Author: Hambardsumian Paul

ARMENIAN FM MEETS WITH FRENCH SENATORS
YEREVAN, APRIL 29. ARMINFO. Armenia’s FM Vardan Oskanyan met today
with the French senators and MPs paying a three-day visit to Armenia
to discuss the prospects of development of Armenian-French relations.
Among the French delegates is the president of the general council of
Bouche du Rhone Jean-Noel Guerini.
Oskanyan thanked the French MPs for their constant support of
Armenia. He especially stressed the education and health care projects
carried out by the Bouche du Rhone general council in Armenia’s
regions.
The sides also exchanged opinions on the current processes in the
South Caucasus, the prospects of the Wider Europe program,
Armenian-Turkish relations and development prospects in Armenia.
Oskanyan told the French guests about the current stage of the
Karabakh peace process.

BEST ARMENIAN IT STUDENTS TO GET PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS
YEREVAN, APRIL 28. ARMINFO. Synopsys Armenia and Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund signed today an agreement to give annual presidential awards to
the best IT students of Armenia.
Opening the ceremony Armenia’s Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan said
that the agreement proves once more that IT is a top priority in
Armenia this especially concerning personnel training.
Executive Director of Hayastan Naira Melkumyan said that her fund is
actively involved in many educational programs and is especially glad
to take part in such a project.
Vice President of Synopsys Rich Goldman said that the award will
enhance the popularity of IT professions among the Armenian youth.
“We believe in the future of IT in Armenia and will encourage
personnel training for the sphere,” he said.
Executive Director of Synopsys Armenia Hovik Musayelyan said that the
award will be given to 14 best students of Yerevan State Engineering
University and Yerevan State University and Quantum college.
Cooperation and University Program Director Karen Bartleson said that
2 awards will be given to female students with a view to stimulate
engineering carer among women. She said that Synopsys is proud of
playing a role in raising the competence of Armenian IT specialists
and developing Armenian engineering.
YSEU Rector Yuri Sargsyan said that the agreement is yet another step
towards the development of the Armenian engineering school.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse — English
April 29, 2005 Friday 12:32 PM GMT
Germany supports joint study of 1915 Armenian massacres by Turks
ANKARA
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed support Friday for a
Turkish proposal to create a joint commission of experts with Armenia
to study the disputed history of the mass killings of Armenians by
Turks in 1915.
“The proposal of the Turkish Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) is
good and this path should be followed,” Schroeder said during an
interview with Turkish television station NTV before his May 3-4
visit to Turkey.
However the German chancellor said it was important that a “nation
looks at its history with a sense of self-criticism”.
Schroeder added that this question would “never” be a pre-condition
imposed on Turkey — which rejects the Armenian claim of a genocide
— for its entry into the European Union.
Ankara fears that the genocide allegations could fuel anti-Turkish
sentiment in international public opinion at a time when it is vying
for EU membership.
Erdogan said Friday Turkey could normalize relations with Armenia at
the same time as undertaking the study of the Armenian massacres.
Turkey had previously demanded that Armenia first abandon its
campaign for the recognition of the World War I massacres as
genocide.
In 1993, Turkey also shut its border with Armenia in a show of
solidarity with its close ally Azerbaijan, which was at war with
Armenia, dealing a heavy economic blow to the impoverished nation.
On Tuesday, Armenian President Robert Kocharian accepted in principle
the Turkish proposal to create a joint committee to study the
genocide allegations but demanded that Ankara first normalize
relations with Yerevan without pre-conditions.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen perished in
deportations and orchestrated killings between 1915 and 1917.
Ankara argues that 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
in what was civil strife during World War I when the Armenians took
up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with Russian
troops invading the crumbling Ottoman Empire.

Pan Armenian News
EDITOR OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN NEWSPAPER STANDS TRIAL FOR INSULTING TURKEY
29.04.2005 08:29
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish journalist Hrant Dink is standing trial for
insulting Turkey, AR-Ankara reported. The editor of Agos Turkish-Armenian
newspaper was accused for statements made 3 years ago in the Turkish town of
Sanliurfa. However at that time the legal proceedings were postponed. At
that time Dink criticized the obligation due to which Turkish schoolchildren
every morning perform the Turkish national hymn and swear. In his opinion,
there should be no place for nationalism in Turkey, which is an aspirant to
the EU. However the Turkish government promised to apply some restrictions
to the freedom of expression. It should be also noted that Hrant Dink took
part in the events organized in Yerevan on the occasion of the Armenian
Genocide 90-th anniversary.

The News Anatolian, Turkey
April 28 2005
In policy shift, Ankara turns tables to criticize the European Union
View: Zeynep Gurcanli
This week’s partnership council meeting between Turkey and European
Union could be described as a cornerstone in the critical process
towards the beginning of Ankara’s accession negotiations, scheduled
for Oct. 3.
During the meeting in Luxembourg, the Turkish government changed its
strategy towards the European Union, abandoning a defensive stance in
favor of a more aggressive approach to the criticisms of the Union.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who represented Turkey at the
partnership council meeting, faced all the criticisms and
expectations of European ministers on human rights, religious
minority rights, and Cyprus, by underlining the EU’s own deficiencies
in all these fields.
The main issue at the meeting was certainly the signing of Ankara
Protocol by Turkey, extending the Customs Union to the 10 new member
states of EU, including the Greek Cypriot administration, which
Turkey does not recognize.
When the European side asked for the signing of the protocol by
Turkey, Gul brought the issue of the EU’s long-delayed promise to
offer economic deals and financial aid to the Turkish Cypriots. The
EU had promised to end its economic isolation of the North with a
trade facilitation agreement and aid worth $336 million a reward for
Turkish Cypriots’ approval of a UN-drafted reunification plan in a
referendum last year. However, Greek Cypriots, who rejected the plan
in a separate vote, have blocked the aid, fearing the package could
lead to de facto recognition of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC).
Gul’s criticisms of European demands for Turkish support to restart
the Cyprus negotiations between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots were
even tougher. `Let me ask you,” he said during the meeting, according
to Turkish officials. “Do you really think that it’s Turkey that
should take steps towards a solution in Cyprus?’ He also criticized
the passages in the position paper put on the table by EU ministers
asking Turkey `to normalize its relations with the EU.’ `Do you think
that our relations with EU are abnormal?’ he asked. He underlined the
need to normalize relations between Turkish and Greek Cypriots first,
according to the same sources.
The EU officials at the meeting were silenced by Gul’s remarks on
Cyprus. Later Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn of Luxembourg, whose
nation is the current term president of the EU, told reporters he had
“issued an apology” on behalf of the EU for not yet implementing the
2004 measures, which were drafted before Cyprus joined the EU on May
1 last year. “It’s not yet possible to put them into practice,”
Asselborn said, but added that the EU “must do everything it can to
implement them.”
The second issue of European criticism towards Turkey was the rights
of religious and ethnic minorities. EU officials underlined the
importance of recognition of the ecumenical status of the Fener
Orthodox Patriarch and demanded the opening of the religious seminary
in Heybeliada. They also put forth the issue of `expanding the
cultural rights’ of ethnic groups in Turkey.
Foreign Minister Gul was also prepared for these criticisms. He
brought up the living conditions of the Turkish minority in western
Thrace, Greece. `We are working to ameliorate the situation in our
country on minority rights,’ said Gul, and gave some examples. But he
added, `Please be just in your criticisms on the minority issue. The
living conditions of Turkish-origin citizens of Greece, a full member
country of the EU, are also continuing to be a big problem. Do you
know that Turks in western Thrace can’t even elect their own mufti
[Muslim authority]?’
Asselborn and EU Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement Olli Rehn
went over a list of reforms Turkey must implement before negotiations
begin during the meeting, according to EU sources. Rehn said that
while progress on reforms has been “significant, it is essential now
to keep up the momentum.” He mentioned that Turkey’s penal code
reforms need to be put back on track so they are implemented in time.
He also said the EU continued to have “serious concerns” over torture
and ill-treatment “that continue to occur” and gave the example of
the beating of the Women’s Day demonstrators by Turkish security
forces.
Gul said Turkey “was aware how important implementation is,” adding
his government would ensure that all EU demands are met on time.
“There should be no suspicion whatsoever,” he said. Gul described the
Women’s Day beating as a `road accident.’
The surprise issue of the partnership council meeting between EU and
Turkey was the so-called Armenian genocide claims. The issue was
brought to the table by European officials due to the great pressure
of France and the Netherlands.
Gul informed the EU officials about the recent demarche of Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan sent a letter to
Armenian president, suggesting the establishment of a joint
commission by historians of the two countries to study the claims.
Gul, during the Tuesday meeting, also gave some examples of the
tolerant policies of the Ottoman Empire towards religious minorities.
`If the Ottoman government wished, it could have erased all the
different religions other than Islam from the Balkans and Anatolia
during that time,’ Gul was quoted as saying. `The Armenians and other
religious groups in Turkey survived due to this tolerant policy of
the Ottomans. Today, Turkey too has no problems with the Armenians.’
Gul also asked the Europeans not to use the national feelings of the
Turks for only the domestic consumption of European countries.
The last criticisms of the Europeans was about the role of the
Turkish military within domestic politics. Gul’s response to this
criticism was saying that there is some improvement on the issue.
After countering all the criticisms of the European officials with
his own criticisms of the Union, Gul concluded by asking the
Europeans to treat fairly Turkey. `We expect the same treatment
towards Turkey as the other candidate countries,’ he said.

AZG Armenian Daily #078, 30/04/2005
Visit
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OVER ARMENIAN ISSUES IN GEORGIA
A joint group of Armenian and Georgian specialists to find out to whom 9
Armenian churches on Georgia’s territory belong seems to be emerging as a
result of a meeting between RA National Assembly speaker, Artur
Baghdasarian, and Georgia’s Patriarch Ilya II. Despite Patriarch’s intension
to study only Norashen church of Tbilisi, Baghdasarian insisted that the
scientists’ group traced the history of 8 other Armenian churches, too.
Patriarch Ilya II assured Baghdasarian that the jural status of Armenian
churches in Georgia will be defined as soon as the Georgian parliament
adopts a law on religion.
National Assembly speaker met yesterday representatives of Armenian
community in Georgia. The primary concern of the community representatives
was improving social conditions of Javakhk residents, preservation of
Armenian churches, renovation of educational programs of Armenian language,
literature and history in 150 Armenian schools and retraining teachers.
Artur Baghdasarian underscored that President Saakashvili took commitment to
solve issues of Javakhk and said that RA education minister will visit
Georgia in near future to study problems in this sphere.
Baghdasarian’s meeting with Georgian prime minister, Zurab Noghaideli,
scheduled today will finish his two-day official visit.
By Nana Petrosian in Tbilisi

Turkey Edges Towards Armenia Ties
Posted 04-29-2005
(BBC) — Turkey has said it is ready to build “political” relations
with Armenia while experts investigate Yerevan’s claims of a World War
I “genocide”.
Turkey does not have diplomatic ties with neighbouring Armenia, amid a
row over the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915-1917.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “political relations
could be established” during joint studies.
Armenia has cautiously welcomed the offer of a joint investigation.
On Tuesday, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said he was ready to
accept Mr Erdogan’s proposal for a joint commission to probe the
killings – but demanded a normalisation of relations first.
Mr Erdogan told Turkey’s Milliyet newspaper that the establishment of
formal diplomatic relations would depend on Armenia showing
“sincerity” towards undertaking a joint investigation.
Turkey shut its border with Armenia in 1993, angry at the Armenian
separatist
forces fighting for independence from Azerbaijan in the disputed
territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia alleges that the Young Turks, the dominant party in the
Ottoman Empire in 1915, systematically arranged the deportation and
killing of 1.5 million Armenians.
Turkey says up to 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
during civil strife in eastern Turkey during World War I, but angrily
rejects the allegation of a planned “genocide” of Armenians.
Some EU politicians want Turkey to recognise the killings as
“genocide” before Ankara is allowed to open talks on EU accession.

Agence France Presse
25 avril 2005 lundi 5:18 PM GMT
Barnier demande à l’UE de rappeler la Turquie à son devoir de mémoire
LUXEMBOURG
Le ministre français des Affaires étrangères Michel Barnier a demandé
à la présidence luxembourgeoise de l’Union européenne de rappeler la
Turquie à son devoir de “mémoire” sur le génocide arménien, lors de
la réunion mardi à Luxembourg du Conseil d’association UE-Turquie.
M. Barnier a indiqué avoir reçu dans cette démarche l’appui de son
homologue néerlandais Ben Bot, pendant la réunion lundi au
Grand-Duché des chefs de la diplomatie des 25.
“J’ai exprimé le souhait que la présidence rappelle au gouvernement
(turc) le souhait que nous sommes nombreux à exprimer que la Turquie
continue ou entreprenne le travail de mémoire qui est attendue d’elle
à propos du génocide arménien”, a déclaré le ministre français à la
presse.
“Le projet européen est un projet fondé sur l’exigence de
réconciliation. On se réconcilie avec les autres, c’est ce que nous
avons fait au tout début entre Français et Allemands”, a-t-il
souligné.
“On se réconcilie aussi avec soi-même et c’est probablement ce défi
là que doit relever la Turquie à propos du génocide arménien”, a
ajouté M. Barnier, en rappelant que la France entendait se montrer
vigilante sur la question dans les futures négociations d’adhésion à
l’UE qu’Ankara doit entamer le 3 octobre.
bpi/jls ef

A1plus
| 21:18:14 | 26-04-2005 | Official |
ROBERT KOCHARYAN REPLIED TO TURKISH PRIME MINISTER’S LETTER
Today Robert Kocharyan has answered the letter of Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who proposed to form a joint Armenian-Turkish
commission for studying the fact of the Armenian Genocide.
The letter says in part, « We have proposed and we again propose
establishment of normal relations between our countries without
preconditions. Just within that context an intergovernmental commission may
be formed to discuss any issue or issues available between our countries
aiming at solving them and coming to mutual understanding.»

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
April 26 2005
Armenia says it is ready to establish ties with Turkey

The Armenian Head of State Robert Kocharyan has responded to a letter
from the Turkish Prime Minister calling for a joint committee to
study the issue of the so-called genocide.

April 26 – Ankara says it is wary of the wording of the offer,
which leaves many issues not addressed.
The letter said that Armenia was ready to establish relations with
Ankara without any conditions.
`Let us firstly set up relations, Kocharyan’s letter read. `We
can later take into account various matters in an inter-governmental
committee.’
However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the letter of
the Armenian Head of State was full of tricks of terminology and that
Ankara was cautious over establishing relations without having
settling the issue of the alleged genocide.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress