Author: Jilavian Emma

JAMES B. STEINBERG: TURKISH MOVE TO RECALL ENVOY ‘REGRETTABLE’

armradio.am
17.03.2010 11:37

A senior U.S. official has expressed regret over the Turkish
government’s decision to recall its ambassador in a show of protest
against a House committee resolution labeling the 1915 killings of
Armenians as genocide, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

"The decision to recall the ambassador is regrettable; we have a policy
of engagement and I hope Turkey has the same policy with the U.S.,"
James B. Steinberg, the No. 2 official at the U.S. State Department,
said Monday in an address to the Atlantic Council, a think tank in
Washington, D.C.

"I think whatever the differences with Congress on this issue, it is
important that we engage and that we talk about these areas," he said.

An infuriated Turkey recalled Ambassador Namık Tan shortly after the
U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution calling on
President Barack Obama to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects
an acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide and to label the 1915
killings as such in his annual statement.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: TURKISH PM ACTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS COUNTRY’S INTERESTS

Today
/64309.html
March 17 2010
Azerbaijan

The Turkish government and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan make
statements in line with interests of their country, Head of the
Azerbaijani Presidential Administration’s Publlic and Political
Department Ali Hasanov said.

On Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an interview
BBC warned of possible expulsion of 100,000 illegal Armenian migrants
from the country "if Yerevan does not get rid of the mortgage of the
Armenian diaspora."

"The more Turkey assists Armenia in cooperation, the more Armenians
carry out anti-Turkish policy," Hasanov told media today.

He said Armenia will lose as much as Turkey in this anti-Turkish
campaign.

Erdogan made these remarks, replying to a question about Ankara’s
response to adoption of resolutions the so-called "Armenian genocide"
by the parliaments of several countries.

After the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of
Representatives adopted "Armenian resolution" on March 4 and the
Parliament of Sweden on March 11, Turkey recalled its ambassadors to
Washington and Stockholm for consultations.

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA ARRIVES AT ARMENIA

Aysor
March 16 2010
Armenia

Hours ago at the Zvartnots airport of Yerevan arrived His Holiness
Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, who is in Armenia upon
the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians.

His Holiness Kirill I mentioned in the interview with the journalists
that this is a symbolic meeting which speaks of high bilateral
relations.

"This meeting speaks of Christian traditions and values that are
preserved by us. It is important that this type of meetings make
us real companions in the process of preserving the values", – said
Kirill I.

His Holiness Karekin II mentioned that by this kind of visits they
try to establish brotherhood of churches and cooperation.

"We have got a special friendship with the Russian Orthodox Church,
which has history of centuries. Today we are happy that those relations
are not only on the church level but also are on governmental level
and there is progress and development in this concern. We would like
to mention the special attitude of His Holiness towards the Armenian
community in Russia. We are sure that this visit will make those
relations much better and will fortify the cooperation between the
two churches", – His Holiness Karekin II noted.

FORGIVENESS ‘A HUMAN CHARACTERISTIC’
Akper Hasanov

news.az
March 15 2010
Azerbaijan

Rustam Ibrahimbeyov News.Az interviews writer, dramatist and film
director Rustam Ibrahimbeyov.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has led to years of confrontation between
the Azerbaijani and Armenian people. How can you describe these years?

It is difficult to speak for a whole generation, but I think someone
has decided that there is no way back to the previously cordial,
friendly relations. Others, including me, think that the conflict is
caused not by ordinary Armenians but by nationalists, playing with
people’s feelings and getting into power this way in Armenia.

This policy is criminal not only in relation to Azerbaijan. Most of us
have lost the opportunity to live on the land of our fathers, lost our
friends and relatives. I do not know whether the young generation of
Armenians and Azerbaijanis will be wise enough to realize this and view
each other not only as enemies. Of course, they should strive for this
in order not to pass the burden of the conflict to the next generation.

How can Azerbaijanis and Armenians be reconciled and restore normal,
neighbourly relations?

They can do it only on the basis of normal, natural communications
and business cooperation. I think if the leaderships of Azerbaijan
and Armenia find ways to settle the Karabakh conflict, the people
will be able to settle relations within a short period of time.

Certainly, the first stage will be accompanied by caution and mutual
distrust. But I hope this will gradually pass away, especially because
practice shows that Azerbaijanis and Armenians often communicate and
are friends in neutral areas.

Do you think our people will be able to overcome the pain of loss
caused by the Karabakh conflict?

Let’s recall the history of relations between Germany, residents of
Germany, and representatives of all former USSR nations. As we know,
tens of millions of our citizens died in the Second World War. But
several decades have passed, which is a short historical term, and
the younger generation, whose parents lived in the USSR, does not
view Germans as enemies.

The same can be said about Jews, who went to live permanently in
Germany although they remembered their Holocaust. Forgiveness is a
human characteristic. I am sure that our peoples will be wise enough
to heal the wounds and stresses caused by a conflict that resulted
from the vague geopolitical interests of many countries.

, Turkey
March 12 2010

Italian embassy in Turkey says did not recognize Armenia claims

Italy said that it was not among countries recognizing Armenian
allegations regarding 1915 incidents.

Friday, 12 March 2010 16:33

Italy said on Friday that it was not among countries recognizing
Armenian allegations regarding 1915 incidents.

Italian Embassy in Ankara released a written statement and said a tv
channel on Friday included Italy among countries which formally
recognized Armenian allegations.

The embassy statement said the news report did not reflect the facts.

Swedish Parliament on Thursday approved a resolution on Armenian
allegations regarding 1915 incidents with 131 votes against 130.

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs last
Thursday approved the resolution on Armenian allegations.

Turkey strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the
events as civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks
and Armenians.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols on October 10, 2009 to
normalize relations between the two countries. The protocols envisage
the two countries to establish diplomatic ties and open the border
that has been close since 1993.

Turkey and Armenia also agreed to take steps to operate a
sub-commission on impartial scientific examination of the historical
records and archive to define existing problems and formulate
recommendations, in which Armenian, Turkish as well as Swiss and other
international experts would take part.

However, on January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of Armenia
declared a decision of constitutional conformity on the protocols.
Turkey thought the fifth article of Armenian Constitutional Court’s
verdict regarding the protocols was against the target and basis of
the protocols.

AA

Eduard Abramyan: Armenia is a security guarantee for Russia

13.03.2010 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations is in
the limelight of regional and international powers, an Armenian expert
said.

`Moscow, Washington and Brussels are encouraging the process. At that,
the EU and US aim to push Russia and Iran off the Armenian economic
area,’ Eduard Abramyan, leader of Neoconservative Movement said during
a round table discussion on perspectives of strengthening strategic
partnership between Armenia and Russia.

`Maneuvering between Moscow and Tbilisi, Ankara had to offer the
so-called security platform. Highly appreciating the initiative,
Russia `forgot’ to include Turkey in the list of countries supplying
Georgia with armament. With Moscow’s consent, Turkey signed the
protocols in Zurich but stated that rapprochement is possible only in
case progress is registered in Karabakh talks. Yet, this position was
strongly opposed by Moscow and Washington insisting that these two
processes are not interrelated,’ he said.

Abramyan also emphasized that opening of the border will help Turkey
exert economic and political leverage on Armenia.

`Serving as a security guarantee for Russia, Armenia should become a
major power in the region to neutralize the danger,’ he said.

news.am, Armenia
March 13 2010

Genocide recognition by Swedish Parliament to affect Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation negatively: Erdogan

16:58 / 03/13/2010The adoption of Armenian Genocide Resolution by
Swedish Parliament will have a negative impact on Turkey-Armenia
reconciliation.

Turkey recalled its Ambassador to Sweden after the motion passing by
Riksdag, Reuters reports. The vote came a week after the U.S. House
Committee on Foreign Affairs approved the resolution branding the
massacres of Armenians as genocide, resulting in Ankara recalling its
ambassador.

`It will damage Armenia-Turkey ties,’ Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan stated at the opening of a factory in Istanbul.

Despite Turkey makes statements on the negative impact of the
resolution on Armenia-Turkey reconciliation, the steps toward the
normalization slowed down for several months. `The issues of Armenian
massacres are so sensitive that Turks are ready to compromise their
relations with their major allies,’ Reuters informs recalling that the
legislatives branches of France, Russia, Greece, Germany, Belgium and
Canada adopted the resolution.

Turks are enraged by the motion adoption in Swedish Parliament, as
Sweden is among the few countries that openly support Turkey’s
troubled EU accession bid, unlike France and Germany.

L.A.

Hurriyet, Turkey
March 13 2010

Sweden regrets parliament vote on Armenian ‘genocide’

Saturday, March 13, 2010
SAARISELKA, Finland – Agence France Presse

Sweden’s foreign minister deplored Saturday a vote by his country’s
parliament branding the events of 1915 as genocide as
counterproductive.

"It’s regrettable because the politisation of history serves no useful
purpose," Carl Bildt told journalists on the fringes of a meeting of
European foreign ministers in Finland.

"We’re interested in the business of reconciliation and decisions like
that tend to raise tensions rather than lower tensions," he said.

"And I’m afraid of the effect it might have on the normalisation
between Armenia and Turkey, we Europeans and Americans have been
investing a lot of energy into what is very fragile."

Going against the government’s advice, the Swedish parliament voted by
a narrow margin to recognize the "genocide of Armenians" during the
breakup of the Ottoman Empire, further infuriating Ankara by
mentioning also other Christian communities as victims of "genocide"
in Ottoman hands.

Ankara quickly recalled its ambassador and cancelled a visit by Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an to Sweden.

The Swedish vote came just days after a similar vote by a US
Congressional panel.

"We have to move on," Bildt said.

The Swedish minister late Friday met Turkish counterpart Ahmet
DavutoÄ?lu in a bid to soothe ruffled feathers.

"The position of the Swedish parliament was shocking for us because
parliaments should not decide for history, this is unacceptable," the
Turkish minister said.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed in a
systematic campaign of extermination during World War I as the Ottoman
Empire fell apart.

Turkey categorically rejects the genocide label, arguing that between
300,000 and 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks were killed
in civil strife when Armenians rose up for independence and sided with
invading Russian forces.

But much to Ankara’s ire, parliaments in several countries have
recognized the killings as genocide.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO HELP SOCIALLY UNSECURED PEOPLE STAND GAS AND WATER PRICE INCREASE

ARKA
March 12, 2010

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. Armenian government will help socially
vulnerable people stand the raise of gas and water prices, Vazgen
Khachikyan, chief of social security service affiliated to the labor
ministry, said on Thursday.

He said that the government is now thinking over the matter and is
though to unveil its initiative before April 1, he said.

First of all, the support will target those 110,000 families or 300
to 330 people receiving social benefits.

Khachikyan said that priority is given to low-income families, not
pensioners, because there are also high-income people among Armenian
pensioners. Their family income exceeds an average size of income.

"Compensation mechanisms are under discussion now, and the results
will be made public in late March or early April," he said.

He doesn’t think the raise of gas and water prices can spark backlash
and rules out such a possibility.

"I don’t think price rise to spark social outburst in Armenia," he
said. "Our people realize very well that gas and water prices are
increased because of objective circumstances and not on somebody’s
whim."

Natural gas price for Armenia’s consumers will be raised 37.5% to
AMD 132 on April 1, 2010, from present AMD 96 per one cubic meter.

Those consumers using more than 10,000 cubic meters of gas monthly
will pay $243.13 per each 1,000 cubic meters instead of $215 presently.

In late February, Yerevan Jur water company appealed to the Public
Services Regulatory Commission for authorization of water price
raise from present 181 per one cubic meter to AMD 206.976. ($1 =
AMD 389.94).

MUSLIMS OF AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY TO HOLD PROTEST ACTIONS AS U.S. CONGRESS RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Interfax
March 11 2010
Russia

Baku, March 11, Interfax – Believers of Azerbaijan and Turkey would
hold joint actions of protest against the decision taken by the U.S.

Congress Foreign Affairs Committee on Armenian genocide, head of the
Caucasus Muslim Board Allahshukur Pasha-zade said.

"The Caucasus Muslim Board and the Turkish Religious Affairs
Directorate will hold joint actions in connection with the so-called
Armenian genocide," Pasha-zade told journalists on Thursday.

He said that on March 4, when the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
USA Congress voted for the resolution recognizing Armenian genocide
and the vote was 23 for and 22 against he had a telephone talk with
head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Ali Bardakoglu and they discussed
some actions they need to hold in protest against such a decision.