Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Turan News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 4 2007

Representatives of ICRC Visit Azeri Prisoner in Karabakh

Turan 04/01/2007 20:16

Yesterday the representatives of the International Committee Red
Cross (ICRC) visited the Azerbaijani war prisoner Eldaniz Nuriyev.

They interested with conditions in which Nuriyev is kept, his health,
psychological state, employee of the Public Relations Department of
ICRC Gulnaz Guliyeva said Turan. ICRC will continue work in this
direction, she said.

Eldaniz Nuriyev was captured on December 31, 2006 in Fizuli region.
Nuriyev was armless, and occasionally found himself at the hostile
territory, press office of Defense Ministry reported.

Eldaniz Nuriyev was born in 1976, was called to army in July, 2005
from Agsu region.

The Globe and Mail (Canada)
January 1, 2007 Monday

EDITORIAL; Pg. A10

Turkey and the EU

Turkey became an associate member of the European Common Market in
1963. It applied for full membership in the European Union in 1987.
It was recognized as an official candidate in 1999 and entered
membership talks in 2005. It has been banging on Europe’s door for at
least a generation, yet even optimists say it will take another 10
years to get past the doorstep. Is it any wonder the Turks are
getting impatient?

The latest rebuff came last month when the EU suspended talks with
Ankara on eight of the 35 policy areas they are discussing. The
purported reason was Turkey’s refusal to open its ports and airports
to Cyprus, an EU member that Ankara does not recognize because of the
long-running dispute between Greek and Turkish inhabitants of the
island. The Turks say the issue is a smokescreen, covering up
Europe’s growing reluctance to bring a mainly Muslim nation into a
club dominated by countries of Christian heritage.

They have a point. Europe’s doubts have been growing steadily
stronger. Partly because of worries about restive, unassimilated
Muslim minorities in many EU countries, Europeans are wondering
whether it really makes sense to take a big, poor, Muslim nation into
the family. Angela Merkel, the conservative Chancellor of Germany,
has been a skeptic on Turkey’s entry since she came to office a year
ago. She pushed last month to give Ankara a deadline to meet its
obligations on trade with Cyprus, but failed to get the measure
through. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French Interior Minister who is a
leading candidate to become President of France in May’s election, is
an open opponent of Turkish EU membership. Among Europe’s Big Three –
Germany, France and Britain – only British Prime Minister Tony Blair
is an enthusiastic supporter of bringing Turkey in.

Turkey has itself to blame for much of Europe’s growing skepticism.
Though Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken great strides to
reform the country – reducing the military’s role in politics,
extending language and education rights to minority Kurds, opening up
the economy to more competition and trying to modernize the legal
system – there are many signs that Turkey still does not understand
what it takes to be a truly modern, European nation.

Dozens of writers, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, have
been prosecuted for the dubious crime of insulting the nation. The
country has still failed to confront ugly episodes in its past, such
as the Armenian genocide. A mood of nationalism and anti-Americanism
is taking hold (though the United States backs Turkish entry into the
EU). With parliamentary and presidential elections coming up this
year, politicians may be tempted to wave the flag and stomp their
feet in a way that would further alienate European opinion. Turkey
cannot seriously expect to be embraced by Europe while trying to
throw writers in jail for speaking their minds. If there is a
baseline for acceptance into the European family, the right of free
expression should be it.

For all that, the arguments for Turkish membership remain strong.
Turkey is a strategic asset, lying at the crossroads of Europe and
the Middle East. It has been a loyal member of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. Most important, it is one of the few democratic
countries in the Muslim world, maintaining a secular government while
most its citizens remain faithfully Islamic. As such, it is a golden
example to the other Islamic countries of how they can be modern and
Muslim at the same time. In a period when the U.S.-led attempt to
promote democracy in the Middle East is faltering, that is a crucial
message to send. Welcomed into the EU, Turkey could become a bridge
between the Islamic and Western worlds. Rejected by the EU, it could
drift into the Islamic radicalism and bitter anti-Western nationalism
that infects so many of its Middle Eastern cousins. Muslims
everywhere would be confirmed in their belief that while the West
talks a good line about harmony between civilizations, it still
doesn’t want a Muslim at the family table.

Yes, Turkey must do more – much more – to prove its fitness for
European membership. But Europe must keep its eye on the prize that
Turkey represents: a partnership between Islam and the West that
would be a lesson to the world.

GOVERNMENT UNVEILS NEW PLAN TO FIGHT TB IN ARMENIA
By Shakeh Avoyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 28 2006

The government approved on Thursday a new nine-year plan of actions
aimed at combating a dramatic spread of tuberculosis in Armenia that
has been registered over the past decade.

Its adoption followed the completion of a similar drive launched by
the government three years ago. Officials said the latest "national
program" against the potentially deadly disease will also be mostly
financed by foreign donors.

"This program will run from 2007 through 2015," said Vahan Poghosian,
a senior Armenian Health Ministry official coordinating the anti-TB
campaign. "It will involve training courses [for medical personnel],
purchase of laboratory equipment and, most importantly, medicines."

Armenian medical authorities have reported a sharp increase in the
incidence of the disease since the early 1990s, attributing it to
malnutrition and a lack of winter heating. According to the Health
Ministry, the number of people suffering from tuberculosis rose by 18
percent to almost 6,500 between 2000 and 2005. Officials there admit
that the real number is probably much higher because the authorities
are unable to register all infected people, who are usually poor and
can not afford healthcare.

The ministry data show that more than 100 people died of TB in 2003.

Poghosian declined to disclose the death toll for 2004 and 2005,
concentrating instead on government efforts to tackle the problem. He
said medical authorities are now much better equipped to quickly
detect and treat cases of TB than they were before the launch of the
first government program worth $5 million.

It was not immediately clear how much the Armenian government plans
to spend on its the latest program adopted by ministers at a weekly
cabinet meeting. Officials said only that much of the funding
for, $7.5 million, will come from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria. The government of Germany, for its part,
will contribute almost $3 million to the effort.

In Poghosian’s words, the donor funding will enable his ministry to
continue to supply patients with expensive TB drugs free of charge
in the years to come. "Anti-TB drugs is not and will not be a problem
in the Republic of Armenia until 2011," he told reporters. Treatment
of a person infected with the disease costs at least $12,000, he said.

Also helping Armenia combat the disease is the renowned French relief
agency Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF). It unveiled in December 2004
a $3.8 million program that has primarily targeted the more severe
"multi-resistant" form of tuberculosis (MDR-TB) which can not be
cured with traditional methods. MSF estimated at the time that MDR-TB
accounts for 15 percent of new TB cases identified in the country.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA ISSUES SILVER COIN DEDICATED TO 100TH BIRTHDAY MARSHAL BABAJANYAN

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Dec 26 2006

YEREVAN, December 26. /ARKA/. Central Bank of Armenia issued Monday a
silver coin dedicated to 100th birthday Armored Troops Chief Marshal
Hamazasp Babajanyan.

The CBA press service says the coin’s value is AMD 1000, weight 33.6g
and diameter 38mm.

Armenia’s state emblem is placed on the obverse side of the coin.

Marshal Babajanyan in military uniform is depicted on the reverse side.

The coin is designed by Karen Kojoyan. As many as 500 coins are
issued. They were made in Czech Republic.

VOX POPULI SURVEY: JACQUES CHIRAC’S VISIT AND CHARLES AZNAVOUR’S CONCERT – MOST IMPORTANT EVENT IN ARMENIA IN 2006

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Dec 26 2006

YEREVAN, December 26. /ARKA/. Visit of Jacques Chirac to Armenia and
Charles Aznavour’s concert, held in Yerevan, are considered to be most
important events for Armenia in 2006, according to telephone survey,
held by Vox Populi Public Opinion Study Center among 593 citizens of
Yerevan from December 17n to 22.

Survey shows that 21,4% surveyed find Jacques Chirac’s visit to Armenia
and Charles Aznavour’s concert most important events of 2006, 11,3% –
participation of singer Andre in Eurovision, 9,6% – victory of Armenian
chess players in Turin, 7,8% – 15th anniversary of Independence of
Armenia, 7,8% – air crash of À-320 air pane, 7,6% – death of singer
Varduhi Vardanyan, 5,56% surveyed gave different answers, and 26,64%
found it difficult to answer to that question at all.

At that 15,8% surveyed find recognition of Armenian Genocide by the
Parliament of France most important event in the world. 15% surveyed
consider conflicts in the Middle East to be the most important event
of this year, and 7,5% – aggravation of Russian-Georgian relations,
7,5% – gave different answers, 56,3% – found it difficult to answer.

Eighteen years old and elder inhabitants of the capital of Armenia
took part in the survey.

–Boundary_(ID_cqbCe88yqrzdILHStkU9mA)–

NAGORNO KARABAKH TALKS TO GO AS BEFORE AND HERE ELECTIONS HAVE NOTHING TO DO

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.12.2006 13:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The limply process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement talks will continue, responded to the PanARMENIAN.Net
journalist’s question about ‘the window of possibilities’ political
scientist Alexander Iskandaryan, the Director of Caucasian Media
Institute. In his words, in near future nothing new is expected in
this regard. "The window remains open and nobody has closed and will
close it. But the real situation in the process of settlement lies
between freezing the conflict and its quick solution and it remains
the same from 1996. The question is in working out mechanisms. The
talks will go as before and here the elections in Armenia have nothing
to do with and Azerbaijan also has nothing to do with," he stressed.

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Dec 24 2006

Iranian music rich but publicity poor, says noted musician

Tehran, Dec 24, IRNA

Noted Iranian musician has said that Iranian music has some of the
best melodies in the world.

Shahin Farhat rejected the views claiming that Iranian music is poor
and devoid of content, pointing out that works by Iranian composers
including Sheida, Aref, Majid Vafadar and Morteza Mahjoubi are
comparable to the works by leading international musicians, wrote
the Sunday edition of the English-language newspaper `Iran Daily.’
Describing inadequate information about Iranian music as one of the
dilemmas facing the sector, he noted, "Our musicians’ activities were
mostly presented orally and nothing has so far been done to introduce
the art to the world." Iranian music can attain a higher status in
the world if it is introduced properly, Farhat said.

Despite the high potentials of Iranian artists, some people in
the world have the impression that Iranian music lacks the art of
composition, he noted.

Commenting on classical music, Farhat added that this type of music
has become vogue since the ninth century concurrent with the advent
of polyphonic music.

Composer of Damavand, Martyrs, and War Disabled symphonies also
pointed out that the life span of this kind of music in Iran goes
back to 80 years.

The above-mentioned symphonies were recently performed to the
accompaniment of Armenian and Ukrainian symphony orchestras.

According to Farhat, Damavand Symphony which symbolizes the might
of the Iranians has been composed in four sections called mental
ascension, beauties of nature, hostility of nature and Damavand,
mountain of might.

VARTAN OSKANIAN IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE POLICY

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.12.2006 14:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I am not tired and not going to leave the policy,
but still I do not know how I shall participate in the political
life," said Armenian FA minister Vartan Oskanian in Yerevan. In
his words, currently no political party in Armenia attracts him,
and there has been no offer from them. "The time will show. The new
president will want to work with his foreign minister since it is a
very important post.

And who in 2008 will be the new president I do not know. Because of it
all the talks on my political future are premature," the FA minister
underlined. He also noticed that he is not going to leave Armenia:
"It’s my motherland, I have nothing to do in other countries. I
knowingly made my choice when accepting Armenian citizenship."

It is worth reminding that Vartan Oskanian accepted Armenian
citizenship in 1998 refusing from American citizenship, since
according to the law, he could not occupy the position of Foreign
Affairs Minister being a citizen of another country.

SWEDISH AMBASSADOR SLAMS TURKISH DOCUMENTARY
By Paul O’Mahony

AINA, CA
Assyrian International News Agency
Dec 18 2006

A documentary film accusing Sweden of genocide against its Sami and
Roma populations has angered many Turkish television viewers and
media commentators since going to air last week.

Sweden’s Ambassador to Turkey, Christer Asp, spoke to The Local
about the divisive documentary and the probability of a link to the
announcement of Orhan Pamuk as this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize
for Literature.

"The film says things about Sweden that are less than nice. Some parts
are fictitious and include serious allegations of abuse," said Asp.

The ambassador finally got to see the film on Saturday, but readily
admits that he had difficulty following it as his Turkish is not
quite up to scratch. He has however been fully briefed as to the
content of the film and is none too impressed.

"For example, the journalist says that Swedes are all drunkards and
that the men beat their wives because women have been given too many
freedoms," said the ambassador.

By the time he sat down to watch the film last Tuesday, national
broadcaster TRT had responded to the heated reaction by removing it
from the schedule. Not knowing that the station would later rerun the
film, the ambassador entered into an e-mail exchange with journalist
and film-maker Banu Avar.

"I asked if I could have a copy of the film. To which she said that
she would have to consult with TRT’s directors.

"She then went on to say that the allegations of genocide were factual
and were well known among scientists and historians. After that I
discontinued the dialogue," said Asp.

The documentary was due to be shown eight times in total last week
but was removed from weekday scheduling after Monday’s hotly debated
debut. It was however eventually shown again on Saturday and Sunday.

According to the ambassador, the matter has been the subject of some
debate in Turkey over the past week.

"It has been widely debated that the film may have centred on Sweden
because of Orhan Pamuk getting the Nobel Prize for literature.

"Interviews with Horace Engdahl from the Swedish Academy, for example,
were carried out after Pamuk was named this year’s winner.

"The prize was also announced on the same day that the parliamentary
assembly in France announced that it was not permissible to deny the
Armenian genocide, which is a very sensitive issue in Turkey. And
Pamuk has been persecuted for claiming that it really happened.

Much of the film consisted of an attempt to link Pamuk’s "anti-Turkish"
accusations with Sweden’s perceived denial of its own genocidal past.

"Pamuk was awarded a Nobel Prize because he denied his own identity,"
said Banu Avar, according to Turkish Daily News.

A number of the ambassador’s friends from the Turkish foreign ministry
called to express their surprise. But he has not discussed the matter
at an official level.

"We have freedom of expression in Sweden and I am not going to contact
the foreign ministry or TRT.

"I don’t mind debating a programme that is critical of Sweden but I
would expect it to be factual and to meet a minimum level of decency.

"This it failed to do and I would expect any media to think twice
before broadcasting such serious allegations," said Asp.

ARMENIAN INTERNET MONOPOLY SCRAPPED
By Ruben Meloyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 18 2006

The ArmenTel national telecommunications company on Monday officially
relinquished its controversial legal monopoly on Armenia’s Internet
communication with the outside world, making good on one of the
promises given by its new Russian owner.

The move, formalized by the Public Services Regulatory Commission, will
be welcomed by local Internet service providers and their customers
that have long complained about the poor quality and high cost of
the service.

VimpelCom, a leading Russian mobile phone operator, pledged to give
up the lucrative monopoly immediately after it paid nearly $500
million to buy a 90 percent share in ArmenTel from the Hellenic
Telecommunication Organization (OTE) last month. Oleg Bliznyuk,
ArmenTel’s recently appointed executive director, said the Russian
firm stands for a full liberalization of the Armenian telecom market
and is ready to face "civilized competition."

"Every Internet provider will now have the right to choose their
source of external Internet connection," one of Bliznyuk’s deputies,
Hayk Fahramazian, told RFE/RL.

Exclusive rights to all forms of telecommunication were a key term of
ArmenTel’s 1998 takeover by OTE. The Greek telecom giant was forced to
abandon its grip on mobile telephony two years ago after its dramatic
failure to develop the wireless service in Armenia. But it resisted
strong pressure for a similar liberalization of the Internet market.

Armenia’s external Internet traffic has until now been carried out
through a single fibro-optic cable running to neighboring Georgia,
with ArmenTel failing to develop alternative satellite channels of
communication. Local Internet providers say this is why they have
been unable inexpensive high-speed service to corporate and individual
users. That has in turn been widely regarded as a serious obstacle to
the development of information technology, one of the most promising
sectors of Armenia’s economy.

Samvel Arabajian, a member of the state regulatory body, said the
end of the monopoly should remedy the situation. "We expect that
competition will lead to a drop in prices and an increase in quality,"
he told RFE/RL.

ArmenTel also abandoned on Monday its exclusive right to service
external phone calls. This means that the country’s second mobile
phone operator, VivaCell, will no longer have operate its subscribers’
international phone calls via ArmenTel.