Author: Navasardian Karapet

Caucasian countries need EU support to strengthen democracy

13.03.2010 13:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Caucasian countries are incapable to implement
reforms on their own, according to Mr. Dennis Sammut, executive
director of LINKS.

`Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan should cover a long way to strengthen
and develop democracy. These countries need European Union’s support,’
Mr. Sammut said during the 73rd Rose Roth NATO PA seminar in Yerevan.

As to political processes in Azerbaijan, he said the opposition there
is still weak and uncoordinated, what considerably affects the
political situation.

Dwelling on the Karabakh conflict resolution, Mr. Sammut emphasized
that contacts between civilians of Armenia and Azerbaijan are
important.

Reuters
March 13 2010

Sweden, Turkey jointly denounce genocide vote
Luke Baker
SAARISELKA, Finland

SAARISELKA, Finland (Reuters) – The foreign ministers of Turkey and
Sweden condemned on Saturday a vote in the Swedish parliament that
defined the early 20th-century killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks
as genocide.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who is holding informal talks
with foreign ministers including Turkey’s Ahmet Davutoglu in northern
Finland, said he was upset by the vote on Thursday and concerned it
could affect Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.

"It’s regrettable because I think the politicization of history serves
no useful purpose," he told reporters.

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

Sweden’s parliament, by a vote of 131-130, backed a resolution that
branded the killing of up to 1.5 million Christian Armenians by
Ottoman Turks as a genocide, a term that Turkey resolutely rejects.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt phoned his Turkish
counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan, on Saturday and said he disagreed with
the resolution, according to a statement on the Turkish prime
minister’s official website.

The vote followed a decision by a committee of the U.S. House of
Representatives the week before approving a nonbinding measure
condemning the 1915 killings.

In both cases Turkey responded angrily, withdrawing its ambassadors to
Washington and Stockholm.

The vote in the Swedish parliament was particularly galling for Turkey
as Sweden is one of Ankara’s strongest backers on issues such as
Turkey’s desire to join the European Union.

Reinfeldt told Erdogan Sweden would continue to back Turkey’s EU bid
and that the vote was driven by domestic politics and would not affect
bilateral relations, the statement said. Erdogan canceled a planned
visit to Sweden this month, and the government recalled its ambassador
from Stockholm.

Davutoglu said Turkey would not stand by quietly if other nations took
similar steps to describe the 1915 killings as a genocide and said it
was pointless for countries to think they could put pressure on
Turkey.

"We will not be silent and we will not just show the usual attitudes.
For each case we will have a different (set of) measures," he said.

"What is the purpose of this? If the purpose is to make pressure,
nobody can make pressure on Turkey. if the purpose is to get local
domestic concerns raised, Turkish historical events should not be
misused for these narrow issues."

Davutoglu, the architect of Turkey’s foreign policy of re-engaging
with its neighbors, including Armenia, said it was wrong for
parliaments to think they could define history purely via a vote.

He also said he was concerned about the impact the vote could have on
efforts by Armenia and Turkey to reconcile their history and find a
political common ground at a time when they are making progress toward
normalizing relations.

(Editing by Matthew Jones)

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SWEDISH PARLIAMENTARIAN: TURKEY WILL NOT DAMAGE RELATIONS WITH SWEDEN BECAUSE OF EUROPEAN UNION

ArmInfo
2010-03-12 19:05:00

ArmInfo. Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swedish
parliament Goran Lennmarker does not think that adoption of the
resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide will impede the relations
of Sweden and Turkey. G. Lennmarker made such statement talking to
ArmInfo while in Yerevan to participate in the PA NATO seminar.

He said that Sweden and Turkey have very good relations and Sweden
supports Turkey’s joining the European Union. Sweden tries to help
Turkey to join the given European structure. Therefore, Lennmarker
said, he is not concerned about the consequences of the resolution
on Armenian Genocide for the two countries’ relations, since they
are on rather a strong basis.

For his part, Suat Kiniklioglu, a member of Justice and Development
Party ruling in Turkey, told ArmInfo that the relations of Turkey
and Sweden will probably worsen. "We have recalled our Ambassador
for consultations. This applies both the USA and Sweden. You will
see the consequences soon," the Turkish parliamentarian warned.

DAVUTOGLU SAYS EU "NEEDS TURKEY IN FOREIGN POLICY"

March 11 2010
Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday that the
EU needed Turkey in foreign policy.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday that the
EU needed Turkey in foreign policy.

On the second day of his formal visit to Ireland, Davutoglu delivered
a speech at the University College Dublin, and stressed the importance
of relations between Turkey and Ireland.

Davutoglu also said that multiculturalism was important while guiding
the history.

Regarding Turkey-EU relations, Davutoglu said that questioning Turkey’s
EU membership and presenting different suggestions such as privileged
partnership were not right.

Noting that Turkey had a control over regional issues, Davutoglu said,
"actually I think the EU needs Turkey –not Turkey needed EU– in
foreign policy."

Upon a question about 1915 incidents, Davutoglu said that Turkey was
ready to share the pain and reach a consensus, but, it was against
to be blamed.

Stressing that the voting (on Armenian allegations about 1915
incidents) at U.S. House of Representatives Committee of Foreign
Affairs was unethical, Davutoglu said that the history should not be
judged like this.

Davutoglu recalled that there had been no tension throughout the
period Turks and Armenians lived together.

GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS RECOGNIZED

SR International – Radio Sweden
March 11 2010

The Swedish parliament has voted to officially describe the murders
of as many as 1.5 million Armenians and other ethnic groups in Turkey
during the First World War as genocide.

In protest, Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Ankara, and Turkish
Prime Minister Erdogan has cancelled his visit to Stockholm next week.

The resolution was passed over the government’s wishes, with every
member of the red-green opposition voting in favor, along with a
handful of MPs from the government parties.

Opponents had argued that such a description would outrage Turkey,
which denies any genocide took place, and would jeopardize Turkish
membership in the European Union. Supporters said the Swedish Foreign
Ministry has been too passive on the issue.

The Swedish votes comes exactly one week after an American
congressional committee passed a similar resolution.

l/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&forma t=1&artikel=3502883

TURKEY TO RECALL HIS AMBASSADOR TO SWEDEN

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2010 11:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Parliament of Sweden on Thursday, recognized the
Armenian Genocide after a long debate with a vote of 131 to 130. This
prompted Turkey to recall is ambassador to Sweden, reported Armenian
National Committee of Sweden chairwoman Suzanne Khardalian.

"I have been instructed to go back to Turkey," said Zergun Koruturk,
Turkey’s ambassador to Sweden. "It is logical. I am very, very
disappointed," reported the Stockholm News.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also cancelled his planned
visit to Sweden.

"We strongly condemn this resolution, which is made for political
calculations. It does not correspond to the close friendship of our
two nations. We are recalling our ambassador for consultations,"
Erdogan said in a statement on his website.

AKP: PROTOCOLS WON’T BE RATIFIED UNLESS PROGRESS IN KARABAKH ISSUE IS OBSERVED

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2010 16:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey seeks to normalize ties with Armenia, yet
believes it impossible unless any progress in Karabakh conflict
is observed, AK Party Deputy Chairman of External Affairs Suat
Kiniklioglu said.

"We’re waiting for the right moment to ratify Armenia-Turkey
rapprochement protocols. Yet the ruling of RA Constitutional Court,
referring to Declaration of independence, which contains a point on
Western Armenia, is threatening the outcome of ratification process,"
Turkish parliamentarian said at 73rd NATO PA Rose Roth seminar
in Yerevan.

As he noted, Turkey addressed Switzerland, requesting Bern to provide
legal conclusion on RA CC ruling

Dwelling on US House Foreign Affairs Committee passage of H.Res. 252
and Swedish parliament’s recognition of Genocide, Suat Kiniklioglu
sated that the resolutions hamper Armenia-Turkey rapprochement,
threatening Protocols ratification.

"The process is undergoing a difficult stage. Even if Turkish Premier
resolved for Protocols to be ratified, Parliament won’t be able to do
so. P political atmosphere in the country prevents us from ratifying
Protocols," Suat Kiniklioglu stated.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation. On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional
Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to
the country’s Organic Law.

KURDISH MP’S VOTE CASTING IN SWEDISH PARLIAMENT

news.am
March 12 2010
Armenia

Vote of Swedish MP of Kurdish origin Gulan Avci was crucial in the
adoption of Armenian Genocide bill by Swedish Parliament, though
Liberal People’s Party opposed the motion.

In an interview with Firat agency, Avci said that she opposed her
party and voted for the bill so that Turkey faces the history.

"Turkish Kurds are under menace of Genocide, thus recognition of
Genocide by Riksdag is of major significance. I knew that my vote
will be decisive and necessary. It is time for Turkey to recognize
committed past genocides and massacres. Many states consider Turkey
a country that committed a Genocide. This is the first time, that
Swedish Parliament recognized Genocide of Pontic Greeks, Assyrians
and Syrians," Avci noted.

March 11, majority of Swedish parliament voted for the resolution
describing the mass killings of Armenians and other Christian
minorities in modern Turkey by the end of World War I as genocide.

Bill on Armenian Genocide recognition has been proposed by three
oppositional parties: Social Democratic, Green and Left. Resolution
was adopted with 131 against 130 votes.

Later Turkey recalled its Ambassador from Stockholm and cancelled
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Sweden scheduled for
March 17 after the adoption of Armenian Genocide Resolution by Riksdag.

AZNAVOUR: GENOCIDE RECOGNITION TO BE TAKEN BY AZERBAIJAN BIGGER THAN BY TURKEY

Yerkir
11.03.2010 14:38

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Genocide recognition internationally will be
taken by Azerbaijan bigger than by Turkey, Charles Aznavour said
after attending the meeting of the French Armenians with Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan in Paris.

"Azerbaijan fears that Turkey will realize it cannot avoid
recognition," he said, adding that Baku is concerned over the fact
that rising of Genocide issue will draw a broad response and the
number of projects implemented in Turkey will decrease.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: THE RESOLUTION ON THE SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PASSED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS NEGATIVE INFLUENCE ON THE SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

APA
March 11 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. "If the members of the U.S. Congress
discuss the events that happened 100 years ago, then they should also
assess Khojaly genocide that was committed 20 years ago," Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists, APA reports.

Minister does not believe that the decision passed by the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs will cause peace and stability between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, or generally in the South Caucasus.

"Such decisions have negative influence on the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. Occupation of 20 percent of the Azerbaijani
territories by Armenia, displacement of about one million people pose
great threat to the security in the region. Therefore, we consider
that if the Congress holds any discussions on the South Caucasus,
it should not be from historical aspect, but should be connected with
the present situation," he said.