Author: Topchian Jane

TURKISH PM: ARMENIAN DIASPORA DOES ITS BEST TO AGGRAVATE RELATIONS
WITH TURKEY

Ankara, January 27. ArmInfo. "We are taking necessary steps to restore
our relations with Armenia, however, we do not see relevant steps on
the part of Armenia. While we are speaking about normal relations and
peace, the Armenian Diaspora is doing its best to make our relations
even worse. They keep telling the world about some "Armenian
Genocide." They have nothing else to do but talking about "the
Armenian Genocide,"" Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan said when
asked to comment on the possibility of rapprochement with Armenia
after the murder of Armenian journalists Hrant Dink.

APA reports him to say that the Armenians know no other goal but to
seek various countries’ support for the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. So, Erdogan doubts the possibility of rapprochement under
such conditions. Erdogan expressed protest against the slogan "We Are
All Armenians" proclaimed during the funeral of Hrant Dink.

WE HOPE THAT TURKEY WILL TAKE STEPS AIMED AT OVERCOMING CURRENT
DISAGREEMENTS, RA MFA OFFICIAL SAYS

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The Acting Head of the RA MFA Press
and Information Department Vladimir Karapetian confirmed the
information that a meeting of the RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakosian and the Director General of the Turkish MFA Bilateral
Relations Directorate Ambassador Reshed Uman took place in Istanbul on
the initiative of the Turkish side. According to him, during the
meeting held in a positive atmosphere, the sides discussed the
positions of the two countries and the opportunities of making progress
in Armenian-Turkish relations. "It should be noted that the sides
continue to have disagreements in their approaches to the discussed
issues. Armenia’s position on establishing diplomatic relations with
Turkey without preconditions remains unchanged and we express a hope
that Turkey will take steps aimed at overcoming the current
disagreements," V. Karapetian said.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 26 2007

Turks, Armenians to walk hand in hand in Paris
The dream of Agos newspaper chief editor Hrant Dink, for Turks and
Armenians to leave the genocide behind and come closer for dialogue,
will come one step closer today. Turks and Armenians will march
together on Friday in France, a country that has a strong anti-Turkey
Armenian lobby.

Three Armenian organizations and the Turkish Citizens Unity
Association named, Racort, in Paris has agreed to hold a silent march
in honor of Hrant Dink. The main slogan of the march is, "We are all
Hrant, We are all Armenian." The march will begin today at Paris’
famous Place de la République and finish at the Bastille. The
Armenian Diaspora Research Center, the Armenian Audiovisual
Association, the Armenian cultural Association named J’APPEL, have
all accepted Racort’s invitation to participate in the march. But,
the architects of the French genocide bill, the Armenian Case Defense
Committee (CDCA) and the Committee for Coordination of Armenian
Associations of France did not respond to the invitation.
Although the associations to participate in the walk today represent
a small number of the Armenians in France, it is still a historical
development for Armenians and Turks to walk side by side, Racort
official Umit Metin says, adding he believes more developments will
follow. Metin said the Turkish-Armenian cooperation in Turkey
following the death of Dink has certainly influenced the attitude of
Armenians in France about Turkey and the Turkish people. "To make
this change was impossible before," Metin said.
He also informed that following their initiative, many Armenians had
contacted him, he sees it as a sign that many Armenians have been
affected by the cooperation of the two groups in Turkey.
The march will begin in the afternoon. Songs in Turkish, Armenian and
Kurdish will be recited during the event. The march will end at
Bastille Square, where a ceremony will be held to honor Dink, and a
white dove will be released into the skies of Paris, Metin told Zaman
newspaper. Organizations that have supported the event include,
French Moor Workers Association, French Tunisian Association, Paris
Shiite Culture Center, Dersim Culture and Research Center, Hamlet
Kaya Kurdish Culture Association, Human Rights League, Greens Party,
MRAP and ATTACK.

27.01.2007

Ali Ihsan Aydin Paris

A1+

UNFRUITFUL MEETING
[07:45 pm] 23 January, 2007

"Armenia and Azerbaijan couldn’t find a common language", this is how
"Izvestia" qualified the Moscow meeting of Oskanian and Mamadyarov.

The heads of the Armenian and Azeri Foreign Ministries couldn’t
achieve tangible results on the Karabakh conflict settlement in Moscow.

Varoujan Nersisyan, the head of international department of RA Foreign
Ministry said, "We haven’t achieved concrete results, but at least
paved a way for the further negotiations within the framework of the
OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs’ visit to Baku, Yerevan and Stepanakert",
report "Itar-Tass".

Italian PM urges Turkey to continue EU reforms, condemns killing of ethnic Armenian journalist

International Herald Tribune, France
Jan 22 2007

The Associated PressPublished: January 22, 2007

ANKARA, Turkey: Italian Premier Romano Prodi on Monday urged Turkey
to maintain its reform process for membership in the European Union
and be open to compromise on Cyprus for a lasting solution on the
divided island.

Prodi told a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart
Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey should continue to work to reach
the eventual goal of EU membership.

Ahead of his visit to Turkey, the Italian prime minister condemned
the killing in Istanbul on Friday of an ethnic Armenian journalist.

"It is a very serious episode on which I hope full light will be shed,"
Prodi said in an interview with Turkish newspaper Sabah published
Monday. An Italian transcript of the interview was circulated by the
premier’s office in Rome.

The slaying of Hrant Dink outside his newspaper’s office shocked the
nation and highlighted the precarious state of freedom of expression
in a country that is vying for European Union membership. Prosecutors
said Sunday that a Turkish teenager had confessed to the killing.

Erdogan said the killing amounted to the "shooting of the Turkish
people," and appealed to European countries not to blame Turkey for
the attack on Dink, a prominent member of Turkey’s minority Armenian
community.

"Such attacks, carried out by senseless people, unfortunately occur
in every country," Erdogan said.

During the visit, Italy and Turkey signed a memorandum aimed at
improving ties between the two countries, while Erdogan asked for
Italy’s continued support in its troubled EU membership talks, which
were partially frozen last month.

Prodi was scheduled to meet with Turkish businessmen in Istanbul on
Tuesday. Turkey and Italy have growing trade relations, including
projects to ship Russian natural gas to EU countries via Greece
and Italy.

The Italian premier told Sabah that the "door to Europe remains open
for Turkey," but that Ankara must follow through with promised reforms
and comply with EU requests.

"For the process to continue rapidly it is necessary to complete the
reforms process and implement it," Prodi said. "It is important that
commitments taken with the EU be implemented without delay."

EU leaders decided last month to halt negotiations in eight out of 35
policy areas due to Ankara’s refusal to open its ports and airports
to EU member Cyprus, whose government Turkey does not recognize.

"All sides should take one step back, so that one step forward can
be taken," Prodi said through an interpreter.

Turkey insists it will only open its ports and airports after steps
are taken to end the international isolation of a breakaway Turkish
Cypriot republic in the island’s north.

Turkey has vowed, nevertheless, to press ahead with other reforms.

Prodi said in the interview that Turkey should continue to aim for
EU accession, dismissing suggestions that Ankara be granted a special
partnership deal instead of membership.

"I believe this objective is too important, it deserves this effort,"
he said. "In this historical phase no one must think of alternative
choices."

KHOREN PALIAN PASSES AWAY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Senior lecturer of Yerevan State
University, specialist of Old Armenian language, connoisseur of
Armenian spiritual songs, Khoren Palian died at the age of 71. In
the last years he was also actively engaged in public activity,
was a member of Council of Elders of Armenian Forum of Intelligentsia.

EuroNews – Version Française
20 janvier 2007

Hommage à Hrant Dink, journaliste turc d’origine arménienne assassiné
vendredi à Istanbul

"Nous sommes tous Hrant Dink, tous ensemble contre le fascisme". 2000
personnes ont scandé ces mots et défilé hier soir dans les rues
d’Istanbul pour rendre hommage au journaliste turc d’origine
arménienne assassiné hier.

Hrant Dink avait été plusieurs fois poursuivi par la justice et était
également devenu la cible des cercles nationalistes pour ses propos
sur le génocide arménien. Génocide commis entre 1915 et 1917 sous
l’empire ottoman et toujours récusé par Ankara.

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a dénoncé une attaque
contre la liberté d’expression. Il a promis d’élucider cet assassinat
qu’il a qualifié d’"haineux". Assassinat également dénoncé par
l’Arménie, les Etats-Unis et la France. Jacques Chirac a condamné un
"acte abominable".

Selon son avocat, Dink avait reçu des menaces de mort. Le journaliste
a été tué par plusieurs balles devant les locaux de son journal,
l’hebdomadaire Agos. Quatre douilles ont été retrouvées sur place et
trois suspects ont été interpellés. Pour nombres de turcs, "ces
balles ont également été tirées contre la Turquie".

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Jan 19 2007

ARMENIA CAN BECOME MAJOR GEOPOLITICAL PLAYER IN REGION THROUGH
COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, IRAN

YEREVAN, January 19. /ARKA/. Armenia can become a major geopolitical
player in the region through cooperation with Russia and Iran, said
Hayk Babukhanyan, the chairman of the "Union of Constitutional Right"
(UCR) Party.
According to Barkhudaryan, Armenia found itself in a complete
isolation from the regional projects, in particular from the
Baku-Tbilisi-Jeykhan oil pipeline. "We need an alternative to oppose
it to the Baku-Tbilisi-Jeykhan," Babukhanyan said.
According to him, the alternative is extension of the Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline to Russia and further establishment of a trilateral
consortium on its management.
"We should not pin all our hopes on the road through Georgia: we do
have a real opportunity to arrange communication with Russia
otherwise," Babukhanyan said. According to him, the
Astrakhan-Iran-Armenia direction can become one of the options. N.V.
-0–

Transitions Online, Czech Republic
Jan 18 2007

Chief of Party

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from highly qualified candidates to lead a USAID-funded
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Required qualifications include:

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activities related to combating corruption, increasing accountability
and transparency, and/or working within government agencies on public
sector reform;
— Minimum 8 years of relevant supervisory/managerial experience,
including international experience managing relevant anti-corruption
programming;
— Advanced degree in public/business administration, law, economics,
political science or other relevant field;
— Minimum 5 years relevant experience in Central/Eastern Europe
and/or the former Soviet Union preferred;
— English required, knowledge of Armenian and/or Russian preferred.

To apply:

Please email full, current CV in reverse chronological format to
[email protected] or fax to C. Debaise at 802-658-4247. Please
refer to ARM-AC in the subject line. Applications that do not meet
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ARD, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 17, 2007 Wednesday

SEVERAL UNITED REGIONAL COMMANDS OF ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE ARE TO BE
ESTABLISHED IN CIS

Russian Air Force Second-in-Command Lieutenant General Aitech Bijev
told INTERFAX – Military News Agency that the united
Russian-Belarussian regional antiaircraft defense systems to be
established in the nearest future would become an example for
analogous military structures in the Caucasus and Central Asia to be
formed afterwards.

"I do not doubt that the military leaders of the two countries will
sign an accord soon that will permit joint use of forces and means of
the United Regional System to senior officers of the Russian and
Belarussian armies," Bijev said.

Bijev said that meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the CIS
United Antiaircraft Defense System was to take place in Yerevan,
Armenia, on February 17. The new United Regional System of
antiaircraft defense of the Caucasus will be presented there. "We
will acquaint all CIS air force and antiaircraft forces commanders
with the Russian-Armenian system," Bijev promised.

Following the Russian-Belarussian United Regional System, the one in
the Caucasus will become the second step in the program of putting
all of Russia in a ring of antiaircraft defense means. Establishment
of the Central Asian system afterwards will become the third step.

The Coordinating Committee will also decide in what country
(Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan) the Central Asian United Regional System
will have its headquarters established. "We will probably decide in
favor of Tashkent," Bijev said. "On the other hand, both countries
are more or less even in terms of readiness to accommodate the
headquarters, so nothing has really been decided yet."

Source: INTERFAX news agency, January 15, 2007

Translated by A. Ignatkin