Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 21 2005
EU Official Says Turkey must Strengthen Relations with Armenia
KARS – Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Commission
Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk has indicated that Turkey’s most
important task in its EU process is good relations with its
neighbours. He urged Turkey to improve its relations with Armenia.
However he did call Yerevan to withdraw its forces from occupied
Azerbaijani territories.
Lagendijk was at the Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoglu’s office where he
made comments on Turkey-EU relations.
“Turkey must strengthen its relations with Armenia. Nothing can be
achieved with isolationist policies. I believe that Azerbaijan can
get back its territory through dialogue. The EU must play an active
role to find a solution to the Armenian – Azerbaijani dispute. We
must look at the Turkey – Armenia and Armenia – Azerbaijan problems
as ones separate from each other,” told Lagendijk. Armenia does not
recognise Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Turkish
public perceive a religious solidarity between EU and Armenia in
Armenian issues because the EU offcils have always critising Turkey
and Azerbaijan though Armenian is the occupier in the region.
According to Lagendijk, it is vital to have regional policies to
develop the economy in poor areas.
“We agree with Mr Erdogan on his stance vis-a-vis Armenia. An
independent committee of historians must be formed to study the
incidents of early 20th century. Independent studies must take place
on the events of 1915. However, the border gate between Turkey and
Armenia must be opened soon,” said Lagendijk.
The bordergate was open however when Armenia occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijan Turkey closed the territorial borders. Yet the air borders
are still open and 50more than 50,000 Armenians work in Istanbul
though no Muslim Turkish could stay in Armenia.
Meanwhile, Kars Mayor Naif Alibeyoglu stressed that the people of
Kars wholeheartedly support Turkey’s EU membership. “The EU is a goal
outlined by Kemal Ataturk. We want to be a part of the EU,” noted
Alibeyoglu.
Turkey simply asks Armenia 3 steps to take:
1. Do not try to change borders by force, and withdraw Armenian
forces,
2. Recognise Turkey’s national borders and do not imply any
irredentist policy towards Turkey and other neigbours,
3. Do not undermine the relations just focusing the historical
disputes.
The Armenian politicians put the 1915 events at the heart of Armenian
foreign policy. Armenians argue that the 1915 Relocation Campaign was
‘massacre’ against Armenians. The Armenians rioted in 1915 against
ýstanbul Government and when the armed Armenians attacked the Armies,
Istanbul Government decided to relocate them. Many Armenians died
during the campaign due to the ethnic clashes, epidemic diseases and
bad weather conditions. More than 520,000 Turks were masscred by the
Armenian extremists during the same years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HENCEFORTH REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND INFANT MORTALITY IN ARMENIA TO BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHO ICD
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. At the June 16 meeting, the Armenian
government made a decision on improving the situation regarding
the problems of the registration and classification of births and
infant mortality. According to the RA Government Information and
PR Department, the decision in particular was taken in accordance
with the requirements and norms of the World Health Organization’s
International Classification of Diseases (WHO ICD). The decision also
approved the main medical and demographic definitions used in the child
and mother health care, as well as a new order of the registration
and calculation of births and infant mortality. Chief Specialist of
the Medical Aid Organization Department of the RA Ministry of Health
Anahit Hovhannisian told reporters after the meeting that the adoption
of the new order will make the registration of births and infant
deaths more precise. Based on the decision, new ICD standards will
be put in practice, as well as new forms of registering births and
infant mortality will be developed. According to Anahit Hovhannisian,
infant mortality has shown a downward tendency in Armenia in recent
years – 11.8 thousand deaths were registered in 2003, whereas the
number declined to 11.6 thousand in 2004.

ABSURD, IMITATION BUT NOT REFORM
A1plus
| 11:48:24 | 18-06-2005 | Politics |
Members of extra parliamentary parties are disappointed in the amended
Electoral Code.
“As a matter of fact there are no principal differences between the
acting and amended Electoral Code. There are no obvious changes as
regards the suffrage and electoral system”, second secretary of the
Communist party Frunze Kharatyan says. Powerful Fatherland party is
as well discontent. In their opinion no reformation took place and
today’s Electoral Code conflicts with the Constitution, as the latter
formulates the authorities of the juridical system.
Chairman of Powerful Fatherland party Vardan Vardapetyan hints at the
new order of formation of the election commissions. “We have 170 judges
and actually 90 of them should participate in the work of the election
commissions. Thus, it turns out that the judge should abandon his work
and joint the election commission. There are plenty of violations fixed
in each commission and the judge from the polling station should sit
into the judge’s chair and take a decision. It’s absurd”, he says.
The Communist party considers that the situations has become more
complicated. “What do the courts have to do with the election
commissions. Actually, at present the juridical bodies take more
active part in the election process than the parties and states bodies
do”, Frunze Kharatyan says.
By the way, all the extra parliamentary forces note the importance
of the formation of the election commissions, since in Armenia
the final outcome of the elections is still decided in these
commissions. The political forces not presented in the parliament
hold the opinion that in order to preserve balance the commission
should involve representatives of all the parties participating in
the elections. “Otherwise, the whole process is a mere imitation”,
they say.
Lena Badeyan

Schweizerische Depeschenagentur AG (SDA)
SDA – Service de base français
16 juin 2005
Génocide arménien Le Bundestag adopte une résolution sur “les
massacres” turcs
Berlin (ats/afp) La chambre des députés allemands, le Bundestag, a
adopté jeudi une résolution en mémoire des massacres commis par la
Turquie entre 1915 et 1917 contre le peuple arménien. Mais les
députés se sont gardés de les présenter comme un génocide.
Dans ce texte, l’ensemble des fractions parlementaires demande au
gouvernement allemand de “s’engager pour faire respecter la liberté
d’opinion en Turquie, en particulier en ce qui concerne les massacres
commis à l’égard des Arméniens”.
“Un arrangement doit être trouvé entre Turcs et Arméniens par la
réconciliation et le pardon pour la responsabilité historique”
turque, ajoute la résolution, approuvée par les groupes
parlementaires social-démocrate (SPD), conservateurs (CDU-CSU), Vert
et libéral (FDP).
Les parlementaires allemands demandent aussi à Berlin d’oeuvrer à ce
que “la Turquie normalise immédiatement ses relations bilatérales
avec l’Arménie”. La Turquie a reconnu l’Arménie à son indépendance en
1991 mais sans établir de relations diplomatiques en raison du
profond différend sur les massacres considérés comme un génocide par
de nombreux pays.
Gül: “résolution blessante”
Le ministre des Affaires étrangères turc Abdullah Gül a critiqué
cette résolution qu’il a jugée “blessante” à l’égard de la Turquie et
des Turcs vivant en Allemagne, soit près de 2,5 millions de
personnes. Le numéro deux de l’ambassade d’Allemagne en Turquie a été
convoqué au ministère des Affaires étrangères.
Les massacres et déportations d’Arméniens perpétrés sous l’Empire
ottoman, de 1915 à 1917, ont fait 1,5 million de morts selon les
Arméniens, entre 250 000 et 500 000 selon Ankara qui rejette
catégoriquement la thèse du génocide.
Le “génocide” arménien a été reconnu en 1985 par la sous-commission
des droits de l’homme de l’ONU, puis en 1987 par le Parlement
européen, et également par plusieurs pays européens, dont la France,
où vit la plus grosse communauté arménienne d’Europe, avec 350 000
personnes.
En Suisse, le Conseil national a reconnu le génocide en 2003,
suscitant les vives protestations d’Ankara. Au niveau cantonal, il a
été reconnu par les autorités genevoises (Conseil d’Etat et
parlement) et par le Grand Conseil vaudois.
–Boundary_(ID_hYjYy99Hz6acFoB9bd3a5Q)–

Press-Enterprise (subscription), CA
June 16 2005
Armenian Christians’ leader to bless church
RELIGION: “This is like our pope,” says the pastor. Hundreds are
expected to attend.
By DAVID OLSON / The Press-Enterprise
RANCHO MIRAGE – The pontiff for the world’s 7 million Armenian
Apostolic Christians will visit Rancho Mirage on Friday to bless the
foundation stone of what will become the first Armenian church
sanctuary in Riverside County.
Hundreds of Armenians from Inland Southern California are expected to
travel to Rancho Mirage to see His Holiness Karekin II, said the Rev.
Dr. Stepanos Dingilian, pastor of the desert church.
“This is like our pope,” Dingilian said. “For him to take the time to
come to a small (church) … like this is really significant.”
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, will
also anoint the foundation stone with holy oil, he said. After the
ceremony, the church will host a reception and banquet for the
pontiff in the church social hall, where the congregation has been
worshipping since November, Dingilian said.
The Rancho Mirage appearance is part of a three-week visit to the
United States by the pontiff, who lives in Armenia, a former Soviet
republic in southwestern Asia.
“His Holiness felt it was important he see this and preside over this
event as a sign of support and encouragement,” said the Rev. Ktrij
Devejian, the pontiff’s foreign press secretary.
About 100 people attend each of the bimonthly services at the church,
Dingilian said. There are between 2,000 and 5,000 Armenians in the
Coachella Valley, he estimated.
Arthur Swajian’s two grandsons, ages 5 and 8, will present flowers to
Karekin II. Swajian, 85, of Palm Desert, said he has never seen the
pontiff in person.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that he is visiting here,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PILOTS FREED
Daily Post (Liverpool)
June 13, 2005, Monday
SIX Armenian pilots who spent nearly 15 months in an Equatorial
Guinean prison for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government
have returned home. The six, who were arrested in March 2004, were
granted a presidential pardon and released on Wednesday
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AK Party deputy Comez addresses conference in Yerevan University
Turkish Press
June 13 2005
YEREVAN (AA) – Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Turan
Comez who attended a conference in Yerevan University, said that it
(the conference) was just a meeting, but in fact it was a significant
step taken for the peace and stability in this geography (where Turkey
and Armenia were situated).
Addressing the conference on Turkish-Armenian relations held at
Yerevan University, Comez said that the conference (in Yerevan)
was welcomed by Turkey.
Noting that Turkey wanted to have good and peaceful relations with
its neighbors, Comez said that there should be more visits between
the people of two countries to improve Turkish-Armenian relations.
“The communication channels of universities, NGOs and media between
the two countries should be particularly open,” said Comez.
Upon a question of an Armenian lecturer asking the attitude of Turkish
parliamentarians towards relations with Armenia, Comez said that “all
Turkish parliamentarians want to have good relations with Armenia.”
“Such kind of platforms are very important to overcome the biased
perceptions of the two countries,” said Comez.
Comez remarked that the aim of his visit was “to get to know each
other” adding that “I have been supported by many people in Turkey
regarding my visit to Armenia… You can call my visit either as one
of friendship, or dialogue, or official visit or unofficial visit.
The thing that is important is the dialogue that I want to have
with you…”
Upon a question about the Armenian claims of genocide, Comez said that
societies had painful incidents in the past. Noting that Turks and
Armenians lived peacefully for 850 years, Comez said that Armenians
were appointed to important posts in the Ottoman State.
“We should take lessons from the past, we went through sad incidents
in 1915, the Ottomans fought in three fronts in that period. It is
impossible for us not to be sad about the death of our Armenian
citizens due to the law on deportation. But if we want progress,
we should always look to the future,” he added.
Upon a question about the conference which was cancelled at Bogazici
University, Comez said that Turkey was a democratic country where
all views could be discussed openly.

Turkish MP says Turkey ready to discuss “baseless” Armenian genocide claims
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
11 Jun 05
YEREVAN
[Ruling] Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Turhan Comez told
Armenian deputies and officials on Saturday [11 June] that Turkey was
ready to debate genocide claims both on historical and in legal
platforms.
Responding to questions of some Armenian deputies about Armenian
claims of ‘genocide’, Comez explained to them the historical
realities, and noted that the Armenian claims were baseless.
Reminding of the UN Genocide Convention, Comez said that genocide
meant committing mass massacre with the intention of killing all
members of an ethnic or religious group. Many Muslim Turks were killed
during the uprising of Armenian gangs, said Comez, adding that the
Ottomans adopted the Deportation Law in order to protect the integrity
of the country.
“Citizens (of Armenian origin) living in Izmir and Istanbul were not
asked to migrate. Therefore the decision (of deportation) can’t be
considered within the UN Genocide Convention of 1948. Maximum security
measures were also taken to guarantee the safe deportation of
Armenians showing that Ottomans didn’t have the intention to kill
them,” Comez told Armenian politicians.
“Turkey is right in its point of view historically and legally against
those claims,” he said.
Comez added that the two sides shouldn’t get stuck on the past, but
look for common interests for the future.

Azeri police foil protests against polls in breakaway Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
8 Jun 05
[Presenter] Members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization [KLO] have
attempted to stage pickets outside the embassies of the countries
co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group in protest against the [19 June]
parliamentary polls in the self-styled Nagornyy Karabakh republic
[NKR].
[Correspondent over video of protesters and police officers] The KLO
started mass protests today. Its members attempted to stage
unsanctioned protests outside the embassies of Russia, France and the
USA – the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group and demanded that
the parliamentary polls in the self-styled NKR be prevented. Despite
police resistance, the protesters managed to approach the French
embassy and chant their slogans.
The police detained and held [in a police car] KLO deputy chairman
Firudin Mammadov until the end of the protest.
They also tried to prevent KLO members from marching to the Russian
embassy. Only one protester was allowed to submit a resolution to a
member of the embassy. The resolution also carried their protest
against the relocation of Russian bases from Georgia to Armenia.
The KLO members failed to chant their slogans outside the US
embassy. The police waiting for them near the Dostluq [Friendship]
cinema allowed the protesters to submit their resolution to the
embassy. Despite all this, KLO deputy chairman Mammadov said that they
had achieved their goals.
[Mammadov] We said in our resolution that if the issues raised by the
KLO, that is the parliamentary polls [in Karabakh] and the removal of
Russia’s military units from Georgia to Armenia, are not taken
seriously in the near future, the KLO will stage more protests outside
these countries.
[Correspondent] Mammadov said that next actions would be more radical.
Vamiq Nasirov, Natavan Babayeva and Sadiq Mammadov, ANS.
[Video showed protesters chanting “Karabakh! Karabakh!”; Firudin
Mammadov in a police car, policemen etc]

Washington Times, DC
June 8 2005
Revitalizing U.S.-Turkey relations
By Frank Carlucci/F. Stephen Larrabee
The White House meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and President Bush today provides an important opportunity to
revitalize U.S.-Turkish relations, badly frayed by the American-led
invasion of Iraq.
A strong partnership with Turkey is very much in the U.S.
interest. Turkey is located the nexus of three areas of increasing
strategic importance to the United States: Europe, the Caspian/Black
Sea region, and the Middle East. In each areas, Turkish cooperation
is vital to achievingU.S. interests.
However, U.S.-Turkish relations have badly deteriorated of late.
Differences over Iraq have been accompanied by a disturbing growth of
anti-Americanism in Turkey. A recent poll by the German Marshall
Fund, for instance, found 82 percent of Turks polled did not support
U.S. policy. If these trends continue, they could irreparably harm
long-term U.S.-Turkish relations.
Recently, however, there have been signs both sides want improved
relations. In May, the Turkish parliament agreed to allow the United
States to use the Turkish airbase at Incirlik as a logistics hub for
transporting cargo to Iraq and Afghanistan. And in April the U.S. and
Turkey signed a $1.1 billion deal for upgrading of 117 F-16 fighter
jets.
These positive developments can serve as building blocks to
develop a revitalized Turkish-American partnership and new strategic
agenda. The key items on this agenda should include:
– Iraq: The United States and Turkey share a common interest in
the emergence of a stable democratic Iraq. But the Turks worry that
increasing Kurdish influence in Iraq – especially in the oil-rich
city of Kirkuk – could lead to the emergence of an independent
Kurdish state on Turkey’s borders and strengthen separatism among
Turkey’s large Kurdish population. Ankara also wants the U.S. to
clamp down on militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), which has recently stepped up cross-border attacks from safe
havens in northern Iraq. If the U.S. continues ignoring Turkey’s
pleas, Turkish anti-American sentiment is likely to grow, and Turkey
may feel compelled to take unilateral action against the PKK in
northern Iraq.
– Broader Middle East democratization: As a secular Muslim
country, Turkey can play an important role in supporting democracy in
the Middle East. But the U.S. should avoid touting Turkey as a model,
as some U.S. policymakers are wont to do. Many Turks, especially the
military and the secular Westernized elite, are wary of being
portrayed as an “Islamic model,” which they fear will strengthen the
role of Islam in Turkey and weaken Turkey’s ties to the West. In a
toughly worded speech at the end of April the head of the Turkish
general staff, Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, strongly denied Turkey was a model
for the Islamic world. Moreover, Turkey’s image in the Arab world is
tarnished by its imperial past and its strong ties to Israel.
– Iran: Turkey and the United States also share a common
interest in containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Neither wants to see
a nuclear-armed Iran. At the same time, Turkey has an important
interest in maintaining good economic and political relations with
Tehran, a major natural gas source for Turkey’s expanding needs.
Turkey also shares a common interest with Iran in containing Kurdish
separatism. Thus the United States cannot expect Turkey to support
totally isolating Iran.
-Central Asia and the Caucasus: A strategic dialogue on
cooperation in these areas should be a top priority for both sides.
Both countries share an interest in stabilizing this conflict-ridden
region. In particular, they should work together to help resolve the
conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. A settlement would open new
possibilities for improved relations between Armenia and Turkey and
also allow Armenia to reduce its dependence on Russia.
– Europe: Turkey’s entry into the European Union is in the
long-term interest of the United States. It will make Europe a
stronger strategic partner and strengthen efforts to promote
democratic reform in Turkey. At the same time, Washington needs to
recognize that Turkish membership in the EU – if achieved – will
result in a more “Europeanized” Turkey, one which looks increasingly
to Brussels rather than to Washington.
– Cyprus: Finally, both sides need to work together to promote a
Cyprus settlement. Turkey has done its part. Last spring, the Turkish
Cypriots, backed by Turkey, voted for the plan sponsored by U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan. The Greek Cypriots, however, rejected
the plan. The election in April of Mehmet Ali Talat, new president of
Turkish Cyprus, has boosted hopes for progress toward an eventual
settlement.
Unlike his predecessor, Rauf Denktas, Mr. Talat supports the
Annan plan and resumed bicommunal talks with Greek Cyprus.
None of these changes would end all U.S.-Turkish differences. But
they would help put relations back on a much firmer footing and
contribute to a critically important regional stability.

Frank Carlucci is a former defense secretary and national
security adviser in the Reagan administration, and a member of the
RAND Corp. board of trustees. F. Stephen Larrabee was a member of the
Carter administration National Security Council staff and holds the
RAND Corporate Chair in European Security.