29.09.2006 / 16:00
Next CIS ministerial sitting to take place in Baku
ASTANA. September 29, 2006. KAZINFORM. /Zauresh Balkenova/ The next
sitting of the council of internal affairs ministers of CIS member
states will take place next September in Baku, the Russian Interior
Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev told a briefing following its 32nd session
in Astana.
At the session were discussed issues on struggle with organized crime,
extremism and terrorism, illicit migration, etc.
Panorama.am
3:40 29/09/06
OSKANYAN SAYS KARABAKH DEAL ON TABLE NOT IDEAL
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will arrive in the region on October 3,
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan told reporters today.
`Further steps will be decided after the regional visit. It is not
excluded that the ministers may meet after that visit,’ Oskanyan
said. He reiterated Armenia’s readiness to participate in the
negotiations. `We consent to every key principal in the document on
the table of talks,’ Oskanyan had told U.N. General Assembly 61st
session.
Anyway, Oskanyan said today, `It is not an ideal document but a a
compromise one. However, it is the best among the bad and we really
think it can open way to the conflict settlement.’ /Panorama.am/
EURO MPS SLAM TURKEY ON HUMAN RIGHTS, DROP GENOCIDE CLAUSE
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
September 27, 2006 Wednesday 1:45 PM EST
DPA POLITICS EU Diplomacy Turkey ROUNDUP: Euro MPs slam Turkey on
human rights, drop genocide clause Adds quotes, details on Cyprus
issue Brussels/Strasbourg
European lawmakers on Wednesday approved a critical report on
Turkey’s progress towards European Union membership but dropped a
clause calling for Ankara to
recognize the Armenian genocide before Turkey can join the bloc.
However, Euro MPs said that although recognition of the genocide
was not a precondition for EU accession, "it is indispensable for a
country on the road to membership to come to terms with and recognize
its past."
Freedom of expression, minority religion rights and the Cyprus issue
are the key areas where improvement is necessary, Euro lawmakers said
in the report. It was adopted by 429 votes in favour to 71 against
with 125 abstentions.
Leading EU lawmakers said that the Parliament missed its chance to
press Ankara for a solution to the thorny Cyprus issue.
The EU has often warned of a "train crash" in Turkey’s EU negotiations
if it continued to fully implement the Ankara Protocol under which
Turkey agreed to extend its customs union with the EU to Cyprus and
to open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes.
"The European Parliament has taken two steps forward and one step
back in its approach towards the controversial issue of Turkish EU
membership," British Liberal Euro MP Andrew Duff, vice president of
the EP delegation for relations with Turkey, said after the vote.
"The EU still needs to fulfil its commitment to ending the isolation
of the Turkish Cypriot community," he added.
Euro MPs warned Turkey once again that current membership talks with
the bloc are "open-ended" and that Ankara’s entry into the 25-nation
club is by no means guaranteed.
The report, drawn up by Dutch conservative MEP Camiel Eurlings,
also slams Ankara on a deteriorating human rights record and a slow-
down in reforms.
"It is important that the reforms be given impetus from within the
country by the authorities themselves and are not merely the result
of pressure from outside Turkey," EU lawmakers stressed.
Referring to growing public unease at the EU’s eastward expansion,
the report highlights that the bloc’s "capacity to absorb Turkey while
maintaining the momentum of integration is an important consideration."
Euro MPs also urged Turkey to bring its penal code in line with
European standards for freedom of expression.
They said that Ankara must abolish clauses such as article 301 under
which insulting the state and its institutions is considered an
offence which could lead to a sentence of three years in prison.
In addition, Euro MPs criticised Turkey for not respecting women’s
rights and for the strong influence of the military in public life.
EU lawmakers in the past have never vetoed any accession bid.
However, the parliament’s biggest and most influential conservative
group favours a so-called "privileged partnership" with Turkey.
The bloc’s Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn on Tuesday pressed
Ankara for "a more resolute reform process", adding that he was
getting tired of having to repeat himself on human rights issues.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso earlier this week
put a damper on the hopes of Croatia, Turkey and others of joining the
bloc, saying that the EU had to resolve the status of its embattled
constitution before it could accept any more new members.
The commission last week said it would release on November 8 a regular
assessment on whether Turkey had made progress in reforms to qualify
for EU membership.
The EU’s executive is also expected to suggest in its report what
the bloc should do if Ankara misses the EU’s December 2006 deadline
on Cyprus.
Turkey began negotiations aimed at EU membership last year. Talks
are expected to take up to 15 years.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS ACCESSION PROGRESS REPORT ON TURKEY
Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
27 Sep 06
Strasbourg, 27 September: European Parliament on Wednesday [27
September] approved Turkey report which was prepared by Dutch
parliamentarian Camiel Eurlings.
During voting of the report, 429 parliamentarians voted positive
against 71 parliamentarians, and 125 parliamentarians abstained.
The report, which is not binding but recommendatory, calls Turkey to
accelerate reforms on the path to EU membership.
The report wants Turkey to speed up reforms and implementations
especially on freedom of expression, religious rights, minority
rights, civilian-soldier relations, women rights, labour unions,
cultural rights and independence of jurisdiction areas.
Expressing pleasure over Turkish government’s preparing the 9th
reform package, the report recommended the new anti-terrorism law
not to include restrictive elements against basic rights and freedom.
The report called Turkey to amend Articles 216, 277, 288, 301, 305
and 318 of Turkish Penal Code (TCK) claiming that they are open to
arbitrary interpretation.
The report also strongly condemned PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party]
terrorist organization.
Noting that discharge of Van Public Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya from
his post was concerning, the report claimed that developments after
Semdinli incidents showed that the role of army continues in Turkish
society.
The report asks Turkey to drop 10 per cent election threshold, and
thus, a broader representation, including Kurdish parties, will be
provided at Turkish parliament.
Noting that a new constitution may be needed to reflect the reforms
on the path to EU membership, the report also condemned attack on
Council of State.
Expressing regret that Turkey could not record a progress in religious
freedom area since the last report of EP, the report calls Turkey to
overcome problems in education of clerics of minorities as well as
their owning properties.
Condemning the attacks of PKK terrorist organization, the report
stressed that EP is in solidarity with Turkey in fight against
terrorism.
The report calls Turkey to abolish village guard system, to find
democratic solution to Kurdish problem and to apply European standards
in custody and arrests.
The report noted that modern, democratic and secular Turkey can
undertake a constructive role in dialogue among civilizations. It
also asked Turkey to take necessary steps and swiftly open border
gate with Armenia to start diplomatic and good neighbourhood relations
with this country.
The report also wanted Turkey to open its ports to Greek Cypriot
vessels, stating that Turkey’s recognition of all EU countries
including Greek Cypriot administration is a compulsory part of EU
negotiation process.
FAMILY STILL WAITING FOR MISSING SOLDIER 12 YEARS ON
By Irina Hovannisian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 25 2006
Greta Karapetian has a dream, and it speaks volumes about her pain
and desperation. She would give up everything, including her life,
to catch a final glimpse of her soldier son who went missing in the
dying weeks of the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
"I will wait for him even on my death bed," she says in tears. "Let
my heart stop, let me die the moment my boy comes back and I see him
for the last time."
Ashot Karapetian, who was 27 at the time of his disappearance in April
1994, is one of about 950 Armenian servicemen and civilian hostages
that remain unaccounted for more than 12 years after a Russian-mediate
truce stop fierce fighting in and around Karabakh.
Over 200 of them were citizens of Armenia proper. Most have been
formally declared dead by Armenian courts at the request of their
families who have lost any hope of finding their loved ones.
Others still hope for a miracle, embittered by what they see as
government indifference to the fate of the missing soldiers and
civilians. Karapetian’s elderly parents say no military or government
official has visited them in the last 12 years and are surprised to
see journalists taking interest in their plight.
"Nobody cares about my son," says Ashot’s father Avetik. "I have
written to [Defense Minister] Serzh [Sarkisian], to [President Robert]
Kocharian, to everyone. They replied that they keep looking for.
"But who are they looking for? Don’t they know what happened to those
men? They know, but won’t tell us."
Karapetian himself spent several months touring Karabakh and trying
to gather information about his son a decade ago, but to no avail.
Ashot was in a group of five soldiers who went missing in a pitched
battle with Azerbaijani forces southeast of Karabakh on April 20,
1994, less than a month before the war was stopped. One of them,
Artak Avetisian, is said to have been seen in a critical condition
by some of his comrades on that day. But his whereabouts have been
unknown since then.
Avetisian’s parents believe he is most probably dead and had the
Armenian authorities officially certify that recently. The formality
allowed them to start receiving a measly state benefit of 3,000 drams
($8) a month.
"I pinned my hopes on them for five or six years, but nothing was
done," Avetisian’s father Hrant says, referring to the government and
the military. "All I heard was ‘don’t worry, he’ll come back one day.’"
The Armenian Defense Ministry insists, however, that it has done its
best to locate and repatriate prisoners of war. Colonel Ashot Balian,
a member of a ministry commission dealing with them, claimed last April
that hundreds of Armenians remain alive in Azerbaijani captivity. "We
have information that they are used as slave labor in Azerbaijan,"
Balian told RFE/RL. "The Azerbaijani authorities keep moving them
around and leaving no traces of them."
"We still hope that our missing sons will return to their families
one day," he said.
The Azerbaijani authorities have denied holding any Armenian prisoners
and allege, for their part, that as many as five thousand Azerbaijani
captives are being held in Armenia and Karabakh. Defense Minister
Sarkisian dismissed the claims as "unfounded" during an April meeting
the visiting chairman of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), Jacob Kellenberger.
The Red Cross, which has offices in both Baku and Yerevan, is the main
international institution that arranges Armenian-Azerbaijani prisoner
exchanges and repatriations. Both conflicting armies continue to turn
to it for assistance after reporting soldier disappearances.
Prisoner exchanges have also been arranged by private individuals,
usually via Georgia. They have strong connections in Armenia and
Azerbaijan and earn lump sums in the process. According to an informed
member of the Yerkrapah Union of Armenian veterans of the Karabakh war,
who asked not to be identified, some families have paid the middlemen
between $40,000 and $150,000 to get their sons out of captivity. "If
the parents have money and know where their son is kept, their chances
are big," he told RFE/RL.
The Karapetians neither have money, nor know Ashot’s whereabouts.
What they have instead is a bitter grudge against the far more
prosperous Armenian officials who they feel could have done more
to bring their son back home. "Our boys went to fight and die to
swell their pockets and the coffers of Swiss banks," says Avetik
Karapetian. "If, God forbid, there is another war, who will fight
for this country? Let them, their children fight."
oikotimes.org, Greece
Sept 22 2006
Armenia: Andre (2006) in concert on September 26 with Varvara and
Elena Risteska
Fotis Konstantopoulos reporting from Athens (Greece)
source: Armenian News Network – photo: oikotimes resources
Armenian News Network reports
Singer Andre who represented Armenia in "Eurovision 2006" announces
that he does not belong to any religious sect. He told a press
conference today that although he was born in an atheist family, he
considers God his chief sponsor. "During the Karabakh war when I was
8 I sang my first song called "Prayer" with Christ’s picture in my
hands. I sang and prayed God to protect my father who fought in war
and to give us victory", Andre said. He mentioned that he does not
avoid saying that he believes in God, but that doesn’t mean that he
belongs to a sect. "Everyone believes in some thing. Some believe in
the coffee cup, others in stars. I believe in God".
By the way, Andre was surprised to find out that his September
26concert in Vazgen Sargsyan stadium has a number of sponsors – major
and famous firms. According to him, no one has ever sponsored his
concerts. The majority of the tickets of the concert has already been
sold (11 thousand from 14). Andre promised the football fans that the
stadium will not be spoilt. There will also be guests in the concert:
singer Varvara from Russia, Elena Risteska who represented FYR
Macedonia in "Eurovision 2006" and others. During the concert Andre
will represent his new CD which is called "A Thousand Times". After
the Yerevan concert Andre will leave for the United States and a
number of European countries in order to give concerts. He will
return to Yerevan on December 12.
He also mentioned that the video of his song "Without you love" is
still broadcast by a number of European TC Channels. Besides, he was
invited to the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine as an
honored guest. Let us add that on September 2 in connection with the
15th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic the National
Assembly of NKR awarded Andre a medal as a singer devoted to his
homeland. Andre who is from Artsakh by birth accepted the medal
proudly.
Turkey report stays on EU agenda
EUPolitix.com, Belgium
Sept 22 2006
The MEP at the centre of a row over Turkish EU has expressed his
pleasure that his report will be voted on in European parliament
next week.
Socialist MEPs had attempted to head off a controversial parliament
report by Camiel Eurlings that criticizes Turkey for inaction in
implementing reforms.
"I am happy that the report will be discussed as scheduled next week,"
the centre-right Dutch deputy told this website.
"It is important that the report is voted on in parliament before the
commission’s report is published on November 8. I am pleased it will
be discussed in Strasbourg in the presence of commissioner Olli Rehn."
Socialist MEPs said the Eurlings report is "unbalanced and biased" and
attempted to use a Thursday meeting of political group and committee
leaders to press for the delay.
Concern among centre-left MEPs – the parliament’s second biggest bloc –
focuses on Eurlings’ demands that Ankara must recognise the Armenian
genocide as a precondition for EU entry.
But despite their fears, the Eurlings report is now formally on the
agenda at next week’s Strasbourg plenary.
Heated discussion is expected during debate on Tuesday – ahead of a
Wednesday vote on the report.
CDA Candidates Deny Genocide by Turks
By our correspondents
Trouw (Dutch national newspaper)
21-09-06
Two candidates on CDA’s (Christian Democrats) list for the
parliamentary elections in November deny the Armenian Genocide,
while the party believes that Turkey should recognize the genocide.
It concerns two candidates of Turkish descent: Ayhan Tonca (in 35th
place) and Osman Elmaci (56). For a long time, Tonca has called the
genocide a lie. Elmaci recently clarified his views in a letter to the
Parliament. The letter is available on the website of TV-program NOVA,
which explored this issue yesterday.
Elmaci writes that ChristenUnie’s proposal to penalize the denial of
genocide goes against the pillars of freedom of speech. He points
to the fact that there are 300,000 Turks in the Netherlands who do
not believe in the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and sums up the Turkish
arguments.
Tonca is the chairman of the Islamic Foundation in the Netherlands
(ISN), the Dutch chapter of Diyanet, the Turkish Ministry of
Religious Affairs. ISN also oversees most of the Turkish mosques in
the Netherlands. In Turkish circles, people are questioning how Tonca
can function as a representative of the people when he is tied hands
and feet to the Turkish government.
On Elmaci’s website (), there are indications
that he is affiliated with right-winged nationalist Turkish
organizations. Earlier, both Elmaci and Tonca criticized the
proposal of the ChristenUnie in an e-mail discussion with local
Turkish politicians.
CDA’s chairwoman, Marja van Blijsterveldt, responds in a reaction
that she respects Tonca’s views, but that they are not the views of
the fraction, nor of the party.
The Armenian Genocide happened in 1915, when Turkey was allied with
Germany. Turks deported Armenians to Syria when they began to question
their loyalty.
CNN ADVERTISES ARMENIA
Armenpress
Sept 21 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS: Deputy trade and economic
development minister Ara Petrosian told the second Armenia-Diaspora
economic forum that since September 18 the CNN TV channel has been
showing two reels advertising Armenia three times a day. These reels
were prepared by Armenian Armenia TV and H2 channels.
Petrosian said the 30-second advertisements can be watched overall
by 1 billion people across the globe.
He said the reels will certainly make Armenia more attractive for
foreign tourists and recalled that around 7 percent of Armenia’s GDP
comes from tourism industry.
BBC News
Thursday, 21 September 2006,
Top novelist acquitted in Turkey
Elif Shafak hoped her novel would encourage empathy
A court in Istanbul has acquitted the best-selling
Turkish novelist, Elif Shafak, who had been accused of
insulting "Turkishness".
Ms Shafak, 35, had faced charges for comments made by
her characters on the mass killings of Armenians in
the final years of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
Turkey rejects Armenia’s claim that the killings
constituted "genocide".
The EU has been urging Turkey to abolish a
controversial law that makes it a crime to insult the
Turkish state.
The trial was seen by the EU as a test of freedom of
expression in Turkey, which began membership talks
with the 25-member bloc last October.
Scuffles
The proceedings lasted just 40 minutes and ended in
utter chaos, the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford reports.
The judges said they based their decision on lack of
evidence to prove that Ms Shafak "denigrated the
Turkish national identity" in her novel, The Bastard
of Istanbul.
If Article 301 will be interpreted in this way
nobody can write novels in Turkey anymore, no-one can
make movies any more
Elif Shafak
Ms Shafak – who has recently given birth to her first
child – was not present at the hearing.
The nationalist lawyers who brought the case under
Article 301 of Turkey’s penal code walked out in anger
shortly after the trial opened.
They claimed the court and judges had been unduly
influenced by the EU.
Riot police moved in to stop scuffles between
nationalists and leftists outside the courthouse.
‘Autonomy of art’
One of the lawyers who filed the complaint against Ms
Shafak had claimed that her novel was Armenian
propaganda, dripping with hatred for the Turks.
One of the novel’s characters speaks of "Turkish
butchers" and a "genocide", while others talk about
being "slaughtered like sheep".
Ms Shafak was the latest in a long line of writers to
face similar charges in Turkey. But this was the first
time Article 301 had been used against a work of
fiction.
"If Article 301 will be interpreted in this way nobody
can write novels in Turkey anymore, no-one can make
movies any more," Ms Shafak told the BBC before the
trial.
"The words of a character could be used as evidence
against the author or the film director. I think it is
extremely important to defend the autonomy of art, and
of literature," she said.