TURKS OF USA ARE NOT DETERMINED. SOME OF THEM DEFEND KERRY
Azg/am
26 Oct 04
The Armenian community of America will not give its vote George W. Bush
as that will mean to boost him in his anti-Genocide acknowledgment
stance and to justify his broken promise. It doesnâ~@~Yt seem strange,
from this point of view, that the traditional Armenian parties, mainly
Liberal Democratic Party, defend John Kerry and call on voting for him.
It seemed that this fact and John Kerryâ~@~Ys years-old activity for
Armenian Genocide acknowledgment will make the Turkish community of
America decide for Bush. Though Kerry is not popular among Turk voters
for his determination as regards Genocide acknowledgment, Bushâ~@~Ys
administration is also seen as destructive for the ongoing Iraqi war
and problems within the US economy.
To put it simply, the Turks are not yet determined, contrary to the
suppositions. Some of them defend Kerry saying that all previous
candidates gave suchlike promises to Armenians but none of them kept
his promise because Turkey is Americaâ~@~Ys key ally. The other part
of Turkish community thinks that Bush has already learnt on his own
mistakes and is going to vote for him.
Having informed about all these, Turkish Sabah notes that the Turkish
community of America is not united as to whom to vote for.
By Hakob Chakrian
–Boundary_(ID_HHCjjUpM3KNLKnhEOFBCsw)–

NINO BURJANADZE: WIDENING OF ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS RESULTS FROM
REGIONAL INTERESTS
Azg/am
26 Oct 04
During his three-day visit to the Georgian capital Pres. Robert
Kocharian met with the PM Zurab Zhvania and chairwoman of the
parliament Nino Burjanadze, strolled through Old Tbilisi, took part
in celebrations of the day of Tbilisi, Tbilisoba, lay a wreath at
the monument of fighters for Georgiaâ~@~Ys unity.
Bilateral economic issues were discussed with prime minister
Zurab Zhvania during which the sides welcomed the creation of
Armenia-Georgian Business Association.
Chairwoman of Georgian parliament Nino Burjanadze said that
Armenian-Georgian relations are important not only for the two states
but also for the whole region.
Burjanadze noted that the unsettled conflicts in Abkhazia and South
Ossetia as well as hitches in Georgian-Russian relations are the
painful issues in Georgia.
The issue of Armenian-Georgian borderâ~@~Ys delimitation and
demarcation was also discussed at the meeting. Pres. Kocharian
repeated what he said at the press conference with Pres. Saakashvili
that Armenia is ready to begin works, “there will be no obstacles
from the Armenian side” and expressed hope that Armenian-Georgian
border will be demarked and delimited by the first half of 2005.
The Georgia-Turkish border has already undergone specification and the
demarcation and delimitation of borders with Russia and Azerbaijan
are in process now. Robert Kocharian reminded Nino Burjanadze that
the place of the Georgian representative at the Armenian-Georgian
Commission on Border Specification is vacant. Earlier that day
Pres. Saakashvili noted half in jest that neither Armenia nor Georgia
had land pretences in the last 2000 years.
P.S. Kocharian and Saakashvili visited ex-president Eduard Shevardnadze
on October 23 and offered condolences because of his wifeâ~@~Ys
death. The same day the security found a sniperâ~@~Ys rifle and AK-74
submachine gun at the Music Hall Ajara in Tbilisi where presidents were
heading to listen to jazz. It was found at the Hall directorâ~@~Ys
neighboring room. The Ministry of National Security of Georgia
refrains stating that the weapons were designed for an attempt on
Kocharianâ~@~Ys or Saakashviliâ~@~Ys life. Despite everything,
presidents visited the Music Hall.
A bomb was found at the monument of fighters for Georgiaâ~@~Ys unity
few days before Pres. Kocharianâ~@~Ys visit. He laid a wreath at
the monument on October 23.
By Tatoul Hakobian and Aghavni Harutyunian from Tbilisi
–Boundary_(ID_tXfh5VNCjnxFmeyqo1L90w)–

KURDS VS. ARMENIANS?
Dear founders of Kurdistan.org,
Azg/am
26 Oct 04
As an Armenian and a human being I am deeply offended with Kurdistan’s
map on your web site ().
Most part of your desired Kurdistan, according to that map, is Western
Armenia with the Armenian cities of Van, Kars, Mush, Karin, Urfa,
Tigranakert, etc.
As you mention in your web site, Kurds do not deny that they have
supported Turks during the Armenian Genocide (1914-1923) to exterminate
the Armenian Race in the Ottoman Empire. But the verbal recognition
of the Armenian Genocide is not enough. It is not a secret that the
main reason of the Armenian Genocide was the Turkization of Western
Armenia and the solution for that was the planned extermination of
the Armenian nation. Unfortunately, many Kurds supported the Turkish
government to make that plan real. And some Kurds, like you, still
continue the support, even though it might be done unwillingly.
Armenian Genocide still continues, because Genocide, by the way, is
not only the physical extermination of a nation, but also an attempt
to destroy all the cultural traces of that nation. That entity is
called cultural genocide, a flagrant vandalism that is now applied
in Turkey toward the Armenian Culture.
Less than dozen churches out of 2,000 Armenian Religious Monuments have
survived in Turkey. Remaining Armenian Churches are being destroyed
in Turkey and, Kurds, willingly or unwillingly, are supporting the
Turkish government in its attempt to prove that Armenians have not
lived in Western Armenia. For instance, in the last years Kurdish
villagers have used the stones of the Armenian Monastery St. Karapet
in Mush, Western Armenia, to build homes and other buildings.
Founders and authors of Kurdistan.org also support the Cultural
Vandalism against the Armenian Civilization, which is a chapter of
the Armenian Genocide.
By including Western Armenia in the map of Kurdistan, ladies and
gentlemen, you
1. Support the Cultural Genocide toward the Armenian Civilization
by the Turkish Government, thus denying and actually continuing the
Armenian Genocide,
2. Decrease the trust and dignity that the Armenian nation has
toward you,
3. Decrease the possibility of ever having a state in the history of
the human race,
4. Decrease the support of the Europe-Parliament and other structures,
who have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, to your national
struggle,
5. Decrease the charisma of the mankind toward your struggle, as a
result of not respecting and recognizing the historical and legal
rights of other nations.
Armenians, and I myself, do support the Kurdish nation in their
struggle to stop the barbarian acts against the Kurds in Turkey. But
Kurds will not be respected or supported by Armenians anymore,
if Kurds continue their support to the Turkish Government in the
attempt of exterminating all the traces of the Armenian Civilization
in modern-day Turkey.
Even if truth can be denied, it will win some day, sooner or later…
Simon Maghakyan, [email protected]

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Monday, October 25, 2004
KOCHARIAN COMPLETES GEORGIA VISIT AMID TERRORISM SCARE
Armenian President Robert Kocharian was on a three-day official visit to
Georgia last week for talks with President Mikhail Saakashvili and other
Georgian leaders. Kocharian’s otherwise successful visit was marred when
weapons were found in a Tbilisi music hall, where both Presidents were due
for a jazz concert. Kocharian and Saakashvili went to the concert despite
the find.
Security guards discovered a sniper rifle and an AK-74 machine gun with
ammunition at the “Ajara” music hall on Saturday, an hour before the
Presidents were planning to arrive. Georgia’s Interior Minister Irakly
Okruashvili said that Georgian investigators were treating the case as
attempted terrorism. The country’s Ministry of State Security, which is
conducting an investigation, has so far refused to comment. Deputy Speaker
of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosian urged a thorough investigation,
noting that it is so far unclear if either or both Presidents were targeted.
Kocharian began his visit traveling by car the 120-mile road from Yerevan to
the Georgian border, where he was met by Saakashvili. The two Presidents
then continued by helicopter over the remaining 40-mile section of
Tbilisi-Yerevan road, which is due to be repaired later this year.
Transportation issues continue to top the bilateral agenda, with most of
Armenia’s surface trade with the outside world passing via Georgia’s Black
Sea ports and a smaller portion through the Georgia-Russia highway. That
highway had been closed by Russia for almost two months after increased
terrorist attacks in southern Russia, but according to a Georgian official
was opened on the day of Kocharian’s arrival in Georgia. Two days earlier,
Georgia also allowed two buses and several trucks that had been stuck in
South Ossetia to pass into Armenia.
Last March, Saakashvili promised to improve Armenia-Georgian transportation
routes and reduce tariffs for Armenian goods. While in Tbilisi, Kocharian
noted improvement in the treatment of Armenian travelers by Georgia’s
traffic police. The tariff issue has yet to be resolved, however.
Saakashvili also said that he was “indebted to the population of Javakheti,”
a largely Armenian populated province, long ignored by Georgian governments.
He promised to visit the province, when he succeeds in securing necessary
foreign loans for re-building a dilapidated road between Javakheti and the
Georgian capital. Last week, the two Presidents agreed on a cooperation plan
for the province’s development.
Meanwhile, according to Arsen Ghazarian, the head of Armenia’s main business
association, Armenian companies were invited to bid on the Georgian ports of
Poti and Batumi. Also last week, Georgia requested a resumption of Armenian
electricity supplies as Tbilisi was again forced to ration electricity
following an apparent diversion on one of its main power lines. These
supplies have comprised a bulk of bilateral trade, which stood at $54
million last year, under 3 percent of Armenia’s total foreign trade.
(Sources: Armenia This Week 1-16, 3-12, 10-18; Arminfo 10-21, 25; RFE/RL
Armenia Report 10-21; Regnum 10-22, 24, 25)
MAJOR U.S. CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON ARMENIA, REGION
Leading Caucasus experts gathered at the University of Michigan (UM) last
week for a four-day conference to discuss the state of affairs in that
region and challenges it faces. The event was organized through the efforts
of UM’s Armenian Studies Professors Gerard Libaridian and Kevork Bardakjian.
Prior to returning to the U.S., Libaridian served in President Levon
Ter-Petrossian’s administration between 1991-97.
Nagorno Karabakh’s Foreign Minister (FM) Ashot Goulian, Armenia’s Deputy FM
Ruben Shugarian, the U.S. State Department’s Caucasus and Central Asia
Director John Fox and Ambassador of Finland to the Caucasus Terhi Hakala
were among the participants. According to press reports, Azeri Deputy FM
Araz Azimov refused to participate after failing to exclude Karabakh
Minister’s presence. Azerbaijan was instead represented by former FM Tofig
Zulfugarov and half a dozen students from around the United States.
Former U.S., Russian and Turkish officials led a candid exchange on the
reasons why efforts to achieve a Karabakh settlement have been a failure so
far. They claimed that the parties to the conflict have not been ready for a
resolution. Former Caucasus Director at the Turkish Foreign Ministry Omer
Ersun said it was a mistake for Turkey not to establish full diplomatic
relations following Armenia’s independence in 1991, and that peace was not
achieved due to disarray in Azerbaijan and policy disagreements in Armenia.
Russia’s former negotiator Vladimir Kazimirov accused the U.S. of
prioritizing its own perceived interests over peace settlement.
Armenia’s former Karabakh envoy David Shahnazarian and several other former
Ter-Petrossian administration officials also took part. (Sources: Ekho
10-23; R&I Report 10-25)
A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
122 C Street, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 393-3434 FAX
(202) 638-4904
E-Mail [email protected] WEB
“Nagorno Karabakh: Realities and Prospects for Development”
Presentation of the NKR Foreign Minister Ashot Goulian
at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
October 19, 2004
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honor for me to address the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), an institution known worldwide for its work on
issues of global concern and particularly on international security.
When contemplating the state of present-day South Caucasus, the
international community, including American policy-makers and policy
analysts, frequently express anxiety about stability and security in our
region. Establishment of normal civilized relations between Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan is, without a doubt, a necessary condition for the long-term
stability and security in the South Caucasus. For these reasons, the
attention you are granting me and the people of Nagorno Karabakh that I
represent is especially worthwhile. That is even as the entire United States
and much of the world are preparing to hold their breath over the
unnervingly close context in the Presidential elections, just two weeks
away.
The South Caucasus today is region of competing geopolitical and
geo-economic visions and designs. It would seem that the attention accorded
by great power interests would contribute to the region’s stability.
However, with the long-running conflicts still unresolved, the region
remains a powder keg and any misstep might risk turning it into an area of
chaos and instability. Any conflict resolution effort in the South Caucasus,
particularly in Nagorno Karabakh, demands careful analysis and consideration
of all local interests.
In the past 15 years, a number of delegations, among them American diplomats
and members of Congress, as well as regional experts, have visited Nagorno
Karabakh, met with its leaders and public in an effort to understand the
conflict and its roots. For our part, it was a pleasure to hear that the
approach we have adopted – to build a statehood based on democratic
institutions and respect for human rights – corresponds to their vision of
what our region should look like.
It can be argued that the violation of human rights and the rights of a
whole nation were and are precisely the factors at the root of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.
I would like to remind you that the Nagorno Karabakh issue first became an
international problem in 1918 after the fall of the Russian Empire and as
newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan began to demarcate their borders.
Karabakh was at the time internationally recognized as a disputed area.
But in the end through a decision of a political party organization of a
third state – the Caucasus bureau of the Russian Communist Party – the
overwhelmingly Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh was denied its
natural territorial and national unity and transferred to Soviet Azerbaijan.
Through the entire period of this forced and unnatural incorporation, the
rights of the Karabakh Armenians were systematically violated by the Soviet
Azerbaijani government. In spite of this pressure, the local population
continued to defend its right to free development and preservation of its
unique culture.
A new stage of the movement for Karabakh’s freedom began at the end of 1987,
with massive meetings and demonstrations involving tens of thousands of
local people. These actions of the Armenian population were strictly
peaceful and constitutional in nature. Unfortunately in response, the Soviet
Azerbaijani leaders tried to provoke inter-ethnic clashes. Azerbaijan
responded to Karabakh’s democratic demands with pogroms and mass murders of
ethnic Armenians throughout Azerbaijan, including in Sumgait, Ganje and
Baku, and a complete blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, which remains in effect
today. An all out war was unleashed in 1991, which continued until 1994,
when in May of that year a cease-fire agreement came into effect and
continues to hold to date.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began to deal
with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1992, when the present format of the
peace process was established. While giving due credit to the OSCE and its
Minsk Group for all of their efforts towards resolution of this long-running
conflict, I would nevertheless have to note that in seeking a political
settlement of the conflict, the mediators have paid little attention to the
legal aspects of the issue. All through the peace process, Nagorno Karabakh
leaders repeatedly stressed that the basis for our separation from Soviet
Azerbaijan in 1991 was so legally sound that it could provide an important
foundation and support to an eventual political settlement of the conflict.
The establishment of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) was declared on
September 2, 1991, shortly after Azerbaijan announced its own independence,
in full conformity with basic norms and principles of international law.
Creation of NKR did not contradict the “Declaration of re-establishment of
the state independence of the Azerbaijan republic,” since Azerbaijan was
re-established in the framework of the 1918-20 republic, which did not
include Nagorno Karabakh.
NKR’s independence was supported by a popular referendum, in which the vast
majority of Karabakh’s population voted for complete independence from
Azerbaijan, whose leaders had in turn proclaimed their independence from the
USSR. That referendum was conducted on the basis of the Soviet law “On the
procedure of secession of a Soviet Republic from the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics.” Article 3 of that law demanded that should a republic,
such as Azerbaijan, decide to leave the Soviet Union, autonomous entities
and compactly settled national minorities, such the Nagorno Karabakh
Autonomous Region and adjacent Armenian-populated districts, have a right to
decide their own legal and political future through a referendum.
Negotiations with participation of mediators began just as the major
fighting was getting underway. The Nagorno Karabakh leadership participated
in these negotiations from the beginning, pursuing two major goals: to stop
the bloodshed and to convince the international community that subordinating
Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan was impossible. Our principle and position
from day one and to date is that there is no alternative to a peaceful
settlement of this conflict.
As you know, the current stage of the peace process is not marked by
intensive negotiations. Recent meetings between Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as well as their Foreign Ministers, certainly facilitate the
peaceful dialogue. However, as the most recent meetings in Prague and Astana
confirmed, not much progress has been made in terms of content of these
talks. Moreover, considering the recent unfortunate experience with the
Paris and Key West negotiations, when Azerbaijan disowned principles reached
at those talks, we are not overly optimistic about Azerbaijan sticking to
whatever new approaches we may agree on. A logical question is therefore
should the parties agree to another set of principles, would they share the
fate of Paris and Key West principles.
Regarding our own participation in negotiations, our position is clear –
Nagorno Karabakh cannot remain outside the process of settlement that
relates directly to its own fate. Mediators recognize this quite well and
they continue to insist on Karabakh’s participation in the process. Only
with Karabakh’s participation, can these negotiations become truly effective
in the way of achieving the soonest and most viable settlement. I would
recall that the May 1994 cease-fire agreement, which marked the most
tangible progress towards resolution of the conflict so far, was achieved
with direct participation of Nagorno Karabakh as a full party to the talks
that undertook and delivered on a set of commitments in terms of
establishment and preservation of the cease-fire regime.
We are also convinced that a successful continuation of the peace process
depends on stability in our region, which in turn is the sum of stable
conditions in all of the regional entities. In the years of independence, we
have succeeded in creating a functioning and politically stable state and
society, which is perhaps one of the most successful in the Caucasus. We now
have an established state institution including a legitimately elected
Parliament and President that enjoy popular confidence and command influence
throughout Karabakh. The Army of Defense of Nagorno Karabakh, which
protected our people from Azerbaijani aggression, today is under civilian
control and serves as the main and real guarantor of the security of our
statehood and our people.
Additionally, Nagorno Karabakh has embarked on the way of reform aiming to
establish a market-based economy. This is in spite of the estimated
multi-billion dollar damage the war caused our infrastructure. Due to
fighting, and especially due to Azerbaijan’s indiscriminate aerial and
artillery shelling, close to half of all of Karabakh residents lost their
homes, that is more than 18,000 private houses and apartments; destroyed
also were some 200 schools and kindergartens, about 170 healthcare
facilities, close to 85 percent of our manufacturing capacity and hundreds
of other facilities.
To rebuild and, at the same time, reform our economy, we had to rely mostly
on our own resources, long-term credits from Armenia and humanitarian aid
from our Diaspora. We did not just survive. We have established a legal
system that regulates economic relations, which allows us to make a gradual
and balanced transformation to a market economy. We have completed
privatization of land and small and medium enterprises. Today, Karabakh has
become an attractive place to work for foreign investors, thanks both to our
natural riches and liberal tax laws, as well as our stability and security
of investments.
Just in the past four years, foreign investments in Karabakh have twice
exceeded the size of our budget, resulting in the overall economic recovery
and development. Today, the private sector makes up for 80 percent of our
industrial output, while that figure was only 20 percent in 1999, just five
years ago. Major foreign investment programs have focused on mining (which
we did not even have in Soviet days), agribusiness, communications, tourism
and other services.
Using this opportunity, I would like to again extend our gratitude for the
humanitarian assistance from the United States, which since 1998 has helped
the victims of war in Nagorno Karabakh. This assistance is allocated through
the USAID and its non-government contractors. The first portion of this
assistance in the amount of $20 million has already been spent. The second
stage of the program, worth $15 million, is currently underway. The funded
projects include restoration and construction of pipes for drinking water,
healthcare facilities, micro-financing and de-mining. This assistance has
eased the lives of thousands and I would like to assure you that every
tax-payer dollar allocated by Congress to Karabakh has served its intended
purpose.
Confident of the international community’s desire to establish stability and
viable peace in our region and interest in the development of the South
Caucasus, we have always been ready for dialogue to achieve these goals. We
remain committed to this constructive approach today, even though we have
yet to see reciprocity from our counterparts in Azerbaijan. Specifically, a
set of confidence-building measures (CBMs) in the conflict area, which our
leadership proposed in 2001, was rejected by Azerbaijan, even as the U.S.
Congress repeatedly offered to fund such measures. These CBMs are designed
to establish basic cooperation between Azerbaijanis and us, even before the
final settlement of the conflict. One example is water resources sharing
that could potentially benefit both sides and require only modest finances.
Such CBM’s remain of utmost importance considering the near total absence of
mutual trust and recently stepped-up militarist rhetoric in Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani leadership, while avoiding all contact with Nagorno
Karabakh, goes as far as to try to prevent any contact between
non-government organizations and even individuals. Azerbaijani peace
activists who have visited Nagorno Karabakh have been harassed and assaulted
upon their return to Azerbaijan.
Capitalizing on Nagorno Karabakh’s absence from international organizations,
Azerbaijan tries to discredit us through baseless accusations and
insinuations. There is really no limit to their propagandistic zeal. To
believe our opponents, Karabakh is straight out of the Mad Max movies, with
chaos reining, nuclear waste buried from around the world, slaves traded,
terrorists roaming free and illicit drugs plentiful. Even though it is
well-documented that it was Azerbaijan that enlisted the forces of chaos and
xenophobic hatred, such as the international terrorist Shamil Basayev and
radical Afghan mercenaries that later made up the core of the Taliban, in
its war against us in the early 1990s.
We have repeatedly requested that international organizations and
governments, including the United States, send monitoring groups to Karabakh
to study on location the baseless allegations made by Azerbaijani officials.
Not surprisingly, Azerbaijan for its part does all it can to prevent such
visits.
The goal of the Azerbaijani government is to maintain a verbal smokescreen
over Karabakh so that the international community and Azerbaijan’s own
citizens remain ignorant of Karabakh’s realities particularly that Karabakh
is well ahead of Azerbaijan in terms of democratic development. At the same
time, Azerbaijan also tries to avoid exposure of the baseless nature of its
accusations. In this regard, we would like to see a principled position of
foreign governments and international organizations, which, we are certain,
are interested in objective information out of Karabakh.
The United States, in particular, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and
a country playing a leadership role around the world, certainly realizes the
importance of building mutual confidence in the region and are capable of
influencing the Azerbaijani leadership so that it backs off its military
threats, works towards promotion of tolerance within their country and
eventual peace throughout our region.
Today, we are witnessing the formation of an open society in Nagorno
Karabakh. We have the necessary legal framework and political climate for
continued democratic development. Since the declaration of independence in
1991, we have conducted several presidential, parliamentary and local
elections, which were observed and positively evaluated by independent
observers, including monitors from the United States. Most importantly, this
is a reflection of the commitment of our people to democratic principles and
our will to move forward as an independent state.
Our position on the peace process and foreign policy in general is based on
the fact that we are representatives of a democratically elected government
of Nagorno Karabakh, whose purpose is to serve and, most basically, provide
security to our citizens.
Democratically developing Nagorno Karabakh cannot be subordinated to an
Azerbaijani state, with its wholesale violation of the rights of
Azerbaijanis themselves and its history of genocidal policies against
Armenians. The Azerbaijani government, which has made not even a single
positive gesture towards Nagorno Karabakh since this conflict began, makes
it abundantly clear that Nagorno Karabakh’s independence from Azerbaijan has
no alternative.
Our position is also based on realities of the world today. We believe that
the international community can serve as a guarantor of Nagorno Karabakh’s
existence and security of its population by recognizing Nagorno Karabakh
Republic as a subject of international law. The non-recognition of NKR is
frequently explained by reluctance of setting a precedent. But these
precedents have already been set. New trends in international relations show
that nations that are forcefully incorporated into newly-established states
and suffer from pressure from central – in fact, colonial, – undemocratic
governments, have a natural right for a separate existence. We have seen
this in East Timor and Eritrea. Finally, in Kosovo it took the U.S.
leadership to stop ethnic cleansing and attempted Genocide and to establish
a de-facto independent entity, something, we as a nation succeeded in doing
almost exclusively on our own.
Based on this fundamental right, we will continue to seek international
recognition of NKR’s independence. Our demand is legally sound and is
grounded on a simple human desire to live freely in peace and dignity. We do
not want what is not ours but we can not compromise on our basic right to
exist. In this effort we count on the understanding of the international
community, which is, without a doubt, interested in the long-term stability
and security of the South Caucasus. It is by taking into account the rights
and fundamental interests of all nations of our region, including Armenians
in Karabakh, that this important goal can be reached.
Thank you for your attention.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/25/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Javakhk Armenians Deliver Strong Message to Council of Europe 2) Turkey Must Recognize Cyprus before Joining EU, Says British Minister 3) Presidents Discuss Economic and Political Cooperation; Weapons Scare at Local Music Hall 4) Heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches Sign Common Declaration in Cairo 5) Zoo Cries Foul after Armenia Bound Elephant Dies 1) Javakhk Armenians Deliver Strong Message to Council of Europe Just as the Council of Europe's Monitoring Committee was to convene on October 24 to review Georgia's fulfillment of obligations and commitments before the European body, Javakhk's Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations submitted a powerful memorandum to that committee outlining commitments that Georgia, on becoming a Council of Europe member in April 1999, has failed to fulfill--namely those dealing with national minorities, local self governance, and autonomy. Pointing to the resulting social and economic decay, they ask that Javakhk be fully integrated into the social, political, socioeconomic, and cultural lives of the country. The stress, however, that integration is not synonymous with assimilation, and that autonomy is a must for the struggling region. The following is the full text of that Memorandum titled, "The Situation in The Samtskhe-Javakheti Region in Georgia And Georgia's Obligations And Commitments before The Council of Europe." As you prepare to hold your next meeting in Georgia, we, the leaders of the Armenian nongovernmental organizations of the Samtskhe-Javakheti territory in Georgia, attaching great importance to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country, wish to bring to your attention the critical situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti, which if left unresolved, could have dire consequences for the population of the territory and for Georgia as a whole. When joining the Council of Europe in 1999, the following were among the obligations and commitments Georgia undertook: a) to sign and ratify, within a year after its accession, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; b) to sign and ratify, within three years after its accession, the European Charter of Local Self-Government, [...] and in the meantime to apply the fundamental principles of [this] instrument; c) to enact, within two years after its accession, a legal framework determining the status of the autonomous territories and guaranteeing them broad autonomy, the exact terms of which are to be negotiated with the representatives of the territories concerned; d) to amend, within three years after its accession, the law on autonomy and local government to enable all the heads of councils to be elected instead of being appointed; e) to adopt, within two years after its accession, a law on minorities based on the principles of Assembly Recommendation 1201 (1993). Five years after accession, Georgia has yet to take steps towards fulfilling the above mentioned commitments and obligations. In fact, the process of fulfilling these commitments before the Council of Europe has failed, and, inter alia, has made the situation in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region critical. The 1995 Georgian constitution does not define the administrative structure of the country and in practice the district-level self-government does not match democratic standards. In the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, discriminatory laws and practices have left the Armenian population far less represented in the district administration. There are no elective bodies on the regional level and there is no legislative base for the institution of state commissioners appointed by presidential decrees. The present administrative structure and the method of governance do not take into account the specifics of the region and do not correspond to the needs of the population. The system has long demonstrated that it is bankrupt and unfruitful. The Samtskhe-Javakheti region has actually been pushed out of the governing processes of the country. The administrative governance of the region has been frustrated. At the local level, flagrant discrimination is practiced against the local Armenian population; in contrast to the rest of the country, in the Armenian populated areas of Samtskhe-Javakheti most sakrebulos (locally elected bodies) incorporate several villages, whereas each Georgian populated village has a separate sakrebulo, thus artificially increasing the Georgian presence on the district level. These measures, policies and practices are in direct contradiction to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which Georgia had undertaken to sign and ratify within three years after its accession and in the meantime to apply the fundamental principles of this instrument. No short or long-term socio-economic programs to serve the interests of the population are implemented. The poverty and desperation have reached threatening levels. Educational and cultural conditions are unsatisfactory. In the last ten months, we have conveyed our concerns and recommendations to the highest authorities in Georgia and to the (now former) Secretary General of the Council of Europe, but to no avail. All of them have failed to even acknowledge receipt of our written communications. It is crucial to have the Samtskhe-Javakheti region fully integrated in the state, political, socioeconomic and cultural lives of the country. But integration is not synonymous to assimilation, neither is autonomy to secession. In a democratic society, integration can only be achieved through participation. Policies and practices pursuing assimilation or artificial and forceful change of demographic realities can only result in the opposite. Integration requires that both the majority and the minority have the desire for it and the willingness to take mutual steps towards each other. Under the guise of integration, the Georgian authorities have enacted laws which are contrary to the spirit and letter of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which Georgia had undertaken to sign and ratify within a year after its accession, but has failed to do so after over five years following its accession. Furthermore, and in direct contradiction of the above-mentioned Framework Convention and European Charter, the Georgian authorities have recently introduced a draft law on education, which, if enacted, would effectively prevent Georgia's national minorities, including the Armenians, from education at all levels in their relevant regional or minority languages. There is no broad social-political consensus in the country on political issues connected with ethnic diversity of Georgia and its internal political and administrative systems. The reported Armenian ancestry of politicians and public figures is often regarded to be derogatory. Whereas the existence of a large number of Armenian cultural and religious monuments, as well as historical records speak of the fact that in Southern Georgia, including in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, the Armenians are natives, Georgian society regards the Armenians in those regions as newcomers. There is recorded evidence of attempts to "Georgianize" these monuments. The Georgian authorities are sending contradictory messages on how national minorities can protect and promote their linguistic and cultural rights: whereas, on the one hand, the Georgian authorities are undermining the linguistic and cultural rights of the law-abiding national minorities, on the other hand, in order to appease those who have declared their independence from Georgia, the same authorities promise them to protect and promote their language and culture in return for restoring Georgian sovereignty on those territories. We are convinced that if Georgia completely and sincerely honors its accession obligations and commitments, especially those mentioned at the beginning of this Memorandum, it would greatly help alleviate the serious situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti. Hence we appeal to you, the Committee on the Honoring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe, to ensure that Georgia honors its commitments entered into on its accession to the Council of Europe. We are at the disposal of your Committee for further elaboration and discussion. Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations of the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region in Georgia October 21, 2004 Akhalkalaki The Council attaches its December 30, 2003 appeal to then acting President of Georgia Nino Burjanadze; appeal to President Saakashvili to grant autonomy to Javakhk; and letter to Secretary General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer 2) Turkey Must Recognize Cyprus before Joining EU, Says British Minister NICOSIA (Combined Sources)--The United Kingdom's minister to Europe Denis MacShane appeared to raise the bar for Turkish membership to the European Union, saying, "It is not possible for Turkey to become a member of the European Union while it does not recognize a member of the Union. This is legally impossible." MacShane was in Northern Cyprus for a fact-finding visit that included meetings with a number of Turkish Cypriot politicians. MacShane also stressed there is no justification for Turkey to retain thousands of troops on the soil of an EU member state. In a strongly-worded message to Ankara, MacShane also called on the Turkish government to withdraw its troops from the divided island of Cyprus. "This money could be spent on social projects that would benefit both communities," he said. He added his belief that once normal relations between Nicosia and Ankara had begun, negotiations over the demilitarization of the island would begin under the auspices of the UN. MacShane called on the Cypriots of both sides of the Green Line to put the "problems of the last century" behind them and work together to face new challenges. But while pushing for Turkey's recognition of Cyprus, the minister asked that a date to begin the Turkish accession talks be set. He added that it would be wrong to insist that Turkey removes all its troops from the island as a precondition for a starting date. 3) Presidents Discuss Economic and Political Cooperation; Weapons Scare at Local Music Hall TBILISI (Combined Sources)On Sunday, President Robert Kocharian ended a three-day official visit to Georgia, which he and his Georgian counterpart Mikhail Saakashvili said will help the two neighboring nations strengthen their relations. The two leaders held a series of talks that focused on bilateral trade, transport, and other economic issues. The economic focus of the visit was underscored by an Armenian-Georgian economic forum that began its work in Tbilisi during the weekend. Saakashvili and Kocharian presided over its opening session. Twenty-nine businessmen accompanied Kocharian to the forum, and discussed the privatization of the Poti Port and the energy sector. The situation in the Armenian-populated Javakhk region in southern Georgia was also on the agenda of the talks. The Armenian and Georgian leaders discussed economic development programs for the impoverished region, with Kocharian indicating that Armenia is ready to assist in rebuilding local roads leading to the Armenian border. Kocharian also held a separate meeting with leaders of the Armenian community in Tbilisi. At a joint briefing to journalists, Kocharian stressed the need to reconstruct the railway through Abkhazia that would link Armenia with Russia. The Armenian president went on to say, however, that this issue could be resolved only by Georgia. "More frequent railway movement is better for all of us. The absence of railway communications is neither favorable to Armenians or Georgians. I think that a pragmatic approach to this issue would be very useful, although I understand that it is a very difficult issue, and Georgia has to decide what to do," the Armenian president said. Saakashvili chose not to comment on the issue, speaking instead of regional cooperation. "The Baltic countries could push for this idea to take shape as part of the [EU] new neighbors policy. We are ready to cooperate with them," said Kocharian. On Saturday, Kocharian met with Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, who praised the Armenian president, saying, "I want to say that Kocharian always pays great attention to eliminate even small defects in relations with Georgia," Zhvania told reporters, and said the talks addressed Georgia's import of electricity from Armenia. Kocharian also met with Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze, and said afterwards that close cooperation between the parliaments is one of the main components of bilateral relations. "We agreed to strengthen the relations between our parliaments, and, I will also invite the Speaker of the Armenian parliament to Georgia. We have cooperated in the past, and now we only need to refresh it," he told journalists in the parliament after the meeting. Burjanadze welcomed the idea of bilateral cooperation between the two parliaments, saying that "this is in the interests of both countries and the region as a whole." Kocharian also met with Georgian Patriarch Ilia II, and visited the Heroes Square where he laid a wreath on the memorial to soldiers who died fighting to preserve Georgia's territorial integrity. Later, Saakashvili and Kocharian expressed their condolence to former Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze in connection with his wife's death. They paid their respects by going to the presidential Krtsanisi residence late at night. Afterwards, Kocharian and Saakashvili visited the Adjaria Music Hall, where a show in honor of the Armenian president was being held. The joyous atmosphere of the evening was marred when weapons were discovered in the building. Investigators have not yet determined if the weapons were linked to a possible dual assassination attempt. The two presidents spent that night at the presidential residence in Likani, near Borjomi. On the third and last day of the official visit, Kocharian met with the Armenian diaspora of Georgia, during which complaints about unemployment were the focus of talks. Also on Sunday, Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia Haik Harutunian, and Georgia's Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Okruashvili signed an agreement to create a joint board that will work to eradicate the trafficking of drugs and stolen cars. Their first session will be held on December 20. "This board will have to meet once every two-three months in order to develop this idea," stated Okruashvili at the briefing, after the signing of the agreement. 4) Heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches Sign Common Declaration in Cairo ANTELIAS--The seventh meeting of the heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches of the Middle EastCoptic, Syrian, and Armeniantook place in Cairo, Egypt on October 21, following the meeting between the standing committees of the three churches. In their Common Declaration, which thanked God for the centuries' long unity that has existed between the churches, His Holiness Pope Shnouda III, His Holiness Mar Ignatius Zakka I, and His Holiness Aram I emphasized the importance of bilateral theological dialogue, and the need to resume such dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches. Within the declaration, the three church heads expressed their deep concern for the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate's use of the word "Catholicosate" in describing itself, and noted that if Roman Catholic Church fails to solve the matter, "our churches will not participate in the official theological dialogue with the Catholic church." Referring to dialogue with the Anglican World communion that was suspended by these churches after the ordination of an Anglican gay bishop in the United States, the heads of the churches reiterated their concern and the position of their churches that "all practice and behavior related to marriage and sexual orientation must be in accord with the biblical and moral teachings of our Churches. We hope that in the near future the Anglican Communion will solve this matter which will enable us to resume our theological dialogue with the Anglican Communion." The Church heads renewed "the commitment of their churches to peace with justice," and condemned "all forms and expression of violence and urged all to engage in processes and actions aimed at conflict resolution through mutual love, respect and trust." In referring to the current situation in the Middle East, the declaration stated: "The escalation of violence and confusion in Iraq worries us. Due to this situation, the country is losing its people either through deaths or immigration. We urge all Iraqi citizens, regardless of their religious and cultural backgrounds, to work for the wellbeing of their country and their fellow citizens. We call on all nations to assist the people of Iraq in helping to restore independence and sovereignty with the full participation of all Muslim and Christian communities in Iraq. We renew our call for a renewed peace process that will focus on the establishment of a Palestinian state and the right to return for the Palestinians. True and lasting peace will only be realized when justice and dignity is upheld and maintained, and when Israel, according to UN Security Council Resolutions, withdraws from Arab and Palestinian territories." 5) Zoo Cries Foul after Armenia Bound Elephant Dies (BBC)--The seven-year-old elephant calf Komala, due to have flown to Armenia as a gift from Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, died in agony after what officials at the Msyore zoo in southern India are calling a conspiracy by insiders. Komala--the darling of one of India's oldest zoos, was described as attractive and playful, and had been hand-picked for Armenia because of her pleasing features, officials say. Doctors battled for hours to save her on Friday, but in vain. "It is really unfortunate. The elephant was to fly out on October 14, but we could not get a confirmed cargo booking," said the zoo's director Manoj Kaman." The next date fixed was October 30, but destiny had other plans." Officials suspect she could be the latest victim of poisoning by disgruntled employees, and, perhaps, a persistent campaign to discredit the zoo for reasons unknown. Two elephants and an endangered lion-tailed macaque died in similar circumstances in August. An official inquiry began on Monday. It is suspected that all the deaths could be due to poisoning. Komala had died despite tight security arrangements following the deaths of the two other elephants, Ganesha and Roopa, and the lion-tailed macaque in August. Ganesha and Roopa had acute hemorrhage enteritis and respiratory distress caused by zinc phosphide, normally used as poison for rodents. This is not the first time animals have died mysteriously in captivity in Measure, leading some to believe there is a plot to damage the state-run zoo's reputation--although it is not clear why anyone would want to do so. Last year, a chimp, and two EMU's from Australia also died under suspicious circumstances. 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) 2004 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.

Date: October 25, 2004
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT : Migirdic Migirdicyan
“Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund Toronto
Telephone : (416) 332 0787
Fax : (416) 332 0736
[email protected]
ALL-ARMENIAN FUND TORONTO BUILT THE SCHOOL FOR THE SHOSH VILLAGE IN
KARABAGH
TORONTO, Canada, October 25, 2004 – For the people of Shosh, in
Karabagh, October 10, 2004 was a very festive day. After some 120 years
of waiting the village finally got their school building. The project
was financed by the Toronto Chapter of “Hayasdan” All Armenian Fund. The
school which was named after Sarkis Aprahamian, a scholar from the same
village, has ten classrooms, a computer room, the principle’s office,
teachers’ room, medical room, library and an auditorium, all in all a
three story modern building for 150 students.
The opening ceremonies were presided by the President of NKR Mr. Argati
Ghougassian and Archbishop Barkev Mardirossian, Primate of Artsakh. The
Executive Director of the Fund Mrs. Naira Melkoumian, Minister of Urban
Development Mr. Boris Alavertian, other ministers, local officials and a
delegation from Toronto headed by Migirdic Migirdicyan, Chairman of the
Toronto Chapter of the Fund were present.
In his remarks President Ghougassian praised the building and emphasized
the fact that Toronto, despite its relatively small Armenian population,
has been one of the most active communities which has been realizing
humanitarian projects year after year. Mr. Migirdicyan, after
congratulating the people of Shosh, announced the new projects for the
2005 which will be bringing water to three villages, and soon after, the
construction of another school with the same engineering design as
Shosh. After the blessing of the school by Archbishop Mardirossian, the
ribbon cutting ceremony took place and the doors of the school opened to
all the villagers, students, teachers and the visitors.
As the school was fully furnished, including the state of the art
computers, the classes started the very next day.
For additional information or a sample copy please contact:
“Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund Toronto
5005 Steeles avenue East, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Telephone : (416) 332 07 87, Fax : (416) 332 0736, [email protected]
Hayastan Foundation Canada Inc. is a charitable organization, realizing
humanitarian projects in Armenia and Karabagh. Over the last twelve
years it has undertaken and successfully completed winter heating, water
distribution, medical and school construction projects.

Philippine Star, Philippines
26 Oct. 2004
Thai foe next for Manny
By Joaquin Henson
The Philippine Star 10/26/2004
It doesn’t look like Guyana stylist Gairy St. Clair will be consensus
world featherweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent
after all.
Instead, Thai veteran Fahsan 3-K Battery, a former World Boxing
Federation (WBF) bantamweight titlist, looms as Pacquiao’s foe in a
non-title bout here on Dec. 4.
Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario told The Star yesterday
negotiations are being finalized to bring Fahsan to Manila for the
fight billed as a tuneup for the Juan Manuel Marquez rematch in Las
Vegas on Feb. 26.
St. Clair was demoted in the order of battle because he will likely run
more than fight in a Pacquiao faceoff. The Australia-based fighter is
known for his footwork and boxing skills. Lack of power is why St.
Clair isn’t inclined to brawl and go toe-to-toe.
“We don’t want to see Manny chasing his opponent all over the ring,”
said Pacquiao’s US promoter Murad Muhammad who’s in town to iron out
the details of the match. “We want to give Manny’s Filipino fans their
money’s worth. We want a competitive fight. We want an opponent who can
give Manny trouble. We want to see Manny at his best.”
Fahsan, 30, is a fighter who’ll engage Pacquiao in a slugfest without
backing down. His record is 44-7-1 with 23 KOs. Filipinos seem to be
his favorite victims as he has beaten at least 20, including the likes
of Nathan Barcelona, Ramil Anito, Jaime Acerda, Joebar Damosmog, Eugene
Gonzales, Ricky Sales and Archie Ano-os.
Pacquiao left the country to train in Freddie Roach’s gym in Los
Angeles last Sept. 8 and returned a month later with no confirmed fight
booking. Nazario said Pacquiao will not go back to the US until after
the Manila bout.
“Manny will continue his training in Davao,” said Nazario. “Two or
three weeks before the fight, he will move to Manila and finish off his
workouts.”
Pacquiao is now in Manila competing in the Philippine 9-Ball Billiards
Open.
A reliable source said Muhammad will deliver a whopping $500,000 purse
for Pacquiao in the coming match. The source added that Pacquiao has
already advanced about P5 million from Nazario and Muhammad.
Muhammad is expected to call a press conference shortly to announce the
final details of the fight.
Fahsan, a southpaw like Pacquiao, stopped Pirus Boy of Indonesia in the
first round to win the vacant WBF bantamweight crown in Surat Thani in
February 1999. He halted Duncan Magubane of South Africa in his first
defense six months later then relinquished the crown. Fahsan went on to
capture the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental
bantamweight and Pan Pacific superbantamweight titles. He is ranked No.
4 by the IBF in the 122-pound division.
Last May, Fahsan traveled to the US to meet Art Simonyan in an IBF
superbantamweight title eliminator. He lost by a unanimous decision.
The Thai nearly floored Simonyan in the ninth round when he landed a
vicious left cross to the body and staggered the Armenian with a left
counter, 40 seconds to go.
Boxing News writer Jim Brady said Fahsan is “a veteran of Muay Thai
fighting and (is) used to getting whacked with bamboo poles and
training on ground glass.”
Fahsan, whose real name is Narongrit Pirang, belongs to the same stable
as Pacquiao’s conqueror Medgoen Singsurat.
Nazario said he offered Medgoen a spot in the undercard to fight rising
superflyweight prospect Z Gorres but the Thai refused to venture
overseas.
Fahsan turned pro in 1992 and lost his first four outings on points.
But he regrouped to capture the Thai featherweight diadem in only his
ninth fight. In 1995, Fahsan dropped a decision to Tony Wehbee of
Australia in a bid for the WBF superbantamweight crown. Four years
later, he won the WBF bantamweight belt.
Pacquiao has a tendency to take opponents lightly in non-title fights.
And he has paid dearly for it.
Last year, he was decked by Serik Yeshmangbetov in the fourth round of
a non-title contest before flooring the tough Kazakh twice in the fifth
to score a knockout at the Luneta.
Pacquiao has been knocked down only by Rustico Torrecampo, Medgoen,
Nedal Hussein, Yeshmangbetov and Marco Antonio Barrera in a career that
started in 1995. He hasn’t lost since the Medgoen debacle in 1999.
Pacquiao is unbeaten in his last 14 fights and boasts a record of
38-2-2, with 30 KOs.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zaman, Turkey
25 Oct. 2004
ETYEN MAHCUPYAN
“Minority” in the Report
Do you think it is possible to progress on the European Union (EU) path
without understanding the fact that a national policy can only be
composed with the help of a combined willpower filtered by communal
discussion?
That EU already exists as a concrete expression of this political
concept with its process of existence and constitution. However, Turkey
is not able to escape from the vicious circle forcing it to depend on
“the divine format.”
Hence, the political preferences that emerged in the first years of
Republic seem to have determined the future of this country
everlastingly.
Therefore, it cannot be admitted that each of the said principles of
existence are political choices, and the Republic that is obliged to
carry the temporary social consensus of the changing demands, should
turn into a burden laden with a divine subject on our shoulders.
“The minority” concept is one of the most outstanding features of this
concept…
According to the official expression, the word “minority” includes only
Greeks, Jewish and Armenian community members in conformity with the
Lausanne Peace Treaty.
Kurds and Alevis are not included in this definition since Lausanne
does not mention them.
How can a country misinterpret its own founding agreement on purpose?
However, it happens in our country. Lausanne directly refers to some
sort of rights for all Turkish citizens, other than the definition of
minority for all non-Muslims, without giving a name to the community.
If you seriously consider all the rights specified for all Turkish
citizens in Lausanne, you can neither ban the Kurdish language nor
indirectly impose Alevi religious practices. In short, the Turkish
Republic has systematically ignored Lausanne.
Whereas, the “minority” concept nowadays is presented within a
different framework and perceived as an extension of a democratic
outlook.
Any community that shows signs of deficiency towards a part
power-dominant, standing outside the dominant ethnic, religious and
cultural part in a community, and is able to produce a specific
cultural identity for itself, is called a “minority.”
It is possible to call it “objective minority” because it gives the
said community a definition outside.
Of course, there is something about how a community feels, positions
itself and where it sees itself: We might call that “subjective
minority.”
The existence of a political minority is only available when both the
objective and subjective minority facts go along together.
Henceforth, Kurds and Alevis cannot consider themselves as minorities.
No one force them to define themselves as minorities.
But the EU explicitly and objectively perceives them as minorities…
They both have unique and cultural identities independent of the
dominant culture and are in a secondary position under the sovereign
culture.
Turkey seems to have changed some sentences since it does not like the
“minority” expression in the EU [Progress] Report.
Why were we perturbed by Kurds and Alevis being called minorities?
It must have been to resist the Western world’s opportunity of
intervening and not to step back from our “ancient” position.
Yet, there is an odd situation here because the minorities according to
international law definition have no right to decide their own destiny,
but the communities that are not regarded as minorities have.
I am very curious: Does Turkey really know what it is doing and why it
is defending what?
To be honest, as one who defends Kurdish people being equal, I do not
object to Turkey’s position on this.
However, if anyone does not know what it means, there are crucial
problems before since it will not be very easy to keep them under the
sovereign identity and at the same time not give the Kurds and Alevis a
minority status.
–Boundary_(ID_jeLkmjg/JKuQFAjUQk7DkA)–

Chelmsford church land sale could bring housing
By TOM SPOTH, Sun Staff
Lowell Sun, MA
25 Oct. 2004
CHELMSFORD — The cash-strapped St. Vartanantz Armenian Church has
sold eight acres of its 16.6-acre property to raise money for repairs
and hire a full-time priest, church officials said.
Billerica developer Fran McCarthy is planning a 32-unit
affordable-housing development on the St. Vartanantz land, according
to town officials.
Paul Ketchoyian, chairman of the church’s parish council, said the
land sold for $1.5 million, a figure that could increase depending on
the number of units approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. Chapter
40B affordable-housing plans fall under the ZBA’s purview.
Ketchoyian said the land could have fetched a larger sum, but the
parish council wanted to choose a buyer that would develop the land
responsibly. (One bidder planned to build 108 condominiums, he said.)
“It boiled down to what we thought was good for the town and good
for the church,” Ketchoyian said. “Anything less (than $1.5 million)
would not solve the problem.”
The income will pay off a mortgage on the church building, and interest
earned will help with upkeep, Ketchoyian said. Money that had been used
for mortgage payments would then be freed up to pay for a full-time
priest, he said. St. Vartanantz currently uses a part-time priest
that visits the church only on Sundays.
McCarthy has not filed plans with the town yet, director of community
development Andrew Sheehan said. McCarthy is currently seeking approval
from MassHousing, a state money-lender for affordable projects.
Ketchoyian indicated that the main access to the property would be
off Walnut Street, and residents in the area have already called the
church with concerns about the proposal.
Ten triplexes and one duplex are planned for the site, Sheehan said.
According to Ketchoyian, the units would be restricted to buyers who
are at least 55 years old.
McCarthy did not return a phone call seeking comment.

PRESS RELEASE
“Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Building 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Artak Harutyunyan
Tel: 3741 52 09 40
Fax: 3741 52 37 95
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
2004-10-25
On the threshold of the Telethon scheduled on November 25, Yerevan
schools continue their fundraising efforts. On October 22, one more
fundraising event took place in Yerevan. This time the students of
school N132 after Admiral Isakov raised funds to the benefit of the
North-South project. They handed over the money to the “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund’s officials during the ceremony organized in the
school.