Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Dec 10 2004

Turks and Americans: America-phobia on the Rise in Turkish Capital

As the freezing winter days arrive, here in the capital Ankara,
relations are getting even colder. After `the Fellujah disaster’,
things will not be the same again, at least for some Turks.

For years America was the friendly face of `the Anglo-Saxon
Imperialism’ compared to Britain. Most of the Turkish people stick to
their primary education history books which tell stories about the
Atatürk fighting against the British in Gallipoli, Greeks in Izmir
and French in the South. Oh, of course don’t forget the Russians in
the East. After all this `historic brain washing’, most of the
Turkish people seem reluctant to use praising words for the British,
Greeks and French. But Americans were different.

When Ocalan, leader of the PKK, was backed by Italy, the streets of
Istanbul soared with protests against Italy. In the case of French,
it was boycotting the French products when the French Parliement
accepted a bill based on Armenian allegations. But Americans never
had a taste of this crowded protest.

Nowadays, there is an ongoing and silent protest against `American’
brand.

Anything American?

No thanks, remember Fellujah!!!.

This time it is different, silent, growing.

In Ankara there are two kind of people, one in Ulus (the old city)
and the second group of people in Kizilay (modern face of Turkey).
Ulus is a historic place with a citadel that can be seen from
everywhere and lots of religious monuments. Not only Muslims but also
Romans chooses the old city for building religious temples. There are
remains of ancient Roman Temple just meters away from Haji Bektash
Veliy Mosque. All this sums up to the lifestyle of the people of
Ulus, they are more conservative, more religious in some sense more
articulate.
Contrast to this, Kizilay hosts more secular, modern and `stateside’
people. For `Kizilarians’ this entire Fellujah thing is a `some kind’
of war in `somewhere far away’. Maybe this is the result of the media
filtering of some events, maybe Iraq is really somewhere far away.
But in Ulus things are a bit different, with a taste for protest.

When it comes to protesting, world has seen Americans protesting
French Buggets, Arabs burning Turkish biscuits and Chinese hackers
attacking American sites. Don’t end the list there, because there is
a recent protest from Turkish Barbers. In Ulus some barbers are
refusing to cut one of the popular hair cut styles in Turkey:
`American style’! American style is mostly popular among young
people. The recipe is quite simple `Sides short, top medium and back
curved’ or something like that. The name American is claimed to be
used after Turkish soldiers learned this hair cut style from their
American colleagues in Korea during the Korean War. As a result, this
hair style marks the years of the Korean War where Turks and
Americans fight together against `Evil’. The protest seems to tell
something more than a bunch of hair.

The barbers said the events in Fellujah and attack to the Muslim holy
sites made them feel impossible to ignore the events. One of the
barbers claim: `What you expect us to do? This is our way of earning
money and this is our way of protesting’. Whether or not this protest
will result with anything, they just want to protest. Even some of
them has posters attached to their front doors: `American style will
not be cut in this shop’. So you can not just enter one of those
shops and tell them to cut your hair `American style’. Although their
protest is quite peaceful, their aim may damage Turkish – American
relations `streetwise’. This peaceful protest started to dominate the
Ulus and areas nearby. The old city bazaar in the Ankara Citadel is
also peacefully rejecting American customers. Americans were so used
to this bazaar, even Ambassador of America Mr. Edelman’s relatives
claimed to do their shopping in this bazaar. Last week there were
rumors about Mr. Edelman’s discomfort about this event, he asked
Abdullah Gul (Turkish Foreign Minister) to help. The shop-keepers in
the bazaar says `We don’t want their dirty money. It smells blood’.

These are hard words to swallow for Americans. But maybe there are
people out there to understand these protests.

Americans just seem like `eyes wide shut’ and ears filled with
plaster. Even their long time Muslim friends can’t stand this. The
silent protests are just growing in the suburbs, may be Kizilay
doesn’t give a damn about it. But the people in Ulus, fought with
Americans against Korean, not the people of Kizilay. And the historic
roots of friendship and cooperation seem to shatter down from the
streets. This may lead to an unhappy relationship between Americans
and Turks that could harm both parties.

All this Fellujah and Iraq event reminds us a wise word: `Friend
shall speak truth even if it can bitter you’. The man on the street
is starting to speak bitter, but the other guy just dismisses.

Until when?

Baris SANLI, Anlyst at USAK/ISRO

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Dec 10 2004

Belgian FM De Gucht: `We Understand Turkey on Armenian Issue’

Karel De Gucht, Belgian Foreign Minister, said that they understand
Turkey’s policies on Armenian `genocide’ allegation. De Gucht added
`a politician should look at the future not past. This issue is very
sensitive’.

De Gucht gave a speech in Belgium Senate. According to the Minister
no one can ignore Armenia’s aggressive and provocative attitude in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Karel De Gucht further argued that Turkey’s cost to the EU will be
very limited. When asked whether Turkey is in Europe or not, De Gucht
added the concept of `Europe’ should be defined on political terms
instead of geographical terms.

Source: Milliyet

Donga, South Korea
Dec 10 2004

Countries Carefully Weighing Troop Withdrawal after the Iraqi General
Elections

DECEMBER 10, 2004 22:25
by Ho-Gab Lee Hun-Joo Cho ([email protected] [email protected])

There was a time when a total of 35 countries had their troops in
Iraq after the Iraq war started in March 2003. Yet, more and more
countries are now busy withdrawing or reducing their troops.

As of December 10, the number of countries with troops in Iraq has
been reduced to 28, excluding the U.S.

Seven countries withdrew their troops this year, and three other
countries are planning to do so by May of next year. The main reason
is the ever-worsening security situation in Iraq.

Domino Effect of Withdrawal and Reduction of Troops-

As of February 2004, a total of 35 nations had dispatched troops to
Iraq at the request of the U.S. However, currently there are 158,900
troops from 28 countries stationed in Iraq. Excluding U.S. troops,
the number of troops stands at a mere 3,900.

Starting with troop withdrawal by Nicaragua in February, seven
countries have pulled their troops entirely out of Iraq including
Spain (early April), the Dominican Republic (early May), Honduras
(late May), the Philippines (July), Thailand (late August), and New
Zealand (late September). Spain pulled their troops out as their
government changed, mainly due to the shock caused by the tragic
Madrid bombing. Other countries decided to withdraw troops because
domestic public opinion became increasingly hostile toward the
dispatch of troops, as there is little sign of improvement in the
Iraqi security situation.

In addition, Hungary is planning to pull out troops by late December.
Poland and the Netherlands are scheduled to do so by January and
March of next year, respectively.

An increasing number of countries are planning to reduce their troop
size, if not complete withdrawal.

Four countries, Ukraine (200 troops), Moldova (12 troops), Norway
(150 troops) and Bulgaria (50 troops), have already reduced their
troop size. Poland has decided to cut some of their troops next year.

It is highly likely that some of the countries which still have their
troops on Iraqi soil will announce troop withdrawal or reduction if
the Iraqi general elections scheduled for January 30, 2005 are
successfully carried out.

Meanwhile, there are countries planning to dispatch or increase their
troops in Iraq. Armenia and Fiji announced their decision to send
troops. Georgia, Romania, and Albania have all promised to send
additional troops. However, the countries are not likely to deliver
the promise anytime soon, as they attached a condition that their
troops should be under the flag of the United Nations.

The Japanese Public is against Prolonged Troops Dispatch-

After the Japanese government decided to prolong the stay of
Self-Defense Forces (SDF) by one year on December 9, the Asahi
newspaper strongly blamed the Japanese government in an editorial it
ran the next day.

The paper strongly accused the government’s decision, saying, `More
than 60 percent of the public is against the prolonged troop
deployment. The cause of the Iraq war has been denied as many
countries are pulling out or reducing their troops.’

The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, Katsuya Okada,
has said that he would urge the Japanese again to pull out the SDF
from Iraq in the plenary session of parliament next year.

As the SDF is not allowed to engage in battle, according to the
Japanese constitution, the Dutch troops have undertaken patrol
operations. The problem is that the Dutch troops will leave Iraq in
March of next year. It is expected that argument for troop pullout in
Japan would gain steam again after March, especially if Japanese
casualties occur by attacks from Iraqi insurgents.

A1 Plus | 21:46:26 | 10-12-2004 | Social |

PRIZES FOR HIGHLIGHTING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Authors of the best environmental articles were awarded prizes on Friday
at the contest announced by OSCE Yerevan office and Orhus center.{BR}

40 TV and printed profiles were presented.

Concrete Civilization Edik Baghdasryan’s film and Professionalism Cut in
Forest Susanna Shahnazaryan’s article were found the best.

A special prize was given to Hrachya Papinyan for his film highlighting
problems related to water and forests pollution.

The majority of contenders are from Armenia’s regions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hampstead Express, UK
Dec 10 2004

East End girl
[email protected]

JUST in case any hardened journalists get too emotional after the
advance screening of Michelle Collins’ new drama, Can’t Buy Me Love,
the ITV press office has kindly left a box of tissues for us to wipe
our eyes.

The programme does have a feel-good factor and it’s likely some
viewers will emerge misty-eyed after 90 minutes. Collins is
convincing as Donna, the long-suffering wife who throws out her
decorator husband Alan (Martin Kemp) after having enough of his lies
and financial ineptitude.

She’s left penniless as the family find themselves in a no-win
situation when the bailiffs come knocking on the door. She is then
tricked into taking Alan back after he tells her he’s won £9million
pounds on the lottery. She swaps their council flat and threadbare
existence for a house in the country and a life she and her daughter
could only dream about. But it’s another of his lies and she has been
duped.

It’s a romantic drama with comic overtones, especially when the
friends and relatives the family never knew they had queue up asking
for money.

The drama was inspired by a newspaper article about a northern
decorator who in real life served time in prison for the crime. Also
it’s topical, considering the lottery has just celebrated its tenth
anniversary.

Collins, 41, arrives for our meeting in the ITV Centre on The
Southbank wearing a long black leather coat, black boots and a stripy
red and blue dress. Considering she’s just flown in from New York a
day after being presented with an Emmy award for Channel 4’s
children’s programme The Illustrated Mum, she looks relaxed and
laid-back.

Although she and co-star Kemp were both in EastEnders, they missed
each other by a few months. She left in 1998 after playing Cindy for
11 years and he joined the cast at the end of that year.

“I’ve never worked with Martin before but we knew each other
socially,” she says. “When I read the script and saw Martin had the
role as my husband I thought, ‘Oh, EastEnders; it will be fine.’ And
Martin was perfect. We didn’t talk about EastEnders – it was an
unspoken thing.”

Someone she did know and who was pivotal to her accepting the part
was Can’t Buy Me Love writer Tony Jordan. She knew him as the writer
of some of her most dramatic scenes in EastEnders.

She says: “Most of my big stuff as Cindy was written for me by either
Tony Jordan or Tony McHale. When I saw it was one of Tony Jordan’s
scripts I knew it would be good. I was in EastEnders for a long time
and, although he wasn’t always around, they’d always call him in if I
was about to have a big storyline.

“Before I accept a part I always look at who the writer is.”

Collins describes Donna as “a resilient, dignified and ordinary woman
who loves her husband and daughter”. Collins has a slight connection
with the lottery in that she used to promote it with Neil Morrissey
and release the lottery balls on the Saturday night BBC show.

“It’s about the lottery but it’s also a good, old-fashioned charming
love story, so that’s what came across to me when I read it,” she
says. “They’ve been together so long that they’re intertwined. I
don’t think they could imagine life without each other, and Donna –
who is less flawed than most characters I play – relies on Alan for
so much that they couldn’t be apart for that long anyway.”

Collins admits she and Donna are totally different: “I’ve seen the
side of life that Donna’s never had, but I don’t mean that in a
patronising sort of way,” she says. “I’m much more independent and I
have a career.”

Since leaving Albert Square six years ago, Collins has remained a
staple of the television schedules. Whether as the soccer player’s
wife who turns to crime in Daylight Robbery, the serial bigamist in
Perfect or the mother battling to keep her daughter in Ella and the
Mothers. With another of her BBC series, 2,000 Acres of Sky playing
on NBC, Collins has an open mind about working in America.

She says: “They do have great television over there and if I could
get some work in America that would be fantastic, but at the same
time I would still like to do good work over here. There are a lot of
British actors out there and some do well while others don’t.

“It’s very early days so we’ll have to wait and see.”

She stresses there are no plans to move to America – and adds how
much she loves Britain, in particular Muswell Hill where she lives
with Maia, her eight-year-old daughter, who can chalk up Can’t Buy Me
Love as yet another TV appearance with her mother.

Collins is fond of the area because “it’s very family orientated”.
She likes the shops like the Giraffe Café in The Broadway and Banners
in Crouch End.

She says: “Even when I lived in Islington, I always loved Muswell
Hill; it’s so nice and relaxed. You can be very anonymous there and
it’s a popular place for actors to live. You just run into them in
the street, like I bumped into Mackenzie Crook and his baby the other
day.”

She was born in Hackney and after youth theatre at 14 studied drama
at Kingsway Princeton College. Her early years in the business
involved appearing with the band Squeeze in their video of Up the
Junction. Later she toured as a backing singer for Mari Wilson and
the Wilsations who accompanied groups such as Level 42, Marc Almond
and Altered Images.

Her debut on television was in 1984 with Gary Oldman in the powerful
BBC drama Morgan’s Boy about a troubled young boy who goes to live
with his uncle in Wales. Bergerac, two series of the BBC comedy
Running Wild and then roles in films including Personal Services,
starring Julie Walters, and Hidden City, directed by Stephen
Poliakoff, followed.

The year that spun her professional life around was in 1988 when
EastEnders executive producer Julia Smith asked to play a new
character called Cindy Beale. The booking was only for a handful of
episodes, which turned into 11 years of her acting life.

Of the programme’s current problems she says: “I think EastEnders
will bounce back because all soaps have blips. It’s so typical of
this country that we love things when they’re successful and when
they’re not we go in there dismissing them.”

After EastEnders there was more television work and this year she
co-starred with Ballykissangel actor Stephen Tomkinson in the West
End play Rattle of a Simple Man, playing a prostitute with a hidden
past who strikes up a friendship with a client.

Although Collins can’t confirm what we’ll see her in next, she is
hoping to return to Armenia where she’s visited before as an Oxfam
ambassador.

“I went to Armenia this year just before I did Can’t Buy Me Love and
it’s possible I’ll do some more work for them early next year,” she
says. “I’d like to go back to Armenia because I want to find out how
those projects I saw, to do with education and health, are
progressing. I’ve been an ambassador for five years and apart from
Armenia I’ve been to Brazil, Kenya and Africa. It’s become part of my
life and I really enjoy doing it.”

For now it’s Can’t Buy Me Love and as far as Michelle Collins is
concerned, the drama has a message to be said about money. “Money can
help, but it can’t buy you love,” she feels. “What I hope comes
across is that this couple are in love and that love conquers all.
Love can get you through anything and everything – we hope.”

o Michelle Collins stars in Can’t Buy Me Love on ITV1 on Monday 13
December at 9pm.

ACADEMIC THEATRE COMES BACK VICTORIOUSLY

Azg/arm
11 Dec 04

Summing up the year, art director of “Gabriel Sundukian” State
Academic Theatre, Vahe Shahverdian told about the last 3 international
festivals where the Theatre had success. Particularly, they
participated in an international mono festival in Kiel, Germany, with
Nelly Shahnazarian’s “The Procession” play. There were 21
performances staged by actors from 16 countries participatingat the
festival. Germany took the first place, Poland – the second andArmenia
– the third. This was Armenian’s first participation at Tesvis
festival which is already 13-year-old. Sara Cane’s “Psychosis at 4:48”
play directed by young director Suren Shahverdian and acted by
students of Actor’s Facultybrought the next victory to the
Theatre. The play won a special diploma in the nomination of best
director. At the festival in Ahvaz, Iran, they were awarded
$1000. Vahe Shahverdian said that the coming year will be very
important and full of performances. It will be the year of Vartan
Atchemian, and it is envisaged to hold scientific conferences,
exhibitions, discussions and performances, of course.

By Marietta Makarian

UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO INTERVIEW LEVON TER-PETROSIAN

Azg/arm
11 Dec 04

All Armenian Movement Gets Separated Again

First RA president Levon Ter-Petrosian joined the 14th Congress of the
All-Armenian Movement five minutes late. His entrance to the
sittingsâ=80=99 hall of the government aroused the obvious excitement
of the participants. It seemed tome that Ter-Petrosian’s delay was
artificially staged. On the other hand, it seemed that AAM exists for
the only hope of Ter-Petrosian’s return.Doubtlessly, the participants
of the sitting are the very group of people that are readyto urge for
the first RA president’s return.

Before taking his seat in the first row Ter-Petrosian greeted the
members of his party, shook the hand of progressive-liberal Hovhannes
Hovhannisian, then sat down next to Samvel Gevorgian. The political
figures sitting behind him were likely to enjoy his presence. Indeed,
there can be historic moments inthe life of each political figure.

The journalists failed to interview Levon Ter-Petrosian. He was
smoking and talking to his acquaintances during the breaks. At the
congress he listenedto the speeches on the unprecedented massacres of
the Western Armenians in 1895-96, the Armenians Genocide of 1915 and
the final loss of the Western Armenia, as well as on the loss of the
Eastern Armenia’s great part in 1918-1921. In its adopted formula the
14th Congress of AAM condemned the Armenian ideology based on
national-socialistic ideas in all these tragedies, instead of
condemning the Ottoman Empire in that.

“The freedom of speech is banned, journalists and the mass media
become targets of terrorism, left-wing TV channels are being closed,”
this is another extract from the formula of AAM Congress. Ararat
Zourabian, chairman of theparty, emphasized the closing of A1+ channel
in his speech. But was it right to talk of the freedom of speech in
the presence of the first RA president? On December 28, 1994, all the
mass media reflecting the ideas of Armenian Revolutionary Party
Dashnaktsutyun were closed and robbed during one night.

The leaders of some parties separated from AAM were not present at the
congress. Babken Ararktsian, Alexander Arzoumanian, Ara Sahakian were
not at the sitting hall. Henry Cuni, French ambassador to Armenia,
accepted the invitation to be present at the congress. Aram Sargsian
represented Hanrapetutiun Party, while Stepan Demirchian, leader of
the People’s Party of Armenia was absent.

Ararat Zourabian stated in his speech at the congress that the regime
that seized the power continues its activities that destroy the base
of the Armenian state. According to Zourabian, in the Nagorno Karabakh
issue, NKR doesnâ=80=99t participate in the negotiation process, and
the conflict became a territorial quarrel between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.

Zourabian emphasized that Armenia is excluded from the regional
security, energetic and transportation systems, there is no progress
fixed in the Armenian- Turkish relations, while the relations between
Russia and Armenia were characterized as those between the master and
the slave. As for “Property against Debt” project, it endangers the
independence of Armenia, he said.

The leaders of the party keep saying that the All Armenian Movement
can be a part of the nation-wide movement against the current regime
in Armenia.

BY Tatoul Hakobian

“IF YOU ONLY WERE AS BRAVE AS ATATURK”

Azg/arm
11 Dec 04

Response to Turkish General’s Letter

In his response to Turkish general Orhan Tan’s words that “all the
authors of articles on Armenian-Turkish relations I ever read during
my student years at the US military school had second names ending in
â=80=98yan'” cited in Azg Daily’ s November 30 article titled “Turks
and Armenians Can Live in Peace” Misak Keleshian from Beirut writes:
“I studied in the States too and came across many authors who do not
have names ending in â=80=98yan’. If dear general is willing, I shall
mention some of them”. Here the reader presents 6 pages of names of
numerous reliable specialists who have spoken of the Armenian
Genocide. Below we have posted responses to the historic events as
eyewitnesses saw them.

“Lack of pages does not allow me to write about thousands of people
who were crucified, thrown into the rivers, cut by swords or axes,
burnet in their houses or churches or were objected to such tortures
that can never be repeated”, Rose Lambert, “Hadjin and the Armenian
Massacres”.

“It has been a month that the Kurdish and Turkish population of
Armenia massacre Armenians with the permission of Ottoman
authorities. Such massacres were carried out in Erzrum, Van, Dersin,
Akin, Tiflis, Mush, Sassoon, Zeytun and all over Cilicia. All
population of Van’s surrounding villages was slaughtered. Armenian
district of the town is sealed off by the Kurds. Considering this new
atrocities against humanity and civilization carried by Turkey, ally
states declare publicly that they will hold responsible all the
members and agentsof the Ottoman government who had hand in the
massacres”, reads the joint declaration of Russia, Great Britain and
France published on May 24 of 1915.

Here Misak Keleshian pauses to emphasize 3 exceptional facts. The
phrase “atrocity against humanity” appears in an official document for
the first time, secondly, heads of a country are held responsible for
the first time and thirdly, the word “new” is used hinting that never
the history of human kind has seen such evil.

“I think that it is not the deportation that is to be protested but
the awful cruelties that accompanied it. This one of the blackest
pages in the history of this war and I think our interference is
justified”, Robert Lansing, US Secretary of State (extract from a
letter send to President Wilson on November 21 of 1916).

“Taleat Pasha, interior minister, has honestly confessed that the
Turkish government is going to take advantage of the world war to
settle up accounts with its inner enemies. Turkey’s aim is to
â=80=98settle the Armenian Cause by eliminating the Armenian nation'”,
Baron Hans von Wangenheim.

And finally Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s article in The Los Angeles
Examiner’s August 1 issue of 1926 which reads: “Those remnants from
the Young Turksâ=80=99 Party must face justice for withdrawing
millions of our Christian nationals from their houses and killing them
in great numbers”.

Misak Keleshian asks dear general if this last statement was unknown
to him either? Is it appropriate to insist on numbers of 250 or 500
thousand when the founder of Turkish republic and Turkey’s national
hero himself mentions of “millions” and “great numbers”?

“I am glad when a high-ranking Turkish official writes that
â=80=98Armenians and Turks can live in peace’ but I would be even
gladder if you were ascourageous as you commander-in-chief was, and
recognized the Genocide. That would be a heroic act not only within
Turkey but within the whole world.

This is a wrong policy that Turkey has adopted and a heavy burden on
the republic’s shoulders. It should have condemned the Young Turks,
punish them and to lighten the burden. In that case the two countries
would regain peace, and your country would be braver in knocking
European community’s doors.

Anyone denying the history is under the threat of repeating it”, Misak
Keshishian rounds off his letter to general Tan.

ARMY AND CHURCH ARE BASIS OF CONFIDENCE IN YEREVAN AND PRESIDENT, ARMY AND
MASS MEDIA – IN BAKU AND TBILISI

YEREVAN, December 10 (Noyan Tapan). On December 9, the Armenian branch
of the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC) published the results
of the social-demographic research simulteneously conducted in
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The purpose of CRRC is to contribute
to cooperation of specialists of social sciences of the three
countries of the South Caucasus and to establish favorable conditions
for their work. CRRC was established by the “Eurasia” Foundation, the
Carnegie Corporation of New York (Chairman – Vardan Grigorian), the
World Bank and other donors. The CRRC branches of Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan conducted public opinion polls among randomly selected
1,500 farms of their capitals, collecting data on demograpy, political
activity, social institutes and crimes. Sociologist Samvel Manukian
presented the results of the research conducted on the basis of these
data. According to him, 60% of the population of Yerevan doesn’t
approve of the tendencies of the country’s development, meanwhile 23%
and 47% of the population of Tbilisi and Baku, respectively, is
discontent with the tendencies of the development of their
countries. The army and the church are the basis of confidence in
Yerevan, and the President, the army and mass media – in Baku and
Tbilisi. The level of crime is higher in Tbilisi, where 14.7% of
respondents was witnesses of the crime or victims. In Yerevan and Baku
this index is less three-fold, making 4.1% and 3.6%,
respectively. Lala Cholakian, the regional Director of CRRC, mentioned
that the purpose of the program is to expose the possibilities of the
effective research cooperation of the three countries and indicate the
spheres, where the scientific potential of each of the three countries
will be more useful for the universal progress. In 2005, CRRC will
give grants to separate researchers of the South Caucasus and small
research groups. According to Heghine Manasian, Director of the CRRC
Armenian branch, the research program should be dedicated to one of
the countries of the South Caucasus or their comparative analysis with
the application of the data available in other CRRC offices. It is
expected that 15 grants, whose maximum amount makes 2,000 dollars,
will be given.

ArmenPress
Dec 10 2004

CONVICTS TO RECOVER HEALTH AT MODERN HOSPITAL

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: A senior clergyman of Armenian
Apostolic Church blessed today a new hospital built for convicts. The
ceremony was attended by prime minister Andranik Margarian, justice
and health ministers, parliament members and other officials.
The prime minister said around 700 million drams are earmarked for
major construction and repair works at correctional facilities in
order to improve the conditions in which the prison population is
kept and also to provide bigger security.
The repair of prisons is part of a broader judicial reform, funded
by the government and international donor organizations. Margarian
said the new hospital will be essential in terms of recovering the
convicts’ health condition.
Justice minister David Harutunian said the government alone is not
able to provide all necessary funds and welcomed the assistance of
other governments and organizations.
“Our major principle is to celebrate at least one victory a year,”
the minister said meaning reconstruction of a prison a year.