Month: June 2009

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: "THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH ARMENIA HAVE NOT PRODUCED ANY RESULTS YET"

APA
June 2 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. "We hope Armenia will demonstrate
constructive position at St. Petersburg meeting of the presidents,"
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists, APA reports.

The Minister mentioned that there were some expectations from the
Zurich meeting in January and Prague meeting in May, and advised not
to hurry.

"The results can be analyzed after the St. Petersburg
meeting. Unfortunately, no improvement was made at the meeting in
Prague. It is another matter why it did not happen, but we want to
achieve improvement soon," he said.

Elmar Mammadyarov said signing of any document at the meeting in
St. Petersburg was not discussed.

"If any agreement is reached during the discussions, there may be
an opportunity to work on the document. But it is impossible to say
whether it will be or not beforehand," he said.

To the question "What can you say about the proposal on your addressing
the parliament concerning the negotiations on the settlement of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict?" the minister said he will brief with
great pleasure not only in closed meeting, but even openly, if there
is improvement in the negotiations.

"The negotiations have not produced any results yet. The negotiations
are held in closed conditions because of some delicate issues. There
are such delicate issues that agreement may be reached, if discussions
are closed," he said.

The Minister said the negotiations were held stage-by-stage. First
of all Armenian troops should leave the occupied territories, the
areas should be cleared of mines, roads should be restored, IDPs
should return to their native lands, all communication lines should
be opened, the status of Nagorno Karabakh should be determined after
normal condition is established there. Elmar Mammadyarov said the
working group would solve the way of determining the status.

TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTER: ONE OF THE MAIN OBSTACLES TO NORMALIZATION OF TURKEY-ARMENIA RELATIONS IS OCCUPATION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH

Today.Az
cs/52760.html
June 2 2009
Azerbaijan

"The main obstacles to normalization of the Turkey-Armenia relations
are the occupation of Nagorno Karabakh and inactivity of the Minsk
process.

I think that you jumped to the conclusion", Turkish Defense Minister
Vecdi Gonul told APA US bureau exclusively. Turkey undertook within
the roadmap to improve relations with Armenia. According to some
reports, the final result of this agreement should be the opening
of the borders. However Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in
Baku that the borders wouldn’t be opened. "If Armenia fulfills its
obligations within the roadmap, would you face difficulties to keep
promise to Azerbaijan?" , APA correspondent asked Gonul. The Defense
Minister said: "How can you tell that the borders should be opened
according to the roadmap? Don’t rush to prejudge".

Turkish delegation of leading political and business figures headed
by Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul is attending the 28th US-Turkey
conference in Washington. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Chief of
General Staff Ilker Basbug also joined the three-day conference. The
participants held consultations on energy and defense issues on the
first day of the conference. Vecdi Gonul said in his address to the
conference that the United States lent serious assistance to the
realization of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project. "Turkey insists to carry
out other regional projects due to this support", said Gonul.

The US-Turkey conference is organized annually by the American-Turkish
Council and Turkish-American Business Forum. Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu will address the conference tomorrow.

The foreign minister also attended the UN Security Council meeting
in New York on June 1 where Turkey took the Council Presidency for
a month.

THE SOUND OF MAGIC
JAMES REANEY

London Free Press
June 2 2009
Ontario

OPERA

The marvels of The Magic Flute continue this week and are not to
be missed.

Such a recommendation is perhaps all the review you need about the
latest collaboration between Orchestra London and Pacific Opera
Victoria.

To add some context, these marvels include glorious singing, rising
and established Canadian-tied opera stars, the performance of Orchestra
London and the presence of a strong London contingent.

The Magic Flute marks the fifth time a work first staged by the
B.C. opera company has travelled through a transformation in reaching
the Grand Theatre stage. Of these five joyous rites of spring in
London arts & entertainment, The Magic Flute is the production with
the broadest sweep of popular appeal.

Conceptually, this magical production’s singing, design and pace
choose to celebrate the joy and light in Mozart’s masterpiece without
ignoring the serious themes or darker side.

The production rightfully has Canadian soprano Shannon Mercer showing
the power and grace of Pamina, the daughter of a queen and beloved
of a prince, Tamino.

In one moment standing for many, Mercer’s steel emerges when Pamina
resolves to tell the truth whatever the consequences. The way she
handles this first-act section of the Mozart score provides a flash
of character illumination as the terrified girl becomes a woman.

By contrast, Canadian tenor Joseph Schnurr is a boyish Tamino. So, his
vocal performance begins lightly and gathers force convincingly through
the two acts as he completes test after test in pursuing Pamina’s love.

Schnurr takes over from Colin Ainsworth, who was Tamino in Victoria.

In one of many witty touches in design, Tamino’s costume is similar
to those worn by the three schoolboys/spirits. They might be brothers.

Set against the lovers is the tremendous dark power of
armenian-Canadian soprano aline Kutan, the Queen of the night.

It would appear Kutan is making her first appearances in the London
region since dates at strathroy in the 1990s. If so, The Magic Flute
must also be recommended on the basis of Kutan’s return to our area.

On saturday’s opening night, her arias — including a stellar treatment
of Der Holle Rache in the second act — provided welcome proof the
audience would stir and respond at some point with a standing ovation.

As Papageno, Canadian baritone Hugh Russell provides the surefire
comic touches and vocal counterpoint to the lovers’ soaring melodies.

When his mouth is padlocked by the Queen’s order, Russell looks as
mournful as Will Ferrell. When Papageno finally meets his Papagena
(Canadian soprano Marilyn arsenault), the joy of the encounter is a
comic and sweet rapture.

It helps that director Glynis Leyshon has the smitten pair stripping
to their undergarments.

They depart on a bicycle built for two, one of this production’s
cleverest touches in setting the opera in Vienna about a century ago.

Another such moment has Papageno ogling a Klimt nude — shared with
the audience on a screen used for projections of symbols and images.

In other roles, bass baritone uwe dambruch provides the calm sound
of godlike wisdom as sarastro.

Tenor Michel Corbeil is given some of the silliest moments — and
relishes them — as the villainous Monostatos.

Canadian baritone Bruce Kelly, as chief aide to sarastro, is back
for his third opera in five years and good as always.

There are issues in transforming the Pacific Opera Victoria productions
for life on the smaller Grand stage. One is audibility. Over the years,
Orchestra London music director Timothy Vernon, who is also artistic
director of the B.C. opera company, and the players have adjusted to
the demands of performing opera scores.

That music is different in pace, structure and dynamics from the
orchestra’s usual repertoire. The players can be applauded not just
for such new skills, but also for adjusting to the way the singers
must sing over them because the Grand does not a pit.

On saturday night, the orchestra had found the sound place it needed
to be for the singers.

The orchestra’s position means that the bottom portion of set and
costume designer John Ferguson’s wonderful conception are interrupted
by heads, parts of instruments and other awkward visions.

The award-winning Ferguson has worked often at the Grand. The sets
and costumes for The Magic Flute, rich in symbols and colours while
being as light and elemental as Mozart, may be his best ever there.

But with the sight line issue in some parts of the house, it is as
if a section of a painting could only be seen through a crowd.

Similarly, the blink-oryou’ll- miss-it moment when evil is vanquished
didn’t have the majesty it might have in a larger setting. yes,
this is hardly fatal and, yes, the Grand is a welcome home for the
operas. End of sermon.

Among those with London ties returning with the production are uWO don
Wright music faculty grad Christopher Mayell, who went to Calgary’s
opera after studying here. now, Mayell is based in Toronto.

Among the many London-tied performers in the Orchestra London Grand
Opera Chorus are Gabrielle Heidinger Baerg, nicholas and Victoria Borg,
amber Cunningham, nadia Petrasiunas and ernie Redekop.

Along with three members of the amabile boys’ choirs — Ben Cookson,
Joshua Rosedale and Thomas samson- Williams — who are the spirits,
these and other Londoners are part of the triumph.

They have all learned how to play this Flute in a short time. Which
is one of many reasons to get down to the Grand and marvel.

—

IF YOU GO

What: Mozart’s The Magic Flute, a collaboration of Orchestra London
and Pacific Opera Victoria. Timothy Vernon conducts. Glynis Leyshon
directs.

Principal cast: Joseph Schnurr (Tamino), Shannon Mercer (Pamina),
Aline Kutan (Queen of the Night), Uwe Dambruch (Sarastro),
Hugh Russell (Papageno), Michel Corbeil (Monostatos) and Marilyn
Arsenault (Papagena). Spoken in English, sung in German with English
surtitles. The Magic Flute opened last Saturday night.

When: Continues tonight, Thursday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St.

Plot: The Queen of the Night directs Tamino, a prince, to rescue
her daughter, Pamina, from the tyrannical Sarastro who has had her
imprisoned by the brutal Monostatos. Tamino and Pamina fall in love,
but their love must undergo tests imposed by Sarastro. Helping the
lovers is bird catcher Papageno, who seeks simpler joys. Tamino
is armed with the magic flute of the title, while Pagageno has a
glockenspiel-like set of bells, which aid their quests.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COULD THE REAL OBAMA STAND UP
Yvonne Ridley

Media Monitors Network
full/62831
June 2 2009

"Just how difficult is it for the media to dip into their own
archives and remind Obama about the pledges he made on the campaign
trail and hold him to account? His first promise on the White House
website was that his administration would be the most transparent in
U.S. history. Sadly, these grand statements have not been followed
through."

I wonder how many of you have woken up to the fact that America’s
latest leader is really a political Houdini… an illusionist on a
presidential scale.

In front of our very eyes he has morphed from a gentle intellectual,
and strong defender of human rights into a war-mongering bully who
sponsors targeted assassinations and orders pre-emptive strikes with
casual ease.

It took George W. Bush years before he dared to unveil his true
intentions and invade Iraq, displacing three million people in a war
which cost the lives of thousands of U.S. soldiers and the slaughter
of countless civilians.

Whereas the smooth-talking Obama has achieved the same in just a few
months since he arrived in The White House by launching an illegal war
on Pakistan… but he’s using someone else’s army instead of his own.

He is twice as clever as the previous White House incumbent and far,
far more deadly. Obama is quite possibly one of the world’s most
skillful manipulators and his greatest illusion so far is fooling
the public as well as the media.

While blatantly using Pakistan’s army as a cheap source of military
labor he holds the country’s leader Asif Ali Zadari in suspended
animation, trapped helplessly in an almost hypnotic state, induced
by the promise of millions of dollars and the support of the world’s
biggest military machine.

Of course, we must lay some blame at Zadari’s feet for allowing
himself to be used like a magician’s assistant instead of acting with
the dignity and honour his office, country and people demand.

Obama is far more lethal than his predecessor – and yet his
transformation from Mr. Nice Guy to something more sinister seems
to have gone largely unnoticed by the world’s watching media which
appears to be intoxicated by the powerful charisma emanating from
his rich, but smooth seductive tones.

He has already reneged on promises over closing down Guantanamo,
ending military tribunals and releasing to the public the entire
archive of shame which captured the torture and abuse of the previous
administration’s War on Terror in video and film from 2001 onwards.

Moazzam Begg, an ex-Guantanamo detainee remarked recently over one of
his u-turns: "President Obama has recently granted immunity to CIA
agents… if the desire to get at what went wrong is so blatantly
covered up under cover of "national security concerns", there will
be no end to this. And once again, the warmongers will get away with
another odious and criminal cover-up".

He has the power to make Guantanamo’s vile prison disappear and for a
few glorious weeks human rights activists across the world waited with
baited breath for the cages of Cuba, Bagram and elsewhere to fly open.

Just how difficult is it for the media to dip into their own
archives and remind Obama about the pledges he made on the campaign
trail and hold him to account? His first promise on the White House
website was that his administration would be the most transparent in
U.S. history. Sadly, these grand statements have not been followed
through.

But this journalistic amnesia is all too convenient – what happened
to his determination to bring home all combat troops from Iraq within
18 months?

Is there no journalist from the White House lobby prepared to remind
him of how he said during televised presidential debates that getting
Usama bin Ladin was "our biggest national security priority"? Perhaps
the hypnotic Obama Affect has wiped their computer hard-drives and
their memories but if you listen to his very first TV interview as
the Commander-in-Chief of America he said Usama was more than a symbol.

His actual words were: "He’s also the operational leader of an
organization that is planning attacks against U.S. targets," adding
that "capturing or killing bin Ladin is a critical aspect of stamping
out al-Qaida."

Having secured the votes from red neck territory by saying Obama will
get Usama, he now says that killing or capturing the al-Qaida chief
is no longer necessary to "meet our goal of protecting America."

However, American Armenians are not so gullible and quite a few were
shocked out of their trance following the U.S. President’s recent
visit to Turkey when he executed with the greatest of ease yet another
presidential flip flop.

"As President, I will recognize the Armenian genocide," he declared
loud and proud during his campaign, but when he arrived in Turkey
he sort of muttered, when asked about the hugely sensitive subject:
"My views are on the record, and everyone knows my views." And then
he refused to elaborate and state them!

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant" said Obama before he took the keys
to the White House – may be that’s why, when I watch the U.S. President
perform under the glare of the spotlights on the world stage, I can
see something of the night lurking around his presidential shadows.

There are a few of us who are immune to the charms of the new
president. Like me, they believe that the sheep’s clothing has vanished
and what we now have is a dangerous wolf stalking the corridors of
power on Capitol Hill.

Yes, there’s a new act in the White House these days but while Harry
Houdini built his reputation performing death-defying escapes and
magic tricks his political Doppelganger is certainly the master of
dark arts and mass illusion.

This president has gone from charming to harming and few have noticed.

* First appeared in The Canadian Charger

U.S. NGO URGES IRAN TO FREE JAILED EMPLOYEE
Sue Pleming

Reuters
June 2 2009
UK

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S.-based nongovernmental group urged Tehran
on Monday to release an employee jailed for nearly a year, appealing
for the same "fairness" it showed by freeing Iranian-American reporter
Roxana Saberi last month.

Silva Harotonian, 34, an Iranian citizen of Armenian descent, was
working for a U.S. group that arranges educational exchanges when
she was arrested on June 26 last year.

Harotonian was based in Armenia for the International Research and
Exchanges Board and was in Iran working on a U.S.-Iran exchange
program for maternal and child health professionals.

In January, she was given a three year jail term on charges of
involvement in a U.S.-funded plot to overthrow the Islamic system of
government in Iran. Her first appeal was denied and her lawyers have
filed a second and final one in recent days.

Robert Pearson, president of the group and a former U.S. ambassador,
said the charges against Harotonian were "without foundation,"
a view that has been echoed by the State Department which provides
some funding to the group.

"What we really hope for is for an appeals court in Iran to look
at her case with the same sense of fairness that a court looked at
Roxana Saberi’s case," he told Reuters, referring to the freelance
reporter who was jailed on charges of spying for the United States
but released three weeks ago.

"She is a loyal, patriotic Iranian citizen and has no criminal intent,"
added Pearson of his employee.

After her release, Saberi said she had shared a cell with Harotonian
for a while in Tehran’s Evin prison but offered few details on the
jailed NGO worker.

While Harotonian is not an American, U.S.-based relatives and her
Washington-based employer have urged the State Department to publicly
press for her release, as they did in Saberi’s case.

After Saberi’s release, the State Department urged Iran’s leadership
to also free Harotonian and called the charges against her "without
foundation."

"We understand her second appeal is pending and that she is in poor
and deteriorating health as a direct consequence of her confinement,"
said the State Department.

Klara Moradkhan, a cousin of Harotonian who lives in Los Angeles,
said the jailed NGO worker had no interest in politics and the family
was shocked at the charges against her.

"Nothing makes sense," she said of her cousin’s case. "We are asking
for forgiveness and mercy from the government of Iran," she added.

Iran often accuses the West of seeking to undermine the Islamic state
through a "soft" or "velvet" revolution with the help of intellectuals
and others inside the country.

Iran has cracked down on dissenting voices since President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005, possibly in response to western
pressure on Tehran to halt its disputed nuclear work.

TURKISH HACKERS FACILITATE ASSYRIAN BOOK SALES
Rosie Malek-Yonan

Assyrian International News Agency
June 2 2009

Los Angeles (AINA) — In the early part of the 20th century, the
Ottoman government carried out a deliberate and systematic mass
ethnic cleansing of its Christian inhabitants, namely the Assyrians,
Armenians and Greeks. The proclamation of a fatwa for jihad against
the Christians in Turkey quickly spread to northwestern Persia, in the
densely Assyrian populated region of Urmia (Urmi). From 1914 to 1918,
two-thirds of the Assyrian population perished in a genocide that has
remained cloaked under a shroud of secrecy. However, the anonymous
Assyrian Genocide’s staggering losses of 750,000 souls remains ever
present in the remembrances of a nation that has vowed to never forget.

My maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents were survivors of the
Assyrian Genocide. As I was growing up, the oral history describing
the events of 1914 through 1918 by my grandparents were constant to
me, just as they were to most Assyrian families. There seemed to be
a need for a steadfast vigilance by these family elders who spoke of
the mass murders of our nation in great detail.

Touched by a single event that unified the Assyrian nation, for
survivors such as my grandparents, the constant retelling of these
events was indicative of the personal conflict the elders were sorting
through and a reflection of the frame of mind of much of the nation.

In time I began collecting corroborating letters, photos, family
journals, family war diaries, newspaper articles and clippings and
the quest for documenting and preserving this unwritten chapter of
Assyrian history.

The extraordinary events my grandparents described formed images
that hung in my mind haunting me my entire life. To this day, I
am astounded at the valor of all the survivors and how they faced
their demons and lived to tell their tales as eyewitness to their own
tragedy. Their bravery and dauntless spirit and ability to endure in
times of adversity were nothing short of remarkable.

I am in awe of the fallen Assyrians who called on their own courage
to face the heinous crimes committed upon them. They are the silent
heroes of my nation.

Those who know no compassion and mercy astonish me. Those who live
daily lives weighted down by hatred resulting from ignorance. The
very ones who continue to condemn Assyrians for their nationality
and religion.

But mostly, I am still lost in admiration of my grandparents’ sense of
dignity, honor and grace that was the code by which they lived. They
were among the more than 70,000 Assyrians forced to flee Urmia in
the final mass exodus of the winter of 1918 that split off in two
opposing directions. My 18 year-old maternal grandmother, Maghdleta,
whose husband had just been murdered, fled north towards the Russian
frontier, while my paternal grandparents bundled their newborn infant
and followed other Assyrians south towards Mesopotamia. Not everyone
was as lucky as they were to reach safety.

Though the perpetrators of these crimes against the Assyrians were
Ottoman Turks, Kurds and local Turks in Persia, I was never taught
to hate an entire race of people. Everyone must be judged on his or
her own deeds. "Don’t condemn one man for the sins of another even
if they share the same blood or name," my grandmother would say.

In 2005, I published my book, The Crimson Field, chronicling the
life of Maghdleta, my grandmother’s hellish reality of the Assyrian
Genocide. At the time, I wasn’t aware of the extraordinary journey I
was about to embark upon. I was simply making a record of one Assyrian
family’s life.

Against everyone’s advise, I sent a copy of The Crimson Field to a
Turkish journalist from Istanbul. She wrote back saying: "It will be a
privilege for me to read your book and to have a deeper insight about
one of the oldest cultures of the world and their great tragedy. How
I wished my heartfelt apology could alleviate the sufferings the
Assyrian people have gone through! Your considering me as an elder
sister would be a great consolation for my feeling of shame for being
a member of a nation which is responsible for those sufferings."

The book I had written to document my family’s history was rapidly
leading to bonds across the seas with strangers whom I have come to
know as friends.

The withholding of historical facts and the manipulation of evidential
findings and lack of global public education on the subject of the
Assyrian Genocide has not only lead to the persistence of denial by
governments around the globe including the United States, but it has
also perpetuated the continuation of a century-old raced-based hatred
and hostility.

However, the Turkish journalist’s statement to me reinforced my belief
that there are courageous people who will stand with the Assyrians
in their quest for the recognition of the past atrocities committed
against my nation. Truth shines its own light and will emerge through
darkness.

While Assyrian sympathizers are bountiful, Turkish laws prohibit
journalist or anyone for that matter from publicly acknowledging and
supporting the Assyrian Genocide. For this reason, I will not reveal
the identity of this journalist who will surely be condemned for her
perspective on a subject still taboo in her country.

The pledge of friendship with this remarkable Turkish journalist as
well as scores of other Turkish readers of my book, are the bonds
of humanity and understanding that I had hoped my book would bring
about. Atrocities committed by a nation cannot reflect every member of
that nation. Every person shall stand alone on judgment day regardless
of ethnicity, gender, religion and color of skin.

In her final review of The Crimson Field she writes: "It’s a deeply
moving, impressive, inspiring book, full of emotions and vivid
depictions of life. I admire it."

But it is naive to presume that one journalist’s viewpoint is
representative of all Turks. Clearly there still exists a deep
racial hatred and intolerance that is passed on from generation to
generation. Since 2005, my book’s website has been hacked into by
Turks several times (AINA 1-21-2008, 11-20-2007). The latest and
sixth such incident occurred just last week. The Turk behind this
malicious act was most probably a young hacker who knows nothing of
the circumstances of the Assyrians who seek justice and not revenge.

This Turkish hacker has no idea who my grandmother, Maghdleta, was and
what sacrifices she made to ensure the safety of future generations of
her family and nation. All he sees is a book that represents a nation
that he must hate not because of anything done to him or even his
family but because he blindly follows in the footsteps of his father.

Ironically, as savvy as they are, the only thing these Turkish hackers
have managed to accomplish thus far is to drive the sales of my book
through the roof! Perhaps a nod of gratitude is in order for this
economic boost.

The Turkish government’s shroud of secrecy to suffocate the Assyrian
Genocide is slowly slipping as more and more hackers continue to bring
focus on this issue through Internet vandalism. Though I cannot condone
such dreadful behavior, I can’t help but chuckle at the end result.

The acceptance of the Assyrian, Armenian and Greek Genocides will
ultimately result in the downgrading of many Turkish notables who
have been revered as historical heroes of the Ottoman Empire.

I am an optimist and will hold out to the idea that perhaps one day,
civilization will advance to a level when we can begin to have open
dialogue about all genocides and holocausts without contributing to
more hatred even if we have to downgrade a few heroes.

Rosie Malek-Yonan is an Assyrian actor, director and author of The
Crimson Field. She is an outspoken advocate of issues concerning
Assyrians, in particular bringing attention to the Assyrian Genocide
and the plight of today’s Assyrians in Iraq since the U.S. lead
invasion of Iraq in 2003. On June 30, 2006, she was invited to testify
on Capitol Hill regarding the genocide and persecution of Assyrians in
Iraq by Kurds and Islamists. She is on the Board of Advisors at Seyfo
Center in Europe that exclusively deals with the Assyrian Genocide
issue. She has acted opposite many of Hollywood’s leading actors and
has received rave reviews both as an actor and director. Most recently,
she played the role of Nuru Il-Ebrahimi, opposite Reese Whitherspoon
in New Line Cinema’s "Rendition," directed by Oscar winning director
Gavin Hood. To schedule an interview with Rosie Malek-Yonan, please
send your request to [email protected].
From: Baghdasarian

Turkey can always count on America, say US senators

Today’s Zaman
June 2 2009
Turkey

"Turkey can always depend on the US, while the US can always rely
on its close friend Turkey" was the powerful message delivered by a
group of Democratic senators and a congressman who paid a brief visit
to the Turkish capital last week.

Following in the footsteps of US President Barack Obama, who paid a
historic visit to Turkey in April, a delegation from the US Congress
represented by three senators and one congressman also delivered their
own message to their Turkish counterparts on Friday. Senators Robert
(Bob) Casey of Pennsylvania, Edward E. Kaufman of Delaware and Frank
Lautenberg of New Jersey along with Congressman Timothy Waltz from
Minnesota — all Democrats — met with Turkish officials to discuss
a number of bilateral issues.

Stressing that Turkish-US relations will improve and gain strength,
Casey said with the new administration and new Congress in place,
challenges and common threats face both Turkey and the United
States. "As [Abraham] Lincoln said, we should appeal to ‘the better
angels of our nature’ in our relations," he said, adding that he had
personally learned much during his talks in Ankara.

Casey also told Today’s Zaman that he appreciated the backing
of Turkish-Americans in his state when he launched his bid for a
senate seat to oust incumbent Republican Senator Rick Santorum in
2006. Turkish-Americans had run fund-raising campaigns to support
Casey at the time. Even though the number of Turkish-Americans in
Pennsylvania is small, their influence is much greater as most are
representatives of the well-educated and affluent class, which is
very active in the community and state affairs of Pennsylvania.

Casey said, "The message on Armenia was helpful to hear from Turkish
officials." Turkey and Armenia started a process of normalization in
2007 and are working to find a solution to common problems under the
brokerage of Swiss mediators. Senator Casey did not support Senate
Resolution 106, which calls for recognition of the Armenian genocide,
and declined to support another resolution drafted in connection with
the 2007 assassination of Hrant Dink, the Armenian-Turkish journalist,
by a Turkish teenage hit man in Ä°stanbul.

"What you are doing on the Armenian and Cyprus issues is making our
jobs in the Senate easier," said Kaufman, who replaced Vice President
Joe Biden when he vacated his Senate seat. "The reason we are here
is that we care about Turkey," he added. Kauffman talked about the
countries’ similarities in terms of the search for basic liberties
and democratic values. "Your position stands out," he emphasized,
recalling Obama’s extraordinary visit last April.

Turkey-US Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group leader and Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) deputy from Antalya Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu
said the bilateral relations between Turkey and the US are improving
rapidly. "The US providing a real-time actionable intelligence feed is
a notable development in helping us fight terrorist Kurdistan Workers’
Party [PKK] activities in southeastern Turkey," he said. CavuÅ~_oglu
further stated that the strained relations felt during the previous
administration were rapidly recuperating based on what Obama described
as a "model partnership" between a predominantly Christian nation
and a predominantly Muslim nation with a unity based on ideals and
values rather than religious faiths.

CavuÅ~_oglu hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting congressional
delegation in Ankara on Friday. Representatives from the main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and advocacy group leaders
from trade and media organizations also attended the dinner.

‘TURKISH SECULARISM IS MILITANT, OLD-FASHIONED’

Today’s Zaman
June 2 2009
Turkey

Turkey’s secularism is "militant and old-fashioned," according to
the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey.

Dutch Christian Democrat Ria Oomen-Ruijten, who has written the
last two progress reports on Turkey, has been acclaimed for her
critical but balanced approach, a precious asset that is usually
lacking in reports on Turkey prepared by members of the European
Parliament. Oomen-Ruijten, who is running in the European elections
of June 4, has been threatened by the strong Armenian lobby as she
refused to refer to the Armenian "genocide" in her two reports.

In an exclusive interview with Today’s Zaman at her campaign
headquarters in Echt, the Netherlands, Oomen-Ruijten made clear that
she would seek the job of rapporteur on Turkey if she is re-elected.

Naming polarization the most urgent problem of Turkey, Oomen-Ruijten
thinks Turkey immediately needs a brand new constitution rather than
amendments to address the shortcomings of the system, in particular
secularism. The Dutch politician praised President Abdullah Gul for
his conciliatory tone.

"The problem is that your society has been so divided. Therefore,
the best way to overcome problems is a brand new constitution,
not amendments. Turkey needs a new constitution, guaranteeing
first and foremost the separation between state and religion. Now
it is not separate," she said. "In my view it [Turkish secularism]
is old-fashioned. I am a Catholic. If I want to go to church and
say something in political life, it is allowed. But in your country
religion is absolutely absent in public life. In public life I should
be allowed to confess I am a Catholic, why not? I am absolutely
against religion playing a role in politics or legislation. But it
can help cooperation in society."

Oomen-Ruijten also criticized the main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) for trying to settle political disputes with the
government in court, rather than Parliament. "It is incredible that
an opposition party immediately goes to court if it cannot defeat
a motion in Parliament. It would be unthinkable in my country,"
she said. "You need to have the debate in Parliament. But it is not
the case in Turkey. If the opposition cannot stop it in Parliament,
then you need to take it to civil society and ask for their help,
not to the courts. We will never do it in the Netherlands."

The CHP has blocked several laws passed in Parliament, getting them
annulled at the Constitutional Court after they have been enacted
on the grounds of non-compliance with the Constitution. In most
cases, the CHP moves and the subsequent court rulings have proved
to be controversial, with critics accusing the court of acting as a
political actor rather than strictly implementing the law.

Oomen-Ruijten complained that the judiciary in Turkey is not
impartial. "For a modern democracy you need an independent system of
justice. The problem in Turkey is that you really have independent
justice, but it is not impartial," she said, emphasizing that Turkey
needs judicial reform.

Sarkozy and Merkel

Although she is a Christian Democrat, Oomen-Ruijten has also criticized
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy,
who have stepped up their opposition to Turkey’s membership in their
election campaign speeches.

Oomen-Ruijten said opposition to Turkish membership now does not make
much sense because Turkish accession is not going to happen for at
least 10 years.

"We all have to accept that negotiations have started and that
the decision will be taken in 10 years or something. Sarkozy and
Merkel won’t be there anymore when the decision is taken," she said,
underlining that the accession negotiations would be halted only if
Turkey fails to meet the criteria. "It is in the hands of Turkey. It
is not in the hands of the two leaders," she said.

Asked to comment on criticism from Armenian groups in Europe against
her stance on Turkey, Oomen-Ruijten said she would maintain her
position. "The Armenian lobbies have not been successful in blocking my
candidacy, and I will hold my line on the Armenian question," she said,
noting that there are positive developments regarding Turkish-Armenia
ties. "The developments are very positive. I think I made a humble
contribution to the latest developments, and I tried hard to convince
the Armenians in the diaspora for the need to improve the conditions
of those who are living in Armenia," she said.

On Cyprus, she played down concerns that the long-running dispute
could derail the Turkish membership process but warned there would be
"serious repercussions" if there is no settlement. "Because if there
is no solution at the end of the year, that will provide ammunition to
those who are against Turkish membership," she said. Echt Today’s Zaman

ARMENIANS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN AGAINST PRO-TURKEY MEPS

Today’s Zaman
June 2 2009
Turkey

In the run-up to this week’s European Parliament elections,
a Brussels-based Armenian diaspora organization has launched a
campaign against pro-Turkey members of the European Parliament (MEPs)
while lobbying for MEPs known to be in favor of claims that Anatolian
Armenians were victims of genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD)
has released a report on the European Parliament’s last legislature
between 2004 and 2009, which, it said, "enlightens the positions
adopted by the various political groups on the issues relating to
foreign affairs, such as Turkey’s accession, the European Neighborhood
Policy, the relations between the European Union and Armenia [and]
the destruction by Azerbaijan of the Armenian cultural heritage."

The EAFJD, founded in 2000 in the EU capital, describes itself as a
"nongovernmental organization representing the European citizens of
Armenian origin at the European institutions."

The 19-page report accused some MEPs of acting as a "lobbyists" in
favor of Turkey, while praising the European United Left Group (GUE)
— known to be close to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
— calling it "the most coherent group," in regards to Turkey’s EU
accession issue.

The European Green Party "started defending the Turkish immigrants from
discrimination and progressively moved to the unconditional support of
the Turkish accession by the dissimulation of the justified obstacles
which impedes the accession process. Consequently, it constitutes
today a real [Turkish] lobby within the European Parliament," the
report states.

"The GUE has the most coherent position, which is in favor of Turkish
accession by principle and at the same time it firmly expresses the
preliminary demand of respect for European values, among which is
the recognition of the genocide," it says.

The European People’s Party (EPP) got its share of harsh criticism
from the EAFJD, particularly due to the stance of its member Ria
Oomen-Ruijten of the Netherlands who has acted as the rapporteur for
Turkey for the last two years.

"The position of the EPP group got considerably worse, in particular
under the influence of Mrs. Ria Oomen-Ruijten, which showed a singular
leniency towards Ankara in general and was resolutely hostile to
any clear mention of the Armenian issue in particular. Mrs. Ria
Oomen-Ruijten notably said publicly offensive remarks about the
Armenians on several occasions. Her attitude pleased some EPP members
who continuously supported the idea of Turkey’s accession and who
always showed reluctance to mention the Armenian Genocide such as
Mr. Geoffrey Van Orden [the United Kingdom], Mr. Vitautas Landsbergis
[Lithuania] or Mr. José Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra [Spain]."

WILL TURKEY BE IN THE ‘WINNERS’ CLUB’ OR THE ‘LOSERS’ PIT’ BY 2023?

Today’s Zaman
June 2 2009
Turkey

To be fair, we should be thankful for the idealism and faith shown
by the European Union’s founders. No doubt, the EU is the biggest
political union and largest economic market in the world and its
citizens live in democracy, peace, freedom and prosperity. The EU
has achieved many stunning successes in its history.

It engineered the Single Market, moved the Lisbon 2010 competitiveness
agenda "a bit" forward. The Schengen agreement worked, and Brussels is
currently leading the way with the global climate-change agenda. The
EU, of course, is committed to creating a single area of freedom,
justice and security. It is also trying to achieve energy supply
security, though at a snail’s pace without antagonizing Russia. The
track record leaves us with mixed feelings.

Yet, today this is not enough to justify the existence of the EU to
a different generation living in different times.

The fact is there are serious blockages in the EU system right now
and if these are not cleared and radically new structures are not
put in place instead of the current cosmetic changes under way,
then it is inevitable that the inner EU bickering will only become
more aggravated and ultimately irreparable. If this happens then no
one can expect the EU to have any real impact on the global system
anymore. It will be relegated to the status of a regional bloc.

What is in it for us?

Over the past few years EU entrance aspirations have lost ground and
speed in Turkey. This cannot be explained away by simply saying that
Brussels has not satisfied the Justice and Development Party’s (AK
Party) expectations, causing Ankara to draw back. In my opinion, it
is not that simple. We have better realized the strengths, weaknesses
and hypocrisies of the EU, which led us to reconsider the frantic
obsession for EU accession and adopt a foot-down, business-like
approach: "What is in it for us?" The public opinion polls also point
to such a cooling of emotions vis-a-vis the EU.

Under the current conditions, even if the Cyprus problem were to
be solved, the European Commission’s annual reports were to present
evidence of a perfectly clean record on Turkey’s progress, all 35 of
the accession chapters were to open at the same time and get endorsed
and even if the Armenian "genocide" allegations were adopted the way
Brussels has thus far pushed for, we should not mislead ourselves into
believing that Turkish EU membership would be anywhere on the visible
horizon. The prospects could be different only if there was a dramatic
change of heart and international determination to push forward such
an accession under the stewardship of France, Germany and the UK.

Those who present this phenomenon as: "What, are you also opposed to
EU accession? Isn’t the EU the natural destination for our country’s
historical vocation? If we don’t enter the EU we will become nothing
but lunch for the wolves, stuck in the vicious cycle of nationalism
and religious fanaticism in the Middle East!" should not be given a
sympathetic ear, either.

The current strategy of the EU machinery appears to be based on the
no longer functioning or credible "carrot and stick" approach, trying
to hold Turkey at bay and evade as long as possible a firm decision
through drawn-out accession talks.

If Turkey were to correctly analyze the global power shift, which
is putting the Asia-Pacific region to the forefront of economics
and geopolitics, and could position itself accordingly, it would
assure itself a rightful place on the "winners’ train" before even
the EU did. If the EU fails to shake itself into action to play a
central role on the world stage, and if it doesn’t quell the flames of
internal fires and make the long overdue political and institutional
transformations necessary for this, then whether or not Turkey becomes
a full EU member won’t matter in the larger unified picture to appear
soon anyway.

The EU, if it will ever become a global power on a par with the US and
China, has to embrace Turkey to benefit from its valuable regional
outreach as well as other assets Turkey brings to the table. If
this will does not exist there is no point in wasting our energy
on EU accession games. Arguing that we need the EU to "anchor" our
fragile democracy and threatened modernization if necessary even as a
"privileged partner," I find, is humiliating and self-defeating.

Turkey to become a precious asset and the EU a ‘strait-jacket’?

So why is it that Turkey should want to join an ageing EU, whose
competitiveness and world standing are fast eroding, which has become
so heavily dependent on outside energy resources and which is in a
constant state of internal battles between the "old and new Europe"?

We need to carefully calculate exactly what accession to the EU
means for us. Will it soak up our dynamism and burden us with social
security responsibilities for its aging and less-than-entrepreneurial
populations?

Will we be able to benefit from common agricultural policy subsidies
as Spain, France, Ireland, Italy and Greece did for decades to reach
their current level of development? How long will we wait for full
participation in decision-making processes and for free movement
of persons?

What about its empty coffers? Will there be any money left in
the EU’s lucrative cohesion and infrastructure funds? What are the
geopolitical implications? Will EU accession restrict our freedom in
foreign policy and tie us down when it comes to moves toward Russia,
Iran, the Caucasus, Central Asia, China and the Middle East? We have
to seriously debate these issues, ask tough questions and get definite
and satisfactory answers!

One overarching argument in favor of Turkey’s accession is to embed
Western values and standards in our lives. This is a great aspiration,
but can we really say that such good values are found only in those
27 countries in the world? Are our own values and institutions, which
await re-discovery, and which have been developed over thousands of
years of social and political experience, really less valuable or
less worthy of consideration?

How should negotiations be conducted?

Given that never before have there been accession negotiations that
were so controversial among EU member states and so charged with
uncertainties and serious political and economic impediments as the
Turkish case, it is absolutely essential that both sides agree on an
imaginative, constructive problem-solving approach to bring about a
successful conclusion to this process — if this is the real intention.

The discussions in Brussels clearly indicated that accession
negotiations would not be on the basis of a "business-as-usual"
mandate with an emphasis on the acquis communautaire and Turkey’s
ability to effectively apply it at the moment of entry into the EU. The
attainment of European standards with respect to democratization and
liberalization, as well as changing not only certain practices and
legislation, but also the public and official mindsets on both sides,
would be the primary goal — easier said than done.

It goes without saying that the process begun by Europe’s leaders in
Brussels will have to be completed by the politicians of the future —
probably during the lifetime of at least two new governments in each
country. Given the high degree of domestic controversy that the Turkish
dossier causes, the governments may not have any interest in keeping
the Turkish accession issue visible on the public agenda until such a
time that positive public perception of Turkey can be generated. Most
EU leaders would prefer to put the issue on the backburner by "leaving
the concrete task of preparing and conducting the negotiations mainly
to the European Commission."

Looking at ourselves in the mirror

Yes, it is really time to shake ourselves. Time to see crystal clear
who we are and what our national interests are, and to place these
on the scale and re-assess their relative weights. Time has come to
clarify what our relations with the EU should be from our viewpoint
and not as dictated by Brussels.

Pay no attention to the calls for "privileged partnership" put out
there by the likes of Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel. They do not
even merit a response. These are, after all, nothing but political
stances, displayed by those who have perfected the art of playing to
the tribunes — opinions that can go as quickly as they come.

Turkey’s case for serious consideration by the EU has often rested on
broader strategic and political issues, rather than civilization-based
factors. The real post-Cold War strategic significance of Turkey to
Europe, most European strategists argue, lies in the problems that a
less stable or more activist Turkey could create. Europe requires a
stable, modernizing and democratic Turkey to keep radical Islam from
Europe’s borders, they maintain. They say that the EU needs a Turkey
that is cautious in its regional policies toward the Caucasus, the
Balkans and the Middle East, and which seeks to avoid confrontation
with Moscow and Tehran. The point is not so much what Turkey offers
to Europe as what its "loss" could entail. In a certain sense, by
virtue of this thinking, what Europe needs from Turkey is that it be
contained, controlled and prudent.

Well, they will certainly act in their own self-interest. There is
nothing wrong with this, but the important thing is what we want. A
nation with a $750 billion economic powerbase, one of the largest and
most influential military forces in the world, a cultural hinterland
that we have become more aware of in recent years, never mind its
role at the crossroads of energy routes, a nation that is a unique
cornerstone in terms of its ability to synthesize western values and
Islam’s traditions, as well as the north and the south.

Perhaps it needs to be said aloud that such a nation, with an
imperial spine, cannot meekly consent to the capricious behavior of
the authorities in Brussels and some EU capitals, nor that Turkey
can be judged by the same "take it or leave it" criteria as countries
such as Malta, southern Cyprus or Bulgaria.

Otherwise, no one can say just where this "open-ended" process is
going to drag us to and, in fact, this whole process will continue
forever, soaking up our national energy like a sponge. For now,
though, let us leave these accession talks to continue at technical
levels. Let’s embrace the same approach they are taking. Let’s not
destroy what we have so far achieved on this front. Instead, let’s
demand to see the cards in their hands and protect our own national
interests as jealously as they guard theirs.

In the meantime, we should focus firmly on being not a "paper
tiger," but a real |regional power" to be reckoned with economically,
militarily and democratically — one that is strong and "problem-free"
in relation to its neighbors, robust against dealing with the fallout
of the global depression and a power that can offer its neighbors
and its own people prosperity, peace and security. Do not worry —
the rest will simply follow.

Don’t judge Turkey based on how it looks today

More importantly, the EU leaders would be better off judging Turkey
on the basis of its potential economic and geo-strategic importance
from today to 2023 and what the future holds for Europe by then —
not on the narrow and short-term interests of today. With Turkey
the EU will not only achieve an immensely richer cultural diversity,
but also considerable manufacturing capacity, entrepreneurship and
better foreign/security policy outreach to the key regions of the
world, i.e., Russia, the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus and
Central Asia. It is a "take it or leave it" deal for the EU, too.

Two terms of government may suffice to fundamentally change the face
(and the substance) of Turkey for better, while the EU will also be
going through changes and making difficult choices. One should recall
that the founding father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
accomplished the bulk of his revolutionary modernizing vision for
the country in a period of just 15 years (1923-1938) between the two
destructive world wars and in great deprivation.

Consider what more can be achieved over the next two decades in the
era of rapid globalization. Thus, it is not science fiction to predict
that both Turkey and the EU will be starkly different from what they
are today and it is in their hands to shape the common future starting
now, rather than speculating on the fears to come.

Let’s maximize the benefits of our strong association with the Middle
East, Russia, Central Asia, the United States and the Asia-Pacific
region as much as possible without being too obsessed or blinded about
belonging to one club. When we arrive at 2023, will we look back at
ourselves and the EU asking, "Did we make the right decisions and
take the right steps at the right time?"

Hopefully, the debate I am presenting here can influence this direction
positively from where we are now.

* Mehmet Ogutcu is a Mulkiye, London School of Economics and Collège
d’Europe graduate, former Turkish diplomat and senior Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) staffer and currently a
major multinational corporation executive. He is also the author of
"Turkey’s 2023 Roadmap" (Etkilesim, 2008) and "Does Our Future Lie
with Rising Asia?" (Milliyet, 1998).