Author: Nargizian David

FIGHTING FOR A PIECE OF THE PIE IN CENTRAL ASIA

Mehr News Agency, Iran
Sept 19 2005

TEHRAN, Sept. 18 (MNA) — Following the recent tension in the former
Soviet republics, the major regional powers have begun competing with
each other. They are by no means seeking the establishment of democracy
in the region but are rather trying to acquire their perceived share
of the pie.

Although many political analysts believe that the United States,
Russia, and the Zionist regime are competing with each other in the
region, others experts say that the main actors on this international
stage are the United States, Russia, and the European Union.

The region which took shape after the collapse of the Soviet Union
is like a blanket that is supposed to cover three people with each
of the three pulling the blanket toward himself.

Due to their strategic position for the establishment of a unipolar
world system, the former Soviet republics are of great significance
for the United States. Using the Afghanistan war as a pretext, the
U.S. was finally able to establish military bases in Central Asian
countries, although these republics only agreed to the U.S.

suggestion in order to free themselves from Moscow’s political
influence.

Meanwhile, a U.S.-based committee on freedom of religion recently
asked Washington to register Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as two of
the world’s main violators of freedom of religion.

However, it should be noted that the case of Uzbekistan was only
brought up after it quit the GUAM organization and called for the
withdrawal of NATO military forces from its territory.

Moreover, the U.S. conservatives are now trying to turn the
Commonwealth of Independent States countries into a battlefield for
a new cold war. But, due to recent developments, the Central Asian
countries now believe that the presence of U.S. forces in their
territories is a significant destabilizing factor.

These countries are wary of U.S. claims about establishing democracy
and feel that the United States is using non-governmental organizations
to harm their national governments.

Along these lines, on July 5, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO), which consists of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, China, and the Russian Federation, called on the United
States to announce a specific date for the withdrawal of its military
forces from Central Asia. This measure was taken due to the entrance
of new players in the region and the reduction of U.S. influence in
Central Asia.

One of the significant regional players is the Russian Federation.

Russia, which regards Central Asia as its backyard, has become
irritated by the growing regional influence of the United States,
the European Union, the Zionist regime, and China and consequently
is trying to weaken this influence through trying to limit and/or
cooperate with these countries, a strategy which it calls “expected
participation and mutual respect”.

First of all, Russia disagreed with Washington’s initiative on
“exporting democracy”! Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory
Karasin warned that Russia can not brook the imposition of methods
of “democratization” in the former Soviet republics, “colored
revolutions”, or info-political pressure on governments because
this would certainly lead to regional instability and unpredictable
repercussions.

The European Union, which began presenting itself as an influential
international player after changing its monetary system and expanding
eastward, considers Central Asia to be a region which can change the
attitude of developing countries toward its power and influence.

EU officials frequently comment on developments in Central Asia and
are trying to send a message to regional countries that they want to
participate in the regional democratization process by dispatching
electoral observers.

This is made clear by the EU measures and the remarks of Slovenian
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who is also currently the chairman
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in
which he said that the organization was determined to help the former
Soviet republics eradicate dictatorships and establish democratic
values in their countries.

In another development, it seems that the United States is no longer
willing to support these regional countries at any cost.

U.S. President George W. Bush recently sent a message to Kazakh
President Nur Sultan Nazarbayev asking him to hold a free democratic
election. Similar messages were then sent to the governments of the
Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia.

In addition, the U.S. Congress has approved bills to fund opposition
groups in these countries and in Moldova, where President Vladimir
Voronin was reelected due to the support of the United States.

The change in the U.S. geostrategy began with the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks. These terrorist incidents in New York and
Washington forced the United States to review its relations with
loyal but authoritarian leaders of other countries.

The clearest manifestation of the new U.S. strategy can be witnessed
in its attitude toward the Andijan incidents. Uzbekistan, which had
always been dependent on the West, was also supported by the West in
its suppression of the unrest.

A1+

| 17:36:35 | 16-09-2005 | Social |

EVICTION HAS STOPPED

The houses in the Buzand street are like ruins after the earthquake. There
are only several houses standing. Up to now the residents of the street
expected the court officers every moment. On September 12, however, it
turned out, that the officers have received an order to postpone the
eviction, as the owner of the area «Viscon» CJSC has submitted an
application to postpone it.

Another reason for postponing was that in the area near the Yerevan
municipality reconstruction works are being carries out too, and the court
officers are busy there.

Today there was no more the police group controlling the area. But eh people
are not soothed. Some of them even think that `they want to quieten people
so that it becomes easier to evict us’. The residents of the street still
announce that they will fight till the end.

By the way, if they try to evict them once again, the residents have
processed a new plan for struggle which is not being told about in order no
to be prevented.

ROAD PROBLEM RO BE SOLVED IN TAVUSH MARZ IN NEXT 2-3 YEARS

IJEVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The problem of roads will get a
full solution in Tavush marz within the next 2-3 years. The Armenian
President Robert Kocharian told reporters about this during his
working visit to the marz on September 16. He noted the
Berd-Chambarak, Chambarak-Dilijan and Dilijan-Shorzha roads are in
urgent need of repair. R. Kocharian familiarized himself with the
construction process of the Paravakar-Vazashen-Aygehovit road, visited
the newly built secondary school in the village of Kayan-Avan and took
part in the opening ceremony of the Karart stone working plant. The RA
President will also attend the ceremony of opening a square in the
city of Dilijan.

Pan Armenian News

ARMENIA IS INTERESTED IN RAISING OSCE EFFICIENCY

15.09.2005 09:17

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 12-13 in Vienna the OSCE member-states held
discussions dedicated to the OSCE reformation. The Armenian delegation
headed by Deputy FM Armen Bayburdian took part in the discussions. The
member-states presented their position on the report on raising the OSCE
efficiency worked out by a group of 7 diplomats and political figures. The
report touches upon several principal issues such as OSCE legislation, legal
status of the organization, efficiency of the structures and OSCE field
missions. Armenia’s position was represented by Armen Bayburdian and
permanent representative of Armenia in the OSCE Jivan Taribian. Armenia is
interested in raising the efficiency, role and authority of the OSCE and
considers that preserving the standards and fulfilling the commitments to
the CoE it is essential to adapt the OSCE to the realities and challenges of
the 21-st century. Upon completion of the discussions it was decided to form
a working group, which will elaborate a package of proposals for presenting
them at the meeting of the OSCE FMs to be held this December in Ljubljana.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 16 2005

Turkish Amb. says Turkey, Armenia should forge ties

Baku, September 15, AssA-Irada

Turkey and Armenia are neighboring countries and should forge ties.
There is a need for a dialogue on the issue, Turkish ambassador to
Azerbaijan Turan Morali has said.
`The visit by any Turkish group to Armenia is normal. Relations must
be established between our countries. Turkish and Armenian people
can’t live without any ties for a long period’, Morali said.
The Turkish diplomat added that he is not aware of any specific group
of people that will visit Armenia.*

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2005

HIGHLIGHTS:

STATEMENT OF YEREVAN PRESS CLUB ON AMENDMENTS TO THE RA CONSTITUTION

SUITS VERSUS “CHORRORD ISHKHANUTIUN” AND “ARAVOT”

“ZANGAK”: ABOUT THE DISABLED

PRESS NEWS

THE FIRST JUBILEE OF “TV-MOL”

STATEMENT OF YEREVAN PRESS CLUB ON AMENDMENTS TO THE RA CONSTITUTION

On September 15 Yerevan Press Club disseminated a statement with a number of
proposals on draft amendments to the Constitution of Armenia, adopted by the
RA National Assembly in the second hearing on September 1.

The statement says: “Yerevan Press Club is induced to state that the public
of Armenia has been insufficiently involved in the constitutional reform
process. Attention was not duly paid to a number of alternative proposals
made, as a result of which certain provisions of the draft continue to arise
serious concerns. In particular, we cannot be satisfied with the definitions
on freedom of expression and information. The primary subject of our concern
is the mechanisms for the broadcast regulatory body formation, as stipulated
by the draft constitutional amendments, since its independence is not
guaranteed.

As after the adoption in the second hearing the project cannot be radically
improved, we submit our proposals of editorial nature that will enable
making the existing clauses more specific and will contribute to achieving
greater clarity of definitions.”

Some of the YPC proposals aim solely at the improvement of the language in
some articles. At the same time it is proposed to maximally clarify the
status and the role of the body to be established for broadcast media. Thus,
Article 83.2 (“To ensure freedom, independence and diversity of broadcast
mass media, in accordance with the law, an independent body is established.
Half of its members are elected by the National Assembly, and the other half
is appointed by the President of the Republic – for 6 years’ term of
service. The National Assembly elects the members of this body by a majority
of the total number of deputies.”) should, in the opinion of YPC, be
narrated as follows: “In accordance with the law, a body is established,
regulating the activities of public and private broadcast mass media,
contributing to their diversity. To ensure the greatest independence of
this body, half of its members are elected by the National Assembly and half
is appointed by the President of the Republic – for 6 years’ term of
service. The National Assembly elects the members of this body by a majority
of the total number of deputies”.

The essence of the change proposed is that firstly, the bodies formed by the
state are established not to ensure freedom and independence but to regulate
the activities of a sphere. It is another thing that the Constitution must
stipulate certain guarantees for the independence of the body itself.
Secondly, the regulating function of this body should be clearly defined by
the Constitution, since the Main Law stipulates its establishment. Otherwise
it remains uncertain what it should be responsible for – this is hardly the
broadcasting, audiovisual production or interference with the inner policy
of broadcasting companies. Thirdly, both private and public broadcasting
should be subject to regulation. And if, contrary to YPC’s proposals, the
Constitution will stipulate the formation of only one body, it should be
regulating both, which must be clearly defined by the Main Law.

The proposals of Yerevan Press Club and other journalistic associations (see
YPC Weekly Newsletter, August 25 – September 1, 2005 and July 8-14, 2005) on
amendments to RA Constitution will be submitted to the RA National Assembly
before the draft is discussed in the third hearing.

SUITS VERSUS “CHORRORD ISHKHANUTIUN” AND “ARAVOT”

On September 8 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan started and postponed the hearing on the suit of
Karen Khachatrian, the assistant of Electrical Energy Chair of State
Engineering (Polytechnic) University of Armenia versus “Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun” newspaper. The plaintiff demanded that the newspaper be
required to publish a refutation (as written by him) for the article “The
Odyssey of the Khachatrians of Polytechnic”, published in “Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun” on June 28, 2005. The article described the “unhealthy
atmosphere, created at the University” by a professor of the same Chair
Varos Khachatrian and his son Karen, who came to defend him. It should also
be noted that “Chorrord Ishkhanutiun” enabled Karen Khachatrian to speak out
on the matter, having published on July 26 a piece, titled “Explanations of
K.Khachatrian of Polytechnic”.

The consideration of the suit of Karen Khachatrian versus “Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun” newspaper was delayed since presently criminal proceedings are
instituted on the appeal of the father of a female student of the
Engineering University, and the investigation is underway. The court has no
competence to consider the civil suit, filed by Karen Khachatrian, until the
investigation is over.

A similar suit with a similar demand was filed by Karen Khachatrian versus
another newspaper, “Aravot”. This time the dispute centered on article
“Sexual Harassment of a Student”, published in “Aravot” on June 24. The
publication based on the complaint of several students and professors of the
Engineering University about the behavior of Varos and Karen Khachatrian,
addressed to the RA Human Rights Defender. The court hearing on the case is
scheduled on September 23.

“ZANGAK”: ABOUT THE DISABLED

On September 15 “168 Zham” weekly was issued with “Zangak” supplement. The
free of charge full-color newsletter on 4 pages is published by “Unison”
NGO, protecting the rights of the disabled. The project is implemented with
the financial assistance of the US Department of State Public Affairs
Section and stipulates publication of three issues on movement-impaired
people. The print run of “Zangak” is 1,000 copies, half of which is
disseminated as a supplement to “168 Zham”.

PRESS NEWS

On September 10 the first issue of a special Saturday issue of “Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun” newspaper, “Kiraknamut” (“Sunday’s Eve”), was published. Thus,
from now on “Chorrord Ishkhanutiun” will come out three times a week – on
Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

On September 9 at the celebration ceremony of the first anniversary of “168
Zham” weekly, the web-site of the newspaper () was presented.
According to the Chief Editor of “168 Zham” Satik Seyranian, soon the web
page will feature not only the pieces of the weekly print issues of the
newspaper, but also daily news. The web site is accessible in Armenian,
English and Russian languages.

THE FIRST JUBILEE OF “TV-MOL”

On September 16 “TV-mol” (“TV-maniac”) weekly celebrates its first
anniversary.

Yerevan Press Club congratulates the colleagues and wishes further success
and prosperity.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN

Turkish minister says US troops should launch operation against Kurdish rebels

NTV television, Istanbul
13 Sep 05

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has said that the US Armed Forces should
undertake an operation against the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] in
the same way that they launched an operation on Tal Afar in Iraq on
grounds of security. Gul further said that the fight against the PKK is
the coalition forces’ responsibility as much as the Iraqi government’s.

Foreign Minister Gul, who is in New York for the UN meetings, said
that similar operations to those undertaken by the United States in
Tal Afar on grounds of security should be launched in other places,
where there are terrorists as well.

Gul added: In the same way that operations are launched in Tal Afar
because there are armed militia there, operations should be launched
in other places where there are terrorists. This is our expectation.
We know the power of Iraqi forces. We hope that Iraq gets back on
its feet and protect its own borders very soon.

Gul criticized the United States for leaving the initiative to fight
the PKK to the Iraqi government only. Gul said: The fight against the
PKK terrorist organization is undoubtedly not only the duty of the
Iraqi forces, it is also the responsibility of the coalition forces
as well. This is evident.

Gul noted that a large quantity of aid convoys were being dispatched
to Tal Afar after the operations.

TURKEY MUST RELENT

The Spectator, UK
September 10, 2005

The issue of how best to approach a friend who has badly let you
down is one more commonly dealt with at the back of this magazine,
by our agony aunt on etiquette, Mary Killen. But this week it is one
that needs to be addressed here. Over the past years this magazine
has been a staunch defender of Turkey and its right to join the
European Union, negotiations for which begin on 3 October. We have
praised its economy, its founder-membership of Nato, and condemned
the many Turkophobes within the EU most notably Frits Bolkestein,
the EU internal market commissioner, who last year fatuously claimed
that the liberation of Vienna from the Ottoman Turks in 1683 ‘would
have been in vain’ were Turkey allowed to join the EU.

Our point is that while Turkey is far from a perfect democracy, and
still falls short of the standards we have come to expect of Western
European nations, it is essentially a benign country travelling in
the right direction.

Alone among nations with Muslim majorities, it holds proper elections
and, for the most part, maintains a legal system which Britons would
regard as fair. It has 70 million industrious citizens who are keen
to trade with us on equal terms. Moreover, as we have argued before,
admitting Turkey to the EU would make it perfectly clear that, contrary
to what some imams may say, the West has no desire to suppress Islam,
only the malignant regimes which co-exist with it in the Middle East.

It would be a tragedy, therefore, if Turkish membership of the
EU were to be jeopardised by Turkey’s ugly treatment of its most
prominent novelist, Orhan Pamuk. Last week Mr Pamuk was charged under
Article 301/1 of the Turkish penal code, which makes it an offence to
insult the Republic of Turkey, punishable with between six months’
and three years’ imprisonment increased by a third if the offence
was committed abroad.

Mr Pamuk’s crime was to make reference, in an interview with Swiss
newspaper Tagesanzeiger in February, to Turkey’s ethnic cleansing
of Armenians between 1915 and 1917 and to its ill-treatment of Kurds
since 1984. ‘Thirty thousand Kurds and a million Armenians were killed
in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it, ‘ he said.

It goes without saying that jailing people for raising such issues is
unacceptable in a modern democracy. Orhan Pamuk is no traitor. On the
contrary, he is seen in the literary world as a great ambassador for
his homeland, whose work shows a deep love of his country and who has
been able to straddle the gap between East and West. He simply wishes
to be free to discuss a couple of dark episodes in Turkey’s history.

To jail him for doing so would be akin to our own courts sending down
a novelist who dared to mention the Irish potato famine.

To give it some credit, the Turkish government does not entirely deny
that a large number of Armenians came to a sticky end around 1915.

The prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, recently announced his desire to
establish a commission of historians to judge whether or not genocide
took place. Yet no properly functioning democracy seeks to legislate
in favour of one official version of history.

Rather it tolerates a free market in ideas, knowing full well that
it is lively debate which best ensures that the truth eventually
seeps out.

Orhan Pamuk’s accusations of the scale of Turkish maltreatment of
Armenians and Kurds are supported by eyewitness accounts.

An American diplomat filed a report at the time speaking of Ottoman
soldiers, aided by Kurdish tribesmen, ‘sweeping the countryside,
massacring men, women and children and burning their homes. Babies were
shot in their mothers’ arms, small children were horribly mutilated,
women were stripped and beaten.’ Pamuk’s accusations are supported,
too, by Halil Berktay, a professor at Sabanci University, who puts
the numbers of dead at between 800,000 and one million.

But even if Pamuk’s charges were nonsense, it would be no excuse
for jailing him. A confident nation has no need to suppress free
speech, knowing that anyone who makes false accusations against their
country’s past for political reasons will rapidly be crushed beneath
the weight of counter-evidence. It is very irritating when some
left-wing firebrand pops up blaming the British empire for Aids,
using the tortuous argument that the buggery of black slaves by
their British masters induced Afro-Caribbeans to violent homophobia,
thereby suppressing condom-use in latterday Africa. But to bung them
behind bars? Apart from the abuse of the firebrand’s human rights,
it would merely serve to suggest that Britain had never got over its
loss of empire.

Admittedly, Turkey’s problem over Armenia and the Kurds is not
limited to the government: 80 per cent of respondents to a recent
opinion poll said they could do without EU membership if it meant
having to admit to past genocide. But if Turkey wants to join the EU,
and become a full member of the wider club of Western democracies,
it simply has to face up to its past, and to its present democratic
failings. Article 301/1 of its penal code must go.

The Sunday Times
September 11, 2005

Booker novelists denounce Turkey for charging author

Tom Pattinson and Alice Jones

TURKEY has been condemned by Kazuo Ishiguro, the novelist, and fellow
Man Booker prize nominees over a threat to imprison one of its leading
writers for highlighting his country’s role in the 1915 Armenian
genocide.

Orhan Pamuk, 53, who has written several award-winning books, was
charged last week with `denigrating national identity’ with comments
in a Swiss newspaper. If found guilty at his trial, set for December
16, he could be jailed for up to three years.

Publicity surrounding the case has thrown the spotlight on Turkey’s
human rights record as it prepares to begin negotiations next month on
joining the European Union.

Ishiguro, who won the Booker prize in 1989 for The Remains of the Day
and is on this year’s shortlist for Never Let Me Go, said: `I’m
astonished and horrified to discover such a situation can arise in
Turkey today – and to a writer who has done so much to enhance his
country’s reputation. I hope the Turkish government does all in its
power to bring this misguided prosecution to an end.’

John Banville, nominated this year for The Sea, said Pamuk was right
to remind compatriots of past crimes committed in their name. `It will
be a disgrace if Pamuk is jailed, and Turkey should realise the damage
that will be done to its reputation if it goes ahead with this
injustice,’ he said.

Sebastian Barry, shortlisted for A Long Long Way, agreed. `A grown-up
country like Turkey can afford to open the book fully on every aspect
of its interesting and challenging history,’ he said.

John Sutherland, chairman of the Man Booker judges, said: `It seems
wholly inappropriate that statements of political opinion should be
regarded like that. You can deny it (Pamuk’s comment) but you should
not deny their freedom.’

The charges against Pamuk followed remarks made in February to a
Zurich newspaper. `Thirty thousand Kurds and a million Armenians were
killed in these lands and no one dares to speak out on this but me,’
he said.

Turkey is extremely sensitive over its role in what is known as the
Armenian genocide. Between 600,000 and 1.2m Armenians are thought to
have been killed between 1915 and 1917 during a forced evacuation. The
Turks say the figure is much lower and was the result of ethnic
conflict, the first world war, disease and famine.

Pamuk’s case has been an embarrassment for the Turkish government,
which is fighting opposition, especially in France and Germany, to its
attempts to join the EU.

Abdullah Gul, the foreign minister, said of the charges: `There is no
decision yet. I would like to announce to the world that there is
freedom of expression in Turkey. People voice their opinions
comfortably as long as they do not promote violence.’

Additional reporting: Gareth Jenkins, Istanbul

,,2089-1774293,00.html

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE

09-09-2005

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamlet Gasparian Responds to a Question by REGNUM
News Agency

Question: Please comment on the Ukrainian government crisis: is it possible
that the negative course of developments could affect the Ukrainian-Armenian
current political and economic co-operation?

Answer: We are carefully following the latest developments in Ukraine.
Armenia attaches great importance to the stability of Ukraine. We are
confident that President Yushchenko will promptly form a new government and
will overcome these temporary difficulties.

Armenian-Ukrainian relations are based on a centuries-old friendship and the
reciprocal confidence of our two nations. Today our bilateral relations are
developing dynamically. We are confident that the current developments in
Ukraine will not have any impact on our relations.