Author: Zaminian Bedik

Libération , France
2 octobre 2004

De droite à gauche, des réticences;
Evènement 1. Europe

par AESCHIMANN Eric,LEBEGUE Thomas

UDF et partisans du non à la Constitution européenne critiquent la
proposition de Chirac.

La dernière trouvaille de Jacques Chirac suffira-t-elle à apaiser le
débat ? A en juger par les premières réactions suscitées par son
initiative, la question turque a encore de beaux jours devant elle.
Et l’opposition d’une grande partie du monde politique à l’adhésion
d’Ankara n’est pas prête de se dissiper. La Turquie, combien de
divisions ? Beaucoup, et dans tous les camps. A commencer par la
droite. L’UMP est elle-même en rupture de ban avec le chef de l’Etat
puisqu’elle refuse depuis le printemps, à l’instigation de Juppé,
l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’UE. Le parti a toutefois salué hier une
décision présidentielle qui permet à l’Elysée et à l’UMP de se
retrouver.

L’UDF contre l’adhésion. L’UDF, elle, est hostile de longue date à
l’adhésion d’Ankara “qui changerait la nature de l’Europe”. François
Bayrou ne trouve pas son compte dans la proposition chiraquienne :
“C’est une manière de duper les Français.” Idéalement, il aurait
voulu que l’on consulte les électeurs avant le conseil européen du 17
décembre qui doit se prononcer sur l’ouverture des négociations. Ce
qui, matériellement, paraît impossible. Du coup, il propose au chef
de l’Etat de repousser cette date butoir pour organiser une
consultation populaire dans les meilleurs délais. “En évoquant l’idée
d’un référendum dans dix ans, Chirac a été très habile, décrypte la
députée européenne (UDF) Marielle de Sarnez. Mais c’est le 17
décembre que le problème de la Turquie sera réglé. Car on ne pourra
pas lui dire “non” après avoir négocié durant dix ans avec elle !
Promettre un référendum à long terme, c’est un mensonge civiquement
honteux.” La crainte de l’UDF, c’est que la question turque fasse
monter le camp du “non” à la Constitution européenne. Aussi
demande-t-elle l’organisation d’un débat parlementaire, au nom de
l’article 88-4 de la Constitution. Il est peu probable que le
gouvernement ouvre la voie à un vote négatif de l’Assemblée, quelques
semaines avant que Jacques Chirac ne donne son accord officiel à
l’ouverture des négociations.

Le PS désuni. Au Parti socialiste aussi, la Turquie sème la zizanie.
Tant qu’il ne s’agissait que d’une perspective à très long terme, les
socialistes ont vu plutôt d’un bon oeil l’entrée d’Ankara dans l’UE.
Mais depuis un an, des voix discordantes se font entendre, notamment
celle de Laurent Fabius qui ne fait pas mystère de ses réticences. Au
printemps dernier, alors que le parti arménien “Dachnaktsoutioun”
menaçait de présenter des listes aux élections européennes dans les
régions où vit la communauté arménienne, les socialistes ont changé
leur fusil d’épaule. La direction du PS a fait de la reconnaissance
du génocide arménien une condition préalable. Sans préciser s’il
s’agit d’un préalable à l’ouverture des négociations ou à l’adhésion
elle-même. D’où la cacophonie manifeste vendredi dans les rangs du
PS. Fabius a dénoncé la proposition chiraquienne : “Une fois que les
négociations ont commencé, il n’y a pas d’exemple dans l’histoire de
l’Europe où elles n’aient pas débouché sur une adhésion”, a-t-il
déclaré, en réclamant lui aussi un débat et un vote au Parlement dès
cet automne. Paradoxalement, Pierre Moscovici, responsable des
questions internationales au PS et favorable à l’entrée de la
Turquie, récuse lui aussi l’initiative élyséenne, mais pour des
raisons inverses : “C’est une proposition démagogique destinée à
régler un différend entre Chirac et Sarkozy. Va-t-on faire un
référendum pour la Roumanie ? La Croatie ? L’Albanie ? On va ouvrir
la boîte de Pandore de toutes les phobies. Autant dire franchement
qu’on ne veut pas de la Turquie.”

Le PCF, hostile à Chirac. En fin d’après-midi, Julien Dray,
porte-parole du PS, s’est contenté de prendre “acte” de l’annonce de
Jacques Chirac, en rappelant que, pour son parti, l’adhésion de la
Turquie ne sera possible “qu’une fois réglé un certain nombre de
conditions, notamment sur la démocratie et la reconnaissance du
génocide arménien”. Mardi, François Hollande avait avancé l’idée de
systématiser l’usage du référendum. Et il a approuvé la décision du
chef de l’Etat, vendredi soir sur France 2.

Le Parti communiste lui n’a pas pas pris degants pour dénoncr une
manoeuvre de Chirac qui vise à “détourner l’attention” pour “faire
oublier la Constitution ultralibérale de Giscard”.

A1 Plus | 22:23:45 | 07-10-2004 | Politics | PACE FALL SESSION |

PACE NEW RESOLUTION ON ARMENIA

Implementation of Resolutions 1361 (2004) and 1374 (2004) on the
honouring of obligations and commitments by Armenia

Resolution 1405 (2004)[1]

1. Armenia was the subject of Assembly debates on its democratic
future on 27 January 2004 and 28 April 2004 respectively and the
country embarked upon further reforms following Resolutions 1361
(2004) and 1374 (2004). {BR}

2. The Parliamentary Assembly expresses satisfaction at its excellent
co-operation with the Armenian authorities, their open-minded attitude
and the quality of the ongoing dialogue on compliance with obligations
and commitments.

3. The Assembly is pleased to note that Armenia has complied with the
request to submit a report on paragraphs 9.i to 9.vi of Resolution
1374 (2004) and takes note that :

i. authorities have refrained from interfering with the conduct of
assemblies and, after the law “On gatherings, assemblies, rallies and
demonstrations” entered into force, a legal basis has been established
for holding them only by notification;

ii. the Constitution guarantees freedom of movement and laws provide
for maintenance of public order;

iii. the investigations on the incidents and human rights abuses
reported during the recent events, including assaults on journalists
and human rights activists, were led and information was provided to
the Assembly on a case of legal action against persons responsible for
assaults against journalists;

iv. the persons detained for their participation in the demonstrations
were released and an end to the practice of administrative detention
is expected as the Administrative Code is in the process of being
amended;

v. in this period one frequency has been freed, without contest, on
the basis of an intergovernmental agreement and within the framework
of the law “On Television and Radio”, a frequency which was given to
the Russian “Kultura” TV Channel for rebroadcasting;

vi. the authorities have taken note of the fact that the immunities of
members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe are
valid for the whole year (Resolution 1325 (2003) and Recommendation
1602 (2003)).

4. Despite Armenia’s declared wish to reach a peaceful solution with
Azerbaijan to the Nagorno-Karabakh situation, the Assembly is forced
to conclude that no tangible progress has been achieved for the past
year, whether at the level of the direct talks between the presidents
of the two countries, which are continuing, or at the level of the
Minsk Group.

5. The Assembly recalls that it had asked for a thorough investigation
into electoral fraud in the 2003 elections and for an end to the
judicial impunity of those responsible. In this connection, the
Assembly considers that it has not received a convincing reply from
the authorities. It is confident, however, that the process of
revising the Electoral Code will soon be completed, in keeping with
the recommendations of the Venice Commission.

6. It notes that legislative measures have been taken in order to
introduce into the Criminal Code a provision on conditional release
for all persons convicted of serious offences, including persons with
life sentences.

7. It notes that the constitutional revision needed to ensure that
certain commitments are fully honoured is making good progress. It
asks that the authorities should rapidly prepare draft amendments to
the Constitution, present them to the Council of Europe in 2004 for
expert appraisal and organise a referendum as soon as possible and in
any event by June 2005 at the latest.

8. The Assembly takes note of the timetable for effective
implementation of the basic reforms concerning the judicial system and
the independence of the judiciary and of the intention to adopt the
law on the status of judges, the law on the judicial council and the
law on the judiciary before the end of 2004.

9. The Assembly notes that the last amendments to the Law on Radio and
Television request that the National Broadcasting Commission should
add arguments when awarding broadcasting licenses, thus preventing the
adoption of arbitrary decisions.

10. With regard to its other requests, the Assembly notes the steps
taken to:

i. continue discussion of the question of administrative detention in
the Administrative Code in co-operation with the Council of Europe’s
experts in order to end administrative detention;

ii. adopt a law on demonstrations and public assemblies in
co-operation with the experts of the Council of Europe and the Venice
Commission;

iii. amend the Criminal Code in order to introduce the possibility of
conditional release for prisoners serving life sentences;

iv. revise, in co-operation with the Council of Europe’s experts and
with due regard to the recommendations already made and those yet to
be made, Articles 135, 136 and 318 of the Criminal Code in order to
remove any possibility of making insult and defamation subject to a
prison sentence ;

v. revise the law on the police in co-operation with the Council of
Europe’s experts;

vi. adopt a law on the status of Yerevan, a law on territorial
autonomy, a law on local government staff and a law on local
self-government;

vii. combat corruption and sign the Civil Law Convention on
Corruption; it asks that this Convention be ratified within the
shortest possible time;

viii. grant an amnesty to conscientious objectors who are serving
prison sentences and release those who refused to perform military
service.

11. Furthermore, the Assembly is expecting rapid progress concerning:

i. the revision of the Code of Criminal Procedure, in accordance with
the standards of the Council of Europe;

ii. improvements to conditions of detention and, in that connection,
the implementation of the recommendations of the European Committee
for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (CPT);

iii. the developments in the media sector in Armenia: it expects that,
on the basis of the recent amendments to the Law on radio and
television, the composition of the National Broadcasting Commission
will be renewed as soon as possible and that fair conditions for
awarding broadcasting licenses to televisions, in particular to A1+
television channel, will be created;

iv. the excessive length of the period of alternative civilian
service, which has been set at 42 months;

v. the registration of the association of Jehovah’s Witnesses;

vi. the creation of an independent body representing all Armenia’s
religious organisations and communities;

vii. in accordance with Resolution 1374 (2004), paragraph 9.iv, the
end to the practice of administrative detention until the
Administrative Code is amended;

viii. the amendment, no later than March 2005, of the law on
demonstrations and public assemblies to bring it into full conformity
with Council of Europe standards to ensure freedom of assembly in
practice.

12. In the light of the foregoing, the Assembly calls on the Armenian
authorities to continue to take appropriate measures to honour the
remaining obligations and commitments set out in Resolutions 1361
(2004) and 1374 (2004).

Compass Feature: Iraqi Christians Fleeing to Jordan, Syria

FEATURE NEWS from COMPASS DIRECT
Global News from the Frontlines

Summary:
AMMAN, Jordan, and DAMASCUS, Syria, October 6 (Compass) — Written threats,
kidnappings, bombings and murder by Muslim extremists are driving thousands
of Iraq’s minority Christian population out of their ancestral homeland,
fleeing for safety to neighboring Jordan and Syria. An Orthodox bishop in
Syria warns that if the emigration continues at the present rate, there
could be no more Christians in Iraq in 10 years’ time. But one Iraqi church
leader said he believes the Christian community would go underground first,
to avoid such a possibility. Iraqi Christian refugees interviewed in Amman
and Damascus admit that recent church bombings in August and September
helped to spark the recent exodus. But individual attacks carried out
against them by instigators of the local rising tide of Islamic
fundamentalism were also a factor. They said they are specifically targeted
because of their Christian faith and are viewed as collaborators with the
occupying U.S. forces because “they share the same religion.” Militants also
try to kidnap them because they believe Christians have Western connections
and therefore access to more money than other Iraqis. Although Iraq’s
2,000-year-old Christian community had expressed hope that a change in
government would usher in a new era of full religious freedom, they now
believe that the very existence of the church in Iraq is under threat.

**********
Iraqi Christians Fleeing to Jordan, Syria
Christian leaders say Iraqi church’s future threatened.
by Dale Gavlak

AMMAN, Jordan, and DAMASCUS, Syria, October 6 (Compass) — A quiet but
steady hemorrhaging of Iraq’s ancient Christian presence is underway and
little is being done to stem the flow.

Written threats, kidnappings, bombings and murder by Muslim extremists are
driving thousands of Iraq’s minority Christian population out of their
ancestral homeland, fleeing for safety to neighboring Jordan and Syria.

“The Christians are experiencing an absence of leadership,” explained Hala
Hikmat, a recent arrival from Baghdad who has joined thousands of her
countrymen in Syria. “We have no leaders who are communicating our urgent
needs to the authorities, so consequently each person has to take care of
themselves.” Their urgent needs, as expressed by Hikmat, are for protection
and for a stand to be taken on Christians’ behalf.

A string of church bombings in August and September sent anywhere from
30,000 to 40,000 Christians fleeing the country, according to estimates by
Iraqi government and church officials. And they admit that hundreds more
families out of Iraq’s 750,000 Christians are leaving each week.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) disputes these
figures, saying they are too high. But UNHCR offices in Amman and Damascus
admit that it is hard to know exactly how many Iraqi Christians are
currently in Jordan and Syria.

Of the 4,000 Iraqi families officially registered as refugees with the
agency in Damascus, more than half are Christians. It is believed that there
are larger numbers of Iraqis in Syria because it is cheaper to live there
than in Jordan. Iraqi Christians also said they have stronger cultural and
spiritual ties to Syria. Syrian authorities estimate there are about 300,000
Iraqis in the country.

“The Syrian government has been extremely generous to the Iraqis,” explained
Abdelhamed El Ouali, UNHCR head in Damascus. “It has kept the borders open
without political considerations. And it believes it has a sacred duty to
allow Iraqis who need safety to stay as long as necessary. But I am afraid
if the numbers continue to rise dramatically without any international
assistance, the situation here could change,” he warned.

A member of Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic community, who refused to give her name
for fear of reprisals against family members, said she lived near one of the
churches that was bombed in Baghdad last August. “I received a letter
threatening me. It also claimed that the church where I served would explode
while I was inside,” she said, “unless I paid $300,000.

“We are poor people and do not have such money, so I took my husband and my
son and we fled to Syria,” she said.

The synchronized bombings of five churches on August 1 and a car bombing at
a Baghdad church on September 10 sent shock waves through the Christian
community. Iraqi officials blamed al-Qaeda ally and Jordanian
terror-mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi for the attacks.

A university student visiting Syria from Baghdad said she wanted to attend
mass at the Chaldean Church of St. Terese of Little Jesus while she was in
Damascus because there was little opportunity now to worship back home
without fear. “We can’t attend services because all of the churches are
threatened with explosions,” she said. “No one knows what will happen now.”

Most of Iraq’s Christians are Chaldean eastern-rite Catholics who are
autonomous from Rome but who recognize the pope’s authority. Other Christian
denominations in Iraq include Roman and Syrian Catholics; Assyrians; Greek,
Syrian and Armenian Orthodox; Presbyterians; Anglicans; and evangelicals.

One Baptist woman from Baghdad who also refused to give her name said she
had taken to wearing a head-covering when going outside, simply to protect
herself and her children. “It is very risky now to go out on the streets in
Iraq without a scarf on your head,” she said. “When I dared to do it, people
shouted at me from a passing car that I had to respect Islamic traditions in
a country where Muslims are the majority.”

But the woman said that was not the main reason why her family fled Iraq.
Her husband is a university professor. She explained that because he is a
Christian and an educated professional, he was a double target for
militants. “They have been killing university professors. They want to rid
Iraq of intellectuals.

“We have received threats and letters saying they have not incurred enough
casualties. We were frightened and decided to leave.”

Although Iraq’s top Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani,
has condemned the assaults on churches as “hideous crimes,” Muslim leaders
have largely refused to criticize the killings of Christians who work for
the U.S. military or sell liquor. Beauty salons and shops selling music
cassettes run by Christians have also been targeted because they are deemed
offensive to strict Islamic practices.

Christian businessman Sawa Eissa said it was more than threats that forced
him and his family out of Baghdad and over the border to Jordan. He said
militants linked to renegade Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr recently
kidnapped and tortured him until his family paid ransom money.

“A gang came to my shop with machine guns and forced me into a car where I
remained for nine days,” he said. “They wanted $200,000 from me.

“They repeatedly hit me and poured boiling water all over my body. I was
held hostage until my family paid them $50,000 to finally get me released.”

Eissa, who is in his mid 50s, now walks with a cane and burn marks are
visible on his body. He said he and his family hope to find permanent refuge
in Australia because he cannot find legal work in Jordan.

An Iraqi church leader, Noel Farman, said other Iraqis have also become
victims of the escalating violence and militant clashes with U.S. and Iraqi
forces. But because Christians are much fewer in number, he argued, attacks
against them have a disproportionate impact.

“Christians in Iraq are becoming more and more of a minority, and they are
being sacrificed for the sake of the war against terrorism taking place on
the battlefield of Iraq,” he said. “We feel depressed, because we are
considered like a ‘playing card’ that outside forces can manipulate for
their own aims.

“We Iraqis of various religious and ethnic backgrounds are used to living
together and enjoying good relationships, but now these relations are being
exploited,” Farman explained, shaking his head.

The number of Christians in Iraq is expected to drop as long as hostilities
continue in the country, in line with their already steady decline over the
past 15 years. Before the 2003 war, Christians represented one million out
of Iraq’s 25 million inhabitants, while a 1987 census recorded their number
as 1.4 million.

A Syrian Orthodox bishop, preferring not to be named, said he feared Iraq’s
Christian population could totally disappear within a decade if emigration
continues at its current rate. But Farman was more hopeful. He said the
Iraqi church was resilient and would move underground if the circumstances
worsened.

Yet even in these troubled times, there are stalwart Christians who are
choosing not to leave their homeland. A small group of Pentecostal
Christians who visited Amman recently from Baghdad reported that their
church is growing, despite some outward pressure. In another instance, a
family returned to the Iraqi capital in order to start a Bible study with
women from one of the Catholic churches targeted in the August blasts.

Without a strong Christian presence in Iraq, or candidates in the upcoming
elections who insist on a separation between religion and the state, the
country could move precariously toward becoming a theocracy dominated by
Islamic parties and clerics. Iraqi Christians said they do not want to leave
their country, but without the needed recognition and support of their
rights, staying there is becoming a more difficult proposition.

END

**********
Copyright 2004 Compass Direct

Compass Direct
P.O. Box 27250
Santa Ana CA 92799-7250
USA
TEL: 949-862-0314
FAX: 949-752-6536
E-mail: [email protected]

Azeri foreign minister urges OSCE to stop sitting on fence over Karabakh

MPA news agency
6 Oct 04

Baku, 6 October: “The resettlement of Armenian families in occupied
Nagornyy Karabakh goes against international law, and the OSCE should
express its attitude to this fact,” Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov said at a meeting with the heads of the OSCE missions in
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, Maurizio Pavesa, Roy Reeve and
Vladimir Pryakhin respectively. Mammadyarov hoped that that the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict would be settled peacefully with the
help of the international community, including the OSCE.

[Passage omitted: Mammadyarov met German expert]

Red Cross organizes humanitarian law course for Armenian officers

A1+ web site
4 Oct 04

A five-day course on international humanitarian law [IHL] for 12
officers of the Armenian armed forces started in Tsakhgadzor [near
Yerevan] today. The officers will become IHL instructors after the
course. The course is organized by the International Committee of the
Red Cross [ICRC] in cooperation with the Armenian Defence Ministry.

During the course, the officers will discuss the following topics: the
conduct of hostilities, commanders’ commitments, behaviour in action,
the ICRC and its activities.

Azeri presidential envoy denies progress in Karabakh talks

Bilik Dunyasi news agency, Baku
30 Sep 04

29 September: The Karabakh talks are being held at a high level,
that is between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents and foreign
ministers. Therefore, holding another meeting at the level of special
representatives of the presidents on this problem is needless, the
Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister and the Azerbaijani president’s
special representative on the Karabakh problem, Araz Azimov, has said.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

Azimov explained the optimistic statement by Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan on the completion of the first round of the Karabakh
talks by his wish to bring these opinions into line with his internal
and political aims.

“There is still no progress in the presidents’ talks. We understand
such diplomatic acts, but they can in no way impact on Azerbaijan’s
position and the course of discussions. The talks might be conducted
only in the direction supported by the international public and
mediators. This direction envisages pulling out from seven occupied
districts and creating the necessary conditions for Azerbaijani
population to return there. The search for a solution to political
problems might be continued only on the basis of this,” Azimov said.

[Congressional Record: September 28, 2004 (House)]
[Page H7716]
>>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr28se04-115]

THREATS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN AGAINST ARMENIA

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring attention to recent
statements made by high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan
that threaten the security of Armenia as well as the efforts towards
a peaceful settlement over the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.

This issue, if not compellingly addressed by the administration,
has the potential to undermine U.S. interests and American values in
the strategically important Caucasus region.

I refer to the recent remarks made by officials in the government of
President Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia.
For example, as reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense
Minister spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s takeover of the entire
territory of Armenia and removal of the entire Armenian population from
the Caucasus. He went so far as to say, “Within the next 25 years
there will exist no state of Armenia in the south Caucasus.” Given
Azerbaijan’s history of aggression against Armenians, these remarks
cannot be dismissed as mere rhetoric.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan recently blocked key NATO exercises in the
country, due to their opposition towards having Armenian officers
taking part in the exercises. In fact, in June 2003, Armenia served
as the host country for similar exercises, to which Azerbaijani
military forces were invited, yet refused to participate. This year,
Armenia was one of several dozen countries due to participate, yet
the initiative was blocked by Azerbaijan, which is continuing its
efforts to undermine the prospects for peace in the Caucasus region.

Azerbaijan’s threats again Armenia’s survival reinforce our
commitment to maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and
Azerbaijan. This arrangement means even more today than when it was
first put in place, particularly in light of Baku’s increasingly
aggressive posture towards Armenia. Any tilt in military spending
towards Azerbaijan could, in our view, destabilize the region by
emboldening the new Azerbaijani leadership to continue their threats
to impose a military solution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.

Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated Independence
Day marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We have seen
considerable economic growth in the country. Despite the continuing
illegal blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, a recent Wall Street Journal
study found that Armenia remains the most economically free nation in
the region. Today, Armenia is steadfast in its support of the U.S.,
as exhibited by their recent announcement of plans to send a unit
of deminers, doctors and 50 trucks, including staff and drivers,
to assist the Coalition forces in Iraq.

It is critical to note that Armenia is today, as it has always been,
committed to the peace process and the terms agreed to in the Key West
summit. Since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabagh and Azerbaijan
conflict, Armenia has been committed to finding a peaceful resolution.
Moreover, I cannot stress enough the crucial role that the U.S. plays
in the negotiations over Nagorno-Karabagh to help the people of this
region find a lasting and equitable peace. These threats by Azerbaijan
undermine these efforts and seriously complicate our diplomacy in the
region. A failure on our part to forcefully and publicly confront
the Azerbaijan government over these destabilizing threats would,
in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan.

So, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the United States takes action to condemn
these remarks by the Azerbaijani government, and that we here in this
Chamber do everything we can to ensure that all parties involved in
this conflict make a genuine commitment towards peace and stability
in the region.

____________________

AZERBAIJAN FOCUSED ON ANTI-ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA

PanArmenian News
Sept 28 2004

28.09.2004 19:23

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan not only avoids any contact with Nagorno
Karabakh but also focuses on anti-Armenian propaganda, thus making
difficult the process of rapprochement between the conflicting parties,
Nagorno Karabakh Republic Foreign Minister Ashot Gulian stated at the
meeting with Jonathan Cohen, the Director of the Caucasian Program of
the Resources for Reconciliation British NGO. According to Arminfo
news agency, Mr. Cohen noted that by means of mass media, the Recourses
for Reconciliation is carrying out projects directed to the creation
of trust between the nations involved in conflicts. He also expressed
hope that the realization of projects to help to alleviate tension
between the parties of the Karabakh conflict.

Turkish parliament adopts new penal code to help EU entry talks
By Amberin Zaman in Istanbul

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
September 27, 2004, Monday

TURKEY’S parliament last night bowed to European Union demands and
passed a liberalising penal code which should open the way to talks
with Ankara on EU membership.

MPs were recalled from their summer recess after the government of
Recep Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, agreed to drop a plan to
criminalise adultery.

The decision ended a week of crisis with Brussels over Turkey’s
efforts to become the EU’s first predominantly Muslim member.

EU officials said the amended code would help Ankara secure a positive
review of its democratisation process in a crucial report by the
European Commission to be published on Oct 6. EU ministers will
make a final decision in December on holding membership talks. In a
televised address to the nation, Mr Erdogan expressed confidence that
“membership negotiations will start in December”.

The new penal code bars Muslim clerics from engaging in politics
and stiffens penalties for the perpetrators of so-called “honour
killings” of women deemed to have stained their families’ reputation.
Turkey’s increasingly influential women’s groups played a significant
role in pushing for the reforms.

“The change is revolutionary,” said Hulya Gulbahar, who campaigned
for a new law that criminalises the rape of spouses.

Another law scraps reduced sentences for rapists who marry their
victim, and for mothers who murder their babies born out of wedlock.
But EU officials have expressed alarm over a law that effectively
bans free debate of controversial issues such as the 1974 invasion of
Cyprus and the mass slaughter of Turkish Armenians by Ottoman forces
during the First World War.

The passage of the new code followed a week during which Turkey’s
membership application was damaged by Mr Erdogan’s stated desire to
outlaw adultery. EU leaders warned him against the proposal, saying
it suggested that he was seeking to lead Turkey towards Islamic rule.
Mr Erdogan then withdrew the proposal.

The European Right wing is opposed to the inclusion of Turkey. In
Austria, Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel backed the start of accession
talks but suggested that Turkey should be considered for “reduced
membership”.

With its wobbly economy, Turkey is not expected to join the EU for
at least 15 years.

But for many of its 70 million population, tired of decades of corrupt
and authoritarian rule, continued scrutiny by Europe is seen to be
as important to cementing democracy and secular rule as actual EU
membership would be.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PREPARES FOR NATIONAL REPORT ON CORRUPTION AT
GRECO

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24. ARMINFO. Armenia is to prepare materials of a
national report on corruption to GRECO on the basis of the documents
presented to Armenia by GRECO. Chairman of the Commission of the
Council for Monitoring of Implementation of a Strategy Against
Corruption Bagrat Yesayan made this statement today during the session
of the Armenian Council for Struggle Against Corruption.

The Armenian Governmental Press-Service told ARMINFO that Yesayan said
that the Governmental Staff jointly with the UN Development Program
elaborated a program “Development of possibilities of civil public for
monitoring of corruption in Armenia.” The program consists of three
parts: analysis of the situation, results of the program and resource,
task program and state budget. Besides, Yesayan said that in
combatting corruption, Armenia enlisted support of the Organization of
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Chairman of the Council,
Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margaryan instructed Bagrat Yesayan
to form a task group on consideration of proposals and notifications
of public and international organizations and the Government of the
USA on the Armenian Strategy Against Corruption.

The member of the Council, Head of the Government Staff Manuk Topuzyan
said that from the 63 anti-corruption measures planned for 2004-2006,
16 have already been taken, 7 are in process, including reports in the
sphere of licensing, judicial and educational systems. Besides, the
process of fulfillment of Armenia’s commitments on the ratified
international anti-corruption conventions and agreements were also
discussed in the course of the session.