Author: Mamian George

EU Sticks by Plans for Turkey Talks

Deutsche Welle, Germany
June 29 2005

It will take a while before Turkey’s flag finds a place in Brussels

The EU’s executive vowed Wednesday to “stick to its word” to Ankara
and start entry talks in October despite the bloc’s current turmoil,
while stressing there is no guarantee of eventual EU membership.

Just as the EU’s enlargement chief, Olli Rehn, went before the press
to talk about the intense debate over Turkey’s possible EU membership,
a storm broke out over Brussels. The satellite connections were cut,
computer screens went dark for several minutes.

Some took it as an omen. But Rehn reinforced the EU’s continuing
support for negotiation talks with the vast, largely Muslim country
with the goal being accession, but not before 2014.

He said despite the turbulence the European bloc currently finds itself
in after failed referendums on the EU constitution and financial
squabbles, Turkey should be given the chance to demonstrate that it
can fulfil the obligations for membership, even if the road ahead is
a long, meandering one, and membership is not guaranteed.

Presenting a roadmap-style plan for the talks, Rehn also underlined
that the vast mainly-Muslim country faces a huge task of reform if
it ever is to join the bloc.

“We stick to our word … the negotiation process will encourage
implementation of reforms and give a strong impulse to those who want
more democracy and more human rights in this country,” he said.

“It will certainly be a long and difficult journey, but the journey
will be as important as the destination,” he added.

Differences of opinion ahead

Rehn was more than two hours late for the news conference announcing
that the Commission had adopted the draft mandate to start
negotiations. He told reporters: “We had a lengthy, argumentative
and also very political debate.”

He called the negotiating framework “rigorous” and emphasized the
demand that Turkey improve relations with its neighbors, particularly
Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974 into Greek and Turkish
Cypriot communities, and Armenia, with which it has no diplomatic
relations and a sealed border.

Ankara is also under pressure to carry through on economic and
political reforms as well as expand its customs union with the EU to
include all ten new member states, including Cyprus.

Cyprus, however, threatens to be a sticking point. Turkish officials
are still talking about an additional declaration to the “Ankara
Protocol” on customs union stating the document does not entail
Turkish recognition of Cyprus.

Talks to start in October

The 25-member bloc’s leaders agreed in December to start accession
talks with Ankara on October 3 provided the country meets a number
of conditions, including signing an accord with the divided island
of Cyprus.

On Wednesday, the commission agreed on a proposed “framework for
negotiations,” setting out its technical plans for how the talks
should proceed.

In any case the talks to join the EU — which underwent a “big bang”
expansion from 15 to 25 members last year, with a handful more waiting
in line apart from Turkey — are expected to last at least a decade.

But the commission proposals reiterated terminology agreed by EU
leaders in December, notably that the talks are “an open-ended process,
the outcome of which cannot be guaranteed beforehand.”

“If Turkey will not be able to (join) we must ensure that she is
fully anchored in the European structures,” said Rehn, who forecast
that talk of a “privileged partnership” with Turkey rather than full
EU membership will likely feature in the debate on the issue.

And the EU’s constitution crisis has clouded the issue even further.

Opposition to Turkey’s EU hopes was seen as a key factor behind the
“no” votes, and EU leaders have pledged to react by listening more
to ordinary Europeans.

A “hold” on enlargement?

More fuel was adding to those burning issues on Monday by interior
minister and presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy who called for
EU enlargement to be put on hold to give time for its internal
institutions to be “renovated.”

“Enlargement must be suspended at least as long as the institutions
have not been renovated. Europe must have borders,” he said. “Not
all countries have a vocation to be in Europe.”

A growing number of center-right leaders in western Europe, including
the likely next German chancellor, Angela Merkel (photo), oppose
Turkish entry and favour the “privileged partnership” option.

Turkey has kept up pressure for the EU to stick by its commitments.

On the eve of the EU proposals, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan called on the bloc to show that it is a not a “Christian club”
by admitting his country as a member.

“If you really think the EU is not a Christian club, you must arrange
it so that Turkey joins you,” he told a seminar Tuesday night. “We
hope that the EU becomes a crossing point where civilizations can
find one another,” he added.

EU commission head Jose Manuel Barroso, while insisting that talks
are due to start in October, has also acknowledged that the EU needed
to “discuss seriously” public concerns about the country’s possible
membership.

“It will be a complete mistake not to look at this issue seriously,” he
said last week. “We need the support of member states and citizens in
our member states for the enlargement of the European Union,” he added.

NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF KOREA TO ARMENIA HANDS HIS CREDENTIALS TO RA PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, June 28. /ARKA/. The newly appointed Ambassador of Korea to
Armenia Kim Jae-Sup (residence in Moscow) handed his credentials to RA
President Robert Kocharyan. According to RA President’s Press Service
Department, Kocharyan congratulated the Ambassador and expressed
hope that Armenian-Korean relations will experience new stage of
development. According to the president, though last year the trade
turnover between the countries grew twice, nevertheless the indicator
is lower than it could be. In regard with this he emphasized the
necessity to take measures to increase efficiency of trade turnover.

The Ambassador attached importance to the economic constituent of
the bilateral cooperation and promised to apply all the efforts to
expand the relations.

Kim Jae-Sup was born in 1945. In 1968 he graduated from the Department
of International Affairs of the National University of Seoul. Since
1969 he has been working in Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In
1981-1984 he occupied the post of a Councilor of the Korean Ambassador
to India, in 1990-1992 he was a Councilor of the President of Korea,
in 1995-1998 he became the Korean Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Czech Republic. In 2003 he occupied the post of
a Deputy Minister of Foreign affairs and Trade of Korea. A.H. –0–

RUSSIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, June 28. /ARKA/. A Russian national exhibition is to be
held in Yerevan in December 2005. According to the list of major
arrangements of the Russian CCI for the latter half of 2005, the goal
of the exhibition is the development of relations between Armenian
and Russian business communities.

The exhibition organizers are the Department of Exhibitions and Fairs,
RF CCI, and the RF Ministry of Economic Development. P.T. -0–

AZG Armenian Daily #119, 29/06/2005

Culture

FAMOUS TOKYO QUARTET TO PERFORM IN YEREVAN

The remarkable ensemble of Eastern and Western musicians, as the Tokyo
string Quartet is, will perform at Aram Khachatrian Music Hall on
July 1. The concert repertoire will include works of Johannes Brahms,
Maurice Ravel and Hikaru Hayashi.

Formed at the American Julliard School of Music 35 years ago by 4
Japanese musicians, the quartet has undergone considerable changes
since. Canada-born Armenian Peter Oundjian has been the first violinist
of Tokyo for 15 years but had to trade his position at the band for
Toronto’s chief conductor after injuring his hand.

This single Yerevan concert of Tokyo quartet (Kikuei Ikeda – violin,
Kazuhide Isomura – viola, Sadao Harada – cello) is a huge event
for the CIS not only because it’s the first concert in post-Soviet
territory but also for the fact that the musicians will perform
with 4 instruments made by famous Italian master Stradivarius and
played by Nicolo Paganini. Japanese Nippon Music Foundation bought
the instruments (violins dated 1680 and 1727, viola – 1731, cello –
1736) from Washington’s Corcoran exhibition hall where they rested
and handed to Tokyo quartet in 1995.

The organizer of this unique concert is the Prospects of 21st Century
international music festival, which has invited many eminent musicians
during 5 years of its activity. 4 of 7 world’s famous quartets –
Borodin, Chilingirian, Kronos and Tokyo – have already been to Armenia.

The visit of the Tokyo quartet is largely due to the efforts
president of the festival composer Stepan Rostomian and manager Sona
Hovhannisian. “A nation that created Narekatsi and Komitas cannot
descend to the level of a folklore country. We have great folklore
but we are a cultural country and should keep this title”, Rostomian
said. Stepan Rostomian recalled David Harrington, first violin
of Kronos quartet, admired by Geghard and saying in an interview,
“I did not sleep whole night, your country is a holy country, your
music is a holy music. I am going to record Komitas in Geghard”.

Among other sponsors of the concert are VIVA Cell mobile
operator, Great Wheel Company, the Austrian Airlines and Colde
Tulip. Informational support by Printinfo Publishing House, Armenia
TV and daily Azg.

By Melania Badalian

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND SYRIA DISCUSS STANCES OF THE
TWO COUNTRIES CONCERNING ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST

ARKA News Agency
June 28 2005

YEREVAN, June 28. /ARKA/. Deputy Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Syria
Gegham Garibjanyan and Ahmad Arnus today discussed the stances of the
two countries concerning issues of mutual interest. As the Information
and Press Department of RA Foreign Ministry told ARKA News Agency,
the participants of the meeting also considered the perspectives for
cooperation in international organizations and the problems of Middle
Eastern and South Caucasian regions. Special attention was paid to
expansion of contractual basis and perspectives of trade-economic
relations development between the two countries. L.V.-0–

AZERI AND TURKISH FMs DISCUSSED KARABAKH ISSUE

Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 06:46

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey Elmar
Mamedyarov and Abdullah Gul discussed the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict in Ankara yesterday, reported the Yerkir newspaper. Mamedyarov
is in Turkey on the invitation of Abdullah Gul. Besides the Karabakh
issue, the interlocutors also discussed a number of regional and
international matters.

NEWLY ELECTED NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF NKR TO CONVENE FIRST SITTING ON JUNE 30

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The newly elected National Assembly
of the 4th convention of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh will
convene its maiden sitting on June 30. The election of the Parliament
administration is envisaged. To recap, from 33 newly elected MPs, 12
ones present the Democratic Party of Artsakh, 10 MPs present the “Azat
Hayrenik” (Free Country) party, 3 ones the opposing “ARF-Movement-88”
bloc. 8 MPs are officially independent.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
27. Juni 2005

Sohn eines Schöngeistes;
Orhan Pamuk und die politische Korrektheit

von Wolfgang Günter Lerch

FRANKFURT, 26. Juni.

“Nobelpreis (Nobel ödülü) der Deutschen” an Orhan Pamuk. Unter dieser
wohl etwas ironisch zu interpretierenden Überschrift hat die
Europa-Ausgabe der türkischen Zeitung “Hürriyet” dieser Tage
berichtet, daß der international bekannte türkische Autor in diesem
Jahr den Friedenspreis des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels
erhält. Er fügt sich damit in eine Reihe von noblen Preisträgern ein.
Die Zeitung erwähnt, daß sich Pamuk in der Kurden- und Armenierfrage
besonders engagiert habe. Das tut sie nicht ohne Grund, denn die
Ansichten Pamuks zu diesen Themen sind ihr fremd.

Tatsächlich hatte der Romancier im vergangenen Frühjahr ein
Kesseltreiben in der Türkei gegen seine Person hervorgerufen, als er
in einem Gespräch gesagt hatte, die Türken hätten 30 000 Kurden
getötet und eine Million Armenier umgebracht. “Und fast niemand traut
sich, das zu erwähnen. Also tue ich es.” Mit diesen Sätzen wandte er
sich gegen die in der Türkei übliche Apologetik, die Armeniermassaker
würden von westlichen Historikern verzerrt dargestellt, die
Ereignisse während des Ersten Weltkrieges bewußt zuungunsten der
Türken entstellt und Teile der Wahrheit, etwa die von Armeniern
geübte Gewalt und die Leiden der muslimischen Bevölkerung,
weggelassen. Nicht nur Zeitungen beschimpften ihn, der Autor bekam
auch Morddrohungen aus der Bevölkerung und wurde als
“Vaterlandsverräter” dargestellt. Eine Welle des Nationalismus wurde
in jenen Wochen beobachtet, nachdem die Türkei im vergangenen
Dezember die Zusage erhalten hatte, die Europäische Union werde am 3.
Oktober dieses Jahres Gespräche über einen Beitritt Ankaras als
Vollmitglied aufnehmen. In diese Stimmung paßte keine
“Nestbeschmutzung”, weder im Lager der EU-Befürworter noch in dem der
gestandenen Nationalisten.

Spätestens zu diesem Zeitpunkt war der Schriftsteller, Jahrgang 1952
und in Istanbul “als Sohn eines Schöngeistes”, wie er sagt, und Enkel
eines Unternehmers geboren, in die Riege jener politischen Autoren
seines Landes aufgestiegen, zu der er eigentlich nicht gehören will.
Pamuks sensible und komplexe Romane, von denen bisher fünf auf
deutsch erschienen sind, handeln von den Schwierigkeiten zwischen
westlicher und islamischer Welt sowie von den Identitätskonflikten in
der islamisch geprägten türkischen Gesellschaft selbst, die zwischen
Orient und Okzident, Modernismus und Nationalismus hin und her
gerissen ist. Natürlich sind das eminent politische Themenkomplexe,
doch lehnte Pamuk es immer ab, ein typisch politischer Autor zu sein,
wie das seit den Tagen der Tanzimat-Reformen (1839 bis 1877) mit
ihren bisweilen platt lehrhaften Tendenzen in der zweiten Hälfte des
19. Jahrhunderts und auch in der Atatürk-Ära häufig der Fall war. Er
steht auch keiner Partei nahe und trommelt für nichts und niemanden;
auch nicht für die EU-Vollmitgliedschaft der Türkei. In dieser
Angelegenheit hält sich der Schriftsteller eher zurück.

Im Gefängnis – wie die meisten bekannten Autoren seines Landes im 20.
Jahrhundert – war er noch nicht. Aber immer wieder hat sich Orhan
Pamuk zu Fragen der Politik geäußert. So war er der erste
Schriftsteller überhaupt, der gegen die 1989 in Iran von Ajatollah
Chomeini erlassene Todes-Fatwa gegen den britischen Schriftsteller
Salman Rushdie protestierte. Ebenso wandte er sich gegen die
Verfolgung Yasar Kemals, der 1997 ebenfalls den Friedenspreis in der
Paulskirche erhielt, durch die türkische Justiz oder des Satirikers
Aziz Nesin, dessen zehnten Todestages gegenwärtig in der Türkei wie
außerhalb gedacht wird. Nesin, der über hundert Romane hinterlassen
hat, wäre zwei Jahre vor seinem Tod beinahe von einer Gruppe
islamistischer Fanatiker, die in der ostanatolischen Stadt Sivas ein
Hotel, in dem linke Liedermacher und Dichter tagten, in Brand
gesteckt hatten, ermordet worden. Damals wurden 37 Menschen getötet.
Das zeigt, wie real Gefahren in manchen Gebieten der Türkei bisweilen
noch sein können.

Pamuk, alles andere als ein religiöser Eiferer, setzte sich außerdem
dafür ein, die Kopftuchfrage bei türkischen Studentinnen nicht
dogmatisch, sondern flexibel zu lösen. Nicht nur Lehrerinnen und
Professorinnen ist das Tragen des Kopftuches in Schule und
Universität von Staats wegen verboten, sondern auch den Studentinnen
auf dem Campus und natürlich bei den Prüfungen. In seinem letzten
Roman mit dem Titel “Kar” (Schnee), der im fernen Osten Anatoliens
spielt, gehören Selbstmorde von Kopftuchträgerinnen, die vor der Wahl
stehen, entweder das Tuch abzulegen oder ihre Karriere zu opfern, und
die diesen Konflikt durch Suizid “lösen”, zu den Themen der Handlung.
Pamuk plädiert bei Studentinnen im Zweifel für die persönliche
Freiheit. Förderung der Zivilgesellschaft und der Toleranz stehen im
Mittelpunkt seines Werks.

“Dieser Mensch ist so unfähig, daß es nicht einmal lohnt, ihn als
Feind zu betrachten”, hatte die “Hürriyet” erbost geschrieben, als
Pamuk seine Sätze über Armenier und Kurden gesagt hatte. In der
Türkei mögen manche nun glauben, Pamuk erhalte den Friedenspreis
zugesprochen, weil er zur Armenierfrage so steht wie der Deutsche
Bundestag. Dieser hatte am 16. Juni einstimmig eine Entschließung zu
den Armeniermassakern des Ersten Weltkrieges (einschließlich der
deutschen Mitschuld) herausgegeben, die vom türkischen Außenminister
Abdullah Gül umgehend als “verantwortungslos, bestürzend und
verletzend” zurückgewiesen worden war. Doch Orhan Pamuk, der in
vielen westlichen Ländern, Amerika eingeschlossen, viel bekannter ist
als in Deutschland, ist nach Meinung vieler international
renommierter Autoren längst nobelpreiswürdig.

Orhan PAMUK

–Boundary_(ID_a4LpAFm3HdBhofXBNr/mww)–

Azerbaijan News Service
June 25 2005

PRESIDENT OUTLINES AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY POWER TO RELEASE OCCUPIED
LANDS ON ARMY DAY CELEBRATION
2005-06-25 16:53

President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev estimates peaceful
talks with Armenia over settlement of Daqliq Qarabaq conflict as
concession by Azerbaijan. `Today they speak of concessions. Holding
peaceful negotiations is the biggest yield from Azerbaijan’s side’,
stated Ilham Aliyev during the graduate ceremony of the High Military
School cadets named after Heydar Aliyev. President assured that
Azerbaijan will recover occupied lands by Armenia. `Peace agreement
will be signed and Azerbaijan will get back occupied territories. Our
position is based on principles of international law. Azerbaijan
enjoys political superiority. Adopted documents and discussion of the
Daqliq Qarabaq conflict at international organizations prove that’.
At the same time Ilham Aliyev pointed out necessity to attach
constant attention to armed forces. `Taking into account that
Azerbaijan is in state of war we must always show care to national
army’, said Ilham Aliyev. Commander in- Chief noted that formation of
the armed forces is one of the priority tasks before the government.
`In 2005 year state budget increased by 35 percent compared to 2004
year. Military spending amounted to 135 million USD in 2003 year, 175
million USD in 2004 and in 2005 year it equals to 300 million USD.
The process to increase military spending will be carried on in
following years too’. President added that in connection with
increase of the 2005 year state budget military spending was also
increased accordingly. `It is connected with dislocation of Russian
army bases from Georgia to Armenia. These bases are not given to
Armenian side but transferred to its territory. However it is
necessary to take adequate steps’, outlined Ilham Aliyev. `At present
Azerbaijan’s army is the strongest in the South Caucasus. We must
strengthen and develop our army. Azerbaijan obtains military
techniques, armament and equipment. The process will be ongoing in
future too. The enemy should know that Azerbaijan can release
occupied territories at any time’, stated Mr. Aliyev. Military parade
was held in the territory of military school.

“ORINATS YERKIR” HAS NO NEED TO JOIN ANY OTHER POLITICAL FORCE,
HEGHINE BISHARIAN ASSURES

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The “Orinats Yerkir” party (Country of
Law) is a powerful political force and has no need to cooperate with
any other force. Heghine Bisharian, the Secretary of the NA “Orinats
Yerkir” faction stated about this at the June 22 press-conference,
responding to a question about a possibility of cooperation with the
“Hanrapetutiun” (Republic) party during the next state elections.

According to her, there is still 1.5 year before the next elections,
and no such discussions are carried out in the party. Heghine
Bisharian mentioned that Artur Baghdasarian, the Chairman of the
“Orinats Yerkir” just thanked Aram Sargsian, the Chairman of the
Political Council of the “Hanrapetiun” party, in respond to the
positive estimations stated in his address by him. According to
Heghine Bisharian, the “Orinats Yerkir” can exist as a plitical party
on its own. As for the rulling coalition, it was created as there was
such a necessity, and how long it exists, the history will show.