Month: December 2008

IRAN, ARMENIA PLAN TO BUILD GAS PIPELINE

Fars News Agency
Dec 19 2008
Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and Armenia will start building an oil pipeline
from the Iranian city of Tabriz to the Armenian city of Eraskh in 2009,
a senior Iranian official said.

The remarks were made during a meeting between Iranian Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and visiting Armenian Minister of Energy
and Natural Resources Armen Movsisian.

>From Tabriz oil refinery Armenia will receive benzene and diesel, and
for facilitating business activities Armenia will open a consulate
in Tabriz. The Ministers also discussed the possibility of building
a hydro electro power station on the river Aras.

Earlier Movsisian stated that Iran, Armenia and Russia had planned
to construct an oil refinery in the city of Eraskh, however, Russia
later withdrew from the project, effectively frustrating it.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STATE COMMISSION: "ARMENIANS’ REPORTS ABOUT THE CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER ARE NOT TRUE"

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 19 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "Armenian media spreads false information that soldier of
Azerbaijani Army Hasanov Rafig Rahman, 19, taken by Armenian servicemen
on the contact line on October 8 does not want to return home. Rafig
Hasanov, who has been held captive over two months and undergone
psychological pressures, wrote in his letter sent to his parents
through the International Committee of the Red Cross on December
9, 2008 that he wishes to return home. "I though a lot and made a
decision to return home. I hope we will meet soon. Do not worry. Be
patient. I hope I will return soon." International Committee of the
Red Cross told the Working Group of the State Commission over the
phone," says the statement of the State Commission on Prisoners of War,
Hostages and Missing Persons, APA reports. According to the statement,
it is not difficult to explain the reasons why Hasanov, who told the
international organizations and his parents that he wanted to return
home, "changed his mind" and "gave interview" to Armenian TV channels.

"It is obvious that Hasanov underwent pressure. This confirms once more
that Armenia continues violating the international humanitarian legal
norms and rules on captives’ treatment. It "makes an impression" that
attitude towards human rights and values is so perfect in Armenia that
even captured Azerbaijani soldier "admits" it. The testimonies given to
the State Commission by the Azerbaijanis released from captivity proves
that the regime in Armenia commits terrible crimes against humanity."

ASSYRIANS PART OF TURKEY’S MOSAIC, SAYS SWEDISH MP

Turkish Daily News
December 18, 2008 Thursday

A Swedish parliament deputy of Assyrian origin will attend a hearing
Friday for a land dispute between a 1,600-year-old monastery and
locals in the southeastern Anatolian town of Midyat, populated by
about 3,000 Assyrians

"I hope a fair verdict will be delivered and the case will be resolved
within Turkey’s legal system, so that the country’s image is not
harmed in Europe," Yilmaz Kerimo told the Hurriyet Daily News &
Economic Review in a telephone interview.

Kerimo has served in Swedens parliament for 10 years and is a member
of the Social Democratic Party. He is from Midyat and moved to Sweden
three decades ago. Close to 80,000 Assyrians live in Sweden, most of
who migrated from Turkey.

The land dispute has been brought by local officials of three nearby
villages who contest the borders of the monastery, which they argue
are bigger than any place of worship in the world. Concerned by
the re-drawn borders following land surveying proceedings in the
area, officials from the monastery foundation applied to the court,
saying they are not occupiers as they’ve been paying tax for the land
since 1938

"Our goal is not to denigrate Turkey. On the contrary, we want to see
the country in the EU. The monastery has been there for centuries. The
Assyrians peacefully live in the region without engaging in any
terrorist activity. I cannot understand why the group is branded as
occupiers," Kerimo told the Daily News.

The Assyrians will apply to the European Court of Human Rights once
all domestic legal means are exhausted.

[HH] More Assyrians claimed to return home

The land dispute is rooted in uneasiness about the return of migrant
Assyrians to their former lands in Turkey, according to some Assyrian
groups. Kerimo said their migration to Europe started 30 years ago but
democratic reforms in Turkey over the last five years have prompted
some to return home, leading to land disputes.

"Some of the Assyrian land was occupied [by the locals] and ended up
in courts. Turkey must protect its Assyrian community. There are only
3,000 left in Midyat. Assyrians are a richness of Turkey and part of
its mosaic," he said.

The EU is closely monitoring the situation for religious groups
in Turkey. A draft report of the European Parliament drew adverse
reactions from Ankara when it referred to an alleged "genocide" of the
Assyrians, but the controversial expression was later removed from
the final version of the document. Separately, the EU’s Executive
Commission pointed out in 2004 the problems encountered by the
Assyrians

"The Assyrians are non-Muslims but they are considered neither a
minority nor Turk. In other words, the Assyrians were caught in the
middle. An Armenian or a Jew has the right to education and religion
but not an Assyrian," said Kerimo. Jews, Greeks and Armenians are the
only recognized minority groups spelled out in the Lausanne Treaty,
the founding agreement of the Turkish Republic.

In comparison, he said the situation of the immigrant Assyrians living
in Sweden has been better over the last 30 years.

"We have everything in Sweden: parliamentarians of Assyrian origin,
schools, television channel and magazines in Assyrian and even a
football club. Why cant we utilize the same rights in our homeland
Turkey? There is something wrong going on in the system," he said

DEMOCRACY AT INTERNET SPEED
Ersu Ablak

Turkish Daily News
December 18, 2008 Thursday

The Internet has revolutionized everything not because it connected
computers together, but people. Therefore I believe the Internet is
not virtual but very real. The fact that people are interacting with
it and are affected by it makes me believe in the importance of the
Internet as a medium of opinion forming. The interest of youth in the
Internet makes this medium even more important as the youth of today
are increasingly forming their opinions with the information that
receive mostly from the net just like anyone else. People are feeding
each other with all types of information about almost everything
via Web sites, RSS feeds, podcasting, forums, applications, games,
etc However, not all information you can reach through the Internet
is true and many streams of information could be considered as junk
or appalling. But like it or not, information spreads very quickly
via the Internet and reaches a very diversified group of innumerous
people. Therefore it is essential to use the Internet as a means
of communicating opinions with a global reach by people who have
meaningful things to say. Without the contribution of people who
have considerable knowledge in any subject, the Internet can be used
for misinformation very easily and public opinion can be formed with
unrealistic pieces of information.

I have come across two important campaigns lately and I believe
these are very important in mediating opinions. Turkish intellectuals
have been neglecting the Internet for many years, but with the "We
Apologize" campaign at , they show they
have caught up with it. Two thousand people have signed to apologize
to Armenians for the events of 1915. For the purposes of this column
their political stance has no importance. I myself do not share many
of their ideas. But what is important is that the debate has been moved
to the realm of the Internet with a significant intellectual substance
rather than fighting and cursing over the subject in various forums. I
am sure that this move will create more meaningful discussion than what
has been going on. Sixty ex-ambassadors have written a declaration
condemning the aim of the campaign. The declaration itself has solid
information that the public wouldnt come across if the "We Apologize"
campaign did not spark the discussion in a more intellectual manner
via a powerful medium such as the Internet. I am very happy to see
that the Internet has enabled quality discussions in one of the taboo
subjects of Turkish politics. I hope that Turkish intellectuals will
use this tool to lead discussions in other points as well.

The other Internet-based campaign is It was started
by university students affected by the changes in the new Social
Security Law that was accepted by Parliament on Sept. 1. The law has
made it impossible for students to take part-time jobs and universities
to hire part-time workers. In order to protest this change in the law
and to communicate their point across Turkey, students chose to build
a Web site and create a Facebook group. The Group had 1,107 members
as this article was being written. The Web site claims there are more
than 20,000 part-time working students in Turkey.

Their aim is to unite them together to press for a change in the
current legislation. This campaign shows that you dont need money or
expensive lobbyists to create pressure on political circles because
the Internet enables you with a low-cost, easy-to-use environment
and media power with zero costs for distribution. Two years ago in
a discussion, Peter Leyden of New Politics Institute and the former
editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, said broadband technologies would
increase openness and the quality of democracy in every nation

"Therefore, broadband will not only be a revolution in communication
but also in democratization, especially for the United States," he said

I see that Turkey is not missing this revolution either

COLUMNISTS JOIN ARMENIAN APOLOGY DEBATE

Turkish Daily News
December 18, 2008 Thursday

The debate over the campaign launched by a range of professionals and
intellectuals to apologize for the Ottoman killings of Armenians has
spread to the columns of the country’s dailies. Meanwhile, a counter
online signature campaign has emerged, by a group calling themselves
"The Real Turkish Intellectuals."

Turkish columnists widely criticized the apology campaign. Erdal
Safak from daily Sabah argued the campaign would do more harm than
good because it "would be evaluated as a confession of genocide,"
and "would harm the proposal to establish a history commission to
investigate the 1915 events."

Ertugrul Ozkok from daily Hurriyet said he considered the campaign a
joke, asking who would apologize for the Turkish diplomats murdered
by the ASALA terror organization, or the Turks and Kurds who were
slaughtered by Armenian gangs in 1915.

Nuray Mert from daily Radikal argued the campaign aimed at "scraping
the Turkish intellectuals from their historical shame and to make
them feel good and civilized." She also questioned the apology part of
the statement asking, "On whose behalf and to whom should I apologize?"

"I am really disturbed by the act of apologizing to a nation in the
name of national or ethical belonging. This is no different than
bragging about ones nationality. Therefore, I would like to sign the
text without the apology part," she wrote.

The new Web site "ozurdilemiyoruz.com" (we do not apologize) opened by
a group calling themselves "The Real Turkish Intellectuals," posted
a statement saying "we do not have any apology for anybody. We only
have a call to account from those who murdered our ancestors and
brothers." More than 2,000 people have signed the statement so far.

FROM THE BOSPHORUS STRAIGHT – A "PEACE VIRUS" ON THE INTERNET

Turkish Daily News
December 18, 2008 Thursday

A group of Turkish intellectuals putting together a Web site to
apologize to Armenians for a "great catastrophe" is not in and of
itself a big deal. The context that propelled the initiative, and the
reflective and intelligent reaction, including reasoned criticism,
is evidence of something profound.

Yesterday, the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review reported on the
Web site, It is an admirable and gutsy move
to demonstrate the empathy shared by many Turks for the historical
suffering of Armenians, whether the label be "genocide," "massacre,"
or something else. The reaction by opponents, as we noted, demonstrates
a consensus in Turkey to keep channels of communication open while
disagreeing. This is the essential ingredient of any reconciliation.

What is most important, we believe, is that Turkey has reached what
sociologists call a "tipping point." This is how they describe the
phenomenon of many little, all-but-unnoticed things that accumulate
to result in great societal change or dramatic shifts.

Fashion is an example of things that change this way. Revolutions in
music and art have transformed similarly; after all no one set out
to "design" the 1960s. The decline of crime in New York City when no
one expected it, the rise of teenage smoking worldwide amid a chorus
of anti-smoking warnings are more testament to the "tipping point"
process.

Just who decided that the Berlin Wall and all it stood for should
crumble? At what point did American society cross the cultural
threshold that a black man could be seriously considered for the
White House?

"Tipping points are like epidemics," argues Malcolm Gladwell, the
author who put this term in the common lexicon. "For ideas, products,
messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do."

As we noted in yesterdays story, it was just in 2005 that a group of
lawyers sought legal action and created a public furor when a state
university simply sought to have a panel discussion of the events of
1915 that included all perspectives.

When it comes to this issue, the world is a different place today
than it was in 2005. Surely, the courageous visit a few months ago
of President Abdullah Gul to a Yerevan football match was a major
moment in this ongoing "tipping" toward dialogue.

But this occurred because of many small things: the Yerevan State
Ballets visit to Istanbul enabled by Rotary clubs in Turkey and
Armenia, dozens of low-key exchanges of students and academics,
a joint Turkish-Armenian film production now underway, exchanges of
musicians and artists, an Armenian entrepreneurs project to produce
wine from the grapes of Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. A "peace
vintage" he called it.

Maybe we can coin a new phrase from his term and Gladwells analogy:
a "peace virus." We are sure it will spread

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA: COUNTRY OF STONES, VINE, ANCIENT MONASTERIES

Korea Times
December 18, 2008 Thursday

Famous English poet Lord Byron said the following about Armenia:
"This country is to remain arguably as the most interesting one on
the whole Earth." Not many small countries can boast such compliments
from such well-known, well-traveled people.

Soon after the socialist revolution in Russia in 1917, Armenia joined
the Soviet Union and became independent in 1991. It’s situated in the
most interesting yet turbulent Caucasus region. The country itself is
not big, at less than 30,000 square kilometers – less than one third
the size of South Korea. The country is home to 3.3 million people,
one third of whom live in its capital, Yerevan city.

Many countries have unofficial but widely known names: Korea,
"the country of morning calm;" Japan, "the land of the rising sun;"
Switzerland, "the country of watches and cheese;" etc. Armenia also has
such a nickname and many call it "the country of stones." Stones from
tiny to huge ones in the form of rocks and mountains can be seen all
over Armenia, since the country is situated in a mountainous region.

The huge amount of stones turned out to be a blessing for local
builders. All buildings, including those situated in the countryside,
are made of stone. At the same time, Armenian rocks have abundant
reserves of precious and semiprecious stones that are widely used by
the local craftsmen.

Though generalizations naturally bear the risk of missing important
details, it would not be a big mistake to say that the main points
of interest in Armenia are its monasteries and mountains.

The rich and dynamic history of the country, deeply rooted in
Christianity, has made a deep impact on Armenia’s monuments. Boasting
that it was the first country to adopt Christianity, monasteries and
temples can be found all over the country. Although a relative lack of
government support did not allow many to be restored, almost all hold
religious services and many devout Christians and tourists frequently
visit them. The most famous temples are completely restored, however,
and function as religious institutes and historic monuments. The
depth of the history of Armenia can be easily traced through its main
temples and monasteries. Some monasteries founded a millennium ago
are well preserved and easily found.

Mountains are also among of the most famous points of interest of
Armenia. Types of mountainous and the views they offer greatly differ
depending on location. Eighty-seven percent of Armenian territory
lies from 1,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level and recently, Armenian
ski resorts have become more popular among world skiers.

Though local people say that the low temperatures and massive snowfall
are common in Armenia, 35-40 degrees Celsius are the usual temperatures
in the country’s valleys. To avoid the summer heat, many choose the
shores of "the Sea of Armenia" – Sevan Lake – to spend their summer
vocations. Talking about the beauty and size of the lake is a popular
topic of local people’s conversation with tourists.

Armenia could also easily be called the country of wine. Armenians
love to mention that according to the Bible, Noah invented winemaking
in Armenia. Even records dating back to the fifth century B.C. mention
that Armenia "exports wines of good quality and taste." The longest
tradition of winemaking is a great source of pride to Armenians. The
unique climate of the Armenian valley made this region perfect for
cultivating grapes.

Armenian cognac deserves special mention. It is the cognac more than
wine that makes Armenia famous among specialists in the field of
alcoholic beverages. Armenians started producing cognac in 1887 and it
quickly received recognition for its unique taste. They say that one
of the most famous British politicians of the 20th century, Winston
Churchill, liked Armenian cognac the most of all alcoholic beverages
and ordered it even when Soviet-British relations were in crisis.

But these days, Armenians have cause for regret – a few years ago,
"Ararat," the producer of Armenia’s most famous cognac, was sold to
a French company.

Any story about Armenia would not be complete without a few words about
its people. Armenians count for 97 percent of the entire population
and are famous for "Caucasian hospitality." A famous guidebook says,
"Sometimes, the desire of the local people to help a foreigner becomes
so strong and intense that many scare the latter, especially the young,
who often insist too vigorously to make a foreigner join their party
and share a few glasses of wine."

Armenia is a safe country for tourists. The biggest "danger" for a
foreigner is overeating. The Armenians’ desire to show hospitality
leads them to offer guests countless dishes, making it impossible
to eat them all. The problem is that the local food is so tasty and
those offering it to you are sincere.

Armenians are also patriotic. The dynamic, turbulent history of
Armenia made many of its former citizens emigrate to other parts of
the world. At present, the number of ethnic Armenians living outside
Armenia exceeds those who live in it. But all foreign Armenians, many
of who were born in other countries, consider themselves Armenian,
follow the traditions of their historic motherland and helping Armenia
in any way they can. They say that the Armenian lobby in the U.S. is
among the strongest. And all Armenians – both foreign Armenians and
"Armenian Armenians," – know very well the history of the country,
its heroes, poets, famous statesmen and feel glad when a tourist
gives them a chance to talk about it in detail.

TURKISH PM SLAMS INTERNET APOLOGY TO ARMENIA

EuroNews France
December 19, 2008 Friday

The Turkish Prime Minister Reccep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised a
public apology by some 200 Turkish intellectuals for the killing of
ethnic Armenians during World War One. An internet campaign has been
gathering signatures from Turks wanting to offer a personal apology. It
has angered the prime minister. "I don’t accept the campaign that
they have started and I don’t support it," Erdogan said. "I cannot
be part of it. I have not committed a crime. Why should I apologise?"

Turkey and Armenia have been working re-establish diplomatic
ties. Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, recently went to Armenia
in a bid to end 100 years of hostility. The internet campaign does
not use the term genocide, vehemently denied by the Turks. It uses
massacre instead. But nationalists still say it is an act of national
betrayal. Recognition in the West of the term genocide, in relation
to around 1.5 million deaths in Armenia between 1915 and 1917, caused
uproar in Turkey. It does officially accept that many Armenians were
killed during the waning years of the Ottoman empire, but strongly
denies genocide. Eleven thousand people have so far signed the online
petition.

TURKISH GENERAL STAFF DISAPPROVES OF ARMENIA APOLOGY CAMPAIGN

Anadolu Agency
Dec 19 2008
Turkey

Ankara, 19 December: The General Staff has said that it disapproved
the online apology campaign for the events of 1915.

Gen Metin Gurak, chairman of the General Staff Communication
Department, said at a press briefing in Ankara on Friday, "We
definitely do not consider the campaign right. This apology is wrongful
and it may lead to harmful consequences."

A group of Turkish intellectuals and academicians issued an apology to
Armenians on the internet earlier in the week for the events of 1915,
boosting a nationwide discussion.

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday [17 December]
that he did not accept or support the campaign. "They might have
committed such a crime themselves as they are apologizing now. The
Republic of Turkey does not have such a concern. One can apologize if
there is a crime necessitating such an apology. Neither my country,
nor my nation has such concerns," Erdogan said.

Yesterday, the Presidential Press Centre said in a statement that
President Abdullah Gul considered recent discussions in the Turkish
public opinion and academic circles over the events in 1915 a
sign of existence of a democratic discussion atmosphere in Turkey
which was more civilized and freer than many other countries and
a sign of Turkish people’s reconciliation with their history and
their self-confidence. Armenia and Turkey do not have diplomatic
relations and their shared border has been closed since 1993 when
Turkey protested [against] Armenia’s occupation of the Upper Karabakh.

In September, President Gul visited Armenia to watch a World Cup
qualifying match as a good-will gesture.

ARMENIA, IRAN REACH PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT ON OIL PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION

Mediamax
Dec 19 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 19 December: Armenia and Iran have reached a preliminary
agreement on constructing a pipeline to supply oil products, Minister
of Energy of Armenia Armen Movsisyan stated in an interview to
Mediamax today.

He noted that they plan to start the construction in 2009 and conclude
it in the course of two years.

"After the launch of the oil products pipeline, Armenia will not
renounce other sources of oil product import," Armen Movsisyan stated.

The minister noted that the project on constructing an oil-processing
plant in the territory in Armenia remains in effect, and at present
the works on technical-economic grounding [feasibility study] of the
project are in process.