Author: Boshkezenian Garik

BAKU PROMOTES STABILITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Gulshan Pashayeva

Jamestown Foundation
Feb 24 2010

Armenian President Serzh Sargsian (L) with his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev in Sochi on January 25, 2010 It appears that both
processes surrounding the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Karabakh
and the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement intensified almost immediately
after the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008, which established a new
geopolitical environment, with implications not only for Georgia,
but also for the South Caucasus and beyond. Moscow’s increased
interest in playing a more active broker’s role in this negotiation
process, was shown in the Moscow Declaration signed in November 2008
by Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, adding fresh impetus
to efforts aimed at resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Karabakh. This marked the second document signed since May 1994, when
the ceasefire agreement was also reached due to Russian mediation
efforts.

Two years ago, an Armenian-Turkish rapprochement, mediated in
secret by Switzerland, also intensified after the Russian invasion
of Georgia. The effort began with "soccer diplomacy" in September
2008 and ended with the protocols signed by Armenia and Turkey on
October 10, 2009, in Zurich. Indeed, 2009 marked an intensification
of these negotiation processes. However, concrete results have only
been achieved in the latter case, after the October 2009 signing
of two protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and
developing bilateral relations between Yerevan and Ankara, still
awaiting ratification by the parliaments of both countries. On the
other hand, despite the six meetings held in 2009, the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan only reached agreement on the wording of
the preamble of the updated version of the 2007 Madrid Principles in
Sochi on January 25, 2010 (Radio Free Europe, January 26).

Nonetheless, in a broader sense the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement is
one of the consequences of the ruling Turkish Justice and Development
Party’s (AKP) foreign policy initiative "zero problems with neighbors,"
introduced by the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Within this
new foreign policy framework, Ankara has already achieved positive
results in developing bilateral relations with various neighboring
countries such as Iran, Syria, Iraq, Greece and Russia.

Relations between Armenia and Turkey have their own peculiarities due
to historical and contemporary issues. These peculiarities relate to
continued contradictions with regard to the events of 1915, Armenia’s
territorial claims to Turkish provinces in Eastern Anatolia and its
rigid stance and unwillingness to withdraw its armed forces from the
occupied Azerbaijani districts located outside the former autonomous
Karabakh region. However, Turkish-Armenian relations were especially
complicated after the recent decision by the Armenian constitutional
court to approve the Turkish-Armenian protocols. The references
made by the Armenian court to the preamble to the constitution and
Article 11 of the Declaration of Independence by Armenia created
serious controversies on a number of issues, considered by the Turkish
foreign ministry as setting preconditions and restrictive provisions
on the protocols before their ratification (Journal of Turkish Weekly,
January, 28).

Baku has always been grateful for the solidarity shown by Turkey
since 1993, when it closed its borders with Armenia in response to
the Armenian occupation of Kelbajar, one of the adjacent Azerbaijani
districts located outside Karabakh, as well as for Ankara’s
insistence on the return of the occupied territories to Azerbaijan
as a precondition for opening the border and establishing diplomatic
relations with Armenia. The Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu in a
keynote lecture on the "converging interests of Turkey and the UK
in an enlarged EU and beyond," at King’s College, London, during
his latest working visit to Britain, emphasized that the only way
to reach a sustainable peace in the region is through the liberation
of the occupied Azerbaijani territories. He also added that without
a substantial breakthrough in the resolution of the Karabakh issue,
it will be extremely difficult to persuade members of parliament to
ratify the protocols (Davutoglu’s lecture at King’s College London,
January 13, transcript provided by the Embassy of Republic of
Azerbaijan to the UK).

Both the Turkish public and the main opposition parties demonstrate
their full support on this issue and regard the conflict over Karabakh
and Armenian-Turkish rapprochement as closely connected. Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has drawn attention to this linkage of
both processes in his latest official visits to Washington and Moscow.

He informed journalists during his return from Moscow, according to the
Hurriyet newspaper that the process of normalizing Turkish-Armenian
relations and the resolution of Karabakh are inter-linked. He also
added that these processes may be going on separately, but they are
interconnected behind the scenes. On the other hand, arguing that
neither protocol makes any reference to the Karabakh settlement,
Armenia, as well as the US, the EU and Russia consider the Karabakh
issue and Armenian-Turkish rapprochement as two separate processes.

However, as Azerbaijan’s major strategic ally, Turkey’s stance on
this issue is capable of resisting the policy of global and regional
powers and might prove helpful in applying strong pressure on Armenia
to withdraw from some occupied territories. Similarly, due to the
fact that Armenian-Turkish rapprochement is one of the key issues on
the current international agenda it also draws greater attention to
the conflict over Karabakh.

Noting that Ankara cannot separate the Karabakh issue from its
relations with Yerevan and risk its strategic interests with Baku,
retired Ambassador James Holmes, the President of the American-Turkish
Council (ATC), said on February 5 that "new steps were needed in these
two issues, rather than expecting Turkey to assess them separately"
(). In order to prevent any further exaggeration
of US-Turkey relations, especially taking into account an intention
announced by Howard L. Berman, the Chairman of the US House of
Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs to call a committee vote
on the non-binding Armenian Genocide Resolution on March 4 (Today’s
Zaman, February 19), the Obama Administration could play a more
active role as a catalyst to make necessary changes to this complex
situation. Furthermore, without the genuine interest and serious
responsibility shown by mediators and the international community,
as well as some mutual positive steps to be taken not only towards
progress on Armenian-Turkish rapprochement, but also on Karabakh,
it will be impossible to secure long lasting peace, sustainable
development, and prosperity to the wider South Caucasus region. Thus,
the Azerbaijani-Armenian and the Turkish-Armenian borders might one
day be re-opened.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS LEAD IN MASHHAD TOURNAMENT

Panorama.am
16:58 22/02/2010

Sport

Armenian chess players Levon Babujian, Suren Poghosian, Gevorg
Harutyunyan, Aghasi Inants have scored 3 points each out of 3 and
are among the leaders of the open held in Mashhad, Iran.

226 chess players are taking part in the tournament, Armenian Chess
Federation reported.

ARMENIA: LAWMAKERS DEBATE WHETHER YEREVAN SHOULD DEFEND RUSSIA?

Eurasianet
February 23, 2010

The Armenian parliament ratified the creation of a rapid reaction
force under the auspices of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty
Organization. But the legislative debate in Yerevan proved contentious,
with opposition leaders expressing concern about the possibility of
Armenian involvement in a potential regional conflict.

Parliament endorsed the creation of the CSTO rapid reaction force
on February 23, a day that, during the Soviet era, was celebrated
as armed forces day. For Armenia, the merits of membership in the
Moscow-led defense pact include discounted access to Russian weapons
and protection against neighboring Azerbaijan’s potential attempts
to retake the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave by force.

But some lawmakers warned during the ratification debate that the
rapid reaction force agreement, which was agreed to during a CSTO
meeting last year in Moscow, could potentially embroil Yerevan in a
conflict. Opposition MPs pointed out that pact provisions would require
Yerevan to keep secrets from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
and would potentially set Armenia against neighboring Georgia, which
fought a brief and disastrous war against Russia in 2008.

Stepan Safarian, head of the opposition Heritage Party’s parliamentary
faction, said that the agreement obliges Armenia to take a military
action against Georgia on Russia’s behalf in the event of a repeat
in hostilities between Tbilisi and Moscow, Russia’s RIA-Novosti news
agency reported on February 23.

Vardan Aivazian, a member of the governing Republican Party, responded
that the Kremlin should expect military support from Armenia in return
for Moscow’s protection, the Novosti Armenia news service reported.

Armenia is the only CSTO member in the South Caucasus; it is sandwiched
between NATO-member Turkey and NATO-aspirant Georgia.

The CSTO also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan.

JERUSALEM PATRIARCH IS HONORED BY CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II AND THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA, WITH "ST. MESROB MASHDOTS MEDAL"

Noyan Tapan
Feb 23, 2010

JERUSALEM, FEBRUARY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. His Holiness
Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,
traveled to Jerusalem on Monday, February 15, where he presented
His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, the Armenian Patriarch of
Jerusalem, with the "Medal of St. Mesrob Mashdots".

According to the report of Primate of the US Eastern Diocese,
accompanying His Holiness were Archbishop Navasart Kjoyan, Primate
of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese in Yerevan, Armenia, and Bishop
Arshak Khachatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, and
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, the Diocesan Legate, were invited by His
Holiness Karekin II to attend the presentation ceremony as members of
the Brotherhood of St. James of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Armenian President Serge Sargsian issued the medal to Patriarch
Torkom on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Patriarch’s
enthronement, and in recognition of his lifetime devotion to, and
leadership of, the Armenian Church and nation.

"We have come to this Holy City in order to celebrate the 20th
anniversary of the enthronement of His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom
Manoogian as the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, and to honor his
91st birthday," His Holiness Karekin II said. Concluding his remarks,
he reflected on the need to pray together for peace in this region
and in the world.

or-armenian-studies-issues-statement-on-%e2%80%98h istorical-sub-commission%e2%80%99/
By Weekly Staff – on February 17, 2010

Following a vote at the Nov. 21, 2009, meeting of the Society for
Armenian Studies (SAS), which called on the SAS Executive Council to
prepare a statement concerning the `historical sub-commission’ in the
Armenian-Turkish protocols, and following a vote of the SAS membership
in support of the statement, the SAS Executive Council, on behalf of
the entire SAS membership, hereby issues the following statement
regarding the proposed historical sub-commission:

The recently signed protocols between the Republic of Armenia and the
Republic of Turkey call for a sub-commission with the vaguely defined
task of looking into existing historical problems for an impartial
examination of historical records and archives. The stated purpose is
to restore mutual confidence between the two nations. Although no
express reference is made in the protocols, there is an almost
universal agreement that the Turkish side would use the sub-commission
as a vehicle for perpetuating its denial of the Armenian Genocide and
casting doubt on the validity of the massive body of evidence
establishing it as genocide.

While the Turkish government, in keeping with a long-standing state
policy, continues to make every effort to question and deny the
veracity of the Armenian Genocide, President Serge Sarkisian has on a
number of occasions asserted that the genocide and loss of Armenian
patrimony cannot be questioned; that the genocide is a known truth and
must be recognized and condemned; and that the reality of the genocide
can in no way become a subject of discussion as part of the agenda of
the sub-commission.

The Society for Armenian Studies hereby firmly states that the
Armenian Genocide is an undeniable fact, established through
dispassionate, meticulous, and multilingual archival research by a
great number of experts, most of whom belong to respectable scholarly
bodies of renowned authorities such as the International Association
of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and our own Society for Armenian Studies.
The veracity of the Armenian Genocide cannot and must not be subject
to discussion or to political give and take.

The Society for Armenian Studies was founded in 1974 by a group of
scholars from the universities of California, Columbia, and Harvard on
the initiative of Richard G. Hovannisian, Dickran Kouymjian, Nina
Garsoian, Avedis Sanjian, and Robert Thomson. It is dedicated to the
development of Armenian studies as an academic discipline.

The SAS Secretariat is located at the Armenian Studies Program of
California State University, Fresno. For more information, visit
ex.htm, email
[email protected], or write to Armenian Studies Program,
California State University, Fresno, 5245 N Backer Ave. PB4, Fresno,
CA 93740-8001.

AYF TO LAUNCH "TEACHATHON 252" CAMPAIGN TO RALLY SUPPORT H.RES.252

Noyan Tapan
Feb 19, 2010

WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Western Region
(AYF-WR) members are vigorously working to ensure the passage of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution – H. RES. 252 – as the House Foreign
Affairs Committee prepares to mark-up the measure on March 4th.

According to the remark of AYF Central Executive Chairperson Arek
Santikian AYF members can play a key role in promoting awareness of
the genocide resolution.

The "Teachathon 252" campaign will engage all 14 chapters of the AYF
Western Region, from San Francisco, California to Houston, Texas.

According to the report of Armenian National Committee of America,
members of these AYF chapters have already been active in encouraging
their communities to write to their Representatives, demanding passage
of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

JAMES JEFFREY: US SUPPORTS TURKEY-ARMENIA RAPPROCHEMENT

Armradio.am
17.02.2010 15:03

U.S. Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey warned Turkish deputies on
Tuesday that the Armenian Genocide bill would likely pass through
the U.S. Congress in March unless the Turkish Parliament ratifies
the normalization protocols, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Members of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission
expressed their concern to Jeffrey, who earlier confirmed his full
support to the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia.

The commission said it was concerned that a pending resolution in the
U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the 1915 events as genocide
would destroy ongoing normalization talks.

Asked before the meeting if the bill would harm the ongoing process
between Yerevan and Ankara, Jeffrey replied: "We give full support
for the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia. As President
Barack Obama noted in his speech at the Turkish Parliament, the best
way is to continue this process. That’s why we send this message to
both countries."

Following the hour-and-a-half-long meeting, Murat Mercan, chairman
of the commission, said, "We will do what is best for our country
regardless of the outside effects."

"The approval of the bill will harm Turkish-U.S. relations. There is
disagreement on this issue between the deputies of the ruling and
opposition parties," said Oymen said, a deputy from the opposition
Republican People’s Party

"I will convey the message given by the parliamentarians," Jeffrey
said.

93% OF ARMENIANS IN TURKEY LIVE AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

news.az
Feb 16 2010
Azerbaijan

48% of Armenians have illegally arrived in Turkey after the devastating
earthquake in Armenia in 1988 in search of work.

The joint social study of the Eurasian Foundation and the Sociology
Department of Istanbul University of the problems of Armenian guests
and illegal immigrants in Turkey has ended.

The survey revealed that 48% of Armenians have illegally arrived in
Turkey after the devastating earthquake in Armenia in 1988 in search
of work, and 93% of Armenians in Turkey live in this country illegally,
according to CNN-Turk.

Project Manager Aline Osinyan noted that while passing the
Georgian-Turkish border, many Armenians say they come to Turkey for
a month, but the survey revealed that their stay is then prolonged.

According to her, women make up for the biggest number of illegal
migrants. "Many guest workers and illegals in the survey stated that
their Turkish bosses are much more benevolent than Armenians. However,
because of the issue of "genocide", the Armenian guest workers are
experiencing problems with their Turkish bosses too ", said A.

Osinyan.

She noted that many Armenians in Turkey hide their nationality because
of fear: "After the Hrant Dink’s assassination, the Armenians in
Turkey began to fear for their lives."

She also addressed the topic of the children of Armenian illegal
migrants: "Unfortunately, these children cannot become citizens
of either Turkey or Armenia. Therefore, most of them cannot get
education".

SINIRLIOGLU ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON FOR OFFICIAL VISIT

Today’s Zaman
Feb 16 2010
Turkey

Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu arrived
in Washington on Monday for a series of talks with US officials on
bilateral ties between Turkey and the United States.

The undersecretary is set for a series of meetings with officials at
the US State Department and the National Security Council. Sinirlioglu
will focus on bilateral ties between the two countries as well as
international issues during his talks. Diplomatic sources say the
undersecretary will not focus on any single issue during his meetings
but will discuss many recent developments, including those in the
Caucasus and the Balkans.

The visit has come shortly after Rep. Howard Berman of California,
the Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
said last week that he intended to call a committee vote on March
4 on a non-binding resolution that would call on President Barack
Obama to ensure that US policy formally refers to the killings of
Armenians in Anatolia during World War I as "genocide" and to use
that term when he delivers his annual message on the issue in April —
something Obama avoided doing last year.

The Turkish diplomat is expected to express Turkey’s concerns over
the planned vote during his visit. Sinirlioglu will meet with the
US special envoy for Eurasian energy affairs, Ambassador Richard
Morningstar, US Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg and
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip
H. Gordon. He is set to return to Turkey on Wednesday evening.

The undersecretary is accompanied by Namık Tan, the new Turkish
ambassador to Washington. Tan will officially assume office after
presenting his credentials.

IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITHOUT ARTSAKH

Aysor
Feb 16 2010
Armenia

"As the NKR does not partake in the negotiation processes it is
natural that there is no official document presented to the NKR", –
the President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan stated replying to
the question of a journalist whether the NKR president is familiar
to the principles of Madrid document.

In this concern B. Sahakyan stressed that regardless that fact they
know the content of all the documents concerning NKR issue, Madrid
documents in that number.

However the NKR president stressed that without the participation
of the NKR it is impossible to reach an agreement in the framework
of that document. Summing up his speech the President Bako Sahakyan
added that this view point has been told also to the OSCE Chairman-in
Office Kanat Saudbaev.