Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

LEBANON HAS NO EXACT POSITION OVER KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2006 12:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Lebanon has no exact position over settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, editor-in-chief of the Azdak, the
largest Armenian newspaper of Lebanon, Shahan Kandakharyan stated in an
interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, during a visit to Yerevan
Lebanese Parliament Chair Nabih Berri stated he supports the Nagorno
Karabakh people right for self-determination. NKR FM Georgy Petrosyan
was in Lebanon lately. He met with the President, Parliament Chair and
FM. "I remind that the Lebanese political leadership states on various
occasions that it supports the claims of the Armenian people, which
also refers to the Karabakh issue," Shahan Kandakharyan underscored.

TURKEY TORN OVER AUTHOR’S TRIAL

Calgary Sun, Canada
Sept 10 2006

Pregnant novelist faces trial of ‘insulting’ nation for writing
on genocide

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Elif Shafak, one of Turkey’s leading authors,
is about to have a baby — and go on trial.

The reason for this strange conjunction of joy and foreboding is
her new novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, which has exposed her to a
charge of "insulting Turkishness" because it touches on one of the
most disputed episodes of her country’s history — the massacres of
Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

A University of Arizona literature professor, the 35-year-old Shafak
divides her time between Tucson and Istanbul. She sought a postponement
of her trial, set for Sept. 21, until after her first child is born,
but was refused.

She could get three years in prison, though similar trials of other
Turkish writers have usually folded on technicalities and no one has
gone to jail.

"I think my case is very bizarre because, for the first time, they
are trying fictional characters," said Shafak.

The case has broad ramifications, highlighting a rising wave of Turkish
nationalism and the whole question of whether Turkey, a Western ally
and NATO member, should be admitted to the liberal, democratic European
Union — something the Bush administration supports.

Turks who long for EU membership worry trials of writers are setting
back their cause. But nationalists such as Kemal Kerincsiz, one of
the lawyers suing Shafak, say Turkey shouldn’t have to forsake bedrock
convictions — for instance, that there was never any Armenian genocide
— just to please Europe

The Bastard of Istanbul deals with taboos — domestic violence and
incestuous rape — that are rarely discussed in this conservative,
predominantly Muslim country.

But it is what her Armenian-American characters say that has landed
Shafak in court.

Shafak’s book has sold 60,000 copies, a best seller by Turkish
standards, and will appear in English next year.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: ASSAULTS TOWARDS "ZHARANGUTIUN" ARE INSTRUCTED BY HIGHEST RULING INSTANCES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 07 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The "Zharangutiun"
(Heritage) party addressed to the Prosecutor’s Office on September 6,
appealing the decision of the Yerevan City Department Central Office
of the Police, in which they refuse to bring a criminal action on
the presented materials on an unknown person’s illegal usage of the
property belonging to the party according the property right. "I,
as a citizen, whose rights are twice defied, demands bringing of
the criminal action and investigation towards all those people who
related or may relate to it, starting from the acting President and
his different employees, and ending with all our ministries, including
forced executors and theater administration," party board member
Raffi Hovannisian stated in the "Pastark" club the same day. Vardan
Khachatrian, the newly elected chairman of the "Zharangutiun" board
and attorney Zaruhi Postanjian also participated in the meeting with
journalists. The Police refused to bring an action, reasoning it by
absence of corpus delicti. But the party representatives insist that
during the period of time from March 4 to May 29 of the current year,
when the administration of the Hakob Paronian State Theater of Music
Comedy prohibited party members’ entering the territory rented in
the administrative building of the theater, a regular illegal action
took place.

Particularly, an unknown person, rounding the password, entered
the computer memory and copied from the computer on a memory
holder information, including the party members’ base data, close
analyses. Experts of the National Bureau of Experts found out that
the monitor of unknown mark was connected up to the party office
computer for 22-24 minutes. Affirming that the defensive system of
the computer was broken, the experts, at the same time, concluded that
"in the consequence of that breaking, no change of computer information
arose, as neither modification of the structure, translation, change
of the initial appearance of the information in the computer nor
difficulties in using them were found out." In their words, there
are no enough bases to insist that information was copied from the
computer. "I may insist that closing of our office, entering computer
memory in four days, on May 30, and then our regular expulsion from
the office in July were instructed by the highest ruling instance,"
Raffi Hovannisian stated. In his words, the "stolen" information was in
future used "for frightening, calling to police and different actions"
towards party active members and co-thinkers.

CUSTOMARY PUNISHMENT

A1+
[04:46 pm] 06 September, 2006

Raffi Hovannisian considers the murder of Shahen Hovasapyan, the Head
of the Operative Investigation Department of the State Tax Agency,
natural.

"It reflects the morbid state of the authorities, the country and the
society. We can speak about national values and democracy, but this
kind of incidents will take place until everyone is equal for the law."

According to Mr. Hovannisian, Shahen Hovasapyan’s murder testifies
to the fact that this is the way problems are solved in Armenia.

MONETARY INCOMES OF ARMENIAN POPULATION GROW BY 31.3% IN ARMENIA IN SECOND QUARTER OF 2006 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The average monetary per capita
incomes grew by 31.3% in Armenia in the second quarter of 2006
on the same period of last year and made 22,443 drams (about 56.1
USD). According to the Statistical Report on Food Safety and Poverty
of the RA National Statistical Service, the monetary incomes received
from agricultural produce sale and remittances increased 3.5fold and
1.5fold respectively. Over the same period, the incomes of hired
workers and the self-employed also increased by 26.5% and 18.6%
respectively. The incomes received from property, other incomes,
and incomes in the form of pensions and benefits declined 16.7fold,
15% and 2.2% respectively.

The average monthly expenditures per capita grew by 6.1% in the
second quarter of 2006 on the same period of last year and made 20,559
drams. In the structure of expenditures, expenses on alcoholic drinks
grew by 48%, on non-food commodities – by 21.2% and spending on public
catering – by 13%.

The monthy per capita consumption of fruit and berries increased by
38.5%, of butter – by 29.4%, fish products – by 8%, cheese – by 7.5%,
vegetables – by 7.3%, meat and meat products – by 3.9% and consumption
of eggs – by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2006 on the same quarter of
2005. Over the same period, the monthly consumption of potato declined
by 6.7%, of milk and sour milk – by 6.4%, and bread products – by 5.7%.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, DEFENSE MINISTER SHOW SIGNS OF RIFT
By Emil Danielyan

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Aug 5 2006

Recent weeks have revealed a rift between Armenia’s two most powerful
leaders that could have far-reaching implications for the political
future of the South Caucasus state. President Robert Kocharian is
reportedly monitoring with unease the efforts by Defense Minister Serge
Sarkisian, his hitherto chief lieutenant and most likely successor,
to succeed him in 2008.

Sarkisian has confirmed his presidential ambitions by formally joining
and assuming a key position in the governing Republican Party of
Armenia (HHK). Kocharian, for his part, is widely linked with another
party that was set up recently by the country’s most influential
oligarch and is increasingly seen as a counterweight to the HHK. The
party’s growing strength has also prompted concern from Armenian
opposition leaders who believe it bodes ill for democratic change.

The HHK officially admitted Sarkisian and elected him as its deputy
chairman at a high-profile congress on July 22 that was attended by
many members of the Armenian government. Although the party continues
to be nominally headed by Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, few doubt
that it is Sarkisian who will now be calling the shots. The HHK holds
several ministerial portfolios, controls local government bodies across
the country, and boasts the largest faction in parliament. Hence its
significance for Sarkisian. The powerful defense chief has repeatedly
stated that his participation in the next presidential election,
due in 2008, hinges on the HHK’s strong performance in parliamentary
elections scheduled for next spring. His critics insinuate that the
Republicans will therefore try to win the 2007 polls at any cost.

Kocharian claimed through a spokesman on July 24 that he does not
object to Sarkisian’s alliance with the ruling party and even
welcomes it. "An authoritative politician’s membership in the HHK
… is a welcome development and may have a positive influence on
the Armenian political field that is still far from being perfect,"
presidential press secretary Victor Soghomonian said in a statement.

Still, a growing number of local analysts believe that in reality
Kocharian is banking on the equally ambitious Prosperous Armenia party
of Gagik Tsarukian, a millionaire businessman close to the Armenian
leader. They say Kocharian is building a new, totally reliable
support base that will enable him to continue to play a major role
in government affairs after he completes his second and final term
as president in 2008. In particular, he is rumored to have set his
sights on the post of prime minister.

Prosperous Armenia announced its existence last January and claims
to have already recruited as many as 300,000 members, or 10% of the
country’s population. Individuals close to Tsarukian say the tycoon
is seriously hoping to win the upcoming elections by capitalizing on
his vast financial resources, which opposition leaders and even some
top Republicans fear could be used for a massive vote buying.

Sarkisian, meanwhile, played down Prosperous Armenia’s significance
on July 20, questioning its ability to serve as Kocharian’s new power
base. "Prosperous Armenia is not yet a party," he told RFE/RL. But
the remarks only added to speculation that he is worried about the
pro-Kocharian oligarch’s political maneuvering. Hayots Ashkhar, a
newspaper reputedly sponsored by Sarkisian, poured scorn on Tsarukian
on August 18, alleging that he is paying ordinary Armenians to join
his party.

It has escaped no one’s notice that Tsarukian was invited to attend
the last HHK congress along with leaders of other parties but failed
to show up, citing "technical reasons." He promptly held a Prosperous
Armenia conference in Yerevan two days later to address hundreds
of party activists and slam those who question the sincerity of his
pledges to make his countrymen more prosperous.

Yet not everyone is convinced that Kocharian and Sarkisian have
fallen out. Chorrord Ishkhanutyun, a newspaper highly critical of the
government, insisted on July 28 that the latest developments signal
"anything but a Kocharian-Serge standoff" and are part of a scenario
drawn up by the two men. Indeed, they have long known and worked with
each other, both in their native Karabakh and Yerevan. Conventional
wisdom therefore suggests that Kocharian would have a reliable
successor in Sarkisian, someone who would at least guarantee his
personal security. The question is, though, whether Kocharian intends
to retire from active politics or remain in government in some other
capacity. In the latter case, he would hardly need a strong president.

The Armenian opposition, meanwhile, is ringing alarm bells over an
influx of more wealthy businessmen and other influential individuals
with questionable reputations into the HHK, which was sparked by its
alliance with Sarkisian. Some opposition leaders, including former
parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian, have openly branded those
individuals as "criminal elements" tasked with helping the ruling
regime rig the next elections.

Sarkisian dismissed these concerns as he joined the HHK, promising
that the 2007 vote will be the "best" one in Armenia’s post-Soviet
history. But he was quick to add that he believes the previous Armenian
elections, criticized as undemocratic by Western observers, were not
deeply flawed. "Things were good and will get even better," said the
man regarded by his opponents as a key mastermind of serious fraud
reported during the last presidential and parliamentary elections
held in 2003.

(Hayots Ashkhar, August 18, July 25; Iravunk, August 15; Chorrord
Ishkhanutyun, July 28; RFE/RL Armenia Report, July 20-21)

EU DEPUTIES REGRET SLOW PACE OF REFORM IN TURKEY

Agence France Presse — English
September 5, 2006 Tuesday 10:15 AM GMT

European Union parliamentarians deplored Turkey’s lack of progress
in implementing reforms needed to join the rich 25-nation bloc.

Before the report on Turkey’s EU membership progress was adopted in a
late night vote Monday by the assembly’s foreign affairs committee,
rapporteur Camiel Eurlings noted that "unfortunately, reforms have
clearly slowed down."

The Dutch deputy said he hoped that the government in Ankara would
see his report "as a signal and an incentive to reintroduce the
vigorous speed of reform it had shown in the year before accession
negotiations started."

Mainly-Muslim Turkey officially began EU membership talks in October
but it was warned that the process would take at least a decade and
that its accession would not be automatically guaranteed even once
it was over.

Its membership has long-proved controversial among the EU’s member
states, with some countries like Germany and Austria preferring a
"privileged partnership" with Ankara.

Turkey’s case has also been hampered by a growing "enlargement fatigue"
as the Union expanded from 15 to 25 members in 2004 and with Bulgaria
and Romania likely to join next year. Croatia and Macedonia are also
waiting in the wings.

In the report, adopted by by 53 votes in favour to 6 against with 8
abstentions, the lawmakers noted "persistent shortcomings" in reforms
in areas such as freedom of expression, religious and minority rights,
the role of the military, policing, women’s rights, trade union rights
and cultural rights.

They also urged Turkey "to take concrete steps for the normalisation
of bilateral relations" with Cyprus as soon as possible, and said that
Ankara’s recognition of the Armenian genocide should be a precondition
for membership.

CONSTRUCTION OF YOUTH CENTERS IN JABAKHK TO BE COMPLETED LATER THAN SCHEDULED

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 04 2006

AKHALKALAK, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Construction
works of the youth centers being built in Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda
by the Government of Georgia will be completed later than it is
scheduled. According to the A-Info agency, representatives of the
Tbilisi "Spetsmontazh" company implementing the construction motivate
that for absence of some specialists at place, they are invited from
Tbilisi, what artificially delays the construction works. But, the
builders hope that they will not delay much, and soon inhabitants of
Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda will have youth centers corresponding to
European standards.

NKR PRESIDENT: OUR KEY TASKS TODAY ARE TO PRESERVE PEACE AND ATTAIN NKR’S INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

Regnum, Russia
Sept 4 2006

"I am absolutely sure that today the world community is not interested
in a new war," Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady Gukasyan said during
a news conference in Stepanakert, when asked about the possibility
of a new war in Karabakh. A REGNUM correspondent reports him to say
that he does not see any political, economic, moral or geographic
prerequisites for new war.

He said that "our key achievement today is that we have attained our
goal, have won in a war imposed on us and have built a developing
state. The free and independent life of the Nagorno Karabakh people
is the symbol of the last 15 years." Gukasyan pointed out that the
proclamation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was the only way for
the Nagorno Karabakh people to survive. "Life has proved that we were
right. Otherwise, we would have the same fate as Nakhichevan had in
its time," Gukasyan said.

He said that the key tasks of NKR today are to preserve peace
by concluding a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and to attain
international recognition. "I think we can solve these two key
problems," Gukasyan said.

EXCAVATIONS IN AGHDAM

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006

Armenians are dealt with falsification of history

International conference entitled "Restoration of archeological and
historical monuments" is held in Armenia. The arrangement is organized
by the Embassy of Italy to Yerevan and the Center for Armenian Culture
Studies situated in Milan.

Speaking at the conference Marco Clemente, the Ambassador of Italy to
Armenia informed that an interest of the official Rome to historical
monuments of Armenia rides, first of all, on rich cultural heritage
of this state: "Italy will make all efforts to assist Armenia to
protect historical and cultural monument further."

Gadik Guljian, deputy Minister of Culture of Armenia said that the
conference will focus on rehabilitation of so called Armenian fresco,
as "Italian masters are well-experienced in this field."

Then Italian and Armenian historians will conduct meetings in Ambert,
Kobairo, Zvartnos and Dashtadem. The specialists of Milan Architecture
University will attend the conference which to last until 15 September.

It is interesting that holding such arrangement Armenia aims not
to discuss "the issues of restoration of historical and cultural
monuments of the country and their protection." Khrair Tovmasian,
the professor of the Institute of History and Archeology of Armenian
Academy of Sciences informed about true intention of Armenians
to Spriuk agency: "It is necessary to carry our archeological
excavations in the villages of Nagorno-Garabagh hitherto regarding
as Azerbaijanian, and to find there the oldest Armenian historical
monuments and remains of settlements. In this way, we can prove that
these lands belong not to Azerbaijan, but Armenia."

It is known that recently the archeologist Justo Trayna, the professor
of Lecce University, Italy participated in archeological dig carried
out in Aghdam.

Reportedly, the excavations aim to "discover the remains of four
cities which were constructed by the ruler of the Great Armenia the
Great Tigran in 95-55 years B.C."

According to Hamlet Petrosian, doctor of historical sciences, the
discovery in the archeological dig carried out three kilometers away
from Aghdam have special importance for world epigraphy. "On the
walls of one of the discovered caves there were written the name of
Jesus in Greece. I think that this inscription belongs to VI. Italian
professor Justo Trayna will help his Armenian colleagues to define to
what ethnic community it belongs," said H. Petrosian. According to him,
the buildings to which construction attached importance the ancestry of
Garabagh Armenians, are worthy of being included to worldwide manuals
of history as an example of aesthetic beauty and solidity. According
to H. Petrosian, so called Tigranakert complex situated near to Aghdam
turns out to be similar to remains of habitats of people in Artashat
and Armavir regions of Armenia discovered in 2004.

Recently Armenian Institute of History and Archeology made statement
implying that "the facts proving that the Shusha citadel had been
constructed by Armenians were discovered." "The group led by the
archeologist Shushanik Gambarsumian discovered the inscription on
the walls of the citadel, in which was written the name of Tigran
II who ordered to construct this building in Armenian. In addition,
from the point of architecture and construction Shusha citadel is
one of the cultural monuments of Armenia," said the statement.

–Boundary_(ID_yeZHq2nHzNH5rcreRkPtyQ) —