TBILISI: Armenia, Turkey, Karabakh

ARMENIA, TURKEY, KARABAKH

The Messenger
March 10 2010
Georgia

Armenian MP Vardan Khachatrian has suggested that ratifying the
Armenian-Turkish protocols in the Turkish Parliament could be delayed
by about 10 months. However Ankara will not withdraw from this process
totally because it is being put under political and economic pressure.

Khachatrian suggested that Yerevan should concentrate on normalising
relations with Turkey and not make a priority out of Karabakh conflict
issues. Combining these issues might result in unwelcome pressure
being applied by the international community to resolve the Karabakh
conflict.

Khachatrian thinks that removing Russian, US and French mediators and
replacing them with Russian, Iranian and Kazakh mediators will not
change much as Russia will still be the dominant player in resolving
the Karabakh conflict. He also says that it is impossible to officially
involve Iran in Karabakh conflict resolution issues.

BAKU: Who Is Who In Armenian-Turkish Dialogue: Armenia’s Miserable O

WHO IS WHO IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH DIALOGUE: ARMENIA’S MISERABLE OPPORTUNITIES
H. Hamidov

Today
63532.html
March 10 2010
Azerbaijan

Relations between the governments of Armenia and Turkey are today
painfully reminiscent of the relations between an elephant and a
lap-dog from the fable by Ivan Krylov, "The Elephant and the Lap-Dog."

I think you have guessed who is who.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, whose position is becoming more
and more disastrous each day, has apparently decided to refrain
from public statements both on domestic and foreign policy. Earlier
the president used Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian for public
statements who regularly suffered from a "slap across the face"
intended for his boss. Today, MPs from Sargsyan’s Republican Party
are seemingly taking up the task.

Recently, Standing Commission on Human Rights and Public Affairs
Deputy Chairman Rafik Petrosyan said at a press conference that if
the process of normalizing Turkish-Armenian ties does not see progress
until April 24, the anniversary of the so-called "Armenian Genocide,"
then Armenia will withdraw from the protocols.

It is not clear what results Sargsyan expects from such a statement.

Does he expect Gul and Erdogan, plunged into panic, to press
parliament to ratify the protocols with the subsequent opening of
the border while forgetting about the Karabakh problem? Or, perhaps,
Yerevan still believes that the bluff is the most effective weapon
of foreign policy and does not realize that its trump card does not
work any more? Perhaps Sargsyan has more weighty arguments to pursue
his inadequate foreign policy. Who knows …

However, there is something more interesting. For a moment, imagine
that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations will see no
major progress before April 24. Armenia, being true to its word,
will withdraw from the protocols leaving everything as it was earlier.

Will Turkey suffer from this? Not at all. It will continue to live
without the headaches, which would necessarily appear after the
opening of the border with Armenia.

Will Armenia suffer from this? You can guess yourself. After the
withdrawal of signatures it will be clear that the border is not
going to open soon. As a result, the Armenian government will utterly
discredit itself in the eyes of not only Turkey and Russia, but,
more importantly, in the eyes of Europe and the United States. They
will lo longer believe in the sincerity of Armenia’s intentions. In
economic terms, the closed borders will affect the already miserable
situation in Armenia, causing even more discontent within the country,
which may result in a very difficult domestic political situation.

I am confident that Yerevan understands this not less than we do. The
threat of withdrawing signatures is just a threat. Not anymore. This
is the country’s last chance to tip the scales in its own favor. They
have very poor chances. And there will be no more…

http://www.today.az/news/analytics/

Turkey Signs Off On $1.6 Billion Deal With Boeing Despite House Vote

TURKEY SIGNS OFF ON $1.6 BILLION DEAL WITH BOEING DESPITE HOUSE VOTE

World Tribune
TARC/2010/me_turkey0187_03_09.asp
March 10 2010

WASHINGTON — Turkey has approved the purchase of U.S. passenger jets
despite a House vote that blamed Ankara for the genocide of Armenians
during World War I.

The state-owned Turkish Airlines has concluded an order for 20
passenger jets from the U.S. firm Boeing. Under the $1.6 billion deal,
Turkish Airlines would receive 20 advanced 737 airplanes, including
10 737-800s and 10 737-900ER aircraft. The 737-900ER would mark the
latest 737 family member to join the Turkish fleet.

"The 737-800 is the backbone of the Turkish Airlines fleet and proves
its value on a daily basis offering unmatched levels of efficiency
and reliability," Boeing vice president Marlin Dailey said.

The March 8 statement came four days after the House Foreign Affairs
Committee voted to endorse a resolution on the Armenian genocide.

After the 23-22 vote, Ankara threatened to impose sanctions on
aerospace and defense cooperation with Washington.

Boeing has been a leading aerospace contractor in Turkey. The company
has been prime contractor in the supply of four airborne early-warning
aircraft to the Turkish Air Force.

Earlier, U.S. aerospace lobbyists warned that the House vote could
derail plans for major contracts in Turkey. They said Ankara was
expected to order $11 billion in defense and aerospace platforms from
the United States in 2010.

"Critical national security, economic and diplomatic relations with
our ally Turkey are threatened," Marion Blakey, president of the
Aerospace Industries Association, said.

But the Turkish lobby in the United States did not expect the Armenian
genocide resolution to win approval on the House floor. Lobbyists
pointed out that the non-binding resolution was passed in the House
Foreign Affairs Committee in 2000, 2005 and 2007, but blocked from
reaching the House floor through heavy pressure by the White House.

"The resolution has passed the panel vote with the narrowest
possible margin and has no political credibility [in Congress],"
American-Turkish Council president James Holmes, a former U.S.

ambassador, told the Turkish daily Hurriyet. "Those who were in favor
did so purely from a local political perspective."

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/W

Armenia’s Ambassador Meets UAE Crown Prince

ARMENIA’S AMBASSADOR MEETS UAE CROWN PRINCE

armradio.am
09.03.2010 13:46

On March 8 Armenian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Vahagn
Melikyan had a meeting with General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the
Armed Forces.

The meeting covered issues related to the process of caccomplsihemnt
of the agreements reached during Armenian Deputy Prime minister’s
visit to the United Arab Emirates in January, 2010.

The Armenian Ambassador conveyed to the Crown Prince the greetings of
the Armenian Deputy Prime minister and an invitation to visit Yerevan.

Deputy Koryun Nahapetian: Turkey Will Not Carry Out Its Threats Addr

DEPUTY KORYUN NAHAPETIAN: TURKEY WILL NOT CARRY OUT ITS THREATS ADDRESSED TO U.S.

Noyan Tapan
March 9, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian delegation’s presence at the
discussions on Armenian Genocide at the U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs showed that the Armenians are united and
resolute in the issue of international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. Independent deputy Koryun Nahapetian, a member of the RA
National Assembly delegation that had left for the U.S. on March
3-6 declared at a March 9 press conference. He reminded that four
similar resolutions were adopted at the U.S. Congress in the past
years but no delegation from Armenia took part in them. According
to him, the participation in the March 4 discussions is Armenian
diplomacy’s achievement.

According to K. Nahapetian, some members of the Committee voiced at
the meeting that today it is high time to recognize and condemn the
Armenian Genocide. Thus, according to the deputy, the U.S. confirmed
its loyalty to universal values though some Congressmen expressed an
apprehension over possible worsening of the Turkish-American relations.

Another member of Armenia’s delegation, RPA deputy Artak Zakarian found
it difficult to predict whether the resolution on the Genocide will
be submitted for a discussion at the Congress plenary session. In his
words, it depends on Turkey’s further position. However, according
to A. Zakarian, Turkey will not carry out its threats addressed to
the U.S. as did not do it to Russia, France and other countries when
the latters recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Will We Lose Turkey?

WILL WE LOSE TURKEY?

The Spectator
825208/will-we-lose-turkey.thtml
March 8 2010
UK

Earlier this year, Transatlantic Trends, an annual survey of public
opinion on both sides of the Atlantic, was published. Key highlights
from the survey included a quadrupling of European support for
President Obama’s handling of foreign policy. But what really caught
my eye was how badly the relationship between the West and Turkey had
frayed. 65 percent of Turks do not think it is likely their country
will join the EU. Nearly half of Turks polled think Turkey is not
really part of the West, while 43 percent think Turkey should not
partner with the EU, the US or Russia in solving global problems.

The break-down of the alliance between the West and Turkey – which
has endured since the Truman administration, and contributed to the
strength of NATO, the resistance to the Soviet Union and, latterly,
to a number of Middle East peace initiatives – is bad news; not
least because many commentators, like George Friedman of Stratfor,
believe Turkey will become one of the most important global powers
in coming years.

The recent conflict between the US and Turkey over what to call the
killing of Armenians during World War II – which has seen Ankara
recall it ambassador to DC in protest at a congressional resolution
– is only the latest bone of contention. Turkey and the EU have
for a while been locked in fruitless discussions about Turkey’s EU
accession, an irresolvable proposition so long as French President
Nicolas Sarkozy remains opposed.

Meanwhile, Turkey is moving away from its pro-Western orientation and
Euro-Atlantic institutions. Under Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s
guidance, Turkish foreign policy’s focus has shifted towards other
regions, mostly the Middle East. As he told a Sarajevo audience last
year: Turkey’s sphere of influence extends in a 3000 kilometers circle
from the capital Ankara and takes in 72 countries.

Relations between Ankara and Moscow are at a particular high, which
should worry Western policy-makers. Russia has been Turkey’s No. 1
trade partner since 2003. Hundreds of Turkish firms operate in Russia,
and Russians are the most frequent visitors in Turkey, with more than
2 million each year. Russia also provides half of Turkey’s coal and 65
percent of its gas through the world’s longest undersea gas pipeline,
Blue Stream.

The Turkish government still talks the talk of EU accession. Its
line is that Turkey wants to wrap up EU accession talks by 2013,
and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Turkish republic in 2023
as an EU member state. But with increased opposition in Europe this
aim looks ambitious.

If the strategic divorce between Turkey and West continues, the price
paid by both sides will be steep. The West needs Turkey in dealing
with Russia, Iran, Syria and Iraq, not to mention as a broker in
the Middle East Peace Process. If Russia weakens, Turkey emerges as
the dominant power in the region. Economically, too, Turkey will be
important; it is now the world’s 17th-largest economy and its $60
billion public-procurement market will be important for European
firms. Its military is the most capable in the region and is also
probably the strongest in the European vicinity, apart from the
British armed forces.

In the late 1940s, the question asked in the US foreign policy
community was ‘Who Lost China?’. If we are not careful, it will be
Turkey which is lost to the West. To help avoid this, whoever wins
the forthcoming general election here should make improving strategic
ties between Britain and Turkey a foreign policy priority.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/5

‘Jewish lobby behind U.S. Armenia genocide vote’

Ha’aretz, Israel
March 6 2010

‘Jewish lobby behind U.S. Armenia genocide vote’

By Haaretz Service

Pro-Israel activists manipulated Congress to damage Turkey, says
London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

Jewish lobbyists contrived a U.S. congressional vote that labeled the
World War One-era massacre of Armenians by Turkish forces as genocide,
a London-based Arabic-language newspaper claimed on Saturday.

Pro-Israel lobbyists had previously backed Turkey on the issue ? but
changed tack in retaliation for Turkish condemnation of Israel’s
policies in the Gaza Strip, the Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily said in an
editorial, according to Israel Radio reports.

Israel and Turkey are traditional allies but ties took a downturn in
2009 when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, in which some 1,400 Palestinians and 13
Israelis were killed.
Advertisement

A crisis in diplomatic relations came to a head in January when when
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon publicly humiliated Turkey’s
ambassador in front of press cameras.

In his leading article, Al-Quds Al-Arabi editor Abd al-Bari Atwan
curged Erdogan not to give in to the Jewish lobby’s "extortion"
tactics.

Erdogan on Thursday recalled Turkey’s ambassador to Washington after
the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee voted 23-22 to
approve the non-binding resolution, clearing it for consideration by
the full House.

"The decision of the Foreign Affairs Committee will not hurt Turkey,
but it will greatly harm bilateral relations, interests and vision.
Turkey will not be the one who loses," said Erdogan, speaking at a
summit of Turkish businessmen.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said the vote was a boost
for human rights.

The vote calls on President Barack Obama to ensure U.S. policy
formally refers to the massacre as genocide, putting him in a tight
spot.

In a telephone call with Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday,
Obama emphasized his administration had urged lawmakers to consider
the potential damage to efforts to normalize Armenian-Turkish ties, a
senior administration official said.

At a news conference in Costa Rica on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton said she and Obama, who both supported proposed
Armenia genocide resolutions as presidential candidates, had changed
their minds because they believed the drive to normalize relations
between Turkey and Armenia was bearing fruit.

Turkey, a Muslim secular democracy that plays a vital role for U.S.
interests from Iraq to Iran and in Afghanistan and the Middle East,
accepts that many Armenians were killed by Ottoman forces but denies
that up to 1.5 million died and that it amounted to genocide – a term
employed by many Western historians and some foreign parliaments.

Turkey regards such accusations as an affront to its national honor.

3.html

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/115442

NKR President addresses letter of condolence

16:04 05/03/2010 » Politics
NKR President addresses letter of condolence

President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan sent a
condolence letter to President of the Republic of Abkhazia Sergey
Baghapsh over the death of former President Vladislav Ardzinba, the
central information department of NKR president’s office reported.

The letter runs as follows:

"Abkhazia and its people suffered a great loss. The first President of
the Republic of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba has departed this life.

Vladislav Ardzinba stood at the origins of the national-liberation
movement of Abkhazia, led the republic at a most crucial period of its
history. Under his governance Abkhazia overcame all the hardships with
flying colors, embarked firmly on the path of further strengthening
its statehood.

Vladislav Ardzinba is widely known far beyond Abkhazia. He enjoys deep
respect and warm feeling in Artsakh.

On behalf of the people and the authorities of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic I express my condolence and support to You and to the
fraternal people of Abkhazia over this irretrievable loss."

Source: Panorama.am

BAKU: Turkish nationalist: We expect "one minute" from Erdogan

news.az, Azerbaijan
March 5 2010

Turkish nationalist: We expect "one minute" from Erdogan
Fri 05 March 2010 | 12:15 GMT Text size:

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkish nationalists are resented over the
decision of the US Congress.

Mehmed Shindir, deputy chairman of the faction of National Unity,
urged Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tell Obama "one minute"
(Erdogan’s speech during word fighting with Israeli President Schimon
Peres during the Davos forum).

"The decision by the US Congress is a disrespect to Turkey and its
people. We do not deserve this. Turkey was on the front line of
struggle with communism during the Cold war. Americans have forgotten
it too quickly", Hurriyet says.
"We have warned the authorities not to flirt with Armenians and here
are the results", Shindir said.

1news.az

Armenia Welcomes House Foreign Relations Committee Vote

Armenia Welcomes House Foreign Relations Committee Vote

enia-welcomes-house-foreign-relations-committee-vo te/
By Weekly Staff – on March 5, 2010 –

YEREVAN (A.W.) – On March 5, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian
issued a brief statement welcoming the House Committee vote on the
Armenian Genocide Resolution.

`We highly appreciate the decision by the Committee on Foreign Affairs
of the United States House of Representatives to adopt Resolution 252
on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide,’ the statement read.
`This is another proof of the devotion of the American people to
universal human values and is an important step toward the prevention
of the crimes against humanity.’

Turkey condemns vote, recalls ambassador

Turkey, however, recalled its ambassador to the U.S. for consultations
following the vote minutes after the U.S. congressional panel approved
the resolution on March 4.

`Our ambassador to Washington Namik Tan was recalled tonight to Ankara
for consultations after the development,’ said a statement issued by
the Turkish prime minister’s office. `We condemn this resolution
accusing Turkey of a crime that it has not committed.’

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/03/05/arm