ASBAREZ Online [05-12-2005]

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05/12/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) ARF Lebanon Issues Statement on Elections, Electoral Law 2) Barnier Again Addresses EU Aspirant Turkey's Past 3) Azeri Agent Confirms Baku's Terrorist Acts against Armenia 4) Ocalan Verdict Puts Turkey under Pressure 5) ARS Festival's Youth Forum to Encourage Leadership and Initiative 1) ARF Lebanon Issues Statement on Elections BEIRUT--Discontent with Lebanon's electoral law adopted in 2000, the Central Committee of ARF Lebanon issued a press release on Wednesday, pointing to the law's weaknesses, specifically in providing equal representation among Lebanon's diverse communities. Citing basic democratic principals--the participation of people in elections and their right to representation--they stressed that the upholding of these principles are especially important in countries that are based on a confessional system. In light of the inequality and injustice of 2000 elections, the ARF states the party has attempted to right the injustices of that election--by way of political action, dialogue, and negotiations with those who have the power to correct the previous wrong. The ARF expresses hope that Beirut's Armenian community is properly represented in the upcoming parliament, and that efforts are undertaken to draft a just electoral law--which takes into account the dream of the Lebanese people to have a democratic government, based on the fundamentals of justice, equality, solidarity, and respect. Subsequently, the party announced its nomination of Stepan Der Bedrossian (2nd district), and former minister Jacques Chookhadarian (3rd district) for Armenian slots in Beirut's district elections. The political system in Lebanon was established on the basis of "confessionalism," designed to achieve a balance between the various sectarian communities in the country--so as to "ensure equitable confessional representation." The confessional formula allocated political positions to the various communities in accordance with an arbitrary population ratio (6 to 5) based on the 1932 census taken under the French mandate. 2) Barnier Again Addresses EU Aspirant Turkey's Past (Combined Sources)--French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier again stressed that Turkey must recognize the Armenian genocide before it joins the European Union (EU). Reminding that Turkey has 15-20 years of negotiations before membership to the EU, Barnier said that if Turkey, at the conclusion of those mandatory talks, still denies the Armenian genocide, then it can not become an EU member. "We must consider that even after that [negotiations], France's constitution requires that Turkey's entry into the EU must be approved via a national referendum," Barnier said. "Turkey must be aware of the fact that it's not Europe joining Turkey; rather Turkey aspiring to join the EU. Barnier has consistently said that Turkey must come to terms with its past, and the genocide of Armenians by the government of the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 20th century. 3) Azeri Agent Confirms Baku's Terrorist Acts against Armenia (AZG)--A former employee of Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry (1976-1995), Aleqper Heydar oglu Ismailov, confirmed in a letter to an Azeri Russia-language website-- Baku's authorities organized and partly carried out terrorist acts against Armenians during the Karabagh war and the years that followed. Ismailov, who has been working at the Intelligence Service of Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry since 1997, particularly claims in his letter that terrorist acts were organized and carried out not only in Armenia but Georgia, Russia and Iran as well. On May 20 of 2004, Ismailov was called to the Ministry of National Security were he was arrested. He was sentenced to several months of imprisonment for national treason in favor of Russia. Ismailov specifies in his letter what made him speak to the public: "I've already suffered 2 strokes, little time is left for me and I think it is vital that my children learn who their father is and how to love their fatherland. That is the reason why I want you to publish this document." Ismailov confessed in the letter that while the head of the Department of Struggle Against Interethnic Conflicts in 1991-1995, he organized and carried out acts of sabotage: the explosions of bridges in Stepanakert and Imir (an Azeri village in Georgia), as well as the explosion of Georgia-Armenia gas pipeline. He confessed that he managed to place 30 kg of trotyl in Erebuni Hotel in Yerevan in 1993. He noted that he blew up two Armenian offices in Kuban and Stavropol acting on behalf of Kazaks; later on, he exploded the publishing house of anti-Armenian Kuban Harold newspaper on behalf of Armenian ASALA. The most fascinating claim Ismailov makes is that they organized the explosion of the complex of government buildings downtown Yerevan for which they made provision of 3 tons of trotyl. But the October events in 1994 (the next attempt of political upheaval) distracted Baku's attention from their barbaric plan in Yerevan. Ismailov insists that the explosion of an Armenian church in Tebriz in March of 1995 was being prepared but it also failed due to political tension in Azerbaijan. Ismailov also said that he used more than 80 official sources for terrorist acts against Armenia, including information from the head of Mkhedrioni military-political group and the head of the Georgian Department of Intelligence, major general Avtandil Ioseliani. "General Ioseliani provided me with information that he got from Armenia and I offered him information from Chechen reconnaissance about developments in Abkhazia," he said. 4) Ocalan Verdict Puts Turkey under Pressure ANKARA (Reuters)--Europe's top human rights court declared the 1999 trial of Kurdish rebel Abdullah Ocalan unfair on Thursday, pressuring Turkey to defy nationalist anger and order a retrial in support of its EU ambitions. Ankara signaled Ocalan could indeed be tried anew. But it moved quickly to assure Turks who revile him as a terrorist bent on dismembering their nation that he would not walk free. "Whether this dossier is reopened or not, the matter (of Ocalan's guilt) is a closed one for the nation's conscience," Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said during a trip to Hungary. The verdict from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) raised fears of revived political tensions in Turkey at a delicate time as it tries to meet European Union standards on human rights before the start of EU entry talks in October. Ocalan, sole inmate for the past six years of an island prison in the Sea of Marmara, evokes strong emotions among Turks who blame him for the deaths of more than 30,000 people during a separatist rebellion in the 1980s and 1990s. The powerful military, facing a recent increase in clashes with Ocalan followers, called the ECHR ruling "political, not legal"--echoing a widespread nationalist sentiment here that Europe is deliberately engineering problems for Turkey. As word of the Strasbourg court verdict came, television aired dramatic 1999 footage of Ocalan blindfolded on a plane after his capture in Kenya by Turkish commandoes--a scene which triggered euphoria and pride in Turkey at the time. Hoping to avert nationalist anger over the new legal twist, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said: "We must be as cold-blooded as possible...This is not the end of the world...Our people must not be concerned (about the possible outcome of a retrial), they must trust the state and the judiciary." LONG PROCESS The ECHR verdict must still be approved by the Council of Europe, the continent's top human rights watchdog. "This is a long process and we still have a great deal of time," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said during a trip to Kiev. A panel of ECHR judges, reaching their verdict by 11 to 6, said in a statement that Ocalan had not had proper access to legal counsel or the facilities needed for his defense. "The applicant was not tried by an independent and impartial tribunal," they said. Ocalan was tried by a State Security Court--a body set up to deal with crimes against the state which has now been disbanded in line with EU-inspired reforms. Dozens of Kurds cheered and chanted outside the ECHR under a banner declaring "Free Ocalan--Peace in Kurdistan". In Turkey too, Kurdish reaction was favorable. "I hope (this decision) will contribute to Turkey's democratization," said Osman Baydemir, mayor of Diyarbakir, the biggest city in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast region. The European Commission, which will lead Turkey's EU entry talks, welcomed the government's calm response to the verdict. "The European Commission expects that Turkey will respect this decision of the Court of Human Rights. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe so it is due to implement all the decisions of the court," said spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardi. Asked whether it could have any influence on the start of the accession talks, he said the Commission would wait to see how the decision was implemented in practice. MILITARY IRKED Financial markets also shrugged off the verdict, suggesting that the government's reaction had struck the right balance in placating nationalists and Brussels officials. The centre-right government must show continued skill to stop the issue hampering EU entry talks and the foreign investment that could follow. Turkey's powerful military denounced the court verdict. "Nobody can expect an institution which gave thousands of martyrs (in the fight against separatism) to stay impartial (over this ruling)," said General Ilker Basbug, deputy head of the General Staff. Liberal political analyst Dogu Ergil of Ankara University said he expected both Kurdish radicals and Turkish nationalists to try to exploit the ECHR verdict for their own ends. "The feeling in Turkey of being under siege by hostile international forces will increase a little bit more," he said. Ocalan was found guilty in June 1999 of "treason through separatism". An original death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after Turkey scrapped the death penalty in 2002, in line with EU requirements. 5) ARS Festival's Youth Forum to Encourage Leadership and Initiative GLENDALE--The Armenian Relief Society of Western US (ARS-WR) will be hosting a Youth Forum during its annual Armenian Festival, being held at the Glendale Civic Auditorium on May 14-15. The forum, "You Can Make a Difference," is scheduled from 5 pm-7:30 pm, on Saturday, May 14, at the lower level conference room at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. The forum strives to appeal to today's young generation to use their creativity and energy to foster effective change in their own communitiesas leaders, advisors, and program coordinators. Holding true to its theme, various youth leaders will present their own experiences and show that every individual can make a difference. Another topic of discussion will be the ability to foster change while working within existing decision making structures. "One of the special goals of the ARS has always been to engage the young people to bring out the best in themselves," said Angela Savoian, Chair of the ARS-WR Regional Executive. She added, "Throughout our 95 year history, the ARS has helped the youth with scholarships and internships, helping them reach their potential through educational and work experiences. This is a new program and we hope to expand it year after year." The festival entrance fee ($4) will be waived to forum participants, who need to RSVP by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling the ARS-WR at (818) 500-1343. In April, ARS-WR took on the remarkable responsibility of being a major sponsor of the "March for Humanity," a youth-organized 215-mile 19-day march >From Fresno to Sacramento. Continuing an annual tradition, the Regional
Executive will be holding an Award Night on June 6, where Southern California
chapters provide awards to bright high school graduates.
The Glendale Civic Auditorium is located at 1401 North Verdugo Road in
Glendale (the cross street is East Mountain Street). For more information
about
the festival, click on the rolling photos on the ARS-WR home page at
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