Author: Tamamian Anna

NOT ONLY TURKEY ACCOUNTS FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BUT ALSO GERMANY:
CONFEDERATION OF WORKING TURKS

YEREVAN, APRIL 25. ARMINFO. Confederation of Working Turks (KPT)
demands from Ankara to recognize Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey
in 1915 and to compensate for perpetrated crime, KPT Head Osgu Jan
stated at today’s press-conference in Yerevan.

He informed that KPT representatives are in Armenia to participate at
actions timed to the 90th anniversary of Armenian Genocide. “We feel
the bitterness and pain of Armenian people and express readiness to
fight for recognition and condemnation of Genocide”, he stated.

Jan stressed that not only Turkish authorities but also German
leadership, supported Ottoman Turkey in every way, are responsible for
Armenian Genocide and massacres of Greeks and Assyrians. Jan stated
that 1.5 mln Armenians were murdered and hundreds of thousands of
Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians were removed forcedly as a result of
Genocide. “Ottoman Turkey authorities annihilated not only these
peoples but also their culture, ancient civilization and historical
heritage”, he noted.

In his words, present Turkish authorities continue the Young Turks’
policy and annihilate representatives of intelligentsia criticized
Ankara’s activity. Jan noted that Turkish authorities fulfill
chauvinistic policy continuing to recognize Armenian Genocide. At the
same time, he stressed that the people denying its past has no
future. Jan did not rule out that Turkey under the pressure of
international community will be forced to recognize Armenian Genocide
sooner or later.

He stressed that if even Ankara recognizes Armenian Genocide, Turkey
will not become a civilized and democratic state but remain a fascist
power. Jan also stressed that there is no place in the European Union
for Turkey.

Washington Times, DC
April 25 2005

Turkish military forays into politics

By Andrew Borowiec
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Turkish military has returned to the center of
the country’s political scene after a period of silence with a strong
nationalist message on key domestic and international issues.
The tone of the message raised diplomatic speculation about the
continuing influence of the Turkish army in the nation’s affairs, a
role that is incompatible with Turkey’s aspiration to join the
European Union.
In a speech to a military audience last week, Gen. Hilmi Ozkok,
chief of the general staff, accused the United States of tolerating
Turkish rebels in northern Iraq, called on Armenia to stop blaming
Turkey for World War I massacres of Armenians and slammed the door on
the possibility of Turkish military withdrawal from Cyprus.

Some Turkish news media speculated that the tone of Gen. Ozkok’s
remarks would damage the atmosphere as Turkey prepares to start EU
membership talks. Others were simply puzzled by the senior general’s
blunt assessments.
“Gen. Ozkok’s speech reflected a true picture of Turkey,” said
Nuray Basaran, a columnist in Istanbul’s Aksam daily. “Why did we not
hear those opinions from a civilian official?”
The nationally televised speech of 8,000 words was delivered as
an “annual evaluation” to Istanbul’s Military Academy. It was taken
extremely seriously by the diplomatic corps and EU representatives in
Turkey as well as by the Greek and Greek Cypriot governments.
Turkey’s application to join the EU requires it to limit the
political role of the military, the traditional guardian of the
republic created in 1923. Gen. Ozkok’s speech suggested the military
is reluctant to take a back seat to politicians whose excesses and
incompetence it has curbed in the past.
According to the mass circulation Istanbul Milliyet daily, the
Ozkok speech revealed developments “which the government has been
trying to conceal.” Other newspapers stressed the general’s claim
that Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas were tolerated by the
United States in Iraq.
“It is thought provoking that no action has been taken yet
against that organization,” Gen. Ozkok said. “The PKK must be
deprived of foreign support and have its hope of success crushed.”
Equally bluntly, he reiterated that the Turkish military presence
of some 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus was strategically important.

Replying to the EU’s suggestion that withdrawing the troops would
facilitate a solution to the partition of Cyprus, he noted the
continued international ostracism of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus.

L’Humanité, France
23 avril 2005

« Justice commence à être rendue aux survivants et à ce peuple »

Entretien avec Ara Toranian (*), qui est président du Conseil de
coordination des organisations arméniennes de France.

Dans quel contexte se tient la commémoration du génocide arménien ?
Ara Toranian. Celui du souvenir mais aussi d’une reconnaissance
recrudescente du génocide par un certain nombre d’États. La
caractéristique par rapport au génocide arménien a été, pendant des
décennies, le silence, qui a été voulu essentiellement par la Turquie
dite moderne à partir de 1923, qui a été construite sur les cadavres
du peuple arménien. Mais dû aussi aux difficultés des Arméniens
eux-mêmes, décapités, dispersés aux quatre coins de la planète,
déstructurés et donc ayant de grandes difficultés à se faire entendre
et à faire connaître ce qui leur était arrivé. Aujourd’hui,
quatre-vingt-dix ans après les faits, justice commence à être rendue
à ce peuple et à ces survivants. On commence enfin à exhumer la
vérité des faits malgré l’attitude négationniste de la Turquie. Une
attitude qui s’inscrit dans son hypernationalisme traditionnel et ses
difficultés à coexister avec ses minorités.
La Turquie vient de faire un geste politique vis-à-vis de l’Arménie,
alors qu’elle ne reconnaît toujours pas le génocide. Comment
appréciez-vous cet acte ?
Ara Toranian. C’est un acte destiné à leurrer l’opinion publique et
les médias. La Turquie demande la création d’une commission d’enquête
d’historiens avec Erevan. C’est une proposition indécente. Ce n’est
pas aux victimes de dire ce qui s’est passé. La Turquie dispose de
tous les éléments pour savoir de quoi il retourne à propos de 1915.
Cette offre est d’autant plus de nature manipulatoire qu’elle s’est
accompagnée d’un certain nombre de propos d’Erdogan, qui explique que
la Turquie est fière de son passé et qu’elle n’a jamais décidé
d’exterminer les Arméniens. Que la Turquie commence par débaptiser
les rues qui portent les noms des auteurs du crime, qu’elle enlève le
mausolée qui trône au sommet de la colline de la Liberté à Istanbul à
la gloire de Talaat Pacha, grand ordonnateur et organisateur du
génocide arménien. On ne négocie pas avec les négationnistes. Les
archives regorgent de témoignages de diplomates. Les Allemands, qui
étaient alliés de la Turquie à l’époque, ont beaucoup écrit
là-dessus. Le but de la proposition turque est d’en faire une affaire
de savants, de l’isoler, de disqualifier les opinions publiques, de
les mettre hors du débat et de perpétuer ainsi la négation.
La Turquie est aujourd’hui pressée par un certain nombre
d’organisations de défense des droits de l’hom- me, de progressistes,
d’États, de faire le ménage avec son passé en vue de son entrée dans
l’Europe. Elle a donc lancé un leurre pour gagner du temps et laisser
croire qu’elle a créé une ouverture. Ce faisant, elle met les
Arméniens dans la situation difficile de dire : « On ne discute pas
avec les négationnistes. » C’est très malin mais peu probant quant à
la sincérité.
Quelle est la place de la communauté arménienne dans la société
française ?
Ara Toranian. Ce sont des gens qui sont arrivés en guenilles dans les
années vingt, qui constituaient la main-d’oeuvre immigrée. D’ail- – –
leurs, une partie d’entre eux s’est enrôlée dans la Résistance, au
sein des FTP-MOI, avec le groupe Manouchian. Maintenant, c’est une
communauté intégrée dans toutes les couches de la société française.
Nous sommes des Français d’origine arménienne. Nous portons en nous
cette mémoire. Nous avons un devoir par rapport à nos morts. En plus,
nous sommes indignés par l’attitude de déni de la Turquie.
Politiquement, sur le plan de son identité, elle est mobilisée par
son histoire. Cette histoire n’est pas totalement terminée au niveau
régional. L’Arménie est un petit État, coincé entre la Turquie,
l’Azerbaïdjan, avec au sud l’Iran et au nord la Géorgie. C’est donc
un pays totalement enclavé, qui subit un blocus de la Turquie et pour
lequel le droit à l’existence continue à représenter un combat.
Évidemment nous y sommes sensibles. Les Arméniens ont le droit de
vivre dans cette région. Cette région doit apprendre le droit à la
différence, à la tolérance. Ce ne sont pas 2 millions d’Arméniens qui
vivent dans la pauvreté la plus absolue qui peuvent représenter une
menace.
Le combat pour la reconnaissance du génocide participe de la
moralisation des relations entre les États de la région, de la
pacification et de la démocratisation de cette région. Ce combat
n’est pas dirigé contre le peuple turc. Il y a des démocrates turcs
qui commencent à relever la tête. Nous avons invité certains d’entre
eux à Paris. L’un est éditeur, Ragip Zarakolu, poursuivi en Turquie
parce qu’il a édité un livre sur le génocide arménien. L’autre est
Ali Ertem, émigré en Allemagne, qui a créé une association pour la
reconnaissance du génocide arménien par les Turcs. Il a obtenu 12 000
signatures au sein de l’émigration turque. C’est exceptionnel et très
grand.
Entretien réalisé par
Pierre Barbancey
* Il est également le directeur
de la rédaction des Nouvelles d’Arménie Magazine.

PRESS RELEASE
The Aegis Trust
Lound Hall, Bothamsall
Retford, NOTTS, DN22 8DF UK
Contact: David Brown
Tell: +44 (0)1623 836627
Email: [email protected]

Call for UK Government to recognise Armenian Genocide – 90 years on

23 April 2005

The Aegis Trust today sent a letter to the Prime Minister Tony Blair
and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw calling on the Government to
recognise the Armenian Genocide and encourage Turkey to do likewise.

The letter has been sent to coincide with worldwide commemorations
this weekend marking the 90th anniversary of the start of the
genocide on 24 April 1915, in which Turkey wiped out its Armenian
population.

Turkey, a candidate country to the European Union, strongly
maintains a policy of denial regarding the Armenian Genocide, a
policy condemned by ten EU states.

Most recently, Germany went a step further on Thursday (21 April) by
stating “partly through approval and through failure to take
effective preventive measures there was a German co-responsibility
for this genocide” (Gernot Erler, the Social Democratic (SPD)
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister).

“We understand that Turkey is an important ally within NATO. However,
the time is long overdue for the British Government to encourage
Turkey to come to terms with its past, and to join other European
states in giving the Armenian Genocide the recognition it deserves,’
states James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust. `We should
do so both out of respect for the victims and survivors, and for the
sake of the future. We have to recognise the reality of history in
order to learn from it – and unless we learn from it, we are doomed
to repeat its mistakes.’

END
___________________________

Letter to Tony Blair and Jack Straw, 23rd April 2005

Re: 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

On Thursday this week, Gernot Erler, the Social Democratic (SPD)
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, with the support of opposition
parties, took the unprecedented and historic step of accepting that
“partly through approval and through failure to take effective
preventive measures there was a German co-responsibility for this
[the Armenian] genocide”.

On 19 April 2005, Poland became the 9th European Union State to
recognise the Armenian Genocide, following resolutions in Cyprus,
Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, France, Slovakia and the Netherlands.
This is alongside numerous resolutions passed since 1987 by the
European Parliament. This recognition of history contrasts
unfortunately from the British Government’s policy on the events of
1915-18.

April 24th 2005 marks the 90th anniversary of this tragedy. It was
on that night in 1915 that the first wave of intellectuals, political
leaders, clergymen, teachers, poets and artists were rounded up by the
Ottoman Government of Turkey, to be dispatched to the Turkish interior
and ultimately to their deaths. This fate was shared during the rest
of 1915 and 1916 by over a million men women and children because of
their race.

Since 1965, no UK government has been willing to recognise the
genocidal intent of the Armenian massacres. It has been the policy to
place greater value upon a strategic relationship with one of our NATO
allies.

Instead of asking Turkey – as Germany has done with the Holocaust and
Armenian Genocide – to seek an honest retrospection, we have remained
silent regarding the suppression of free expression on this subject in
Turkey. We have remained silent over the arrest of teachers for
questioning policies that require all schoolchildren in Turkey to
prepare essays that deny the Armenian genocide. We have remained
silent on clauses within the new Turkish Penal Code that identify
affirmation of the Armenian genocide as a crime against the state.
We have remained silent over the Turkish Government’s indifference to
death threats against writers and historians that articulate an
opposing view within Turkey.

Rather, it has been this Government’s view that in the case of the
Armenians, “the past is best dealt with by ceasing to rake it up
incessantly” (Foreign Office Minister Dennis MacShane, 12 October
2004).

For the children of survivors, this is about truth and recognition
that should have happened decades ago, not about raking up history.
We should be mindful that the fate of the Armenians helped to shape
the UN Genocide Convention. The only way to protect people in the
future is to learn from the past.

The Turkish Government has been listening carefully to our official
indifference. So much so that it has this week sent a letter to all
members of the British Parliament, calling on you to debunk our own
historical and diplomatic record of the genocide which describes the
“race extermination” that was taking place.

It is disappointing, and increasingly troubling, that in spite of
many European and non-European countries heeding calls from genocide
and holocaust scholars that governments should recognise the Armenian
Genocide, the British Government is willing to adopt a policy that
actually emboldens Turkey’s policy of suppression and revision.

Your Government has done much to be proud of in the field of genocide
prevention and human rights, having been amongst the original
signatories to the Stockholm Declaration on the Holocaust in 2000,
initiating the UK’s national Holocaust Memorial Day in 2001, and
signing the Stockholm Declaration of 2004 on genocide prevention.
Your appeasement of Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide is a sad
blemish on this record.

Germany has the largest European Turkish population, and also has
strong ties with the Government of Turkey, including support for its
candidature to the European Union. Yet as a friend and ally it feels
that Turkey should end its state sponsored genocide denial and oppressive
policies in relation to free speech on the Armenian Genocide.

The German Government has also gone further and become the first
government to accept responsibility for the Genocide as a WWI ally to the
Ottoman Empire, apologising to the Armenian people – something that they
have waited two generations to see. How long will they have to wait for
a British Government to affirm its own historical record and recognise
the reality of the genocide they experienced?

Yours sincerely,

Dr James Smith, Chief Executive
Director, Aegis Trust

Eccidio armeni: 90 anni fa l’inizio della tragedia

SDA – Servizio di base in Italiano
April 22, 2005

IEREVAN, 22 apr — Novant’anni fa, nel 1915, cominciavano nell’impero
ottomano i massacri e le deportazioni della popolazione armena, che
in tre anni avrebbero provocato 1,3 milioni di vittime, secondo gli
armeni, tra 250.000 e 500.000 secondo le autorita’ turche.

Nella capitale dell’Armenia, Ierevan, e in altri paesi il genocidio
viene commemorato ogni anno il 24 aprile, anniversario dell’arresto di
migliaia di leader della comunita’ sospettati di sentimenti ostili
nei confronti del governo di Costantinopoli, dominato dal partito
ultranazionalista dei Giovani Turchi (Ittihad ve Terraki, Unione
e Progresso).

La repressione in realta’ era cominciata alla fine dell’Ottocento,
quando gli armeni – una minoranza cristiana che guardava all’Occidente
– costituirono comitati rivoluzionari per lottare contro il giogo
ottomano, che durava dal XVI/o secolo. Secondo fonti armene, tra il
1894 e il 1909, l’esercito massacro 200.000 persone. Gli eccidi,
secondo le stesse fonti, furono ordinati prima del sultano Abdul Hamid
II e poi dal governo dei Giovani Turchi, che prese il potere nel 1909.

Indeboliti dalla sconfitta nella guerra dei Balcani, nel febbraio
1914 gli ottomani, su pressione dei paesi occidentali, si impegnarono
ad avviare riforme per tutelare le minoranze etniche e religiose. Ma,
nell’ottobre dello stesso anno, entrarono nella Prima guerra mondiale,
a fianco della Germania e dell’impero austro-ungarico.

Poche settimane dopo gli arresti di massa dei leader armeni, nel
maggio 1915 una legge speciale autorizzo le deportazioni “per motivi
di sicurezza interna” di tutti i “gruppi sospetti”. La popolazione
armena di Anatolia e di Cilicia, additata come “il nemico interno”,
fu deportata verso i deserti della Mesopotamia. Durante l’esodo
forzato molti morirono di stenti e malattie o furono uccisi da
guerrieri curdi al servizio degli ottomani. Altri morirono nei campi
dove furono confinati. Altri riuscirono a fuggire in Occidente.

“Il diritto degli armeni di vivere e lavorare sul territorio della
Turchia e’ completamente abolito”, scrisse nel settembre dello stesso
anno il ministro dell’interno Talaat ai governatori delle province.
L’operazione di ‘pulizia etnica’ aveva un doppio obiettivo: occupare le
terre appartenenti agli armeni, situate tra la Turchia e il Caucaso,
e togliere alla minoranza cristiana qualsiasi illusione su eventuali
riforme. Nel 1920, dopo la dura sconfitta nella prima guerra mondiale,
l’impero ottomano fu smantellato. Nel maggio 1918 era stato istituito
uno stato armeno, inglobato nell’Unione sovietica.

La Turchia non riconosce il termine di “genocidio”, ma ammette che
furono commessi massacri e che molti armeni persero la vita durante le
deportazioni. Secondo Ankara si tratto tuttavia di repressione contro
una popolazione di rivoltosi che collaborava con l’allora nemico
numero uno, la Russia zarista, durante la prima guerra mondiale. Gli
eredi degli ottomani denunciano anche che, tra il 1915 e il 1922,
circa 523.000 turchi furono uccisi da bande armene.

Il genocidio armeno fu riconosciuto, il 29 agosto 1985, dalla
sottocommissione dei diritti umani dell’Onu, poi, il 18 giugno 1987,
dal Parlamento europeo. Il medesimo passo e’ stato fatto nel gennaio
2001 dalla Francia, dove vive la comunita’ armena piu’ numerosa
(350.000 persone), dalla Svizzera (Consiglio nazionale, dicembre
2003), dal Belgio (1998) e dalla Grecia (2003). In Russia, la Duma
ha condannato il genocidio nel 1994. Oggi nel mondo vivono quattro
milioni e mezzo di armeni.

La tragedia armena rimane un motivo di attrito e di polemiche tra
la Turchia e l’Armenia. Nei giorni scorsi Ankara ha suggerito di
istituire una commissione congiunta d’inchiesta per far luce una
volta per tutte sulla vicenda ma Ierevan – appoggiata dall Russia,
sua storica protettrice – ha respinto in modo categorico la proposta.

45 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ASK APPROPRIATORS TO MAINTAIN PARITY
& PROVIDE ARMENIA NO LESS THAN $75 MILLION IN ECONOMIC SUPPORT

YEREVAN, APRIL 21. ARMINFO. As House appropriators prepare to write
their funding bills for the 2006 Fiscal Year, 45 Members of Congress
today sent a letter to Foreign Operations Appropriations Chairman
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and ranking member Nita Lowey (D- NY) requesting
the subcommittee provide Armenia no less than $75 million in economic
support. The lawmakers also requested that the subcommittee maintain
military parity in aid between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The letter was initiated by U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ),
co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Armenia and Armenian Issues,
and U.S. Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), an active member of the Caucus,
reports Pallone’s office.

IN SEVAN A PARTICIPANT OF THE MEETING INJURED BY WEAPON

A1 Plus | 17:19:34 | 20-04-2005 | Social |

In the town of Sevan the meeting of the people with Aram Karapetyan,
leader of the party “New Times” ended up with a tragic event. As the
witness inform, during the meeting near the culture hall policemen
together with plain-clothed people started to fight with the
participants of the meeting.

The fight lasted for 15-20 minutes, after which, by the evidence of
the witnesses, one of the policemen shot one of participants. One
person is injured, who has been taken to hospital as a result of the
weapon injury.

Congressional Record: April 20, 2005 (Senate)
[Page S4011]
>>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr20ap05-111]

OBSERVANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the victims and
commemorate the 90th anniversary of the tragic Armenian Genocide, where
over 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were systematically
killed, and over 500,000 Armenians were displaced. This was the first
genocide of the 20th century, and one where the international community
failed to intervene to stop the killing.
We have learned a great deal since those dark days. We learned that
the world cannot sit on the sidelines as systematic massacres of
innocents take place. We learned that the rule of law must be upheld,
and that violations of law must have consequences. And, we learned that
the Armenian people are a strong, proud and persevering people who
could not be defeated. Today, hundreds of thousands of Armenian
Americans live in the United States, and I am proud to represent a
thriving Armenian-American population–3,000 strong–in Nevada.
But we must never forget the painful lessons learned from the
Armenian Genocide. This week, events around my State and the Nation
will recognize this important anniversary. I am grateful for the strong
and active work of the Armenian-American community in Las Vegas, who
will hold their annual commemoration on April 24. To the Armenian
American Cultural Society of Las Vegas and to the work of Mr. John
Dadaian, I say thank you for all that you have done for the people of
Nevada, and Armenia.
I am also proud of the fine work done by the University of Nevada’s
Center of Holocaust, Genocide and Peace Studies to inform the public
about the horrors of the Armenian Genocide. Raising awareness and
educating today’s generations about the horrors of genocide is crucial
for a safer, more peaceful future. That is why I was so proud to join
my friend and colleague, Senator Ensign, in cosponsoring a resolution
commemorating the signing of the Genocide Convention.
The people of Armenia suffered greatly during the 20th century. We
cannot allow genocide to occur ever again. So today I come to the
Senate floor to honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide and pledge
to uphold their sacrifice by standing against genocide and the
systematic killing of innocents wherever it may occur again.

‘Ocalan Law’ becomes a Boomerang or Nothing New from Turkey

Kurdish Info, Germany
April 21 2005

Turkey has got a problem. Again. Before the decision of the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the appeal hearing and case of
Abdullah Ocalan is made, debates are emerging in Turkey about how a
new trial of the leader of the Kurds could be prevented.

This is based on the general impression that the ECHR will decide to
uphold and follow the previous judgement in Ocalan’s case. At the end
of the first appeal hearing the judges in Strasbourg concluded that
Ocalan did not receive a fair trial with an independent court, his
rights to defence were restricted and he suffered inhuman treatment
through the imposition of the death sentence. Should these findings
be supported and confirmed, Turkey is faced by a serious dilemma.

In the context of the EU accession process, the Turkish government
did introduce various legal and judicial reforms also concerning
criminal law according to which judicial decisions made in Strasbourg
have to be accepted and implemented on the national level. At the
same time, these legal reforms are severely limited by other new laws
in Turkey. One example is the principle of the reopening of legal
proceedings which according to the reform is not applicable to trials
closed by the beginning of 2003. The trial in question, against
Abdullah Ocalan, is therefore excluded from that legal provision the
basis of which was built on the fear that the ‘enemy of the state’,
Ocalan, could gain from a democratic reform of the legal system.
Tellingly, the bill of the criminal law reform has been christened
‘Lex Ocalan’/ ‘Law Ocalan’ by the Turkish media.

What are these fears about? Why is it that Ocalan is still the focus
of so much debate? It is not so much the person Abdullah Ocalan
himself who is causing the controversies. Rather his name and
personality are closely intertwined with a conflict which is still
awaiting its solution. As soon as the Kurdish question is mentioned
or raised in any form, the governmental elite in Ankara and military
circles react with defensive reflexes which are not easily
comprehendible to Europeans. This is far from rational behaviour and
action. Recent developments in Turkey seem to support this
impression.

Currently, a nationalist wave is sweeping across Turkey. Flagged
marches and demonstrations are held everywhere and members of the
opposition are attacked on the street. Triggering this outburst of
Turkish nationalism was a statement by the general staff of the
Turkish army according to which, in the context of this year’s Newroz
festivities, two Kurdish children threw a Turkish flag on the ground
in the Turkish costal town of Mersin. In this statement the Kurds
were described as ‘so-called citizens’ of Turkey who ought to be
taught how to behave properly. The nationalist mood is not directed
against Kurds only; Turkish journalists and intellectuals are also
victims of discrimination. The Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk is faced
with death threats as he dared to openly comment in an interview on
the Turkish-Kurdish conflict and the massacre on Armenians in 1915.
Cartoonists have to pay horrendous fines because their works are not
approved of by Turkey’s minister president Erdogan.

Also in Europe politicians and diplomats recognise with increasing
frustration and alienation that the efforts and enthusiasm for
reforms in Ankara slowed down considerably. Only recently, the
European commissioner for enlargement, Oliver Rehn, called on Turkey
pressing for continued reform efforts. If these efforts do not
materialise the beginning of membership negotiations between Turkey
and the EU set for 3 October 2005 might be called into question. This
official reminder or warning is not surprising given the realities in
Turkey. Reforms that have been announced are delayed or not even
tabled; reforms that are decided upon are only partially implemented
if at all. International human rights organisations such as Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch report a rapid increase in human
rights violations and increasing racism directed against the Kurds as
a whole. The Turkish army is currently speeding up and extending its
military operations against Kurdish rebels in Kurdish regions. News
media report heavy fighting, injuries and casualties. Lasting longer,
these military clashes might escalate and develop their own deadly
dynamics.

How can a possible re-trial of Ocalan been understood in this
political context in Turkey? One the one hand, Ocalan still polarises
and divides public opinion, to some he is a hero, to others an enemy
of the state. On the other, already the fact of a public and fair
trial will cause uneasiness with those which would like to ignore the
Kurdish question completely. It is very likely that in such a
re-trial controversial questions such as the Turkish-Kurdish war and
the actions and behaviour of the Turkish army will be raised. This
would be an immense political issue which many want to prevent.
However, one thing is for sure: Also if the problem is ignored and
denied on the highest political levels, it nevertheless breaks its
way through other channels and will come to light. Nevertheless, a
re-trial of Ocalan could also be a chance for a new start bringing
the Turkish and Kurdish sides together. The Kurds seem to be ready,
willing and prepared. It is for Turkey to take the next steps.
Otherwise it will be more than difficult for Turkey to fulfil the
EU’s expectations for membership.

QUARREL OCCURRED IN PARLIAMENTARY SESSION

Azerbaijan News Service
April 19 2005

2005-04-19 16:49 — Parliamentarians discussed current issues in
today’s session of Milli Majlis (parliament). Parliament members spoke
about necessity to discuss unrecognized genocide in the parliament,
absence of monument for republic so far, recent price increase
throughout the county and other issues. They also complained about
teaching of pro-Armenian literature in Iran. It was proposed to send
a diplomatic note to Iran in this regard. MP Ahad Abiyev and chairman
Murtuz Alesgerov conflicted in today’s session as well. Incident took
place due to refusal of Milli Majlis chairman to allow Mr. Abiyev to
speak about issues beyond the agenda.