Author: Topchian Jane

MINISTER SAYS AZERBAIJAN HAS ARMS TO LIBERATE LAND BY FORCE

news.az
Nov 26 2009
Azerbaijan

Yaver Jamalov Defence Industry Minister Yaver Jamalov has said that
Azerbaijan will have to liberate its occupied land by force if the
peace talks with Armenia fail to make progress.

He was speaking at a meeting with the visiting Polish defence minister,
Bogdan Klich, on Thursday.

"If peaceful negotiations with Armenia are not effective, we will have
to return our land by force. The Ministry of the Defence Industry is
able to supply the army with military production. Armenia is drawing
out the negotiating process and taking an unconstructive position,"
Jamalov said.

The minister said Azerbaijan is outstripping Armenia economically.

Armenia’s economic growth rates have fallen 20%.

The Ministry of the Defence Industry works with over 60 companies from
20 countries. Agreement has already been reached with Polish companies
on the use of large-calibre arms and the modernization of rifles.

MUSICIAN ARA GEVORGYAN RECEIVES THE FIRST ORDER OF CONSENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.11.2009 18:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Musician Ara Gevorgyan receives the first Order of
Consent for active participation in establishing consent in Armenia
and in the world, Sarkis Arakelyan , head of Amerashkhutyun movement
(Consent movement) said Nov. 26 at the award-giving ceremony.

Ara Gevorgyan confessed that the award was a surprise for him:
"I am not chasing awards. I seek to create good conditions for the
life of my child: a clean city, a peaceful country".

VICTORY OVER ‘SEVAN APPETITES’ OF GEOPROMINING IS PUBLIC VICTORY: LOCAL ECOLOGICAL EXPERT

ArmInfo
2009-11-25 15:20:00

ArmInfo. Victory over "Sevan Appetites" of GeoProMining Company (GPM)
is the victory of the public, Ingan Zarafyan, EcoLur NGO, told ArmInfo.

Earlier in 2008 GeoProMining Company announced an intention to build
a gold-reprocessing enterprise in the area of Sevan basin despite the
ban on such activity in the area of Lake Sevan. Caring for its own
economic interests and permanently complaining that construction of
the reprocessing plant in Ararat and Gagarino is not profitable, the
company has been insisting on a project of moving the enterprise to the
area of Sotk gold deposit for over a year. As a result, a large-scale
campaign "SOS Sevan" has been launched. Organizations from the USA,
Great Britain, Mexico, Venezuella, Kirghizia, Bulgaria and Uruguay have
already joined the campaign "SOS Sevan". Ecologists have repeatedly
alarmed that the project does not reflect such hazards like 100 tons
of toxic waste, hundreds of hectares of dead areas, a cyanide tailing
with cyanide compounds, arsenic, antimony, pyrites and etc. These
toxic elements will penetrate into the ground waters that pour into the
water basin of Lake Sevan. The plant will comprise a gold-mining plant,
cyanides’ and pesticides’ stock, and a dump-tail of the cyanide wastes.

I. Zarafyan recalled the statements by Vladimir Movsisyan, Commission
on Lake Sevan, saying that construction of the re-processing plant
in the area of Sotk is a closed issue. "Such statement voiced during
the visit of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Gegharkunik region
in November was essential, since the Commission on Sevan had never
put the issue of Sotk on agenda before despite our demands and
statements," she said. "V. Movsisyan used to give the same answer:
"It is senseless speaking of the plant’s movement to Sotk because it
is banned by the law." Now, one can suppose from his words that GPM
had actually launched that process, which was stopped thanks to the
political will of the president," she said.

Inga Zarafyan highlighted that the public has declared its last word in
the case of "Sevan Appetities" of GeoProMining. "Public has strongly
opposed the project. Everyone, starting from public organizations
up to ecologists have actively fought that project so dangerous for
Sevan," she said.

EP DRAFT RESOLUTION CALLS ON TURKEY TO CONTRIBUTE TO CYPRUS SOLUTION

Financial Mirror
Nov 25 2009
Cyprus

The European Parliament, in a motion for a resolution on enlargement,
calls on Turkey to actively contribute to the swift solution of the
Cyprus problem, on the basis of UN Security Council decisions and
EU principles.

According to a press release, the European Parliament says current
and potential candidate countries must continue reforming to stay on
track for eventual EU membership.

"Key issues, such as rule of law, freedom of expression, treatment
of ethnic minorities and the fight against corruption and organised
crime must still be addressed," according to the draft resolution,
which was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday and is
scheduled for a plenary vote on November 26.

In the chapter on Turkey, the European Parliament "calls on the
Turkish government to contribute actively to the swift devising of
a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus question."

The draft resolution highlights the importance of a swiftly
implementing judicial reform to improve the functioning of the Turkish
state and society.

MEPs regret the limited progress made in the area of freedom of
religion and freedom of expression, following the unprecedented fine
imposed on a media group.

The non-fulfillment of commitments stemming from the Ankara Protocol
is also criticised, and Turkey is urged to proceed to its full and
non-discriminatory implementation.

Furthermore, the European Parliament welcomes Turkey’s signing of
the Nabucco gas pipeline agreement and calls for the opening of the
energy chapter in the accession negotiations.

Diplomatic efforts made to normalise relations with Armenia are
underlined. The Turkish Grand National Assembly, as well as the
Parliament of Armenia, should ratify the relevant protocols, the
resolution notes.

NAVAL JUNTA UNDER ERGENEKON CONTROL, DOCUMENT SHOWS

Today’s Zaman
Nov 25 2009
Turkey

According to a document retrieved from a CD seized from the office
of retired Maj. Levent BektaÅ~_, who is currently under arrest
over suspected links to a large arms cache unearthed in Istanbul’s
Poyrazköy district, an anti-democratic group within the Naval Forces
Command was under the control of Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal
organization accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

The CD was found along with many others in BektaÅ~_’s office during a
police raid in April, which came after the discovery of munitions on
land owned by the İstek Foundation in Poyrazköy the same month. The
CD exposed the group’s plans to assassinate Turkey’s prominent
non-Muslim figures and place the blame for the killings on the Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) as part of an action plan called
the Cage Operation Action Plan. The desired result of the killings
was that an increase in internal and external pressure on the party
would ensue, leading to diminishing public support for the AK Party.

A document titled "My Agendas" on the same CD revealed that the
assassination plans were directed by retired Col. Levent GöktaÅ~_,
who is in jail for suspected membership in Ergenekon, which suggests
that the Naval Forces Command junta was under the control of Ergenekon.

"Send what is in Dilek Bozkaya’s possession to L. GöktaÅ~_ through the
lawyer Serdar Ozturk," reads a directive on the said document. Both
Bozkaya and Ozturk are currently imprisoned for suspected Ergenekon
membership. Another note on the same document reads: "We have contacted
the Fabricator. The movement for a more brilliant future needs to
be more active." Fabricator is an alias for the Workers’ Party’s
(Ä°P) jailed leader Dogu Perincek. The document also mentions another
Ergenekon-linked plot to launch a bloody attack on students visiting
the Rahmi M. Koc Museum in Ä°stanbul. According to the document, the
attack was to be launched at a time when many students were visiting
the museum.

The plan was exposed in May after a large number of explosives were
discovered in a submarine at the museum during the investigation
into Ergenekon.

After an investigation by the military, they announced that the
explosives at the bottom of the submarine had been forgotten by
commandos.

Ergenekon prosecutors, however, decided that the findings of the
military investigation were too weak to ease concerns over the
discovery of explosives at the museum. The prosecutors examined the
submarine in the museum and reached the conclusion that it was not
possible for the commandos to forget that a large amount of explosives
were in a submarine.

The same document also includes confidential information about
the private lives, wives, children or girlfriends of a number of
high-ranking members of the military. The document suggests that
some of those members of the military were blackmailed with that
information and urged to work in line with the ambitions of the Naval
Forces Command junta.

Part of the document was dedicated to the junta’s "friend"
organizations. Among those organizations were groups such as Hizb
ut-Tahrir and their leaders, including Ä°skender Evrenesoglu, Haydar
BaÅ~_, Abdullah Agar and Ä°smail Yavuz. Most of those figures are
known to be members of hard-core religious fundamentalist groups.

What is the Cage Plan?

The plan was signed by Lt. Col. Ercan Kirectepe and was planned
to be put into operation by a team comprising 41 members of the
Naval Forces Command. The hoped-for result from the assassinations
of prominent non-Muslim figures and related propaganda would be an
increase in internal and external pressure on the AK Party, leading
to its political demise, according to the plan.

The action plan would be implemented to lend support to the suspects
arrested so far as part of the Ergenekon investigation; render
ineffective the so-called psychological warfare waged by the AK Party
and its supporters (against the military); change the course of the
agenda in Turkey; boost the morale of the junta within the Naval
Forces Command; and win the appreciation and support of the public.

The blame for each of the assassinations by the junta would be put
on the AK Party.

The plan was divided into four phases; "Preparation," "Raising Fear,"
"Shaping Public Opinion" and "Action."

The action plan also called the killings of Armenian-Turkish journalist
Hrant Dink, Catholic priest Andrea Santoro and three Christians in
Malatya an "operation." The group aimed to generate chaos in society
with those killings, but complained that the plan failed when large
groups protested the killings in mass demonstrations.

The plan also revealed that the anti-democratic formation within the
Naval Forces Command was being led by three admirals, identified with
their initials F.O., K.S. and M.F.Ä°. BektaÅ~_, Kirectepe, GöktaÅ~_
and Maj. Emre Onat also worked for the junta. All of them were arrested
as part of the ongoing Ergenekon probe.

MILLI MAJLIS FIRST VICE SPEAKER RECEIVED A MEMBER OF UK’S HOUSE OF LORDS

Azerbaijan Business Center
Nov 24 2009

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Ziafet Askerov, the first vice speaker of Milli
Majlis (Azerbaijan’s parliament), received yesterday in John Desmond
Forbes Waverley, a member of the UK’s House of Lords

The parliament’s press service reports that the sides covered the
situation with settlement of Nagorno Garabagh conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Askerov replied the Lord’s questions. The meeting
also involved Samed Seyidov, the head of the Parliamentary Committee
for International & Inter-Parliamentary Relations.

AZERBAIJAN: PROVOCATIONS ONLY HOPE
By Ivan Gharibyan

news.am
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

Azerbaijan has, as usual, "held special celebrations" of the regular
meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, Serzh Sargsyan
and Ilham Aliyev. The sides made appreciable progress in agreeing on
the fundamental principles of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The processes going on in both the states are further evidence of
the different moods shown by the authorities and public in connection
with the imminent settlement of the protracted conflict.

It is the different approaches by official Yerevan and Baku, as
well as by the Armenian and Azerbaijani societies that are the only
obstacle to an early settlement of the conflict. A simple formula for
the aforementioned different approaches is evident. The Armenian side
realizes the necessity for mutual and painful concessions, which are
a necessary and sufficient condition for settling the conflict. The
stance of the Armenian authorities, which are practically showing
their readiness for settling the conflict, is what is driving the
Azeri regime of its wits, forcing it into desperate steps, which,
in turn, contribute to Azerbaijan’s international isolation.

The last of the steps were President Ilham Aliyev’s warlike statements
on the threshold of the Munich meeting, and even the OSCE Minsk Group
had to openly condemn them. After the meeting, which admittedly showed
progress, Baku decided to resort to a provocation. According to the
available information on the contents of the document known as the
Madrid Principles, at the first stage of settlement the Armenian
side is to return only five of the seven regions neighboring on the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) to Azerbaijan. As regards Kelbajar
and Lachin, the issue will "be on the agenda" in five years provided
neither side violates the previous agreements. However, internationally
pressured and stalemated, Azerbaijan has immediately resorted to
spreading disinformation on the withdrawal of Armenian troops from
Kelbajar in the immediate future.

What is the aim of the provocation the Azerbaijani authorities resorted
to the day after the Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting? It is obvious: after
they have come down to an open condemnation of their warlike threats
by the mediators and, under international pressure, are now faced with
a necessity for revising their non-constrictive position, Ilham Aliyev
and his milieu are placing their last hopes on the Armenian society’s
discontent with the concessions the Armenian leader is ready for. That
is the reason why, the five regions not yet "at Azerbaijan’s disposal,"
Baku has begun speaking about the sixth. The Azerbaijani authorities
have to distract public attention from the issue of referendum on
the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, a condition President Ilham Aliyev
has to accept under international pressure.

The negotiation process has reached a point when the "the house
of cards" built by the Azerbaijani authorities has collapsed. Baku
perceived the Armenian side’s readiness as a ground for taking a harder
line. Now that the negotiation process is nearing "the crucial point",
the mediators and geopolitical players have made it clear for Aliyev
that the territories neighboring on Nagorno-Karabakh can be returned
only after an agreement on a referendum on Nagorno-Karabakh’s status
has been reached.

The fact of steadily mounting pressure on official Baku was admitted
by Novruz Mamedov, Head of the International Department, Azerbaijani
Presidential Administration. Speaking at the international conference
"Obstacles to Security in the South Caucasus: realities and prospects
of regional cooperation" organized by the Center for Strategic Studies
at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, he slated the West,
particularly the United States. The high-ranking official’s statements,
which were, of course, a reflection of the official position, boiled
down to Azerbaijan’s offence at the United State and the entire West
for their demanding specific mutual concessions to the Armenian side
instead of indulging the Azeri authorities’ non-constructive position.

The desperate efforts, however, will not help Azerbaijan break the
deadlock it has found itself at. Hopes for dividends from "flirting
with" the Kremlin do not promise anything to Ilham Aliyev and his
milieu either. Just a few days ago Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
reported a full agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem between
Russia and the West. So Azeri authorities had better take a realistic
view of the geopolitical processes going on in the region – and do
it as soon as possible — so as not to come off a complete loser.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 22 2009

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs issue statement

23.11.2009 02:14

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Yury Merzlyakov of
Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United
States, released the following statement today:

"President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsian met November 22, 2009 at the residence of the French Consul
General in Munich at the initiative of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov (Russian Federation), Ambassador Bernard
Fassier (France), Ambassador Robert Bradtke (United States).

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian also participated in the talks, as well as
the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During this meeting, the sixth such meeting this year, the two
presidents engaged in a detailed and in-depth discussion of the most
important unresolved points in the Co-Chairs’ proposals. The talks,
which lasted almost four hours, were constructive. In some areas,
progress was made. At the same time, some issues still remain open.

The Presidents instructed their foreign ministers to continue working
with the Co-Chairs on these matters. As a next step, the Co-Chairs are
organizing a working session with the two ministers in advance of the
OSCE Ministerial Council, which will take place December 1-2 in
Athens."

COMPARE THE ARMENIAN CEMETERY OF JUGHA AND THE AZERBAIJANI CEMETERY OF AGDAM
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
20.11.2009 17:25

"Armenians are barbarously destroying Garaji cemetery in Azerbaijan’s
occupied Agdam region," representative of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan declared a few days ago.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has
already issued a statement on this occasion, saying that" Polukhov’s
statements can be evaluated as a regular attempt to cast a shade on
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and draw the international community’s
attention away from the vandalism organized systematically by the
Baku authorities, in particular, the destruction of the primarily
Armenian Narimanov cemetery in Baku on the pretext of building a
highway, or the recent destruction of khachkars (cross stones) in
Old Jugha in Nakhichevan where no military activities took place."

According to Samvel Karapetyan, head of Research on Armenian
Architecture NGO, this is a usual policy of Azerbaijan to conceal
its own barbarity and crimes. Maybe, in Azerbaijan’s logic, the
loss of two damaged gravestones of a Soviet-times cemetery can be
considered barbarity as compared to the destruction of the thousands
of crossstones of the millennia-old Jugha cemetery.

According to the same Azerbaijani logic, Armenians that have liberated
their own motherland are called occupants.

The false alarm of our neighbors made Samvel Karapetyan recall the
real barbarities not only in Nakhijevan, but also in other regions
under Azerbaijani control. Because of well-known reasons, it’s nearly
impossible to find information about the Armenian monuments of those
regions, Samvel Karapetyan said.

TURKISH PARLIAMENT WILL NOT RATIFY PROTOCOLS: CHIEF EDITOR OF MOSCOW-BASED NEWSPAPER

Today
Nov 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with chief editor of Mowcow-based ‘Konservator’
newspaper of Azerbaijani origin Rustam Arifjanov.

Day.Az: The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents are expected to
meet in the second half of November. What can one expect from the
presidents’ meeting?

Rustam Arifjanov: It should be noted that presidents’ meeting was
formerly preceded by foreign ministers’ meeting while this time it
will be opposite of it.

The heads of state will meet roughly in the second half of November
and ministers will meet later.

I must say that this is not the usual format which suggests that may
adopt some decision at political level and foreign ministers will be
develop ways to implement them. However, there is no feeling that a
breakthrough will happen in settlement of the conflict any more. The
positions of both countries are still really opposed.

However, the situation has changed to a certain extent. Turkey and
Armenia signed protocols some time ago which urges Armenia to take
some decision on Karabakh and puts Azerbaijan in a new situation.

The ratification of protocols in the parliament of puts country’s
leadership in a very difficult position. There are too many people
both in pro-government and opposition forces who are wary of
ratification. The coming debates in parliament and in society play
into the hands of Azerbaijan, because many things will be called by
their names. And I’m not sure that Turkish parliament will ratify
the protocols any time soon.

Q: There are many forces also in Armenia who do not want protocols
to be ratified. President Sargsyan recently took steps that seem
unreasonable. What is the reason? Harmed relations with the diaspora
or a desire to somehow recover, or something else?

A: The fact is that the diaspora is not experiencing economic hardship
from the current situation in Armenia. For them the question of
"genocide" is a matter of historical, ideological, political nature
while it is of economic nature for Armenia which is in a blockade.

Therefore, a number of parties in the country including Dashnaksutun
who live through diaspora’s money, do not want to establish relations
with Turkey.

But the Armenian parliament is composed of not only those parties,
but also a number of others who believe that opening the borders
will improve life in Armenia. They alsounderstand that no profound
changes will happen. I do not think that the Armenian business will
move towards Turkey because Armenian businessmen are well aware that
there will not be accepted with open arms. As the Turkish business,
they will face all sorts of obstacles in Armenia.

Q: Why then to jeopardize the real financial inflow from diaspora
for the sake of dubious economic benefits from establishing relations
with Turkey?

A: First, Sargsyan’s precarious position forces him to take such
steps. Both people in the country and the diaspora believe that the
last presidential election was illegitimate. Despite the outward
political calm, they can recall it to Sargsyan any time. Naturally,
in such a situation he needs to rely on someone. First, he relies on
Russia. We all are aware of Russian military bases in Armenia and
that country’s major energy companies have already been bought by
Russian companies. In part, it all calms Sargsyan.

However, Azerbaijan has surely heard about the latest message from
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the federal government. Speaking
about foreign policy, he noted a clear pragmatic approach not to
take any action contrary to the country’s interests which often
occurred earlier. That is, if Russia’s support to Armenia harms
Azerbaijan-Russia relations, the Kremlin will support Armenia no
longer.

Armenia realizes it. Therefore, Sargsyan is hastily seeking other
support sources. Actually, they do no have many sources. This is
the U.S. and Europe. However, the latter constantly put pressure on
Turkey to establish relations with Armenia while they demand Armenia
to withdraw its claim of recognition of the so-called "genocide".

The upcoming discussions of protocols in the Turkish parliament will
be very tense. MPs will be continually link opening of borders with
the return of occupied Azerbaijani lands. As a result, parliament is
likely to not ratify the protocol, and the president of the country
will have to do nothing, but shrug his shoulders.

Q: Do you think Turkey has chances to become leader in the region?

A: Of course, it is beneficial for world powers that Turkey will be
not only a regional leader, but leader of entire Muslim world. Not Iran
or even Saudi Arabia, but Turkey. This country is more understandable
for them and besides it is also a secular state. The fact that the
country is being ruled by pro-Islamic forces do not worry them. So,
they will provide all possible support to Turkey.

With regard to regional leadership, it is worth paying attention to
establishment of relations with Syria, and even with that part of the
Iraqi state which is autonomous and headed by the Kurdish government.

After all, the Kurdish problem is very painful for Turkey. But once
Americans eventually leave Iraq, it will be possible to save the
country only by creating a separate Kurdish and Arab states.

Otherwise, the bloodshed would be inevitable.