Author: admin

Reuters

Turkey PM to visit Iran, urges caution on sanctions
Sat Sep 26, 2009 3:47pm EDT

By Louis Charbonneau

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on
Saturday he would discuss Iran’s controversial nuclear program with
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran next month, but urged caution
over new sanctions.

He said any attempt to impose sanctions on Tehran’s gas industry —
Iran has the world’s second largest natural gas reserves — would be
especially problematic for its neighbor Turkey.

Erdogan was speaking to reporters after Western leaders on Friday
accused Iran of hiding a nuclear plant it is building southwest of
Tehran. U.S. President Barack Obama warned Iran it would face
"sanctions that bite" if it did not come clean.

"By the end of next month I will be visiting Iran and I will talk
about this (the Iranian nuclear program)," Erdogan said through an
interpreter.

He added that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was expected to visit
Iran on October 1 — the same day an Iranian delegation meets the five
permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany for talks on its
nuclear program in Geneva.

Erdogan sounded a skeptical note on sanctions, saying they "won’t
bring about anything good for the people (of Iran). So I think we have
to be careful."

Asked if Turkey would support fresh U.N. Security Council action
against Iran, Erdogan said: "Without seeing what would be in the
resolution, it’s difficult to say. We would look at the text and we
would make our contribution and then we would make a decision."

Turkey is currently a member of the 15-nation Security Council, which
has already passed three rounds of sanctions on Iranian firms and
individuals designed to induce Tehran to halt uranium enrichment aimed
at producing nuclear fuel.

Erdogan said Turkey had told Iran it must be "transparent" with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

ERDOGAN

Ahmadinejad, who like Erdogan visited New York this week to attend the
U.N. General Assembly, sa
l and open for inspection by the IAEA.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful generation of electric
power. The United States and other Western countries suspect it is
aimed at producing nuclear weapons.

Erdogan also touched on the subject of the Nabucco gas pipeline
project. He reiterated that he would like Iranian gas to flow through
the pipeline.

Sanctioning Iranian natural gas would mean that "Nabucco will come to
a dead end," he said.

European Union countries and Turkey signed a transit deal earlier this
year for the Nabucco gas pipeline, aimed at cutting Europe’s energy
dependence on Russia by supplying gas from the Caspian Sea and Middle
East.

No concrete supply deals have yet been signed for Nabucco, which plans
to pump 31 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe by 2014.

"When it comes to natural gas, it’s of crucial importance to our
country," he said. "Our exports are quite significant."

He added that Iranian tourism in Turkey was significant and made clear
that Turkey would not like to see it curtailed. Overall, he said
Turkey’s trade with Iran amounted to some $10 billion annually, $2
billion of Turkish exports to Iran and $8 billion in imports from the
Islamic Republic.

"We have to take into consideration our national interest before
taking certain decisions," Erdogan said.

(Writing by Patrick Worsnip; Editing by Sandra Maler)

USTRE58P1KM20090926

RA President expresses condolences to Robert Sahakyants’ family
25.09.2009 20:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, RA President Serzh Sargsyan expressed
condolences to well known animator and director Robert Sahakyants’
family. `I deeply regret the decease of a famous director, RA people’s
artist Robert Sahakyants. He was the most original representative of
modern Armenian culture. The nature of his cartoons is deliberately
national; still, they’re loved by everyone, regardless of age and
nationality.
I condole with family, relatives and admirers of Robert
Sahakyants. His death is a great loss to Armenian people,’ RA
President noted in his address.

ARF to Meet with President on Diaspora Tour, Says Manoyan

meet-with-president-on-diaspora-tour-says-manoyan/
By Asbarez Staff on Sep 25th, 2009

YEREVAN (Tert.am) – The Armenian Revolutionary Federation will meet
with President Serzh Sarkisian’s during his recently announced tour of
Diaspora communities to discuss the Turkey-Armenia protocols, said the
party’s political director Giro Manoyan on Friday.

During a meeting Thursday with His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of
All Armenians on Thursday, the president announced his plans to visit
Diaspora communities of New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Beirut and
Rostov-on-Don, beginning on Oct. 1.

Manoyan said the Diaspora tour will provide the president a unique
opportunity to understand the concerns of the Armenian people.

`Since our concerns are shared by those both inside and outside
Armenia, and by hearing those concerns, Serzh Sarkisian will be guided
in the right direction,’ said Manoyan.

Tert.am asked the president’s deputy chief of staff Vigen Sargsian
whether the ARF would be included in the Diaspora meetings.

`It is obvious that the ARF has a major role in these communities and
any discussions without the ARF would be futile,’ said Sargsian adding
that the party had been invited as was the case when the matter was
being discussed in Armenia.

"Artsakh and Armenia unite"

25/miatsum
06:28 pm | September 25, 2009 | Politics

Today afternoon, RA police chained the entrances of the U.S., French
and Russian Embassies.

The Miatsum (Unification) Initiative today staged another protest
action in front of the embassies against Armenian-Turkish relations
and Armenian leadership.

The protesters handed letters to the three countries chairing the OSCE
Minsk Group.

In the letter entitled "To OSCE Minsk Group’s Co-Chair countries for
perpetrating new genocide against the Armenian people," Miatsum states
that the Madrid Principles are incompliant with the survival of
Armenian statehood.

With their approval of Armenian-Turkish Protocols and Madrid
Principles, Presidents Barack Obama, Dmitri Medvedev and Nikola
Sarkozy aim to incite new genocide against Armenians and thwart
Armenia’s statehood.

Miatsum’s member Tigran Khzmalian told A1+ that the letter is an
appeal to the embassies and Armenian people.

"We shall awaken this country. All their secret plans backed by Serzh
Sargsyan will finally fail. The RA President mustn’t yields to foreign
pressure, he must obey his people," says Tigran Khzmalian.

The protesters marched from the Statue of Myasnikian to the embassies
chanting: "Artsakh and Armenia unite."

AZG DAILY #172, 25-09-2009

Armenia-Turkey

Update: 2009-09-25 00:41:08 (GMT +04:00)

ARMENIAN EXPANSION ISSUE WILL BE BROUGHT TO TURKEY’S ASSEMBLY ON
OCTOBER 10TH

According to the Turkish Sabah newspaper, Turkish Prime Minister
Erdogan announced during a speech made at Princeton University that
the Armenian expansion protocol will be brought to Turkey’s Grand
National Assembly on October 10th-11th, two days prior to the World
Cup qualification football game between the two nations.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan discussed both the democratic expansion
and relations with Armenia during an address to Princeton
University. During the speech, Erdogan stated that the Armenia
protocol will be handled by the Grand National Assembly two days prior
to the national football game to be played on October 24th.

Erdogan stated the following: "Deliberations between Azerbaijan and
Armenia are continuing with a fervor never before seen. With the
bilateral talks conducted by Switzerland, the steps taken towards
establishing diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia have now
reached a significant point. If prejudices or internal political
issues do not surface, then I do believe that the agreement prepared
will be handed over to the parliament. These steps will be taken on
either October 10th or 11th."

Erdogan also touched on the `democratic expansion’ during his speech
and stated "The movement can not take place instantaneously. We need
to go forward a bit at a time. We want to solve the major problems and
then handle the minor ones. This is not a Kurdish expansion, it is a
democratic expansion. The rights of minorities will also be an issue
dealt with in the expansion."

Armenian American Leadership Expresses Concerns to Ambassador
By Weekly Staff – on September 24, 2009

menian-american-leadership-expresses-concerns-to-a mbassador/

On Sept. 23, representatives of political parties, associations, and
religious denominations visited the Armenian Embassy in Washington and
met with Ambassador Tatoul Markarian to express their concerns on the
Turkey-Armenia protocols.

The delegation was comprised of representatives from the Eastern and
Western Prelacies of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, the
Eparchy of the United States and Canada of the Armenian Catholic
Church, the Mother See of the Armenian Evangelical Union of America,
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), the Hamazkayin Cultural
and Educational Association, the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), the
Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), and Homenetmen.

The delegation handed Ambassador Markarian a letter highlighting the
fact that the protocols have created serious concern and frustration
among the Armenian community in the U.S., as in all other diasporan
communities. The letter rejected the idea of negotiating over
historical matters and stressed that the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide is a precondition to any negotiation. It also noted that
recognizing borders and territorial integrity means renouncing our
struggle for justice.

ARFD DEPUTY: THOSE WHO THINK THAT OUR PEOPLE IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE PROBLEM OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS ARE MISTAKEN

ArmInfo
2009-09-24 16:00:00

ArmInfo. Those who think that our people is not interested in the
problem of Armenian-Turkish relations are mistaken, the member
of the parliamentary group of ARFD Ruzan Arkelyan said during a
press-conference today.

The politicians and experts who say that our people is passive and
indifferent are mistaken and ARFD’s actions have proved this. There
are people who do care for the future of their country.

ARFD’s actions of protest against the Armenian-Turkish protocols
are not an end in itself, not an attempt to please the people. "We
see that our country is in danger and cannot just sit back and do
nothing. We have our firm position and we are resolved to go all the
way," Arakelyan said.

ALEXANDER ISKANDARYAN: I DON’T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHY ARMEN AYVAZYAN FILED CLAIM AGAINST OUR INSTITUTE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.09.2009 00:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I don’t quite understand which Article of RA
Criminal Code can serve as a basis for ‘Ararat’ centre’s lawsuit
against Caucasus Institute. Armenia’s legislation does not envisage
criminal liability for negation of Armenian Genocide. Of course, we
have never denied the fact," Caucasus Institute director Alexander
Iskandaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, commenting upon Ararat
Centre Director Armen Ayvazyan’s statement. According to Isakandaryan,
Turkish historian and political scientist Aybars Gordjulu never
denied the fact of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire. "Improper
understanding of research objective, particularly in political terms,
is unfortunately evident. To be frank, I don’t quite understand why
Armen Ayvazyan filed claim against our institute," Iskandaryan said,
adding that Gordjulu was considered one of liberal Turkish historians.

Ararat strategic research centre has filed a lawsuit against
Caucasus Institute, accusing the latter of Armenian Genocide
denial. In 2008, Caucasus Institute published a collection titled
"Caucasian Neighborhood: Turkey and South Caucasus" which comprised
Aybars Gordjulu’s report on "Armenian-Turkish relations: eternal
deadlock". Let’s note that Gordjulu worked in Turkish Economic and
Social Research foundation (TESEV). Report was earlier introduced
during a scientific conference in Istanbul. First court hearing is
due in mid-October 2009.

BY RATIFYING UN CONVENTION, TURKEY ACCEPTS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Tert
Sept 23 2009
Armenia

Armenia and Turkey ratified the UN Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. As GPartners law firm partner
Sargis Grigoryan stated during a press conference, the Convention is
the only international document regulating issues related to genocide.

"If any country ratifies the convention it means they accept it. By
ratifying the UN Convention, Turkey accepts Armenian Genocide,"
Grigoryan said.

At the same time, Grigoryan also added that Raphael Lemkin, who
developed the Convention, clearly wrote in his report that the concept
of genocide in the Convention was formulated based on the Holocaust
and Armenian Genocide.

The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide came into force on January 12, 1951.

NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR TRANSPORTATION SAFETY DEVELOPED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.09.2009 21:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 22, the first sitting of transportation
safety national strategy development group was held, headed by RA
National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan.

Strategy development and ratification is determined by RA National
Strategy within Armenia-EU collaboration program.

National strategy for transportation safety aims at high-level safety
provision while transporting passengers and cargo, Baghdasaryan
emphasized.

The project will be submitted to National Security Council for
ratification. Upon ratification, RA Government will launch a 5-year
project, in accordance with Armenia-EU program, RA National Security
Council press service reported.