ASBAREZ Online [12-14-2004]

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12/14/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Cypriot President, ARF Meet on Turkey's EU Entry 2) An Appeal to the Armenian-American Community of the Western US 3) Armenian Youth Protest Scheduled at Consul General of Netherlands 4) ACTION ALERT 5) Armenia Hails French Push for Turkish Recognition of Genocide 6) BRIEFS 7) Correction 1) Cypriot President, ARF Meet on Turkey's EU Entry NICOSIA (Yerkir)--Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau representative Hrant Margarian and the President of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos met on Tuesday to discuss Turkey's aspirations to join the European Union (EU). Cyprus warned its European Union partners last week that it may veto the start of accession talks with Turkey if the latter continues to resist calls to recognize Cyprus. Margarian briefed President Papadopoulos on the ARF's position concerning Turkey's bid to join the EU, and called on Cyprus to maintain a steadfast position regarding the possibility of Turkey commencing EU accession negotiations. He also said he expected Cyprus to raise, within the EU, the issue of Turkey's recognition of the Armenian genocide. The ARF delegation was composed of ARF Western Europe Central Committee (CC) representative Murad Papazian, ARF Greece CC representative Krikor Erchanian, European Armenian Federation Chairwoman Hilda Tchoboian, ARF Cyprus organization representative Vahan Aynedjian, and Armenian National Committee of Cyprus Chairman Antranig Ashjian. The delegation later met with the president of the Cyprus Socialist Party (EDEK) and other officials. The Cypriot government has demanded full recognition before Turkey's accession talks commence. Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 in reaction to a Greek-inspired coup in Nicosia and has kept 35,000 troops on the divided island ever since. The warning that Nicosia may "have no other option" but to use its veto at a December 16-17 summit of EU heads of state was issued at a meeting of the EU ambassadors of the bloc's 25 member countries in Brussels last Wednesday. Turkey recognizes only the Turkish Cypriot enclave in north Cyprus, while the rest of the world views the Greek Cypriot government in the south, which joined the EU in May, as the sole legitimate representative of the whole island. 2) An Appeal to the Armenian-American Community of the Western US On Thursday December 16, the European Union (EU) will convene a two day summit in the Belgium capital of Brussels, during which time Turkey's accession to the body will be discussed. The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) has organized a demonstration in an attempt to voice the Armenian community's position on the matter. Turkey's EU bid is not merely a concern to the European-Armenian community. Rather, it affects Armenians throughout the world. For this reason, we ask Armenian-Americans to contact any relatives or friends they may have in Europe, and specifically in the city of Brussels, and urge them to attend the planned demonstration. The Armenian community must make sure that its concerns are clearly heard in Brussels. For detailed information about the demonstration, please visit <;, or contact the organization's representatives directly at [email protected], or (32) 02-732-70-26. 3) Armenian Youth Protest Scheduled at Consul General of Netherlands LOS ANGELES--European Union leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to decide on whether to set a date for Turkey's membership negotiations into the Union. The Armenian National Committee of Europe has undertaken efforts to organize a massive demonstration in Brussels on December 17 to oppose Turkey's membership. Armenians from throughout Europe are expected to join that protest to present the demands of the Armenian people. In joining those efforts, as well as other protests that are scheduled to take place throughout the diaspora, the Armenian Youth Federation will stage a peaceful protest at the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Los Angeles at 3 p.m. on Thursday, December 16. Armenian youth are expected to present a letter to the Consul General of the Netherlands to convey their opposition to Turkish EU membership based on specific Armenian and human rights concerns. The Dutch currently head the European Union presidency. The Consul General of the Netherlands is located at 11766 Wilshire Boulevard (Wilshire and Granville) in Los Angeles. 4) ACTION ALERT Send ANCA WebFax to key EU Members today Urge EU to Reject Turkey's Membership Bid On December 17th, the European Council will vote on whether to begin discussions on Turkey's accession to the European Union. Take one minute to send a free ANCA WebFax to key European leaders urging them to reject Turkey's bid because of its denial of the Armenian Genocide; occupation of Cyprus; blockade of Armenia; and human rights abuses. --Log onto ANCA.org --Click on first Action Alert item urging "EU to Reject Turkey's Membership Bid" --Simply in your name, address and information, and click on "Send Message." Your ready fax will automatically be forwarded to the following: Colin L. Powell, US Secretary of State John Bruton, EU Commission's Ambassador to US Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council of the EU Arlette Conzemius, Luxembourg Ambassador to US (Luxembourg will take over the EU presidency in January 2005) Boudewijn Johannes van Eenennaam, Dutch Ambassador to US (Dutch hold current EU presidency) Jean-David Levitte, French Ambassador to US Euripides Euriviades, Cypriot Ambassador to US 5) Armenia Hails French Push for Turkish Recognition of Genocide YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--Armenia praised France on Tuesday for pledging to seek Turkish recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during anticipated negotiations on Turkey's membership of the European Union. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said he believes Ankara's refusal to open the Turkish-Armenian border will also be on the agenda of the accession talks. "In the course of the accession negotiations, France will ask for recognition of the tragedy at the outset of the 20th century," French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said late Monday. Barnier referred to the 1915-1923 mass killings and deportations of some 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians which France's parliament recognized as genocide in 2001. "Armenia certainly welcomes the statement," Oskanian told reporters in Yerevan. "It once again shows that the issue of the Armenian Genocide is now a truly global issue." Barnier made the comments in Brussels after attending a meeting of the foreign ministers of EU member states. They discussed preparations for this week's EU summit, which is expected to give the green light for the start of formal negotiations on Turkish entry into the bloc. Turkey was quick to reject the French calls which could complicate its decades-long efforts to join the EU. "Our position is well-known. We do not recognize any so-called genocide and we will never recognize it," a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Ankara told Reuters. Barnier clarified on Tuesday that France does not regard Turkish recognition of the genocide as a precondition for EU membership. "But when the time comes, Turkey should face up to the requirement of remembrance over this tragedy at the beginning of the century, which affected hundreds of thousands of Armenians," he told French television, according to the Associated Press. "The European project itself is founded on the idea of reconciliation. "We have 10 years to ask it; the Turks have 10 years to think about their response," he added. France is home to Europe's largest and most influential ethnic Armenian community, which has been lobbying Paris hard to link Turkey's EU entry to genocide recognition. Western commentators suggest that Barnier's statements are also meant to reassure the broader French public overwhelmingly opposed to Turkish membership. Armenia's government has also voiced strong objections, citing Ankara's continuing denial of the genocide and, more importantly, its refusal to open the border and establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan without any preconditions. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan listed Armenian efforts at genocide recognition among those preconditions in a newspaper interview last October. Oskanian raised the issue in meetings last week with senior EU officials, among them External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. "Our efforts in recent months seem to be yielding positive results," he said. "Both the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border and the Armenian Genocide have really become issues of interest to the European Union...I have reason to be confident that those issues will be on the agenda of the accession talks." 6) BRIEFS Germany Opposes "Watered Down" EU Turkey Talks BRUSSELS (Reuters)--Germany insisted that any accession talks between the European Union and Turkey should be with the goal of Ankara becoming a member, rejecting calls for more limited partnership options. Three days before EU leaders are seen giving the green light to entry talks, new controversy emerged as France said it would seek Turkish recognition of a 1915-23 killing of Armenians as genocide once those talks begun, drawing an immediate denial from Ankara. "This is about negotiations with the goal of entry," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told reporters in Berlin, rejecting calls for the 25-member bloc to offer Ankara a privileged but limited partnership status. German Firm Takes over Armenian Mining Giant YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--The government clarified on Tuesday terms of the sale of Armenia's largest metallurgical complex to a German-led consortium of private investors, saying that they will pay $132 million, not $40 million as was initially understood. The latter figure was mentioned in a government statement last week announcing the country's biggest privatization deal since 1998. Officials said it only reflected the face value of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine's stock. The industrial giant, located near the south-eastern town of Kajaran, comprises mines and an ore-enrichment plant. The clarification was made during the signing of the takeover agreement by Trade and Economic Development Minister Karen Chshmaritian and the chairman of Germany's Chronimet firm, Guenter Pilarski. Chronimet will directly own 60 percent of the Kajaran complex and control another 15 percent through the Yerevan-based smelter Makur Yerkat where it holds a controlling share. OSCE to Sponsor New Armenian Police Unit YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) plans to sponsor a new Western-style police force in Armenia that will embody higher standards of efficiency and moral integrity, the head of its Yerevan office announced on Tuesday. Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin said the "municipal public police" will be modeled on Swedish police and will operate in Yerevan as part of a $2 million project designed by the OSCE. He said the unit will be staffed with new officers to be taught Western standards of policing at Armenia's main police academy. European instructors will teach them, among other things, that "it is inadmissible to get bribes when you are on duty and regulate traffic," he added. Speaker of Russia's State Duma Visits Armenia YEREVAN (Arminfo)--Speaker of Russia's State Duma Boris Gryzlov arrived in Yerevan on December 14 for a three day visit. During his stay, he is scheduled to meet with his Armenian counterpart Artur Bagdasarian, President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, His Holiness Armenians Karekin II. IMF Agrees Fresh Turkey Funding ANKARA (BBC)--Turkey has agreed a draft proposal with the International Monetary Fund to borrow $10 billion, extending its ongoing financial support until 2007. Turkey's current $18.6 billion loan agreement with the IMF expires in February and the new follow-on deal would see it get fresh support between 2005 and 2007. In return for the funding, Turkey would be expected to keep inflation under control and introduce market reforms. Turkey's economy has steadily recovered from a severe crisis in 2001. Rodrigo de Rato, the IMF's managing director, said the loan agreement would help to improve Turkish economic prospects by cutting its debt and stimulating growth. France Shows off Tallest Bridge PARIS (BBC)--The world's highest road bridge has been inaugurated in southern France by President Jacques Chirac. When the bridge opens in 2005, cars traveling from Paris to Barcelona will sail over the Tarn valley in southern France at a height of nearly 250 meters, cutting journey times on one of Europe's busiest roads. The Millau bridge is more than 300m (984ft) high--taller even than the country's Eiffel Tower. "The bridge is just on the clouds," said Millau Mayor Jacques Godfrain. The French construction group Eiffage, which built the Eiffel Tower, financed the project in return for the right to collect receipts from a bridge toll for 75 years. Azeri President Urges International Effort in Karabagh Resolution YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev called on the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the United Nations to do more to help settle the Karabagh conflict. Speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs December 13 during a visit to London, Aliyev said he remains committed to seek a peaceful solution to the Karabagh conflict with the help of the OSCE. He stressed, however, that other international organizations should play a more active role in the negotiation process. He also added that Azerbaijan would never agree to "annexation" of its territories and would do everything to "liberate" its lands. 7) Correction: In the article "ANCC Speaks out on Escalating Violence against Armenians in Iraq," which appeared in the December 14 issue of Asbarez, we erroneously referred to the "December 7 bombings of Kabul's Armenian and Chaldean churches," instead of Mosul's churches. 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