Author: Tambiyan Samvel

February 2, 2007

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: <;

PRELATE ATTENDS ARMENIA FUND JOINT CORPORATE AND EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

On Wednesday, January 31st, the Corporate and Executive Board of Armenia
Fund held their regular meeting at their offices in Glendale. H.E.
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate and Corporate Board member,
attended the meeting accompanied by Rev. Gomidas Torossian and Prelacy
representative and Armenia Fund board Mr. Peklar Pilavjian.

RELATE TO ATTEND THE 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF C. & E. MERDINIAN ARM.
EVANGELICAL SCHOOL

On the evening of Sunday, February 4th, Charlotte & Elise Merdinian Armenian
Evangelical School will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the Deukmejian
Hall of "Ararat Home" in Mission Hills. The Prelate will be in attendance
to convey his blessings.

PRELATE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ISTANBUL ARMENIANS

The Organization of Istanbul Armenians has invited representatives of
community organizations to a meeting at the Western Diocese to plan a joint
requiem service for "Agos" newspaper editor Hrant Dink. The meeting will
take place on Monday, February 5th. The requiem is planned for February
24th at the Armenian Genocide Monument in Montebello.

Rev. Vazken Atmajian, pastor of St. Mary’s Church of Glendale,
will attend the meeting on behalf of the Prelate.

MR. ZAVEN KHANJIAN TO LECTURE ON HIS PILGRIMAGE TO WESTERN ARMENIA

On Thursday, February 8, Hamazkayin has organized a lecture, where
Mr. Zaven Khanjian will speak on his pilgrimage to historic Western Armenia.
A slide show of the trip will also be presented.

The event will take place at the Glendale Public Library and will
begin at 7:30 p.m.

FRIENDS OF NEW JULFA PAREGENTAN FASHION SHOW
UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE PRELATE

On the occasion of the upcoming feast of Paregentan, the Friends of New
Julfa have organized a traditional fashion show, which will take place on
Friday, February 9, at 7:30 p.m., at Ambrosia Hall in Glendale. The event
is being held under the auspices of the Prelate.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 2 2007

EP member Lagendijk sends letter to Erdoðan and Baykal on Dink

European Parliament (EP) member Joost Lagendijk has sent a letter to
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal asking them to
immediately change Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) which
Lagendijk thinks is responsible for the murder of journalist Hrant
Dink.

Joost lagendijk
Lagendijk explained that Article 301 was behind rising intolerance
and aggressive nationalism in Turkey. He admitted that the penal
codes of various EU member states contained articles penalizing the
denigration of state organs and administrations. `In my own country,
the Netherlands, insulting the authorities or a public body or
institution can lead to imprisonment,’ Lagendijk gave as an example.
However, Article 301 of the TCK was different from other similar
articles in the EU because of two main reasons. `First there is the
word `Turkishness’ in the first paragraph of Article 301. This is an
expression which you will not find in any European penal code. The
second point concerns the reasoning behind the article. In the
Netherlands and in other European states, the reason is pragmatic: it
serves the orderly functioning of the public service,’ explained
Lagendijk. The EP member said that none of the high profile cases
against writers and journalists brought before Turkish courts under
Article 301 correspond to this type of reasoning.
Lagendijk said it was very urgent to amend this article following the
murder of Dink as it leads to life threatening situations in its
present form. `We cannot wait any longer,’ expressed Lagendijk. If
the state needed protection against insult for the functioning of
Turkish democracy, Lagendijk added, an article should be adopted so
no one could misinterpret it or exploit it for criminal purposes.
He asked both Erdoðan and Baykal to have the courage to amend this
article, expressing that Turkey needs political leaders to take the
country forward not backwards; leaders that realize that Turkey’s
long term interests are not served by giving in to extreme and
violent nationalism; leaders that are willing to lead the country in
a more democratic direction, with tolerance and respect for divergent
views.

Turkey probes Dink suspect video

Story from BBC NEWS:
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <[email protected]>
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

Published: 2007/02/02 12:28:42 GMT

A probe has begun in Turkey after a man charged with killing a Turkish
Armenian journalist appeared in a video posing with police and the national
flag.
Footage showed Ogun Samast, 17, in front of one flag and holding another
while uniformed police posed with him.
The images caused shock in Turkey, with one newspaper suggesting the teenager
was treated like a hero.
He is accused of killing Hrant Dink, who was shot dead outside his newspaper
offices in Istanbul on 19 January.

Mr Dink was well-known for writing controversial articles about the mass
killing of Armenians by Turks during World War I. He had been the target of
multiple death threats from Turkish nationalists.
His murder triggered anger and shock across Turkey.

‘Shoulder to shoulder’
Several Turkish television stations showed the footage, said to have been
filmed shortly after Mr Samast was captured.

The teenager is pictured flanked by security officials, while a voice is
heard telling him to tidy his hair.
In the background, a poster shows a quote from Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk: "The nation’s land is sacred. It cannot be left to fate."
Sabah newspaper accused police of standing "shoulder to shoulder with the
gunman", while another newspaper, Vatan, called the images as serious as the
killing itself.
Ismet Berkan, editor of the Radikal newspaper, said that the footage proved
"that the murderer and his associates are not alone, that their supporters…
have penetrated all segments of the state".
Police spokesman Ismail Caliskan said an investigation was under way into
officers seen in the footage, as well as into who leaked it to the media.

International Herald Tribune, France
Feb 2 2007

Scandal in Turkey over photographs of police posing with alleged
killer of journalist
The Associated PressPublished: February 2, 2007

ISTANBUL, Turkey: The Turkish media published photographs and video
on Friday of police and military police officers posing with the
alleged killer of an ethnic Armenian journalist, as newspapers
denounced it as "hero treatment" of the suspect.

The photographs show 17-year-old nationalist Ogun Samast, holding out
a Turkish flag and posing with officers, some in uniform. Behind
Samast a poster with another Turkish flag carries the words of
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revered founder of modern Turkey: "The
nation’s land is sacred. It cannot be left to fate."

Samast is charged with the Jan.19 killing of Hrant Dink, a
52-year-old ethnic Armenian journalist who had angered Turkish
nationalists with repeated assertions that the mass killings of
Armenians around the time of World War I was genocide.

The Turkish media was outraged by the photographs and video.
"Shoulder to shoulder with the triggerman: suspected killer Samast
was given the hero treatment," the Sabah daily reported on its front
page.

Later Friday, the state-owned Anatolia news agency reported that four
police officers in Samsun, where the photographs were taken, had been
dismissed and four military police officers had been moved to other
assignments.

It was not clear whether the eight officers were the ones posing with
Samast.

Initial reports said the photographs were taken at a military police
office at the bus station where Samast was captured, but military
police said they were taken at a police station nearby.

"The military police personnel seen in the images were personnel
assigned to hand over the suspect to the police," a statement from
military police headquarters said.

The statement urged the media to be cautious in publicizing "attempts
aimed at fraying the Turkish Armed Forces" and expressed concern
about the motives of those who leaked the images.

More than 100,000 people marched at Dink’s funeral, many of them
chanting for Turkey to abolish a repressive article in the penal code
used against many intellectuals, including Dink, who spoke openly on
controversial topics.

The penal code makes insulting Turkey or the Turkish national
character a crime.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Feb 2 2007

17.9% INCREASE RECORDED IN ARMENIA’S FOREIGN TRADE TURNOVER WITH
RUSSIA IN 2006

YEREVAN, February 1. /ARKA/. Armenia’s foreign trade turnover with
Russia increased by 17.9% in 2006 up to $426.5mln, Armenia’s National
Statistical Service reported.
Armenian exports to Russia totaled $121.7mln (12.1% of all Armenian
exports), which is a 2.3% increase against 2005.
Imports of goods produced in Russia made $304.9mln in Armenia in the
period – a 25.6% increase, with the all Russian imports being
$365.3mln (a 36.1% increase) – 16.6% of the total imports.
In whole, Russia has the largest share in Armenia’s foreign trade
turnover – 13.3%. Share of all CIS countries is 28.5% of Armenia’s
foreign trade turnover.
Armenia’s foreign trade turnover increased by 15.2% up to AMD
1,314.4bln or $3,198.3mln in 2006 compared with 2005. Exports totaled
AMD412.2bln ($1,004mln) and imports AMD902.2bln ($2,194.2mln). N.V.
-0–

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 1 2007

Seventh suspect charged in murder of Hrant Dink

Prosecutors on Wednesday charged a seventh suspect with alleged
involvement in the slaying of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

A prosecutor’s office said Salih Hacýsalihoðlu was charged for his
alleged involvement in the killing, without specifying the exact
charges. The 30-year-old was detained in the Black Sea city of
Trabzon earlier this week.
Salihoðlu was a university roommate of a key suspect in the murder,
Erhan Tuncel, news reports said. Reacting to the arrest, his father
said he did not believe his son had anything to do with the killing.

Dink was gunned down outside his newspaper Jan. 19 in a killing that
shocked the nation and raised concerns that Turkey, which aspires to
achieve EU membership, remains a country where intellectuals are not
free to openly express their ideas.
Last week, prosecutors charged six other people, including alleged
teenage gunman Ogün Samast and Yasin Hayal, a nationalist militant.
The latter served time in prison for a 2004 bombing and police say he
confessed to inciting the killing and to providing the gun and money.

[Congressional Record: January 30, 2007 (Extensions)]
[Page E215]
>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr30ja07-28]

HRANT DINK’S DEATH A LOSS FOR MANY

______

HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

of massachusetts

in the house of representatives

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Mr. CAPUANO. Madam Speaker, I supported H. Res. 102 and I condemn in
the strongest possible terms the cowardly murder of journalist Hrant
Dink in Istanbul on January 19. I find particularly contemptible the
actions of those who seemingly chose a seventeen-year-old youth–the
alleged killer–to commit this appalling crime. This despicable act
should not, however, obscure the inspiring solidarity of tens of
thousands of secular, Muslim, and Armenian Christian Turks who filed
past Mr. Dink’s bier and marched in his funeral procession. Western
news media have estimated the crowds between 50,000 and. 100,000.
Important Turkish officials, such as Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali
Sahin; Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu; the governor of Istanbul,
Muammer Guler; the head of the security forces, Celalettin Cerrah; and
two generals joined Arman Kirakossian, the deputy Foreign Minister of
Armenia, and other Armenian officials at the funeral service.
Everyone in the world who cherishes freedom and brotherhood must take
heart when signs proclaiming “We are all Armenians” are carried
through the streets of Istanbul. I wish to express my condolences to
the family and friends of Hrant Dink. I want also to express my
profound respect for all his fellow citizens who protested his murder
and mourned his death.

PanARMENIAN.Net

RA government and Microsoft signed cooperation agreement
31.01.2007 18:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday in Edinburg the Armenian government and
Microsoft Corporation signed an agreement on cooperation, reports the
press office of the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development. The
agreement was signed by Minister Trade and Economic Development Karen
Chshmarityan and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. According to the
agreement, Microsoft will carry out a number of educational,
investment and innovation programs in Armenia. Establishment of
Microsoft Innovation Center is also expected.

For its part, the Armenian government should exert efforts for
Microsoft copyright protection and assist in implementation of
Microsoft software in the state government system.

The agreement is a logical continuation of the process of cooperation
expansion with giants like Alcatel, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett&Packard.

LEADER OF NATIONAL-DEMOCRATIC UNION AND OSCE MG AMERICAN CO-CHAIR
DISCUSSED ELECTION PROCESSES IN ARMENIA

Yerevan, January 30. ArmInfo. The leader of the National-Democratic
Union party, Vazgen Manukyan and the OSCE MG American Co-chair, Mathew
Bryza, have discussed the election processes in Armenia, NDU leader,
RA Parliamentarian Vazgen Manukyan, said today.

Commenting, by ArmInfo correspondent’s request, upon the results of
his meeting with Mathew Bryza, Manukyan said he has deeply criticized
the amendments to the RA Electoral Code. According to V. Manukyan, h
old M. Bryza that the USA can help Armenia in case if they send more
observers to the elections, if they draw an objective conclusion on
elections without comparing Armenia with Azerbaijan and if they warn
the authorities about inadmissibility of force application.

The victorious army is 15 years old
Editorial

Yerkir.am
January 26, 2007

The Armenian army is 15 years old. We can state with no hesitation that
creation and consolidation of the army was one of the greatest
achievements since independence.

Our ancestors had nurtured the dream of having regular armed forces for
centuries believing the army was the guarantee for national security.
In the beginning of the last century the Armenian nation had a unique
opportunity to restore the statehood we had lost centuries ago, and the
army played the leading role in this process.

We will not be wrong to emphasize the role of the army since the new
structures of the nation state were in the stage of formation at that
time and the national army managed to prevent the enemy’s last attack
and ensured emergence of the independent state.

The newly established Armenian army emerged in the fire of thirty years
of national liberation wars. The army, created on the basis of guerilla
troops, fought for the homeland for two and a half years, and if it
left the homeland, it left a well-established and recognized state.
Seventy years later, the new Armenian army was once again formed in a
time of national liberation struggle.

Our army was born in very difficult conditions; it was born on the
battlefield in a time of war.

A nation that was deprived of a right to self-defense had to rely on
the self-sacrifice of volunteers. The volunteers joined the Artsakh
struggle in its earliest stage. And it was the volunteers’ efforts that
brought a breakthrough to the war and determined its outcome.

The national army that was formed on the basis of the volunteer troops
took up the fight and continued it when the struggle had already turned
into a full scale war. Boys of 18 shared the hardships of war with
their older fellow soldiers, so did they share the responsibility and
right to become martyrs if needed for the homeland.

We have all grounds to take pride in our army, not because it simply
exists but because it is a victorious army. At the same time, this puts
a heavy burden of responsibility on today’s and tomorrow’s soldiers.

This responsibility grows when you remember that the war is simply
frozen and not ended while the enemy continues threatening to break out
a new war. It is not a secret that these threats are not materialized
for the simple reason that the enemy knows that it cannot defeat the
other side. This in turn means that we must exceed our enemy in
military power to prevent the wheel of history from turning back.

It is wrong to think that greater military power means having stronger
weapons. The advantage lies with the soldiers and their spirit. The
army that cannot be defeated within itself will never be defeated by
the enemy. And the strength of the soldiers’ spirit comes from their
ideological stand and their conviction that they are fighting for the
fair and moral cause. Strong is the soldier whose rear is strong.

The army is part of our society. Therefore, it reflects all positive
and negative phenomena that exist in the society. If we want to have a
strong army we must have a just, strong and united country and society.
Without having a strong country we cannot have a strong army, and
without a strong army we cannot have a strong country.

As long as we live in a region with unsolved problems we must have a
strong country and army. We must value and appreciate our army and our
soldiers. The soldiers must be the most respected members of our
society. We should have high respect for the soldiers.

It would probably suffice to finish with praise and congratulation on
the Army Day but if we are proud with our army and if we want it to
enjoy our trust in the future we should also speak about our
expectations. Since the army concerns the whole society our words and
congratulations should be addressed to everyone.

We should first of all congratulate the soldiers who are defending the
borders of our country in very difficult conditions. We should
congratulate all those who have taken up military career. We should
extend our special congratulations to all those who have participated
in the Artsakh liberation war, and commemorate all those who sacrificed
their lives for the dignified and proud future of our country. Let us
finally congratulate the mothers of our soldiers, and congratulate each
other on the 15 anniversary of our army.