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02/10/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Armenian Businessman Denies Turkish Newspaper Report 2) Famous Turkish Author Urges Recognition of Turkish Atrocities 3) Turkey Ignores Armenian Calls for Joint Renovation of Historical Monuments 4) Absenteeism in Armenian Parliament 1) Armenian Businessman Denies Turkish Newspaper Report YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Arsen Ghazarian, the chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen, denied reports by the Turkish newspaper Zaman that he, along with the head of the Youth Party of Armenia Sarkis Asatrian, met on Wednesday with Ankara Trade Chamber president Sinan Aygun in Ankara. According to Zaman, Aygun told the two Armenians that turning incidents of the past into a blood feud brings no benefit. "Now, Turkey is a democratic country and we have forgotten these incidents,'' he was quoted as saying. But Ghazarian, on Thursday, adamantly denied that a delegation visited Turkey, much less met with Aygun. "The report in Zaman is another concoction of the Turkish press and it is not the first instance when I have to deny its reports. This proves, once again, that one should not take seriously what Turkish newspapers write," he said. Zaman, meanwhile, quoted Asatryan as saying that Armenians do not want anybody to intervene in Turkey-Armenia relations: "Third countries like the United States, France, Azerbaijan, Uruguay, and China should not intervene in relations between Turkey and Armenia." 2) Famous Turkish Author Urges Recognition of Turkish Atrocities ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)--In Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper, renowned Turkish author Orhan Pamuk discussed the necessity to speak truthfully of the massacre of one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds. "This topic should stop being taboo," Pamuk stressed. He said that though many avoid discussion of the topic, he is ready to speak. "State leaders consider that there is no need to address it, as there is a problem in relations with Armenia… I am not interested in the issue of state relations with Armenia. Many people were annihilated here," he said. In his latest book, Snow, Pamuk deals with the theme of clashes between civilizations and the role of Islam. A young Turk named Kerim Alakusoglu returns to Istanbul for his mother's funeral. In a dangerous political atmosphere, the truth concerning Kerim and the snow-covered old world city of Kars is revealed. Pamuk, one of Turkey's leading novelists, began to write regularly in 1974. Five of his books have been published in English: Beyaz Kale (The White Castle, 1991), Kara Kitap (The Black Book, 1995), Yeni Hayat (New Life, 1997), My Name Is Red (2001), and Snow (2004). His work has been translated into more than twenty languages. Though Pamuk's views have been condemned by various circles in Turkey, Turkish historian Hilal Berktay, praised Pamuk as an honest and decent intellectual for having the courage to address an issue many avoid. Berktay recalls similar criticism when he expressed his views on the Armenian genocide, in 2001. "I think that we must get rid of the taboos that surround the events of 1915," Berktay had written in the French weekly L'Express, adding, "For decades Turkish public opinion has been lulled to sleep by the same lullaby. And yet there are tons of documents proving the sad reality." "As more and more honest and sincere historians and public intellectuals of integrity keep speaking up, this dam will be breached, this dam of silence will be breached...this will be a fundamental dimension of internal democratization of Turkish society," Berktay said. 3) Turkey Ignores Armenian Calls for Joint Renovation of Historical Monuments YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Armenia's Culture Ministry revealed on Wednesday that Turkey has not responded to Armenian initiatives to create a cultural corridor between the medieval Armenian city of Ani (now in Eastern Turkey, close to the Armenian border) and Armenia. Although the idea was put forth in 2001 by various international organizations, including UNESCO, only a verbal agreement has been reached so far. Ani, the ancient, walled capital of the kings from the Bagradit dynasty who ruled Armenia from the 9-11 centuries AD, was in its heyday a millennium ago and a rival to Constantinople, Baghdad, and Cairo. Despite earthquakes and Mongol raids, much of Ani's immense, fortified walls, as well as the city's citadel, caravansary, cathedral, and six churches still stand well preserved, their stone facades a testament to a well-developed level of craftsmanship. Today, Ani is a ghost town, deserted except for the presence of Turkish border guards and the occasional tourists. "Making Ani a cultural center remains a focus of Armenia's foreign policy, as Armenia is firmly committed to improved relations with Turkey; cultural dialogue is one of ways to do this," deputy minister of culture Gagik Gurjian said. The ministry has forwarded to Turkey's cultural ministry, proposals on joint Armenian-American excavations in Akhtamar and Van, and a draft for continuing research; however, both proposals have remained unanswered. According to Gurjian, Turkey has appealed to the European Parliament to provide funding for the restoration of several monuments in Eastern Anatolia, including the ancient Armenian cities of Van and Igdir. If funding is approved, the Armenian ministry would attempt to include Armenian monuments in these regions involved in the project. 4) Absenteeism in Armenian Parliament YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Widespread absenteeism among fellow lawmakers nearly disrupted the start of the National Assembly's spring session on Wednesday. The 131-member assembly was forced to delay a planned debate by two hours after failing to make a quorum in the morning. It was also largely deserted on Tuesday, even though its electronic voting system indicated the presence of more than 66 deputies. Deputy parliament speaker Vahan Hovhannisian said, "Many deputies have had their sense of responsibility weakened or simply lack it. They just don't come to work." The spring session began on Monday in the absence of parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian and several other deputies of the Orinats Yerkir Party, who are currently accompanying Baghdasarian on an official visit to several Gulf Arab states and will not be back until Friday. Also contributing to poor attendance is the continuing boycott of parliament sessions by 23 deputies representing the National Assembly's two opposition factions. The Artarutyun bloc and the National Unity Party (AMK) had earlier indicated that they will end the year-long boycott if President Robert Kocharian and his loyal parliament majority accept their proposals on constitutional reform. The presidential camp effectively rejected those conditions last week. "The Artarutyun alliance, therefore, finds its participation in parliament sessions pointless," a spokeswoman for the bloc said. Hovannisian, meanwhile, called for tougher sanctions against absenteeism. The parliament's existing regulations already stipulate that a deputy who fails to take part in most parliament votes during a semi-annual session can be stripped of their mandate. The provision could have been applied to the boycotting parliamentarians; however, the majority has so far avoided enforcing it. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. --Boundary_(ID_e8477wF7mUdCxUAIGdlscA)--

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
=================================================
Thursday 10 February 2005
AZERBAIJAN: SUPREME COURT CLAIMS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT DOESN’T EXIST
Azerbaijan’s Supreme Court has decided that a Jehovah’s Witness can be
forced to do military service – even though the constitution claims
that “alternative service instead of regular army service is
permitted.” The court argued that, as no law on civilian alternative
service exists, the appeal of Mahir Bagirov must be rejected. Azerbaijan
has broken a promise to the Council of Europe to introduce a law by January
2003. Sayad Kirimov, deputy head of parliament’s administrative and
military law department, told Forum 18 News Service that “the Supreme
Court can’t use the absence of a law to deprive someone of their
constitutional rights.” Bagirov’s lawyer told Forum 18 that the ruling
will be challenged at the European Court of Human Rights. After this
Supreme Court decision, Bagirov “expects to be arrested by the
military police and disappear into a military barracks where he anticipates
being subjected to brutal treatment as an alleged deserter.”
AZERBAIJAN: SUPREME COURT CLAIMS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT DOESN’T EXIST
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service
Despite a provision in the constitution guaranteeing the right to perform
alternative service for those unable to serve in the army on grounds of
conscience, Azerbaijan’s Supreme Court on 4 February failed to protect this
right in the case of Mahir Bagirov, a Jehovah’s Witness. The court argued
that the lack of a law on alternative service meant this right does not
exist. “I don’t know the exact details of this case, but it’s my
subjective view that the court took the wrong decision,” Sayad
Kirimov, deputy head of parliament’s administrative and military law
department, told Forum 18 News Service from the capital Baku on 9 February.
“The constitution has direct legal force and the Supreme Court can’t
use the absence of a law to deprive someone of their constitutional
rights.”
Article 76 (2) of the constitution states: “If beliefs of citizens
come into conflict with service in the army then in some cases envisaged by
legislation alternative service instead of regular army service is
permitted.”
Also condemning the court ruling was Eldar Zeynalov, the head of the
Baku-based Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan who has been closely following
Bagirov’s case. “This was an illegal decision which violated the
constitution, the spirit of the law and international law to which
Azerbaijan is a party,” he told Forum 18 from Baku on 9 February.
“The Supreme Court simply doesn’t want to take responsibility for a
decision that will establish a precedent.”
British lawyer Richard Daniel, who represented Bagirov at the Supreme
Court, told Forum 18 on 8 February that Bagirov intends to challenge the
ruling at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He now fears
for his client in the wake of the rejection of his final appeal. “He
expects to be arrested by the military police and disappear into a military
barracks where he anticipates being subjected to brutal treatment as an
alleged deserter.”
Adil Gadjiev, an official at the ombudsman’s office in Baku, refused to
comment on the court ruling, but said his office would be prepared to try
to help Bagirov if he seeks such help. “We didn’t allow his detention
by the military police and forcible recruitment,” he told Forum 18
from Baku on 9 February, though he could not specify what help the office
could offer. Gadjiev declined to say what young men whose faith does not
permit them to fight should now do to establish their constitutional right
not to serve in the armed forces.
Bagirov, a 28-year-old doctor who is married with a young daughter, started
attending Jehovah’s Witness meetings in 1998 and was baptised in April
1999. Since then he has tried in vain to be removed from the military
reserve to which he had automatically been inducted as a medical graduate
and for which he had taken the oath of allegiance. “As a result of his
study of the Bible, in good conscience he felt that he could no longer take
up arms or support the military in any way,” Daniel told Forum 18.
“Therefore, he sought from the Ministry of Defence removal of his name
from the list of reserve officers and registration as a conscientious
objector. The Ministry have adamantly refused to comply.”
Bagirov was most recently called up in May 2004 and ordered to report to a
military unit. On 9 June he lodged a suit at Baku’s Khatai district court,
arguing that the insistence that he perform military service was illegal
and in violation of Article 76 part 2 of the constitution, which declares:
“If the beliefs of citizens come into conflict with service in the
army then in some cases envisaged by law alternative service instead of
regular army service is permitted.” After the appeal court rejected
his suit on 16 September (see F18News 6 October 2004
), Bagirov took his case
to the Supreme Court, which heard the case on 30 December and 3 February.
“The Military Commissariat have totally misconstrued or misrepresented
two matters of law,” Bagirov’s lawyer, Richard Daniel, complained.
“Reduced to simplicity, they say that as there is no law on
alternative civilian service yet in place in Azerbaijan, there can be no
right of conscientious objection. The Court has ignored international
agreements entered into by Azerbaijan which make clear that the right to
conscientious objection is not dependent on the provision of alternative
service.” Daniel also complains that the court’s interpretation of
“religious ministers” was too narrow and excluded leaders of
“non-traditional” faiths such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who
have different systems of leadership to faiths like the Islamic or Orthodox
communities.
Zeynalov Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan argues that, far from showing
the independence of the court, the ruling in Bagirov’s case shows that the
judges are “totally dependent” on public opinion and the view of
the government. “Government pressure can’t take the form of a direct
instruction to the judge, but ‘telephone law’ remains the norm and the
judge in this case was possibly ‘advised’ not to take this responsibility
of establishing a precedent that individuals can opt for alternative
service.”
Zeynalov points out that the authorities have already obstructed the
activity of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, granting registration as a religious
community only after a long battle, trying to restrict their activity and
preventing foreign Jehovah’s Witness leaders coming to serve the community
in Azerbaijan. Zeynalov contrasted this with the arrival of foreign
citizens to lead the Russian Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran communities.
As part of its commitments on joining the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan
should have adopted a law on alternative service by January 2003, but
failed to do so. “This was one of its commitments and Azerbaijan
failed to meet it,” Mats Lindberg, the Council of Europe’s
representative in Baku, told Forum 18 on 9 February. “We hope
parliament here will adopt this law soon. The Council of Europe gave its
expert advice on the draft last September.”
However, Kirimov of the parliament confirmed that there has been no
progress since the first reading last year. “This issue has been hotly
debated, in parliament, in parliamentary commissions and in the
media,” he told Forum 18. Although insisting that as an obligation,
the alternative service law “will be adopted”, Kirimov maintained
that drafting the law was no easy matter. “There are many questions
needing decisive answers so that disputes won’t arise on implementation.
And checking the faith and conscience of an individual will be difficult.
Does a person really follow these beliefs or is he just trying to evade
service?”
Zeynalov chided the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe for failing to
punish Azerbaijan for missing the deadline for this and many other
commitments. “The Parliamentary Assembly didn’t react
adequately,” he told Forum 18. “That’s the problem. There is no
pressure from Strasbourg.” He maintains that parliament will defer any
decisions until after the next elections, due in November. “Nothing
will happen this year,” he insisted. “They will find new
arguments and excuses to postpone and postpone adopting an alternative
service law. The beginning of 2006 is my most optimistic forecast for
adoption.”
However, Krzysztof Zyman, the official responsible for the South Caucasus
at the Council of Europe secretariat, rejects suggestions that the
organisation has not done enough to hold Azerbaijan to its commitments.
“The failure to adopt an alternative service law is the reason the
Council of Europe is maintaining the pressure,” he told Forum 18 from
Strasbourg on 10 February. “The issue is raised regularly within the
framework of the monitoring of commitments by the Committee of Ministers. I
am aware that deadlines are not always met, but we expect Azerbaijan to
meet this commitment.”
No other conscientious objectors are known to be challenging forcible
conscription at present. In the past, a handful of Jehovah’s Witnesses and
other objectors have won the right not to serve through the courts or with
the help of the ombudsman’s office, but without establishing a legal
precedent.
Daniel complained that the legal cases Bagirov has been forced to undergo
to protect his constitutional right have been “very time-consuming for
him and very expensive”. “The amount of time off work and the
harassment by the military have meant that, although his professor is well
disposed to him, he has had to resign his post to concentrate on the legal
battle.”
Daniel believes Azerbaijan’s army is not yet ready to allow young men to do
alternative service. “The military reject the concept that they are in
breach of their undertaking to the Council of Europe on the basis that
Azerbaijan is a sovereign state, the military are operating at 67 per cent
of resources and ‘there is a war going on’,” he told Forum 18,
referring to Azerbaijan’s unresolved conflict with local Armenians in the
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
For more background information see Forum 18’s Azerbaijan religious freedom
survey at
A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
las/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=azerba
(END)
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved.
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News
Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at
–Boundary_(ID_fvfUw66AGSiu/Wx7qOUFeA)–

Azeri foreign minister arrives in Turkey
Anatolia news agency
10 Feb 05
Ankara, 10 February: Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan
arrived in Ankara on Thursday [10 February] on a two-day official
visit. Mammadyarov is scheduled to meet Turkish President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Foreign Minister and Deputy
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.
Besides the bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan,
regional and international issues, the Nagornyy Karabakh dispute,
Turkish-Armenian relations, and the allegations of genocide will be
high on agenda of Mammadyarov’s meetings.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH OF DENMARK
IN ANTELIAS
Antelias, Lebanon – The Head of the Church of Denmark, Bishop Erik Norman
Svendsen visited the Catholicosate of Cilicia on Tuesday, the 8th of
February and held a meeting with His Holiness Aram I. The two spiritual
leaders discussed issues related to Christian education and inter-church
relations.
His Holiness expressed his belief about the importance of renewing the
ecumenical movement and making it relevant to people’s lives. In this
context, the Catholicos and His Grace also discussed the Middle East, the
birthplace of Christianity. They emphasized the importance of speeding up
the peace process and bringing to a halt the emigration of Christians.
The two spiritual leaders continued their discussions over lunch and spoke
mainly about the social service activities of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Thanks to the support of the Danes, the “Birds’ Nest” orphanage, has in the
past provided shelter to thousands of Armenian orphans. The orphanage is
currently under the patronage of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, but the
Church of Denmark continues to aid the institution. Bishop Norman assured
His Holiness of his intentions to keep the orphanage the center of his
attention.
Bishop Norman had visited the Catholicosate of Cilicia four years ago and
His Holiness Aram I had last year been the official guest of the Church of
Denmark.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgian president delivers annual address to parliament
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
10 Feb 05
President Mikheil Saakashvili has set out the challenges he sees
facing Georgia in his annual address to parliament and said that he
is ready to go to Russia to meet President Putin to improve relations
between the two countries.
Opening his speech, which was broadcast live by Rustavi-2 TV and
other major Georgian networks, Saakashvili described the state of
the country as his government found it when it came to power over
a year ago. It was, he said, “disintegrated” and “demoralized”, a
country where people had been lied to by the government, a country
where human rights were trampled on and where “not a single tank had
enough ammunition for one hour in battle”.
He went on to say that Georgia had now already become a “proper state”,
but added that the past year was just a beginning. He listed successes
such as the government clearing salary and pension arrears and raising
public sector wages.
Saakashvili paid tribute to the “real heroes” who had made this
possible. He picked out the Financial Police for their successes in
tackling smuggling despite tough opposition, protesters who stood
up to the government of deposed Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze,
the new police patrol force, which had “won the trust of the people”
and an officer who led an operation to break up a criminal gang in
the northwestern province of Svaneti.
He praised teachers who had been teaching Georgian to the country’s
ethnic minorities, the armed forces, Georgia’s first female military
instructor and reserve force volunteers, among them MPs. He also
referred to Georgia’s participation in “international antiterrorist
operations”.
Saakashvili then moved on to economic issues and said that
privatization would allow the state to make the best use of its
property. He said the revenue would be spent on capital investment
in the energy sector and education.
According to Saakashvili, “thousands” of Georgian emigres have begun
returning to the country.
Saakashvili said that a major priority for this year would be the
creation of jobs in tourism, service industries and agriculture. The
state would help this process by investing in infrastructure. Further
reforms will take place in education, the justice system and local
government. Although Georgia is not prepared to decentralize power
completely, Saakashvili said, local authority heads should be elected,
starting from next year.
The number of MPs in parliament would be reduced to 150, but the mixed
proportional and majoritarian system would be retained. Saakashvili
said he was pleased that for the first time in years MPs had not
punched each other in parliament.
Moving on to foreign policy, Saakashvili said that Georgia’s
relationships with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey were “idyllic”. As
for Russia, problems remain but they must be resolved. He said that
compromise was a “two-way street” and that he is prepared to go
to Russia to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve the
outstanding issues. Priorities would remain a European orientation
and the removal of foreign bases from Georgia.
He stressed the importance of creating an inclusive society for ethnic
minorities, guaranteeing them education and jobs.
He said that the international community should be “ashamed” that an
ethnic Ossetian man who used to organize holidays for South Ossetian
children on Georgia’s Black Sea coast remained imprisoned by the
separatist authorities.
He ended by praising the efforts of MPs and ministers, particularly
Zurab Noghaideli, who has been nominated as prime minister.
Among the honorary guests who were in parliament during Saakashvili’s
50-minute speech were late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania’s wife,
mother and three children.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information
Department Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003Fax: (04) 419724E- mail: [email protected]:
PO Box 70 317Antelias-Lebanon
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I ANNOUNCES 2005 THE YEAR OF THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Antelias, Lebanon – On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, an encyclical by His Holiness Aram I was read during the holy mass
held on Sunday the 6th of February in the St. Gregory the Illuminator
Cathedral. In the encyclical, read by Bishop Nareg Alemezian, the Catholicos
of Cilicia announced 2005 to be the year of the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
Aram I points out in the encyclical that the Catholicosate of Cilicia has
itself witnessed and lived the massacres its people, the Armenians, were
subjected to. For 90 years, the Catholicosate “helped provide the physical
and psychological needs of the Armenians forced away from their land, played
a crucial role in the formation of the Armenian communities worldwide, built
churches and schools, spread spiritual, moral and cultural values, and
became a stanch defender of its people’s rights,” he says in the encyclical
.
His Holiness Aram I adds that with renewed faith and firmness the
Catholicosate today demands justice for the Armenians from the world.
The Pontiff also calls on the Armenian people to embrace the message of the
90th anniversary with a united spirit, to commemorate the anniversary
appropriately, based on the circumstances and situation of each community,
to regard it as a reason for strengthening the struggle for justice and,
finally, to organize pilgrimages to Der Zor, the constant reminder of the
Armenians’ struggle for survival.
On the same day, the encyclical was also read in all the Dioceses of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Chessbase News, Germany
Feb 10 2005
Women can compete
10.02.2005 At the recent US Championship a historic event went almost
unnoticed. Chouchanik Airapetian became the first woman ever to
receive a gender neutral invitation to the event. “Shoushan” predicts
that in five years a woman will win the overall US Championship!
Chouchanik Airapetian
By Jamie Duif Calvin
The US Championship has long had a tradition of inviting a few
amateurs, usually the winners of the US Junior Championship and the
US Open. This year with a historically large prize fund of $250,000,
the America’s Foundation for Chess also expanded the field to 64
players, many of whom could qualify by a strong performance at one of
several “national heritage” events.
Airapetian scored 5 out of 7 at the 2004 Chicago Open, qualifying her
for a US Championship invitation that was open to either a man or a
woman. (By the way, other players with 5 in the Chicago event
included soon to be US Champion GM Nakamura and the winner of the
Larsen Prize, GM Alex Fishbein.)
How did she do at the Championship itself? Just fine! She started out
ranked 60th out of 64, and finished in 54th place, ahead of two men
and eight women. Five of these players, including both of the men,
were rated higher than Airapetian at the start of the event.
In the last three years several women have achieved historic
milestones in America. In 2002, Laura Ross became the highest rated
13 year old, male or female, in the US. In 2003, GM Susan Polgar won
the US blitz Championship in a field that included five other
grandmasters (all male). And now in 2004 Airapetian has become the
first US woman to earn a gender-neutral invitation to the national
championship.
It perhaps says something about just how far we’ve come that these
accomplishments went largely unnoticed!
The making of a champion
Recently I had a very nice conversation with Chouchan (this nickname,
pronounced “Shoushan”, means “water lily,” which is what her husband
calls her). She told me that her father had died when she was only
six years old. When her mother was putting away the father’s things,
she found a wooden chess set in a box, which she left out. What her
mother did not know at first, though, is that Chouchan would sneak
the pieces out of the box and play with them like dolls!
Picture: Chouchan playing in a tournament at the age of ten
This went on for several weeks. Then one day the mother found some of
the pieces in the girl’s room, hidden under her pillow. She asked her
daughter if she would like to learn to play the game of chess.
Chouchan says she was amazed. She loved the little pieces, and she
said, “There’s a game that goes with them, too?” It is interesting to
note that Karpov has a similar story, except that he played toy
soldiers with the pieces from his parent’s set!
So Chouchan learned to play. Her mother thought her younger sister
Marina might like to play, too. But instead, she opened up the wooden
box and began to pretend that the chess set was a piano! And today
Marina is a professional musician. So the girls are very creative,
and their mother is very supportive of their talents. When Chouchan
was only 7 or 8, her mother would spend long hours waiting for her at
chess tournaments. She worked hard to make sure that Chouchan had the
right coaches and the best opportunities to continue to play chess.
Picture: In 1992, at the age of 18, Chouchan became the Yerevan
champion.
In the above picture she is in Tigran Petrosyan’s Chess House.
The family left Armenia in the early 90s, when things were very
difficult politically and economically. They moved to Germany, where
Sena and Marina still live. Chouchan speaks Armenian, German,
English, Russian, and a little Spanish. Later, Chouchan married a boy
she had known in Armenia, and she and her husband moved to the United
States. They now live in Seattle where Chouchan is a chess coach at
several elementary schools. They have one son, who is now two years
old.
Picture: Chouchan, her mother Sena and sister Marina portrayed in a
German newspaper
Chouchan says that she has actually become a much better player since
her son was born. She knows that many women give up chess when they
have children, but she has found that she has bits of quiet time
throughout the day, and she uses these to study. She also plays a lot
of Internet chess.
In the above newpaper clipping Chouchan is playing in the 2002 US
Championship in Seattle. “This picture is the funniest one since my
opponent’s reaction to my move,” she said. “It was a great
advertisement for the AF4C since it is the first championship where
women and men were competing together for the title. Among the
spectators are my friends and my husband in the middle, hiding his
smile by covering his mouth.
When she was a girl in Armenia, her mother took her to a children’s
chess club where there were many coaches, known as Khalikyan Hovik’s
Chess Club. The kids there could just play for fun, or they could get
lessons. So the coaches could find the really promising players, or
the ones who had a strong desire to learn more, but the kids who just
wanted to play for fun were also welcome. Chouchan hopes to start a
similar club in the United States. Her dream is use chess to build a
bridge between kids around the world by offering international open
tournaments for junior players.
Picture: Her collection of chess pins
She thinks that one of the things that has kept chess from becoming
more popular in the US is that there is this great divide between
professional and amateur players, almost like two different worlds.
The one place where it is different is on the Internet, but there the
teaching is more formal. So she thinks it would be good for both
amateurs and professionals if, at least at the kids’ level, there was
more mixing.
Chouchan said for example that even at the recent US Championship,
she really enjoyed the fact that on the rest days the players went to
a local school. She said she had a slow start at the event, which is
typical for her. But then when she saw the kids, they were all asking
“How are you doing? Are you winning a lot?” and she felt it really
inspired her! She felt she had to focus and play well in order to
meet the kids’ expectations!
Picture: Helping kids to become champions: Chouchan on the back right
She thinks that girls do need extra encouragement to play, at least
while they are such a small minority. But she doesn’t feel it has to
be a cash prize, if the boys feel that is unfair. Just something like
a medal for the best girl could be very effective, especially for
school age children. She says sometimes in a tournament you will have
200 boys and 10 girls. If a girl comes in 15th, Chouchan feels it can
help keep her playing if she gets a special mention.
Chouchan with her husband, Ararat Agaian (left) and GM Varuzhan
Akobian. This picture was taken after the last round of the Chicago
Open 2004 with Var’s cellphone. So it is brought to us thanks to
modern technology!
On the other hand, she believes absolutely that women can and will
play as well as men, especially as more enter the game. She predicts
that a woman will win the overall US Championship in five years!
for pictures:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Daily Star, Lebanon
Feb 10 2005
‘Aoun trial was delayed because secret talks failed’
Harb says court ruling in absentia would be legal
Batroun MP confirms that the opposition will vote in Parliament
against the division of Beirut into three electoral districts
By Nada Raad
Daily Star staff
BEIRUT: Batroun MP Butros Harb said Wednesday that the trial of
exiled former army commander General Michel Aoun had been postponed
because secret mediations with the authorities failed.
“I think something happened with the negotiations that were ongoing
(between Aoun and the authorities), which obstructed Aoun’s return to
Lebanon before the parliamentary elections,” Harb said during a news
conference held in Batroun.
However, Harb added that the issue is not yet closed but remains open
for the future.
On Tuesday, the Beirut Criminal Court rescheduled Aoun’s trial until
May 5 as the judiciary did not accept to try the former general in
absentia for charges brought against him in 2003 following remarks he
made to the U.S. Congress supporting sanctions on Syria.
But according to Harb, a lawyer by trade, a political settlement of
Aoun’s case would have been perfectly legal.
“The court is capable of ruling that there is no criminal offense and
announcing his innocence even if he is absent,” he said.
Harb, who is also a member of the Christian opposition Qornet Shehwan
Gathering, said the opposition would remain united during the next
elections.
The opposition aims to hold parliamentary elections under the
umbrella of a neutral government and not the current regime, which
they say is tutored by Syria.
Harb said that the only way for Lebanon to regain its sovereignty and
independence is for its people to vote properly during the
parliamentary elections, apart from personal interests.
“We ( the opposition) call on all citizens to vote away from personal
interests and to support the opposition,” he said.
Harb said that the opposition still supports an electoral law based
on qadas as an electoral district.
“We will vote in Parliament against any draft electoral law which
considers an electoral district different than qadas,” he said.
The Cabinet already approved last month a draft electoral law based
on small electoral districts (qadas). However, the majority of
ministers who voted for the law proposal changed their direction when
the law was handed to Parliament by supporting an electoral law based
on mohafazats, or large electoral districts.
Harb also said that the opposition would vote in Parliament against
the division of Beirut into three districts along sectarian lines.
The draft electoral law stipulates that Beirut be divided into three
electoral districts with the first including a majority of Shiites
and Armenian voters, the second a majority of Sunni voters and the
third a majority of Christian voters. The division is widely believed
to be aimed at undermining the representation of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri in Parliament. However, Harb said that Hariri
is not yet considered as an opposition member.
“I think Hariri’s position is still between the opposition and the
government,” he said.
Regarding the Ain al-Tineh gathering at Speaker Nabih Berri’s
residence, held to show allegiance to Syria and considered a reaction
to the so-called “Bristol meetings,” Harb said: “It is now clear to
everyone that the loyalists are frightened, if not terrified, of the
popular gathering around the opposition.”

Nagornyy Karabakh Deputy Foreign Minister dismisses PACE resolution on Karabakh as “entirely negative”
Mediamax news agency
10 Feb 05
Yerevan, 10 February: The authorities of Nagornyy Karabakh think that
the PACE [Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] resolution
adopted after David Atkinson’s [ PACE rapporteur on Nagornyy Karabakh]
report is “entirely negative”.
This was announced by Nagornyy Karabakh Deputy Foreign Minister Masis
Mailyan in reply to questions from MPs of the National Assembly of
the republic during the “parliamentary hour” at a plenary session of
parliament, Mediamax news agency reported.
Mailyan said that the emergence of the resolution became possible
because Karabakh deputies had not been invited to the PACE hearing
on the Nagornyy Karabakh problem in January.
Speaking about the Karabakh settlement process, Masis Mailyan stressed
that the current format of negotiations in which only Armenia and
Azerbaijan are taking part, does not fully reflect the real situation.
The NKR deputy foreign minister reconfirmed Stepanakert’s [Xankandi]
position, according to which it is impossible to resolve the problem
without the participation of Nagornyy Karabakh in the negotiations
and without taking into account the opinion of its people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

This Crisis Should be Resolved Too
By EKREM DUMANLI
Zaman, Turkey
Feb 10 2005
One cannot deny the long-term crisis in Turkish-American relations.
The tension, which began with the objection to the March 1
deployment, deepens a bit at every opportunity.
Turkey has many concerns about the developments in Northern Iraq.
Turkey’s expectation of an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’
Party (PKK) has turned into disappointment. Kurdish leaders make
provocative statements on the Kerkuk (Kirkuk) issue and the US
usually foots the bill. The idea that Iran will benefit the most from
a new Iraqi state with a Shiite majority is cause for concern…
The problem is not just limited to Iraq. The US position and Turkey’s
official discourse conflict with one another on the ecumenical
debate. Turkey wants to play a role in the Middle Eastern peace
process, but it also explicitly accuses Israel of “state terrorism.”
This position brings Turkey head to head with US foreign policy.
The magic of the diplomatic profession becomes apparent during
difficult times like these.
Turkey should continue its relations with the US on good terms and
also maintain balance in the rest of the world. Although policies
based on continuous tension straighten out over time, scars usually
remain. Diplomatic foresight allows intervention before tension
peaks.
Last week, I had the opportunity to chat with people in many places,
in particular at The Washington Post. Being in Washington was a big
advantage for a journalist just days before US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice was scheduled to visit Turkey. Almost everyone was
busy making preparations; almost everyone had questions; almost
everyone had their own interpretation regarding the visit.
Apparently, the US wants to get rid of its negative image that was
created during the Iraqi war and is therefore looking for solutions.
It is also clear that they want to have a closer relationship with
other countries in the world (particularly with Europe) during Bush’s
new term in presidency. The worldwide spread of anti-Americanism is
cause for tremendous concern. Anti-Americanism in Turkey has reached
80 percent according to a British Broadcast Company’s (BBC) public
survey. This finding also concerns the US.
It is hard to believe that this public survey is correct. The Turkish
public is not an enemy to the US, but it is clear that there is
concern about US policies in the Middle East. The Turkish public has
not forgotten the cooperation of Muslims and Americans in Bosnia,
Kosovo, and Somalia, the US help in the seizure of PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan, the direct US support for European Union (EU)
membership, etc. The chain of incidents that began with the March 1
motion, however, keep tensions running high. Being on scathing terms
sometimes strengthens conspiracy theories as well. As in the famous
sack incident [when US soldiers put bags over the heads of Turkish
soldiers in Iraq], there are other incidents such as being unable to
do anything about the PKK in Northern Iraq that ferment
misunderstanding and anger.
To be honest, US-Turkey relations may face a more difficult period in
the upcoming months. For instance, the “Armenian genocide bill,”
which may ward off a final attack at any minute, might harm Turkey. A
Turkish deputy’s description of US activity in Iraq as “genocide” was
discussed and passed over by Turkish interest groups. That the US
feels unbelievable discomfort is clear enough. A deputy’s remarks are
not, in fact, binding to the Turkish government, but since relations
are built on tension, a new crisis could emerge from almost any
issue.
There are critical issues that both countries have put in the deep
freeze. These issues should be dealt with using clear minds and
diplomatic courtesy. Of course, various possibilities could bring
some opportunities to Turkey, but Turkey cannot give up its role as
America’s “strategic partner.” Turkish diplomacy has solved many
crises skillfully, and it should solve this, too. I hope Rice’s visit
to Turkey becomes a significant step toward normalized relations.
–Boundary_(ID_AtEjL18vvyiGA5r5nYt4gw)–