Author: Tadevosian Garnik

Setting down the parameters

-09-24-setting-down-the-parameters
Published: Thursday September 24, 2009

One of the major concerns about the agreement on bilateral relations
negotiated between Armenia and Turkey is that it envisions an
intergovernmental commission with a sub-commission "on the historical
dimension."

The concern is that the sub-commission will be asked directly or
indirectly to determine whether the events of 1915-17 or 1915-23
constituted genocide. If the governments of Turkey and Armenia asked a
commission to make such a determination, the government of Armenia
would give credence to the untrue Turkish position that the answer to
the question is unknown.

President Serge Sargsian has stated unambiguously that Armenia would
never agree to question the truth of the Armenian Genocide. In so
saying, the president is reflecting the collective will of the entire
Armenian people. It is now essential for that position to be
formalized.

This page has proposed that in Armenia’s National Assembly, the
resolution on ratifying the protocols include a provision stating that
policy. We still believe this is the best course of action, one that
can garner the support of the entire National Assembly. The leadership
of the parliament, acting on the president’s recommendation, could
include such a provision in the resolution. It need not come as an
amendment.

The effect of the provision -in some ways similar to presidential
signing statements often attached to bills signed by the president of
the United States – would be to remove any doubt about the terms of
Armenia’s participation in the intergovernmental commission. It is
essential for all to understand that the establishment of bilateral
relations is all about moving forward and maintaining peace, not about
rewriting history.

Today’s Zaman

27 September 2009, Sunday

Turkey may change foreign policy regarding Turkish Cyprus by 2010

Turkish foreign policy will probably have a different outlook
regarding the Cyprus issue by 2010 if reunification talks on the
island fail.

Turkey will certainly face many challenges trying to get the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) recognized by other countries.

Speaking at the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an said, `A peace plan
to unify the island drawn [up] as a result of the second phase of the
negotiations should be brought to referendum by spring 2010 before the
presidential election in Turkish Cyprus.’ Warning about the
possibility that Greek Cypriots may fail to accept a peace plan for a
second time, ErdoÄ?an implied that Turkey may take steps to lift
the economic isolation. `If the Greek Cypriots will not again agree on
a peace plan like the 2004 Annan plan to unify the island, then
normalizing the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in
the international arena will be a must that can no longer be delayed,’
ErdoÄ?an warned UN-member countries. Stressing that they can no
longer accept protracted problems, ErdoÄ?an said: `It must be
understood that negotiations cannot last forever. The present window
of opportunity cannot stay open forever, and there is an absolute need
to make the process successful.’

This statement appears to be rather a remarkable indication that
Turkey will take steps to get the KKTC recognized. Though diplomatic
efforts for the recognition of Turkish Cyprus have not visibly
increased since the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to
power in 2002, this is the first time Turkey has explicitly made it
obvious that it may launch diplomatic efforts to promote recognition
of the KKTC as an independent state since 2004. Northern Cyprus is in
an unfavorable position compared to Greek Cyprus, since southern
Cyprus is a member of the EU yet northern Cyrus is severely deprived
under hefty economic isolation.

Greek Cyprus says solution is far

While meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Greek Cypriot
leader Dimitris Christofias said the solution of the Cyprus issue is
very difficult to accomplish. `Saying no to the 2004 UN plan in Cyprus
means saying no to the UN in the peace process,’ Mehmet
Hasgüler, one of the most prominent experts on Cyprus, said to
Sunday’s Zaman while evaluating the speech ErdoÄ?an made at the
UN General Assembly on Thursday with respect to the recognition of
Turkish Cyprus in case a peace plan is rejected by Greek Cyprus in
2010.

`Greek Cyprus was accepted into the EU a week after it rejected the
Annan plan,’ Hasgüler continued. `A normative assumption held
by the EU then was that Turkey and Turkish Cyprus would take steps
toward the unification of the island.’ Many governments before the
ruling AK Party’s government had sought to make other countries
recognize Turkish Cyprus. However, long-stalled negotiations following
the Annan plan referendum in 2004 resumed in September 2008 when the
two leaders of both sides of Cyprus decided to meet face to face to
discuss the disputed points in the unification of the two parts of the
island. The first phase of the negotiations came to an end in August,
and a month later, the second phase of the negotiations t problem to
the international level easily. Starting in spring 2010, Turkey may
initiate a controlled diplomatic process for Turkish Cyprus’
recognition,’ Hasgüler said. Listing the difficulties,
Hasgüler stated that the United Nations Security Council’s
Resolution 541 condemning Turkey’s land grab in Cyprus in 1983 does
not allow any UN member countries to recognize Turkish
Cyprus. `Nonetheless, as a permanent member in the Security Council,
Russia or China may veto this resolution, and thus countries may start
to recognize it,’ the expert stated. Hasgüler claimed that if
Turkey recognizes Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, then Russia may consider recognizing the KKTC. `If political
recognition will not be possible, at least the lifting of economic
isolation may be a priority for Turkey. Malaysia, Azerbaijan and some
African countries may lead the list in recognizing northern Cyprus if
Turkey starts the diplomatic process for it,’ Hasgüler said.

No tolerance for second rejection

In May 2004 the rejection by Greek Cyprus of the Annan plan to unify
the island steered the process of recognition of Turkish Cyprus
reasonably well particularly after Azerbaijan said it would recognize
Turkish Cyprus. During his visit to Turkey in early 2004, Azerbaijani
President Ä°lham Aliyev said they would recognize the KKTC if
Greek Cypriots said no to the Annan plan during the
referendum. However, the EU pressured Azerbaijan not to recognize the
KKTC, threatening to recognize the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic, an Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenia in the early
1990s. `Greece and Greek Cypriots even sent an official letter to the
Foreign Ministry, noting that they should immediately abandon the idea
of recognizing northern Cyprus. In turn they would recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence,’ said Vugar Gojayev, then the
International Crisis Group coordinator of Azerbaijan. `This is the
reason why Azerbaijan prefers to stay neutral in this issue,’ he
added. Considering Georgia and Azerbaijan have their own issues with
breakaway regions, it will be hard for these countries to recognize
the KKTC during the initial stage.

In contrast, Turkish Center for International Relations and Strategic
Analysis (TÃ`RKSAM) head Sinan OÄ?an told Sunday’s Zaman:
`Russia will not recognize the KKTC. There are nearly 50,000 offshore
Russian companies in Greek Cyprus, and these companies comprise 12
percent of southern Cyprus’ national income.’ Pointing to
Greek-Russian relations throughout history, OÄ?an said, `Greek
Cyprus and Greece have cultural and historical ties with Russia, and
this will play a role in the recognition of Turkish Cyprus.’

27 September 2009, Sunday
MAHÄ°R ZEYNALOV Ä°STANBUL

AZG DAILY #173, 26-09-2009

International

Update: 2009-09-26 00:30:47 (GMT +04:00)

RUSSIA FOR GOOD RELATIONS WITH GEORGIA WITHOUT SAAKASHVILI – MEDVEDEV

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday Moscow will build
good and friendly relations with Georgia, but he has no plans to
establish dialogue with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

"These [Russian-Georgian] relations will be good, warm, based on
hundreds of years of friendship," Medvedev told students and
professors from the University of Pittsburgh.

"I personally will not deal with president Saakashvili because he
committed a crime against his own people, and the people of South
Ossetia," he added.

Russia and Georgia were involved in a five-day war last August after
Tbilisi launched a military offensive on its former region of South
Ossetia.

Moscow recognized S. Ossetia and another Georgia’s breakaway region of
Abkhazia as independent states on August 26 last year, RIA Novosti
reports.

Tert.am

Head of HSBC Bank Moves to Asia
14:55 ¢ 26.09.09

HSBC Chief Executive, Michael Geoghegen, will move to Hong Kong from
London as the banking group seeks to focus on Asia, reported HSBC’s
official website.

However, the bank stressed that it was not "pulling away from London"
and the two centres were "equally important."

HSBC, founded in Hong Kong and Shanghai in 1865, will also remain
based in the UK for tax and regulation purposes.

HSBC is hoping to become one of the first overseas companies to be
listed on the Shanghai stock exchange.

"There is absolutely no question of HSBC pulling away from London. We
will operate from two equally strategically important centres for the
company," said chairman Stephen Green, who will remain in the UK.

HSBC has weathered the financial crisis better than some of its rivals
and did not take any taxpayer money as part of the UK banking sector
bail-out.

Times of India

Immersions have to be over by Wednesday night

TNN 28 September 2009, 03:33am IST

KOLKATA: Big-budget community pujas can stretch the festival by a
day-and-a-half at the most. Keen to rein in the pandal-hopping madness
that has
left the force sapped after three gruelling days of day-night duty,
Kolkata Police has asked all puja organizers to complete immersions by
Wednesday night.

The 450-odd pujas that are organized in individual homes and housing
complexes will complete the immersion on Dashami, Monday. But most of
the 1,125-odd community pujas who stretch the ritual to the limit,
have been given very little room this year with the police insisting
on the Wednesday night deadline.

For the first time, armed police will be deployed at the 12 ghats
where immersion will take place. The move is aimed at combating any
law and order threat that may arise due to huge crowds that gather
along the banks of the Hooghly to watch the immersion.

"We have made special arrangements at Babughat, Gwalior Ghat,
Sovabazar Ghat, Armenian Ghat, Nimtala Ghat and seven other ghats
along the river where maximum immersions will take place. There will
be police arrangement at these places on all three days. River Traffic
Police will keep an eye on the activity from three launches. There
will be speedboats ready. High-intensity lights are being installed at
all ghats to help police maintain a close vigil," a senior police
officer said.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Circular Railway will not run services from
6 pm. Traffic diversions will take place on Goshtho Pal Sarani,
Auckland Road, BK Pal Avenue, MG Road, Beadon Street, Kali Krishna
Tagore Street, Nimtala Ghat Street and Strand Road.

With most immersion processions expected to hit the roads between 7 pm
and 10 pm, police have advised commuters and motorists to avoid major
roads like Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, AJC Bose Road, APC Road, Sarat
Bose Road, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Rashbehari Connector, Vivekanada
Road, Amherst Street, College Street and VIP Road unless absolute

In Behrampore, the municipality has taken all steps to ensure that the
immersion process is eco-friendly on Dashami. Appropriate arrangements
have been made at 15 ghats along the banks of Bhagirathi.

"As lead paints are used on idols, there is wide-scale pollution
during immersion. So, not only people suffer but fish and other
aquatic creatures are adversely affected. Pollution triggers global
warming too. Last year, 70% of the puja committees followed our
rules. We hope to get 100% support this year," said Nilratan Adhya,
the chairman of Behrampore Municipality.

"Puja committees will not be allowed to throw flowers and other
decorative items used on the idol in the river. They will have to
dispose all the waste into any of the 15 containers we have provided
before the bhasan. Puja committees will also have to take the
initiative to arrange for some such containers. Moreover, once
immersed, idols won’t be allowed in the river for long. These have to
be immediately removed after a symbolic bhasan. Otherwise, civic staff
will seize the idols. These rules are applicable to family pujas too,"
Adhya said.

`Miatsum’ Protests Protocols; Delivers Letters to Minsk Group Co-Chair
Embassies
2009/09/25 | 19:35

socie ty

On September 25, members of the `Union National Initiative’ (UNI)
started from the Myasnikyan statue in downtown Yerevan and headed off
to the French, Russian and U.S. embassies to deliver protest letters
addressed to the presidents of all three nations. All three are Minsk
Group co-chair member countries.

The letters, according to UNI member Jirayr Sefilyan, `charges these
nations with manipulating the Armenian-Turkish negotiations process
and argues that if the recent protocols are ratified and subsequently
implemented it would lead to a new genocide.’

The UNI members carried banners and chanted slogans such as, `No to
the Madrid Principles’, `Traitors Out’ and `Union between Artsakh and
Armenia’, as they made their way to the French Embassy where Heritage
Party MP Zarouhie Postanjyan handed over the letters.

Mr. Sefilyan argued that Armenian history wouldn’t start or end on
October 13, the projected date for the signing of the Armenian-Turkish
protocols. `There is a issue of frustration going on. Today we are
campaigning in the public sector and expressing our views. But I am
sure that there will come a time when we will rally the people and
take steps to put an end to this anti-Armenian process which basically
a result of the internal situation in the country.’

He went on to say that if Armenia had a healthy and moral political
environmental it could overcome the challenge and that the world
wouldn’t have placed such a document in front of us in the first
place.

When asked by reporters if he thought the government would take their
protest into account, Mr. Sefilyan said that the government must take
into account the wishes of the people. `We do wish to boast and say
that we represent the voice of the people. No that’s not what we want
to say. However, sooner or later one group or another must stand up
and say just that; that it speaks for the people and that it believes
the overwhelming majority of the people are against this political
process.’

`The protocols are already signed. The danger will come after they are
ratified by the parliament,’ Mr. Sefilyan concluded.

Ameriabank to issue new product on structurising of deposits

2009-09-25 19:33:00

ArmInfo. Ameriabank is going to issue new product on structurising of
deposits, Director General of Ameriabank Artak Hanesyan told Arminfo
correspondent.

Jones, as well as oil and gold tariffs. We endure safety of a deposit
and the guaratee of a basic rate of interest – 3%. The rest will depend
on behavior of the market index to which the deposit will be connected.
If for instance gold prices grow, revenues to the deposit will also
grow, discounting the banking per cent. For availability of this
product we are going to fix minimal size of deposit about $50 thsd.
This service is foreseen for legal as well as individual persons>,
-Hanesyan said.

According to the data of Ameriabank, the time deposits of the bank
demonstrate stable growth, in particular, their volume grew by 185% in
Jan-July of the current year, and by 62% in July.

To note, according to the results of the first quarter 2009 Ameriabank
has occupied the first place in the banking system of Armenia on the
time deposits from legal persons having endured 26 bln drams as of 1
July.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY DISAPPOINTED FROM AZERBAIJAN

17:57 24/09/2009
Panorama.am

Reporters Without Borders condemns yesterday’s decision by a Baku
appeal court to uphold the four-year prison sentence that Ganimat
Zahidov, the editor of the opposition daily Azadlig, received on 7
March on charges of `aggravated hooliganism’ and `assault and
battery.’

`The appeal court’s decision confirms our fears about violations of
basic freedoms and human rights in Azerbaijan,’ the press freedom
organisation said. `The authorities turned a deaf ear to the
international community’s appeals and chose to pursue their policy of
persecuting the press.’

Zahidov was convicted in connection with an incident outside a
publishing house on 7 November 2007 that appears to have been
orchestrated. When a young woman began to shout, a man intervened,
accused Zahidov him of insulting her, and started a fight with him. He
was arrested three days later and has been detained ever since.

AHTISAARI REPORT COMMENDS TURKEY FOR EU NEGOTIATIONS

Hurriyet Daily News
Thursday, September 24, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Former Finnish President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari,
now the chairman of the Independent Commission on Turkey, spoke about
his commission’s latest report on Turkey, "Turkey in Europe: Breaking
the Vicious Circle," at a conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

At his speech at the Brookings Institute, Ahtisaari said some EU
countries expressed their opinions that Turkey would not be an EU
member after the negotiations had started, which was against EU
decisions made unanimously at EU summits.

The EU should not treat Turkey differently, Ahtisaari said, adding
that the EU’s credibility was at stake.

He said more than half of the chapters of the negotiation process
were blocked, adding that such a negative attitude caused a fall
in support for the EU among the Turkish public. Nearly 70 percent
of Turkey’s population had been in favor of EU membership in 2000,
but that number has dropped to 42 percent, Ahtisaari said.

Ahtisaari said there were no reasons for Europe to be afraid of
Turkey’s membership. He said he would not feel uncomfortable if a Turk,
such as Kemal DerviÅ~_ or Abdullah Gul, presided over an EU meeting.

He noted the Turkish government should continue its energetic stance
over reforms, which he said were slowed "after some domestic issues
such as the closure case against ruling AK [Justice and Development]
Party, coup threats, controversial presidential election, Ergenekon
probe and PKK terrorism." Ahtisaari urged Turkey to amend the 1982
Constitution.

But Ahtisaari also said there were encouraging signs in Turkey:
the approval of the National Program, the appointment of chief EU
negotiator, the launch of a state-run TV broadcast in Kurdish language,
academic institutes for Kurdish to be opened in universities, the
meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Democratic
Society Party, or DTP, leader Ahmet Turk, and vil courts.

He said he had meetings with European leaders before his trip to the
United States and asked them to treat Turkey fairly, stop blocking
negotiations and not talk about anything other than full membership.

Ahtisaari also touched on recent development about relations between
Turkey and Armenia, saying that resolutions in foreign parliaments
regarding the incidents of 1915 were not helpful for efforts to settle
the problems between Turkey and Armenia.

He said good relations between Turkey and Armenia would have positive
effects on the entire Caucasian region

SHARMANAZOV: RPA DOES NOT SHARE BUT RESPECTS THE POSITION OF ARF

ARKA
September 23, 2009
Yerevan

YEREVAN, September 23. / ARKA /. The governing Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) does not share the position of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) on the Armenian-Turkish relations, but treats it with
respect, the secretary of the parliamentary faction of the Republican
Party of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov said.

On August 31, Armenia and Turkey reached an agreement in Swiss-mediated
talks to start internal political consultations over two protocols –
the protocol about establishing diplomatic relations between the two
countries and the protocol about developing bilateral relations.

The consultations are expected to be completed within six weeks; then
the protocols are to be signed and submitted for parliaments’ approval.

"The concern of the political forces, meaning ARF, that are
constantly talking about the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is
reasonable. Both Armenia and Turkey have not only supporters of the
ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, but the opponents of
it as well. That is why this issue will be nominated for a discussion
by the parliaments of both countries," Sharmazanov said on Tuesday
at the Novosti International Press Center.

ARF Dashnaktsutyun is holding a sit-in and hunger strike near the
government in Yerevan, protesting against signing the protocols on
the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations since they see a thr
eat to national interests of Armenia in them.

"I am familiar with the proposal of our colleagues from the ARF
on the inclusion of items regarding the Armenian Genocide and the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem, which can not be regarded as preconditions
for establishing bilateral relations, but I think that we should not
look for hidden meanings between the lines," Sharmazanov said.

He noted that he agrees with those political scientists who believe
that the Armenian side got the most out of what could have been
obtained at this stage.

"We have always talked about the necessity of diplomatic relations
without preconditions, and the Armenian diplomacy has recorded some
progress in this sense," Sharmazanov said, recalling the no less
important fact that the United States, European Union and Russia
are positively in favor of the principles proposed by the President
of Armenia.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became
independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border
with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan,
which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic
Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.

There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of
normal relations between the two countries, particularly, Ankara’s
blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowled ge the mass
killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire as
genocide.

The thaw in the strained relations began in 2008 September after
Turkish president Abdullah Gul arrived in Armenia, at his counterpart’s
invitation, to watch together with Serzh Sargsyan the 2010 World Cup
qualifying football game between the two countries’ national teams.

During that visit the two presidents discussed prospects for engaging
in dialogue and normalization of relations.

After the match, the Turkish leader invited his Armenian counterpart
to attend the second match between the football teams of the two
countries in Turkey on October 14, 2009.