Author: Navasardian Karapet

Turkish writer in court for book controversy
by Dorian Jones in Istanbul

Radio Netherlands
20-09-2006

Turkey is once again sending a controversial message to Europe about
its views on human rights. In the past year many of the country’s
leading writers and journalists have been prosecuted because of
speeches and writings that "denigrate Turkishness". But next week,
for the first time, an author is on trial not for what she wrote,
but rather for the words spoken by a fictional character in her latest
novel. The author, Elif Safak, faces six months in jail if convicted.

In a cafe in central Istanbul Elif Safak receives words of support
from customers. She is one of the most well-known of Turkey’s new
generation of writers, who have led the way in challenging the
country’s social taboos.

Character

Her latest book is a heady combination of sexual abuse and memories
of an historical tragedy. But now she is facing a possible jail
sentence. Safak is being prosecuted for a speech made by a character
in her latest book – a speech that accuses Turks of committing genocide
against the Armenians 90 years ago.

Prosecutors believe the novel violates Article 301 of the country’s
penal code, which criminalises insults against Turkishness. Safak
says the case is another worrying step in the silencing of expression
in Turkey.

"I think it is so absurd, it is so surreal, because we are talking
about a work of fiction, we are talking about a novel. Until today
Article 301 has been used as a weapon to silence many people, but in
another sense my case is very unusual because it is fiction."

"If Article 301 is going to be interpreted like this, we cannot
write novels in this country anymore, you cannot do movies in this
country anymore."

Article 301

Nationalists tried to attack writer Perihan Magdan while she attended
her court case earlier this year.

Magdan, like Safak, was prosecuted for her writings.

In the last year, Article 301 has been used in 80 cases filed against
writers and journalists. In all the cases they were filed not by the
state but by individual nationalist lawyers.

Most of the cases have ended in acquittal and no one has been
jailed. But the prosecutions have led to growing criticism by the
European Union – making it a sensitive issue because Turkey is seeking
to join the EU.

Earlier this month a European Parliament report sharply criticised
Turkey. Joost Lagendijk (see photo) the head of the European
Parliamentary committee on Turkey and a Dutch MEP says the country
has to change its ways.

"The best thing would be for the government to take an initiative and
bring forward the change in the penal code to parliament and delete
the whole article. But they say, look at the end result, there is
an acquittal in most cases, so there is an ongoing debate. But I am
trying to convince them. There are a still a lot of cases and new
cases are opened."

Recall

Later this month the Turkish parliament is due to be recalled early
from summer recess to pass EU reforms.

But changing Article 301 is not a priority, according to EU membership
minister Ali Babacan. He says Brussels should be patient.

"We strongly believe that this will be resolved in time but it is not
easy, because the political reforms are easier to do on paper. It is
sometimes easier to just pass the law through the parliament, do the
constitutional amendments. But also it is a reform in the mentality,
it is cultural change that we have to go through which is naturally
taking time."

But Elif Safak doesn’t have time on her side. She has to stand
trial. In a sad twist of fate, she is due to give birth on the very
day she’s due in court. But she says if she can, she will attend
the hearing.

Tough day

Safak is now bracing herself for what she expects to be a tough day.

"The worst thing about this trial is not the actual trial itself but
the jingoist, the nationalist discourse surrounding it. As you walk
inside the courtroom, people are waiting outside chanting slogans,
using verbal and physical violence. Those things are very unnerving
and those are things that makes one feel lonely and vulnerable and
that is the part that hurts most."

The prosecution of Safak will be another blow to Turkey’s record on
human rights. There is growing concern in Brussels that Ankara has
lost its appetite for reform. With every new prosecution questions
are likely to continue to grow over whether EU membership talks can
continue with Turkey.

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER, RUSSIAN ARMENIANS UNION CHAIRMAN DISCUSS COOPERATION PROSPECTS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 20 2006

YEREVAN, September 20. /ARKA/. Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan
and Russian Armenians Union Chairman Ara Abramyan discussed cooperation
prospects at their meeting held Wednesday in Yerevan.

Armenian Public Television reports that Abramyan expressed willingness
to widen its organization’s cooperation with Armenian army.

In particular, he said he intended to organize Russian intellectuals’
and musicians’ meetings to Armenian army units. M.V. -0—

Business Wire (press release), CA

September 20, 2006 11:00 AM Eastern Time

Ponte Solutions Collaborates with UMC on
Design-for-Yield Methodology; UMC and Ponte to
Establish Design-Stage Yield Analysis Methodology with
Ponte’s Yield Analyzer(TM) for 90nm and 65nm
Technologies

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 20, 2006–Ponte
Solutions, Inc., the design-for-yield (DFY) company, today announced a
technology partnership with leading global semiconductor manufacturer
UMC (NYSE:UMC)(TSE:2303) to establish design-stage yield analysis that
enables pre-tapeout yield enhancement for 90nm and below technologies.

Ponte’s methodology helps reducing manufacturing cost and
time-to-volume production of complex semiconductor ICs by revealing
yield-sensitive areas of libraries, IPs, memories and full chip
designs and enabling yield improvement at the design stage, prior to
committing to expensive fabrication.

"IC designers have realized the benefits of proactive yield sensitivity
analysis in deep sub-micron technologies," said Ken Liou, director
of the IP and Design Support Division at UMC. "Ponte’s Yield Analyzer
provides Defect Limited Yield information which can be used by tools at
virtually every step of the design flow starting from library/IP design
and characterization to netlist generation, floorplanning, full chip
detailed routing and ECO. Using Yield Analyzer, designers can use DD
(Defect Density) data to analyze two or more layouts to evaluate and
decide the best option for tape-out based on their requirements."

"We strongly believe that yield, traditionally the domain of fabs,
must become a driving factor behind sub-90nm design flows," said Alex
Alexanian, CEO of Ponte Solutions. "Ponte anticipated this trend more
than two years ago and has worked with technology partners to develop
and validate the accuracy, performance and usability of Yield Analyzer
as design-stage yield characterization and analysis tool.

Our partnership with UMC is an important milestone in bringing yield
driven design methodologies to the design community."

About Ponte Solutions

Ponte Solutions, Inc., the design-for-yield company, manufactures
and delivers unique, full-chip, model-based software products for
semiconductor yield analysis and prediction, enabling designers to
perform design-stage yield optimization. Ponte’s customers include
leading semiconductor manufacturers, foundries and design houses
worldwide. Founded in 2002, the company has received funding from US
Venture Partners, Telos Venture Partners, Incubic LLC, Silicom Ventures
LLC and private individuals. The company has offices in Mountain View,
California; Grenoble, France; Tokyo, Japan; and Yerevan, Armenia. More
information about the company can be found at

Ponte Solutions and Yield Analyzer are trademarks of Ponte Solutions,
Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

HISTORIAN SAMVEL KARAPETYAN IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TERM "OCCUPIED TERRITORIES"
Alisa Gevorgyan – "Radiolur"

Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 18 2006

The last 15 years were certainly fatal for the historical-cultural
monuments on the territory of Artsakh and the neighboring liberated
territories. These monuments survived not because the attitude of
Azerbaijan towards these was milder than towards the headstones in
Old Jugha. Simply, during these years the memorials were maintained
by people for whom every item was the holy relic of the motherland
inherited from predecessors. During the recent years, particularly in
the light of the opportunities provided by the cease-fire, different
Armenian organizations were actively studying the historical-cultural
legacy in Artsakh and the neighboring liberated territories. In 1997
"ERA" Company undertook reconstruction works at Dadivank complex.

Currenly archeological digging is under way in Aghdam. Exceptional
monuments have been found in this region, which once again best confirm
the centuries-long existence of the Armenian ethnos in this area. "When
speaking about mutual concessions, it should be kept in mind that
Armenia has already made concessions by losing Northern Artsakh,"
says historian Samvel Karapetyan, President of the "ERA" Company.

Samvel Karapetyan has carried out investigations in all seven liberated
territories. "The first investigations started in 1993-1996, when no
resident could be found on these territories.

Today the situation has changed. I have been to all seven territories,
but it’s not ruled out that in one or two years the explorations will
restart, since today you can learn more from the settlers than your
eye can catch during one visit, he says.

According to the historian, certainly, the historical monuments of a
country are not decisive in politics, but these can indirectly impact
the decisions of political figures.

YEAR OF ARMENIA IN ILE-DE-FRANCE STARTS WITH CONCERT
By Petros Keshishian

AZG Armenian Daily
19/09/2006

Historic district of Ile-de-France that includes Paris and its
surroundings each year holds a festival with 3 dozens of various
concert programs. This year’s topic of the festival is the Silk
Road. It enables the French to discover cultures of a number of
counties.

One of the participants of the Ile-de-France festival is Armenia
through territory of which part of the Silk Road used to pass. Within
the framework of the Year of Armenia in France concerts of Armenian
music will be staged in different parts of Ile-de-France.

Organizers of the festival say that one of the concerts will be held
at a concert hall in Meudon on September 30. Inspired by Biblical
Ararat, Armenian musicians will perform ashugh and gusan songs,
folk melodies of holidays, spiritual music and epic songs.

In the second part orchestra of Arc de Seine conservatoire conducted
by Alexander Siranosian.

Earlier, on September 24 and 26, singer Anna Mailian will present
Armenian folk music to residents of one of Paris’s southern suburbs. In
two concerts she will acquaint the listeners with the monodia of
Armenian art of singing and the polyphony of spiritual music.

GEORGIAN ECONOMY LAGS BEHIND ITS NEIGHBOURS
By M. Alkhazashvili

Messenger.ge
Monday, September 18, 2006, #176 (1196)

Regardless of the frequent bombastic pronouncements from the top of
the Georgian political tree concerning the leaps and bounds Georgia
is making economically, most of the population live on the verge
of crushing poverty, and the economic growth of Georgia is lagging
behind its Caucasian neighbours, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

World Bank just named Georgia the best reformer inn the world in
terms of the ease of doing business this year. But in spite of this
encouraging data, Georgian economic development is far from enviable.

Unemployment and underemployment is huge, with vast swathes of the
rural population basically engaged in subsistence agriculture. Though
the government has recently come up with some eye catching initiatives
to tackle this problem, it is unclear how well thought out they are,
and just how successful they will be.

Economic expert Emzar Jgerenaia thinks that in spite of introducing
some new reforms and simpler regulations, major problems exist in
implementing them effectively. Writing in the newspaper Rezonansi
expert Soso Archvadze points to the example of Georgia’s southern
neighbour Armenia, where annual GDP per capita is USD 4700, well
ahead of Georgia’s USD 3300.

The richest of the South Caucasus countries is Azerbaijan. Of course
Azerbaijan owes this wealth to its hydrocarbon reserves, and risks
becoming over dependant on this industry and succumbing to ‘dutch
disease’: the deindustrialisation of a country’s economy after the
discovery of natural resources.

However, over the past two years more than 200 000 new jobs have been
created in Azerbaijan and President Aliyev is promising still more.

Georgia’s current economic woes are very much conditioned by its
political instability. The conflicts in Azerbaijan and South Ossetia,
the Internally Displaced Person problem, and a history of forceful
changes of leadership are not exactly the stuff of which economic
success stories are made.

Georgia must pursue its reforms with more focus, and make sure that
they are implemented by a fait and independent judiciary, which at
present is lacking, otherwise Georgia will continue to lag behind
its neighbours.

ANALYSIS – BOTH SIDES FEEL THREATS IN POPE-ISLAM ROW
By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

Reuters
The Star Online
Malaysia Star, Malaysia
September 17, 2006

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – One of the most basic human instincts is to defend
oneself when threatened. It’s a gut feeling that triggers vigorous
reactions, often far stronger than those seen when calm prevails.

The crisis over Pope Benedict’s remarks about Islam seems to play
this pattern out on a global scale, Muslim and Christian analysts
say. Only a few words suffice to turn a comment into an insult and
conjure up an "Islam versus the West" conflict.

The uproar comes just months before the visit of the world’s most
prominent Christian leader to Muslim Turkey. It is not yet sure if
his expressed regrets can save it from being scrapped.

The crisis — like recent controversies over the Danish cartoons of
the Prophet Mohammad or the death sentence for an Afghan convert to
Christianity — reveals a deeper gulf between two world views that
only a sustained dialogue can overcome, the analysts say.

"Both sides feel threatened and insulted," said Mustafa Akyol, an
Istanbul commentator on Muslim affairs.

"Muslims see this as part of a whole campaign, in the same line as
the Afghan and Iraq wars and Abu Ghraib," he said.

"In the West, they think they’re under attack by ‘jihad’ and an
intolerant Muslim religion."

The term "jihad", which is broader than the "holy war" interpretation
given it in the West, is at the heart of this crisis. Benedict said
in a lecture last week that a "holy war" was unreasonable and he
implied Islam was inherently violent.

Leaders throughout the Muslim world denounced this as a bid to paint
all Islamic believers as terrorists.

Palestinian gunmen firebombed churches in the West Bank in protest.

PAPAL WAR ON RELATIVISM

While the West feels threatened by the deadly Islamist attacks in
New York, London, Madrid and other cities in recent years, Benedict
has a particular reason to feel besieged.

The German-born Pope sees the once-Christian West being undermined
by a relativism that is "deaf to God" and morality.

The most dynamic faith in Europe now is Islam, a trend that troubles
him. The Vatican often asks why Muslim states restrict the rights
of their Christian minorities while Muslims in the West can build
mosques and openly spread their faith.

This is a minefield because Christianity and Islam, the world’s two
largest religions, both profoundly believe they are right and the
other is wrong about God and the world.

John Wilkins, former editor of the London Catholic weekly The Tablet,
said a sensitive dialogue was the only way for both sides to live
with each other without giving up their beliefs.

But Benedict has confused this necessary pluralism with the relativism
he opposes and makes statements that look provocative because they
do not seem to invite a dialogue.

"This Pope hasn’t really accepted pluralism," said Wilkins. "He
confuses it with relativism.

"A real pluralist approach would not make statements but ask
questions. He could say ‘Yes, we were violent in the past and we have
repented for this. Can you do the same?’

"Or he could ask if the Muslims saw anything positive in what the
Church was doing," Wilkins said.

CHRISTIAN VIEWS IN MUSLIM LAND

Christian leaders in Turkey, the only secular state in the Muslim world
and one that straddles Europe and the Middle East, saw misunderstanding
prevailing on both sides.

"Deep down, Muslims here see the Pope’s visit as a symbol of an effort
to re-Christianise Turkey," said Father Francois Yakan in Istanbul,
the former Byzantine Christian capital conquered by the Muslim Ottoman
Turks in 1453.

"This controversy has started out just like the cartoon crisis," said
the patriarchal vicar of the Chaldean Catholic Church, who was born
in eastern Turkey and speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ.

The Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Mesrob II, head of another church
linked to the Vatican, told visiting Paris-based religion journalists
that Benedict spoke like the professor he once was rather than as a
Pope who must weigh his words carefully.

"The Pope doesn’t have to present his excuses, but I think he should
explain his thinking," he said.

Akyol said only small minorities on either side actually wanted a
clash, but the reasonable dialogue needed to understand each other
requires a calm he cannot now see.

"People here tell me I’m wasting my time," said Akyol, who describes
himself as a moderate Muslim. "They say the Westerners have made up
their mind. We’re the new enemy after communism and they only want
to take Muslim oil."

"Unless we calm down, it will only get worse," he said.

KHALIFA GREETS ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Emirates News Agency
September 17, 2006 Sunday 7:35 AM EST

President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a
congratulatory cable to President Robert Kocharian of Armenia on his
country’s independence day.

A similar cable to the Armenian leader was also sent by H.H Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and
Ruler of Dubai.

Azat Artsakh, NKR
Sept 15 2006

A. GHUKASSIAN: WE KEEP THE WINDOW OPEN

In his recent visit to the region of Hadrut Arkady Ghukassian
answered the questions of journalists. The president made some
interesting statements with regard to the question of sending an OSCE
monitoring group to study the fires. Does the head of NKR share
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian’s opinion that if
Azerbaijan is willing to cooperate over extinguishing fires at the
front line, it should turn to the NKR government? Was there any
invitation from the monitoring group, and does the president of NKR
consider the possibility of cooperation with Azerbaijan realistic?
Arkady Ghukassian: `First, I would like to note that it was our
proposal when Azerbaijan started all that fuss about fires. It is
clear that it was caused artificially because they are the author of
both fires and propaganda. The problem is that we have invited
international organizations for a number of times to conduct a
monitoring, because we also want the international community to have
a clear picture of the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, namely at the
border. And since the OSCE mission is likely to arrive, naturally
they must cooperate with the Nagorno-Karabakh government. There has
been no official information yet, but as soon as it is there, we are
ready to accept them. I believe that this mission will make an
unbiased conclusion on the situation in Karabakh. And the purpose of
Azerbaijan is the same.’ Mr. President, what do Bryza’s controversial
statements prompt, is the window of settlement shut this year?
Besides, you said in a recent radio interview that the international
recognition is the settlement. Is it so? Arkady Ghukassian: `The
international recognition was always a variant, this idea is not new
because we believe that the future of Karabakh is the de jure
international recognition of its status. As to the window, we have
never closed the window, on the contrary, we always keep the window
open, and I am hopeful that the window is not closed, and we are
ready to start a constructive dialogue with Azerbaijan.’ What is you
opinion on reporting the problem to the UN? Arkady Ghukassian: `I
think this is a destructive approach because it is clear that the
OSCE Minsk Group has attended to this problem over these years and
the attempts to involve other international organizations will result
in a disorder, which is not favorable for the conflict parties.
Unfortunately, Nagorno Karabakh is not represented to these
international organizations, and Armenia expressed its opinion
clearly that it is against that any international organization starts
attending to the issues, which are dealt with by the OSCE. I think
the right instrument is the diplomatic instrument, and I think the
Armenian diplomacy should be more active. Unfortunately, a situation
has occurred today when the diplomatic corps of Azerbaijan constantly
attacks, and we have to be on the defensive. I think it is high time
that we attack.’

AA.
15-09-2006

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Youth Federation
104 N. Belmont St.
#206 Glendale, CA 91206
Contact: Vic Sosikian
Tel: 818-507-1933
Contact: Marie Minassian

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

COUNCILMEMBER ERIC GARCETTI TO DELIVER SPECIAL REMARKS DURING LITTLE ARMENIA
CLEANUP

Hundreds of Youth Will Participate in the 4th Annual Little Armenia

Clean Up Organized by the Armenian Youth Federation

What: Little Armenia Cleanup
When: Saturday, September 16, 2006
9:00 a.m.
Where: Little Armenia, Hollywood
Rose & Alex Pilibos High School
1615 N Alexandria Avenue, Hollywood

Details: Hundreds of participants, including youth from the ages
of 8-30, will come together in Hollywood on September 16 to clean the
streets of Little Armenia. This initiative is organized by the Armenian
Youth Federation and co-sponsored by Los Angeles City Councilmember Eric
Garcetti’s office.

The opening ceremony will take place at Rose & Alex Pilibos High School on
1615 N Alexandria Ave. in Hollywood beginning at 9:00 a.m. The ceremony is
open to the public. Councilmember Garcetti will be present to deliver
remarks during the opening ceremony.

The clean up will include youth removing litter from sidewalks, weeds from
streets, and curbs. Volunteers will be cleaning Santa Monica Blvd, Sunset,
Blvd., and Hollywood Blvd. All volunteers will be provided t-shirts, lunch,
and water free of charge. The event is expected to conclude no later than
4:00 p.m.

For more information on the day of the event, contact
Marie Minassian at (213) 910-4664.