Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

Journal of Turkish Daily
April 15 2005
Turkey Repeats Dialogue Call to Armenia
Jan SOYKOK, ANKARA (JTW) Turkish Prime Minister repeated Turkey’s
dialogue call to Armenia. Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan wrote a letter to
Armenian President Robert Kocherian. Erdogan used `memories which
hurt’ words for the 1915 events. In 1915, many Turks and Armenians
were killed in the communal clashes and war circumstances. Erdogan
said in his letter `a joint commission should be established to
discuss all historical disputes. This will serve to normalize our
relations’. The letter was handled by Turkey’s Tbilisi Embassy to
Yerevan. `Turkey and Armenia interpret the past in different ways’
Erdogan added. Erdogan continued in the letter:
`Turkish and Armenian peoples not only shared a common history and
geography in one of the most volatile regions of the world, but also
lived together for a very long time. However it is not a secret that
there are differences in interpretation some parts of the past
between two nations. These memories gave sorrow to our peoples in the
past, and now still play a role which does not help to develop
friendly relations between us.”
“As the leaders of our countries, our foremost duty to the next
generations is to leave a peaceful and friendly environment. All
these ideas are shared by the main Turkish opposition party leader
Mr. Deniz Baykal as well. In this framework, we kindly call you to
establish a joint group including Turkish and Armenian historians and
other experts to research the 1915 events by using not only the
Turkish and Armenian documents but also all archives in the third
countries, and to declare all the findings to international
community. I think, such an initiative will shed light on a
disputable part of the past and also will serve to normalization
relations between our countries.”
“I hope that, our offer aiming to leave a more friendly and peaceful
environment will be welcomed. We are ready to discuss the details
when you accept our offer to set up a joint historian and other
experts group to make researches in archives. Regards.’ (JTW’s Note:
This is not an offical transilation)
ARMENIAN FM OSKANIAN: TURKEY TRIES TO RECONSIDER HISTORY WITHOUT ANY
SHAME
Despite all dialogue calls from Ankara, Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian uses very strong and even aggressive language towards
Turkish politicians. “Turkey not only tries to reconsider its history
without any shame but also wants to force other countries do the
same,” said Oskanian on 13 April 2005 press conference. Oskanian had
rejected Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s call to establish a joint
commission to discuss the historical disputes.
Mr. Oskanian claims that the recognition of the `genocide’
allegations is an issue of security for Armenia. “We can’t feel
secure near a neighbor that exceeds in the military aspect and
definitely supports Azerbaijan in the Nagorno Karabakh issue,”
Armenian Foreign Minister said.
Turkish Republic never attacked or threatened Armenia since the
beginning, while Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani
territories and has threatened Turkey to occupy the eastern parts of
Turkey. The First Armenian Republic attacked the Turkish forces, yet
failed to advance. Under the Soviet rule, the Armenians demanded some
of the Turkish towns. However when Turkey entered NATO, the USSR
could not make more pressure on Turkey. Armenia gained its
independence after the USSR collapsed. However the Armenians
continued to their irredentist demands, and named Turkey’s eastern
provinces `Western Armenia’. Armenian forces not only attacked the
Karabakh and other Azerbaijani cities, but also to Naxcivan province
of Azerbaijan. Armenia also encourages the separatist Armenian
movements in Georgia.
Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from ISRO find Oskanian’s security concerns
baseless: `Armenia attacks almost all neighbors and perceives
security threats.’
ARMENIA TRIES TO BLACKMAIL TURKEY
Mr. Oskanian further said “Turkey wants to be a member of an
organization that is built on the bases of the human rights
protection. When Turkey wants to become an EU member country, the
genocide issue becomes of European, human importance.”
However Dr. Gulcan says Armenia abuses Turkey’s EU bid:
`Armenia tries to blackmail Turkey in EU case. Armenia has occupied
20 percent territories of a European country, Azerbaijan. The EU
named Armenia occupier and aggressive. Despite all these Armenia can
blackmail Turkey. I think there are anti-Turkish and anti-Muslim
biases in the EU institutions. They are discriminative. The EU
Parliament for instance calls Turkey to improve its relations with
Armenia, yet says nothing to Armenia about occupation. The EP makes
pressures on Turkey to open territorial borders with Armenia, however
they have done nothing to lift embargo and isolation on Turkish
Cypriots. Turkish Cypriots cannot make business with any country
except Turkey. If you want justice you must be fair. Armenia is
occupier and aggressive country in the region. They threaten Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Georgia, and they can say that Armenia perceives
threats. `
According to Dr. Nilgun Gulcan, Armenia’s aim is not to establish a
dialogue, but to damage Turkish interests. Gulcan says Armenians are
not sincere in `genocide claims’: `They started to use `genocide’
term in 1965. Before that year they never used the term. After the
First World War they applied to the Allies to join the Lausanne
negotiations claiming that they were a part in the wars against the
Ottoman Empire. They confessed many time that they joined the Allies
against the Ottoman Armies. And now they can claim with no shame that
the Ottoman Government committed genocide against Armenians. They do
not question what Armenian militants did in Khojally in Karabakh War.
They do not speak about the Khojally genocide just committed 10 years
ago, but accuse the Turks for the events happened almost a century
ago. This is a political war. The allegations are baseless.’
JTW
15 April 2005

A1plus
| 16:17:55 | 14-04-2005 | Official |
EXTRAORDINARY ELECTIONS IN AVAN
In accordance with the RA `Law on local self-government’ the government
decided to suspend authorities of Harutyun Margaryan, leader of Avan
community of Yerevan and to appoint and carry out extraordinary elections of
the community leader in the

Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
April 14 2005
‘Trees of Hope’ campaign to beautify homeland
Thursday, April 14, 2005
This month, the Armenia Tree Project announced the launch of its
“Trees of Hope” campaign in observance of the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.

“ATP is inviting Armenians all over the world to join us as we
remember the past and embrace the future by planting Trees of Hope
all across the Armenian homeland,” stated ATP Executive Director Jeff
Masarjian. “These memorial trees are not only an inspiring way to
honor our lost ancestors but also a very practical way to preserve
the precious Armenian homeland – restoring its environmental
integrity and scenic beauty.”

ATP’s inaugural planting for the 2005 season will begin with
90,000 trees, symbolizing the 90 years that have passed since the
first genocide in modern history.

“Our goal is to grow many thousands of Trees of Hope to maturity
in time for the milestone 100th anniversary commemoration,” said
Masarjian. “With a thriving Armenian landscape in 2015, it will be
evident that the Armenian Spirit is alive and well with all the life,
beauty, and hope of nature.”

Given the importance of breaking ground during this year’s
planting season, the Trees of Hope initiative is supported by a
comprehensive campaign designed to reach the widest audience
possible.

Those who adopt Trees of Hope may participate with gifts
starting from $15, which covers the propagating, planting and
care-taking of one tree. In addition to a single commemorative tree,
they can adopt a four-tree cluster, an eight-tree grove, a 35-tree
arbor, or pledge a 100-tree woodland or 335-tree forest. Participants
also can opt to receive a personalized Trees of Hope certificate as a
keepsake.

Carolyn Mugar, founder of the Armenia Tree Project, said, “By
planting these memorial trees in Armenia, we are helping to put hope
and pride on the Armenian horizon for both its struggling citizens
and its worldwide diaspora. Through this and other tree-planting
initiatives, we also hope that our efforts may serve as an
inspiration for other developing nations or recent survivors of
genocide now in the process of healing and rebuilding.”
Mugar added, “It is our vision that one day the images of uprooted
Armenian victims on a death march through the Syrian desert will be
replaced by images of an Armenian homeland flourishing with bounty
and firmly rooted in opportunity. Not because we have forgotten the
past, but because we now are able to redeem it. We urge Armenians
everywhere to take a few moments of their time to share in this
positive expression of remembrance.”

Donations can be made by mail, phone, or online. For additional
information, call 617-926-8733 or go to

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 13, 2005 Wednesday 8:03 AM Eastern Time
March to Yerevan memorial to victims of 1915 genocide planned
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
As many as 1.5 million people will march on April 24 to the Yerevan
memorial to victims of the 1915 genocide in the Ottoman Emperor,
Vartan Oskanyan, the Armenian foreign minister, told a news
conference on Wednesday.
The number of the marchers is significant as 1.5 million people fell
victim to the tragic events of 90 years ago, the minister said. He
said people from dozens of countries would be among the marchers.
“Ninety years have passed since the first occurrence of genocide in
the 20th century but there has been no international acknowledgement
of the crime,” the minister said. “Turkey has no wish to acknowledge
genocide and even stepped up the efforts to deny it,” Oskanyan said.
Meanwhile, Ankara, he said, “looks forward to becoming a member of
the European Union, the organisation that is based on human rights
and liberties, that recognizes the principles of historic justice and
tolerance. “Therefore, this problem goes beyond the framework of
Armenia and is of significance to entire humanity,” the minister
believes.
The matter of international acknowledgement of the fact of genocide
remains on the order of the day for Armenia’s foreign policy, the
minister said. He recalled that the United Nations classes genocide
with threats and challenges facing humanity, that this evil is a
threat to the whole world.

SDU LEADER LOST HIS OFFICES AND BLAMED “EMPIRE OF EVIL”
YEREVAN, APRIL 12. ARMINFO. “As a result of authorities’ large-scale
attack upon Self-Determination Union (SDU) party, we have lost central
offices in Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor”, says party’s leader Paruyr
Hayrikyan organizing today a procession to the building of former
editorial-office of “Ankakhutyun” (Independence) weekly today.
Hayrikyan says that “the authorities changed the office of the USSR
first independent printing body into a desert”. In his opinion,
“various agents and spies of foreign countries” wage a war against
SDU. He added that after Movses Gorgissyan’s death some of his party
associates “amicably deserted from SDU and appealed Armenia’s
republican party to the arena”. Hayrikyan tried to assured journalists
that “some of them have became SSC agents”.
To remind, SDU was deprived of the building of editorial-office of
“Ankakhutyun” weekly and some of party’s offices in 2003 for
non-payment of taxes.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
April 11 2005
Armenian Journalist Dink: Europe Abused Armenians and Still Abuse
Them
(FRANKFURT) Hrant Dink, editor of Agos, Armenian weekly said `Europe
had a crucial role in the 1915 tragedies and abused the Armenian
issue’. Dink further added that `Europe still uses the Armenians’.
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink argued the European politicians use
Armenians for their political interests. Dink gave a speech in
Frankfurt, Germany and accused the European politicians.
Dink also accused the German CDU’s Angela Merkel:
`I like to ask my friends in Armenian Diaspora. `Do you think Merkel
loves you very much? Or, the reason is the Diaspora’s pressures?
Neither love, nor the pressure. Merkel’s problem is different. Merkel
tries to prevent Turkey’s EU membership.’
Dink claimed the Armenian tragedies are still being used by the
European politicians.
Source: Hurriyet
11 April 2005

OSCE envoy urges Azeri, Armenian ministers to discuss truce violations
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
9 Apr 05
[Presenter] The representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office,
Andrzej Kasprzyk, says that the [Azerbaijani and Armenian] foreign
ministers should discuss the truce violations during their planned
meeting in London.
The growing tensions on the front line compelled Kasprzyk to visit
Yerevan. He is now discussing ways of settling the conflict with
Armenian officials.
[Correspondent] The constant truce violations on the front line will be
discussed by the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in London,
Kasprzyk said. He negatively assessed the fact that Armenian troops
fire at residential buildings and civilians.
[Kasprzyk by phone, in Russian with Azeri voice-over] If this really
happens, my attitude is very negative. I am working on the basis of
the mandate issued by the conflicting sides and following instructions
from the OSCE chairman. I am trying to monitor the contact line to
report the seriousness of the situation. The situation on the front
line is tense and should be eased.
[Correspondent] Commenting on the need for more aides to help the OSCE
representative conduct the monitoring more effectively, Mr Kasprzyk
said this could be discussed if the conflicting sides agreed on it
and if the mission’s budget was increased.
Kasprzyk also touched on the capture of Azerbaijani POWs by Armenians.
[Passage omitted: Kasprzyk says the POWs will be released soon]

ROBERT KOCHARIAN AND GEDIMINAS KIRKILAS DISCUSS ARMENIAN-LITHUANIAN COOPERATION WITH RESPECT TO ARMED FORCES REFORMES
YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of the Armenian-Lithuanian
cooperation with respect to reforms in the armed forces was the key
subject of discussion at the April 6 meeting of RA President Robert
Kocharian with the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of
Lithuania Gediminas Kirkilas. The two sides appreciated the current
level of partnership formed between the defence ministries of the two
countries. According to the Presidential press service, the issue
of Armenia’s European integration was also touched upon. The sides
indicated that Lithuania’s experience of joining the European Union, as
well as its activities as EU member may prove quite useful for Armenia.

Russian TV shows top secret air force command post during exercises
RTR Russia TV, Moscow
5 Apr 05
[Presenter] Eight states, three Russian bases in the CIS and almost
60 aircraft are being used in the joint command-post exercise of the
CIS integrated air defence system. The peculiarity of the exercises is
flights in Belarusian airspace, for the first time ever. With unique
footage of secret Defence Ministry facilities, Dmitriy Petrov reports.
[Correspondent] Almost 60 aircraft – the participation of such a large
quantity of military hardware is one of the principal characteristics
of the training. The goal of the exercises is to check the combat
readiness of the air defence system and the administering of help to
aircraft in distress. Forces from the air defence systems of eight CIS
countries are taking part in the manoeuvres. And all information is
coming into here. The commander-in-chief of the air force, Vladimir
Mikhaylov, today is in Tajikistan, but he is always in communication.
The central command point of the air force controls everything
from this bunker which is located deep under ground. According to
the instructions for today’s exercises, Russian bombers from the
long-range aviation are playing the role of violators of CIS air space.
Journalists are given access to one of the Ministry of Defence’s most
secret facilities no more than once every six months. In answer to a
question about how deep under ground the bunker is, an officer answers
evasively: consider it more than 100 [as received]. Before starting,
the cameraman is told at length what can and cannot be filmed.
In the morning, two Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers and also
four Tu-22 long-range bombers take off from the Engels airdrome in
the direction of Belarus. Their fellow CIS members have the task of
intercepting the targets and forcing them to land.
[Boris Cheltsov, Chief-of-Staff of the Russian air force] The
performance grading intercept targets simulated by the long-range
aircraft have been intercepted by forces of the Russian strike
aviation. On entering the air space of the Republic of Belarus, the
strike aircraft of the Republic of Belarus will step into action and
operate. And interceptions were carried out in the territory of the
Armenian Republic.
[Correspondent] The work of the strike and the interceptor aircraft
in the skies above Belarus is coordinated by an A-50 long-range radar
surveillance and guidance aircraft. Another plane should have taken
off for Armenia but Georgia, as it did one year ago, did not allow
flights in its airspace. However, a job was found for it in the skies
above the North Caucasus. The A-50 oversaw control over the flights.
Today, the air forces of Central Asian member states have also been
deployed. Two Kazakh MiG-31 interceptors take off from Karaganda for
Perm. Another pair fly from Novosibirsk to Karaganda.
The military planned to use the Russian air base in Kant [Kyrgyzstan]
during the exercises, but the weather there today is unsuitable
for flying. Uzbek and Tajik anti-aircraft defence systems follow
the situation. Incidentally, the Russian strategic bombers today
landed outside Minsk for the first time in the history of a sovereign
Belarus. This year, the Russian air force will get another two Tu-160
aircraft.
[Video shows aircraft taking off and in flight; correspondent in
underground command bunker with screens and computers behind him; the
corridors of the bunker; graphics showing exercise manoeuvres, Cheltsov
speaking; A-50 in flight; an unidentified white aircraft – presumably
a Tu-160 Russian strategic bomber – taking-off and in flight]

Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
Turkey’s hot potatoes
Contributed by David Ferguson
Wednesday, 06 April 2005
Hot potatoes from across the Bosphorus.
“There is no doubt that the proper functioning of the customs union
with Turkey should prevail, as the promotion of free trade has always
been of paramount importance to the EU. It is also our duty to care
for and protect our consumers. We cannot jeopardise public health,”
said Member of the European Parliament, Ioannis Gklavakis. He wants the
European Commission to take immediate measures against imports to the
EU of Turkish potatoes. According to the Greek, a member of the EP’s
agriculture committee, the potatoes may contain high concentrations of
nitrates. Consumption of contaminated potatoes may even cause cancer.
The relevant data was submitted by Professor Sait Gezgin of Selçuk
University to a Committee of Inquiry in the Turkish Parliament. The
professor suggested the competent Turkish authorities may be failing
to undertake relevant controls and make appropriate recommendations
to farmers.
MEP Gklavakis: “Turkish potatoes are dangerous.”
According to Turkish media reports, local farmers use pure nitrogen in
the production of potatoes at a much higher quantity than stipulated
by the World Health Organization. The use of pure nitrogen in high
quantities entails higher concentrations of nitrates in potatoes. MEP
Gklavakis, a member of the right-of-centre European People’s Party
(EPP), says the Commission should meet its obligations in protecting
European consumers by undertaking laboratory controls of the imported
Turkish potatoes as well as by requesting further explanation from
Turkey.
Turkey’s latest application to join the EU dates back to 1987 and, if
all conditions are met, the country should begin accession negotiations
in October 2005. The country is under pressure to maintain progress
on press freedoms, human rights and economic reforms. Last month,
police violence against women protesters caused dismay and serious
doubts in Brussels over the pace of change in Turkey. This week, the
Turkish government announced a two or three month delay for reform
of the country’s 79-year-old penal code to meet the EU’s political
standards. One of the draft articles of the revised code still deems
an offense calling for Turkish withdrawal from Cyprus or talk of the
Armenian genocide.
–Boundary_(ID_InEe7Am2gusCSwF4d47tyQ)–