Author: Khondkarian Raffi

COE EXPERIENCE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 22:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The experience of Council of Europe is successfully
implemented in the development of democracy in Armenia, COE Armenia
permanent representative, ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan stated during
the meeting with new COE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan gave congratulations of RA President Serzh
Sargsyan and RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to Thorbjørn
Jagland. The parties discussed the necessity of democratic reforms
as well as RA-COE programs implementation, also noting the progress
in RA -Turkish rapprochement process, RA MFA press service reported.

AZERI LEADER SLAMS TURKEY AS GAS ROUTE TO EUROPE

Reuters
10.16.09, 01:25 PM EDT

MOSCOW, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev said
late on Friday that his country is considering other gas routes to
Europe as Turkey’s terms have become ‘unacceptable’, Interfax news
agency quoted him as saying.

The statement follows sharp criticism from Aliyev over the
rapprochement between long-term ally Turkey and its neighbour Armenia,
with whom it has a two-decade land dispute.

‘We’ve run out of options and the current offers cannot be accepted,’
he told a government meeting in Baku.

(Reporting by Amie Ferris-Rotman, editing by Dmitry Zhdannikov)
Keywords: AZERBAIJAN/TURKEY GAS

PROTOCOLS MAY BECOME JUST ANOTHER NON-BINDING DOCUMENT
Karine Ter-Sahakyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.10.2009 GMT+04:00

If the Turkish General Staff sets a priority for Turkey, it is definite
to be accepted by the government; in this country the army still has
the last word.

Signed in Zurich with greatest difficulty and in absolute silence,
the Protocols of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations not
only opened a new page in relations of the two countries, but also
changed the attitude of Turkey towards Azerbaijan and Georgia, and
that of Armenia towards Georgia. Moreover, they changed the stereotype
of the average behavior of an Armenian and a Turk, who now, before
talking about possible warming or cooling of relations between the
two countries, think why we actually signed these Protocols which
may become just another non-binding document.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is still difficult to say what Armenia gained as
a result of signing. But now the most interesting question is what
gained Turkey and the mediator countries. It is unlikely that after
signing of documents the process of Turkey’s integration into the EU
should pick up speed. The same is true about the settlement of Karabakh
conflict, the main obstacle to implementation of the Protocols. Even if
the parliaments of the two countries ratify the Protocols, this process
may take 2-3 months, and there is no guarantee that the normalization
of relations will proceed along the already fixed path. The "road map"
that has been spoken about since April of the current year, is not
ready yet and will not be ready until Ankara manages to include in it
the preconditions she was not able to include in the Protocols. And
if the Armenian Genocide is a minor issue to the Turkish side and
can be "successfully" dragged out with the commission of historians,
which will not be formed due to rejection from the Armenian side,
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could be the sticking
point for the Turkish opposition, and, under its pressure, for the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), this issue being the main
obstacle to establishing diplomatic relations. By the way, that’s
exactly what no one speaks about; everyone is talking only about the
opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, which, by the way, has never
functioned fully. The story began back in Soviet times, when Turkey,
then a NATO member, posed a real threat to the southern borders of
the Soviet Union. In 1980, before the Moscow Olympics they began to
raise a customs office at the border, but it remained unfinished. A
checkpoint at the bridge over the Araks River opened only twice: in
1988 during the Spitak earthquake, when via Turkey Armenia received
humanitarian assistance and in 1990, when the UN mission visited
Armenia. Since then, the border has been closed.

The land border between the USSR and Turkey was 618 kilometers, and its
Armenian section of 330 kilometers was not of a great importance. Much
more attention of Moscow drew the maritime boundary in Batumi,
through which people tried to escape from the USSR. Moreover, in
1931 Turkey conceived then rather weak Iran to accept some parts
of the Turkish-Iranian border in exchange for the 11-mile corridor
that allowed Turkey to gain direct access to Nakhichevan, i.e. to
Azerbaijan. It was then that foundation was laid for the expansion
of Turkey into Azerbaijan, which decades later developed into Heydar
Aliyev’s slogan ":One nation, two states", allowing it to intervene
into the Karabakh conflict. In principle, the position of Ankara in
this issue is obviously destined to failure, no matter how hard the
U.S. and Europe try to convince Turkey of the contrary. For some
reason immediately after signing of the Protocols Russia came to
believe that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations should
proceed simultaneously with the Karabakh conflict settlement, but
hardly can this be considered the official view of Moscow. Russia’s
policy in the Caucasus is still vague and it leads to nothing but
confusion. It can be said that the statement of Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the impossibility of opening the border
without regulation of the Karabakh problem, put off the process of
normalization of relations for an indefinite time. Such statements,
made to please Baku and, why not, under her pressure, could lead to a
stalemate in the region. It is difficult to convince Karabakh-focused
Baku that the Armenian issue is not most important for Ankara. Now
on the agenda are the Kurdish issue and the Cyprus problem. And only
then, time permitting, Ankara will settle relations with Armenia,
renouncing its ties with Azerbaijan. Otherwise, nothing will happen. It
is unlikely that Turkish politicians, including Deniz Baykal and other
opposition figures, should not realize the point. There is a third,
the most effective and decisive force – the Turkish General Staff. If
it sets a priority for Turkey, it is definite to be accepted by the
government. In this country the army still has the last word.

Tert.am
17:36 15.10.09

‘No Document Will Be Found That Will Strengthen Turkey’s Position of
Denial’: Ruben Safrastyan

"The Genocide issue is accepted. If presently, the majority of Turkish
people don’t accept the fact, it doesn’t mean it’s put to doubt. The
entire world has accepted that, including the US and Europe. I am not
referring here at the governmental level, but among historians and
scientists," Director of Oriental Studies Institute of the National
Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan stated today, referring to the
possible influence of archive documents.

"If an American historian rises up and states in scientific circles or
in a university there was no Armenian Genocide people will either laugh
at him, or will say he is not a specialist or he was bribed by the
Turks," he continued, emphasizing that the world’s scientific circles
today accept the fact of Armenian Genocide and its non-acceptance by
Turkey cannot be a decisive factor.

"The phase has passed when Turkey can dispute the Genocide issue,"
Safrastyan said, responding to statements made by Turkey that
unexpected surprises await Armenia following the opening of the
archives. According to him, there can be no surprises for Armenia
and no document will be found that will strengthen Turkey’s positions
of denial.

DIPLOMATIC COUP AT FOOTBALL MATCH

B92
15 October 2009 | 16:03

BURSA — Armenian President Serge Sarkisian has visited Turkey in
a fresh step towards reconciliation between the two nations after
nearly a century of hostility.

In the first such visit by an Armenian leader for a decade, he
joined Turkish President Abdullah Gul at a World Cup qualifying
football match.

Turkish fans booed Armenia’s anthem at the start of the game – which
Turkey won 2-0 – in the western city of Bursa.

Last week, Turkey and Armenia signed a historic accord normalizing
relations.

Relations between the two countries have been overshadowed by
bitterness since the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces
during the First World War.

Yerevan wants Ankara to recognize the killings as an act of genocide,
but successive Turkish governments have refused to do so.

Security was tight around the stadium as Sarkisian and Gul attended
the match between Turkey and Armenia, following a dinner hosted by
the Turkish president.

Sarkisian smiled as Turkey scored, while Gul applauded, and the two
were seen chatting.

Despite appeals from loudspeakers for respect, jeering erupted when
Armenia’s national anthem was played at the start of the game.

Earlier, a bus carrying Armenian journalists was pelted with stones
by dozens of shouting fans, but no-one was injured.

Some fans released white doves in a gesture of peace that drew applause
in the stadium.

Despite Turkey’s win the outcome was of no significance as both teams
are already out of the running for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Last year, Gul attended a game between the two nations in Armenia,
kicking off a round of "football diplomacy" that eventually led to
last week’s accord.

Under the agreement, Turkey and Armenia are to establish diplomatic
ties and reopen their shared border.

The accord still needs to be ratified by the parliaments of Armenia
and Turkey.

Last week, thousands of people protested against the deal in Yerevan.

Armenians have campaigned for the killi – and more than 20 countries
have done so.

Turkey admits that many Armenians were killed but says the deaths
were part of the widespread fighting that took place in World War I.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 because of its war
with Azerbaijan, during which Armenian troops seized the Azeri region
of Nagorno-Karabakh.

On Sunday, Azerbaijan said Turkey should not have normalised ties
Armenia without a deal over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the opening of
his country’s border with Armenia would be tied to progress on the
disputed region.

"ARMENIAN-TURKISH AGREEMENT IS REASON FOR CELEBRATION"

Panorama.am
14:04 14/10/2009

It was reported on Saturday that Turkey and Armenia "signed a landmark
agreement to establish diplomatic relations and open their sealed
borders after a century of enmity," Gerry Rankin from Glendale
News writes.

The agreement needs to be ratified by both nations’ parliaments before
it would become final.

The reporter writes while some Armenians, safe in America, may want
their former homeland to maintain a belligerent posture with its most
important neighbor, those who live in Armenia are the ones who would
face the consequences of continuing failed relations with Turkey.

"Obviously, they are the vulnerable ones. As a nation, Armenia may be
strong in heart, but it is relatively weak in economic and military
power, and potential adversaries surround it on every side," Gerry
Rankin writes.

BURSA’A ATATURK STADIUM IS HOSTING WC 2010 QUALIFIER MATCH

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.10.2009 22:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At the moment, Bursa’a Ataturk Stadium is hosting
WC 2010 qualifier match between Armenian and Turkish teams. Armenian
national anthem was catcalled, PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent David
Hakobyan reported from Bursa’s Ataturk stadium.

On October 14, RA President Serzh Sargysan, on the invitation of his
Turkish colleague Abdullah Gul, left for Bursa to watch the World Cup
European qualifier game between Turkish and Armenian national soccer
teams in the northwestern Turkish province.

TURKEY: ROCKY ROAD AHEAD FOR RECONCILIATION WITH ARMENIA
10/12/09

Eurasia Insight
ticles/eav101209b.shtml
Yigal Schleifer

The October 10 protocols on reconciliation signed by Turkey and
Armenia may signal a milestone in the history of the South Caucasus,
but Turkish experts warn that serious hurdles still stand in the way
of the two countries actually opening up their borders.

The protocols to be signed call for the renewal of diplomatic ties,
opening of the common border and the establishment of a historical
commission to investigate the mass murder of Armenians by Ottoman
forces during World War I.

The only catch, analysts point out, is that the protocols will only
go into effect once the parliaments in both countries ratify them. In
Turkey, domestic opposition could stand in the way of that happening.

Î"×~P£The road to restoring Turkish-Armenian relations is
rocky,Î"×~PÂ¥ said Amanda Akcakoca, a Turkey expert at The European
Policy Centre, a Brussels-based think tank.

Î"×~P£Signing it is not the same thing as having it ratified in
parliament. ThatÎ"×~Pשs going to be the hard part.Î"×~PÂ¥

For Turkey, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue could stand in the way of the
protocolsÎ"×~Pש ratification. Turkey is AzerbaijanÎ"×~Pשs strongest
ally, and Ankara imposed its economic blockade on Armenia in 1993 to
support BakuÎ"×~Pשs efforts to retain control over Karabakh.

During a May 14 address to the Azerbaijani parliament, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared "that the border between
Turkey and Armenia will be open only after the full liberation of
the Azerbaijani occupied territories."

Although the recently released protocols make no mention of a
linkage between the normalization of Turkish-Armenian ties and the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, parliamentarians from the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) have warned that it would be hard
to pass the protocols without any progress on Nagorno-Karabakh.

Speaking soon after the protocols were signed, Erdogan also seemed
to again link the two processes. Î"×~P£We want all conflicts to be
resolved and we want all borders to be opened at the same time,Î"×~PÂ¥
Erdogan said in a televised speech. Î"×~P£(But) as long as Armenia
does not withdraw from the occupied territories in Azerbaijan, Turkey
cannot take up a positive position.Î"×~PÂ¥

Î& quot;×~P£If problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia are resolved, the
public would more easily accept Turkish-Armenian relations. Approval in
the Turkish National Assembly would be so much easier,Î"×~PÂ¥ he said.

For its part, the Azerbaijani government said on October 11 that
the agreement Î"×~P£clouds the spirit of brotherly relationsÎ"×~PÂ¥
between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Still, experts point out that despite the opposition to the deal,
moving ahead on restoring ties with Armenia makes strategic and
political sense for Turkey, a European Union candidate country that
has ambitions to play a larger political and diplomatic role in the
surrounding region and to establish itself as an important energy
transit route.

Î"×~P£The invasion of Georgia last summer really concentrated
minds in the region. Energy routes are the biggest game in town,
and you need security and stability and access for that,Î"×~PÂ¥ said
Semih Idiz, an Ankara-based foreign affairs columnist for the daily
Milliyet. Î"×~P£Restoring relations with Armenia can create all
kinds of synergy for regional cooperation and stability.Î"×~PÂ¥

Diplom atic ties with Yerevan can also buff AnakaraÎ"×~Pשs image in
the EU, he added.

Î"×~P£It brings credibility to the vision of zero problems with
neighbors and for cooperating in the region and Turkey gains
credibility in terms of its EU dimension,Î"×~PÂ¥ Idiz said.

Editor’s Note: Yigal Schleifer is a freelance reporter based in
Istanbul.

Tert.am

00:50 ¢ 11.10.09

Protocol Signing Retarded Because of Turkish Statement

The oral statement of the Turkish side contained rather unacceptable
points for the Armenian side and they were left out as a result of
negotiatons, MFA spokesperson Tigran Balayan commented on the
postponement of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols signing.

He mentioned that the signing of the Protocols between Armenia and
Turkey was an important and turning point in the settlement of the
Armenian-Turkish relations.

Balayan said that the Armenian side appreciated the assistance of the
international community in this process.
Armenia and Turkey signed agreements on Saturday to establish
diplomatic ties and open borders.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Armenian counterpart
Edward Nalbandian signed the Swiss-mediated deal in Zurich at a
meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Tert.am

Turkey-Israel in air exercise row

Story from BBC NEWS:
middle_east/8301321.stm

Published: 2009/10/11 11:45:28 GMT

Turkey has postponed a joint air force drill after opposing Israel’s
participation, the Israeli army says.

The regular exercise to improve international aerial cooperation was to
involve several Nato air forces.

But Israel’s exclusion led to the United States and Italy refusing to
take part in the exercise either.

Relations between Israel and Turkey have cooled since Ankara criticised
Israel’s offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in December and
January.

Turkey and Israel have previously enjoyed close military cooperation
and conduct joint naval exercises.

The two countries share intelligence and have strong trade ties,
following a military cooperation agreement in 1996.

Turkey is one of the few Muslim countries to have relations with
Israel, but these have been under strain since the Islamist-rooted AK
Party was elected to power in 2002.

In January, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan publicly criticised
Israel over the Gaza campaign and walked out on Israeli President
Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.