Author: Jagharian Tania

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 13 2009

Friends of Turkey

Sunday, September 13, 2009
JOOST LAGENDÄ°JK

There is always this moment during debates on Turkey-EU
relations. After exchanging opinions and discussing different
scenarios, a Turkish participant takes the floor and sighs heavily.

`I admire your optimism Mr. Lagendijk, but most Europeans do not share
your views. You know, we know, in the end the Europeans don’t want
us.’

It is the modern version of the famous phrase reflecting the
self-image of Turks for centuries: `Turkey has no friends.’

Here is the news: Turkey has friends in Europe and they are very
active in promoting Turkey’s membership of the EU. Their names: Martti
Ahtisaari, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2008; Michel Rocard, former
Prime Minister of France; Anthony Giddens, one of the leading global
intellectuals. Plus several former European commissioners and foreign
ministers. They call themselves the Independent Commission on
Turkey. This week they published a report called `Turkey in Europe:
Breaking the vicious circle.’ Members of the commission toured several
capitals to make Turkey’s case. Acting as ambassadors for Turkey on a
voluntary basis.

I would really like to recommend all skeptical Turks to read this
report (also in Turkish on ). It
touches on many of the issues that always pop up in reports on Turkey
and the EU. But compared to the reports of the European Commission
there are important differences.

Being out of office Ahtisaari and his colleagues can be much more
outspoken on some of the hot topics. Let me give you some
examples. They do not think the secular system in Turkey is in
danger. Although they criticize AKP leaders for not being sensitive
enough to legitimate anxieties of secularist they clearly state their
conviction that secularism is a well-founded pillar of the Republic
that only a small minority in Turkey would like to remove.

The European Friends of Turkey strongly support normalization of
relations between Turkey and Armenia. At the same time they also speak
out clearly against so-called `genocide recognition resolutions’ in
national parliaments calling them counter-productive. They are very
positive on the efforts of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davatoglu to
eliminate all problems with Turkey’s neighbors. Together with further
democratic reforms, the report states, `The example of its (Turkey’s)
transformation has acted to project the soft power of core EU values
eastward.’ I can’t remember having read such outspoken support for the
idea that Turkey would be a great asset to the EU.

The main difference with the reports coming from the EU institutions
though is the harsh criticism in the first chapter of the report on
some EU member states and their handling of the accession
negotiations. Let me quote a key sentence: `Undermining these talks in
advance by substituting alternative arrangements for the goal of
membership constitutes a breach of faith with Turkey, stokes up a
nationalist backlash in the country and creates the wider impression
that the EU has discriminatory double standards when dealing with a
Muslim country.’

These are the words of some of Europe’s best-connected and therefore
most influential politicians. Yes, it is true, they are no longer in
power. But their message got huge media coverage and, believe me, does
have an impact on the debate on Turkey in Europe.

In Turkey, media and politicians tend to focus on antagonistic
messages from Europe and to disregard the considerable support for
Turkey’s EU membership in many European countries. I hope this report
will convince Turks that they have powerful friends in Europe too.

* Mr. Joost Lagendijk is a columnist for the daily Radikal and a
senior advisor for the Istanbul Policy Center.

4th stage of Ari Tun Program starts

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 4th stage of
Ari Tun (Come Home) Program of RA Ministry of Diaspora started on
September 7. About 40 young Diaspora Armenians from Iran, Turkey,
Russia and Georgia (Tbilisi and Batumi) participate in this stage

At the meeting with the participants of the Program’s fourth stage RA
Minister of Diaspora Ms. Hranush Hakobian thanked them for accepting
the invitation of the ministry. In her words, the participants in the
previous stages took great delight in mixing with their peers from
Armenia. She expressed confidence that the participants in the fourth
stage will also become attached to Armenia. "You will continue being
good citizens of the country you live in, but you will always be with
Armenia in your heart," H. Hakobian stated. Emphasizing that the
Ministry of Diaspora is their second home, she assured those present
that the ministry staff is ready to make their dreams come true.
According to the Press and PR Department of the Ministry of Diaspora,
Ms. Hakobian addressed her words of gratitude to the families that have
hosted the young Diaspora Armenians, as well as to Yerevan Municipality
and the heads of administrative districts for their support with the
program’s implementation. She urged the young Diaspora Armenians to
speak Armenian while in Homeland and to become overwhelmed by deep love
for Homeland so that "a feeling of being at home" will accompany them
for ever.

To recap, the first stage of Ari Tun Program began in July 2009. Since
then three groups of young Diaspora Armenians aged 14-25 have
successively stayed with Armenian families in Homeland, each for two
weeks.

As during the previous three stages, this time too the participants
will take Armenian dance courses, visit museums, picture galleries, and
go sightseeing in Yerevan and Armenian marzes.

Armenia receives $100m from IMF as part of SDR allocation

YEREVAN, September 11. /ARKA/. Armenia received $100 million from the
International Monetary Fun (IMF) as part of general allocation of
Special Drawing Rights (SDR), IMF Resident Representative in Armenia
Nienke Oomes told ARKA Agency.

On August 7, IMF Executive Board approved a general allocation of SDR
for a total of 250 billion dollars to ensure liquidity in the global
economic system through replenishment of foreign exchange reserves of
the member states.

Funds are distributed between IMF-member states based on their quota
holdings in the Fund. Armenia is to receive $100.6 million, Oomes said.

The Central Bank of Armenia received the amount at the end of August
and can use it only for increasing its foreign exchange reserves, she
said.

From the date of the general and special allocation the funds received
by IMF member states under the new SDR allocations will be considered
as part of their reserve assets. Some members may decide to sell all
or part of SDRs allocated to them to other members in exchange for hard
currency.

Gross external assets of Armenian Central Bank grew by 46.1% pr $619.8
million to $1,963.1 million in the second quarter of this year.
Substantial part of it – $1,963,073,016.09 – was international reserves
(aggregate external assets in hard currency). `0–

60 SHORT FILMS PRESENTED FOR THE PARTICIPATION IN THE FESTIVAL OF
AZERBAIJANI FILMS IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS: 60 short films of different genres
– documentary, animation, etc have been presented for the
participation in the festival of Azerbaijani films to be held in
Armenia.
Head of the festival-organizer "Caucasian center of peaceful
initiatives" Georgi Vanian told Armenpress that at present the
selection round of the films is in process.
According to him 7 best films will be selected. The announcement on
the festival was spread in Azerbaijani Medias and there were certain
feedbacks but only one Azerbaijani author personally presented the
film for participation in the festival.
The author lives in the USA. "With the support of different people
and organizations we mainly purchased the best films produced by
Azerbaijan shown in the international film festivals. Before showing
the film selected by us agreement will be reached with the author," he
said.
G. Vanian expects the festival to contribute establishment of
relations between the societies of the two states as well as launching
of dialogue. The festival will have only one – "Sympathy of the
audience" award which will be discussed immediately after watching the
film. G. Vanian noted that the show of the films is intended to be
held in Yerevan as well as in the provinces. The festival will last
for three days, on the initial data it will be held on end
October. The festival is being held on the support of the Embassy of
the USA to Armenia.
The "Caucasian center of peaceful initiatives" intends in 2010 to
hold a festival of Turkish films in Armenia.

SCR INTERESTED IN HEALTH PROJECTS

PanARMENIAN.NET
11.09.2009 18:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ General Director of "South Caucasus Railways"
Shevket Shajdullin met with Armenia’s Minister of Health Harutiun
Kushkyan, press service of the company reports.

During the meeting officials discussed issues related to medicine
and health care of workers and the importance of periodic medical
examination of the personnel. The management of SCR decided to provide
funding for 9-year-old Liana Hovakimyan’s surgical operation as a part
of a charitable "Live proudly" program, implemented by the Yerevan
Center for limb lengthening and reconstruction under the auspices of
Armenia’s First Lady Rita Sargsyan.

The "Live proudly" project is aimed at providing care to patients
from low income families.

U.S. DEFENSE DELEGATION ARRIVES IN YEREVAN

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 9 2009
Armenia

16:42 / 09/09/2009Representatives of Near East South Asia Center for
Strategic Studies of U.S. National Defense University visited Institute
of Strategic Research of the RA Defense Ministry on September 8.

RA Defense Ministry Spokesperson, Col. Seyran Shahsuvaryan told
NEWS.am that the U.S. Former Ambassador to Armenia H.E. Michael
Lemon, Dr. Roger Kangas, and Col. Ann Moysan, Defense Attache of
the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, Lt. Col. Robert Webster were amid the
delegation members.

Hayk Kotanjian, Director of RA Institute, Advisor on Defense Security
Policy to the Minister of Defense, Dr. of Political Studies, Mayor
General presented the guests the structure, as well as the objectives
and activities of the Institute. Kotanjian informed that the Institute
intends to set up RA National Security School.

The U.S. delegation declared they are ready to continue expert-working
consultations as it will promote realization of the scheduled programs.

IMF REP WELCOMES LOWER GROWTH RATES IN ARMENIAN CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 9 2009
Armenia

14:16 / 09/09/2009Nienke Oomes, IMF Resident Representative in Armenia,
welcomes the lower growth rates in Armenia’s construction sector.

Instability is typical of the construction sector. A price rise makes
everybody sell their real estate, whereas a fall in prices makes
people purchase it. Oomes said. Over the recent years this sector has
been rapidly growing in Armenia, and it is even better that slightly
lower growth rates have been registered, the IMP official said. On
the other hand, she pointed out that some growth in the construction
sector is beneficial for the country. So the Armenian Government is
right in promoting the completion of construction projects. Ms. Oomes
also pointed out the high importance of encouraging other economic
sectors, as the Armenian economy has over recent years been too much
dependent on the construction sector, Oomes said. According to her,
the construction sector accounts for 2/3 of the 18.5% economic decline
in Armenia this January-July. At present, she said, the worst moment
is past, the higher real estate prices and number of real estate
business being evidence thereof.

It should be noted that, according to some Armenian economists, it is
the "construction bubble blown" in the Armenian economy that accounts
for the strong effect of the global crisis on the country. So, they
say, it is wrong to fund the sector considered to be the main cause
of the crisis. The point is that the Armenian Government provided
guarantees to six construction companies, using the funds of foreign
loans. The companies are to complete the construction of six elite
buildings in the center of Yerevan. The same economists point out
that the flats do not sell, which means the investments have been lost.

LEVON ARONYAN TOOK A VICTORY OVER SERGEY KARIAKIN

Aysor
Sept 8 2009
Armenia

In the second round of the "Grand Slam" Masters Final in Bilbao,
Spain Armenian Grandmaster Levon Aronian took a victory over Sergey
Kariakin (Ukraine) and now is on the 2nd position with 3 points.

After the victory over Aronyan in the second round the Russian
chess player Alexander Grischuk didn’t give any opportunity to
Alexei Shirov. Now Grischuk is heading the tournament list with 6
points. Kariakin and Shirov who are in the 3-4 positions have got
1point each.

In the third round that will take place today L. Aronyan’s rival will
be Alexei Shirov (Bulgaria). Alexander Grischuk will play with blacks
against Sergey Kariakin.

U.S. GETS MORE SERIOUS ABOUT KARABAKH CONFLICT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
08.09.2009 13:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Appointment of experienced diplomat Robert Bradtke
as Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group is conditioned by the U.S.’s
wish to properly promote its interests in the region, according to
Sergei Minasyan, head of department of scientific research at the
Caucasus Institute.

"Mr. Bradtke’s experience in NATO and OSCE is the evidence of his
perfect awareness of conflict situations," he told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. "I do not think that appointment of a new mediator can speed
up Karabakh conflict resolution but that fact is that the U.S. got
more serious about the problem."

Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR, UK
Sept 3 2009

SURVIVORS WARY OF RAPPROCHEMENT

Armenians, recalling killings, oppose peace talks with Turkey.

By Gayane Mkrtchian

Movses Hameshian is one of the few Armenian who can still remember the
mass killings of 1915 but he insists all his countrymen should heed
its lessons and never trust the Turks.

`They are pressuring our president to go there for a peace deal with
the Turks. Those who did not see the carnage, the genocide, can speak
out for opening the borders, but I do not want this. It was us who
were slaughtered and killed. Where now are those million and a half
Armenians? I was a witness to that sorrow and savagery, how they
killed people, and threw their bodies in the Euphrates,’ he told IWPR,
his hands raised to the skies.

Turkey denies genocide took place, saying that deaths occurred on both
sides during wartime, but Armenians say they were systematically
driven from their homes into the desert, where between a million and a
million and a half people were starved or killed.

Hameshian was born in the village of Kaboussieh in Turkey’s Hatay
province, where Armenian partisans resisted Turkish forces until their
ammunition ran out. The province was ruled by France until 1939, when
Turkey took control of it, and many of the surviving Armenians fled a
second time. Hameshian eventually ended up in Soviet Armenia.

The genocide question is still a factor in any peace deal with Turkey,
and those like Hameshian who survived it say they only lived because
of a miracle. He said an Arab acquaintance of his father rescued them
by bribing the Turkish officers driving them into the desert.

`Those whose legs refused to go any further were just killed, hit in
the head with a rifle butt. The pregnant were killed too. No one else
would act this way, but the Turks did. They are fascists. They
slaughtered defenceless, unarmed people,’ he said.

`I am an old man, and the experience of my life shows me that opening
the border will bring no good. Our country can develop without this.’

His view was echoed by Mari Vandanian who, at 105, must be one of the
oldest survivors of the genocide left alive. Some 7,500 Armenians were
killed in her home town of Malatya, where her father used to work in
the city council. Although she was saved by Turks’ kindness, she also
does not want Armenia to sign a peace deal.

`They took my father away with the other men and killed them a few
days before the start of the genocide. My mother and grandmother and I
lived only thanks to our Turkish friends, who hid us in their house,’
she said.

She cried as she described how an orchard became a cemetery, and how
refugees were killed as they fled the town, where she and her mother
herself stayed until 1937 `with fear in our hearts’, when she moved to
Syria. She was also one of the hundreds of Armenians who came to
Soviet Armenia in 1946, following a propaganda campaign to lure them
from the Middle East.

`Our president should not go there. They will force him to sign some
document, under which we will have to give up Artsakh
(Nagorny-Karabakh), they will refrain from recognising the genocide
and only then will they open the border. Turks are from hell, you just
don’t know them very well. As soon as the border is opened, Armenia
will be full of Turks, it is better not to even open the road to
them,’ she said.

She did not believe that the opening of the border would end Armenia’s
troubles, even though it might help the economy diversify away from
its reliance on Georgia and Russia.

`At first it will be good, and what then? Do you know why they killed
us? They said killing an Armenian would get you to heaven. And how can
I want the border to be opened after that?’

Gayane Mkrtchian is a reporter with Armenianow.com and a member of
IWPR’s EU-funded Cross Caucasus Journalism Network.