Author: Chmshkian Vicken

IRAQI SOLDIERS HOLD AN ARMENIAN FOR $1 MILLION RANSOM

Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 03:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Iraqi soldiers, who captured 40-year old
citizen of Cyprus and LebanonKarapet Jean Jekerjian, Armenian in
origin, claim $1 million as ransom and the term expires today. They
threaten to kill the businessman, who by request of Jetko Company
was distributing drinks and food in Iraq. Meeting the demands of the
kidnappers the company suspended activities in Iraq. Last week the
soldiers demanded $2 million, however later the sum was lowered to
$500 thousand. According to the latest data, the ransom was set at
$1 million, ITAR-TASS reported.

Turkish press hail Armenia congress amid protests

By Gareth Jones

ANKARA, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Turkey’s press hailed as a victory for
democracy a controversial conference on the massacres of Armenians 90
years ago but nationalists protesting outside Sunday’s gathering
called it a betrayal of the nation.

The conference, twice cancelled due to the acute sensitivity of the
Armenian question, has been billed as a litmus test for freedom of
expression in Turkey just days before it begins long-delayed European
Union membership talks.

Nationalist demonstrators hurled eggs and tomatoes at participants as
they arrived at Istanbul’s private Bilgi University to discuss claims
that Ottoman Turks committed genocide against Armenians during and
after World War One.

Protesters waved Turkish flags and chanted slogans accusing the
conference participants of betraying the nation.

But the mere fact that the conference had gone ahead prompted strong
praise from local media.

“Another taboo is destroyed. The conference began but the day of
judgement did not come,” said the Milliyet daily.

The liberal Radikal newspaper took a similar line.

“Even the word ‘genocide’ was uttered at the conference, but the world
is still turning and Turkey is still in its place,” its front-page
headline said.

“Free discussion, free protest,” said Turkey’s top-selling Hurriyet
newspaper, noting that both conference participants and demonstrators
were freely expressing their opinions.

Armenia and its supporters around the world say some 1.5 million
Armenians perished in a systematic genocide committed by Ottoman
Turkish forces between 1915 and 1923.

Ankara accepts many Armenians were killed on Turkish soil, but says
they were victims of a partisan conflict that claimed even more
Turkish Muslim lives as the Ottoman Empire was collapsing. It denies
any genocide.

PEACE WITH HISTORY

In a message to the conference, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
expressed Turkey’s official view that many citizens of the Ottoman
Empire suffered terribly during the war but that claims of an Armenian
genocide were false and politically motivated.

“The Turkish people are at peace with themselves and with their
history,” Gul said.

Deniz Baykal, leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s
Party, said on Sunday he thought the conference was too one-sided in
its approach to the Armenian issue, but he defended the right of
academics to debate freely.

The conference had originally been scheduled for May but was cancelled
after a government minister accused those backing Armenian genocide
claims of “stabbing Turkey in the back.”

After a storm of criticism from the EU and elsewhere, the government
agreed to let the conference go ahead, but a last-minute court order
prevented it from opening on Friday, to Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan’s acute embarrassment.

The organisers then circumvented the court ban by moving the two-day
conference to a third venue, Bilgi University. It opened on Saturday
to noisy nationalist protests.

Despite a flurry of EU-inspired liberal reforms in recent years,
promoting certain interpretations of Turkish history can still be
deemed a criminal offence under the revised penal code.

Turkey is due to begin EU entry talks on Oct. 3, though it is not seen
joining the bloc before 2015 at the earliest.

09/25/05 06:46 ET

The Independent (London)
September 24, 2005, Saturday

48 HOURS IN TEHRAN;
IT MIGHT NOT BE AN OBVIOUS DESTINATION, BUT THE IRANIAN CAPITAL IS

BY ANDREW BURKE

Night market: vibrant red pomegranates in a bazaar (above); workers
on the Imam Khomeini grand mosque EPA; Reuters

WHY GO NOW?

Tehran is the big, buzzing, beating heart of one of the world’s
friendliest, most beautiful and misunderstood nations. Autumn weather
is ideal for exploring Iran’s dynamic capital.

TOUCH DOWN

British Mediterranean flies daily from Heathrow to Tehran on behalf
of British Airways (0870 850 9850; ). Iran Air (020-7409
0971; ) also offers non-stop flights three times a
week from Heathrow. From Birmingham, you can fly twice a week on
Mahan Air (0121 554 1555; ). Connections are
available in a wide range of cities, including Amsterdam, Istanbul
and Dubai. Emirates (0870 243 2222; ) flies via the
latter from Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

Flights coming from or via the Gulf states land at the new Imam
Khomeini International Airport (Ikia), 35km south of Tehran; a taxi
into town costs about IR90,000 (£5.50). Flights from Europe arrive at
Mehrabad Airport and taxis from here cost about IR40,000 (£2.50).
>From October 2 all international flights are supposed to land at
Ikia, but you should check with your airline before you leave. Recent
liberalisation of immigration means that many travellers can get a
seven-day visa on arrival ” but unfortunately this does not include
British passport holders, who should check www.iran- embassy.org.uk
for details of red tape. Women are required to wear a headscarf in
any public place, including the airport.

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Tehran sprawls across the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and
follows a loose north-south grid. Southern Tehran is older and
poorer, but is also home to many of the sights and hotels. Valiasr
Avenue runs 17km from the train station in the south to the clearer
air of Tajrish in the north. It’s lined by shops virtually the whole
way, with brand- laden boutiques more prevalent the further north you
go. The slowly expanding Tehran Metro () is
useful, though taxis are cheap and easier. Incredibly for a city of
14 million, there is no tourist information office.

CHECK IN

The Laleh International Hotel (1) on Dr Hossein Fatemi Avenue (00 98
21 8896 5021; www.lalehhotel. com) overlooks central Laleh Park and
has doubles for $ 152 (£85). More fun is the Hotel Naderi (2) on
Jomhuri-ye Eslami Avenue (00 98 21 6670 1872), where for $ 30 (£18) a
large double room comes complete with bakelite telephones and
1950s-era furniture. Light sleepers should get a room at the back,
however. Downstairs, the Cafe Naderi is a meeting place of artists
and intellectuals. For budget travellers, the welcoming Firouzeh
Hotel (3) on Dolat Abadi Alley, just off Amir Kabir Street (00 98 21
311 3508; www.firouzeh hotel.com), is the best choice with spotless
doubles for IR120,000 (£7).

TAKE A HIKE

Begin at Tajrish Square (4) and walk up to Darband, a village on the
side of the mountain that has in recent years been swallowed by the
spread of the city. Tehranis love the teahouses and trails that
spread out from Darband, and hiking for a couple of hours on a Friday
afternoon before stopping for tea and qalyan (water pipe) is the
quintessential Tehran experience.

TAKE A RIDE

Take the Tehran Metro to Behesht-e Zahra (5), the vast cemetery where
tens of thousands of soldiers ‘martyred’ in the Iran-Iraq War are
buried. Wandering through the graves, each topped with a glass box
containing photos and mementoes, is quite sobering. From here, walk
over to the gargantuan Holy Shrine of Imam Khomeini (6), which is
still under construction 16 years after the ayatollah died.

WINDOW SHOPPING

Tehran Bazaar is the largest market in Iran and while there aren’t
many windows, the 10km of covered alleys are home to just about every
consumer item you can imagine. The various commodities are grouped
together, with alleys dedicated to spices, goldsmiths, cobblers,
tailors, tobacconists and, of course, Persian carpet merchants.
Forget about navigating, just walk through the main entrance (7) at
15 Khordad Avenue and wander. If it’s carpets you seek, never fear ”
the vendors will find you.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

For a quick meal it’s hard to beat dizi, a delicious soup-stew
combination of lamb, chickpeas and flat bread cooked and served in a
stone jar. You’ll find it in any chaykhuneh (teahouse), though the
Azari Traditional Restaurant (8) on Valiasr Avenue (00 98 21 5537
6702) and Agha Bozorg (9) at 28 Keshavarz Blvd (00 98 21 8890 0522)
are good options.

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

Start at the National Museum of Iran (10) on Si Tir Street (00 98 21
6670 2061) where remarkable exhibits from the ancient Persian capital
of Persepolis include a bull-headed stone capital, a cuneiform
inscription immodestly describing Xerxes closeness to the gods, and a
magnificent frieze of glazed tiles from the Apadana Palace. It’s open
9am-4.45pm daily except Monday, admission IR10,000 (60p). From the
museum, head south a couple of blocks to the Golestan Palace (11),
just off Ark Square. The numerous palaces were built by the Qajar
shahs (1779-1926), who helped pay for these and other excesses by
selling state assets. The palace (00 98 21 3311 3335;
) opens 9am-3pm daily except Sunday and
Thursday, admission IR4,000 (25p) per building.

AN APERITIF

Alcohol is not entirely banned in Iran. If you must have a drink,
then head to the Armenian Club (12) at 68 Khark Street (00 98 21 6670
0521). In this somewhat surreal place, Tehran’s Armenian Christian
community and non-Muslim visitors are permitted to drink (in
moderation, of course) with their meals ” and, if you are a woman,
you may take off your headscarf.

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

Khayyam Traditional Restaurant (13) on Khayyam Street (00 98 21 5580
0760) in southern Tehran serves a good range of Persian classics in a
wonderfully restored, 300-year-old building. More local is Khoshbin
Restaurant (14) on Sa’di Street (00 98 21 3390 2194), which
specialises in mouthwatering Caspian cuisine and the heavenly mirza
ghasemi. There’s no sign in English; look for fish in the window.

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

The Armenian Christian community attends mass at Sarkis Cathedral
(15) on Karim Khan-e Zand Street. The 1960s cathedral is no Notre
Dame, but worshippers are welcome on Sundays.

OUT TO BRUNCH

Jaam-e Jam Food Court (16) on the corner of Valiasr Avenue and Taheri
Street doesn’t sound that exciting, but Iran’s first food court is
ideal for people-watching. Sit with coffee and pastry and watch
heavily made- up women make eyes at eligible young men.

A WALK IN THE PARK

With no pubs, Tehranis love hanging out in parks in the afternoons
and evenings. One of the busiest is Mellat Park (17), off Valiasr
Avenue, where young couples hone their flirting skills over tea,
ice-cream and, for the more energetic, paddleboats.

ICING ON THE CAKE

If you like the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, you’re going to
love the National Jewels Museum (18) on Ferdosi Street (00 98 21 6446
3785). Here in an underground vault are displayed the pick of the
diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls and gold amassed by various
dynasties of Persian rulers. Highlights include the 182-carat Sea of
Light diamond; the 34kg Globe of Jewels, with its 51,366 precious
stones; and the Peacock Throne (though it’s not the one stolen from
India). The museum keeps short hours ” 2-4.30pm Saturday to Tuesday,
admission IR30,000 (£2) ” so time your run.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 23, 2005 Friday

Russian experience may be useful for Armenian pension reform – pres

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

Russian experience may be useful for the pension reform in Armenia,
President Robert Kocharyan told Russian Pension Fund head Gennady
Batanov on Friday, the presidential press service said.

Russia is ready for more active cooperation with Armenia, and an
agreement to be signed on Saturday will be a part of it, Batanov
said.

Chicago Sun-Times, IL
Sept 25 2005

Scholars in Turkey cautiously discuss Armenian massacre

September 25, 2005

BY BENJAMIN HARVEY

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Scholars held the first public discussions in
Turkey on Saturday about the early 20th century massacre of
Armenians, choosing words carefully, avoiding emotional language and
picking apart history year by year at a gathering that nationalists
denounced as traitorous.

The European Union called the academic conference a test of freedom
of expression in Turkey, which hopes to start talks for membership in
the bloc next month.

The academic conference had been canceled twice, once in May after
the justice minister said organizers were “stabbing the people in the
back,” and again Thursday when an Istanbul court ordered the
conference closed and demanded to know the academic qualifications of
the speakers.

“This is a fight of ‘can we discuss this thing, or can we not discuss
this thing?'” Murat Belge, a member of the organizing committee, said
at the conference opening. “This is something that’s directly related
to the question of what kind of country Turkey is going to be.”

Genocide?

The Armenian issue stirs deep passions among Turks, who are being
pushed by many in the international community to say that their
fathers and grandfathers carried out the first genocide of the 20th
century.

Dozens of officers in riot gear kept hundreds of shouting protesters
at bay. Some protesters pelted arriving panelists with eggs and
rotten tomatoes.

Inside, the audience of more than 300 was restrained, as only those
invited by the organizing committee and preapproved members of the
media were allowed past security.

The issue has been a taboo for many years, with those who speak out
against the killings risking prosecution by a Turkish court. But an
increasing number of Turkish academics have called for a review of
the killings in a country where many see the Ottoman Empire as a
symbol of Turkish greatness.

Several governments around the world have said the killings of as
many as 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923, the late Ottoman
Empire, were genocide.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: ARMENIA IS DEFENDED TODAY DUE TO ITS ARMED FORCES

ARMINFO News Agency
September 22, 2005

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22. ARMINFO. Armenia is defended today due to
its armed forces, which are result of the independence and the
shield of the country, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at
a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the Independence Day of RA,
on September 21.

The Republic of Armenia is on a steady foundation today due to the
heroes standing at the outset of the national army, Robert Kocharyan
said.

PRESS RELEASE
Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society
104 N. Belmont St., Suite 200
Glendale, CA 91206
Contact: Roger Khadarian
Tel: 213-278-2020
Fax: 818-450-0248
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

ARMENIAN ALPHABET CELEBRATES 1600th ANNIVERSARY

S. Peter Cowe, Stephan Astourian, Manoug Seraydarian and Ani
Hovannisian-Kevorkian to Speak, Armenian Folk Group Element and Lark
Chorus to Perform

Los Angeles, CA – In 405 A.D., Mesrop Mashtots, a cleric of the
Armenian royal court, invented the letters of the Armenian alphabet,
allowing for the creation of a vast literary tradition. In
celebration of the 1600th anniversary of the alphabet, the Hamazkayin
Educational and Cultural Society is organizing a free public cultural
event at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on Sunday, October 2, 2005.

S. Peter Cowe, Professor of Armenian Language and Culture at the
University of California, Los Angeles, will be featured as one of the
keynote speakers along with Dr. Stephan Astourian, Director of
Armenian Studies at UC Berkeley. Horizon TV anchor and host of the
weekly program Focal Point, Manoug Seraydarian, is teaming up with TV
producer and director, Ani Hovannisian-Kevorkian, to be the evening’s
co-Masters of Ceremony.

The event will feature musical performances by the Lark chorus and the
eclectic Mediterranean sounds of the 7-person Armenian folk group,
Element. Hamazkayin’s Ani Dance Ensemble will perform traditional
Armenian folk dancing and the evening will include an original
theatrical performance, written and directed by Elly Award winning
director Aram Kouyoumdjian, with original music composed by Sebu
Simonian. There will also be poetry recitations by students from
various Armenian schools throughout California.

For more information on the event please visit or
write to [email protected].

About Hamazkayin:

Hamazkayin is a non-profit organization, presently functioning under
the official name of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural
Society. The objective of Hamazkayin is to provide a sound education
to the new generation, and to strive towards the preservation of the
ethnic identity and cultural heritage of the Armenian people living
outside of their homeland. Subsequently, Hamazkayin chapters were
founded throughout the Middle East, Europe, the United States, Canada,
South America, Australia, and an office was recently opened in the
Republic of Armenia. Hamazkayin has been successful in establishing
secondary and higher educational institutions which have prepared
scholars, literary figures and community leaders. It has also played
a major role in the field of publishing, and for over seventy years,
including thirty years in the United States, has contributed to the
advancement of culture in general.

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 21, 2005, Wednesday

PRESIDENT ILKHAM ALIYEV OF AZERBAIJAN HELD A MEETING CONCERNING
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION ISSUES

President Ilkham Aliyev of Azerbaijan held a meeting concerning
military construction issues in the Defense Ministry on September 16.
Aliyev focused on successes in the development of the Armed Forces
and appreciated servicemen’s skills and the quality of logistics
supply. He said that the republic focuses on military construction
issues because part of its territory is invaded by a foreign army.

Azerbaijan allocated $175 million on defense in 2004, $300 million in
2005, and plans to spend $600 million in 2006. This is not the limit.
(…)

Aliyev said, “I have set a task to make the military budget of
Azerbaijan equal to Armenia’s military budget.” He noted that Armenia
and some international organizations are concerned about the increase
of defense spending in Azerbaijan. Aliyev said, “In the meantime, we
are concerned about Russia’s decision to relocate its military
hardware from Georgia to Armenia. We are concerned about military
exercises conducted in Armenia. We have increased our military budget
because Russia illegally shipped military hardware worth $1 billion
to Armenia in the mid-1990s. This is why we will continue making
adequate moves.” (…)

Pan Armenian News

AZERI MOD DENIES INFORMATION ON SHOTS AND OSCE MONITORING

21.09.2005 02:55

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Monitoring was not held at the contact line of the
Karabakh and Azeri forces on September 20, Azeri MOD spokesman Ramiz Melikov
stated. In his words, the information saying that during the monitoring held
by OSCE Special Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk the Azeri side violated the
ceasefire `does not correspond to reality’. `If the monitoring were held an
observer would have taken part in it from the Azeri party. Spreading of such
information is a recurrent provocation by our enemy. The Azeri MOD does not
possess information regarding any monitoring of the contact line’, Ramiz
Melikov said, IA Regnum reports. At the same time Day.az Azeri news agency
with a reference to the Azeri MOD informed that a monitoring was scheduled
near the Karakhanbeily settlement of Fizuli region. As PanARMENIAN.Net came
to know form the NKR MOD press office, September 20 the OSCE mission
launched the planned monitoring. However at the very beginning the Azeri
party fired a shot, directed at the observation mission. This was registered
by the OSCE representatives. By instructions of Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk,
the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office (CiO), who headed
the mission at the Azeri side, the monitoring was interrupted due to
security considerations.

WAM – Emirates News Agency, United Arab Emirates
Sept 20 2005

Sharjah Ruler meets Armenian Prime Minister

Sep 20, 2005 – 08:46 –

Yerevan 20 September, 2005 (WAM)–His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin
Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah has
here today met Armenian Prime Minister, Andranik Markarian , who
stated that Sheikh Sultan’s visit to Armenia was a tremendous and
important move towards strengthening bilateral ties between both
their countries. They exchanged views on issues that would
consolidate bilateral relationship in various aspects.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Eisam bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chief of
Sheikh Sultan’s Office, Rashid Ahmed Al Sheikh, Director of the Emiri
Court, Jamal Salim Al Taraifi, Director of Sharjah Awqaf General
Secretariat and Khalifa Shaheen Al Merri, UAE ambassador to Armenia.
On the Armenian side, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Local
Government, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affaires and Arshak Poladian,
Armenian ambassador to the UAE attended the meeting.