Month: October 2005

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON DESERTERS FROM MILITARY SERVICE

ARKA News Network, Armenia
Oct 4 2005

YEREVAN, October 4. /ARKA/. The RA Parliament has approved amendments
to the law “On persons that did not do their military services under
law.” One of the authors of the bill Hrair Karapetyan reported
that the law is expected to remain in force until the end of the
autumn call-up, as practice has proved its effectiveness. “Numerous
citizens, which were no longer prosecuted, returned to Armenia and,
after paying certain sums, could restore their full citizenship,”
Karapetyan said. He pointed oyut that the bill, which was drafted
in cooperation with the RA Ministry of Defense, will also apply to
officers transferred to the reserve. According to him, under one
of the amendments funds accumulated on a special account are to be
directed to military needs.

The application of the Law “On persons that did not do military
service” resulted in $1mln being transferred to Armenia’s state
budget. P.T. -0–

RA NA SPEAKER: INCLUDING OF ISSUE OF “FROZEN DEPOSITS” OF ARMSAVINGSBANK ON AGENDA OF PARLIAMENT HAS UTMOST IMPORTANCE

ARKA News Network, Armenia
Oct 4 2005

YEREVAN, October 4. /ARKA/. The fact that an issue of “frozen deposits”
of the Armsavingsbank was included on the agenda of the current 4-day
parliamentary session has utmost importance, Speaker of the Armenian
Parliament Arthur Baghdassaryan told journalists. He said that it is
the result of the “exclusive political consensus of all political
forces and independent parliamentarians”. He said that there were
attempts to compromise him and the party “Orinats Yerkir” headed
by him, but political consensus resulted in including this issue on
the agenda, as “this issue relates to 2.2mln people”. He said that
the atmosphere of solidarity and tolerance should be preserved for
final resolution of this issue. He also said that no one political
force tries to privatize this issue and it should be solved to avoid
future speculations.

He expressed confidence that the Republican Party of Armenia
will follow the agreements achieved, as they are clear, public and
indisputable. Baghdassaryan also pointed out that all necessary funds
will be provided by the state budget. A.A. -0–

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SPORT

ARKA News Network, Armenia
Oct 4 2005

YEREVAN, October 4. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharyan is for the
development of sport in the country. Awarding prizes to the winners
of the 4th games held among Yerevan’s comprehensive schools, the
President stated that the organization of competitions in Armenia is
the evidence that sport is back at schools. Kocharyan pointed out the
necessity of all necessary measures to create conditions for people
“to feel shame for not being sport-lovers.” “Healthy and well-educated
young people are the best guarantee of Armenia’s development and
security. That is why we will continue the construction and repair of
schools and do out best for our schools to be the best in the region
in the technical and educational aspects,” Kocharyan said. He stressed
that he will do everything in his power for Armenia’s society to be
based on knowledge and healthy mode of life, which will allow it to
build up stable and secure future. The winners of the 4th competition
among Yerevan schools are School #56 in the Arabkir community, School
#91 in Malatia-Sebastia and School #6 in Erebuni. P.T. -0–

SERPENTS ET DEMONS CORNUS: LA PROPAGANDE ANTI-ARMENIENNE D’UN ARTISTE AZERI (MAGAZINE)

Agence France Presse
3 octobre 2005 lundi 8:09 AM GMT

BAKOU 2 oct 2005

Sur une swastika, un serpent noir aux crochets suintant du venin
aspire a la domination mondiale, mais en est empeche a temps par des
tenailles metalliques manipulees par six bras puissants.

Ce n’est pas une affiche de propagande de la Seconde guerre mondiale
decrivant les efforts allies pour contenir l’Allemagne nazie, mais
une oeuvre recemment exposee a Bakou, l’une des dernières de Kerim
Kerimov, artiste azerbaïdjanais qui s’est donne pour mission de
denoncer “l’hegemonie armenienne”.

Rampant sur le globe en direction de l’Azerbaïdjan, le serpent
represente l’Armenie qui veut une “Grande Armenie”, assure M.

Kerimov, tandis que les six bras qui tiennent les tenailles sont
ceux des “frères turcs” de l’Azerbaïdjan, comme la Turquie et le
Turkmenistan.

President du Comite national azerbaïdjanais des geophysiciens, M.

Kerimov n’est pas qu’un artiste. C’est un scientifique bien connu des
milieux petroliers pour le rôle qu’il a joue au milieu des annees 1990
dans la signature du “contrat du siècle”, qui a marque le lancement
de la participation occidentale dans le developpement des reserves
petrolières azerbaïdjanaises de la mer Caspienne.

Peu de gens savent qu’il est l’auteur prolifique de dessins politiques
publies depuis un demi-siècle maintenant, dans les journaux sovietiques
puis ceux de l’Azerbaïdjan independant.

Une grande partie de son oeuvre s’en prend a l’Armenie et met en avant
la politique officielle de Bakou contre son voisin qui, suite a une
guerre sanglante au debut des annees 1990, a de fait pris le contrôle
du Nagorny-Karabakh, territoire azerbaïdjanais peuple en majorite
d’Armeniens et qui a proclame unilateralement son independance.

La plupart des gens a Bakou vous diront que l’Azerbaïdjan est entoure
d’ennemis, parmi lesquels bien sûr l’Armenie, forte du soutien russe
et de sa riche diaspora, mais egalement les forces d’opposition en
Azerbaïdjan meme, ainsi que certains ayatollahs iraniens.

M. Kerimov va plus loin encore et trace le portrait d’Armeniens
monstrueux et cornus posant une patte griffue sur la carte de
l’Azerbaïdjan ou placant une bombe geante entre le pays et son
allie turc.

Kerim Kerimov, 72 ans, a appris a dessiner a l’ecole du realisme
socialiste, a une epoque où l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Armenie faisaient
partie d’un meme pays, et se decrit lui meme comme un disciple du
caricaturiste sovietique Boris Efimov.

Et si M. Efimov etait celèbre pour ses dessins de propagande
representant un Hitler difforme, M. Kerimov a pour cible l’ennemi
moderne de l’Azerbaïdjan.

“Je ne veux pas que les Armeniens me considèrent comme un ennemi”,
dit-il cependant, affirmant avoir ete menace de mort par toutes sortes
d'”ennemis” de l’Azerbaïdjan.

“Je veux qu’ils realisent que la politique qu’ils mènent n’est pas
bonne: alors la vie sera meilleure pour nos deux peuples”, estime-t-il.

Mais ses bonnes intentions ont peu de chances d’etre entendues par
les Armeniens, qu’il represente dans ses dessins en demons poilus ou
en membres du Ku Klux Klan en cagoule blanche.

L’Armenie, qui fait l’objet d’un blocus de ses voisins turc et
azerbaïdjanais, est accusee par certains de ses adversaires de chercher
a etendre son territoire.

L’enclave du Nagorny Karabakh, habitee aujourd’hui par quelque 145.000
Armeniens et soutenue par Erevan, s’est unilateralement separee de
l’Azerbaïdjan a l’issue d’un conflit arme qui a fait près de 25.000
morts.

L’Azerbaïdjan ne reconnaît pas les autorites independantistes du
Karabakh et considère que la region est occupee par l’Armenie depuis
le cessez-le-feu de 1994.

–Boundary_(ID_FnP8WaToXVRU4vSEE4MfWg)–

TURKEY MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE: LIBERAL PARTY OF SWEDEN

AINA, CA
Oct 4 2005

Folkpartiet, the Liberal Party of Sweden, held its Congress in
Gothenburg on 19-21 August. The Congress forms the policy for the
future and is Folkpartiet’s highest decicion taking body. Eight
thematic manifestos were debated and adopted, on issues such as
integration, education, justice and home affairs and globalisation.

All documentation are available (in Swedish). One of the issues were
the genocide on Armenians and Assyrians during World War One in the
Ottoman Empire. Folkpartiet decided to make following statement:

“The genocide that Armenians, Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans and
Pontic Greeks were exposed to has for long time beeing viewed as a
Turkish-Armenian affair. Turkey belong to the European fellowship and
has in several respects fulfilled the requirements for membership in
EU. In short time from now negotiations are planned about when the
membership should begin. Turkey must take their responsibility and
make the truth known about the genocide on Armenians and others, and
aknowldedge the suffering of the victims. EU should bring considerable
pressure to Turkey in order for them to aknowledge the genocide on
Armenians, Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans and Pontic Greeks. Turkey and
other countries should open their archives and in other ways promote
research about this dark side of the region’s history. Strong lobby
is also required to make sure that Turkey respect the Kurdish and
the Christian people’s rights.”

Folkpartiet is one the third biggest party according to the latest
election in 2002. They are expected to form the government with
the non-Socialist parties after next year’s general elections. In
Folkpartiet there are several politicians that work with Assyrian
related issues such as the EU-parliamenterian Cecilia Malmstrom,
Cecilia Wikstrom and Fredrik Malm; the president of the Liberal
Youth Federation.

Translated from Swedish by Ninos Maraha

EYE ON EUROPE: EMBRACING TURKEY, EU STYLE
By Gareth Harding

UPI – United Press International
October 4, 2005 Tuesday 11:31 AM EST

It may have been messy, over 40 years in the making and in the teeth of
widespread public skepticism, but the decision to open membership talks
with Turkey Monday is one of the boldest and potentially far-reaching
ever taken by European leaders.

“We have just made history,” British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told
reporters after clasping Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in a
bear-hug at the end of a 30-hour negotiating session of EU diplomatic
chiefs in Luxembourg.

Referring to the marathon talks on Turkey — and the decision by
foreign ministers to start membership negotiations with Croatia —
a weary-looking EU Enlargement Commissioner Ollie Rehn said Tuesday:
“After a long night, there is a new dawn for the western Balkans
region and it is a European dawn.”

Turkish commentators were also ecstatic the four-decade wait to start
accession talks was finally over.

“A new Europe, a new Turkey,” gushed the Milliyet daily newspaper,
embellishing its front page with the yellow stars of the EU flag and
a picture of Kemal Ataturk, the West-leaning secular statesman who
founded modern Turkey in 1923.

Politicians — and journalists — have a tendency toward hyperbole,
but for once they are not exaggerating. If Turkey joins the European
Union in 10-15 years time — and it is a big if given the strength of
public opposition and the reticence of certain “old” European member
states — the EU will undergo possible its biggest change since it
was founded in the 1950s. The geopolitical map of the world will also
never look the same.

By 2015 — the earliest the country is likely to join the bloc,
Turkey’s population is expected to jump from 71 million to 82 million,
boosting the number of EU citizens to almost 600 million after the
entry of Bulgaria, Rumania and Croatia later this decade.

As voting strength in the Council of Ministers and the EU parliament —
the club’s two legislative bodies — is based largely on population,
Turkey would overtake Germany to become Europe’s largest and most
powerful state.

The EU, a small, prosperous clique of Western European states
for almost half a century, would also see its point of axis shift
radically eastward. With the entry of Turkey, the bloc would share
common borders with Syria, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
become a major player in the Caspian Sea and south Caucasus regions
and increase its clout in the Middle East. A European club of nations
would have a member with 95 percent of its landmass and 90 percent of
its population in Asia — reason enough for many to oppose Turkey’s
EU ambitions.

The entry of Turkey will also strengthen the EU’s fledgling defense
arm, increasing the club’s ability to carry out global peacekeeping
operations and acting as a buffer zone between a stable Europe and a
volatile Middle East. Turkey, a NATO member for more than 50 years,
has the largest armed forces in Europe and spends more of its budget
on defense than any other EU state — both great assets for a union
with big defense ambitions but pitiful resources.

But the biggest change will be in terms of Europe’s self-perception and
outside image. For centuries, Europe has defined itself as a Christian
continent whose borders end at the Bosporus Straits. If membership
negotiations succeed, the EU — which is increasingly synonymous with
Europe — will have a Muslim population approaching 100 million and
frontiers stretching to the Middle East and the southern Caucasus.

“Until we can get over the idea of Europe as a Christian club, whether
in the minds of Europeans, or more importantly within the Muslim world,
we are not going to be able to get on top of this problem of a clash of
cultures,” Graham Watson, leader of the European Parliament’s Liberal
grouping, told United Press International. “But once the Islamic
world can see the EU has allowed in not just a Muslim country but
a large Muslim country, then I think the perception of the European
Union changes.”

For all the fears and anxieties it creates among many Europeans,
the prospect of Turkey taking its seat in the family of EU nations
is still a very long way off. First, Ankara will have to spend over
a decade imposing the Union’s 80,000-page rulebook into national law.

Then, at the end of the process, both Turks and Europeans will have
to consent to the membership agreement. This is looking increasingly
unlikely on both sides. In Turkey, support for joining the EU has
plummeted from 75 percent to 60 percent in a year and is likely to
fall even further as Brussels Eurocrats make huge and often humiliating
demands on a big and proud nation.

With the Union suffering from enlargement fatigue after the entry of 10
largely ex-communist states last year, there is also little enthusiasm
for Turkish entry among EU voters. In a recent commission opinion poll,
52 percent of Europeans said they were against Turkish membership,
with only 35 percent in favor. In France and Austria, which both plan
to hold referendums on Turkish accession, over three-quarter of the
public are opposed.

For the time being, though, there is palpable relief in Brussels —
not because the EU has taken a historic decision to reach out to the
Muslim world, strengthen its military might and boost its growth and
population, but because a humiliating failure to agree a common stance
on opening talks was narrowly avoided.

ANALYSIS: AUSTRIANS HOLD UP TURKS 2ND TIME
By Claude Salhani

UPI – United Press International
October 4, 2005 Tuesday

The Austrians have now managed to stop the Turks from entering Europe
twice: Once at the gates of Vienna in 1683, and the second time at
the gates of Luxembourg on Oct. 3, 2005.

Talks that were due to begin in Luxembourg Monday to discuss the
protracted admission process that would bring Turkey into the European
Union ran into a last-minute objection from Austria when Vienna blocked
the discussions from going ahead. Austria suggested that instead of
full membership Turkey should be offered a “privileged partnership.”

Basically, what this translates to is Turkey would, for all intents
and purposes, enjoy all the advantages of other EU members, except
Turkish citizens would not be allowed the same rights of residency
and free travel in the rest of the EU as other citizens of the bloc
currently enjoy.

If that reasoning seems to be somewhat discriminatory, it’s because,
in fact, it is. The reason is many Europeans still fear the sudden
influx of millions of Muslims from Turkey suddenly entering the EU,
and forever changing the face of Europe; a Europe that until now
has been largely dominated by a Judeo-Christian culture. Turkey’s
population today stands close to 70 million and is almost exclusively
Muslim. By the time the talks conclude in 10 to 15 years, Turkey’s
population is expected to reach about 81 million, making it the most
populous country in the EU.

However, late Monday, after a day of stops and starts, false hopes
and renewed optimism, European foreign ministers finally agreed to
terms for launching the accession talks. The ball now rests in Ankara’s
court, as the Turkish government needs to approve the updated proposal
negotiated by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

Reports from Luxembourg say Straw wore down Vienna’s objections to
Turkey’s full membership, finally getting them on board with the
other 24 members.

Upon hearing that an agreement was reached, Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul flew to Luxembourg for a late night ceremony to formally
open accession talks.

“We have reached a historic point,” Gul said before leaving Ankara.

“Full membership negotiations will, God willing, begin tonight.”

The negotiations included strong U.S. diplomatic intervention on
Turkey’s behalf.

With every mention of Turkey joining the EU much is said about
Turkey’s geography and demography. Does Turkey belong in Europe? Are
the Turks Europeans?

The question of whether Turkey is or is not geographically part of
Europe is somewhat irrelevant at this point. With the exception of
a small sliver of land actually in Europe, the rest of the country
is in Asia Minor, which is Asia. As for its people, again, with the
exception of a minority who consider themselves European, the vast
majority consider themselves Turkish — a culture unto itself. And the
rest probably identify more with their immediate neighbors in Syria,
Iran, Iraq, etc.

Indeed, drive along the region abutting the Syrian or Iraqi borders
and there can be no doubt about what part of the world you’re in —
and it’s certainly not Europe.

But that is not the issue. The important question here is that by
including Turkey in the EU, Europe extends its sphere of influence to
the very borders of the Arab and Islamic world at a time when Europe
and the West are coming under threat from politicized militant Islam.

With Turkey in the EU, Europe’s borders extend to the periphery of
Syria, Iraq, Iran and Azerbaijan; all Muslim countries, as well as
to the borders of Armenia and Georgia.

With that geographical extension also comes the benefit of Turkey’s
intelligence on Islamist networks operating in those countries and
beyond, as well as its influence on that part of the world.

Slamming the door shut on Turkey would be a grave mistake for Europe;
it would awaken Turkish nationalist pride — already brewing from
repeated turndowns — forcing Turkey to look toward the east, and to
the very countries the West is trying to spread democracy to.

Closing the door on Turkey would push Ankara into closer cooperation
with the Muslim nations to its west and south, the outcome of which is
certainly not to the benefit of the Europeans or the Western world. But
an EU with Turkey as an active member would offer great benefits.

Think of the advantages of democratic Europe abutting countries
such as Syria, Iraq and Iran. The challenge of spreading democracy
would become a tad easier with a democratic Turkey member of the EU,
sitting at the very gates of the Middle East.

Turkish nationalism, motivated by shattered pride as a result of an
EU refusal, would most likely end up hurting European-Muslim relations
if Turkey were to be permanently shut out of Brussels.

Although it’s somewhat an overused cliché, Turkey is a bridge between
Europe and the Islamic world. The smart thing for Europe would be to
make use of that bridge rather than build a barrier in its place.

–Boundary_(ID_wjMY7UX1QUkzUDKcLlG7rA)–

DELEGATION OF NKR NGOs VISITS ISTANBUL

ARMINFO News Agency
October 3, 2005

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 3. ARMINFO. A delegation of NKR NGOs, which
has recently participated in the pilot project of the Consortium
in Istanbul under the aegis of International Alert international
organization, convened at the Resource Center of NGOs in Stepanakert.

Head of the delegation Irina Grigoryan told ARMINFO’s special
correspondent to Stepanakert that the project had been implemented for
already 6 months. Under the project, resource centers were established
in Yerevan, Baku and Stepanakert. The meeting in Istanbul gathered the
Boards of the Resource Centers to inform them of the work carried out,
to determine the strategy for the coming 9 months and the future 2
years. Irina Grigoryan says the work in Istanbul was in the following
directions: lobbying, influence of the public, equal representation
of the population of the conflicting parties in the project.

She says representatives of Nagorny Karabakh were lobbying peace and
peacemaking. However, Head of NKR delegation left the meeting hall
after a member of the Azerbaijani delegation proposed qualifying
the NKR delegation as ‘representatives of the Armenian community of
Nagorny Karabakh’ and to attract the ‘Azerbaijani community’ to the
project. Head of the NKR delegation returned to the meeting only when
the proposal was rejected. Irina Grigoryan says Head of the Public
Organization for Refugees of Nagorny Karabakh is preparing a project
on organization of psychological rehabilitation courses for refugees
and other measures on their public integration. Lobby interviews in
Istanbul touched upon the Karabakh conflict as well.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AND UAE VICE PRIME MINISTER DISCUSS

ARMINFO News Agency
October 3, 2005

REGIONAL AND BILATERAL ISSUES

YEREVAN,OCTOBER 3. ARMINFO. Minister Oskanian visited Abu Dhabi, on
the occasion of the groundbreaking of the Armenian Embassy building
in the United Arab Emirates. Large number of representatives of the
government, together with the diplomatic corps, and members of the
Armenian community from throughout the Emirates were present.

In a brief ceremony, Minister spoke, followed by Ambassador Arshak
Poladian, and then the first stones were laid for what will be a
7,000 sq. meter building.

During his visit, the Minister also met with Deputy Prime Minister
and State Minister for External Relations, Sheikh Hamdan Ben Zayed Al
Nahanyan. The two discussed bilateral and regional issues, including
Armenia’s having provided suitable embassy state for the Emirates,
which will be opening an embassy in Yerevan.

The Minister also met with Ahmad Bakr, the Deputy Director of the
Abu Dhabi Development Fund. The Minister described Armenia’s economic
development and prospects for growth.

The Minister returned to Yerevan late Monday.

PROTEST ACTION AT BUILDING OF BRITISH EMBASSY IN ARMENIA

ARMINFO News Agency
October 3, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3. ARMINFO. A protest action against Turkey’s
accession to the EU took place today at the building of the British
embassy in Armenia.

Armenia’s Youth Union representative Zinavor Meghryan informs that
the action took place just there as Great Britain advocates Turkey’s
accession to the EU. “Armenian Genocide of 1915 is the most
large-scale international crime against the new history of mankind.

It aimed to annihilate the whole people.”

“As always, Turkey continues to deny the fact of Genocide and keep
Armenia in blockade. We call upon the EU countries not to start talks
on Turkey’s accession to the EU as long as this republic is to
recognize Genocide. If Turkey is to access to the European family,
the EU will loss its authority in the world people’s opinion”, the
message of demonstrators says.

Meghryan noted that delegations from the Middle East countries,
Canada, Iran, the USA, as well as Armenia’s Republican party joined
to the action.