Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Pan Armenian News

ORHAN PAMUK- CONDEMNED IN TURKEY, AWARDED IN GERMANY

24.06.2005 03:49

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer commended Turkish
writer Orhan Pamuk, who acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, thus receiving
German award for consolidation and peace and indignation of the Turkish
elite, Yerkir Online reported with reference to Milliyet Turkish newspaper.
In Fischer’s words, Pamuk is a courageous and enlightened individuality and
a staunch European and his works will certainly affect the debate in Turkey.
The newspaper reminds that since 1978 once in three years the award is given
to `people with independent thinking and courageous position, to people, who
with their works inspire the historical and cultural originality of the
European society.’ To note, Orhan Pamuk has many times stated that the
Armenian Genocide really took place thus causing the extreme indignation in
Turkey.

EUobserver.com, Belgium
June 22 2005

EU prepares key Turkey document

22.06.2005 – 09:58 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS –

The European Commission is set to let Turkey move a step closer to
the EU by approving the negotiations framework, on which it will base
membership negotiations with the country, next Wednesday (29 June).

The framework for negotiations constitutes the main guiding
principles on which EU negotiations with a country are started.

After the Commission approves the draft on Turkey, member states are
to take over the question, during the meeting of EU foreign ministers
in July or September, EU commissioner in charge of enlargement Olli
Rehn told the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee on
Tuesday (21 June).

The document is “a common position of the EU”, Mr Rehn’s spokesperson
told the EUobserver adding “The European Commission presents all the
documents, but takes no decision whatsoever”.

This means that member states could still add provisos to the
document making it difficult to open negotiations.

Once the draft is approved, the EU will have taken all the technical
steps it has to take ahead of the launch of EU negotiations with
Turkey, due on 3 October.

>From the Turkish side, the six pieces of legislation requested by the
EU were approved and brought into force on 1 June.

Ankara now has to sign the protocol extending a customs agreement it
has with the EU to the ten new member states, including Cyprus, which
Turkey has not yet officially recognised as a state.

But the Turkish government has committed itself to signing the
agreement, and, if it does, will have done everything requested by
the EU in order to start membership negotiations on time.

If the member states approve the negotiations framework, and Turkey
signs the customs agreement, there will be no reason to postpone the
launch of EU talks, commissioner Rehn’s spokesperson said.

However, there is no legal obligation to start them on 3 October, but
only a strong political commitment to do so, she told journalists
earlier this week.

Giving Turkey “a fair chance”
Turkey sent its candidature for EU membership in 1987, and it was
officially accepted by the EU in December 1999, during an EU summit
in Helsinki. Turkey has been a candidate country since.

If it starts negotiations in October, they will probably still take
some 10-15 years to be finalised, but starting them on time would be
of great symbolic importance.

After French and Dutch voters rejected the EU Constitution three
weeks ago, and fear that Europe was growing too rapdily was cited as
one of the reasons, many were quick to call for a halt in the
enlargement process.

Speaking to MEPs from the foreign affairs committee, Mr Rehn
reiterated that enlargement should go on, as it has brought security
and stability in Europe.

“Let us recall that we have major responsibilities in ensuring
security and stability on our own continent and further afield. We
cannot take a sabbatical from these responsibilities without causing
serious damage”, he said.

He also put into perspective the French and Dutch No votes, saying
that it was exaggerated to say that the voters, in France
particularly, said No to the Constitution to actually say No to
Turkey.

“The socio-economic factors were quoted by more than half of the
respondents [in France]… Turkey was quoted [as a No argument] by only
six to 22 percent of the respondents”, he said.

The commissioner urged Turkey to improve its relations with
neighbouring Armenia, saying “Turkey has difficulties to tackle the
historical truth”, to make more progress as regards minority rights,
freedom of the press, and in general to maintain the speed of
reforms.

He acknowledged many shortcomings could be observed in the country,
and many things were still to be improved, but insisted that as far
as “no major shortcomings” in implementing the rule of law and
respecting human rights could be observed, “we have to give Turkey a
fair chance”.

Mr Rehn expressed hope that the British presidency of the EU, to
start on 1 July, would do its best to launch the negotiations on
time, as the UK is one of the supporters of Turkish EU membership.

Aiming at reassuring Croatia, another candidate country, Mr Rehn
stressed that Zagreb would start EU talks as soon as full cooperation
with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague becomes fact.

Slovakia ratifies accession treaties
And while Commissioner Rehn was pleading for enlargement to go on as
planned, Slovakia became the first country to ratify the Bulgarian
and Romanian EU accession treaty.

The Slovak parliament ratified the document with 102 votes in favour,
two abstentions, and no votes against.

The two Balkan countries signed the accession treaty last April and
all 25 EU members must now ratify the document in order for it to
come into force.

HENCEFORTH REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND INFANT MORTALITY IN ARMENIA TO BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHO ICD

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. At the June 16 meeting, the Armenian
government made a decision on improving the situation regarding
the problems of the registration and classification of births and
infant mortality. According to the RA Government Information and
PR Department, the decision in particular was taken in accordance
with the requirements and norms of the World Health Organization’s
International Classification of Diseases (WHO ICD). The decision also
approved the main medical and demographic definitions used in the child
and mother health care, as well as a new order of the registration
and calculation of births and infant mortality. Chief Specialist of
the Medical Aid Organization Department of the RA Ministry of Health
Anahit Hovhannisian told reporters after the meeting that the adoption
of the new order will make the registration of births and infant
deaths more precise. Based on the decision, new ICD standards will
be put in practice, as well as new forms of registering births and
infant mortality will be developed. According to Anahit Hovhannisian,
infant mortality has shown a downward tendency in Armenia in recent
years – 11.8 thousand deaths were registered in 2003, whereas the
number declined to 11.6 thousand in 2004.

ABSURD, IMITATION BUT NOT REFORM

A1plus

| 11:48:24 | 18-06-2005 | Politics |

Members of extra parliamentary parties are disappointed in the amended
Electoral Code.

“As a matter of fact there are no principal differences between the
acting and amended Electoral Code. There are no obvious changes as
regards the suffrage and electoral system”, second secretary of the
Communist party Frunze Kharatyan says. Powerful Fatherland party is
as well discontent. In their opinion no reformation took place and
today’s Electoral Code conflicts with the Constitution, as the latter
formulates the authorities of the juridical system.

Chairman of Powerful Fatherland party Vardan Vardapetyan hints at the
new order of formation of the election commissions. “We have 170 judges
and actually 90 of them should participate in the work of the election
commissions. Thus, it turns out that the judge should abandon his work
and joint the election commission. There are plenty of violations fixed
in each commission and the judge from the polling station should sit
into the judge’s chair and take a decision. It’s absurd”, he says.

The Communist party considers that the situations has become more
complicated. “What do the courts have to do with the election
commissions. Actually, at present the juridical bodies take more
active part in the election process than the parties and states bodies
do”, Frunze Kharatyan says.

By the way, all the extra parliamentary forces note the importance
of the formation of the election commissions, since in Armenia
the final outcome of the elections is still decided in these
commissions. The political forces not presented in the parliament
hold the opinion that in order to preserve balance the commission
should involve representatives of all the parties participating in
the elections. “Otherwise, the whole process is a mere imitation”,
they say.

Lena Badeyan

Schweizerische Depeschenagentur AG (SDA)
SDA – Service de base français
16 juin 2005

Génocide arménien Le Bundestag adopte une résolution sur “les
massacres” turcs

Berlin (ats/afp) La chambre des députés allemands, le Bundestag, a
adopté jeudi une résolution en mémoire des massacres commis par la
Turquie entre 1915 et 1917 contre le peuple arménien. Mais les
députés se sont gardés de les présenter comme un génocide.

Dans ce texte, l’ensemble des fractions parlementaires demande au
gouvernement allemand de “s’engager pour faire respecter la liberté
d’opinion en Turquie, en particulier en ce qui concerne les massacres
commis à l’égard des Arméniens”.

“Un arrangement doit être trouvé entre Turcs et Arméniens par la
réconciliation et le pardon pour la responsabilité historique”
turque, ajoute la résolution, approuvée par les groupes
parlementaires social-démocrate (SPD), conservateurs (CDU-CSU), Vert
et libéral (FDP).

Les parlementaires allemands demandent aussi à Berlin d’oeuvrer à ce
que “la Turquie normalise immédiatement ses relations bilatérales
avec l’Arménie”. La Turquie a reconnu l’Arménie à son indépendance en
1991 mais sans établir de relations diplomatiques en raison du
profond différend sur les massacres considérés comme un génocide par
de nombreux pays.

Gül: “résolution blessante”

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères turc Abdullah Gül a critiqué
cette résolution qu’il a jugée “blessante” à l’égard de la Turquie et
des Turcs vivant en Allemagne, soit près de 2,5 millions de
personnes. Le numéro deux de l’ambassade d’Allemagne en Turquie a été
convoqué au ministère des Affaires étrangères.

Les massacres et déportations d’Arméniens perpétrés sous l’Empire
ottoman, de 1915 à 1917, ont fait 1,5 million de morts selon les
Arméniens, entre 250 000 et 500 000 selon Ankara qui rejette
catégoriquement la thèse du génocide.

Le “génocide” arménien a été reconnu en 1985 par la sous-commission
des droits de l’homme de l’ONU, puis en 1987 par le Parlement
européen, et également par plusieurs pays européens, dont la France,
où vit la plus grosse communauté arménienne d’Europe, avec 350 000
personnes.

En Suisse, le Conseil national a reconnu le génocide en 2003,
suscitant les vives protestations d’Ankara. Au niveau cantonal, il a
été reconnu par les autorités genevoises (Conseil d’Etat et
parlement) et par le Grand Conseil vaudois.

–Boundary_(ID_hYjYy99Hz6acFoB9bd3a5Q)–

AK Party deputy Comez addresses conference in Yerevan University

Turkish Press
June 13 2005

YEREVAN (AA) – Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Turan
Comez who attended a conference in Yerevan University, said that it
(the conference) was just a meeting, but in fact it was a significant
step taken for the peace and stability in this geography (where Turkey
and Armenia were situated).

Addressing the conference on Turkish-Armenian relations held at
Yerevan University, Comez said that the conference (in Yerevan)
was welcomed by Turkey.

Noting that Turkey wanted to have good and peaceful relations with
its neighbors, Comez said that there should be more visits between
the people of two countries to improve Turkish-Armenian relations.

“The communication channels of universities, NGOs and media between
the two countries should be particularly open,” said Comez.

Upon a question of an Armenian lecturer asking the attitude of Turkish
parliamentarians towards relations with Armenia, Comez said that “all
Turkish parliamentarians want to have good relations with Armenia.”

“Such kind of platforms are very important to overcome the biased
perceptions of the two countries,” said Comez.

Comez remarked that the aim of his visit was “to get to know each
other” adding that “I have been supported by many people in Turkey
regarding my visit to Armenia… You can call my visit either as one
of friendship, or dialogue, or official visit or unofficial visit.
The thing that is important is the dialogue that I want to have
with you…”

Upon a question about the Armenian claims of genocide, Comez said that
societies had painful incidents in the past. Noting that Turks and
Armenians lived peacefully for 850 years, Comez said that Armenians
were appointed to important posts in the Ottoman State.

“We should take lessons from the past, we went through sad incidents
in 1915, the Ottomans fought in three fronts in that period. It is
impossible for us not to be sad about the death of our Armenian
citizens due to the law on deportation. But if we want progress,
we should always look to the future,” he added.

Upon a question about the conference which was cancelled at Bogazici
University, Comez said that Turkey was a democratic country where
all views could be discussed openly.

Turkish MP says Turkey ready to discuss “baseless” Armenian genocide claims

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
11 Jun 05

YEREVAN

[Ruling] Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Turhan Comez told
Armenian deputies and officials on Saturday [11 June] that Turkey was
ready to debate genocide claims both on historical and in legal
platforms.

Responding to questions of some Armenian deputies about Armenian
claims of ‘genocide’, Comez explained to them the historical
realities, and noted that the Armenian claims were baseless.

Reminding of the UN Genocide Convention, Comez said that genocide
meant committing mass massacre with the intention of killing all
members of an ethnic or religious group. Many Muslim Turks were killed
during the uprising of Armenian gangs, said Comez, adding that the
Ottomans adopted the Deportation Law in order to protect the integrity
of the country.

“Citizens (of Armenian origin) living in Izmir and Istanbul were not
asked to migrate. Therefore the decision (of deportation) can’t be
considered within the UN Genocide Convention of 1948. Maximum security
measures were also taken to guarantee the safe deportation of
Armenians showing that Ottomans didn’t have the intention to kill
them,” Comez told Armenian politicians.

“Turkey is right in its point of view historically and legally against
those claims,” he said.

Comez added that the two sides shouldn’t get stuck on the past, but
look for common interests for the future.

Azeri police foil protests against polls in breakaway Karabakh

ANS TV, Baku
8 Jun 05

[Presenter] Members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization [KLO] have
attempted to stage pickets outside the embassies of the countries
co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group in protest against the [19 June]
parliamentary polls in the self-styled Nagornyy Karabakh republic
[NKR].

[Correspondent over video of protesters and police officers] The KLO
started mass protests today. Its members attempted to stage
unsanctioned protests outside the embassies of Russia, France and the
USA – the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group and demanded that
the parliamentary polls in the self-styled NKR be prevented. Despite
police resistance, the protesters managed to approach the French
embassy and chant their slogans.

The police detained and held [in a police car] KLO deputy chairman
Firudin Mammadov until the end of the protest.

They also tried to prevent KLO members from marching to the Russian
embassy. Only one protester was allowed to submit a resolution to a
member of the embassy. The resolution also carried their protest
against the relocation of Russian bases from Georgia to Armenia.

The KLO members failed to chant their slogans outside the US
embassy. The police waiting for them near the Dostluq [Friendship]
cinema allowed the protesters to submit their resolution to the
embassy. Despite all this, KLO deputy chairman Mammadov said that they
had achieved their goals.

[Mammadov] We said in our resolution that if the issues raised by the
KLO, that is the parliamentary polls [in Karabakh] and the removal of
Russia’s military units from Georgia to Armenia, are not taken
seriously in the near future, the KLO will stage more protests outside
these countries.

[Correspondent] Mammadov said that next actions would be more radical.

Vamiq Nasirov, Natavan Babayeva and Sadiq Mammadov, ANS.

[Video showed protesters chanting “Karabakh! Karabakh!”; Firudin
Mammadov in a police car, policemen etc]

Washington Times, DC
June 8 2005

Revitalizing U.S.-Turkey relations

By Frank Carlucci/F. Stephen Larrabee

The White House meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and President Bush today provides an important opportunity to
revitalize U.S.-Turkish relations, badly frayed by the American-led
invasion of Iraq.
A strong partnership with Turkey is very much in the U.S.
interest. Turkey is located the nexus of three areas of increasing
strategic importance to the United States: Europe, the Caspian/Black
Sea region, and the Middle East. In each areas, Turkish cooperation
is vital to achievingU.S. interests.
However, U.S.-Turkish relations have badly deteriorated of late.
Differences over Iraq have been accompanied by a disturbing growth of
anti-Americanism in Turkey. A recent poll by the German Marshall
Fund, for instance, found 82 percent of Turks polled did not support
U.S. policy. If these trends continue, they could irreparably harm
long-term U.S.-Turkish relations.
Recently, however, there have been signs both sides want improved
relations. In May, the Turkish parliament agreed to allow the United
States to use the Turkish airbase at Incirlik as a logistics hub for
transporting cargo to Iraq and Afghanistan. And in April the U.S. and
Turkey signed a $1.1 billion deal for upgrading of 117 F-16 fighter
jets.
These positive developments can serve as building blocks to
develop a revitalized Turkish-American partnership and new strategic
agenda. The key items on this agenda should include:
– Iraq: The United States and Turkey share a common interest in
the emergence of a stable democratic Iraq. But the Turks worry that
increasing Kurdish influence in Iraq – especially in the oil-rich
city of Kirkuk – could lead to the emergence of an independent
Kurdish state on Turkey’s borders and strengthen separatism among
Turkey’s large Kurdish population. Ankara also wants the U.S. to
clamp down on militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), which has recently stepped up cross-border attacks from safe
havens in northern Iraq. If the U.S. continues ignoring Turkey’s
pleas, Turkish anti-American sentiment is likely to grow, and Turkey
may feel compelled to take unilateral action against the PKK in
northern Iraq.
– Broader Middle East democratization: As a secular Muslim
country, Turkey can play an important role in supporting democracy in
the Middle East. But the U.S. should avoid touting Turkey as a model,
as some U.S. policymakers are wont to do. Many Turks, especially the
military and the secular Westernized elite, are wary of being
portrayed as an “Islamic model,” which they fear will strengthen the
role of Islam in Turkey and weaken Turkey’s ties to the West. In a
toughly worded speech at the end of April the head of the Turkish
general staff, Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, strongly denied Turkey was a model
for the Islamic world. Moreover, Turkey’s image in the Arab world is
tarnished by its imperial past and its strong ties to Israel.
– Iran: Turkey and the United States also share a common
interest in containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Neither wants to see
a nuclear-armed Iran. At the same time, Turkey has an important
interest in maintaining good economic and political relations with
Tehran, a major natural gas source for Turkey’s expanding needs.
Turkey also shares a common interest with Iran in containing Kurdish
separatism. Thus the United States cannot expect Turkey to support
totally isolating Iran.
-Central Asia and the Caucasus: A strategic dialogue on
cooperation in these areas should be a top priority for both sides.
Both countries share an interest in stabilizing this conflict-ridden
region. In particular, they should work together to help resolve the
conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. A settlement would open new
possibilities for improved relations between Armenia and Turkey and
also allow Armenia to reduce its dependence on Russia.
– Europe: Turkey’s entry into the European Union is in the
long-term interest of the United States. It will make Europe a
stronger strategic partner and strengthen efforts to promote
democratic reform in Turkey. At the same time, Washington needs to
recognize that Turkish membership in the EU – if achieved – will
result in a more “Europeanized” Turkey, one which looks increasingly
to Brussels rather than to Washington.
– Cyprus: Finally, both sides need to work together to promote a
Cyprus settlement. Turkey has done its part. Last spring, the Turkish
Cypriots, backed by Turkey, voted for the plan sponsored by U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan. The Greek Cypriots, however, rejected
the plan. The election in April of Mehmet Ali Talat, new president of
Turkish Cyprus, has boosted hopes for progress toward an eventual
settlement.
Unlike his predecessor, Rauf Denktas, Mr. Talat supports the
Annan plan and resumed bicommunal talks with Greek Cyprus.
None of these changes would end all U.S.-Turkish differences. But
they would help put relations back on a much firmer footing and
contribute to a critically important regional stability.

Frank Carlucci is a former defense secretary and national
security adviser in the Reagan administration, and a member of the
RAND Corp. board of trustees. F. Stephen Larrabee was a member of the
Carter administration National Security Council staff and holds the
RAND Corporate Chair in European Security.

CONSTRUCTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA-GEORGIA TRANSIT GAS PIPELINE
CAN BE GOOD REHABILITATION PROJECT FOR ARMENIA: EBRD EXPERT

YEREVAN, JUNE 6. ARMINFO. The construction of Iran-Armenia-Georgia
transit gas pipeline can be a good rehabilitation project for
Armenia, EBRD Director for Caucasus, Moldova and Belarus, Michael
Davey said during today’s BSTDB business forum in Yerevan.

He says that this project is economically very important and
profitable for Armenia and Georgia. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project is
also very important for the South Caucasus in terms of investment
inflow. Such projects form investment rating, one thing all the three
South Caucasian countries are lacking at present, says Davey
qualifying as weak the general investment climate in the South
Caucasus.