Author: Jagharian Tania

Schweizerische Depeschenagentur AG (SDA)
SDA – Servizio di base in Italiano
July 27, 2005
RIEPILOGO/Genocidio armeno: Ankara vuole immediata sospensione
indagini contro due suoi cittadini
ISTANBUL; BERNA, 27 lug
Ankara si attende che la giustizia elvetica interrompa immediatamente
le indagini preliminari nei confronti di due personalita turche
sospettate di aver negato il genocidio armeno. Lo ha comunicato oggi
il ministero degli esteri turco all’ambasciatore svizzero ad Ankara
Walter Gyger.
Stando a una nota del ministero degli esteri turco, il segretario di
stato Naby Sensoy ha espresso al diplomatico elvetico il forte
disappunto del suo governo e dell’opinione pubblica per quanto sta
accadendo. A parere del ministero, un simile trattamento di due
cittadini turchi rischia di danneggiare fortemente le relazioni tra i
due Paesi.
Per la Turchia, le indagini contro lo storico turco Yusuf Halacoglu e
il politico Dogu Perincek contravvengono al diritto internazionale. A
dire della Turchia, la procedura giudiziaria elvetica e
ingiustificata in assenza di una sentenza sulla questione armena
emessa da un tribunale internazionale. Oltre a cio, quanto sta
accadendo e una manifesta violazione della liberta di opinione.

DFAE smentisce convocazione
Il Dipartimento federale degli affari esteri (DFAE) ha reagito alla
presa di posizine turca negando che l’ambasciatore Gyger sia stato
convocato dal ministero degli esteri. Il colloquio, ha precisato
all’ats Carine Carey del DFAE, e avvenuto su richiesta del nostro
rappresentante ad Ankara. Cio ha permesso ad entrambi di esporre il
rispettivo punto di vista sul problema.
Stando alla Carey, domani l’ambascitore turco a Berna, come da suo
desiderio, verra ricevuto dall’ambasciatore Jean-Jacques de Dardel,
capo della divisione politica I del DFAE, per discutere della
questione.

Genocidio armeno avvelena relazioni
La questione del genocidio armeno – si stima abbia causato un numero
di morti compreso tra i 200mila e i 2 milioni – e ormai da anni un
ostacolo nelle relazioni fra Berna e Ankara. Il 24 luglio scorso il
Ministero pubblico di Winterthur aveva annunciato l’avvio di
un’indagine nei confronti del capo del Partito dei lavoratori turchi,
Dogu Perincek, per aver negato il genocidio del 1915 in una
conferenza tenuta il giorno prima a Glattbrugg (ZH).
In Svizzera la settimana scorsa per partecipare alle ricorrenze
dell’82mo anniversario del Trattato di Losanna, Perincek aveva
ripetuto il suo credo, ossia che il genocidio in realta e una
“menzogna degli imperialisti”. Sabato, il politico e stato
interrogato dalla procura per due ore. Il gesto aveva suscitato aspre
critiche da parte del ministro degli esteri turco Abdullah Gul.
Un altro episodio risale al giugno 2004. Sempre la procura di
Winterthur aveva aperto un procedimento contro lo storico Yusuf
Halacoglu. Quest’ultimo, durante una conferenza del maggio 2004,
avrebbe minimizzato gli avvenimenti del 1915, violando in tal modo la
norma federale anti-razzismo.
L’intenzione della Turchia di convocare l’ambasciatore elvetico per
protestare con le procedure giudiziarie era stata preannunciata ieri
dalla televisione statale. Oggi, sulle colonne del Tages-Anzeiger il
presidente della commissione di politica estera del Consiglio
nazionale Erwin Jutzet (PS/FR) ha reagito affermando che “la Turchia
deve smetterla di ricattarci e riconoscere finalmente il genocidio
armeno”.
Per quanto attiene alle indagini contro le due personalita turche,
Jutzet ha dichiarato che la divisione dei poteri in Svizzera e sacra.
“Cio va spiegato ai nostro interlocutori all’estero”, ha detto. A suo
parere, se Ankara persistera nel negare il genocidio, cio protebbe
pregiudicare un’eventuale adesione all’Ue. Per questo il governo
turco deve rivedere la sua posizione.
In Svizzera il genocidio armeno e stato riconosciuto dal Consiglio
nazionale, ma non dal Consiglio degli Stati ne dal Consiglio
federale. A livello cantonale, il genocidio e stato riconosciuto dai
Gran Consigli di Vaud e Ginevra, nonche dall’esecutivo di
quest’ultimo cantone.

PanArmenian News Network
July 27 2005
TURKS AND KURDS COLLIDED NEAR ARMENIAN-IRANIAN BORDER
27.07.2005 04:12
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Two Turkish soldiers and two Kurdish rebels were
killed in a skirmish with the Kurdish units in Eastern Turkey near
the Armenian-Iranian border. To note, 33 Turks and 44 Kurds have been
killed since May 2005, IA Regnum reported.

Focus News, Bulgaria
July 25 2005
Bulgarian President to Meet with His Armenian Counterpart Robert
Kocharian
Varna. Bulgarian Georgi Parvanov will meet with Armenian President
Robert Kocharian, who will arrive on an unofficial visit to Bulgaria
today, the President’s press office announced.
The meeting will take place in the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna.
The two presidents will discuss the bilateral relations. They will
exchange information on topical foreign and domestic issues, the
situation in the region, and the preparation for the coming jubilee
session of the UN and the reform of the World Organization.

PanArmenian News Network
July 23 2005
GRENADE THROWN ON BUSH NOT PRODUCED IN ARMENIA
23.07.2005 04:26
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia denies
foreign media reports that the grenade thrown in the direction of the
Georgian and US Presidents in Tbilisi May 10 was not produced in
Armenia. This was reported by Press Secretary of the Armenian MOD,
colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan. In his words, the grenade could not be
produced in Armenia, as `no grenades are currently produced in
Armenia.’ According to other data, grenades were produced in Armenia
in mid-90s, however the production was ceased later, as it was not
profitable and demanded much technical expenses, reported RFE/RL.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT HAS IDEA TO COORDINATE PROGRAMS OF WORLD BANK
YEREVAN, JULY 19. ARMINFO. Prospects of further cooperation of Armenia
and World Bank were discussed during the meeting of Prime Minister
of the Republic of Armenia Andranik Margarian with Director of WB
Office in Yerevan Roger J.Robinson.
ARMINFO was informed in the press office of the Government, the
interlocutors stressed the necessity of creation of a single program,
which would allow the government to coordinate all the ongoing and
expected programs of the World Bank in the republic. The prime minister
expressed hope for that the idea of establishment of e-government
will much assist resolution to the problem of coordination. Robinson
mentioned that the program of e-government is being implemented
successfully in other countries and if the Armenian government makes
an application for its financing he is ready to discuss the issue of
allocation of a credit with WB leadership.

BUSH GRENADE THROWING SUSPECT SAYS HE WOULD DO IT AGAIN
ArmenPress
July 21 2005
TBILISI, JULY 21, ARMENPRESS: Vladimir Arutyunov (Harutunian) detained
by Georgian law-enforcers on suspicion of throwing a grenade at the
US president George W. Bush in the Georgian capital Tbilisi last May
10 pleaded guilty.
The suspect is currently in hospital after being wounded in a
shootout with Georgian police. Doctors said he was ready to commit
another terrorist attack against Bush and Georgian president Mikhail
Saakashvili. Georgia’s deputy health minister, Irakly Giorgobiani,
was quoted as saying that Arutyunov’s mental state could have been
affected by his injuries. FBI officials have already visited him in the
hospital. He killed a policeman in the shootout and wounded another one
and himself received three bullets that are not life-threatening. He
was expected later in the day to be transported to a prison hospital
in Tbilisi.
The shootout and detention occurred Wednesday evening in the village
of Vashlisdzhvari, outside the capital, Tbilisi. The man lived in an
eight-story apartment building with his mother, and was unemployed. The
police operation came two days after authorities released a photograph
of a man suspected of throwing the grenade, which failed to explode,
at a podium where Bush was speaking May 10 before tens of thousands
of people.
Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili also had announced a reward of
about $80,000 for information leading to the identification of the
man, who was shown with dark hair and dark glasses. The grenade landed
less than 100 feet from the podium but did not explode. A preliminary
investigation indicated the grenade malfunctioned, the FBI said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US SENATE APPROVED OF $75 MILLION IN AID TO ARMENIA IN 2006
Pan ARMENIAN Network, Armenia
July 21 2005
21.07.2005 02:59
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. Senate Wednesday voted 98 to 1 to approve
the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill which
recommends $75 million in assistance to Armenia and an additional $3
million in humanitarian aid to Nagorno Karabakh. The overall assistance
will make $31.8 billion. The level of funding, equivalent to the amount
Armenia received in 2005, reflects a $20 million increase over the
Administration request to Congress made earlier this year. The vote
also allocated $5 million in Foreign Military Financing and $750,000
for International Military Education and Training to Armenia. It
should be noted that Armenia’s neighbors, Georgia and Azerbaijan,
are set to receive $70.5 million and $38 million respectively. The
next step in the legislative process is for the House and Senate to
reconcile the differences in a conference committee.

RA DEFENSE MINISTER MET NEWLY APPOINTED GREEK MILITARY ATTACHÉ
PanArmenian news network
July 20 2005
20.07.2005 08:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Secretary of the Security Council under the
RA President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian met with military
attaché of Greek embassy in Armenia Johanis Salamuras, who is
completing his mission in Armenia and newly appointed attaché, col.
Atanasios Khadzivieris, RA Defense Minister’s Press Secretary, Col.
Seyran Shahsuvarian informed PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. When touching
upon the developing Armenian-Greek military cooperation, the Armenian
Minister highly appreciated the contribution Johanis Salamuras made
to the process and wished him every success. Noting the importance of
the development of bilateral relations, Col. Atanasios Khadzivieris
expressed readiness to promote the military cooperation between the
two states.
–Boundary_(ID_mNFnDTeZZKu9oz6y+9dAdA)–

Parliament to ratify frame agreement on national minorities
The Messenger, Georgia
July 19 2005
News in Brief
Parliament will ratify a frame agreement on national minorities in
September, according to Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human
Rights Protection Elene Tevdoradze, who will visit the predominately
ethnic Armenian region of Samtskhe Javakheti in August to discuss
the proposed agreement, reports Prime News.
“Since the introduction of legislation on human rights protection
of national minorities was one of the obligations adopted by Georgia
when it joined the Council of Europe, ratification of this agreement
can only happen after we are familiar with problems on the ground,”
said Tevdoradze.
During her visit, Tevdoradze will meet with representatives of
local government and non-governmental organizations as well as
representatives of the ethnically Georgian and Armenian populations.
According to Tevdoradze, recommendations on the bill presented by
inhabitants will be taken into account during the preparation of the
final document.

REPORT OF OSCE PA KARABAKH RAPPORTEUR MADE PUBLIC
PanArmenian News Network
July 19 2005
19.07.2005 03:04
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE PA Secretariat has made public the report
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict rapporteur Goran Lennmarker Invaluable
Opportunity – Some Considerations over the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict.
The mentioned report was considered in the course of the OSCE PA
July session in Washington. It received a considerable response
in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The report notes that “the parties
have quite difference interpretations of history.” Thus an impartial
“committee on establishment of the truth and reconciliation” should
try to come to a common and unbiased understanding of the past. It is
especially important to those, who suffered and is trying to attain
justice. G. Lennmarker proposed using European integration experience
in settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Specifically, the
need of taking into account four conditions is mentioned. First:
the participating countries should realize that nothing threatens
their national security. Having a neighbor feeling safe means to
provide for one’s own security. Second: democracy, human rights and
minority rights highest standards should be observed. Non-democratic
governments are in essence unstable. Third: economic integration
provides for common strong mutual dependency on the basis of mutual
prosperity. It is the most reliable foundation for development, as
it refers to all the population. There are no reasons for citizens
of Armenia and Azerbaijan not being able to have a deserving European
standard of life. In G. Lennmarker’s opinion, Armenia and Azerbaijan
along with Georgia could try to form a joint security, democracy and
prosperity zone. Simultaneously, at least in the transition period
inspection system of demilitarized zones will be crucial. To that end
as well as to ensure monitoring and security in NK and surrounding
territories international preventive forces may be formed. As
noted by the document, restoration of roads and rail communications
linking Armenia and Azerbaijan are of exceptional importance. Lasting
ties between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, as well as Nakhichevan
and Azerbaijan should be established. Touching upon NK status G.
Lennmarker notes that Armenia and Azerbaijan finding a solution based
on common integration will much simplify the search for a solution
of the issue. In case of opening borders and forming an integrated
economy, the role of control over the territory will lose the former
importance. Thereupon, fewer disputes will arouse. Simultaneously,
Mr. Lennmarker reminded that Azerbaijan would like to provide highest
autonomy that exists in the world to NK.” “NK has to be provided an
opportunity to preserve its identity, and its populations has to be
convinced its rights will be protected by a reliable and independent
legal system within Azerbaijan. To secure any type of highest degree
of autonomy considerable financial support is necessary, which will
create additional obligations on the national budget of Azerbaijan,”
the document notes.