Month: November 2006

HAMMARBERG ON ARTICLE 301 OF TCK
Turkish Press
Nov 5 2006
ANKARA – Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for
Human Rights, said that he has got very good messages from Turkish
government officials that problems regarding the Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code (TCK) will be resolved soon.
Speaking to reporters before he proceeded from Ankara to Istanbul,
Hammarberg indicated that Turkey has taken significant steps in human
rights. However, he stated, there are still some deficiencies because
there are some problems in perception of the related regulation by
the authorities.
He said that an efficient mechanism should be set up in Turkey to
monitor human rights.
Hammarberg qualified the cases filed against novelists Orhan Pamuk
and Elif Safak as “unfortunate”, and said that the highest authorities
have told him that some mistakes are being made in implementation of
this article and they will be corrected soon.
According to Hammarberg, the problem regarding Article 301 can be
solved in three ways, including abolition and correction of this
article. The third way is to inform the law enforcers that the way
the article is interpreted is different from the interpretation of
the legislators, he stated.
-FRENCH RESOLUTION-
On the resolution adopted by the French parliament which criminalizes
denial of so-called Armenian genocide allegations, Hammarberg said
that the resolution has not yet been passed from the Senate, and
noted that he does not think it will be adopted by the Senate.
Defining the development as unfortunate, Hammarberg said that this
is not a constructive decision, but a provocative one.
Hammarberg indicated that this decision violates the freedom of
expression.
Commissioner Hammarberg will proceed to Istanbul tonight.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CYPRUS PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED UNDER AUSPICES OF E.U., ERDOGAN
Turkish Press
Nov 5 2006
ISTANBUL – “Cyprus problem cannot be solved under the auspices of the
EU. It has to be solved under the umbrella of the UN,” said Turkish
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Making a keynote speech in the “News Xchange” meeting at Istanbul`s
Conrad Hotel, Erdogan indicated that Turkey has taken the steps it
has to (on the road to EU membership).
“And the EU should assume an honest and sincere approach,” he stated.
Noting that some artificial problems and obstacles are put before
Turkey, Erdogan said, “Turkey`s full membership path should not
be obstructed by artificial problems. This (membership) is for the
best interests of both Turkey and the EU, and is important for global
peace and stability. I hope that the EU will see it too, and will not
permit a deadlock in (our) negotiations due to some political issues,
which should be solved in some other grounds.”
-GLOBAL PEACE-
“Our differences should bring us closer to each other, not to exclude
each other,” stressed PM Erdogan.
Erdogan noted that everybody should avoid remarks and behaviors that
incite prejudices.
“It is not possible to talk about an open society and a good democracy
without a free media. But, it is our right to expect the media to
behave responsibly,” he added.
-POPE`S VISIT-
“As the Prime Minister of Turkey, I am not arranging my schedule
according to the Pope. I will participate in the NATO summit in
Poland in the same days. I am going (abroad) on an earlier scheduled
formal visit. I am not going abroad just because the Pope is coming
to Turkey. This is out of question,” said Erdogan when commenting on
Pope Benedict XVI`s visit to Turkey at the end of this month.
Erdogan stated that the pontiff will discuss political matters with
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and religious matters with head of
Religious Affairs DG.
-IRAQ & IRAN-
PM Erdogan said that Turkey backs a democratic solution in Iraq and
underlines its territorial integrity, while pointed out that he will
visit Iran soon and wished that the nuclear program controversy will
be solved through diplomatic means.
On criticisms about freedom of expression in Turkey, Erdogan said
that those who are talking about this freedom in Turkey are remaining
silent to the French resolution criminalizing denial of so-called
Armenian genocide allegations. “France was a country of freedoms,
wasn`t it? We have to be more objective about these issues,” he added.

EU CALLS ON ANKARA TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS ON MINORITY RIGHTS
Senem Caglayan
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Nov 5 2006
Turkey has made little progress on ensuring cultural diversity and
promoting respect for and protection of minorities in accordance with
international standards, the European Union said in the progress report
urging Ankara to take concrete and constructive steps in the issue.
In the draft report obtained by The New Anatolian, freedom of religion,
minority rights and their protection is the main areas of concern.
On the issue of freedom of religion, according to the progress report,
although freedom of worship continues to be generally respected,
no progress was reported with regard to difficulties encountered by
non-Muslim religious communities.
Stressing that restrictions on the training of clergy and on
foreign clergy to work in Turkey remain, the reports said, “Turkish
legislation does not provide private higher religious education for
these communities,” and therefore urged the reopening of the Greek
Orthodox Halki (Heybeliada) seminary and the recognition of the
“ecumenical” status of the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch.
There have been no developments made in relation to the situation
of the Alevis and they face difficulties for opening their places
of worship (Cem houses), it was said in the report, urging Ankara
to recognize Cem houses and give funding for them. Furthermore, the
Union also criticized the compulsory religious instruction given to
Alevi children in schools.
Another area of concern stated in the progress report is that
although the mandatory indication of religious affiliation in some
personal documents such as ID-cards was abolished in April 2006, such
documents still include information on religion, which according to
the EU leaves open the potential of discriminatory practices.
Furthermore on freedom of religion, Brussels called on Turkey to give
access to legal personality to non-Muslin religious minorities and
abolish their restricted property rights.
Call for more Kurdish language broadcasting, education
On the issue of cultural rights of Kurds, the EU called on Turkey to
do more to ensure more broadcasting and education in Kurdish language.
Stressing that permission was granted to two local TV channels in
Diyarbakir and to one radio in Sanliurfa to broadcast in Kurdish,
the Union expressed criticism on the time restrictions, the presence
of subtitles or translations in Turkish and the absence of educational
programs teaching the Kurdish language. Stating that the Turkish Public
Television (TRT) has continued broadcasting in five languages including
Kurdish, the Union expressed concern over the limited duration and
scope of TRT’s broadcasts, adding that no private broadcaster at
national level has applied for broadcasting in languages other than
Turkish since the enactment of the 2004 legislation.
The Union also urged Ankara to do more in education in Kurdish saying,
“Children whose mother tongue is not Turkish cannot learn their mother
tongue in the Turkish public schooling system. As concerns Kurdish
all private courses were also closed down in 2004.
Therefore, there are no possibilities to learn Kurdish today in the
public or private schooling system. Furthermore, there are no measures
taken to facilitate access to public services for those who do not
speak Turkish.”
Touching on the overall record of Turkey in the minority rights, the
EU described it as “unchanged” and urged Ankara to determine other
minorities in Turkey except the Jews, Armenians and Greeks who were
given the status of minorities with the Treaty of Lausanne.
“The February 2005 visit of the OSCE High Commissioner on National
Minorities (HCNM) to Ankara has not been followed up and no progress
has been made in starting a dialogue on the situation of national
minorities in Turkey,” said the report urging Ankara to include
relevant areas such as minority education, languages, the participation
of minorities in the public life and broadcasting in minority languages
to facilitate Turkey’s further alignment with international standards
and best practice in EU member states to ensure cultural diversity
and to promote respect for and protection of minorities.

ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS OF U.S. SHOULD COORDINATE EFFORTS FOR GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 12:58 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The main task of the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) is to bring up the young generation and strengthen the
lobby, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter in Washington. In his words, the Armenian organizations of the
U.S. should coordinate efforts for achievement of the principal goal –
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. “Our endeavors are targeted
at neutralization of the Turkish lobby led by Senator Bob Livingston
and the ATA (the American-Turkish Association). The latter’s rating
has considerable fallen down during the recent 10 years. Generally
the place of Turkey in the U.S. foreign policy has changed,” Hamparian
said. At that he underscored that Turkey’s interests are supported by
Israel, which enjoys good relations with the United States. “However I
should mention that these relations have changed too. The Jews living
in the U.S. say that the Armenian Genocide should be recognized like
the Holocaust. I am convinced that the U.S. President Administration
is not far away from saying it was Genocide,” he emphasized.

ANCA: DOES ARMENIA NEED AMBASSADOR DENYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE?
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 13:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The appointment of Richard Hoagland Ambassador to
Armenia is still in the air. A diplomat should mind his expressions
when speaking of a country where he is going to serve as an
Ambassador, ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter in Washington. “Why does Armenia need
an Ambassador, who surpassed the President and now speaks of the
‘so-called Genocide’ and says Armenians were treated well in the
Ottoman Empire. By the way, the President himself says it was a
tragedy,” she remarked adding that the State Department would never
send an Ambassador denying the Holocaust to Israel. Meanwhile,
according to a source in the U.S. Department of State, Richard
Hoagland’s designation will be approved. “This is our nomination and
it should be approved. Although the hearings will resume in the newly
elected Senate late November there will be no problem, I suppose. At
long last the President can appoint the Ambassador bypassing the
Senate. History records such cases,” the source said adding that John
Evans’ activities were appreciated highly by the State Department and
it’s the President who decides on the terms of Ambassadors’ service.

RA EX-PREMIER WELCOMES ARMENTEL PURCHASE BY VYMPELCOM
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 13:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “In 1998, when we put the stocks for sale I
regretted there was no Russian companies among the aspirants,”
said RA Ex-Prime Minister, rector of the Russia-Armenian (Slavonic)
University, professor Armen Darbinian when commenting on the sale of
Armenian telecommunications company ArmenTel’s 90% stocks to Russian
VympelCom. In his words, the process of initial capital accumulation
and allocation of Russian actives was not over in Russia at that time.
“In 2001 an intense search for extra investment projects was launched
first of all among the Russian leading enterprises. Certainly, the
price of these actives has changed but today the Russian companies are
ready to pay for the possibility of expansion and this gratifies,”
the RAU rector said. “I welcome this bargain and I am glad that a
Russian company has become the owner of the Armenian telecommunication
operator. I know VympelCom as a serious company and wish it every
success at the Armenian market,” he resumed, RAU Spokesman Roman
Nadirian told PanARMENIAN.Net.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU: RUSSIA’S ROLE IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT BECAME CONSTRUCTIVE
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 14:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is
satisfied with Russia’s mediation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement. “Russia’s role in the settlement process became
constructive.
Generally, Russian diplomats carry out a great deal of work and assist
in the process,” Mammadyarov said. He also marked out Russia’s positive
role in the Prague process, which determined 8-9 main principles of the
conflict settlement. “Many of them have been already coordinated. There
are 1-2 questions left,” the Azeri FM said, reports Interfax.

NKR PRESIDENT DEPARTED FOR US
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 14:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 4 Nagorno Karabakh Republic President
Arkady Ghukasian departed for the United State to participate in the
preparatory works of the traditional marathon scheduled for November
23 in Los Angles, reported the NKR leader’s press office. During
the visit Arkady Ghukasian will meet with political, public and
religious figures. Head of the Karabakh Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosian will also leave for
the U.S. mid November.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DEPARTING FOR KAZAKHSTAN TODAY
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2006 12:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian is departing
on a formal call to Kazakhstan today on the invitation of Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Presidents will hold a tete-a-tete
meeting to be followed by talks in expanded composition. A number of
bilateral documents will be signed. In the Kazakh capital city Robert
Kocharian will also meet with entrepreneurs and representatives of
the Armenian community.

TURKISH PM OFFERS TO AMEND LAW USED TO PROSECUTE WRITERS
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
Reuters
Nov 6 2006
Istanbul: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday he was
ready to amend a law used to prosecute writers, including Nobel prize
winner Orhan Pamuk, apparently aiming to head off a crisis with the EU.
The European Commission is expected to sharply rebuke Ankara over
judicial action against journalists, scholars and writers for
expressing peaceful opinions in a progress report on November 8 on
Turkey’s European Union accession process.
The EU says article 301, which makes it a crime to insult Turkish
national identity, unfairly restricts freedom of expression and should
be changed.
It has recently been used to bring charges against Pamuk, later
dropped, and to convict journalist Hrant Dink for articles about the
alleged mass killing of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.
“We are ready for proposals to make article 301 more concrete if
there are problems stemming from it being vague,” Erdogan was quoted
by state-run Anatolian news agency as saying.
“In order to prevent a violation of freedoms … we are studying
options for how we can handle article 301 in harmony with the spirit
of reforms,” he said.
Only last week, Erdogan indicated there would be no movement on
301 after earlier this year promising to look into amending it. The
article has raised questions in Europe about the country’s commitment
to freedom of speech.
The Commission is about to issue a list of criticisms of Turkey for
failing to carry out reforms as promised, particularly over Cyprus.