Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
October 6, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA “HYE VOTER TURNOUT” CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING
— Record Armenian American Turnout
Expected on November 2nd
WASHINGTON, DC – With only a few weeks left to the November 2nd
Presidential and Congressional elections, Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) chapters have teamed up with activists
across the country, as part of the ANCA’s “Hye Voter Turnout”
campaign, to make their last push to ensure record levels of
Armenian American participation in the electoral process.
Over the past several months, local ANCA chapters have been working
within their communities to raise awareness about federal, state
and local candidates and the issues facing the Armenian American
community. A powerful tool in this effort has been the ANCA
Candidate Questionnaire, available on the ANCA website, which has
provided candidates from across the nation with the opportunity to
speak directly to their Armenian American constituents. The ANCA
Congressional Candidate Questionnaire includes nine different
questions on the topics of the Armenian Genocide; U.S. support for
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh; U.S.-Armenia economic relations;
Self-determination for Nagorno Karabagh; Conditions on U.S. aid to
Azerbaijan; the Turkish blockade of Armenia, and; the U.S. subsidy
of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline bypass of Armenia. For an Adobe PDF
version of the ANCA Questionnaire, visit:
The ANCA has also teamed up with local Armenian Youth Federation
chapters in national voter registration efforts, working to
increase the Armenian American voice at the ballot box. Activists
have set up registration tables at local churches, community
centers and even local business establishments, providing the forms
and information needed to register. These efforts have made it
easy for young people to register through the ANCA voter
registration website and “Rock the Vote,” MTV’s youth voter
education program.
At the national level, the ANCA has endorsed Senator John Kerry as
clearly the better candidate on issues facing the Armenian American
community. At the same time, the ANCA – locally and nationally –
continues to highlight the powerful leadership demonstrated by a
great many Congressional Republicans on Armenian issues, notably by
Armenian Caucus Co- Chairman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Genocide
Resolution author George Radanovich (R-CA), and Senators such as
Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Ensign (R-NV), George Allen (R-VA),
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), and many others.
Working with local chapters or Armenians for Kerry, the ANCA has
spent the past several months raising awareness of Senator Kerry’s
20-year record of supporting Armenian American concerns – on issues
ranging from recognition of the Armenian Genocide and self-
determination for Nagorno Karabagh, to increased aid, expanded
trade, and an end to the blockades of Armenia. The ANCA
endorsement of Senator Kerry includes a full review of the
Senator’s record as well as a listing of the many areas in which
President has disappointed the Armenian American community. This
text can be found at:
;pressregion=anca
The ANCA’s “Hye Voter Turnout” four-part strategy in support of the
Kerry-Edwards ticket was formally launched on August 28th, with the
Armenstock 2004 / Kef for Kerry event in Massachusetts
(). This major day-long music festival featured
leading Armenian musicians and speeches by Armenian activists and
elected officials, including Congressmen Barney Frank (D-MA) and
James McGovern (D-MA), as well as State Representatives Peter
Koutoujian and Rachel Kaprielian. Additional get-out-the-Armenian-
vote concerts are planned as part of the Kef for Kerry Tour of
Battleground States. The tour includes stops in the key swing
states of Wisconsin – October 8th, Michigan – October 23rd, Florida
– October 24th, and, Pennsylvania – October 29th. For additional
information, visit:
The second element of the ANCA plan was the “Friends for Kerry
Postcard Campaign,” which debuted at Armenstock. This campaign
circulated tens of thousands of pre-addressed postcards which were
sent by Armenians in solidly pro-Kerry states like New York and
California to fellow Armenians in twelve swing states: Arizona,
Arkansas, Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The
postcard urges voters to “compare the records of Senator Kerry and
President Bush on Armenian issues, to weight the importance of your
ballot for the future of US-Armenian relations, and the please
consider casting your vote for the Kerry-Edwards ticket on November
2nd.”
The third part of the ANCA plan is a series of “Calling for Kerry”
weekends on October 9-10 and October 30-31. Building on the
postcard campaign, local activists are teaming up with Armenian
Youth Federation and Armenians for Kerry chapters in hosting
gatherings and “cell phone parties” to reach out to thousand of
Armenian American households in sixteen swing states. In addition
to supporting the Kerry-Edwards ticket, activists will highlight
the need for strong turnout for friends of Armenia in Congress,
both Democratic and Republican. The fourth and final part of the
ANCA effort is a grassroots “Canvassing for Kerry” program that
will go door-to-door to getting out the vote for John Kerry and
other friends of Armenia on Election Day.

Washington Times
October 06, 2004
Christian church may hold key to European Union
By Julia Duin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey – When a mentally deranged Turk showed up at Diyarbakir
Evangelical Church one hot July day quoting verses from the Koran and waving
a butcher knife, it took police a half-hour to get there.
By that time, Medet Arslan, 27, had broken several windows, threatened
the Christians who were inside the church, and burned New Testaments and
other Christian literature, curtains, bookshelves, tapes, compact discs and
whatever furniture he could find in the reception hall. Had church members
not locked him inside the room, he might have gone to the sanctuary on the
second floor to do more damage.
Known in Turkish as Diyarbakir Kilisesi, the 11-year-old congregation just
inside the ancient white-and-gray basalt city walls is the only evangelical
Christian group in all of eastern Turkey. The closest similar church is at
Adana, in central Turkey near the southern coast. House prayer groups exist
in the cities of Sanli Urfa and Gazi Antep, which are respectively two- and
three-hour drives west of Diyarbakir.
However, this small congregation is playing a minor role in today’s
announcement in Brussels on whether talks can start regarding Turkey’s
admission to the European Union. Some governments – among them those of
Britain, Greece, Finland and Poland – favor Turkey’s admission to the union.
Others, including Denmark and Austria, oppose it. Turkey’s lackluster human
rights record, especially regarding political prisoners, and slowness to
allow religious freedom are two of the sticking points in the debate.
Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, was the capital of the Byzantine
Empire and a center of Christianity centuries before the birth of Islam.
Scattered Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and other churches,
monasteries, cathedrals and pilgrimage sites of the early centuries of the
Christian era remain in use as places of worship.
Sami Turgut, a diplomat at the Turkish Embassy, defended his country’s
actions.
“We have already made huge changes,” he said, “and we are still making
some changes in our laws and [penal] code.”
Turkey’s eagerness to be part of the European Union has dampened
religious harassment aimed at evangelical Christians. In recent years, the
national Committee of Culture and Protection of Historical Sites has filed
two lawsuits to shut down the Diyarbakir evangelical Christian congregation.
Now the church is being watched by Europeans – namely German, Dutch and
British lawmakers, embassy officials and ambassadors who have visited – to
gauge whether Turkey is serious about human rights for religious and ethnic
minorities. Minor matters, such as slow police response to an attack on the
church, concern them.
Diyarbakir Kilisesi is made up of both Christians and Kurds, Turkey’s
main ethnic minority. Diyarbakir is in the heartland of a region known for
its uprisings seeking self-rule for about 15 million Kurds packed into
cities such as Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin.
These cities became sanctuaries after the government destroyed hundreds
of villages in the 1990s in search of members of the Kurdistan Workers
Party. Caught in the middle were villagers who sided with neither group but
who, after their homes were bulldozed by the government, had to leave their
farms and live in urban ghettos.
Because of their sufferings, the Kurds tend to be more open to
Christianity, said Jerry Mattix, an American pastor who has been assisting
the 40-member Diyarbakir Kilisesi since he moved his young family there in
2001.
“Kurds tend to be freethinkers,” he said, “and they are more open than
the Turks, who have a lot of baggage and preconceived notions about
Christianity.”
Mr. Mattix, who acts as a church consultant and Bible teacher to the
congregation and to chief elders Ahmet Guvener and Cengiz Bayram, estimates
the country has 70 evangelical Protestant churches, comprising 5,000
believers. Many meet in homes.
A decade ago, there were 20 such churches, he said, and most of those
gatherings were held in secret. The political atmosphere in Turkey has
improved enough, he added, to allow Christians to meet openly, to have
summer camps attracting several hundred people and to have public baptisms
in the Mediterranean Sea.
Some fears remain. During lunch at a local restaurant, several members
of his church were openly nervous about being asked – within earshot of
other patrons – how they had become Christians.
One said he was directed in a dream to seek out the church. Others said
they had responded to newspaper ads offering a correspondence course in
Christianity. Respondents are directed to contact persons in nine Turkish
cities.
“We are relatively free and we are tolerated now,” Mr. Mattix said.
“What attracted me to Turkey is that here’s a Muslim country that’s
relatively open to evangelism. We [evangelical Christians] ought to be all
over this.”
Turkish churches have an abundance of single men, who do volunteer work
daily at the church because of the lack of jobs in what is considered an
outlaw province by other Turks. Bookshelves at the Diyarbakir church are
loaded with free Christian books and tapes, and copious numbers are handed
out to the 20 visitors the church sees on an average day.
The two-hour Sunday service in an upstairs room with upholstered beige
chairs and a blue tile floor look like any similar house of worship in an
American storefront. Worship is led with a guitar, a narrow Turkish drum and
a “saz,” an instrument shaped like a mandolin.
But conversions to Christianity are few. Of the 20 to 30 baptized
members, Mr. Mattix says, maybe 10 are mature Christians.
“There isn’t a huge outpouring of the Holy Spirit here yet, but we are
praying for it,” he said.
Unlike other mainly Islamic countries, Turkey does not follow provisions
of Islamic law that forbid Muslims to change their religion or exact the
death penalty on those who do. But conversion to Christianity is
discouraged, and Diyarbakir Kilisesi has endured two lawsuits filed by the
local governor’s office to shut it down.
The church won one lawsuit that accused members of interfering with the
Meryamana Kilisesi, a third-century Aramaic church and convent across a
narrow alley.
A second lawsuit accused the evangelicals of illegally setting up a
church in a home. Although Mr. Guvener does not live in the three-story
building the church occupies, construction was halted for a few months until
a court awarded the church the right to occupy its building last year.
Before that, the congregation met in private homes.
“But the laws aren’t in place to make us fully legal,” Mr. Mattix said.
“We need full legality to function as a church and to run a children’s
program. But any work with children needs permission from the Ministry of
Education. But this will take massive rewriting of Turkish law,” involving
directives that affect mosques as well as churches.
The problem with legalizing religious buildings is that many of the
mosques function illegally as well, he said, meaning that Muslims would have
to join the Christians in making their ministries compliant with the law.
Thus, Diyarbakir Kilisesi functions in a gray area between legality and
illegality where any group that feels threatened by the church can file a
lawsuit. Although Turkey has been a secular country since 1923, 98 percent
of the populace is Muslim. Christians are mainly Armenian and Greek
Orthodox, or evangelical Protestants who are converts from Islam.
Events in Europe have tempered the religious harassment, Mr. Mattix
said, which may be why the church has won in court lately.
“We are optimistic,” said Tuluy Tanc, another spokesman for the embassy.
“We feel we will have fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria – demands made of
Turkey by the EU several years ago – as a result of the wide-scale reforms
we have undertaken. There may be some misgivings, but those aren’t enough to
put off negotiations.”

Baku Today
Politics
Pressure Group Says It Will Again Prevent Armenians’ Visit to Baku
AssA-Irada 06/10/2004 15:54
The Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) will hold actions in protest
against Armenian MPs’ planned visit to Baku to attend the 58th Rose-Roth
seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
Chairman of the pressure group Akif Naghi told a new conference on Tuesday
that Armenians should not be allowed to visit Baku.
`Establishment of official or unofficial relations between the two countries
serves Armenia’s policy, as Azerbaijan’s lands are still under the Armenian
occupation,’ he said.
The KLO chairman said the organization will try to prevent Armenian
parliamentarians’ visit to Baku by all means.

Disabled Armenian veterans protest over benefits, housing
.c The Associated Press
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Dozens of disabled Armenian veterans protested
outside the government headquarters Wednesday, demanding pensions,
better housing and other benefits for taking part in a war with
neighboring Azerbaijan nearly 10 years ago.
Asya Barkhudaryana, a nurse who was shot and wounded in
Nagorno-Karabakh, said problems with finding appropriate housing were
most acute for the fighters and others wounded during the war in the
early 1990s.
Many complain that only the soldiers who fought in the war and their
families have received adequate housing and government payments.
“The disabled from the Karabakh war are in the most difficult
position, since only families of the dead (soldiers) are given top
priority for apartments,” Barkhudaryana said.
Armenian-backed forces drove Azerbaijan’s army out of Nagorno-Karabakh
– a mountainous ethnic Armenian region within Azerbaijan – before a
cease-fire was signed in 1994, ending the six-year war.
Nearly 30,000 people were killed and about one million left
homeless. No agreement has been reached on the territory’s final
status and relations are tense between the two countries.
10/06/04 14:47 EDT

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
October 6, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. PALLONE CALLS ON SECRETARY OF STATE TO PROTEST TURKISH
LAW CRIMINALIZING DISCUSSION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) this week called upon Secretary of State Colin
Powell to formally protest Turkey’s adoption of a new penal code
that criminalizes even the discussion of the Armenian Genocide,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Section 306 of new Turkish penal code provides for prison sentences
of between three and ten years for remarks concerning the facts of
the Armenian Genocide or the withdrawal of Turkish occupation
forces from Cyprus. In his letter, Congressman Pallone noted that
this action represents a “hardening [of Turkey’s] anti-Armenian
stance and undermines hopes for a reduction of tensions in the
region.”
Commenting specifically regarding the Administration’s opposition
to the Genocide Resolution (H.Res.193 and S.Res.164), Rep. Pallone
said, “We have been told, recently and in the past, that the State
Department and the Administration have fought so strenuously
against this legislation, because its adoption would somehow harm
progress in the region toward the normalization of ties between
these two states. This line of reasoning is, in my view, deeply
flawed. However, if the State Department were to seriously rely on
this argument concerning improved Turkey-Armenia relations, it
would stand to reason that the State Department should also
publicly and privately condemn Turkey’s patently hateful
codification of its official campaign to deny the Armenian
Genocide.”
“Armenian Americans, having endured years of attacks on efforts to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, remain profoundly troubled by the
hypocrisy of a State Department that never hesitates to openly
protest – and strenuously work against – legislation before
Congress commemorating this crime, yet seems perpetually unable to
summon the will to utter even a single word of concern regarding
Turkey’s hateful and shameless campaign of genocide denial,” said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
The full text of Congressman Pallone’s letter is provided below.
#####
October 1, 2004
Secretary Colin Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Powell,
I write to you today to bring your attention to a recent troubling
development in Turkey. Just this past week, Turkey adopted a new
penal code that represents a dramatic display of the Turkish
government’s campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide and further
inhibit a resolution to the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus.
This new criminal code not only hinders improved relations between
the Republic of Armenia and Turkey, but it is also an imprudent
step on the part of a nation that is desperately trying to
establish an image of having a free and democratic society.
Section 306 of this new criminal code would punish individual
Turkish citizens or groups that confirm the fact of the Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey or call for the end of the Turkish
occupation of Northern Cyprus- with up to ten years in prison. Far
from coming to terms with the Genocide or reaching out to Armenia-
Turkey, in adopting Section 306 of its new penal code, is hardening
its anti-Armenian stance and undermining hopes for a reduction of
tensions in the region.
I would like, for a moment, to discuss why I consider it important
that the State Department not remain silent in the face of this
extremely troubling restriction on freedom of expression mandated
by a NATO ally. In the past, when the State Department has spoken
out against an Armenian Genocide Resolution, it has argued that
such legislation would not contribute to improved Turkish-Armenian
relations. We have been told, recently and in the past, that the
State Department and the Administration have fought so strenuously
against this legislation, because its adoption would somehow harm
progress in the region toward the normalization of ties between
these two states.
This line of reasoning is, in my view, deeply flawed. However, if
the State Department were to seriously rely on this argument
concerning improved Turkey-Armenia relations, it would stand to
reason that the State Department should also publicly and privately
condemn Turkey’s patently hateful codification of its official
campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide, the most recent attempt
being in the form of a repressive and unjustified new criminal
code.
Section 306 of the new criminal code does nothing to remove
barriers to bilateral cooperation and lower the level of distrust
and tension in this critically important region. I urge you and
the State Department to condemn this oppressive provision in the
criminal code and do everything that is in your power to ensure
that the government of Turkey, our NATO ally- cease to inhibit the
rights of its citizens; remove its troops from Northern Cyprus;
come to terms with its own history; and finally start living up to
the expectations that the United States has of free and democratic
nations.
Sincerely,
[signed]
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress

The Republican Springfield, MA 01103

Tutoring volunteers spark ESL program
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Once a week, Mary Omartian travels to foreign lands.
Her one-hour journeys to Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Puerto Rico, Colombia,
Korea, Thailand, or wherever her bilingual students come from, started three
years ago when Omartian, an administrative assistant at Springfield Technical
Community College, joined Adopt-an-English as a Second Language-Student program
in which faculty and staff volunteer to meet with English learners for
informal conversation.
“I don’t know what the students are getting,” she laughs. “I am getting a lot
out of it, and that’s why I do it.”
A Springfield resident, Omartian grew up in “a European home,” where, along
with English, she was learning Armenian, the native language of her parents,
who came to America in 1915 from what is now eastern Turkey. They fled what
was probably the first genocide of the 20th century when more than a million
Armenians were killed due to Ottoman Empire policy.
Omartian said the tutoring “is a chance to learn more about the world. I
travel to foreign lands with these children. And they keep me young.
“Primarily, it’s learning about each other personally. We just sit down and
talk. I tell them a little bit about myself, and then they open up and I ask
them if they have families and about their country. And they ask me questions.
It’s just to make them feel comfortable to be here, just get them to speak
freely.
“The kids” are wonderful students who “are happy to be here and very
committed, very dedicated, very bright, very anxious to learn.
“And it’s fun. … Oftentimes, they can’t think of the English word and start
chattering to each other, start thinking out loud, helping each other around
and then they respond with the proper word,” Omartian said.
While the talks are good for their oral comprehension, her students are
getting much more because Omartian makes you feel at ease right away, which is
something vital for chatting with friends.
“In our Adopt-an-ESL-Student effort, last spring we had 23 volunteers, mostly
from the faculty and staff, meeting with 50 students,” said Setta McCabe,
director of publications at STCC. “There are volunteers from all over campus –
senior administrators, faculty in many different academic programs, ad
ministrative assistants, as well as other students. … They are such wonderful people.”
Regina “Jill” Mendez, the faculty member who organizes the
Adopt-an-ESL-Student program, said they also have a few volunteers from the community, some of
whom have been helping out year after year.
“It’s really like a conversation with a friend,” said Lyudmila Kolesnik, 21,
of West Springfield, who came from Ukraine two years ago and is taking an ESL
course at the college. “We are talking about everything. It’s fun and it
just makes the time fly by.”
“I like the program and the tutoring part very much,” said Inna Dudkina, 33,
of West Springfield, adding that when she came to America a year ago from
Ukraine, she barely could speak the language. “All the teachers are very patient and really friendly.”
The ESL program “prepares our students to enter the programs that they want
to,” said department chairwoman Pam Greene. “If someone comes into the program
without any background – and we do accept students who have absolutely no
knowledge of English into the program – our four semesters allow them to be
proficient enough to really depend on themselves and to participate fully and
satisfactorily in their classes.”
Alex Peshkov, a staff writer for The Republican, emigrated to Western
Massachusetts from Arkhangelsk in 2002. His column focuses on the Russian-American
community. He can be reached at [email protected]

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/06/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) European Armenian Federation Delivers Its Report on Turkey to The European Commission 2) Turkey Comes A Step Closer to Fulfilling European Dream 3) Celebration of Nigol Touman in His Native Village 4) Support Growing Among Congressional Candidates For Expanded US-Armenia Trade 1) European Armenian Federation Delivers Its Report on Turkey to The European Commission BRUSSELS--On September 29, the European Armenian Federation provided the European Commission with detailed information about the Turkish Government's strategy in dealing with Armenian concerns. The extensive 32 page report, titled "Turkey and the Armenian Genocide," covers policies adopted and enacted in 2003 with a special 2004 addendum, focusing on Turkey's domestic policies in dealing with its Armenian minority and relations with foreign countries in regard to the Armenian genocide. The document excludes coverage on Turkey's relations with Armenia, as well as its ongoing blockade of the country. The report provides examples of alleged scientific research, administrative measures, manipulation tools, intimidation tactics, and diplomatic measures used by the Turkish government. It outlines Turkey's efforts to destabilize Armenian institutions in Turkey, providing information on so-called reconciliation attempts and threats against other countries.  "European policy-makers often have an incomplete view of Turkey's aggressive policies toward their Armenian minority and Armenian issues in general. Often, only the most egregious tactics are taken into account. With this report, we aim to disclose the actual scale of this strategy, which serves as a fundamental pillar of Turkey's State policy" said Laurent Leylekian, Executive Director of the European Armenian Federation. "We updated this report with the most recent measures undertaken by Ankara, with special focus on the recent adoption of article 306, which criminalizes the affirmation of the Armenian genocide. This attack on liberty clearly contradicts accepted international laws dealing with freedom of speech, specifically articles 10, 11, and 14 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which will serve as an integral part of the forthcoming European Constitution" added Leylekian. "Based on our findings, we hope that the European Commission's annual report on Turkey will give a more complete account of Turkey's denialist and anti-Armenian policies than previous years--policies which consistently violate the Copenhagen criteria. The absence of these findings would signal the Commission's endorsement of Turkey's racist and discriminatory policies," concluded Leylekian. The report is available on the Federation's website-- 2) Turkey Comes A Step Closer to Fulfilling European Dream BRUSSELS (AFP)--Turkey came a step closer to fulfilling a 40-year-old dream when the European Commission recommended that the EU should begin membership talks with Ankara. But the Commission set a series of tough conditions and warned there was no guarantee of a successful outcome. It set no start date for the talks, leaving it up to EU leaders who must decide at a December summit whether to accept its recommendations and, if so, when to begin negotiations expected to last at least a decade. "The Commission's answer is yes...it is a conditional yes," European Commission President Romano Prodi told the European Parliament, adding that Europe had nothing to fear from Turkish EU membership. The EU executive's proposals--widely leaked over the past week--were approved at a meeting Wednesday despite concerns from some that Turkey is simply too big and too different to join the European club. "A Europe that is sure of itself, has a constitution and strong institutions and policies, is returning to economic growth and is based on a strong model of peace, prosperity, and solidarity has nothing to fear from the integration of Turkey," said Prodi. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul hailed the decision as a "historic step" for both Turkey and the 25-nation EU. Ankara wants the talks to start in the first half of next year. Turkey, an official candidate since 1999, has been waiting to join the European club for four decades but its efforts have stumbled over its civil rights record. Germany, home to Europe's largest Turkish immigrant community, welcomed the report and said Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder would vote in favor of starting membership negotiations at the Brussels summit. A German government spokesman called it a "very balanced report," while Schroeder, speaking during a visit to New Delhi, was confident Turkey would receive the support of most EU leaders. But many Europeans are alarmed at the prospect of the EU taking in a poor, populous, and mostly Muslim state that has 90 percent of its territory in Asia and which borders Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Turkey's population of 71 million is greater than the 10 countries that joined the EU earlier this year combined. The Commission on Wednesday said it "considers that Turkey sufficiently fulfills the political criteria" for membership talks but warned that these could be suspended, or even broken off. "The Commission will recommend the suspension of the negotiations in the case of a serious and persistent breach of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law on which the Union is founded," said the report. It praised the Turkish government for "far-reaching" reforms already carried out to bring the country up to European political and social norms. But more must be done to fight corruption, stamp out torture, improve freedom of expression and of religion, and to boost women's and minority rights, it said. No specific timeline is given for the talks, but the Commission said that "the necessary preparations for accession will last well into the next decade." Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara hopes to start EU negotiations in the first half of next year, leading to membership in a "reasonable period of time." "We hope to bring a long-travelled road to its final lap with the initiation of accession negotiations in the first half of 2005," he said in Strasbourg, France, shortly before the commission signed off on its report. The Commission has also said that Turkish membership could cost the EU, which is currently home to nearly four million Turkish immigrants, between 16.5 and 27.5 billion euros a year by 2025. But although it has an array of caveats, the core message was good news for Ankara. One cloud hanging over the whole project is a pledge by French President Jacques Chirac to hold a referendum on Ankara's EU hopes. In theory, such a vote could simply reject Turkish EU entry, regardless of what happens in the negotiations. The next head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, said Monday he welcomed the idea of referendums in EU member countries. The commission meanwhile confirmed Wednesday that Romania and Bulgaria are on track to join the EU in 2007. 3) Celebration of Nigol Touman in His Native Village STEPANAKERT (ARF Press Office)--In commemoration of the 90th anniversary of Nigol Touman's death, the ARF Aram Manoogian Student Organization held a cultural evening in his native village of Ghshlagh. As a part of the remembrance, middle school students participated in a writing contest to honor Touman, who was a leading revolutionary figure in the Armenian national-liberation movement of the late 19th/early 20th century. The contest theme was "The Revolutionary Leader, My Fellow Villager." Students also performed a dramatic piece depicting activities of one of Touman's groups that fought for liberation, followed by a performance of patriotic songs. The remembrance ended with a dinner and bonfire in the courtyard of the Nigol Touman museum-home located in the Askeran region of the Mountainous Karabagh Republic, on the road to the Gandzasar monastery. Organized by the group National Treasures, the dinner attracted several guests, including the benefactor of the museum-home Jhasik Bouynatian. Touman's home was discovered only about a year-and-a half ago by the ARF Student Organization of Artsakh (Karabagh), and converted into a museum about a year ago. During renovations, workers uncovered caches of swords, Mosin rifles, and various weapons parts hidden in the walls of the home. 4) Support Growing Among Congressional Candidates For Expanded US-Armenia Trade --Responses to 2004 Candidate Questionnaires Reveal Strong Support for PNTR for Armenia WASHINGTON, DC--Congressional candidates from around the nation strongly support legislation aimed at expanding US-Armenia trade relations, according to responses to multi-issue candidate questionnaires circulated this election season by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Challengers and incumbents from both parties have stressed their support for legislation that would grant Armenia Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. This measure, which is being spearheaded in the Senate by Senator Mitch McConnell and in the House by Congressman Joe Knollenberg, may win final approval before the Congress goes out of session this year. "Armenian Americans have been tremendously encouraged by the growing support for PNTR legislation for Armenia and remain hopeful that it will be enacted prior to the end of the Congressional session," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. A sample of response on US-Armenia trade is provided below to offer a sense of the strong bipartisan support for this issue: --Illinois Congressman John Shimkus, representing the southern part of the State, noted in his response to the ANCA Candidate Questionnaire: "I support extending permanent normal trade relations between the United States and Armenia as a means of strengthening the bonds and the commitment between our nations." --Congressman Eric Cantor, the Chief Deputy Majority Whip and a long-time friend of the Richmond Armenian community, explained: "The ascension of Armenia to the World Trade Organization will begin to stabilize trade relations with the United States. It is a step in the right direction because free trade with Armenia will have a positive effect on not only the economy of that country but that of the United States as well. All free trade promotes job creation and economic growth throughout the world; by helping Armenia we are helping the American economy prosper." --First-term Congressman from Michigan, Thaddeus McCotter, who has already emerged as a leading member of the Armenian Caucus, stated: "Our two great nations will only grow stronger by trading together. I signed a letter supporting Armenian PNTR in the House and will continue to work to see it signed into law." --Candidate Robert Neeld, from the Gulf Coast of Florida, who is seeking to fill the seat vacated by new Director of Central Intelligence Porter Goss, wrote: "Favorable trading agreements benefit both countries and would continue to stimulate Armenia's economy." The ANCA Congressional Candidate Questionnaire includes nine different questions on the topics of the Armenian genocide; US support for Armenia and Karabagh; US-Armenia economic relations; self-determination for Karabagh; conditions on US aid to Azerbaijan; the Turkish blockade of Armenia; and the US subsidy of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline bypass of Armenia. "As in past years, we are pleased that candidates for Congress have taken such full advantage of our questionnaires to speak directly to Armenian American voters on issues of special concern to our community," noted Hamparian. For an Adobe PDF version of the ANCA Questionnaire, visit: or 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. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Christian Science Monitor
from the October 07, 2004 edition
Now, dangers of a population implosion
By David R. Francis
“Honey, please, please have a baby.” That could be a mother’s plea to a
married daughter. It’s also the request, in less homey language, of many
governments.
For decades, much has been written about the world’s exploding population.
But 60 countries, about a third of all nations, have fertility rates today
below 2.1 children per woman, the number necessary to maintain a stable
population. Half of those nations have levels of 1.5 or less. In Armenia,
Italy, South Korea, and Japan, average fertility levels are now close to one
child per woman.
Barring unforeseen change, at least 43 of these nations will have smaller
populations in 2050 than they do today.
This baby dearth has potentially weighty economic consequences for
governments worried about everything from economic vitality to funding
future pension programs and healthcare. That’s why many of them have been
taking measures designed to encourage their citizens to multiply. For
example:
. Starting this year, France’s government has been awarding mothers of each
new baby 800 euros, almost $1,000.
. In Italy, the government is giving mothers of a second child 1,000 euros.
. South Korea has expanded tax breaks for families with young children and
is increasing support for day-care centers for working women.
. Last year parliament members in Singapore called on the government to do
more to keep Cupid and the stork busy.
. Japanese prefectures have been organizing hiking trips and cruises for
single people – dating programs to halt the baby bust.
Japanese singles are often called “parasites” because, when they retire,
they have no children paying into the national pension system or helping out
otherwise.
Estonia’s President Arnold Rüütel last year in a television address urged
the country’s 1.4 million residents to produce more babies, or face a
rapidly declining population.
British authorities also worry about the fertility rate. The Office of
National Statistics says fertile women will need to have three children to
keep Britain’s population at 59 million into the future.
Even China, despite its 1.3 billion people, is reportedly considering
revising its “one child” rule since its fertility rate of 1.39 is creating
an older population – and social and economic problems.
Although the United States is also slightly below replacement fertility, the
entry of more than 1 million immigrants each year is expected to boost its
population to 430 million or more by midcentury. Still, Federal Reserve
Chairman Alan Greenspan frets about demographics. He wants to discourage
early retirement and sees a need for less generous Social Security and
Medicare benefits.
On the flip side, the world’s total population will soar to 8.9 billion by
mid-century, up from 6.2 billion today, the United Nations projects. At that
time, the population should stabilize, as more poorer nations join rich
countries in lowering their birthrates. By the end of the century, the
world’s population may decline if mothers in major developing countries
decide to have two babies on average, rather than three, says Joseph Chamie,
the UN’s top head counter.
At the moment, half of the growth in the world’s population is taking place
in six nations – India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.
The contrast with low-fertility countries shows in this statistic: All 25
member nations of the European Union added as many people to their total
population in all of 2003 as India did in the first five days of that same
year. India will have an extra half billion people by 2050.
Although low-fertility nations may not face problems as severe as
high-fertility countries do, they worry about economic growth, and in some
cases, military might. Mr. Chamie lists 25 measures governments could take
to boost fertility. Some would be controversial, such as restricting
contraception and abortion and keeping women poorly educated and jobless. He
suspects many “pronatalist policies” will have only a “temporary and modest
effect on raising fertility.”

A1 Plus | 14:53:21 | 06-10-2004 | Social |
DISABLED PARTICIPANTS OF KARABAKH WAR FEEL THEMSELVES NEGLECTED
Disabled veterans of Karabakhi war gathered Wednesday outside the
government building in Yerevan demanding special social status and
better living conditions. They are particularly concerned about
housing conditions.
Demonstrators sent the list of their demands to the government and
fastened the copies to nearby trees.
Asya Barkhudaryan, a participant of the action, says PM Andranik
Margaryan received them a month ago and listened to them. After that,
the government allocated 200 million drams only to the families of
those killed in the war.

PROBLEMS ON THE AGENDA
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
06 Oct 04
The questions discussed at the meeting of the regional council of
Hadrout mainly referred to the preparation works for winter
tillage. The chairman of the meeting was the head of the regional
administration V. Gevorgian. In 2003 the harvest was good in the
region, allowing to increase the area under crop next year from 4902
to 8495 hectares. However, the estimates of the farmers for 2004 did
not come true because of unfavourable weather and pests. The average
yield per hectare totaled 1.4 tons, the overall yield was 11 262 tons
decreasing by 2000 tons against the previous year. These rates were
presented by the head of the department of agriculture of the regional
administration L. Abrahamian, who added that this year they expect to
do 7000-8000 hectares of winter tillage. By September 30 only 5600
hectares has been tilled which means that less area will be used for
arable crops this year. During the meeting the department of
agriculture, the heads of the communities were charged with taking
corresponding measures for completing the tillage, holding a
laboratory test of the seeds, providing the use of chemicals. The
members of the regional council made the decision of addressing the
NKR government with the request of providing aid to the farmers whose
fields were damaged by natural disasters. At the same time it was
mentioned that it would be convenient to provide the aid in the form
of loans. Also the question was raised to implement the sales of
chemicals through a specialized company and forbid the activities of
individuals in this sphere. One of the questions discussed was the
activities and the future plans of the official newspaper `Dizak’ on
which the editor-in-chief Y. Madounts made a report. Evaluating the
work of the newspaper staff as satisfactory, the heads of the
departments of the regional administration and the communities were
tasked to deal with subscription to the newspaper, and the attention
of the staff was drawn to the improvement of the quality and urgency
of the materials, as well as cooperation with freelance
reporters. Then the head of the territorial agency of social service
S. Hakobian reported on the activitiesof the agency directed by
him. The activities of the mentioned organization are various: family
allowances, aid to the families of the disabled of the war and the
killed soldiers, providing sums for the tombstones of the killed
azatamartiks, opening of bank accounts for each third and more child
in thefamily, social cards, unemployment benefits. In the past 9
months the amount of family allowances totaled 31 million 316 AM
drams. 1 million 469 thousand drams of insurance benefit was paid to
the disabled of the Artsakh war. According tothe NKR government
decision N 146, the construction of houses for 4 of the 6 families of
the region having 6 and more children under 18 has already begun.
E. DAVTIAN.
06-10-2004
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress