Author: Hunanian Jack

Azerbaijan declines Council of Europe demand for changes to electoral bodies
ANS TV, Baku
1 Jun 05
[Presenter] A session of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
in Strasbourg has finished. Azerbaijan has accepted some suggestions by
the Venice Commission, but did not agree on introducing changes to the
composition of electoral commissions. Sergey Kuznetsov, a member of the
referendum and elections department of the Venice Commission has more.
[Kuznetsov by phone in Russian with Azeri voice-over] We had meetings
all day long yesterday and worked on the project. We took into
account suggestions by experts and discussed what kind of changes
could be introduced.
Unfortunately, back in 2004, we suggested that the composition of
electoral commissions be changed, but nothing has changed since
then. Azerbaijani officials said that they would not discuss this
issue. So, we had to put forward these suggestions again.

PRESS RELEASE
ISSUED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS
Affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Genocide
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
899 Tenth Avenue, Room 325
New York, NY 10019
Contact: Robert Melson, President
[email protected]
Tel: (765) 494-4187
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 29, 2005
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS
– NEWS RELEASE –
WE WHO SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS PROTEST AND CONDEMN THE CANCELATION
OF THE HISTORIANS CONFERENCE ON THE ARMENIAN QUESTION IN TURKEY BY
THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT AS A MAJOR VIOLATION OF BASIC STANDARDS OF
ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN THE FREE WORLD.
AT LONG LAST, TURKISH ACADEMICS AND INTELLECTUALS, SPONSORED BY
THREE HONORABLE UNIVERSITIES, WERE SCHEDULED TO CONDUCT A CONFERENCE
IN WHICH THE HISTORICAL REALITY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WAS TO BE
EXAMINED BY MANY OF THE PARTICIPATING LECTURERS.
THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY IS UNDERSTANDABLY STRUGGLING TO WIN ITS
POSSIBLE ACCEPTANCE AS A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND IT IS IN
THIS CLIMATE THAT MANY TURKISH INTELLECTUALS HAVE MOVED COURAGEOUSLY
TO ADDRESS THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, A TRUTH WHICH IS STILL PUNISHABLE
BY TURKISH LAW.
FOR THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT TO CANCEL THE CONFERENCE IS A SHAMEFUL
STEP AND A SETBACK TO TURKEY JOINING THE FREE WORLD IN ITS GROWING
STANDARDS OF HISTORICAL TRUTH AND RESPONSIBILITY.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE
SCHOLARS CALLS ON THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY TO ALLOW FULL AND FREE DEBATE
AND ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP ON THE FATE OF THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE IN OTTOMAN
TURKEY IN 1915-1923.
ROBERT MELSON, President, International Association of Genocide
Scholars, Professor of Political Science, Purdue University
ISRAEL W. CHARNY, Vice-President, International Association of Genocide
Scholars, Professor of Psychology and Family Therapy, Hebrew University
of Jerusalem
STEVEN L. JACOBS, Secretary-Treasurer, International Association
of Genocide Scholars, Associate Professor of Religious Studies,
University of Alabama
####

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TOLERANCE PROBLEM ADOPTS RESOLUTION
ADDRESSED TO ALL STATES
YEREVAN, MAY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. States should effectively contribute to
realization of rights of citizens belonging to national or ethnic,
religious or language minorities to use their own culture and profess
their religion. Apply about this is voiced in the resolution adopted
at the international conference “Tolerance, Struggle against
Discrimination and Xenophobia in the Context of Struggle against
International Terrorism” held on May 24-25 in Yerevan. The conference
participants also call on to contribute to free and unimpeded use of
mother tongue by the above-mentioned category of citizens in private
and public life, their active participation in country’s cultural,
social, economic and political life. The conference participants also
ask all states to protect human rights and main freedoms of all
migrants in accordance with the General Declaration of Human Rights,
to provide humane treatment of migrants. The conference was organized
by RA Ombudsperson’s Staff and UNESCO.

Georgia not interested where Russia relocates its bases, say officials
Kavkasia-Press news agency
28 May 05
TBILISI
The Georgian executive and legislative authorities believe that
selecting new places of deployment of the Russian military bases after
their pullout from Georgia is the sole prerogative of the Russian
authorities.
The chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on European
Integration, Davit Bakradze, said that the issue of the Russian bases’
redeployment to Armenia was beyond Georgia’s sphere of authority or
interests. “As long as Russia stays within the international limits on
the types of arms in question, Moscow can deploy them anywhere outside
Georgia. It is not the subject of our interest where Russia takes its
arms,” Bakradze said.
Minister of State for Settlement of Conflicts, Giorgi Khaindrava, said
that according to information available to him Russia was going to
transfer certain types of equipment, rather than the entire
[Akhalkalaki] base, from Georgia to Gyumri [in Armenia]. Khaindrava
also noted that new places of the bases’ deployment was Russia’s
business. “For the Georgian population, the issue of the pullout is
already decided, only some technical details are still to be agreed
upon with the Russian side. As to where they will go, this is business
of the Russian authorities and the Russian military,” Khaindrava said.
The Azerbaijani ambassador to Georgia [Ramiz Hasanov] recently said
that consultations were under way with the Georgian authorities to
prevent the redeployment of Russian military hardware from Georgia to
Armenia.

Frankfurter Rundschau
27 Mai 2005
Türkei verbietet “Armenierlüge”
Rede von Völkermord im osmanischen Reich wird künftig bestraft /
Parlament in Ankara billigt Strafrechtsreform
Wer in der Türkei von einem Völkermord an den Armeniern zur Zeit des
osmanischen Reichs spricht, muss künftig mit drei bis zehn Jahren
Haft rechnen.
VON GERD HÖHLER

“Glücklich ist, wer sich Türke nennen kann” (ap)

Athen · 27. Mai · Die Strafbarkeit der “Armenierlüge” sieht eine von
39 Strafrechtsänderungen vor, die am Freitag mit den Stimmen der
Regierungsfraktion vom Parlament in Ankara verabschiedet wurden. Die
oppositionelle Republikanische Volkspartei (CHP) nahm an der
Abstimmung nicht teil – aus Protest gegen einen von der
gemäßigt-islamischen Regierung in die Reform aufgenommenen
Paragrafen, der die Strafen für illegale Korankurse herabsetzt.
Die Überarbeitung des fast 80 Jahre alten türkischen
Strafrechtskatalogs gilt als wichtige Voraussetzung für den Beginn
von EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen. Die neuen Bestimmungen sehen unter
anderem härtere Strafen für Folter, Korruption, Drogen- und
Menschenhandel vor. Erstmals werden Vergewaltigung in der Ehe und
sexuelle Belästigung strafbar. Das neue Strafrecht enthält allerdings
auch eine Reihe von Bestimmungen, die sich kaum mit den EU-Ambitionen
des Landes vertragen. So soll mit mindestens drei Jahren Haft
bestraft werden, wer gegen die “fundamentalen nationalen Interessen”
handelt – ein Gummiparagraf mit weiten Auslegungsmöglichkeiten.
Wie weit sie sind, zeigt ein dem Gesetzentwurf beigefügter Kommentar,
mit dem die Väter der Strafbestimmung erläutern, wie sie sich deren
Anwendung vorstellen: Strafbar, so heißt es, könnte sich danach
machen, wer behauptet, es habe im Ersten Weltkrieg einen Völkermord
an den Armeniern gegeben. Bei Historikern außerhalb der Türkei
herrscht über diesen Massenmord weitgehend Einigkeit. Auch wer
fordert, die Türkei solle ihre Besatzungstruppen aus Nordzypern
abziehen, müsste künftig mit Haft rechnen.
Publizisten protestieren
Der neue Paragraf wie auch die Strafbestimmungen über die
“Beleidigung staatlicher Institutionen” könnte vor allem Handhabe
gegen kritische Publizisten geben. Weshalb Oktay Eksi, der
Vorsitzende des türkischen Presserates, bereits ahnt: “Die Tage, wenn
man von der Türkei als dem weltgrößten Gefängnis für Journalisten
sprechen wird, liegen erst noch vor uns”.
Die Strafrechtsreform sollte ursprünglich bereits vor zwei Monaten in
Kraft treten. Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hatte die
Gesetzesänderungen jedoch im vergangenen Herbst zurückgezogen,
nachdem es im Ausland heftige Kritik an der geplanten
Kriminalisierung des Ehebruchs gegeben hatte. Dieses Vorhaben musste
der gemäßigt auftretende Islamist Erdogan auf Druck der EU fallen
lassen, das Gesetz wurde ohne den umstrittenen Ehebruchs-Paragrafen
verabschiedet.
Doch kurz vor dem geplanten Inkrafttreten am 1. April stoppte der
Premier die bereits gebilligte Reform erneut, weil die beabsichtigte
Verschärfung der Strafen für Meinungsdelikte auf erbitterten
Widerstand bei türkischen Journalisten stieß. Nun tritt die Reform
zum 1. Juni in Kraft. Presserat und Menschenrechtsgruppen bleiben
aber bei ihrer Kritik.
Bereits am vergangenen Mittwoch verabschiedete das Parlament ein
Gesetz, das den Zugang inhaftierter Terroristen zu ihren Anwälten
einschränkt. Verteidigergespräche können danach künftig überwacht
werden, der Austausch von Schriftstücken kann verboten werden. Es
handelt sich offensichtlich um eine “Lex Öcalan”: Der PKK-Führer, der
auf der Gefängnisinsel Imrali eine lebenslange Haftstrafe verbüßt,
wird verdächtigt, über seine Anwälte weiterhin Anweisungen an die
PKK-Kommandeure zu geben. Die neuen Bestimmungen sollen das
unterbinden.
Türkische Gesetzesreformen seit 2002

Die jetzt debattierten Strafrechtsänderungen sind das letzte große
Reformpaket vor den EU-Beitrittsverhandlung.
Todesstrafe: Seit 1984 nicht mehr vollstreckt. Mitte 2002 ganz
abgeschafft.
Minderheitenrechte: Schon 2002 wurde die kurdische Sprache in
Massenmedien und Erziehungswesen legalisiert. Umsetzung erst im
Frühjahr 2004. In staatlichen Schulen bleibt Kurdisch verboten.
Gleichberechtigung: Seit Mai 2004 verspricht die Verfassung die
Gleichstellung der Frau. Umsetzung vor allem im Osten Anatoliens kaum
zu spüren.
Religionsfreiheit: Einige Beschränkungen für nicht-moslemische
Glaubensgemeinschaften wurden aufgehoben. Christen klagen weiter über
Behinderungen.
Meinungsfreiheit: Zahlreiche Strafbestimmungen wurden gelockert.
Menschenrechtsgruppen fordern weitere Reformen.
Folter: Folterer können ohne Zustimmung ihrer Vorgesetzten verfolgt
werden. Strafen erheblich verschärft. Menschenrechtsstiftung sieht
immer noch “weit verbreitete Folter” (1040 Fälle im Jahr 2004).
Anti-Terror-Gesetze: 2003 gelockert, Staatssicherheitsgerichte
abgeschafft.
Militär: Nationaler Sicherheitsrat, lange wichtige
Entscheidungsinstanz, verlor die meisten Kompetenzen. An der Spitze
steht seit 2004 ein Zivilist (statt General). öhl
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA’s DEFENCE MINISTER AWARDED AIDE-GENERAL OF KANSAS STATE
“DRASTAMAT KANAYAN” MEDAL
YEREVAN, MAY 26. ARMINFO. Secretary of National security council at
Armenia’s President, Armenia’s Defence Minister Serzh Sargssyan met
today with a delegation of Kansas State (USA) headed by Aide-General,
Major-General Tod Banting. The delegation arrived in Yerevan within
the Armenia-Kansas cooperation program framework.
Minister’s press-secretary, colonel Seyran Shakhsuvaryan informed
ARMINFO that the US Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to
Armenia John Evans participated at the meeting, too. Minister asked
the guests to convey his deep gratitude to State governor, Mrs. Katlin
Sibelius for recognizing Armenian Genocide and proclaiming April 24
the Day of Armenians’ memory. Stressing the significance of
cooperation in the sphere of military medicine and peacemaking
activity, Sargssyan noted the possibility to cooperate in other
spheres as well. The sides ascertained with satisfaction that the
cooperation between the National guard of Kansas and Armenia’s Defence
Ministry started two years ago spreads to various civil
spheres. Sargssyan awarded Major General Tod Banting the “Drastamat
Kanayan” medal – for effective cooperation.

Officials inaugurate pipeline to ship Caspian Sea oil to Mediterranean
By AIDA SULTANOVA
.c The Associated Press
SANGACHAL, Azerbaijan (AP) – The presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and
Turkey pulled orange levers Wednesday to send the first flow of
Caspian Sea crude into a $3.2 billion pipeline seen as key to reducing
the West’s reliance on Middle East oil.
By year’s end, the 1,100-mile pipeline is to ship up to 1 million
barrels a day to Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
President Bush, whose administration is seeking to diversify energy
sources, said in a letter read at the ceremony by Energy Secretary
Samuel Bodman that the pipeline “opens a new era in the Caspian
Basin’s development.”
“The United States has consistently supported (the pipeline) because
we believe in the project’s ability to bolster energy security,
strengthen participating countries’ energy diversity, enhance regional
cooperation and expand international investment opportunities,”
Bush’s letter said.
The U.S.-backed pipeline realizes several crucial goals for
Washington, including reducing dependence on Russian pipelines and
avoiding Iran. While the pipeline crosses areas plagued by separatist
conflicts, raising security concerns, the countries hope it will be a
catalyst for calm and prosperity as well.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, or BTC, pipeline aims to boost access by the
energy-hungry West to the rich Caspian fields, estimated to hold the
world’s third-largest reserves. Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan
and Kazakhstan all claim shares of the undersea wealth.
Standing in front of a transparent section of pipe with Bodman and BP
PLC Chief Executive John Brown, whose company leads the consortium
that built the pipeline, the presidents pulled the levers that allowed
the oil to flow through.
The pipeline “can be called the Silk Road of the 21st century,”
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said during the ceremony at the
Sangachal oil terminal, 25 miles south of Baku.
It “will take new supplies of oil to the world market and will help
to demonstrate that security is best achieved by having multiple
sources of supply and trade routes,” said Brown.
But the plan to circumvent Russian pipelines has angered the
Kremlin. Most Caspian oil exports go through Russian pipelines to the
Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, where the oil is loaded onto tankers
that squeeze through the busy Bosporus strait. Russian officials tried
to persuade Azerbaijan not to sign on to the project.
Instead, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey look to earn substantial
revenue from the pipeline, through transit fees and royalties.
Azerbaijan is banking on the pipeline to swing international support
behind Baku in its dispute with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh
enclave, which ethnic Armenian separatists took control of more than a
decade ago. The conflict continues to simmer, undermining the region’s
security.
The underground pipeline passes within a few miles of
Nagorno-Karabakh, and critics of the project have suggested it could
be vulnerable to terrorist attacks at various points.
Azerbaijan also hopes the pipeline will raise its profile in the
world, and it tightened security ahead of its inauguration. On
Saturday, police broke up a banned demonstration by protesters
demanding free elections and arrested demonstrators, with the
government citing safety concerns ahead of the pipeline’s opening.
Tensions between the government and the opposition in the tightly
controlled former Soviet republic has increased since a 2003 election
in which Ilham Aliev replaced his late father, Geidar Aliev, as
president in a vote the opposition said was marred by fraud.
“This pipeline first of all will help solve economic and social
problems, but the role of the pipeline in strengthening peace and
security in the region also is not small,” Aliev said at the
ceremony.
The pipeline’s route through Georgia does not pass near the two
separatist areas in the north of that country, but does traverse
comparatively wild areas in the nation where security is fragile.
Some of its stretch in Turkey goes through conflict-prone Kurdish
areas.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who has sought to lessen
Russia’s influence on his small, impoverished country, suggested that
the pipeline, by spurring investment, could undermine that influence.
“Because of our geographical position, we’ve been in the center of
attention for various empires,” he said in apparent reference to
Russia. “However, today Georgia is changing into a place where the
largest energy companies in the world are trying to make
investments.”
The drive for alternatives to Middle East oil intensified after the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks highlighted potential regional
instability.
Once fully operational, the pipeline will represent a “significant”
addition to Western oil supplies, said analyst Jason Kenney of ING
Financial Market s, although because of the time needed to fill it,
“you won’t see exports until the later part of the year.”
Other experts say the new oil will provide only short-term relief to a
world that is consuming more crude every year. Oil prices, while down
from their recent highs, are still around $50 a barrel.
Pipeline officials said it would take up to a month and a half to fill
the Azerbaijani section. The Georgian part will be ready after that,
and then the Turkish stretch, which Turkish authorities have said
should be filled by Aug. 15.
It will take approximately 10 million barrels of crude to fill the
entire pipeline. Bodman said Tuesday that deliveries of oil to tankers
at the terminal in Turkey are to begin in the fall.
05/25/05 17:40 EDT

OPENING OF BAKU-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINE DISTURBS REGION’S ECONOMIC
BALANCE: ANDRANIK MARGARYAN
YEREVAN, May 25. /ARKA/. The opening of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline
disturbs the economic balance in the region, RA Premier Andranik
Margaryan told reporters. According to him, the Baku-Ceyhan project
was a project where Armenia was to be involved to a certain extent.
However, the project results from “political talks.” Margaryan
stressed that Armenia will try to find alternative ways of maintaining
the region’s economic balance. According to him, one of them may be
the construction of an Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, which may be laid as
far as Georgia and farther to Europe. P.T. -0–

A1plus
| 20:17:00 | 24-05-2005 | Politics |
NEW BILL
Today the bill on insertion of amendments to the law «On Taxes» was
given its first reading in the parliament. The bill was presented by
co-author Samvel Balasanyan.
The bill provides for the following: «The laws providing for the
change of interest, change of the new tax in case it does not contain
clauses restricting the conditions of the activities of the tax-payer,
are to come into force no sooner than during 30 days since its
declaration». The bill is to come into force January 1, 2006.

Resolution der PEN-Jahrestagung in Bochum am 21.5.2005, einstimmig
verabschiedet:
Jahrestagung 2005 in Bochum

RESOLUTION
In die Wüste getrieben, massakriert, ausgelöscht ` das war das
Schicksal des armenischen Volkes vor nunmehr genau 90 Jahren. In einem
bis dahin beispiellosen Genozid verfolgte die Führung des Osmanischen
Reiches unter den Augen deutscher Diplomaten und deutscher Militärs
ihr Ziel, die Armenier zu vernichten. Die Erinnerung an diesen
Völkermord, dem anderthalb Millionen Menschen zum Opfer fielen, ist
mit den letzten Ã`berlebenden nicht gestorben: Die Türkei leugnet
dieses Menschheitsverbrechen zwar hartnäckig bis heute, Deutschland
hat geschwiegen ` in den Seelen der Nachfahren jedoch ist die Trauer
lebendig.

Wir fordern die türkische Ã-ffentlichkeit auf, endlich den
Völkermord an den Armeniern anzuerkennen.

Wir fordern die Fraktionen des Deutschen Bundestages auf, in ihrem
gemeinsam geplanten Entschließungsantrag auf sprachliche
Verschleierung zu verzichten und eindeutig zu formulieren, was alle
Redner zu diesem Antrag ohnehin erklärt haben und was die Parlamente
vieler anderer Länder längst anerkannt haben: Ein Völkermord ist
ein Völkermord. Nur mit einer so klaren Aussage des Parlaments wird
in Zukunft die Leugnung des Völkermords ` nach Elie Wiesel die zweite
Tötung ` justitiabel sein.

Ferner fordern wir die Kultusministerkonferenz auf, das Lehrmaterial
an deutschen Schulen darauf hin zu überprüfen, wie weit dieser
Völkermord und die deutsche Mitverantwortung dafür verleugnet,
verschwiegen, verharmlost werden. Nur wenn die jungen Menschen in
unserem Land ` Türken, Deutsche, Armenier ` ihre Geschichte gemeinsam
kennen lernen, werden sie in Zukunft in der Lage sein, Versöhnung zu
leben.
__________________
Jochen Mangelsen
Bückeburger Str. 24
28205 Bremen
Fon/Fax 0421-441448