The author of Turkey’s controversial defense in a European Court of Human Rights case regarding murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink has been identified as a civil servant who recently began working at the public undersecretariat, the Turkish daily Aksam reported Thursday.

As Turkey revamps its national security document to reduce the number of countries listed as threats, defense procurement has not slowed in Ankara, which is expected to spend even more on arms in the coming decade.

Thousands converged on the athletic court of the Republican Stadium Thursday for a rally organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation celebrating the 19th anniversary of the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

The last time Christine Kepenekian was at the Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Chapter facilities, she was being honored for her performance in the European Championship Women Division C Tournament in Yerevan, the Armenian capitol.

The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, will begin a key visit to Turkey on Friday where he meet, with among others, Turkey’s new military chief, Gen. Isik Kosaner. “The purpose is to make a courtesy visit to Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Isik Kosaner,” US Embassy Spokesperson in Turkey, Deborah Guido, told Hurriyet.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Azerbaijan on Thursday for a two-day visit to focus on economic ties, cooperation in the Caspian Region, and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Russian RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran are set to meet in the coming weeks at the South Eastern Turkish province of Igdir, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday.

One Armenian soldier was wounded late Tuesday after what the Nagorno-Karabakh Army press office described as an attack by Azeri units in an attempt to overrun Karabakh positions, reported ArmRadio.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Wednesday the President and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to air the film “Aghet: A Genocide” on PBS stations nationwide.

The United States, Russia and France will likely vote against a resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which Azerbaijan is trying to push through the UN General Assembly, a Brussels-based pro-Armenian organization said on Wednesday.

The Armenian National Committee – Glendale Chapter announced on Wednesday that ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian will deliver the keynote speech at its 2010 Annual Banquet, while Ms. Lyola Hovhannisyan will receive the “Youth Activist of the Year” award. The event is set to take place on Thursday, September 16th, 6:30pm at Renaissance Banquet Hall in Glendale, CA.