Author: Ekmekjian Janet

CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM FAILURE NOT TO CAUSE POLITICAL CRISIS
Pan Armenian News
02.09.2005 06:37
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The draft constitutional amendments represented to
the second reading excel the previous package, since the authorities,
opposition and even the civic society came to be engaged in the process
presently, head of the OSCE Yerevan Office Vladimir Pryakhin said
when commenting to PanARMENIAN.Net reporter on the current stage of
constitutional reform in Armenia. In his words, the draft is ready
for referendum. When asked whether the failure of the referendum
can cause political crisis V. Pryakhin said, “In case the referendum
fails no catastrophe or cataclysm will occur, though it will impede
the process of democratization in the country.” He also noted that the
OSCE refrains form making any forecasts on the forthcoming referendum
and that the organization is only charged with the task to assist
in preparing for the event. He pointed out to the establishment of
dialogue between the authors and co-authors of the Constitution,
the opposition and the civic society. “Everyone made contribution to
the draft Constitution,” he said.

Bot is disappointed in Turkey’s declaration
Reformatorisch Dagblad
Dutch daily newspaper
Wednesday, 31 August 2005
THE HAGUE – The Dutch judgement on Turkey’s declaration not recognising
Cyprus is politically disappointing. Turkey made this declaration
recently when Ankara signed the customs union with ten new EU
countries, among others Cyprus.
Signing of the customs union was a condition of the EU to Turkey to
be able to start accession negotiations on 3 October.
The Netherlands feels that the Turkish declaration is politically
disappointing, according to minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Bot. At
the same time the declaration “does not formally affect the meaning of
the signature” of the protocol with the EU. The government thinks that
legal value of the signature is not damaged by Turkey’s declaration.
The Federation of Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands (FAON)
insisted on Tuesday at the House of Representatives that Turkey must
recognise the Armenian genocide of 1915 before the country can join
the EU. The FAON “sounds alarm”, according to spokesperson I. Drost.
We predict that Turkey will not easily accept her past.
Turkish politicians seem to be prepared to speak from time to time
about the massacres of the Armenians, but in reality they deny the
Genocide.
In a petition, the FAON calls on the Parliament to sharply condemn
the negationist policy. If Turkey nevertheless continues with it, then
it must have consequences for the start of the accession negotiations
between the EU and Turkey, according to FAON.
The Parliament must request of minister Bot to urgently require comply
with all accession criteria, such as complying with human rights,
rights of minorities and freedom of expression.
Bot must on his part persuade his European colleagues of the need to
include recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a condition in the
negotiation document with Turkey. “It is now or never”, Drost said
Tuesday. “This is our last attempt to get recognition incorporated
into a European document.”

OSCE HEAD EXPECTED TO VISIT YEREVAN SEPTEMBER 7
Pan Armenian News
01.09.2005 05:25
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel will visit Baku September 6. Next day Rupel is expected
in Armenia. Within the framework of the visit Rupel intends to get
information about the outcomes of the Kazan meeting of the Armenian
and Azeri Presidents. In the course of his regional visit the OSCE
head will meet with Presidents of both countries. With Azeri officials
Mr. Rupel is expected to discuss the process of preparation to the
parliamentary election in Azerbaijan. While in Armenia, the matter
will concern the coming referendum on introducing changes to the
Constitution of the country, IA Regnum reported.

TO ADOPT OR NOT TO ADOPT?
A1+
| 16:35:00 | 31-08-2005 | Politics |
“According to the draft constitution the strongest branch of power
is the legislative”, announced Tigran Torosyan today in answer to
the oppositional deputies who claim that the authorizations of the
President have been added or the PM Institute has been enhanced.
The NA deputy President accepted all the accusations the opposition
voiced, in particular – those about the absence of trust atmosphere,
forged elections and violation of human rights. “What shall we do to
solve those problems?” Tigran Torosyan asked the rhetoric question and
answered it himself: as far as the acting constitution does not offer
mechanisms of defense of human rights, we must adopt the amendments
to it.
Tigran Torosyan announced several times that the acting Constitution
has exhausted itself, and it must be amended. According to him,
thus the majority of the problems will be solved.
Member of the Justice bloc Stepan Zaqaryan noted that the articles
referring to the rights and interests of the RA citizens have not
been amended. He reminded that the acting constitution too demanded
to hold free and transparent elections, but we all know how they are
held in our country.
And Artashes Geghamyan advised the coalition to put down the mandates
and to dissolve.
As for the leader of the National Democratic Party Shavarsh Kocharyan,
he announced that his party will not call the people to say “No”
to the Constitution, as the decision of the people is already negative.
Hmayak Hovhannisyan again referred to the President’s life immunity,
saying, “He can do whatever he wants, and the nation will not have
the possibility to call his to responsibility”.

SOCIAL CARDS
Laura Grigorian
Azat Artsakh Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
29 Aug 05
The distribution of social cards continues in the republic. According
to the head of the department of social insurance and retirement of
the NKR Ministry of Social Security Vahram Arakelian, by August 23
69 thousand 233 social security cards have been issued, including
in Stepanakert 22 thousand 720, Martekert region 11 thousand 272,
Hadrut region 7 thousand 827, Askeran region 9 thousand 649, Shushi
region 2 thousand 569, Martuni region 9 thousand 957, Shahumian region
1278 and Kashatagh region 3 thousand 961 social cards. According to
V. Arakelian, the citizens who had applied in July have already
received their social cards, the social cards will be issued to the
applicants of August at the beginning of September. V. Arakelian
said two persons refused to have social cards but then applied to
the department and received their cards. The system of social cards
will be operated since January 1, 2006. The cards are issued by the
department of social security of Stepanakert and the social security
services in the regions. Applications may be both individual and
collective. Social cards are free of charge.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS DISCUSS SITUATION ON CONTINENT
By Boris Vlasov
PSKOV, August 29
ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
August 29, 2005 Monday 12:46 PM Eastern Time
European parliamentarians gathered in Pskov on Monday for a seminar,
which is devoted to the formation of a new Europe.
Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Mikhail Margelov
told Itar-Tass Russian parliamentarians discussed the events in Europe.
“Russia’s membership in the Council of Europe is needed because it
is a European country that allows us to avoid isolation, which will
eliminate our democratic achievements and pose a threat to Russia’s
path on liberal democracy,” Margelov said.
The seminar involves “European democrats” from Britain, France,
Italy, Greece, Israel, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Turkey, Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

Constitutional reform in Armenia to promote country’s development
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
August 29, 2005 Monday 3:06 PM Eastern Time
YEREVAN, August 29
The reform of Armenia’s Constitution will open broad prospects
for the country’s further development, Tigran Torosyan, the deputy
speaker of the republic’s parliament, the chairman of the provisional
commission for Eurointegration, said here at the extraordinary session
of the National Assembly convened for the second reading of the draft
amendments to the Constitution.
The amendments stem from Yerevan’s obligations assumed during its
entry into the Council of Europe and aimed to balance the powers of
different branches of the republican authorities. The document was
coordinated with European experts, specifically, with the Venice
Commission of the Council of Europe, and will, possibly, be put to
referendum here in November.
The deputy speaker said the draft reform of the Constitution envisages
cardinal amendments of the procedure of dissolving parliament, and
forming the cabinet. Thus, recommending candidatures for premiership,
president is obliged to consult factions of the National Assembly to
establish the one who enjoys the support of the parliamentary majority.
Torosyan stressed the importance of the provisions related to the
formation and activity of the legal council. He said the human rights
guarantees are clearly defined.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said on TV the other day the
amendments to the Constitution are needed, above all, for the people.
At the same time, they are very important for Armenia’s European
integration, he said.

Armenian conference and bill in September
TDN
Saturday, August 27, 2005
If my memory is not playing tricks on me, a similar resolution was
submitted during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ=9Fan’s visit to
Washington in June, and a minor crisis ensued.
Gila BENMAYOR
I met U.S. Consul General in Istanbul Deborah Jones at a
Turkish-American Business Council (TAÄ°K) reception the other
night. Jones was appointed to the post upon the departure of David
Arnett.
Jones is very knowledgeable about the Middle East.
She speaks Arabic well because she worked in Baghdad and Damascus. At
the reception I also talked to the congressional staffers who were
invited to Turkey as part of a program sponsored by TAÄ°K and its
American counterpart, the American-Turkish Council (ATC).
I would like to talk about this program.
Unfortunately, most American congressmen and their staffers know
almost nothing about Turkey.
Turkey, for them, is a country at the opposite end of the world. Even
though they know nothing about it, they draft many bills that affect
Turkey.
This is why it is very important and beneficial for TAÄ°K and the ATC
to invite a delegation from Congress from time to time in order to let
them see Istanbul, Ä°zmir and Ankara and to meet with representatives
from nongovernmental organizations.
Just as TAİK President Yılmaz Argüden said, there is a considerable
disparity between what those who come to Turkey hear and what they
see.
In the past three years, TAÄ°K has welcomed around 90 congressional
staffers.
If we return to the reception the other night, everyone I talked to
confirmed Argüden’s assessment.
`We never expected Turkey to be like this,’ some said.
I should also note that those I spoke with had visited Bodrum.
There was, of course, some congressional gossip making the rounds, and
we learned that a resolution on the Armenian genocide allegations
would be submitted to the House of Representatives in September.
If my memory is not playing tricks on me, a similar resolution was
submitted during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ=9Fan’s visit to
Washington in June, and a minor crisis ensued.
The timing of the bill is very interesting because the Armenian
conference at BoÄ=9Faziçi University that was postponed last May will
now be held in September.
The exact date the resolution will be submitted is not yet known, but
the conference will be held on Sept. 23.
I believe both happening in the same month is very unfortunate.
Unfortunately, most of the nation has negative views on the conference
due to the mistaken interpretations of the conference in the media.
If the resolution is submitted to the House at the same time, public
reaction may grow.
In summary, some very important developments will happen on the
Armenian problem in September.
Angel of villages: Nurten Ã-ztürk: The letters I receive from the
readers of my Turkish Daily News column show that they are interested
in social projects.
Maybe such reports give them hope and inspiration, I don’t know, but I
know that when I hear those involved in the project speak, I get very
excited.
One of those who inspires me is OPET board member Nurten Ã-ztürk.
Ã-ztürk, a successful businesswoman, is the person who initiated the
`clean toilets’ campaign five years ago.
If you are wondering why all the OPET gas stations have clean toilets,
don’t look any further. Ã-ztürk is responsible.
She is also supervising the `green highway’ project, whichaims to
plant trees around OPET stations.
She also helps in the development of certain villages.
This project is called `pilot village.’ She is involved in the
development of three villages right now.
They are the village of Dara, in Mardin right next to the Dara ruins;
the village of Yesemek, where the Hittite Open-air Sculpture Workshop
is located; and the village of Pazarköy in Bolu.
Ã-zürk shows the villagers how to contribute to the village economy,
ways to make their village more beautiful.
Villagers are trained in hygiene, health, and arts and crafts.
The first two villages have huge tourism potential, and that’s why
they are being shown how to utilize it.
Villagers are given brochures and CDs to hand out to tourists.
Ã-ztürk, who spends most of her time traveling to villages, does not
forget about children and supports efforts to open computer classes,
libraries and game rooms.
After having met her and witnessed her enthusiasm, I began to call her
the` angel of villages.’

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
08/25/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Plot Thickens in Fate of Turkey's Armenian Genocide Conference 2) Election Tensions in Azerbaijan Trouble Europe 3) ARF Bureau Seminar 4) Abkhazia Unwilling to Trade Freedom for Monetary Assurances 1) Plot Thickens in Fate of Turkey's Armenian Genocide Conference ISTANBUL (Marmara/AFP)--Recent reports in the Turkish press point to Turkish government efforts to influence the recently rescheduled conference on the Armenian genocide, slated for September 23-25 at Istanbul's Bogazici University. Featuring academics and intellectuals who dispute Ankara's version of the 1915-1917 genocide of Armenians, the conference was postponed in May after Justice Minister Cemil Cicek condemned the initiative as "treason" and a "stab in the back of the Turkish nation." He also said organizers deserved to be prosecuted. The outburst raised eyebrows in European diplomatic circles about Ankara's commitment to democratic reforms, a requirement for October 3 negotiations over its adhesion to the European Union (EU). But diplomats said the incident could also prove to be a watershed if the Turkish government acted to correct Cicek's remarks. Milliyet published an article on August 25 saying Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan requested that organizers reschedule the conference prior to October 3, noting negative effects of its prior cancellation on European public opinion. In the meantime, there are conflicting reports on whether Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul would open the conference, titled "Ottoman Armenians during the Decline of the Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility and Democracy." Although it was reported yesterday that Gul accepted the invitation from the rector of Bogazici University, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Namik Tan announced later on Wednesday that Gul would be in New York during the conference opening, and would participate during its closingif his schedule allowed. Asked about recent change in plans, Gul explained that he agreed to participate in principle, but only if his schedule allowed, and elaborated on the importance of the academic gathering. "We consider such meetings an opportunity to explain our opinion both in Turkey and abroad," Gul said. "We have no problems about the issue [Armenian genocide], and it is useless to shun it as if the guilty party." Pointing to opinions that oppose his, he suggested that certain circles twist historical facts to oppose Turkey. His comments seem to have implied that the nature of the original conference is now questionable. "I am happy to partake if I see that there is broad representation," he said, in an apparent reference to participation of academics who deny the genocide of Armenians ever took place. "We must carry out, both internally and externally, a clear campaign to contradict this. We must be proactive both as a government and a [foreign] ministry. We will not allow hostile circles to affect new generations with unfounded allegations." 2) Election Tensions in Azerbaijan Trouble Europe Embassies of European Union member states in Baku have called for free and fair parliamentary elections in November, and urge political parties in Azerbaijan to hold peaceful pre-election campaigns for the sake of Azerbaijan's democratic development. (azernews/noticias)--"Concerned about the deteriorating pre-election environment in Azerbaijan, the EU mission there has called on all parties to exert considerable effort in ensuring free and fair elections, according to British charge d'affaires in Baku Colin Wells. On behalf of the embassies of EU states in Baku, I call on all parties to ensure that their campaigns are peaceful. Violence and threats are not in line with democratic election campaigns. The embassies praise the authorities' steps on the implementation of the May 11 presidential decree on improving election practices and are ready to assist Azerbaijan in making certain the elections meet international standards," Wells said in a statement released by the British embassy there. The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Rene van der Linden also expressed concern after visiting the region August 18-23. Der Linden stressed in Strasbourg on Thursday that the November elections would be a test case for the country and an important opportunity for the international community to see that the government was doing its utmost to ensure free and fair elections. Noting the importance of election monitoring, he reminded authorities that in January 2006 PACE would consider the report of its own 40-strong election observation mission. Der Linden stressed that authorities must reinforce and guarantee media independence and pluralism, including the reopening of the capital's Public TV station. He urged all political parties to approach the elections in a positive and constructive spirit of democracy, and called on the authorities to take all the necessary action to ensure that neither the opposition nor the media would continue to feel at risk as a result of their lawful and democratic activities. 3) ARF Bureau Seminar YEREVAN (YERKIR)--A three-day seminar on political developments in Armenia and the region begins on August 26 in Yerevan, with Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) members from around 20 countries participating in the discussions organized by the ARF Bureau. "We will review the positions of various countries and forces that affect the region, as well as issues tied to Mountainous Karabagh and Javakhk, and Armenia-Turkey relations." indicated Giro Manoyan, who heads the Bureau's Hai Tahd and Political Affairs office. The meeting is a part of a series of Bureau-organized seminars to deliberate on matters with party members representing the ARF's many regions, Manoyan said. 4) Abkhazia Unwilling to Trade Freedom for Monetary Assurances TBILISI (Civil Georgia)--Abkhaz prime minister Aleksander Ankvab told Regnum news agency that the independence of Abkhazia would not be traded for economic opportunities and international assistance. In an interview, Ankvab, who criticized western diplomats, said Abkhazia instead finds "far better understanding" of its claims in Russia. "Representatives of Western diplomatic circles--sorry for the rough language--always rub it in our face [that Abkhazia is not internationally recognized], but they can not take away our natural right to being independent and free. We are not asking to enter anything and do not beg. If they want to speak in a dignified manner, we are ready to respond, but to try--with economic promises--to place us somewhere else [i.e. Georgia]--they must consider the will of the people that will never change," Ankvab said. He also stressed that there is no link between Abkhazia's political aims and opportunities for foreign loans. Ankvab has lead the Abkhaz political movement "Aitaira" since 2000, and was a high-ranking Communist Party official in Soviet Georgia from 1981 to 1983. He later served as the deputy Interior Minister for political issues of the Soviet Georgian from until 1990. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Pravda, Russia
Aug 22 2005
Armenian, Azerbaijani foreign ministers to discuss land claims
11:58 2005-08-22
The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet Monday for
talks on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute.
Ethnic Armenian forces seized the mountainous enclave during a war in
the 1990s that killed thousands and displaced millions. A tense
cease-fire has held since 1994 and efforts to finally resolve its
status have repeatedly failed.
The two foreign ministers were expected to lay the groundwork for a
meeting of the countries’ two presidents later this week, Interfax
news agency reported.
The return of refugees, withdrawal from some territories and
introducing peacekeeping forces are among the issues being discussed.
Presidents Ilham Aliev of Azerbaijan and Robert Kocharian of Armenia
were slated to meet on Friday in Kazan on the sidelines of a meeting
of leaders from several former Soviet republics, the AP reported.