RA PRESIDENT GOING ON 2-WEEK LEAVE
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.07.2007 18:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian has gone on a
2-week leave, the RA leader’s press office reported. Robert Kocharian
will spend the vacation in Armenia.
New York Times, NY
July 21 2007
Turkish Group Wields Wit as Tool for Political Change
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Published: July 22, 2007
ISTANBUL, July 21 – In the growing pains of Turkish democracy, the
Young Civilians are part nurse and part comedian.
The group is one of several starting to openly question the hierarchy
in Turkey, which, as the Young Civilians see it, goes something like
this: The secular state elite and the military, which have steered
the state since its beginning, are on the top. Elected officials
deposed every decade or so by military coups are on the bottom.
The Young Civilians want that to change. Wit is their principal
weapon.
When Turkey’s political class was in a battle this spring over who
should become president, the Young Civilians came up with their own
"candidate" – a pastiche of every quality the secular old guard
detests most. Named Aliye Ozturk, she was supposed to be a Kurdish,
Armenian, Allewite woman who wears a head scarf and takes a keen
interest in classical Turkish string instruments. (Ataturk, the
founder of the modern Turkish republic, preferred Western music.)
"I will be a modern, civilized president who communicates with all
segments of the society," Aliye Ozturk says in the nomination
statement the Young Civilians posted on the Internet at
/content/view/62/146. "I will not think
that I am a feudal lord just because I live at the palacelike
residence."
The Young Civilians began as a group of students, and held one of
their earliest protests in 2003, when they took aim at the annual May
19 Youth and Sports Day, which features schoolchildren marching in
sport stadiums around the country. The ceremonies are far too stiff,
too Soviet and, frankly, too dull, they say, and they held a small
press conference proposing to "rescue the festival from the
stadiums."
"It’s a kind of Stalin festival, a dogmatic thing," said Ilhan Dogus,
a rail-thin finance major at Bilgi University whose sense of humor is
behind some recent protests.
It was the small protest in 2003 that brought the Young Civilians
their name and their notoriety. An article in Cumhuriyet, a
pro-establishment daily, cited the students’ protest in an article
titled "Young Officers Are Concerned," said Nezir Akyesilman, a
member. The group responded sarcastically, in a statement posted on
the Internet, saying that "the young civilians" were also concerned.
The Young Civilians are a diverse group, both religious and secular
with a variety of political affiliations, who are drawn together by
their passionate belief in democracy. In a written statement this
month they exhorted the leaders of all the political parties to abide
by the results of Sunday’s parliamentary elections, in which both
independents and nationalists are expected to do well. But aside from
serious work, they also indulge in comic asides. They won admirers by
rewriting Turkey’s much-despised college entrance exam as a democracy
quiz.
"Which of the below would elevate Turkey’s status to a contemporary
civilization?" one question asks.
"(A) Listening to classical music. (B) Waving flags at Republic
rallies. (C) Dancing ballet. (D) Standing against military coups and
warnings. (E) Holding a slogan that reads, ‘Turkey is secular and
will remain so.’ "
Turkish society has undergone sweeping changes in recent decades.
Large-scale migrations from rural areas to the cities starting in the
1980s have led to a rising religious middle class, whose
representatives are now fighting with the state elite for power.
In addition, Turkey has made major changes to some of its crucial
institutions to qualify for European Union membership, removing much
of the military’s influence from government and rewriting criminal
and civil codes, encouraging more openness in society.
"People are trying to rethink their identity," Mr. Dogus said. "The
one the state gave us is being deconstructed."
It is a little like lifting the cover of a long-closed book.
For most of Turkey’s history, there was little room for society to
question the official model of a Turkish citizen – a Muslim with no
ethnic identity or strong political opinion. The education system
reinforced that prototype.
Now history is being rethought in new books. Documentaries are
exploring Turkey’s past military coups. There has even been a
conference that touched on the genocide of Armenians during World War
I, a topic that has been fiercely taboo in Turkish society.
But coming to terms with the past is painful, and some Turks,
bewildered by the changes sweeping the country, are retreating along
the well-worn path of nationalism. While the European Union reforms
have pulled Turkey toward the West, the rejection of Turkey by
Europeans, as well as campaigns by nationalist politicians in Turkey,
threaten to close the country back up.
"Breaking this link with the West, this would be very dangerous for
us," said Nil Mutlver, a Young Civilian.
What is really at issue is trust, argued Mehmet Sobasi, one of the
group’s founding members. For generations, the state elite held
itself above the traditional, rural peasant class of the countryside,
imposing coups occasionally to keep Turkey on track. Now, Mr. Sobasi
contends, Turkey needs to let go of that crutch to become a truly
modern democracy.
"It’s the stage we’ll arrive to first," Mr. Sobasi said, sitting in
an office in central Istanbul. "Without getting there, we can’t
discuss anything."
The state does not want to face the problems that groups like Young
Civilians are bringing up, Ms. Mutlver said.
By the state’s thinking, she said, "we all like Armenian food, so you
see, we all live together quite happily."
Armenian President opened the first Wind Surfing Center at the Lake of Sevan
arminfo
2007-07-21 15:57:00
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan opened today the first Wind
Surfing Center at the Lake of Sevan.
He said at the opening ceremony that today those who go in for water
sports have finally got a nice club at Sevan.
‘Since my student years I have not seen so many sailing-ships at
Sevan. We are trying to revive not only wind surfing but also to
create favourable conditions for the fans of this sport and for its
development. To have such a beautiful place like our lake and not
to develop water sports – is a crime>,- the president said. He also
added that in a year or two one club will not be enough and there
will be a necessity of another 2-3 clubs opening.
Armenian Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Armen Grigoryan said opening
of such a club is a big gift of the president. The center will become
stimulus for water sports developing and will attract tourists. He
also said that training at the club will be free of charge. He did
not rule out that in future international competitions maybe held at
the club as it fully meets international standards.
To note, "Hayastan" pan-Armenian foundation allocated 257 mln Armenian
drams for construction of the centre. And Youth Affairs and Sports
Ministry will exploit the center which is well equipped. At present
60 children at the age 7-18 are training at the center.
NOBODY’S BUSINESS BUT THE TURKS?
The Gate – National Journal, DC
ston_defends_turkey.php
July 21 2007
Former Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., has posted a video defending Turkey
from 90-year-old charges of genocide against Armenians. The video is
in response to the now-pending H.Res.106 and its Senate companion,
which would mandate an official recognition by Congress that Turkey
committed genocide against Armenians between 1915 and 1923.
Livingston doesn’t directly deny that a genocide took place, but
attempts to cast it as a matter of historical ambiguity. "I don’t
think any of us really know what happened," he says in the video. He
also makes the case that the resolution would unnecessarily damage
relations with Turkey.
Livingston’s name has resurfaced recently as he was, ironically,
replaced in the House by now-Sen. David Vitter after his own sex
scandal in 1999. Livingston went on to found the lobbying organization
The Livingston Group, LLC, which counts the Republic of Turkey among
its most prominent clients.
CAUCASUS ENCLAVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
July 19, 2007 Thursday 4:26 PM EST
DPA POLITICS NKarabakh Elections Armenia Azerbaijan Caucasus enclave
Nagorno-Karabakh elects new president Stepanakert The Nagorno-Karabakh
enclave – contested by Caucasus republics Azerbaijan and Armenia –
was electing a new president Thursday.
By the afternoon some 53 per cent of the around 91,000-strong
electorate had cast their votes, meeting the election turnout
requirements, Interfax news agency reported from the capital
Stepanakert.
The counting of votes was due to begin in the evening.
According to pre-election polls, secret service chief Bako Saakyan
is considered the favourite to succeed Arkady Gukasyan. Some 60 per
cent of those questioned supported his candidacy.
The orderly operation of the elections was an important step towards
the construction of an independent state and the strengthening of
democracy, the head of central electoral committee, Sergei Nassibiyan
said.
The enclave, which is mainly populated by Armenians, passed its own
constitution in December.
Armenia has occupied the 4,400-square-metre region in Azerbaijan’s
territory since the early 1990s, when the Karabakh Armenians drove
out Azerbaijani troops in a bloody civil war.
In mid-June, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev had warned against
the reignition of separatist conflicts on the Caucasus.
"The ceasefire is brittle everywhere," he said.
Azerbaijan would not recognize the presidential elections he told
the government in Baku.
According to sources from the former Soviet region of Nagorno-
Karabakh, some 47 international observers were present at the
elections, including representatives from Germany, France, Russia and
the United States.
International recognition of the region has so far been unsuccessful.
SHENGAVIT PREFECT’S CANDIDATE MUSHEGH MOVSISIAN HAS NOT WITHDRAWN HIS CANDIDATURE
Noyan Tapan
Jul 19 2007
YEREVAN, JULY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the July 19 publication of
the Aravot daily, Mushegh Movsisian, the candidate for prefect in the
Shengavit community of Yerevan, the day before withdrew his candidature
in favor of his rival, Sargis Hovhannisian (Cadillac Serozh). However,
as Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Zhuzhuna Sukiasian,
the Secretary of district electoral commission N 11, as of July 19,
14:00, the commission had not received any application on withdrawal.
She also said that the preparation for the elections to be held on
July 22 is proceeding according to the schedule: 57 polling stations
have been formed in the community having 102 thousand voters,
the ballot-papers’ printing is underway. The above mentioned two
non-partisan candidates’ names are mentioned in the ballot-papers.
FRENCH GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS "PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS" IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 19 2007
French Foreign and European Affairs Ministry made a statement on
so-called ‘presidential elections’ held by the separatist regime in
the occupied Azerbaijani territories, French Embassy in Azerbaijan
told APA.
The spokesman for the Ministry said that France does not recognize
Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state.
"In connection with the "presidential elections" held by unrecognized
Nagorno Karabakh government France states that it does not
recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state, like all other
international community. The results of such elections- though,
provide an opportunity to the community de-facto controlling Nagorno
Krabakh to organize,-cannot be recognized as define the status of
the region beforehand."
The statement says that the final status of Nagorno Karabakh can
be determined in the framework of the peaceful solution and basic
principles suggested by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, France, the
US and Russia and only with participation of all conflicting parties
and communities.
"Any one-sided step for determining Nagorno Karabakh’s status is
nothing but obstacle to the negotiations," the statement says.
SARKOZY AND EU’S DECREASING CREDIBILITY
View by Fatma YILMAZ (USAK)
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Fatma Yilmaz, ISRO researcher ISRO Center for EU Studies
[email protected]
http://www. theparliament.com/NR/rdonlyres/8E858E78-AA5F-4C3B- 83CC-6E27F71992E8/0/parl_2july07_fullmag.pdf
http: // 72308
d=17750
2.0/
July 18 2007
Luis Filipe Marques Amado, Portuguese Foreign Minister, holding
the current term-presidency of the EU, has recently shared his and
Portugal’s insight on the EU’s external relations agenda. Giving an
interview to the Parliament Magazine, Mr. Amado has also mentioned
his views regarding the potential membership of Turkey in the EU. In
this sense, he emphasized the importance of Turkish accession to
the EU for the future of the Union, saying that "Turkish accession
is of a major importance to the future of the EU, namely due to its
strategic position and its role as a cornerstone in the relations
between the west and the Islamic world. This is a decisive moment,
when a political crisis could send Turkey away from Europe, perhaps
irreversibly. On the contrary, the positive attraction of the EU can
generate a virtuous cycle that will anchor it strongly in Europe".
Moreover, Mr. Amado indicated that in any case, Turkey’s accession to
the Union is a long term issue and there is a long way to go, during
which Turkey can only join the EU when it fulfils the established
criteria. He then added, at that time, it will be much easier for
the Europeans to support the Turkish accession. However, whereas the
Portuguese FM, on one hand, mentions the difficulty of the accession
period for Turkey, on the other hand he has made emphasize on the
fact that "We [the EU] have a commitment to negotiate with Turkey
and we should fulfill that commitment in good faith".[1]
When considered the French President Sarkozy’s statements about
Turkey’s EU prospect through which he emphasizes Turkey should not be
a member of the EU, statements made by the Portuguese FM make more
sense, simply because of the commitments given by the Union itself
since the earlier past. Let’s have a look at the way and criteria
bringing a state to a full membership and then decide who approaches
Turkey’s EU bid more understandable, Sarkozy or Portugal?
Up to the current process in the EU, the negotiation process is
naturally considered as a way of going to the full membership and
it is committed to several criteria both to be a candidate and the
advanced one, a member. These are the ones about the ‘Europeanness’ of
the applicant state, about the political and then economic situation
of the state at issue. Naturally, there are other points effective
in deciding whether a state is able to be a member or not, such as
the cultural and civilization ones. For the case of Turkey’s possible
membership, since its first application to the EU in 1959, the Union
has not rejected Turkey’s membership application just because it is
not a European state. It could, of course due to its legislation of
being a European country to apply the Union, but it did not. The EU
Commission never says, for instance when it rejected Turkey’s full
membership application in 1989, that they rejected its application
because of Turkey is not a European country. Contrary, the EU gave
the candidate status to Turkey in 1999 and then even declared Turkey
fulfilled all the criteria to start negotiations with the EU in
the December 2004 EU Summit. Following this, in October 2005, the
EU decided to start negotiations with Turkey in 2006 and currently
two sides have engaged with the negotiations, albeit some suspended
chapters due to the Cyprus problem.
Making reference to the conclusions of the EU Summits and the taken
decisions, there is actually no need to even discuss Turkey’s ability
to be an EU member. After the decisions taken and commitments made
by the Union, the only things to discuss have to be the technical
details for fulfilling a smooth negotiation and implementation
process. As the Portuguese FM Amado emphasized, the EU has a
commitment to negotiate with Turkey and the discussions about the
nature of the negotiations and the debate about the Europeannes of
Turkey hereafter would shade the expected good faith of the EU. What
Sarkozy’s long-standing attitude is exactly the one shading light on
the EU’s good faith. During the presidential elections in France,
he claimed that "if elected president, he would launch a debate on
Turkey’s EU membership, and he would be against such membership. The
reason is that Turkey is in Asia Minor. Those who want Turkey’s
membership are against a political Europe".[2] He is now the French
President and has still same stance against Turkey. He has even
recently gone further and called to create a Mediterranean Union,
in parallel with the EU, in which Turkey would be involved instead
of being a full-member. It is possible to give a reply to Sarkozy
via the statement of Portuguese FM once more: "(…) I believe these
reforms should be made under the EU structure and not under a new
structure. Mr. Sarkozy did not say this, but in my own personal and
cynical understanding of the matter I believe what he really meant was
the EU could develop a strategic partnership with the Mediterranean
area as it has already with Turkey". What the statement of the FM
Amado means that Turkey has already had a strategic partnership with
the EU and even a privileged one due to the Customs Union with the EU
as once German Chancellor Merkel offered. Thus, there is no need to
muddy the negotiation process with such hollow suggestions. This kind
of arguments would not help the EU to ease the process; in contrary,
Sarkozy’s arguments about the Europeannes of Turkey and rejection
its membership prospect can be considered as difficult to deal with
this hard process and also more importantly dangerous arguments. One
again as stated in Mr. Amado’s speech, it is dangerous for the future
of the EU.
First of all, it is not possible to conduct the argument on the
geographical base. It would be so unreasonable to claim a country, in
the middle of the European ones at least accepted as European by the
EU, being not a part of Europe. Once considered, there is no debate
about the Europeanness of the countries located around the Black Sea
such Ukraine and Romania. Moreover, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan are
those to whom the EU is given green light about the membership in
long-term. More absolute example is of course the membership of the
Greek Cyprus which is located just Turkey’s south. And just to remind,
Turkey’s land in the European continent is much bigger than those of
many EU member, in terms of both geography and population.
Therefore, it seems totally unacceptable to pursue an argument in
geographical terms and it would damage the credibility of the EU for
the possible upcoming enlargements or policies towards the countries
located around Turkey.
In addition, the EU seems to form a discriminatory approach in cultural
and religious perspective. This is an approach fostering Huntington’s
famous ‘clash of civilization’ claim. It seems a dangerous approach
because of which the clash of civilization debate could be occurred
once again. It is possible to see the similarities between Sarkozy’s
speech and that of organizations such as El-Qaeda.
This is because while Sarkozy says that Turkey is a Muslim and not a
European country and should never be its member, El- Qaeda similarly
never wants Turkey to be involved in a Union regarded as a Christian
one. To act in a same manner with such kind of terrorist organizations
never help the EU which suffers from the religionist terror. This case
could then cause to undermine the struggle of the EU against terrorism.
What more to parallel the argument above, it seems that there is a
policy, pursued by the ones such as Sarkozy in the EU, which ignores
the existence of Muslim society having a considerable population
of about 15 million in the Union. The EU, particularly France, has
experienced an integration problem with the immigrant societies. If
remembered, France experienced rebellions conducted by the immigrants
in the end of 2005 and it is repeated time to time. Also, there is
a considerable increase in nationalist and racist movements in the EU.
The recent debate on new German Migrant Law, aiming to make more
strict the rules for the migrants, forms one of the examples showing
the concerns of the Europeans and how they could behave more harsh
towards the foreigners if their national interests at stake. In such
circumstance, while the EU ignores the immigrant societies, a conflict
will be unavoidable and even may cause a civil war, especially in
France. During the presidential elections, what Sarkozy’s insight
about the Muslim integration in the EU was to regard Turkey as a
country which would cause to increase (!) in the problems in terms
of Muslim integration. In this sense, Sarkozy stated Turkey’s entry
into the European Union would "be the end of political Europe" and
suggested it would worsen the problem of Muslim integration in the
continent.[3] However, the real point should actually have to indicate
the probable contribution of Turkey to the misinterpretations of two
sides, Europe and Muslim states, so as to eliminate the problem in a
case of Turkey’s EU membership. Just to remind, there are other Muslim
countries outside Turkey, which the EU made commitments of either to
be potential member or advanced relations of the Union. Therefore,
Turkey could be a dialog bridge between the European continent and
the Middle East, it would then be easy for Europe, via Turkey, to
comprehend Muslim world and vice versa. Then, why Turkey can not be
an antidote for a potential clash of civilization?
Consequently, the message given by the EU which is against the
principle of pacta sund servanda, due to mostly Sarkozy, does not
only go to Turkey, it is also taken by the other countries outside of
the Union. How then the image of the EU might be regarded is a Union
which is not based on a real legal regulation but on the interests.
Those who decide on which way the system will proceed are considered
as just a couple of great powers. This could naturally damage the
image of the EU as a reliable actor in the international arena.
Additionally, a Union aiming at being a global actor would have to
undergo the consequences of its ignorance policy in long term. This
is probably why Olli Rehn, European Enlargement Commissioner, has
warned France not to seek to bloc Turkey’s accession bid and said
"if a member country or a group of countries want to chase the chosen
course, they must bear responsibility for the consequences"[4].
CLOSING CEREMONY OF FORTH GOLDEN APRICOT FILM FESTIVAL WAS RAINY BUT VERY FESTIVE
By Rouzan Poghosian
AZG Armenian Daily
18/07/2007
On days of opening and closing "Golden Apricot" Forth International
Film Festival the rainy clouds seemed to have gathered over the Liberty
Square to interfere with the event and to become its main participant.
During the closing ceremony the rain was quite heavy especially during
the award ceremony. It proclaimed the beginning of the old pagan
feast Vardavar that brings purification and festive mood to the people.
The sincere and friendly atmosphere became more open with children
becoming more naughty. The participants and the spectators of the
closing ceremony had to cover their heads either by umbrellas or by
cellophane bags or by vacant chairs, but none left the ceremony till
its end. The awards ceremony kicked off with a surprise award, the
"Tonino Guerra" fund gave the founder-director of "Golden Apricot",
film director Haroutiun Khachatrian, the honor of the "Amarcord" medal.
PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN HAD A WORKING MEETING WITH RA MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
armradio.am
16.07.2007 16:46
Issues of exploitation of the interior and national parks were
discussed during today’s working meeting between RA President Robert
Kocharyan and Minister of Environmental Protection Aram Harutyunyan.
Robert Kocharyan instructed to create such grounds through legislative
changes with the application of the international experience that will
provide the opportunity to find effective solutions to the problems
existing in the field of exploitation of the interior.
Reference was made to the plans of governance of Sevan and Dilijan
National Parks.
Issues related to the current and future programs of the Ministry of
environmental Protection were discussed.