Author: Topchian Jane

ACCORDING TO "HURRIET", TURKEY CONSIDERS ETHNIC MINORITIES AS ALIEN,
THEREFORE THEY APPLY TO MFA DEALING WITH FOREIGNERS’ ISSUES

ISTANBUL, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In the August 17
issue of the newspaper "Hurriet", Mehmed Yelmaz, author of articles in
"Hurriet", reminds about the report (published the day before) about
the regulations of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey. According
to the report, the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey expressed a wish
that the Patriarchate would be within the jurisdiction to the state
ministry accountable to the Inspection of Religions and not to the
ministry of foreign affairs. With this aim, the Patriarchate applied
to Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request to intervene.

Mehmed Yelmaz notes that all Turkish citizens have the right to apply
to the appropriate body regarding their problems. In this respect
the Armenian Patriarchate should also be eligible to apply to the
appropriate body. It is quite logical that Turkey’s MFA should not
be on the list of bodies to consider such application, as it deals
with foreign countries and foreigners. After expressing this opinion,
M. Yelmaz ironically reminds that on various occasions the state has
considered ethnic minorities as alien. The last time, the minorities
were put on the list of foreigners owning estates in Turkey. The
author concludes: if the state considers our minorities as alien,
the latter naturally should apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Armenian Caucus Established in California State Assembly

ArmRadio.am
18.08.2006 13:48

A bipartisan group of legislators formed the Assembly Armenian-American
Legislative Caucus, which is modeled after a similar grouping that
has been addressing Armenian-American issues in Congress, the Glendale
News Press reported.

Co-founded by Assembly majority leader Dario Frommer, a Democrat
who represents Burbank and Glendale, and Stockton Republican Greg
Aghazarian, the caucus aims to address issues of concern to the more
than 700,000-strong California-Armenian community, Asbarez reported.

"Our intent is for it to be a working caucus and a group of folks
who reach out and educate others," Frommer told the Glendale News
Press. "Here in California we have a large and vibrant Armenian
community, not just in my district, but in Fresno and other places,
and we want to bring those folks together."

Frommer and Aghazarian expressed hope that the California State
Senate will follow suit. Such a caucus is long overdue, Burbank
Unified School Board member and Democratic candidate for the 43rd
Assembly District, Paul Krekorian said. "I’ve been a little surprised
that legislators who consider themselves friends of the Armenian
community did not create one like this years ago," he said, adding,
"But what matters to most to Armenians is the same that matters to
all Americans: Excellent public schools, good jobs, health care for
seniors and the opportunity to send their kids to college."

Frommer, who currently represents the 43rd District, will vacate his
seat this year because of term limits.

AZERBAIJAN RETURNS THREE CIVILIANS TO ARMENIA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 17, 2006

YEREVAN, August 17 /ARKA/. Three civilians were returned to Armenia
from Azerbaijan with the support of the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC press service reported that this took
place on the road between the Armenian city of Ijevan and Azerbaijani
city of Kasakh.

By request of the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments, the ICRC on
its own initiative rendered assistance with the transportation of
these people, acting as a neutral mediator.

The ICRC representatives visited the hostages before their return to
make sure that they were going to the homeland voluntarily.

Since 1992, the ICRC has rendered assistance in returning 659 people
to their homelands. The ICRC will continue to render assistance if
needed.

AZERBAIJAN PRESENTS DRAFT TO UN ON ARMENIAN ARSONS IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 14, 2006

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry will take actions jointly with
international organizations related to arsons committed in the occupied
Azerbaijani regions by Armenians. Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov
told journalists, APA reports.

Mr.Azimov said the Azerbaijani side has already submitted a draft
resolution to the UN regarding these fires.

"We’ll continue these measures and benefit from international
organizations’ resources if there is additional decision. But, it
should be taken into account that only one international organization
is not powerful enough to achieve something in this case. There is
a need to the support from the UN, OSCE and other organizations,"
the Deputy Minister said.

LAS VEGAS ARMENIANS PLAN TO ERECT GENOCIDE MEMORIAL

The California Courier
ArmRadio.am
15.08.2006 15:18

The Armenian Community of Las Vegas has formed the Armenian Genocide
Memorial Committee which is tasked with the erection of an Armenian
Genocide Memorial in Las Vegas.

After several meetings with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and
Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, the city has committed to dedicate land
for the Memorial in Centennial Plaza in downtown Las Vegas.

Mayor Goodman announced the city’s commitment and the location of
the site during the annual April 24 commemoration, which was also
attended by all three Nevada congressmen, Rep. Jon Porter, Rep.

Shelley Berkley, and Rep. Jim Gibbons, as well as a representative
from Sen. John Ensign’s office.

The site selected for the new Armenian Genocide Memorial is a busy
area in the business and legal district near the famous Fremont Street
Experience. It will be seen by thousands of people daily.

The budget for the historical monument has been set a $150,000.

The Committee is accepting designs for the new Memorial. Interest
applicants should contact Abe Kassamanian at (702) 260-0899 for further
information. Tax-deductible donations are also being accepted. Checks
should be made payable to "Las Vegas Genocide Memorial Fund, Bank
West of Nevada, 2890 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, NV 89014.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE
August 11, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER "EXTREMELY CONCERNED"
OVER AMB.-DESIGNATE HOAGLAND’S RELUCTANCE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

— Sen. Coleman Vows to Vote Against Hoagland Nomination

WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), in a
letter to the Armenian National Committee of Nevada (ANC-NV),
reported that he is "extremely concerned" by the reluctance of
Richard Hoagland, the Administration’s nominee to serve as the next
ambassador to Armenia, to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.

Senator Reid’s public stand follows the August 2nd announcement by
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) that he will vote against the Hoagland
nomination because of the nominee’s refusal to properly recognize
the Armenian Genocide as a "genocide." Sen. Coleman serves on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"The opposition of Senator Norm Coleman and concerns raised by
Harry Reid – the Senate’s Democratic Leader – reflect the growing
bipartisan opposition to the approval of a U.S. envoy to Yerevan
who refuses to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We continue to work in
communities around the nation to explain to Senators the damage to
U.S-Armenia relations – and, more broadly, to America’s standing on
genocide prevention efforts worldwide – that will be done by
approving a nominee that has actually denied the genocidal intent
of the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide."

Responding to grassroots concerns raised by Nevada’s growing and
increasingly active Armenian American community, Senator Reid noted
that this refusal is "particularly troubling in light of the State
Department’s dismissal of the last Ambassador to Armenia, John M.
Evans following comments he made during a February 2005 tour of
Armenian-American communities in which he recognized the Armenian
Genocide. As you may know, the State Department has offered no
explanation for Evans’ dismissal."

As reported by the Associated Press, Senator Coleman has explained,
"As someone of the Jewish faith, I bring a heightened sensitivity
to the reality of genocide and mass murder, and the importance of
recognizing it for what it is. I was brought up believing you
never forget the Holocaust, never forget what happened. And I could
not imagine how our ambassador to Israel could have any
effectiveness if he couldn’t recognize the Holocaust."

On August 1st, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee delayed
consideration of Ambassador Hoagland’s nomination, following a
request by the Committee’s Ranking Democrat Joseph Biden (D-DE) and
Senator John Kerry (D-MA). Also voicing support for the delay were
Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The
Committee is set to consider the matter during its regular business
meeting on September 7th.

To date, more than half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
including Senators George Allen, Joseph Biden, Barbara Boxer,
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Christopher Dodd (D-
CT), Russell Feingold (D-WI), John Kerry and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD),
have contacted Secretary Rice or questioned Ambassador-designate
Hoagland directly regarding the Armenian Genocide. Senators Edward
Kennedy (D-MA) and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with over sixty members
of the U.S. House have also expressed serious concerns to the State
Department on this matter.

For a comprehensive overview of documents regarding the firing of
Ambassador Evans and the Hoagland controversy, visit:
p

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15 ENTRANTS, WON IN INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIADS, ADDRESS TO REPUBLICAN ENTRANCE COMMISSION FOR ENTERING HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION WITHOUT ENTRANCE EXAMS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 10 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, NOYAN TAPAN. 15 entrants, won in international
olympiads, addressed to the Republican Entrance Commission (REC)
on exams this year.

As Lilit Galstian, the REC responsible for press informed the Noyan
Tapan correspondent, according to the acting order, winners of
international olympiads may enter the intitution of higher education
they prefer, without entrance exams. According to L.Galstian,
the issue of 2 of those entrants has already been discussed at the
sitting of the commission. They were winners of the "Mendeleyev"
international olympiad and entered the higher educational institution
they preferred. L.Galstian mentioned that other 13 entrants’ issue
will be decided during the sitting to take place soon.

DOCUMENT DEVELOPED WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF ARMENIA-NATO IPAP IS PUBLISHED

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The document "The Obligations of the
Republic of Armenia within the framework of the Individual Partnership
Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO" was published under an agreement reached
between Armenia and NATO on July 31, 2006, and is available on the
RA defence ministry’s website at NT was informed from
the Spokesman for the RA Defence minister Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian
that the text contains the goals of the bilateral cooperation program,
as well as the measures and mechanisms for their implementation. The
document’s publication aims to increase the public awareness of
Armenia’s partnership with NATO and of the reforms underway in the
defence and security spheres. This publication represents a step aimed
at establishing an atmosphere of mutual trust and transparency in
the South Caucasus. The Armenian and English versions of the document
are available on the RA MFA’s website ().

Lawmakers hit stack of state bills

Los Angeles Daily News
Aug. 8, 2006

Progress over politics emphasized

BY HARRISON SHEPPARD, Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO – On their first day back in session after summer break,
state lawmakers swept Monday through hundreds of bills dealing with
everything from the Armenian Genocide to colored contact lenses,
trying to clear their desks before bills expire Aug. 31.

Lawmakers said despite the gubernatorial election looming in November,
they believe they can set aside partisan differences and collaborate
on important legislation, as they did earlier this year on the state
budget and the infrastructure bond package.

"For sure, Democrats want to get that top (governor’s) job back,"
said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D-Los Angeles. "We all want that
top job back, but at the same time we realize how important it is to
get things done for Californians.

"The way one can characterize where we are is that political ideology
comes second to progress. That’s going to be the focus over the next
three weeks."

One of the bills approved Monday was AB 1524, by Sen. Jackie Speier,
D-San Mateo, which allows heirs of victims of the Armenian Genocide
who live in California to file legal claims against banks in an effort
to recover assets looted by the Turkish government in the early 1900s.

"Over 900,000 Armenian-Americans reside in California," said
Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles. "Many of their families
were killed in the Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1923 and their
assets were abruptly seized by the Turks and placed in German banks.

No effort has been made by these banks to return their assets to
their rightful owners."

The bill, which has already passed the Senate, went through the
Assembly on a 65-2 vote.

A similar bill was approved Monday for victims of the Mexican
repatriation in California during the 1930s, in which legal U.S.

citizens of Mexican descent were forcibly and illegally deported to
Mexico. Some experts estimate that more than 400,000 legal citizens
were deported from California during a wave of anti-immigrant hysteria
and the loss of jobs during the Great Depression.

The bill, SB 1765, allows victims to file claims for loss of property
or injury due to the forced repatriations.

Another bill that passed prohibits the sale of colored contact lenses
without a prescription. The bill’s author, Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi,
R-Lodi, said the lenses, which change the color of a person’s eyes
without enhancing vision, can often be misused without a proper fitting
and care instructions, leading to infections and possibly blindness.

"These colored contact lenses are used indiscriminately by people,"
said Nakanishi, who is also an ophthalmologist. "In fact, if it’s not
looked after, it can cause infection and cornea ulcers. The ulcers
are bad – you can turn blind from it."

Some of the problems are caused when users, particularly teenagers,
share the lenses, which can lead to contamination and infection. They
may wear the lenses for too long without taking them out and cleaning
them.

Among other topics the Legislature is expected to tackle in the waning
days of the session are cable competition, minimum wage, greenhouse
gases and redistricting.

–Boundary_(ID_QKEBP1Ouvi1RWnEwYWj tmA)–

CRIME RATE UP IN ARMENIA – DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF

Regnum, Moscow
6 Aug 06

6 August: The number of registered crimes in Armenia in the first half
of 2006 has gone up by 9.9 per cent compared to the same period of
2005, the deputy chief of the Armenian police, Maj-Gen Ovanes Unanyan,
has told a press conference.

However, Unanyan said, Armenia’s crime rate is quite low compared to
that of other countries.

"In Armenia, 15 crimes are committed per 10,000 people. This is nine
times lower than the crime rate in Russia, 16 per cent lower than
Latvia’s crime rate and seven times lower than that in Moldova,"
Unanyan said.

During the period, 2,745 crimes, or 83.8 per cent of all crimes, have
been solved in the country, the deputy police chief said. [Passage
omitted: details of committed crimes]