Author: Boshkezenian Garik

TIGRAN SARGSYAN: GRAND CANDY SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPS ITS BUSINESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 15:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has visited
Grand Candy company to get familiarized with production process, RA
Government’s press service reports. "Grand Candy successfully develops
its business. It has a thousand workplaces, and mainly purchases local
raw materials, boosting the development of several economic spheres,
particularly agriculture," he said.

>From that point of view, Mr. Sargsyan estimated company’s perspectives
as positive considering that lowered cost prices create competitiveness
advantages.

TALKS CONCLUDE AS AZERBAIJAN THREATENS ARMENIA WITH MILITARY ACTION
Lilit Gevorgyan

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
Nov 23 2009

Armenian President Serzh Sargsian and his Azerbaijani counterpart,
Ilham Aliyev, met on 22 November 2009 in Germany for Organisation for
Security Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)-mediated talks over the status
of the breakaway Azeri region of Nagorno Karabakh. One day earlier,
Aliyev stated that if this round of talks fails to bring concrete
results, Azerbaijan would resort to military action to reclaim its
breakaway region. The talks, chaired by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs from
Russia, France and the United States, lasted four hours and ended with
no comments from either president. However, the OSCE French co-chair,
Bernard Fassier, noted that the parties were actively engaged during
the talks. Neither the OSCE nor the Armenian side commented on Aliyev’s
threats of military action.

Significance:It is not the first time that Aliyev has issued threats of
a military resolution in Nagornon Karabakh, an Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan that declared independence over 15 years ago to become
a de facto part of Armenia. However, unlike his previous statements
mainly aimed at bolstering his militaristic image domestically and
with little chance of happening, Aliyev’s recent threats of war may be
more dangerous. The statement comes in the wake of a shifting balance
of power in the South Caucasus, most notably the Armenian-Turkish
protocols on establishing diplomatic relations and opening the common
border closed by Turkey in solidarity with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict (seeArmenia-Turkey: 12 October 2009:). There are
a number of motivations behind Aliyev’s war threats. First, it is an
attempt to stall the OSCE Minsk process, which has made little progress
since the early 1990s, but at least achieved a detailed peace roadmap
that envisages concessions from both Armenia and Azerbaijan. By issuing
an ultimatum to the OSCE, Aliyev hopes to rearrange the peace talks
format by bringing in Turkey, Azerbaijan’s closest ally and ethnic
kin, and thus increase the pressure on the Armenian side in the hope
of a resolution with no concessions. Secondly, Aliyev is unhappy with
the recent diplomatic thaw in relations between Armenian and Turkey;
as a result he may try to sabotage the Armenia-Turkey process. By
resuming the military conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, Aliyev may try
to block the reopening of the Armenian-Turkish border by bolstering
anti-Armenian sentiment among Turkish secularists and the military
(seeAzerbaijan: Turkey: 5 November 2009:). While an all-out war is
unlikely in the immediate term, at least during the winter months,
the frequency of border incidents and small-scale military clashes
between Armenian and Azeri soldiers is likely to intensify. Aliyev,
who has been pouring millions of dollars into strengthening the Azeri
army over the past decade, has to consider more carefully the economic
impact of a possible war–Azerbaijan’s most profitable Baku-Ceyhan oil
export pipeline runs only 30 kilometres away from the conflict zone.

AZERBAIJANI MP: ARMENIA WANTS PEACE

news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

"I cannot yet give any comments regarding yesterday’s meeting of the
presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Munich as there is still no
official information in this regard. You know the co-chairs often make
optimistic statements but later it turns out that Armenia has been
unconstructive during negotiations, therefore, it is now difficult
to evaluate this meeting", MP Asim Mollazade has said.

"The most important point now is that Armenia should accept norms of
international law and stop occupation of Azerbaijani lands. I hope
Armenian side took the statements of the Azerbaijani president made
before the Munich meeting with responsibility", he said.

Answering the question whether the nationalistic forces of Armenia
may hamper the current process, Mollazade said they do not have
much influence in the Armenian society: "Nationalists and Armenians
living in the safe countries of the world are now speaking against the
normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while people
in Armenia want peace. Therefore, I think if Sargsyan demonstrates
will for peace, he will face no serious obstacles inside the country".

BELLIGERENCE OF BAKU IS AN EVIDENCE OF NERVOUSNESS

Aysor
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

"Belligerence of Baku, now seems unjustified and is a sign of its
nervousness", – thinks international observer of the "News Time"
edition Arkady Dubnov. As "Echo of Moscow" informs, in his opinion,
"No breakthrough can be expected from the Munich negotiations between
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Yesterday in Munich took place the sixth meeting of the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, after which
the OSCE co-chairs issued a statement according to which the talks
which lasted 4 hours, were constructive. In some areas, progress was
made, while at the same time, some questions still remain open. The
Presidents instructed their foreign ministers to continue working
with the Co-Chairs and the mediators.

The "Echo of Moscow" reminds that two days before the meeting the head
of Azerbaijan stated that the Munich meeting will be decisive. And
if it does not bring any results, then the war will be resumed in the
region. In Yerevan, this statement was viewed as a challenge not only
to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, but also to the entire international
community. Meanwhile, the political scientists are not inclined to
perceive the threats of Ilham Aliyev seriously.

"I do not think that resumption of hostilities between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh issue is possible, and the speeches
made by the President of Azerbaijan, two days ago, in my opinion,
prove that in Baku are too annoyed with the possible improvements of
the relations between Turkey and Armenia", -Arkady Dubnov stressed.

The observers in Armenia too are calling for not paying attention
to the threats having a military character. On this occasion "Ekho
Moskvy" writes: "They note that this is not the first such attack.

Armenia urged the international community to take Azerbaijan in hand.

Otherwise, all the work to solve the age-old conflict will come
to nothing."

OSCE MG US CO-CHAIR IMPRESSED WITH STRONG WILL OF THE PARTIES TO SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT

ArmInfo
2009-11-23 12:35:00

ArmInfo. The strong will that was demonstrated by the presidents in
the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict created deep impression,
the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Robert Bradtke said after
the Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting in Munich on November 22.

R. Bradtke thinks impressive the way, which two presidents worked
with the co-chairs, their willingness to discuss the points that are
quite difficult and quite controversial. As someone who is relatively
new to this process, R. Bradtke admits that the presidents’ will was
what impressed him the most. The negotiations between the presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia were held on November 22 in Munich, Germany.

For his part, French Co-chair Bernard Fassier said together with
the US and Russian co-chars they will now start preparing for a new
meeting. However, the co-chair did not specify where and when the
meeting will take place.

During the discussion the presidents and the mediators touched upon
the problems that still need solution, he said. The mediators were
charged how to settle these problems, which was very important,
B. Fassier said.

He highlighted the "important progress" achieved during the meeting
in Munich despite "some difficulties" remain relevant.

NATO’S ROSE ROTH SEMINAR TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN IN MARCH
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
23.11.2009 17:17

Over the past year members of the Armenian delegation to the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly has been working to bring the Rose Roth seminar
to Armenia.

Armenia has succeeded on the issue, Head of the Armenian delegation
to the NATO PA, Keraen Avagyan told a press conference today. During
the talks with NATO an agreement has been reached on holding the NATO
seminar in Armenia from March 11 through 13.

ABDULAH GUL: ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER WILL SOON BE OPENED

armradio.am
23.11.2009 18:25

Asked by Italian "La Stampa" when the citizens of Armenia and Turkey
will be able to pass the border, Turkish President Abdulah Gul said:
"That obstacle will be soon resolved. Of course we’ll need some
"technical" period as the document should pass a discussion stage
in the parliaments of both countries. Then we are going to appoint
Ambassadors and the land border will be opened. It’s long since the
air border is open," Gul told Italian paper.

Gul declared his country is serious to continue its strategy of
having no problems with neighbors. "If the status of democracy rises
in the country, all taboos disappear," said Gul in view of Armenian
and Kurdish conflicts. Regarding the ties with Armenia, Abdulah Gul
said: "If we speak generally, the world is changing and Turkey is
changing also."

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 21 2009

Armenia says no further talks with Turkey unless protocols ratified

Armenia and Turkey will hold no further major negotiations unless the
national parliaments of the two countries ratify two protocols on
normalization of bilateral relations, an Armenian Foreign Ministry
official was quoted as saying yesterday.

Ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that
`we are now waiting for the ratification, as each country has its own
ratification procedures.’

Turkey and Armenia signed the two protocols on Oct. 10 in Zurich to
reopen their borders, closed since 1993, and restore diplomatic
relations. The documents need to be ratified in the Turkish and
Armenian parliaments to enter into force. But Turkish leaders have
suggested that their parliament is unlikely to ratify the agreements
without a breakthrough in international efforts to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Armenia rejects any linkage between efforts to normalize relations
with Turkey and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan are to hold talks on Sunday on
Nagorno-Karabakh, raising hopes for progress in 15-year efforts to
resolve the conflict.

The French Foreign Ministry, in a statement it issued on Thursday,
said Armenia’s Serzh Sarksyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev would meet
on Sunday at the French Consulate in Munich.

The negotiations are led by a trio of mediators from the United
States, Russia and France working under the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Munich meeting will be the sixth
this year, an intensity fuelling speculation about a possible
breakthrough. Mediators say they are making progress, but diplomats
caution that neither side appears ready to commit to difficult
concessions and sell them to their people.

21 November 2009, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES Ä°STANBUL

Tert, Armenia
Nov 21 2009

Aliyev Threatens to Take Military Action if Meetings with Armenian
President are Unproductive
13:35 ¢ 21.11.09

If the meeting between Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s presidents on
November 22 in Munich is unproductive, the war in the region can
resume, announced Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, as reported by
Russian news agency Interfax.

According to the Azerbaijani president, by participating in the
negotiations on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Baku
`shows good intentions’ and `makes concessions.’

`If that meeting is unproductive, then all our hopes connected with
the negotiations will be exhausted and in that case, we will not have
another path. And we must ready for that [that is, liberation of
`Azerbaijani’ lands by military actions],’ Aliyev stated during his
tour to the Azerbaijani region Geranboyski.

`Of course, the work carried out in the sphere of military
construction over the last few years had a special purpose. We spend
billions, we purchase new weaponry [and] equipment, [and we] are
strengthening our positions on the contact line. We have full right of
liberating the lands through military action. The international law
stipulates it as our right,’ Azerbaijani president added.

Aliyev also stated that negotiations held over Nagorno-Karabakh until
now have been unproductive; therefore, the coming meeting in Munich is
decisive.

`In the near future, once again, my meeting with the Armenian
president will take place. These meetings are sometimes successful.
But sometimes the Armenian side drags time. The last few meetings, I
can say, haven’t entailed any results, since the Armenian side showed
an exceptionally non-constructive approach,’ the Azerbaijani president
said.

`And for what reason? It’s possible that the establishment process of
Armenia-Turkey relations encouraged them a little. They got the wrong
opinion, that Armenia-Turkey border will open and Nagorno-Karabakh
issue will be left aside. But the current processes show that that
won’t happen. Azerbaijan’s decisive position and Turkish public’s
decisive position, as well as Turkey’s leadership’s statements, show
that without the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Armenia-Turkey relations cannot be improved,’ says Aliyev, as quoted
by Azerbaijani news source AzerTac.

TURKISH AUTHOR REVEALS ARMENIAN, KURDISH MASSACRES IN MODERN TURKEY

By Asbarez Staff
Nov 19th, 2009

ANKARA (Hurriyet)–In the late 1930s, the nascent Turkish Republic
massacred a village of Kurds and Armenian Genocide Survivors under
the guise of an operation against a fabricated Kurdish rebellion,
previously unseen photographs, historically important documents and
eye-witness accounts reveal.

Hasan Saltuk the author of a new 600-page book said his research
seeks to unravel the taboo of the Dersim Massacres.

Set to be released in May in both English and Turkish, the book will
challenge the official history of the incident, using primary sources
to reveal the government’s role in the brutal massacre of this Kurdish
village in the formative years of the modern Turkish Republic.

"Over 13,000 people were killed by Turkish armed forces during the
operation and 22,000 were exiled. Orphaned children were subjected
to Turkification policies in orphanages," Saltuk said.

The official historical sources say the 1938 operation in Dersim, now
called Tunceli, was implemented to quash a Kurdish tribal rebellion.

Saltuk’s research, however, reveals otherwise.

"We see in the documents that the Dersim operation was planned;
the reports were prepared in 1920. The law related to the operation
was passed in 1935 and action was taken in 1937. Seyit Rıza and his
friends were hanged on grounds that they were leading a rebellion,"
Saltuk said.

Although the government at the time labeled it a Kurdish tribal
insurrection, Saltuk said the fundamental reason behind the operation
was that the region was home to Tunceli Alevis who were merely Armenian
Genocide survivors that had changed their identities.

"The official sources say Dersim residents were not paying taxes or
performing military service and that they were always rebelling.

However, we have documents proving the opposite. Ataturk led the
Dersim operation himself," he said.

"Historians here cannot go beyond the official ideology; they do
not do any research. Those who do research and know the truth cannot
raise a voice because they are afraid," Saltuk said.

The book reprints the comments he found on the back of all the
photographs he obtained. In many cases, the comments expressed remorse
for the events in Dersim. "[Many] felt qualms of conscience for
what was experienced. Some expressed their feelings with the words,
‘I have become a murderer.’ Others wrote, ‘I caused the deaths of
250 people,’" Saltuk said.

The project involved following the trails of surviving soldiers who
participated in the operation, Saltuk said, adding that he saw many who
were unable to adapt to social life. "Many soldiers we [interviewed]
demanded their names be made public after their deaths.

A few people did not mind having their names in the book; some said,
‘They ordered us to kill and we did,’" he said.

He obtained hundreds of original photos and maps alongside two dossiers
of population records from the grandchild – whose name Saltuk withheld
– of a high level civil servant from that era. "The invaluable
documents and photographs in the dossiers reveal the operation in
all its detail. However, it is without doubt that much more striking
files are in the archives of the Turkish General Staff."

Saltuk, who is the owner of the Kalan record label, a researcher and
an ethnomusicologist, has spent nine years collecting previously
unseen photographs, historically important documents and comments
from soldiers who participated in the operation..

A member of one of the oldest families of Dersim, Saltuk said that
even though he was from a Turkmen tribe on his father’s side, dozens
of their relatives were murdered during the operation.

"My grandmother was pregnant with my mother but she saved herself from
the firing squad at the last minute," Saltuk said in an interview with
the Turkish Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "Dersim residents
are still afraid to talk. The elderly still think somebody’s going
to come and kill them."

Saltuk said he believes that Turkey has entered an age of great
change. "All the taboos of this country will be broken and, in the
future, there will not be anything that cannot be spoken about."