboard the ship. He was a captain and he told me: ‘It’s good I met
you. There is an Armenian church here on Akhtamar Island. The building is a
masterpiece. It’s being destroyed now. I want to take you there tomorrow.
The church, being a work of art, belongs to these lands, no matter who built
it. Can you help me and my country in this issue?”
‘Following the words of the captain, I went to Akhtamar. Though the church
was still untouched, the belfry beside was in ruins. The captain ordered
workers: ‘Don’t touch the church till I am back. I am going to the
governor’. The workers replied: ‘As you like’. We returned to Van. Finding
correspondent Jumhuriet, Ilyas Kitapci, we called the editor’s office. A few
hours later Nadir Bey was standing was standing before me. I explained him
the situation. Nadir Bey said: ‘Avni Bey will settle this issue. I know him
well. He is an intelligent person. Avni Basman was education minister at the
time. Two days later Ilyas and Javit Bey came to the hotel. Their faces were
shining with delight. Avni Basman telegraphed the governor to suspend
destruction of the church. June 25 of 1951 is the day of salvation of the
church of Akhtamar'”.
A conclusion on the salvation day ends the extract from Yasar Kemal and the
correspondent of Vatan poses a question to governor of Van, Mehmed Niyaz
Tameler, concerning the reconstruction works of Surp Khach who answers, “In
the years when these events occurred and which are described by Yasar Kemal,
our country, unfortunately, did not have the consciousness of preserving
historic and cultural monuments. We have completely different approach
today. Our government impartially cares for all monuments of spiritual and
cultural value, be it a church or a mosque. We have assigned 2 trillion
Turkish lire for reconstruction of Armenian church of Akhtamar. We bring the
stones from that very mine that was opened up especially for the
construction of the church one thousand years ago. We have invited
specialists from Italy. Many tourists are visiting Van in the recent years.
But there are no Armenians among them whereas we want them to come and see
the birthplace of their fathers and native land. Our doors are open before
everyone”.
By Hakob Chakrian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN YOUNG WEIGHTLIFERS PERFORM SUCCESSFULLY IN EUROPEAN
CHAMPIONSHIP
SOFIA, 26 AUGUST, NOYAN TAPAN: In Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, the
representatives of Armenia successfully performed at the European
Youth championship of weightlifting. Tigran Martirosian, in 69kg
weight category, won the first place and became European champion. In
the jerk exercise he showed 140kg, in clean and jerk – 167,5kg, and in
clean and jerk combination – 307,5kg result.
During the competitions Tigran made 6 European youth records. He won a
big gold medal designed for a winner. Besides, T.Martirosian was
handed over the gold sign of the European Weighlifting Federation. In
the same 69kg weight category Aram Andrikian won the 3rd place having
the bronze medal. Among the Armenian weightlifters Davit Muradian
(56kg weight category) won the 2nd place, and Ruben Mamoyan (50kg) won
the 3rd place. They were awarded respectively silver and bronze
medals. On August 26, the last day of the championship, 2 more
representaives of Armenia will perform in 77kg and 85kg weight
categories. In Sofia the girls of Armenia also distinguished with
their performances. Meline Galstian won the first place in 58kg weight
category and got awarded the gold medal of European champion. Anna
Govelian was recognized as the third winner in 46kg weight category
and got awarded a bronze medal.