Month: October 2006

The Guardian (London) – Final Edition
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

Turkey: General insists army has role in politics

Ian Traynor

A leading Turkish general issued a stinging attack on the
centre-right government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan by warning that the
danger of Islamism in the country was reaching "alarming" levels.

Defying EU demands for the military to keep out of politics, General
Ilker Basbug, chief of land forces, warned the Erdogan government
that the top brass still saw itself as the ultimate arbiter of
Turkey’s secularist constitution.

"The Turkish armed forces have always taken sides and will continue
to do so in protecting the national state, the unitary state and the
secular state," he told a ceremony for cadets at a military academy
in Ankara. Islamists were "patiently and systematically" seeking to
erode the secularist order.

The robust defence of the military’s role in Turkish politics is
certain to affect an EU assessment of Turkey’s bid to eventually join
the EU.

The European commission is to issue a report card on Turkey in
November, delayed from next month, and is concerned about curbs on
freedom of expression, persecution of the large Kurdish minority and
the military’s interference in democratic politics, as well as
Turkey’s dispute with the EU members Greece and Cyprus over trade.

Other incidents yesterday showed Turkey ignoring EU criticism,
suggesting a rise in hostility ahead of elections next year.

Prosecutors filed new charges against the Turkish Armenian editor
Hrant Dink for "denigrating Turkishness", an article in the penal
code used to muzzle writers and journalists and which Brussels wants
scrapped.

In the largest Kurdish city in Turkey, Diyarbakir, the state put 56
Kurdish mayors on trial for appealing to Denmark to allow a Kurdish
exile television station to keep broadcasting.

The Irish Times
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

Turkish general warns levels of Islamism ‘alarming’

by Ian Traynor

TURKEY: A leading Turkish general issued a stinging attack on the
centre-right government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan by warning that the
danger of Islamism in the country was reaching "alarming" levels.

Defying EU demands for the military to keep out of politics, Gen
Ilker Basbug, the chief of land forces, warned the Erdogan government
that the top brass still saw itself as the ultimate arbiter of
Turkey’s secularist constitution. "The Turkish armed forces have
always taken sides and will continue to do so in protecting the
national state, the unitary state and the secular state," he told a
ceremony for cadets at a military academy in Ankara.Islamists were
"patiently and systematically" seeking to erode the secularist order.

The robust defence of the military’s role in Turkish politics is
certain to affect an EU assessment of Turkey’s bid eventually to join
the EU.

The European Commission is to issue a report card on Turkey in
November, delayed from next month, and is concerned about curbs on
freedom of expression, persecution of the large Kurdish minority and
the military’s interference in democratic politics, as well as
Turkey’s dispute with EU members Greece and Cyprus over trade.

Other incidents yesterday showed Turkey ignoring EU criticism,
suggesting a rise in hostility ahead of elections next year.

Prosecutors filed new charges against the Turkish-Armenian editor
Hrant Dink for "denigrating Turkishness", an article in the penal
code used to muzzle writers and journalists and which Brussels wants
scrapped.

Meanwhile, 56 Kurdish mayors went on trial yesterday over a letter
they sent to Denmark’s prime minister in a case that has raised
concerns in the EU.

The mayors from Turkey’s largest Kurdish party are charged by state
prosecutors with "knowingly and willingly" helping Kurdish rebels
when they urged prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen not to close
Danish-based Kurdish broadcaster Roj TV.

The members of the Democratic Society Party, which champions Kurdish
rights, each face up to 15 years in jail if convicted. The criminal
court judge adjourned the trial until November 21st.

"The problem [Kurdish rights] cannot be solved by closing Roj TV
which has been forced to broadcast from Denmark," said Yenisehir
mayor Firat Anli in a defence statement on behalf of the mayors.

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
September 27, 2006 Wednesday 1:04 PM EET

Russia’s UES export arm buys Armenian Power Grids for $73 mln

Inter RAO UES, the export and import arm of Russia’s electric power
monopoly UES, has bought 100% in Armenian Power Grids for U.S. $73
million from the U.K.’s Midland Resources, Andrei Rappoport, chairman
of Inter RAO UES’ board of directors, said at an official ceremony
late Tuesday, ITAR-TASS reported.

Inter RAO UES also plans to invest a total of $20 million in Armenian
Power Grids, Inter RAO UES’ General Director Yevgeny Dod said.

UES now controls about 60% of Armenian power facilities, including
the Sevan-Razdan hydropower plant, Dod said.

Midland Resources Holding bought a 100% stake in Armenian Power Grids
from the Armenian government for U.S. $37.015 million in 2002.

Armenian Power Grids, which operates a 36,000-kilometer power grid
system, serves more than 913,000 consumers in Armenia.

UES holds 60% in Inter RAO UES, or RAO UES International, while
Russia’s state-owned nuclear power monopoly Rosenergoatom holds 40%.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

Armenia president calls for uprooting causes of terrorism

by Vladimir Zainetdinov, Tigran Liloyan

Armenia’s President Robert Kocharayan has called on the participants
in the international anti-terrorist exercises, currently taking place
in Armenia, to fight against the root causes that breed terrorism.

“Terrorists cannot be stopped only with the use of arms and force.
Effective preventive political, diplomatic, financial and economic
measures are needed to eliminate the causes producing terrorism, and
to create insurmountable obstacles to terrorist actions,” the
president said. “The international community currently undertakes
active and systematic efforts to form a coordinated system of
antiterrorist security.”

“This is confirmed by the participation of security agencies of the
CIS and G-8 countries and influential international organsations in
the exercise,” Kocharyan said.

He also expressed his confidence that the exercises would become
“one more step towards strengthening international antiterrorist
cooperation.”

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

Lost n-weapons – potential source of terrorism – official

by Vladimir Zainetdinov, Tigran Liloyan

Nuclear weapons that were lost for this or that reason and may come
to international terrorists’ hands pose a potential threat to
security of the world community, the head of the CIS anti-terror
center, Boris Mylnikov, told a meeting of the CIS anti-terror
departments’ officials on Wednesday.

The meeting is held within the framework of the Atom-Anti-Terror-2006
exercise.

“Getting a nuclear device in their hands, terrorists will be able
even without standard triggering systems to create a primitive
makeshift nuclear explosive,” he said.

“The threat of such actions is quite real and we should take this
into account while planning joint counteraction measures,” Mylnikov
said.

The possibility of diversions at military and civil nuclear
facilitates remains real, he said.

According to expert estimates, there had been 150 incidents since the
middle of the 1960-s that increased the level of nuclear threat to
this or that degree, Mylnikov said.

During the ongoing exercise servicemen will drill how to attack
terrorists at nuclear power plants.

“Such exercises at nuclear power facilities will be held in the CIS
for the first time,” Mylnikov said.

The military units of the Armenian Armed Force from the CSTO’s
collective rapid deployment forces will master their skills in such
an exercise for the first time.

Special services of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will not
take part.

Armenia invited observers from special services of the G8, the
anti-terror department of the OSCE secretariat, UN Security Council
counter-terrorism committee, the UN office on Drugs and Crime and
regional anti-terror structure of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization.

The United States, Greece, France, China and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe have confirmed their
participation.

The anti-terror exercise in the CIS has been held for the sixth time.
Last time Kazakhstan’s Aktau on the Caspian Sea hosted the exercise.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

Unsettled social, political conflicts pose terror threat -official

by Vladimir Zainetdinov, Tigran Liloyan

The threat of new large-scale terrorist attacks will exist till
social and political conflicts remain unsettled, the head of the CIS
anti-terror center, Boris Melnikov, said in his opening remarks at a
meeting of the anti-terror departments of the CIS specials services.

The meeting is held within the framework of the Atom-Anti-terror-2006
exercise.

Servicemen will drill their attacks on terrorists at nuclear power
plants.

“Such exercises at nuclear power facilities will be held in the CIS
for the first time,” Melnikov said.

The military units of the Armenian Armed Force from the CSTO’s
collective rapid deployment forces will master their skills in such
an exercise for the first time.

Special services of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will not
take part.

Armenia invited observers from special services of the G8, the
anti-terror department of the OSCE secretariat, UN Security Council
counter-terrorism committee, the UN office on Drugs and Crime and
regional anti-terror structure of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization.

The United States, Greece, France, China and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe have confirmed their
participation.

The anti-terror exercise in the CIS has been held for the sixth time.
Last time Kazakhstan’s Aktau on the Caspian Sea hosted the exercise.

Turkish Daily News
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

KURDISTAN MAP ANGERS COMEZ DURING KIRKUK TALKS

A Kurdistan map hung on the wall of an office in Kirkuk where members
of the Turkish Parliament held talks with the chairperson of the
Kirkuk Provincial Council led to a debate as the map angered Turhan
Comez of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)

Comez and his colleague, Orhan Ziya Diren of the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP), held talks yesterday with council
chairperson Rizgar Ali as part of their four-day visit to the region.
Their talks will apparently be dominated by talks in the disputed
northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the status of which will be decided
upon after the results of a referendum slated for 2007

Following their talks with Ali, Comez wanted the map to be removed
from the wall when he learned that it was a "Kurdistan map," the
Anatolia news agency reported.

"This map is not a proper one," Comez was quoted as saying by the
agency.

When Ali explained that it was an antique map brought from a museum
in London in response to Comez’ question, Comez continued
questioning: "This is a public office, is it proper to have an
antique map in a public office? Why don’t you hang a new map?" "We
hung the map because it has Kurdistan and Armenia on it," Ali, who is
known to be a staunch member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
(PUK), responded

"Maps and borders drawn on them do not matter. What matters is the
togetherness of peoples," Ali said, when Comez offered him to give
"more proper" maps when he visits Turkey.

The conversation between Comez and Ali apparently continued in the
form of a debate.

"The United States will not stay here but Turkey will always be
here," Comez said as he looked at the antique map from the Ottoman
Empire era.

"We can’t forget the kindness of the United States towards us. It
[the United States] saved us from a dictator," Ali responded.

On their way from Arbil to Kirkuk, the Turkish parliamentarians had
to wait for two hours after a landmine was found on the road. The
landmine was defused by the U.S. security forces who escorted Comez,
Diren and journalists accompanying them on their way to Kirkuk.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 29, 2006 Friday

RA FM DOES NOT RULE OUT POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION OF ARMENIAN
SPECIALISTS IN MINE CLEARING OF TERRITORIES IN LEBANON

RA Fm Vardan Oskanyan does not rule out the possible participation of
the Armenian specialists in the mine clearing of territories in
Lebanon.

Asked about the possible participation of Armenia in a peacemaking
mission in Lebanon, the Minister noted the FM of Lebanon, has
officially asked Armenia to participate in future in the mine
clearing process, taking into account the experience of Armenia in
this matter. Armenia has positively responded it. At the same time,
V. Oskanyan noted the participation of the Armenian specialists will
be possible after Israel hands over the maps of the mined
territories. "We do not rule out our participation in this sphere.
However, the maps are necessary to be handed over for that and the
situation is to be settled. The discussion of this issue is underway.
I think some participation will be possible in future", V. Oskanyan
said.

The Associated Press
September 27, 2006 Wednesday 4:30 PM GMT

Turkey needs reform before more EU talks

By JAN SLIVA, Associated Press Writer

STRASBOURG France

The European Parliament on Wednesday warned Turkey that its refusal
to allow Greek Cypriot ships and planes to enter its ports could halt
its accession talks with the European Union.

In an evaluation report, the EU assembly said that Turkey’s progress
in the area of freedom of expression is "far from satisfactory", and
that no progress has been made lately in addressing difficulties
faced by ethnic minorities, such as Kurds.

Ankara is also awaiting a progress report from the EU’s executive
commission.

While the lawmakers dropped their demand that Turkey must acknowledge
the killings of Armenians around the time of World War I as genocide
before it can join the EU, they said it was "indispensable" for
Turkey to come to terms with and recognize its past.

They also urged Turkey to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia
and open the land border with its eastern neighbor.

Armenians say that as many as 1.5 million of their ancestors were
killed in an organized genocidal campaign by Ottoman Turks, and have
pushed for recognition of the killings as genocide by the 25-nation
EU and by other nations. Turkey vehemently denies the killing were
genocide.

Top EU officials hinted in July that entry talks with Turkey begun in
October are likely to stall because of Ankara’s continuing failure to
recognize Cyprus or allow in its ships and airplanes.

The European Parliament committee report warns that the "lack of
progress in this regard will have serious implications for the
negotiation process and could even bring it to a halt."

The parliament’s report was approved a day after Romania and Bulgaria
were given the go-ahead to join the EU on Jan. 1, 2007, raising the
number of EU members to 27. The EU has warned the bloc would not
accept more members until it resolves the future of its stalled
constitution.

The European Commission is to present its next evaluation of Turkey’s
reforms on Nov. 8. The European Parliament must give its assent
before every EU enlargement.

ARMINFO News Agency
September 29, 2006 Friday

ARMENIA AND U.S. FORMALLY INAUGURATE $235 MILLION RURAL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM

On September 29, 2006, the five year Millennium Challenge
anti-poverty development program agreed to earlier this year by the
United States and Armenia was officially inaugurated with an exchange
of letters. In a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance and
Economy, Finance Minister Vardan Khachatryan and Alex Russin of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation exchanged letters which formally
inaugurate the $235 million anti-poverty program.

The Armenian Compact is designed to reduce rural poverty through a
sustainable increase in the economic performance of the agricultural
sector. Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a five-year
program of strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation
infrastructure and technical and financial assistance to improve the
supply of water and to support farmers and agribusinesses. The
Program will directly impact approximately 750,000 people, or an
estimated 75 percent of the rural population, and is expected to
reduce the rural poverty rate and boost annual incomes.

The Compact includes a $67 million project to rehabilitate up to 943
kilometers of rural roads, more than a third of Armenia’s proposed
Lifeline road network. When complete, the Lifeline road network will
ensure that every rural community has road access to markets,
services, and the main road network. Under the Compact, the
Government of Armenia will be required to commit additional resources
for maintenance of the road network. The Compact also includes a $146
million project to increase the productivity of approximately 250,000
farm households (34% of which are headed by women) through improved
water supply, higher yields, higher-value crops, and a more
competitive agricultural sector.

The five-year Millenium Challenge Compact ratified by the Armenian
parliament in May costs $235 mln. First Deputy Minister of Finance
and Economy Pavel Safaryan said Armenia will receive the initial $4.5
million under the Compact in 2007 .

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government corporation
designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is
based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces
good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that
promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty.