Author: Toganian Liana

PROSPECTS OF NEW RAILWAY BETWEEN TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN
By Messenger Staff

The Messenger
May 6 2010
Georgia

Turkey is preparing to identify the route for a new 7 km rail
line which it is planning to construct between Kars (Turkey) and
Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan). Sudredin Mamedov, a representative of the
Azeri transport ministry stated that this.tender has been announced
to select a company which will perform geological works.

Karsi-Igdir-Nakhchevan will be an extension of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
rail line and will establish important rail connections between
Azerbaijan and its territory of Nakhchevan autonomous republic which
is separated from Azerbaijan by Armenia. Meanwhile work continues on
the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail line. The Georgian segment of the rail line
is under reconstruction. The project was signed on February 8, 2007.

On May 2 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu participated in
a conference held in Oxford entitled ‘Turkish Foreign Policy in the
Changing World.’ He highlighted that his country wants to normalise
relations with Armenia as it is sure that this will facilitate peace
in the Caucasus. However achieving this much depends on resolving
the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Opening the border between Turkey and Armenia is not enough, as the
border between Azerbaijan and Armenia should also be opened, stated
Davutoglu, highlighting that resolving this conflict is one of the
necessary preconditions for establishing stability in the South
Caucasus region.

KAZIMIROV REPRESSES BAKU

Lragir.am
05/05/10

Without Nakhijevan, the Karabakh conflict cannot be understood, told a
former co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov in an interview
with the Azerbaijani information-analytical agency ‘3rd View’.

‘Border divisions between Armenians and Azeris happened very often
after conflicts. Mass outcomes rarely are voluntary. It is already
erased from the memory how many Armenians there were in Nakhichevan.

Imagine they want to go back there, more, within a tight schedule.

What will Baku say? Demagogically, it can say "Please!" And if we’re
serious?"

Dwelling on the statements by Azerbaijan over Azerbaijani refugees of
Karabakh, Kazimirov said: "What’s the use of repeating someone, who
lived there a century ago? No one will return the Indians to the U.S.,
Seljuks will not be offered to go back into Asia, etc. What happened
– is already a reality, even if the balance is negative. Example
– Crimea. It is necessary to proceed from the current situation,
rather than looking at a century ago. War is better to be left in
those centuries: I believe not in rage, but in man’s intellect,
his ability to find an honorable way, even from the most impasse one".

Dwelling on the international understanding of the territorial
surrender, Kazimirov said: "Many states and international organizations
are not so simplistic to understand this complicated conflict, as
it gives your propaganda. All is not so sure. The conflict has its
prehistory. Attempts to force solutions to the military action were
taken by another party. This was not an armed attack by Armenians, but
more complex and multidimensional escalation of mutual hostility. The
right to self-defense is written in the UN Charter just as a State’s
response to an armed attack against it, and not as a replay of the
war after 16 years", said the former mediator.

Kazimirov added that curbing the excesses of their own propaganda is
one of the main requirements to the parties of the conflict towards
peace in the region.

AHMET DAVUTOGLU: AGREEMENT WILL BE REACHED IN COMING MONTHS, EVEN WEEKS

NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY
MAY 5, 2010
ANKARA

ANKARA, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Foreign Minister
of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu is convinced that Armenia and Turkey will
reach an agreement in the coming months, even weeks. The Turkish
mass media reported that at a meeting with Turkish intellectuals in
Great Britain he said that "the Armenian-Turkish process has not
died – the Turkish side will not allow that". In his opinion, it
is impossible to turn the process back, it has stopped now, but an
agreement will be reached in the coming months, even weeks. However,
according to A. Davutoglu, a relationship with Armenia is impossible
without consideration of Azerbaijan’s interests. "If an armed conflict
starts in Nagorno Karabakh, the borders which should be opened will
close again," Davutoglu declared, adding that if Armenia surrenders
some "occupied" territories, then Turkish society will overcome a
psychological barrier and the borders will open.

TURQUIE/ASSASSINAT DE HRANT DINK : LE JOURNALISTE ET ECRIVAIN NEDIM SENER DANS LA TOURMENTE
Stephane

armenews
5 mai 2010
TURQUIE

Le 28 avril 2010, aura lieu l’un des trois procès lances contre
Nedim Sener, journaliste et ecrivain turc. Reporters sans frontières
espère que les autorites judiciaires abandonneront toutes les
poursuites a l’encontre du journaliste d’investigation et qu’elles
s’attacheront davantage a faire la lumière autour de l’assassinat de
Hrant Dink. La justice tarde a etre rendue dans cette affaire, les
autorites s’eparpillant dans des accusations secondaires contre des
journalistes, que l’organisation considère comme etant injustifiees.

"Tant que les autorites judicaires n’auront pas fait toute la lumière
sur la mort du journaliste d’origine armenienne et, en particulier,
tant que les responsables politiques et les policiers impliques dans
ce crime n’auront pas ete mis en examen, les accusations adressees
a Nedim Sener resteront prematurees et injustifiees. Reporters sans
frontières demande l’abandon des poursuites contre l’ecrivain, qui
souhaitait mettre un terme a l’impunite regnant dans l’affaire Dink
depuis trois ans." L’organisation formule les memes attentes quant aux
accusations formulees a l’encontre de Kemal Goktas. Dans son livre "
Assassinat de Hrant Dink : Medias, Justice et Etat ", publie en juin
2009, ce dernier developpait la thèse de la responsabilite de l’Etat
et du pouvoir judiciaire turcs dans l’assassinat de Hrant Dink. Il
risque 5 ans de prison.

Pour un seul et meme livre, "L’assassinat de Dink et les mensonges
du service des renseignements", Nedim Sener encourt jusqu’a 32 ans
d’emprisonnement, toutes accusations confondues. Le journaliste est
actuellement en liberte et tente, tant bien que mal, de poursuivre
son activite. Reporters sans frontières espère que le verdict,
qui tombera dans les prochains jours, sera le reflet d’une justice
equitable et proportionnee.

Devant la 2e chambre du tribunal correctionnel d’Istanbul, Nedim
Sener est accuse d’"offense a un fonctionnaire d’Etat", "violation
du secret de la correspondance privee" et "tentative d’influencer un
procès". Il risque 8 huit ans de prison, pour avoir ecrit ce qu’il
pensait. Dans son livre, le journaliste sous-entendait qu’Ali Fuat
Yilmazer, chef de section du renseignement general, avait dissimule
un rapport attestant des menaces a l’encontre de Hrant Dink. Au lieu
d’envoyer ces informations a sa hierarchie comme l’exige la procedure,
celui-ci aurait classe le rapport. Nedim Sener a declare, le 15 avril,
lors d’une audience, qu’il n’avait aucunement l’intention d’interferer
dans l’enquete sur la mort du journaliste. Il souhaitait simplement
que son temoignage et les revelations contenues dans le livre aident
a faire la lumière sur l’assassinat.

Le journaliste est egalement accuse devant la 11e chambre de la
cour d’assises d’Istanbul d’avoir "obtenu des documents classes
confidentiels", de les avoir publies, et, par cela, "d’exposer
un fonctionnaire qui lutte contre le terrorisme a l’action d’une
organisation terroriste". Il encourt pour ces charges jusqu’a 20 ans
d’emprisonnement. Enfin, devant la 2e chambre du tribunal correctionnel
de Bakirkoy (quartier d’Istanbul), il risque jusqu’a 4,5 ans pour
avoir viole une interdiction de publication.

Hrant Dink, createur du journal Agos, a ete abattu le 19 janvier 2007,
a quelques pas de la redaction. Prônant la reconciliation nationale,
le journaliste d’origine armenienne avait recu, a plusieurs reprises,
des menaces emanant de groupes d’extreme droite. Dans ses articles,
Hrant Dink appelait a la reconnaissance du genocide armenien, sujet
plus que sensible en Turquie. Malgre un climat de tensions, il avait
toujours refuse de quitter son pays.

NO END TO VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS IN ARMENIA SOON

news.am
May 3 2010
Armenia

An end will not be put to violence against journalists in Armenia soon,
as no citizen is protected in the country, including journalists,
Chairman of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan told a press
conference.

He stressed that, after being digitized, TV channels will become even
more dependent. Commenting of the Freedom House report on freedom
of the press in Armenia, which ranks the country among "not free"
countries, Navasardyan gave advice to focus attention on mass media’s
problems and ways of resolving them rather than on reports like that.

He stressed that it is not time for freedom of speech in Armenia yet.

Director of the JNews.am portal Suren Degeryan stressed the freedom
of speech in Armenia requires political will.

SEYRAN OHANYAN: I WANT OUR VICTORIES TO CONTINUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2010 – 17:31 AMT 12:31 GMT

Monday, May 3, Mrgashen village school hosted a military -patriotic
event to mark May victories. The event was attended by Mrgashen school
graduate, Armenian Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan .

"Everything we attained during Artsakh war should be preserved and
passed on to the next generations. I want our victories to continue,"
the Minister stated, emphasizing the importance of military and
patriotic education in Armenia.

Upon conclusion of the event, Great Patriotic War veteran Asilbek
Gasparyan and 10 veterans of Karabakh war were awarded with medals.

Seyran Ohanyan held an open lesson to familiarize students with the
history of the formation of Armenian Army and tasks Armenian Armed
Forces are currently facing.

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 1 2010

British analysts: Armenia is under pressure

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 1 / Trend, U. Sadikhova /

Armenia is under the pressure of external forces that are interested
in continuing the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations, British analysts believe.

According to Lecturer at the Bilkent University Journalism Faculty
David Barchard, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan won a little from
the decision to suspend the process of normalization of relations with
Turkey, which was adopted last week.

"Interestingly, how strongly he regrets taking this decision?,"
Barchard asked while talking with Trend correspondent and added that
Turkey will not change its position in ratification of protocols with
Armenia.

According to British Professor of International Relations at Bilkent
University Mark Almond, the western countries are more interested in
continuation of the process of normalization of relations between
Ankara and Yerevan.They may demand the ratification of the protocols
of Armenia in exchange of a possible rapprochement with the EU,
professor Mark Almond told Trend.

In its turn Turkey continues to strengthen its role in the South
Caucasus not only with the efforts of foreign policy, but at the
expense of economic growth and expansion of contacts throughout the
region, Almond says.

However, Turkish efforts in the region can be blocked by the decision
of Armenia to freeze the process of normalization, Almond believes.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree suspending the
ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on normalizing
relations between Yerevan and Ankara signed by the two countries’
foreign ministers.

Sargsyan argued the temporary suspension of the ratification of the
protocols with "national interests".

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken due to
Armenian claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. Their border closed in 1993.

If one country is not interested in the initiative of another country,
the game will be completed and the status quo will be remained in the
region, British analyst explained. This position only worsens already
difficult situation in Armenia, given the economic problems facing the
republic because of conflicts with its neighbours, however, the
question is whether the country will hold out.

Trend, Azerbaijan
April 29 2010

Turkish FM: Knesset’s decision to discuss "Armenian genocide" doomed to failure

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the Israeli Parliament Knesset’s
decision to accept a proposal to discuss the Armenian allegations
regarding the incidents of 1915, was an attempt expected to fail like
previous ones, the World Bulletin web site reported with reference to
Anadolu news agency.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Burak Ozugurgun, commented at a weekly
press conference on Knesset’s decision to accept the leader of Meretz
Party Haim Oron’s proposal to debate the Armenian allegations
regarding the 1915 incidents as genocide.

The question on the" genocide "was discussed by the Left parties
faction represented in the Knesset. The Left parties meeting involved
about 20 members, of whom 12 voted for the decision and eight –
against. The meeting made decision to consider it at the Parliamentary
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Ozugurgun who pointed out that similar proposals were discussed at
Knesset in the past said, "We expect such attempts to fail like the
examples in the past."

"Not just the Israeli Parliament. But Turkey’s views on judgement of
history by parliamentarians, in general, are well known. It is better
to leave interpretation of history to historians," Ozugurgun said.

Armenia claims that the Ottoman Empire committed "genocide" against
Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Making greater efforts to
promote the issue internationally, Armenians have achieved its
recognition by parliaments in some countries.

Despite this, Turkish Foreign Ministry Adviser Firudin Siniroglu will
visit Israel in early May 2.

Sinirlioglu will discuss with Israel the reasons for the recent
deterioration of relations between the two countries after the Israeli
military operation in the Gaza Strip last winter, as well as ways to
resume Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and facilitate Turkey’s
mediation in the indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel.

The two countries held political consultations in January in Ankara
with the participation of Israeli Foreign Ministry Adviser Yossi Gal.

PASADENA ANC PRAISES LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ADOPTING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Asbarez
Apr 30th, 2010

Maral Tashjian Nazarian, Pasadena Community activist addressing
the PUSD Board of Education about the importance of teaching the
Armenian Genocide.

PASADENA, CA – The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD)
unanimously adopted a resolution regarding the Armenian Genocide at
their board meeting on April 27, 2010. Specifically, the measure
reaffirms the PUSD’s commitment to working with community groups,
non-profit organizations and school personnel to ensure that the
Armenian Genocide studies remain an important part of High School
social studies curriculum in the City of Pasadena. The PUSD meeting
was attended by representatives of the Pasadena ANC and the Pasadena
Armenian Youth Federation "Nigol Touman" chapter.

"We appreciate the Pasadena Unified School District’s action to
speak truth to power against the state sponsored campaign of genocide
denial being advanced by the Republic of Turkey," remarked Pasadena
ANC Executive Director Ishkhan Boghossian. "Pasadena is a city where
human rights are respected and celebrated and the resolution adopted
today is further proof of this," added Boghossian.

PUSD Chief Academic Officer Alice Petrossian was introduced by PUSD
officials to discuss the resolution. Petrossian, a prominent member
of the Armenian American community, was understandably emotional when
discussing the experience of her family during the genocide. She was
followed by Suzanne Berberian, who serves as the community liaison
specialist for the district and has deep roots with Pasadena’s large
Armenian American community. Berberian was followed by remarks from
Pasadena ANC Chairman Raffi Hamparian.

Community activist and a product of the local public school system,
Maral Tashjian Nazarian, praised the PUSD for adopting the resolution.

Maral, whose children also attend Pasadena public schools, explained
that she was grateful to the PUSD for being part of the broad movement
to confront the Turkish Government’s campaign to deny the Armenian
Genocide

An outstanding feature of the resolution adopted by the PUSD is that
it seeks feedback from teachers as to their efforts to integrate the
Armenian Genocide and other genocides into the district’s 2011-2012
history curriculum. A number of years ago, the PUSD, in partnership
with the Pasadena ANC, sponsored a training program for High School
social studies teachers on the Armenian Genocide.

The Pasadena ANC advocates for the social, economic, cultural,
and political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and
promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the
grassroots and public policy levels.

#1: Pasadena Armenian-American Community Activists attending the
Pasadena Unified School Board Meeting.

#2: Maral Tashjian Nazarian, Pasadena Community activist addressing
the PUSD Board of Education about the importance of teaching the
Armenian Genocide.

EX DASHNAK SIDES WITH HERITAGE

A1Plus.am
28/04/10

Ruben Hakobyan, Director of Akunk Centre, Armenia’s former consul
general to St. Petersburg, and Karine Hakobyan, former Deputy Minister
of Labour and Social Affairs have sided with Heritage Party.

Earlier, Ruben Hakobyan was affiliated with the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun. He
was expelled from the party in May 2008.

"We welcome the people joining our ranks. We are hopeful that they
will give a new impetus to the party with their political and civil
background, experience and potential," Heritage board chairman Armen
Martirosyan said in his congratulatory remarks.

The party will convene a congress on May 8.