Author: Kafian Jirair

TURKISH, FOREIGN ACADEMICS DEBATE WWI ARMENIAN MASSACRES

Middle East Times, Egypt
March 15 2006

ISTANBUL — Some 70 Turkish and foreign academics gathered in
Istanbul on Wednesday for a three-day conference to discuss whether
the controversial massacres of Armenians during World War I amounted
to genocide or not.

In a rare move, the gathering, organized by the Istanbul state
university, offered the floor to academics of all convictions even
though it was largely dominated by historians and officials who defend
Turkey’s official position on the 1915-17 killings.

Turkey categorically denies that Armenian subjects under its
predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, were victims of a genocide, but
acknowledges that at least 300,000 Armenians and as many Turks died
in civil strife during the last years of the empire.

Armenians claim that up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered
in orchestrated killings.

In the first session of the conference, Yair Auron, an Israeli
researcher of Jewish archives from Ottoman times, openly used the term
“genocide” and appealed on Turks to question their past.

“Every civil society has to deal with its past, including the black
pages of this past,” Auron said.

Books detailing the Armenian claims were also available at the entrance
to the conference hall in a rare move.

Turkey has only recently begun to openly discuss the taboo subject
of the Armenian massacres, which many countries have recognized
as genocide.

In September last year a private Istanbul university hosted a landmark
conference organized by intellectuals disputing Ankara’s official
line on the mass killings, despite a court order to block it.

KENYA: ARMENIANS: THE INSIDE STORY

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
March 15, 2006
Posted to the web March 14, 2006

The hand of well-connected Government operatives yesterday showed
itself in the unfolding saga surrounding two Armenians said to be
mercenaries with a mission on Kenyan soil.

It also emerged that either one or both men arrived at the Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi for their sensational
Press conference on Monday in a Government vehicle, complete with
security escort.

They were received by several civil servants, led by a senior Kenya
Airports Authority manager, The Standard has learnt.

The reports came as Government-aligned MPs called for the arrest
and prosecution of former Roads minister Raila Odinga, who blew the
whistle on the Armenians, and who the two men have alleged to have
lent Sh108 million.

The Government of National Unity MPs said in a statement that Raila
was destabilising the country through propaganda.

And police are seeking Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka to record a
statement following his admission that he may have met the men.

But in a rejoinder, the Orange Democratic Movement claimed the
Armenians were State guests and that their Monday morning Press
conference was facilitated by Government officials.

On his part, Kabete MP Paul Muite claimed the Armenians had been
hosted at State House. But President Kibaki issued a statement denying
the claim.

The Standard learnt from a KAA employee that the Armenians – Mr
Artur Sargysyan and Mr Artur Margaryan -were driven to the airport,
whisked through an electronically -operated secret door into a transit
restaurant where they waited for a Kenya Airways plane to land from
Dubai. This was to make it appear like one of them had just stepped
off the plane.

The operation almost backfired because the plane, which was supposed
to land at 6:30am, delayed for 40 minutes.

When it finally landed, the men were moved towards the plane through
an emergency and little-used door on the air bridge, 20 minutes after
other passengers had disembarked.

A KAA employee shepherded them to the air bridge, the mechanically
extendable access to the doors of the plane.

We have also learned that the two men were accompanied by a State
House employee, a personal assistant of a National Rainbow Coalition
activist and a middle-level protocol officer, who took them to the
VIP lounge that is the preserve of ministers, top civil servants,
the top cream of the diplomatic and international guests.

Their arrival attracted the attention of the staff on duty because
they used a blue GK-plated vehicle, escorted by a red saloon car with
KAT registration. Curiosity mounted when the group used the parking
normally reserved for the KAA General Manager at the office inside
the airport ring.

The latest revelations cast doubt on claims by one of the Armenians
that he arrived in Kenya on Monday morning to clear his name. The
KAA employee said both men were driven into the airport in one car,
and then taken through a route for new arrivals.

There was more confusion when Kenya Airways declined to confirm the
authenticity of an alleged flight manifest sent to newsrooms by lawyer
Fred Ngatia – the man who organised the news conference.

The alleged manifest, whose date did not indicate the year, only had
a list of names, with no details of seats and compartments.

A KAA official pointed out that it was lacking a crucial
internationally mandatory line on the top. The airline said a flight
manifest could not be released, except on orders of a court or police.

The plot thickened when Immigration minister Gideon Konchellah said
the men were citizens of the Czech Republic, who had arrived on a
private jet. He later issued a statement clarifying that they were
Armenian businessmen with permits to be in Kenya.

Ngatia, a senior Nairobi-based lawyer, called up journalists on Sunday
night and was at the airport early on Monday morning to facilitate
their clearance to the VIP lounge.

Yesterday, KAA Deputy Managing Director Naomi Cidi denied claims by
ODM that she had been involved in the Monday drama.

Asked why the men were allowed into the VIP lounge, she said the room
was opened on the request of journalists. Accounts of journalists
who covered the conference however indicated that special passes to
the VIP lounge were awaiting them when they arrived at the airport,
as Ngatia had been given their names the night before.

And police yesterday went to a house in Runda Estate, Nairobi, where
the Armenians are staying, ostensibly to arrest them. But they were
denied access and left, only for one of the Armenians to speed away
in a blue car.

On Tuesday, the Armenians came out in the open with a claim that
they had loaned Raila $1.5 million (Sh108 million). They also claimed
Raila – who had circulated copies of their passports saying they took
part in the commando raid on the Standard Group premises on March
2 – and Kalonzo Musyoka, had asked them for Sh3 billion last year,
ostensibly to finance a No-confidence motion against President Kibaki.

Yesterday, reports filtered in that the officer investigating the
mercenary claims – Nairobi deputy criminal investigations officer
Isaiah Osugo – had sent word he wanted Kalonzo, who said on Monday
that he met the foreigners, to record a statement. The ODM leader is,
however, in Ethiopia and it was not clear when he would come back.

In another twist, Kenya Airport Police Unit investigators, whose head
Mr Moses Nyakwama told journalists they were kept in the dark on the
presence of the Armenians in the airport and their unlimited access
to secluded and privileged areas, questioned seven KAA employees who
cleared the Armenians at every stage.

At Runda, Margaryan told journalists that they operated a company
called Brotherlinks International. But when the journalists dashed
to the office of the Registrar of Companies to search for its file
of incorporation and directorship, they were denied access to the
documents.

“This file is not available at the moment, you can use this number
(C120905) and come check at a later date,” an officer told the
inquisitive journalists.

Usually, members of the public are allowed to search and peruse files
of registered companies at the Registrar of Societies offices at a
fee of Sh100.

THE OPPOSITION WILL SAY ITS WORD DURING THE NA SESSION

A1+
09:51 pm 15 March, 2006

Head of the Public TV-Radio Company Alexan Haroutyunyan represented
his report in the Parliament during which a reference was made to
the broadcasting of the activity of the NA on TV.

Alexan Haroutyunyan offered to regulate the area not by the Law but
by an agreement which does not presuppose financial obligations. He
informed that he ahs sent a letter to the RA NA Speaker Arthur
Baghdasaryan and hopes that in future he will have the possibility
to meet the NA heads to discuss the issue minutely. By the way,
the oppositional deputies did not participate in the discussion,

Alexan Haroutyunyan informed that till the end of the current year the
technical-equipment of the Company will be done and they will provide
the people with TV programs in compliance with the international
standards. He also said that the live broadcasting of cultural and
sport event is carried out on the expense of commercial profits:
This is how the matches of the 2006 Football World Championship will
be broadcast.

NIGEL SHORT: ABCDEFGH: THE KING AND I: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The Guardian – United Kingdom
Mar 16, 2006

Kok’s support is visibly swelling (see rightmove06.org). In Europe,
where the majority of important tournaments are still held, it has
already become obvious that the Dutchman will rout Ilyumzhinov. Were
the aloof Kalmyk’s woes confined to that continent, he could hold
out hopes of garnering enough votes from the other two-thirds of the
electorate. This looks increasingly implausible. Neglect is palpable;
dissatisfaction global. While some delegates may be won over by
hopes of preferment, few will be induced to support the incumbent on
principle. Here is a president so disdainful of his constituents as
not to show up for the 2004 AGM in Calvia. The Kirsan campaign is as
shambolic as his governance: his team does not even have a website. In
the absence of anything resembling strategy and, for the first time,
with his back firmly to the wall, the Caucasian demagogue will have
to come up with other goodies to sway fickle affections. More of
the Kirsan T-shirts, watches or vodka that many received at the last
Olympiad, perhaps? Venal and gullible as Homo ludens undoubtedly is,
for once Ilyumzhinov’s hopes may be dashed.

The Morelia/Linares tournament was won by Levon Aronian. While all eyes
were on the resurgent world champion, Veselin Topalov, the Armenian
immaculately timed his acceleration for the last round against the
faltering Peter Leko.

Leko, P (2740) – Aronian, L (2752) Morelia/Linares (14), 11/03/2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 GBP6 4.BGBP4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5
7.Bb3 0-0 (Intending the Marshall attack, 8.c3 d5!?) 8.GBP4 b4
(Loosening the queenside but retaining the c8 bishop on the best
diagonal.) 9.d3 d6 10.GBP5 Be6 11.Nbd2 Qc8 12.Nc4 (An odd-looking
move. In a similar position in 1993 Kasparov played the more logical
Bc4 against me, not fearing Bxc4 as dxc4 will exert an unpleasant
clamp.) Rb8 13.Bg5 Kh8! (A cunning manoeuvre, preparing an attack
down the f-file.) 14.h3?! (Contrary to the Steinitzian principle
of not moving pawns unnecessarily in front of the king.) Ng8! 15.c3
bxc3 16.bxc3 f5 17.BGBP4 fxe4 18.Bxc6 exf3 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Bxf3 Ng6
(The exchanging sequence has left Black in command. Were the White
pawn still on h2, the defence g3 could be contemplated. As it is,
it would simply drop a pawn.) 21.Bg4?! Nf4 22.RGBP2 Qb7! (The mate
threat compels a retreat.) 23.Bf3 Qb3 (After this White’s position
collapses.) 24.Rc2 DIAGRAM Nxd3! 25.Qxd3 Qxc4 26.Qxc4 Bxc4 27.Bc6
Rb3 28.g3 g5 29.Re3 RGBP3 (A second pawn is added to the captured
booty.) 30.Be4 RxGBP5 31.g4 (Perhaps hoping to generate counterplay
by h4 followed by swinging the rook to the h-file. However this plan
is nipped in the bud.) Bd5! 32.f3 Bxe4 33.fxe4 RGBP1+ 34.Kg2 Rff1
(One pawn often suffices for victory, but here Black has twice
the cushion and an initiative as well.) 35.Ree2 Rg1+ 36.Kh2 Rh1+
37.Kg3 Rag1+ 38.Rg2 Re1 39.Rgf2 Re3+ 40.Kg2 Rexh3 Three pawns is too
much. White resigns. There are few indeed who can defeat a player of
Leko’s calibre, in a key game, with such apparent ease.

PRESS RELEASE
Dish Communications PR
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Tel: 818 508 1000

NEW YORK / YEREVAN

March 7, 2006

ARMENIAN TELEVISION ANNOUNCES SOLIDARITY BROADCAST OF ANDREW GOLDBERG’S
“THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” WITH USA.

Armenia TV, the largest television broadcaster in the country of
Armenia, announced today it will be airing the new PBS documentary by
Andrew Goldberg, THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE in exactly the same time slot
and date as the PBS broadcast in the USA. In a letter from Armenia TV,
the station president Bagrat Sargsyan said:

“We at Armenia TV will be broadcasting THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE at the
same time as PBS (April 17 at 10pm) in an act of solidarity with the
hundreds of thousands of our fellow Armenians in the USA.”

Additionally, in an unprecedented act, Two Cats Productions, the
producer of THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE has waived all costs, and donated
all broadcast rights for the film to Armenia TV.

A spokesperson for the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) the
largest non-profit Armenian organization in the world, serving some
400,000 Armenians said about the “Broadcast of Solidarity”: “We are
thrilled that so many people around the world will have a chance to
share in this important television event at the same time. The film’s
ability to capture such a difficult subject in such a concise format
and in such a poignant way, is nothing short of outstanding.”

Additionally, Canadian Broadcaster, TV Ontario has acquired the rights
to the film. They too will be showing the film in April.

Said Andrew Goldberg, Executive Producer of the film:

“That so many millions of people across the world will be seeing the
film in April, and that so many will do so at the same time, really
affirms for us that we did the job we set out to do. Our goal was
clear, we wanted to tell the story of the actual events of the
Genocide and to make clear on national, and now international
television, that this event was Genocide, and cannot be denied.”

INDIAN MOVIE MAY BE SHOT ALSO IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 6. ARMINFO. Minister for Culture and Youth of
the Republic of Armenia Gevorg Gevorgyan and Indian Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Rina Pandei discussed
the prospects of development of the Armenian- Indian cultural ties,
Monday. The press-service of the RA Ministry for Culture and Youth
Affairs told ARMINFO.

The sides agreed to continue the Armenian-Indian Inter-governmental
Program of Cooperation in the Cultural Sphere launched in 2003 in
Delhi. Ambassador Pandei proposed a new Program of Cooperation in
the sphere including cinematography. She expressed desire that Indian
cinematographers shoot their pictures also in Armenia. In his turn,
Minister Gevorgyan informed the Indian diplomat that the Armenian
people love Indian movie. The minister also touched upon the Days of
Indian Culture expected in Armenia in September.

ANS TV, Baku
10 Mar 06

US ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish has commented on the latest
truce violation.

The ambassador believes that the Nagornyy Karabakh problem is not a
frozen conflict but a real and threatening danger. I think both [the
Azerbaijani and Armenian] presidents, the foreign ministers and the
[OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs have to act boldly to seek ways of a
peaceful resolution of the issue [Harnish said].

OSCE STATEMENT ON MG CO0CHAIRMEN’S CONSULTATIONS IN WASHINGTON TO BE
MADE PUBLIC IN VIENNA

YEREVAN, MARCH 10. ARMINFO. The OSCE headquarters is to make public
the statement on the consultations of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in
Washington shortly. The Office of the US Department of State Special
Representative (SP) for the conflicts in Eurasia, OSCE MG US Co-chair
Steven Mann, told Azerbaijani Trend agency. The source reported that
the consultations on peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
in Washington took place on 7-8 March. They did not result in any
statement by the mediators. Participating in the consultations were
Steven Mann (USA), Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) and Bernard Fassier
(France) as well as OSCE CIO Personal Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk.

ARMENIA HEIRS WIN $17M AXA PAYOUT WHILE TURKEY PROTESTS

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 16 2005

Cezmi ERSUZER, Turgut YENI and Jan SOYKOK, JTW (LOS ANGELES,
ANKARA and LONDON) – The descendants of Armenians who died in the
late Ottoman period have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit
against French insurance giant Axa. The case, filed in California,
accused Axa of failing to pay death benefits on policies bought by
Armenians who died. Under the deal, the firm will pay $17m (£9.7m)
to Armenian charitable groups.

Armenians say 1.5m of their people were killed or deported under
Ottoman Turkish rule in 1915. Turkey does not accept there was
a systematic massacre. Turkish historians and documents say more
than 520.000 Turkish people were massacred by the armed Armenian
groups and many Armenians were killed in the communal clashes and
war circumstances.

Under the terms of the settlement, announced in Los Angeles, Axa will
donate at least $3m to selected French-based Armenian charities.

Another $11m has been earmarked for the heirs of policyholders with
subsidiaries of Axa that operated in the Ottoman Turkish Empire
before 1915.

Axa is a French company and there is a strong Armenian diaspora
in France. Yesim Sahiner from ISRO says that Axa has no choice but
compromise: “The Axa company will pays millions of dollars, but it
will earn more. There are more than 300.000 Armenians in France and
they have close friends in the Government and political circles. By
the way California is home for another strong-Armenian diaspora in
the world” Sahiner added.

‘ULTIMATE GOAL’

In the chaos that followed the killings, many were unable to obtain
their insurance proceeds, lawyers for the claimants said. Most of the
Armenians died due to the bad weather, famine and communal clashes,
while about 1 million Armenians reached Syria, Caucasia and other
destinations. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians joined the Russian
side against their state during the First World War.

The Axa settlement is expected to be approved by California’s District
Court in November. The US state is home to the world’s largest
population of Armenians outside their own country. The Armenian
diaspora’s population is bigger than population of Armenia.

The diaspora is also more powerful than Armenia in terms of finance
and political influence.

Dr. Sedat Laciner, Turkish Armenian expert and director of ISRO,
says the Armenian Diaspora has a secret agenda. “The diaspora tries
to get territory and great economic compensations from Turkey. They
follow the Jewish example. They see the 1915 events a great chance
to get economic and political advantages.” Dr. Laciner added. However
Laciner argues that the way Armenians follow is wrong: “They actually
harm Turkey-Armenia relations and make the life harder for Armenia.

They just focus on their own interests instead of focusing on Armenia’s
security and economy.”

TURKS ARE ANGRY

Axa has not yet commented on the deal, which will be administered in
France. The company has business in Turkey and Turkish media argues
that the Turkish partner Oyak has to end the co-operation with Axa.

The French Insurance giant, AXA’s, announcement to pay compensation
to the Armenians in the US, who went to court with the allegation
of “genocide,” drew great reactions in Turkey. The French company
owns 50 percent of AXA-OYAK (the Turkish Armed Forces Pension Fund)
partnership in the Turkish insurance sector, which added a new
dimension to the issue. Non-governmental organizations asked OYAK
to give an end to the partnership. Turkish Grand Union Party (BBP)
leader Muhsin Yazicioglu termed the issue as “a very serious situation”
and called OYAK to break up with the French company.

Turkish Jurists Association Board of Directors member Kemal Kerincsiz
underlined that the material benefits are not important in this
matter. The development drew reaction also in Zonguldak Eregli
where Erdemir facilities, in which OYAK proposed $2.77 billion, is
situated. Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Ahmet Likoglu said,
“This is unacceptable.”

In Zaman’s headline “OYAK’s Partner AXA Agrees to Pay $17 Million
to Heirs of Armenians” on Friday, it was noted that the relatives
of the Armenians, who lost their lives during the forced migration
in 1915, had filed a class-action against AXA in California. The
French company agreed to pay $17 million to the plaintiffs before the
case was concluded. The Armenians that went to the court said their
relatives had life insurance from AXA during the Ottoman era and
asked for compensation on allegations that they “died in the genocide”.

Regarding OYAK’s French partner’s acceptance to pay compensation to
the Armenians with the allegation of “genocide,” BBP leader Muhsin
Yazicioglu said it was “a very serious situation;” paying compensation
can be considered natural in legal terms he said, but that making
this payment under the name of genocide is thought-provoking.

Can Baydarol from Istanbul Commerce University expressed the OYAK-AXA
relationship must absolutely be revised. The world view represented
by OYAK is clear, Baydarol reckoned.

Kemal Cetinoglu from Ankara-based ISRO told the JTW that “it is
ironic. OYAK is a army company and now they have business with AXA.

Turkish people are very angry about the decision. They may protest
the company. I am sure that the decision will harm Axa’s business
in Turkey.” According to Cetinoglu, the business opportunities in
France and US are more important for the Axa company. “That’s why they
accepted the Armenian allegations though they know that the claims are
baseless. They just consider how much they will earn or lose” he added.

ANY COMPENSATION MUST BE PREVENTED

Turkish Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Sinan Aygun said the
issue of forced migration will develop against Turkey if OYAK’s French
partner AXA pays the compensation to the Armenians. Aygun, who defended
that this must not be allowed since the rest will follow, said: “The
result of the compensation will mean that Armenia’s dream has come
true. Here AXA agrees to pay the compensation before the decision
is ratified by the court. In other words, it accepts the Armenians
claims. I strongly condemn this.” The OYAK Group, he further said,
must immediately step in and say “We have documents that Armenians
massacred the Turks” and prevent paying the compensation.

AXA CASE THE SECOND OF ITS KIND

The Axa case was the second of its kind to be brought in US courts.

Earlier, New York Life Insurance Company agreed to pay $20m (£11.4m)
to descendants of Armenian policyholders who died in 1915.

Lawyer Mark Geragos said the settlements were “important building
blocks… [towards]our ultimate goal, which is for Turkey and the US
to officially acknowledge the genocide”.

Turkey says up to 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
during civil strife in eastern Turkey during World War I, but angrily
rejects the allegation of a “genocide” of Armenians. The Armenians
rioted against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War while
the Ottoman armies were in clashes in against the Russian Empire
Armies. The Armenian armed groups attacked the Ottoman Army and
villages. The Istanbul Government decided to immigrate the Armenian
population near the war theatre to the southern provinces until the
end of the war. However thousands of Armenians lost their lives
during the 1915 relocation campaign. The bad weather conditions,
famine, epidemic diseases and communal clashes hit the immigrants.

Though the government allowed the Armenians to return their home
when the war ends, many could not return to Anatolia. Most of the
Armenians in the eastern towns supported the occupying French and
Russian armies against their Muslim neighbors and this caused great
clashes between two sides. After the First World War, the Armenians
argued that they were in war against the Ottoman Empire and they had
to be included in the peace negotiations. When the Ottoman Empire
collapsed and Turkish Republic established the new Turkish government
invited all Armenians to return Anatolia. However most of them had
immigrated to Armenia, Middle Eastern countries, Western Europe and
United States. Some Turkish historians argue that more than half
million of Turkish people were massacred by the Armenians.

–Boundary_(ID_PdrzWm3zhvYM/qxZV7xQWQ) —

DUKE STUDENT RELEASED FROM ARMENIAN PRISON

NBC 17.com, NC
Oct 17 2005

POSTED: 5:49 am EDT October 17, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. — A Duke University scholar is back at work on his
doctoral dissertation after spending two months in an Armenian prison
this summer on what he believes was a trumped-up charge.

Yektan Turkyilmaz was detained when he tried to leave that country
with antique books, a violation of Armenian law.

But the Turkish citizen thinks it was his research that really got
him into trouble. The two countries have a historically hostile
relationship, and Turkyilmaz’s dissertation addresses it.

“I never thought that they would, like, you know, detain me. I thought
it was something silly,” he said.

Turkyilmaz, 33, has been to Armenia five times, the first in 2002. He
returned in April to work for two months. The avid book collector
also bought more than 100 used books and pamphlets in Yerevan, the
Armenian capital, something he has done in the past with no problem.

This time, however, it caused a big one.

As Turkyilmaz waited to pass through an airport security checkpoint
on June 17, a strange man spoke to him in broken English. Turkyilmaz
had been speaking Armenian.

“I realized that something was up,” he recalled.

His passport was stamped, but then he was surrounded by more than
half a dozen agents from the National Security Service who told
Turkyilmaz to empty his pockets and confiscated his luggage. They
disregarded his explanation that he was a scholar and meticulously
began logging the titles of the 88 books he had in his bags —
sometimes with Turkyilmaz’s help in translating those that were
written in old Armenian.

But the agents also showed little care for the books, some of which
dated to the 17th century. They piled them on the floor or dumped them
in plastic bags. And their questions quickly switched to Turkyilmaz
himself — his political views, his Kurdish ethnicity, who he knew
in Armenia and the subject of his research.

That, he believes, was the real issue. Turkyilmaz is studying how
modern Armenian, Kurdish and Turkish nationalism developed after the
mass killings of Armenians in Turkey during World War I. He was the
first Turkish scholar allowed in the Armenian national archives to
conduct research.

“His trip was unprecedented for a Turkish citizen and also a huge
feather in his cap for his academic career,” said Charles Kurzman,
an associate professor of sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill and one of
Turkyilmaz’s advisers. “That’s high-risk, high-gain research.”

U.S. politicians and diplomats were joined by a host of academics
who campaigned for his release from Armenia, while Turkyilmaz spent
his days in a small prison cell in Yerevan.

He was questioned almost daily during the first month by agents who
examined his computer files and CDs. They also accused him of being
a spy — a charge that could bring a 15-year prison term.

But the only charge filed against him, three days after his arrest,
involved the books. Breaking the obscure law — unfamiliar even to
the booksellers — could have gotten Turkyilmaz as much as eight
years in prison.

“The whole idea that you could be sentenced to years in prison for
taking used books out of the country was preposterous,” said Orin
Starn, a professor of cultural anthropology at Duke and primary
adviser to Turkyilmaz.

On Aug. 16, a judge convicted Turkyilmaz but gave him a two-year
suspended sentence.

Turkyilmaz worries now that the conviction could hamper his travel
in southwestern Asia — and, consequently, his research — or create
problems with U.S. authorities when his visa expires in a few months.

But he said he’s not bitter, and the experience has only cemented
his desire to pursue an academic career in the United States.

“I’m so glad to be back,” he said. “I feel so safe here, so secure. I
just want to go back to my work. That’s the only thing I want to do
with my life.”