Author: Toganian Liana

ESTONIAN-ARMENIAN SOCIETY WANTS TURKEY TO REGRET GENOCIDE

Baltic News Service
April 18, 2005

TALLINN, Apr 18 — The Estonian-Armenian Society has adopted an address
to the Estonian parliament in connection with the 90th anniversary
of the Turkish genocide against Armenians, asking that Turkey should
regret the mass murder of Armenians in 1915.

The address states that the history of sufferings of the Armenian
people continued and culminated in 1915 in a horrendous genocide of
particularly gruesome details.

The address underlines that there can be no double morals in attitudes
to crime and that crimes committed by winners of wars are crimes
against humanity, too. Peoples learn to live in peace only when
classification of crimes into bad and good ones stops and when they
are made public independent of who committed them, the address goes
on to say.

“Also Turkey that is aspiring to become a member in the European Union
must be guided by it, the address states. “Admission of former guilt
and regret should be the first steps on that road.”

The address drawn up by member of the Society Einar Laigna was
Monday read out in parliament by Toivo Tootsen, chairman of the
Estonian-Armenian parliamentary group.

Regular annihilation of Armenians broke out in the Ottoman Empire
at the beginning of the previous century and acquired the dimensions
of genocide.

The violence climaxed in 1915 when more than a million Armenians were
killed in a few months. That day is marked as the day of remembrance
of genocide victims in Armenia. April 24 is the state Remembrance
Day in Armenia.

Until today, Turkey refuses to admit the genocide of Armenians.

Members of the Armenian genocide during the Ottoman Empire will be
remembered in Tallinn on April 24.

Priest of the Armenian church in Tallinn Father Garnik told BNS that
the remembrance ceremony would start at noon on April 24 and would be
followed by the laying of flowers at a memorial stone in Tartu Maantee.

There will be a concert of remembrance songs later that evening in
Tallinn’s Niguliste Church.

“Text” of Turkish premier’s letter to Armenian counterpart

Milliyet web site, Istanbul
15 Apr 05

Text of article by Utku Cakirozer in Ankara entitled “Here is the
historic letter: ‘painful memories'” published by Turkish newspaper
Milliyet web site on 15 April; suheading as published

In a letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan describes the 1915 events that the Armenians
charge constituted genocide as “memories that distressed our peoples
in the past.” Erdogan’s letter, which begins with the salutation “Dear
Mr President,” says that Turkey and Armenia have “differences of
interpretation” over the said period. Below is the text of the
historic letter.

“The Turkish and Armenian peoples have not only shared a common
history and geography in a sensitive part of the world but they have
also lived together for many years. However it is no secret that we
have differences of interpretation and evaluation over a certain
period of our common history.

“These differences have left memories that have distressed our peoples
in past years and today they play a role that does not make the
development of friendly relations between our countries easier.

“I believe that, as leaders of our countries, our principal duty is to
leave to our future generations a climate of friendship marked by
peace and harmony and characterized by tolerance and mutual
respect. Mr Deniz Baykal, the leader of our country’s main opposition
Republican People’s Party, also shares these views. In this framework
we invite your country [to join us] in forming a group comprised of
the historians and other specialists of our two countries to
investigate the developments and events related to the 1915 period by
researching all the archives of not only Turkey and Armenia but also
all relevant third countries and to report their findings to the
international community.

“I believe that an initiative in this direction will shed light on a
controversial period of history and will serve as a step towards the
normalization of relations between our countries.

“I hope that this proposal aimed at passing on a friendly and more
peaceful climate to future generations will be accepted. If you are
positively disposed towards our proposal to form a group of historians
and specialists to conduct joint work on archives we are prepared to
discuss the details of our proposal with your country.

“Sincerely, [signed].”

Report by Cenk Baglamis: “I did not receive any letter”

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan declared that he has not received
any letter from Prime Minister Erdogan proposing the formation of a
joint commission by the two countries to investigate allegations of
genocide. However, a few hours after Kocharyan declared that he did
not receive any letter, it was disclosed that the Armenian embassy in
Tbilisi faxed the letter to Yerevan. Viktor Soghomonyan, spokesman of
Armenia’s Office of the President, also declared that no letter has
been received. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan, on the other
hand, said that the principal reason for [Armenia’s] insistence on the
recognition of the genocide by Turkey is its “security concerns.”

Although Erdogan’s letter is addressed to “Robert Kocharyan, president
of Armenia, Yerevan,” the letter was sent to Kocharyan via Georgia
because there are no diplomatic relations between Ankara and
Yerevan. The letter was reportedly delivered by the Turkish embassy in
Tbilisi to the Armenian embassy in the same city.

ARDARUTIUN BLOC: “RESOURCES OF ESTABLISHMENT OF LEGAL POWER IN A
CIVILIZED WAY AREN’T EXHAUSTED YET”

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. “The persons and political forces who
uzurped the power through falsifications and violence in 1998 an 2003,
organized barbarities early in the morning of April 13 and
persistently don’t fulfil their obligations towards the Council of
Europe” can’t carry out the system reforms necessary for establishment
of democracy in the country. This was mentioned in the statement
adopted in connection with April 12-13 events at the forum “For the
Sake of Democracy” organized by the Ardarutiun (Justice) bloc. The
document mentioned that “the organizers and executors of mass violence
and electoral falsifications haven’t been called to accout, the law
“On Rallies, Processions and Demonstrations” hasn’t been reconsidered
yet, no step has been taken in the direction of opening the “A1+” TV
company.” “The immediate liquidation of the criminal regime has become
the dictate of the day,” the document read. The Ardarutiun bloc
considers that “the resources of establishment of a legal power in a
civilized way haven’t been exhausted yet.” In particular, such a way
is the holding of a referendum of confidence. “We are the supporters
of a quiet and peaceful settlement of the events. Otherwise the whole
responsibility for the unpredictable processes connected with the
removal of the person who forcibly uzurped the power will completely
lay on Robert Kocharian and political coalition supporting him,” the
Ardarutiun bloc considers.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
April 14 2005

Belgian MP’s statement draws criticism

The statement by chairman of the Belgian parliament’s House of
Representatives Herman De Croo that the Upper Garabagh conflict is
like a husband-wife dispute has drawn fire from Azerbaijani public.
Croo told journalists at the Bina Airport of Baku upon arrival on
Thursday that prior to visiting Azerbaijan he discussed the Garabagh
problem with the Armenian

Presidentand government officials in Yerevan.
Croo said that the Upper Garabagh conflict ‘is like a dispute between
husband and wife’.
The Belgian MP stated in a meeting with media representatives that
int’l pressure is needed to settle conflict.
Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union within the “New
Neighborhood Policy” Program have intensified, which may promote
resolution of the conflict, Croo said.
The Belgian parliamentarian added that he would issue a communiqu? on
the results of his tour of the region upon returning home.
Chairman of the Yurddash Party, MP Mais Safarli said in a meeting
with Croo that such an approach to the conflict is inappropriate.
“Armenia is not our wife. It is common knowledge that Armenia is
Russia’s wife,” said Safarli, emphasizing that the Upper Garabagh
conflict remains unsettled due to this.
Safarli noted that Russia has supplied Armenia with weapons worth
some 1 billion dollars over the past few years.
“These arms pose a threat not only to Azerbaijan and regional
countries but also to the entire Europe.”
The MP added that it is worthless to speak of democracy and human
rights in Azerbaijan until the Upper Garabagh conflict is settled.

FEDERATION EURO-ARMENIENNE
pour la Justice et la Démocratie
Avenue dela Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel :+32 2 732 70 26
Tel/Fax :+32 2 732 70 26
Email : [email protected]

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
pour diffusion immédiate
Contact :Talline Tachdjian
Tel/Fax :+32 2 732 70 27

COMMEMORATION DU GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS

CONFERENCE AU SENAT BELGE : UNE RECONNAISSANCE POUR CONSTRUIRE
L’AVENIR

A l’initiative du sénateur Lionel Vandenberghe, le Sénat belge
accueillera lundi 18 avril à partir de 13h une conférence consacrée au
Génocide des Arméniens et à sa reconnaissance. Intitulée « une
reconnaissance pour construire l’avenir », cette conférence s’inscrit
dans un cycle de manifestations soutenues par un collectif de onze
associations de Belgique, regroupant citoyens européens et
ressortissants de Turquie. La Fédération Euro-Arménienne est membre de
ce collectif.

A cette occasion, ce collectif a mis en place un site Internet,
donnant toutes les indications relatives à ces
évènements et permettant également de s’inscrire en ligne à la
conférence. Le collectif propose également d’y signer une pétition
appelant d’une part « l’Union européenne et les Etats membres de
l’Union européenne à prendre clairement et explicitement en compte ces
exigences de reconnaissance et de réparation dans le cadre des
négociations d’adhésion qu’elle mène avec la Turquie » et appelant
d’autre part « la Turquie à se grandir d’une reconnaissance pleine et
entière du génocide des Arméniens. »

La conférence se tiendra à la Maison des Parlementaires (Salle des
Congrès), Rue Louvain 21 – 1009 Bruxelles . L’entrée est libre mais
l’inscription est obligatoire sur le site Internet
ou par email à l’adresse suivante :
[email protected]

Programme

· 13h00 – 13h15: Accueil

· 13h15 – 13h30: ‘Introduction: Une reconnaissance pour construire
l’avenir’ Sénateur Lionel Vandenberghe (Spirit)

· 13h30 – 13h45: ‘Le sens politique de la reconnaissance et de la
réconciliation’ Sénateur Pierre Galand (Parti Socialiste)

· 13h45 – 14h00: ‘La reconnaissance politique du Génocide arménien’
Sénateur Alain Destexhe (Mouvement Réformateur)

· 14h00 – 14h15: ‘Vécu personnel par rapport à la question arménienne’
Willy Kuijpers (Bourgmestre de Herent)

· 14h15 – 14h35: ‘Les prémices d’une justice internationale au
lendemain du Génocide des Arméniens’ Raymond Kevorkian (historien et
conservateur de la Bibliothèque Nubar Pacha – Paris)

· 14h35 – 15h00: ‘Le sens politique de la tolérance européenne au
négationnisme d’Etat de la Turquie’ Laurent Leylekian (directeur de la
Fédération Euro-Arménienne)

· 15h00 – 15h15: PAUSE

· 15h15 – 15h30: ‘Les Arméniens restés en Turquie après le Génocide’
Derwich M. Ferho (directeur de l’Institut Kurde de Bruxelles)

· 15h30 – 15h45: ‘La Turquie, un pays rendu otage de négationnisme par
ses dirigeants politico-militaires et médias…’ Dogan Özgüden
(directeur de la Fondation Info-Türk)

· 15h45 – 16h00: ‘Les relations entre les Turcs et les Arméniens’ Ufuk
Berdan (Confédération européenne des travailleurs de Turquie – ATIK)

· 16h00 – 16h15: ‘L’attitude des Kurdes vis-à-vis du Génocide
Arménien’ Recep Marasli (Ecrivain-éditeur)

· 16h15 – 16h30: Discours de clôture Pr. Ludo Abicht

· 16h30 – 16h45: Lecture de la motion Sénateur Lionel Vandenberghe

· 16h45 – 17h30: Débat: Questions & Réponses

Xinhua General News Service, China
April 13, 2005 Wednesday 4:00 PM EST

Turkish parliament rejects Armenian genocide claims

ANKARA

Turkish parliament on Wednesday rejected Armenia’s allegations that
the Ottoman Empire had carried out genocide against the Empire’s
Armenian citizens during World War I.

The parliament said in a declaration that it was for the benefit of
Turkey and Armenia to reconcile, end prejudices and create a climate
which will enable the two nations to share a common future based on
tolerance, friendship and cooperation.

The declaration reasserted Turkey’s willingness to open its national
archives and form a common commission with Armenia comprised of
historians from both sides in a bid to study the dossier concerned.

“What is reasonable for Turkey and Armenia is to end taboos with a
joint initiative, clarify all of what they had experienced and be
ready to settle old scores with their history. This is the only way
to prevent the past from darkening today and future,” said the
declaration.

It was impossible for Turkey to base its history on some one- sided
and misleading assessments, the declaration added.

Last month, Turkey has proposed to carry out a study by historians of
both Turkey and Armenia to investigate the authenticity of the
alleged Armenian genocide. The proposal was rejected by Armenia
later.

Turkey has always denied that the Armenians were subjected to
genocide in the period between 1915 and 1923. However, it does
acknowledge that up to 300,000 Armenians, and an even higher number
of Muslims, died during fightings and Ottoman’s efforts to relocate
populations away from the war zone in eastern Turkey during World War
I.

But Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians died in the period as
a result of systematic genocide.

Los Angeles Times
April 11, 2005 Monday
Home Edition

Commentary;
Don’t Write Off the Turks;
Ankara isn’t anti-American; it’s independent.

Graham E. Fuller

Who lost Turkey? That’s the theme of a rash of articles in the U.S.
press over the last two months. Apparently, there’s a growing
consensus in Washington that our old ally has been gradually becoming
more anti-American.

In 2003, Turkey denied Washington the use of Turkish bases only
months before the war on Iraq began. Just recently, Vice President
Dick Cheney blamed Turkey’s noncooperation for many of the problems
today with Iraqi insurgents.

A number of critics have pointed to the rise of anti-American public
sentiment in Turkey over the last two years: The Marshall Fund found
that 82% of the Turkish public was hostile to the U.S., one of the
highest figures anywhere, especially for a NATO ally. A recent
bestselling Turkish fictional thriller, “Metal Storm,” portrays a
U.S. war against Turkey. The Islam-oriented government in Ankara has
harshly criticized close U.S. ally Israel for its occupation policies
in the West Bank. And Turkey does not concur with Washington’s
efforts to pressure Iran and Syria.

Although these events indeed represent a new Turkish reality, it
would be erroneous — indeed dangerous — to assume that Turkey’s
widespread opposition to many of the Bush administration’s policies
are symptomatic of a broader strategic hostility. And it would be
exceptionally shortsighted for U.S. policymakers to argue that the
democratically elected moderate Islamist government in Turkey is not
sufficiently pro-American or that it should be pressured to change
its leadership.

In reality, U.S. interests — in the broader scheme of things — have
been exceptionally well-served by this Turkish government, which has
brought broad democratic reforms to the country as part of its
explicit commitment to gain European Union membership. Turkey has
taken positive steps toward relieving Kurdish dissatisfaction and has
moved to improve relations with all of its neighbors, including
longtime opponent Armenia. The economy is moving forward, and
inflation is way down.

The Turkish public, including those with no special desire for
Islamist policies, find the performance of this government to be
generally on the right track; politics have been more stable than any
other time in the last decade. Most interesting, several of Turkey’s
Arab neighbors are paying attention to its experience in producing a
competent Islam-oriented government — one that can be proudly
independent yet democratic, reformist and a candidate for EU
membership. Nothing could be a more positive model for the rest of
the region.

It is true that since the end of the Cold War, Turkey’s reliance on
U.S. leadership in foreign policy has declined sharply — as it has
in most of the rest of the world, including Western Europe. Ankara is
no longer automatically acquiescent to following the U.S. lead,
especially when it believes that U.S. policies run counter to Turkish
national interests. U.S. policy in Iraq, Iran and Syria is seen by
Turkey as adventuristic and needlessly destabilizing to Turkish
interests.

Right now, opposition to U.S. policies is the nearest thing to a
national consensus in Turkey. Major elements across the political
spectrum — Turkey’s strong secularists, nationalists, Kemalists and
leftists — are even more harshly critical of Washington than the
government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Efforts by
Washington to intimidate a popular, representative Turkish government
or to bring it in line with U.S. government policies will almost
surely backfire. In the new world order, unilateralism has its
limits. Turkey is not lost to us; we just need to take a more
realistic view of the limits of our own power, be sensitive to the
risks of ignoring other states’ nationalist feelings and interests,
and adopt a longer-term, more enlightened view of our own interests.
Turkey is doing fine.

Graham E. Fuller is a former chairman of the National Intelligence
Council at the CIA. His latest book is “The Future of Political
Islam” (Palgrave 2003).

Armenian president says concessions in Karabakh settlement “inevitable”

Mediamax news agency
11 Apr 05

YEREVAN

“We have never questioned the need for compromises in the settlement
of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,” Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan told a meeting with the students of the Economy Department
at Yerevan State University today.

“The essence of possible compromises depends on several factors,”
Kocharyan said, pointing to Armenia’s domestic political and economic
situation and the position of the international community among
others.

“The stronger we are, the more we will get. The more we will get, the
better it is,” Kocharyan said. “We have to understand that compromises
in the settlement are inevitable. But we had better not speak about
their possible scale today.”

AKTSERN’S DIRECTOR TRIES TO DISSOLVE NARV, ASSOCIATION MEMBERS ALLEGE

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. One of the founders of the National
Association of Realtors and Valuers (NARV), director of the
Aktsern LTD Hakob Baghdasarian is trying to discredit and dissolve
the association. Marina Chatinian, director of the real estate
agency Bars – the NARV member, stated this at the April 6 press
conference. According to her, since August, 2004, H. Baghdasarian “has
been impeding the association activities by various unfounded legal
actions, requesting that sittings and general meetings of the NARV
Board be forbidden.” It was noted that Aktsern’s director has also
seized the NARV accounting documents. NARV was founded in December,
2001 by the real estate agencies Aktsern and Bars. In 2004, it became a
full member of the Union of Real Estate Associations of Central Europe.

LEVON SARGSIAN RELIEVED OF POST OF RA AMBASSADOR TO JORDAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. According to RA President Robert
Kocharian’s April 6 decree, Levon Sargsian was relieved of the post
of RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Jordan. Noyan
Tapan was informed about this from RA President’s Press Service.