Author: Vasilian Manouk

ANKARA, BAKU HALT NABUCCO TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.03.2010 11:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Talks between Turkey and Azerbaijan over securing gas
for Europe have temporarily halted due to disagreements over Turkey’s
attempts to normalize relations with Armenia, Turkey said on Tuesday.

The talks over gas supplies from Azerbaijan’s Shakh Deniz II gas
project are crucial to help filling the European Union-backed
Nabucco pipeline project, which aims to reduce Europe’s dependence
on Russian gas.

"We have not talked with the Azeris for between a month and a month
and a half, the fundamental issue here is politics," said Energy
Minister Taner Yildiz, speaking at a news conference.

Yildiz said it was unclear whether a previous offer to transit the
Azeri gas to Europe at less than markets prices had been accepted,
Reuters reported.

GENOCIDE NEGATION CASES INCREASING AMONG SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FRANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.03.2010 20:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Genocide negation cases are increasing among school
students in France.

In one of Strasbourg schools, music teacher set the homework of Charles
Aznavour’s Pour toi Armenie song, having handed out the lyrics,
containing references to Armenian Genocide, as well as a note on
the first genocide of the 20th century. The fact displeased Turkish
student Edanur Gedik, who refused from learning the song and started
negating the Armenian Genocide. In reply, the teacher stated that if
Turkey seeks to become EU member, it has to acknowledge Genocide in
the first place, Zaman reported.

France is among the countries where Genocide negation is punishable.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.

SERZH SARGSYAN: "TURKEY HAS NO MORAL RIGHT TO BLAME US ABOUT ANYTHING OR TO IMPOSE ANY CONDITIONS."

EuroNews
t/2010/03/19/serzh-sargsyan-turkey-has-no-moral-ri ght-to-blame-us-about-anything-or-to-/
March 19 2010
France

Serzh Sargsyan is President of Armenia, a country with a turbulent
history, like a fair number of states which for a time were a part
of the old USSR. Early in March on an official visit to Paris, the
president spoke with Euronews about the Armenian genocide, relations
between his country and Turkey, and on the frozen conflict of Nagorno
Karabakh. Armenia is gripped in the geopolitical vice of the South
Caucasus region, where Europe meets Asia.

Its border with Turkey has been blocked since the Nagorno Karabakh
war. The consequences of this for all involved are serious, including
for Armenia’s population of three million and the seven million
Armenian diaspora.

Laura Davidescu, Euronews: President Sargsyan, with 23 votes in favour
of the resolution and 22 against, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
United States’ House of Representatives has decided to declare that the
1915 massacre of over one million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks was
genocide. Why do you think the committee has voted the resolution now?

President Serzh Sargsyan: Discussions on the recognition of the
Armenian genocide are not new in the political life of the United
States of America.

Several times at least in the past 10 years, the Foreign Affairs
Committee of the House of Representatives has tried to vote on the
resolution.

Forty-two states in the US have recognized the events as genocide,
so the resolution on the 4th of March is neither a surprise nor a
new thing for us.

Euronews: Do you think of any particular reason for them voting it now,
in this particular context of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation?

Sargsyan: We are currently in discussions with Turkey on the issue
of re-establishing our relations. This should be done without any
preconditions, and I think that Turkey has no moral right to blame us
about anything or to impose any conditions. Re-establishing relations
without preconditions means we are not under any obligations to stay
away from any of the possible topics.

Let’s say that, by some miracle, the Turkish Parliament ratifies the
protocols, the Armenian Parliament does the same, we re-establish our
relations and a third country, which is against us re-establishing
our relations, on purpose takes up the genocide issue. Will the Turks,
therefore, use this as a pretext and break off relations?

Euronews: If Armenia’s major problems now are unemployment, economic
isolation and long- running disputes with Turkey and Azerbaijan,
can these problems be more easily solved now?

Sargsyan: Our difficulties with Turkey did not begin yesterday. For
17 years, Turkey has kept the Armenian border under blockade. Was
there such a resolution 17 years ago? We fully understand that
Turkey is a big country — in terms of population, territory and
power… vastly bigger than Armenia. And if we lived apart from each
other we would [also] understand. But since Armenia and Turkey are
part of the international community, and the United States, France
and the European Union are too, then the international community must
assess the developments and situations as they unfold.

Euronews: I would go back to the recognition of the Armenian genocide:
If this issue is of paramount concern for Armenians both at home
and in the Diaspora, could you please tell us why the Yerevan State
University awarded an honorary degree to the Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad in 2007? The Iranian president denies the Holocaust.

Sargsyan: You know, we cannot oblige our neighbours to think as we do.

One should not narrow things down to a single person. To bestow upon
the leader of a country an honorific reward signifies an expression
of gratitude and recognition towards the people of that country. The
Iranians have been our neighbours for centuries and they are very
important to us.

Euronews: Would you call the Yerevan state university’s decision
Armenian "realpolitik"?

Sargsyan: I would consider it as a particular approach by the State
University of Yerevan towards a particular issue, an approach quite
current in Europe and in the democratically developed countries of
the world.

Euronews: You are quoted as having said in London, in February, that
Nagorno Karabakh was never a part of independent Azerbaijan. Well,
the international community seems to have another opinion, another
assessment.

Sargsyan: The international community does not have a different
vision. History is well-known… Nagorno Karabakh was not a
part of independent Azerbaijan. It was the Caucasus Bureau of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union which attached Nagorno Karabakh
to Azerbaijan.

Why did the international community acclaim the collapse of the
Soviet Union and not consider Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan
and Uzbekistan part and parcel of the Soviet Union? — still saying
Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaidjan? It is not logical, is it?

Euronews: What kind of compromises are you willing to make in order
to achieve a peaceful resolution of this conflict?

Sargsyan: One cannot eliminate the consequences of this conflict
without addressing its causes. And when speaking about the causes… we
talk about recognising the people of Nagorno Karabakh’s right of self
determination… the recognition of this right and its implementation.

The other problems will be solved rapidly after that.

The Armenian parts of this conflict, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh,
are profoundly interested in a swift resolution of this conflict. But
a sustainable resolution that would allow for peace and security in
the region, as opposed to giving Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh, which
would spell the end of its existence.

Euronews: Azerbaijan states very clearly that it will never ever accept
Nagorno Karabakh as an independent entity. They will never let it go.

Sargsyan: What does the international community propose to us? To
solve this conflict on the basis of three principles of international
law: firstly, self-determination; secondly, territorial integrity;
and thirdly, the non-use of force. I propose, through you, the media,
to appeal to Azerbaijan to sign an agreement not to use force. This
would instill trust in the Armenian people of Karabakh and Armenia. And
under these conditions of trust we would begin the negotiations for a
settlement. We Armenians know very well what Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity means. We’ve talked about it openly several times. The
Azerbaijanis… can they say what the right of self-determination
means for the people of Nagorno Karabakh?

When we issue joint declarations about the right of self-determination,
Azerbaijan is not talking about the Armenian people’s right to
self-determination but of the right of the main player in the
conflict… the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES TO GOBBLE-UP YEREVAN’S REMAINING GREEN SPACE

2010 /03/22 | 00:17

ecology

Consumers’ Association sends protest to Mayor Beglaryan

The Armenian Association of Consumers has fired off an angry letter
to Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan regarding continuing construction
encroaching on the city’s green spaces.

In the letter, the Association points out recent construction launched
at the National Library and the State Agrarian University grounds.

"You have constantly declared that the protection of the city’s green
spaces will be a priority," the AAC reminded the Yerevan mayor. "We
hope that the photos we have sent underline the urgency of our concerns
and that you will move to halt such construction."

ERDOGAN FORGETS TURKS LIVING ABROAD

s17243.html
13:17:13 – 22/03/2010

The deputy foreign minister of Armenia Arman Kirakosyan, at the request
of "Armenpress" news agency to comment on Erdogan’s statement who
threatened to expel Armenians living in Turkey as if focusing the
attention of the international society on illegal emigrants, said
that dwelling on this topic, Mr. Erdogan forgets about millions of
Turk emigrants living all over the world. He said sorry that on the
eve of 95th anniversary of the Armenian genocide committed by the
Ottoman Empire, Turkey is not led by a European but still an Ottoman
system of values.

ARMENIA AND TURKEY WORKING ON CREATING HISTORICAL COMMISSION, SAYS CLINTON

Tert.am
12:49 ~U 23.03.10

I don’t think that anyone has forgotten anything, said US Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton in an interview with Vladimir Pozner of
Russia’s Channel One, while responding to a question by a viewer
on why President Obama has forgotten about his campaign promise to
recognize the Armenian Genocide and thus, support House Resolution 252.

Clinton said that what’s important is the work going on between Turkey
and Armenia. The US State Secretary recalled that she had been in
Zurich last fall when the foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey
signed the Protocols to normalize Armenia-Turkey relations.

"And in those protocols, there was an agreement between the two
countries to establish a historical commission that would look at
all of the issues that are part of the past.

And I think that’s the right way to go, I think, to have the two
countries and the two peoples focusing on this themselves. I have
said many times we cannot change the past we inherit. All we can do
is try to have a better future," said Clinton, adding that Turkey and
Armenia are currently working on creating the commission of historians.

Pro Box Russian magazine claims David Avanesyan a champion

20.03.2010 13:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Professional Boxing Federation (PBF) organized a
Boxing Evening in Pyatigorsk, Russia, on March 17.

As reported by allboxing.ru, Armenian boxer David Avanesyan
(Pyatigorsk) defeated Rustam Shigdinov (Moscow) and won Pro Box
magazine belt in the final fight.

Karen Tevosyan (Samara), in his turn, defeated Albert Valeev (Kazan)
with a technical knockout in the forth round.

France24
March 20 2010

Turkish PM steps back from Armenian expulsion threat

AFP – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday he had
no immediate plans to expel illegal Armenian workers after his threat
to do so sparked a barrage of criticism at home and abroad.

Erdogan however urged Western countries to stop branding the massacres
of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as "genocide," slamming such
moves as attempts to "tarnish" Turkey’s honour and "meddle" in its
ties with Armenia.

The Turkish media and rights groups accused Erdogan of treating
illegal Armenians as a pawn in Ankara’s protests after his threat
earlier this week to deport thousands of impoverished Armenians
working illegally in Turkey.

But Erdogan said his remarks were aimed "at drawing the world’s
attention to our tolerant approach towards those people" and did not
mean that "we will take such a step immediately."

"What I am saying is that those who pass these baseless (genocide)
resolutions… should see the humanitarian perspective from which we
look at the problem… They should not meddle in our ties with our
neighbours," Erdogan told a gathering of Turkish artists.

"We are not speaking about citizens or immigrants or refugees. Still,
we have shown good will. We have displayed tolerance towards some
needy people… and we will continue to do so," he said.

But "we cannot stay silent when some people take actions to tarnish
the honour of Turkey and the Turkish people, while we are displaying
all kind of good will and tolerance," he added.

Erdogan blamed the "genocide" resolutions on the influential Armenian
diaspora in the West and "those who use them."

Earlier this month, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a
non-binding resolution branding the World War I massacres a genocide,
and Sweden’s parliament followed suit last week, infuriating Ankara.

In an interview with the BBC Turkish service on Tuesday, Erdogan
threatened to expel illegal Armenian workers if foreign parliaments
continued to pass such resolutions, prompting a condemnation from
Yerevan and harsh domestic criticism that his remarks damaged already
troubled peace efforts with Armenia.

Erdogan put the number of illegal Armenians in Turkey at 100,000.

Researchers however say that the Turkish authorities tend to inflate
the figures to put pressure on Armenia, estimating the number between
10,000 to 20,000.

Following Swiss-brokered talks to end decades of enmity, Turkey and
Armenia signed a deal in October to establish diplomatic ties and open
their border. But the process has already hit snags, with both sides
accusing the other of lacking commitment to the deal.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed in systematic
massacres during World War I as the Ottoman Empire fell apart.

Turkey counters that between 300,000 and 500,000 Armenians and at
least as many Turks perished in civil strife when Armenians rose up
against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian forces.

Several other countries, notably France, have also recognised the
killings as genocide.

kish-pm-steps-back-armenian-expulsion-threat

Le Figaro, France
Vendredi 19 Mars 2010

Erdogan perturbe la normalisation avec l’ArmÃ?©nie;
Le premier ministre turc menace d’expulser des milliers d’ArmÃ?©niens en
situation irr�©guli�¨re.

AUTEUR: Portes, Thierry

CAUCASE La derni�¨re sortie du bouillant premier ministre turc, Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, vient de porter un coup s�©v�¨re � un processus de
normalisation turco-arm�©nien d�©j� bien mal en point. La r�©cente
reconnaissance du g�©nocide arm�©nien de 1915 aux ��tats-Unis et en Su�¨de
a servi de facteur d�©clenchant. Ces r�©solutions « sapent les efforts
de paix avec l’ArmÃ?©nie », a dÃ?©clarÃ?© mardi Ã? la BBC le premier ministre
turc, avant de sortir de ses gonds :

« Il y a 170 000 Arm�©niens dans mon pays. Parmi ceux-l� 70 000 sont
des nationaux, mais nous tol�©rons les 100 000 autres. Si cela �©tait
nÃ?©cessai re, je pourrais Ã?ªtre dans l’obligation de leur dire de
retourner dans leur pays. »

Le journal stambouliote Milliyet jugeait hier que « faire d’innocents
travailleurs armÃ?©niens une monnaie d’Ã?©change, des otages, est une
chose suffisamment grave pour alimenter les accusations s�©culaires
contre la Turquie ». Plusieurs autres m�©dias turcs et nombre de
diplomates �©trangers ont partag�© ce sentiment, ce qui a conduit le
parti islamo-conservateur au pouvoir � Ankara � faire machine arri�¨re,
en expliquant que M. Erdogan n’avait pas l’intention de mettre Ã?
exÃ?©cution sa menace, « ni aujourd’hui ni demain ». La vÃ?©ritÃ?© oblige
aussi Ã? dire que le nombre de clandestins d’origine armÃ?©nienne,
principalement des femmes qui font des m�©nages ou gardent des enfants,
est loin de 100 000, et g�©n�©ralement estim�© entre 10 000 et 20 000.

L’accord toujours pas ratifiÃ?©

Mais le probl�¨me se situe ailleurs, � la fronti�¨re turco-arm�©nienne,
fermÃ?&#x C2;©e depuis la guerre au Nagorny-Karabakh ou Haut-Karabakh. Entre
1988 et 1994, le conflit sur ce territoire azerba�¯djanais peupl�©
d’ArmÃ?©n iens a fait 30 000 morts et des centaines de milliers de
r�©fugi�©s. Par solidarit�© avec les turcophones azerba�¯djanais, la
Turquie a rompu ses relations avec l’ArmÃ?©nie. Le contentieux entre les
deux pays, nourri par la question, toujours officiellement taboue Ã?
Ankara, du gÃ?©nocide armÃ?©nien par l’Empire ottoman en 1915, n’avait
cependant pas empÃ?ªchÃ?© ceux-ci de signer un protocole d’accord sur la
r�©ouverture de la fronti�¨re en octobre 2009.

Cependant, ce texte n’a toujours pas Ã?©tÃ?© ratifiÃ?© par les parlements
turcs et arm�©niens, et le rapprochement entre les deux pays est
aujourd’hui au point mort. C’est le fond du problÃ?¨me. La
reconnaissance du g�©nocide arm�©nien par une commission du Congr�¨s
am�©ric ain, qui ne pr�©sage en rien de son acceptation par la Chambre
des reprÃ?©sentants, n’est qu’un motif d’agacement supplÃ?©mentaire.

TURKISH STATE THREATENED TO EXPEL 100.000 ARMENIAN IMMIGRANT WORKERS!

libcom.org
March 18 2010

Turkish burgeoisie is singing the same old jingoist songs from the
mouth of Turkish PM. They threatened to expel immigrant Armenian
workers. Erdogan -the turkish PM- in his visits to England implied to
BBC that if the western states continue their recognition policy of
Armenian genocide of 1915, then they might expel Armenian immigrant
workers.

It is just necessary to remember that the birth of the Turkish state
was itself the result of the massacre of Armenian peasantry. In the
mids of the 1st WW, turkish ruling elite organised the bludiest ethnic
cleansing seen in history till then by killing around a million of
Armenians living in Anatolia. These armenians also contained the
intellectual vanguard of the working class of the time in the empire.

By expelling the Armenians turkish bureaucratic elites both confiscated
the Armenian peasants lands and burgeoisie’s property thus forming an
alliance sealed in blood among the Turkish landlords and state. And
they also "legitimised" the foundation of "turkishness" of the regime
in the face of a defeat in the war. The social basis of the future
Turkish Republic i.e., one of the first third world state capitalism
was thus founded on this premises.

Today the same massacre policy is shameleslly being pursued. Now in
their international game of imperialism they shamelessly proclaimed
to do the same this time with Armenian workers. Most of these
Armenians are immigrants from Armenia -which was previously in Eastern
Bloc/Russia -. After the fall of eastern capitalist bloc these people,
the majority of whom are women, came to Turkey. Majority of them
are working in domestic house works. The avarage salary is around
200-300 euros, one day off in a week etc. They are cleaning the shit
of burgeoisie. It is estimated that their numbers reach to 100.000

atened-expel-100000-armenian-immigrant-workers-180 32010