Author: Felekian Ara

BAKU AND YEREVAN PROXIES FOR RUSSIA-US STRUGGLE, SAYS STRATFOR
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)

The Messenger, Georgia
July 6 2007

American intelligence center Stratfor warns of a possible rekindling
of fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia as Baku funnels oil
revenues into its military budget, increasing expenditures by five
times, reports the news agency Regnum. Behind the Armenian-Azeri
conflict is the struggle between the US and Russia, Stratfor says,
as the greater powers use the South Caucasus nations as proxies in
a regional power play.

According to Stratfor analysts, after the 1994 "Deal of the Century"
agreement signed between Baku and international oil companies,
Azerbaijan saw the ground shifting on the Nagarno-Karabakh question.

And following the building of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline,
the country’s western orientation grew in tandem with its income.

Azerbaijan is spending more and more on its army. In 2004, military
expenditures were USD 175 million. By 2008, the total will be closer
to USD 1 billion. Armenia, lacking the astronomical influx of soft
money Baku is receiving, has upped military expenditures by 20 percent,
from USD 125 million to USD 150 million.

Analysts say that Armenia, failing to benefit from energy spending
in the South Caucasus, is relying in large part on an influential
Diaspora to push for more funds from the US.

"Though Armenia’s neighbors avoid this politically and economically,
they leave it a tiny chance for the trade development. Armenia has
open relationships with Tehran. In March in 2007 the natural gas
pipeline Iran-Armenia opened between these states-though the pipeline,
together with the majority of the country’s infrastructure, is owned
by Russia," reads the Stratfor report.

IT IS NOT A SHAME TO DEFEND ONE’S INTERESTS
Naira Hayrumyan

KarabakhOpen
06-07-2007 11:18:33

The situation regarding the Karabakh settlement is so serious that it
must become an issue of public debates, especially in the pre-election
period.

The settlement has undergone important changes over the past few
months.

First, the issues discussed in the talks were revealed. The mediators
propose that we return all the seven territories surrounding Karabakh,
return the Azerbaijani refugees, deploy international force at the
border to provide security, and hold a referendum among Karabakh
Armenians and Azerbaijanis on the status of Karabakh after an
indefinite period.

First Baku criticized this plan because they said it means losing
Karabakh.

Azerbaijan rejected relations with Karabakhis for a long time, with
both government officials and reporters. An anti-Armenian hysteria was
raging there, and the Armenian government built its policy on this:
co-existence is impossible since they are reluctant to even talk to us.

Suddenly, however, something changed. A group of Azerbaijani
activists led by a notorious armenophobe Polad Byul-Byul oghli
arrived in Karabakh. In addition, they did not arrive via Yerevan but
crossed the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border, part of which was specially
demined for this purpose. Statements by the public and political
activists of Azerbaijan followed, including the minister of foreign
affairs. Everyone who has access to the Internet knows what they are
now talking. They say the visit to Karabakh was highly useful and the
people of Karabakh are their citizens and they need to be friendly. At
the same time, President Aliyev states that the liberation of Karabakh
is close.

The visit of the Azerbaijani delegation to Karabakh was somehow
unnoticed in Karabakh. Either everyone is preoccupied with the election
or it was so unexpected that nobody knew how to react. Some people
say they are Azerbaijans, they arrived, so what? They are not the
first. It is true that they are not the first but it is a special
visit, it indicates a change in the political stance of Baku. And it
should be evaluated how favorable this new stance is for us.

It is obvious that the new tendencies in the settlement are not
in our interests. They offer us to exchange real sovereignty with
recognition of the indefinite status of Karabakh. What is Karabakh,
the former Autonomous Region of Nagorno-Karabakh plus Shahumyan or
NKR with its present borders?

It is a very important issue. If we mean the recognition of
independence of the former NKAR, it is not in our interests. And
it is not a matter of pseudo-patriotism or nation’s honor. It is a
matter of basic conditions for life. How do the people of Karabakh
imagine life in the conditions they are offered?

We should not reassure ourselves that someone "over there" thinks for
us. The people are "over there" are also humans, they can be good and
they can be bad. And they surely do not know the people’s thoughts. I
am not fond of demonization of government and I do not think all the
leaders are bad. But a leader must fulfill the will of the people who
elected him. He is not a lord but organizer of public life. Therefore,
it is necessary to ask both the government and the presidential
candidates about their stance on the proposals for the settlement.

Settlement is not an end in itself. If the settlement is worse than
our present state, we need no settlement. We do not want war and
we understand that the status quo and blockade affect our life. But
if the change of the status quo makes our life worse and threatens
our physical security, we need to think in what direction the talks
should be carried on.

It is not a shame to defend one’s interests. On the contrary, it
is how the things should be. Especially if our interests match the
interests of the society. Therefore, we need to work out a distinct
policy on settlement. All the other issues derive from it. Pensions,
demography, building may become meaningless in case the talks are
not favorable for us.

His Holiness Karekin II receives President of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe

armradio.am
04.07.2007 16:35

On July 4, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians, received Rene van der Linden, President of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). This is
President van der Linden’s second visit to the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, the first occurring in August 2005.

His Holiness welcomed the PACE President to the headquarters of the
Armenian Church and reflected on their past meetings, in Armenia as
well as in Astana, Kazakhstan, last year during the Second Congress of
the Leaders of World Religions. Van der Linden expressed his
appreciation to the Armenian Pontiff for his ongoing efforts at
creating and maintaining a favorable environment and positive climate
aimed at benefiting the stability and peace of the region.

The Catholicos of All Armenians and the PACE President discussed the
continuing efforts directed to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict which would insure the free and secure life of the
Armenians of Artsakh, the willful and deliberate destruction of
Armenian cultural monuments in the region, and the status of the
Armenian Church in neighboring countries.

The release of Alan Johnston
Irish Times
Published: Jul 05, 2007

The release of the BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston is very
welcome, despite the propaganda it served for Hamas in freeing him.
He’d been held for 114 days in conditions he described as "like being
buried alive" by the Army of Islam group, the heavily armed Doghmush
family clan which is both linked to Al Qaeda and criminality.

Mr Johnston was released into the hands of Hamas leader and former
Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh (still PM in his
organisation’s eyes), in what was designed as a public demonstration of
the group’s authority in Gaza following its recent routing of the Fatah
forces of President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas is determined to show that its
writ runs in the beleaguered territory, and, just as importantly, as a
spokesman insisted, that it "is serious in imposing security and
stability". The group also suggested the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit,
kidnapped by Hamas-allied militants last year, could be freed next,
although, true to form, adding that Israel must release hundreds more
Palestinian prisoners. Some good sign, although Hamas has made clear it
has no intention of disarming the Army of Islam. Hamas will have to do
much more to convince of its bona fides as a partner in peace.

Mr Johnston’s kidnap has raised once again the issue of the
vulnerability of journalists in conflict zones and in states where
democratic values remain precarious. Often they are easy targets
because they guarantee international media attention. The NGO Frontline
records some of the attacks in the last month alone: on June 22nd,
investigative journalist Iren Karman was brutally attacked on the
outskirts of Budapest; on June 20th in Yemen’s capital Sana’a,
journalist Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani was arrested and beaten for
oppositional activities.

In Istanbul the trial opened on Tuesday of those accused of murdering
Hrant Dink, editor of Agos, killed because he was prepared to challenge
Turkish silence on the Armenian genocide. Yet, ironically, as it
prosecutes his alleged killers, the Turkish state has also initiated
the prosecution of his son, Arat Dink, and three other Argos
journalists for "insulting Turkish identity" under article 301 of the
criminal code.

In Iraq two journalists from a Sunni TV station have been killed in the
last four weeks. According to the International News Safety Institute,
since the US invasion, at least 82 journalists have been kidnapped in
Iraq. Of those, 28 have been killed and six are still being held. Some
47 journalists have been freed and the condition of one is unknown. At
least 29 journalists are being held by kidnappers worldwide. In all
1,000 news media personnel around the world have been killed trying to
report the news over the past 10 years.

Last year the UN Security Council (Resolution 1738), required states to
regard journalists as civilian non-combatants and protect them
accordingly. A worthy gesture, but it would be unwise to rely on it.

GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAM ADOPTED

Yerkir.am
July 01, 2007

"The program presented to your attention is rather ambitious and its
implementation will require maximum efforts from all staff of the
state administration bodies," Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan presented
the government’s program to the National Assembly.

The program was adopted with the absolute majority of votes. Republican
Party, Prosperous Armenia Party and ARF factions voted for the program,
Rule of Law Country faction abstained from voting and Heritage Party
voted against.

The Prime Minister stressed the five priorities of the program –
national security and sustainable development, efficient public
administration, education and science, equal development of all
regions, social protection of Armenian citizens. The government
is planning to accomplish 8-10% real annual growth of the GDP
in 2007-2012, 10% growth of investments, significant reduction
of poverty, annual increases of pensions, increased financing of
the public healthcare and education, etc. Prime Minister Sargsyan
assured that the government is open for cooperation in the course of
implementation of its program.

Members of the ARF faction expressed their position on the government’s
program during the discussions in the National Assembly.

The statement made by Ara Nranian, member of the ARF’s parliamentary
faction

The development of any country reaches a point when it is necessary
to stop for a while, look back at the road the country has passed
and choose a new road for development, a new ideology for ensuring
progress. In this context, we have some reservations regarding the
program presented by the government.

However, realizing that such changes can be accomplished only when you
form the government, as well as respecting the government’s decision
to present the program in this format and based on these principles,
we decided to go for improvement of the document.

I would like to concentrate on the main proposals we made in regard
to the economic issues. First of all, I would like to point out the
section on industry where implementation of industrial policies,
necessity for an efficient branch-structured economy, industrial
development is stated. We firmly belief that Armenia cannot have
long-term sustainable development only through development of the
construction and service sectors and increase of trade deficit through
transfer. This is why the ARF stressed the importance of correct and
efficient branch structure of the economy.

The next important issue on which we reached an agreement with the
government is the necessity to develop the national airline carrier,
re-equipment and training of its staff. We hope that consistent
implementation of the above-mentioned principles will create the
necessary condition not only for the development of civic aviation but
also for exploitation of our relative advantage and the peculiarities
of our market.

One of the most important accomplishments is the section on foreign
economic policies included into the government’s program. The previous
government programs did not have anything like this because the
previous governments did not pay adequate attention to the problems
of domestic producers and especially the exporters. Development of
domestic production, exports growth and introduction of Armenian
products to foreign markets is the only way for ensuring sustainable
economic development for Armenia, development of entrepreneurship,
solution of the unemployment issue and increase of the state budget
revenues.

We can call our principles and proposals on the reform of economic
policies the "national reformist course" of the economy.

There were principles on which we did not reach an agreement with the
government. One of such principles was the issue of tax revenues. The
government program envisages increase of the tax revenues by 0.3-0.4%
annually. Such a target has never been met. Meanwhile we believe it
is fully realistic to achieve the target of 1% annual growth of tax
revenues through implementation of economic policies and reduction of
the shadow economy. The shadow economy is not only about low level of
tax revenues. We see the shadow economy as a multi-level phenomenon. We
believe the volume and turnout of the Armenian economy are much greater
than the figures presented by the official statistics. In other words,
we think the first problem to be addressed is to present the true
image of the economy.

On the second level we consider increase of the tax revenue as GDP
percentage. On the third level we see the hidden employment which
according to today’s estimates amounts to 200 thousand people. We
believe it is possible to achieve a tax revenue of 25% of the GDP
with such an approach.

The government has planned for a 0.3-0.4% annual growth of tax revenues
but we keep in our mind the annual growth of 1% with the further aim
of discussing this issue in the future.

The statement made by Artsvik Minassian, member of the ARF’s
parliamentary faction

It should be stated that the scope and the quality of the present
program are better than the previous government’s program. We have
participated in the development of some of the provisions of this
program. The program’s provisions on active demographic policies
deserve special appreciation. This strategy as a priority for the
government combined with implementation of provisions on repatriation
inspire a hope that Armenia might achieve a balanced gender and age
distribution of its population.

The next accomplishment of the program in terms of our shared
position is the government’s commitment to develop and implement a
strategy for remuneration of public servants. This is an important
anti-corruption measure. The government should set the standards for
determining the remuneration of public servants based on the quality,
complexity and market value of the services delivered by them, and
the necessary system of social protection should be determined as a
consequence. Through these measures the government can improve the
quality of the public service and set an example for similar policies
in the private sector.

The next important accomplishment is inclusion of ARF’s approaches
on corporate social responsibility and mandatory social insurance
in the government’s program. We have diverging positions with the
government on several issues. I would like to comment on some of them.

First of all, the Constitution states that Armenia is a social
state. This at least means that we must set the minimum living standard
and reform the entire social-economic policies in the country based
on this standard.

However, the present program is not based on such a standard. Instead,
it uses the concept of the poverty line that has nothing to do with
the minimum living basket. Apart from this, the system of social
benefits, including family benefits, is seen as an efficient means
of poverty reduction.

Meanwhile, it is common knowledge that the benefits are or must be a
temporary solution. The society cannot eliminate poverty in the long
term by receiving poverty benefits.

This problem can be solved through income generation and job creation.

Following the provisions of our electoral campaign we proposed to
set the minimum salary at 50 thousand drams in 2008. However, the
Prime Minister did not accept this proposal. Instead, he agreed to
instruct the relevant agencies to present analysis and calculations
to explore this possibility.

We will follow up on this issue and present our position.

Concluding my statement, let me express my confidence that we will
be able to multiply the positive accomplishments we can see today in
cooperation with the President, the government, the civil society, and
the political forces represented and not represented in the National
Assembly. I wish the government efficient work for the benefit of
the nation.

The statement made by Hrayr Karapetian, head of the ARF’s parliamentary
faction

I would like to stress that the ARF has participated in the discussion
of the government’s draft program in the framework of the agreement
signed with the coalition government. We had our own approach and
principles regarding the program. Our faction presented a series of
proposals to the Prime Minister and the authors of the program based on
these principles. A significant portion of the proposals were accepted
and included into the draft. Some of the proposals, which are equally
important for us, were not accepted or will be discussed further.

As a socialist force, the ARF places a great importance on efficient
social security policies as the priority for the government’s
activities. We also stress the importance of active demographic
policies as a priority and a component of national security, and we
see the family as the main subject of the government’s demographic
policies.

ARF believes the role and responsibility of the government in ensuring
efficient functioning of the economy with all its branches should
be strengthened. Shadow economy must be combated. Anti-monopoly
policies must be adopted as an important economic policy. The minimum
living standard must be set as a necessary precondition for poverty
reduction and sustainable economic development. The small and medium
enterprises need serious government assistance. Unequal distribution
of property and unequal opportunities for property owners undermines
national conciliation.

The ARF stresses the importance of the provision in the program on
elimination of the discrepancy between the pensions and the minimum
salary.

We hope that in 2008 the minimum salary will be increased by two times
and mechanisms of its annual indexation will be introduced. It is time
for the government to take the responsibility for continuous increase
of the pensions and salaries in the public sector. The employers in
the private sector should also continuously increase their employees’
salaries.

The proposals made in regard to the provisions on foreign economic
policies, air transportation, energy system, healthcare, Diaspora
and repatriation, defense and security were of crucial importance
for the ARF. A special proposal was made whereby the government will
introduce an electronic reporting system for the customs and tax
bodies in order to minimize the direct communication between tax
and customs officials and the entrepreneurs. This will reduce the
corruption risks in the tax and customs sectors.

The ARF take a note of the program provision whereby a new
anti-corruption strategy will be developed. We are ready to present our
proposals in this regard. It is time to launch a true fight against
corruption, to prevent monopolicies and protectionism, and to reduce
the shadow economy.

The statement made by Vahan Hovhannissian, Deputy Chairman of the
National Assembly

"This is the first time the government’s program is based on the
National Security Concept".

It is very important for me that for the first time, the government’s
program is based on the national security concept. Now that
the government’s program and the national security concept are
interrelated we can see that the national security concept itself
needs revision. There are provisions in the concept that are either
outdated or were not formulated correctly. I will concentrate on
three such provisions.

First of all, the issue of water supply is viewed by the government as
a serious problem. However, the respective provision in the program
seems to be simply a paragraph with no purpose. Meanwhile, there are
serious problems connected with water resources and networks. The
usage of water resources should be viewed as an issue of national
security since correct usage of potable water is one of the most
important guarantees of Armenia’s national security.

The second issue is culture. Fortunately, the government, and I hope,
also the National Assembly came to realize that historical monuments
are not simply the churches, khachqars or castles on the ground but
also the historical heritage that is under the ground. Development
of archeology is very important in the context of formation of the
country’s cultural image. Several issues deriving from this, such as
development of tourism and science are also very important.

The third issue I would like to draw your attention to is the
Diaspora. We welcome the scope of the section on the Diaspora and
the fact that the ARF’s proposals were accepted. However, there
is one provision in the section that states that the institute of
dual citizenship has yet to be developed. Dear parliament, I want to
remind you that the package of amendments to the Law on Citizenship
was adopted six months ago and the institute of dual citizenship was
introduced as a follow up to the constitutional amendments. However,
so far only the ban on voting abroad has been implemented out of all
the provisions included in the package. No other measures have been
implemented in regard to introduction of dual citizenship. We know
that a working group was created that is supposed to work out the
procedures for introduction of dual citizenship.

When we speak about repatriation and making the relations with the
Diaspora more conceptual, the first thing we should do is to introduce
dual citizenship. I hope the government will present the procedure
in near future.

The above said is not criticism of the drawbacks but a call to
concentrate on these three issues and speed up the work in these
directions. It is possible to do this, and we, as the National
Assembly, are ready to assist the government.

LAUNCHING OF ARMENIAN-SWEDISH DICTIONARY TAKES PLACE IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The launching of the Armenian-Swedish
dictionary published in Stockholm took place on June 29 at the National
Library of Armenia. The dictionary including more than 30 thousand
words has been assembled by Poghos Aro, a Swedish-Armenian translator.

David Sargsian, the Director of the National Library of Armenia,
said that this dictionary will enable Armenians living in Sweden to
learn Swedish without any other languages and to communicate with
that country’s people without difficulty. D. Sargsian said that soon
the National Library of Armenia will sign cooperation programs with
a number of Swedish libraries in order to activize Armenian-Swedish
relations, in particular, in the library sphere. Armenian books will
be sent to those libraries from Armenia.

P. Aro said that the number of Armenians residing in Sweden increases
year by year, but most of them are faced by a number of problems due to
not knowing the Swedish language. "I decided to publish this dictionary
for the purpose of helping Armenians. I think Armenians will be able
to easily master Swedish thanks to the dictionary," he said adding
that he is also going to publish a Swedish-Armenian dictionary in 2008.

HILDA TCHOBOYAN: REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY GREATLY DEPEND ON TEH PROCESS OF GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

armradio.am
02.07.2007 15:06

The discussions of the bill on punishment for the Armenian Genocide
denial will enter the Senate agenda in October-November. Chairwoman
of the European Armenian Federation Hilda Tchoboyan told Armenpress
that the issue cannot be excluded from the agenda of the French
Council of Elders, although there were fluctuations as a result of
the presidential and parliamentary elections, and the interested
political forces were unable to have their say." According to her,
the issue will be on the country’s political agenda in the fall.

Let us remind that that in October, 2006 with 106 pro and 19 con
votes the French Parliament adopted a bill criminalizing the denial
of the Armenian Genocide, which envisages a punishment from one
year imprisonment to a fine of 45 thousand Euros. The bill has been
submitted to the Senate confirmation.

Hilda Tchoboyan welcomed the decision of the EU Council, according
to which genocide denial should be punishable. "It is a principles
position, which was not noticeable up to now. It remains only
to clarify how this genocide is characterized. Genocide denial
is punishable, and those countries, the parliaments of which have
recognized the Armenian Genocide, can include some bill deriving from
recognition in their legislation, which will make the negation of the
Armenian Genocide punishable in their countries," Hilda Tchoboyan said.

"Regional stability and peace greatly depend on the process of the
Armenian Genocide recognition by European states and Turkey," Hilda
Tchoboyan concluded.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 30 2007

Lawyer: Dink murder may be linked to Ümraniye gang

A lawyer for slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s family
said yesterday that the killing could be linked with a shadowy group
uncovered when the police found a cache of hand grenades and
explosives during a raid on a house in the Ümraniye district of
Ýstanbul in June.

Fethiye Çetin, speaking to reporters at a press conference ahead of
the first hearing of a trial on Dink’s killing, said retired
noncommissioned officer Oktay Y., a key suspect arrested after
discovery of 27 hand grenades and TNT explosives in Ümraniye, was a
co-plaintiff in past court cases against Dink. Dink had faced charges
of "insulting Turkishness" for his comments on Armenian claims of
genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Dink, who called for
reconciliation, was a hated figure for radical nationalists.

Çetin also said much evidence linked to the Jan. 19 killing,
including video records recorded by security cameras in banks near
the crime scene, had disappeared.

The Ümraniye incident is believed to be linked with last year’s
attack on the Council of State as well as a series of bomb attacks on
secularist Cumhuriyet daily. Retired Capt. Muzaffer Tekin, who has
also been arrested in connection with Ümraniye incident, was a chief
suspect in the Council of State attack, in which a judge was killed
by a gunman who said he opposed a decision of the court on teachers’
rights to wear a headscarf outside their school.

Journalist and columnist Ali Bayramoðlu, also attending the press
conference, said the Dink murder was connected with other shadowy
incidents such as the Council of State attack and the murder of three
Christian missionaries in the eastern province of Malatya earlier
this year.

Trial starts on July 2

The 18 suspects charged with involvement in the murder of Dink, who
was the editor in chief of the bilingual Agos weekly, will be
standing trial starting Monday.

Dink was gunned down in broad daylight outside the Ýstanbul office of
Agos in January of this year. Hundreds of thousands took to the
streets on the day of his funeral, bearing aloft banners reading "We
are all Hrant, We are all Armenian" in protest of his assassination.

The 18 suspects, including Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal, for whom the
prosecutor demands life imprisonment, will be appearing before
justice for the first time at the 14th High Criminal Court of
Ýstanbul.

Prominent figures from Turkey’s intellectual community from academics
and human rights groups representatives, to journalists and authors
will be following Monday’s trial.

The alleged trigger man, teenager O.S., who faces various charges
including "murder with premeditation" and "membership of a terrorist
organization," quickly confessed, but the net grew much wider.

Ultranationalists Tuncel, a university student, and Hayal, who served
time for the 2004 bombing of a McDonald’s, are charged with planning
the crime and membership of a terrorist group. But the slate of
defendants reaches up into the political ranks, including Yaþar
Cihan, chairman of a local branch of the ultranationalist Grand Unity
Party (BBP), who is accused of giving money to Hayal after the
shooting.

Due to the prime suspect of the assassination, O.S., being younger
than 18, the trial will be a closed hearing with only the suspects,
suspects’ lawyers and lawyers of the plaintiff side being allowed
inside the court room.

Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel-laureate author, who is also listed as a
victim in the indictment for having been publicly threatened with
death by Hayal, will not appear in the courtroom on Monday as he is
currently abroad. Pamuk attracted the anger of ultranationalists when
he said during an interview with a foreign newspaper last year that
"1 million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in this land."

Security will be heightened at the courthouse before the trial, which
is likely to be followed by a large number of individuals both from
Turkey and abroad.

>From the indictment

The indictment, drawn up by prosecutors Selim Berna Altay and Fikret
Seçen, demands life imprisonment for Tuncel on charges of inciting
Hrant Dink’s murder. The indictment seeks additional jail time from
22-and-a-half to 48 years on charges of leading an armed terrorist
organization, manufacturing explosive materials, detonating explosive
material, damaging property and causing the injury of six others.

Tuncel had earlier been prosecuted for placing a bomb in a fast-food
restaurant in the northern province of Trabzon.

The indictment also demands a lifetime sentence for Hayal, for
inciting the murder of Hrant Dink. An additional jail term of between
18 and 30 years on account of being a leader of an armed terrorist
organization, threatening Ferit Orhan Pamuk and carrying a gun
without a license is also being sought.

The indictment demands from 18 years to 24 years for O.S., the
alleged hit man, on charges of premeditated murder. O.S. is also
facing an additional jail term of eight-and-a-half to 18 years on
charges of membership of a terrorist organization and carrying a gun
without a license.

Suspects Mustafa Öztürk, Tuncay Uzundal, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz, Ahmet
Ýskender and Ersin Yolcu face from 22-and-a-half to 35 years on
charges of aiding the murder of Hrant Dink, and membership of a
terrorist organization. Defendants Cihan and Halis Egemen are facing
from seven-and-a-half to 15 years on charges of aiding a terrorist
organization.

The indictment accuses Salih Hacýsalihoðlu, Alper Esirgemez, Ýrfan
Özkan, Osman Alpay, Erbil Susaman, Numan Þiþman, Þenol Akduman and
Veysel Toprak of having aided a terrorist organization, carrying guns
without a license and concealing a crime, and demands from
seven-and-a-half to 16 years in prison.

30.06.2007

Today’s Zaman Ýstanbul

TURKEY INSISTS ON PRECONDITIONS

Yerkir
29.06.2007 15:45

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Turkey maintains its negative position in
establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian told a news conference today.

Oskanian, who was participating in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
in Istanbul, met Turkish FM Abdullah Gul on 25 June to discuss the
lack of diplomatic relations between and the Karabakh issue.

"There is no process to improve the relations and the prospects are
not positive because Turkey’s preconditions remain. I have reaffirmed
our position to develop relations without preconditions and to open
the border as a first step," Oskanian said. He added he had presented
Armenia’s stance on the Karabakh settlement issue to Turkey to make
a fair conclusion.

Taking a question whether the Kosovo precedent can be used, he said
that any conflict has its value and they should be viewed taking into
account their specifics as well as historical and legal background.

"All this should be taken into account, and discussing everything
together may have negative consequences. We do not consider Kosovo
a precedent for us because we don’t know what will happen. Karabakh
is unique in its way to self-determination and this process is
irreversible, and we will reach a final victory. It has been achieved
de facto, and the task is to reach a de jure recognition through
talks," he said.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
27 June 2007
RUSSIA: SAID NURSI BAN BRANDS MODERATE MUSLIMS AS EXTREMIST
le_id=981
Muslims popularising the work of Said Nursi, a Turkish Muslim theologian,
may be at risk of criminal prosecution as extremists, Forum 18 News Service
has been told. If an appeal – which may be heard in August – against a
Moscow court ban on translations of Nursi’s works fails, "anyone in Russia
who publishes or distributes the banned publications of Said Nursi will be
liable to criminal prosecution," Valeri Kuzmin of Tatarstan’s Public
Prosecutor’s Office told Forum 18. Sergei Sychev, a lawyer who is
contesting the ban, estimates that millions of copies of Nursi’s work
Risale-i Nur – a popular missionary text – are currently in circulation in
Russia. Kuzmin has stated that legal action was initiated in response to
complaints from relatives "concerned by what was happening to those lured
into the Nursi community." Its approximately 200 members in Tatarstan,
Kuzmin estimated, "try to sever social ties" in just the same way as
"totalitarian sects such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses." The ban relies solely
upon analysis of the work by psychologists and linguists of the Russian
Academy of Sciences. Russia’s Ombudsman for Human Rights, Vladimir Lukin,
and a wide range of Russia’s Muslim leaders and scholars has condemned the
ban.

26 June 2007
UZBEKISTAN: CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTANTS CONTINUES
le_id=980
In the latest deportation for religious activity known to Forum 18 News
Service, a Tajik Pentecostal who has lived in Uzbekistan for more than 10
years has been deported to Tajikistan. Sayora (who preferred that her last
name not be published) was held in jail for 22 days before deportation.
Other church members arrested and held by the NSS secret police in the raid
include a man who was intimidated by officials and neighbours into moving
out of his local mahalla (urban district). Five church members were fined
and three were jailed for five days after trial. A registered Full Gospel
congregation near Tashkent has failed to persuade the authorities to hold
Anti-Terrorist police to account for violent threats made during a raid on
the church. Police claimed the church was "preparing terrorists." After
another police raid in north-west Uzbekistan, where all non-Muslim and
non-Russian Orthodox religious activity is a criminal offence, a Protestant
has been sentenced for "illegally teaching religion." The trial of other
local Protestants is continuing. Officials have refused to discuss these
cases with Forum 18.

27 June 2007
UZBEKISTAN: PENTECOSTAL AND JEHOVAH’S WITNESS PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE FACE
HARSH LABOUR CAMP CONDITIONS
cle_id=982
Friends of Pentecostal prisoner of conscience Dmitry Shestakov, sentenced
to four years in a labour camp, have told Forum 18 News Service of their
concern at the conditions he is being held in. He has has lost between 15
and 20 kilograms (33 to 44 pounds) in weight and is being pressured to
renounce his faith. Former prisoners from Camp No. 29, where he is being
held, describe unsanitary and dangerous living and working conditions,
which cause a high level of sickness among prisoners. Guards beat them with
truncheons and members of criminal gangs have a ruthless hold over other
prisoners. Jehovah’s Witness prisoner of conscience Irfon Hamidov has lost
his appeal against a sentence of two years in a labour camp. Jehovah’s
Witnesses note irregularities in the legal process, including testimony
from two people claimed by the authorities to be "victims" of Hamidov’s
"illegal" teaching, who testified at his original trial that they had never
met him. The authorities have refused to speak to Forum 18 about the cases.

28 June 2007
TURKEY: WHAT CHANCE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN TURKEY’S ELECTIONS?
cle_id=983
Turkey is due to hold parliamentary elections on 22 July, which will have
a crucial impact on the presidential election due in autumn. Both elections
will strongly influence the chances of greater freedom of thought,
conscience and belief, Otmar Oehring of the German Catholic charity Missio
< /missio-ueber-sich/leitthemen/menschenrechte/index .html>
notes. Turkish religious minorities Forum 18 News Service has spoken to are
highly concerned about the outcome of the elections. For, as Dr Oehring
observes in this personal commentary for Forum 18 <;,
Turks who want to see genuine freedom of thought, conscience and religion
have little expectation that either the parliamentary or presidential
election will bring any improvement. No political party with any chance of
gaining real power wants either to tackle the dangerous media intolerance
of religious minorities or to take the dramatic changes necessary to usher
in genuine religious freedom.
* See full article below. *

28 June 2007
TURKEY: WHAT CHANCE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN TURKEY’S ELECTIONS?

icle_id=983
By Dr. Otmar Oehring, Head of the Human Rights Office of Missio
<;

No Turkish presidential candidate has been found who is acceptable to both
parliament and the "deep state," the nationalist circles in the army,
police, National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) secret police and state
administration which regard themselves as the custodians of the Ataturkist
legacy. Turkey is now due to hold parliamentary elections on 22 July, which
may have crucial impact on the presidential election. A presidential
election is due in autumn 2007, but no firm date for this has been set. At
the time of the failed presidential election earlier this year, debate was
fierce on what role Islam should play in the state. This debate remains
unresolved, with both sides as far apart as ever.

Politicians have been preoccupied with the political crisis over the
failure of parliament and the "deep state" to agree a new president,
leaving President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to continue until a new candidate is
agreed, most probably in September. No senior politicians have shown any
interest in granting greater freedom of thought, conscience and belief to
non-Muslim religious minorities. Debate has instead focused on whether the
governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) is a party in line with
Turkey’s interpretation of secularism.

Religious minorities face increasing threats of physical violence. Murders
of religious minority leaders have been increasing – one Catholic priest in
2006 (see F18News 26 July 2006
< e_id=817>) and three Protestants
in April 2007. Turkish Christians have told Forum 18 that a key factor in
these murders is the overt intolerance of non-Muslim minorities promoted by
the media – and that unless this is tackled, more murders will take place.
Politicians have made no serious attempt to tackle this serious threat to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion (see forthcoming F18News
article).

The one major religious minority that has not suffered violence or been
excluded from the political process are the Alevi Muslims, who make up
about 20 per cent of the population. However, they have faced
discrimination over recent years and their right to be accepted as a
religious community independent of the state-run Sunni Muslim majority
community has never been accepted by the Turkish state (see F18News 12
October 2005 < 670> and 26
July 2006 < 817>).

Several political parties of differing views are trying to recruit Alevis
as candidates in the forthcoming election. The governing AKP has tried to
entice leading members of the Cem Foundation, the Alevi body closest to the
government, to become candidates. Most of the main parties view the Alevis
not as a religious minority whose right to religious freedom should be
respected, but as a source of votes.

The optimism that many in Turkey and Europe had in 2006 and earlier that
the political establishment was ready to begin tackling the discrimination
against non-Muslim minorities has disappeared (see F18News 18 January 2007
< e_id=901>). Why has nothing
happened?

It could be because of the election campaign – no-one has the time or the
interest to promote the rights of people in religious minorities. Even AKP
politicians, who might be in favour of EU accession despite the freedoms
for non-Muslim communities this may bring, see EU accession – if it happens
– as taking place in the distant future. During the election campaign the
AKP has behaved as nationalistically as other parties, so it will not
commit itself to doing anything for non-Muslim minorities. These are seen
by many Turks – and are depicted in the mass media – as traitors or as
alien people in Turkey.

Religious minorities Forum 18 has spoken to are highly concerned about
what the outcome of the parliamentary elections will be – and about who
will also take over as President. This is because the outcome of the
elections will be a major factor in determining the chances of greater
freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Turkey. Opinion polls
currently put the AKP ahead of the other parties. Indeed, all the major
parties likely to get seats in the new parliament are nationalistic, with
varying levels of hostility to non-Muslims.

If the AKP wins the parliamentary elections, this could mean that it held
two-thirds of seats in parliament, which would give it the power to pass
changes to the Constitution in an Islamist direction. Whoever becomes the
President might veto these changes, which makes the election of a new
President another major factor in determining the chances of greater
freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Turkey.

The way the new President will be elected has proved highly controversial.
According to the law passed by parliament with AKP backing on 31 May 2007,
this should be by popular vote but President Sezer rejected this. With
parliament and president at a stand-off, the issue is now to be put to a
referendum, though no date has been set. If the AKP wins the parliamentary
elections, they will probably present Abdullah Gül again as their candidate
for President. If an AKP candidate is elected President, this would allow
the AKP to introduce constitutional changes, in the knowledge that an AKP
President would not veto them. Nobody however knows what the army and wider
"deep state" would do, if that happened.

The "deep state" has a well-known commitment to "defending" the Ataturkist
"secularist" heritage, as it sees it. And in Turkey, "secularism" means
Islam being a branch of the state and no other religious community –
including Muslim minorities – having legal status as a religious community
(see F18News 22 November 2006
< e_id=875>).

When the army General Staff issued a statement in late April 2007
defending Turkey’s "secular" system and describing itself as the "absolute
defender of secularism" this was interpreted as a "cold coup". However, it
was also a sign of its weakness – it seems the army no longer felt able to
launch a real coup. The AKP government led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan merely carried on as before. It presents itself as no longer being
afraid of anyone and ready to do what it wants without looking over its
shoulder.

In reality, Erdogan has shown that he has heard the army’s warning that it
wants to decide on matters it considers vital for Turkey. On two occasions
Erdogan stated that politicians would not oppose the army, if it decided to
invade Iraq. After stating this for the first time, he denied saying it –
but then said it again. Erdogan has also indicated that his fellow
politicians would not oppose other decisions of the army leadership.

The mass demonstrations against the AKP in April and May 2007 did not
necessarily show that large parts of the population wanted Turkey to become
more open and democratic. Many of the demonstrators were supporters of
rival parties, some of them just as nationalist in outlook as the AKP.
Indeed, it seems the Republican People’s Party (CHP) stirred up many of the
protests. Party members see themselves as Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s heirs,
even if it is doubtful that he would recognise them as such.

Some of the protest organisers and demonstrators certainly did want Turkey
to be less nationalist and more open and democratic, including the small
minority who want Turkey to have genuine freedom of thought, conscience and
belief. But those who demonstrated consisted of people who had no one
unified goal: old Kemalists who are anti-EU and xenophobic to varying
degrees; secularists who are afraid of any Islamist project; intellectuals
who do not share a Kemalist worldview; anti-AKP and anti-Islamist
Westernisers.

Turkey’s Western-oriented intellectuals think that if Turkey continues
with negotiations over EU accession, this will not only benefit them but
will help promote democratic change. However, they are acutely aware that
they are becoming an ever dwindling minority.

If the AKP does take over both the parliament and the presidency, it is
still unknown how it will behave. Will it go down the Islamist road or
carry on with the European project? It seems that Erdogan and his current
foreign minister (and AKP presidential candidate) Abdullah Gul have both
moved away from their Islamist background. Yet this still remains unknown.
And even if the AKP does not take over the parliament and presidency, the
majority of those who oppose the AKP are – apart from the true democrats –
mainly xenophobic nationalists.

If other parties come to power in the elections, the already tight
controls and restrictions on religious minorities (and indeed on Islam) are
highly unlikely to be loosened. The other parties are more nationalistic
than the AKP and so even less willing to do anything to improve conditions
for non-Muslim minorities. If they were willing to ease the restrictions on
non-Muslim minorities, there would be pressure for them to also loosen the
subordination in law and practice of Islam to the state (see F18News 22
November 2006 < 875>). These
parties certainly do not want this.

The AKP has done little practical to help non-Muslim communities since it
came to power (see F18News 18 January 2007
< e_id=901>). But some in Turkey,
including the head of the Armenian Church, Patriarch Mesrop, still see a
new AKP government – theoretically committed to pursuing the EU application
– as the only hope within Turkish politics for even slight improvements.

Those Turks who want to see genuine freedom of thought, conscience and
religion have little expectation that either the parliamentary or
presidential election will bring any improvement. No political party with
any chance of gaining real power wants either to tackle the dangerous media
intolerance of religious minorities or to take the dramatic changes
necessary to usher in genuine religious freedom. (END)

– Dr Otmar Oehring, head of the human rights office of Missio
< /missio-ueber-sich/leitthemen/menschenrechte/index .html>,
a Catholic charity based in Germany, contributed this comment to Forum 18
News Service. Commentaries are personal views and do not necessarily
represent the views of F18News or Forum 18.

More analyses and commentaries on religious freedom in Turkey can be found
at <; religion=all&country=68>

A printer-friendly map of Turkey is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=mideast&Rootmap=turk ey>
(END)

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