Author: Hovhannisian John

Les Echos, France
Vendredi 23 Avril 2010

L’accord turco-arménien menacé de rester lettre morte

par JESSICA BERTHEREAU

L’Arménie a gelé hier la ratification d’accords historiques avec la
Turquie, accusée de vouloir imposer des conditions préalables à leur
réconciliation après un siècle d’hostilité, tandis qu’Ankara a réagi
en campant sur ses positions. Cette décision réduit à néant le mince
espoir qu’il restait de voir avancer rapidement le rapprochement
arméno-turc après des mois de blocage, selon des analystes. La
réconciliation, encouragée par Washington et l’Union européenne,
favoriserait le développement économique de l’Arménie et serait un
atout diplomatique pour la candidature d’Ankara à l’UE.

TURKEY AND ARMENIA

Arab News
46571.ece
April 23 2010
Saudi Arabia

The breakdown in the normalization of relations between Turkey and
Armenia is not simply, as some Armenians are claiming, because of
Turkish unwillingness to accept the extent of the 1915 killings of
Armenian Turks or recognize them as genocide.

The administration of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to
have underestimated the wider effects of a wider rapprochement with
the Armenians. The Azeri government, which is in dispute with Armenia
over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, was incensed at the protocols
to build links between Ankara and Yerevan. As a result Erdogan flew
to Baku to assure the Azeris that the deal with the Armenians would
not be put forward for ratification by the Turkish Parliament, until
some progress was being made on the resolution of the issue of the
enclave, currently occupied by Armenian forces. Erdogan’s statement
in turn angered the Armenians, who pointed out that in the protocols
they inked with the Turks, there was no reference whatsoever to
Nagorno-Karabakh. Aware that the deal was turning sour, in advance
of the appearance of both countries at US President Barack Obama’s
recent Nuclear Security Summit, Erdogan sent his foreign minister to
Yerevan to see if he could fix up a meeting in the US with Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian. That meeting did not happen. Instead,
Yerevan Friday stopped the ratification process blaming Turkey’s
"inconsistent and evasive position and policy of preconditions". The
Armenians also opened a new front in their drive to have the Turks
accept their contention that the 1915 massacres in eastern Turkey
saw 1.5 million perish and amounted to genocide. They have invited
Turkish historians to visit their national archive containing some
7,000 documents relating to these events.

Although the 1915 slayings still loom large in the minds of Armenians,
they are past business. Nagorno-Karabakh is present business. It seems
extraordinary that Erdogan could have made the mistake of not alluding
to the Azeris’ concerns during original talks with the Armenians. Then
he compounded the error by assuring the Azeris that the protocols
would not be ratified before progress was made over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Turkish diplomatic service remains one of the country’s most
efficient elites and would surely have warned Erdogan on both courses
of action.

Nationalists in both countries will be pleased that the reconciliation
process has been stymied, for the moment at least. Yet both Erdogan
and Sarkisian must surely realize the drivers which caused them each
to sign the protocols in Zurich in 2009 have not changed. For both
countries, the economic and strategic benefits of friendly relations
are considerable. For Ankara they represent the foundation on which
can be built wider connections with the rest of the Caucasus.

Azerbaijan could also benefit from good ties between Turkey and
Armenia, because Turkey could offer its good offices to help find
a settlement on the enclave. As things now stand again, no one is
the winner — everyone, including the Azeris is losing out. The ball
seems to be in Erdogan’s court. Maybe sending Turkish historians to
examine the Armenian 1915 archive might be a good return shot.

"REQUIEM" TO PAY TRIBUTE TO GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Panorama.am
24/04/2010

Armenian state philharmonic orchestra, Chamber and "Hover" chamber
music bands performed Mozart’s "Requiem" yesterday paying tribute to
the victims of Armenian Genocide.

The concert was attended by National Assembly Chairman Hovik
Abrahamyan, First Lady Rita Sargsyan, Minister of Culture Hasmik
Poghosyan, political and social activists, clergymen.

The concert was organized by Armenian Ministry of Culture, Armenian
Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar Azatakan) and Teqeyan culture union.

TURKEY’S OSCE MINSK GROUP MEMBERSHIP IMPROBABLE, EXPERT SAYS

Panorama.am
23/04/2010

Turkey’s OSCE Minsk Group membership is improbable, political expert
Alexander Iskandaryan told reporters commenting on Russian Foreign
Ministry Spoksman Andrey Nesterenko’s statement over Baku offer on
Turkey’s Minsk Group membership.

"Armenia will not agree with the format," Iskandaryan said. Minsk
Group doesn’t assume a decision not based on mutual consent, he said.

"I think, this shouldn’t be dealt as a real political perspective,"
the expert said.

Andrey Nesterenko told a briefing Thursday that Russian diplomats are
observing Baku offer over Turkey’s MG membership, as well as Iran’s
offer over becoming a mediator in Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process.

"We need to get in contact with all those involved in the negotiation
process, and assess their attitude on these issues to make the
appropriate assessments. Later, after making contacts with our
colleagues, we will be able to give detailed explanations," Nesterenko
said, according to the Russian MFA.

AZERBAIJAN WANTS TO SEE TURKEY IN OSCE MINSK GROUP

Trend
APril 21 2010
Azerbaijan

" Turkey’s joining the OSCE Minsk Group, mediating in resolving of
the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is on the agenda,
the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration department head said.

"Turkey’s joining the OSCE Minsk Group is on the agenda. But only
the OSCE can evaluate the proposals ", the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration socio-political department head Ali Hasanov told media.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied
territories.

Hasanov said that Azerbaijan is not authorized to review activity or
determine the composition of the Minsk Group.

"This is the OSCE institution. The organization itself determines the
number of states in its structure. If there is any dissatisfaction on
this issue at the OSCE next summit, Azerbaijan, of course, can voice
its opinion. There is increasing concern over the lack of significant
results of the Institute of co-chairmen [the OSCE Minsk Group] in
recent years not only in Europe but all over the world," Hasanov said.

Hasanov expressed his attitude to Armenia’s protest against Turkey’s
joining the OSCE Minsk Group. "The Armenian Foreign Ministry does
not understand itself what it is doing. Neither the president nor
Foreign Minister of this country act on their own," he said.

ECUMENICAL PRAYER TO BE SAID AT ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL

news.am
April 22 2010
Armenia

On April 23, at 2:00 p.m., students will say ecumenical prayer at
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan, dedicated to the
95th commemoration of Armenian Genocide.

The ceremony is held on the initiative of Youth center of Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin together with the student councils of 20
universities of Yerevan, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin press service
informed NEWS.am.

Students will utter Nerses Shorhali’s prayer, Holy Bible fragments
will be read and Armenian Church psalms-sung.

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SHOULD WITHDRAW THE PROTOCOLS FROM PARLIAMENT
Armen Martirosyan

ArmInfo
2010-04-21 15:38:00

Interview of Armen Martirosyan, Chairman of the opposition Heritage
Party Board, in an interview with ArmInfo news agency

Mr. Martirosyan, before leaving for Washington Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan said that Armenia has its own variant of normalization
of the Armenian-Turkish relations. Which variant is admitted by the
current political expediency?

Actually, the anti-state and anti-national Armenian-Turkish Protocols
were doomed to failure from the very beginning. They must become
history once and forever and the president must withdraw them from
parliament. In addition, political expediency currently indicates the
necessity to find domestic political solutions to Armenia’s problems,
since foreign policy always reflects the domestic one. Everyone is
aware of the domestic political situation in Armenia, which is a
chain of processes shattering Armenia as a state. In this context, we
consider implementation of domestic reforms in Armenia as a priority.

Otherwise, if nothing changes, new extra election will be held with
all the concurrent processes. I even do not rule out the display of
civil disobedience.

Is the Armenian president trying to improve the domestic situation
via conducting a successful foreign policy?

This is impossible as there is other explanation of such an
"initiative policy". Lacking internal legitimacy, the president
and his entourage have tried to fill this gap by obtaining external
legitimacy, in prejudice of the state interests of Armenia. In fact,
we have found ourselves on the verge of losing our Diaspora. Armenians
abroad are still deeply insulted by the signing of the Protocols
despite the "unity" of Armenia and Diaspora demonstrated by the
government-controlled mass media. This factor is enough for saying that
the Armenian-Turkish relations "progress" in prejudice of Armenia’s
national interests. Needless to say about the Armenian authorities’
intention to discuss the fact of the Armenian Genocide in a joint
commission with Turks, to recognize the borders of modern Turkey,
as well as the Armenian president’s careless statement addressed to
Abdullah Gul, in which he offered Turkey to mediate in the Karabakh
settlement. Later Sargsyan gave up this idea, having realized
his mistake. So, Armenia has gained nothing essential from the
Armenian-Turkish process so far. On the contrary, the process of
recognition of the Armenian Genocide was suspended in some countries
just because of their authorities’ reluctance to "interfere with the
process between Armenia and Turkey". This process in favor of Turkey
started even on 23 April 2009, when to the prejudice of the Armenian
Genocide recognition process, Armenia established a "Roadmap" with
Turkey, which caused tender emotions in our country. Only a year
has passed, and the situation has radically changed, but the same
authorities, who stated a year ago that the border would be opened
any day now and the Turks are not "those" Turks, currently speak
of their slyness and craftiness, and Armenia’s reluctance to ratify
the Protocols with Turkey’s preconditions. This is not my opinion –
this is the reality.

You have pointed out the incompliance of the Protocols with Armenia’s
state interests. Don’t we need an open border with Turkey?

Certainly, we do. We have repeatedly said that it was not Armenia that
blocked the border, whereas the Protocols provide for "mutual opening
of the borders". Lifting the blockade of Armenia by Turkey is possible
without preconditions and via exchange of notes by the diplomatic
missions of the two countries. Armenia must make no concessions in
this issue. Turkey is interested in existence of the process and not
in reopening of the border, whereas Armenia does not need the process.

All the issues could be discussed with Turkey after it deblockades
Armenia.

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan declared in Washington that the domestic
political situation in Turkey hampers ratification of the Protocols
with Armenia in the near future. Wouldn’t it be reasonable for Armenia
to freeze the process and wait for changes in the domestic political
situation in Turkey after the parliamentary election in 2011?

Election will be held not only in Turkey. The next election in Armenia
are scheduled for 2012 though there are all the political and social
prerequisites for extraordinary election in the country. I believe that
normalization of relations with Turkey is possible only if the Armenian
authorities refuse concessions to Ankara and Turkey lifts the blockade
of Armenia without preconditions. I think Erdogan had an opportunity
to settle the problem of the Armenian-Turkish relations last year,
but failed to, for it was not within the interests of Turkey. Moreover,
the Turkish government is experiencing serious domestic problems being
at the crossroad of Ataturk’s anti-democratic course and the Islamic
Neo-Ottomanism. In addition, Turkey has also other problems to solve,
specifically, the Kurdish and the Cyprian problems, establishment
of Turkey as a regional super power, and other ambitions. Therefore,
I do not think that change of the political course will allow Turkey
to make any tangible progress in the relations with Armenia.

Has the Armenian-Turkish process directly affected the Karabakh
peace process?

The Armenian-Turkish process has directly affected the Karabakh
peace process. It is no mere chance that Turkish politicians stated
their refusal to open the borders with Armenia without progress in
the Karabakh process in their understanding. The active attempts of
Turkey to mediate in the Karabakh settlement, the OSCE Minsk Group’s
unprecedented activity, as well as last year’s statements by the
presidents of Russia, the United States and France in L’Aquila prove
that the Karabakh process has passed the stage of activation.

Azerbaijan has apparently agreed to the updated principles, unlike
Armenia, which constantly refers to the previous version of the Madrid
principles. In any case, the Armenian party strives to make a step
back in Karabakh settlement and freeze the process. Time will show
how much possible it will be and whether the Armenian authorities
will have enough levers for that.

KARABAKH MEDIATORS TO MEET IN MOSCOW

news.az
April 21 2010
Azerbaijan

The USA’s OSCE mediator on the Karabakh conflict, Robert Bradtke,
has described his meetings in Baku as ‘very serious and constructive’.

‘I was very pleased when [Azerbaijani President] Ilham
Aliyev underlined that he supported a peaceful solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem,’ Bradtke said. ‘I reiterated at the meeting
with the president that US President Barack Obama and Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton supported a peaceful solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem.’

The American diplomat said that the Minsk Group co-chairs would meet
in Moscow tomorrow.

Asked whether Armenia accepted the Madrid principles for a settlement,
Robert Bradtke said: ‘We will continue discussions. There are important
points where common views are expressed, but some points have not
been agreed yet.’

He echoed his comments of yesterday that one of the goals of his
visit was to regain the lost momentum in the Karabakh peace process.

Robert Bradtke’s remarks came as a senior Azerbaijani official
broadened the scope of his criticism of Karabakh mediation to cover
all three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

‘We are not satisfied with the work of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
in making progress on a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The problem is still in deadlock, there is no movement,’ Ali Hasanov,
head of the public policy department at the Azerbaijani presidential
administration, told journalists today.

He had earlier criticized the USA’s mediation efforts, accusing it
of bias in favour of Armenia.

Hasanov, who did not meet the Minsk Group co-chairs, accused Armenia
of stalling in the negotiations.

‘Armenia denies points that it coordinated in previous meetings and
tries to return to the same issues,’ he said.

‘Azerbaijan has no authority to review the activity of the OSCE Minsk
Group and to determine its composition. This is an OSCE institution
and its composition and the number of member countries are determined
by the OSCE. If there is such dissatisfaction at the next OSCE summit
Azerbaijan might express its position there. We are concerned that
the co-chairs have not made any progress yet. The current question is
whether the European Union should be represented in the group. There
are other proposals too. Turkey’s representation is also on the
agenda. The OSCE should assess the proposals.’

Hasanov also reacted to objections from the Armenian Foreign Ministry
to Turkey’s involvement in the Minsk Group.

‘The Armenian Foreign Ministry doesn’t think what it is protesting
against. This country has no will of its own, the Armenian president
and foreign ministers have no will of their own, so there is no real
progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.’

‘It remains to be seen how the new Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group will work,’ Hasanov said.

Russia’s new co-chair, Igor Popov, said in Baku today that Moscow’s
position on Karabakh would not change because of his appointment.

Noting that it was his first visit to Azerbaijan in his capacity as
a mediator, Popov did not answer journalists’ questions. He said he
would talk more after his visit to Armenia.

GENOCIDE VICTIMS MEMORY ALLEY TO BE LAID IN YEREVAN

Aysor
April 20 2010
Armenia

Due to the 95th anniversary of the 1915 Genocide, committed by Turks
against the civil population of Armenian origin early in the 20th
century, the WWF along with VivaCell-MTS and the Museum-Institute
of Armenian Genocide have initiated a construction of the Alley in
memory of the Genocide victims.

The Memory Alley will pass close to the Memorial to Victims of the
1915 Genocide of Armenians. In Yerevan.

95 transplants, brought from the Western Armenia, will be planted
here, turning the Alley into a symbolic place. Those, who will gather
together to participate in the tree planting event, will tie a belt
on a trees reading "I Remember."

On April 22 Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan of the Ararat Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church will consecrate the event.

TURKISH FM: "ARMENIA – AZERBAIJAN PROBLEM RESOLUTION AS WELL AS LIBERATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S LANDS FROM OCCUPATION IS THE COMPONENT OF OUR MISSION"

APA
April 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov has met today his Turkish counterpart Ahmed Davudoglu,
APA reports. After the meeting two FMs gave a briefing.

E. Mammedyarov said that A. Davudoglu gave comprehensive information
about the outcomes of the negotiations, held in the United States,
and discussed issues, Mr. Davudoglu informed Azerbaijani president as
well: "We had a bilateral meeting too. In the meeting we discussed our
joint subsequent activity related to Armenia – Azerbaijan, Nagorno
Garabagh conflict. Besides it, the subsequent steps, which will be
taken for restoration the peace and stability in the Southern Caucasus,
were negotiated".

"After the discussions some issues got clarified and I got a detailed
information about the Washington talks", – Azerbaijani FM underscored.

Turkish FM expressed his content of mutual intercourse-based activity
with Azerbaijan in all issues and at all stages: "We attach a great
importance to it. I firstly discussed the latest processes with the
president Ilham Aliyev and then FM E. Mammedyarov. Before Nuclear
Security Summit, held in Washington, chief of Turkey FMA Apparatus
Firudin Siniroglu arrived in Azerbaijan and got acquainted Baku’s
official position to this issue. Within the summit we got pretty much
meetings. In all meetings our main purpose was the continuation of
the processes targeted to the peace, security and stability in the
Caucuses. Prior to it, our mission was the same. Armenia – Azerbaijan
problem resolution as well as liberation of Azerbaijan’s lands from
occupation is the component of our mission".

A. Davudoglu said that a target of Azerbaijan and Turkey is overt:
"This target is the normalization of all relations in the Southern
Caucasus, opening the borders, security and reciprocal confidence
for commencement new stage. We hope, we’ll succeed it by OSCE Minsk
Group’s efforts. Tomorrow’s visit of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to
Azerbaijan is also important. We’ll keep on our intercourse with all
parties as well as our efforts to attain the aim".