Author: Andres-Papazian

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 21, 2010 Monday

5,900 ARMENIANS DEPORTED FROM TURKEY

5,900 Armenian citizens have been deported from Turkey in the past
three years, a Turkish parliamentary commission has said, reports say.
The commission said in a report that one of the problems for Turkey is
that many women who come to the country from Armenia engage in
prostitution. 779 and 474 Armenian women were deported from Turkey for
such activities in 2007 and 2008 respectively. 100 such cases have
been reported so far this year.

From: A. Papazian

Mideast Mirror
June 21, 2010 Monday

‘Yellow card’ to Erdogan

A U.S.-Israeli campaign is underway to punish Turkish PM Erdogan for
his pro-Palestinian stance, says Mohammad Kharroub in Jordanian
al-Ra’i

Last Friday’s decision by the Turkish Supreme Court to release a
public prosecutor and nine other individuals accused of attempting to
overthrow the elected Turkish government, and the decision by the U.S.
Congress and Israeli Knesset to revive the issue of the First World
War Armenian massacre, are clear signs of a conspiracy at work against
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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after his recent positions against Israel, maintains a Jordanian commentator.

FIERCE CAMPAIGN: “A fierce campaign is underway, giving the impression
of a conspiracy at work,” writes Mohammad Kharroub in the Jordanian
daily al-Ra’i.

Those who are averse to conspiracy theories should scrutinize what is
going on before dismissing this particular one.

The campaign’s target is the Turkish PM who has deviated from the text
written for him, or was forced to do so, or found an opportunity to
register more points, greater influence, and a stronger role for his
country, in favor of Turkish diplomacy, and especially in to serve his
party.

No sooner did his opponents seem to have been on the verge of losing
their ‘street’ — especially after the sex scandal that toppled the
head of the largest opposition party (Deniz Baykal, the head of the
People’s Republican Party [CHP]) — than they regained the initiative.
They elected a leader who is even more hard-line and more outspoken in
defending the values of the secular republic declared by (CHP founder)
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923.

On Friday, the Turkish Supreme Court ordered the release of a public
prosecutor accused of belonging to a network aimed at toppling the
government. The Court also ordered the release of nine other detained
people, including military men and intelligence agents. The order
angered Erdogan who accused the Court of disrespecting justice and
violating constitutional rules.

This means that Erdogan, who is amidst a difficult domestic and
foreign confrontation, is trying to preempt his opponents and prevent
them from delivering the ‘message’ they wished to send via the
judiciary and the military establishment that stands behind it.

These two institutions are the ‘redoubts’ that Erdogan has tried to
‘storm’ by legal and constitutional methods. He achieved relative
success via the Ergenekon [alleged military coup] case and its
investigations, which involved judges and generals, both on active
service and in retirement. He also won an important point by
introducing amendments to the constitution. But he did not succeed in
wining over a sufficient number of votes to transform these amendments
into law, which means that they will soon be put to a popular
referendum.

Despite all this, Erdogan is now facing a ‘setback’ because of the
Supreme Court’s decision. That decision may enhance his opponents’
self-confidence and push them towards a greater confrontation that
could, in turn, push Erdogan to respond with uncalculated steps that
would expose him to greater losses at the domestic and foreign levels.

Why at the foreign level? Because the ‘supporters of freedom, the
defenders of human rights, the children of light’ in the U.S. Congress
and the Knesset have emerged in public to issue a ‘yellow card’ —
since we are in the midst of the World Cup — against the PM of a
state that is NATO member. It is also a state whose forces have taken
part in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan.

They have warned him against the dire consequences of continuing to
‘draw away’ from Israel and expose its interests to danger. And they
publicly threatened to take ‘well-considered’ steps and issue a ‘red
card’ that would pave the way to toppling him, and perhaps hang a
noose around his neck — as happened with his predecessor Adnan
Menderes half a century ago.

But what will those Congressional members do? They will reopen the
debate regarding the Armenian massacre, a file that the Zionist lobby
in Congress — and, obviously, the Knesset — has long covered up and
postponed. That was because their interests coincided with Turkey’s as
a strategic ally of Washington and Tel Aviv alike.

In fact, the Armenian issue — like all other issues of liberation,
human rights, resistance to occupation and racism, and public liberty
— was not viewed as a moral issue or one of conscience; nor was it
given any importance on the ‘enlightened’ West’s agenda.

Now, however, it is being dug out from the archives and dusted off.
Congress has rolled up its sleeves and will discuss the massacre of
the Armenians. And so will its ‘sister’ parliament, the Israeli
Knesset, in the near future. In other words, the ‘hotheads in Ankara
should understand the implications and seek an honorable way out for
themselves … or else.’

In other words, they are seeking to ‘tame the wild horse.’ But will
they succeed with Erdogan?

It would be too adventurous to speculate. After all, politics is the
art of the possible, and everything is possible in politics. At the
end of the day, Erdogan’s fate is linked to his personal future, his
country’s interests, and those of his party. However, his political
future will be under threat if he retreats and disregards his
country’s honor, his people’s blood, and his homeland’s sovereignty.

For this reason, Erdogan will continue to attack Israel — albeit more
cautiously. He will continue to say that his country ‘will not remain
silent regarding piracy and injustice and will seek solutions within
the framework of international law,’ as he said in a meeting of his
AKP party on Friday.

He was also notably careful to stress that his country’s problem is
with the Israeli ‘government’ which ‘refuses to recognize laws,’ and
not with the ‘Israeli people.’

All possibilities remain open, including that of taming Erdogan or
threatening his political future. However, is all that is happening
not consistent with a tripartite conspiracy theory — with the U.S.,
Israel, and the Turkish military establishment as its three sides?

“In fact, the latter may soon move its tanks out of their barracks
with Western backing; one that adopts a hypocritical discourse and the
honeyed talk to which we have become accustomed when justifying the
recognition of ‘white but bloody’ military coups arranged by the CIA,”
concludes Kharroub.

From: A. Papazian

States News Service
June 21, 2010 Monday

PALLONE CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON SOLDIERS OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC

WASHINGTON

The following information was released by the office of New Jersey
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.:

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), co-chair of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, Monday released the following statement
condemning attacks by armed forces of Azerbaijan on soldiers of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

I condemn these attacks in the strongest terms. The attempt to
penetrate the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh defenses was an
unacceptable provocation and an attempt to precipitate further
conflict.

I also want to express my deepest condolences to the families of the
four soldiers who lost their lives due to these attacks. Their
dedication to protecting a young but flourishing democracy exercising
its right to self-determination is admirable.

The fact that these attacks were unprovoked and came just hours after
a meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan with
Russian President Medvedev as part of ongoing efforts to bring the
conflict to a final peace settlement, makes the attacks that much more
egregious. I continue to call on the U.S. government to reinstate
Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and restrict all further
military assistance to Azerbaijan. We can not stand complacent as
Azerbaijan makes good on their aggressive statements and engages in
violent attacks.

From: A. Papazian

TendersInfo
June 21, 2010 Monday

United States : World Bank Urges Action Against Armenian Shadow Economy

The head of the World Bank in Armenia urged the government on June 18
to clamp down on a huge informal sector of the country’s economy,
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports.

Aristomene Varoudakis said the shadow economy and the resulting tax
evasion is one of the most serious problems hampering Armenia’s
economic development.
“I have no number to give you, but what I am hearing from different
analysts is that the shadow economy in Armenia could be equivalent to
as much as 35 or 40 percent of GDP,” Varoudakis said. “And of course,
it is a very important challenge to formalize this informal economy so
as to increase tax revenues and be able to pay for much needed social
services.”
Varoudakis said companies involved in the shadow sector would also
benefit from the legalization and transparency of their operations.
“And people working for those businesses will be better protected,” he
argued.
Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have long been
pressing Armenian authorities to improve tax collection. The
government and Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian, in particular, have
repeatedly declared improved tax administration a top priority.
Varoudakis said government action is especially needed in Armenia’s
export-oriented mining industry. “Now the mining sector is rather
undertaxed in Armenia,” he said.
The World Bank official said the government has pledged to remedy the
situation with major changes to Armenia’s tax legislation regulating
the work of mining companies. The planned reform will be financed from
a $25 million budgetary loan, which he said the bank plans to allocate
to the government this year.

From: A. Papazian

Trend, Azerbaijan
June 21 2010

Knesset member: Knesset Arab members to vote against recognition of
‘Armenian genocide’

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 21 / Trend R. Hafizoglu /

Arab members of Israel’s parliament voted against the adoption of the
resolution on the so-called “Armenian genocide”, Knesset member from
the Arab bloc – the National Democratic Union Hanin Zoabi said.

“Arab MPs will unanimously oppose the adoption of this document [on
the Armenian genocide],” Zoabi told Trend over phone.

The Committee on Foreign Relations and Defense of Knesset intends to
put on the agenda the document on the recognition of the “Armenian
genocide” in the Israeli parliament. It was submitted to the
parliament in late April at the initiative of the Left parties.

“Genocide” will be discussed amid a strong crisis in relations between
Turkey and Israel, intensified after the Israeli navy attack on the
Turkish humanitarian ship, moving as a part of the “Freedom Flotilla”
to the Mediterranean Sea. Eight Turkish citizens and one U.S. citizen
were injured.

Zoabi thinks that the question of “genocide” must not be discussed in
the Israeli Parliament. It relates only to Turkey and must be
investigated by historians.

Knesset MP, who took part in the action of “Flotilla”, thinks that
Israel wants to distract attention of the world community from recent
events around the “Freedom Flotilla”, putting the issue of “genocide”
for discussion.

“Instead of discussing the genocide, Israel should investigate the
murder of civilians. If the genocide is brought up for discussion, all
the Arab MPs will oppose the adoption of the document,” Zoabi said.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of Turkey –
Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians
living in Anadolu. The Armenians, willing the recognition of this fact
in the world, achieved recognition of the “Armenian genocide” by the
parliaments of some countrues, by strengthening the propaganda of the
so-called “genocide” in the world countries.

From: A. Papazian

Trend, Azerbaijan
June 21 2010

State Committee: Construction of Russian Orthodox Church in
Azerbaijani occupied territories is disrespect for international law
and territorial integrity of country

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 21 / Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /

The construction of the Russian Orthodox Church and the laying of the
foundation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan – in Khankendi is
disrespect for international law and territorial integrity of our
country, the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations
spokesman Saleh Aslanov said.

Official representative of the Committee said that laying of the
foundation of “God’s House” in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is recognized
as the occupied territory by international organizations and world
public, without official permission of Azerbaijan and with the
assistance of the heads of the separatist regime, is not justified by
either secular or divine canons.

“Those, who commit it, are responsible not only to international laws,
but also before God,”Aslanov said.

World religions are representatives and defenders of peace, stability
and justice. Their religious leaders must realize their historical
responsibility. They must not be together with aggressors, the
spokesman said.

“Otherwise, it will not give a great image for so influential
religious structure, as the Russian Orthodox Church and the faith
represented by millions of followers,” Aslanov said.

An event to lay the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church of the
Protection of the Blessed Virgin was held in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan June 18.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

From: A. Papazian

Escalation in Karabakh in the Context of President D. Medvedev’s Visit
to the US and the Coming «Battle Over Iran»

en.fondsk.ruÐ?rbis Terrarum
23.06.2010
Andrei ARESHEV

The provocation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani Line of Contact in
Karabakh, in the proximity of the village of Chaylu, on the night of
June 19 had repercussions worldwide. The attempt of an Azerbaijani
reconnaissance group to cross the line left 4 Armenian conscripts dead
and 4 ` injured. Reportedly, some of the attackers were also killed.

Azerbaijani President I. Aliyev left for Baku unexpectedly after the
June 17 talks with his Russian and Armenian counterparts in St.
Petersburg, and the very next day the northern part of Karabakh’s
Martakert region came under the Azerbaijani attack followed by 24
hours of continuous fire. Armenia termed the incident an act of armed
blackmail and a military extension of the politics of diplomatic
pressure exerted on it by Azerbaijan. There was an impression that the
region was on the verge of resuming full-scale hostilities.

Azerbaijan’s defense and foreign ministries de facto accepted
responsibility for the outbreak of violence, stating that the Karabakh
conflict is not a frozen one and that Armenia stands to suffer even
more serious blows unless it withdraws from the disputed territories.
The obvious truth is that negotiations at gunpoint ` at the face of
capitulation demands ` are impossible. If, in evident anticipation of
a response that it would be possible to regard as casus belli,
Azerbaijan proceeds with the military pressure on Karabakh, the
situation thus created will fit into the pattern described by Gen. M.
Gareev as a part of the analysis of another war: `Throughout history,
country leaders were oftentimes oblivious to the multilateral nature
of military conflicts and wars, due to which things never evolve
entirely as planned. Opponents tend to take the least expected
steps’1.

The state of the Karabakh conflict was influenced by a number of
countries locked in a rivalry over the Caucasian energy resources and
transit routes. While watchers did discern the connection between the
trilateral meeting in St. Petersburg and the recent escalation in
Karabakh, it somehow flew below the radar that the skirmishes took
place on the eve of Russian President D. Medvedev’s visit to the US
and against the backdrop of Washington’s growing activity involving
Azerbaijan. Matthew J. Bryza, a diplomat notorious for the provocative
role he had played in August, 2008, was dispatched to Baku as the US
ambassador, US Secretary of Defense R. Gates honored the Absheron
Peninsula with his presense, and Washington announced that H. Clinton
will tour the Caucasus next July. On top of all that, a clearly
deceptive rumor goes around that Russian peacekeepres will soon be
deployed in Karabakh2.

Sergey Markedonov, currently a visiting scholar at the
Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies,
maintains that chances for peace in Karabakh depend on the ability of
Washington and Moscow to jointly formulate resolute policies meant to
prevent fighting in the region. He is, however, highly skeptical about
the prospects for such synchronism between the two heavyweights3, and
indeed the Mensk Group’s incoherent reaction to the recent escalation
seems to be indicative of serious discord. No international
investigation into the recent incident looms on the horizon, and Baku
can feel free to erode the current ceasefire regime with renewed
vigor.

The escalation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani Line of Contact in Karabakh
is likely incited by outside forces. Thomas de Waal, a British expert,
expressed the view that the parties to the Karabakh conflict would
have to be a lot more discontent with the status quo to start making
serious concessions4. The June 18 clashes were clearly meant to make
the status quo look like a not too attractive option, to expose the
volatility of the current situation, and to strengthen the dissonances
in Armenia’s domestic politics5.

Overall, the developments suggest the existence of a broad agenda
which is not limited to discrediting the Russian-Armenian
military-political alliance and Russia as a mediator in Karabakh. Some
of the objectives may be of a more fundamental character, Iran likely
being the actual target. Iran is increasingly encircled by a network
of US military bases, and the new US Administration may be viewing the
Karabakh problem through the prism of the role Azerbaijan – as Iran’s
neighbor – has a potential to play in a future campaign. No doubt,
Washington will be trying to draw Azerbaijan into the orbit of its
politics aimed at isolating and weakening Iran6.

Regardless of its outcome, a new round of fighting in Karabakh would
result in the complete expulsion of Russia from the South Caucasus,
become a logical outgrowth of the US anti-Iranian politics, and be a
prologue to a major war in the Middle East.
_______________________

(1) Nezavisimoe Voennoe Obozrenie, #22, p. 10, 2010.

(2) The idea of deploying the US troops in the Fizuli district
bordering Iran is sold as a «joint Russian-US initiative» aimed at
countering the ambitions of Turkey and Iran in Transcaucasia.

(3) S. Markedonov. Karabakh Reverting to the Hot Phase //

(4)

(5) The plan is doomed to failure as the oppositional Armenian
National Congress pledges to spearhead the rescue of Karabakh.

(6)

From: A. Papazian

Retired CEO/Chairman of the Board of Intel Corp arrives in Armenia

June 26, 2010 – 15:25 AMT 10:25 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Global IT Award Laureate Dr. Craig R. Barrett & Ambassador Barbara
Barrett will start their visit to Yerevan on June 27.

Dr. Craig R. Barrett, retired CEO/Chairman of the Board of Intel Corp.
has been chosen to receive 2009 Global IT Award from the hands of the
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

The award annually honors a Laureate who has made extraordinary
contributions to humanity through advancing the world of IT. The award
highlights Armenia on the world IT map as a growing high-tech
destination. Inaugurated in 2009, the Global IT Award is granted on an
annual basis to one Laureate whose internationally acclaimed
contributions to IT have resulted in near-revolutionary or
revolutionary developments that have positively impacted or hold the
potential to positively impact the populations of multiple countries.
The contributions may be in the technological, educational,
organizational, or financial areas. Dr. Craig R. Barrett is the first
to receive this award.

The Award Ceremony and related program of events will take place on
June 28-29, 2010 in Yerevan.The Award Ceremony will take place on the
grounds of the Office of the President of Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

WB ready to assist Armenian government in modernization of state
administration system

June 25, 2010 – 16:01 AMT 11:01 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received a delegation led by
Luca Barbone, Director of the WB Department of Poverty Reduction and
Economic Management for Europe and Central Asia Region.

Cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and World Bank was in the
focus of the meeting. The Armenian Prime Minister briefed on current
situation of Armenia’s economy and basic challenges faced by it as a
result of the crisis. Specifically, Sargsyan stressed the necessity of
economy’s diversification, formation of favorable investment
environment, etc.

The parties attached importance to modernization of the state
administration system in Armenia, Luca Barbone said that the WB is
ready to assist Armenia in implementing these reforms.

The WB delegation arrived in Armenia to participate in a conference on
migration and remittances organizedby the World Bank. WB Armenia
Country Manager Aristomene Varoudakis also participated in the
meeting.

From: A. Papazian

Gagik Melikyan: thanks to Cavusoglu, Europe starts conceiving what
`democratic’ Turkey is

June 26, 2010 – 15:02 AMT 10:02 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Member of the Republican Party of Armenian parliamentary group Gagik
Melikyan said that, in his opinion, after the election of Mevlut
Cavusoglu to the post of PACE President, Europe has started conceiving
what `democratic’ Turkey is.

According to him, if things continue developing the same way, soon
representatives of PACE delegations will be have to deliver speeches
in turbans or Muslim kerchiefs. `If it is acceptable for Europe, let
it be so,’ Minasyan told a press conference.

Referring to recent reports in PACE, Minasyan noted that they are a
result of the Turkish-Azerbaijani lobby’s efforts. `Cavusoglu has not
grasped yet that he is representing PACE, he thinks he is the chairman
of Turkey’s Mejlis,’ concluded Melikyan.

From: A. Papazian