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09/01/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Leading Kurds Warn Fighting Could Harm Turkey's EU Prospects 2) Mountainous Karabagh Celebrates 13th Year of Independence 3) ICG To Qualify Javakhk Conflict In Upcoming Report 4) Kocharian, Aliyev Likely Meet Following Meeting of FMs 1) Leading Kurds Warn Fighting Could Harm Turkey's EU Prospects ANKARA (AFP)--Leading Kurdish activist Leyla Zana and three fellow politicians warned Wednesday that continued clashes between Kurdish rebels and the army could derail Turkey's bid to join the European Union. "Society is fed up with violence...It is time to say 'enough is enough' to suffering, tears, and mourning," the four former parliament members said in a statement. Zana and her colleagues--Hatip Dicle, Selim Sadak, and Orhan Dogan--have appealed to Kurdish militants to lay down their arms since they were released in June after a decade in jail, pending a review of their 1995 sentences for aiding the armed rebellion against Ankara. The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), now known as KONGRA-GEL, called off a five-year unilateral ceasefire on June 1, raising tensions in the mainly Kurdish southeast which had been mostly calm during the truce period. Since then, the group has been blamed for a series of deadly attacks in the region as well as the bombing of two hotels in Istanbul last month, which left two dead and 11 injured. EU leaders will assess Turkey's progress towards greater democracy in December before deciding whether to set a date to open membership talks. "Though it is a very low possibility, if a date for accession negotiations is not given because of the clashes, the moral responsibility of this will be enormous," the four activists said. "That is why it is very important that arms are silenced." They argued that it would be easier to resolve the Kurdish question if Turkey came closer to the EU. "The attitudes and contributions of the EU member states will be as important as the attitudes of Kurds and Turks in the acceleration of the process," they said. Turkey has undertaken several major reforms to broaden the cultural freedoms of its Kurdish minority as part of its campaign for EU membership. Some 37,000 people have been killed in fighting between the PKK and the army since 1984 when the rebels took up arms for self-rule in the southeast. 2) Mountainous Karabagh Celebrates 13th Year of Independence STEPANAKERT (ARMENPRESS)--In a message delivered on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the independence of Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR), President Arkady Ghukasian focused on steps being taken to advance the economic, social, and cultural development of the country. While speaking about the progress made by the government, Ghukasian stated, "The recent municipal elections served to once more display the MKR population's and government's commitment to promoting and strengthening democracy in an effort to create a truly civil society." Recognizing the important role assumed by the Armenian Diaspora in Karabagh's reconstruction Ghukasian said he is confident that the Diaspora will play even a more significant role in efforts to secure international recognition for MKR. Ghukasian referred to the military exercises held this last August as proof that the country's armed forces are willing and capable of defending themselves against foreign aggressors. He, nonetheless, moved on to confirm the government's intention to seek a peaceful solution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. Ghukasian concluded his message by stating, "No one can take away the freedom and independence, which have been gained through extreme sacrifice." Several Armenian officials and dignitaries, including President Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Andranik Margarian forwarded congratulatory messages to MKR, extending their support for the republic. "The Mountainous Karabagh Republic is still devoted to the principle of a peaceful settlement it has adopted, but is resolute to resist any encroachment jeopardizing its self-governance. The heroic people of Karabagh must be confident that the Republic of Armenia and all the Armenian people are a reliable defender of their innermost dreams," stated Margarian's message. 3) ICG To Qualify Javakhk Conflict In Upcoming Report AKHALKALAK (Noyan Tapan)--International Crisis Group (ICG) senior analyst Filip Noubel, was in Akhalkalak August 30-31, to clarify whether recent tensions in Javakhk are inter-ethnic related or are conflicts between the center and region, as proposed by Georgia. An upcoming ICG report on Javakhk will likely peg the conflict as an inter-ethnic one, reported the local A-Info news agency. The ICG is an independent, non-profit, multinational organization, with over 100 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict. Its teams of political analysts are located within or close by countries at risk of outbreak, escalation, or recurrence of violent conflict. Based on information and assessments from the field, ICG produces regular analytical reports containing practical recommendations targeted at key international decision-takers. ICG also publishes CrisisWatch, a 12-page monthly bulletin, providing a succinct regular update on the state of play in all the most significant situations of conflict or potential conflict around the world. 4) Kocharian, Aliyev Likely Meet Following Meeting of FMs PRAGUE (CTK/RFE-RL)--Various approaches to a peaceful resolution to the Armenian-Azeri conflict over Mountainous Karabagh were discussed by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vartan Oskanian and Elmar Mammadyarov, in Prague on Monday. The French, Russian, and US co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group also attended the day-long meeting. It was the first face-to-face encounter between Oskanian and Mammadyarov since the envoys' visit to the conflict zone last month. "We are continuing what we began at our first meeting," Oskanian said during a break in the talks. "Our main objective is to create a common basis on which we could build during further negotiations. We are working toward that objective and I can't say we have achieved it," he added. Asked whether the two sides have made any progress in the last few months, he said: "It's a bit early to speak of common approaches. But the dialogue is useful." Oskanian revealed that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will likely meet next in Astana, Kazakhstan, during a meeting of CIS heads of state. Only pieces of information about the results of the Prague meeting were proved to the press, though according to available reports, the talks did not have a precise agenda. While touring Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Mountainous Karabagh in late July, the OSCE mediators openly criticized the conflicting parties for their perceived intransigence, bluntly stating that the burden is on the sides, not the Minsk Group, to push the protracted peace process forward. The Prague meeting was the fourth between Oskanian and Mammadyarov; the previous talks were held in June, also in Prague. 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