Author: Tumanian Talar

TURKEY SET FOR NEW REFORMS TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY

Agence France Presse — English
April 12, 2006 Wednesday 11:52 AM GMT

Turkey on Wednesday rejected criticism that it had lost its drive to
align with EU norms and announced fresh reforms to further limit the
powers of the military and expand the rights of non-Muslim minorities.

“Some say the reforms have stopped,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
told a news conference. “This is not true. We are very determined to
go ahead with the reforms.”

Turkey opened membership talks with the European Union in October,
but the government has been accused since of failing to maintain the
pace of the reforms, turning instead to domestic matters ahead of
parliamentary and presidential elections in 2007.

A particular area of concern has been the new penal code, under which
prominent intellectuals have been brought to trial for criticizing
state institutions or “denigrating the Turkish national identity.”

The new reform plan foresees no further amendments to the penal code,
whose proper implementation, Gul said, requires time and a “change
of mentality” among the judiciary.

The package includes a bill that puts military spending — long a
controversial issue in Turkish politics — under the audit of the
Court of Accounts, which acts on the behalf of parliament.

The government also plans an amendment to the law dealing with courts
martial that will “reduce to a minimum the prosecution of civilians
by military courts,” Gul said.

Another draft, already before parliament, will lift restrictions on
the property rights of non-Muslim religious foundations, an issue on
which the EU has long pressed Ankara.

The bill, however, does not foresee the return to or compensation of
non-Muslim foundations for their properties confiscated by the state
and sold to third parties in the past.

Predominantly Muslim Turkey is home to small groups of Jews and
Christians, mainly Orthodox Greeks and Armenians, most of them
concentrated in Istanbul.

The plan contains no measures of direct concern to the sizeable
Kurdish minority, whose leaders are seeking broader cultural and
political freedoms.

“Reform is an endless process,” Gul said when asked about the package’s
shortcomings. “What matters is the direction one takes and Turkey’s
direction is toward more democracy and the expansion of rights and
freedoms.”

The package also aims to:

– make the funding of political parties more transparent,

– set up a parliamentary political ethics committee,

– step up the combat against corruption,

– introduce an ombudsman system to settle differences between
indsividuals and the state,

– and amend the Settlement Law to end discriminatory measures against
migrant populations, including the Rom.

TERRY DAVIS TAKES LIKING TO AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.04.2006 20:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Azerbaijan and Armenia have undertaken the
same obligations for the settlement of the conflict. As concerns
for Council of Europe’s work to solve the problem, to accept the
membership the both states to the organization is priority,” Council
of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis stated. Mr.

Davis said that if Azerbaijan chooses military way for settling the
conflict, it will be a violation of the commitments undertaken by the
republic to the Council of Europe: “I am sure that Azerbaijan will
fulfill the obligations otherwise it will face hardships,” he remarked.

Touching on the issue of secret jails Terry Davis voiced assurance
there is no problem of the kind in Azerbaijan. “I do not have any
information about that.

I can tell you that like other countries I have asked Azerbaijan
government to reply to the questionnaire of Council of Europe related
to this matter. The Azerbaijani part is obliged to reply it, since
it is within the obligations. I do not believe President Ilham Aliyev
lets violation of these obligations.”

Terry Davis said that the absence of the CoE office in Azerbaijan is
conditioned by the reorganization of the institute. “This will give a
chance to effective work of our bureau in Baku. The decision has been
made. I will appoint my representative in a short period of time. I
will focus attention on two issues during the appointment. First of
all, our representative office in Azerbaijan should be a model for
our offices in other countries for its effectiveness. Secondly, as I
take a liking to Azerbaijan, our office in the country should function
efficiently. I attach much more attention to this country as the CoE
office in Azerbaijan is vacant,” he said, reported APA news agency.

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS EMPHASIZES CAREFUL ATTITUDE OF HUNGARIAN AUTHORITIES TOWARDS ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 12 2006

ECHMIADZIN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On April 12,
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II received newly appointed
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to
Armenia Arpad Sekey (residence Moscow) in the Mother See of Holy
Echmiadzin. Congratulating the Ambassador on the occasion of his
appointment, His Holiness the Patriarch espressed him his gratitude and
passed him his good wishes. “We are pleased to see that the relations
between the two countries develop at a new level, adequate to the ties
that were historically formed between the two peoples,” Catholicos of
All Armenians said. As Noyan Tapan was informed from the Information
Services of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin, Karekin II also touched
upon the life of the Armenian community enjoying the careful and kind
attitude of the Hungarian authorities. Expressing gratitude for the
opportunity of the meeting, the Ambassador touched upon his first
visit to Armenia and to the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin 28 years
ago. The Ambassador also presented His Holiness the Patriarch the
political and religious situation in Hungary. The interlocutors also
spoke about the important role and mission of the Armenian Apostolic
Church in the life of the Armenian people, touched upon the Church’s
activity and interchurch relations.

ALBERT BAZEYAN EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT INCIDENTS WITH “YERKRAPAH” UNION

Yerevan, April 11.ArmInfo.Albert Bazeyan, chairman of “National
Revival” party, expressed concern about the recent incidents with
“Yerkrapah” union.

He said that the law enforcement bodies didn’t arrest one of
the initiators of the attempted murder against Sasoun Mikaelian,
member of “Yerkrapah” Union, though they were informed about that a
week earlier. Bazeyan said that the suspect who wasn’t arrested was
attacked and wounded. As a result, he was taken to the hospital. “If
the criminals are not punished, the crime causes another crime, while
the punishment of the criminals is of mere preventive character,”
he said.

He also reminded about the incident in Armavir, stating that Roustam
Gasparian survived by some miracle and is recovering at present.

Bazeyan believes that the threats of the authorities to deport Zhirayr
Sefilian, former commander of Shoushi battalion, is conditioned by the
fact that Sefilian and his colleagues criticized the recent tendencies
in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

“In the conditions, when the enemy constantly threats to settle the
conflict by unfolding military actions, the presence of the members
of “Yerkrapah” union of home guards in Armenia is very important,”
Bazeyan said. He called for all the participants of Karabakh war to
unite and struggle for the rights of their colleagues.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I PRAISES POET JACK S. HAGOPIAN

Prominent poet Jack S. Hagopian is the most senior writer who attended the
Third Panarmenian Writers’ Conference in the Catholicosate of Cilicia
recently. The poet spoke during the opening ceremony of the conference.

In a letter addressed to the poet, His Holiness Aram I highly praised his
work. “You will always remain a beaming presence in our modern literature
not with the quantity of your published books, but with their quality; not
with the number of your poems, but with the profound faith deep convictions,
pure feelings and bright dreams bursting from them. Such a poet can not have
a dawn,” wrote the Armenian Pontiff in the letter.

His Holiness arranged for the publication of Jack Hagopian’s latest work
entitled “Anmegh Meghabarde Badarak”. The Pontiff had also decorated the
poet’s chest with the “St. Mesrob Mashdots” insignia four years ago.

The poet will be the guest of the Catholicosate of Cilicia for a week,
delivering lectures in the Seminary.

His Holiness Aram I had meetings with many of the participants in the
conference. He highly praised their dedication to Armenian literature and
reassured the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s support to all the “servants” of
Armenian culture.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.04.2006 19:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today newly appointed Hungarian Ambassador Arbat
Seke (residence in Moscow) presented credentials to Armenian President
Robert Kocharian, reports the Press Service of the Armenian leader.

Having congratulated the diplomat on the appointment, Kocharian hoped
for new steps for expanding bilateral relations to be made during his
office. The interlocutors noted the forming of the legal framework was
a priority necessity for cooperation. They underscored the importance
of activating business contacts between the two countries and
determining specific fields of interaction between Armenia and Hungary.

MAMMADYAROV: “OFFICIAL BAKU WILL EXPRESS OPINION OF US LATEST PROPOSALS ON THE CONFLICT SETTLEMENT”

Today, Azerbaijan
April 10 2006

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov had talks with American co-chair
of OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann and Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried at the State Department
the day before yesterday.

Mammadyarov also had talks with National Security Adviser Stephen
Hadley in the White House, APA reports.

FM stated that US high ranking officials expressed willingness to
deepen relations with Azerbaijan.

“It meets Azerbaijan’s national interests. The American side approves
President Ilham Aliyev’s prescient strategic policy on the country
as well as on the region,” Mammadyarov said.

“US thanked Azerbaijan for its contributions to the counterterrorism
coalition. Washington considers Azerbaijan as the leader in the
region,” FM added.

The Minister also said that during the talks in the State Department,
the American side put forward some proposals regarding the Prague
process to settle Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“They are some interesting proposals. The Official Baku will analyze
and express opinion on them during Steven Mann’s visit to the region
April 18,” Mammadyarov said.

URL:

IT ISN’T JUSTIFIED

Aravot.am
9 April 06

The ANM administration made a declaration yesterday.

The current regime takes the progress step of threatening the RA
national security and keeping its own authority pleasing the people
under pretence of reducing gas price. Giving the 5th bloc of the
electric power station of Hrazdan to Russians instead of cheap
gas price for three years isn’t justified either politically, or
economically or socially.

Politically; giving the energy of the country to another state is
nothing else than the loose of one of the most important ground
of independence. Russia itself provides for the majority of state
energy as well as the strategic sphere. 80% of energy power of Armenia
belongs to Russia. By this bargain that percent reaches to 100%.

Economically; the state property is given to Russia by low price and
without any guarantees of working effectively as it was in case of
the famous bargain;”Estate instead of debt”.

The 5th bloc of the electric power station of Hrazdan can pay for
gas price only in 203 years.

Socially’ the interpretation of the regime as if the above mentioned
bargain is made in favor of social interests of the Armenian people
is a deception, no social problem is being solved by it. In reality
the compensatory money will be given to the solvent population of the
country and the oligarchs close to the regime. Everything is done at
the expense of insolvent population.

By the way 248,8 $ million which is foreseen from the bargain of the
5th bloc is sent to a special account of the Ministry of Defense,
which isn’t controlled. This bargain only aims a thing; to avoid of a
possible social revolt and collect enormous uncontrollable financial
resources for providing for the rehabilitation of the current regime
in the coming elections.

EXTRA WORK COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN CITY ON APRIL 15

Panorama.am
14:23 10/04/06

“The works of greenery planting in Yerevan have been completed by 60%,”
informed the head of Municipality Board of Environmental Protection
Romik Kosemyan in the course of news briefing today. As he said more
than 40 thousand trees have been planted in Yerevan from March 25
to April 8. In the coming days trees will be planted in Arabkir,
Avan and Ajapnyak communities.

As Romik Kosemyan noticed 90 thousand trees and bushed will be planted
in Yerevan. “We are going to increase the green territory in the
city to 260 hectares,” he mentioned. The totals will be summed up on
April 22, and on April 15 community service activities are going to
be held in the city. Moreover, the city Government intends to build a
new irrigation net 20 kilometers length. 200 million drams have been
let from community budgets with a view to realize the above mentioned
intention.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 8 2006

Elmar Mammadyarov: `Official Baku will express opinion on US latest
proposals on settlement of the conflict’

[ 08 Apr. 2006 13:48 ]

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is visiting the
United States (APA).

The Minister had talks with American co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group
Steven Mann and Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried at the State Department yesterday.
Mammadyarov also had talks with National Security Adviser Stephen
Hadley in the White House.
The Foreign Minister told Azertag agency that the US high ranking
officials expressed willingness to deepen relations with Azerbaijan.
`It meets Azerbaijan’s national interests. The American side approves
President Ilham Aliyev’s prescient strategic policy on the country as
well as on the region,’ Mammadyarov said. `The United states thanked
to Azerbaijan for its contributions to the counterterrorism
coalition. Washington considers Azerbaijan as the leader in the
region,’ he added.
The Minister also said that during the talks in the State Department,
the American side put forward some proposals regarding the Prague
process to settle the Nagorno Garabagh conflict.
`They are interesting proposals. The Official Baku will analyze and
express opinion on them during Steven Mann’s visit to the region on
18 April,’ Mammadyarov said./APA/