ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/21/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) ARF Condemns Lyon Demonstration Calls for Action from French Government 2) Armenian And Turkish Ambassadors to Italy Exchange Views on Armenian Genocide 3) Turkish Army Refuses to Investigate Allegations against Top General 4) Aliyev Says Azeri Territorial Integrity Is Not Subject for Discussion 5) Armenian President Meets with Agriculture Minister to Discuss Bird Flu 1) ARF Condemns Lyon Demonstration Calls for Action from French Government YEREVAN (Yerkir/PanArmenian.Net)--The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Western Europe Central Committee condemned Tuesday the Turkish protest against the construction of an Armenian genocide memorial in Lyon. The ARF condemned the decision by the regional government of Rhone to sanction this demonstration of hate and denial even though they were informed in advance about its real goal and that the Turkish government had secretly contributed to this demonstration through the Turkish embassy in Paris and Turkish consulate in Lyon. The regional government was also aware of the contribution the Grey Wolves, a fascist organization that threatens France and the French people. The March 18 demonstration is one of the first instances of the Turkish government's decision to organize the Turkish communities in Europe. The protests in Berlin were also organized with help from the Turkish government. The Lyon demonstration was an example of Genocide denial, something unacceptable in a country like France. The prefect of Rhone, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, announced Monday that he will prohibit all further gatherings of Turkish associations which may result in denial of the Armenian genocide. Lacroix said that he understood the anger of the French Armenians. "But, from a legal point of view, we could not prohibit it. At present, we have evidence and I will prohibit any other gathering of this type," he said at a news conference. Several Armenian organizations have decided to address Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy so that this type of ashamed gathering "is not held in our country any more." "Mr. Sarkozy must take the necessary steps to complete the January 2001 law on the recognition of the Armenian genocide by France," said affirmed Martine David, mayor of Saint-Priest (Rhone). According to of the Coordination Council of the Armenian organizations of France (CCAF), "the law on recognition of the Armenian genocide lacks an article necessary for punishing those who, on our land, deny the Armenian genocide." The ARF has also demanded that an investigation be launched to find the organizers of the demonstration and to unveil the involvement of the Turkish government in the demonstration, as well as to put an end to anti-Armenian expression against French Armenians. 2) Armenian And Turkish Ambassadors to Italy Exchange Views on Armenian Genocide YEREVAN (Yerkir/PanArmenian.Net)--The Armenian and Turkish Ambassadors to Italy, Ruben Shugaryan and Ugur Ziyal, discussed the Armenian genocide Monday on Italian TV. The five minute dialogue was broadcast on RAI Italian TV Channel. Turkish Ambassador Ugur Ziyal initiated the discussion. He stated that the Italian channel often features programming about the Armenian genocide. He called these programs one-sided, because they only reflect the stance of the Armenian party. "We want Turkey's stance to be presented as well," Ziyal said. He also noted that the Turkish party wrote to Armenian Ambassador Ruben Shugaryan asking him to participate. Shugaryan agreed. 3) Turkish Army Refuses to Investigate Allegations against Top General ANKARA (AP)--Turkey's military rejected a prosecutor's call to investigate a top Turkish general for allegedly creating a secret force to fight Kurdish rebels, saying the accusations against the military commander were politically motivated. Earlier this month, a prosecutor demanded that a military court investigate whether head of land forces General Yasar Buyukanit set up a secret group to fight autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels. Such a move could undermine the country's bid to join the EU. The accusations raised fears of a new conflict between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government and the country's secular military, which has led three coups since 1960. Buyukanit, who will become the military's next chief of staff, is considered more of a hardliner than the current chief of staff. Some newspapers and politicians have called the prosecutor's accusation an attempt by the government to block Buyukanit from becoming the next chief of staff. Many observers have speculated that Buyukanit would be more likely to clash with the Islamic-rooted governing party. The military statement said the accusations against Buyukanit were "more political than legal and aimed at harming the Turkish Armed Forces." It said there was no need for an investigation into the general. 4) Aliyev Says Azeri Territorial Integrity Is Not Subject for Discussion BAKU (Armenpress)--Azeri President Ilham Aliyev stated again that the issue of Azeri territorial integrity will not be up for discussion at the negotiations held with Armenia over the Karabagh conflict regulation. "Azerbaijani territorial integrity and autonomy are not subjects for discussion at the negotiations," said Aliyev in his speech during Nevruz spring holiday celebrations in Baku. Aliyev also pointed out that the only way they will settle the Karabagh conflict is based on the interests of Azerbaijan and international norms. 5) Armenian President Meets with Agriculture Minister to Discuss Bird Flu YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)--Armenian President Robert Kocharian conducted a working meeting Tuesday with the minister of agriculture David Lokian and discussed a set of measures to prevent the spread of the deadly strain of H5N1 bird flu to Armenia from neighboring countries. The minister briefed the president on the latest results of a joint study conducted by Armenian and US experts, who have not any cases of bird flu in Armenia. During the meeting the sides also discussed the creation of about 200 small and medium-sized agriculture processing enterprises. President Kocharian said it is necessary to support the processing enterprises by giving them opportunity to get credits with low interest rate. Authorities in Yerevan already have a plan of action against H5N1. It envisions, among other things, instructions on how to cull poultry in cases of emergency, training of officials in charge of veterinary security, and purchase of special laboratory equipment for quickly detecting the virus. Two experts from Armenia's State Veterinary Inspectorate have already undergone relevant training at the FAO headquarters in Budapest and two others will do so next month. Among the countries that have confirmed bird flu cases are neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan. The latter detected two outbreaks of the virus among wild birds earlier this month. Similar cases are being reported across Europe on a practically daily basis. Government officials and disease experts say the risks facing Armenia will grow considerably with the start early next month of the spring migration of wild birds, the main carriers of H5N1. Armenia serves as a transit point for them. Baghian repeated the government's pledge to form and send special teams of epidemiologists to locations traditionally used by wild birds for nesting. "Possible cases of bird deaths and other extraordinary phenomena would be immediately reported to local veterinary services," he said. The official also sought to ease Armenian consumers' lingering concerns about eating chickens, eggs and poultry products saying that local poultry farms are being regularly inspected by his agency. "Those products are sold with appropriate safety certificates," he said. The government imposed a near complete ban on poultry imports on January 3 following the deaths of three children in a village in eastern Turkey located less than 60 kilometers from the Armenian border. They died after reportedly contracting the disease from domestic chickens. The Armenian authorities have also heightened sanitary controls at the border crossings and carried out a mass vaccination of fowl in villages close to the Turkish border. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.