Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Turkey to fight genocide claims
>>From correspondents in Ankara, Turkey

Advertiser Adelaide, Australia
Australian, Australia
March 25 2005

TURKEY has enlisted the help of a United States historian today as
part of its campaign to counter damaging, decades-old claims Armenians
suffered genocide at Ottoman Turkish hands during and after World
War I.

Turkey is worried the 90th anniversary of the alleged genocide on
April 24 will trigger a fresh outpouring of sympathy for the Armenians
which could harm Turkey’s image and even derail the planned start of
European Union entry talks in October.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan went on the offensive earlier this month,
calling for an impartial study of the genocide claims and declaring
Turkey’s archives open to all scholars.

Invited to address the Ankara parliament today, Justin McCarthy,
an expert on the Ottoman period, argued a complex historical tragedy
had been manipulated for ideological reasons, becoming a vehicle for
anti-Muslim, anti-Turkish prejudice.

“The Armenian question has from the start been a political
campaign… Yes, many Armenians were killed by Turks at this time and
many Turks were killed by Armenians, but this was war, not genocide,”
Mr McCarthy said.

“Many politicians use the Armenian genocide not so much because
they believe it but because they see it as a means to prevent Turkey
joining the European Union,” said Mr McCarthy.

Armenia says 1.5 million of its people died between 1915 and 1923
on Ottoman territory in a systematic genocide and says the decision
to carry it out was taken by the political party then in power in
Istanbul, popularly known as the Young Turks.

Turkey denies genocide, saying the Armenians were victims of
a partisan war during World War I which claimed even more Turkish
Muslim lives. Turkey accuses Armenians of carrying out massacres
while siding with invading Russian troops.

Mr McCarthy urged Turkey to fund translations from Turkish into English
and other European languages of historical records and books providing
documentary evidence there was no genocide.

Foreign diplomats said Turkey’s support for an impartial study of
the genocide issue, possibly under the aegis of the United Nations,
was a positive development.

But they said inviting an opponent of the genocide claims to address
lawmakers who largely shared his views would merely reconfirm, not
challenge, people’s firmly held views.

It would have been more fruitful to invite people of differing opinions
on the subject to the parliament, said one.

“They are still very timid,” the diplomat said.

Armenia, a tiny ex-Soviet republic which has no diplomatic relations
with Turkey, has rejected Mr Erdogan’s proposal for an impartial
investigation, saying scholars had already established the genocide
as indisputable fact.

The European Parliament and several national assemblies from France to
Canada have also backed the claims in recent years, passing resolutions
urging Turkey to accept its past misdeeds.

Some EU politicians, notably in France, home to Europe’s largest
community in the Armenian diaspora, say Turkey must accept the genocide
claims before it can start talks to join the wealthy bloc.

CONFLICTS BETWEEN COSSACKS AND ARMENIANS IN NOVOROSSIYSK

NOVOROSSIYSK, MARCH 23. ARMINFO. Some 200 Cossacks have organized
pogroms in one of the districts in Novorrosiysk.

According to the newspaper “Yerkramas,” persons of Armenian nationality
as well as their cars, cafes and shops were subjected to pogroms. The
reason of the conflict was a quarrel in a cafe between Armenians,
Greeks who celebrated a birthday, and Cossacks who approached
them headed by Ataman of the local Cossacks Community Vladimir
Petrushin. The latter was taken to hospital wherein he underwent
surgical operation. The health stated is assessed as stable at
present. A criminal case was initiated on Article 282 (stirring
up of national, racial and religious enmity) of the CC of RF.
Novorossiysk Mayor Vladimir Sinyagovskiy held an extreme discussion
with representatives of national communities of the city and stated
that those guilty would be exposed and punished. An agreement was
reached not to aggravate the tension and restrain the emotions of the
conflicting parties. The local Armenian cultural society “Luys” states
that the Armenian party strictly observed these agreements calling
its compatriots for calmness and guarantying that the law-enforcement
structures control over the situation.

YEREVAN AUTHORITIES INTEND TO PLANT 30,000 TREES THIS YEAR

YEREVAN, MARCH 21. ARMINFO. Plantation of threes will start on April
16 2005 in Yerevan, Head of Nature Protection Department of Yerevan
Municipality Romik Kosemyan informs journalists today.

He says that the capital’s authorities intend to plant 30,000 trees
and 41,000 bushes this year. Besides, within the frameworks of a
preliminary agreement with CJSC “Armles” (Armforest), 60-80,000 trees
will be planted. In its turn, “Tsaratunk” charity organization intends
to plant 4-5,000 trees and bushes.

Montreal Gazette

Fresh from Easter ovens

Tsoureki, chorek, folar de Pascoa: Around Montreal this week, bakers are
creating special breads that symbolize the resurrection

SUSAN SEMENAK
The Gazette

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

When I was a little girl, there was no running, jumping or frolicking in the
house on Good Friday.

For Christians, it is the most solemn day of the year, marking the
anniversary of Christ’s death.

My mother’s Good Friday edicts, however, had more to do with the massive tub
of paska dough that was left to rise – like a baby swaddled in layers of
dishcloths, towels and woollen blankets – in a bedroom with the door closed
and a space heater cranked to full blast.

Mixing, kneading and baking the traditional Ukrainian Easter bread was an
all-day affair that called for 10 pounds of flour and a dozen eggs and
relied on a hand-scrawled, oil-stained recipe handed down over several
generations. The next day, the paskas, along with boiled eggs, horseradish,
butter, cheese, eggs and kielbasa sausage, would be transferred to decorated
baskets lined with embroidered linens, and brought to the church hall for
blessing.

In many Christian traditions, special Easter breads are baked to symbolize
Christ’s resurrection. Some cultures bake whole eggs, ancient symbols of
spring and fertility, into their breads. Others shape theirs into the form
of birds or animals.

The Greeks have their tsourekia – rich, brioche-like braided breads,
seasoned with the spices mahlepi and mastiha and with red-dyed, hard-boiled
eggs baked into them.

“You can’t have Easter without tsoureki,” said Christos Hatzimarkos, head
pastry chef at Afroditi, the Greek bakery and pastry shop in Park Extension.
In the old days, everybody made their own, but now they are just as likely
to order it from his bakery.

“After going through all of Lent without sweets, a slice of tsoureki is
delicious with coffee right after midnight mass or on Easter morning. And
then again after supper.”

Armenians have their own version, called chorek, also a spiced sweet-dough
bread braided around an egg. Khatchik Merdjanian, who owns Armenia Bakery in
north-end Montreal, likes his chorek for Easter brunch, along with a
traditional egg, onion and parsley omelette called ekee, and yogurt and
spinach.

In Portugal, they dream throughout Lent of folar de Pascoa, a fat,
pumpkin-shaped bread studded with coloured hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes it’s
flavoured with raisins and cinnamon, or anise.

Italians eat special breads at Easter, too, a savoury loaf called a corona
pasquale or a dove-shaped loaf called a colomba. And for Easter Monday, when
Italians in and around Rome head outdoors for a picnic, there’s torta salata
pasquale, Easter bread with prosciutto, olives and parmesan cheese.

For Montrealers without the time or inclination to bake their own Easter
bread, there is a wealth of bakeries whose shelves are filled with seasonal
sweets and savouries:

Afroditi Bakery has an assortment of Greek Easter treats. Tsourekia are
traditional brioche-like braided loaves with red-dyed eggs (from $7 to $25
depending on the size). Also try the koulourakia shortbread cookies for
Easter ($8 for a 500-gram box).

756 St. Roch St. in Park Extension. (514) 274-5302.

Congressional Record: March 17, 2005
>>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

AFFIRMING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

of florida

in the house of representatives

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John
Evans, in public forums with the Armenian community, recently
characterized what President George W. Bush has described as an
“appalling tragedy of the 20th century, the massacre of as many as 1.5
million Armenians through forced exile and murder at the end of the
Ottoman Empire,” as Genocide.
I rise today to join with Ambassador Evans and other public officials
who have affirmed the truth and recognize that reconciling with the
past is an important first step in creating a better future.
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is widely acknowledged. One
hundred and twenty-six Holocaust scholars publicly affirmed the
incontestable fact of the Armenian Genocide during the 30th Anniversary
of the Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches. And in
1981, former President Ronald Reagan stated: “Like the genocide of the
Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed
it–and like too many other such persecutions of too many other
peoples–the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”
In addition, a recent study released by the International Center for
Transitional Justice (ICTJ) on the use of the term Armenian Genocide
and the applicability of the 1948 Genocide Convention to events which
occurred during the early twentieth century in Ottoman Turkey, found
that “the Events, viewed collectively, can thus be said to include all
of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the Convention,
and legal scholars as well as historians, politicians, journalists and
other people would be justified in continuing to so describe them.”
As we approach the 90th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, we
must ensure that we do not forget the lessons of the past. Archbishop
Desmond Tutu, in the Preface to the Encyclopedia of Genocide, published
in 1999 by the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem,
writes: “It is sadly true what a cynic has said, that we learn from
the history that we do not learn from history. And yet it is possible
that if the world had been conscious of the genocide that was committed
by the Ottoman Turks against the Armenians, the first genocide of the
twentieth century, then perhaps humanity might have been more alert to
the warning signs that were being given before Hitler’s madness was
unleashed on an unbelieving world.”
Mr. Speaker, let us never forget and let us affirm the truth.

____________________

PRNewswire
United Business Media

Epygi and Content Directions Break New Ground to Launch World’s First
Interactive, Multilink-Driven Ad

New Ad Unit from Content Directions Promises Superior User Experience,
Superior Advertiser Results

NEW YORK and DALLAS, March 21 /PRNewswire/ — Epygi Technologies, a
leader
in SIP based VoIP technology and manufacturer of Quadro telecom products for
the small to medium sized business market, has become the first advertiser
to
deploy Content Directions Inc.’s next generation online ad based on the
Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Placed initially on the telecom portal
TMCnet.com, the ad provides customers with immediate access to all of
Epygi’s
current product information from within a single, rich MultiLink(TM)
dropdown
menu, without having to leave the page on which the ad is displayed and then
navigate through the Epygi website hunting for product information. (See
and roll your mouse
over the banner ad at the top or on the right side of the screen.) The
MultiLink menu is automatically refreshed with current product info via a
central update process managed by Content Directions based on Epygi’s ever-
current product and distribution channel data.
Epygi CEO/President, Jeff Kirchner, explains, “CDI’s implementation of
DOI
technology allows Epygi to syndicate our marketing and sales information
globally in real time ads and information updates all over the Web. We can
instantly update information in every channel, keeping pace with an
accelerating business. Knowing that public information and channel
information is updated automatically via CDI’s MultiLink creation and
maintenance process represents a breakthrough in sales support and channel
development for Epygi. The same MultiLink can also be disseminated as a
contextual link within product reviews, white papers, news articles,
electronic feeds, blog entries, and downloadable marketing brochures. It is
a
permanent link that always brings customers back to our most current product
information.”
Hugh Brownstone, CEO of Content Directions, adds, “We are delighted to
help Epygi maximize the effectiveness of its online ad budget. We believe
DOI-enabled ads represent a breakthrough in interactive advertising. Our
custom-tailored MultiLinks allow advertisers to define the boundaries of a
highly flexible, tuned ad campaign which remains a user-driven interaction.
Our technology and the superior user experience it enables yield
improvements
in click-throughs and conversion rates at levels beyond anything else
currently available.”

To view other examples of MultiLinks for Epygi products, see:

— IP PBXs

00000002 — Gateways

00000003 —
Conference
Servers

— Vonage
Services

About Epygi
Epygi Technologies, Ltd. Is a privately held US company headquartered in
Plano, Texas (North Dallas). Founded in 2000, Epygi designs and
manufactures
the expanding product line that includes IP PBXs, conference servers and
voice
gateways. Epygi products benefit from extensive knowledge in
telecommunications, DSP voice processing and data networking.
With over 200 employees worldwide, Epygi is building a global
distribution
network of distributors and resellers. Sales and Development offices are
in
the United States, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom,
Armenia and Japan. The company utilizes a sales organization of
distributors
and resellers. Epygi products operate as standalone products, interoperate
with a large number of existing analog and IP products and provide reliable
service to carriers offering IP voice services. The products are positioned
to serve the large SMB and SOHO markets, teleworkers, and branch offices of
large corporations and organizations.

About Content Directions, Inc. (CDI)
CDI helps companies maximize the commercial effectiveness of their web
presence by applying next generation web navigation tools and techniques.
It
is the industry leader in Digital Object Identifier (DOI) technology, the
next
generation in Web navigation developed by the primary inventor of the
Internet
and recent recipient of the Turing Award, Dr. Robert Kahn. More information
about CDI’s products and services can be found at
, including live customer examples and
numerous ROI studies which have documented how CDI’s unique, patent-pending
implementation of the DOI standard radically accelerates its customers’ top-
line revenue growth.

For more information, click on the DOI for this press release
() or contact:

Epygi Technologies, Ltd.
6900 North Dallas Parkway
Two Town Center, Suite 850
Plano, Texas 75024

Anthony Knape
Mobile Phone: 214-680-6942
Phone: 972-692-1166 x33
Email: [email protected]

Epygi / Sales Force Europe
General Castanos 9-2D
Madrid 28004 Spain
Jennifer Sundquist
Phone: +34 666 751 344
Email: [email protected]

or

Tina Aridas
Deputy Manager, Marketing & Press Relations
CONTENT DIRECTIONS, INC.
phone: 718-965-8490 or 917-514-5364
fax: 718-768-7542
email: [email protected]

57.3-KM SECTOR OF 160-KM “NORTH-SOUTH” ARTSAKH ROAD ALREADY BUILT,
CONSTRUCTION OF 40.2 KM UNDERWAY

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The construction of 57.3-km sector of
the “North-South” Artsakh road lasted 5 years, the 40.2-km sector is
still being built. According to the Executive Committee of “Hayastan”
(“Armenia”) pan-Armenian fund, the construction in the “Vanki
Khachmeruk – Kichan,” “Kichan – Drmbon,” “Stepanakert – Chanakhi
Khachmeruk,” “Azokh – Tsakuri,” “Tsakuri – Hadrut” road sectors is
underway. And the construction of the “Drmbon – Martakert” and
“Chanakhi Khachmeruk – Sarushen” sectors will begin in April-May. A
tender has been announced for the construction of the above-mentioned
2 sectors.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
March 17 2005

14 procedures needed to start business in Azerbaijan

People starting a business are required to undergo 14 procedures in
Azerbaijan, as compared to 9 in Georgia and 10 in Armenia. Whereas
123 days on average are needed for a business to be registered in
Azerbaijan, the figure in the other two countries is 25.

The indicators were provided in the “Doing Business” report compiled
based on the World Bank data for 2004.
Sabit Baghirov, chairman of the Association for Assistance to Market
Economy Development, told a recent roundtable, “Simplifying state
registration of legal entities”, that the current legislation impedes
business activity.
Entrepreneurs starting a business have to pay duties, register with
the notary public and the State Social Security Fund, open a bank
account, receive a legal address, and other procedures. All this
increases instances of corruption, he said.
The most favorable environment for doing business is provided in New
Zealand, followed by the United States, the mentioned WB report said.

Baghirov continued that a lengthy period of 90 days is required for
the registration of businesses. Afterwards, entrepreneurs are not
guaranteed that they will be registered either, he said.
Baghirov said that if the registration problem is solved, this will
allow business people to start their operation sooner, reduce
financial loss and encourage business activity. He added that the
problems indicated in the mentioned report are impeding the work of
not only local, but also foreign investors.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
March 17 2005

Azerbaijani, Armenian presidents may meet in Moscow May 9

The meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, scheduled as part
of the Council of Europe summit in Warsaw on May 16-17, may take
place earlier – on May 9.

Both President Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian have
been invited to Moscow to attend the festivities dedicated to the
60th anniversary of victory over fascism, the Russian co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov said. The two countries’ foreign
ministers may not meet prior to the presidents’ meeting.
“We [OSCE MG co-chairs] may meet with the two countries’ foreign
ministers beforehand separately. We have held talks with Minister
Mammadyarov in Prague, while our meeting with Minister Oskanian is
likely to take place when the OSCE fact-finding mission presents its
report to the Permanent Council in Vienna on March 17.”
The OSCE mission visited the occupied Azeri territories in February
to look into the illegal settlement of Armenians there.

Turkish opposition leader denies Armenian genocide claims

Anatolia news agency
15 Mar 05

ANKARA

[Opposition] Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal has
stated today (Tuesday [15 March]) that CHP expects the Turkish
government to launch an initiative in the parliament this week on the
Armenian allegations. “Unfortunate and sad incidents took place in
both sides. Yet describing such incidents as ‘genocide’ is a big lie
that would deeply hurt our nation and its friends. Claiming that a
‘genocide’ took place is an unjust allegation and must get the
appropriate legal, political, cultural and social response,” stressed
Baykal.

Baykal indicated that a planned move to exterminate a single ethnic
group during the Ottoman era never took place. “Just look at the
Ottoman archives. During the period when Armenians claim that a
‘genocide’ took place, historians note that there were Armenian
ambassadors, bureaucrats and advisers to the Ottoman Sultan. The fact
is that a portion of the Armenians got re-located due to the ongoing
war against Russia during which some died due to famine, poverty,
hunger and poor health conditions. Armenian bandits allied with the
Russians massacred hundreds of innocent Muslim Ottomans in eastern
Anatolia. There was a re-location due to war but absolutely no
genocide. If we want to talk about ‘genocides’ how about elaborating
on the transfer of thousands of Tatars from Crimea to Siberia during
World War II…? [ellipses as received]