Author: Kajoyan Gevork

BIA, Turkey
April 28 2006

Prosecutor Appeals Against Four Columnists

Bagcilar prosecutor’s office appeals against court decision dropping
charges for four prominent Turkish columnists for criticizing a
decision to ban 2005 Istanbul conference on Ottoman Armenians. Murat
Belge to be tried on June 8 under separate indictment

BIA News Center
28/04/2006 Erol ONDEROGLU

BÝA (Istanbul) – Istanbul’s Bagcilar district prosecutor’s office has
appealed against an April 11 court verdict dismissing a high-profile
controversial case against four prominent Turkish columnists who were
charged with attempting to influence the outcome of a trial though
their writings by criticising a court order halting a September 2005
Istanbul conference on Ottoman Armenians.

The court decided then that according to article 26 of the Press Law,
charges against the four were subject to statue of limitation due to
the time lapse between the date of alleged offence and when a case
was launched.

While it ruled to drop the charges against them, the court decided to
continue the trial of Radikal newspaper columnist and writer Murat
Belge as the only defendant in a new trial, concluding that the
statue of limitation did not apply to his case.

This week, the Bagcilar prosecutor’s office took the verdict for
journalists Hasan Cemal of the daily Milliyet and Haluk Sahin, Erol
Katircioglu and Ismet Berkan of the daily Radikal to the Court of
Appeals asking it to be overruled.

Belge himself is to stand trial under a separate indictment on June
8.

The four defendants were charged in December under Article 288 of the
Turkish Penal Code with “attempting to influence the outcome of a
fair trial” through their writing. All except Berkan also faced
prosecution under Article 301 for “publicly degrading the judiciary”.

If the trial had not been dismissed and they were convicted, all of
the defendants could have faced prison terms of six months to 10
years under the charges.

Belge Trial Details

Journalist Murat Belge’s hearing at the Bagcilar 2nd Court of First
Istance will be held on June 8, at 10.30 local time. Belge is being
charged with violating articles 288 and 301/2 of the Turkish Penal
Code.

He is geld responsible for a September 24, 2005 article titled “The
murder of law” and the October 15, 2005 dated commentary titled “A
Court Decision. ” While the first article was subject to statue of
limitations, the Bagcilar court had decided that he should stand
trial for the second one. (EO/II/YE)

Trend Info, Azerbaijan
April 28 2006

Azeri, US presidents to discuss co-op in security, energy sectors

Source: Trend
Author: Z.Ibrahimli

28.04.2006

The cooperation in the security, energy, consolidation of bilateral
relationships, as well as situation around Iran will be in focus of
discussion in a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
and US President George W.Bush in the White House on 28 April, Trend
reports. The bilateral meeting on the top crowns the Azerbaijani
President’s three-day official visit to Washington as the head of
state.

On the eve of the Azerbaijani-US Summit the White House stated
Washington is considering Baku as its `key ally’ in strategically
important region of the world and `valuable partner’, rendering
important assistance to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo”. There were
placed peacekeeping contingent of Azerbaijan.

According to the US Administration, during the forthcoming talks with
Aliyev Bush plans to touch upon the issues like “promotion of
democracy and cooperation in the Caucasus, diversification in the
energy sector, as well as general decisiveness [of both countries] to
work jointly in the name of freedom and security.

Addressing to the Council of International Relationships, the
Azerbaijani leader said that he does not regard the issue of Iran as
central one in the meetings in Washington. Aliyev underlined that
Azerbaijan was not going to participate in any armed operations
against Iran, if it transits from suppositions to reality.

Obviously, Aliyev and Bush will pay especial attention to a problem
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov announced that Baku was not waiting new
proposals from Washington on the resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, ITAR-TASS announces.

SPRING SOWING NOT DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULE IN KOTAYK MARZ

HRAZDAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. This spring, only 1,000 ha was sown
with grain out of the planned area of about 10,000 ha in low-lying
lands of Kotayk marz. The sowing of other cultured plants is also
behind the schedule, while in mountainoues area it has not been
started at all. The reason is bad weather, mainly continuous rains.

PanARMENIAN.Net

OIC to Discuss Karabakh Conflict

28.04.2006 21:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The delegation of the unrecognized Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus will participate in the recurrent sitting of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to be held in Baku in
June. According to head of the TRNC representation in Azerbaijan, the
republic has the status of observer in the OIC. When commenting on the
agenda Evran did not rule out that the OIC will address the conflicts
available in the region. The diplomat categorically disagrees with
those who try to draw a parallel between the Cypriot issue and the
Nagorno Karabakh problem. In his opinion, each of the conflicts has
its peculiar history and causes and it would be incorrect to draw
parallels, reported Trend.

ZHIRINOVSKY RECRUITS PATRIOTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
by Viktoria Sokolova
Translated by Elena Leonova

Source: Izvestia, April 26, 2006, p. 4

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
April 26, 2006 Wednesday

Patriots from Armenia, Malaysia, Syria and other countries meet in
Moscow; LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky has hosted “the world’s
freest congress of free political parties.” The World Congress of
Patriotic Parties was a gathering of nationalist parties from Europe
and Asia. They condemned globalization and came up with a new slogan:
“Patriots of the world, unite!”

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of
Russia (LDPR), has marked his birthday by convening “the world’s
freest congress of free political parties.” The 3rd World Congress
of Patriotic Parties proved to be a gathering of nationalist parties
from Europe and Asia. They unanimously condemned globalization and
came up with a new slogan: “Patriots of the world, unite!”

“American-stlye globalization means the destruction of national ways
of life, languages, cultures, and history.” The congress resolution
was signed by patriots representing the National Mandate Party of
Indonesia, the Chinese Communist Party, the Progressive Socialist
Party of Lebanon, and the Syrian Social-Nationalist Party. The
congress proposed to establish a World Union of Patriotic Parties,
in which Russia, with its special geostrategic status, would play an
important role.

The patriots agreed that Yugoslavia has suffered most of all due to
globalization. Delegates listened with interest to a speech by the
guest of honor: Borislav Milosevic, brother of the former president.

Representatives of the Serbian Radical Party spoke out in defense of
the “murdered” Slobodan Milosevic and their party leader, Vojislav
Seselj, who has been detained in The Hague for some time. The Serbs
wore “Free Seselj” buttons and spoke out in defense of the election
in Belarus. Gordana Pop-Lazic, deputy party leader and deputy speaker
of the Serbian parliament, said: “The election of Lukashenko is the
first serious blow to globalization.”

Sergei Gaidukevich, one of Lukashenko’s opponents in the recent
election, shared his experience of surviving under pressure from
the United States: “Practically all the countries around our borders
joined forces… Huge sums of money were poured into dwarf political
parties.” Gaidukevich talked about techniques of battling for power
with the help of “drunk, drugged-out” young people, and exposed the
plans of the Americans: “Lithuania at the top, Belarus in the center,
Ukraine at the bottom, and the border is closed: Russia will share
a border with NATO.”

All the same, political asylum in Russia – a country that is “still
resisting global dominance,” according to Borislav Milosevic – was
requested by Daniel Fere from Belgium. Fere, leader of the Belgian
National Front, has been found guilty in Belgium of making xenophobic
statements and sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Participants in 3rd World Congress of Patriotic Parties

– Liberal Democratic Party of Azerbaijan

– Armenian Revolutionary Federation

– Republican Party of Armenia

– Liberal Democratic Party of Armenia

– National Democratic Union (Armenia)

– Liberal Democratic Party (Belarus)

– Belgian National Front

– National Mandate Party (Indonesia)

– Communist Party of China

– Progressive Socialist Party (Lebanon)

– United Malay National Organization (Malaysia)

– Civic Courage Republican Party (Mongolia)

– Fatherland Party (Mongolia)

– Serbian Radical Party

– Syrian Social-Nationalist Party

– Progressive Socialist Party (Ukraine)

– Constitutional Party (Estonia)

– Russian Party of Estonia

– Issuikai Party (Japan)

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO USA IS NOT PLANNED

Regnum, Russia
April 25 2006

“Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is not planned to visit
Washington. The assumption made on the ground of answer of Armenian
Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan, I think, is a result
of either wrong translation or partial distortion of his words,”
spokesman for the foreign ministry Gamlet Gasparyan says.

“In an interview to Turkish Zaman newspaper Arman Kirakosyam was
talking not about visit of our president after the visit by Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev, but, pointing out our good friendly relations
with the USA, about a possibility of such visit on the whole,” Gamlet
Gasparyan is quoted as saying by press office of the Armenian foreign
ministry, reports a REGNUM correspondent.

It is worth mentioning that in an interview on April 24 to Turkish
Zaman newspaper, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan
informed that the Armenian president would probably visit Washington in
the next few days. According to the Armenian deputy foreign minister,
the president would probably be the guest of the US administration
within the next few days, “after Aliyev’s visit.”

The Statesman (India)
April 22, 2006 Saturday

STUDENT DIES

SILIGURI, April 21: Prashant Anchalia, student of Yerevan State
Medical University in Armenia, died yesterday after apparently
falling from the sixth floor of his hostel. A resident of Siliguri,
Prashant was the son of a business-man. SNS

Indian students continue protest over death of compatriot in Armenia

Arminfo
22 Apr 06

Yerevan, 22 April: Indian students today continued the protest rally
on Republic Square which they started on 20 April in connection with
the tragic death of a 20-year student, Prashanta [Sandi] Anchali.

They demanded the resignation of the rector of Yerevan Medical
University, Goar Kalyan, and his deputies.

This time the reason for the students’ dissatisfaction was Kalyan’s
interview to the Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak, in which,
speaking about the Indian people, she said: “This is a mendacious
and gipsy nation.”

Moreover, the students are also outraged by interviews of the Medical
University leadership in which they said that during their meeting with
the rector, Indian students cocked a snook at her. In the meantime,
the students maintain that Kalyan herself cocked a snook at them in
response to their demand for her resignation.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

Boston Globe, MA
April 20 2006

Armenians get allies in genocide teachings
Group stands up ‘against denial’

By Yvonne Abraham, Globe Staff | April 20, 2006

Leading politicians and groups from a range of communities are
joining with Armenians in their battle to ensure that the Armenians’
early-20th-century history be taught as genocide.

The Armenians are fighting a federal lawsuit that seeks to include
opposing views of the genocide in teaching materials for
Massachusetts high schools.

A new group, called kNOw Genocide, includes the Jewish Community
Relations Council, the Irish Immigration Center, the Massachusetts
Council of Churches, Rwanda Outlook, and the Cambodian Mutual
Assistance Association, among others. Standing with them will be
Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey
— both gubernatorial candidates — and several state legislators.

A rally tomorrow at the State House is expected to draw
representatives from the diverse coalition, in a testament to the
political clout that the Armenian community has in Massachusetts.

”This allows our community, together with other communities, to
stand together against denial,” said Anthony Barsamian, a member of
the Armenian Assembly of America board, based in Washington. ”And
those who try to deny genocide will be beaten back.”

The coalition is being launched at a time of considerable debate over
events in Ottoman Turkey early last century. Several PBS stations
were criticized this week for airing a documentary called ”The
Armenian Genocide” and declining to air an accompanying panel
discussion that included scholars who have denied that a genocide
took place.

Those who believe that both views should be heard accused PBS
stations, including Boston’s WGBH, of bowing to pressure from
Armenians and their supporters.

Armenians and many historians have long maintained that the events of
1915 in Ottoman Turkey — in which more than 1 million Armenians were
killed and many more were driven from their homes — constituted
genocide.

In Massachusetts, home to about 30,000 Armenians, legislators
established a day of remembrance for victims.

But the Turkish government, and some historians, say what happened
should not be described as genocide because the deaths were part of a
civil war that resulted in the murder of innocent people on both
sides.

In the lawsuit, now pending at US District Court in Boston, a teacher
and a student from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, and the
Assembly of Turkish American Associations, have demanded that the
state Department of Education include dissenting views on the
Armenian genocide in a curriculum guide on the topic.

A draft of that guide originally included the dissenting views, but
did not mandate that they be taught in Massachusetts schools. The
plaintiffs say the removal violates freedom of speech.

The attorney general, who is defending the state, argues that because
the curriculum guide is a government document, it is not bound by
free speech. Armenians and supporters say presenting opposing views
of the 1915 events is like denying the Holocaust.

The struggle has drawn support from other groups who say they speak
from their own painful histories of oppression.

”As members of the Jewish community, we identify with the Armenian
community in terms of the Armenian genocide, and it’s important to
fight denial,” said Nancy Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish
Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. ”We thought this was
a battle that had been won long ago.”

Harvey Silverglate, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the
Department of Education suit, said his clients are not denying that a
genocide took place. ”We are not admitting it, we’re not denying it,
we’re taking no position,” he said. ”We simply want to open up the
avenues for honest debate and restore the censored articles to the
Massachusetts curriculum.”

President chides grave desecration claims

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has called Armenia’s claims
concerning the alleged desecration of ancient graves in the Azeri
exclave of Nakhchivan as completely false.

“All cultural and historical monuments in Azerbaijan are under
state protection,” Aliyev said during his visit to the country’s
western regions last week. “As you know, some Armenian circles and
hypocritical politicians under the Armenian lobby’s influence have
claimed that Armenian tombstone crosses are allegedly being destroyed
in Nakhchivan. This information is an absolute lie and slander.”

The European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the alleged
desecration of the ancient gravestones in February, sparking public
outrage in the country. Aliyev said that all mosques, cemeteries
and monuments have been destroyed in the occupied Azeri land, which
was confirmed by a relevant fact-finding OSCE mission. The president
said there is religious tolerance and representatives of different
ethnicities peacefully co-exist in Azerbaijan. There is an Orthodox
church and a Jewish Synagogue in the country, while a Catholic church
is expected to be set up soon.