Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 6 2005
Opposition Party to Appeal to Georgian Secret Service
Baku Today / Assa Irada 06/08/2005 10:59
The opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) will appeal
to Georgia to achieve a transparent conduct of investigation into
the incident related to chairman of the Yeni Fikir (New Thought)
youth movement Ruslan Bashirli.
Bashirli has been arrested on charges of plotting with representatives
of the Armenian secret service to stage a coup in Azerbaijan.
PFPA chairman Ali Karimli told a news conference on Friday that his
party will make every effort to draw Georgian secret service bodies to
the investigation. “This may help the investigation to identify those
who are said to be employees of the Armenian secret service,” he said.
Karimli added that their goal is not to acquit Bashirli but to
‘ascertain the truth’.

US-British company to develop Azeri gold mines
Assa-Irada
6 Aug 05
Baku, 5 August: US RV Investment Group will tackle the development
of Azerbaijan’s gold fields shortly. The company will start drilling
the first exploration on the Ordubad gold field over the next four
to six weeks, its director, former British Energy Minister Gerald
Philips has said.
RV Investment has established a new company – the Azerbaijan
International Mining Operating Company – to operate Azerbaijan’s gold
deposits. The Ordubad field covers an area of 462 sq.km. The results
of geological and exploration work carried out during the Soviet
Union times will be used in the drilling operations, said Philips.
A factory will be built in the area after the drilling of the
well is completed. The field is to be put into operation in the
third quarter of 2007, with some 700 workers to be employed, the RV
Investment director said. A total of 50m dollars, to be invested in
the project in the first stage of the operations, will be drawn from
US and British international financial institutions. If considerable
copper reserves are discovered after the exploration well is drilled,
a copper plant will be built in the area as well, Philips said.
The Azerbaijani government earlier signed a contract with RV
Investment Group on tapping gold deposits. The 25-year agreement,
concluded earlier by the Azarqizil state company, abolished in 1997,
and RV Investment Group (with Azerbaijan holding 51 per cent of shares
and the US company 49 per cent), envisages developing nine fields
containing 400 tons of gold, 2,500 tons of silver and 1.5m tons of
copper. The fields are mainly located in the Kalbacar, Zangilan,
Daskasan and Ordubad western and southwestern regions. Three of the
deposits are located in Azerbaijani territories currently occupied
by the Armenian armed forces.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Academics Appeal on Behalf of Jailed Duke Student
Letter to Armenian president calls for release of
Yektan Turkyilmaz
Duke University (Durham, North Carolina)
News & Communications
Friday, August 05, 2005
Note to Editors: The following letter has been signed by more than
200 academics from the United States, Turkey, Armenia and elsewhere
in support of Duke student Yektan Turkyilmaz who is being detained
in Armenia on charges of taking books out of the country without
permission.
Robert Kocharian
His Excellency
President of the Republic of Armenia
Your Excellency,
We write to you today to express our grave concern about Yektan
Turkyilmaz and his pending trial in Armenia. Mr. Turkyilmaz is
a Ph.D. student at Duke University in the United States. He is
a Turkish citizen who was arrested on June 17, 2005, as he was
leaving Armenia. He has been held under high security conditions
at the National Security Service building in Yerevan ever since his
arrest. Last week, the request to release him on bail, accompanied
by personal guarantees of a member of the Armenian Parliament and
a prominent Armenian- American historian, was turned down. It now
appears that Mr. Turkyilmaz will stand trial on customs violation
charges under Article 215 Paragraph 2 of the Armenian Criminal Code,
which includes a prison sentence of 4 to 8 years.
Mr. President, we the undersigned care deeply about improvements
in Armenian-Turkish relations and consider the unimpeded work of
independent scholars to be a sine qua non of vital steps in the right
direction. The way that Mr. Turkyilmaz has been treated is setting
a negative precedent.
Yektan Turkyilmaz is fluent in six languages, including Armenian, and
has been the first Turkish scholar to work in the Armenian National
Archives. His dissertation research at a leading American university
is being supported by several prestigious awards. We understand that
he has been questioned about his research and theoretical orientations,
and the digital copies of his archival research have been confiscated.
There can be no justification for this treatment.
Furthermore, we understand that he is now being charged with attempting
to take old books out of Armenia without permission. We understand
that none of the books he had with him were absolutely prohibited from
being taken out of the country, but only required permissions. We are
convinced that Mr. Turkyilmaz did not know about this requirement at
the time and would have undoubtedly complied with this requirement as
he has demonstrated to be a serious scholar and a friend of Armenian
culture on many occasions. We recognize that laws have to be applied
consistently under rule of law. However, as the investigator in
charge of this case states, the current law places no obligation
on the sellers of old books to inform the purchasers that special
permissions will be needed to take the books out of the country, and
makes no distinction between violations involving nuclear weapons and
books. While it may be appropriate to impose a fine for the unknowing
violation of customs regulations, prison terms of 4 to 8 years are
grossly disproportionate and would send a deterrent signal to other
independent scholars.
The political implications of this arrest cause grave concern. Yektan
Turkyilmaz is one of a very few Turkish scholars who have critically
tackled the events of 1915 and other instances of political violence
in the first part of this century. Being the only researcher who
can understand Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian at the
same time (besides English and French), his research promises to add
new dimensions to the study of a very troubled historical period in
Anatolia and the South Caucasus. The fact that he was arrested soon
after he gained access as the first Turkish scholar to the Armenian
National Archives adds to these concerns. The fragile space of dialogue
that has recently been opened up between Turkish and Armenian scholars
is put to the risk of being greatly damaged by Turkyilmaz~Rs prolonged
detention. This arrest would also raise serious doubts as to whether
Armenia encourages independent scholarly research on its history.
Mr. President, we respectfully urge you to intervene to ensure that
this unfortunate state of affairs comes to a swift and amicable
end. We request the immediate release of Yektan Turkyilmaz and a
return of his digital research material so that he can continue his
scholarly activities.
Committee for Solidarity with Yektan Turkyilmaz
For more information, contact:
John F. Burness, Senior Vice President for Public
Affairs and Government Relations |
919-681-3788 | [email protected]

Lunchtimes never sounded so good
By Pat O’Kelly
Irish Independent
Aug 06, 2005
OVER the coming weeks the National Concert Hall presents Summer Sounds
at Lunchtime – a series of events in a variety of styles stemming
from classical, jazz and traditional roots.
Yesterday found the Hall’s organ custodian Peter Sweeney in the
company of trumpeter Eamonn Nolan for a programme of originals and
arrangements.
The latter had HA Fricker’s organ version of the Sibelius tone
poem ‘Finlandia’ seeming to growl and grind more than well-known
orchestral score but an account of the tenor aria from Bach’s ‘Wachet
auf Cantata’, in a trumpet/organ adaptation had Eamonn Nolan producing
velvety mellow tone.
In four marches by Telemann and the majestic ‘Prayer of St Gregory’
by Armenian/American Alan Hovhaness, Mr Nolan was resonantly bright
with accurate pitch against the occasional hesitancy of Peter Sweeney’s
accompaniment.
However, performing on his own Mr Sweeney excelled in the swirl of
Marcel Dupr’s ‘Op 7 Prelude and Fugue’ and encompassed the Finale
from Widor’s ‘6th Organ Symphony’ with the wild abandon necessary to
further its cause.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 6 2005
USA Hopes for Progress in Peace Talks
Baku Today / Assa Irada 06/08/2005 10:39
Washington hopes for progress in the Azerbaijan-Armenia talks on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, the US co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Steven Mann has said.
Mann said in his meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov in Washington that more progress should be achieved in
the talks.
“Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders are committed to a peaceful conflict
resolution and certain progress has been achieved in the negotiating
process,” the US diplomat said.

Turkey cancels Swiss minister’s visit
Milliyet website, Istanbul
6 Aug 05
Text of report entitled “Political note to Swiss minister: Do not
visit” by Turkish newspaper Milliyet website on 6 August
The Swiss embassy in Ankara has been officially informed that
Economy Minister Joseph Deiss’s visit to Turkey in September has been
cancelled because Labour Party leader Dogu Perincek was interrogated
in Switzerland for saying that the “Armenian genocide is a lie”.
The Swiss embassy was informed about the cancellation of Deiss’s
visit as Culture Minister Kursat Tuzmen’s guest through a political
note on 4 August. The note said Tuzmen would not be available.
According to the Swiss media organs, the Swiss Ministry of Economy
regretted Turkey’s decision. They quoted the ministry officials as
saying, “We shall be sorry if the interrogation is the real reason
for Turkey’s decision because there is separation of powers in
Switzerland.”

Acoustic guitarist performs genre-crossing music
By Elizabeth Ziegler – Journal Writer
Idaho State Journal, ID
Aug 6 2005
POCATELLO – Critics laud his music as soulful and emotive, placing
Michael Gulezian at the forefront of the acoustic guitar world,
where he is creating haunting melodies and crossing genres alongside
acoustic music innovators Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, John Fahey,
and Robbie Basho.
Gulezian will play in Pocatello tonight, at Pub & Duds Acoustic Cafe.
Local musician Kristi Austin said if you have never heard his music,
you’re in for a very pleasant surprise.
“Michael Gulezian continues to amaze fellow musicians as well as
audiences new to the art of solo acoustic guitar,” she said.
Although he may not be a household name yet, Gulezian is well on
his way. He recently performed on three nationally syndicated radio
shows, West Coast Live, Echoes and World Cafe. He tours extensively
throughout the United States and began recording more than 25 years
ago, producing five highly acclaimed albums along the way.
Austin describes Gulezian’s music as, “boundary-free,
horizon-expanding, genre-bending, transcendent, soulful, mind-opening,
exquisitely gorgeous instrumental solo acoustic guitar.”
With all those adjectives from a fan and fellow musician, it’s no
wonder Gulezian himself has a hard time summing up his sound into
one sentence.
“It is hard to describe,” Gulezian said, in a phone interview Friday.
“I am not a bluegrass artist, I am not a country artist or a folk
artist. I’m not really a jazz artist and I’m not classical. But it
all has elements of those types of music and it all comes out via
instrumental acoustic guitars. So it is a hybrid of a lot of different
types of music.
“There’s no band, it is just me, but I do incorporate a lot of rhythm
and it is very percussive. It is very extreme acoustic solo guitar
music that draws on a lot of influences.”
Gulezian said his influences range from the music of his
Armenian-American upbringing, to blues, jazz, bluegrass, classical,
world music and rock ‘n’ roll.
Music is universal, he said, and is a force that can unite people
from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Gulezian said he often looks out into his audiences and sees punks
sitting next to cowboys, hippies, senior citizens, young couples,
and everyone in between.
“Very early on, I recognized music’s universality, and how it brings
us together rather than separates us into different camps,” he said.
“We all are made of the same stuff. We all have hearts and souls. We
all have the same rhythm.”
If you go
– Who: Michael Gulezian.
– What: Acoustic solo guitarist.
– Where: Pub & Duds Acoustic Cafe.
– When: Today at 8:30 p.m.

Brodhead Makes Appeal for Duke Student Imprisoned in Armenia
Armenian president asked to intervene in case
Duke University (Durham, North Carolina)
News & Communications
Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Note to Editors: The following letter was written by Duke President
Richard H. Brodhead to the Armenian president expressing concern over
the arrest and detention of Duke student Yektan Turkyilmaz.
August 1, 2005
His Excellency Robert Kocharian
President
Republic of Armenia
Yerevan
Dear Mr. President:
I write as president of Duke University to seek your personal
intervention in the situation involving Yektan Turkyilmaz, a
Ph.D. candidate in Cultural Anthropology and a fellow of the John Hope
Franklin Institute at my university. Mr. Turkyilmaz was arrested on
June 17 by Armenian officials as he was leaving Yerevan Airport and has
been held under high security since then without formal charges being
filed. Mr. Turkyilmaz was arrested on a customs violation charge under
Article 215, paragraph 2 of the Armenian Criminal Code, for attempting
to take a number of books out of the country without receiving the
required permissions. There is ample evidence that Mr. Turkyilmaz was
unaware of the requirement to seek such permissions, and now faces
a potential prison sentence of 4-8 years if convicted at trial.
Mr. Turkyilmaz is a scholar of extraordinary promise. He is one
of a handful of Turkish scholars who have critically addressed the
events of 1915 and is the first Turkish scholar to be granted access
to your nation~Rs Historical Archive. His exceptional command of many
languages is, I am told, unique among scholars of this period and gives
him an equally unique opportunity, therefore, to help illuminate this
critical historical period.
It is my understanding that this is the first time this particular
article in the Armenian Criminal Code – which focuses principally
on issues associated with terrorism – has been applied to a person
carrying books. Mr. Turkyilmaz has said he was unaware of this
provision in the customs laws and would have sought appropriate
permission had he been aware of it. Since June 17, Mr. Turkyilmaz has
had only limited access to the outside world – only his lawyer and
one other scholar have been able to see him – and he has not been
permitted to use the telephone or to write or receive letters.
As the leader of a great country, you have the ability to intervene in
this matter and to determine the appropriateness of the actions of your
government and the Armenian prosecutors and police. You also have the
ability to release Mr. Turkyilmaz. With respect, I urge you to do so.
Sincerely,
Richard H. Brodhead
President,
Duke University
For more information, contact:
John F. Burness, Office of the Senior Vice President
for Public Affairs and Government Relations |
919-681-3788 | [email protected]

Armenian court sentences would-be assassin to suspended prison term
Arminfo
5 Aug 05
Yerevan, 5 August: Gagik Grigoryan, who was involved in the
assassination attempt on the life of high-ranking Armenian officials,
has been sentenced to five years in prison with a probation period
of two years.
This decision was made by Pargev Oganyan, judge of the court of first
instance of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork Marash communities. Under the
judge’s decision, Grigoryan was released in the courtroom.
It must be remembered that Grigoryan was charged under Articles 38, 35,
305 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. He was charged with complicity in
an assassination attempt on Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan,
[Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan, [Transport and Communications
Minister] Andranik Manukyan, [Minister for Territorial Administration]
Ovik Abramyan, businessman Gagik Tsarukyan and the chairman of the
Constitutional Court, Gagik Arutyunyan, which was planned by the
former Armenian Communications and Transport Minister Eduard Madatyan.
[Passage omitted: Other details of the assassination attempt and trial]

Sevan lawyer in early attack on report
By Mark Turner at the United Nations
Financial Times (London)
August 5, 2005
The lawyer for Benon Sevan, the United Nations official who formerly
headed Iraq’s oil-for-food programme, yesterday pre-empted a critical
report that will accuse his client of accepting kickbacks by claiming
its findings are biased and untrue.
Eric Lewis, Mr Sevan’s counsel, said yesterday the independent inquiry
committee (IIC) headed by Paul Volcker was incompetent, and that it
had been out to “scapegoat” his client “from the beginning”. He said
the Volcker committee, which is due to release its new findings on
Tuesday, had advised Mr Sevan it would allege that he “took money
from a contractor that bought oil from Iraq under the programme”.
It would also state that Mr Sevan did not co-operate with the
investigation. But Mr Lewis said the committee had “only provided
vague categories of information supposedly underlying its charge,
such as financial documents”.
“How does one respond to the alleged evidence when it is not
provided?” he asked. “The fact is, the committee’s allegations
are baseless. Mr Sevan never took a penny, as he has said from the
beginning.”
The committee declined to respond to the attack, merely stating:
“Everything will be addressed on Tuesday.” It isexpected to present
two further reports on the scandal-plagued programme before wrapping
up its work.
Mr Lewis said: “The IIC accuses Mr Sevan of taking money, when he fully
and voluntarily disclosed cash gifts that he received, from the elderly
aunt who raised him, on his UN financial disclosure forms. Now the IIC
contends that these gifts were really kickbacks paid by a contractor
in concert with a friend. There is no basis for this false allegation.”
Mr Lewis claimed it was “undisputed” that the contract was begun before
Mr Sevan even met the contractor. He also said it was “not credible
to argue that Mr Sevan .. would jeopardise his career for $160,000;
trust a. person he had never met to carry out the scheme; and report
the proceeds on his UN financial disclosure forms. It never happened”.
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