Author: Emil Lazarian

Zaman, Turkey
July 12 2006

Rep. Perplexed by Fall in Turkish Support for EU
By Cihan News Agency
Published: Wednesday, July 12, 2006
zaman.com

Hans Jorg Kretschmer, head of the European Commission Delegatino to
Turkey, said on Wednesday that he was perplexed over the fall in
Turkish public support for joining the European Union.

The Eurobarometer poll, which was carried out in April and based on
1000 responses, found that only 43 percent of Turks had a positive
image of the EU. The recent figure showed that there had been a
plunge in Turkish support for the EU from 60 percent over a six-month
period.

Kretschmer, whose four-year tenure will end in October, said at a
press conference that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
had initiated a historical transformation process in Turkey. "I
personally believe that this prime minister and this government could
succeed in the EU membership process. There is no other alternative."

Representative Kretschmer said that Turkey should not get stuck on
the issue of ports and harbors, recommending that the country open
its ports to Greek Cypriot traffic. "The EU has kept its pledge, now
it is time for Turkey."

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has blamed some European leaders for
the plunge in Turkish public support for the EU.

Most Turkish people are unhappy with the EU stance on Cyprus, PKK
terrorism, the so-called Armenian Genocide issue and the Greek
Orthodox Patriarchy. High numbers of Turks believe that the EU
intends to divide up Turkey.

The EU demands from the Turkish government and increasing pressure
over Cyprus are seen as the main reasons why Turkish people have
begun to turn their backs on the EU. Apparently, the more EU leaders
criticize Turkey, the more nationalist sentiment has gained ground in
Turkey.

Turkey commenced its de facto accession talks with the EU in
mid-June, following an eight-month screening process.

Turkey’s EU accession process is expected to be long, arduous and
susceptible to crises, especially on the Cyprus issue. Optimistic
analysts predict that Turkey, with its large population, could enter
the wealthy bloc by 2014 at the earliest.

INVESTIGATION IN A320 ARMENIAN LINER CRASH TO BE OVER BY LATE JULY

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 12 2006

YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. Investigation in A320 Armenian liner crash
is to be completed by late July, Interstate Aviation Committee Chair
Tatyan Anodina told journalists on Wednesday in Yerevan.

She said the investigation possesses a great deal of evidence necessary
for finding out the crash cases and preparing a final report on
Russian, Armenian and French specialists’ inferences.

"The cause will be worded clearly", Anodina said.

In her words, after decoding the voice and parameter recorders of black
boxes the investigators found it necessary to reproduce the model of
the crew actions simulation and decide to simulate the flight in a
special center in Toulouse.

Anodina said the simulation results processing would take a week and
the report would be sent to international organizations.

She added that technical commission finds out only the cause of the
crash and gives recommendations, and guilt will be established by
appropriate national bodies.

Anodina also said there had been no problems with inferences and
recommendations at today’s meeting with President Kocharyan. In her
words, the head of state sees his key objective in finding real causes
of the crash. M.V.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE MG American co-chair Matthew Bryza: "Talks still have not run out of potential"

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 12 2006

[ 12 Jul. 2006 20:04 ]

"OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are looking forward to initiative of the
conflicting sides," OSCE MG American co-chair Matthew Bryza exclusively
told APA correspondent in Turkey.

He said that he didn’t publicize the elements of negotiations by not
agreeing with the conflicting side on his own initiative.

"It was the decision of co-chairs".

He said he presented to public discussion only some of the elements:
" We expect the reaction of the Presidents. But I state that Talks
still have not run out of potential.

We expect directions from the Presidents, they should show us in
what direction we should work."American co-chair did not exclude
the discussion of Azerbaijan-Armenia, Nagorno Garabagh problem in
the summit of G-8 to be held in Sankt Petersburg. he stressed that
the time of Azerbaijani and Armenia Presidents meeting has not been
defined yet./APA/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Interstate Aviation Committee: Investigation of Airbus A320 crash close to end

Regnum, Russia
July 12 2006

Investigation of the Airbus A320 crash above the Black Sea is coming
to an end. "We are now at the final stage. We have all necessary data
for determining the true causes of the tragedy. By the end of July,
all the materials will be published and the work will be completed,"
Head of the Interstate Aviation Committee Tatyana Anodina is quoted
as saying at a news conference in Yerevan.

As a REGNUM correspondent reports, according to her, communications
of the Airbus A320 crew will not be made public, as it is what the
international regulations require. Speaking on the transcript of the
crew communications recordings published in the press, Tatyana Anodina
expressed her bewilderment on how the documents could be obtained by
the press, and she noted "it was incorrect information."

"We have thoroughly examined all the documents, analyzed communications
of the pilots. The cause will be certainly found, as we have all
necessary materials" she stressed. Speaking on the actions of air
traffic controllers, Tatyana Anodina is quoted as saying that, under
existing regulations, if weather changes (and the actual weather went
below minimums for Runway 06 at Sochi Airport during the approach),
the controller shall provide the crew with its full details . At the
same time she did not deny the fact that the controller instructed
the pilot to stop descent. It is worth mentioning that the official
statement of the Interstate Aviation Committee concerning the May
3 crash of the Airbus A320 belonging to Armenian Airlines during
a Yerevan-Sochi flight said: "After correcting the deviation the
aircraft started descent in accordance with the approach chart. At
22:10:45 p.m. the pilot reported wheels down and ready to land, and
the controller replied that their distance from the runway was 10 km,
cloud base 190 meters and visibility 4000 meters, and cleared them
for the approach. However, in 30 seconds, the controller informed
the pilot that base of cloud became 100 m and instructed him to stop
descent, turn right, execute a missed approach procedure, climb to
height 600 m and contact the Radar controller."

"We do not establish somebody’s guilt, national agencies in charge
do it," Tatyana Anodina said.

ABHAber, Belgium
EU-Turkey News Network
July 12 2006

EP postpones talks on highly-critical Turkey report

The European Parliament on Tuesday postponed debates on a draft
report entitled "Turkey’s Progress Towards Accession" which includes
a variety of criticisms of Turkey, until early September.

Debates on the report, prepared by EP Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rapporteur and MEP Camiel Eurlings, are now set for an EP session
Sept. 4 to 7.

The decision to postpone talks comes after some 400 proposals for
amendments to the draft report were submitted. Moreover at Tuesday’s
session of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, some members stated that
translation of the amendment requests will take a long time. However
European diplomats stated that there are many conflicting views
surrounding the proposed amendments.

While Eurlings said that more debates about Turkey are necessary,
other MEPs recalled the latest developments on Cyprus as well as
Turkey’s plans to implement certain reforms on women’s rights,
obligatory religious lessons and religious minorities and requested
the inclusion of these developments in the report. Other MEPs noted
that the European Commission will also announce a progress report on
Turkey and underlined the importance of back-to-back issuing of the
two reports.

The draft report criticized a number of issues, including Cyprus, a
slowdown in the EU reform process, the situation in the southeast,
problems with religious minorities, cultural rights and
civil-military relations. It raised particular concerns about the
Semdinli incident, during which a bookshop in the southeast was
allegedly bombed by members of the security forces, and called for an
impartial and objective investigation into the incident.

Turkey’s reservations to open its airports and harbors to the Greek
Cypriots will have serious implications for the EU process and could
even bring it to a halt, warned the draft report. The highly critical
report also called on Turkey to take steps towards the recognition of
the Greek Cypriot administration during the accession process and
raises the idea of an early withdrawal of forces from the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It also calls on the European
Council to renew efforts to implement trade regulations with Northern
Cyprus.

The EP report severely condemned the killing of Council of State
Judge Mustafa Yucel Ozbilgin, expressing concern over the low-level
of security offered to judges by the police despite clear and public
threats, and called on the government to rectify the situation. The
EP also condemned a resurgence of violence in the southeast by the
terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and stressed that there can
never be an excuse for violence against Turkish citizens in any part
of the country. The report also expressed solidarity with Turkey in
fighting terrorism.

On the Armenian issue, the EP took note of a Turkish proposal to set
up a bilateral committee of experts to deal with the tragic
experiences of the past and of Armenia’s position on the proposal. It
also urged the Turkish and Armenian governments to continue their
process of reconciliation leading to a mutually acceptable proposal
and asked Turkey to take the necessary steps, without any
preconditions, to establish diplomatic and good neighborly relations
with Armenia and open the land border as soon as possible.

ABHaber 12.07.2006

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA NA SPEAKER CONTENT WITH LEBANON’S BALANCED POSITION TOWARDS NAGORNO
KARABAKH PROBLEM

YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Development of
Armenian-Lebanese relations, as well as other issues of mutual interest
were discussed at the July 11 meeting of RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian
with the delegation headed by Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh.

RA NA Speaker emphasized the importance of Armenian-Lebanese
relations not only from point of view of historic contacts, but also
of considerate attitude of Lebanon to Armenians after the Genocide,
condemnation of the Genocide, mentioning that the two states and two
peoples are not disconnected by anything. The Armenian Parliament
Speaker also expressed satisfaction with the balanced position of
Lebanon towards the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

Minister Fawzi Salloukh stated that the relations between the
parliaments of the two friendly peoples should continue and promised
that the group of deputy friendship will be created in the newly
elected Labanese parliament like in the current one. Touching upon
the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, F.Salloukh emphasized the importance
to solve the problem in a peaceful way acceptable for all sides. He
highly evaluated manifestation of friendly attitude of Armenia to
Lebanon at international structures. For the purpose of restoring
the former volumes of economic relations a regular sitting of the
Intergovernmental Commission will be held this year in Beirut, the
agreement about which was reached in Yerevan, during the meeting with
the Armenian Prime Minister.

According to RA Government Press Service, T.Torosian also presented
the Lebanese Foreign Minister the regional interrelations, Armenia’s
home political problems mentioning the parliamentary elections highly
evaluated by observers and the steps of the government formed as a
result of these elections.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN: FIRST AND FOREMOST TASK IS TO PREVENT REPRODUCTION
OF CURRENT AUTHORITIES

YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. "Today there is no notion of the
Karabakh problem: the issue was solved long ago and in spite of
all conversations, there is no danger in the respect of ceding
territories," Zhirayr Sefilian, Commander of the Shoushi special
battalion, Head of the In Defence of Liberated Territories NGO,
declared at the July 12 meeting with journalists at the National
Press Club.

According to him, the current authorities making "pitiful and
defeatest" statements pursue traitorous goals. And the statements
of Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian about the acceptability of the
frame agreement proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs are made
by the order of RA President Robert Kocharian who by this wants to
say to the Americans that "I am ready to do anything."

In Sefilian’s opinion, the processes around the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement led the Armenian side to a deadlock, which strengthens
war danger. "This situation is the result of the non-competent policy
of the Armenian authorities.

The sooner we get rid of them the more real the possibility to delay
the war will be," he considers.

Sefilian mentioned that the political elite is isolated from the
people in Armenia and there is something to think of here. According
to him, the Americans disclosing the frame agreement uncovered the
Armenian authorities. "Only one thing remains after it, to unite and
not to permit the reproduction of the current authorities. And in
this respect we, Armenian volunteers conduct an initiative, about
which the society will learn soon." He again confirmed that today
the first and foremost task is prevention of the reproduction of
the current authorities.

In connection with the position of the U.S. in the issue of Nagorno
Karabakh settlement Sefilian emphasized that the Americans have
been never interested in the solution of this problem. "They are
not interested, to whom Aghdam belongs today, to the Armenians or
the Azeris. They are interested in the possibility to strengthen
control in this region and in ousting the Russians. At the same time,
we all know that the Armenian authorities have a status of heads of
the Russian province," Zhirayr Sefilian declared.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IGOR LEVITIN AND TATYANA ANODINA INFORM ROBERT KOCHARIAN ABOUT RESULTS
OF A-320 PLANE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Igor Levitin,
RF Transport Minister, Co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian
Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, and Tatyana
Anodina, Chairwoman of CIS Interstate Aviation Committee, informed
about the results of the investigation of the accident of Armavia
airline’s A-320 plane crashed on May 3 in Sochi at the July 12 meeting
with RA President Robert Kocharian.

It was mentioned that the situation, in which the Armenian plane
appeared before the accident was modelled in the French city of
Toulouse. The work was done with participation of French, Russian and
Armenian specialists. During the medelling the flight instructions
were given proceeding from the information the specialists decoded
from the plane "black boxes."

The summing up of the investigation results is underway at present. The
Interstate Aviation Committee has been charged to finish the work in
as short terms as possible and to publicize the final results.

According to RA President’s Press Office, Robert Kocharian discussed
a number of urgent issues on the agenda of bilateral relations with
Igor Levitin. In particular, they touched upon the closure of the
Verin Lars check-point, which the Transport Minister conditioned by
construction works.

The sides exchanged thoughts on prospects of transport communication
development. Igor Levitin also informed that currently the Russian
side tries to give a quick solution to the issue of relaunching of
the Mars enterprise.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VLADIMIR KARAPETIAN: IT IS STRANGE THAT AZERBAIJANI DIPLOMAT TAKES
AS BASIS NOT OFFICIAL DOCUMENT, BUT EXPERT’S COMMENTARY

YEREVAN, JULY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. It is strange that the Azerbaijani
diplomat takes as a basis not the official document, but the expert’s
commentary.

Vladimir Karapetian, Acting Spokesperson of RA Foreign Ministry,
declared this presenting the position of the Armenian foreign political
department in connection with the latest statements of Tair Taghizade,
Head of Azerbaijani Press and Information Policy Department, at the
request of media.

Commenting and as a proof quotting the statement of Manvel Sargsian,
expert of the Caucasus Armenian analytical center, about resettlement
in NKR liberated territories, Taghizade mentioned that "the Armenian
expert’s statement is the best argument of the Azerbaijani position’s
being right."

"The OSCE Minsk Group fact-finding mission that visited these areas
in 2005 March precisely formulated in its report presented to the
OSCE Permanent Council: "The mission did not come to the conclusion
that such a resettlement is the result of the policy carried on
deliberately by the Armenian government."

The report also read: "The fact-finding mission did not register any
evidence of Armenian authorities’ direct interference in the indicated
areas," the Acting Spokesperson of RA Foreign Ministry emphasized.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"GOLDEN APRICOT" DEPICTS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WIHT HELP OF FOURTH
GENERATION OF GENOCIDE SURVIVERS’S DESCENDANTS

Yerevan, July 11. ArmInfo. "Genocide Inside Me" film by young Canadian
film director Araz Artinian is represented in the competition program
of "Golden Apricot" Film Festival.

Artinian stated at today’s press conference that she was aimed to
show the feelings of the fourth generation of the genocide survivors’
descendants. She said that any Armenian in various countries of the
world could constantly feel the gap between the Armenians and the
Turks. She went to Turkey, to visit the village of her ancestors.

Getting a Turk guide for her trip, she began communicating with him and
tried to fancy the feelings of the very Turks, who, according to her,
in many cases have no idea about the genocide. The Turk guide was no
exception. Learning about the genocide, Enver wrote to Araz, already
his pen friend, that he is ready to kill even now, as the desire to
kill is in his blood. In the end of the film, Artinian tries to find
out whether it is possible to overcome the hatred to the Turks. It
turned out that even after a century neither the Armenians not the
Turks can’t communicate with each other without any contexts.