Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

RUSSIAN MP: PRESENCE OF HISTORICAL FACTS IN MODERN POLITICS IS VERY DANGEROUS
R. Mehdiyev

Today
63626.html
March 10 2010
Azerbaijan

Interview with member of the Russian Duma (Parliament), Director of
the Russia-based Institute of Political Studies and political analyst
Sergey Markov.

Do you share Turkey’s viewpoint that a move by the U.S. Congress House
of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs to adopt the "Armenian
genocide" resolution poses a threat to security in the South Caucasus?

Of course, the U.S. Congress committee’s decision poses no direct
threat to security in the South Caucasus. But it may spark other
things. It can boost conflicts in the region giving rise to new legal
demands of the sides regarding many unresolved ethnic and territorial
problems in the Caucasus. Such a probability does persist.

However, there is direct threat neither for the South Caucasus and
the Republic Turkey. No doubt, the decision by the U.S. congressmen
is a strong blow to Turkey’s interests.

In your opinion, what is the reason behind the U.S. Congress move?

It should be noted, that this issue has been raised on numerous
occasions. Of course, actions against Armenians in that historical
period were very cruel. But one needs to understand that it took place
a long time ago. I believe the recent decision by the Committee on
Foreign Affairs was result of long-term efforts of pro-Armenian and
Greek lobby in the U.S. Of course, this document would not have been
adopted if Washington had not deviated from policy of accepting Turkey
as its political ally in the Middle East and South Caucasus.

Can this decision spark a new tension in the South Caucasus and change
relation between the two countries?

Of course, change in relations will take place in the
Turkey-Armenia-Azerbaijan triangle first and foremost since the recent
move aims to encourage all forces critical of Turkey. In other words,
all forces opposed against Turkey will enhance potential. From this
standpoint, this will lead to shift in balance of forces and situation
in the South Caucasus in an indirect way.

>>From your point of view, can this impact Russia’s interests and
its mediation efforts to resolve the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan?

I believe these developments will have no direct influence on
interests of sides involved in organizing the Nagorno-Karabakh
negotiations. However, due to changes in overall political situation
because of the recent developments, it will have an indirect impact
on certain aspects of talks.

How did Moscow take the decision made in the U.S.? May it cause an
anxiety in the Russian leadership?

I can not exactly say how the Russian leadership took this decision.

But I can say that it keeps a close on such things. Russian politicians
attentively estimate what impact such actions may have on situation
around our country and its interests. I believe it is wrong to present
historical facts as part of the modern policy. In general, presence
of historical facts in modern politics is very dangerous.

In your opinion, can the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations now acquire
a new direction?

I do not think so. I think the U.S. Congress Committee’s decision
will not directly influence the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations. It will
have no direct and deep influence. But something will change anyway.

TURKISH OPPOSITION CALLS TO RETRACT RECONCILIATION WITH ARMENIA

RIA Novosti
March 9, 2010
Ankara

The Turkish opposition called for the government on Tuesday to halt
the reconciliation process with Armenia following the recognition by
the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives
of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

Last week, following almost six hours of heated debates, the committee
voted 23-22 in support of a resolution condemning as genocide the
killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by Turks during World
War I.

The U.S. resolution raised a storm in international diplomacy,
posing a threat for the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process,
which has been underway since October 2009.

An agreement on the restoration of frozen diplomatic relations and
reopening borders, signed by the two countries’ foreign ministers
during a meeting in Switzerland, is still to be ratified by the two
countries’ parliaments.

Deniz Baykal, the leader of the Turkish opposition Republican
People’s Party, called for the parliament on Tuesday to recall the
reconciliation protocols from the Turkish legislature. He reiterated
that the signing of the agreement would be "inexpedient" and its
implementation "impossible" as long as Yerevan maintained its
"unfriendly" attitude towards Turkey.

"Now, it’s necessary to exclude the protocols, which have no value,
from the parliament’s agenda," he said.

The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since Armenia
became independent following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in a show of support for
Azerbaijan following a bloody conflict over Nagorny Karabakh, in
which some 35,000 died on both sides. The largely ethnic Armenian
region in Azerbaijani territory has remained in Armenian control.

The genocide issue has been a major obstacle to reviving ties between
the two nations. Many political forces in Armenia have denounced the
expected reconciliation with Turkey, which rejects the genocide label,
as treason.

The U.S. resolution triggered fierce criticism from Turkey. Ankara
recalled its newly appointed ambassador to the United States, Namik
Tan, for consultations, while President Abdullah Gul said his country
would "not be responsible for the negative results of this vote."

Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement
Party, said the Armenian-Turkish protocols should be recalled
from the Turkish parliament before April 24, the Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day.

On April 23, the full U.S. House of Representatives is expected to
vote on the resolution.

Bahceli said relations with Armenia should be frozen and the planned
visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the United
States cancelled.

U.S. authorities have pledged to take efforts to block the
controversial resolution, fearing it could alienate Washington’s
NATO ally, whose help the White House considers invaluable in solving
confrontations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

OPENING OF UPPER LARS CHECK POINT WILL GIVE ARMENIA A BETTER GROUNDED RESPITE IN ITS RAPPROCHEMENT PROCESS WITH TURKEY

ArmInfo
2010-03-09 20:43:00

ArmInfo. The opening of the Upper Lars check point was motivated by
not only Russian-Georgian but also Russian-Armenian, Armenian-Turkish
and Georgian-Armenian relations, Russian political expert, the
head of the International Relations Department of the Institute
for Political and Military Analysis Sergey Markedonov said during a
Yerevan-Tbilisi-Moscow TV bridge today.

The closure of the check point in 2006 caused great anxiety in Armenia
as Yerevan lost many of its logistical ties with its strategic ally,
Moscow. 08.08.08 war has caused damage to Armenian-Russian relations,
which was a prerequisite for Armenian-Turkish rapprochement.

Presently, the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement is stalling and the
opening of the Upper Lars check point will give Armenia a better
grounded respite in this process.

Armenian-Georgian relations are not very simple. On the one hand,
Armenian and Georgia are neighbors and 3/4 of Armenian export goes
via Georgia, on the other, there is a complex ethno-political problem
in Javakheti, which though not Abkhazia or South Ossetia is still a
source of concern. Armenia’s mediation in the Upper Lars reopening
talks is a mutual signal for Tbilisi and Yerevan that some "hotheads"
in Javakheti will be given a certain message and that Georgia may
revise its policy in this region.

To remind, the Kazbegi-Upper Lars check point on the Russian-Georgian
border has been kept closed for three years. It was closed by Russia
for repair and re-equipment. The check point was reopened Mar 1 2010.

The relevant talks were mediated by Armenia.

TURKEY AND THE ARMY

New York Times
mon2.html
March 8 2010

The recent arrest or detention of dozens of Turkish military officers
for alleged coup plotting could signal a significant shift in power
from the tarnished army to civilian leadership. These cases could
help strengthen Turkish democracy — provided the government and the
judiciary scrupulously apply the rule of law.

For most of modern Turkey’s history, the army has been dominant,
and far too willing to use any means to keep Turkey a secular,
Western-oriented state. That included overthrowing four democratically
elected governments since 1960. As recently as 2007, the military
tried to block the selection of Abdullah Gul of the Islamic-influenced
Justice and Development Party (A.K.P.) as president largely on the
ground that his wife wore an Islamic headscarf.

The military’s hold on political life has weakened steadily under
A.K.P. rule and pressure from the European Union, which has insisted
that as part of Ankara’s bid for membership, the military must become
more accountable to civilian leaders.

The recent detentions and arrests came after a small independent
newspaper, Taraf, published what it said were military documents
from a 2003 meeting describing preparations for a coup. The military
acknowledged the meeting but said it was focused only on protecting
the country from external, not domestic, threats. Since the arrests,
the military’s top leaders have shown welcome restraint.

Meanwhile, relations with the United States hit a new rut on
Thursday when the House Foreign Affairs Committee denounced the
World War I mass killings of Armenians as genocide. We think the
resolution was unnecessary, just as Ankara’s denial of that tragedy is
self-destructive. Instead of threatening Washington with retaliation
for the vote, Ankara should focus on getting a normalization deal
with Armenia back on track.

The United States and other Western countries need to keep nudging
Turkey forward while keeping the hope of E.U. membership alive and
credible.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan needs to curb his own autocratic
tendencies and push for replacing the military-imposed constitution
with one that enshrines rights for Kurds and other minorities,
religious and press freedoms, a commitment to secular rule and a
law-based judiciary. And Turkey’s military leaders need to continue
exercising restraint.

CONGRESS PUTS HISTORY UP TO VOTE

Minnesota Daily
uts-history-vote
March 7 2010

Reverberations from the Armenian slaughter will shake U.S. relations
with Turkey.

Likely a success of the Feb. 5 international conference at the
University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, the U.S. House
Committee on Foreign Affairs passed a resolution last week condemning
the 1915 Armenian mass killing as "genocide." The bill succeeded by
a narrow margin of 23-22.

The theme of the conference was "The Armenian Genocide within
the Framework of National and International Law," and academics,
researchers and legal and human rights experts traveled from across
the world to share findings and expertise with colleagues.

A similar genocide acknowledgment bill was passed in 2007 under
President George W. Bush but was not signed into law due to political
backlash from Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire held
responsible for the genocide.

Though the resolutions passed last week do not bring any immediate
legal obligation for the United States, its diplomatic and political
consequences have already begun to manifest themselves.

This has been seen as a "difficult" and "painful period" for Turkey,
which immediately called its U.S. Ambassador, Namik Tan, back to
Ankara in diplomatic protest against passage of the resolution.

According to historians, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians died
"amid the chaos and unrest surrounding World War I" following the
"disintegration policy" of the Ottoman Empire, a New York Times
article read last week.

However, Turkey refuses to use the word "genocide" and instead cites
the deaths as an outcome of a civil war. Turkey has been waging a
campaign against any bill in this regard.

To speculate on the effect this bill would have in both the short and
long term, I spoke with Ziya Meral, a doctoral candidate in political
science at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Meral,
originally from Turkey, spoke of a "sense of vindication" for Turkey,
adding that the acknowledgment comes at a heavy price. "At the short
term, the Turkey-U.S. relations are being damaged," Meral wrote in
an e-mail response.

It is true that the United States needs an effective partnership with
Turkey regarding its strategic and military interests.

According to Meral, who presented at the February conference in
Minneapolis, the United States needs close Turkish support for its
exit strategies from Afghanistan and Iraq. The same is also true for
possible U.S. sanctions against what it deems a nuclear-ambitious Iran.

Observers like Meral point out that the "genocide bill" will further
disrupt already volatile Armenian-Turkish relations by giving more
legitimacy to nationalist voices in Turkey.

However, the passing of the bill by the U.S. House committee and
"recognition and acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide" is seen
as a victory for the Armenian "moral issue," says Edmon Marukyan,
an attorney in his home country and a current Humphrey Fellow. He
explains that the "genocide" forced Armenians to spread out all over
the world. The Armenians have been seeking justice for the genocide
"if not on legal sphere," Marukyan said, "on a moral one."

According to Dr. Ellen Kennedy, professor and interim director of
the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of
Minnesota, for the 3 million people in Armenia and the 8 million
Armenians living in other countries, the recent resolution represents
a welcome acknowledgment of a tragedy that has become almost
invisible. She referred to Hitler saying on the eve of efforts to
exterminate Europe’s Jews, "Who speaks today of the annihilation of
the Armenians?"

In 2006, France’s National Assembly outlawed the denial of the
Armenian genocide. Armenian activists in Europe have also tried to
block Turkey’s pending application for membership in the European
Union based on this issue, says Kennedy.

However, what prompted the U.S. House committee to pass the bill at
this point in time?

Kennedy told me, referring to the Foreign Affairs Committee Chair
Howard Berman, that the United States has a moral obligation to speak
out against the genocide and to prevent it from happening again.

According to Kennedy, who is also the executive director of the
nonprofit advocacy platform World Without Genocide, scholars have
succeeded in labeling the Armenian tragedy "genocide."

The International Association of Genocide has been successful in
patronizing some of the scholars. Even British jurists like Dr.

Geoffrey Robertson categorize the Armenian mass killing as "genocide"
through research and publications.

It is clear that the United States has avoided a position on the issue,
considering consequences from Turkey. But what now?

The Obama administration and the powerful Jewish lobby did not back
the Turkish position, as an English newspaper in Turkey, The Daily
News & Economic Review, reports.

As a senator, Barack Obama supported the previous Armenian resolution.

He was also critical of President George W. Bush for stopping it. Vice
President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have also
reportedly supported similar bills in the past.

However, that does not guarantee that the "genocide bill" would be
approved by a Congress dominated by Democrats. Turkey will once again
work hard to persuade the Obama administration to keep history’s
semantics on its side.

`Jewish Lobby behind U.S. `Genocide’ Vote’, Erdogan Slams Vote as ‘Parody’

etails.aspx?id=127845&language=en
06/03/2010

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday slammed as a
"parody" a US Congress panel’s resolution branding the killing of
Armenians during World War I as "genocide" and warned it would harm
countries concerned.

Thursday’s approval of the resolution at the US House Foreign Affairs
Committee was the product of "erroneous policies" and "will not bind
us," Erdogan said in televised remarks. Turkey will "not be deterred
by such a comedy, a parody, a fait accompli," he said in a speech to a
businessmen’s group in Istanbul.

"Let me say quite clearly that this resolution will not harm us. But
it will damage bilateral relations between countries, their interests
and their visions for the future. We will not be the losers," he
added.

A London-based Arabic-language newspaper said on Saturday that Jewish
lobbyists contrived the U.S. congressional vote. Pro-Israel lobbyists
had previously backed Turkey on the issue but changed tack in
retaliation for Turkish condemnation of Israel’s policies in the Gaza
Strip, the Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily said in an editorial.

In his leading article, Al-Quds Al-Arabi editor Abd al-Bari Atwan
urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to give in to
the Jewish lobby’s "extortion" tactics.

The US resolution has triggered protests in Turkey. Protesters on
Friday marched in front of the US embassy in Ankara, the Turkish
capital, chanting "God damn American imperialism".

"This is another game of the United States of America. Turkey never
committed genocide but we defend our land," the Associated Press news
agency quoted one protester as saying.

Turkey recalled its ambassador to the US and condemned Washington’s
move to declare the killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces in the
First World War a "genocide". "We condemn this resolution which
accuses the Turkish nation of a crime it has not committed," Ankara
said in a statement on Thursday. "Following this development, our
ambassador to Washington, Namik Tan, was recalled to Ankara for
consultations."

The announcement came minutes after the US House of Representatives’
foreign affairs committee passed a non-binding measure in a 23-22 vote
on Thursday, calling on the administration to ensure US policy
formally refers to the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as genocide.

There are fears the resolution, if adopted, could damage Turkey’s
peace efforts with Armenia. But Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of
state, said the resolution would not be adopted.

Ankara said the outcome of the US panel’s vote demonstrated "a lack of
strategic vision" among US legislators at a time when Turkey and the
US "are working together on a broad common agenda".

Abdullah Gul, Turkey’s president said the resolution had "no value in
the eyes of the Turkish people" and warned that it would deal a blow
on fledgling efforts to end decades of hostility between Turkey and
Armenia.

Xinhua, China
March 4 2010

Turkey recalls U.S. ambassador over "genocide" resolution

ANKARA March 4

Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador to the United States
minutes after a U.S. congressional panel approved a resolution
labeling the incidents of 1915 as " genocide", said the Turkish
government in a statement on Thursday.

"We condemn this resolution which charges Turkish nation with a crime
that it did not commit," the statement said.

"Under the influence of political motives, supporters of this
resolution have taken a wrong and unjust stance ignoring historical
facts and difference of opinion among experts," the statement said.

"The resolution includes tangible errors related to the incidents of
1915, and it has completely been prepared with a one- sided approach,"
it said.

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

The committee approved the resolution on incidents of 1915 — which
took place shortly before the fall of the Ottoman Empire — with 23
votes against 22.

The resolution was proposed by Democrats Adam Schiff and Frank Pallone
and Republicans George Radanovich and Mark Kirk, all important figures
for the Armenian lobby in the United States.

Turkish government also expressed concern that the non-binding
resolution could damage Turkish-U.S. relations and efforts to
normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols last October to normalize
relations; however, parliaments of the two countries have not passed
them yet.

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

news.am, Armenia
March 6 2010

Azerbaijan to accept updated version of Madrid Principles with exceptions

15:37 / 03/06/2010 Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met
French President’s diplomatic advisor and sherpa Jean-David Levitte in
the course of his visit to Paris, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Elkhan Polukhov informed Trend News agency.

At the discussion of Karabakh peace process Mammadyarov presented
Azerbaijan’s stance on the matter.

According to Polukhov, Levitte emphasized that President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s pledge to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the last
meeting to interfere personally in the issue and continue efforts to
settle the conflict shall stand.

As to Mammadyarov’s meeting with OSCE MG Co-Chairs, Polukhov told
1news.am that Mammadyarov restated Azerbaijan’s readiness to accept
updated version of Madrid Principles with certain exceptions, as the
document will enable to start activities on the comprehensive process
of Karabakh conflict settlement. According to him, the mediators said
they will continue to work with Armenian side on the agreement of the
principles.

L.A.

The Age, Australia
March 5 2010

Turkish anger at US genocide vote

PETER GREEN, WASHINGTON
March 6, 2010 .

TURKEY has recalled its ambassador from Washington after a
congressional committee brushed aside concerns raised by the Obama
administration and passed a resolution calling the World War I
killings of Armenians genocide.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Democrat representative
Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on the
eve of the hearing to express concern, administration officials said.

The committee approved the measure on a 23-22 vote. The resolution
says the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of modern-day Turkey, killed
1.5 million ethnic Armenians from 1915 to 1923. It asks the President
to ensure that US foreign policy reflects ”appropriate
understanding” of the atrocity and ”the consequences of the failure
to realise a just resolution”.

Following the vote, the Turkish government said ambassador Namik Tan
would leave for Ankara. Turkey, a US ally, took that same step as a
protest the day after a House committee approved a similar resolution
in 2007. That measure never came up for a full House vote.

The new resolution now goes to the Democratic leadership of the House
of Representatives, which will decide whether and when to hold a full
vote on the issue.

”We do not believe that the full Congress will or should vote on that
resolution and we have made that clear to all the parties involved,”
Mrs Clinton said.

”It’s serious,” Bulent Aliriza, director of the Turkey Project at
the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said
of the potential diplomatic damage caused by the committee vote.

”The administration did not focus on this, and the likelihood of the
normalisation” between Turkey and Armenia ”continuing is a lot less
this afternoon than it was this morning”, he said.

Turkey’s border with Iran and its trade relationship with the Islamic
regime there makes Turkish support vital for US efforts to use trade
sanctions to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, said Mr
Aliriza.

Turkey asserts that the genocide resolution hurts Turkish and Armenian
efforts to renew diplomatic relations that were broken over Armenia’s
military intervention in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region
following the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, and have remained
stalled on that issue and the Ottoman-era killings.

Turkey and Armenia agreed in October to renew relations after Mrs
Clinton helped the countries overcome a last-minute dispute before a
signing ceremony in Zurich.

US President Barack Obama called Turkish President Abdullah Gulon
Thursday to urge the ”rapid ratification” of an accord on normal
ties with Armenia.

”Our focus is on ensuring that we continue to make progress on an
issue that for almost a hundred years has divided two countries,”
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Turkish lawmakers visiting Washington this week said the House
resolution would be damaging and inflame the Turkish public.

Turkey has long objected to similar congressional declarations,
arguing that the deaths of Armenians were part of a wide-ranging
conflict and were not orchestrated by Turkish leaders of the time.

BLOOMBERG, WASHINGTON POST

11:55 05/03/2010 » Sport
Vic Darchinyan to defend his crowns

Popular, hard-hitting Vic `The Raging Bull” Darchinyan will defend
his WBC/WBA super flyweight crowns against streaking Rodrigo `Gato”
Guerrero in the main event on a special edition of ShoBox.

An Australian-based Armenian, the exciting Darchinyan will be making
his fifth consecutive appearance on SHOWTIME and 11th overall. He has
scored knockouts in 14 of his last 15 victories.

Note that Darchinyan’s victory will allow him fighting for his WBC and
WBA titles lost previous year to Nonito Doner.

Source: Panorama.am