Author: Karagyozian Lena

NewsBlaze, CA
July 28 2007

Crossfire War – Turkey Continues Undeclared War With Armenia – Russia

By Willard Payne

Night Watch: DARDANELLES – An undeclared war, conducted for more than
a century, between Turkey and Armenia is still continuing.
ANK-Turkish Daily News have reported Ankara has refused permission
for an Albanian cargo ship to pass through the Turkish Straits of the
Dardanelles and Bosporous into the Black Sea with its final
destination being Armenia. The ship was loaded with weapons for the
Armenian military and was forced to turn back. Most likely the
weapons will have to shipped to Armenia through Russia, which earlier
this year established a strategic – military alliance with Armenia as
Moscow’s and the West’s effort to retain access to the energy
resources of the Black Sea-Caucasus-Caspian region.
[TURKISHDAILYNEWS]

Ankara has combined its regional policy with Tehran and the Georgian
government in Tbilisi in their attempt to control the region and that
is why this theatre is the decisive one in World War III. This is the
only area Iran can be confronted so directly. Even though every NATO
nation needs constant access to raw materials in this area, NATO
refused to assist Moscow in any way during the first wars in the
North Caucasus from 1994-96 in Chechnya, and in the second series of
wars that began again in 1999 when Daghestan was invaded. NATO’s
failure, due to its suspicious strategic scheming, has prolonged
World War III and has enabled Tehran to produce more nuclear warheads
and ballistic missiles. Brussels, headquarters of both NATO and the
European Union, instead kept insisting and still insists on wars with
Serbia.

Night Watch Information Service

TURKEY CONDUCTS POLICY OF DIVIDING SOUTH CAUCASUS

Lragir, Armenia
July 27 2007

The situation in Turkey is hopeless, only an optimist may expect that
after the Turkish election positive moves will be made to improve
relations with Armenia, stated Ruben Safrastyan, expert on Turkish
studies, on July 27 at the Friday Club. According to Ruben Safrastyan,
the reality is hopeless also because no political party comes up with
an alternative proposal to the approach of the government towards
the relations with Armenia.

Certainly the ruling Justice and Development Party has made two
unprecedented statements. Ali Babajan, the third person of the
party, stated October 2002 before the election that with regard to
the relations with Armenia it is necessary to leave aside politics
and focus on the economic interests. It might become the track for
improvement of relations with Armenia, but after coming to power they
forgot or denied this statement, Ruben Safrastyan said.

The next was Recep Tayyib Erdoghan’s statement in 2005. Erdoghan
deviated from the policy of denial coming from the 20s of the 20th
century and proposed that a group of Armenian and Turkish historians
find out if there was a genocide or not. This proposal was not picked
up by the Armenian historians. Generally, Ruben Safrastyan thinks
the Turks refuse to recognize the genocide because they do not want
to be labeled as a nation which committed genocide. Yet uncertainty
is another reason for the delay of the recognition of the Genocide;
Armenia has not stated yet what it will claim in case Turkey recognizes
the genocide of Armenians, Ruben Safrastyan stated.

The moves Armenia makes regarding the relations with Turkey are
correct, he thinks. Since 1992 Armenia has proposed to set up relations
without preconditions. According to Ruben Safrastyan, it is the basic
and logical condition for relations. However, approximately at the
same time Turkey started conducting a policy of dividing the South
Caucasus: "In an effort to create a group of minor allies including
Georgia and Azerbaijan." However, this policy is not favorable for
the United States, Russia and the EU, and Ruben Safrastyan thinks
Turkey will bring this program into being with difficulty. Especially
that Turkey committed to improvement of relations with neighbors on
the track for the EU membership which it fails, in fact. Instead,
Turkey will hinder the affirmation of the U.S. Congress resolution
on the genocide, as it has done so far, Ruben Safrastyan stated.

THEOCRATIC COUNTRIES CANNOT BECOME EU MEMBER-STATES, OLLI REHN SAYS

YERKIR
26.07.2007 18:26

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – European Union Commissioner Franco Frattini has
made a statement in regards to recent general elections in Turkey,
commenting that "the rights of the secular minority of Turkey must be
protected." In his part Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner for Expansion,
noted, "theocratic countries cannot become EU member-states."

At the same time European Parliament MP Frank Venhecke from Belgium
submitted a series of questions regarding Turkey’s future to the EU
Presidency for answers.

Franco Frattini also said the possibility that Turkey could turn
from a secular state into a theocratic nation would be a "situation
difficult to accept", Huriyett reports.

During the July 22 early parliamentarian elections in Turkey Justice
and Development Party (AKP) won the majority of votes at the head of
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan.

ARMENIAN BROADCASTING OFFICIALS RESPOND TO RFE/RL STATEMENT

ARMENPRESS
Jul 26, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Public TV and Radio Company’s
Council (HHHR) said today in a statement that it, as well as the Public
Radio, would like to reconfirm their desire to continue cooperation
with the RFE/RL ‘for the sake of the Republic of Armenia and the USA.’
The statement comes as a response to media reports saying that the
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and its oversight agency,
the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), were dismayed at
Armenian Public Radio’s rejection of a new contract to continue
carrying programs of RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

According to HHHR statement, it and the Public Radio had negotiated
with the RFE/RL management and BBG for months with the aim of finding
solutions to a set of contractual, financial and technical issues. The
statement says though no agreement was reached between U.S. and
Armenian broadcast officials on retransmission of the Armenian Service
of the RFE/RL, the Public Radio continued retransmission of the RFE/RL
programs through its airways throughout the period of talks presenting
payable accounts every month.

The statement says the RFE/RL stopped paying its accounts after 2007
February, although the accounts were being sent to it every month. The
current debt of the RFE/RL to the Public Radio is about $86,000.

The statement says on July 6, 2007, in view of the international
experience of public radio and TVs’ operation, the HHHR decided
to stop retransmission of foreign and local radio and TV companies
through public airways.

According to the statement, HHHR notified three such companies-Mir,
RFE/RL and Tsaig that the Public Radio and TV company will stop
retransmitting their programs on August 9, but the RFE/RL asked
to prolong the deadline and the Public Radio agreed to meet this
request halfway.

The statement said that the HHHR and the Public Radio expressed
their willingness to help the RFE/RL negotiate retransmission of
its programs with a local private radio company to secure RFE/RL’s
continued broadcasting in Armenia.

The statement says HHHR discussed with BBG officials last week in
Yerevan the possibilities of retransmission of the RFE/RL through the
waves of the intercontinental AR Radio, which is technically quite
possible, but for that the Public Radio of Armenia would have to cut
its broadcasting hours through AR Radio’s FM network, so that these
hours go to the RFE/RL.

The statement said the Public Radio and AR Radio had achieved a
preliminary agreement on this technical issue and sent on July 24 a
notification to the BBG president Gary Thatcher.

The statement said on its part the BBG presented a draft agreement
on retransmitting RFE/RL through AR Radio, which was negotiated by
the parties, who were actually in the final stage.

The HHHR statement says after all these developments the statement
by the RFE/RL, which has a set of inaccuracies, is an attempt to
politicize purely legal-contractual and financial questions, causing
the regret of the HHHR and Public Radio.

A statement by the RFE/RL, posted on its website, quoted BBG chairman
James K. Glassman as saying that ‘Our delegation was asked to go
to Yerevan to iron out some minor technical issues and conclude a
contract to extend this successful partnership. All these issues
were resolved. Our delegation was told there are no deadlines, and
no threat was made to take RFE/RL programs off Public Radio. Yet
the contract remains unsigned, and our offers to make payment were
refused. It seems clear that whatever is holding up an agreement has
nothing to do with legal, contractual, or technical issues."

"We value our relationship with Armenian Public Radio and certainly
want it to continue. We look forward to signing the contract,
and making all payments stipulated in the contract, as soon as our
partners in Armenia tell us they are ready."

USAID MADE DONATION OF SIX CARS TO RA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Noyan Tapan
Jul 25, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The United States’ Agency of
International Development (USAID) has made a donation of six "NIVA"
cars to the RA Ministry of Environmental Protection. According to the
information povided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by the Press Office
of the Ministry, five of the cars will be dispatched to the territorial
bodies (Akhurian, South, North, Ararat, and Sevan-Hrazdan) of the
Basin Management in order to visit basin territories, with regard to
permitting conditions of water use and implementing claims of water
standards, as well as for the purpose of conducting supervision over
water-meter institutions and work of equipments.

They will need cars also for characterizing water resources and for
taking a number of other measures in a quick and productive way.

One car will be disposed to the Basin Planning Management Department
for the purpose of organizing and coordinating the management measures
of water resources.

CONSULTATIVE BODY COMPOSED OF OPPOSITION FIGURES OF ARMENIA TO BE CREATED

Noyan Tapan
Jul 25, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the information provided
to Noyan Tapan by a reliable source, a consultative body of those
who support the idea of taking part in the presidential elections of
Armenia with a united front, will be created some time soon. Artashes
Geghamian, the Head of the "National Unity" party, Ararat Zurabian,
the Head of the Administration of the Armenian National Movement,
Arthur Baghdasarian, the Head of the "Orinats Yerkir" ("Country of
Law") party, Stepan Demirtchian, the Chairman of the Armenian People’s
Party, Aram Gaspar Sargsian, the Head of the Armenian Democratic Party,
Paruyr Hayrikian, the Head of the National Self-Determination Union,
and Ashot Manucharian are included in the above-mentioned consultative
body. Raffi Hovhannisian, the Head of the "Zharangutiun" ("Heritage")
party, and Aram Zaven Sargsian, the Head of the "Hanrapetutiun"
("Republic") party, are discussing the question of joining this
consultative body.

According to the same source, the first gathering of this consultative
body composed of opposition figures will take place on July 25.

A SURPRISING SOURCE OF PROGRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENT

The Independent – United Kingdom
Published: Jul 24, 2007

In recent years, Turkey has become perhaps the best counter-argument
to the idea that liberal democracy and Islam are incompatible. The
re-election of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) at the weekend
is an encouraging sign that this will remain the case.

The AKP has its roots in political Islam, but it has not been
a backward force since winning power in 2002. On the contrary,
the party’s economic reforms have delivered impressive growth, and
Turkey attracted record foreign investment last year. Moreover, the
AKP has not attempted to undermine Turkey’s secular constitution and
the freedoms it guarantees.

The AKP has actually been a good deal more progressive than the
nationalist opposition and the military, which both claim to be the
true guardians of the secular constitution handed down by Turkey’s
celebrated founder, Kemal Ataturk. Nationalists have been at the
forefront of attempts to limit freedom of expression in Turkey by
urging prosecutions against authors who "insult Turkishness". And
the military establishment has been linked with the murderer of the
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

But not all progressives are enthused by the AKP’s sweeping
victory. Some liberal Turks are worried that a new mandate will
embolden the zealous elements within the government to push for a
more Islamist agenda, such as an Iranian-style requirement on women
to wear the headscarf. An early test will be whom the AKP proposes
for the office of President. An attempt by the AKP to get the Foreign
Minister, Abdulla Gul, a pious Muslim whose wife wears the headscarf,
into the presidential office resulted in constitutional deadlock and
sparked large pro-secular demonstrations in April.

We should take the concerns of Turkish liberals seriously. But there
is no reason to believe the AKP is about to swerve into hardline
Islamism. And it is worth noting that the Prime Minister, Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, used his post-election speech yesterday to reaffirm
his pledge to respect Turkey’s secular principles.

Perhaps a more pressing concern for those concerned with civil rights
is the state of relations with the Kurdish minority in the east. There
was some ominous sabre-rattling during the election campaign from
Mr Erdogan, including a threat to invade Kurdish-controlled northern
Iraq to root out separatists operating in the area.

But the secularist opposition and the military are far keener on
aggressive action against the Kurds than the government. And the
new representation of independent Kurdish representatives in the
parliament, another result of this election, should act as a brake
on any precipitate military action.

The other great achievement of the AKP is that it has pushed Turkey
down the road towards European Union membership. Many of the reforms it
has enacted have been with this end in mind. As the Foreign Secretary
David Miliband pointed out yesterday, it is in Europe’s interests to
encourage Turkey further in this direction. Insults and an attitude
of rejectionism (France and Austria have been particular offenders
in this respect) merely embolden the hardline nationalists within
Turkey. The next EU report on Turkey’s progress towards membership
is due in November. Europe’s leaders should take this opportunity to
re-iterate to Turkey that the door to membership remains open.

If Turkey, this historic and geographical link between Europe and
the Middle East, is able to plot a middle course between aggressive
secularism and religious illiberalism, it will be a triumph not just
for Turks, but for democrats everywhere.

ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERI SOLDIER REFUSES HIS FAMILY’S LETTER

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 24 2007

The representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) office in Yerevan met with captured Azerbaijani soldier Samir
Mammadov.

His uncle Vidadi Mammadov told APA he was told by ICRC office in
Barda. He said Mammadov is reported to be in god health. The ICRC
also said he rejected his family’s letter sent to him.

Samir Mammadov was captured by Armenian forces on December 24, 2006.

Samir’s parents last sent him a letter on March 9. Their letter sent
on May 19 was refused from Yerevan. ICRC explained this with the
captured refusal.

OFFICIAL

Azat Artsakh Tert – Nagorno Karabakh Republic
July 23 2007

On july 18th, the NKR president met with the representatives of
observant mission arrived in Stepanakert in connection with the
presidential elections led by the head of the PILPG organization. On
July 19th, the NKR president met with Juliette Kieza /Italy/, the
member of Europarliament. At the meeting the interlocuters particularly
attached importance to the significance of carring out free and just
elections. Congratulating the guests for accepting the invitation
for following the process of the NKR presidential elections, the head
of the country attached importance to the role of observant mission
for providing justice and transparence of elections and assured that
Artsakh this time will also show its resolution on securing democratic
achievements (the acting press secretary of the president reported).

FRANCE TO PAY ARMENIAN MASSACRE DESCENDANTS

Moscow News, Russia
July 20 2007

YEREVAN (AFP) – The descendants of victims of a World War I massacre
of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire can apply for payments from
French insurance giant AXA until October, lawyers said.

AXA settled a class-action lawsuit in 2005 with a $17.5 million
settlement in favor of the heirs of policy-holders who were unable
to claim insurance from current subsidiaries of the company that were
operating in the Ottoman Empire.

AXA has released a list of 7,000 names of victims whose heirs may be
eligible for payments. Applicants must present documented evidence
of their relationship with the victims, the law firm said.

Barseg Gardalian, a lawyer with the US-based firm that filed the
class-action suit, told a press conference in Yerevan that a settlement
board has been accepting applications since April 1.

The deadline for requests is October 1, Gardalian said.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen were victims of a
genocide under the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century.

Turkey argues that 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died
in civil strife during World War I when Armenians took up arms for
independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading Russian
troops.

Similar class-action suits claiming restitution for deposits allegedly
seized by Ottoman authorities and transferred to Europe have been
filed against major Western banks, including Germany’s Deutsche and
Dresdner banks.