ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
11/08/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Ghukasian Open to Start Negotiations with Azerbaijan
2) Kocharian Names New National Security Service Chief
3) Safarov Trial Set to Begin
4) Akhtamar Church Targeted for Shooting Practice, Treasure Hunts
5) Erdogan Says Human Rights Report Never Disclosed to the Prime Ministry
6) Armenia Tightens Control over Radioactive Materials

1) Ghukasian Open to Start Negotiations with Azerbaijan

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)Referring to the two resolution
strategies”step-by-step” and “package” accordthat have been proposed by the
conflicting sides, Mountainous Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghukasian
stated on November 8 that “Karabagh is ready to conduct negotiations with
Azerbaijan within the context of any formatwith or without Armenia.”
“We are ready to discuss any issue with Azerbaijan,” noted the president
while
elaborating on his government’s stance, which he considers to be “very
productive.” Ghukasian stated that Azerbaijan’s ability to settle the conflict
is currently inhibited, however, by its “hostile political stance,” adding
that Azerbaijan’s policies will not impact the position of the OSCE Minsk
Group
chairmen, who will be able to realistically gauge the proposals offered by
each
side.

2) Kocharian Names New National Security Service Chief

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Gorik Hakopian, the former Deputy Director of Armenia’s
National Security Service, has been appointed by President Kocharian as the
new
chief of Armenia’s National Security Service.
Hakopian, 58, who took one of the most powerful government positions in
Armenia, was born in Gyumri. He has graduated from the Higher Courses of
Soviet
KGB.
A statement from Kocharian’s office says, “Hakopian worked in the security
system from 1970…Since December, 2002 Hakopian worked as Deputy Director of
National Security Service.”

3) Safarov Trial Set to Begin

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The trial of Ramil Safarov, accused of killing Gurgen
Margarian in Hungary on February 19, 2004, is set to begin on November 23.
Both were officers participating in an English-language course at the
Hungarian University of National Defense as part of NATO’s Partnership for
Peace (PfP) program. The Armenian officer Margarian, 26, was axed to death in
his sleep by Safarov, who is an Azeri.
Safarov is accused of premeditated murder with unusual cruelty and may face a
sentence 15 years to life imprisonment. Attorney Nazeli Vardanian will
represent the Margarian family.
The Armenian International Union of Lawyers has created a team of lawyers to
assist Vardanian in the case.

4) Akhtamar Church Targeted for Shooting Practice, Treasure Hunts

VAN–The Istanbul-based Marmara Armenian newspaper reports that sculptures on
the Akhtamar Church, located on Akhtamar Island, in Western Armenia, are being
used as targets for shooting practice by visitors. A photo accompanying the
article in the Turkish Newspaper Milliyet reveals the pierced images.
Reporting
from Van, writer Cukran Bakan says that a guard is posted at the historical
site only during visiting hours, and only during the summer season.
Though visitors routinely arrive to the island to practice their shooting,
visitors have also begun to dig underneath the church for hidden treasure. A
professor of Ancient Studies at Van’s Yuzuncu Yil University says that people
have the notion that there are treasures buried in Van. A guard at the
Akhtamar
Church was even caught and arrested for digging for treasure.
Marmara also laments a reference in the first paragraph of the Milliyet
article that refers to the Akhtamar Church as a 1,000 year-old sacred site for
Christians and Jews. “There is nothing left for us to say,” writes the
Armenian
paper.

5) Erdogan Says Human Rights Report Never Disclosed to the Prime Ministry

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)–Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said a
minority report released by the Human Rights Advisory Board had been drafted
without instructions from him.
“It was unethical to disclose the report to the press before informing us,
that is, the Prime Ministry,” Erdogan said.
The report broadened the definition of minorities in Turkey and criticized
the
government’s policy towards minorities, which has drawn criticism from various
circles.
Erdogan responded to questions at a press conference in the Black Sea
province
of Rize on Saturday.
He emphasized that the minority report should have been submitted to the
prime
minister or the deputy prime minister before it was released to the press.
“After the public debate, the report was again discussed by the board and
amended. Later it was sent to the Prime Ministry. This [sequence of events] is
ethically wrong,” said Erdogan.
Asked about criticism alleging that he had signed the European Union
Constitution in Rome on Oct. 29 without reading it, Erdogan said those who
released such news were not aware of the content of the constitution and
how it
was drafted.
Drawing attention to the fact that the Inter-parliamentary Conference had
drafted the constitution, Erdogan said: “Turkey participated in studies on the
drafting of the constitution, which is not legally binding on Turkey. It will
be binding on us when we become a full member of the EU.”
The report on ethnic minorities in Turkey, released by an advisory body
linked
to the office of the Turkish Prime Minister, has led to debates in Turkey.
Issued in Late October, the report recommends greater recognition be given to
ethnic minorities in Turkey. Currently, only three ethnic minorities–the
Jews,
Armenians, and Greeks–are officially recognized.
Chairman of the Human Rights Advisory Board Ibrahim Kaboglu, said the report
had been submitted to the Prime Ministry, but government officials denied
having anything to do with it.

6) Armenia Tightens Control over Radioactive Materials

YEREVAN–The Armenian government approved the licensing order of radioactive
materials to prevent illegal shipments of materials and equipment containing
them, reported RIA-Novosti.
Armenian authorities arrested a man last month carrying radioactive
cesium-137
in the trunk of his car. The highly toxic material is capable of contaminating
large areas if used as a dirty bomb.
Yerevan resident Gagik Tovmasian was arrested on charges of illegal trade in
radioactive materials. It was unclear how the man obtained the material which
is used in Armenia in density gauges and for machine calibration.
Devices containing cesium-137 can cause serious radiation exposure if broken
and held. Depending on the amount and form, experts say a dirty bomb made with
cesium-137 could spread intense radioactivity over a section of a city, making
it uninhabitable.
The AP reported that a powerful source of radiation was found last
February on
the Armenian-Iranian border, amid scrap metal headed for Iran.

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