Author: Tambiyan Samvel

ARFD TO HELP SERGE SARGSIAN TO BECOME PRESIDENT RECEIVING DEFENCE MINISTER’S
POST IN RETURN, HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK WRITES REFERRING TO COMPETENT SOURCES

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The Haykakan Zhamanak daily
referring to competent sources reports that Tigran Mukuchian, Chairman
of RA Appeal Court on Civil Cases, is going to resign for being
included in the proportional list of the Bargavach Hayastan
(Prosperous Armenia) Party and holding the post of Minister of Justice
after the parliamentary elections.

According to the newspaper, there are also rumors that Deputy Defence
Minister Artur Aghabekian will also resign soon for being included in
ARFD’s proportional list: "they say they promised the post of defence
minister to him, if after the elections Serge Sargsian becomes prime
minister," the newspaper writes and adds: "S.Sargsian provides a
serious resource for ARFD: in return the ARFD will help him to become
President receiving the post of the defence minister before this." And
as a "good background for striking this deal the newspaper mentions
the engagement of ARFD Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisian’s daughter and
Serge Sargsian’s borther’s, Sashik Sargsian’s son, that took place in
early December.

Massis Weekly Online
MassisWeekly.com
VOLUME 26, NO. 49 (1299)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2007

– President Bush Resubmits Hoagland Nomination For U.S. Ambassador To Armenia
– Opposition Leaders In New Alliance Talks
– Orhan Pamuk Attacks Oppression of Intellectuals in Turkey
– U.S. Diplomat Says Washington Wants Railway Connecting Turkey With
Azerbaijan to Run Through Armenia
– Very Rev. Fr. Baret Yeretzian Assigned New Pastor of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church of Pasadena

– President Bush Resubmits Hoagland Nomination For U.S. Ambassador To Armenia

WASHINGTON, DC — President George W. Bush on Tuesday re-nominated
Richard Hoagland as ambassador to Armenia whose confirmation was
blocked by Senate Democrats in the last Congress.
The White House announced the submission of Hoagland despite calls by
top Democrats to withdraw the nomination because of his refusal to
call the World War I-era killings of Armenians genocide.
Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat, blocked the nomination after
Hoagland?s refusal to use the word genocide at his confirmation
hearing in June. Bush needed to resubmit the nomination, because it
effectively expired at the end of the previous Congress in December.
Menendez and the Senate?s top Democrat, Harry Reid, wrote a letter to
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in early December asking the
Bush administration to withdraw the nomination.
The Bush administration has warned that even congressional debate on
the genocide question could damage relations with Turkey.

– Opposition Leaders In New Alliance Talks

YEREVAN — Armenia?s leading opposition forces are holding
negotiations on the possibility of forming new alliances ahead of next
spring?s parliamentary elections, their leaders told RFE/RL on Monday.
Artashes Geghamian, the leader of the National Unity Party (AMK),
indicated in particular that he is considering ways of teaming up with
another opposition heavyweight, Stepan Demirchian, and his People?s
Party of Armenia (HZhK).
?There have been some discussions on such possibility with the
People?s Party,? he said. ?We have primarily talked about doing
everything to ensure that the upcoming elections are democratic and
preventing falsifications.? Geghamian declined to give further
details, and HZhK leaders could not be immediately reached for comment.
Geghamian and Demirchian have had an uneasy personal rapport, falling
out during the presidential elections of February-March 2003 when they
were Robert Kocharian?s main opposition challengers.
The two men joined forces a year later to lead an ill-fated opposition
attempt to force Kocharian into resignation with a campaign of street
protests. The failure of the campaign opened a new rift between them.
It seemed to have deepened in May last year when Demirchian accused
the outspoken AMK leader of lying about his late father and the HZhK?s
founder, Karen Demirchian. Geghamian was quick to try to mend fences
with his Demirchian at the time. It is not yet clear if the two
leaders are prepared to again have another, more radical
oppositionist, Aram Sarkisian of the Hanrapetutyun (Republic) party,
on board. Sarkisian claimed that he is also involved in the ongoing
talks. ?Formation of alliances is always much easier ahead of
elections,? he said. ?I am really delighted with the current
negotiations in terms of their quality and responses of opposition
leaders.?
Sarkisian added that the talks have so far focused on the nomination
of single opposition candidates in all of Yerevan?s 15 electoral
districts. He would not be drawn on chances of a new broad-based
opposition alliance emerging soon in place of the largely moribund
Artarutyun (Justice) led by Demirchian.
Meanwhile, there is also growing talk of another major electoral
alliance that could be led by former parliament speaker Artur
Baghdasarian and the former commander of Nagorno-Karabakh?s army,
Samvel Babayan. Among their potential allies is the Union for
Constitutional Rights (SIM), a small opposition party affiliated with
Artarutyun.

– Orhan Pamuk Attacks Oppression of Intellectuals in Turkey

ISTANBUL — Writer and Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk used a day as
guest editor of a newspaper to highlight oppression of intellectuals
in his native Turkey. Mr. Pamuk, who has a degree in journalism, was
asked to edit the Radikal daily as part of its 10th anniversary
celebrations.
His cover story accused the Turkish state of suppressing free
expression and oppressing dissident thinkers. Mr. Pamuk, an acclaimed
novelist, is a controversial figure in Turkey. He is the author of
works such as Snow and My Name Is Red, and in 2006 won the Nobel Prize
for literature. A year earlier, he had faced charges of ?insulting
Turkishness? over comments on the mass killing of Kurds and Ottoman
Armenians, charges which were later dropped.
His cover article quoted a 1951 story about Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet,
declared a traitor and imprisoned for his left-wing views, in which
the public were urged ?to spit in his face?. ?This expression…
summarises the unchanging place of writers and artists in the eyes of
the state and the press,? the cover story said.
Other articles on his front page included a piece on the low
percentage of women in politics and reactions to video footage of
former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein?s execution.

– U.S. Diplomat Says Washington Wants Railway Connecting Turkey With
Azerbaijan to Run Through Armenia

BAKU –?We have always backed all projects which are designed to boost
transport links between neighbor countries and we have been trying to
develop projects aimed at linking the West and East and certainly we
would like that a railway that is supposed to connect Turkey with
Azerbaijan runs through Armenia,? a senior U.S. diplomat was quoted as
saying by Azerbaijani Press Agency (APA).
The diplomat, Mathew Bryza, a deputy assistant secretary of state for
European and Eurasian affairs and a U.S. cochairman of the OSCE Minsk
Group, said the U.S. administration cannot block the construction of a
railway that Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan want to build, but added
that the U.S. hopes that in near future a transportation scheme that
will include all the countries of the region will emerge.
Last December U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law a
resolution imposing a ban on U.S. financing of a proposed railroad
that would bypass Armenia. The proposed new Caucasus rail line – at
the urging of Turkey and Azerbaijan – would circumvent Armenia.
Promoters of the project have sought, even at the planning stages, to
secure U.S. financing for this undertaking, prompting Congressional
friends of Armenia to preemptively block such attempts.
In October of 2005, the European Commission voiced official opposition
to the proposed Caucasus railroad bypass of Armenia. A formal
statement by the Commission?s Directorate General for Transport and
Energy noted that its construction was both unnecessary and
inefficient in light of the existing railroad connecting Kars, Gyumri
of Armenia and Tbilisi.

– Very Rev. Fr. Baret Yeretzian Assigned New Pastor of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church of Pasadena

Very Rev. Fr. Baret Yeretzian has been assigned the new pastor of St.
Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church of Pasadena by His
Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese
of the Armenian Church of North America. Fr. Baret will celebrate his
first Divine Liturgy as pastor at 10:30 AM on Sunday, January 14,
2007. His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian will formally introduce
Very Rev. Fr. Baret Yeretzian to the St. Gregory the Illuminator
Armenian Apostolic Church faithful before the sermon. Upon the
conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, January 14.
Fr. Baret brings a wealth of pastoral experience to his new ministry
in Pasadena. A native of Jerusalem, he started serving in the Armenian
Church at a young age. Fr. Baret is a graduate of the Armenian
Theological Seminary (Jharankavoratz Varjharan) of the Armenian
Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In 1966, he was ordained into the sacred
order of priesthood by the late Archbishop Yeghishe Derderian, the
former Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. The late Bishop Guregh
Kapikian served as Fr. Baret?s /khardavilag /(sponsoring priest of
ordination).
Fr. Baret is a member of the St. James Brotherhood of Jerusalem. Fr.
Baret has had vast pastoral experience. Upon the invitation of the
former Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern), Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Fr. Baret was accepted into
the Eastern Diocese in 1974. He served as assistant pastor of St. John
Armenian Church in Southfield, Michigan from 1974 ? 1977. Fr. Baret
was pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Cathedral in
Montreal, Canada from 1977 ? 1981, Holy Cross Armenian Church of
Lawrence, Massachusetts from 1981 ? 1985, and Sts. Sahag and Mesrob
Armenian Church of Providence, Rhode Island from 1985 ? 1993. Fr.
Baret returned to Detroit as pastor of St. John Armenian Church from
1993-1998. Fr. Baret served as pastor of St. Kevork Armenian Church of
Houston, Texas from 1999 ? 2000.
Fr. Baret served for twelve years as a member of the Diocesan Council
of the Eastern Diocese, two of which he was the vice-chairman. He has
also served as Vicar General of the New England region of the Eastern
Diocese.
In 2000, upon the invitation of His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom
Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fr. Baret returned to his
birthplace to serve as Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary
(Jharankavoratz Varjharan) until 2006. Upon the invitation of the
Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North
America, Fr. Baret was accepted into the Western Diocese in September,
2006. He served as Director of the Mission Parishes of the Western
Diocese and as visiting clergy to the Armenian Church of Arizona.
Fr. Baret holds a Bachelor?s degree in political science from the
American University of Jerusalem. He also studied for three years at
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Biblical Archeology. He
completed his graduate courses in political science from Wayne State
University of Detroit. Fr. Baret was elevated to the rank of
/Dzayrakooyn Vartabed/ in 1982.

—
Massis Weekly Online
MassisWeekly.com
1060 N. Allen Ave, Suite 203
Pasadena, CA 91104
Tel. 626.797.7680
Fax. 626.797.6863

TURKEY: DIYARBAKIR MUNICIPALITY LAUNCHES ‘STREET OF CULTURES PROJECT’

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Jan 11 2007

["DIYARBAKIR MUNICIPALITY TO RESTORE STREET WHERE RELIGIONS MEET" –
AA headline]

DIYARBAKIR (A.A) -11.01.2007 -Municipality of southeastern province
of Diyarbakir has launched a project to restore a street where the
holy shrines of the three major religions sit together, in a bid to
promote tolerance and harmony between different faiths.

"Street of Cultures Project" aims at bringing Diyarbakir’s historical
and cultural riches into daylight, Diyarbakir’s Sur town mayor,
Abdullah Demirbas, told the AA today.

Under the 4.5 million euro project, a 15th century mosque, a 19th
century Chaldean church and an Armenian Orthodox church, and a 16th
century synagogue will be restored.

The project is planned to be completed in 4-5 years.

U.S. CONGRESS TO MULL NEW ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
By Aram Vanetsian in Los Angeles

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Jan 10 2007

Buoyed by the Democratic takeover of the U.S. Congress, pro-Armenian
members of the House of Representatives will re-introduce this month a
draft resolution recognizing the World War I-era killings of Armenians
in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.

Their Armenian-American backers are confident that the new House
leadership will not seek to block the bill which is certain to
anger Turkey and prompt strong objections from the administration of
President George W. Bush.

Its language is expected to be virtually identical with that of
two resolutions that were overwhelmingly approved by the House
International Relations Committee in September 2005. Their passage
by the full House was subsequently thwarted by the White House and
leaders of the then Republican majority in Congress. One of those
resolutions was co-sponsored by 140 lawmakers and called on Bush to
"accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation
of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide."

The new House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is a longtime advocate of Armenian
issues who has supported such resolutions in the past.

"Prospects for [the passage of a genocide resolution] this year are
certainly better than they have been in recent years," said Bryan
Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America,
a Washington-based lobbying group.

Ardouny told RFE/RL that the draft resolution will be introduced later
this month by the two co-chairmen of the congressional Armenian Caucus
and two other congressmen known for their close ties with the Armenian
community in the United States. He said that unlike its previous
analogues, the new legislative measure is a mere "House resolution"
that does not have to be endorsed by the U.S. Senate and signed into
law by Bush.

Ardouny insisted that its passage by the lower chamber of Congress
would still amount to official U.S. recognition of the Armenian
genocide. "I would certainly consider congressional recognition of
the genocide to be official recognition," he said.

The Armenian Assembly and other Armenian-American advocacy groups
have for decades been campaigning for such recognition. They nearly
succeeded in that endeavor in October 2000 when a last-minute
intervention by then President Bill Clinton scuttled the almost
certain adoption of a relevant congressional bill.

"I think we have the best chance probably in a decade to get an
Armenian genocide resolution passed," Congressman Adam Schiff, a
California Democrat, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying
late last month.

USA DID NOT SUPPORT KARS-AKHALKALAKI-TBILISI-BAKU RAILWAY PROJECT

Yerevan, January 10. ArmInfo. "Year 2006 has remained in one’s memory
by numerous meetings with Azerbaijani officials. It seems to me I have
met with the Foreign Minister, Elmar Mamediarov in 2006 more often
than with my family. From the strategic viewpoint, the year 2006 was
successful in relations between the USA and Azerbaijan. The visit
of AR President Ilham Aliyev has become an important moment in the
development of relations", the deputy State Secretary for the issues of
Europe and Asia, OSCE MG Cochairman, Mathew Bryza, said, APA informs.

Having underlined that the President of Azerbaijan had informed the
USA officials about the development of Azerbaijan, the novelty of
the political atmosphere, liberalization of the political system, M.

Bryza has also called the visit the First Lady of Azerbaijan,
Mehriban Aliyeva to Washington very successful. He also underlined
that the year 2006 has become important in cooperation in the energy
sphere. M. Bryza has expressed optimism, commenting on the increase
of prices by Russia for the natural gas import to Azerbaijan. M.
Bryza stressed he is against of perception of the USA opposition to
the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway project after the President
Bush has signed a law that prohibits the project financing. "We have
always supported the projects aimed at strengthening the transport
relations. We try to develop al the projects, I repeat, all the
projects which unite all the countries, located in long the East-West
Corridor. Of course, we would like the railway, which will connect
Turkey and Baku, to pass through Armenia", the diplomat said. First,
because it reflects out policy, secondly, connection of Turkey and
Georgia is more expedient through the territory of Armenia from the
economic viewpoint. However, we cannot resolve on it. The investors
themselves advance an investment diagram, profitable for them. If
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey wish to lay a railway, we cannot object
it. However, we do not specially support this project and hope to
shortly become witnesses of a transport diagram, covering all the
countries of the region", M. Bryza said.

AZERI, TURKISH INTERIOR MINISTERS DISCUSS ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICE RADIO

Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 9 2007

Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov is on official visit to
Turkey at Turkish Interior Minister Abdulgadir Aksu’s invitation.

According to the visit schedule, after visiting Ataturk mausoleum
Ramil Usubov had one-on-one meeting with Turkish Interior Minister
Abdulgadir Aksu.

In the briefing held after the meeting Turkish Interior Minister
said that cooperation in the sphere of security between Azerbaijan
and Turkey is improving.

He said they discussed mutual struggle against terror and crimes and
new partnership plans within Ramil Usubov’s visit.

"We discussed the security issues, use of up-to-date computer
technology in the system of Interior Ministry and establishment of
Police Radio," he said.

Turkish Interior Minister stressed that Turkey is ready to help
Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Aksu also said his
counterpart’s visit will contribute to the development of cooperation.

Azerbaijani Interior Minister said he is satisfied with his visit
to Turkey and added that this visit will positively influence on
bilateral development of the relations, APA Turkish bureau reports.

URL:

ARMENIA’S POPULATION SPENDS 12.6% OF ITS INCOME TO PURCHASE EXCHANGE IN JAN-NOV 2006

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Jan 8 2007

YEREVAN, January 8. /ARKA/. Armenia’s population spent 12.6% of its
income on the purchase of foreign exchange in January-November 2006
(11.6% in the same period of 2005).

The population’s expenses on the purchase of foreign exchange increased
by 31.1% in January-November 2006, whereas the rise in income made
only 19.3% and overall expenses 19.4%. One percent of the population’s
incomes went on deposits.

The country’s population spent 78.4% of its income to purchase goods
and services in January-November 2006 against 79.4% in the same period
of 2005; a 17.7% increase was recorded in the expenditures compared
with the same period of 2005.

A 13.9% increase was recorded in compulsory payments and optional
contributions, with their share making 5.3% of the overall income.

Over the period, the population’s cash expenditures were 2.7% as
little as its cash income – no change against the same period of 2005.

The population’s cash incomes totaled AMD 1,463,778.5 mln in
January-November 2006 – a 19.3% increase against the same period
of 2005, with the cash expenditures totaling AMD 1,424,490.7 mln –
a 19.4% increase compared with January-October 2006. ($1 = AMD 364.45).

GPC’s Dunwoody Symposium Focuses On Genocide

content&task=3Dview&id=3D3212&pop=3D1& amp;page=3D0&Itemid=3D122#

_Mary Swint_
Friday, 05 January 2007 Incidents of genocide

from the past 90 years will be explored during `Never Again,’ Georgia
Perimeter College’s annual Dunwoody Symposium to be held from Tuesday,
Jan. 23 to Thursday, Jan. 25 on the Dunwoody campus. All symposium
events are open tothe public and will be held in room 1100 of the C
building.

A collection of more than 20 speakers, moderators and panelists,
including Emory University’s Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, author of `Beyond
Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust,’ and the
Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Mark Bixler, author of `The Lost Boys
of Sudan,’ will examine the episodes, significance and the psychology
of genocide during the three-day symposium.

`We’ll talk about Armenia in World War I, look at genocide in World
War II and other events in the 20th century,’ said Dr. Thomas Graham,
GPChistory professor and an organizer of the symposium. `We’ll look at
everything from 1915 up to three or four years ago.’

Along with speakers, presentations and panels discussions, Graham said
`Never Again’ will also show a collection of films including one that
inspired this year’s symposium.

`The theme for this year’s symposium is something I came upwith last
summer in the middle of the night while I was watching `Judgment at
Nuremburg,’ Graham said. `The film came out 40 years ago. The
Nuremburg Trialstook place 60 years ago. Our focus is to reflect on
the 60th anniversary of the trials in Nuremberg and Tokyo and how the
promise of `never again’ was not fulfilled. I thought this would be a
good idea for this year’s symposium. We just have to get students out
of their apathy. We can’t let this happen again.’

Speakers, panelists, and films were selected to help participants
`question broad themes of historical and philosophical significance,’
said Dr. Randy Finley, who serves as a symposium organizer.

`For example,’ Finley adds, `why do genocides occurin the modern and
postmodern world? What are the economic, political, and social causes
of genocide? Are they inevitable? Are there signs that might indicate
an oncoming genocide? Are there international organizations that can
successfully combat genocide?’ Finley said selected panelists include
representatives of history, science, business, law, music,
cinematography, art, psychology and political science.

`All will bring their academic fields’ interests in the subject for
student thought and reflection,’ he said. The Dunwoody Symposium
which began in 1980 is an annual event that has featured such
prominent speakers as former President Jimmy Carter, Ted Turner,
historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., entrepreneur Truett Cathy, novelist
Peter Taylor, and poet James Dickey.

`We’re excited about beginning the spring 2007 semester with the
symposium,’ Finley said. `Questions discussed here in January should
reverberate through many disciplines throughout the academic year.’

The #1 Online Newspaper in DeKalb Today is Sunday, January 7

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: January 3, 2006

Contact: Lerna Kayserian
Tel: (818) 500-1918

ANCA-WR WELCOMES ANTRANIG D. KZIRIAN, ESQ. AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

GLENDALE, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
(ANCA-WR) this week welcomed long-time community activist Antranig David
Kzirian, Esq. as its new Executive Director.

"We are proud to welcome Antranig, an exceptional talent with years of
community leadership experience, as our new Executive Director," said
ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian. "Antranig is a proud son of the Armenian
American community who – in the best tradition of our community – brings to
this position years of truly selfless service and sacrifice for the Armenian
Cause."

As the new Executive Director, Mr. Kzirian brings with him nearly two
decades of community activism and leadership. A member of the Armenian Youth
Federation-Eastern Region since the age of 10, he served as the chairperson
of the organization’s Central Executive in 2005. Under his leadership and
legal guidance, the AYF – which has been active since 1933 – was
incorporated as an official non-profit organization. As an active member of
the Armenian Church and the ANC of Pennsylvania, Mr. Kzirian has many years
of hands-on experience in community service, local activism, voter
education, and grassroots mobilization.

Mr. Kzirian is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in
International Relations. Following the completion of his undergraduate
education, he received his law degree from Villanova University in 2005.
During law school, he served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Dickran
Tevrizian of the United States District Court, Central District of
California and practiced as an attorney in securities and litigation after
graduation. In addition, Mr. Kzirian serves as a research fellow with the
Armenian International Policy Research Group and his work on Dual
Citizenship has been published in the Armenian Journal of Public Policy. Mr.
Kzirian has also lectured on Dual Citizenship, international law and the
First Amendment relating to free speech and denial speech at colloquia and
conferences at UCLA and in Yerevan, Armenia.

"I look forward to taking my ANCA activism to the next level as Executive
Director of the ANCA-Western Region," said Mr. Kzirian. "As a long-time ANCA
activist, I am proud to serve in this position and eager to help harness the
enormous potential of our community to advance our community’s Hai Tahd
aspirations."

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) 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.

###

Turkish Daily News
December 30, 2006 Saturday

2006 A YEAR SPENT IN ‘WHAT’S UP NEXT YEAR’ DISCUSSION

Even during the closing days of 2006, everyone was constantly
preoccupied with debate and controversy over the twin elections to be
held in 2007. Nothing could stand alone to be discussed, somehow a
correlation was established between each and every development and
the upcoming presidential elections in April or the parliamentary
elections currently scheduled for Nov. 4.

The debate was so intense and destructive that fearing a possible
political backlash, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
government could not adequately celebrate the first-ever Nobel Prize
in Literature win by a Turk, writer Orhan Pamuk, amid claims that the
award was given to him not because of his literary success but rather
for a controversial remark he made regarding the Armenian genocide
allegations.

The tension between the AKP government and the secularist opposition
— including not only political opponents but also the
military-civilian conservative establishment — dominated the entire
year.

A decision by the Council of State’s Second Department stressing that
a teacher wearing the Islamist-style headscarf to and from school
could not be the director of a state-owned kindergarten stirred up
the secularism debate. An attack on the same department of the
Council of State by an Islamist-nationalist lawyer Alparslan Arslan
— a member of the Istanbul bar — resulted in the death of Judge
Mustafa Birden, while three members of the court were seriously
wounded. Arslan was subsequently captured by the police. The event
sparked a major confrontation between the AKP government and the
secular judiciary.

The funeral for slain judge Birden became an anti-Islamist
demonstration by secularists. Together with the top brass of the
military and the judicial bureaucracy, former Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit attended the funeral. That night Ecevit suffered a stroke and
was hospitalized. Five months later the veteran politician died. His
funeral too was marked by a massive anti-Islamist demonstration, with
tens of thousands of people chanting "Turkey is secular and will stay
so… Its presidency is secular and will stay so."

Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, whose appointment as top commander was
announced a day before the National Security Council (MGK) convened,
contrary to custom — after months of speculation that the government
was trying to avoid him succeeding outgoing Gen. Hilmi Ozkok — was a
development that also reflected the delicate secularist-AKP divide in
the country. Buyukanit and the entire new chain of command, together
with thousands of senior and junior commanders and military cadets,
participated in the entire funeral procession of Ecevit, except the
section at Parliament where Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc had
not wanted a military ceremony.

The Buyukanit sensitivity was partly fallout from an indictment
prepared by Van regional prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya on the November
2005 blast at southeastern border down of Semdinli. In the
indictment, the prosecutor had implicated the top general, who was
Land Forces commander at the time, in "gang activity." Eventually the
prosecutor was disbarred from the profession and the charges against
Buyukanit were all dropped. However, the development was considered
by many as an effort by the ruling AKP to discredit Buyukanit and
prevent him from becoming chief of General Staff.

Indeed, the renewed secularism debate was a result of a speech made
by Buyukanit immediately after he took up his role heading the
General Staff, in which he warned of a rising threat against the
secular principles of the republic.

The same day of Ecevit’s funeral and its associated massive show in
support of secularism, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdog?an, already
upset with pressures from the conservative and hard-core secularist
power centers of Turkey to agree to a "consensus candidate" for the
presidency, was not only getting his presidency endorsed by the
delegates of the AKP convention but at the same time tacitly
demonstrating to the grassroots of his party that he has chosen
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as his successor as head of the party.

However, Erdog?an stirred up even a bigger controversy when he
branded people at the funeral chanting "Turkey is secular" as being
like "fans at a soccer match."

The huge turnout at Ecevit’s funeral and the reported political will
of the former nationalist-left leader for the establishment of a
"unity of forces loyal to founding principles of the republic" to
form a strong political alternative to the AKP gave way to futile
efforts to forge a new left-right political alliance.

The drive by Bulent Ecevit’s wife, Rahsan Ecevit, which started with
a call on Ecevit’s arch political foe Suleyman Demirel, eventually
died out when the main-opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
insisted that any unity must be achieved under its roof.

Efforts to forge unity in the center-right picked up momentum after
the corruption charges against former Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
were deferred — under the terms of the partial amnesty that was
legislated by the previous three-way Ecevit government in which
Yilmaz was a deputy premier — but also failed to produce any
tangible results.

Even Turkey’s European Union accession bid, the fight against
separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorism and the prime
minister fainting in his car were all exploited throughout the year
as tools to force the AKP to relinquish its right — as the majority
party in Parliament — on nominating and electing the next president.

Though with his ambiguous "Rather than fighting on the mountain, they
(the PKK) should come down and engage in politics" statement True
Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Ag?ar helped his party gain some
popularity, at the end of the year public opinion polls mostly
indicated that the AKP remained the dominant party in the country
with public support of around 26-34 percent, while only three other
parties, the CHP, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the DYP
may have a chance of winning over 10 percent of the vote — the
threshold for parliamentary representation — at the next election