Author: Hovhannisian John

GUL: "PASSING THE BILL WOULD DO HARM TO FRANCE"

Turkish Press
Oct 12 2006

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that if the French
Parliament passes the Armenian bill, France would lose not only Turkey
but also much else besides. Speaking to reporters after meeting with
Bahamian Foreign Minister Frederick Audley, Gul said that Ankara
had done its best to warn France of the negative consequences of
its passing the bill. Stressing that everybody from politicians to
businessmen from large sectors of society had tired to prevent this
misguided move, Gul said he hoped that France would not harm itself
for the sake of domestic politics.

NATO OPENS ITS INFORMATION CENTER IN YEREVAN
by Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
October 11, 2006 Wednesday

North Atlantic Alliance opened an information center in the downtown
area of Armenian capital Yerevan on Wednesday.

The opening of the information center is one of the items in
NATO-Armenian special partnership plan and one of Armenia’s obligations
under provisions of this document, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister
Arman Kirakosian said.

He thanked NATO governing institutions, and in particular the
Alliance’s Public Diplomacy Division, for assistance in setting up
and equipping the center.

Special representative of NATO Secretary General for the Caucasus
and Central Asia, Robert Simmons, who arrived here as part of his
tour of the region, visited the center and voiced an opinion that
the fact of its opening demonstrates Armenia’s intention to enhance
contacts with the alliance.

The information center will host debates and discussions, the diplomat
said, adding that it will be better for Armenia, if the number of
such meetings increases.

The official activity of the center begins on November 1.

Last Updated: Thursday, 12 October 2006, 10:20 GMT 11:20 UK

French in Armenia ‘genocide’ row

The French parliament has adopted a bill making it a crime to deny
that Armenians suffered "genocide" at the hands of the Turks,
infuriating Turkey. The bill, which would make genocide denial
punishable by a year in jail and a 45,000-euro ($56,400) fine, will
now be passed to the Senate and president.

Turkey has threatened to retaliate with economic sanctions against
France.

Armenia says Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people systematically in
1915 – a claim strongly denied by Turkey.

Free vote

Turkey has been warning France for weeks not to pass the bill.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday: "If this bill
is passed, Turkey will not lose anything but France will lose
Turkey. [France] will turn into a country that jails people who
express their views."

The vote, in the lower house of the French parliament on Thursday
morning, was sponsored by the opposition Socialist party.

The ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) did not back the law,
but gave its deputies a free vote.

It passed by 106 votes to 19.

EU membership bid

The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says many Turks are angry at
what they see as double standards in the EU, where opinions are
sharply divided about whether Turkey should be allowed to join.

The official Turkish position states that many Christian Armenians and
Muslim Turks died in fighting during World War I – but that there was
no genocide.

France’s President Chirac and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy have
both said Turkey will have to change that position and recognise the
Armenian deaths as genocide before it joins the EU.

Turks argue that while the EU is pressuring Turkey to improve its
legislation to ensure full freedom of speech France seems to be moving
in the opposite direction.

EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn urged France not to adopt the
bill, which he said was "counterproductive".

Turkish politicians on Wednesday considered a law that would make it a
crime to deny that French killings in Algeria in 1945 were genocide.

But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan objected, saying: "We are not
like those who clean dirt with dirt."

France has about 500,000 people of Armenian descent – thought to be
the largest Armenian immigrant community in western Europe.

There are accusations in Turkey that the Armenian diaspora and
opponents of Turkey’s EU membership bid are using this issue to
prevent Turkey joining the 25-member bloc.

The Socialist MP and former minister Jack Lang helped to draft an
existing French law which recognises that Armenians suffered genocide
in Turkey.

But he told the BBC’s World Today programme that the new bill was
unnecessary.

"I cannot give my vote to a completely stupid law which will punish
somebody who expressed free judgement concerning historical
facts. It’s not acceptable.

"We have to help Turkey to accept, progressively, what was history. I
think that this provocation of the French parliament will not help the
consciousness in Turkey," he said.

CHAIRMAN OF STATE COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND IDPS MEETS WITH UK PARLIAMENT’S DELEGATION TO INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Oct 11 2006

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee
for Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov met with members of the United
Kingdom’s parliamentary delegation to the Interparliamentary Union.

Ali Hasanov thanked the guests for meeting with Azerbaijani internally
displaced persons.

On the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Mr. Hasanov
stressed Armenia’s policy of ethnic cleansing in the Azerbaijani
territories.

The guests saw a documentary film about the elimination of refugee
camps and refugees’ move to more comfortable settlements.

Member of the UK Parliament Brian Jenkins expressed his admiration
for the work the Azerbaijani Government has done to better the living
conditions for the refugees and IDPs.

EMIN COLASAN: ANKARA TAKES "ACTION" IN ADVANCE OF THE FRENCH VOTE

Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 10 2006

Dear readers, a country which does not bow before others, which does
not allow its honor to be violated, is also one which takes care of
its own business.

We have been watching the Armenian disgrace in France for the past
days, and by now, we don’t even know what round we are in anymore.

France is doing all this for its own domestic politics. First of
all, there are many, many Armenian voters in that country. Secondly,
France has always been against our membership in the EU-despite all
the pleading our government in Ankara has done-and is trying to put
a note of finality on this business.

Now, let’s ask ourselves this question: What would a country that
protected its own honor and respect do in a situation like the one
Turkey finds itself in? Right off the bat, the government would spring
to action. Diplomatic envoys would be put into service, to use their
skills in putting pressure on France.

But what do we do? The Prime Minister met on Saturday with
representatives from French companies doing business in Turkey and
shook a big stick at them.

He said: "If your government does not pull back on this Armenian
bill, our trade relations with you will go bad. There are 450 French
businesses in Turkey. Rather than writing letters to your government,
why don’t you go altogether to France, and do some lobbying. Put
pressure on the Paris administration."

And so you see what Ankara has done: they have exported this issue,
one which they could not take care of themselves, to French companies!

* * *

But who are these companies? Let me give you a few examples: Renault,
Alcatel, Carrefour, Danone, Peugeot, Citroen, Total, Elf, Nestle,
Lafarge, Sodexho……these are all world giants.

A full 24% of Turkey’s automotive sector alone lies in the hands
of French companies. France is Turkey’s fifth largest partner in
foreign trade. The French companies active in Turkey provide work
opportunities for 70 thousand people. So, let’s say that the French
Parliament goes ahead and votes to pass the Armenian bill; what will
Prime Minister Erdogan do? Kick these companies out of Turkey?

Of course not, this would not be possible. He can neither kick them
out nor bring any limitations on their business about. Because the
ultimate damage from such actions would be felt not by the companies
themselves, but by the Turks working for them.

Interestingly, we experienced this same event during the collapse of
the Ottoman Empire. When Austria decided to include Bosnia Herzegovina
in its own land, there were giant protest meetings in Istanbul and
throughout Anatolia. It was declared that there would be a boycott
(!) of Austrian goods. At that time, the famous "fez" worn by
males was produced in Austria. But in the end, nothing changed,
and Bosnia-Herzegovina slipped from our hands!

So, knowing that we cannot kick out the French companies, what else
can be done? Ah yes, Ankara is intoning that there will be contract
bidding for a helicopter order Turkey is going to make…..and there
is also the bidding for the nuclear reactor to be built! And so,
warns Ankara, we will not allow French companies to bid in the high
stakes for those contracts!

But please friends, let’s not joke around.

Boycotts and such are not going to solve this business. It is when you
gain respect for your country outside in the world that things like
"Armenian genocide bills" cease to keep you from proceeding. Our
current leaders have forgotten this. While there is no gravity or
respect accorded to Turkey outside our borders, the leaders in Ankara
are looking for savior in a few French companies doing business here.

It’s like this: A man commits a crime, he’s surrounded by police, and
in desperate hopes of saving himself, he takes a small child hostage,
and presses a knife threateningly against the child’s throat. This is
what Prime Minister Erdogan is doing. He says "My word is no longer
effective, I have no gravity left outside Turkey. Hey, French firms,
rescue me." What he forgets is that these same firms do business in
both France and Armenia.

****

Let’s imagine for a moment that France does not pass the bill. What
would this mean? Would it mean that their stance on our membership in
the EU, or on the whole Armenian genocide issue, had changed? No. And
if they do pass the bill? Will French companies be scapegoated
and kicked out of Turkey? Please don’t make me laugh. As Turks, we
watch the situation that the Turkish Republic has fallen into with
amazement, horror, and embarassment. This is some sort of enormous
spiritual torture that we are being exposed to. We have auctioned off
everything we have to foreign firms. The US is now in charge of dealing
with PKK terror, while Northern Iraq has been handed over to Barzani
and Talabani. Meanwhile, our laws governing the insulting of Turks,
Turkish Parliament and our republic are being guided by EU laws. And
the economy is in the hands of the IMF and foreign capital.

The latest in this auctioning off is to hand over the business of
the Armenian genocide bill to be taken care of by French companies
and their representatives!

And so we witness the painful ending to endless pleading, begging,
and the destruction of our country’s own respect: the passing off of
national problems to foreign concerns in the hopes that they can act
for us! I don’t know whether we should laugh or cry.

Feeling Stressed?
See the article below which is also pasted below:

Shortcut to:

Fee ling Stressed?
Here are some tips to relieve the pressure of everyday life
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
SUNDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthDay News) — You just missed a deadline at work,
you’re supposed to chaperone your son’s school field trip, and your mechanic
called to tell you your car’s transmission is shot.
Stressed to the max?
Everyone experiences stress. And many people are stressed every day. But,
stress isn’t always as obvious as in the example above. In fact, some people
don’t even realize how much stress they’re under until they suffer serious
physical consequences of that stress.
Psychologist Anie Kalayjian, professor of psychology at Fordham University,
said she’s had patients end up in the emergency room, convinced they were
having a heart attack, but instead, it was just the body’s extreme response to
stress.
"If you’re a person running around with high energy or nervous energy, you
may not realize that you’re stressed until you collapse!" said Kalayjian.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, some possible signs
that you’re under too much stress are: Anxiety, back pain, stiff neck,
depression, fatigue, trouble sleeping, unexpected weight changes, headaches,
relationship troubles and high blood pressure.
"People need to start proactively trying to prevent episodes before they
have extreme reactions," recommended Kalayjian.
But that doesn’t mean you should make managing stress just another item on
your "to-do" list, cautioned Gail Elliott Evo, the integrative medicine
coordinator at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.
"We talk so much about stress now. It’s to the point that people are now
feeling judgmental when they experience stress and can’t eliminate it. But,
unless you’re a guru sitting in a temple in Tibet, I don’t think you can avoid
stress. There will be periods where you’ll have stress," she said.
Still, managing stress or reducing it as much as you can is a smart idea,
because constant stress leaves your body flooded with stress hormones, which
can increase your risk of heart attack and other serious health problems.
"Stress causes physical and psychological reactions. It can alter your
sleep. It leaves you constantly in fighting-mode and leaves your immune system
suppressed. You may get sick a lot," Kalayjian said.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to managing stress.
"Some things will be right for one person but not for another. Be open, and
try things. Give something a try, and if it’s not right for you, move on to
something else. You’ll eventually find something that’s right for you," said
Evo.
Some of the approaches she recommends include: Massage, healing touch, yoga,
tai chi, walking, meditation and guided imagery.
Kalayjian said a good place to start de-stressing is with deep breathing.
"One minute per each hour of the day, you need to sit and do nothing but
focus on breathing. No phones, no lists, no responsibilities. It’s almost like
how you recharge your battery for your mobile phone. We need to recharge,
too," she said.
She also recommends exercise. "Don’t wait to feel stressed. Get at least a
half an hour of exercise every day. It gets a lot of the toxins and stressout
of our bodies," Kalayjian said.
Kalayjian also advocates something she calls "journaling."
"It helps to put things on paper and outside of yourself. You don’t have to
store it in your heart, body or mind. When we journal, we let go of things
and that acts as a release," she said.
She also suggests getting organized. "Many people waste 20 percent of their
time looking for things. Try to be organized. Label things. Have organizers.
It seems very mundane, but helps tremendously in saving your energy,"
Kalayjian said.
Evo said many people use a combination of techniques to relieve their
stress.
"Be playful with it. Try different things," she said.
Kalayjian agreed, adding that people need to "learn how to have a sense of
humor, to laugh and make others laugh, too."
Finally, Kalayjian advised that if you try several different methods to
"de-stress" and just can’t seem to relax, you could probably benefit from seeing
a psychotherapist.
More information
The National Mental Health Association offers _tips on coping with stress_
( .cfm) .

SOURCES: Gail Elliott Evo, integrative medicine coordinator, Beaumont
Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich.; Anie Kalayjian, Ph.D., professor of
psychology, Fordham University, New York City; American Academy of
Family Physician’s FamilyDoctor.org Web site
Last Updated: Oct. 9, 2006
Copyright © 2006 _ScoutNews LLC_ () . All rights
reserved.

PROSPECT OF MASS MEDIA FREEDOM ASSURANCE IN ARMENIA STIPULATED FOR AVAILABILITY OF POLITICAL WILL

ARMINFO News Agency
October 9, 2006 Monday

A prospect of Mass Media freedom assurance in Armenia is stipulated
for availability of the country authorities’ political will, the
President of the Yerevan press club, Boris Navasardyan, told ArmInfo
correspondent.

According to Navasardyan, the laws can be infinitely improved, however,
their insufficient application indicates a lack of a political will
of the country’s authorities. "Without understanding the importance
of the freedom of speech for the society development, one can hardly
figure on something", Navasardyan said. He added the mechanisms are
to be presented both in the RA Constitution and in the Law on TV
and Radio, to assure a sufficient volume of educational, cultural
and information programs, which is insufficiently reflected in both
the present Law and in amendments. He expressed hope the Ministry
of Justice, being the Legislation author, will organize extended
discussions with participation of representatives of the interested
sides, Mass Media and professional journalists of organizations, before
the Parliament decides to vote again for the bill on TV and Radio.

According to Navasardyan, there was always a lack a conceptual approach
in Armenia to the press freedom development problems.

"That’s why we try, together with the representatives of the
Government, Parliament, Mass Media, to organize a number of discussions
to enable us to understand in which direction the Legislation and
policy in Mass Media should be developed ", he said.

TUSIAD SAYS ARMENIAN BILL CONTRADICTS SPIRIT OF EUROPE
By Cihan News Agencys

Zaman, Turkey
Oct 9 2006

The Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TUSIAD),
the leading business club of Turkey, has condemned the controversial
French draft bill, which will make it a crime to deny the so-called
Armenian genocide.

TUSIAD Chairman Omer Sabanci said in a written statement on Friday
that the draft and the way it is debated contradicted the spirit of
Europeanism, adding that it would mar the bilateral relations and
the efforts of dialogue.

Addressing French MPs, Mr. Sabanci asked them if they were not aware of
the fact that they were jeopardizing all the political, economic and
social relations between France and Turkey for the sake of their own
political interests. "I need to say that we, as the Turkish business
world, are embarrassed and sad, and we condemn the French politicians"
he said.

On Friday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik Tan told a press
conference that the Armenian issue has deteriorated the relations
between Turkey and France in the past, "But this time, the bill will
inflict irreparable damage on our relationship."

The French National Assembly is expected to convene on Oct. 12 to
discuss the bill that would make denying the so-called Armenian
genocide punishable by up to five years in prison and 45,000 Euros
in fines.

For further information please visit

‘FRANCE WILL LOSE TURKEY IF SO-CALLED GENOCIDE LAW ADOPTED’
By Bahtiyar Kucuk

Zaman, Turkey
Oct 7 2006

ANKARA – The Turkish Foreign Ministry warned Paris that bilateral
relations would suffer if the French parliament approves a law making
it a punishable offence to deny the so-called Armenian genocide.

Namik Tan, a foreign ministry spokesman, told French officials that
France would, so to speak, lose Turkey.

"The Armenian issue has poisoned bilateral ties in the past, but the
bill will inflict irreparable damage on our relationship, The Turkish
public opinion would perceive the approval of the bill as a hostile
act. Adoption of the bill would mean the elimination of freedom of
expression in France," said Tan.

There’s some considerable volume of business between Turkey and France,
Tan noted adding that French parliament’s recognition of the draft
bill would imperil the outcome of the work for many years to improve
the situation between the two countries.

There’re some initiatives on the part of Turkey to prevent a possible
parliamentary recognition of the draft bill, said Tan, and detailed
those initiatives as follows:

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer wrote to his French counterpart
Jacques Chirac on 4 Sept. 2006.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to have talks with
French businessmen in Turkey.

Erdogan will have a telephone conversation with French Prime Minister
Philippe Douste Blazy.

A commission of foreign affairs of the Turkish parliament was in
France to voice their concerns.

The Turkish embassy in Paris has held negotiations with French
officials.

While the bill will most likely pass parliamentary approval ahead of
France’s parliamentary elections, French businessmen with investment
plans in Turkey are at unease.

Debate on the bill, which was originally tabled in May, followed
stern warnings from Ankara on the repercussions for bilateral and
economic relations.

Tan: The Armenian issue has poisoned bilateral ties in the past,
but the bill will inflict irreparable damage to our relationship

The Turkish capital warned Paris Friday that political and economic
ties between them will suffer if the French Parliament approves a
highly contentious bill that penalizes any denial of an Armenian
"genocide" at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

"The Armenian issue has poisoned bilateral ties in the past, but the
bill will inflict irreparable damage to our relationship," Foreign
Ministry spokesman Namik Tan told reporters during a regular press
briefing.

The spokesman, with clear remarks, warned the move could jeopardize
"investments, the fruit of years of work, and France will — so to
speak — lose Turkey."

The French National Assembly’s decision for the vote, scheduled for
Oct. 12, came at the request of the main opposition Socialist Party,
the bill’s architect.

Appealing to the assembly to block the bill, Tan argued that adoption
of the bill would mean the elimination of freedom of expression
in France. "Our expectation is that France will avoid taking the
wrong step."

Though the conservative majority in the French assembly opposes the
bill, Turkey fears many opponents will not vote against it for fear of
upsetting France’s 400,000-strong Armenian Diaspora ahead of elections
next year.

Tan said Turkey, too, faces presidential and parliamentary elections
in 2007.

"The people of Turkey will perceive this development as a hostile
attitude on the part of France," he said. "This draft will deliver
a heavy blow to bilateral relations and to the momentum previously
achieved."

AZERI FOREIGN MINISTER WITH TALKS WITH ARMENIAN COUNTERPART

Turan news agency, Baku,
6 Oct 2006

Moscow, 6 October: Today’s meeting and negotiations with the Armenian
foreign minister took place in a constructive atmosphere, Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said after the meeting.

He expressed his satisfaction with the contents of the meeting and
pointed out that certain agreements were reached. "The two basic
principles", on which the sides have been unable to reach agreement,
were discussed as well. These issues are the status of Karabakh and
the withdrawal of Armenian troops, Mammadyarov said.

The sides continued searching for ways of agreeing these issues
and took a break until 24 October to discuss the results of today’s
meeting, Mammadyarov said.

Touching on details of the negotiations, the minister pointed out
that the co-chairmen’s proposals are based on well-known principles
of the conflict settlement and it is necessary to "find a balance" now.

The ministers first had meetings with the co-chairmen and the Russian
foreign minister and then a meeting attended by the co-chairmen and
finally, a private meeting.

In conclusion, Mammadyarov pointed out that Russia plays an active
role in the conflict settlement.