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TURKISH WAR MACHINE WITH
140,000 SOLDIERS, REVVING
ITS ENGINES FOR NORTH IRAQ
It is not a matter of "if" but on the "when" of the first Turkish shot
on Iraqi land
ANKARA – by Jacques N. Couvas – The button of the stopwatch counting
down the invasion of northern Iraq by the Turkish army was probably
pressed on Tuesday, at an impromptu meeting between Turkish President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The two men have, in theory, scheduled meetings on Thursdays,
which are often not maintained, as they do not see politically
eye-to-eye. The surprise meeting on Tuesday has sparked speculation
that the assault is near. Cynics, however, say this is just another
coup de theatre, which aims at shaking from the shoulders the United
States and Iraq, who are clearly opposed to military action against the
Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) on Iraqi soil.
False alarms have been almost a routine since the beginning of
this year, when the general staff of the armed forces energetically
requested the government’s approval to move into northern Iraq in large
numbers in order to avenge the weekly casualties by the army in eastern
Turkey, caused by PKK armed militants stationed in refugee camps and
villages in Iraq.
The Turkish army has been drawing plans since last year for a
"total cleanup" of that region, but the government has avoided
responding clearly. A wait-and-see strategy has prevailed within the
Justice and Development Party (AKP), the ruling political formation.
Other events this week corroborate the growing belief that the
incursion is near. The U.S. ambassador to Ankara on Monday had to
publicly reject in dismay allegations by the Turkish press that his
government has been selling weapons to PKK members. The United States,
as well as the EU and Turkey, consider this organisation a terrorist
one.
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, head of the general staff, speaking on
Tuesday at a security conference in the Mediterranean resort city of
Antalya, criticised the international community for what he claims was
lack of foreign understanding for the situation and cooperation with
Turkey to "combat Kurdish terrorism" in Iraq directed against his
country.
Gen. Buyukanit came out of a short period of silence on the
subject, to which he had retreated after Prime Minister Erdogan had in
late June declared that he did not plan to allow in the short-term
massive military action in the neighboring country. In Antalya,
however, he was outspoken.
"While we maintain our struggle against this terrorist
organisation," said Buyukanit referring to the PKK, "and expect
international cooperation in this struggle, we are having difficulty
understanding some positions and attitudes that we face. These
attitudes not only disappoint us but contradict the basic notion that
combating terrorism requires better cooperation."
More indicative, perhaps, of the signs of an impending incursion
into Iraq by Turkish forces is the recent escape of a small group of
PKK members who fled a refugee camp in North Iraq and crossed the
border to Turkey to seek asylum.
At a press conference this week, organised by local authorities,
they claimed that large numbers of Turkish Kurds were fleeing the
region in anticipation of a Turkish advance, and that Turkish artillery
was abundantly shelling PKK combatant positions.
There is suspicion, however, among observers that the escape and
revelations may have been orchestrated by Turkish security services,
within the context of psychological warfare, either to incite PKK
activists in Northern Iraq to abandon the region, or to prepare the
Turkish opinion for future events. Either way, such incidents and
information from "beyond the enemy lines" are typical of
pre-intervention activity and carry a message or a warning.
The meeting on Tuesday between the two Turkish leaders also
indicates that Erdogan is in a situation where he has either to comply
with the military, supported by and supporting Sezer, or face the
consequences of his moderate approach to the handling of the Kurdish
problem.
Not that long ago, on June 13, the prime minister rebuked
insistence by the military to cross the border into Iraq. This was
consistent with earlier statements of intent to build productive
relationships with political chiefs in northern Iraq rather than punish
their constituents for their support to the PKK.
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TURKISH DAILY NEWS ON GENOCIDE BILL: TROUBLES THREATEN TURKEY
09.07.2007 – /PanARMENIAN.Net – Cuneyd Zapsu, a top adviser to Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated that a secret meeting was
held with Democratic Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy
Pelosi this February on H. Res. 106 – the Armenian Genocide bill.
Richard Holbrooke, a Democrat and a former top diplomat,
arranged and attended the meeting. Holbrooke is known for his role in
putting an end to the war in Bosnia as assistant to the Secretary of
State in former president Bill Clinton’s administration, Turkish Daily
News reports. Zapsu voiced the Turkish government’s concerns over the
resolution, saying its passage by the House would seriously hurt
bilateral ties with Ankara. The Pelosi-Zapsu meeting took place shortly
after Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also visited the U.S. capital in
early February. But neither Gul nor three Turkish parliamentary teams
visiting Washington one after another succeeded in their "struggle"
against the bill and had talks with the House speaker.
At the same time the newspaper reminds that a number of worrying
developments are taking place in recent weeks for Turkey, since the
number of representatives cosponsoring the measure in late June rose to
218 in the 435-member House. "Obtaining the support of 218 lawmakers
does not automatically enable the Armenians to force a House floor vote
for the resolution, but means the overcoming of a psychological
threshold. The resolution likely would reach the House floor agenda any
time after early September, when Congress returns to work after a
summer recess in August. But still this would come after critical
parliamentary elections in Turkey on July 22," the newspaper underlines.
ARF DASHNAKTSOUTIUN PARTICIPATES IN SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING
Yerkir.am – July 06, 2007 – ARF press service reported that a Socialist
International council’s meeting was held at the International Labour
Organization’s headquarter in Geneva on June 29-30. Over 400
representatives from 120 political parties participated. The ARF was
represented by ARF Bureau member Mario Nalbandian and ARF Supreme Body
of Armenia representative Armen Rustamian.
SI president George Papandreou from the Greek party PASOK and
many other spoke at the opening ceremony.
The SI council discussed the conflicts in the South Caucasus
region among other conflicts, like Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Lebanon,
Western Balkans, Columbia, Nepal.
Armen Rustamian was the chief reporter on this issue, who was
followed by Azerbaijani Socialist Democratic Party co-chairman Araz
Alizade and Poland’s Left Democratic Alliance member and European
Parliament member Tadeus Ivinsky.
The SI council’s meeting also discussed global climate and
energy issues.
The Commission for a Sustainable World Society was elected.
The meeting adopted resolutions. The resolution on the South
Caucasus conflicts was mainly based on Armen Rustamian’s report.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Mario Nalbandian and Armen
Rustamian had several meetings with the participants of the meeting.
News in Brief – by Sevag Devledian
On July 13, the earthly remains of Alex Manoogian, National Hero of the
Republic of Armenia, Life President of the AGBU and national benefactor
of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, along with those of his wife,
Marie Manoogian, will arrive in Armenia. The interment service will
take place in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on July 17 at 10:00
am, at which time the remains shall be committed to the earth in sight
of the Treasury Museum built through their sponsorship. The funeral
will take place with full state Honor’s and church services, under the
presidency of His Holiness Karekin II and with the participation of the
President of the Republic of Armenia, high ranking state officials, the
children and family of the Manoogians. The bodies of the benefactors
will lie in state in the Monastery of St. Gayane until July 17, where
Armenians can offer their prayers and respect.
New information was published concerning the murder of Hrant Dink, the
former editor-in-chief of the Weekly Akos, as well as the attack
organised against the State Council (Supreme Instance of Appeal). The
new details were revealed during the investigation conducted against
the Turkish "Movement of the Union of Patriotic Forces." This
information was provided by the Turkish press. Taner Unal, the detained
Chairman of the Union, declared that retired Captain Mussafer Tekin is
the initiator of the assault organised against the State Council
(Supreme Instance of Appeal), as a result of which one judge was killed
and 4 were injured. The name of Hrant Dink was touched upon during the
secret listening of the phone conversation of the members of the Union
during the investigation. The contents of the conversation between
Vehbi Shanle, the detained Deputy Chairman of the Union, and a Nezhat
Mete ran as follows: "Hello, what news? Hello, everything is OK. Was it
our friends who killed that man yesterday? Yes, it was our friends.
Have they been discovered? No, no, do not worry, they have not been
found."
The minister of agriculture Davit Lokyan said in his address to the
Armenian Apricot International Conference in Yerevan 6 thousand
hectares of apricot orchards were restored in 2002-2007. He said it is
possible to produce 200 thousand tons of apricots, and the government
is making efforts to use new technologies for processing the harvest.
Armenia criticised NATO and the European Union on Friday for turning a
blind eye to Turkey’s long-running blockade of its borders, saying
Ankara’s refusal to open land routes was costing the small, landlocked
state a third of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). "Europeans are shy
over these issues. They love to talk about human rights, about
democratic values but it’s much easier to talk rather than to implement
anything," Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan told Reuters in an interview.
The Union of Armenian Writers plans to create a special body that will
be advertising Armenian literature abroad. Hovhannes Gregorian, the
secretary of the Union, told Armenpress the body will be investigating
in which of world countries Armenian literature may be in demand and
which country’s literature may be popular in Armenia.
Sports – by Sevag Devledian
The Grand Slam dreams of Marcos Baghdatis will have to wait, but in
this year’s Wimbledon, he was able to record one of the longest matches
against Djokovic, a five set five hour thriller in the quarter finals.
Edmond Aynedjian’s run at the Junior Tennis Championships of Paphos
came to end in the semis of the event as he lost to Andreas Aravis of
the Famagusta Club 2-0
Defending IBF and IBO world flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan was
stunned on Saturday night as challenger Nonito Donaire powered his way
to 112lb glory, knocking out the unbeaten Armenian in five dominant
rounds at The Harbour Yard Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA.
The European Judo Youth Championships were concluded last week in
Malta. Seven sportsmen represented Armenia in the championship. Gor
Khorotian (Yerevan) took the bronze medal among 24 judoists in the 90
kg weight category.
GIBRAHAYER E-MAGAZINE TAKING A BREAK
As of next week, Gibrahayer e-magazine will be taking a summer break.
It will resume publications on the first week of September 2007
Gibrahayer e-magazine – Nicosia – Cyprus
g i b r a h a y c a l e n d a r & e v e n t s
Wednesday 11 July, 2007 at 10:00 am – Swiss Armenian saxophonist Araxi
– who gave a few concerts in Cyprus last year will be performing at
Orpheas Jazz Club near Famagusta Gate together with club owner Eric
Simonian. For more information please call 99697259
18 July – 5 August – Khalkidiki Summer Camp – Greece – by The Armenian
Relief Society (HOM) of Macedonia and Thrace. Applications are invited
from boys and girls aged 10-17 who wish to attend. Departure from
Cyprus July 17, return to Cyprus August 6. Participation: 280 euros.
Applications to be submitted until 30 June 2007 to Vera Tavitian Tel
99520071 and Maral Adourian Tel 99469634.
Friday 10 – Friday 17 August, 2007 – Annual Summer Camp of the Armenian
Youth Federation of Cyprus at the Girls Guide Troodos Camp for ages
10-19. Participation fee 50 cyp. Special discounted prices for members
of the same family. A fun, educational and sporting program will be
organised by the Organising Committee of Panagoum.
9-15 August in Armenia and in Artsakh – ARF Dashnaktsoutiun Students
and Youth organisation’s camp/gathering with the participation of youth
from Armenia, Artsakh and the diaspora. For further information on
participation from Cyprus please contact Vicken Sarkissian on 99608423.
8-9 September – Friendly match at the Antonis Papadopoulos stadium in
Larnaca, as the National Football team of Armenia visits Cyprus.