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06/01/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Deputy FM Discusses Secret Talks with Turkey 2) Armenian Parliament Elects Torosian as New Speaker 3) Grassroots Pressure Building for Congressional Hearings on Evans Firing 4) Turkey Cracks 'Plot' to Kill PM 1) Deputy FM Discusses Secret Talks with Turkey TSAKHKADZOR (Armenpress)Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Gegham Gharibjanian, responded Thursday to statements made by the Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry about secret meetings conducted between Armenian and Turkish diplomats on improving relations between the two countries. According to the Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Namik Tan, there have been three meetings between representatives of the Armenian Foreign Affairs Ministry and "preparations are being made for the organization of further meetings." Referring to this statement Gharibjanian said that as of now, the Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister and his aides are not dealing with such issues. However, they are closely following these processes. "Last year meetings were conducted, but during this year no meeting took place," said the deputy minister. The Turkish press reported that the Turkish side proposed the establishment of two committees to simultaneously hold talks on political issues and the Armenian genocide, which Armenia rejected. "We have suggestions and everybody knows about them, including Turkey: they are--opening borders between Armenia and Turkey without pre-conditions, establishing diplomatic relations, and, of course, recognizing the Armenian genocide," Gharibjanian said. 2) Armenian Parliament Elects Torosian as New Speaker YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Armenpress)--Armenia's Parliament elected Tigran Torosian as its new speaker on Thursday, replacing Artur Baghdasarian after his Orinats Yerkir party withdrew from the ruling coalition. The National Assembly voted for him by 94 to 1, with a small number of opposition members boycotting the vote. Torosian, 50, is a senior member of Markarian's Republican Party (HHK), which has the largest faction in the parliament and is the biggest of the three parties represented in Armenia's Government. An engineer by training, he served as parliament vice-speaker until now. Baghdasarian said before the secret ballot that he and eight other lawmakers remaining in the Orinats Yerkir faction will unanimously vote for Torosian, praising his former deputy as "one of the few professionals in our parliament." "I think that his personal and professional qualities make him fit to run the National Assembly," said the ex-speaker. Opposition deputies who took part in a debate preceding the vote also commended those qualities, but claimed that Torosian will not make any difference in the Armenian political stage in his new capacity. They dismissed the parliament as a rubber stamp body that has little impact on government policies. "We are faced with very difficult problems and serious challenges," Torosian said in his acceptance speech. "I am sure that those of our colleagues who did not take part in the election agree that we are facing such challenges," he added, referring to the opposition minority that boycotted the vote. In his speech, the new speaker said one of the key challenges facing Armenia is to holding "democratic elections" next year and in 2008. He said Armenia is facing a serious challenge now of proving that it is moving in the right direction "The 2007 parliamentary elections will be of paramount significance to us in order to dissipate the international community's apprehensions that we are no longer able to ensure free and democratic polls. We have no alternatives, but fair elections, a key factor to improve our life," he said. He said that Armenian authorities have to revise the country's legislation to bring it in line with constitutional amendments adopted in last November's referendum. Torosian also pointed out the necessity of shaping a proper political climate in Parliament to win back the respect of citizens. 3) Grassroots Pressure Building for Congressional Hearings on Evans Firing WASHINGTON, DC--Tens of thousands of Armenians--in the United States and Armenia--have voiced their outrage over the Administration's firing of US Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). In Armenia, tens of thousands of Armenians took part in the "Yellow Ribbon Campaign" to protest the Evans firing and, more broadly, to voice opposition to a number of recent instances in which foreign diplomats stationed in Armenia have denied the Armenian genocide. The campaign, which took place at the Dzidzernagapert Memorial to the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan, started on April 24 with countless thousands of individual Armenians each tying a single yellow ribbons on 100-yard lengths of rope stretched along the walking path leading to the Genocide Monument. In the United States, Armenian American activists have called for Congressional hearings into the Government of Turkey's role in dismissal of this highly-respected 35 year Foreign Service veteran over his honest and accurate description of the Armenian genocide as a clear case of genocide. The ANCA WebFax system--on the web at been used by activists from throughout the United States--including a large number from state and districts represented by Members of committees with oversight responsibility of the State Department. In their WebFaxes, these concerned citizens have stressed that: "Ambassador Evans is, in effect, being punished for honoring his President's pledge to properly recognize the Armenian genocide--a promise that George W. Bush made on the campaign trail in February of 2000 but abandoned once in the White House. Ambassador Evans should be praised, not dismissed, for rejecting "gag-rules" imposed by the Turkish Government on the discussion of the Armenian genocide by America's leaders at home and diplomats abroad." In demanding hearings on the Evans firing, the WebFaxers note that these inquiries should "include testimony by all the key figures involved, including the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. Among the issues that should be explored is the role of the Turkish Government in exporting its suppression of free speech to the United States and the implications for the future of the Foreign Service if a senior American diplomat's career has been ended simply for acknowledging the historical record on one of the world's greatest human rights tragedies." Commenting on the lack of openness by the Administration in dealing with this matter, the WebFax letters note that, "the Administration has lacked the courage to speak honestly--either to Congress or the American people--about its reasons for firing Ambassador Evans. Hopefully, these hearings will provide the transparency that we, as citizens, have the right to expect of our government." The firing of Ambassador Evans was the result of his February 2005 statements at Armenian American community functions characterizing the Armenian genocide as a genocide. Following his statements, Ambassador Evans was forced to issue a statement clarifying that his references to the Armenian genocide were his personal views and did not represent a change in US policy. He subsequently issued a correction to this statement, replacing a reference to the genocide with the word "tragedy." The American Foreign Service Association, which had planned to honor Ambassador Evans with the "Christian A. Herter Award," recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign Service, reportedly rescinded the award following pressure from the State Department a few days before Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington, DC to meet with President Bush. Congressional Response: On the eve of the announcement of Evans' replacement, sixty Members of Congress, led by Representative Ed Markey (D-MA), sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking for clarification of the reasons behind Ambassador Evans' recall. Earlier, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA) had each officially called on Secretary Rice for a clarification of the State Department's position on this issue. They have yet to receive any response to their inquiries. Media Response: The Los Angeles Times, in a strongly worded March 22 editorial, made direct reference to Ambassador Evans' impending dismissal, calling on the Turkish Government and US State Department to end their policies of Armenian genocide denial. On March 24, the Fresno Bee, published a similarly strong editorial condemning Evans' firing. The Washington Times, on May 26, ran a story about the "geopolitical firestorm" created by Evans' remarks. Armenian Youth Response: At the Armenian Youth Federation Junior Educational Seminar, held in Western Pennsylvania over the Memorial Day weekend, over 400 young Armenian Americans designed, produced, and signed original petitions protesting the Administration's decision to fire Ambassador Evans for telling the truth about the Armenian genocide. 4) Turkey Cracks 'Plot' to Kill PM (BBC News)--Anti-terror police in Turkey are reported to have foiled a plot to kill Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish newspapers say nine people, including three soldiers, have been detained in the capital, Ankara. Police are said to have found grenades, explosives, a timer, and a sketch showing Erdogan's route home. There has been no official comment. Erdogan, whose party has Islamic roots, criticized last month the army's chief for encouraging popular protests. He attacked General Hilmi Ozkok for supporting demonstrations against Islamist militancy after a judge was murdered by a suspected Islamist gunman. The army sees itself as the guardian of secularism in predominantly Muslim Turkey. The Hurriyet and Sabah newspapers suggested Cuneyd Zapsu, one of Erdogan's advisers, was also the target of a possible attack. There has been no confirmation from the police, but the semi-official Anatolia news agency said the suspects were "allegedly planning an attack against a politician." 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.