Author: Chakrian Hovsep

Deutsche Presse-Agentur , Germany
Jan 19 2007

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink shot dead in Istanbul

Ankara – Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot dead by an
unknown attacker in Istanbul on Friday, the private NTV television
station reported.

The editor of the Armenian and Turkish language Agos newspaper was
killed as he left the offices of the newspaper Friday afternoon. NTV
reported that police were looking for a man aged around 18 years old
believed to be responsible for the attack.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan later announced that two people
had been detained for questioning.

Dink, 52, had sparked the ire of nationalists in Turkey and was last
year found guilty under Turkey’s notorious Article 301 for having
‘insulting Turkishness’ for comments he had made in his newspaper on
Turkish-Armenian relations.

Prosecutors focused on a quote from an article in Argos newspaper in
which Dink said he had ‘a special call to the Armenians in diaspora
who are getting poisoned by their anger towards the Turks’.

Dink claimed that his aim was deflate tensions between Turkey and
Armenia and was in the process of appealing the conviction.

Dink had earlier been found not guilty of ‘insulting the Turkish
state’ for remarks he said at a conference in 2002 where he stated
that Armenians face discrimination in Turkey.

In his last article written for Argos newspaper Dink said he had
received many death threats and was living under a kind of
psychological torture.

Prime Minister Erdogan said his ‘sadness was great’ and that the
security forces would do whatever needed to be done in order to solve
the crime.

‘This is an attack on freedom of thought and democracy,’ Erdogan
said.

Camiel Eurlings, the European Parliament’s Turkey Rapporteur told NTV
that he was in deep shock over the death of Dink, whom he described
as a close friend.

‘The only thing he wanted to do was express his opinion without the
threat of going to jail,’ Eurlings said adding that Dink had only
ever supported Turkey, ‘not just in front of the cameras but also
behind closed doors.’

Around 70,000 ethnic-Armenians live in Turkey, most in Istanbul.

Armenian numbers were considerably higher, especially in eastern
Anatolia until World War I when the local Armenian population sided
with invading Russian forces.

The Ottoman government ordered the deportation of Armenians living in
the east during which hundreds of thousands of people died.

Armenian historians claim that as many as 1.5 million Christian
Armenians were killed in the deportations and in massacres and that
the actions were a clear genocide.

Turkey admits that there were massacres of Armenians during the
deportations, but vehemently denies that the killings constituted a
genocide.

EDUARDO ERNEKIAN INTENDS TO PURCHASE CONVERSEBANK

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The Argentinian Armenian
businessman, Chairman of American International Airports company
Eduardo Ernekian intends to purchase Conversebank (Armenia), NT
correspondent was informed from a reliable source.

In 2006, Conversebank failed to make the promised investments in
Haypost, whose management it assumed for a 5-year period, as a result
of which Haypost was transferred to a Dutch company for management.

IN 20-30 YEARS ARMENIA TO CHOOSE WAY OF SOCIALISTIC DEVELOPMENT, YURI
MANUKIAN FORESEES

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The main goal of the United
Communist Party of Armenia (UCPA) during the pre-electoral period is
unification with the other acting Communist forces. Yuri Manukian, the
First Secretary of the UCPA Central Committee stated about it at the
January 19 discussion organized at the "Hayeli" club. He also
mentioned that the format of the party’s participation in the coming
parliamentary elections is not decided yet. In Yu.Manukian’s words, in
20-30 years Armenia will choose the way of socialistic development. In
his words, liberating values and market relations are today left out
of ruling, and it brought to social stratification of the society:
enrichment of a group of people and impoverishment of the
majority. Touching upon the foreign policy of Armenia, the UCPA head
stressed that one must deepen as much as possible the relations with
Russia as "the Armenian-Russian friendship is the friendship got at
the cost of grandfathers’ blood." In Yu.Manukian’s opinion, the fact
that Russia raise the price for the gas brought to Armenia, must not
negatively affect on the two countries’ relations. Yu.Manukian
considers Iran to be the second strategic partner of Armenia. Another
participant of the discussion, Ashot Bleyan, the Chairman of the "Nor
Ughi" (New Path) public organization also touched upon the coming
parliamentary elections. He expressed a hope that it is meaningless to
participate in the elections in a country where the voters’ rights are
violated and election results are falsified.

LOAN AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND OPEC

Noyan Tapan
Jan 18 2007

VIENNA, JANUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. A loan agreement "Effecient
Infrastructure Reconstruction Program" was signed on January 17 by
the RA Agriculture Minister Davit Lokian and the OPEC International
Fund in Vienna.

By the agreement, Armenia will receive a 10 million dollar loan
for reconstruction of infrastructures in the country’s mountainous,
foothill and border areas.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, D. Lokian
and OPEC Director General Suleyman Al-Herbish reached an agreement
on further extension and deeping of cooperation.

YOUNG TENNIS PLAYERS OF ARMENIA TO PARTAKE IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

ArmRadio.am
18.01.2007 11:17

In March Armenian tennis players will participate in the under-14
European Championship to be held in Tallinn, Estonia, Deputy
Director of the Tennis Federation of Armenia Alexander Tsaturyan
told Armenpress.

ANAND HELD BY ARONIAN IN ROUND 3

Hindustan Times, India
Jan 16 2007

Former world champion Viswanathan Anand was easily held to a draw by
Grandmaster Levon Aronian of Armenia in the third round of the Corus
Grandmasters A chess tournament here.

After a fine victory with black pieces against GM Alexander Motylev of
Russia in the previous round, the Indian ace could not do much with his
first white pieces in the tournament as Aronian sought comfort in his
first love, Marshall Gambit, and got an easy half point after 32 moves.

The draw took Anand to two points out of a possible three so far in
the tournament and he will now meet out-of-sort Magnus Carlsen in
the next round game.

However, there was good news for India in the ‘C’ group with world’s
youngest GM Parimarjan Negi beating local International Master Thomas
Willemze.

On two points, alongwith Anand, was World champion Vladimir Kramnik
of Russia who was held to a draw by Sergei Tiviakov of Holland.

Playing the black side of a Petroff defense, Kramnik was never in
any troubles in this fairly simple encounter and routine trading of
pieces led to an equal endgame in just 28 moves.

Meanwhile in other games ending quickly in the third round, Ruslan
Ponomariov scored his first victory in the event at the expense of
Carlsen who was caught off guard in a relatively simple trap in the
opening itself.

Losing his queen for two pieces early in the game, Carlsen did not
get a second chance and was grinded in just 30 moves.

Czech GM David Navara proved once again that his recent success was no
flash in the pan and drew comfortably with GM Peter Svidler of Russia.

It was a Grunfeld defense game wherein Svidler did not get the
complications he was looking for and played it safe.

At the time of going to press, top seed GM Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria
was seen struggling against Ukrainian Sergey Karjakin.

Results (Third Round): Radjabov beat Shirov, Tiviakov drew with
Kramnik, Anand drew with Aronian, Karjakin drew with Topalov;
Ponomariov beat Carlsen; Van Wely drew with Motylev; Werle beat L’Ami;
Jakovenko beat Georgiev; Bologan drew with Stellwagen; Smeets beat
Atalik; Sargissian bt Eljanov Nijboer beat Kosintseva; Hou Yifan beat
Van der Wiel; Van Haastert beat Jonkman; Berg drew with Nepomniachtchi;
Negi beat Willemze; Krasenkow beat Spoelman; Bosboom beat Peng.

PIERINI EXPECTS EU TO LAUNCH DIRECT TRADE WITH NORTHERN CYPRUS THIS MONTH

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Jan 16 2007

BARCELONA – Marc Pierini, the head of the Delegation of the European
Commission to Turkey, said on Saturday that he expects the EU to
launch direct trade with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
in the meeting that will take place on January 22nd.

Taking the floor in the 7th EU-Turkey Seminar on "Reciprocal Images
and Mutual Knowledge: From Confrontation to Integration" organized
in Barcelona by the European Institute of the Mediterranean, Pierini
noted, "this will be the first serious step the EU will take regarding
TRNC."

What is important is to "continue negotiations" between Turkey and
the EU, stated Pierini.

Turkey faces many problems on road to the EU, but this is an ongoing
process, Pierini said.

Pierini pointed out that the so-called Armenian genocide allegations
will never be a precondition before Turkey`s negotiations with the EU.

On the other hand, Turkish State Minister Mehmet Aydin, who is in
Barcelona for there days to participate in the seminar, met Spanish
executives including State Secretary for the EU Alberto Navarro and
Jose Montilla, the President of Catalonia region.

Catalonia extends great support to Turkey`s EU accession, Aydin said.

"I had a friendly meeting with Montilla. We will undertake projects
to enhance economic and cultural relations with Catalonia," he added.

Aydin is expected to return to Turkey later today.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Father Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES IBRAHIM SHAMSEDDINE

His Holiness Aram I received one of the prominent Shiite community leaders,
President of the "Shamseddine" Foundation Ibrahim Shamseddine, in Antelias
on January 15. The son of the Shiite community’s former leader, Sheikh
Mohammed Mehdi Shamseddine, Ibrahim Shamseddine wanted to discuss the
current political situation in Lebanon with the Armenian spiritual leader.

His Holiness and his guest examined the situation in the Middle East in
general and the recent developments in the region, focusing on Lebanon in
particular.

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View the photo here:
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Agence France Presse — English
January 14, 2007 Sunday 12:28 PM GMT

Turkey urged to talk with Armenia

Experts and officials urged Turkey here on Sunday to hold talks with
the government in Yerevan and to open the border with Armenia.

Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakossian said it was vital
for the two countries, which do not have diplomatic ties, to
communicate at governmental level.

"It’s time for communications to take place on an inter-governmental
level," Kirakossian said.

"Turkey should have more equal policies with all countries of the
region and should refrain from policies that leave Armenia in
isolation and outside regional programmes," Kirakossian told AFP at a
US-supported conference on Armenian-Turkish relations.

Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union have drawn greater
attention to its attitude to this state in the strategic Caucasus
region.

Ankara recognised Armenia’s independence in 1991 but the two sides
did not establish diplomatic ties.

Turkey has kept the border with Armenia closed due to Yerevan’s
backing of separatists in the Nagorny Karabakh enclave in Azerbaijan.
The dispute also centres on Yerevan’s claims of genocide of Armenians
in 1915-1917 during the Ottoman empire, which Ankara denies.

Burcu Gultekin, an expert at the Ankara-based Middle East Technical
University, said that Turkey should lift its closure of the border in
the interests of both countries.

"A sound regional development strategy for the Turkish eastern
Anatolia region cannot be elaborated without sustained cross-border
cooperation," she said.

Delegates at the two-day conference also said that opening the border
would increase Turkey’s access to the Turkic-speaking countries of
Central Asia, where Ankara has sought a greater role since the Soviet
Union’s 1991 collapse.

They said it would also increase trade and boost tourism — Armenians
visit Turkey on holiday in large numbers, despite the lack of
governmental ties.

AZG Armenian Daily #004, 12/01/2007

Geopolitical Issues

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER OPENS?

"The Economic and Social Consequences of Opening the
Armenian-Turkish Border" conference is to be held in
yerevan on January 13-14. The conference is initiated
by the Armenian International Survey Group NGO.

Without touching upon any geopolitical or inner
political factors, the intitiator are aimed to
represent any probable consequences of opening the
borders with Turkey to both the political experts and
the publicity.

By Nana Petrosian