Author: Tumanian Talar

Pan Armenian News

US CONGRESS DELEGATION TO VISIT SOUTH CAUCASUS, CENTRAL ASIA AND TURKEY

23.05.2005 03:01

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US Congress delegation will visit Turkey, South
Caucasus and Central Asia in June, member of the Committee for Foreign
Relations of the US Senate Chuck Hagel stated when addressing the Society of
Ataturk of America on May 19. He also noted that the putting in operation of
the Azeri part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is an advance in the
Turkish-American relations. `I have always been a supporter to the project.
Uniting the interests of the states of the region the oil pipeline will
contribute to the building of lasting relations between the two states’ he
said. In Hagel’s words the US foreign policy is experiencing the period of
transition to new realities that emerged after the collapse of the USSR.
Having an important geopolitical location Turkey plays a big role in the
South Caucasus, Central Asia and the Near East. The US interests in the
region should count with Turkey, he noted.

Azeri ethnic minority representative condemns Armenian forum of his people

Ekspress, Baku
21 May 05

Text of unattributed report in Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on 21 May
headlined “The former Talis People’s Party condemns separatists” and
subheaded “The conference on the ‘Talis problem’ has political aims”

The Party for Equality of the Peoples of Azerbaijan which operates in
Moscow (formerly the Talis People’s Party) has condemned the conference
in Yerevan devoted to the “Talis problem”. The party chairman, Hilal
Mammadov, has made a statement concerning this.

The statement says that taking into account the events that happened in
the southern regions in 1993 [the Talis-Mugan Republic was proclaimed
in Azerbaijan’s southern districts] and the fact that this conference,
which is described as scientific, is being held in Yerevan which has
tense relations with Azerbaijan, shows that there are political aims
behind this conference.

Mammadov also mentioned other reasons behind the conference. He said:
“The Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia, Ramiz Rizayev, asked me to
meet him at the beginning of March this year. We discussed some of
the problems of our region’s peoples. I was told that this meeting
was arranged on the orders of President Ilham Aliyev. Apart from me,
the meeting was attended by the chairman of Russia’s Talis foundation
and other representatives of the Talis people. The ambassador promised
to us that he would convey to the president all the issues discussed
at the meeting and to arrange a meeting between us and the president.

“At that meeting, I told the ambassador that the Armenians were
planning to hold a conference on the Talis issue. I asked him to
inform the president about this and to help organize a conference in
Baku. I explained to the ambassador that if we failed to do so, the
Armenians would hold a conference and would make loud statements to
the world saying that ethnic minorities are suppressed in Azerbaijan,
linking this with the Karabakh problem. The ambassador, who listened
to me carefully, promised to help me organize the third congress of
the party in Baku, adding that he would personally take part in it.”

Mammadov said that none of the promises made to them by the authorities
has been kept. “This has created conditions for some nationalist
adventurists of our [the Talis] people to launch a slander campaign
against the authorities, the opposition and against us.” Mammadov
strongly condemned the participation of his compatriots in this
conference in Yerevan. “We hope that we will be able to hold such
conferences in our native country and to prove to the whole world
that no-one can breed strife between the peoples of our multinational
Azerbaijan.”

Erdogan – Kocharian Meeting In Warsaw Uncertain

Turkish Press
May 19 2005

ANKARA (AA) – As it has not been certain whether Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian will
meet in Polish capital of Warsaw, diplomatic sources think that
Azerbaijani-Armenian negotiations can also have an impact on this
meeting.

According to information received from diplomatic sources, neither
Turkey nor Armenia have conveyed their demands regarding a possible
meeting between Erdogan and Kocharian, to the other side.

Sources said that Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Aras Azimov
visited Turkish capital of Ankara two days ago, and briefed Turkish
officials on the talks on Upper Karabakh held as part of the Minsk
process.

According to information given by Azimov, new formulas regarding
Armenia’s withdrawal from the occupied lands in Upper Karabakh are
being discussed at the moment. It has been learned that Azerbaijan
asks Armenia to totally withdraw from the occupied lands, while
Armenia is welcoming a gradual withdrawal formula.

Drawing attention to the possibility that Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Armenian President Kocharian could meet on the margin of
the Council of Europe summit to be held in Warsaw, diplomatic sources
said that a positive result could come out of this meeting. They
also stated that two leaders could agree on a document like a road
map even if a final agreement was not reached.

The same sources think that a positive meeting between Aliyev and
Kocharian can have a positive impact on a possible Kocharian-Erdogan
meeting. They also say that solution of the problems can equally
have positive effects on normalization of relations between Turkey
and Armenia.

Georgia ready to agree with Russia on bases’ withdrawal – Burjanadze

Interfax
May 18 2005

TBILISI. May 18 (Interfax) – Georgia may agree with Russia on several
fundamental issues related to the withdrawal of Russian bases from
Akhalkalaki and Batumi, Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze
told Georgia’s Imedi television on Wednesday.

“If we manage to reach a final agreement on these two or three issues,
all the other matters can be discussed during the next round of
negotiations,” Burjanadze said.

The speaker, however, declined to name these matters. “A document we
received from Moscow, which reflects the stance of the Russian party
on the bases, is classified. That is why I cannot disclose any of
its provisions pending the outcome of the talks,” the speaker said.

Georgia agrees that the bases’ infrastructure should not be used to
create joint Russian-Georgian anti-terrorist centers, she said.

Georgia insists on the 2008 deadline for the bases’ withdrawal,
she said.

Burjanadze, however, categorically ruled out the possibility of
transferring the bases to Gudauta in the breakaway province of
Abkhazia. “This option is not on the agenda,” the speaker said. But
Russia has the right to transfer its Akhalkalaki base to Armenia,
she said.

Turkey’s Erdogan Denies Armenian Genocide

Reuters
May 17 2005

(DPA, Reuters) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
Tuesday criticized parliamentary resolutions by European states
honoring up to 1.5 million Christian Armenians who died or were killed
in massacres and deportations by Ottoman Turks during 1915-23.

Speaking at the Council of Europe Summit in Warsaw, Erdogan termed
the killings the “so-called Armenian genocide” and said current
discussions amounted to “lobbying” which Turkey would not support.

“We say that we do not appreciate any lobbying efforts that do
not find their basis in documents,” he said, speaking through an
interpreter. “By taking action in other parliaments, this will not
have positive effects on the issue.”

But the Turkish leader also declared his country was prepared to open
its archives and called on Armenia and other states to do the same
to review the events of 90 years ago.

“We opened our archives, one million classified documents. We ask
Armenia to open its archives and we ask other countries to contribute
too… If there are decisions to be taken after that, they will be
taken. But not on the basis of lobbying and parliamentary decisions
based on such lobbying,” he said.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian, who also attended the summit,
called Monday for the 1915-23 killings to be recognized as genocide.

Turkish media said Erdogan had cancelled a planned meeting in Warsaw
with Kocharian, which had been designed to underline Turkey’s desire
for better ties with Armenia, as a protest against the reference to
the genocide issue.

While Armenia and most historians say between 1.2 and 1.5 million
ethnic Armenians were died or were killed by Muslim Turks in a bloody
wave of deportations and massacres, Turkey says there were no more
than 300,000 dead and that the deaths were not deliberately planned
or desired.

Turkey insists the events are being used as a black mark against
its bid for European Union (EU) membership. Ankara is due to start
membership negotiations with the bloc in October but EU officials
caution that talks could last some 15 years.

A number of European parliaments have adopted resolutions honoring
Armenian victims and which mainly define the killings as genocide
including Greece, France, Sweden, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands,
Poland and Cyprus.

Germany’s parliament plans to adopt a resolution by this summer but a
draft text expressly leaves out the word “genocide.” German sponsors
say they do not want to make life more difficult for those in Turkey
seeking an open discussion of the Armenian question.

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES ON ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

A1plus

| 16:01:06 | 19-05-2005 | Politics |

Today Armenian parliamentarians discussed the proposal on inserting
changes to the Administrative Code with the purpose to regulate the
traffic. In part, the amendments provide for major penalty for those
who drive cars with “modern” signals, black curtains and glasses as
well as other novelties.

Taking into consideration the fact that the installment of a “modern”
signal costs at least $50 it becomes clear what part of the population
the measures are referred to. However along with the limitations the
size of the penalty for other violations reduces.

The legislative changes allow the citizen to pay the penalty on the
spot. He can also refuse to pay the penalty, challenge the policeman’s
activity or pay it somewhere else. Thus the government wished to
eliminate the “atmosphere of impunity.

However during the parliamentary debates deputies of the Orinats Yerkir
Faction spoke against the above mentioned changes. They consider
that the measures are too strict and do not defend the rights of
the society.

Armenian genocide offered a lesson still to be learned
By Robert Kachadourian

Birmingham-Bloomfield Hills Eccentric (Birmingham, Michigan)
Sunday, May 15, 2005

The popular and award-winning movie Schindler’s List that was produced
several years ago was a stark reminder of man’s capability to wreak
havoc on other humans with all the fury at his disposal.

In this case it displays the means, methods and motives of such
heinous crimes. Holocaust, genocide and a more modern but no less
devastating term, ethnic cleansing, are all the same manifestation
of destructive forces when unleashed.

The 20th century has been called the bloodiest in the history of
mankind. The Armenian Genocide was the beginning of these events of
the last century and was a precursor to those devastating occurrences
that followed. The recent 90th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide
marked the carnage that lasted from 1915-23, eventually claiming
between 1 million and 1.5 million citizens of Armenian descent.

The Armenian Genocide took place because of man’s inhumanity to man,
indifference and the world’s very short collective memory. Most of
us read history in a vacuum and really think we aren’t affected by
events that take place thousands of miles away. We also feel that
events that occurred years ago are far removed from us.

As we are already midway in the first decade of the 21st century,
the events that affect us aren’t “over there.” The world has come
into our living rooms through the communications explosion that has
jettisoned us into the age of super telecommunications. Cyberspace
has turned outer space into an obtainable dimension.

Indeed, that is the case. Yet it depends on the use of all of this
technology. Will it be used to inform mankind about events that need to
have us as individuals and governments involved to prevent holocausts,
genocides and ethnic cleansing? Or will it be used to sanitize us
from such occurrences? We can become desensitized and almost insular.

Of course, we can give the appropriate response: “never again.” All
of us have to answer these questions as individuals.

The Armenian Genocide was a wakeup call that no one woke up to. The
Jewish Holocaust wouldn’t have occurred if the Armenian Genocide had
been recognized as an event that needed world attention.

When Hitler in 1939 was commenting about the carnage he was to lead
the world to as he prepared for World War II, he was asked about his
policies of extermination. His answer was, “Who today remembers what
happened to the Armenians?” The die was cast.

In fact, the Armenian Genocide is an “alleged event” even in some
circles today.

The answer can be found in the continuum of genocide, holocaust
and ethnic cleansing. These are all the same words for individuals
representing movements that justify their solutions in dealing with
“other” groups. It is a dangerous mindset most of us don’t comprehend.
Somewhere, someone must declare “never again.”

Schindler’s List was an epic story. Its screenplay was written by
Steve Zaillian. He stated he drew upon the experience of his own
Armenian background to compose such an outstanding drama depiction
of the Holocaust.

There is a message there. If one man can make a difference under such
circumstances, can we do no less? Again, each one of us will have
to answer that question, not only as individuals, but collectively
as governments.

In the meantime, remember not to forget. That’s a beginning.

Robert Kachadourian is a retired educator and operates a consulting
firm. He is active in the Armenian community.

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RA PRESIDENT SIGNS A DECREE ON CALLING A SPECIAL SESSION OF RA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian has signed
a decree on calling a special session of RA National Assembly on
May 17. As the Pres Service of the RA President told ARKA News
Agency, the agenda of the session includes a number of draft laws
and legislative amendments, relating to tax, customs, economic,
judiciary-legislative and educational areas and activities of local
self-government bodies. L.V.-0-

THERE IS BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “ARMY” AND “ARMENIAN” GRENADE:
ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO GEORGIA

YEREVAN, MAY 14. ARMINFO. “Grenade is not a bottle of brandy mentioning
the manufacturer country,” says Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Georgy
Khosroev commenting on the Friday media reports that the grenade found
on Liberty Square in Tbilisi where the US and Georgian presidents
were speaking to the people was of Armenian manufacture.

Friday some media reported Azeri Ambassador to Georgia Ramiz Gasanov
as saying that US Ambassador to Georgia Richard Miles had invited
the foreign ambassadors to Georgia to US Embassy to tell them about
the results of Pres. Bush visit to Tbilisi. Before the meeting a FBI
agent told the ambassadors that the grenade found 30 meters off the
presidents was manufactured in Armenia.

Khosroev says that he was also at the meeting but nothing of the
kind was said there. “There is a big difference between ‘army’ and
‘Armenian’ grenade,” he says noting that even though he is not a
specialist in the sphere he supposes that a grenade is not a bottle of
brandy to mention the manufacturer-country. At the same time Khosroev
refrains from commenting on the meeting at US Embassy noting that
“obviously everyone hears what he wants to.”

Azeri president to meet Armenian counterpart in Warsaw

ANS TV, Baku
15 May 05

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has arrived in Warsaw for a summit
of the Council of Europe, the private ANS TV reported on 15 May.

President Aliyev is planning to meet his Armenian counterpart Robert
Kocharyan at 1730 gmt today to discuss a Karabakh settlement, the
report said.

The French and Russian foreign ministers are also expected to attend
the meeting.