Author: Emil Lazarian

Reuters
Dec 9 2004
Armenia hopes Turkey in EU will reopen border
09 Dec 2004 19:34:46 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Sebastian Alison
BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Turkish accession to the EU should lead
to a more open society which would open its border with Armenia and
recognise a genocide of Armenians early last century, Armenia’s
foreign minister said on Thursday.
Vardan Oskanyan told Reuters in an interview that the European Union
should press Turkey “aggressively” to reopen the border. EU leaders
decide next week whether to start accession negotiations with Turkey.
“Certainly if Turkey becomes an EU member and implements all the
requirements, meets the criteria, that would mean Turkey would be a
much more open society,” he said.
“Armenia would like to see the open border issue… be raised by the
European Union more assertively, more loudly, even more aggressively,
because this is an important issue also for the European Union,”
Oskanyan added.
Armenia says 1.5 million of its people died between 1915 and 1923 in
a systematic genocide and says the decision to carry it out was taken
by the political party then in power in the Ottoman Empire, popularly
known as the Young Turks.
Turkey denies genocide and relations with Armenia have been tense
ever since. Their border is closed because of Armenia’s occupation of
part of Azerbaijan including the ethnic Armenian enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Oskanyan said recognition of the genocide was still on Yerevan’s
foreign policy agenda, and he hoped Turkish accession to the EU would
help achieve it.
“In the case of EU accession we hope it will lead to much freer
discourse within the country which eventually may lead to
recognition.”
Oskanyan said if EU membership forced Turkey to open the border, it
would facilitate trade and boost the economy in poor eastern regions
of Turkey as well as in Armenia.
“Turkey’s foreign policy should be in line with Brussels,” he said.
“That means Turkey cannot have closed borders with its neighbours.”
NEW NEIGHBOURS
He added that Armenia had lost an estimated $1 billion in trade over
the last 10 to 15 years because of the closure, and the EU needed to
push for its reopening.
“After all Armenia, along with the other two Caucasus countries
(Azerbaijan and Georgia) is a member of the European Neighbourhood
Policy,” he said, referring to a new EU initiative to boost ties with
its closest neighbours.
“We have no border with any other EU or prospective EU member state,
Turkey is the only one. If they do not take that obligation, do not
rise to the occasion, the whole new neighbourhood policy will be
rendered obsolete, at least for Armenia.”
Armenia is also in dispute with its neighbour Azerbaijan over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region, wholly within Azerbaijan, populated mainly
by Christian ethnic Armenians, and which broke away from Azeri rule
as the Soviet Union collapsed. The two went to war over it following
the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Oskanyan said he was cautiously optimistic on progress towards peace
with Azerbaijan, after a difficult period when veteran Azeri leader
Haydar Aliyev died at the end of 2003 and was replaced by his son,
Ilham.
“The start was very difficult with the Azeris after the change of
players,” he said. “I guess both sides are beginning to warm up to
each other and that gives us some hope that we will be able to make
some progress.”

Armenian defence minister denies giving away Karabakh to Azerbaijan
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
9 Dec 04

Text of Vaagn Ovakimyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak on 9 December headlined “Let us reach the river then bare our
feet”
Recently the topic of the Karabakh talks has become the most urgent
problem in the domestic political life of Armenia. Defence Minister
Serzh Sarkisyan comments on this.
[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Sarkisyan, what is your attitude
towards the rumours about returning the territories?
[Serzh Sarkisyan] Rumours are spread from time to time that there is
even a signed document and that the territories have been
returned. There are three principles and we can settle the Karabakh
issue only based on them: the NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh Republic] cannot
be part of Azerbaijan any longer, Karabakh should have a land border
with Armenia, and Karabakh should have strong security guarantees,
including guarantees that there will be no war.
[Correspondent] Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan assessed
negatively the policy conducted by the Armenian authorities since
1998. It becomes clear from his words that in this matter Armenia has
found itself in deadlock. What do think of this?
[Sarkisyan] Any person has the right to express his or her view. I
think we are not in deadlock. Rumours were also spread about the
surrender of Megri, which did not come true later. I assure you that
there was no problem of this kind and there could not be any. Today
there is no ground to speak about deadlock.
[Correspondent] Anyway, Ter-Petrosyan assessed the negotiating process
negatively. What can you say?
[Sarkisyan] You want me to express my view regarding Levon
Ter-Petrosyan. I would like to generalize and say that today Armenia
is not facing deadlock. Today, according to all the parameters,
Armenia is more developed than in 2001, 2002, 1993 or 1991. This is
evident, and it is their problem if someone does not want to see this.
[Correspondent] Do you not think that recently the Armenian political
authorities seem not to be able to come to an agreement regarding
important issues and to make decisions? For instance, concerning the
Electoral Code.
[Sarkisyan] This is the first time I have heard this view. There is
nothing like that. The vote on the Electoral Code is delayed because
it is necessary to submit a draft passed in the first reading to
international experts for checking so that tomorrow they do not say
that it does not correspond to international norms.
[Correspondent] What is your attitude towards the formation of the
opposition according to a new format, which promises to be a
pro-Western political force? It is supposed that its creation is
conditioned by the developments in Georgia and Ukraine.
[Sarkisyan] I do not think that a statement about orientation may
become a basis for assessments. Actions can cause assessments, let us
live and see. But who says that the pro-Western orientation is bad? I
see no problem here. I do not know why, but Abkhazia has been recently
removed from the list of pro-Western countries, the context is clear
in this case: do not bare your feet before reaching the river.
[Correspondent] Now that the National Assembly has endorsed the state
budget, are rumours about possible change in the government real?
[Sarkisyan] I am not aware of these rumours. I think it would be more
correct to ask the president of the republic and the prime minister
about this. I am not aware of any change.

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 9 2004
Georgian cargo still held at Azeri border
The Georgia Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zurab Gumberidze told
Azerbaijan’s Trend News Agency that the two countries need guaranteed
mechanisms of control over cargo transportations through Azerbaijan.
The ambassador was commenting on the detention of cargo bound for
Georgia by Azeri officials concerned that some of the cargo might
then be transported to Armenia.
He said that there are currently 700 cars detained by Azerbaijani
Customs, and that this situation has caused levels of new cargo to
fall. As owners are afraid of incurring losses as a result of their
products standing idle at the border.
Gumberidze denied the statement of Azeri Prime Minister Arthur
Rasizade that Georgia had not presented the necessary transportation
documents, saying that “the Georgian side presented enough documents
for a prompt settlement of the situation.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hurriyet, Turkey
Dec 9 2004
ERDOGAN OPENS GARDEN OF RELIGIONS IN ANTALYA
Religious tolerance is a valuable legacy the Turkish Republic has
inherited from the Ottoman Empire, said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan yesterday in Antalya at the opening ceremony of a new complex
of Muslim, Christian and Jewish worship sites. Erdogan pledged that
his government would remove any remaining obstacles to religious
freedom in Turkey. `By virtue of this great historical experience,
today Turkey is the guarantor of peace and brotherhood in its
region,’ he added. `Of course, we still have shortcomings which we’re
working to overcome as soon as possible.’ Also attending the ceremony
were Dutch European Affairs Minister Atzo Nikolai, whose country
currently holds the EU presidency, plus diplomats and the religious
leaders of Turkey’s Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities. `People
will be able to freely practice their religions in this center, and
this sends a very important message,’ said Nikolai. Father Joseph
Alphonse Sammut, for his part, said that while Catholics are able to
practice their religion in Turkey they lack property rights over
churches, but expressed hope that this would someday change. Armenian
Orthodox Patriarch Mesrob II also said that non-Muslim places of
worship should be opened in all major Turkish cities. `This should be
done either by renovating historical sites or by building new ones,
as the one here,’ he said. Chief Rabbi Ishak (Yitzhak) Haleva hailed
Turkey as a rare country where synagogues, mosques, and churches
exist side-by-side. `We’re lucky to be citizens here,’ he added.
/Hurriyet/

ARMENIA TO BENEFIT FROM IFAD FUNDS
ArmenPress
Dec 8 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenia is among 17 developing
countries, which will benefit from nearly $320 million in UN loans
and $6.4 million in grants next year. The International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), meeting at its headquarters in
Rome, approved the loans and grants for rural development projects
in Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso,
Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jordan, Lesotho, Nepal,
Sudan, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia.
In the Near East and North Africa region, IFAD will provide $64
million in loans to help rural communities in the Tlemcen mountainous
northern region of Algeria, rural mountain districts in Armenia and
poor households in Kordofan, western Sudan, among other projects.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
December 8, 2004
___________________
ARCHBISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL 2004 SHOWCASED DURING GATHERING OF
BOSTON-AREA PARISHIONERS
On Wednesday, December 1, 2004, more than 70 Armenians from local
parishes throughout the Boston area attended a reception, during which
they were introduced to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2004 and the
future plans of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
The reception, hosted by The Guleserian Family at the Sheraton Commander
Hotel in Cambridge, MA, was one of many regional receptions being
organized to give parishioners a chance to meet with Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate; members of the Diocesan Council; and representatives
from the Diocesan staff.
The evenings are a chance for parishioners to get a better understanding
of what the Diocese does to further the Armenian Christian faith, and
why donating to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2004 makes a difference.
“People appreciated the Primate’s presence there, and the ability to ask
questions,” said John Amboian, vice chair of the Diocesan Council, who
attended the reception. “And they came away saying it was very
informative. They really learned how those funds will be utilized.
Some people think, when they give to something like the Archbishop’s
Annual Appeal that it will be used to pay rent or utilities. But the
point is that’s not right. We’re using those funds to expand our
programs and ministries that serve our parishes.”
The discussions on Diocesan programs and ministries focused on efforts
targeting six areas: building a better understanding of our faith,
engaging young people, supporting emerging Armenian communities,
providing continuing education and leadership training for clergy and
lay leaders, finding new ways to communicate with every Armenian, and
building a foundation of stewardship in all our parishes.
“The most encouraging part of the evening was there were a lot of new
faces that hadn’t been there in the past and that’s encouraging,” said
Jim Kalustian, a member of the Diocesan Council and Parish Council
Chairman at the Holy Trinity Church of Cambridge, MA. “I believe that
means we’re reaching out to a broader cross section of the community and
people are seeing the value in some of the programs and efforts at the
Diocesan level. The message we’re trying to get across is the Diocese
is not an institution. It is the parishes and people at the local
level; because that’s who the programs are developed for.”
One person who spoke at the reception was Christopher Tashjian, a member
of the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) Central
Council. He told the attendees how he personally has benefited from
programs and ministries operated by the Eastern Diocese thanks to the
continuous support of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
“He spoke about how he has personally benefited from going on
pilgrimages to Armenia, taking part in our youth training programs,
being at St. Vartan Camp, going to the ACYOA Sports Weekend,” Kalustian
said. “It was very sincere and personal, a heart-felt expression of
appreciation to all the people there who supported the Diocese’s
programs. He struck a chord with everyone. What better way to
exemplify why people need to support the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal than
for someone get up and say how the Diocese has improved their personal
life.”
The reception is just one of several planned throughout the Diocese this
winter. The Primate and Diocesan leaders already met with parishioners
in Chicago. They will gather in New Jersey on December 10; at the
Church of the Holy Martyrs in Bayside, NY, on December 16; and at the
St. John Church in Southfield, MI, on January 20. Other events are
being planned. For information on any of these, please e-mail the
Diocese at [email protected].
“We want to meet with the faithful and answer their questions and hear
their suggestions,” said Archbishop Barsamian. “We want to show them
how the Diocese, thanks to their support, is working to make the
Armenian Church a vital part of each Armenian’s life.”
The receptions are not just for donors, but are open to every Armenian.
“The original idea behind the receptions was to thank our donors, and I
think it is still a good way to do that,” Kalustian said. “But it’s also
a way for people who have not given or may be thinking about increasing
their support to learn more first-hand, rather than just reading in a
pamphlet, why they should support these programs and what good these
programs are doing with their support.”
For more information on the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2004 receptions,
and information on how to support Diocesan ministries and programs,
visit our website at
— 12/08/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese, speaks with Boston area Armenians who turned out for a special
reception held on December 1, 2004, as part of the Archbishop’s Annual
Appeal 2004.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Ed Guleserian, who hosted the Boston-area
Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2004 reception at the Sheraton Commander
Hotel, speaks to the attendees on the importance of supporting Diocesan
programs and ministries.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Christopher Tashjian, a member of the ACYOA Central
Council, speaks to attendees on the importance of supporting programs
and ministries aimed at youth.
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pope condemns attacks on churches in Iraq
Reuters
Dec 8 2004
VATICAN CITY, Dec 8 (Reuters) Pope John Paul today condemned the
bombing of two churches in Iraq, the latest in a series of attacks
against the Christian community.
“I ask the Lord for the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin, so that
dear Iraqi people can finally come to know a time of reconciliation
and peace,” the 84-year-old Pope told thousands of pilgrims packed
into St Peter’s Square.
Gunmen attacked two churches in the tense northern Iraqi city of
Mosul yesterday, in the latest violence directed against one of Iraq’s
several religious and ethnic groups.
Members of the churches, one Armenian, the other Chaldean, said gunmen
burst in, forced people to leave and set off explosions inside the
buildings. No one was hurt in the attacks.
Iraq’s 650,000 Christians — mostly Chaldeans, Assyrians and Catholics
— comprise about 3 percent of the population. Many have left Iraq
and the Vatican fears more will go if the attacks go on.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Patriarch blames Turkey for poor relations
NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Dec 8 2004
The Armenian Patriarch Karekin II said that the genocide issue was
not one that could be debated.
December 8— The Patriarch of the Armenian Church on Wednesday claimed
that Ankara was responsible for lack of formal diplomatic relations
with Yerevan.
Patriarch Karekin II said that this was because Turkey insisted on
setting preliminary conditions for the normalising of the relations.
However, Karekin II said that it was essential to resolve the question
of Ngorno-Karabag region of Azerbaijan and which is currently occupied
by Armenia, and the recognition of the alleged Armenian genocide.
“Undoubtedly in such a climate it is of special importance to open
the border and improve co-operation,” he said.
But he stressed that the issue of genocide was not an issue that
could be the subject of debate.
“This was a real experience, the Patriarch said. “But without any
hesitation I have to say that this problem has to be overcome and
relations between the two nations should be re-established.”
–Boundary_(ID_87ArFnMHUviOAw61XMJskQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Neighbors Need Each Other’s Ashes
By ALI H. ASLAN
Zaman, Turkey
Dec 8 2004
Last week, when U.S. -Turkish relations were tense because of the
controversial operation in Fallujah, Turkish Ambassador to Washington
Faruk Logoglu was a guest at a live broadcast on C-Span, one of
the most respected news channels in the United States. During the
program called the “Washington Journal,” where listeners are able to
ask questions on the phone, two people brought Iraq and Fallujah to
the agenda.
While Bush administration were being criticized by the Turkish public
because of Fallujah, these American citizens put the blame on Turkey
for what is happening there. “If Turkey had allowed the U.S. 4th
Infantry Division to enter Iraq through its territory, Fallujah would
not have been the central base for insurgency and terror.”
This was not the first time I heard this argument. It is particularly
widespread in military circles. As a matter of fact, one of those who
called Ambassador Logoglu, was a former member of the 4th Infantry
Division. Logoglu tried to show his American collocutors the full part
of the glass in relations between the two countries, particularly on
Iraq. Just as his American counterparts in Turkey do…
Public diplomacy, which is aimed at explaining official policies to
peoples and creating a positive image about one’s country, is one
of the indispensable elements of international relations. However,
despite efforts by both parties since the Iraq war process, serious
difficulties among others have been experienced in the public diplomacy
aspect of U. S. -Turkish relations. The big difference of opinion on
Fallujah, constitute a dramatic example to that.
In the US public opinion, Fallujah operation is mostly portrayed as a
means of fighting against terror and securing the upcoming elections.
As for Turkey, the matter is often viewed from the angle of human
rights and civilian casualties. The differences of opinion stem mostly
from the manner which the governments and the media reflect the issues
to their publics. “Strategic partners” normally confer with their
public policies as well. The lack of a strategic partnership between
the United States and Turkey, at least on Iraq, is obvious since
reactions against Fallujah have turned into such a diplomatic crisis.
It all started when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan brought
Fallujah to the agenda, during his phone call to U. S. Vice
President Dick Cheney, to convey his congratulations over the
elections. The stunned White House was further saddened because the
phone conversation was leaked to the Turkish public. The chairman
of the Turkish Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission,
Mehmet Elkatmis of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), likening
what is being done in Fallujah to “genocide,” tested the limits
of patience. Our guys had the “You cannot prevent people from
talking” approach. Americans, on the other hand, viewed the incident
as follows: Parliament is under the control of the ruling party; if
the government wishes, it could shape the discourse. Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul, perhaps unaware of the scope of the problem, concurred
with Elkatmis’ remarks on his return from an overseas trip. However,
he later put reservations on the expression “genocide.” This was the
right attitude. Don’t we expect the same attitude from the U. S.
administration when the so-called Armenian genocide is brought to
the agenda in the U. S. Congress?
Today, the U. S. has the same nationalist reflexes on Iraq similar
to our sensitivities on Armenian and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
issues. Even those who are aware of their mistakes do not like them to
be pointed out to them by putting a finger in the eye. The politicians
of both countries, in particular, should make their rightful and
democratic criticisms in a manner that would not pave the way for an
international crisis and fuel hatred. Otherwise, mutual indignations
could increase, open deep wounds in public conscience and even the
most successful public diplomacy may not be able heal them.
Besides, excessive emotional outbursts do not serve the purpose
of helping Iraq. They weaken the hands of those, already limited
in number, who defend our views in Washington. They also shake the
Americans’ trust in us more, reduce the chance that they would listen
our advice and thus correct their mistakes.
The significance Turkey gives to regional neighborhood and the empathy
it feels for the sufferings of the Iraqi people deserve appreciation;
however, whether we like it or not, we need good relations with the
United States, our possible neighbor in the foreseeable future. As
expressed in a Turkish saying, “A neighbor needs even the ashes of
a neighbor…”
–Boundary_(ID_4VabWICHUdCa+9fLiR0rQw)–

Explosions strike 2 churches in Mosul
International Herald Tribune, France
Dec 8 2004
MOSUL, Iraq — Gunmen bombed two churches in the tense city of Mosul
on Tuesday, stoking fears of ethnic and sectarian unrest ahead of an
election next month.
The insurgent war of attrition against U.S. forces and their Iraqi
supporters claimed another American life in Baghdad, taking the U.S.
combat death toll to 1,000 since last year’s invasion.
At least four Iraqi National Guard soldiers were also killed in two
incidents, one in the capital and another farther south.
No one was killed nor, it appeared, wounded, in the bombings in
Mosul. Smoke billowed from one of the northern city’s Armenian
churches and one of its oldest Chaldean churches was ablaze and a
wall shattered. The attackers were not identified.
In a city of 1.2 million where the two main Sunni Muslim communities,
Arabs and Kurds, are already on edge following a rout of U.S.-trained
police last month by Sunni Arab insurgents, the strikes were the
latest in a series of attacks on Christians.
The small Christian community of about 650,000, or 3 percent of the
population, has suffered from a surge in militant Islam since the
fall of Saddam Hussein’s secular regime. Some people have fled or
closed down traditional businesses, notably selling liquor, which
flourished in Iraq despite a Muslim religious ban.
At least one Christian leader has been quoted recently as saying he
would form an armed militia to protect the community.
“There were two or three families in the church,” a frightened
worshiper from Mosul’s ancient Tahira Chaldean church said after the
attack on the white stone building, parts of which are said to date
from the seventh century. “Gunmen came in, took the guard’s weapon
and a couple of mobile phones. Then they made everybody leave the
church. After that there was an explosion that did a lot of damage,”
said the man, who asked not to be named.
Christians have been attacked several times in the past four months.
Coordinated car bombings, four in Baghdad and one in Mosul, killed at
least 12 people in August; five Baghdad churches were bombed on Oct.
16 at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. At least eight
people were killed in two church bombings in the capital on Nov. 8,
and a car bomber attacked police guarding the hospital where the
wounded had been taken.
The unidentified American soldier killed on Tuesday was on patrol in
Baghdad when guerrillas opened fire with rifles. Earlier in the day,
the Pentagon had issued a revised combat casualty toll of 999 and
the death thus took the toll since the invasion on March 20 last year
to 1,000. A further 275 U.S. troops have died in accidents or other
incidents not classified as being killed in action.
The American death toll rose sharply last month during the U.S.
assault on Sunni insurgents in the city of Falluja. At least 71
Americans were killed there.
A total of 9,765 U.S. troops have been wounded.
No official figures are available for the numbers of Iraqi dead.
Estimates have ranged from about 14,000 to tens of thousands of
civilians and about 5,000 troops in the war.
Separately, a two-day military court hearing closed Tuesday into the
case of a U.S. soldier charged with murdering an Iraqi man and making
a false statement regarding the incident.
Specialist Brent May, 22, of Salem, Ohio, is charged with the August
murder of an Iraqi civilian in Baghdad’s impoverished Sadr City,
the scene of fierce clashes between American-led coalition forces
and Shiite rebels allied to the firebrand cleric Moktada al-Sadr.
May also faces one charge of falsifying an official statement, or
deposition, regarding the alleged murder.