Author: Tumanian Talar

U.S. CITIZENSHIP GRANTED TO TWO ARMENIAN MEN CONVICTED OF PLANNING TO BOMB THE TURKISH CONSULATE IN PHILADELPHIA

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7. ARMINFO. On September 6, A federal appeals court
ruled Tuesday that a judge did not err in granting U.S. citizenship to
two Armenian men convicted more than 20 years ago of planning to bomb
the Turkish Consulate in Philadelphia. According to Monterey Herald,
the decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ends a long
struggle by Viken Hovsepian and Viken Yacoubian, who plotted to bomb
the consulate in retaliation for the massacre of Armenians by Turks
in 1915. The Turkish government denies a massacre occurred.

Federal law currently forbids convicted terrorists from becoming
citizens. But anyone convicted of an aggravated felony before November
1990 can be granted citizenship if they have been “of good moral
character” for five years prior to their application, Millen said. The
men, who have been out of prison since the early 1990s, now have
doctorates, have renounced violence and volunteer many hours a week
in the Los Angeles Armenian-American community, said Mathew Millen,
an attorney who helped handle the immigration portion of their case.

Portland Tribune, OR
Sept 9 2005

What’s Armenian for `shake your booty’?

Without being overpowering, the scents of cigarette smoke and cologne
define the atmosphere inside Ararat on a Friday night. The restaurant
and nightclub, named for the mountain that is a symbol of Armenian
culture, draws a mainly Eastern European crowd to its small dance
floor every weekend.
At 11 p.m. the place hasn’t started to jump yet. A long banquet
table in the center of the room, with `reserved’ signs on it, is
still empty. A few girls are dancing together to melodramatic Russian
disco.
The decorations are spare but striking. Vinyl records suspended
from the ceiling twist in the breeze. Huge gold letters, spelling out
A-R-A-R-A-T, give the awning over the tiny side bar the look of an
outdoor kiosk. The dance floor makes up for its size with style: It’s
lit from beneath by flashing, pulsing, multicolored lights.
We settle down at one end of a long table for some
people-watching. Just before midnight, the place starts filling up. A
group finally claims the `reserved’ table behind us. The waiter
brings them three bottles of champagne.
A woman selling flowers circles the room. She looks familiar – one
of the tribe who wander, mostly ignored, through Portland’s bars and
nightclubs. But unlike others of her ilk, she’s doing a brisk
business here. She sells out within an hour, and stays to watch the
dancing.
The dance floor is now filled with rhythmically moving bodies.
Suddenly, the music stops. The DJ asks everyone to sit down, which
they do reluctantly, to make way for the belly dancer. Dressed in a
spangled scarlet ensemble, with long black hair and a dazzling smile,
Eva appears. Her elaborate, sinuous routine concludes with a
circumnavigation of the room, collecting dollar bills in her
waistband.
Afterward, I step outside with her to ask a few questions. Her
full name is Eva Van Derlip, and she’s filling in tonight for the
regular belly dancer, known as Yemaya. Belly dancers have a solid
community in Portland, she says. As if to prove her point, we’re
joined by Debra Souki, another belly dancer, who is planning to teach
beginners lessons at Ararat starting next month (call the restaurant
for details).
`Have you seen the back?’ Souki asks me. She rounds up one of the
owners, Nelli Grigorian, and they lead me past the now-packed dance
floor, down a hallway, and into another world – albeit one also
defined by its aroma. In this case, it’s the sweet, enveloping scent
of freshly baked bread. We’re surrounded by kneading tables, ovens
and racks filled with loaves.
Grigorian, handing me a braided loaf, tells me she came to
Portland with her husband, Avo Karapetian, 11 years ago. They first
came to Los Angeles from Armenia, but didn’t like it, and continued
north. Now, handing me a package of sweet rolls (which, by the way,
make a great 2 a.m. snack) she tells me she loves Portland, loves how
friendly people are here.
I decide that, purely for research purposes, I need to dance on
the flashing dance floor before I leave. Unfortunately, after
midnight, the music is mostly techno, which I don’t find very
inspiring. Nevertheless, one of my friends and I thread our way into
the group, which has achieved critical mass.
In dance floor terms, this means it doesn’t much matter if you’re
a bad dancer, because no one can see you. You’re just one small
moving part of a larger organism. It also doesn’t matter if you don’t
like the song – there’s a contagious desire to keep moving, anyway …
at least up to a point.
The music changes. It’s the first song tonight that I’ve actually
recognized. It’s a terrible, annoying, repetitive pop song that was
once a huge hit in Europe. I was traveling there with my parents at
the time, 20 years ago, and we heard it everywhere we went, to the
point where it became a family joke. Now here it is again, although
apparently no one else likes it either. The DJ actually puts a halt
to it partway through.
Still, there’s no escaping this song. It’s been stuck in my head
ever since.

AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY BUDGET TO DOUBLE IN 2006
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, LENKARAN

Agence France Presse
Sept 8 2005

Azerbaijan will double military spending in 2006 to $600 million
(480 million euros), President Ilham Aliyev said Thursday.

He also warned Armenia that Azerbaijan’s armed forces were capable
of re-taking by force Nagorny Karabakh, a territory inside Azerbaijan
but currently controlled by Armenia.

“The unconstructive position of Armenia makes it impossible to make
progress with the talks. But, for the moment, we hope that a peaceful
solution is possible”, Aliyev said during a regional visit to Lenkaran,
near the Iranian border.

“At the same time, we are reinforcing our military potential. And if
defense spending in 2004 was 270 million dollars; in 2005, 300 million;
in 2006 it will equal $600 million,” he said.

“The enemy must know that our army is always able to regain the
territory by military force,” Aliyev said.

The enclave of Nagorny Karabakh, inhabited today by some 145,000
Armenians and supported by Yerevan, won its de facto independence
from Azerbaijan through a 1988-1994 war that killed 25,000 people
and displaced one million.

Unrecognized by Azerbaijan, which considered the region to be under
Armenian occupation since the 1994 ceasefire, Karabakh’s status has
yet to be settled.

BRITISH FM WARNS OF “TERRIBLE” CONSEQUENCES IF TURKEY TALKS FALTER

Agence France Presse — English
September 8, 2005 Thursday 3:42 PM GMT

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw warned Thursday of “terrible”
repercussions for co-existence with the Muslim world if the European
Union fails to follow through on the process for admitting Turkey to
the union.

“We cannot afford to get this wrong,” Straw said in a speech in which
he argued for Turkey to begin long-awaited accession talks on October
3 despite Ankara’s refusal to recognise the government of Cyprus.

“By welcoming Turkey we will demonstrate that Western and Islamic
cultures can thrive together as partners in the modern world. The
alternative is too terrible to contemplate,” he said.

Straw stressed that Turkey had met conditions for starting accession
talks that could take several years and praised “wide-ranging and
courageous” reforms in Turkey.

But Ankara still had some way to go in implementing reforms, he added,
pointing to the charges brought against world-famous Turkish novelist
Orhan Pamuk for commenting on killings of Kurds and Armenians.

“If and when Turkey does become a member, it will be after years
of structural reforms and with a long track record of sustained and
stable growth,” Straw said.

EU leaders last December gave Turkey the green light to start
membership talks, after Ankara first applied to join the union in 1987,
even though the country still refuses to to recognise the government
of Cyprus.

But last week foreign ministers of the 25-nation bloc failed to agree
on a response to Turkey’s reiteration of non-recognition.

EU members need to agree unanimously on a reponse and a negotiating
framework for Turkey before accession talks can officially begin.

Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish military occupied the
northern third of the territory in 1974 in response to a coup by
Greek Cypriots to unite the island with Greece.

“I would have preferred it if the government of Turkey had not felt
it necessary to issue its declaration… by doing so the process has
frankly been made more difficult,” Straw said.

“Normally, you get agreement in the end,” Straw said, adding that he
would call an EU meeting to discuss Turkish accession at the end of
September if that was necessary.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin earlier opposed starting
accession talks with the Cyprus issue still unresolved and other
European politicians have expressed reservations.

German opposition leader Angela Merkel, who is favoured to win
parliamentary elections later this month, opposes Turkey’s membership
of the EU outright.

“The process of Turkish accession has turned into a lightning rod
for other discontent,” said Straw.

Turkish membership “has been the long-standing policy of successive
German governments up until now,” he continued.

In his speech, Straw emphasised the common history of Turkey and
western Europe and praised the democratic legacy of Kemal Ataturk,
who became leader of a secular Turkey after the collapse of the
Ottoman empire in World War I.

Turkish membership would help the EU compete with emerging economies
in Asia and tackle terrorism and drug trafficking, Straw said.

Membership would also encourage reforms in Turkey that have already
led to the abolition of the death penalty, progress on Kurdish issues
and moves towards European Council political standards, he said.

“Turkey will go through a major, continuing process of transformation
over a number of years before it joins the Union.”

RESIDENTS OF BUZAND STREET AND MAIN AVENUE DID NOT LAY DOWN ARMS

A1+
| 15:40:33 | 08-09-2005 | Social |

Today the residents of Buzand Street will celebrate the birthday of
Pavstos Buzand. Children will arrange a masked ball. Yesterday films
were shown. First a documentary about the events of April 12-13 was
shown, then a film titled Yerevan jan with Mikael Poghosyan performing
the main part.

Today the residents of Buzand Street, the North and Main Avenues
together with the land owners of Malatia-Sebastia community organized
a protest action in front of the government building. The demand of
the protesters is unchangeable. “We will defend our lands”, they state.

The demonstrators are indignant with the words of Karen Davtyan,
the investment and construction office director. It is not true that
some residents were paid $900 per a square meter, they say. “For a
100 sq. m. land and 2 or 3-room flats with basement and corresponding
conveniences only $56 000 was paid ($215 foe sq. m.) 10% was deducted
as an income tax.

Besides the sum was given part by part. During this period the price
for real estate was raised and I couldn’t buy a flat,” resident of the
North Avenue Tsovinar Davtyan complaints. Knarik Arakelyan was paid
about $300 per sq. m. “I received $41 800 for 115.6 sq. m.”, she says.

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT VOWS TO END “ISOLATION” OF ETHNIC ARMENIAN REGION

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
7 Sep 05

[Presenter] President Saakashvili has returned to Tbilisi after a visit
to the village of Gandza in Ninotsminda District of the [southern
Georgian] Samtskhe-Javakheti province. The president attended the
opening ceremony of a new school in the village. The construction of
the school, named after the Armenian poet Vahan Teryan, started three
months ago. [Passage omitted: Saakashvili chatting with schoolchildren]

[Saakashvili] This region was almost completely forgotten, it was
ridden with problems, and now you can see how many things have changed
in a short time. Education facilities are being built. This school is
the best, but other schools are being repaired too. The construction
of roads has begun in Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda. The facades of
buildings are being repainted, just like in Tbilisi.

Now we are going to enrol 100 [local] young people in the school of
[public] administration of Georgia so they can be employed in various
state agencies later. The region’s best new people should be employed
throughout Georgia in order to end its isolation.

Also, as we have promised [changes tack] Russian troops, 2,000 Russian
soldiers are getting their food supplies here. Our army needs a lot
more calories. About 20,000 servicemen of our armed forces will be
getting all their [food] supplies from Javakheti.

ARMENIAN PM: OSCE PLAYS CONSIDERABLE ROLE IN ESTABLISHMENT OF STABILITY AND SECURITY IN REGION

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6. ARMINFO. OSCE has an active part in the
establishment of stability and security in the South Caucasus region,
in prevention and settlement of conflicts, as well as in processes
of expansion of democracy and human rights. Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan made this statement in the course of today’s
meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel, who arrived in Yerevan yesterday.

The press-service of the Armenian Government informs ARMINFO that
Andranik Margaryan pointed out that Armenia not only attentively
follows but also actively participates in the discussions on the
supposed reforming of OSCE, expressing hope that the forthcoming
reforms will contribute to further increase in the role and authority
of that international organizations. The premier pointed out the
attention by OSCE and personally by Dmitri Rupel to the process of
peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict, and the second in succession
visit of OSCE Chairman-in-Office to Armenia and Azerbaijan testifies
to it. Andranik Margaryan confirmed the official position of Armenia
that OSCE and Minsk Group co-chairmen have enough potential in the
issue of versatile settlement of the conflict.

He said the meeting of he presidents and foreign ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan are also effective and must be continued,
naturally, not ruling out direct participation of the Karabakh party
at a definite stage of the negotiations. He thinks acceptable the
approach of Dimitrij Rupel not to oppose the principles of territorial
integrity and the peoples’ right to self- determination in the
issue of the conflict’s settlement proceeding from peculiarities
of conflicts. Andranik Margaryan also pointed out that Armenia
has always come out for implementation of regional projects not
only under the aegis of international organizations, but also for
strengthening of economic and trade ties with neighboring states in
favor of establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkey without
preliminary conditions. He expressed regret in connection with the
fact that the above proposals remain without reply of Turkey and
Azerbaijan. Moreover, projects are implemented like the construction of
a new railroad Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi in conditions of the already
existing railway Kars-Gyumri-Akhalkalaki, as well as the project of
oil pipeline Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan etc.. These projects pass by Armenia
hereby contradicting to the spirit of the EU-elaborated program Wider
Europe: New neighborhood Armenia a member of.

Switzerland bans Flash, Air Van Airlines: official

Agence France Presse — English
September 1, 2005 Thursday 7:17 AM GMT

GENEVA Sept 1 — Swiss airline regulators have banned two companies,
Flash Airlines of Egypt and Air Van Airlines of Armenia, from flying
in Switzerland, an official list of banned airlines showed on Thursday.

The list was published by the Swiss regulating body, the Federal
Office for Civil Aviation, following the publication of lists of
airlines considered unreliable by France and Belgium.

The Target is Full membership to the EU
By Balcicek PAMIR, True

TRUE, Society of European Journalists Year: 1, No. 7
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Aug 29 2005

Whenever I see the minister of foreign affairs Abdullah Gul, I want
to say ‘What’s going to happen with the EU?’. I suppose there are
many who are asking such questions, because he starts talking about
this before l even ask him. When Gul says ‘There is no reason to
feel hopeless, the doors of the European Union aren’t closed, but
are widely open’ , all l can do is to turn on the recorder to record
what he says. Abdullah Gul, whom l met within the Foreign Ministry
Residence, replies my question ‘Even against all these odds like the
negative opinions on the world press and the impositions, you are
saying that the doors are opened?’ with ‘From the intellectuals to
politicians to common people, all of us have a lack of confidence. We
can’t get over this’. We talked with the minister of foreign affairs
about the point where we stand and the future possibilities. I hope
that you’ll read the answers with interest.

We didn’t make a concession with the EU

Q : There is a widespread belief that we are giving too much to join
the Union. What do you think about this?

A.G : Everybody thinks that way. They believe that we aren’t
receiving anything in return for what we’re giving. This is totally
wrong. Actually, we didn’t give anything to the EU; we did what we
did for the Turkish people.

You are talking about the laws. For example, the Cyprus matter is
among the concessions.

A.G : What concessions? Did we give an inch of soil from Cyprus? I
think the critics don’t grasp the situation in Cyprus. For the first
time, a referendum was made under the supervision of the UN on the
island. There are two different communities there : Turks and Greeks.

The whole world saw that Cypriot Greeks didn’t assume a conciliatory
attitude. Perhaps, if such things were made in the past, ascension
of the Cypriot Greeks couldn’t be possible.

Q : Are you convinced when you say that?

A.G : Absolutely. There are many opportunities in Cyprus. Commercial
commissions have started entering the island. Serdar Denktaº is
traveling all over the world and is welcomed everywhere he goes.

But they aren’t recognized as a state…

A.G : In the past even such travels weren’t possible. There was
isolation. Now it’s slowly dissipating. I am also asking those who say
that we gave much but didn’t receive any. Aren’t the laws we made to
satisfy the political criteria important? I mean, if the communications
with Europe are stopped, will we have to revert from these reforms?

So, EU quickened what should be done.

A.G : Yes I have to admit that it did. We gave the Turkish people what
we couldn’t in the past. More freedom, more democracy, more rule of
law; we created an environment in which personal rights and freedoms
are guaranteed. EU became the impulsive force of this.

You are saying ‘We aren’t making concessions, we are creating huge
advantages. ‘Nobody refuses the reforms anyway.

A.G : Then look at the interest rates. They were about 24 percent
and are about 16 percent now.

Q : Are you talking about the interest of the loans we are paying?

A.G : Yes. Back then, turkey was getting loans with high interest
rates, now it’s different. All these are results of the negotiations
with the EU. Large finance groups observe Turkey as a country that
is negotiating with the EU. Our country’s economical and financial
status changed after 17 December because Turkey became a country with
a foreseeable future. Loaners saw that the future is more guaranteed
than before. Furthermore, the values of private companies increased
after 17 December. The value of government properties increased, too.

The same is true for real estate. They offered 3 million dollars for
Yesilkoy Airport. If we weren’t a reliable country, this price would
have been around 1 million dollars. Another example, we made a bid
about the technical examinations of the vehicles in traffic. We were
expecting 200 million dollars, but we reached 620 million dollars.

Because now investors are seeing a future. Banks of private sector
weren’t able to find customers, now they’re thinking about the price.

For example, Garanti Bank. There were no customers, but now it’s
different.

Q : Then why is there a negative atmosphere?

A.G : The unfortunate events we experienced in the past made us a
pessimist country. We didn’t get over it. Sometimes we can’t believe
that such bright futures are expecting us.

Q : There are those that are speaking negatively in Europe, people
who will affect EU’s future. For example Merkel, Sarkozy?

A.G : It’s all normal. Now, it’s important to see that there is no
paved way in front of us. We will experience descents and ascents.

Q : What are you planning about the Armenian Problem?

A.G : Now, that problem is spread into two parts. One is the
so-called Armenian genocide. We spoke against this entirely untrue
and not-acceptable idea already. Our course is set. The second part
is about developing the relations with Armenia. We are a country that
recognizes Armenia. Our diplomatic relations aren’t very strong but
we’ll do what we can to develop them.

RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

EU is concerned about the improvement of the relations with the
neighbors. The reason for their concern is, if the negotiations
result in our ascension, Turkey will become a border of EU. So they
will become neighbors with Armenia. So it’s natural that they are
concerned about this. Iran, Iraq, Syria and Georgia are also related
with the same subject.

Q : What do you think about Blair’s words ‘an EU without Turkey means
nationalism and foreigner enmity?

A.G : I agree. The nationalism in Europe is unlike ours. It’s more
like racism, and Europeans know the terrors of racism much better
than we do. That’s why I believe this warning is sound. Some European
countries have such tendencies. We face some foreign enmity in some
segments of the society conjecturally but this never lasts long.

Q : So is everything working perfectly about EU?

Everything is processing smoothly. This doesn’t mean there aren’t
any problems. We will have ascents and descents but we have to be
determined. Should I block the future of Turkey because I’m angered
by 600.000 people about the Cyprus problem?

Q : Were you expecting changes about the Negotiation Framework
Document?

A.G : There are no surprises. The Negotiation Framework Document,
dated 2014, I don’ t think it is right to discuss these because the
real decision is ours.

Q : What does ‘The real Decision is ours’ mean?

A.G : We will start the negotiations. They might take long. The really
important thing is that Turkey reaches the European Standards in many
sectors. What does it mean for the negotiations to end? An increase
in GDP, the progress of the western and eastern parts of our country
and the attainment of environmental beauty and health.

So the important thing is the point the stand.

Of course. Turkey should progress to become a European Country in all
respects. If we can’t achieve this, we can’t join the EU. But when we
succeed, it will be us who decides whether to join or not. What we have
to do is to prepare Turkey for a full membership. Especially increasing
the National Income per capita and correcting the income distribution.

Q : Is it possible that we might not need the EU when we reach
that point?

A.G : We won’t know what the political conjuncture will be at that
point. Who will be the politicians of the EU? What will be in Turkey?

Will the economical balance of the world be moved into Asia? Since
it’s impossible to answer these, I can’t answer your question. But
I know this; Turkish people may not choose to join the EU on that
day. So the last decision is ours for the EU.

Q : Do you think we can choose to say ‘no’ to the EU?

A.G : We will decide on that day actually. That’s why I don’t think
the date and framework debates are rational. If we are held up by
the decisions about the problems that EU countries have, we will lose
time. On the contrary, we should continue on our path.

Q : You are talking about the referendums that said ‘No’ to the
European constitution right?

A.G : Yes. I have some studies. According to these studies, Turkey is
a minor one of the reasons for the ‘no’ votes. 21st in one and 18th in
the other if I remember correctly. People of the EU countries didn’t
directly reject us. They have their own problems.

Yes, but Turkey is among the reasons.

Yes, but I’m saying that we shouldn’t be held up by this. We don’t
have time to deal with unnecessary touchiness. We have a not-so-easy
process in front of us. We have to be sure of ourselves. Again,
we don’t have a paved road ahead of us. As an example; am I going
to block the future of Turkey because I’m angered by 600.000 people
about the Cyprus problem? On the contrary, I will continue my path
by struggling. The framework of the negotiations is decided. A new
political condition or position isn’t possible.

–Boundary_(ID_KNRcdB3oHKqcahfZ0V/kLA)–

NewsBlaze, CA
Aug 29 2005

Rice Urges Armenia, Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh Compromise

Secretary of State phones Presidents Kocharian and Aliyev

The United States attaches great importance to the upcoming meeting
of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and hopes they will make
the compromises necessary in order to reach a settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

That was the message when Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice phoned
Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev August 25, according to the U.S. State Department.

The leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States are scheduled
to meet beginning August 26 in Russia’s Volga River city of Kazan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a bloody war from 1990 to 1994, after
the predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh
attempted to break away from Soviet Azerbaijan. An estimated 35,000
people died and tens of thousands of civilians were driven from their
homes before the two countries agreed to a cease-fire in 1994.

In terms of official policy, the United States does not recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country and supports the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, maintaining that the future
status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter of negotiation between the
parties.

The United States also remains committed to finding a peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the Minsk Group
process, which is co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States.

In its statement on Rice’s discussions with the two leaders, the
State Department said, `Both leaders were upbeat about the prospects
for making progress.’

`The Secretary stressed to President Aliyev the importance of free
and fair parliamentary elections this November in Azerbaijan, and
noted his important role in this,’ the statement added.

The United States has repeatedly urged Azerbaijan to meet
international standards when it holds its November parliamentary
elections and to implement the recommendations made by an
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observer
mission after the 2003 elections.

As recently as July 2, U.S. representative Christopher Smith,
co-chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and a Republican from New
Jersey, issued a statement saying he was `very disappointed’ that
Azerbaijan’s parliament had passed an election law that does not
incorporate many key changes recommended by international observers,
especially in the composition of election commissions. (See statement
released by Helsinki Commission.)

The United States has also called on Azerbaijan `to implement fully
the May 11 Presidential Decree calling for the conduct of free and
fair elections.’

In her phone call to Armenian President Kocharian, Rice said she
`hoped Armenia would make progress toward enacting a package of
constitutional reforms now before the parliament,’ the State
Department said.

The government of Armenia submitted revised constitutional reform
amendments to the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission in July, and
the United States at that time welcomed the Venice Commission’s
agreement to those amendments.

The proposed reforms would improve separation of powers between
branches of government and increase the independence and freedom of
the media.

The U.S. State Department has a fact sheet available summarizing the
U.S. position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Source: U.S. Department of State