Author: Kalantarian Kevo

‘SPOTLIGHT’ ON OBAMA
By James Morrison

The Washington Times
January 25, 2012 Wednesday

Armenian-Americans predict that Washington will be the next diplomatic
battlefield after the French Parliament approved a bill that would
make it a crime to deny that the Turkish massacre of Armenians during
World War I was genocide.

“The spotlight is on President Obama,” said Aram S. Hamparian,
executive director of the Washington office of the Armenian National
Committee of America.

Turkish-Americans, however, say the French bill will have no impact
on the U.S. debate because France is “criminalizing thought,” said
Gunay Evinch, a former president of the Assembly of Turkish American
Associations.

The bill would impose a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine
of $57,000 for denying that the killings amounted to genocide –
the deliberate attempt to eliminate an entire people.

Mr. Hamparian criticized Mr. Obama Enhanced Coverage LinkingObama
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failing to recognize the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire as genocide.

When he was a U.S. senator, Mr. Obama supported congressional
resolutions on the Armenian issue. As a presidential candidate in 2008,
he promised Armenian-Americans, a small but powerful bloc, that he
would declare the massacre a genocide if he won the White House.

“He supported legislation as a senator that he opposes as president,”
said Mr. Hamparian, adding that Armenian-Americans will use the French
action as leverage to get Congress to adopt an Armenian resolution.

A House resolution is awaiting action in the House Foreign Affairs
Committee. A Senate resolution was sent to the Foreign Relations
Committee last year, but Chairman John F. Kerry, Massachusetts
Democrat, took no action.

Mr. Hamparian said he hopes that the Senate sponsors, Democrats Barbara
Boxer of California and Robert Menendez of New Jersey, will introduce
another resolution this year.

He praised the French bill as a “very principled stand.”

Mr. Evinch said that Turkish-Americans see the French bill as an
attempt to prohibit any independent research into the facts about
the Armenian massacre.

Turkey disputes Armenian claims of 1.5 million deaths. It insists
that about 500,000 Armenians were killed in an uprising during and
after World War I and that Turks and Kurds died at the hands of
Armenian rebels.

Asked whether the French action would affect the debate in Washington,
Mr. Evinch said, “I don’t think so. … It puts the issue in a
negative light.”

“As an American,” he added, “I can’t envision criminalizing thought.”

In Turkey on Tuesday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced
the French bill as “discriminatory and racist.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu over the weekend threatened
France with “permanent sanctions” if the assembly adopted the bill.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which represents 57
Muslim-majority nations, accused the French of approving the bill for
“political and electoral gain” to win support from some 500,000 ethnic
Armenians in France.

“We reject this law and consider it to be inconsistent with historical
fact,” the group said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to sign the bill within two
weeks, his office announced in Paris on Tuesday, while Foreign Minister
Alain Juppe appealed to France’s “Turkish friends” to stay calm.

OSCE REPRESENTATIVE TO DISCUSS NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE IN AZERBAIJAN

Vestnik Kavkaza
Jan 26 2012
Russia

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement will be discussed during
the visit to Baku of the special representative of the OSCE and
acting chairman of the South Caucasus committee, Patrick Murphy,
Trend reports on Thursday.

“I am coming here because at the beginning of this month I shall take
on the OSCE chairmanship,” Murphy told media in Baku. “I am a special
representative of the OSCE chairman. It is normal that I visit the
South Caucasus countries, one of which is Azerbaijan. We will discuss
the issues that arise between OSCE and Azerbaijan,” he added

OSCE Special Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk is already in Baku,
he informed.

TURKEY: TURKISH-FRENCH TENSIONS ENTER THE KITCHEN

EurasiaNet.org
Jan 25 2012
NY

Despite threats to punish France for its parliament’s recent passing
of a bill that would make it a crime to deny that the mass killing of
Armenians by the Ottoman state in 1915 was a genocide, Ankara for now
is holding back on hitting the French with any sanctions. But things
appear to be a bit different in the culinary realm. As the Financial
Times reports, while the Turkish government might be taking a more
patient approach, some Turks are talking about boycotting Sodexo,
a French company that is responsible for managing a large program
that allows Turkish companies to provide their employees with lunch,
either in-house or by going out using chits. From the FT:

Turkey is talking of boycotts in its increasingly bitter dispute
with France.

At the centre of attention: Sodexo, the French food company now the
target of Istanbul restaurateurs who say revenue from $2bn’s worth
of Turkish meals is at stake….

….”We will carry out a boycott against the people who are trying to
blacken the name of Turkey for political reasons in France,” declared
Sait Karabagli, the [Chamber of Istanbul Restaurant Owners] chairman,
announcing steps he said would hit not just Sodexo but also Ticket
and Multinet, two other French-owned food groups. “We and our 13,500
members have decided to say enough to the French companies,” he added.

Karabagli reckons $150m is at stake in the boycott he is proposing –
part of the reason for his action in the first place. He claimed the
French companies were exploiting Turkish restaurants by imposing an
eight per cent commission on $2bn or so or receipts – and also asked
for help for the Turkish state to get the commission come down.

Sodexo was unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, it appears that Turkey’s First Lady, Hayrunnisa Gul,
is practicing some dining diplomacy of her own. According to Turkish
reports, Gul is hosting a dinner tomorrow for the spouses of diplomats
in Ankara. Not on the guest list? The wife of French ambassador
Laurent Bili.

ARMENIAN COUPLE NAME NEWBORN ‘SARKOZY’

Hindustan Times

Jan 26 2012
India

couple in Armenia have named their baby Sarkozy — after the French
senate outlawed the denial of the Armenian genocide by Turkey.

The couple from Akhurik village expressed their gratitude to Nicolas
Sarkozy, RIA Novosti reported. The legislation calls for up to one
year in prison and a fine of about $58,000 for those who deny an
officially recognized genocide, said the New York Times.

Armenian daily Aravot said the three-kg baby has received a birth
certificate with the name Sarkozy Avetisyan.

The Armenian Genocide took place in the First World War. An estimated
1.5 million Armenians were killed under the Ottoman Turks.

Turkey has never acknowledged that the mass killing of Armenian
people was a crime against humanity. The government says the deaths
were never an attempt at wiping out a whole race.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since the latter became
independent following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY DISCUSSES BORDER SECURITY WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIAL

news.am
January 26, 2012 | 12:24

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s National Security Council (NSC) Secretary Arthur
Baghdasaryan received Thursday a delegation led by Valentin Sobolev,
Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of Russia.

The interlocutors discussed the 2012-2013 Cooperation Program, which
the Armenian and Russian Security Councils signed at the end of 2011,
NSC Press Service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Arthur Baghdasaryan noted that this program’s measures are being
carried out effectively, and, in this context, he underscored the
upcoming visit to Armenia by Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the
Security Council of Russia.

The parties also examined the border security cooperation, the
implementation of joint projects in emergency situations, military
industry cooperation, and the establishment of Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO) Information Centers.

In his turn, Valentin Sobolev stressed the high level of cooperation
between the security councils of Armenia and Russia, and expressed
confidence that all measures will be fully materialized.

BAKU THREATS PROVE IT A WEAK PLAYER – ARMENIAN EXPERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 26, 2012 – 13:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Regional Studies Center director commented on
recent Sochi-hosted meeting on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement between
Armenian, Russian, and Azerbaijani Presidents.

“Recent presidential meeting being the last one mediated by Russia’s
Dmitry Medvedev, in view of Putin’s possible accession to presidency,
the situation is expected to change. I believe, with Putin’s more
drastic position on the issue, the latter won’t have patience for
lengthy talks, eventually pressuring the parties into a consensus,”
Richard Giragosian told a news conference in Yerevan.

The expert further noted significant downscale in Azeri military
rhetoric, characterizing Baku threats as those of a weak player.

“Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statement suggesting Russia’s
disappointment in Baku policy comes as a proof of weakening Azeri
position,” the expert concluded.

At January 23 trilateral presidential meeting in Sochi Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan stressed the need to refrain from extreme
measures, calling for continuation of approximating positions.

“Considering the importance of shifting to development of peace
agreement, Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed readiness to
expedite an agreement on Basic principles,” Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said, adding that heads of the two states had requested
Russia to mediate humanitarian ties between the two countries.

TURKEY’S CONDUCT CAUSES SENSE OF DEJA VU – ARMENIAN EXPERT

Tert.am
25.01.12

Turkey’s conduct is causing a sense of deja vu, expert in Turkic
studies Anush Hovhannisyan told journalists Jan 25.

She recalled Turkey’s conduct was the same after France recognized
the Armenian Genocide.

“Adoption of the bill has no precedents in that, despite tremendous
pressure on Turkey’s part, the French Senate adopted the bill. We
have repeatedly been witnesses of Turkey preventing recognition of
the Armenian Genocide by different countries,” she added.

Adoption of the bill has its impact on Turkey’s domestic policy.

“Various political parties in Turkey, as well as people of reason, have
been severely critical of the country’s leadership. The recognition
of the Armenian Genocide is not an insult to the Turkish people. It
is a process initiated by the Turkish State,” Hovhannisyan said.

A number of Turkish media outlets note that the adoption of the
Armenian Genocide bill is supposed to set Turkey thinking of the
impossibility of further delay in addressing the Armenian Genocide.

“Turkey’s political leadership must realize that there is no achieving
goals by means of blackmail,” Hovhannisyan said.

RUSSIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS ENTER PHASE OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

news.am
January 25, 2012 | 16:41

MOSCOW. -The second session of the joint strategic planning group
operating under the high-level Russian-Turkish cooperation council
took place in Moscow on Wednesday presided by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov
and Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu.

The sides discussed international problems and the issues concerning
their cooperation. The participants exchanged opinions on the current
situation in the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, especially
concerning the Karabakh conflict and also Ira~Rs nuclear program.

Summing up the meeting results the Ministers made a joint statement,
the press service of the Russian MFA informs.

‘AZERBAIJAN HELPS TURKEY TO TURN INTO LEADING TRANSIT STATE’
Elnur Aslanov

News.Az
Wed 25 January 2012

Just like Azerbaijan, Turkey will soon be grieving over the 20th
anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

The statement came from chief of the department of political analysis
and information of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan
Elnur Aslanov.

He was speaking to journalists as part of the presentation of the
collection of articles “Azerbaijani-Turkish relations over the past
20 years: successes and opportunities’ released with the support of
the Center for Strategic Studies of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan-Turkey
Businessmen Association.

“We hope to hear the calls ‘we all are from Khojaly, we all are
Azerbaijanis’ in Istanbul”, he said.

According to him, Azerbaijan and Turkey have always been next to each
other and supported each other in difficult times.

‘Our relations are best described in Heydar’s Aliyev statement ‘two
states and a single nation’. In 1918 the Caucasus Islam Army of Nuru
Pasha rushed to help Azerbaijani people to save them from the massacres
committed by Armenian dashnaks when tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis
died. As a protest against occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani lands in
1993 Turkey closed borders with Armenia’, Aslanov said.

According to Aslanov, Turkey urges the world community to insert
pressure on Armenia for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and
liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani lands.

‘It is necessary to raise pressure on Armenia. Yerevan has to bear
responsibility before the world community for the bloody crimes they
committed’, Aslanov said.

He noted that today the relations between Baku and Ankara are on
the rise.

‘Azerbaijan is a regional leader in the South Caucasus and it helps
Turkey to turn into a leading transit state. This is promoted by the
energy projects Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and the
project of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad under construction.

The agreement on strategic partnership and mutual assistance signed
last year is a clear proof of our fraternal and strategic relations’,
Aslanov said.

TURKISH MEDIA: FRENCH SENATORS COLLECT SIGNATURES TO OPPOSE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

Panorama.am
25/01/2012

French Senator Nathalie Goulet told Anadolu news agency that a
group of French senators began collecting signatures to carry the
Armenian Genocide bill adopted by the French Senate to the French
Constitutional Court.

The signatures of at least 60 senators or parliamentarians are needed
to take the Armenian Genocide bill to the French Constitutional Court
within a period of a month.

The Armenian Genocide bill must be signed by French President Nicolas
Sarkozy within 15 days and published in the Official Gazette in order
to become a law.

On January 23 the French Senate passed the bill with 127 votes for
and 86 against.