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06/22/2005
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1) Pavel Manukian Takes Beating at MKR Defense Ministry Headquarters
2) Barroso Urges ‘Frank’ Debate on Turkey’s EU Entry Bid
3) Gul Warns Norway Genocide Museum to Consider Turkey’s Feelings
4) Armenian and Russian Presidents Meet in Kremlin
5) IUSY Istanbul Meeting Adjourns
1) Pavel Manukian Takes Beating at MKR Defense Ministry Headquarters
STEPANAKERT–The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) of Mountainous
Karabagh Republic, in a press released issued on Wednesday, revealed that
Pavel
Manukian was taken to a military hospital in Stepanakert on June 20, after
sustaining heavy injuries. After gaining consciousness, Manukian said that he
was beaten during a visit to MKR’s Defense Ministry.
Manukian, who was a candidate on the ARF/Movement-88 ticket in last Sunday’s
parliamentary elections in Karabagh, said that Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian
started the beating, along with Deputy Defense Minister Samuel Garabedian,
before being joined by other senior military commanders present in the room.
Manukian’s military and political affiliates, along with friends and
relatives, gathered at the hospital, where MKR President Arkady Ghukasian,
also
visiting the patient, promised a thorough investigation of the incident.
The Central Committee of ARF Artsakh demanded the resignation of Karabagh’s
top military commanders who participated in the beating of Manukian.
They also asked that President Robert Kocharian ensure an impartial inquiry
into the matter.
Late on Tuesday, ARF Artsakh representative Grisha Hairabedian and
Movement-88
president Vitaly Balasanian held an urgent meeting with President Ghukasian
who
pledged to thoroughly investigate the violent incident and punish the guilty.
The ARF release also states that they have appealed to the Armenian Ministry
of Health to send a team of “independent medical experts” to would examine
Manukian’s condition and certify the cause of his injuries.
Manukian’s injuries are not life threatening, and he remains in stable
condition.
2) Barroso Urges ‘Frank’ Debate on Turkey’s EU Entry Bid
BRUSSELS (Bloomberg/AP)–European Commission President Jose Barroso called for
a “frank discussion” of Turkey’s prospects of joining the European Union,
saying opposition to Turkish membership helped defeat the EU constitution.
Resistance to admitting an overwhelmingly Muslim country with a standard of
living about a quarter of the EU average played a role in French and Dutch
voters’ rejection of the constitution, designed to strengthen the EU’s global
voice.
“We should discuss seriously the signals that were sent by the electorate
regarding Turkey,” Barroso told a Brussels press conference on June 22. “We
need to have a frank discussion on that matter.”
The commission will outline its strategy on June 29 for entry talks with
Turkey, a decade-long process due to start Oct. 3. All 25 EU countries will
have to approve the negotiating road map.
Barroso said that “for the time being,” the EU governments have not altered
the bloc’s commitment to Turkey. Polls in Germany suggest Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder will be ousted in an election in September by Angela Merkel, who
favors a “privileged partnership” with Turkey that stops short of full
membership.
Turkey has a population of 70 million people, almost equal to the total of
the
10 countries that joined the bloc last year.
Romano Prodi, who as Barroso’s predecessor championed Turkey’s entry, has
changed his mind about Turkish membership, according to an interview with the
Gazzettino newspaper.
“I now believe that there are no longer the conditions for Turkey to join the
EU in the short or medium-term,” Prodi told the daily newspaper. “We need to
rethink things.”
French President Jacques Chirac on June 17 urged the EU to re-examine the
planned enlargement, calling for a special summit on how the process can
continue “without having the institutions capable of making the enlarged union
function efficiently.”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Europe’s politicians to
fulfill its promises to Turkey.
“The negotiations must start on Oct. 3,” he told his deputies in a speech at
the Ankara-based parliament. “We are implementing the steps that we
promised. I
believe that the EU will overcome the current problems that it’s
experiencing.”
The US and Britain have urged the EU to embrace Turkey to help democracy in
the Middle East, which Turkey borders.
Meanwhile, Olli Rehn, the EU commissioner overseeing the expansion plans,
told
the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee “We need to pace ourselves
after last year’s big bang when the 10 new states joined the union.”
Concerns over further EU expansion were believed to be one of the reasons why
French and Dutch voters rejected the EU constitution.
Rehn made it clear that the EU hopefuls will not be able to join the Union
before they have fully met the requirements for membership.
For Turkey to begin accession talks in October, Rehn urged it to address the
Armenian genocide issue. “Turkey has problems tackling the truth, which is
always the basis for reconciliation,” he said.
He also stressed that Turkey must first enforce legislation aimed at
significantly improving human rights in the country and sign a protocol
extending its existing customs agreement with the EU to all new member states,
including Cyprus.
The European Commission warned Tuesday it would postpone EU membership for
Bulgaria and Romania if they failed to introduce essential reforms, and said
the European Union must ‘pace itself’ after 10 new members joined last year.
“My message to (Romania and Bulgaria) is to fulfill the conditions of
accession to the letter,” said. “I hope that they will make it in time, but I
would not hesitate to recommend a postponement of their membership.”
Romania and Bulgaria are scheduled to join Jan. 1, 2007, while Croatia’s
membership has been postponed because a fugitive former general wanted by the
war crimes tribunal remains at large.
3) Gul Warns Norway Genocide Museum to Consider Turkey’s Feelings
ANKARA (Armenpress)–Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul “warned” Norwegian
State Secretary Kim Traavik about the inclusion of an Armenian genocide
exhibit
in a museum to be inaugurated on August 30 in Oslo. The prime minister
expressed that “the museum will deeply hurt the Turkish people.”
Turkish-based Milliyet newspaper wrote that in response to Gul, Traavik said
the museum will be funded by a private foundation, rendering the government no
right to interfere. Milliyet also reported that the museum will open on the
initiative of a history professor at Bergen University. The museum, which will
open on Turkey’s Victory Day, will present exhibits on the Armenian
genocide in
1915 and the Holocaust.
4) Armenian and Russian Presidents Meet in Kremlin
MOSCOW (RFE/RL)–President Robert Kocharian met his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday ahead of a Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) summit where several former Soviet republics will focus on
common defense and economic cooperation.
They both expressed satisfaction at the current state of Russian-Armenian
ties, with Putin saying that they have become “more active” of late.
Kocharian agreed but noted that there are issues that still “need to be
clarified” by the two governments. “I would like to single out issues related
to the energy sector and investments,” he said, hinting at Armenia’s concerns
about the slow implementation of a bilateral agreement that cleared Yerevan’s
$100 million debt to Moscow.
Putin, for his part, praised Kocharian for taking part in the Moscow
summit of
the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), a Russian-led grouping of five
ex-Soviet states. Armenia has so far declined to join the EurAsEC, opting
instead for an observer status.
“The fact that you as a head of state take part in the EurAsEC’s
activities on
the permanent basis is a positive signal,” Putin told the Armenian leader.
“Although Armenia has an observer status in the organization, I am confident
that it will help develop interaction between all our countries.”
The EurAsEC countries and Armenia are also signatories to the Collective
Security Treaty (CST), a Russian-led military pact. A separate CST summit will
also take place in Moscow.
Preparations for it were discussed on Wednesday by the defense ministers and
top diplomats from the member states, where the Armenian delegation was led by
Defense Minister Serge Sarksian.
“I continue to believe that membership in the Collective Security Treaty
Organization is one of the integral parts of Armenia’s national security,” he
said. “We have deepened our relations with NATO and the United States in
recent
years. And I am convinced that our relations with the CST organization in no
way impede our cooperation with NATO and vice versa.”
5) IUSY Istanbul Meeting Adjourns
YEREVAN (YERKIR)–The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) Black Sea
Area Cooperation conference adjourned on June 18 in Istanbul, Turkey, the ARF
Youth Office reported.
Delegates from Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Bulgaria,
Moldova, Serbia, Sweden etc. participated in the meeting titled, “We all are
Minorities.”
The Armenian delegation consisted of Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)
members.Karen Mnatsakanyan and Zinavor Meghryan (Armenia), Talline Tachdjian
(France) and, Khatchik Mouradian (Lebanon).
The AYF delegation members participated in the “Self-determination Right and
Minorities” and “Minorities and Wars” commissions. In both commissions, the
AYF
delegates raised the Artsakh and Armenian genocide issues. The Artsakh issue
spurred debates between the Armenian and Azeri delegates.
At the closing of the conference, in a speech on behalf of the AYF
delegation,
one of the Armenian youth said, “In your speeches you stressed the fact that
this conference was very well organized and you thanked the hosts for that.
For
the AYF delegation, the success of this conference has yet another dimension.
Our organization is participating in an event in Turkey for the first time, 90
years after the Armenian genocide, which the Turkish government denies and
falsifies to this day.
We spoke freely and openly about the Armenian genocide and they were good
listeners, I would like to thank our hosts for their openness to discussion.
Currently, there is a movement in Turkey that calls for challenging the
official government stance on the Armenian genocide. The time has come for
Turkish youth not only to be tolerant when this issue is raised, but also to
join forces with that movement and help Turkey face its history. Dialogue has
started but the road to reconciliation starts at the crossroads of truth.”
After the speech, the delegates distributed booklets on the Armenian genocide
and Turkish denial–causing the Turkish delegates to protest.
The meeting was officially closed by IUSY General Secretary Enzo Amendola.
AYF delegates returned to their countries on June 21. The delegates from
Armenia will conduct a news conference on June 23 at 1 p.m., at the Congress
hotel in Yerevan.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress