Author: Takmazian

LEGAL PROCESS ON HRANT DINK’S ASSASSINATION LAUNCHED IN ISTANBUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2007 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Criminal Court of Istanbul’s 14th district has
not accepted the indictment of prosecutors on the assassination of
"Agos" Armenian-Turkish bilingual editor-in-chief Hrant Dink.

The 30-page indictment demanded to punish 18 suspects accusing them
of participating in a terror organization. The court ruled that there
is not enough "facts for proving that suspects are members of a terror
organization". Prosecutors Selim Berna Altay and Fikret Secen appealed
against court’s decision in the criminal court of the 9th district,
which in its turn had sent the application to the court of 14th
district. Lawyer of Dink’s family Fethiye Cetin stated a legal process
is considered to be launched after the indictment is accepted. "Now
this process has already been launched," she said, "Yerkir" reported.

FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE OF PRESS IN ARMENIA ARE CONDITIONED BY DEMOCRATIZATION OF POLITICAL SYSTEM, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB STATEMENT READS

Noyan Tapan
May 02 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. This year the National Press Club will not
hold annual competitions Enemy of Press and Friend of Press instituted
by it. As it was mentioned in the May 2 statement of National Press
Club, this year the International Day of Freedom of Press coincides
with the days of election campaign in Armenia, so giving any title,
"enemy" or "friend," can purely serve for agitation goals of various
forces. "Therefore, at the moment the National Press Club does not
consider it necessary to voice names of friends or enemies of press,"
the Club stated.

At the same time, registering that freedom of press is endangered in
Armenia, the National Press Club expressed confidence that freedom
and independence of press in Armenia are directly conditioned by
democratization of political system.

ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN DEPUTY FMS DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS

ArmRadio.am
30.04.2007 12:44

Deputy Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia discussed a number of
issues of bilateral relations.

RF MFA Press Service informs that on April 28 the Deputy Foreign
Minister of Armenia Gegham Gharibjanyan and his Russian counterpart
Grigory Karasin had a meeting in Yerevan, during which they discussed
the urgent issues related to bilateral relations, as well as the
cooperation within international organizations including the OSCE.

Grigory Karasin had arrived in Armenia to holds regional consultations
with Russian Ambassadors to Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.

SAAKASHVILI: WE ARE NOT SUICIDES TO WISH DETERIORATION OF RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.04.2007 16:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Georgia wishes to have good relations with Russia,"
Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili said in an interview with
BBC. When asked whether Georgia wishes to reconcile with Russia,
Saakashvili said, "We are not suicides to wish deterioration of
relations with Russia. We will never cease talks for normalization
of relations with Russia and hope for improvement. "Georgia stands
for successful and positive relationships with Russia," he said.

The Georgian president also confirmed that integration into NATO is
the priority of his state’s foreign policy. "We have a good chance
to become a NATO member state and we will do our utmost to take this
chance," Saakashvili said, ITAR-TASS reports.

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Lusine Mnatsakanyan
Tel: 3741 56 0106
Fax: 3741 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.himnadram. org

The Nork Children’s Home Has a New Roof

Yerevan, May 2, 2007 – The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund completed the
reconstruction of the roof of the Yerevan Children’s Home. The renovation of
the 1191 sq. m roof was sponsored by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Australia affiliate with a 13 million AMD donation.
The roof was last renovated in 1984; the sheds were fairly damaged. Today,
both buildings of the Yerevan Children’s Home have fire resistant roofs and
new shades.
In January 2006, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund installed central gas
heating in the Children’s Home. The project was sponsored by the Hayastan
Fund US East Coast affiliate, on funds donated by Hagop Giritlian.
the principal of institute, Lena Karapetyan says, `There are 41 newborns and
35 children under the age of 5 living at the Children’s Home. Not doubt,
heated rooms are essential for them. So far, we depended on electric
heaters, which was costly and inefficient. Now the whole building is well
heated. The renovation of the roof was another priority for us to deal with’
.
Thanks to this initiative the Yerevan Children’s Home is now a warmer place
for children to live in.

Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont
Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 25, 2007

Contact: Haig Hovsepian

Tel: (818) 500-1918

Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Calls on Speaker Pelosi and
Chairman Lantos to Ensure Passage of H. Res. 106

— Center Thanks Congressman Schiff for Coauthoring H. Res. 106

Los Angeles, CA – On the occasion of the 92nd Anniversary Commemorating
the Armenian Genocide, The Armenian National Committee of America –
Western Region (ANCA-WR) welcomed a letter from Dr.

Samuel M. Edelman, Ph. D., Co-Director of the State of California
Center of Excellence for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, Human
Rights and Tolerance, urging key Members of the United States House
of Representatives to ensure passage of H. Res. 106, the Armenian
Genocide Resolution.

Dr. Edelman addressed the letter to three Members in the House of
Representatives. Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA-29), who authored H.

Res. 106, Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA-12), who is the Chairman of the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs where H. Res. 106 currently sits,
and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-08).

The first letter, addressed to Speaker Pelosi asks that "[Speaker
Pelosi] support this resolution and, as Speaker of the House, ensure
its speedy passage by the U.S. House." The second letter, addressed
to Representative Schiff, thanks the Congressman for authoring H.

Res. 106, which is entitled "Affirmation of the United States Record
on the Armenian Genocide Resolution." The second letter, addressed to
Chairman Lantos, asks that "[Chairman Lantos] support this resolution
and, as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, ensure its
passage by your committee and its speedy referral to the House."

In each letter, Dr. Edelman notes the United States’ international
humanitarian relief effort in response to the Armenian Genocide and
that comparatively, this effort was one of the greatest relief efforts
of all time. Additionally, he discusses the gravity of the crime of
genocide and the United States’ historical record documenting the
Armenian Genocide which is "all the more poignant given the current
genocide in Darfur."

"These letters demonstrate that the California Center of Excellence
for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide stands in solidarity with
people of good conscience all over the world in calling the Armenian
Genocide what it is – the first genocide of the 20th Century,"
remarked Andrew Kzirian, Executive Director of the ANCA-WR. "As
Jefferson stated, ‘in matters of style, swim with the current; in
matters of principle, stand like a rock,’" he added.

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization.

Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and
supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

###

Ankara slams Canadian PM for ‘genocide’ expression

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 28 2007

The Turkish capital expressed regret over a recent statement by
Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper — in which he referred to
the World War I era killings of Anatolian Armenians as "genocide" —
describing Harper’s remark as "unacceptable, unjust and incompatible"
with Turkey’s and Canada’s relations "as friends and allies."

The Foreign Ministry in a written statement released late on Thursday
reiterated Turkey’s firm stance, sticking to its earlier call to
Yerevan for the establishment of a joint commission of Turkish and
Armenian historians and experts to study Armenian allegations of
genocide, noting that such commission would be open to all concerned
and competent historians regardless of their nationality. "We regret
Prime Minister Harper’s statement, which will contribute neither
to the promotion of Turkish-Canadian relations, nor to a possible
rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia. We believe that Mr. Harper
continues to be misled, and suggest that he encourages competent
Canadian historians into studying the events of 1915 on a proper
basis," the ministry said.

In a statement released for April 24, which Armenians claim marks
the anniversary of the beginning of a systematic genocide campaign at
the hands of the late Ottoman Empire, Harper was quoted as saying by
Armenian media: "Today we recall the horrible losses of 1915 in the
Ottoman Empire, particularly the terrible tragedy of the Armenian
nation. Last year I reminded all Canadians that both Houses of
Parliament have adopted resolutions recognizing the first genocide
of the 20th century."

28.04.2007

Today’s Zaman Ankara

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

April 24, 2007

April 24: Our Heritage

Yerevan–Raffi K. Hovannisian today joined his family, fellow Heritage
candidates and supporters, and the entire Armenian people on a commemorative
walk to Tsitsernakaberd. During this sobering, snow-laden respite from
election campaigning, Heritage remembers its forebears and resolves to
continue their sacred work.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land. Its
central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002, Armenia,
with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10) 532.697, email
at [email protected] or [email protected], and website at

WEXLER FOE SLAMS INCUMBENT FOR SUPPORT OF TURKEY
by By Dale M. King

Boca Raton News, FL
April 27 2007

Ben Graber, Democratic candidate for Congress challenging incumbent
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, has slammed his foe for
currying favor with Turkey at the expense of the Jewish community.

Wexler voted against a proclamation marking the anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide of 1915, "which is widely recognized as the world’s
first true genocide." Graber said Adolph Hitler used it as the model
for the Jewish Holocaust.

Co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey, Wexler led
a campaign to block the U.S. House resolution commemorating the
massacre. Supporters of the resolution included Senators Hillary
Clinton, D-N.Y., Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Barak Obama, D-Ill.

"Mr. Graber fails to understand that passage of this resolution would
significantly damage U.S. and Israeli foreign policy interests," said
Josh Rogin, deputy chief of staff for Wexler. "Mr. Graber supports
a policy that would severely alienate Turkey, a critical Muslim ally
of both the United States and Israel."

"In fact, 74 percent of supplies, resources and assets for American
troops in Iraq come through Turkish airbases and across Turkey’s
Southeast border with Iraq."

But it didn’t placate Graber, who said, "It is irresponsible for a
member of the U.S. House and the Jewish community to deny the genocide
of another group. It gives credence to those who try to deny the
Holocaust by the Nazis."

Rogin shot back: "Congressman Wexler deeply sympathizes with the
families of those Armenians killed between 1915 and 1923, and believes
that it is essential that the United States and international community
pay tribute to these individuals, to ensure that this historic tragedy
is not forgotten."

"We regret that Mr. Graber has seized on this sensitive and painful
issue to score cheap political points. I sincerely hope that he does
not continue his efforts to divide the Jewish community throughout
this campaign," Rogin added.

Marta Batmasian of Boca Raton, a local businesswoman whose family
was affected by the Armenian massacre, confirmed that, in fact, it
did happen. She said she has been trying get Wexler to acknowledge
the situation and move off his close alliance with Turkey — even to
the point of writing him a seven-page letter.

Graber, the son of Holocaust survivors, was born in a displaced
persons camp in Kassel, Germany.

RPA STRIVES FOR RAISING STATE’S ROLE IN ECONOMIC PROCESSES, HERMINE NAGHDALIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The Republican Party of Armenia being
a conservative political force by its essence is a supporter of liberal
model of economy. Hermine Naghdalian, member of NA RPA faction, stated
at the April 27 joint press conference with ARFD Adviser for economic
issues Ara Nranian. At the same time, in H. Naghdalian’s words,
RPA strives for contributing to rise of state’s role in economic
processes through this model.

As she affirmed, fulfilment of the preelectoral program of RPA
will give a possibility to increase rates of country’s economic
growth. H. Naghdalian said that increase of revenue part of 2007
state budget by 84 bln drams is planned. In her words, this sum will
be gained as a result of fighting shady economy and corruption.

A. Nranian said that ARFD in its preelectoral program attaches
importance to growth of rates of industry, as well as increase of
exports indices. As he affirmed, the small Armenia having 3 mln
population cannot have serious economic success without exports.