Author: Hovhannisian John

TABDC: DISCUSSION OF GENOCIDE AND KARABAKH ISSUES MAKE TURKEY-ARMENIA RECONCILIATION POSSIBLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.05.2008 18:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Mosaic Institute invited Kaan Soyak, the Co-chair
of the Turkish Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC) to Toronto
to address a group of Canadians of Turkish and Armenian origin at a
dinner reception on May 22, independent French journalist Jan Eckian
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Kaan Soyak and Arsen Ghazarian, the Armenian Co-chair, established
the TABDC in 1997, as a think tank NGO aimed to improve relations
between Armenia and Turkey.

The mission of the TABDC is to seek normalization of relations between
Turkey and Armenia by opening the border between the two countries,
which has been closed for more than a decade. In addition, the TABDC
advocates establishing diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia.

The Embassies of both Turkey and Armenia in Ottawa sent senior
representatives to the Toronto meeting convened by the Mosaic
Institute. In addition, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
sent a senior diplomat to be present at the Mosaic Institute event.

"There was a wonderful atmosphere of respect and willingness to listen"
said Vahan Kololian, Chairman of the Mosaic Institute. "Clearly
the TABDC is doing important work in the Caucuses region, and it
is important for them to know that many in the Turkish and Armenian
Diaspora support their efforts," he said.

Mr. Soyak said, "It is the position of the TABDC that diplomatic
relations can be established and borders can be opened, while the
Genocide issue and the Nagorno Karabakh problem continue to be studied
and discussed."

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 29 2008

Chief of General Staff of Estonian Defence Forces: `Occupied
territories are integral part of Azerbaijan’

[ 29 May 2008 19:28 ]

Baku. Mahbuba Gasimbayli-APA. Lieutenant-genera Ants Laaneots, Chief
of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces paid two-day
official visit to Baku on May 29 at the invitation of Colonel-General
Safar Abiyev, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, the Defense Ministry’s
Press Service told APA.

The guest laid a wreath at the grave of Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of
Honor and commemorative monument of those, who died for the
independence of Azerbaijan in the Alley of Martyrs.

The Defense Ministers had one-on-one meeting in Defense
Ministry. Abiyev spoke about cooperation between the two countries and
sated that Estonian experience as NATO member country is important for
Azerbaijan. Abiyev provided information about successes achieved as a
result of cooperation with NATO within the framework of Partnership
for Peace Program (PfP) and stressed that Azerbaijan gained much
progress within the framework of Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP). He stated that fist stage of plan has been implemented
successfully and second stage of plan has been started. Abiyev touched
upon military-political situation in the region and noted that Armenia
occupied 20% territories of Azerbaijan, create obstacles to the
peaceful settlement of the conflict and refuse to implement demands of
resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council. `Unfortunately,
efforts of OSCE MG remained without result’, he said. The Minister
added that Azerbaijan would not settle for compromise in restoration
of its territorial integrity.

`If Armenia continues to delay peaceful solution to the conflict,
Azerbaijan will take serious steps against it and will liberate its
lands. Armenia should understand it once and for all’, he said.

Chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces noted that
the two sides were interested in development of relations. He stated
that restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was of
principal importance for Estonia and stressed that occupied lands were
integral part of Azerbaijan.

The sides exchanged views on prospects of military cooperation and
other issues of mutual interests.

Armenian delegation attended NATO PA session

armradio.am
29.05.2008 17:57

May 24-27 the associated parliamentary delegation of Armenia headed by
the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense,
National Security and Internal Affairs Arthur Aghabekyan participated
in the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly held in
Berlin. Memmbers of the delegation participated in the plenary sittings
of the Committees on Political, Defense and Security Issues, Economy
and Security, Science and Technology.

Speeches were delivered by the chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, the
President of the German Bundestag N. Lammert, NATO Secretary General
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and German Foreign Minister Franz-Walter
Steinmeier.

Discussions were launched on a number of contemporary issues –
elaboration of a new NATO Strategic Doctrine, relations with Russia,
expansion of the Alliance, Partnerships, energy Security.

Members of the Armenian delegation made corresponding remarks and
statements, addressed questions to the speakers.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
May 24 2008

BAKU TO SPELL OUT KARABAKH SETTLEMENT SUGGESTIONS – PRESIDENT …

Baku will spell out Karabakh settlement suggestions with the next few
months, President Ilham Aliyev said at a forum, which marked the 90th
anniversary of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic.

I think that we will spell out our ideas of the Karabakh settlement
within the next few months, probably by the end of this year or in
2009. It is impermissible to delay the settlement process, he said.

Azerbaijan won’t make any additional concessions, the president said.

My position is well known. I have expressed it many times. We can
resolve the problem exclusively within the limits of the Azerbaijani
territorial integrity, Aliyev said.

Some forces are trying to push Azerbaijan to make concessions.

They are applying pressure, he said. Claims of alleged problems in the
democratic development of Azerbaijan are part of this pressing.

Any pressure on the Azerbaijani government and people is totally
senseless, the president said. Our policy is clear and supported by
people. This is a principled and fair policy, he remarked.

Thanks to the strengthened position of Baku, the Azerbaijani
territorial integrity is in the focus of the negotiations, Aliyev
said.

In fact, the essence of these negotiations is the restoration of the
Azerbaijani territorial integrity and the freedom of all the occupied
lands. The negotiating parties are not considering possible ways of
Karabakh’s separation from Azerbaijan. That’s a fact. Armenian biased
and twisted statements are totally senseless, he said.

They [the Armenians] must realize that the temporary occupation of our
lands through the aggressive policy of ethnic cleansing is not
advantageous for them. This policy isolates them from regional
projects and slows down their development, he said.

Azerbaijani state expenditures are about eight times larger than the
Armenian ones, Aliyev remarked.

Azerbaijan won’t waive its position an inch. It will mount its
diplomatic, political and economic might, he said.

RECONCILIATION STARTS WITH CHEESE IN CAUCASUS

Turkish Daily News
May 26 2008

In an effort to contribute to reconciliation between Turkey and
Armenia, a business group from both countries has taken the initiative
to launch cooperation between Turkish and Armenian cheese producers.

Under the label of "Caucasian cheese," the yellow slab symbolizes
reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia and the entire Caucasus
region, according to an article by British-based magazine The
Economist.

The idea of a regional "peace" cheese met suspicion when mooted a year
ago, said Alin Ozinian of the Turkish Armenian Business Development
Council. Georgia and Azerbaijan are also involved in the project.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to protest the Armenian
forces’ occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South
Caucasus, a de facto independent republic that is officially part
of Azerbaijan.

"We didn’t know how the authorities would react," said Zeki Aydın,
a Turkish cheese producer, who made the 10-hour-long trip from Kars
to Gumru via Georgia. "We want our borders to be reopened, and we
want good neighbourly ties, so we took a chance," said Ilhan Koculu,
a fellow cheese maker.

Vefa Ferejova, an Azeri campaigning to bury the hatchet with Armenia,
was also there. "We are told to hate Armenians: I will not,"
Ferejova said.

–Boundary_(ID_WUIs3IfZLS0RO8mOsznJKQ)–

Communists Accuse New ‘Indiana Jones’ Movie of Anti-Soviet Propaganda
By VOA News
24 May 2008

Some Russian Communist Party members are calling for the latest Indiana
Jones movie to be banned in Russia, saying it is crude, anti-Soviet
propaganda.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the fourth movie in the
Indiana Jones series, stars actor Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, an
archaeologist in 1957 battling KGB agents for a skull with mystic powers.
The film opened in Russia Thursday in more than 800 theaters, but members of
the Communist Party in St. Petersburg charge its portrayal of the Soviets
unfairly distorts their role in history.
One Communist Party member Andrei Gindos called Ford and his co-star, actress
Cate Blanchett, "running dogs of the CIA" (U.S. Central Intelligence
Agency). He also said they should be barred from entering Russia.
In the first three Indiana Jones movies, the fictional archaeologist battled
Nazis and an evil Indian cult.
Some information for this report was provided by Bloomberg and Reuters.

GAZA CANNOT BE COMPARED TO HOLOCAUST
By Ali Moossavi

Arab American News, MI
d=article&cat=InOurOpinion&article=1070
Ma y 23 2008

The 60th anniversary of Israel’s "independence" was met with all the
usual fanfare celebrating the "achievements" of the "only democracy"
in the Middle East and as a refuge for Jews – Bush fed into that,
saying Masada won’t fall again.

What was missing, of course, was the real meaning of that
anniversary. It’s imperative, then, to revisit the Jewish state’s
crutch – the Holocaust.

Israel’s establishment – which was supposed to settle once and for
all the anti-Semitism that produced the genocide – only created
more questions.

The main question: How is the Holocaust viewed through the prism of
cultural and political lenses?

Recently, when Libya’s deputy permanent U.N. representative Ibrahim
Dabbashi made a comment comparing Gaza with the Nazi death camps that
sparked a walkout by Western envoys, the reaction revealed a fissure
in the ways the Holocaust is perceived.

To Libya — and by extension the Arab/Muslim world — the Holocaust
is a metaphor for what’s happening to the Palestinians. It’s a way to
communicate the urgent need to act against the death and destruction
visited upon a people by a racist regime in the same way the Nazis
did to the Jews. It’s also a way to frame the issue into a paradigm
of victims and victimizers in a way the Western world would understand
without any reservations.

For the walkout participants and the world they represent — which
includes Israel — the Holocaust was a singular world event with no
parallel in history. The evil behind it was unique and so are the
victims, therefore their nation-building project is unique and beyond
reproach. Any comparison of the Jewish state’s actions to the Third
Reich is immoral and — get ready for it — anti-Semitic.

U.S. envoy to the U.N. Alejandro Wolff said the remarks "reflect a
degree of historical ignorance and moral insensitivity that is one
of the large reasons… why peace in the Middle East is so difficult."

Of course, it’s the U.S.’s pro-Israel policy that makes Middle East
peace so difficult, given the foreign aid, vetoing of Security Council
resolutions and standing by silently allowing the Israelis to brutalize
Palestinians and bomb Lebanese with impunity.

There is a tendency among Muslims and especially Arabs to
"Holocaust-ize" the Palestinian issue. However, it should be noted
that Israel isn’t a fascist state and no premeditated genocide is
occurring. The atrocity that is Gaza differs in that the killings
are collective punishment to break the will of a rebel populace,
not a final solution to eradicate a whole people.

This isn’t to say that Israel isn’t a racist state. It is. It’s a
Jewish state where non-Jews — mainly Palestinians — are discriminated
against on a daily basis inside the state and violently oppressed in
the territories (despite the withdrawal, Israel still controls the air,
sea and border crossings of Gaza.)

But all this can’t be compared to the Holocaust for another reason:
While the destruction of European Jews occurred largely in secret,
the destruction of Palestinians in Gaza is happening out in the open,
for all the world to see. Perhaps that’s what Dabbashi meant when he
said, "it is worse than that."

Accusations of anti-Semitism aren’t a new phenomenon. Not even the
"new anti-Semitism," coined by the Anti-Defamation League in 1974,
is new, just a recycled intimidation tactic that has reached new
distorted heights, with terms like "Arab anti-Semitism."

Despite the contradiction — Arabs are Semites — this has been
used to great effect, especially throughout the Al-Aqsa Intifada,
to justify Israeli violence and repression and to de-legitimize
Palestine solidarity movements.

It doesn’t hold because anti-Zionism is a rational analysis of a
real problem, not an irrational prejudice containing Jewish cabals
and conspiracies at its core. Besides, it’s the Jews who are the
aggressors, not the victims in the Middle East conflict.

"Uniqueness" is where the Holocaust has assumed a religious aura —
an object of worship instead of an object of study, the meaning of
which only the elite priesthood can decipher.

In the eyes of this priesthood, the Holocaust is "unique" — it can’t
be compared to other acts of mass murder, and therefore the suffering
of Jews is unique.

Among the practitioners of this religion is Elie Wiesel, a lauded
Holocaust survivor and pro-Israel bigot, who has said the Holocaust
"lies outside, if not beyond, history" and that it "defies both
knowledge and description."

By de-politicizing the Holocaust and removing it from the realm of
rational historicity, it becomes a tool of a bourgeois establishment
to make money, expand political influence and silence dissent —
in short, a Holocaust industry, as written by Norman Finkelstein.

Deborah Lipstadt, author of "Denying The Holocaust," wrote of "immoral
equivalencies" in comparing the Holocaust with the 1915 Armenian
genocide, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. occupation
of Vietnam that left at least two million dead, among others.

The proper use of the history of the Holocaust is as a lesson about
the evils of racism and colonialism — the death camps wouldn’t have
been possible without the occupation of Europe.

Instead, the Holocaust is understood through the narrow lens of
anti-Semitism, and the exclusive narrative of Jewish suffering,
thereby excluding others.

And with 60 years of Israel we’re left with 60 years of Holocaust
perversion and pimping in the service of the oppression of another
people, a disaster not only for Palestinians and Muslims, but for
Jews as well.

TURKEY AND THE CAUCASUS: A CAUCASIAN CHEESE CIRCLE

Economist
urope/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11412925
May 22 2008
UK

The secret diplomacy of cheesemaking

ON AN icy February morning a clutch of Turks and Armenians huddled in a
hotel in Kars, with Turkish intelligence officials looking on. On May
14th their secret, a giant round of cheese, was unveiled in Gyumri,
over the sealed border in Armenia. Under the label of "Caucasian
cheese", the yellow slab symbolises reconciliation between Turkey
and Armenia, and across the Caucasus.

The idea of a regional "peace" cheese (Georgia and Azerbaijan are
involved too) met suspicion when mooted a year ago, says Alin Ozinian
of the Turkish Armenian Business Development Council. "We didn’t
know how the authorities would react," said Zeki Aydin, a Turkish
cheese producer, who made the ten-hour trip from Kars to Gyumri via
Georgia. "We want our borders to be reopened, good neighbourly ties,
so we took a chance," said Ilhan Koculu, a fellow cheesemaker.

Vefa Ferejova, an Azeri campaigning to bury the hatchet with Armenia,
was also there, saying "We are told to hate Armenians: I will
not." Armenia and Azerbaijan are at loggerheads over Nagorno-Karabakh,
a patch of land that Armenia wrested from Azerbaijan in the early
1990s. This prompted Turkey to seal its border (but not air links)
with Armenia in 1993. American-brokered peace talks have failed,
and Azerbaijan now threatens to resort to force.

Yet there are hopeful signs that Turkey and Armenia may make
up. Turkey’s president, Abdullah Gul, was among the first to
congratulate Serzh Sarkisian, who became Armenia’s president in
a tainted election in February. Unofficial talks to establish
diplomatic ties could resume at any time. Indeed, there is a whiff
of desperation in the air. Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development
(AK) Party is under threat of closure by the constitutional court for
allegedly wanting to bring in sharia law. AK’s overtures to Armenia
may be aimed at garnering some Western support.

Mr Sarkisian’s government is heading for trouble when gas prices
double this winter. An end to Turkey’s blockade could temper
popular unrest. But hawks in Turkey and Armenia can still count on
Azerbaijan. Allegations that Armenia is sheltering Kurdish rebels have
stirred anger in Turkey. Where did they come from? "The Azeri press,"
snorts Mr Aydin. Even the best cheese cannot change everybody’s
attitudes overnight.

LE PRECEDENT DU KOSOVO INSPIRE LES AUTORITES DU HAUT-KARABAKH (VEDOMOSTI)

RIA Novosti
19 Mai 2008
Russie

MOSCOU, 19 mai – RIA Novosti. Les autorites du Haut-Karabakh ont
l’intention d’obtenir leur independance en peuplant cette contree d’un
demi-million d’Armeniens, lit-on lundi dans le quotidien Vedomosti.

Le Haut-Karabakh doit participer aux negociations sur le règlement
pacifique du conflit avec l’Azerbaïdjan, a declare le president de
cette entite autoproclamee sur le territoire azerbaïdjanais Bako
Saakian en repondant a une question du quotidien Vedomosti. "La
Republique du Haut-Karabakh (RNK) independante ayant les memes
priorites que d’autres Etats etrangers est la partie principale
engagee dans le conflit", a explique M. Saakian. Durant 14 ans, les
negociations ont ete menees par l’Armenie. Le Karabakh n’y a participe
que lors de la conclusion de l’accord de cessez-le-feu en 1994.

Guegam Bagdassarian, l’unique depute d’opposition au parlement du
Karabakh, n’exclut pas que Stepanakert (capitale de la RNK) ait pu y
etre pousse par des rumeurs, selon lesquelles l’Armenie serait prete
a ceder une partie des territoires du Karabakh a l’Azerbaïdjan en
vue d’accelerer le règlement du conflit.

En 1988, la republique autonome du Karabakh annonca son retrait de
l’Azerbaïdjan. Le conflit militaire qui suivit fit 25.000 a 30.000
morts, et provoqua l’exode de 1 a 1,5 million de refugies. Les
negociations sur le règlement du conflit se poursuivent dans le cadre
du groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE copreside par les Etats-Unis, la Russie
et la France.

Meme l’Armenie hesite a etablir des relations diplomatiques avec
Stepanakert. Les ruines des maisons et les carcasses rouillees des
vehicules blindes temoignent de la situation "ni guerre ni paix"
en vigueur dans les anciens villages azerbaïdjanais. En revanche,
les villages armeniens se retablissent grâce a l’aide de la diaspora
etrangère. Des emigres construisent parfois dans leur village d’origine
de veritables palais avec des fontaines et des zoos.

L’armee constitue environ 1/6 de la population. Une reprise economique
est observee. L’agriculture et la production de vins prospèrent tout
particulièrement dans cette contree fertile. En outre, le complexe
minier de Drmbon assure a lui seul presque la moitie du PIB.

La doctrine fixant l’objectif de peupler au maximum le territoire du
Karabakh sera le fruit de la stabilite, a declare au quotidien Araïk
Aroutiounian, premier ministre de la republique autoproclamee. Selon
les donnees officielles, la republique compte moins de 150.000
habitants, la densite de la population y est 10 fois inferieure a
celle de l’Armenie voisine. Le gouvernement poursuit l’objectif de
faire en sorte dans de brefs delais que la republique compte 500.000
habitants. L’afflux de population depasse de deux fois le nombre de
departs. On constate egalement un accroissement du taux de natalite,
qui est actuellement a environ 14 pour 1.000. L’augmentation de la
population peut egalement aider a regler la question de l’independance:
"comme c’etait le cas au Kosovo", resume M. Aroutiounian.

Le ministre armenien des Affaires etrangères Edvard Nalbandian estime
que le statut de la republique doit etre determine par ses habitants au
cours d’un referendum. Quant a Moscou, il se prononce pour la recherche
d’un compromis avec la participation de mediateurs internationaux,
a declare Leonid Sloutski, vice-president du Comite des affaires
internationales de la Douma (chambre basse du parlement russe).

Cet article est tire de la presse et n’a rien a voir avec la redaction
de RIA Novosti.

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WHAT WE NEED IS A COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 21, 2008
Armenia

To Be Discussed Around A Table

As we know leader of "Heritage" party Raffi Hovhannisyan appeared with
a mediation mission, to set up government-opposition dialogue. He
invited the leaders of the coalition parties, including President
Serge Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan for a "vital discussion".

"What is the sense of looking for a new format of a dialogue, in
case when the committee established by the decree of the President
has already taken concrete steps to settle the problems enshrined in
PACE resolution?

What is it that prevents Raffi Hovhannisyan from realizing his
anticipations in the framework of the existing format? Nevertheless
he is already involved in that process, by his participation in the
consultation held in the Presidential residence." Below we introduce
Raffi Hovhannisyan’s observations regarding the before mentioned
questions.

"It is very important to compare all the conceptual proposals on the
table and find the best one, instead of waiting for instructions from
Strasburg. In my view during the weeks to come, we must initiate the
process of this dialogue, based on the interests of our state. I would
be very happy if it starts today. But if it doesn’t take place for this
or that reason, we will continue to work in that direction, taking into
consideration all the remarks and criticism, because in our view it is
not the initiative of "Heritage" party but the demand of all Armenians.

It is not very important where and when will the dialogue be hold. Had
I received similar invitation, believe me, I would immediately
respond."

"As a pre-condition of the dialogue Levon Ter-Petrosyan demands to
release his supporters. Don’t you think this principle excludes the
possibility of the dialogue?"

"In my view those who have been detained due to their political views
must be released and this must be one of the priorities before June 20.

But dialogue presumes sitting around a table as soon as possible
and discussing all the proposals that can help overcome the
crisis. There are proposals from the both sides, pro-governmental and
pro-oppositional, so the only thing left to do is to sit and discuss
them. It is high time for each of us to unite around one idea. We must
set up a committee to investigate the details of the tragic events
of March 1 and release all the detainees who didn’t commit crime.

Meanwhile we must restore the freedom of speech of the citizens
of Armenia.

This is the complex of issues which need a tête-a-tête."

"Di d the coalition parties and radical opposition respond to your
invitation?"

"Not yet."

"Aren’t you satisfied with the approaches represented during the
consultation in the Presidential residence aimed at raising the role
of the opposition and mitigating the tension?"

"Yesterday I said, that if I were a member of the group I would have
introduced my objections, my special opinion. In my view we still need
a comprehensive project. We speak about justice, about the independence
of the courts. But this justice must be equal for everyone. There are
half steps towards this issue as well. As regards the issue of raising
the role of the opposition, we shouldn’t bargain around holding certain
positions, instead, our opposition must be properly represented.

In our program we tried not to concentrate on the pro-oppositional
and pro-governmental aspects. It is a proposal that presumes the
involvement of all the powers. If we change the places of the present
day opposition and government this program will still work."

"Many representatives of the ruling power, including President
Serge Sargsyan have accepted that they are also responsible for the
tragic events of March 1. Recently you also accepted your share of
responsibility, but still you failed to avert the bloodshed. How do
you estimate the fact that Levon Ter-Petrosyan doesn’t want to accept
that he is also responsible for what happened?"

"In my view everyone understands that they have their share of
responsibility for what happened on March 1, no matter they speak
about it or not. But the President and his main opponent, the first
President must feel political responsibility. But I don’t think,
by now any of them has completely accepted his responsibility.

I shoulder the responsibility of that tragedy as a citizen of Armenia
and I wouldn’t like to comment on the behavior of the other political
figures.

But on the other hand we must accept that we need to review lots of
thing especially our way of expressing opinions, and using certain
language, we must understand that today the interests of our nation
is on the scale."

–Boundary_(ID_aUILUpci5x50E18V/FvaQ w)–