Author: Zakarian Garnik

GALUST SAHAKYAN: THE ARMENIAN TURKISH BORDER WILL OPEN BEFORE PROTOCOLS ARE RATIFIED
Siranush Muradyan

"Radiolur"
15.04.2010 18:15

"The Armenian-Turkish border may open before the protocols are
ratified. Armenia has done all it had to do in the process and
continues moving forward guided by international law," Vice-President
of the Republican Party of Armenia, head of the Republican faction
Galust Sahakyan told a press conference today.

Galust Sahakyan assesses the President’s visit to Washington as an
exceptional and historic one. "This was not just a diplomatic success,
but also an improvement of Armenia’s and its President’s image on
the international arena."

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 0033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:

April 15, 2010

ACNIS Again Looks at the Prospects for the Normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish Relations

Yerevan–At the threshold of the Armenian Genocide’s 95th anniversary,
the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
today convened yet another roundtable discussion regarding the
prospects for the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations
against the backdrop of the most recent developments.

Extending his greetings to the participants, ACNIS Administrative
Director Dr. Karapet Kalenchian noted that such discussions, which are
devoted to the most important aspects of the Armenian-Turkish
diplomacy and the possible scenarios for this problem’s resolution,
greatly help clarify Armenia’s current foreign policy trajectory. `The
`Road Map,’ which came into being exactly one year ago, and then the
well-known `Protocols,’ are documents that were signed behind the
backs of our people, they were a shock to the Armenian people, and
they have caused dramatically opposing views to this day,’ Kalenchian
stated, underscoring the need to shed further light on this matter. In
his view, instead of signing debatable documents, it will be correct
to simply exchange notes and thus to establish diplomatic relations
and open the borders, as it was rightly stated by Raffi
K. Hovannisian, Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs.

ACNIS Senior Analyst Manvel Sargsian presented his analysis concerning
the general context of the `Washington’ phase of the Armenian-Turkish
talks. He maintained that Turkey continues to act irrationally and to
posit preconditions upon Armenia, but, at the same time, its efforts
toward linking the Karabagh issue to this process are not comprehended
by the United States. `Turkey has to reconcile with the fact that,
since its obstinacy is to its own detriment, the Western countries,
and particularly the Unites States, in the first place, have
intensified the efforts to recognize the Armenian genocide of 1915,
and are using this issue as an additional leverage to put pressure on
Turkey,’ Sargsian remarked. `Even Azerbaijan has come to understand
that, with its absurd demands, it is paralyzing the political policy
of its `big brother.” Sargsian concluded that Turkey is now standing
before the imperative of reviewing its stand with respect to
normalizing relations with Armenia.

For his part, ACNIS Director Richard Giragosian noted that following
the recent meeting in Washington between Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoðan and Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian, there are
renewed expectations of hope that the process of Turkish-Armenian
`normalization’ is back on track. He explained that while the meeting
represented the `last chance’ for Turkey to meet expectations, new
obstacles are coming, including the April 24th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide, which affirms that the real test for this latest
round of Turkish-Armenian diplomacy is only beginning.

The presentations were then followed by a series of questions and
answers, and featured a lively exchange among several analysts,
experts and journalists.

———————————— ———————————-

The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) is
a leading independent strategic research center located in Yerevan,
Armenia. As an independent, objective institution committed to
conducting professional policy research and analysis, ACNIS strives to
raise the level of public debate and seeks to broaden public
engagement in the public policy process, as well as fostering greater
and more inclusive public knowledge. Founded in 1994, ACNIS is the
institutional initiative of Raffi K. Hovannisian, Armenia’s first
Minister of Foreign Affairs. Over the past fifteen years, ACNIS has
acquired a prominent reputation as a primary source of professional
independent research and analysis covering a wide range of national
and international policy issues.

For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or
27-48-18; fax (37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected] or [email protected];
or visit

THE YEAR 2010 TO MARK THE BREAKTHROUGH OF ARMENIAN MOVIE

ArmInfo
2010-04-13 16:22:00

ArmInfo. The year 2010 will mark the breakthrough of young Armenian
film directors, Gevorg Gevorgyan, Director of the National Cinema
Center of Armenia, told journalists, Tuesday.

"I am very much reliant on the younger generation of film directors.

They have their own view of cinematography, and I am sure that they
will bring a new style and a new quality to the Armenian movie",-
said Gasparyan. He thinks that the year 210 will become crucial in the
Armenian cinematography. "Certainly, we want the Armenian movie to be
also represented at the Cannes Film Festival contest program in 2011.

And to be honest, I am very much reliant on the younger generation of
film directors",- said Gevorgyan. He added that the work at 7 films
of young directors will be completed in 2010.

SERGE SARKISSIAN A DEPOSE UNE COURONNE SUR LE TOMBEAU DE WOODROW WILSON
Stephane

armenews
mardi13 avril 2010
USA

Le president armenien Serge Sarkissian, qui est arrive a Washington
pour le Sommet sur la Securite Nucleaire s’est rendu a la Cathedrale
lundi 12 avril a 11h00 et y a depose une couronne sur le tombeau
du President americain Woodrow Wilson. Le president Wilson etait un
grand ami du peuple armenien et un avocat de l’Armenie independante
qui comprenanit les trois provinces armeniennes de l’Empire ottoman
(Erzerum, Bitlis, van et le nord du port de la Mer Noire Trabzon)
a la suite de la Première guerre mondiale.

KARABAKH CONFLICT STARTED IN 1988 BUT NOT IN 1992

ArmInfo
2010-04-13 13:38:00

ArmInfo. The Karabakh conflict started in 1988 but not in 1992,
when the Karabakh people responded to the pressure of Azerbaijanis
by demanding their right for independence, that has become the reason
of initiation of the war by Azerbaijan, NKR ex-Foreign Minister Arman
Melikyan told journalists today.

"Unfortunately, the current logic in the negotiating process is
stemming from the fact that the war was provoked by Armenia in 1992,
when Azerbaijan started losing the first territories. That is why the
logic of the Karabakh conflict settlement process is wrong, while
the problem of the world community could be correctly imagined if
the negotiations started from the right starting point", Melikyan said.

According to him, it is inadmissible to continue the negotiation
process in the same course as Armenia does not need making concessions
and demonstrating such a readiness to the whole world.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out on February 28 1988 in the
Azerbaijani Sumgait with massacre of Armenians as a peculiar response
of Azerbaijanis to the peaceful demand of the Nagorno-Karabakh
autonomous Region, part of the Azerbaijani SSR, to unite with the
Armenian SSR. This resulted in other pogroms of Armenians in Baku,
Kirovabad and other regions of Azerbaijan populated with Armenians. In
1991 Azerbaijan unleashed war against peaceful populations of
Nagorno-Karabakh, expulsing ethnic Armenians from the territory of
Azerbaijan. Dozens of thousands of peaceful residents on both parties
were killed in the military actions, and hundreds of thousands were
left homeless and have become refugees. In 1994 in Bishkek in mediation
of the OSCE MG, the NKR, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Protocol on
Ceasefire that is observed more or less so far.

ARMENIAN PROTESTANTS
Tigran Ghanalanyan

"Noravank" Foundation
12 April 2010

The origin of the Protestantism in Armenia is connected with a number
of historical circumstances. In new times they engineered vigorous
activity in Armenia. Of course, the dissemination of the Protestant
movement in Armenia took place gradually but in the 19th century
it took a mass character and as a result the Protestants really
succeeded. From Protestant groups the most widespread among the
Armenians was the Evangelical.

It is characteristic that the missionaries did not belong to any
structure managed from one centre. They just served to the interests
of different states. In this regard Raffi wrote that the English
missionaries were much more dangerous that the Americans1. Thus,
studying the missionaries’ activity, alongside with the confessional
and clerical side, the political actions implemented by the
missionaries should also be covered. The missionaries’ activity found
fertile ground among the Western Armenians which was connected with
the recent tough legal, political and economic situation.

If Armenian Catholics were called "franks" then the Protestants were
called "ingliz".

If the dissemination of Catholicism among Armenians was conditioned by
the Rome factor then the penetration of Protestantism was carried
out mainly by Anglo-American missionaries. The conversion to
Protestantism was accompanied by cultivating the English-speaking
Western civilizational values, which provided enough grounds for
calling Armenian Protestants "ingliz".

The forming of Protestantism in Armenia Since the middle of the 19th
century Armenian Evangelical Movement had been disseminated across
the Western Armenia, Cilicia, and other regions of the Ottoman Empire
populated by the Armenians. On 1 June, 1846 Armenian Protestant
were recognized as separate "millet" (nation). Since 1860s Armenian
Evangelical Churches had been arranged in different parts of Turkey –
Central Union, Unions of Butania, Eastern Cilicia2.

This, of course, affected the power of Armenian Patriarchate and
influence sphere, and that process was in tune with the national
policy of the Ottoman Empire. But the recognizing Catholic and
Protestant Armenians as separates millets had also had a negative
effect for Turkey. Taking advantage of the existence of the Catholic
and Protestant communities foreign states interfered in Turkey’s
domestic affairs under the pretext that they help their coreligionists.

It is remarkable that the formation of the evangelical unions began
at the 60s of the 19th century when the new stage of the national
persecutions was initiated. The Apostolic Armenians also adopted
Protestantism in order to avoid persecutions on the national ground.

The study of the national policy of Turkey helps to understand
cause-and-effect relation of spreading Protestantism among Armenians.

In contrast to Turkey, where state policy often boosted the activity
of the missionaries in order to split the unity of the Armenians,
Iran tended to strengthen the positions of the Armenian Apostolic
Church trying to jeopardize the eager activity of the missionaries.

Evangelical ideas were spread among Eastern Armenians at the end
of the 18th and at the beginning of the 19th century through the
first Protestant individuals and small groups. The spreading of
Protestantism among Eastern Armenians was favoured by those small
separate communities and individuals which adjoined to Protestantism
and Baptism in Eastern Armenia and a number of districts in Georgia,
as well as Swiss, German and Swedish Protestant preachers who settled
in the Caucasus in the 20s of the 19th century.

The Eastern Armenian Evangelical Churches are separate and independent
units. The political division of Armenia can be considered as a reason
for that and as a result Western Armenians and Eastern Armenians passed
peculiar ways of historical development. Despite numerous claims
the Russian Empire had not recognized Eastern Armenian Evangelists
as a separate religious community till 1914 (in the Russian Empire
officially only the Lutheran Church functioned). The Lutheran Church
tried to subject Armenian Protestants in the Caucasus.

In 1820-1890 the centers of the Armenian Protestants in the
Transcaucasia were Shamakhi and Karabakh. In Transcaucasia Armenian
Evangelical schools in Shushi, Shamakhi and Tiflis had a good name.

In the middle of the 19th century there were Armenian Evangelical
communities in Yerevan, Vagharshapat, Aleksandrapol, Kars, Tiflis,
Baku, Batumi and Sukhumi. In 1914 the Araratian Union of Armenian
Evangelicals was established which was recognized in the same year
by Russian authorities. The Union which headquarters was in Yerevan
had worked till 1928. It was headed by Rev. Vahan Mikaelyan. In
1923 the authorities of the Soviet Armenia recognized officially
the Araratian Union of the Armenian Evangelicals and registered its
charter. In 1918-1930 the number of the Armenian Evangelicals in
Armenia was 2500-3000 people and in the Transcaucasia in the whole
3500-4000 people. Almost all the communities had churches and prayer
houses, Sunday schools, ordained pastors. At the end of 1920s the
repressions in regard to the religious communities aggravated. Since
1930, together with others, the activity of the Armenian Evangelical
churches was prohibited.

In February 1946 the government of the Soviet Armenia officially
recognized the Yerevan Church of the Armenian Evangelical
Baptist-Christians and Gyumri’s Evangelical-Baptist Church formed
its part.

The structure of the Armenian Evangelical Church Armenian Evangelical
Church has no clergy (catholicos, bishops, archimandrites,
dioceses). Each church has three official bodies:

Board of guardians which controls the activity of the church in general
(particularly spiritual activity).

Trusteeship which controls the property of the church and administers
it, as well as issues marriage certificates.

Board of guardians of schools which controls the schools belonging
to the church. Sunday schools, youth Christian organization, women’s
and cultural unions constitute an important part of the Evangelical
churches.

Since 1991 the Armenian Missionary Association of America has been
functioning in Yerevan. Since July 1, 1994 Armenian Evangelical
Church acquires a right to work in Armenia officially. There are 50
Evangelical churches and prayer houses in Armenia.

In May 1995 the Union of Evangelical Churches of Armenia was
established in Yerevan. And in August 1995 the Armenian Evangelical
Union of Armenia, Georgia, Eastern Europe and Middle East was
established (centre in Yerevan, chairman – Rene Leonian). The Union
includes the Union of Armenian Evangelical Church of Armenia, Armenian
Evangelical Union of Georgia3, the Armenian Evangelical Baptist Church
in Sukhumi, as well as Armenian office of the Armenian Missionary
Association of America.

There are no distinct data about number of the Evangelicals in
Armenia, that’s why we have to rely on approximate numbers. Rene
Leonian mentions that the number of the members of the Armenian
Evangelical Church is 25-30 thousand and general number of the Armenian
Evangelicals is about 100 thousand4.

According to the data for 2003 there are 3 Armenian Evangelical Unions
working in the Diaspora:

Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East
(established in 1924, centre – Beirut, includes 11 churches in Syria, 6
– in Lebanon, 3 – in Iran, 3 – in Turkey, 2 – in Greece, 1 – in Egypt).

Armenian Evangelical Union of France (established in 1927, recognized
by the government in 1946, centre in Paris, includes 14 churches).

Armenian Evangelical Union of North America (established in 1971,
centre in New Jersey, includes 20 churches in the US and 4 Evangelical
churches in Canada).

There are Armenian Evangelical Churches in Buenos Aires, San Paulo,
Montevideo, London, Brussels, Sofia, Sidney which are not included
in the union5.

At the beginning of 1980s 3 unions of Diaspora formed Armenian
Evangelical World Council (centre in New Jersey, USA) and later on,
2 Armenian Unions joined it. The Council manages common activity
of the unions. The chairman who is elected for 2 year period can be
re-elected one more time.

On June 7, 1918 in Worcester, MA, the Armenian Missionary Association
of America was established. This is the organizational and executive
body of the Armenian Evangelical Churches and the first and the only
Armenian Evangelical missionary organization (AMAA). The AMAA has
its branches and offices in approximately 20 countries all over the
world, including Armenia (since 1991) and the NKR (since 1995). The
AMAA carries out its programmes in Armenia and Artsakh together with
the French "Hope for Armenia" organization. The programmes are of
two main directions – charitable and educational. Among the important
aims of the AMAA the followings can be mentioned: to render assistance
in restoration of the regions damaged after the earthquake in 1988;
the care of the orphans and children of the diseased fighters for the
freedom; the Christian education of the growing generation; medical
services as well as assisting to two Armenian states in agriculture,
building, education.

Armenian Evangelical Church carries out its benevolent, educational,
publishing, social activities through about a dozen of organizations
which are managed either by the Armenian Evangelical Church or
together with appropriate bodies of the Armenian Apostolic and
Catholic Churches. The centers of Jinishian, Philibosian, the Armenian
Evangelical Social Service Center (LA), Armenian National Sanatorium
(Lebanon), Armenian Old Age Home (Aleppo) and etc. are remarkable.

Armenian Evangelical Church considered and considers Armenian Apostolic
Church the Mother church, it accepts the Holy Fathers of the Armenian
Church; during the rites it uses Armenian medieval sharakans, carries
out ceremonies together with the clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic
Church.

Armenian Evangelical Church is one of the founder members of World
Churches Council and it cooperates with American, European and Near
Eastern churches.

Educational Facilities of the Armenian Evangelicals Since the formation
of the Armenian Evangelical Church the Evangelical educational
institutions were established – preschools institutions, secondary
schools, colleges, schools. In these educational institutions
those Armenians are studied who want it, irrespective of their
confession. Since 2003 18 Armenian Evangelical educational
institutions has been functioning (from preschool to higher
educational institutions). 9 of them are functioning in Lebanon, 5 –
in Syria, and by one – in Armenia, Greece, Iran and USA. Among those
educational institutions Haigazian University, which is the only
higher education institution of Diaspora (established in 1995), is
distinguished6. Near East School of Theology (Beirut), Aleppo College
(Syria) and Evangelical Theological Academy of Armenia, established
in 1997 in Yerevan, are remarkable.

Armenian Evangelical Press Armenian Evangelical Church has published
periodicals: 1839-1856 in Jmurnia, with interruptions, the first
Armenian newspaper in ashkharhabar – "Fount of Useful Information"
was published. It was followed by "Avetaber" (Istanbul, in Armenian
and in Turkish but with Armenian letters). Today "Banber" (since 1925,
Paris), "Patanekan Ardzaganq" (since 1936, Beirut), "Djanaser" (since
1937, Beirut), "Le Lumignon" (Lyon, in French), "Lraber" (since 1965,
New Jersey) magazines, "Forum" (since 1975) by Armenian Evangelical
Union of North America and "Our Daily Bread" (since 1991) periodicals,
"Haigazian Journal of Armenian Studies" (since 1970, Beirut) annual,
"Armenian Evangelic Church" (since 1997, Yerevan), which is issued
once in three months, are published7.

Conclusions Today the problems of the Armenian Protestants play
important role in the processes of the self-organization of the
Armeniancy. For the Protestant Armenians the protection of the Armenian
national values and the strengthening of national self-consciousness
are topical from the point of view of the social and political
consolidation of the Armeniancy.

In consequence of positive, permanent development of the relations
between the Protestant Armenians and Armenian Apostolic Church,
the well-wishing mutual perception and collaboration of the Armenian
representatives of those two Christian teachings can be proved.

The issues of the Protestant Armenians are also important in the
context of the preservation of the national identity of the Armenian
Diaspora. The Protestant Armenians should preserve their national
character and not to alienate from their compatriots who are the
adherents of the Apostolic church. In this issue the approaches of
both parties, which should be based on national unity, tolerance,
underlining of common values, joint activity, are crucial.

TETE DE TURC
JORDAN MINTZER

Variety
117942562.html?categoryid=31&cs=1
April 12 2010

A Warner Bros. France release of a Aliceeleo Cinema, Aliceeleo, France
2 Cinema production, in association with La Banque Postale Image 3,
Sofica EuropaCorp, with participation of Canal Plus, CineCinema,
France Televisions, CNC. (International sales: Other Angle Pictures,
Paris.) Produced by Patrick Godeau. Executive producer, Francois
Galfre. Directed, written by Pascal Elbe.

With: Roschdy Zem, Pascal Elbe, Ronit Elkabetz, Samir Makhlouf, Simon
Abkarian, Forence Thomassin, Valerie Benguigui, Monique Chaumette,
Laure Marsac, Stephan Guerin-Tillie, Brigitte Catillon, Gamil Ratib,
Moussa Masskri, Leo Elbe.

A fast-paced network narrative that ventures into the ever-newsworthy
French suburbs, "Tete de turc" (slang for "scapegoat") scores
solid notes for ambition, but doesn’t quite pull itself together
in a satisfying manner. Centered around an explosive incident that
leaves one benevolent doctor in a coma and one teenager in hiding,
thesp-cum-helmer Pascal Elbe’s ("Father and Sons") wide-reaching
scenario shows Gaul’s immigrant populations at the mercy of
roaming gangs and abusive cops, living under conditions more akin
to Deadwood than to Dijon. Domestic release by Warner Bros. France
should yield respectable coin, with Euro and Francophone bookings a
strong possibility.

Unlike other recent banlieue films, which are either pure genre
exercises ("District B13," "The Horde") or pure arthouse studies ("35
Shots of Rum," "Games of Love and Chance,"), Elbe’s script situates
itself between the two, using a thriller framework to tackle the
harsh realities currently plaguing the outskirts of Paris, Lyons
and Marseilles.

Based on a 2006 incident in which a Senegalese woman was burned alive
on a bus by a band of violent teens, the action here is transplanted
to France’s less publicized Turkish and Armenian communities, and
presents several characters linked together by an attack that occurs
in the pic’s opening minutes.

When physician Simon (Elbe) pays a call to a menacing housing project,
his vehicle is ambushed by rock-throwing youths, including high
schooler Bora (Samir Makhlouf), who launches a Molotov cocktail but
then rushes to save the doc before his car explodes. As Simon rests
in a coma, Bora tries to avoid exposing himself to the cops and his
hot-blooded seamstress mom (Ronit Elkabetz), but he’s soon beaten
down by drug dealers angry that the neighborhood is now filled with
roving reporters and police patrols.

Meanwhile, Simon’s detective bro, Atom (Roschdy Zem), is conducting his
own jaw-breaking investigation to find the culprit, but he’s unaware
that a local nutcase (Simon Abkarian) — who lost his wife due to
Simon’s attack — is also plotting revenge. As expected from such a
dramatic structure, the various plot points eventually tie together,
and somebody doesn’t make it out alive.

There’s a swell of different themes (social injustice, family secrets,
coming-of-age struggles) presented here, and pic’s major flaw is its
attempt to give them all equal coverage rather than concentrating on
the stronger ones. Bora’s tale — marked by lively performances from
newcomer Makhlouf and Israeli actress-helmer Elkabetz ("The Seven
Days") — is an engrossing depiction of an immigrant youth’s fight
to save his skin and reputation while doing the right thing. But the
various subplots involving Simon and Atom only hamper the overall
narrative flow.

Washed-out, handheld imagery by Jean-Francois Hensgens ("District 13:
Ultimatum") tends to overexpose the tense atmosphere, depicting the
suburbs as a virtual no man’s land where walking to school in broad
daylight can be a highly treacherous affair.

French title is a play on both Bora’s ethnic origins and the role he
serves in the eyes of his family, friends and the larger community.

Camera (color, Panavision widescreen), Jean-Francois Hensgens; editor,
Luc Barnier; music, Bruno Coulais; production designer, Denis Mercier;
costume designer, Jacqueline Bouchard; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS
Digital), Pierre Tucat, Arnaud Rolland, Daniel Sobrino; assistant
director, Olivier Coutard; casting, Nicolas Ronchi. Reviewed at UGC
Cine Cite Les Halles 4, Paris, April 5, 2010. (In City of Lights,
City of Angels Film Festival.) Running time: 87 MIN.

CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE HELD IN COLOGNE

news.am
April 12 2010
Armenia

A conference on the history of the Armenian Genocide will be held
in Cologne, Germany, on April 24. The conference has been organized
by the Kurdish Institute in Germany, Turk-German Human Rights Union,
Conference of Turkish Workers of Europe.

Firat News reported that the Turkish journalist Gunay Aslan, who
left Turkey, will chair the conference. Among the participants will
be Hrant Dink’s lawyer, Edran Dogan, Head of the Assyrian community
George Aryon, the analyst Nazareth Vardanoglu and the member of the
Yezid Union Ali Sacik.

Azg Daily, Armenia
April 8 2010

TURKEY OUT OF ALL PROPORTION

Former editor of Turkey’s sole Kurdish daily facing up to 525 years in prison

Vedat Kursun, the biggest shareholder in Turkey’s only
Kurdish-language daily, Azadiya Welat (Free Country), was sentenced to
three years in prison by a court in the southeastern city of
Diyarbakir on 30 March on a charge of propaganda for the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The newspaper’s managing editor until jailed last year, Kursun is the
latest in a series of Kurdish journalists to fall victim to
Anti-Terrorist Law No. 3713. In this case, he was convicted under
article 7 of the law for content in the issues of 11 and 12 August
2007 but he could eventually accumulate a combined jail sentence of
525 years for other stories published between 2006 and 2008.

"We condemn the persecution of this newspaper and its editors,"
Reporters Without Borders said. "These disproportionate punishments
expose the contradictions of the government’s policies, especially
last year’s initiative that was supposed to give more rights to
Turkey’s 25 million Kurds (a quarter of the country’s population) and
draw them closer to international standards."

The press freedom organisation added: "The Turkish authorities seem
unable to shed their repressive attitudes even when the country’s only
Kurdish-language daily newspaper is concerned. The sentence speaks
volumes."

An Istanbul court has meanwhile just suspended Azadiya Welat for two
months under article 6 of the Anti-Terrorist Law, which empowers the
courts to close media which "in the context of terrorist activities,
openly incite a crime, praise a crime or a criminal, or disseminate a
terrorist organisation’s propaganda."

The newspaper’s offence was to publish an article in its 27 March
issue referring to the PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, as "the
Kurdish people’s leader." It is the seventh time it has been suspended
since becoming a daily in 2006. Its issues are also often confiscated.

As far as the authorities are concerned, many of Azadiya Welat’s
articles contain pro-PKK propaganda and, as a result, their authors
and the editors in charge at the time of publication are all liable
for prosecution under the Anti-Terrorism Law. Launched in 1978 to
fight for Kurdish independence (or nowadays, autonomy), the PKK turned
to "armed struggle" in 1984 and is on the government’s list of
terrorist organisations.

Kursun is still facing prosecution in Diyarbakir for another 103
alleged violations of article 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Law and one
violation of article 6, which says that "anyone carrying out an action
in the name of an illegal organisation must be punished as a member of
that organisation."

Speaking at the 30 March hearing, Kursun said: "I did not publish the
content with the aim of spreading PKK propaganda, but under the right
to obtain information and communicate it to the public." Ozan Kilinc,
who took over as editor after Kursun’s conviction in 2009, was himself
sentenced to 21 years and three months in prison on 10 February.

The European Court of Human Rights has condemned Turkey 12 times for
violating free expression. Seventeen percent of the rulings issued by
the court since 1959 have concerned Turkey.

Elsa Vidal, Europe & Central Asia, Reporters Without Borders,
International Secretariat, ParisTel. : (33) 1 44 83 84 67, Fax : (33)
1 45 23 11 51

Armenian-Turkish process will not be suspended

The Protocols will be ratified no matter we like it or not, and the
parties interested in this `international project’ will begin a new
phase: implementation of the items of the Protocols.

Turkish Prime Minister’s special envoy Feridun Sinirlioglu’s visit to
Armenia caused an inexplicable commotion in the political and expert
levels, although such kind of visits before anticipated or scheduled
meetings of Heads of State are an ordinary diplomatic practice.
However, the passion of Armenian commentators to see some secret (or
evil) intent in every move best shows how little information the
society has on the Armenian-Turkish relations, being satisfied with
`comments’ contradicting both the essence and the content.

April 9, 2010 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

But if you try to calculate the forthcoming steps of Ankara, which, by
the way, is not so difficult, it must be noted that in all probability
there will be no suspension of Armenian-Turkish processes. World
powers will not simply allow Ankara and Yerevan to engage in gag. Most
interesting in this situation is Sinirlioglu’s visit to Baku, where he
will continue to assure his Azeri `brothers’ that the attitude of
Turkey towards Azerbaijan has not changed. We just wonder whether
there are still naive people in Baku, who believe this poorly
disguised lie. It appears that for persistence of Armenian-Turkish
negotiations Erdogan has to sacrifice Azerbaijan, while Armenia has to
keep from demanding Barack Obama to use the term `genocide’ in his
April 24 address. On the whole, it could have been worse. Before
referring to Armenian concessions, it should be reminded that Turkey
has set several conditions before Azerbaijan, only after whose
execution the Azerbaijani-Turkish dialogue can continue. Among them we
find introduction of visa-free regime (not welcomed by Baku), official
recognition of independence of Northern Cyprus, reduction of gas
prices, etc. Azerbaijani politicians prefer not to talk about this,
trying to shift the fault of all their foreign policy failures onto
Armenia.

As for Armenian concessions, Barak Obama in any case will think of a
new euphemism in order to avoid the term `genocide’ and not to push
away Turkey for good and all. And because exclusively the Armenian
Diaspora deals with this issue, the Armenian President can rightfully
say that the Republic of Armenia does not specifically require
anything from the U.S. President or the Congress. But international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide and its consequences are one of
the trends of the foreign policy of Armenia and nobody has the right
to interfere in what and how Yerevan does.

Let us note that in this process risks are greater for Turkey than for
Armenia. Ratification of the Protocols may lead to special nation-wide
elections, in which Islamists may lose. The military and nationalists
will come to power, which is much worse for Yerevan than the Erdogan
government, although when it comes to Turkey it is useless to think of
what is good or bad for Armenia. Simply Erdogan is the lesser of two
evils. Or maybe he is not? In any case opposition is against
normalization of relations and opening of the border in particular.
And if by and large it is all the same to Armenia what will happen to
the boundary, for Ankara it is in some way another advantage in the
negotiations for EU integration. The advantage is, however, indistinct
especially in the light of recent statements by Angela Merkel and
Nicolas Sarkozy. Anyway, the Turkish parliament cannot but ratify the
Protocols, otherwise the ruling party in Turkey will be reminded of
the threats against the Armenians, the Cyprus problem and many other
things. In short, the Protocols will be ratified no matter we like it
or not, and the parties interested in this `international project’
will begin a new phase: implementation of the items of the Protocols.
And this phase will be much harder than signing or ratification. The
real `auction’ will begin just then. But all this will take place
after April 24, although we might also be mistaken. If the talks in
Washington go as scheduled by the United States, ratification might
take place on April 22 or 23, on the anniversary of promulgation of
the Armenian-Turkish agreement.

Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News