Author: Jalatian Sonya

Russian vice-speaker voices astounding proposal

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Feb 17 2005

The Russian Duma (parliament) vice-speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky says
that the most appropriate solution for the problem over Upper Garabagh
would be its entering the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Zhirinovsky said that Moscow is afraid of taking either side in the
conflict settlement to avoid hurting their interests.

He added that neither Azerbaijan nor Armenia will ever accept losing
Upper Garabagh.

“Upper Garabagh is a historic territory and a part of Armenia, which
is called ‘Artsakh”, he said.

Such statements were made by the Russian vice-speaker before with
regard to the Turkic states, in which he even resorted to insulting
entire nations. Russian media report that Kazakh prosecutor general
Rashid Tusupbekov has forwarded a letter to his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Ustinov requesting to hold Zhirinovsky criminally accountable.

In January, the Russian vice-speaker told “Echo of Moscow” radio
station that “the state of Kazakhstan has never existed in the entire
history of the mankind”.

The Milli Majlis (parliament) first deputy chairman Arif Rahimzada
regarded the statement as nonsense. He did not rule out that this
statement may be put on discussion in the Azerbaijani parliament,
since it was made by the second top official of the Russian parliament.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE

February 13, 2005

Minister Oskanian Attended 41st Munich Conference on Security Policy

On 12 February, Minister Oskanian participated in the 41st Munich
Conference of Security Policy. The keynote speakers at the Conference
were Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, Horst Koehler, Germany’s
President, Gerhard Schroeder Chancellor, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO
Secretary General, Donald Rumsfeld, US Defense Secretary and others.

This important international forum stressed the need for conflict
resolution through dialogue. In this framework, the participants
referred to the Middle East peace process and shift of priorities
due to the changes in US Administration.

More than 250 high-ranking officials and politicians attending the
Conference also reflected on the future of NATO and its leadership
in the context of foreign policy and security doctrines currently
taking shape in Europe and discussed the impact of developments in
the Ukraine and Georgia on integration processes taking place in the
post-Soviet space.

In the outskirts of the Conference, Minister Oskanian had bilateral
meetings and discussions with Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General, Antanas Valionis, Lithuania’s
Foreign Minister, Bernd Mutzelburg, Director General, Foreign Policy
and Security Advisor, Federal Chancellery, Federal Republic of Germany,
Dr. Michael Schaefer, Germany’s Foreign Office Political Director.

AZERBAIJAN INDIGNANT AT VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY’S PROPOSAL FOR INTEGRATING
NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC IN CIS

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12. ARMINFO. Azerbaijan is indignant at the proposal
bo Vice Speaker of Russia’s State Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky for
integrating Nagorno Karabakh Republic into the CIS.

To remind, in his recent statement Zhirinovsky also called Nagorny
Karabakh a historical Armenian land. But this is not his only such
statement. A few days ago Zhirinovsky made a statement about Kazakhstan
in which Almaty has seen calls for ethnic strife and disrespect for
national dignity. As a result the Kazakh FM has proclaimed Zhirinovsky
persona non grata.

Azeri MP Mais Safarli says that Azerbaijan should follow Kazakhstan’s
example. Moreover if attempting to enter Azerbaijan Zhirinovsky must
be arrested.

The Azeri FM is more amicable. FM representative Tair Tagizade agrees
that Zhirinovsky’s statement on Kazakhstan was insulting but there was
no insult of the Azeri people in his statement on nagorny Karabakh. He
just showed that he does not know the history, roots and development
of the Azeri-Armenian conflict and is completely incompetent in the
politics. “We can just regret at his statements,” says Tagizade. But
these statements should not, cannot and will not affect Russia’s
position of recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
that country’s efforts in the framework of OSCE Minsk Group.

PanArmenian News
Feb 9 2005

ARMENIANS SHOULD RETURN TO TURKEY AND DEMAND EXPLANATION FOR
MASSACRES OF 1915, TURKISH BUSINESSMAN CONSIDERS

09.02.2005 14:11

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Senior officials in Turkey want direct dialogue
with Diaspora Armenians. However, they need confidence and trust,
which is currently absent, Turkish-Armenian Business Development
Council (TABDC) Co-Chairman Kaan Soyak says in his article published
in California Courier. In his opinion, Armenians must realize that
the Turkish people are exactly the same as the Armenian people, since
they are like twins in their behavior and in their way of thinking.
“Many of my Armenian and Turkish friends’ ancestors used to live
together in the same hometowns. Turkey is the motherland of Armenians
and Turks, where they lived together for centuries”, Kaan Soyak
writes. “Today, the soil is crying and waiting for Armenians to come
back, talk with the local people and live in peace. I know
Armenian-Americans will not move back to Anatolia and start a new
life there. But, why don’t they consider visiting the land they once
shared with Turks for centuries and re-energize themselves? Perhaps
we can all work together to bring our common land back to its
glorious days”, he continues. The more Armenians get involved at all
levels of discussions with Turks, the more they will be able to help
the Turkish public learn about the contributions of Armenians in the
past. According to Sayak, the absence of Armenians from Turkey to be
a loss in our quality of life. “Armenians should go back there and
tell all the Turks about their story; explain to them the suffering
of their families; and ask openly the reason why so many innocent
people were killed in 1915. This is the hard road that we need to
take to prepare the environment for our two governments to take the
politically difficult steps forward”, he says. “The Armenians’
hesitation for dialogue helps benefit third parties who don’t care
about our region and are only pursuing their own agendas and personal
interests under the guise of reconciliation between Armenians and
Turks” the article notes.

TURKEY IGNORES ARMENIAN CALLS FOR JOINT RECONSTRUCTION OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

ArmenPress
Feb 9 2005

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS: A deputy Armenian culture minister
told Armenpress today that the neighboring Turkey has not responded to
Armenian initiatives to make the medieval Armenian city of Ani, now in
eastern Turkey close to its border with Armenia, “a cultural corridor.”

Ani, the ancient, walled capital of the kings from Bagradit dynasty
who ruled Armenia from the 9-th to the 11-th centuries AD, was in its
heyday a millennium ago and a rival to Constantinople, Baghdad and
Cairo. Despite earthquakes and Mongol raids, much of Ani’s immense,
fortified walls, as well as the city’s citadel, caravansary, cathedral
and six churches still stand well preserved, their stone facades a
testament to a well-developed level of craftsmanship. Today Ani is a
ghost town, deserted except for the presence of Turkish border guards
and the occasional tourists.

The deputy minister, Gagik Gurjian, said the issue was first raised
in 2001 at different international organizations, including also
the UNESCO. “Making Ani a cultural center remains in the focus of
Armenia’s foreign policy, as Armenia stands firmly for improvement
of relations with Turkey and a cultural dialogue is one of ways to
do it,” Gurjian said adding that so far no progress was made except
a verbal arrangement.

He said a French archeologist, Pierre Mahier, who headed an
expedition for archeological dig in Ani asked the Armenian culture
ministry to provide it with research materials collected during a 1905
archeological expedition in Ani, led by a prominent archeologist Toros
Toromanian, which are kept in Armenia and which are very important
in conducting any research in Ani, “but we refused explaining that
the participation of Armenian archeologists would be more effective.”

He said the Armenian culture ministry sent to Turkish counterparts
a report about joint Armenian-American excavations in Akhtamar and
Van, both in Turkey and a daft project for continuing researches,
which also remained unanswered.

Gurjian said they have learned that Turkey has asked the European
Parliament to fund reconstruction of several monuments in Eastern
Anatolia, which include also old Armenian cities of Van and Igdir. He
said if the European Parliament approves this project the Armenian
ministry will try to get some Armenian monuments in these regions
involved in the project.

Armenian minister chides Turkish premier for remarks on territorial claim

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
8 Feb 05

[Presenter] A seminar on Armenian-Turkish relations was held at the
department of international relations of Yerevan State University
today. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan talked to students
about Armenia’s approach to this issue.

Oskanyan has expressed his attitude towards the latest allegation
of the neighbouring state [Turkey]. Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said that since allegedly Armenia did not recognize
the Kars Treaty, Armenian-Turkish relations had no future. Thus, it
means that Armenia has territorial claims to Turkey. Oskanyan said
that this was yet another attempt to distort the reality.

Armenian diplomats have commented on Erdogan’s statement. Now both the
Armenian and Turkish people and the international community know that
Armenia has not changed its position as regards relations with Turkey.

[Oskanyan] The Turkish prime minister voiced some speculations
recently. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin put forward the issue of
normalizing ties with Armenia at a meeting with him. They discussed
this issue. Asked about the results of this discussion on his return
from Moscow, Erdogan told a news conference that there were several
problems. One of them is that Armenia has territorial claims to
Turkey because it [Armenia] does not recognize the Kars Treaty. I
told him that we are the inheritors of the Soviet Union and that
the decisions made in that period are still valid since we have not
expressed our attitude towards them or replaced them with others. That
was my answer. But this excuse by Erdogan is simply unacceptable.

PanArmenian News
Feb 5 2005

TALKS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT KARABAKH PARTICIPATION, NKR FM SAID

05.02.2005 15:15

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The format of talks over the settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict is broken, NKR Foreign Minister Arman
Melikian stated at a press conference today. In his opinion, the
negotiation process is based on Azerbaijan’s attempts to accuse
Armenia in aggression. “We see the negotiations in the plane of talks
between Azerbaijan and Karabakh,” the Minister said. “The
Armenia-Azerbaijan format can hardly be called counter-productive,
however the talks are impossible without Karabakh’s participation,”
Arman Melikian stated. Besides, as noted by the Minister, “Nagorno
Karabakh has never participated in any talks over return of
territories or withdrawal of troops.”

AZERBAIJANI DIASPORA OF SWEDEN DISCUSS KARABAKH PROBLEM WITH SWEDISH
FOREIGN MINISTER AND SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE PA

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2. ARMINFO. OSCE calls Azerbaijan and Armenia for
maximum efforts and mutual compromise in settlement of Karabakh
conflict. According to Baku Mass Media, Special Representative of OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly on Nagorny Karabakh conflict Goran Lenmarker
made this statement at a meeting with Azerbaijani Diaspora in Sweden.

<We are ready to render support for more successful continuation of
dialogues and in an enlarged format, > he said. Lenmarker is of the
opinion that prevention of the conflict depends only on the attitude
of Azerbaijan and Armenia to this issue, while OSCE can be just a
perfect mediator. He also called the conflicting parties for
establishment of mutual trust at the level of Diasporas.

In his turn, Head of the Azerbaijani Federation – Sweden organization
(AFS) Namaf Sababi stated that the meeting had been rather
rational. He said that < the OSCE Rapporteur very diplomatically
demonstrated the position of support to Azerbaijanis. > Sababi said
that Lenmarker had not touched upon the report on Karabakh, but
promised to solve the problem within the nearest future. The
rapporteur pinned great hopes with the dialogue of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian Foreign ministers to be held on March 2 in Prague. The
Karabakh issue was discussed at the meeting of Azerbaijanis of Sweden
and Foreign Minister of that country as well.

Global Politician, NY
Feb 2, 2005

Does Turkey Belong In the European Union?

2/2/2005

By Antero Leitzinger
Turkey applied for membership in the EEC as early as in 1970s, when
she had been indisputably and for a long time a democratic market
economy, one of the founding members of the Council of Europe, and a
country with a decent record on human rights, compared with the
military dictatorships of Greece, Spain and Portugal, let alone the
countries of Eastern Europe. The upheavals of Southern Europe in the
mid-1970s, the intensified internal political situation of Turkey,
and the military regime of early 1980s, as well as the surprising
membership of Greece in the Western European community sidelined
Turkey for two extra decades to wait for acceptance.

Finally during Finland’s chairman period in 1999, Turkey was finally
accepted as an applicant country for the European Union. This
encouraged Turkey to make legal reforms, which have been carried out
for three years now, despite the hard economic crisis. Guerrilla war
in the Kurdish districts is past now, and on 30th Nov. 2002, even the
last province was officially returned to normalcy. The PKK has
abolished itself, and the death penalty of the PKK leader Abdullah
Öcalan has been changed into life imprisonment. Turkey’s prisons have
been reformed according to the EU norms, lots of inmates have been
amnestied, and previously used parts of the criminal law have been
overruled. In allowing media and school teaching in Kurdish
languages, Turkey has exceeded France and Sweden in the progression
of her minority policy.

However, Turkey has traditionally had dedicated enemies in Europe. As
early as in 1800s, conservative Christian and idealist liberal civil
movements, acting on behalf of the Christian minorities of the
Balkans, were organising lecture and newspaper campaigns and
demonstrations against Turkey. The ancient Greece was adored under
the banners of philhellenism (1821), and medieval myths were revived
by telling horror stories of the “Bulgarian atrocities” (1876). The
propaganda war culminated in the after-play of the First World War in
1920s, but was again revived from 1965 onwards, on the initiative of
third generation Armenian emigrants of France and America, who were
inspired and directed by Soviet Armenia.

Nowadays it is hard to believe that Turkey could anyhow get released
from the constant criticism by human rights organisations, since
criticising Turkey has become the lifeline of many of them. For many
international human rights organisations, regular campaigns against
Turkey have become the most successful kind of activity, and Turkish
illegal immigrants willingly participate them in order to base their
asylum applications. International organisations, researchers and
media outlets are using Turkish extremist groups as their sources,
but the credibility and relevance of the information they provide is
very low. For this reason, the criticism against Turkey often repeats
echoes from years away. In its latest issue, Der Spiegel (50/9th Dec.
2002) added to its article on Turkey a picture of a Kurdish
demonstration from 1992.

Turkish asylum seekers still refer to the destruction and evacuation
of frontier villages in mid-1990s. Although repatriation of these
villages has been started, the Human Rights Watch report predicts the
return to fail, because it would be too late without EU support (i.e.
many who have moved to cities, are reluctant to return to the
periphery).

Neue Zürcher Zeitung (28th Nov. 2002) tells that torture became more
common in Turkey during the short military reign of 1980s. After that
the government tried to get rid of the phenomenon by sending the
cruel policemen from cities to the countryside, which, however,
spread the problem especially to the Kurdish districts. Accusing the
policemen was made difficult by a law that demanded acceptance of the
superior to rise a court case. The fact that many trials were taking
more than five years caused that many accusations became obsolete.
The new government has suggested a legal reform that would correct
these problems, and enable overruling existing verdicts on political
crimes.

Against this background we have to understand the interest of the
Turks in the question, whether they are Europeans in the others’
eyes, or if they fall outside Europe already in principle. When the
Westernisation that has prevailed in Turkey for 80 years becomes
questioned by other Europeans, the nationalist and pan-Islamic
alternatives become stronger. Same kind of development was
experienced already in early 1900s, when the originally liberal Young
Turks changed into ferocious nationalists and rushed into the First
World War. In today’s Turkey, many people think that if the EU will
turn her back to Turkey, Turkey must turn towards Arab countries,
Iran, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. In co-operation with Pakistan,
Turkey could develop her own nuclear weapon. The successful military
co-operation between Turkey and Israel would be endangered. The
300-year rivalry between Turkey and Russia over the borderlands would
intensify.

Turkey is a bit poorer than Romania, when the GNP per capita is
compared, but the reason is the very rapid growth of Turkish
population. It is estimated that after 10 years there will be 90
million inhabitants in Turkey, more than in Germany. In one way or
another, that will compensate the shrinking population of Europe and
Russia. Chronic inflation plagues the Turkish economy, but economic
growth has been strong for a long time, and there is plenty of
potential. Unemployment (8,5 %) is lower than in most of the
countries of Eastern Europe, and industrialisation is more developed
than in Bulgaria and Romania. (Der Spiegel, 50/9th Dec. 2002)

Political Islamisation of Turkey would influence Europe especially
through the 2,5 million Turkish-originating immigrants residing in
Germany. It is hard to imagine how the EU could isolate herself from
Turkey and the Middle East. The EU can, however, choose, whether she
will passively surrender to be a side theatre of the problems of the
Middle East and the whole Islamic world, or whether it takes an
active initiative to support moderate Muslims and Turkey in her
relations to her neighbours.

It is expected that the attitude towards Turkey, the Turks, Muslims
and foreigners in general, will become a hot election issue in the
election of the German state of Hessen in February. Both radical
right and radical left oppose the EU membership of Turkey. The
present red-green government has tried to balance between the views
and the former Bundeskanzler Helmut Kohl had a Turkish
daughter-in-law. Compared to these, future seems more controversial.
Already half million of the German Turks have German citizenship, and
their votes for the left and for the Greens was decisive in favour of
the present government in last national election.

Antero Leitzinger is a political historian and a researcher for the
Finnish Directorate of Immigration. He wrote several books on Turkey,
the Middle East and the Caucasus.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Studies Program
Armenian Studies Program
California State University, Fresno
5245 N Backer Ave PB4
Fresno, CA 93740-8001

Email: [email protected]

ASP Office: 559-278-2669
Office: 559-278-4930
FAX: 559-278-2129

Armenia Semester Abroad Program- 2005

Armenian Studies Program of California State University, Fresno
Fall 2005 Armenia Semester Abroad Program

Semester begins – September 5, 2005

Experience a semester abroad in Yerevan, Armenia. The Armenian
Studies Program at California State University, Fresno has organized
a one-semester program designed to introduce students to Armenian
language, history, art, and contemporary events. The semester
schedule is composed of five courses: Armenian language (4 units);
Armenian art and architecture (3 units); Armenia today (3 units);
Armenian studies (3 units); Independent study (2 units).
Courses, based on curriculum used by the Armenian Studies Program at
California State University, Fresno, will be taught by faculty from
Yerevan State University.
The academic committee in charge of curriculum is composed of Dr.
Dickran Kouymjian, Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian
Studies and Director of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State,
Dr. Tom Samuelian of Arlex International, and Barlow Der Mugrdechian
of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State.
Full information on the program is available at the following web
site:

Eligibility: The program is open to all high school graduates, ages
18-32, who have maintained a minimum 2.75 GPA in college.
Fees: Fees for the program are $2,250 per person (for 15 units of
courses) and an additional fee of approximately of $160 for health
insurance. Room and board, air fare, and transportation and any
additional costs are the responsibility of the student. (The Program
will assist in finding living arrangements)
Deadline: Students are required to fill in the following application
form and return it to the Armenian Studies Program by May 1, 2005 for
study abroad in Armenia in the Spring semester 2005.
Minimum class size:
A minimum of 5 students must be successfully admitted to the program
for the Fall 2005 program to take place.
Required information for application: Official college transcript;
One page essay on why you would like to participate in the Armenia
Study Abroad Program, what has prepared you for study in such a
Program, and why you are qualified to participate; One passport sized
color photo; Names and telephone numbers of two references
(non-related). In addition please submit Name, Address, City, State,
Zip, Telephone number, Email address, Date of birth: (Please clearly
print all information and make sure that the telephone number and
email address are current). Send the application form, and all
requested material to: Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Armenian Studies
Program, 5245 N Backer Ave. PB4. Fresno, CA 93740-8001
If you have any questions contact: Barlow Der Mugrdechian office
telephone: 559-278-4930 o email: [email protected]
Travel fellowship: Travel fellowships are available to qualified
applicants who are accepted into the Fresno State Armenia Semester
Abroad Program through BirthRight Armenia/Depi Hayk (BR/DH). (See
below for Eligibility). The travel fellowship covers reimbursement of
roundtrip economy class airfare at the average price for that period
upon successful completion of the program and BR/DH requirements. The
application form is posted on the