ASBAREZ Online [02-16-2005]

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02/16/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Haigneré Says Turkey Should Not Take Referendum Personally 2) Violence Mars Turkish Kurd Rally on Sixth Anniversary of Ocalan Capture 3) Putin, Aliyev Satisfied with Cooperation, Increased Trade 4) Turkish Entry to EU Could Produce 'Truly European Neighbor' 1) Haigneré Says Turkey Should Not Take Referendum Personally (Combined Sources)--The French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Claudie Haigneré, expressed support for a French parliamentary decision that will require a referendum prior to the entry of any new members into the European Union (EU). Though the law would impact Turkey and its hopes to join the EU, Haigneré dismissed claims that the move was a "discriminatory" measure aimed at Turkey. Speaking at a joint press conference late on Monday following her meeting with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Haigneré emphasized that the French Parliament's decision, which is likely to be finalized by the French Senate, was not a "double standard" directed solely towards the Turkish people. "It's not possible to discriminate against any potential EU partner," Haigneré was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency. She added that a referendum would be held prior to Croatia's admittance and that Britain's EU membership had also been voted on in a referendum in the past. A member of the Turkish Parliamentary Adjustment Commission Onur Oymen said, "a referendum is something against Turkey. We understand France's internal policy requirements, but Turkey does not want to pay the cost. The referendum will affect negatively Turkey's membership [to the EU], as well as Turkish-French friendship." Oymen also revealed that while in France earlier this week, he was told by many that, "if Turkey does not recognize the Armenian genocide, it will not join the EU. This may affect Turkey-France relations negatively," he said. Haigneré stressed that the idea of holding a referendum was initially suggested by French President Jacques Chirac, as it paved the way for him to be able to support the Dec. 17 EU decision to open entry talks with Turkey on Oct. 3 in the face of opposition to the idea in France. Chirac, who is known to favor Turkey's EU entry, has been facing political isolation in his own country as he has been confronted with strong opposition from both the public and his own center-right Union for People's Movement (UMP) party for his support of Turkey's EU membership hopes. 2) Violence Mars Turkish Kurd Rally on Sixth Anniversary of Ocalan Capture Turkish rights group seeks protest violence probe At least 15 people injured and 20 others detained in Diyarbakir in southeastern Turkey after police clash with protesters on the anniversary of a Kurdish rebel leader's arrest. ISTANBUL (AFP/Reuters)--A Turkish rights group, on Wednesday, called for a probe into what it called excessive use of force by police in breaking up protests marking the sixth anniversary of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan's capture. Riot police sprayed tear gas and wielded batons on Tuesday to disperse hundreds of pro-Ocalan protesters in Istanbul and Diyarbakir, the main city in the largely Kurdish southeast. Local police said they were investigating the death from apparent gunshot wounds of a 19-year-old man in the southern port city of Mersin, where protesters threw rocks at police. There were also smaller clashes between police and demonstrators in the Aegean city of Izmir and the eastern town of Van. Ocalan, serving a life sentence in a Turkish prison after special forces captured him in Kenya in 1999, still commands support among sections of the Kurdish population. The Human Rights Association (IHD), a leading Turkish rights group, called on the Interior Ministry and prosecutors to launch administrative and judicial investigations into those responsible for Tuesday's violence. "We in the Human Rights Association condemn this mode of operation which is based on violence, pressure and obstructing the exercise of rights," IHD Chairman Yusuf Alatas said in a statement. A police spokesman said police had not yet issued a statement on the allegations of excessive force. Turkish special forces brought Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Ocalan back to Turkey from Kenya in 1999 after a three-month chase around Europe and Africa. Before his capture, Ocalan had been searching for a safe haven. Syria threw him out of Damascus under Turkish military pressure in November 1998. He failed to find long-term refuge in Italy, Russia, the Netherlands and other European countries. He was sentenced to death for high treason on June 29, 1999, but the verdict was later commuted to life imprisonment once Turkey abolished the death penalty as part of a European Union-inspired rights reform drive. The PKK launched a fight for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984. More than 30,000 have died in two decades of conflict. Violence dwindled after his capture but revived after the group called off a unilateral ceasefire last June. 3) Putin, Aliyev Satisfied with Cooperation, Increased Trade MOSCOW (Itar-Tass)-- After talks in the Kremlin on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev said they were satisfied with the developing cooperation between their two countries, as well as the trade growth rate. "Trade turnover reached a record high last year, increasing 50 percent, to about 800 million US dollars. Our trade will soon reach one billion U.S. dollars," Putin said. "I'm convinced that we'll reach it shortly." Aliyev said that Azerbaijan could not have imagined that the rate of trade would expand so rapidly. "The goal is to double trade in the future and today this appears to be realistic," he noted. Pointing to the speed with which projects were implemented during the past year, Aliyev said that the two countries clearly hold mutual interests for mutual benefits. "It would be impossible to reach such figures without effective political contacts," Aliyev said. Putin revealed that Russian companies are ready to invest in Azerbaijan, noting that there exist "concrete projects." According to Azerbaijan, 10.9 percent of its 2004 overall import-export was with Russia--second only after Italy. 4) Turkish Entry to EU Could Produce 'Truly European Neighbor' YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--Defense Minister Serge Sargsian looks forward to the start of membership talks between Turkey and the European Union (EU), saying that Armenian could--for the first time, have a "truly European neighbor" as a result. In an online news conference earlier this week with readers of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's (ARF) "Yerkir" weekly, Sargsian argued that the prospect of EU membership could lead Turkey to reopen its border and establish diplomatic relations with Armenia. "It is my conviction that the start of membership talks between Turkey and the EU has a purely practical significance for us and will further contribute to the resolution of issues mentioned by you," he said in response to a question about Ankara's continuing refusal to normalize ties with Yerevan without preconditions. Sargsian added that Armenia wants Turkey to "develop progressively... in accordance with European values and standards." Armenians should therefore be encouraged by the "possibility of having a truly European neighbor in 15-20 years' time," he said. The remarks represent the most positive assessment yet by a senior Armenian official of the EU's decision late last year to open accession talks with Ankara by the end of 2005. Official Yerevan's initial reaction to the move was far more negative, with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian accusing the EU of turning a blind eye to the Turkish blockade. "We believe that Turkey did not deserve to get the right to begin accession talks with the European Union at this point," he said in October. However, Oskanian struck a more positive tone in December after receiving assurances from European leaders that they will raise Armenian grievances with the Turks during the accession process. Sargsian's comments contrast even more sharply with the position of the ARF, as well as a number of Diasporan organizations in western Europe and France. They have for months campaigned against admitting Turkey into the EU, saying that Ankara must first stop denying the genocide of 1915, which claimed the lives of 1.5 million Ottoman-Armenians. But Sargsian stressed that Armenia and Armenians worldwide can continue to work for genocide recognition, even while Turkey knocks on the EU's door. "As a statesman, I very much hope that the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey will greatly contribute to the security of our state," he said. During the online conference, Sargsian did not shy away from questions dealing with his relationship to the ARF, which he stated deserved its "due respect." "I don't think that anybody has reason to consider me an ardent supporter of Dashnaktsutyun [ARF]," he told one of Yerkir's readers. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. --Boundary_(ID_PMbapeZsOBuYztZF2JZG/g)--