E.SHEVARDNADZE: IT WAS BECAUSE OF RUSSIA’S SUPPORT TO ARMENIA THAT
AZERBAIJAN HAS LOST PART OF ITS TERRITORIES
YEREVAN, MARCH 16. ATMINFO. It was because of Russia’s support to
Armenia that Azerbaijan has lost part of its territories, ex-president
of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze says in his interview to a Georgian
Bureau “APA.” “Then Heydar Aliyev acted wisely and stopped the war,
and began developing economy and military sphere,” Shevardnadze said.
Kirkus Reviews
March 15, 2005
A STRANGE DEATH;
A Story Originating in Espionage, Betrayal, and Vengeance in a
Village in Old Palestine
Long-winded, thoughtfully meandering tale of the repercussions of a
WWI spy ring on a Palestine village.
Israeli journalist Halkin (Across the Sabbath River, 2002) unearthed
this story in his backyard more than 30 years ago, when he and his
wife bought land and built a house in the former farming village of
Zichron Ya’akov. In the late 19th century, Zichron–supported and
designed by Baron James de Rothschild during the first wave of Jewish
immigration to Ottoman-ruled Palestine–was also home to the Nili
ring, a shadowy pro-British group operating against the oppressive
Turks. Very gradually, Halkin embarks on the details of the affair he
uncovers in conversations with lively, irrepressible local residents.
Before Britain’s conquest of Palestine in 1917, the Jewish settlers,
afraid for their survival upon hearing of the 1915 Armenian massacre,
decided to help keep the British informed of Turkish maneuvers.
Zionists Aaron Aaronsohn and Avshalom Feinberg; Aaron’s sisters,
Sarah and Rivka; and a “picaresque rover,” Yosef Lishansky, organized
a ring that traded intelligence for British gold, which they
dispensed to the Jews of Palestine to keep them from starving–or
talking. A dragnet was thrown, however, and the spies were arrested
and tortured, most notably Sarah, who before shooting herself managed
to write an accusatory farewell letter that seemed to name her
informers and urge revenge. In fact, Perl Appelbaum, one of four
women who probably informed on the ring in order to save the
community from Turkish retribution, died under suspicious
circumstances that perhaps involved poison, or at least that’s what
Halkin concludes after tortuous wanderings through stories within
stories by survivors who like to embellish.
Everyone here spins good yarns, rendered in lovely prose, but the
book’s hefty size pads a pretty skimpy adventure.
Publication Date: 06/01/2005
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Stage: Adult
ISBN: 1-58648-271-8
Price: $24.00
Author: Halkin, Hillel
Dünya Gazetesi, Turkey
March 9 2005
Erdogan, Baykal agree to cooperate on Armenian issue
09/03/2005 11:52:35
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader yesterday visited
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Parliament to brief the premier
on his party’s plans on the so-called Armenian genocide allegations,
and he called on the government to work together with opposition
parties in Parliament on the issue.
Speaking after their talks, Erdogan stated that they had agreed to
join forces. “Turkey is ready to resolve the issue. It has opened up
its state archives,” said Erdogan, calling on everybody to come and
study them. Baykal, for his part, said that the Armenian genocide
allegations began after 1975 and are politically motivated. He urged
Armenians to open their state archives as well.
–Boundary_(ID_hUlFZQpdek7URgx87l2VNQ)–
Azeri leader says truce violations Armenian “sabotage”
ANS TV, Baku
12 Mar 05
[Presenter] President Ilham Aliyev has described as sabotage frequent
Armenian attacks on Azerbaijani positions. The commander-in-chief
said that the Azerbaijani side is ready to repel them.
[Aliyev speaking to journalists] I condemn the cease-fire violations.
Of course, you cannot hear any other reaction [from me]. The breach
of the cease-fire will not have a positive impact on the negotiating
process. We do not need this. As you know, Azerbaijan’s position
is now strong. In comparison [with the past], you will see that we
have achieved a lot in the process of settling the conflict: both
diplomatic, political and other. This is why we do not want this.
This is sabotage by the Armenians. They are probably trying to
pursue certain purposes in this way. We are ready. If they break [the
cease-fire], we will do the same. If they attack, we will answer in
such a way that they will regret having done so.
WHY HAS KASPRCHIK COME TO ARMENIA?
11-03-2005
“A1+” learned today that the special representative of the OSCE
President – Anjey Kasprchik, who had carried out inspection of the
Karabakh-Azerbaijan border on March 6, is in Yerevan. It turned out
impossible to learn why he had come to Armenia, who he will meet
and when he will leave. Neither the OSCE office nor the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs gave any information; the only thing that was
confirmed was that Anjey Kasprchik is really in Yerevan.
Let us remind you that for the past week Armenia and Azerbaijan have
been blaming each other for violating the armistice. The Azerbaijani
side claims that the longest shooting was in the Aghdam region. The
Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has also informed that the Armenian
side has violated the armistice in the Tartar region, as well as from
the Ijevan region.
According to the information of the Radio station “Azatutyun”, this
week the Azerbaijanis have tried to take control of more comfortable
posts in the North-East of Karabakh. As a result of the conflict there
is a victim from the Armenian side, two were injured. The posts, for
which the armed conflict took place, are again under the control of
the Armenian side.
The Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs Eldar Mamedov has voiced
opinion that “some powers try to destroy what was achieved at the
negotiation table by creating tension. These incidents are natural when
the points of view of the sides are coming closer, as the negotiations
of the sides are continuing successfully”.
VARDAN OSKANIAN: NAGORNY KARABAKH HAS NEVER BEEN A PART OF INDEPENDENT AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 9. ARMINFO. Nagorny Karabakh has never been a part of
independent Azerbaijan. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Armenia Vardan Oskanian stated during the news conference, Wednesday.
As the minister mentioned, the problem of Nagorny Karabakh is, first
of all, the issue of the right of NKR people for self-determination.
“It is implementing this right in the territory which has never been
a part of independent Azerbaijan”, the foreign minister mentioned.
Commenting on the issue on NKR’s participation in the negotiations,
Vardan Oskanian expressed an opinion, though Stepanakert is not
directly taking part in the negotiations, nevertheless, it is present
at the general process and the NKR authorities are informed about
the matter of the meetings and keep contacts with the cochairmen of
the OSCE Minsk Group. “So, when the negotiations begin within the
framework of the Minsk Group, Nagorny Karabakh will be involved in
them. The evidence of falseness of the opinion on the absence of NKR
at the negotiations is that during their visits the cochairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group visit Stepanakert and meet with NKR authorities”,
the minister reminded. He also stressed there is no disagreement
between the authorities of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Armenian foreign minister rejects Turkish proposal on genocide allegations
NTV television, Istanbul
9 Mar 05
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan rejected the proposal for
a joint deliberation of the Armenian genocide allegations by the
historians of the two countries.
He considered as groundless Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
proposal that the historians of the two countries conduct joint work
on the issue. Oskanyan said that they [the Armenians] have been
frequently expressing their own position on the issue. Declaring
that the historians have said what they had to say a long time ago,
Oskanyan added that Turkey has to put forward its own position,
as historians can do nothing more.
Turkey’s “procedures” with Armenia now handled by embassy in Georgia
Anatolia news agency
9 Mar 05
Ankara, 9 March: Turkey has decided to carry out all procedures
regarding Armenia via its embassy in Georgian capital of Tbilisi,
Namik Tan, the spokesman of Turkish Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday
[9 March].
Tan told a weekly press conference that Turkey was one of the first
countries recognizing Armenia, which declared its independence on 16
December 1991.
Recalling that procedures regarding Armenia had been carried out via
Turkey’s embassy in Russian capital of Moscow, Tan said that from
now on, they would be carried out via Turkey’s embassy in Tbilisi.
PanArmenian News
March 7 2005
ROBERT KOCHARIAN: ARMENIA~RS ASPIRATION TO INTEGRATE INTO EUROPEAN
FAMILY VERY STRONG
07.03.2005 05:14
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the meeting with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian Latvian Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre introduced the political
and economic processes carried out in Latvia after joining the EU. In
her words, despite the fact that Latvia conducted a series of reforms
on the path to the EU membership, there is still a long way to achieve
complete accord with the European standards. He also informed that
Latvia is going to pay special attention to the relationships with
the South Caucasian states, which are inclined to follow the path of
eurointegration. In his turn Robert Kocharian said that Armenia~Rs
aspiration to integrate into the European family is very strong
and noted that Latvia~Rs experience could be rather helpful for
establishing stability and peaceful interaction in the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan reportedly agrees to release Georgia-bound carriages
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
5 Mar 05
[Presenter] The Azerbaijani and Georgian governments have reached
agreement on the wagons detained on the border. The Azerbaijani
government ordered to stop unloading the wagons on suspicious routes
after Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli’s visit to Baku, the
State Railway Department has said.
[Correspondent] The State Railway Department has ordered to stop the
unloading of the wagons detained on the Azeri-Georgian border which
are bound for Armenia. Teymur Mammadov from the department told Son
Xabar that the order was issued today [5 March].
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, who completed his visit to
Azerbaijan today, said [in Georgia] that the sides reached an
agreement on the detained ferry trucks. Whereas in Baku, Mr Noghaideli
said that if Azerbaijan would allow the trucks to enter Georgia,
official Tbilisi would give an official guarantee that they would not
be redirected to Armenia.
The talk is about the import of those goods and there is no doubt that
they will be imported to Georgia, end of quote.
Elxan Polxov, the second secretary of the Azerbaijani embassy in
Georgia, said the Azerbaijani side had agreed to allow the wagons to
enter Georgia, but set a condition as well.
[Polxov over the phone] The only condition is that no goods
transported to Georgia via Azerbaijan should be redirected to
Armenia. And Mr Noghaideli has given us an official guarantee that his
government would keep this under its control and that such cases would
not be repeated in the future.
[Correspondent] However, it is not yet clear when the wagons would be
released. Elxan Polxov said some procedures should be worked out for
the process to start.
[Polxov] I think the wagons will be released after we resolve some
technical issues.
[Correspondent] It must be mentioned that 284 of the 400 detained
wagons contain wheat. Of the 284 wagons, 56 have temporarily been
unloaded in some mills of Baku. Another 100 wagons have been taken to
Azertaxil stores rented by the State Customs Committee. Of the
remaining wagons, 74 contain diesel, five reactive fuel and 32 liquid
fuel.